Eagle

225/45 are correct for the 7.5 fronts

Finally got it back together and driving. I had an assistant helping me put the subframe in and it got it caught on one of the front studs and bent it slightly. I had undo it from the body to release the threads were caught inside the mount (These aftermarket alloy parts seem much softer than BMW bits). Ordered some brand new studs. lock nuts and bolts and did it by myself the second time with more patience, it went it fairly easy with some raw hide hammer persuasion. Solid bushings. These have certainly modernized the car as claimed. Rear end wag\disconnect between front and rear is reduced and car is more composed with more grip in all driving, will be even better with the alignment redone. Driveline slop is reduced also when shifting and accel\decel. Id imagine with a high end dampers and springs would really do it justice with all the other supporting mods. Only downside (for me at least) is the added NVH\knocking from diff backlash etc. Its much more pronounced due to no rubber isolation and i can also hear more rumble and a whine from the diff at certain speeds\frequencies, especially around 110-120kph (bearings arent the best). I will have to look into putting my helical into my old diff to try and reduce it as i dont think i could live with it long term. ZF detents. Decided to do these while the box was out. Special thanks to @Vass for the tool loan. Mine weren't bad as such but doing all the detents has improved the shift quality more than i expected. I can see how these boxes get blamed for vague shifting. With all new bushings, detents and E60 shifter its the best stock'ish config BMW manual box ive driven. E36 M3 flywheel\clutch. Wanted to try the last M5X BMW to use a dual mass flywheel with conventional clutch. The M54 etc SAC pressure plate isn't the worse but has a stiff travel with little feel. The E36 M3 pedal effort is noticeable reduced and you can feel the engagement point off the floor far better. Makes it easier to drive in general combine with all the other related things. At this point i think its already at the OE+ type build (give or take). I drove a guys typical E46 the other day and this feels like a different car, for better or for worse.

Haha yeah classic bogan Ford\Holden driver

Damn, im paranoid about public parking because of situations like this. At least it doesn't look too bad compared to some of the ones ive seen.

If you can do the work yourself and know where to buy parts they arent bad. Preventative replacement is the key to make them last. E46's aren't as simple as easy to work on compared to older BMW stuff, but they aren't difficult especially so much information\guides on everything. Buying on condition and service history is all i go by, same as any brand really. All my best cars were all 300,000km+ and been reasonably well looked after. Still needed money spent on them of course and paint wasn't the best but engines etc were clean and solid. M54 have a rep for burning oil due to crappy rings which to me is their worse flaw along with subframe floor. Yeah the M are the more likely to fail first but plenty of examples of non M's with damage. Seen a number of pre-2000 models here in NZ with cracked receiver mounts which are the worse examples. Personally i dont think theres a shortage of E46's driving around with the beginnings of failure ie failed spot welds. They could driving like that for ages before anything happens if it even does progress to any noticeable floor cracking. Older these cars get the more likely its going to happen though and just to inspect the car fully requires alot of work. Out of sight out of mind or not even knowing has its benefits. All the 4\6 cylinders before M5X were way more simple easier to work on. Anyone could work on those without much guidance.

Probably the best bet. I doubt there's many E46's non M's around with subframe floor done properly. K's dont matter much at this point in time as all parts likely need to be refreshed anyway due to age.

I think you need a break from them anyway haha

Probably plenty if you prepared to throw some money at refreshing that usual areas

Tire pressure sensors should just swap over to new wheels. Don't believe anything has to be reprogrammed. Imo no disadvantages in going to 18s. 19s are for looks.

Offer him 30-35k, if he declines he doesn't actually want to sell or is too greedy.

Im assuming just a random part failure\quality control issue given how quickly it failed. Hopefully all the other bits hold up. I havent had any issues with their parts, but you dont know if are declining in quality over the years. I think Rein are ok for the price point but the genuine stuff its more trustworthy.

Weird issue indeed. Did that bleed screw come with hose? I know you gave me an extra OE one, can't remember if it used it there or not.

Except the part where the each generation basically became more un-reliable\more complex\more expensive to fix. In saying that if it they weren't you wouldn't be able to pick them for cheap.

I was thinking more sensor\electrical related issues eg Valvetronic, but suppose that more drivability issues than flat out breaking down.

You have to preventatively replace parts if you want to greatly reduce of chance of breaking down, otherwise its just luck on cars this old. The average owner (like the one you have linked above) doesn't want to do that because it cost a lot of money initially to do it properly..

Is your car a ticked up Japanese import or are 318i coupes without sunroof hard to find?

I probably skip the repair kit or just get new bolt and locknut for the strut if you are concerned. I dont think the rest is really worth it (front mounts come with locknuts?) and washer are very re-usable. Shipping is usually priced fairly well but never ordered that once at once. Im guessing its the combination of struts\shocks and springs. Try splitting those up and see. Sometimes certain parts add a lot of shipping for no real reason, not just on this site. The springs were nearly 100 euro shipped with a couple of other small things when i got mine. Still ended up way cheaper than anywhere else. So i know where the other 200 euro is coming from?

Certainly be the most reliable spec. The M62\5HP24 combo is the least reliable spec in my book, mostly saved because they probably arent used very much.

Guess it depends what you are after and what you are using the car for. I think Koni and higher end Bilstein overpriced these days. IMO B6\B8 Bilsteins are rubbish ride quality on average NZ road without being re-valved. Im pretty happy Eibach Pro-kit (slightly lower and firmer than Msport springs) with and OE spec TRW struts\shocks on my E46. Rides and handles very well without sacrificing ride quality and they are cheap. They have their drawbacks in certain conditions compared to higher end products, but most people arent driving the car like that. H&R's are much firmer spring. https://spareto.com/products/eibach-suspension-kit-coil-springs/e2063-140 https://spareto.com/products/trw-shock-absorber/jgm239t https://spareto.com/products/trw-shock-absorber/jgs160t Yeah you will certainly need new bump stops, strut mounts, dust boots and maybe spring rubbers for the front end. Rears parts dont seem to fail on E39's but id probably buy new rear bump stops and they degrade over time.

+1 swapping the sensor. If its an aftermarket sensor i wouldn't trust it - OE Conti\VDO is all id ever use.

Just refreshing all the common wear items has always done me well. Stock is underrated imo because few people have driven when new\refreshed.

Yeah the front camber is quite a bit out really. Looks like something maybe a little bent. Guessing they didnt try adjusting it by loosening the top strut mount nuts to see what range they could get?

No alignment sheet? Vague steering could be many things - alignment, worn suspension\steering parts, wheels and tyres. But yeah comparing it with a M car on 20's maybe be unfair. Clunking is typically drivetrain related. Could be excessive backlash in the diff which isnt uncommon on these. Worn engine\transmission mounts, dry driveshaft splines or worn u-joints, worn rear diff mounts, worn dual mass flywheel etc can cause clunking also. If you run it on a hoist\axle stands you should be able to localize it. Majority of these cars are still on original parts for a good portion of the car.

Sure had lots of positive things to say about it, i kept thinking that's because its had a lots of money spent on it unlike the average one. I think old used car reviews are more about the example being reviewed rather than the car itself.

Turners arent bad per se but i wouldnt recommend them. Spareto.com is my goto these days and FCP Euro if they dont have it. Typical refresh is water pump, thermostat, expansion tank, top and bottom radiator hoses, plastic water pipes\fittings and maybe radiator. Maybe other recommended hoses to replace in your particular engine im not sure.