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SMG->6 Speed swap for E46 M3?

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    SMG->6 Speed swap for E46 M3?

    Recently, I've become obsessed with the thought of owning one of my dream cars, the E46 M3. I fantasize on Craigslist several times weekly for the latest local offerings. Because I'm graduating with an engineering degree in a month and should be able to find a pretty decent job, I feel like owning the car isn't too unrealistic.

    Unfortunately, I see tons of SMG M3s which is somewhat of a deal breaker for me. However, I remember reading that the SMG pumps often fail and it could be worthwhile and easier (cheaper too?) to simply swap the transmission over to a 6 speed. There have been so many cheap examples ($10-12k/100-120k miles) of M3s in silver, convertible, SMG, or some combination of the three. I've also seen several gray/LSB examples with the SMG, which are the colors I prefer.

    My question is would it be worth it to buy a cheaper example with the intention of immediately swapping to a 6 speed, or should I just be patient and find exactly what I'm looking for?

    I wouldn't trust myself to do the swap, so parts and labor would be included in the cost.

    Thanks!

    p.s. here's pretty much exactly what I'm after:


    can anyone tell me potential problems with this example? (maintenance, mods, etc?)

    #3
    e46fanatics.com

    t
    now, sometimes I just mess with people. It's more entertaining that way. george graves

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      #4
      The smg is pretty sweet. If you buy one with it and swap to a stick I want all of the smg gear.

      If you are paying labor for the swap I recommend you wait and buy one with a stick.


      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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        #5
        You'd be better off to keeping saving and waiting for the exact car you want. These cars are not as easy to swap as an e30.
        1987 325i-M60b44 swap

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          #6
          I'm gonna agree with the other guys here.

          By time you pay a specialty shop that will have the knowledge to do a SMG to MT swap plus aquire the parts you could have just spent a few thousand more up front to get the exact car you want out of the gate.
          -Brad
          My E30: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...50#post3916850

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            #7
            plus swapping to manual won't increase value and could harm it since it's no longer like it came from the factory.

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              #8
              Just like you, I bought an e46 m3 right out of college, engineering as well. It was a dream car that I never thought I'd own. I saw that they were priced very reasonable and jumped into one. I had a 2002 steel gray, manual, decent condition. I ended up getting rid of it after 2 years because I was deathly afraid of it breaking and that I couldn't afford to fix it or that I couldn't fix it myself.

              With all of that being said, save up for a 6 speed manual. They are common enough that one will pop up. The SMG to manual conversion is well documented but do you really want to buy a car and immediately put it at risk? This is no e30 and M3 spare parts are not cheap.

              P.S. If you can afford to keep it, don't sell it like me. I'm looking to get back into one within the next year. This time I'm going to get the exact one I want and make it a garage queen. I'll probably never sell it. Fingers crossed that I can find an Alpine White with cinnamon interior manual with low miles.
              1989 325i S50 swapped
              2007 4Runner Sport V8

              Comment


                #9
                I'll mimic others here in the thread.

                Wait for what you want. E46's are far more complex than E30's, especially for a big task like switching from SMG to manual.

                TL:DR Don't do it. Wait it out.
                My previous build (currently E30-less)
                http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=170390

                A 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4x4 Offroad in Inferno is my newest obsession

                Comment


                  #10
                  I'll be helpful.

                  The single best repository of E46 M3 knowledge is located on m3forum, not e46fanatics or any other forum.



                  SMG to 6spd has been documented and is actually pretty straightforward, but not cheap or a good 'my first wrenching' project.



                  Furthermore, common problems with the chassis can be found with a very basic google search. Vanos hub tabs, rear subframe sheet metal, and rod bearings are the main catastrophic pain points.



                  good luck!
                  2017 Chevrolet SS, 6MT
                  95 M3/2/5 (S54 and Mk60 DSC, CARB legal, Build Thread)
                  98 M3/4/5 (stock)

                  Comment


                    #11
                    Originally posted by bumada View Post
                    Just like you, I bought an e46 m3 right out of college, engineering as well. It was a dream car that I never thought I'd own. I saw that they were priced very reasonable and jumped into one. I had a 2002 steel gray, manual, decent condition. I ended up getting rid of it after 2 years because I was deathly afraid of it breaking and that I couldn't afford to fix it or that I couldn't fix it myself.



                    With all of that being said, save up for a 6 speed manual. They are common enough that one will pop up. The SMG to manual conversion is well documented but do you really want to buy a car and immediately put it at risk? This is no e30 and M3 spare parts are not cheap.



                    P.S. If you can afford to keep it, don't sell it like me. I'm looking to get back into one within the next year. This time I'm going to get the exact one I want and make it a garage queen. I'll probably never sell it. Fingers crossed that I can find an Alpine White with cinnamon interior manual with low miles.


                    Sweet combo to find. My e90 is white with Dakota leather and a 6mt. It is a 335.


                    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                      #12
                      Thanks for all the great responses guys! You guys have successfully convinced me that an m3 is s terrible investment as a DD at this point. I'm now leaning towards a grandma owned late 90s/early 2000s Lexus dd instead, so I can own a garage to work on my e30 and future m3.

                      Comment


                        #13
                        Originally posted by rich4rdee View Post
                        Thanks for all the great responses guys! You guys have successfully convinced me that an m3 is s terrible investment as a DD at this point. I'm now leaning towards a grandma owned late 90s/early 2000s Lexus dd instead, so I can own a garage to work on my e30 and future m3.
                        Looks like you are making the right decision for your situation. I dd'd an e46 M3 until just recently and it was quite costly to maintain properly, though it was my only car at the time and was quite rewarding to drive.

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                          #14
                          FYI if you look around you can find a cheaper e46 m3 in a manual. I recently purchased an 01 with 40k miles with a manual for what I consider "not a lot of money" honestly it wasn't too much more than a nice e30. I would have preferred a 03-06 but this one was local and had all the options I wanted.

                          As other have said the smg swap isn't easy, it is however doable. If you did go the smg route I'd say don't swap it right away, only swap it if/when the pump fails. There are a lot of shops out there that can do the conversion as it's well documented, but it's not "really" a garage project. Also an FYI the smg is a fun car to drive and you can get an aftermarket/rebuilt pump for a fraction of oem prices so it's not a bad buy.

                          Lastly as others have said I do believe the manual cars are starting to appreciate. It really seems like they bottomed out in value and are actually starting to go up. I think the good smgs will probably never be worth the same as the real manuals. You can see even the competition pack cars don't bring the same money as a really good low mile late build manual.

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