E46 Fanatics Forum banner

Time for a change

2K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  DeclanM3 
#1 ·
I'm at a point where I don't want to continue spending money modifying a 323 and need a new project.

I have wife approval for an early e46 m3 but after researching what I want, I really have my heart set on a white manual with black interior or jet black manual with imola red interior.

Do such combinations even exist in aus or am I destined to buy carbon black smg?
 
#3 ·
Grant, great news that you have sign-off for an M3!

Those combinations exist but you have to consider how long you're willing to wait for them, what premium your willing to pay and how far you're willing to travel. Also consider that just because you're willing to pay a premium now it doesn't mean you'll easily find someone who shares the same taste and is willing to pay for when you come to sell the car. I.E. Weigh up how much extra you are really paying to get the combo you're after.

My recommendation would be to lower your preferences and as Aaron has said, focus more on mechanical condition and service history. You'll be able to get a manual but probably won't be able to be too picky on colour. If you settle for SMG then you'll have a wider range of colours to choose from but I think condition is more important.

When I bought my M3 my conditions were as follows: Pretty much any colour but PY or IM, Less than 100kkms or only just over, must have full leather and must be in good mechanical and exterior condition. I even found a combo of all that was difficult to find with a reasonable price.
 
#5 ·
I have a manual Jet Black M3. So yes they do exist. I searched for a manual Alpine White for a long time. For some reason they are extremely rare. If you find a white one, I'm sure you'll have no problems re-selling it. Everyone loves white! :)
 
#9 ·
I thought I was at the point that I wanted to stop with my car, but nah I've put too much in to it and I'd be starting over with a new one.

Happy hunting for your M3, I think for your colour combo you'll be waiting a while. Like Aaron said, prioritise mechanical soundness over colour - you'd regret it later down the track if you didn't.
 
#10 ·
Nice work getting the "Wife approval" Grant haha :thumbup:

As for the M3... AW is quite rare here in AUS for some reason but very common in the States, JB/IR Combo yeah they do exist (I have one, SMG though) may just need a little more time to find something more specific... As Aaron and Declan have mentioned, maybe just broaden your horizons a little bit for now and focus on mechanical condition/service history
 
#12 ·
Thanks for all the input. I'm not really in a rush, but get the feeling if what I wanted did actually turn up it would be sold before I got to it or they would want too much for it.

Looking at how many e9x m3s there are on the market and how fast they are coming down they will be in my price range befor I find an e46. Although they don't interest me as much as an e46 for some reason??
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top