Rebuilt 2005 GX470 Project - From CO to TX and Back (soon)

Putting in my request at work today to relocate back to CO in July.



Edit: email sent. now the fun part of waiting. My direct manager has already said he doesn't care where I work from, but I still need approval from HR and Finance teams.

 

Obscene! This E46 M3 in LSB, Manual, no sun roof, with 13k miles sold for $92k in '22. It's back up for sale again. Just stupid money lol.

Mine would realistically fetch between $15-25k. But it has all the strikes against it for collectors. 113k miles, is a convertible, and has the SMG transmission. was $5k to replace the hydraulic pump but warranty paid for it. And thats the best positive for mine. That warranty has paid for north of $12k in shop work the last 8 years. I paid $3400 for the warranty when I bought the car. So whenever I've dropped it off at the shop, I always gave them a page long list of things I know are bad, and tell them to go to town on whatever they can get warranty to cover. Some shops don't like me doing that, some have had no issues. One even pushed hard enough to get warranty to cover a new OEM muffler. And it's supposedly a lifetime warranty. IDK at what point they'll cut me off

I think my total out the door cost with warranty, tax included on the M3 8 or 9 years ago, with 80k miles was around $24k. But vehicle taxes in Aurora are a bitch! Vehicle was listed at I think $16-17k

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-bmw-m3-coupe-51/

 

Paid 92K drove 307 miles. Crazy.

 

I feel sad for the car. I mean, it was made to be driven, not stored....
I had my eyes on an old MR2, 150k miles and manual, so a lot to repair and small stuff to iron out, but it was driven....
I am so afraid of barn finds, they sit there for god knows how many decades, and the pulled out as if it were new....
All that rubber has just gone to party....

 

I agree! That combo of slicktop roof and manual trans is supposed to be the best. I couldn't stand just letting it sit there and not driving it...

 

As long as it is mechanically sound and safe to drive, I don't see why not to drive it.
However, I do prefer to drive it with the top down.....I can't fit under the roof without lying down in it.....lol

 

I'm definitely gonna update the interior to the "sport" model colors. The black looks so much better than whatever off brown/grey color my dash and upper door trim is now.

 

Back to the JK. Got most must of the rear upper control arm bracket removed from the axle. Used a mix of air hammer and plasma cutter. Need to go back and grind the old welds down. And then order the new bracket, cost about $85 after shipping.

 

https://artecindustries.com/products/jk-rear-uca-brackets-pair?variant=41410933883086

 

For the JK, also ordered new johnny joint ball and bushing kit

 

It sold for $85k, still a bit too high imo. But what do I know lol. I got a carfax email this morning stating the value of my M3 as a trade-in would be over $13k. Just a few years ago it was giving me trade-in values of half that.

 

Jeep JK

Old vs New Johnny Joint ball and bushings
&
Old vs New Artec Rear Upper Control Arm Axle Mounts

 

Also I got officially approved from work to move back to CO! Can't wait! So really gotta get the jeep road worthy again. It's a long 900 miles in that thing

 

That went by quickly! Safe journeys to ya!

Onward and Upward! . Happy Trails.

 

When do you go? Why are you driving the JK back? Seems like hell.

 

Not until June/July. Mostly because I don't want to tow it. Sucked driving a uhual truck while towing last time. Likely driving all three vehicles up on separate trips.

 

In 2000, I moved back to L.A. from Fresno, towed my F250 behind a large U-Haul, up the steep grade on the 5, it was like the upward climb on a roller coaster, I was lucky to maintain 40mph for over 40 minutes, THAT'S NO FUN!!!

lol

Also, here's why I hate selling things.

Guy messaged still available? I said yes, he asked what do I have, I said everything.

He said I'm off Saturday. I asked when do you want to come? He said 2, I asked what are you interested in.

idk, was the response. I said it's in storage and I need to dig it out, I need to know what you want. Crickets.

I edited the ad:

 

It easily added 3-5 hrs to the trip, and the uhual didn't have cruise control

 

It was an old no frill truck in 2000, I'll never accept a crap Uhaul again as a result.

 

Jeep JK

Axle mount all ground down and ready for new part. Gonna practice weld on some of these other parts that came with the Evo lift originally. I never installed them because the EVO instructions are absolutely shit! It has me cut off parts of the original lower control arm mounts, then bolt on extra parts to those points for the coilovers conversion. Then pages later says, cut off all of the lower control arm mounts and weld on these other mounts, that you also have to weld together first. So fucking frustrating!

It's because they sell this kit as a Bolt on Coilover conversion, long arm kit. They sell it as one kit. They market it as bolt on, welding optional. Bullshit!! Welding required! But in reality it's multiple different product kits they sell. They don't give you one set of instructions. They give you 4 different sets of instructions, one for each kit. They do not tell you what order to follow. And each set of instructions contradicts the other. I will never give EVO a good review, ever!

 

Watching vid to educate myself a bit before welding anything on the axle. Dave from Dirt every day on his newer channel. Love and agree with the comment that he's, "the Bob Ross of axle welding" lol

https://youtu.be/D5EqCuMIInY?si=zJkmW8yfSefrDCYN

 

Practicing....gonna keep at it today and tomorrow, probably weld axle brackets in next weekend. Welds aren't pretty. Will smack it with the 5 lbs sledge a few times to make sure it's staying together. I had to grind down the tabs on the shock mount part because of course they didn't line up with the slots like they were supposed to.

 

Just realized I didn't turn on the shielding gas...

 

Turned the welder down from 20 amp to 18, and the shielding gas on. Looks much better. But I gotta figure out the welding helmet settings lol. Got a little off track at the beginning

 

One lower control arm/Coilover/sway bar mount assembled

 

Watching a vid on wire speed basics right now

 

And was never heard from again...........

 

Sometimes I wish my hobbies didn't include working on cars lol. I got the rear axle control arm mount welded in. Nothing worth taking pictures of. Then I decided to adjust the lower control arms. That was a mistake. I knew I needed a lift for this, and how big a PIA it was doing the original install. But I guess I said fuck it. And ran into the same issues as last time lol. So I started putting it all back together. It's like 90% there. I need to get new bolts for the ones that broke, and replace the temp ones I have. But the wheels are back on at least.

Unlikely to get much done in the way of new parts until after I move back to CO. I ran over a screw in the GX, and it's on the outside portion of the wheel tread. The downside about ordering from Tire Rack is that I have to start a claims process, buy my new tire, and then get reimbursed. They won't just send out a new one first.

 

Sucks, sorry.