E46 Drift Build

[niall s14a]

So I'm starting a build on a 03 320 coupe. Standard car with a blown engine, timing belt broke I think.

Bought the shell, a s54 engine, specialist conponents loom and a 6 speed getrag box from a m3. The box is SMG so have to convert it to manual. Shouldn't be too big of a job, machine a hole for the shifter and fit the springs that centre the shifter. Then rip all the smg shit off it.

Plan is to strip the coupe shell down to nothing, then off to GripFab for a cage.

Gonna get John to brace down from the cage into the subframe as they are notoriously weak in that area.

Then throw in the engine and box, will prob fit uprated clutch and flywheel when the box is out. Get a custom exhaust made up and then have mapped!

Have a few bits gathered up for it,

Extra lock from Barry's Motorsport

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/B3CD6C26-DF04-407B-861D-5BCFFF744D9E-1307-0000017F2E40217E.jpg

Also got camber arms, poly bushes for the rear and a battery box.

One of the lads I work with has out of date seats and harnesses that were in his rally car that I'm getting for handy money.

Also picked this up, these engines are meant to be savage when turbo'd, it was buy it now on eBay so snapped it up. Will stick it on if funds allow, it's a KKK that's custom built with billet wheel etc good for 7/800 bhp

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/0A1D7FF8-C100-4D06-8B88-9C53656A13D3-1307-000001806FC57474.jpg

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/50EA242C-FD6D-4F05-BC52-57CADD164DB3-1307-00000180636BB16B.jpg

Hope to get it finished before the end of the summer so can get some practice in! Looking forward to gettin out into track!

[seanie R.33]

This should be interesting never seen a e46 drifting in ireland,does this mean the chaser went? :(

[niall s14a]

This should be interesting never seen a e46 drifting in ireland,does this mean the chaser went? :(

Yea well there's a deposit down on it, should be gone by the weekend! Yea hopefully it goes ok, they are meant to be very heavy and hard enough to drive but I wanted something different!

[Boguey001]

Yea well there's a deposit down on it, should be gone by the weekend! Yea hopefully it goes ok, they are meant to be very heavy and hard enough to drive but I wanted something different!

Thats what the grinder is for. :) Best of luck with it niall.

[niall s14a]

Yea it's lookin like the grinder will be my best friend for a few days. Hopefully will get stripping at it today, get the old engine and box out etc.. Cheers James

[sideways-theonlyway]

Best of luck with it, love to see a turbo'd M3, should be interesting.

[niall s14a]

Best of luck with it, love to see a turbo'd M3, should be interesting.

Cheers man, lookn like its gonna be a whole load of hardship getting a decent diff and subframe set up. Diffs are so hard to come by and expensive too. Anyone that has any input on what'd be a good set up feel free to fill me in

[sideways-theonlyway]

Yeah there's tonnes of info/parts on E30's & E36's but not many people have moved on to the 46's yet so not all that much info available. Google is your new best friend

[niall s14a]

Turbo arrived.. Thing is HUGE!! really given me a horn to get it turbo'd now! T4 twinscroll manifolds are $2,200 though....

Sky remote was closest to hand, can't get over even the weight of the thing!

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/3C130F74-C937-4264-8893-B219F3AF1954-170-0000000970DED0BC.jpg

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/E8C0297B-F13B-4892-B6FF-50A30EB3E162-170-000000095F2E60E9.jpg

[derek89]

Ha ha the size of that thing man....good luck wit the build

[niall s14a]

So got at this for a couple of hours today. Ripped the most of the interior out aside from the dash. There is some pile of stuff, the weight that's gone outve it already is unreal and haven't touched the sound proofing yet.

Anyone good advice on getting it off? It's really sticky even tar like stuff. Can ya spray somethin on it to freeze it and make it come off in lumps instead of tiny pieces?

Few pics, clean enough shell with a few scrapes and dents, nothin special but I'm lookin forward to makin it look mean!

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/6FB848A8-2CC9-408A-A12B-150270F15370-2722-00000152BB5F8185.jpg

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/C9DB7F96-B52C-4F00-86BE-0F2ADF63E357-2722-00000152B5BC3493.jpg

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/2DFD9383-A639-4CDC-BDAA-563667B6D3A8-2722-00000152AF6AAE69.jpg

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/291BD5A5-35F5-4643-BE0A-DF9E2C28DA0E-2722-00000152A9F9D09D.jpg

Hope to get engine and box out next week and get I fully stripped ready for the cage.

[Enda e36]

Can't wait to see more, I'm building an e36 coupe myself :)

[driftfan]

Cant wait to see this finished! Try get some dry ice and throw it on the sound deadening and hit it a few times with a hammer and should break off into big bits

[Paddy drifter]

the way i done mine was parked the car in the sun and by hand with a chisel it peeled off

[mike e30]

If you have a air chisel its the fuckin job nightmare stuff altogether to get off if its
Still stickie

[NissanSilviaLover]

she'll be mint lad looking forward to seeing the finished build.

[Greg]

Soak the sound deadening in petrol or WD40 for a few days and then use a hammer and tack remover.

One of these jobbies. They're angled so easier to hit with a hammer and don't get stuck in the floor.
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShhrmVeOepk1g1tiLGvIYDqL5m7EciO xLE-3OEC1lRcBWR8sSj

[niall s14a]

Cant wait to see this finished! Try get some dry ice and throw it on the sound deadening and hit it a few times with a hammer and should break off into big bits

This sounds handy, where do I get dry ice?

[niall s14a]

Engine and box is out, have to take out the dash and attack the sound deadening tomorrow.

Would love to make it look like this when its done...

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/3D05C194-1C38-4E8A-9CDF-EF1270B50CE1-2334-0000011C6FFE7307.jpg

[Smokey Bear]

I just hit the sound deadening with a hammer at an angle. When you hit it with the corner of the hammer it breaks up in big chunks and flys off. No fancy shit needed.

Good luck with the build should be cool to see an e46 drifting!

[mike e30]

Fuck me man that is one good big ignorant turbo best of luck with it

[Chuck_g]

Very kool :) Best of luck with it. Not a big fan of the turbo plan but should be kool :) Some go in the s54 on their own, a different league :)

[niall s14a]

Thanks lads, yea chuck I'd say I'm gonna put the turbo on the back shelf for now. It's gonna be crazy expensive to do properly. Gonna try concentrate on getting a good strong and light shell and have a good rear subframe and diff set up.

Yea they go well in a road car so hopefully with a good bit of weight loss it'll go well. Any tips for building a good BMW chuck?

[Chuck_g]

Christ i wouldn't have a clue lad........:) Most my car was pre made for me!! Less weight, good clutch, loads of lock and they are pretty fit. And those s54's have even more go again!! You will never go back!

[niall s14a]

Have done very little with this lately, flat out with work but put a deposit down on some dishy shoes for it.

Keeping the jap theme alive a little bit, theyre Work Meister S1's. 17 x 10 et - 30 on the rear and 17 x 9 et ?? On the front. Will be a lotve work to get them to fit but should look PHAT when finished. Haven't got any decent pics yet, will throw them up when I get some

[DaveM-sport]

Only seen this thread now, its going to be class when done!
Fair play for going the turbo route! Definitely not a cheap or easy job to do right


If you need any help with an E46 drift build, look to the lads over competing in the King of Europe and people drifting in the Eastern Europe block as E46s have become very popular there.

[seanie R.33]

U cant tell us you got miesters in them sizes without pic's!we need pics

[dil]

E46 + Meisters = Awesome!! can't wait to see it coming together!

[niall s14a]

The only shitty pic I have...

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/0C133578-796F-4ED8-8DBE-7187B3FD7ACB-1827-0000010BFEE073BF.jpg

[niall s14a]

I won't be going the turbo route straight away, gonna build as good a shell and get it as well set up as I can and try drive it and see how I go. If I get anywhere and it's worthwhile turboing it il consider it then.

[Spartacus]

Are the meisters 5x120?

[niall s14a]

Are the meisters 5x120?

Yea they sure are. Supposed to be very rare

[gpparts]

I won't be going the turbo route straight away, gonna build as good a shell and get it as well set up as I can and try drive it and see how I go. If I get anywhere and it's worthwhile turboing it il consider it then.


You will enjoy drifting E46 Coupe.. It is very stiff, stable and easy to control. I drift one myself... Best of luck with it

[niall s14a]

So I've sortve took an interest in this again, gonna try tip away at it with out going to crazy with the budget.

Finally picked up my running gear this weekend. Should have shell away for caging before Christmas all going well.

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/09D7375D-962A-4BF9-A168-30564DACD4C8-1158-000000E79D536B1A_zpsc8c85afe.jpg

[niall s14a]

Been gathering up a few bits for this lately, set of Hamman replicas, 17 x 8.5 front and 17 x 10 on the rear. Only pics I have of them..


http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/A1EB04F2-B2B7-4407-AEB7-2CC5235C2011.jpg (http://s1237.photobucket.com/user/nialls14a/media/A1EB04F2-B2B7-4407-AEB7-2CC5235C2011.jpg.html)

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff470/nialls14a/FFB9D468-7CF0-4FFD-98D7-14970D580B1A.jpg (http://s1237.photobucket.com/user/nialls14a/media/FFB9D468-7CF0-4FFD-98D7-14970D580B1A.jpg.html)

Also found a 4.45 ratio diff from an e36 318 auto so the subframe will have to be modified to take that.

Gearbox is currently away being converted up manual, hoping to get it up to Gripfab before the end of the holidays!

[patt]

Any update on this build?