[e4t6]

After 21 years of my 330i M-Tech I ownership since new and 19 years of daily driving in LA commutes, a few trips to the Bay Area, every other weekends to Santa Barbara, and a number of business trips, she's (Gertrude) now a garage queen that the wife and I occasionally take up the coast on fair weather weekends. ---The e46 is truly a BMW modern classic with one of its best non-M normally aspirated motors, the 3.0 M54.

Edit: Since this posting, some had asked what mods were done to my car over the years. Limited basic bolt-ons 😉:

• One of first sets of VMR Staggered V703 CSL replica 19s
• 235/35 and 275/30, various tire brands over the years
• BMW Performance finned diff cover
• BMW Performance/Brembo 6-piston front calipers
• Stainless steel brake lines
• 10mm concentric front wheel spacers
• ECS coil overs
• Strut tower brace
• Cross-drilled/slotted rotors
• ZHP 6-speed conversion, ZHP shift knob
• Short-shift kit
• aFe air scoops
• M-Tech II front bumper cover
• M steering wheel
• Factory looking rear LED tail lights
• Euro clear lens
• Umnitza high-output angel eyes
• M3 Side mirrors
• XTRONS Android head unit
• Carbon fiber interior trim kit
• STOCK motor/exhaust (why mess with a good thing )

 

[e4t6]

My most recent photos of my 330i!

Nice original 330i.

 

[e4t6]

Thanks! Nowhere near as built as yours, but it's cool to see another clean 330i. Tasteful mods 👌

As much as I like the way my e46 is "lightly" mod'd, I sometimes feel it would've been nice to have kept it original, now especially because the M-Tech I (pre-ZHP, aka M-Tech II, sport sedan) is a rare sight to see anymore. I did a quick Google search and it was actually difficult to find a photo of an M-Tech I . . . even the one shown has non-original blacked-out kidneys/side window trim, and clear Euro lighting. Otherwise, it's an example of how my car looked from the dealer. I believe @kylanjohnson has an LCI version of the M-Tech I, which continued along side of the ZHP.

 

[e4t6]

beautiful Mtech! above. dont see many of those hardly ever. even better is the length of ownership which is amazing.

here's mine.

View attachment 954939

Beautiful M3 conversion . . . something I dream of, especially in Imola Rot. I had purchased an e90 335i, had mod'd and tuned to 400 plus hp . See attachment. I decided one toy BMW was enough. The e46 was always a keeper.