As a car like the E46 (3 Series) Chassis gets more affordable, more people buy the car, and those who buy the car sometimes are buying it used. This means that often their standards for quality aftermarket parts are not as high as someone who is trying to preserve the warranty, etc. For this reason, there are a lot of great parts on the market, but also a lot of junky ones with horrible quality. Here are a few things to look out for.
Buying Lights for your E46
You probably want to upgrade the corner lights or tail lights, which is a really popular mod. If you do this, be careful what brand you're buying. In pictures, they all look the same, but in reality, there are a lot of really lousy fitting parts from companies like DJ Auto or Anzo, and they will often yellow or let in moisture. Same goes for headlights. I recommend DEPO brand, or, if your budget allows, original BMW Parts (OEM).
Buying Suspension for your E46
BE. CAREFUL! A suspension system is a critical safety component. Don't cheap out. If the suspension fails, you and your loved ones could end up in a major accident. Is it worth saving a few hundred bucks on your coilovers to risk the life of those you love? Use some sense. Stick with the established brands - Bilstein, H&R, Eibach, KW, Koni, B&G... even DINAN. If a suspension company doesn't have the resources to market their product or brand, do you think they have the resources to test their products for quality and safety?
Buying wheels for your E46
Now I know you're probably not going to be putting some $6,000 custom forged HRE Wheels on your used car. That is understandable. But you can still get quality at a great price. Some great brands are VMR Wheels by Velocity Motoring or Avant Garde. You can also do well with a set of MIRO wheels by ALT. There are a ton of other great brands, but just make sure that the wheel you buy is JWL & VIA certified. These are important safety standards that regulate how the wheels are made and tested. Again, just be safe.
Hopefully this article has shed a little bit of light on how you can buy quality BMW E46 Parts online.
If you're looking to learn more about BMW Parts in general, read some more of our articles. We will be putting up a lot more articles on this topic and many like it!
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