started widebody-ing the bmw E46

not your usual platform that you see here on vipstylecars. just wanted  to show you guys what's going on and what's coming up. bodywork being  done by goldcrest over in san diego, california.

first off, some recent photos of the car:
[img]http://www.thesocialdoctor.com/upload/01.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.thesocialdoctor.com/upload/02.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.thesocialdoctor.com/upload/03.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.thesocialdoctor.com/upload/04.jpg[/img]

and some shots of the bodywork. it's about 2 days in now. front fenders first, rear fenders next:
[img]http://www.thesocialdoctor.com/upload/w1.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.thesocialdoctor.com/upload/w2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.thesocialdoctor.com/upload/w3.jpg[/img]

front and rear fenders are being radiused and reflared with OEM m3  fenders (wider than non-m3 vehicles). fenders are being radiused up  about 3/4 of an inch and are coming out about an inch (threw on some  10mm spacers on the front wheels to test things out).

after the bodywork, i will be scrapping the carbon fiber sideskirts for  my oem skirts and some m3 skirts. going to section off the m3 skirts and  plastic-weld/mold them to my oem skirts so i can get the lines to flow  with the rear bumper. it's just unfortunate that every other skirt for  the e46 is fugly, so i'm going to have to make my own. also going to pick up some wider lips for the classics (currently 10" rear, upgrading to a 12" rear).

[B]question for the air suspension gurus:[/B]
my front setup is bilstein and UAS single non-convoluted bags. now i  have much more room to breathe, but i'm pretty maxed out at the moment.  bilstein struts were rewelded and revalved to lower the drop. single  non-convoluted bag is about 4" tall deflated from my understanding. i'm  trying to drop the car even more without having to purchase a coilover  kit. do i have any options with smaller bags out there? or is the  coilover/bag combo the way to go? i noticed UAS' inventory changes a lot  and i don't even see the bags i'm currently running in their stock  anymore.

Looking good.

thanks :D

here's an updated photo. sorry i instagram a lot -_-
[img]http://distilleryimage9.instagram.com/a49a9ab06be011e1a87612313804ec91_7.jpg[/img]

This should be good. I dig your fender and sideskirt plans!  I would just get smaller bags if you can and make your own coilover set up, it's not hard, and then you'll be able to fine tune just how you want it

Gosh Dayum your E46 was sik before all the new bodywork. !!! I like the radius idea....subscribed...

[QUOTE=Ollie;441738]This should be good. I dig your fender and sideskirt plans!  I would just get smaller bags if you can and make your own coilover set up, it's not hard, and then you'll be able to fine tune just how you want it[/QUOTE]

thanks! yeah the selection of kits for this vehicle are super cookiecutter. the majority of them are pretty ugly and the only decent ones are simply played out. who makes the smallest dailydriver bag? any links you can forward my way?

[QUOTE=chik-n-little;441755]Gosh Dayum your E46 was sik before all the new bodywork. !!! I like the radius idea....subscribed...[/QUOTE]

thanks man! the fender work was actually first on my list of things to do, but procrastination got the best of me. those donor fenders were sitting in my garage for almost 2 years now. :pat:

NICE!

here's another angle of how the rear came out. i will try to get some proper pics asap!

[img]http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0upkycTdk1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

some upcoming mods in the next month or so:

planning to do this to the rear bumper and perhaps place some LED brake strips in there (seen it on a supra and it looks beast!)
[img]http://image.eurotuner.com/f/9496865/eurp_0803_08_z+2002_bmw_m3+sexy_m3_csl_trunk_and_rear_diffuser_volk_c28_time_attack_wheels.jpg[/img]

a new csl trunk
[img]http://www.body-kitz.com/contents/media/99_bmw_e46_csl_trunk_seibon_1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.more-japan.com/files/d_3231.jpg[/img]

i also plan to respray the whole car in the next few months. i already know the color, but want to keep it secret for now >=)

maziora?

[QUOTE=BAHC;442257]maziora?[/QUOTE]
either those or some kevlar ones. it really depends. i'm a big dude so if i can't even fit in those seats i'll have to pick up some cugas :shrug:

lookin good , gotta look out for yah in the SD streets so i can see it in person !

[QUOTE=1cleanM;442267]lookin good , gotta look out for yah in the SD streets so i can see it in person ![/QUOTE]

for sure! what part of SD? we have weekly car meets in the eastlake kohls near chula vista on wednesday nights, 7:30-10:30

That center pic is sick ...have it it bigger?

[QUOTE=bagged_46;440854]not your usual platform that you see here on vipstylecars. just wanted  to show you guys what's going on and what's coming up. bodywork being  done by goldcrest over in san diego, california.

first off, some recent photos of the car:
[img]http://www.thesocialdoctor.com/upload/01.jpg[/img]
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=bagged_46;442268]for sure! what part of SD? we have weekly car meets in the eastlake kohls near chula vista on wednesday nights, 7:30-10:30[/QUOTE]

Really? I use to stay around that area and never seen or knew of this...oh well.
Anyways nice e46 and lovin the CCW's bro
In for updates/progress/pics:biggthumpup:

looking good:biggthumpup:

clean ass E46 dude.

the ccw's go well with it.

[QUOTE=bagged_46;442258]either those or some kevlar ones. it really depends. i'm a big dude so if i can't even fit in those seats i'll have to pick up some cugas :shrug:[/QUOTE]
 
was talking about the color of the car :P  ccw classics are so common on e46 but they look so good!!

just ordered a set of wider lips. planning to move the 4.5" lip to the front and putting on some 5.5" lips in the rear. anyone looking for a set of 3.5" lips?

[img]http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6057/6416773707_058ca2a210_z.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=JUICEDW140;442278]That center pic is sick ...have it it bigger?[/QUOTE]

i do but haven't uploaded it anywhere. you should be able to find those photos published on a feature pretty soon :biggthumpup:

[QUOTE=LowNdSlow;442279]Really? I use to stay around that area and never seen or knew of this...oh well.
Anyways nice e46 and lovin the CCW's bro
In for updates/progress/pics:biggthumpup:[/QUOTE]

thanks! actually our meet was raided wednesday night, so we're moving it to sundays at the eastlake in-n-out around 4:30

[QUOTE=solareclipseauto;442315]looking good:biggthumpup:[/QUOTE]

thanks damien! haven't seen your whip in a while. how are the wheels?

[QUOTE=BAHC;442434]was talking about the color of the car :P  ccw classics are so common on e46 but they look so good!![/QUOTE]

ah, nah the color of the car will change up this coming summer. planning to go with a jet black base with silver pearl and a tinted candy cherry on top. it's going to be really dark/tinted so it'll be real subtle. excited for that =)

Sick car bro! I contemplated selling my GS for an M3 last year. Seeing this makes me want one. Definitely my favorite body style of all the M's

been a while since i posted updates, but bodywork is done! new skirts/paint/engine swap/wheels coming soon. really trying to think of colors to paint the car. any ideas or suggestions?

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/554104_246005062164020_912938266_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/545853_397115323643313_650662259_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/560075_392416517462535_1470505820_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/547419_420237434664435_100000345467825_1453690_1342934378_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419759_367862199901959_1546991464_n.jpg[/img]

Laguna Seca Blue?

hey guys, just a few updates of some of the things i did to the car over the past 2 months. these were in preparation for wekfest long beach/los angeles.

some new bc racing coilovers for the new bag-over-coil setup. such a night and day difference with the new ride quality and drop!
[img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m31wqf4kPr1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3iw50VIZg1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

some foam core for a new carbon fiber splitter i will be integrating into the existing lip, then making a mold off of that one for a brand new lip/splitter combo, 1-piece.

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3hcbrOQIo1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5605ric9V1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

starting new work on the interior. i keep neglecting this area of the car. fiberglassing my gauges and got a corbeau seat sponsorship. decided to upholster these seats with red alcantara suede and red nappa leather. i also had the center suede perforated. i also decided to go with the white baseball stitching. corbeau also provided me the original OG logo patches, just in case the embroider couldn't get the current logo stitched on. decided to use them on the bottom half of the seat to make things interesting.

[img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4oyzrmJwC1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3k8fa8EmV1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3rnf2XC3g1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3ufxsGa6q1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3w3djRH7V1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3z8tke5nB1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

and some of the mods i will be busy with for the next few weeks. for those who don't know me, i have a lot of experience with composites: plastics, urethanes, carbon fiber, plastic welding, etc. got me a pair of OEM m3 sideskirts and still have my old OEM mtech skirts hanging out in the garage from years ago. decided to really dial in the bodywork and spotweld/bond the two together and get the perfect e46 sideskirt. the thing with the m3 skirts is that the front sits super low and the rear sits high, so it rakes upwards towards the back. i don't like that look. i want it perfectly flush, near the floor.

that means i'll have to take the new m3 skirts, grind/sand off the oem clip mounts, use some super strong epoxy adhesive to bond the two together, plastic weld the edges, reinforce the inside with a few well-placed metal brackets, then i can shave the whole thing. also, i have to measure everything. not just the height of the skirts, but the "offset" and how far the skirts are from the edges of the wheel rim/lip, the angle from the bottom left of the skirt to the top, etc. all of this measuring is done to make sure the entire skirt placement is true and identical to the other side.

picked myself up some spray guns. HVLP!
[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m54e9bFkx11r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5bcv9hrdH1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m54fzkEoVL1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5btkgobS21r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5buqss1nZ1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5c50tmiep1r8eof2o1_500.jpg[/img]

Hate to be that guy, but where is the vip influence?

[QUOTE=selah777;455590]Hate to be that guy, but where is the vip influence?[/QUOTE]

mostly with the radiused fenders. looking to possibly do the vip table, repaint the car, get the aero to look a little more in line with the GTR-ish vip trend nowadays, etc.

[QUOTE=selah777;455590]Hate to be that guy, but where is the vip influence?[/QUOTE]

WE HATE THAT GUY.

jk<3

looking clean ... can't wait to see your custom table and new paint

thanks for the comments guys. finally decided on a color. will keep it secret for now. here's an update on my skirts project:

how she currently sits
[img]http://distilleryimage8.instagram.com/fc2dd4b4b81a11e1ab011231381052c0_7.jpg[/img]

shaving being done
[img]http://distilleryimage10.instagram.com/1f4118c4ba8e11e180d51231380fcd7e_7.jpg[/img]

This is ballllller!

wow, super nice!!

more parts came in last week and some new CCW lips arrive on wednesday :D
[img]http://distilleryimage4.instagram.com/dd65d40ebcbc11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7.jpg[/img]

also finally at glazing and putty stage for the skirts. almost ready for primer!
[img]http://distilleryimage9.instagram.com/8e4272d2be3411e1aebc1231381b647a_7.jpg[/img]

received a package in the mail today!
[img]http://distilleryimage1.instagram.com/7b3fa0e4c0c111e180d51231380fcd7e_7.jpg[/img]

i also started wetsanding the basecoat and hopefully i can get a few layers of clear on tomorrow afternoon
[img]http://distilleryimage10.instagram.com/e3b25e06c00711e1b00112313800c5e4_7.jpg[/img]

some updates, started putting on the new lips.
[img]http://distilleryimage6.instagram.com/37195ae0c57611e1a8761231381b4856_7.jpg[/img]

also put in my order for a sparco piuma steering wheel. apparently it's super rare because of it's 6-8 week backorder lol
[img]http://distilleryimage0.instagram.com/50dd49c0c53d11e1bef722000a1e8bb5_7.jpg[/img]

and wetsanding/buffing
[img]http://distilleryimage2.s3.amazonaws.com/502858a4c24911e188131231381b5c25_7.jpg[/img]
[img]http://distilleryimage6.instagram.com/a3a6f45cc2e611e19e4a12313813ffc0_7.jpg[/img]

I remember seeing your car at tapex in national city haha,and it was one of my main influences for picking up an e46 m3 after my civic got totaled
...Teach me your ways :bowdown:

[QUOTE=philip-pino;458082]I remember seeing your car at tapex in national city haha,and it was one of my main influences for picking up an e46 m3 after my civic got totaled
...Teach me your ways :bowdown:[/QUOTE]

thanks bro! shoulda came up to me to say whats up. was i there with a bunch of car guys? the only times i'm at that tapex is if i'm with some car friends after a car meet late at night. i usually go to the tapex in eastlake

some updates on the car. entire car is getting a full color change and respray.

[img]https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/427798_477704995584345_172394215_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/64578_359078510849272_1741930515_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/377294_536475826376992_463146742_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/577409_389194111152655_1934268198_n.jpg[/img]

color samples

[img]http://distilleryimage7.s3.amazonaws.com/71b753b8100911e2a84922000a1e8bad_7.jpg[/img]

[img]http://distilleryimage6.s3.amazonaws.com/bb4e09160d1311e2830722000a1f9d75_7.jpg[/img]

[img]http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/dcf280961a6b11e29a0d22000a9f1320_7.jpg[/img]

[img]http://distilleryimage10.s3.amazonaws.com/262adad80eb411e2b99d22000a1de79b_7.jpg[/img]

[img]http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/7b1d995417e211e2958512313d26385c_7.jpg[/img]

[img]http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/ae0dc3881b0811e2adfe22000a1e8a47_7.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/2.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/4.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/10.jpg[/img]

Quick update from today: skirts were plastic-welded and shaved. These  are OEM m3 skirts molded to my oem sedan skirts to get them to be a  certain height so it sits flush on the floor when the car is aired out.  Yes yes I know, it's "fake low". But it looks good! Also it isn't  cookie-cutter like the hamann, mtech or acs skirts which I wanted to  stay away from. I loved the clean look of the m3 skirts but i hated how  high they were off the ground.

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/18.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/19.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/20.jpg[/img]

some goodies i'll be installing next week: VIP front table and rear console. hate it or love it, i'll be super stoked to install this thing regardless. my car isn't a typical platform nor do i consider it a vip car. a vip table is just something i want to do and i think it will turn some heads and help introduce some new blood into the vip scene.

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/table1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/table2.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.socialdoctorapps.com/test/upload/table3.jpg[/img]

Digging a lot of the work man, not my style...but it doesn't mean I don't appreciate it.

And btw..that comment earlier was made because Maziora is a paint company in Japan known for their chrome illusion chameleon colors.

[QUOTE=elpresidente;467714]Digging a lot of the work man, not my style...but it doesn't mean I don't appreciate it.

And btw..that comment earlier was made because Maziora is a paint company in Japan known for their chrome illusion chameleon colors.[/QUOTE]

thanks! oh and yeah, i didn't realize that until months later haha :pat: