Rising From The Ashes: Paul Ehrlich’s 2001 M3

If you like modified BMWs and you appreciate a fine set of wheels, you’ve probably heard the name Paul Ehrlich. Paul owns and operates Ehrlich Wheel Works, an internationally recognized wheel customization and restoration shop that produces some of the nicest automotive jewelry available. By chance, a number of the top-tier coast-to-coast BMW projects featured on BimmerLife have showcased his work, so we reached out to learn more about the master of multipiece and his personal BMW project, a stunning six-speed manual 2001 Alpine White M3 (E46).

While Paul appreciates all things automotive, he is a tried and true BMW enthusiast at heart. Paul says, “I’ve always been into BMWs. My first car was a 1987 Dolphin Grey 325i (E30) with Cardinal Red interior. So, I’ve always been into cars—and wheels have all kind of gone along with it.” His business sprouted after purchasing a set of BBS RS wheels on Bimmerforums—long live the automotive internet forum!—teaching himself to refinish them, and selling them on. Paul reflects and says, “One of the first sets of wheels that I built and fully restored was a set of BBS RS. I sold them to the right person, he spread the word, and the rest is history. We’ve been working off word of mouth for thirteen years.”

Paul Ehrlich at the 2024 Vintage.

As word of his work spread, Paul moved the business to his parents’ garage, eventually hiring his father as his first employee to help with the growing workload. Sadly, a series of devastating events unfolded resulting in multiple losses. The shop burned down and everything was destroyed, including damaging Paul’s BMWs. More significantly, weeks later his father passed away. Paul made the decision to push on and says, “We demoed everything and I worked on the charred slab until I was able to rent a shop. We haven’t stopped since then. We’ve been through a heck of a lot. It’s been the toughest thing that I’ve ever done in my entire life, and I think part of it is that I’m just really stubborn and just refused to quit.”

From these ashes and Paul’s determination to press on, he purchased a new BMW project later that year, the 2001 E46 M3, and the quest for perfection began. When running a business like EWW, not only does the end product need to look flawless, it also needs to be 100-percent functional. This falls in line with the EWW slogan “Art > Part” and translates into the work and pride Paul has put into his M3 over the past decade.

Paul’s goals for this M3 were to create a clean, lightweight, OEM-plus E46 M3, without sacrificing quality, craftsmanship, or comfort. He has worked toward these goals over the past ten years in stages, focusing on a particular area of the car, completing it, and then moving on to the next.

Every project needs a solid foundation, so Paul focused on the undercarriage first. He says, “The project really ramped up about six years ago. I yanked the entire underside of the car apart. I powder coated or replaced everything—ball joints, brackets, bushings. I re-plated all of the hardware.” He also installed a 4.10 limited-slip differential, which he took apart, cleaned, and powder coated, prior to sending to Dan at Diffsonline to be rebuilt and assembled. To achieve Paul’s desired ride height and fitment, the E46 currently rides on a set of Broadway Static coilovers, though he says a set of KW V3s or Ohlins are on his short list for a future suspension update. Stopping power comes from a set of Porsche 996 four-piston calipers, which not only look great behind the wheel, but also improve braking performance.

A completely revamped E46 M3 undercarriage. [Photo courtesy Paul Ehrlich.]

The trunk, an area that often goes ignored on many builds, also received a full overhaul. Paul says, “You open up the trunk and everything is new—all the carpet and clips, legitimately everything. I tore it all apart, painted the inside of the trunk, and it’s factory fresh.”

WIth a flawless trunk, you better believe the passenger compartment is next level. Paul says, “Almost everything in the interior has been replaced or restored. There’s legitimately very few pieces that haven’t been touched, like the carpet or dash.” Stepping into the interior is both a visual and olfactory event. It’s a celebration of senses. The Recaro Pole Position seats are covered in beautiful Imola Red leather, with the seat backs painted Alpine White to match the exterior. The door inserts, shift boot, emergency brake boot, and steering wheel are wrapped in the same Imola Red. The rest of the door panels have been covered in Euro Black “smooth” leather, matching the headliner, center console, and A, B, and C pillars, without an errant crease or wrinkle in sight. The piano black trim pairs well with the custom exterior shadowline, even matching the custom door sills. The M3’s interior is truly a masterpiece.

Though perfectly presentable, Paul opted for glass-out repaint in the original Alpine White so the exterior would be on par with the rest of his E46. Naturally, the M3 received new factory glass and new or refurbished trim and fasteners. To go with the lightweight theme, a carbon roof, CSL front bumper, and CSL trunk were installed, which paired nicely with a carbon fiber front lip and rear diffuser.

The icing on the cake of this build, and Paul’s favorite part, are the wheels. Naturally, the E46 hasn’t only had one set installed during Paul’s ownership. Paul jokes, “I think I had a relatively decent inventory of personal wheels,” and the sets that he has installed on his E46 speak volumes. While the BBS RS-GTs, Style 108s, and BBS LMs were special, the current set of BBS Super RS are something else entirely. Paul has converted them to three-piece and increased their diameters from eighteen to nineteen inches. Pauls says, “I do love the Super RSes, just because they’re super unique. I don’t think there’s a single set like them in the world. I’m pretty confident in saying that I’ve said that about a lot of our work.” The as-built specs are three-piece converted and double-stepped 19×10-inch ET27 fronts and 19×11-inch ET22 rears. If Ace Ventura was to describe the fitment, he would say, “Like a glove!”

With 140,000 miles on the clock, Paul says the next and final parts of this car that will receive the “Ehrlich treatment” are the engine and engine bay—everything else has been done!  It currently has a tune and full custom exhaust built by Eurowise, but Paul has bigger plans. “My goal is to pull the engine out. It’s the last thing that has to be done in the car. I’m going to do a mild factory rebuild and reseal—rod bearings and other items. I’d also like to do a mild tuck and shave in the engine bay, along with repainting it.” Paul has a VANOS unit from Michael Cotter, a CSL airbox, and is considering a set of performance cams and custom tune. “I plan to replace essentially everything on the engine—all sensors and hoses, re-plate all the fasteners—like I’ve done to the rest of the car,” he says. A spare, low-mileage gearbox will also be installed during the engine restoration.

While it’s great having a pristine self-built E46 M3, Paul says that he’s more grateful for the interpersonal connections he’s made through owning and building this car. He says, “I love just being able to take it to the Vintage every year. The people that I’ve met in the community and the relationships that I’ve established, all thanks to having the car, are huge.” Whether you happen to be in Mocksville, North Carolina and stop by EWW, or travel to the automotive events that Paul frequents, be sure to say hello and have a gander at the immaculate E46 M3 that was seemingly born from the ashes of a shop fire, turning a negative into something positive through hard work and perseverance. —Mike Bevels

[Photos by Mike Bevels and as credited.]

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