Just an average guy trying to do above-average repairs.
I’m Alan. Over the last 20 years and 200,000+ miles, my E46 has inspired the creation of vehicle ownership tools, launched a career in automotive ecommerce, and sparked connections with passionate communities of fellow enthusiasts along the way. This site is meant to capture some of those ownership highlights in hopes it might guide or inspire others in their DIY journey.
Growing up, I knew how to check my oil and change a tire. It wasn’t until an experience at a local dealership changed that trajectory and accelerated a crash course on automotive repair. With support from local and online communities, I quickly progressed from being dealer-dependent to self-sufficient and remain incredibly grateful for those opportunities and lessons learned.
As my research and repair work expanded, I began looking for systems to help organize and track my progress. Many of those ownership tools didn’t exist, so I wound up creating a world of automated maintenance trackers, predictive health reports, coding support tools, and price comparison programs. Expense trends and data insights soon followed.
Along the way, I worked to curate repair resources and organize information into an ever-growing DIY repository. This evolved into a collection of links, videos, part numbers, torque specs, service manuals, software, and even a modified parts diagram database. If my maintenance systems showed what needed doing, these resources described how to get it done.
Over the years, my primary focus has been on reliability and drivability, but some attention has been given to aesthetics, as well. Here’s a curated gallery of the E46 in action.
“There’s genuinely nothing cooler than a well-maintained, high-mileage vehicle. This E46 330Ci has the most disciplined service routine I’ve ever encountered... At well over 200k miles, this thing is spotless, handles and drives better than 99% of cars I’ve been behind the wheel of, still looks stunning, and has more personality than money can buy. A true testament to BMWs and what they’re capable of when properly maintained. I genuinely love this car and it entirely changed my perspective on what it means to be OE+.”
—Mike Pieta, Owner of Bavhaus