Blog

There’s no doubt a lot of us here are still in the dark when it comes to Bali’s automotive scene. Yes we’ve seen a lot of exotics here and there across the island; mostly shipped over from Jakarta for road trips and gatherings. But what about the modified rides scenes over there? Is aggressive fitment popular? Or functional performance mods the more preferred option? Lucky we have our Bali contributor, Deden, who’s going to give us more insights on to the paradise island’s interesting car cultures these upcoming weeks. We’ve seen the GT86 he posted couple of weeks ago, and today he has sent us this daringly different E46 owned by Roy. From Starlet to twin-turbo RX7, Roy has driven them all and this is his latest affair; it’s the Bimmer’s time.

From reading the stories of featured car owners these past few years, I am getting more and more convinced that our love for cars and customizations usually started way back even before our first attempt on riding a bike. Some say it all started from the first Rp 25,000 Hot Wheels they’ve been given when they were three. Others admit that the love for cars has always been there in the family, whether it’d be from dads or older brothers. Whatever the reason might be, I am starting to see two different types of automotive enthusiasts: those who truly love cars vs those who buy cars for status. Passion vs prestige. Roy is obviously the first type. He knows his way around every little parts installed and definitely appreciates builders more than posers.

Roy started getting his hands dirty on some real-size cars back in the year 1992. It was a Toyota Starlet. In no time was the car installed with a plethora of engine mods and aftermarket wheels. Same thing happened all over again to his built-for-audio Dauhatsu Taft which followed shortly after. However, things didn’t go as out of control as his rides in the US when he was living there. From Accord coupe with an engine swap (Prelude engine fitted in), to twin-turbo RX-7 on TE37’s, Roy has definitely enjoyed the US’s affordable car prices and mods. Affordable compared to our land’s cars price tags at least.

Having decided to stay in Indonesia for good, Roy shifted his love for Japanese rides to the European counter parts. From W124 on AMG aero’s, to Alpina E38, he has grown a love for these soon-to-be-classic European masterpieces. His latest build is this E46, which used to be bare stock and driven by his ex-wife. Focusing on the ride’s performance and driving dynamics, Roy has bored & stroked up the M52TU engine to 3.1L, and mated it with an M3 transmission with quick shift kit. The result is nothing short of thrilling, and quite possibly has become one of the greatest E46 builds on the island.

Footworks-wise Roy has decided to go bold. Real red bold. A set of staggered Volk G12 was ordered under a special custom red color scheme. Paired with Weitec by KW Suspension and reinforcement strut bars, such a setup has greatly improved the E46’s responsiveness and capabilities during corners and hard accelerations. All while still being always in a safe braking distance thanks to those gorgeous 365mm-345mm Brembo big brakes.

What’s next? Roy has quite a list on his head. From a full body repaint to racing seats, we’ll see soon which one is going to be ticked first. One thing’s for sure, the Bimmer will always be Roy’s well-kept weekend ride with mods that will put a smile everytime he teases with the throttles.

Modification Specs

Additional Infos
Photography by:
dedenphoto
Professional Photographer
081 246 0808 50
Jl. Tukad Batanghari Gg.3 No.13
www.facebook.com/dedenphoto