A story about my journey to and with the coupe since... hope you enjoy.
Well my first M Coupe experience was my dads friends, he had a black one, it looked awesome, I was 18 and into my cars, I wanted it... He took me for a spirited drive in it and that was when my love and appreciation of M cars began.
Fast forward a few years after owning a few high performance cars including S3's, Impreza STi, Golf R32, Cooper S Works etc I bought a E46 M3 in estoril blue. I loved it, had AST coilovers fitted and bbk and she was my little track rocket.
But then I got a bit bored (2 years owned), and started thinking about what to get next....
...an M Coupe! wieghed up the options, 2 seats no problems, bit older but I won't loose money etc. So I went for one.
Saw a couple of bad to really bad ones, paintwork in very poor condition to one where it was making very bad engine noises underload. Finally I saw this one north of Brum, and after a chat with the guy (who was a member on here) I took a trip up.
30 minutes later I was giving him a wad of my hard earned cash...
This was one of the oringal pics in the advert on PH
Spec when I purchased:- (April 2009)
1999 M Coupe (Facelift)
95,000 miles
Titanium Silver
Full Service History
Remus Exhuast
Black/Imola Interior
New Vanos @ 90,000 miles from BMW Dealer
It was suffering from rear top mounts knocking when I bought it, but I like getting stuck into cars and working on them to 'get to know them'.
So first job was to change all the top mounts so I knew they were all new. At the same time I changed the springs to H&R.
I also gave her a full service and changed all the filters and oil as this was due in a few thousand anyway.
She has been around the ring on a few trips now, and a couple of track days at castle coombe and brands. I've taken her round Europe and she has never missed a beat.
2010/2011--
I changed all the speakers and amped them to give a better sound in the cabin, the old HU broke and was already changed to a Sony unit which was nice, and didnt stand out like some after market HU's.
I had the clearances and inlet's aligned, and did a few more small upgrades on things including a ITG airfilter.
2012--
Well this was when she got in her first 'incedent' after some twerp 'didn't see me' and pulled out of a junction and going into the rear quarter of the car :(
I was gutted...angry... and just annoyed
So off she went to Cotswold BMW where a new wing, rear bumper, tail light and rear arm was fitted followed by 4 wheel alignment.. I also had the Front Bumper and bonnet resprayed due to stone chips / rust spots coming on the nose of the bonnet, and a full car mop and polish.
When she returned she aws like new, I was very happy with the quality of the paintwork (Not so much the fitting of the new panels as I took it back so the aligned my rear bumper properly as one side was sticking out and one side sticking in too much) but other than that it is a grand job.
In the last 3 months she has had... Full Inspection 2 Service including plugs, fuchs 5/40 oil, new bushes all round (massive improvement on handling), Front and rear drop links, front hubs, Osram Bulbs, 4x Falken 452's, underside cleaned and screws/bolts replaced/renewed. Full set of 4 discs and yellow stuff pads. And an oil leak fixed :)
I still enjoy driving this car on a daily basis, learning the ever changing limits and amounts of sideways that is possible in different weather, the noise and the looks just keep me appreciating my 12 year old Coupe. It is one car I'm not going to sell and keep, even if one day I have to have a metro as a daily commute.
Currently working on brake ducting, refurb of wheels in black and replacing the seat bushes.... Then either BBK or Coilovers (Think it will be coilovers) :)
Current Spec now- Nov 2012 :-
1999 M Coupe
145,000 miles
Full Service History
Remus Exhuast
H&R Lowering Springs
ITG Air Filter
E46 Top Mounts
Yellow Stuff Pads
Osram Bulbs
Sony Stereo HU & Pioneer Speakers
Black Front Grille's
Cheers for reading :)
Well my first M Coupe experience was my dads friends, he had a black one, it looked awesome, I was 18 and into my cars, I wanted it... He took me for a spirited drive in it and that was when my love and appreciation of M cars began.
Fast forward a few years after owning a few high performance cars including S3's, Impreza STi, Golf R32, Cooper S Works etc I bought a E46 M3 in estoril blue. I loved it, had AST coilovers fitted and bbk and she was my little track rocket.
But then I got a bit bored (2 years owned), and started thinking about what to get next....
...an M Coupe! wieghed up the options, 2 seats no problems, bit older but I won't loose money etc. So I went for one.
Saw a couple of bad to really bad ones, paintwork in very poor condition to one where it was making very bad engine noises underload. Finally I saw this one north of Brum, and after a chat with the guy (who was a member on here) I took a trip up.
30 minutes later I was giving him a wad of my hard earned cash...
This was one of the oringal pics in the advert on PH
Spec when I purchased:- (April 2009)
1999 M Coupe (Facelift)
95,000 miles
Titanium Silver
Full Service History
Remus Exhuast
Black/Imola Interior
New Vanos @ 90,000 miles from BMW Dealer
It was suffering from rear top mounts knocking when I bought it, but I like getting stuck into cars and working on them to 'get to know them'.
So first job was to change all the top mounts so I knew they were all new. At the same time I changed the springs to H&R.
I also gave her a full service and changed all the filters and oil as this was due in a few thousand anyway.
She has been around the ring on a few trips now, and a couple of track days at castle coombe and brands. I've taken her round Europe and she has never missed a beat.
2010/2011--
I changed all the speakers and amped them to give a better sound in the cabin, the old HU broke and was already changed to a Sony unit which was nice, and didnt stand out like some after market HU's.
I had the clearances and inlet's aligned, and did a few more small upgrades on things including a ITG airfilter.
2012--
Well this was when she got in her first 'incedent' after some twerp 'didn't see me' and pulled out of a junction and going into the rear quarter of the car :(
I was gutted...angry... and just annoyed
So off she went to Cotswold BMW where a new wing, rear bumper, tail light and rear arm was fitted followed by 4 wheel alignment.. I also had the Front Bumper and bonnet resprayed due to stone chips / rust spots coming on the nose of the bonnet, and a full car mop and polish.
When she returned she aws like new, I was very happy with the quality of the paintwork (Not so much the fitting of the new panels as I took it back so the aligned my rear bumper properly as one side was sticking out and one side sticking in too much) but other than that it is a grand job.
In the last 3 months she has had... Full Inspection 2 Service including plugs, fuchs 5/40 oil, new bushes all round (massive improvement on handling), Front and rear drop links, front hubs, Osram Bulbs, 4x Falken 452's, underside cleaned and screws/bolts replaced/renewed. Full set of 4 discs and yellow stuff pads. And an oil leak fixed :)
I still enjoy driving this car on a daily basis, learning the ever changing limits and amounts of sideways that is possible in different weather, the noise and the looks just keep me appreciating my 12 year old Coupe. It is one car I'm not going to sell and keep, even if one day I have to have a metro as a daily commute.
Currently working on brake ducting, refurb of wheels in black and replacing the seat bushes.... Then either BBK or Coilovers (Think it will be coilovers) :)
Current Spec now- Nov 2012 :-
1999 M Coupe
145,000 miles
Full Service History
Remus Exhuast
H&R Lowering Springs
ITG Air Filter
E46 Top Mounts
Yellow Stuff Pads
Osram Bulbs
Sony Stereo HU & Pioneer Speakers
Black Front Grille's
Cheers for reading :)
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