e46 320i NA Performance Upgrades

[husaindindar]

As brilliant as the e46 is, you need to remember that it is close to or possibly is 20 years old now.

It WILL need a cooling sytsem refresh. New radiator, hoses, bottle etc. These things are known to leave you on the side of the road.
At that age, expect bushing, shocks, mounts etc to be shot.

Your money should go into this first, before you go about the power wagon....

 

[JakesSA]

As brilliant as the e46 is, you need to remember that it is close to or possibly is 20 years old now.

It WILL need  a cooling sytsem refresh. New radiator, hoses, bottle etc. These things are known to leave you on the side of the road.
At that age, expect bushing, shocks, mounts etc to be shot.

Your money should go into this first, before you go about the power wagon....

We have done the following on the car while still at the previous owner:

Radiator
Hoses
Disks
Pads
Oil Service & all Filters
Smash & Grab
Inspection that found no problems

Drive terrain will come with the coilovers
Tyres with the new set of 18's

I think that should cover most of the basic stuff? If there are any other common problems please feel free to list them, I like working down lists.

 

[AdiS]

As mentioned by several other credible members, trying to make an E46 320i fast is a fool's errand. There is very little to be gained from that motor. Buying a 330i is overwhelmingly the cheapest and simplest upgrade if you want more power.

 

[JakesSA]

As mentioned by several other credible members, trying to make an E46 320i fast is a fool's errand. There is very little to be gained from that motor. Buying a 330i is overwhelmingly the cheapest and simplest upgrade if you want more power.

Thanks for the feedback. I have decided against it as said before though.

The goal was also not to make it fast, as in take on M3's all of a sudden. It was just to add some additional power as far as NA would allow compared to reliability. I was never expecting a rocket build from the start, simply the most common NA guidelines and options to perhaps lift it into the 140-150kw range.

 

[Jakes4R]

There's this golden, but almost forgotten rule : Don't build what you can buy!

You will be dropping thousands into a car for which you will not get the returns in terms of power or resale value.

If it it is truly a mint condition e46 individual, your resale value will be best preserved by keeping the car as stock as possible.

Just one more thing to consider - if you want as much as possible usable power, think twice before fitting 18" rims. After fitting the larger rims you can expect to notice a loss of power. Bigger rims means more weight that needs to be moved by the engine as well as more friction that needs to be overcome by the (assumed) broader tyre. There will most likely be a fuel consumption increase as well as extra strain on steering components.

 

[Dr Evil]

When i had my e46 320i i knew i wasn't going to get huge power out of it but what i did do that helped allot was breathing mods. I had a k&n filter, decat and e36 328i headers. The car revved more freely and was fun to drive and i enjoyed it. When i wanted more power i rather bought a car with more. I now have an e90 330i.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AshG108]

Bud,

Words if wisdom here, this car is in great shape which is unheard of these days as well. Why not share a few pics as well, can maybe help also with possibly already getting a possibly sale and maybe get yourself into a 330i?

 

[Rotinaj]

As mentioned by several other credible members, trying to make an E46 320i fast is a fool's errand. There is very little to be gained from that motor. Buying a 330i is overwhelmingly the cheapest and simplest upgrade if you want more power.

Thanks for the feedback. I have decided against it as said before though.

The goal was also not to make it fast, as in take on M3's all of a sudden. It was just to add some additional power as far as NA would allow compared to reliability. I was never expecting a rocket build from the start, simply the most common NA guidelines and options to perhaps lift it into the 140-150kw range.

:roflol: :roflol: :roflol:

 

[individj]

There's this golden, but almost forgotten rule : Don't build what you can buy!

You will be dropping thousands into a car for which you will not get the returns in terms of power or resale value.

If it it is truly a mint condition e46 individual, your resale value will be best preserved by keeping the car as stock as possible.

Just one more thing to consider - if you want as much as possible usable power, think twice before fitting 18" rims. After fitting the larger rims you can expect to notice a loss of power. Bigger rims means more weight that needs to be moved by the engine as well as more friction that needs to be overcome by the (assumed) broader tyre. There will most likely be a fuel consumption increase as well as extra strain on steering components.

naaaa that depends on the rim bud..you can get a lighter 18"...you can get the exact same width as well with a lower profile too...

 

[JakesSA]

Bud,

Words if wisdom here, this car is in great shape which is unheard of these days as well. Why not share a few pics as well, can maybe help also with possibly already getting a possibly sale and maybe get yourself into a 330i?

I'm going to stick with the 320i, I was out looking for a clean e46 that was taken care of from day one. 
The seller I found was exactly that guy who treated the car with respect and through the entire purchase we become very good mates. 

What most people are misunderstanding on this thread is that I'm not after brutal power, I would much rather drive a well looked after 320i than a 330i that I have no idea who and what drove it how hard. 

It's more about my love for the e46 in general and I simply wanted to do some NA upgrades and just give it that little extra, coz why not? The e46 M3 CSL is next on my list for the collection but for now I wanted to start with a clean e46.

The seller did a custom spray on it (super pearl'ish glitter top and some custom maroon mix at bottom, cost him 45k apparently) looks good when he drives it but I will be taking it back to Alpine White with blacked out roof and wheels although some are saying to keep it as is. Like I said it looks nice on a drive by but unfortunately it's just not me.

Here's some pics of it:

**removed them, don't want to shed bad light on the previous seller, oke is a good guy**

 

[individj]

this is not an individual

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what year model is the car?

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the guys def understand what youre saying...theyre saying its going to be that hard to get 30kw's

 

[JakesSA]

There's this golden, but almost forgotten rule : Don't build what you can buy!

You will be dropping thousands into a car for which you will not get the returns in terms of power or resale value.

If it it is truly a mint condition e46 individual, your resale value will be best preserved by keeping the car as stock as possible.

Just one more thing to consider - if you want as much as possible usable power, think twice before fitting 18" rims. After fitting the larger rims you can expect to notice a loss of power. Bigger rims means more weight that needs to be moved by the engine as well as more friction that needs to be overcome by the (assumed) broader tyre. There will most likely be a fuel consumption increase as well as extra strain on steering components.

naaaa that depends on the rim bud..you can get a lighter 18"...you can get the exact same width as well with a lower profile too...

We are most likely going to have a look at some sets this weekend, they told us they have some lightweight 18's to choose from so will have a look then. Taking the set of 5 oem 17's currently on the car as a trade.

 

[individj]

in my humble opinion this car would be very difficult to sell...i hope you're getting it for nothing...that R45 000 spray job has made it nearly impossible to sell for anything close to its normal value...also its a normal 320 with no sunroof no sports seats etc.

 

[JakesSA]

this is not an individual

---

what year model is the car?

---

the guys def understand what youre saying...theyre saying its going to be that hard to get 30kw's

---

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It's a 2004 if I remember correctly. He said it is, and I have absolutely no idea what makes it one tbh.

I was not aiming for 30 hey, just from 127 to 140 (13) atleast.

 

[KPM3_30]

Missing the sports seats and doesn't have the correct Mtech wheels. Looks like it could be an exclusive package with mtech bumpers and an individual paintjob.

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this is not an individual

---

what year model is the car?

---

the guys def understand what youre saying...theyre saying its going to be that hard to get 30kw's

---

---

It's a 2004 if I remember correctly. He said it is, and I have absolutely no idea what makes it one tbh.

I was not aiming for 30 hey, just from 127 to 140 (13) atleast.

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An individual model is the Motorsport kit (sports seats + M steering, black hood-lining, M step sills, lowered sports suspension, front/rear sport bumpers and sideskirts) plus an individual colour option on exterior and/or interior. 

The door sills should say individual if it is, I am doubtful based on the few pictures. Like @"individj" mentioned, hope you got the car for a very good price.

 

[JakesSA]

in my humble opinion this car would be very difficult to sell...i hope you're getting it for nothing...that R45 000 spray job has made it nearly impossible to sell for anything close to its normal value...also its a normal 320 with no sunroof no sports seats etc.

I won't say for nothing hey, it's basically around the average sale price listed all ove -> 60k. 
As for the spray job I'm taking it back to Alpine White, not feeling the current one.

Is the sunroof and seats what makes it an individual? Like I said I have no idea, this is what he said. 
I know he blacked out the interior from the light gray it come in.

 

[individj]

im gna be real with you now and you may not like it...dont buy this car lol..the amount youre going to pay for a new paint job...wheels...you want to do mods...for a normal 320i...just makes no sense at all...even if you bought a high mileage 325i individual and replaced the engine with a M54b30 you'd be better off....you can have sports seats and sunroof and proper individual!!!!

 

[JakesSA]

Missing the sports seats and doesn't have the correct Mtech wheels. Looks like it could be an exclusive package with mtech bumpers and an individual paintjob.

---

this is not an individual

---

what year model is the car?

---

the guys def understand what youre saying...theyre saying its going to be that hard to get 30kw's

---

---

It's a 2004 if I remember correctly. He said it is, and I have absolutely no idea what makes it one tbh.

I was not aiming for 30 hey, just from 127 to 140 (13) atleast.

---

---

An individual model is the Motorsport kit (sports seats + M steering, black hood-lining, M step sills, lowered sports suspension, front/rear sport bumpers and sideskirts) plus an individual colour option on exterior and/or interior. 

The door sills should say individual if it is, I am doubtful based on the few pictures. Like @"individj" mentioned, hope you got the car for a very good price.

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It might have been exclusive that he mentioned? I'm really not sure now >_<

 

[KPM3_30]

in my humble opinion this car would be very difficult to sell...i hope you're getting it for nothing...that R45 000 spray job has made it nearly impossible to sell for anything close to its normal value...also its a normal 320 with no sunroof no sports seats etc.

I won't say for nothing hey, it's basically around the average sale price listed all ove -> 60k. 
As for the spray job I'm taking it back to Alpine White, not feeling the current one.

Is the sunroof and seats what makes it an individual? Like I said I have no idea, this is what he said. 
I know he blacked out the interior from the light gray it come in.

Please try to do a bit of reading, google has a lot of info on the different packages. IMHO you have overpaid for an exclusive 320i that will need some work to look presentable again, that paintjob really doesn't do the car any favours. 

https://www.news24.com/wheels/NewModels/2004-BMW-3-Series-Individual-20040804

 

[Riaad]

Missing the sports seats and doesn't have the correct Mtech wheels. Looks like it could be an exclusive package with mtech bumpers and an individual paintjob.

Individual paint job for sure...likely 1 of 1 in SA