NEW PROJECT! My first car! BMW E46 with N20

OP OP! Revival project: a new life for the BMW E46.

Sometimes the best ideas come suddenly. Yesterday it hit me — I thought: “Why not pull out the old E46 and try to turn it into something truly cool?” And you know what? From the very first minute, I loved this idea. This isn’t just a swap — it’s our first serious project in the last three years. A car we’d long written off has unexpectedly become the starting point for a new chapter.

Meet the BMW E46

It was my first car. I bought it in 2016 or 2017 — back then it still ran, I drove it a little, and then sent it off to “retirement.” At least five years have passed since then. It stood without an engine, without care, as if waiting for its time. And now we’re back. The car is at our base, at the factory. Here, behind the fence, a new chapter of its story begins.

First assessment: five years idle

First thing I noticed — flat tires, a damaged door, cracked seals, old Federal RSR tires from 2013. The fan was broken, and some parts were missing. Some things even looked like the car was being slowly disassembled. Yet — locks still worked, the body wasn’t trashed, and there’s still a chance to turn it into a proper project.

Inside was a mess: scraps of fabric, torn wires, old parts. But it didn’t scare me — quite the opposite, it inspired me.

Engine and transformation

Originally, it had an M54B30 engine, which we once swapped for a turbo build. But over time, the engine was given away and seized up in Lviv after just 12 km. After much thought, we decided to use a BMW F30 engine — the newer N20.

We plan to assemble this engine on a tight budget but sticking to basic quality standards. So far, we have:

• a crankshaft at 0.25 with standard rods,

• a set of pistons,

• new gaskets and sealants,

• a timing mechanism,

• a gearbox and flywheel from Poland.

 Before assembling, we washed all parts, checked threads, and oiled the bearings. It’s crucial to assemble the piston group properly — respecting the ring gap angles. Even on a budget build, mistakes are unacceptable.

Why are we doing this?

For us, this car isn’t just a pile of metal. It’s memories, experience, and most importantly — a challenge. We want to prove that even after five years of neglect and no hope, you can breathe life into metal. We want to turn it into a real “korch” — for tracks, tests, races, and fun.

What’s next?

The plan is simple but ambitious:

• complete engine assembly,

• install it in the chassis,

• check electrical and fuel systems,

• update suspension and brakes,

• get it on wheels and fire it up.

This is just the beginning. There’s still a lot of work ahead: tuning, testing, break-in. But the main thing — we’ve already taken the first step.

Follow our blog — in the next parts, we’ll show project progress, talk about issues, fails, and wins. This story is just getting started. BMW E46 will get a second life.

More details on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZAgROCR-dg&t=5s 

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