2003 E46 M3 Cabrio - $13K - yeah it's FALL

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2003 M3 Cab (E46) - 120K mi
Manual conversion from SMG by BMW factory tech (on NAM3 board) -> perfect syncros
Owned about 5 years (spent about $20K in maintenance and upgrades over purchase price in that time frame)

Shipping: if you send a truck and the $ prior

Why, after making it damn near bulletproof? This was a COVID purchase, to take the family top down during the confinement and listen to the S54, but my primary car lease is expiring and I want to replace both it and the M3 with one car (718). 981/718 Trades welcome incidentally.

This could possibly be the most maintained M3 ever (no codes either, as of today anyway), after 5 years of debugging everything. Also, I want out of the SMOG check racket generally speaking (my cars are pre-smog or newish, this was the exception) BMWs love not being "ready" whenever you pull the battery (which I do a lot working on them). It passes smog with flying colors but the BMW drive cycle for "readiness" wore out my last nerve last week... No active issues whatsoever, overall pretty good shape and excellent top.

Work done on the car in my care (unless otherwise indicated), from nose to tail:

new headlight lenses
2 new ballasts for headlights
Vanos (just before me), and some minor vanos actuator under me
Water pump + thermostat
New power steering lines
new coils + plugs <2y ago
new ecu fan (non squealy version)
new Windshield cowl
Fender liners
Washer tank
Door sill plates
Rod Bearings (at 104K, prev owner just before me)
Light control module + recoding
new Clutch (same time as below for obvious reasons)
6 speed conversion from SMG by local factory master mechanic who does this for a living now ($5000!) - 100% factory parts, guaranteed nice gearbox syncros never munched by a human for its first 110K miles (and subsequently not munched by me either). Fresh gear oil.
Driver seat cushion "shaved" by upholstery shop(so people 5"11+ can see the road from behind the windshield, not over it)
Bluetooth added in trunk instead of CD changer (have all parts if you want it back)
Repaired munched odb2 plug connector and pins
Center console replaced (no more yucky cupholders, german storage closing trays)
rear Mirror lcd changed and functional
rear subframe reinforcement welded in ($2000)
new rear camber arms (prev)
parking brake shoes
4 OEM new shocks ($$$$)
CV joints, diff cover seal, pinion seal
Antigravity Battery: that's right, a $800 Li-on battery weighing nothing and with a battery reserve and remote to activate that reserve if you ever forget your lights being on, you can still start and go home.
Top in great shape and working perfectly
New square setup APex forged 17 wheels - yes 17'. Car came with 19s - you drive this on 19s and call your chiropractor..I gave them away sorry not sorry.
On fairly new Pilot sport 4 AS
Takata airbag recall done (previous owner)
starter at 71K (prev owner)

Car religiously maintained by local guru Bill Arnold. All gotchas done. Manual. Windows roll up at same speed, I know,wow..


Negative things for full disclosure:
- The clearcoat is failing chemically (hairline cracks) only on the recently repainted plastic top boomerang thingie (see pics)... its not awful and it's a $200 job to re-redo or wrap (that I don't wanna redo)
- Some scratches lower front bumper from the curb, one small dent rear corner nothing dramatic (pics)
- Squeaks: top up, widows closed, california/mogadishu roads -> some squeaks can be heard from the top seal contacting the glass, it's an E46 cabrio - not much to else say, drive top down and enjoy the exhaust note, maybe buy a hardtop
- crack in one plastic speaker cover on the pass door (replaced a couple speakers actually, the brittle cover just cracked on reinstall)

Overall it is a very good car mechanically, pretty nice cosmetically, and I spend a small fortune debugging it. I believe I am below market by a mile (but hey it's almost winter). Do your math, this one is sorted. 20K of bills and some spare parts will be provided.. Pelican member since the dawn of time, no funny business, priced to go and leave room for whatever the BMW gods throw at the next person.

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