BMW 335 to BMW M3 – Josh’s E90 M3 ownership story.

This M3Story comes from Josh based out of San Jose, CA. A local photographer who shares his story about his E90 M3 ownership so far from the maintenance, modifications, history, his advice to new time buyers and more. Enjoy the beautiful photography of this stunning sedan along with Josh’s story with his M3. Enjoy! 

• Name: Josh
• Location: San Jose CA
• Instagram: @m3.shua
• Car: BMW E90 M3

What made you want to buy an M3 over something else? 

The M3 has always been childhood dream car of mine as it runs in my family. Grew up watching my dad and all of my uncles working on cars which were mostly BMW’s. I was introduced into the car scene at a very young age as my dad would bring me to car shows here in the bay area.

How did you find your M3 for sale?

I was really lucky when I found my m3, I found it on facebook marketplace and the seller was only 10 minutes away from me. I was really patient when I was in the market as I was on the hunt for the fox red interior. The exterior is space grey and was definitely one of the colors I was hopeing to get, so to combo that with the fox red interior is a huge plus for me.

What have you done to the car since you bought it?

I’ve had this car for almost 2 years now and I’ve done quite a bit of modifications.

Suspension/wheels:

• T XTA coilovers
• Dinan lower control arms & bushings
• TE37 Diamond black(no longer have)
• Front 18×9.5 et22 / rear 18×10.5 et20
• Custom BBS RS2 (current)
• Front 18×9.5 et15 / rear 18×10.5 et23

Interior modifications

• Oem alcantara m-performance steering wheel
• JQwerks magnetic paddle shifters
• Recaro Pole Positions with recaro side mounts
• pedal haus pedals
• P2M floor mats

Exterior modifications

• GT4 V1 Lip
• Forcewerkz sideskirts
• Bayoptik rgb headlights
• 3D style rear diffuser
• Varis style rear undertray
• Golden wrench rear reverse light tint
• Carbon fiber hood vents
• Garage Welt black sunstrip banner

Exhaust modification

• Bimmerworld catless x-pipe
• Oem PE muffle mod

Engine modifications

• In progress

Favorite modification that you’ve done to your M3 and why?

I think my favorite modification would be my BBS wheels. They are my first ever set of BBS’s and my first ever 3-piece wheel also my first set of polish wheels. It changed the whole look of the car and it is way easier to take pictures compared to black wheels.

Are there any negatives or downsides about your M3?

The only negatives I would say about this car is just the lack in torque but other than that their is nothing else to complain about.

Have any advice for somebody who’s looking to buy a BMW M3 that you wish you knew from the start? 

If you are in the market for any m3, my advise is to just do your research on the history of the car, like where it’s been, how many owners, and most importantly the maintenace records.

What maintenance have you had to? Anything that caught you by surprise or that you anticipated?

The only issue I ran into with my car was my DCT oil pan leaking. My rod bearing were replaced by the previous owner at 70k miles but unfortunately they used oem bearings. I currently have 100,xxx miles so I would say i have some time before I upgrade to BE bearings with arp bolts.

If you could buy any 3 BMW’s, what would they be? 

If I could buy any 3 bmw’s it would be of course the E90 M3 as an all around car, a show/street/trackable car. Next would be the F97 X3M because it is a good size suv that could fit a family and big enough plenty of essentials/groceries in the back. Especaily paired with the infamous S58 engine thats really powerful and could haul around the streets and highways with ease. My third pick would be a G20 M340i, because it would he a great daily/work commute car. The B58 is a just a strong engine that can get promising gas mileage.

What other cars have you owned?

Before I got this M3, i had a 2012 bmw 335i paired with the n55 engine. It was tastefully modified as well but maintaining that thing was definitely not the greatest. It was for sure a love hate relationship with that thing.

What other hobbies do you have? 

My other hobby that I have is photography. I’ve been taking photos for about 7 years now, but still got a lot to learn.

Thank you to Josh for allowing us to interview you about your M3 ownership experience! If you’d like to see more of his build, check out his Instagram here.

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