Worth fixing BMW M3 with extensive rust?
 

This 2005 E46 M3 looks too far gone for fixing (RACP mentioned in the video is Rear Axle Carrier Panel which is where all the infamous cracking appears on E46 M3s). We've seen 356s and 911 longhoods brought back from dust. The exterior of this car looks clean and shiny but this is clearly cost prohibitive.

If the owner would have simply rinsed off the underside occasionally...

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That was a bit heart-breaking. The owner must have parked the car in the ocean on a regular basis?

Thanks for posting this. I’m going to look at a couple E46s tomorrow. I will pay much closer attention to the underside.


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I've noticed in UK there are a lot more young folks who get a performance/sports car, eg a non practial non family orientated car.. and use it as a daily..

But no garage, and salted roads.. and the result is as expected.

Lots of cheap second hand Porsches to be found in UK, but 1 steering wheel is on the wrong side.. and 2 they are all very much worse for wear.

If I compare that to my Cayman, that sleeps indoor..
at 15 years the original exhaust manifold bolts still look very good... nice crisp shape.

Engine donor!

Meanwhile ,us guys from Pa, and Ohio , are like " I fail to see the problem "

This... That car is not worth fixing but it would have a lot of good spare parts.

Good lord - how old is that car? 40 years?

After a while, I fast forwarded the video, as it was nothing but rust rust rust.

Yeah that would pass with flying colors here in NY. I should take a video of the bottom of our 99 tahoe. I just changed the trailer hitch because i was afraid of loosing my load. Had to weld up the spring perches last month and the axle tube was leaking oil it was so thin where crap sat in the perch. Also had to put a layer of goop on the oil pan to keep it from leaking. Might have to get a new one soon. The driveshaft is another hair raiser. Its so thin and scaley i wont be surprised if holes show up soon. That said it seems the air in england is much harder on cars. If you watch some of the videos where they go through abandoned junkyards and such. They rot out from the top down

Three Words: "Crappy British Weather"

No car can escape the evils of the salted British (or Eastern Canadian) roads \ weather.

Even plastic and glass rust in the UK and Canada.

It's extremely easy to be upside down even with a "good" E46 M3 (speaking for a friend, huh), just in repairs to Vanos, Leaking seals, cooling, interior desintegration, etc... Let alone that Uboat...

In fact I've never been this upside down in any car I've owned - but I can't let it go because "that engine". Honestly in my mind the #1 production engine out there outside of the GT3 realm.