B3s Touring no. 104 6 sp Manual conversion completed 12/3/18

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rattusM3
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Post by rattusM3 » Wed Apr 04, 2018 2:05 pm

Just to say excellent stuff, a nice hands on approach to each problem presented.

I am going to find this thread very important as I would eventually like to perform the same conversion, maybe in a couple of years once my car is not the daily drive and so can take it off the road (again).

Mmm, noticed 6 speed SMG derived gearboxes seem to be cheaper than 6 speed manual derived gearboxes?

Kev
2002 Alpina B3 3.3 #220
2006 E46 M3
1992 E30 M3 (sold - what a twat)
1986 E24 M6 (working on)
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And lots of other BMWs from the past

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Post by B10BRW » Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:03 pm

rattusM3 wrote:


Mmm, noticed 6 speed SMG derived gearboxes seem to be cheaper than 6 speed manual derived gearboxes?

Kev
That's because they are Crap :lol:

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Post by simon13 » Wed Apr 04, 2018 9:34 pm

rattusM3 wrote:Just to say excellent stuff, a nice hands on approach to each problem presented.

I am going to find this thread very important as I would eventually like to perform the same conversion, maybe in a couple of years once my car is not the daily drive and so can take it off the road (again).

Mmm, noticed 6 speed SMG derived gearboxes seem to be cheaper than 6 speed manual derived gearboxes?

Kev
They were but people are wising up to the fact they can be converted. In the end it cost me the same amount as to have just coughed up for a factory manual box which is about £900 odd. My only positive is an SMG box won't of been abused in the same way a normal manual can as in electronically controlled changes. Its quite stiff from cold and really doesn't like to be hurried.

My old E36 6 speed was a nicer box to use and it cost me £125!
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Elan
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Post by Elan » Wed Apr 04, 2018 10:22 pm

Did you fit a short shift kit? I find the throw is quite long on the M3.

simon13
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Post by simon13 » Thu Apr 05, 2018 10:56 pm

No, it doesn't bother me
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Post by simon13 » Sun May 20, 2018 10:34 pm

Well, a trackday beckons! At a small track the nurburgring :shock: I'm not stranger to the ring, but the car is and i am to an open pitlane limited numbers dedicated track day there! I've only drive on normal tourist days - very excited about lapping in a more controlled enviroment than i'm used to there.


Anyhow, the old banger need some prep!

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I know i posted this before but a new throttle body pipe - alpina only. But at least i'm not stuck with silicone and duck tape and un metered air getting etc



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I did a motorsport "repair" on one of the front calipers? Well it didn't work! Lasted until it rained again and got worse! So i looked online and a new caliper seal kit and piston was a mere £20 or a complete refurbed caliper £40. No brainer in my eyes so a refurbished caliper has found its way on.

Also for the track day i got my front discs re faced and have fitted EBC yellow stuff pads front and rear. Ideally i thought i wanted some bigger brakes but money has meant the standard 330i system is pressed into use - fresh high performance brake fluid, braided hoses and the EBC pads which will do track work. I'll report back how the brakes coped in stock form albeit with uprated components but intial road use and testing is positive



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Steering guibo was worn, causing a funny wondering type feeling a bit like how most E34s are now or older BMWs with a steering box so E39 V8 owners also.

Positive repsonse from this also, feels alot nicer. I'd only been aware after it was pointed out to me by someone who drove it recently. Hard to notice stuff wearing out sometimes when you use them all the time



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Left kidney grill doesn't want to stay attatched to the car for the full pikey look



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I've replaced the battery, not really worth a mention. I feel it is however as its the ORIGINAL one! has 2004 stamped on her. Amazeballs if you ask me to last as long as it has



My last worry is tyres, which shall be sorted one way or another this week, as i go on thursday morning. I've a set of road legal track day tyres coming that were supposed to be here friday and now are monday arriving. If not i'm in the shit really. Last minute i know but my original idea for this trip was this car, then i decided on taking the E30 - thats not worked out. Then a sensible old man said just spend the money and take the E46 so here we are with a big box of get me home spares for the all the original parts that might shit themselves !
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ali
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Post by ali » Sun May 20, 2018 10:41 pm

I think the full pikey look includes tricolour stripes on the n/s kidney too.
I had the same issue recently but a trip to local breakers and a fiver sorted that out
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Post by Cygnet » Mon May 21, 2018 6:36 pm

When I sold my 2001 330ci it was fifteen years old and still on the original battery. :)
E46 B3 s coupe #122. (Sold)
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Post by greenelekta » Tue May 22, 2018 8:37 pm

Hope you got the tyres sorted in time Simon. Give it a good workout!
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Post by simon13 » Tue May 22, 2018 8:45 pm

still no tyres yet, i'm going thursday morning :shock:
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Charles
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Post by Charles » Tue May 22, 2018 9:19 pm

simon13 wrote:still no tyres yet, i'm going thursday morning :shock:
Well that gives you enough time to clean the damn thing!!!!!
Charles
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Post by simon13 » Thu May 24, 2018 12:17 am

Well fuck me they turned up 3pm this afternoon


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thrown in the van and hot footed to the tyre place!



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New boots, at last.

Tyres are Zestino - no i've never heard of them either, Japanese brand that are making waves in the drifting and track day scene. Not heard read a bad thing so lets see how they stand up. They're a road legal track day tyre a kind of arrive and drive. The sidewalls are mega stiff, tyre boys moaned had a bit of a time fitting them and you can tell straight away in the ride comfort. The michelins felt like cheese in comparison




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And a well earned wash for the rusty old nail as per Charles instructions! I even hoovered her at the weekend! Boot is packed with spares as theres alot of original 150k milege parts fitted still.

Fingers crossed she holds out because if its going well i shall lap her all day. I'll try to take some pictures and i expect i'll be the only alpina there and estate car! On this track day in a sea of E46 e90 M3s Porka 911s and renaualt sport clios/meganes, Golf Rs and all the other track day favourite cars.

no.104 out
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Post by B10BRW » Thu May 24, 2018 10:57 am

Should lap quite quickly Simon, with all that metal missing :lol: :wink:

simon13
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Post by simon13 » Mon May 28, 2018 5:54 pm

it does, the thought of making it a track car also appeals!
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Post by simon13 » Sun Jul 01, 2018 10:10 pm

Well i've not done a little write up of how the ring trip went


The journey over was fine no dramas, bar the miracle of getting there on one tank of fuel!!


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416 miles on one tank, it only had about a litre or two left in it when i filled up!



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Our group was quite a mix, GT3 porka, track modded E46 M3, my car and an E30 M3 - these are like a celebrity now! Always a crowd around the E30

The GT3 and M3 were trailered over e30 and moi drove under our own steam




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I've only ever done tourist days here so was wierd to do a track day and have a drivers briefing. We had stickers and arm bands, transponders towing eyes in and you were good to go. It was an open pit lane day with a limit of 200 cars.



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~Dramas? Only one, had the engine managmement light come on after the first lap on track day. We did a warm up lap on the day we arrived fine, then the next day on the track day the first hour was just sighting laps, get a feel of conditions etc 80mph speed limit - feels like you are going backwards round there. So first hot lap light on!

plugged her in - misfire on cylinder 4. Went back to hotel changed the coil and all was well!

Ran like a watch after than and managed about 14 laps on the day, there were still crashes and track closures its just all alot better managed as there are extra marshalls and the tow truck off track is free of charge.


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We lapped on the sunday also! On the tourist day, but only early morning and late afternoon when the track traffic is by far at its quietest


Poor old thing did 21 laps in total. Tyres were very good, just the ticket. Never over heated and worked for 4 laps in a row on track day i was having too much fun! The brakes were a bit crap they were good for a few laps but i think i cooked the pads. They never over heated but could of been better.

Handling? Lots of roll but the car goes where you point it and was very good no understeer and went where it was pointed. Impressive, my suspension is totally stock bar alpina spec bilstein shocks.


The engine is the trump card, absolute belter round there and the car is quick round there. I was hitting 100mph in places i've never done it before and going alot quicker in sections. The e46 is a fun talented car! Traction control is an utter pain so turn it off.



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nice meal at the pistonklaus - not my kind of place. All the cool wannabe types go there


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loaded up with a couple of beers




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drove home in the heat




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my petrol flap has broken!




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all home and a good trip, as no.104 is a bit of a hound the boys think it should be a track car!

A proper seat and some coil overs and it would be molesting some far more exotic machinery around there. Then you are moth balling into needing a cage and full track car. Which i'd say is a bit un fair for her!

An E87 135i how ever would be amazing!
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