Once a car sets foot into a junkyard, its cruising days are over. Its only use is as a parts car (donor car), and eventually, it'll face the wrath of the monster crusher. Jason and Celine of the ShopLifeTV YouTube channel had a different idea – they changed the fate of a $4,500 abandoned BMW E46 M3 and decided to give it a new lease of life.
Jason and Celine have had a couple of BMWs in their life. The duo specializes in fixing them and has a ton of experience getting junkyard units back on the road. On a recent upload, they decided to save an E46 BMW.
Jason and Celine got this unit as a donor car for an LS3-swapped E46 project they are currently working on. Since it had a salvage title, their initial idea was to part it out and sell it to the crushers.
"It's been about four years since I've owned this M3. I originally bought it because I took out the rear end to use in my LS3 E46," Celine said.
It had some cosmetic wear, including a broken window and bodywork damage. It's also missing a few parts, including the original hood, cooling, and a few engine components.
"This car was salvaged because of a wreck on this side. Before we got it, it was already fully repaired. Just not repaired well, and we noticed when we pressure washed it all the clear coat started peeling off," Jason revealed.
The car's overall condition, including the convertible top, felt like an expensive restoration project four years ago. But with the current surging prices of similar models, the duo decided to give the restoration project a shot.
To remind you, the BMW E46 M3 Euro spec came with a naturally aspirated 3.2-liter V6 engine making 338 hp (343 ps) and 269 lb-ft (365 Nm) of torque. It could do 0 to 62 mph (100 kp) in 5.5 seconds. The U.S. variant made 333 hp (337 ps) and 262 lb-ft (355 Nm) of torque and could sprint from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 5.6 seconds.
We recommend watching the video below. You could learn a thing or two about restoring a convertible BMW E46 M3.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News