Rod Knock to Driving on The World's Toughest Race Track - BMW E46 330i - Project Cologne: PT12

Project Cologne is back with a vengeance! The M54B25 engine in this E46 325i has a rod knock, and in this episode we do the swap that was always planned, 330i M54B30 engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox. This marks the new chapter for project Cologne as we are going to turn it into a track capable car! After completing the swap, we go straight for the Nürburgring and do some laps with @mgcharoudin.
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[@mgcharoudin]

Thank you for the trust, like I said it is one of the best "stock" cars I've driven! I cannot wait to see how the car is going to handle with future mods😍 P.S. My video is coming an hour after this one :)

[@jesusonic91]

Nice friday plan.

[@ArKritz84]

Aaaw man, you have Pancake all over your shirt! 😂

[@dArtagnanPzk]

B on r’‘ il ces

[@kwisin1337]

Great to see you two together. When's Jason coming to town?

[@muhamedb.5698]

The fact that the CC KZbin setting can’t keep up with your instructions @mgcharoudin 😄 says enough about how mad your skills are and simply the amount of knowledge on the track! It would be an honor to have you as an Instructor. Love the Videos from both of you guys cuz i share the same passion as a car mechanic and car enthusiast. (Tho without any car atm -.-) Amazing Episode as always Sreten 💪👍 Maybe one day i will meet you both and think about these times but for now to the Micha’s Channel . Mach’s gut beide!! Pozdrav aus Stuttgart 👋

[@petermuller2583]

Gotta love how engine swaps are now one episode shenanigans

[@NarcFreedom]

“That wasn’t too bad!” … The man is a master.

[@metinkilic4]

Thanks to the B7

[@payamstar]

Haha exactly my tought

[@MrZimono]

We thank the B7 for it's teachings@@metinkilic4

[@gavdcookuk512]

It’s a testament to just how good the E46 was and is that it still holds its own on a track today

[@mantaskizeliauskas9567]

Misha driving to the limit is insanely satisfying. What a capable car .

[@edgar9651]

Misha calls that an easy lap.

[@petrilacosmin7743]

Misha sounds like a proper copilot, probably he can give tips with his eyes closed by now!

[@SzwarcuKX5]

If you watch lots of his on-boards, you can clearly see, that he has no mechanical-sympathy unfortunately. That's the only thing that buggers me.

[@sorekuk]

I drove with him in my Yellow Touring and boy he is super fast. I can agree with @SzwarcuKX5 - he is very rought driver but I guess it's just his driving style.

[@timessix8434]

In fact he did, a few years ago… :)

[@markorakic3952]

@timessix8434 I just wanted to say that 😂

[@DuBstep115]

@@SzwarcuKX5 Dude bounces on rev limit like its the deciding race in F1

[@McMaster1500]

Man… This is better than any TV show. Thanks for continuing your journey with Project Cologne!

[@macman6107]

I happily pay to Sreten via Patreon what I would have to pay for the UK TV licence. I don't watch live TV so, here I get exactly what I want.

[@mzansipunters4295]

Indeed.

[@bosley629]

Love projekt Köln! Danke 🙏

[@hromadalubo]

27:29 The washer from the old coolant pipe totally flew right into the opening where the oil filter housing sits. If it hasn't fallen out through somewhere else surely it will appear later when you disassemble everything again. 😁 Great content as always and good luck with all your projects. I've been following you since the beginning and each new video is an occasion for me!

[@M539Restorations]

Thank you! It was a piece of the plastic pipe and I got it out. :)

[@user-wj5mo8uw6r]

Great spot!

[@johnsimpson6500]

Excellent to see your build hit the ring ,you did the car justice with solid laps 👏🏻👏🏻

[@myz06rocks]

My race instructors always said one thing consistently; upgrade the car and you might go faster in that car. Upgrade the driver and you upgrade all the cars you drive.

[@Nigel999]

This is my favourite content on KZbin by a mile, and another 1 hour episode that always finishes too quickly. I was leaning into the bends around the ring, I bet that M4 driver was thinking ‘how did that 3 series estate car get past me!’

[@poplaurentiu4148]

A fresh proper build like Sreten is absolutely fantastic it brings the car up to life again it changed not just the engine but also gearbox and brakes it would be nice to see the dino tests results before this changes and after the changing parts that way we would know more precisely how much power it gained with the up-graded parts.. In case of M4 it may be a case of a novice fresh driver, or a girl who might take it slower to accommodate with the 'Ring traffic, bends, curves and with the hairpin turn.. we all enjoy both channels so much we now go to see Misha channel to see his feeling inside the car during the Ring-lap..

[@carver_g9708]

Great to see another video with Misha! His channel has really taken off too. You both have excellent, high quality content.

[@AaronRandolphChen]

Awesome episode! And kudos to you for building a daily driver that can handle the Green Hell not for just one lap, but for FOUR LAPS!! It was a little surreal watching your track videos because I am usually watching this on Misha's channel. It was way cool to see you both together too! Awesome work! The car and the drive! Congratulations, Mate!

[@yhp99]

Misha should record himself talking guide thru the entire nurburgring and sell them. Im down to buy

[@Imdeadlydan]

Navigation/GPS voice set for the track, now that might be pretty cool, best `celebrity` navigation voice ever 😎

[@the_nameless2891]

Man i love how when misha is asked to give directions where to brake and what he becomes a full on text to speech robot

[@firefly8464]

Ha ha he’s given those instructions soooooo many times!! 🤣🤣

[@iea96]

Sreten makes swapping/rejuvenating/rebuilding enginges look like child’s play

[@IvanForpatril]

Since you once mentioned a swap I was looking forward to seeing it happen. And to make a racing version of a touring - that's just amazing. Wishing you amazing, fun and safe track days! On a side note, Misha's directions are blowing my mind. So much useful info and so fast! Amazing!

[@eugenealymov2723]

Oh the glorious M54. I put 450K kms on mine before selling it off and it continued running for another owner. It really is a great engine. Just like this video !

[@legioner9]

The E46 touring like you have, Sreten, is the most beautiful one out there. The colour is great, the M-Sport body trim makes it really beautiful and the 330i engine and gearbox put this car where it deserves to be. You drive very good, btw. And the E46 is really fast when pushed hard.

[@dragineeztoo61]

Getting Misha to coach you at the ring is a great idea. Seems a good guy and he certainly knows the track.

[@azuritew210]

This is far the best youtoube content, we watch you build it perfectly, then traveling with the cars, then race track driving them?! I'm so happy for you, and you are amazing! Keep up strong

[@imidzovic]

Nothing holds my attention like Sreten's videos! Watching him open these engines like it's a children's game I got a feeling that I could do it too! Great job, Sreten. Keep it up!

[@Vova3iLvova]

tearing anything apart is easy, the reverse actions tho

[@PedroM125]

The entire refurbishment was awesome! And is nice to see someone learning getting in the track! Keep up with the good work!

[@pervertt]

I love the M54B30 engine. Smooth, tractable and plenty of grunt at legal speed limits. Sadly, my 330i was written off a few years ago when it was totalled by a careless driver in another car. I hope the engine found a new life in another well loved E46. It had been fed premium petrol, regularly serviced and lubricated with quality engine oils before the 330i was bumped off.

[@balexalex]

I've always loved the torque wrench symphony of rhythms, bam bada badam bam, its not editing, it's music

[@nikpolc3475]

really proud of where we are now that you can come from 2 non running cars to 1 track capable weapon in one episode

[@tjackman]

I would love a vixen surface treatment aquablast 1215. It actually is a staple of your work, better finish than oem!

[@teammcleod4733]

As usual, Streten is living my dreams, this time on the Nurburgring. So European to choose a wagon (touring) for a track car build. Bravo!

[@mzansipunters4295]

You can even tell that the engine is smilling while it's been worked on, the love it's getting from this champ.

[@zygimantasurbsys4157]

Finally a Sreten classic!

[@galerio995]

27:28 something fell inside the engine, who else did notice?

[@Nigel999]

I see it now I rewound to that point. Looked like a small washer.

[@galerio995]

@@Nigel999 yes I don't know if he realized that, because otherwise is worrying

[@M539Restorations]

Good catch! Piece of the broken pipe, it fell out once I flipped the engine on the other side. :)

[@Bavarian_M]

Yes good catch

[@sttm1283]

yeah i noticed.

[@briananderson9927]

Another wonderful BMW reference video added to internet history !! Doesn't get any better !

[@Timrsnakess]

Seeing that thing get thrown around on track and thoroughly enjoyed made me so happy

[@shiftdnb]

Misha drove the shit out of it. Looked lively and fun. Man what a great project. As a ZHP owner myself, currently refurbishing it, I'm very excited for more of this series!

[@ninja12lawbreaker]

Love the Nurburgring challenge. Your race pace was nearly twice as good as the first attempt. Mischa is a very handy friend

[@onogrirwin]

What an awesome channel. Sreten actually still works on cars, and does so extremely well.

[@brendan7632]

I have a BMW with the M54 in it as well. This video really makes me determined to keep mine on the road for as long as humanly possible. I’m glad there’s videos on KZbin showing you what improvements you can make to improve the life of this beautiful engine. If only I could do it myself 😂

[@emilywood6800]

I bought one cheap from the auctions with 230k miles on it, It now has over 250 and is still going strong. It's amazing how long these engines will last if you look after them.

[@timessix8434]

Fantastic episode, both wrenching and track time!!! You need to open up the exhaust a little, it’s very quiet from the outside and the 3l 6-cyl will sound sweet :)

[@SalvaBarbus]

Lovely episode! You weren't kidding when you said this was a wrenchfest of an episode, that's for certain. I'm glad that Project Cologne is going to get a new purpose! It's going to add a bit more variety to the channel, of course, but it's also going to be fun watching you learn how to drive quick.

[@mattkrazit6414]

6:27 just made my week. Sreten, man in his element.

[@karlspeed617]

Here's an idea for seats: 4 bucket seats. Would look good and also practical for some joy rides.

[@digital-music9571]

Omg! This made my friday! Thank you so much streten for this amazing video! I myself work as a dedicated and thorough mechanic! Watching you gives me new ideas and keeps me enjoying these delightful adventures with fine automobiles! Wish you all the greatness Best regards the swedish folks!

[@austinnafziger4159]

If you still need a new engine stand, I Do Cars has been using this black one from DAYTONA. Seems to be a Harbor Freight brand, so I am not sure at the overall quality or if you can get one in Germany. It seems well put together. A gear driven rotation mechanism and I do not see it flexing or drooping with an engine on it. 1500 LB capacity.

[@maxkreeft6605]

Share a link!

[@rossmarzano]

I was GLUED to the tv watching the laps of the 'ring Great work

[@abhinandanvasudevan6540]

As someone who is also from Frankfurt, Germany, with a 330i Touring FL, with holes in the cats (either in the mesh or the actual tubing itself, the tech didn't tell me), and a need to replace them before my next TÜV in 2025, I am at a loss of what to do which won't require an ABE or other hefty prices, just to pass the HU/AU. I've got time, so I want to get the best possible solution I can for my car, which is why I'm excited to see where you will go with the build. Knowing that I can rely on you for content that I can use to better my car the legal way is very comforting, because so far, I have not been able to find any information on how to do car stuff in Germany, being that it is my first car too. Thank you for your work, Sreten!

[@erqadezz]

my man will take engine out with blindfold soon. Great work as always man!

[@rowdyrod]

I loved seeing Misha in the video! I love watching colabs between channels that I already watch! Nice transition from rebuilding cars to now learning how to drive them on a track! I am a bit surprised.

[@Crazick]

The racing at the end was AWESOME! Props bro.

[@kwangodonnell]

my 26 year old M52B28 engine is still running strong! No Lifter tick, VANOS still works...love my E36! Power steering still leaks

[@newtechgs7471]

The 3 litre is such a good engine. Had it in an 03 touring, 05 convertible and now in an 04 e85 Z4. Its economical and more than powerful enough

[@a20axf]

Perfect timing for my lunch break! This is going to be a good one

[@hawkertyphoon4537]

HELL YEA! two of my heroes at it. One wrenches, one drives. The best of two worlds.

[@lonniekirk910]

I like that Rebuild and track driving keep up the good work

[@voilashi]

Sreten, my Slavic brother, don't let us wait so long for you🙏. You are addictive and the best on YT. Keep it up!🤙

[@Deussues]

I love to see projects getting used I hope Sreten does more track days with the other projects as well like project Frankfurt when it’s “finished” . Love the collab with Misha too !

[@Zvezda627]

“I’ve only slept for 2 hours last night, LETS GOOO!” Literally just like me fr

[@Jasonj___8]

Sreten, the only thing wrong with the videos is there isn’t enough😂👍well done on the build my friend 🍺

[@digitalenglish3620]

@M539 Restorations has outdone himself AGAIN!! Awesome video. production and the cherry on top, 4 outstanding laps of the Nurburgring. Chapeau to you sir, cant wait to see the gradual improvements of Project Koln and more cameo's of Misha in your cars, putting them through their paces please!

[@DashDrones]

That thumbnail ❤😲😳 Man you're awesome 👍😎

[@daliborlesnik5591]

Making a tracktool car out of daily driver is like putting your crocs into sport mode and than go for a run. I love how well it tourned out. The swap, the way it performed, how you drived it and how Misha was satisfied. We all be looking forward for next episode of project Cologne

[@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm]

great story = i did a similar thing with my subaru GT forester - diff`s engine suspension brakes wheels tires ! great show thank you and well done !

[@Ostetihugo]

I don't even have a bmw but it's so satisfying watching you doing the whole work in the cars. Muito bom malandro

[@JatsaMotors]

Awsome episode since it has both wrenching and track driving 🤩👍

[@canudeiro]

This is was so good that I've watched it 3 times already, just to catch the small details. A man who fixes his cars with his own hands and test them at the track...we couldn't ask for a better content...

[@ftlbaby]

Can't get enough of that Vixen. So satisfying!

[@supertieka]

So nice to see you enjoy the track life. Your driving skills will improve very quickly as your car will also be more track compliant. Very good decision, I totally approve!

[@black8ight]

Only thing I don't understand is, why you are not already over 500k Subs. But given the view to like ratio, you are doing great! The new video was, as always, worth the wait!

[@mercy4u695]

You did great Sreten, the Nürburgring looks like it lives up to it's reputation as one tough track. Thanks to Misha for excellent copilot guidance, your skills will grow with leaps and bounds. The E46 330i engine/transmission swap to m level power is a fascinating choice. I can't wait for further suspension upgrades!

[@Imdeadlydan]

Absolutely loved this episode Sreton, there is something so super special and addictive about the Nordshleife, the best place for adrenaline hits, corner after corner after corner, a track ive never tired of, ...ahhhh, what a joy to see you drive it my friend, thank you for taking us along with you, much appreciated. Dan & Candy 🧙‍♂🍄🐶❤

[@fsxGApilot]

You should consider fitting S50B30/B32 headers on this. It will give you the best sounding M54 ever, almost idendical to the S50. The bolt pattern in the head matches perfectly on M52 & M54, the O2 bungs may need a little modyfing (at least with M52 as the sensor is a little short to reach all the way into the exhaust flow). I have some videos of my M52 with these headers on my channel :)

[@M539Restorations]

Thank you! I have a plan for the exhaust :)

[@Andy-pu2iv]

Superb as always. As much as I love your road car rebuilds back to "better than OEM", I'm looking forward to the future episodes in this series, in particular the changes that come about with each incremental improvement. Love your work.

[@3storiesUp]

Hats off to Liqui Moly. Always been an awesome supporter of the channel .. superb from them.

[@DCohen06]

These two LEGENDS shouldn't be on the same race car !!

[@MapOfEurasia]

Great episode! Always love to see this type of content, and this new "track car" series is gonna be epic! ✌️

[@piotrek4000]

This has been the best episode by far!! Wrenching, racing, comedy.... Sreten you cunning dog you've done it! Thank you for the entertainment, looking forward to more!

[@eQuASiANXane]

Amazeballs Sreten. Just rewatching the catalogue and amazing to see the differences. From production to your remanufacturing approach. Keep doing you mate wish you well.

[@archizLV]

I just love when someone is working on e36 and e46 it just warms my heart. Keep those simple and old machines alive.🤘

[@brother-captaincentureasoc1930]

Thanks so much for all the awesome content Sreten! Loving every episode!

[@crottemole]

I love how you treat this as a rust bucket. The chassis is so much better than the average e46, even more so a touring here in canada.

[@Recklessness97]

Ikr the car the parted out could be easily restored. That's a normal car here in the rust belt of the U.S.A. after 10+ years. In the Rust Belt they restore cars much much worse.

[@MartinVK]

Friday night cozy in bed after long day at work. Nice ice cream and 1h episode what better I could've wanted more!

[@denniscarreno5882]

Another perfect job Streten…..enjoy all your videos!

[@Ghettochappy]

The before and after shots are amazing 🤩

[@pierregodin1]

Loved it! Track driving seems to be the logical evolution to your channel. Fun after fix! I strongly advise you get yourself a driving simulator. The investment is practically nothing compared to how much and how fast you will learn and train for free!

[@sorekuk]

Simulators has their limits (mostly you can't FEEL the G forces which is 90% of driving for me) but it's awesome to get to know track and get used to it. It's really good investment in that terms as later you can practice IRL to perfect it.

[@pierregodin1]

I agree about the G-forces, but the sim brings much more than track learning. The available eequipment nowadays gives a lot of feel in steering, accelerating/braking and the timing between those, etc... Also best tool to learn of to drift for the prise of a few runs in reality!@@sorekuk

[@DarrenMossAU]

What a great rebuild and some sensational fun on the track! Well done, I really enjoyed watching the engine journey and some track shenanigans.

[@diyindubai]

Sreten's cockiness level reaching new heights. Where is that humble guy as before?

[@Berghemrrader]

I've never had a BMW car (but a lot of motorcycle) but your videos are so exciting that it's a pleasure to watch them every time for any motor enthusiast. Tanks for your video and greetings from Italy.

[@tarekkhoury5384]

Beautiful work!! Every episode feels like Christmas

[@dreadwibble]

Those are some of the best cars BMW ever made. I have a diesel 330 estate and (after an engine re-build at 220,000km and a tiny amount of work (new shocks)) it is still an amazing car that I use to shuttle between Budapest and Zurich on one tank of fuel. So comfortable and (if you look after it) utterly reliable and fun to drive.

[@bmanbogdan]

Watching you on the race track brought me so joy and emotion, it was surreal. I watch all your content, asap, after you upload. Keep doing what you love !

[@TekinBozbey]

Caution: 27:29 a small piece drops in to engine when you get the pipe out.

[@projecteuroau]

Saw this too. Hopefully he removed it or saw during editing.

[@banana3020]

Am i the only one who saw the washer fall into the ports of the oil filter housing? 27:27

[@nopenope134]

Saw that too, came here to see if anyone else caught it. Hope he did, and it was just edited out!

[@darius1189]

Got a 20 min extra, it's a 2 hour blockbuster what a Friday evening!!! Thanks Sreten and Misha!

[@johnkendrick7304]

Stop putting yourself down You're doing a great job on the track especially for a beginner I think you car is doing great and you're doing great keep up the good work

[@LTerable]

27:29 the bolt straight went in to the hole!

[@M539Restorations]

A piece of the broken pipe, it fell out once I flipped the engine.

[@RafaelNettodaSilva]

Por mais vídeos assim! Top!

[@UnforeseenConsequences586]

That was phenomenal, I greatly enjoyed riding along the track with you, almost getting an adrenaline rush with the combination of that engine noise with those corners, fantastic!!

[@thomaselli01]

About the traction control: I completely understand the feeling of being safe for the first time on track. But to be honest: you really didn’t need it! The only interventions were from the inside wheel hopping over curbs or lifting because of soft suspension and lack of LSD. This is not a turbo torque monster with unpredictable torque curve… The NA engine is really linear and your driving was smooth enough. Anyway: this is going to be a great new adventure. Looking forward to the next chapter!

[@yngdryas8681]

He is slowly turning into CrisFix and he’s going to build his racing team after he will learn how to drift , can’t wait to see it happen 😊

[@jorgeblanco6708]

Srenten this was an excellent episode, you swapped the engine an got to the track all in one episode. Super fantastic!

[@paperandmedals8316]

Thanks for the reminder how blessed I am to live in a rust free environment and have pristine E39 and E38 to show for it.

[@mattgates2191]

I can only imagine how much of a blast that was!!!! Keep it coming!!!