What do ya think about making my car an ///M4????? [Archive] - BMW E46 330 ZHP For Sale Forum

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Johnny330zhp

01-30-2012, 11:57 AM

so was thinking about what direction i wanted to go with mods on my zhp and I've decided to try and make my car as close looking to an ///M3 as possible. So Rims, Exhaust, Engine, suspension. What I'm gonna do is call it am ///M4 because its 4 door and not an actual ///M3. What do you guys think? cool idea or not so much??

GSEN820

01-30-2012, 12:02 PM

I have seen it and will always be a fan........

Johnny330zhp

01-30-2012, 12:08 PM

u have seen someone do this before?!?!?! awesome

GSEN820

01-30-2012, 12:16 PM

Yes!!!! It is a San Diego car. The boss knows the story behind this car..... He was telling me all about it at car show here in SD

I think he posted on here about it. CCA Member. Imola and really bad ass....

Johnny330zhp

01-30-2012, 12:19 PM

damn that makes me happy cauz i was for sure thinking a lot of ppl would hate on the idea but i have the ///M logo on the back all i have to do is get the 4 and then the mods and when ppl ask what kinda car i have i can just say bmw M4, sounds sick just to say

jreyes19

01-30-2012, 12:21 PM

It won't be easy or cheap
I wouldnt be surprised if by the end you ended up paying for more than the cost of an actual M3
If done right it could look great :)
---but down here i see many people who only did half the job and it doesn't look good at all
just make sure you are going to stick with it to the end

make sure you start your own progress thread and keep us updated with whats new and happening :)
good luck

here is a e46 sedan with an S54 swap progress thread, for reference
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=889867

Hermes

01-30-2012, 12:24 PM

The car Gary is talking about actually had a supercharger in it. Has since been removed. There still are M3 "sedans" out there as well. Johnny, please don't call it a M4, that will exist soon enough and the 4-series will actually be the 2-door (coupe and verts).

I'll find one, hold up...

Mtnman

01-30-2012, 12:26 PM

If you are just talking about putting an m4 badge on the trunk and some other add ons, then i am against it. Your car is already different and unique....why try to make it look like something it isnt, when it already has so much win! If you are going to do what Rogue did, and drop in an M3 engine in it, etc etc, then by all means, badge away. See Rouge M3 ZHP sale thread here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?486-For-Sale-(SOLD)-2003-E46-BMW-330-ZHP-M3-4-door-Rogue-Engineering-24-000)

Crickett

01-30-2012, 12:30 PM

A great goal (I would loooove a four-door E46 M3 :drool), but I'd think starting from a "normal" 325i or 330i would be a better way to go; why waste a great, unique ZHP if all you need is the sedan body? $0.02.

Edit: Wait a tick . . . you have the ///M badge? Isn't that on the Canadian ZAM? The "M Clubsport" package?

Hermes

01-30-2012, 12:36 PM

danewilson77

01-30-2012, 01:12 PM

zhpnsnv

01-30-2012, 01:17 PM

Love the idea! Just keep the m3 front bumper cover off the sedan and stick with the mtech2. Something about the m3 front just doesn't work with the sedan lines for my eye. Plus mtech2 adds to the wolf in sheep's clothing idea.

GSEN820

01-30-2012, 01:54 PM

Never seen that one before Hermes.

So Sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bullfrogs_M3

01-30-2012, 02:00 PM

Love the idea and would love to do this myself as well. But my wallet won't flex as far as it needs to and I don't think, as mechanically strong as I am, that I could handle a swap as massive as this.

Best of luck to you though. For the money, you should just drop in an ESS TS2 and have the same or better power than a stock M3. Just my .02 on the matter

cakM3

01-30-2012, 02:41 PM

E46 M3 SMG Sedan

At the start (sedan on left, donor M3 on right)

http://www.simracing.no/e46/CIMG0740.jpg

to this

http://www.simracing.no/e46fanatics/Dag9/CIMG0899.jpg

to this

http://www.simracing.no/e46fanatics/Dag58/DSC_0137.jpg

http://www.simracing.no/e46fanatics/Dag62/DSC_0255.jpg

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=578901

This is an excellent example of what an E46 M3 sedan should be! Every little detail not missed here. This is the way to go :thumbsup

To me this is how it should have come from the factory :drool

bullfrogs_M3

01-30-2012, 02:43 PM

This is an excellent example of what an E46 M3 sedan should be! Every little detail not missed here. This is the way to go :thumbsup

To me this is how it should have come from the factory :drool

Or this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.bmwblog.com/wp-content/uploads/BMW-M3-Touring-E46-12-655x435.jpg

Buried deep in the secret garage at BMW M in Garching lays an exciting M3 that never saw daylight. The E46 BMW M3 Touring is an on-off car built by BMW that due to homologation issues and profitability has never made it into production.

The E46 BMW M3 Touring is powered by a naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 3246 cc that produces 343 horsepower and runs to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just over 5 seconds.

Many enthusiasts would have enjoyed an M3 Touring based of the very popular E46 platform and even 10-12 years later, the E46 M3 Touring still looks fresh and eager to conquer the roads. The perfect combination between a super sporty car and a family oriented Touring.

Hornung418

01-30-2012, 02:49 PM

No.

yura

01-30-2012, 02:58 PM

No.

I had initially typed out a fairly long post, but am getting rid of that to simply echo the above: No.

Don't ruin a good car with M badges and bling.

BRGcoopahS

01-30-2012, 03:05 PM

cakM3

01-30-2012, 03:34 PM

Or this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.bmwblog.com/wp-content/uploads/BMW-M3-Touring-E46-12-655x435.jpg

Yep! I saw that too :drool

Why oh why did BMW not sell these????? Such a shame to see that touring go to waste like that....:(

I don't care what others have to say but this would make for an awesome grocery getter...:)

Go Horns!

01-30-2012, 04:01 PM

I thought this thread was going to be about buying the new M4 when they come out in 2014 and making the ZHP a garage queen. I would love to be able to get the 2013 M3 and make the ZHP a garage queen, but that will not happen for a long time.

Hermes

01-30-2012, 04:19 PM

I thought this thread was going to be about buying the new M4 when they come out in 2014 and making the ZHP a garage queen.

Seriously have been thinking about doing this for a few months now... Euro Delivery for my birthday maybe?

bullfrogs_M3

01-30-2012, 04:24 PM

M4? Never heard of an M4 before. Is this a new line coming from BMW?

Hermes

01-30-2012, 04:26 PM

It was a rumor that was supposed to happen with the introduction of the 1er, finally happening now. There will be a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 series. The 3er will be the F30/31, the 4er will be the F32/33

az3579

01-30-2012, 04:38 PM

Terry... Member on this site has an ///M3 sedan.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

To my knowledge, he has a ZHP with an S54, not an M3 sedan. Wicked sick car for sure.

Personally I have to jump on the "no" bandwagon for the naming scheme. An M4 is an assault rifle. Sounds awesome that you want to convert it to 4-door M status, though I do ask that if you do that, you should do the bodywork to match, alongside all of the drivetrain including engine, gearbox, differential, all of the suspension...

Just my 2 cents.

danewilson77

01-30-2012, 05:41 PM

To my knowledge, he has a ZHP with an S54, not an M3 sedan. Wicked sick car for sure.

My bust. I must have lost my mind. I must be nutso in fact! I thought that's what we were talking about?

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

Crickett

01-30-2012, 06:07 PM

My bust. I must have lost my mind. I must be nutso in fact! I thought that's what we were talking about?

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

We're talking about going beyond just a ZHP with an S54 swap; talking about the whole shebang: engine, driveline, body panels, etc..

az3579

01-30-2012, 06:09 PM

We're talking about going beyond just a ZHP with an S54 swap; talking about the whole shebang: engine, driveline, body panels, etc..

Yeah, I didn't think Terry's car was the whole shebang swap, thought it was just an engine and other stuff. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I'd love to have Terry's car. :drool

danewilson77

01-30-2012, 06:22 PM

Yeah, I didn't think Terry's car was the whole shebang swap, thought it was just an engine and other stuff. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I'd love to have Terry's car. :drool

I think the entire powertrain is S54. All the back to LSD.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

danewilson77

01-30-2012, 06:34 PM

Terry's Rogue Engineering ZHP.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1420-Rogue-330i-ZHP-Californication&p=27310

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

brettbimmer

01-30-2012, 06:52 PM

^Thanks Dane. This car was up for sale when I was looking for my ZHP several years ago, but I couldn't justify the added costs with running an S54 engine, hence while I (and probably a few others) went with the ZHP setup instead. If you are really after an M3, why not buy one as it will probably be far cheaper in the end? To each his own though.

rvariverguy

01-30-2012, 07:27 PM

i have the ///M logo on the back all i have to do is get the 4 and then the mods

:rofl you make it sound so easy

yura

01-30-2012, 07:28 PM

:rofl you make it sound so easy

The "4" is really the important part ;)

Hornung418

01-30-2012, 07:30 PM

540...

johnrando

01-30-2012, 09:17 PM

Sounds expensive, but if that's what you want, go for it. I'm personally against tail badging something an M when it's not, but if you put in all that, it's kinda an M. It would be such a unique car though, that badging it an M (even M4) wouldn't do it justice in my mind.

M0nk3y

01-30-2012, 09:25 PM

Call it a M3/4

Just like the E36s were called. M3/4/5 (usually) or M3/2/5

Johnny330zhp

01-30-2012, 09:38 PM

OK first, OMGGGGGG Hermes that is amazing and thats totally what I would love to copy, but in my mind I feel as far is interior it would be cheaper then just a 330i, please believe i don't not want to take away from the perfectly amazing ZHP platform what so ever. I just know I want to do mods to my car and want a direction. Not just do a bunch of bolt ons. I want a theme, Im upset I can't create the ///M4 due to the fact it seems it would be a great look and to spike up a condo about when asked about. Now I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I just feel with all the ///M already through out the car thats the direction to go, so far I've only owned my car for a month and some change and I find myself explaining myself to people left and right the difference between a real ///M3 and a normal 330i

I would love to just create my own class of car being the ///M4 and in my mind with the mods and the 4 door fact its the only thing that makes sense, but if i do this i must only do it right and just as the pics hermes shows, and to tell you the truth this is not something i would do to my daily drive so I'm kinda torn at the moment.

Hornung418

01-30-2012, 09:48 PM

Doing what JeppeJ did is probably the biggest waste of time ever over here in the States. He built that car because of extreme insurance rates in Norway. And he had an entire M3 donor car to transplant into the Sedan. It's not recommended now that the car is entirely affordable.

But please, move away from the ///M4 idea. Just because there are ///M bits here and there on the ZHP, doesn't mean that you can slap an ///M badge on the trunk. Certain things are just guaranteed to get you flamed...especially from the Philly crowd. You'd be the laughing stock of Bucks County with an ///M4 badge on your car, and I'm sure people are already talking about it with the current badging.

Bottom line, no S54B32, no ///M badge on the trunk.

Johnny330zhp

01-30-2012, 09:59 PM

well, I guess the ///M4 is out the window but I have a great deal on getting an S54 engine and the swap would be the hardest part, then i just gotta drop about 3k on rims and I think I'm pretty close to the look i want, If people are gonna hate on the ///M badge then I guess they will hate I'm not sure what else to do about that.

az3579

01-31-2012, 04:02 AM

Hermes

01-31-2012, 04:05 AM

Or this...

S62
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/attachments/e39-m5-e52-z8-discussion/80800d1238685556-s62-engine-pic-cimg3379.jpg

Johnny330zhp

01-31-2012, 07:09 AM

alright well this is why I'm glad I have you guys to give your input about this upgrade, after reading everyones posts a few times. I decided that if this was not my daily drive this would be an amazing summer project but I couldn't half ass this, either go all the way like that blue one or not at all. I still don't want just a stock zhp (even tho these are unique cars in there own right) I think my best bet is just start somewhere and see what direction I start to fall into, first thing is today I'm getting rid of all the blue and white emblems on the car, I'm staying with the black and red theme. Then I'm back to what rims to buy, now its between fitting the M3 rims, the white OZ's or the bronze in color. I just have a scary feeling with the white I might be gearing toward the ricer look and I know ill look amazing in the bronze but I feel its been done too many times before, I think I'm just driving myself crazy at this point and need to just slow down with the over thinking. However I say that a motor swap will happen within the next 2 years for sure, so I'm open to suggestions. reason for: I purchased this car with a lot of miles for a very low price, in the last 5 years I've always leased or financed my cars, now i finally own but ill be damed if I'm gonna be driving a car with 200k miles so even if this car is running like a top I just can't bring myself to let it happen, but my interior and exterior are just in amazing shape to ever get rid of this car, not to mention the fact I just all around love the ZHP platform. there with all that said there will be upgrades and mods that I will be taking pics and keeping my brothers and sisters updated on progress