Closing Down of E46

Firefighters, paramedics, and debris from the Lexus RX 350

Witnesses' car and part of the RX's bumper

My rear bumper

Knocked onto the median separating the 60 freeway and city street

Bumper-to-bumper damage

Basically had to kick down my own door to get out

AAA towing it to a collision center

Leaking oil, coolant, windshield fluid, etc......

Total loss.

Just bought new roundels too.

E46 (the blog) will be closing down as of tonight. The project car was involved in a collision and is now a total loss. However, parting it out is an option so feel free to email an offer on any item(s).
Thank God for BMW. Drive safely out on the streets and be aware of your surroundings. Your life is worth more than a car.

Legend Import

The new website has been up and running for a while!
Introducing Legend Import - your one-stop shop for all your BMW, Mercedez-Benz, and other European car parts!

http://www.takes2online.com/legendimport/

As previously shown, a pair of 6000K HID headlights with LED angel eyes for a facelift E46 coupe.

Along with genuine factory parts and accessories, Legend Import also provides performance-quality, OEM-quality, and aftermarket parts.

Their staff are not just your average salespeople - they have a background in the cars that they advertise the parts for. For example, one of the people in sales owns an E30 ///M3 and an E34 ///M5 and both are running in pristine condition.

They sell both maintenance wear-and-tear replacement parts as well as performance and aesthetic parts such as carbon fiber hoods, bumpers, etc.

Whether you are a private buyer or even a wholesaler, they will be more than happy to assist you in-person at their store located at 618 W Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel, CA 91776-1113 or over the phone at (626) 291-2828.

You do not need to ever physically contact them as they can ship your items to you at any location - just specify a certain product (it is best if you have a specific part number for them to cross-reference) and they will give you a quote on the pricing and additional details usually within the same day. At the very least, their maintenance parts are cheaper than what you would have to pay for at the dealership. Because they have a business license, they are able to purchase OEM products straight from the dealer at a discounted rate and sell them to you at a slightly higher price, but still drastically lower than the retail price.

FOR SALE: '05 E46 coupe headlights

Factory headlights previously on a 2005 E46 coupe (non-vert)

Up for sale is a pair of factory headlights that was previously on a 2005 325Ci coupe.

They are no longer needed since they were replaced by a pair of DEPO headlights with 6000K HID's and LED angel eyes.

The headlights above do not have smoked corners or anything changed. They are 100% bone stock.
Because they're '05, they do have projectors and they are Xenon. The blue hue in the left pair is due to the H7 bulbs.

Included: headlights (as a pair)
(2) Sylvania Silverstar H7 bulbs
Item can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-H7-SU-BP-TWIN/dp/B0012ETPUE
(2) generic H7 bulbs

Everything is in working condition; these were taken out right after driving to the shop to have them swapped out for the DEPOs. All the wires and covers and lids are in place and unbroken.

There is light stone and dust scratches on the lens as it was in use since '05 but as you will know, no other place sells the factory headlights unless you're willing to go to the stealership.

$500 OBO. Contact xxthesixthsinxx@yahoo.com for more details/pictures/etc.

Replaced Vanos/Oil line

 As stated in an earlier post, the Vanos was leaking, apparently from the crimps. New hoses were ordered and the system has been replaced in order to fix the current problem as well as to hopefully prevent this same occurrence from happening anytime soon.

Leaking Vanos and old hose; notice the buildup on the crimps.

New Vanos and hose. Driven 500 miles since replacement, no leaks.

The Vanos must be replaced if it is leaking as the oil leak will only become more and more severe. The dashboard icon will keep lighting up until the leak is fixed because the oil level will drop. The part numbers for the hoses and Vanos are listed in an earlier post below.

Remember, this was done for a 2005 325Ci.
Upon the replacement, the throttle response is better and acceleration is smoother/faster.

Hybrid Vehicles

Supposedly, BMW had stated that it would not make electric or hybrid vehicles a while back. Although now they have finally gotten into the hybrid game (very late into the game), chances are you won't see any on the road.Most people already know that a hybrid car is one that uses electricity along with gas. Here's a closer look at hybrid technology in cars today.
What is a hybrid vehicle?

A hybrid car is a passenger vehicle that is driven by a hybrid engine, which is any engine that combines two or more sources of power, generally gasoline and electricity.

What’s in a hybrid vehicle?

Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors and can be configured to obtain different objectives, such as improved fuel economy, increased power, or additional auxiliary power for electronic devices and power tools. Some of the advanced technologies typically used by hybrids include:

• Regenerative Braking. The electric motor applies resistance to the drivetrain causing the wheels to slow down. In return, the energy from the wheels turns the motor, which functions as a generator, converting energy normally wasted during coasting and braking into electricity, which is stored in a battery until needed by the electric motor.
• Electric Motor Drive/Assist. The electric motor provides additional power to assist the engine in accelerating, passing, or hill climbing. This allows a smaller, more efficient engine to be used. In some vehicles, the motor alone provides power for low-speed driving conditions where internal combustion engines are least efficient.
• Automatic Start/Shutoff. Automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarts it when the accelerator is pressed. This prevents wasted energy from idling

Advantages of hybrid vehicles

·         Hybrid cars offer lower fuel emissions which helps the environment.

·         Hybrid cars are in high demand, and because of this, they hold their value much better than most gasoline automobiles.

·         Hybrid cars offer huge savings at the pump.

·         Hybrid cars are at least as reliable as any traditional car.

·         Hybrid cars enjoy other benefits such as carpool permit.

Hybrid cars are much more quiet and comfortable.

Mother Nature Fights the Machines

Grapefruit-sized hail destroys BMWs at a dealership

There can't be any closer representation of Mother Nature versus machines/technology than this.
It is a sad day for the GM and BMW........ but a happy one for potential buyers!
Insurance should cover the damage and in a few weeks, they would be on sale for a lot less than the sticker price.

Ow......the F10.....