dodint's Automotive Evolution

**dodint** · January 18th, 2018, 11:57 AM

This E46 will be the most stripped BMW I've ever owned as far as I can tell by the build sheet:

S210A Dynamic stability control
S249A Multifunction f steering wheel
S255A Sports leather steering wheel
S354A Green windscreen, green shade band
S441A Smoker package
S459A Seat adjuster, electric, with memory
S473A Armrest front
S481A Sports seat
S520A Fog lights
S522A Xenon Light
S534A Automatic air conditioning
S550A On-board computer
S640A Preparation f tel.installation universal
S645A BMW US Radio
S650A CD player
S661A Radio BMW Business (C43)
S674A Hi-Fi System Harman Kardon
S692A Preparation, BMW 6-CD changer I-bus
S785A White direction indicator lights
S788A BMW LA wheel, Individual
S823A Hot-climate version
S832A Battery in luggage compartment
S845A Acoustic belt warning
S853A Language version English
S876A Radio frequency 315 MHz
S926A Spare wheel
S992A Control of number-plate attachment

Compared to the 650i:

Spoiler:

But, oddly, it does have some interesting features. I'd really like to know more about the person that ordered this thing. It doesn't have a sunroof, has clear corners from the factory, and they ordered a specific steering wheel. It's clearly performance oriented, or at least meant to look that way, but it doesn't have the ZHP package or any other notable factory performance addons. It does have "Dinan" badging but Dinan never made a 330CI itself so who knows what's been done with the car since new.
The ad says in three places it has heated seats but the switches are not there and it's not on the build sheet, my wife will be bummed at that.

**dodint** · January 21st, 2018, 01:02 PM

Bought the car, turned out to be much, much nicer than I was hoping for. I thought for sure the Dinan badge was stuck on there by some teenager as a 'sticker tune' and I was genuinely surprised when I popped the hood.

'Dinan S' serial number, and the intake tubing for the now relocated airbox which is down somewhere under the bumper cover.

There are two ways to get a Dinan 3 badge. One is to order enough Dinan components and install them yourself, they have a points system to see if your cars is Dinan enough to qualify. The other way is to order a car through BMW that Dinan preps before delivery to you. I'm pretty sure that's what happened with this car. Dinan's mods are benign enough that they do not violate the factory warranty when professionally installed. I've contacted Dinan to validate the build and see exactly what has been installed, hoping to hear from them soon. I know it doesn't have everything as it's missing the strut brace, though it could've been taken off or was broken when it got in the accident.

The shift knob is comically small, but seemingly high quality as it's a pretty heavy Momo knob. I've already ordered a cheap eBay replacement. Eventually I'll order the same alcantara knob I had in the E36 but they're about $100 shipped from Germany and I need to make sure I'm still getting steady paychecks for the time being.

Not only is the car better equipped than I thought but it drives straight, engine pulls super hard, and everything feels very stable. It's not perfect, it needs a good wash and the interior has a musty smell. The trunk smells particularly bad, as if the guy was a gym rat and always put his dirty gym clothes in there. It won't matter eventually as all the fabric is coming out but for now it's very noticeable.

It's kind of a bummer that I'll have to strip most of the Dinan stuff out to convert it to a SpecE46 car. I'm going to write up a checklist of everything the car needs to get to SpecE46 compliance. Once I get the build sheet from Dinan I'll see what I can integrate into the build and what has to come out.
I think right now, on slicks, it's probably faster than a SE46 car just because of the closed motor specifications of the class. Even the Dinan ECU tune will have to be changed to the class tune. If I were being a super purist I'd find someone that wants this car for what it is and flip it, but it took this long to find a slicktop I'm not giving it up for that. I haven't actually opened it up to see what it can do, the DCS takes over when accelerating hard in the first three gears. I haven't given it a proper row through the gears.

Right now they're running an odd set of 'staggered' wheels that are taller in the front and wider in the rear. It's stock, though:

F: 225/45-17
R: 245/40-17

The SE46 spec size is 255/40-17 which is a 10" wide tire, only .4" wider than what's on there now so I'm hoping I won't have the clearance issues I had with the E36. I plan to put slicks on the OZs I've been holding onto and will probably square the car with the 255/40's.

TL;DR: The car is nicer than I thought and I was very fortunate to find it, looking forward to driving it really fast around in circles.

**CudaMan** · January 21st, 2018, 04:26 PM

Can you do car shopping for the rest of us now?

**dodint** · January 21st, 2018, 05:36 PM

Hah. What are you in the market for?

It seems sudden, buying both of these cars in less than three weeks. Really I have been looking for them both for years, and was 'trigger ready' on both for the first time ever after years of planning and saving. I was tracking two other slicktop 330ci before this, and countless DMCs.

I am just really happy to have my fleet perfectly set so I can just focus on improving and enjoying what I have.

**novicius** · January 21st, 2018, 06:51 PM

Nate Luck still holds!

Looks sharp -- after you gut it, what's your daily driver gonna be?

**dodint** · January 21st, 2018, 07:24 PM

Cayman for Ash, then I get the MINI back. It's going to be a slow build. I don't graduate until May 2020, and Ash a year later. Next two years is just HPDE and then my first few competition schools the third year. Once the cage goes in I will turn in the license plate.

When I bought the E36 I tore out the interior immediately and then never tracked it.

I probably won't do that this time. Interior will probably stay in till the second year, anyway. I still need to drive it to St. Paul a few times.

I bought a bluetooth adapter, a shift knob, and phone mount for it already. It definitely has DD duties.

I loved the Mustang, can't say enough about it and the time I spent with it. But being back in a performance minded BMW just feels so comfortable, like putting on an old pair of slippers. I can't wait to get it on track and see how different it is and what I can learn. It goes through the revs so fast I keep red lining it. Might have to invest in a shift light.

Once this rain passes I will try and get out to take some pics. It's a deceptively sharp car, but I'm biased, of course.

**CudaMan** · January 21st, 2018, 08:57 PM

I admire your clear plans and ability to stick to them. You're doing it right.

I have a flavor of the month thing going, so I never know what will end up in my hands when I'm ready to pull the trigger on something. Had I been ready at different times, I could have ended up with a very different car history.

Originally Posted by dodint

Hah. What are you in the market for?

I may turn you loose on something later this year if I can.

Not exactly a unicorn but not the most common thing either.

**dodint** · January 23rd, 2018, 07:50 AM

SE46 thought of the day.

My car (presumably, I haven't actually looked but I'm fairly certain) has a 2.93 open differential. SE46 requires that you run a 3.46 diff in a stock housing, but all internals are free for you to do (spend) whatever you want. There is a sliding scale from about $1,500 up to about $6000 that you can spend on a diff of your choice. This page shows the wide array of choices you have: https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3.../?pdk=AQEBDwEB

E46 325i automatics came with with a factory 3.46 differential.

I'm not buying a custom differential until I'm very close to retiring the car as a daily driver. The local u-pull-it yards will sell you a used diff for $67. I'm thinking of going and pulling a 3.46 diff out and installing it in my car. The two benefits are that it will get me the gearing I'll eventually use when I race so I can do my HPDEs with the gearing I'll eventually use in competition so I can build up that muscle memory from the start; second when I do eventually race competitively and buy a custom diff I can keep this one as a track spare in case a grenade the LSD.

Factory differential cross reference chart:

Spoiler:

**CudaMan** · January 23rd, 2018, 10:17 AM

For $67 and some time in the garage I'd totally get the 'right' gearing in the car now. When you take the car racing, OS Giken is probably the way to go. The Quaife is relatively inexpensive and makes a great street diff, and even good on the track as long as you aren't lifting the inside tire. Curb hopping, a stiff enough rear sway bar, that kind of stuff. FWIW I have a Quaife in the 350Z, it's silent and unobtrusive on the street and works great at autox with the setup I have (stiff springs, tiny rear sway bar, not a ton of rear rebound).

**Godson** · January 23rd, 2018, 04:25 PM

For 70$ and a night in the garage, that bitch would be in there tonight.

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