There is no other way to say it, this BMW converted into a pickup truck got butchered. It’s not the first we’ve seen of these BMW pickup conversions, but it is the roughest. We understand the allure of turning an E46 3 Series sedan into a Ute. It’s practical, unique, and makes for a striking hauler. From a distance, this covers all three of those features. But up close, it sure doesn’t.

Is this BMW pickup a feast or assault on your eyes?

Let’s start off by saying that we don’t like knocking an enthusiast’s efforts. Projects are a personal thing, and usually require a combination of talent, craftsmanship, money, and time. Nobody should face ridicule for their efforts. But this BMW is obviously not a party to talent and craftsmanship. We also don’t think the builder put much money or time into it.

This particular Ute project comes from Latvia, via Reddit’s bad car mods thread. The closer you look the more you see, and none of it is good. So where should we start? Maybe from the ill-fitting tailgate.

Should the owner have done this to a BMW?

That misaligned tailgate is the least of this conversion’s problems. The barn door latches with locks show how little the builder really cared. And the lack of finishing trim, and rust painted over is clearly an in-your-face move.the owner have done this to a BMW?

Looking inside of the bed, it looks like somebody painted over barf. No, seriously. It looks like carpet is covering some of the exposed areas of the “bed”. Yet the tailgate was not a party to such detail, so wiring is hanging in plain sight. 

Is the roll bar functional?

Then there is the roll bar. It is probably as much of an attempt to shore up what surely would be a shaky, wiggly body if unsupported. The top helps to keep the structure from being like a cooked noodle. So, though it isn’t pretty, it is functional. It also helps to support the chopped-off top. 

And that top, oh boy. The back section was fabricated from pieces of what looks like boilerplate. Booger welds add to the whole presentation. And the back of the top has what looks like the side of a dog cage welded onto it. It helps to protect the small window from cargo falling forward, potentially breaking it. 

To close and smooth out the former rear doors, no booger welds are present. Duct tape painted over now seals off the doors. The same goes for the door handles. But looking at the welding job on the top, maybe this was a better solution under the circumstances. 

Would you do this truck conversion to a BMW?

Once we get to the front, the pickup truck assault on our eyes subsides. It’s still not pretty, but little was done to alter that BMW face. That is a good thing. Little was done to fix the rust, as well. The red zip ties holding the front grilles together are a nice touch, however.

For you kids out there, do not use this as a guide to working on cars. And for you adults, if this is your idea of a nice car, we don’t know what to say.