Blackknight530i - Project 330Ci Track Car Build

[dannyzabolotny]

I also have a 330i/5 now, lol. Funny how we both bought E46's. I've been loving mine, it's been such a good daily so far. I bought it from an enthusiast who did a ton of work to it so it's super fun to drive and doesn't need anything major.



(Yes I know the headlights need a polish real bad, that's coming soon)

[blackknight530i]

I also have a 330i/5 now, lol. Funny how we both bought E46's. I've been loving mine, it's been such a good daily so far. I bought it from an enthusiast who did a ton of work to it so it's super fun to drive and doesn't need anything major.



(Yes I know the headlights need a polish real bad, that's coming soon)

Nice car Danny. Is that Oxford Green? As for the headlight lenses, just replace them. They're super easy on these cars and it makes a huge difference in light output as well as appearance. I've actually got some Morimoto Bi-xenon projectors with clear lenses ready to go into mine when I get new lenses. I don't care to take them all apart again until I'm ready to do everything.

Oh, and I should also mention that I've only got maybe $2800 into my 330Ci/5 so far, and that includes the purchase price. 221k miles, but honestly it feels like a lot less. Engine purrs. Transmission doesn't feel awesome though and diff is leaking. Could be worse though .

[dannyzabolotny]

Nice car Danny. Is that Oxford Green? As for the headlight lenses, just replace them. They're super easy on these cars and it makes a huge difference in light output as well as appearance. I've actually got some Morimoto Bi-xenon projectors with clear lenses ready to go into mine when I get new lenses. I don't care to take them all apart again until I'm ready to do everything.

Oh, and I should also mention that I've only got maybe $2800 into my 330Ci/5 so far, and that includes the purchase price. 221k miles, but honestly it feels like a lot less. Engine purrs. Transmission doesn't feel awesome though and diff is leaking. Could be worse though .

What's a good place to get lenses for the E46? I hadn't looked into it, assumed it was a pain like with the E39.

Yep, it's Oxford Green on Gray. 5-speed manual, sport package, fully loaded with heated seats, auto headlights, PDC, lumbar support, etc. The previous owner did a full rebuild on the engine 30k miles ago with a new head gasket, new rings, all new gaskets everywhere else, Beisan vanos seals, etc. And it just got brand new Koni Yellows with Eibach springs not long before I bought it. Paid $3500 for it, it's got 191k miles now. Totally worth it IMO.

[blackknight530i]

What's a good place to get lenses for the E46? I hadn't looked into it, assumed it was a pain like with the E39.

Yep, it's Oxford Green on Gray. 5-speed manual, sport package, fully loaded with heated seats, auto headlights, PDC, lumbar support, etc. The previous owner did a full rebuild on the engine 30k miles ago with a new head gasket, new rings, all new gaskets everywhere else, Beisan vanos seals, etc. And it just got brand new Koni Yellows with Eibach springs not long before I bought it. Paid $3500 for it, it's got 191k miles now. Totally worth it IMO.

Sounds like a great car and a great price.

New lenses, get from FCP I would say. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=63_0550 You need to see if you have AL or ZKW headlights, but the Magnetti Marelli AL lenses are like $55 each and the genuine BMW ZKW lenses are like $135 each. You shouldn't need new rubber gaskets as I'm sure those rarely ever fail. There is no sealant like e39s. Just unclip and the lenses come off. Clip on the new ones and you're done. I would try to find some xenons though. I think the lenses are interchangeable, so even if you just buy the lenses for now, you should be able to swap them to some xenon headlights later.

[dannyzabolotny]

Sounds like a great car and a great price.

New lenses, get from FCP I would say. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=63_0550 You need to see if you have AL or ZKW headlights, but the Magnetti Marelli AL lenses are like $55 each and the genuine BMW ZKW lenses are like $135 each. You shouldn't need new rubber gaskets as I'm sure those rarely ever fail. There is no sealant like e39s. Just unclip and the lenses come off. Clip on the new ones and you're done. I would try to find some xenons though. I think the lenses are interchangeable, so even if you just buy the lenses for now, you should be able to swap them to some xenon headlights later.

Gotcha. I have Xenon lights already— they're not bi-xenons but they are Xenons for sure. I do eventually want to retrofit some newer projectors but that's a low priority since the stock setup is quite good. The stock Xenons are a lot better than the E39 ones, funnily enough.

[TerraPhantm]

Sounds like a great car and a great price.

New lenses, get from FCP I would say. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=63_0550 You need to see if you have AL or ZKW headlights, but the Magnetti Marelli AL lenses are like $55 each and the genuine BMW ZKW lenses are like $135 each. You shouldn't need new rubber gaskets as I'm sure those rarely ever fail. There is no sealant like e39s. Just unclip and the lenses come off. Clip on the new ones and you're done. I would try to find some xenons though. I think the lenses are interchangeable, so even if you just buy the lenses for now, you should be able to swap them to some xenon headlights later.

FWIW, the AL lenses fit fine on ZKW headlights and vice versa. Just the logo in the corner is different.