I Bought A Rare Techno Violet E46 BMW 330i With 217k Miles On The Clock – Car Throttle
After seeing my previous (And exactly damaged) E46 330i Touring, a change in my mind flicked on and demanded I buy one other one…
My lalook at impulse buy Might be my biggest but!
When people ask me ‘what’s Definitely one of the biggest automotive you’ve ever owned?’ there’s solely ever been one reply: my previous E46 330i Touring that I purchased for £140. It was rusty as hell and visually unappealing, however a reliable previous canine that was straightforward to work on and extremely effective enough To maintain me entertained.
Certainly, I’ll go So far as to say that the M54B30 3.0 straight-six is my favourite engine ever, producing over 228bhp whereas returning (on my Touring, A minimal of) over 40mpg on An extfinished time period. Chuck a spicy exhaust into The combination, and the M54’s rasp is out of this world, too.
My previous £140 330i Touring was a reliable, however rusty canine
I owned that automotive for A pair of years After which moved it on to A man who stripped and ripped it on monitor. Headgasket failure finally killed the Touring, however at our current Car Throttle meet at Caffeine and Machine, I used to be unexpectedly reunited with the automotive when it rolled in on the again of a trailer. And then it occurred…a change in my mind flicked on and demanded I buy one other 330i Touring. Good.
This pretty 330i-swapped Touring was prime of my hit itemizing
A pair of days later, I voiced my new want on Instagram, and shortly after, I had the automotive for me. It was a clear-bodied 318i Touring with 330i working gear. Proprietor Edwin messaged To inform me It’d be up On the market quickly and so a date was set to see it (And sure drive house in it). Saturday acquired here, And a few hours earlier than my date with future, a Techno Violet-shaped spanner was thrown into the works. “Howdy mate, heard on the grapevine you’re Looking for a Touring – That is mine…”
The rear arches want consideration, however this 330i Touring is An right looker! The entrance arches might be past saving, although…
It was almost double what I Hoped to pay, However the temptation was too great To ignore. Definitely one Of 1 ever made On this spec, A exact 330i Touring Particular person with A individualual area, B14 coilovers, a Quaife restricted-slip differential and Techno Violet paint. What’s extra, this factor was on moon miles (217k), and if there’s one factor I exactly like Greater than myself, it’s a extreme mileage hero.
My date with Edwin was subsequently postponed (I defined and apologised), and earlier than I knew it, I used to be en Path to A individual referred to as Taylor to see Taylor’s Touring. As quickly as I stepped inside his storage, I knew I used to be in problem – the 330i (affectionately Usually acknowledged as Barney the Dinosaur) took one Take A look at me and decided I Needed to be its new owner, Regardless of how rusty its arches (they’re dangerous).
Regardless of 217k miles, the M54B30 is smoother than Another 3.0 I’ve heard with the bonnet up
Nearer inspection beneath revealed undamaged jacking factors and a clear flooring, and after firing up the M54 from chilly, I used to be purchased. Not solely did this engine sound good for the mileage, However it additionally sounded extremeer than Another M54 I’ve heard with the bonnet up. What’s extra, the brake strains are new, the cooling system has been overhauled and there are stacks and stacks of paperwork.
A ten-minute look at drive additionally confirmed my Need to have this automotive. Okay, so the B14s are too stiff for my liking, and there are rear-finish creaks that want investigating, However the dealing with and road hpreviousing are stylish, and to have such a unusual automotive Is An alternative I can’t ignore.
5-velocity guide geararea and an Alcantara steering wheel – what extra could You’d like?
So far, I’m but to do Greater than 100 miles, however I’ll be driving the automotive to a storage quickly to get it on a ramp to wind the coilovers up a contact and have An right look beneath. The arches want consideration (the entrance wings in all probability want changing), and as you Could have seen on my Instagram tales, a damaged gasoline pump sfinisher left me stranded on the M40.
See additionally: I Spent Years Chasing My Good Spec E46 M3 And It Was Worth Every Second
But hey, that’s why I like previous automotives, particularly E46s – there’s by no means a uninteresting second. No matter this little glitch Inside the matrix, I’m nonetheless over the moon with my impulse buy And might’t wait To place extra miles on it.
