I wouldn’t sell it. You’ll always be able to get a new car, but you may never be able to get an e46 m3 again if you sell it

That’s seeming more normal. I always get them as low as I can and get some add ons like rubber floor mats/roof racks etc. They have them in boxes in the back and usually give them to you without batting an eye.

Unless they specifically need the x drive system, I’d go for the base 330i. Will be cheaper and get better mileage.

In owning a 25 year old bmw with unique plastic bits I can’t buy any more, I’ve learned to fix stuff like this.

Use a heat gun to heat and straighten stuff out as much as possible. Use a good plastic epoxy, and some screen door material build the rough shape of the spots with the screen. Layer epoxy over it, overlapping it onto the existing material. Sand it flat and drill your holes.

Installing the down pipe vbands improperly is a known mistake people often make on these, so yes. Absolutely.

3M panel bond epoxy. It’s expensive but it’s for exactly this.

You definitely want two people. You should be able to remove the hinge pins and the catch. The electrical connectors probably have a plug just inside the door itself you can access by pulling away the rubber housing there.

Looks like maybe an e20 socket you’d need for those bolts

My 180hp z3 is way more fun to drive than my 450 hp 135i