8 years of pics with my E46...

[Rovert]

I thought I'd share some (a lot?) pictures here in hopes of helping anyone else out in the market and to gain some inspiration to any modifications they want to do to it. A lot of these pictures are posted within the many threads of this forum. :blushing

Eight years ago I found this car after looking a whole year for it before. I had to find a 2003 330i ZHP which was only an American model. Luckily someone traded it in at a local BMW dealership in Vancouver and the price was decent enough for me to snatch it up 6 hours after seeing it one Sunday morning during a BMW Club of BC meet. It's been 8 years of learning many things that make a vehicle's personality and to explore the fine edge of fear, question, and excitement. So now...pop your popcorn, put your pajamas on, turn the lights out because it's time to see a picture story of my car's journey...

I new I needed to get clears so I started with a craigslist ad for clear front corners and side markers:
http://imageshack.us/a/img485/4/img6747miniaturizedbo3.jpg

Then halos for Christmas from my sister:
http://imageshack.us/a/img114/6200/bmwsnowplowzs9.jpg

I knew I needed dedicated snows so I thought I'd get 17" E39 M5 replicas which served a great purpose....fun in the parking lots?
http://imageshack.us/a/img151/9117/snowfun801ee6.jpg
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2597/4148914217_fa7079bef8_z.jpg?zz=1
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2490/4148914535_f1609198a5_z.jpg?zz=1

I then ventured into creative use of photography...
http://imageshack.us/a/img150/3853/img1275px5.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img294/7256/img1283id8.jpg

Then it was time to bring the car to advanced driver training to explore the limits of the vehicle.
http://imageshack.us/a/img815/2842/img2189m.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img535/5940/img2170aw.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img151/4053/img2165n.jpg

The tires (modded Toyo T1S from previous owner) just turned to jello at Mission because of the cornering and braking hard:
http://imageshack.us/a/img228/2676/afterhotlapsot7.jpg

The infamous rolling shot of course:
http://imageshack.us/a/img96/5587/dsc00218jv9.jpg

Then the 1st violent episode of my car's life and my patience happened:
http://imageshack.us/a/img172/146/img0885ut9.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img301/2609/dsc0265xo8.jpg

The awesome thing that came out of it.....clears!!
http://imageshack.us/a/img366/8137/img9887xt3.jpg

Getting more into the car scene I got to meet many other enthusiasts:
http://imageshack.us/a/img472/4544/img7438hl1.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img388/3527/sam0207su3.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img155/9545/img8318ay8.jpg
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/5894/img8961ri2.jpg
http://imageshack.us/scaled/landing/136/img9095gx4.jpg

One memorable moment was when my friend was riding shotgun and I was cornering so hard he was nearly imprinting his fingerprints on the outside of the door. :laugh2:
http://imageshack.us/a/img81/7982/img9054uh9.jpg

Went to a dyno meet at Miller in Abbotsford:
http://imageshack.us/a/img114/9071/img0098hd7.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img380/5842/img0102fq7.jpg

For ten years I've been taking performance driving classes from local friends/instructor/race drivers. They said it was time for me to step into a higher performing vehicle so I made the decision to head out to Phoenix, Arizona for more training with better equipment and facilities....the legendary 505HP, Corvette Z06, which is an awesome performing machine.
http://imageshack.us/a/img140/4629/bondurantschool47ul9.jpg

Hydraulic lifters to simulate any surface to no surface and learn how to handle a RWD vehicle:
http://imageshack.us/a/img264/7449/bondurantschool75oj0.jpg

Thank god after all I learned and being timed, I came in at the top of my class and now it was time to go home for more plans to my car:
http://imageshack.us/a/img264/5731/bondurantschool177su6.jpg

I came home being inspired by this trip trying to find a way to justify more vehicle upgrades....LOL. My justification came and this is what I splurged on:
http://imageshack.us/a/img10/3617/img0173y.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img23/1154/img0697k.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img12/8580/img0702h.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img19/1330/dsc7010.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img8/1337/dsc7002.jpg

After having everything adjusted, mounted, and installed, I still thought I was dreaming...
http://imageshack.us/a/img23/2743/img0754a.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3579/3562041588_f573c32f0b_z.jpg?zz=1

But I knew I wasn't after a couple more weeks...LOL
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3588/3561223405_48d935f1d1_z.jpg?zz=1
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3311/3562350172_1b3ce925c6_z.jpg?zz=1
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3417/3562350364_deba06e874_z.jpg?zz=1

Then it was off to Santa Barbara for Bimmerfest:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3332/3562280402_54c58a5fae_z.jpg?zz=1
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2442/3562280272_c448712031_z.jpg?zz=1

Buddies came along too which made it an even better trip:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3332/3561462839_42af111e67_z.jpg?zz=1
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3564/3562280750_6501aa32e1_z.jpg?zz=1

Caught myself in a nice shiny detailed semi-truck wheel:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3311/3562281496_6edd024238_z.jpg?zz=1

The wheels are only a couple months old and just loving the look:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3301/3562282858_fa7c342894_z.jpg?zz=1
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/2092/img1186.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3599/3561469717_37fdbb27c1_z.jpg?zz=1

Taking pics downtown Vancouver has always been fun:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2666/3781268717_951cf0efa2_z.jpg?zz=1
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2587/3781268935_4f2c00ae89_z.jpg?zz=1
http://imageshack.us/a/img829/133/img7089a.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img823/2662/img7075m.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img228/561/img7077u.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img33/4507/img7059xf.jpg
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/5764/img7046l.jpg
http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/5890/img7043d.jpg

One day it was time to get the ECU tuned by well known tuners in the LA area who flew up here for a weekend of tuning fun:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2430/3967475975_b469ff4dfd_z.jpg?zz=1
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2657/3967476097_6bccb83e90_z.jpg?zz=1

My ECU was taken out of it's protective casing and programmed:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2674/3968251916_7f35887af6_z.jpg?zz=1
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2475/3968252172_19b7f768bd_z.jpg?zz=1

A friend's car with (I believe) in excess of 600hp was getting tire ripple when being tested on the dyno:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3525/3968252582_da75fb95f4_z.jpg?zz=1
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3426/3967476621_9e33cfef4d_z.jpg?zz=1

One day at the office I decided it'd be cool to find places close by and on the way home that would make a good shot:
http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/7729/img6967y.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img6/3069/img6919g.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img708/1479/img6902yl.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img849/876/img6880a.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img31/682/img6934r.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img718/2089/img6885q.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img43/6613/img6839t.jpg

During one of the first snow falls I decided to freeze myself for an hour making this shot turn into something more creative which came from a previous LED light experiment in the summer:
http://imageshack.us/a/img405/7668/drivewaymerge.jpg
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/823/beforewinterledmerge.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/a/img254/7822/finalwinterledmerge.jpg

One thing I love are the yellow highbeams that cut through all the nasty weather if I need to see that far during the night. It also looks menacing!
http://imageshack.us/a/img706/1251/garagestandy.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img406/60/p1000823g.jpg

This alignment reminds me of kids with headgear to straighten their teeth...LOL
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sqJDOVQjR2Y/T45UJu3w7JI/AAAAAAAADLM/jis1-JFqwa0/s1024/Alignment-1000087.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oiplliaz-i8/T45b06RGX3I/AAAAAAAADMw/9egPUICxkpE/s1024/Alignment-1000086.jpg

Yes this rubs on large dips....
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cEL379eHDf0/T8wguL5TLBI/AAAAAAAAED4/5ItD6MELqDw/s1024/E46-1000754.jpg

Luckily the fronts have no problem...
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-C8OlUlUDdQg/T8wgv2eo32I/AAAAAAAAEFM/vyZTnlAIngU/s1024/E46-1000814.jpg

Then I got to a special point in my car's life....150K miles...LOL:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-M7EDk1p9bHw/T3DfGGN5niI/AAAAAAAAC-U/IniiDr5Kn2Q/s1026/150%2C000+miles.jpg

I also changed out my M5 replica wheels for sport package equipped 330's which are easier to keep clean in our wet winter:
http://imageshack.us/a/img39/4049/p1000796j.jpg
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2716/4366948347_a3a8a82372_z.jpg?zz=1

Or sometimes frozen...
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2529/4226139099_6de060bcbe_b.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4023/4226908118_a41f93b954_b.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img684/2875/p1020104f.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img808/1958/p1020093h.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img824/3599/p1020127i.jpg

So there you have it.....if you haven't already fell asleep....some of the many pictures I have captured in the 8 years of owning this car.....and here's to another 8!! I hope these pictures may serve some of you E46 owners if you have questions or were waiting to find a certain look you want. My car is still pretty stock looking compared to some but if you have any questions about the E46, I will try my best to answer as I have done a lot of my own work on my car. It's been a great 8 years of learning DIY's! Thanks to the army of E46 DIYs who have helped me afford this car over the years. Without you guys I'd be thousands of dollars less than now...

:applause

[ejp2fast]

WOW!! thats all i can say...... quite a journey for that very lucky zhp! Your photography is stunning! Keep up the good work. :thumbs up:

[ejp2fast]

how did you get these shots?? Thats pretty wild...
http://imageshack.us/a/img150/3853/img1275px5.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img294/7256/img1283id8.jpg

[328ioc]

Pure sex my friend. Love the shot of the, melted?, tire too.

[alexandre]

Love the snow CSL trunk. LOL

[johnrando]

Trevor, your ability to tell a whole story in just a few words and the right shot is amazing! This thread is pure awesomeness. You are one of the few people I know who can make a crapped out tire look good. Love the journey of you and your car, with beautiful pics.

:chuck

[Ryans323i]

Thanks for sharing Trevor!

[Vas]

Awesome pictures.

Out of curiosity , wheel and tire specs ?

[danewilson77]

Looking good Trevor.

Sent from the HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA and USA

[Rovert]

how did you get these shots?? Thats pretty wild...


That was the day I was using this camera:
http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/SxirhUieGsC6GMvQ.medium

Hahhaha....it had one function that allowed longer shutterspeeds up to 15 seconds. So I opened a window and stuck a tripod out of it with the camera mounted and found ways to hold the tripod steady with varying shutter speeds and different heights of the window and jackets around the tripod base to keep it steady. The other pic is creative use of the trunk lid....lol.

Hint: I'm not going that fast...So fast I'm not even in the car!!

[alexandre]

http://osx.wdfiles.com/local--files/icon:adobe-photoshop-cs5-icon-psd47180/Adobe-Photoshop-CS5-Icon-psd47180.png

;)

[Rovert]

The crusties on your car in the sig are Pshopped....there's no way a car can be that durdy! DURDY THREE THURDY!!

[Avetiso]

Thank you for this thread. I now wish I had more money. =]

[Rovert]

Work hard and smart and your wishing will be over!

[Oli77]

Nice picture story Trevor. Thanks for sharing, but tell me, in 8 years what other maintenance fees have you incurred?

[Rovert]

^
A whole cooling system refresh including radiator
A third expansion tank
Front control arm bushings x 2
VCG
VANOS seals
Front sway end links
Tires
Brakes
Fluid flushes
Headlight bowls
Engine Starter
Oil level sensor
Battery

I think that's about it....this car has been a pleasure to own....not very picky and I've taken on the thinking that if I treat my car like a princess it will be very needy and fussy. So I drive her like she's freshly stolen at times. If she whines I wait a while until I take care of her. If she wants to go fast I go speed limit...LOL. Oh and I think if you keep your car clean, she'll be good to you back. Every girl likes to be clean and get super dirty every once and a while.

:pimp

[Oli77]

^ That's not bad indeed and it has made you a happy customer. One that takes a share great pics of the stolen princess.

[WOLFN8TR]

Very Cool. I really liked this photo.
7446

[HokieZHP]

Awesome mod history Trevor! How are the 19" VMR wheels for DDing combined with the V2's?

[Rovert]

So far so good Chris. One wheel must have got a huge sanding on the highway because the paint is a bit pitted and it collects grime and is slowly discolouring in the corners. Every other wheel is completely fine and looking well. There is no clearcoat shipping at all...so that's good. The KW's are great. I think it would be nice to have adjustably to make it a bit softer for daily but when I get into those random moods of wanting to exceed the laws of lateral G's I'm glad that the shocks are nice and firm to soak up the road irregularities. No shock has gone in for repair yet and they are 6 or 7 years old. My mom doesn't notice the harshness so I guess it's still alright and not M3 hard. She does notice the exhaust resonance since the resonators were removed from the previous owner but it's not that bad in the front seats.

[Dave_B]

Your photography is PHENOMENAL!!!

Years ago I picked up a Nikon D50 in hopes of one day really getting into it. Needless to say the wife is now in charge of the cam. LOL

[derbo]

Fantastic set of photos to follow those 8 years. Toast to another 8 :)

[ejp2fast]

^this car has been a pleasure to own....not very picky and I've taken on the thinking that if I treat my car like a princess it will be very needy and fussy. So I drive her like she's freshly stolen at times. If she whines I wait a while until I take care of her. If she wants to go fast I go speed limit...LOL. Oh and I think if you keep your car clean, she'll be good to you back. Every girl likes to be clean and get super dirty every once and a while.

:pimp

good advice my friend, good advice.

[cyberkaa]

Awesome journey. Loved the pics. Many happy returns!

[Tnhl1989]

Loving the photos man. I really need to get back in the photography groove. Any advice in gaining experience??

[Rovert]

Loving the photos man. I really need to get back in the photography groove. Any advice in gaining experience??

Just shoot! Play with the camera settings and shoot! You can't just think you want to do it when action isn't put into it. All of the pictures above are mostly taken by your regular point and shoot cam. Some of them are pocket ones that are in full auto....some of them are bigger and I go full manual....some of them are micro 4/3 camera pictures....and some of them are full DSLRs. It doesn't matter what kind of camera you have...take pics and learn it's strengths and weaknesses then use it's strengths to take amazing photos!

So bring your cam everywhere and just play. Composing maybe all you need to do to make a picture great. So if you want follow the 1/3 rule and put your subject in one of the 3rds of the photograph except THE MIDDLE. Use the landscape to tell a story...I still forget about that sometimes as you can tell by my photos. Next...post the pics here that you think are great and prepare to receive great constructive criticism to hone your eye into something even more creative and outside of the box. And of course....just shoot!!! :D

[kayger12]

Very much enjoyed that, Trevor.

Well done!

[gr330zhp]

Great thread, awesome pictures! I respect when someone keeps a car for more than just a couple years. I am the same way.


Sent from my iPhone 5.