# E46 M3 SMG Sedan Conversion
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [October 1, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295 "2009-10-01T12:06:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/1 "2009-10-01T12:06:49Z")
x-post from roclife.
**[SOURCE](http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=578901)**
M3 SMG coupe donor car.
318i sedan project car.
Together.
Finished.
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### Author:  [@Cavi\_Mike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cavi_Mike)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:08pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/2 "2009-10-01T12:08:43Z")
They should have done a wagon.
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### Author:  [@Sansone](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sansone)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/3 "2009-10-01T12:26:35Z")
I like it
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### Author:  [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/4 "2009-10-01T12:29:08Z")
Is this possible in the US? as in OBDII compliance?
isnt there someone on here who helped write the software for the inspection software? there has to be a legal loop hole. I heard its ok as long as the donor engine is newer than the vehicle it is being put into…
bad ass swap minus the smg…
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### Author:  [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/5 "2009-10-01T12:29:59Z")
this should have been a stock option
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### Author:  [@Cavi\_Mike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cavi_Mike)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/6 "2009-10-01T12:33:05Z")
> [@travisn](#):
>
> Is this possible in the US? as in OBDII compliance?
Well for starters it’s in Norway. Second, you just need the engine from the same year or newer car.
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### Author:  [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/7 "2009-10-01T12:34:43Z")
yeah, it’s practically the same chassis
they never sold the 318 here, but you could just do the 325/328/330
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### Author:  [@dreid](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dreid)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/8 "2009-10-01T12:41:09Z")
I was going to ask why would someone do this instead of buying a M5 but I see taxes are crazy in Norway. it looks good
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### Author:  [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/9 "2009-10-01T12:52:09Z")
> [@Cavi Mike](#):
>
> Well for starters it’s in Norway. Second, you just need the engine from the same year or newer car.
I know, I followed the thread on e46f a while ago. I never said “omgz how did he do that in the us?!?”
And second, I said I was sure the engine needed to be newer. I just dont know what the obd reads, and I thought someone on here actually knows. I know it doesnt read the VIN bc people have used cars side by side when getting them scanned (illegally, obv).
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### Author:  [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/10 "2009-10-01T12:53:42Z")
> [@dreid](#):
>
> I was going to ask why would someone do this instead of buying a M5 but I see taxes are crazy in Norway. it looks good
a nice, low mileage M5 isn’t cheap
that m3 coupe can probably be parted out to re-coupe a bunch of cost
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### Author:  [@IanK](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/IanK)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/11 "2009-10-01T12:54:24Z")
All that work to use an SMG??? and poor oxford green M.
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### Author:  [@MPD47](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MPD47)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 1:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/12 "2009-10-01T13:22:02Z")
That’s an extremely easy swap, same chassis, same electronics. Nicely executed, but not difficult.
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### Author:  [@Avatar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Avatar)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/13 "2009-10-01T13:42:13Z")
End result is hot.
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### Author:  [@dreid](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dreid)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/14 "2009-10-01T14:13:52Z")
> [@boardjnky4](#):
>
> a nice, low mileage M5 isn’t cheap
>
> that m3 coupe can probably be parted out to re-coupe a bunch of cost
cost of 318 + cost of M3 + labor/paint + time= less than M5? Im not into BMWs so I have no idea what they are going for. I get lost with all the numbers, E46, E85, E90 lol JK.
He said he was going to use as much as possible so I doubt he will be able to recoup much.
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### Author:  [@djdstar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/djdstar)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/15 "2009-10-01T14:17:15Z")
that’s pretty cool but it’s been done
[http://e46.mit.edu](http://e46.mit.edu)
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### Author:  [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/16 "2009-10-01T14:17:33Z")
yeah, but in the end, he still has an entire car worth of parts
hell, he could put the 318 motor into the m chassis and sell it as a 318ci
paint and other upgrades are mods that I don’t really associate with the swap…they weren’t needed
also
m3 = high 20s
325 = ~7k
so, 27k for a 4 door m3. Then, slap the 325 motor back in the coupe chassis, and sell for deeply discounted 5k(just to get rid of it), and you’ve got a fairly unique e46 4-door m3 for ~22k … you’re not stepping into an m5 for that price unless you get a 100k+ miles car.
as MPD47 said, it’s a straightforward swap and no other parts should be required to make the car run.
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### Author:  [@Cavi\_Mike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cavi_Mike)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/17 "2009-10-01T14:18:30Z")
Labor = $0
When you do your hobby thing, do you ever include labor rates? Of course not.
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### Author:  [@66impalass](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/66impalass)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/18 "2009-10-01T14:34:53Z")
> [@MPD47](#):
>
> That’s an extremely easy swap, same chassis, same electronics. Nicely executed, but not difficult.
Its harder than most people are lead on to be, especially with the harness integration for the chasis. I think there are only a couple road legal S54 sedans. Standalones are still a pain to use on this motor.
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### Author:  [@MPD47](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MPD47)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/19 "2009-10-01T16:51:57Z")
Standalones are EASY to use on that motor (yes, even with dual vanos), it’s the implementation of the transmission that is difficult. But when you have two complete donor cars and both are e46’s it’s an easy as pie swap.
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### Author:  [@Spam16v](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Spam16v)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/e46-m3-smg-sedan-conversion/74295/20 "2009-10-01T17:12:49Z")
> [@MPD47](#):
>
> But when you have two complete donor cars and both are e46’s it’s an easy as pie swap.
LOTS of nuts and bolts…
but that’s a ton of work just for a 4 door… and if he put the M3 back together it’d be worthless, a slow coupe with jacked up M3 insurance rates.
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