E46 Touring - My Thread - repair/restore/modify

[rodga]

I believe these are the wheels that were fitted at the factory. Style 135.

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I really like these wheels - raise:raise:raise:

Now - where would one find a set like this....:fencelook:....I wonder - gumtree should be a good start....

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Hi, Blue Shirt.
Thanks for the link to the site to verify.
Wow - okay - twist of events - it was an automatic as per your indication and confirmed by the Websie Bimmir.Work......

Please, Blue Shirt, Please could you shed some further light on this car as you seem to know this car - :=):

Is there perhaps any links to websites where this car was discussed, etc?

A friend had someone in the family who owned the car previously when it was still an automatic. I alerted him to your thread, he will post shortly with more info on the car's history.

Personally, I would also focus on some maintenance items and to get appropriate OEM wheelsrims on the car.

Hi, Blue Shirt.
Thank you for alerting your friend about the car and this thread - appreciate it.
What I could find was this thread - https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=46134&highlight=330d+touring - where reference is made to the car.

Yes - agreed - will try to sort as much of the maintenance issues as possible before going the route of changing other things of the car.

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You can get the relocation kit for the AC controls...

Personally I would focus on maintenance before tackling the nice-to-haves.

Hi, Kyle
Thank you for this - do you perhaps have more details of on the mentioned AC Controls relocation kit? Website, etc?
Thanks.

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Hi there, as Blue Shirt pointed out, I knew the car when it was owned by a family member that had imported the car into the country. I don't know too many specifics, but I do specifically remember that it was automatic, personally not an auto fan, so that's where my interest kinda stopped - if it was manual I would've nagged him for years to sell it to me! :smilebounce:

I also saw it appear on FB marketplace and notice that all of a sudden it has a manual gearbox. To my knowledge he sold the car a year or so ago and I can only think that the person that bought it had the manual gearbox conversion done. Again, that was for me not an ideal thing. However, it the conversion was done right, then worth the gamble - it was selling for a fairly good price from what I remember. Other than the gearbox conversion, it looked identical to how it looked when I saw it last in the flesh, right down to the sticker on the right rear window and the ding on the front of the bonnet next to the now faded roundel, oh, and the nasty TSW wheels (which I never "approved of" :fencelook::smilebounce.

The 5 speed manual is fine (you don't really need too many gears on a diesel engined car with all that torque), but one could always find out who did the conversion, or can change the 5 speed manual out for the 6 speed. But honestly, if it's working as it is, maybe just leave it as it is. I would just get a good set of original M Sport BMW (style 68) wheels and this thing will be a gem!

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Hi, Philip - thanks for the info on the car - really appreciate it...:smilebounce:

Agree with what you are saying - I dont mind the 5 speed manual at all - everything is working find and the car goes well - will hoever start to check out the conversion in n bit more detail and fix things that are not executed to my liking on the car - :smilebounce:

This will be a project that will be fixed over time - lol - project will mature like wine - will get better with time - :smilebounce:

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So the fact that the car was converted from Auto to man is no big deal.
It was a cheap high miler, so originality counts for nothing in this case.

The fact that the GM auto boxes used on these 30d's were rubbish means that this is probably an upgrade.
If there is no apparent issue, I would not care about this little "flag" in the car's history at all. If the RPM is under 2500 @ 130km/h in top gear, I would leave everything as is.

Just get under the car, and make sure everything was done properly for the conversion with the correct mountings used etc.

People have a nasty habit of modifying whatever they have to do cheap conversions. But if EVERYTHING for the manual conversion was sourced from a genuine manual 3.0d donor car, there really isn't anything to be concerned about.

Just enjoy it for what remains an epic car.

If the conversion checks out ok, my main focus point would be the cooling system, and the swirl flap delete

Agreed - well said - :thumbs:

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Found an add;

https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-car-tyr...pe-135-m-sport-rims/1004826599750910007774509

Perhaps a fellow member?

Would you say that this is a good price?

and another add - https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-car-tyr...m-sport-18inch-rims/1004777453370910006632309

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The E60 offset will not be correct for the e46

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[sash]

The E60 offset will not be correct for the e46

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This is true, I have seen a E46 with E60 wheels and while it was definitely wider, fitted in the arches, it didn't look right

 

[Blue Shirt]

IMHO there is no better wheel for an E46 than style 68.

Here is a part of my collection:

 

[individj]

IMHO there is no better wheel for an E46 than style 68.

Here is a part of my collection:

i love it :thumbs:...im a style 95 guy myself

 

[evnmopwr]

IMHO there is no better wheel for an E46 than style 68.

Here is a part of my collection:

AGREED!!!! and you have them on the cleanest examples E46s i know..:thumbs:

 

[vans]

Congrats on the new car bud...clean e46 330d’s are extremely hard to find!
And a touring noggal!

I have a set of 17” e46 wheels laying in my garage as per pics below, if you’re interested in them drop me a pm with an offer

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[Villain]

Hi, Guys.
Thanks for all the comments on this thread.
I am currently in Rwanda on work assignment so I won't be able to do much on the car in the mean while - so things will be slow - to my frustration - :hammerhead:

So I will in the mean time being doing some research on a few things on these cars...

On the wheels - @Vans - I will make contact when I am back in SA or just prior - maybe we can strike a deal - :=):

 

[evnmopwr]

Congrats on the new car bud...clean e46 330d’s are extremely hard to find!
And a touring noggal!

I have a set of 17” e46 wheels laying in my garage as per pics below, if you’re interested in them drop me a pm with an offer

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I want these!!! :fencelook:.. lol..

I threw 3 of these from the Donar 330i on the scrap heap cause they were too buckled to be repaired. Last remaining one i sold :blueCry:

 

[individj]

Congrats on the new car bud...clean e46 330d’s are extremely hard to find!
And a touring noggal!

I have a set of 17” e46 wheels laying in my garage as per pics below, if you’re interested in them drop me a pm with an offer

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I want these!!! :fencelook:.. lol..

I threw 3 of these from the Donar 330i on the scrap heap cause they were too buckled to be repaired. Last remaining one i sold :blueCry:

were they from a GP car? i sold a set to a forum member and the car was from Jozi...i was shocked to discover that the wheels were buckled! The member repaired the wheels but was shocked that OEM wheels like these were buckled...must of been driven on sh!te roads

 

[evnmopwr]

Congrats on the new car bud...clean e46 330d’s are extremely hard to find!
And a touring noggal!

I have a set of 17” e46 wheels laying in my garage as per pics below, if you’re interested in them drop me a pm with an offer

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I want these!!! :fencelook:.. lol..

I threw 3 of these from the Donar 330i on the scrap heap cause they were too buckled to be repaired. Last remaining one i sold :blueCry:

were they from a GP car? i sold a set to a forum member and the car was from Jozi...i was shocked to discover that the wheels were buckled! The member repaired the wheels but was shocked that OEM wheels like these were buckled...must of been driven on sh!te roads

No. It was a cpt car... the accident damaged 330i i had mos remember...

 

[bmw325i]

Awesome Touring bud!

 

[Villain]

Awesome Touring bud!

Thanks.

 

[Villain]

I have not been active for a while on the platform for a few reasons.
Now that I am back home on a permanent basis want to start to seriously do TLC to the Touring. Been driving her for the past 8 months on a daily basis since being back and she is do well.

Does anyone know where one can purchase e46 interior parts and trim to replace the old ones? For instance the gear lever boot, etc?
Does anyone know where you can purchase replacement electronic button for the windows?

 

[Tinuva]

Most things can be bought new from BMW dealerships...at a very expensive price. If you find out who made the stuff new oem for BMW let us know! Otherwise the options is to look out for cars parted out etc.

The switches you can definitely find second hand. I suspect the touring and sedans used the same buttons so fairly easy to find those even 2nd hand. The gear lever boot you should definitely also be able to find second hand.

 

[evnmopwr]

Hi, fellow forum members.

Thanks for the compliments with the car - and yes I agree - it is a rare find.

Some more pics;

PS: I would kill for that rear bumper :'(

I may have a gearlever Boot ( original ) for it
And have some switches left too