E46 330ci — from rusty barn find to show car in 18 months
Wanted to share the transformation of my E46 330ci. Found it in a barn in rural Lithuania — it had been sitting for 5 years with a blown head gasket. Paid 800 EUR for it.
BEFORE condition:
- Rust on both rear arches, front fenders, and trunk lid
- Blown head gasket (coolant in oil)
- Interior completely destroyed by mice
- All 4 tires flat and cracked
- Battery dead, no electrics working
- 210,000 km on the clock
AFTER (18 months of weekends):
- Full respray in Topaz Blue Metallic (original color)
- All rust cut out and new metal welded in
- M54B30 engine rebuilt with new gaskets, timing chain, VANOS seals
- New clutch and flywheel (dual mass to single mass conversion)
- Full M Sport interior swap from a donor car
- Eibach Pro-Kit springs with Bilstein B8 dampers
- 18-inch CSL replica wheels
- Full LED lighting conversion
- New windshield and all window seals
- Complete brake overhaul with EBC discs and pads
Total cost including purchase: approximately 6500 EUR. The car is now worth around 12,000-14,000 EUR in this condition. More importantly, I learned an incredible amount about car restoration and BMW mechanics.
Would love to hear about other restoration projects.
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