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.