I Bought The Cheapest BMW M3 in NZ

While I absolutely love my BMW 130i, when an opportunity came up to buy by far and away the cheapest BMW M3 E46, I couldn't refuse.
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro and Montage
0:38 Background
3:11 Picking the Car Up
4:20 Diagnosing the SMG Issues
6:10 Final Drive
Thanks for Watching!

[@The_Noticer.]

Makes sense to not put any money into fixing the SMG and convert it to MT. It's not even going to cost you money, because it adds more value than you pay for it most likely..

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep that’s the plan!

[@snggarageeng]

Congrats! That is a dream of every 30+ , with mortgage bills and belly

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha thanks man!

[@mantarayal]

Looking forward to seeing this treat of a car with a manual. God luck guys!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Next week your wish shall be granted

[@NZ_Lexus_IS-F]

What a beauty. Really excited for the upcoming videos on this classy monster

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@fordfella801]

Awesome man! Congrats on the wicked car!!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@TheLegend-wm9wr]

What a beauty of ride, congrats

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@usmanrai1244]

hmm yum yum, looking forward to some great videos.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@mitchbuchannon6637]

You mad man 😂… love it

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yessss

[@spadgm]

Just brilliant mate!, and for 16 grand... that is outstanding buying!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@exoticexperiments3008]

Nice! Happy u chose to go manual with it 🎉🎉

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yes good strong transmission

[@kotukumacky3299]

Oh my goodness 🤤 good noise

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yesss it’s a sensational sounding engine

[@amandeep650]

I just recently pulled the trigger on a nice E90 RWD 328i 6 speed and am going to put my Acura up for sale. I'm so excited to join the Beamer world with something RWD and I must say a big reason that bug had been planted in my brain was because of your channel. Excited to see what you do with this E46 M3 and dig deeper into the BMW world. Clean E46 M3 prices here in Ontario Canada have started to climb and are starting to approach E9x M3 territory so this one might be a smart money move on your part in addition to a gear head move haha.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Nice man! Sounds like you’ve made a great purchase

[@johnherbert5919]

Great buy, such a BMW icon. I was also looking at an M3, but not that cheap. However after driving a DSG 135i I am probably going that way.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah tbh I'd go for the 135i, N55 is also a great engine

[@syygnis]

Damn thats rad wish I could get an E46 M3 for that little over here in Australia. Definitely convert it to traditional Manual, luckily same transmission all the smg stuff needs to be removed!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man yeah I’ll be converting this one in next weeks episode to manual

[@kotukumacky3299]

Need longer videos with this 🤤

[@KiwiCarLife]

There's plenty more to come!

[@craigfleming-dc7fw]

You could easily spend $20 k in repairs in 2 years... I hope mate it's reliable all the best , there pretty cool 😎

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man

[@speedeeconzalis459]

We seem to have the same taste in cars. I'm hooked in the channel again. Manual swap, check subframe, rod bearings and you should be solid. Got my cl9 a year (low km 1 owner), sold my E36 motorsport 2 last week and putting my daily w204 on the market soon to make space for an E46 m.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Awesome man! Yeah that’s the plan except the rod bearings should be fine on mine

[@thatguyben3128]

_lol, love how your friends (proxy) did the testing until it failed 🤣, oh man, you should be a politician👏🏼😭_ … _cool vid man_

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@IBOO57]

Outstanding, looking forward to seeing how this one progresses. So many Japanese cars are pricing themselves out of the market now with fanboys paying well overvalue for them.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah agree that’s why I buy euros now

[@dgpaliza]

Wow! That’s a steal mate. I’m also after one but torn between an M3 or a facelift W212 E63. Congrats!

[@KiwiCarLife]

I’d go m3

[@roderickpaliza245]

The thing is, I already have a W204 C63. I reckon it wouldn’t make sense to have two NA V8s.

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@roderickpaliza245 oh right in that case I’d get something different coz yeah the C63 and M3 are much the same concept

[@Vikturus22]

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy the E46! Its one of my all time dream cars! ( i want this and a E39 M5 ) Please check service history for rod bearings if they have been done

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man! And oh yes an E39 M5 is also lovely

[@smorley4359]

@@KiwiCarLife along with vanos and subframe reinforcements

[@jotsingh4359]

Hey mate amazing car, if you ever get another opportunity like that I would love to take it.

[@KiwiCarLife]

I’m sure you would haha

[@TheUncleGoat]

Good lad converting it to MT 👍

[@KiwiCarLife]

That’s the one!

[@SuperWesty177]

What an absolute ripper deal my dream car (in manual), shame about the SMG. mate has a 325ci SMG e46 and it goes into reverse sometimes has the same sloppy kinda mid upshifts too. That cars gonna be a absolute gem in 6mt form.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man! Yep when it’s manual it’ll be awesome

[@eithias671]

this looks like a fun car to drive

[@KiwiCarLife]

Ooooh yes it sure is

[@truthseekernz888]

congrats on the awesome car, it sounds great. i am curious what your petrol usage was like in the 130i? cheers

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man! I averaged about 10.5L/100km

[@watchesgadgetsandstuff]

Nice!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@Aladdin5cave]

Finally a decent replacement for your ISF

[@KiwiCarLife]

Indeed!

[@Birmingham_racing]

I've always been a big e43 m3 fan but would stay away from smg but you got it for a good price anyway

[@KiwiCarLife]

I’m converting it to a manual next week don’t worry!

[@T_3rR4h]

Should have got another ISF ;)

[@KiwiCarLife]

ISF doesn't come in manual

[@ahahahhahaha9145]

nice

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks!

[@markmcgrath9098]

Nice buy. I’m not sure if it’s the e46 or the e90 N3 is leak M3 did me. It’s a shame the SMG is cactus. It’s good when people learn to drive with it by all accounts.

[@KiwiCarLife]

The SMG is CACTUS HAHAHAHAHHA

[@benjaminwingchun9665]

That's really good, lucky man! I'd buy one instantly for 16k

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@rtt987]

With some preventative maintenance (if not done already), this will last a long time and be hard to get rid of in terms of being a youtuber and looking for the next big thing. Nice purchase. Lets see you compare against some newer cars and see if they're any better. Pretty sure i already know the answer to this question...

[@KiwiCarLife]

That’s the plan!

[@jerrytong2209]

nice car..did new zealand not get the fk2 civic type r?ive owned mine for 18 months great car very reliable as well

[@KiwiCarLife]

We’ve got a few imports but it wasn’t sold here new

[@Alkhoholic]

I'm sticking to my 130i for now lol it's the best car for the money, that's all that matters 😂 the reputation of the 130i is starting to pic up here in NZ (in Europe they are rally rockstars)😂

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah honestly for the money I’d say the 130i is a better car

[@Tight--LiNeZ]

I wonder if a ZF8 conversion has been done, or if there's a kit available? Because if you're going do drive it in traffic a fair bit, as well as sportingly, then a ZF would make is much better box than a SMG or DCT. They have sequential style, clutchless manual, step-ronic mode (way better than any triptronic. Instant and down a gear is forward, and up u pull back, sequential style), or a silky smooth full auto mode, sport auto, or awesome paddle shifts that change as fast as any DCT, and even faster (especially the downshifts) if you get xHP on your phone to stage 2 or 3 flash the box's software. Full on supercar gear change performance. The extra gears would make an M3 like this a real weapon, cos mated to the newer N55 engine onwards, they are even faster than a manual equivalents and ZF8 boxes are super reliable in stock trim up to 600hp, and have the most insane service intervals. I couldn't stand autos until I drove a ZF8 box . I thought DSG wasn't half bad, in golfs. Then drove a stage 2 xHP flashed in a M135i, and was truly blown away. Changing gear instantly with no rev drop, just pulling and pulling. So mated to those non-turbo rev monsters that have an epic top-end, a ZF8 box in your car would be something amazing to drive. 8 gears! There's a reason every supercar from a Lambo to a Dodge Hellcat, uses a ZF8. Stick one of them in if you can. Awesome car bro.

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@Tight--LiNeZ yeah bro I’ve driven heaps of ZF8 cars and they’re very good. IMO it would be sacrilege to put one in an E46, this car deserves a manual and nothing else. In the following episode you’ll see I converted it to manual.

[@Tight--LiNeZ]

@@KiwiCarLife Oh okay. That'd be my first choice. Don't let the clear coat on those rims get that white spiderline corrosion under it, & those M3 rims are renowned for it. It looks like you have some nice ones there. Don't spray any petroleum based products on them, cos it weakens the clearcoat on them. A xHP-ed ZF8 box is like twice as good btw. I've had that engine you have in a Z3M. Freakin' awesome.

[@saddatshamsuddin32]

Keep this.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Hopefully! I do love it

[@ryanslattery9340]

16k NZD?! Great find

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep!

[@Esdru221]

Powerwise, how would you compare this m3 with the typical full bolt on k24 making around 250hp?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Oh there’s no comparison this is way faster

[@raaedamhar4175]

yeah take out the smg hydraulics and you got yourself an MT easy fix, probably laborious but saves the SMG cars from death 👍

[@KiwiCarLife]

That’s what I’m gonna do in next week’s episode

[@Rider_Tom]

How's the reliability been on your 130i? I have an e82 (125i with 3L n52) and my god what a lemon. Most recently, the evaporator went (15 hours labour to replace). I've always wanted an e46 M3, but not sure I can stomach the BMW maintenance anymore. Best of luck with the build!

[@KiwiCarLife]

See that’s really unfortunate to hear, because this is exactly why people hate BMW’s. I’ve had not a single problem with my 130i it’s been one of the most bombproof cars I’ve ever owned! Really frustrating that some are super reliable and some are lemons…

[@Rider_Tom]

@@KiwiCarLife it’s not all BMWs though! I’ve owned an E46 and E39 and they were relatively smooth sailing. The e82 though has cost me at least $15k in maintenance in 2 years, more than the car’s worth 😅. Pays to do your research and buy with consistent service history, I suppose.

[@zeroyon4562]

$16k- woah, lucky guy! Any mod plans aside from the manual swap? Surely a CSL airbox is on the list?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Manual conversion for now, who knows after that

[@Will0w_0n.F0urs]

Did you sell your honda jacket too?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Nah

[@toomythejester]

Wow, you can barely find a running car in good condition for 5k in tassie, crazy how you got an m3 for under triple

[@lucaking4041]

I've mentioned this to Liam before and I think it might be a worth a video on - the prices in NZ are just insanely cheap and the cars they got as well; Australia is out of control!

[@toomythejester]

@@lucaking4041 might get something imported then it might be cheaper

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah I’m planning a video talking about nz vs Aussie car prices

[@toomythejester]

@@KiwiCarLife lucky for me im getting my l plates next year and dads got his old accord euro that i can get for about 4k i think which is way better than any other options

[@welshmunn]

Manual conversion and shorter diff will transform the car

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep that’s the plan! (Maybe not the diff though)

[@roskataqv]

You forgot the Honda Legend.

[@KiwiCarLife]

That’s related to this video how?

[@shaneedgar3332]

Dont think theres a manual legend

[@sonof69star]

No offense...but JDM shitboxes are way overpriced for stupid reasons. Great review!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yes agree hence why I’ve switched to euros!

[@330itis]

Would you consider selling it before you modify it? Looks to be completely original and I imagine with fsh.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Potentially

[@330itis]

For some reason my reply isn't showing

[@330itis]

Are you on bimmersport? I'm also 330itis there

[@cpm._.gaming]

Nice Car

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man!

[@kofnc]

Time to sell the 130i and put that cash into the M3! Exhaust? Intake?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep that’s what I’ve already done haha

[@ArunaVidu]

What happened to the Subaru legacy?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Sold that months ago

[@hondamanvtec2894]

Fix it Sell it Buy a Lexus

[@KiwiCarLife]

Nope

[@ivoxii]

I paid less for mine, deregistered it was 15k, pretty sure it was stolen though haha

[@KiwiCarLife]

Goodness me haha, well I guess I got the cheapest registered M3 then haha

[@ivoxii]

@@KiwiCarLife What surprises me is it was perfectly fine mechanically, parted it out after someone rear ended me, couldn't be bothered repairing, it was a great car & drove it unregistered for a few years, never got in trouble for it

[@craigauty6756]

Manny swap ❤

[@mitchbuchannon6637]

Yup it’s worth it if he plans to keep it

[@KiwiCarLife]

That’s the plan!

[@nvl2691]

Manual swap it!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep that’s the plan!

[@keqcy9806]

Asked u a lot now, review the skyline 350gt sedan HR 07-08

[@17t135i]

Pretty similar to the 370gt he had on the channel, vq35hr just slightly inferior to the vq37vhr, 5 speed auto pretty un responsive on older one too

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah done the 370GT go watch that video

[@myflourishingfam]

I'm repeating the obvious, but swap it to a manual!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep that’s the plan!

[@Paradoxical124]

New Zealand wins the worst European themed custom licence plate.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Aye why?

[@jace5190]

Nice buy. one owner original car! Get reading about the chassis and motor - nam3forum is a great resource with a fantastic community. Rectify the common faults and they're great cars. Biggest issues are rod bearings, vanos & chassis rear end. Fresh 10w-60 + a filter every 5,000km!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yep already done the manual conversion and rear subframe and a service. Vanos seems fine on mine and I’d hope given the service history that my rod bearings are ok for now

[@Amuro89]

$16,000 for a M3. It will cost you a lot more once it is said and done. There will be a lot more things go wrong.

[@craigauty6756]

You are right. He should have brought a reliable corolla for his youtube car channel to compare other performance cars agasint

[@KiwiCarLife]

I can’t tell if you guys are joking? A Corolla really? And even if it costs me a fortune it’ll still be worth more than what it owes me

[@craigauty6756]

@KiwiCarLife i was being very sarcastic haah

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@craigauty6756 Ok that's good HAHA