Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Tampa, FL
    Posts
    2,127

    My ever-so-slow build / mod thread and vehicle history

    I kinda borrowed the idea from Dot for this thread. I hope he doesn't mind.

    For the longest time, I had no real interest in cars. I was content owning an suv with intent on off-road modding. That all changed when my dad said, "Hey, come with us to VIR to watch the Trans Am race." I soon wanted a performance car. After a while, I got my first BMW. A '94 Boston Green 325is auto.



    Great car. I drove the hell out of it. It served me very well for about three years until it got totaled. A diabetic guy passed out behind the wheel of his Ranger and hit me about dead center of my driver side front wheel. I estimate that he was doing about 50 mph. I was unscathed but a little shaken. It was a terrible day for me. I was depressed for a while. Through tragedy came a good thing. The insurance paid me $400.00 more than I had paid for the car three years prior. On top of that, I found a '95 325is with a five speed for $6k.

    It was delivered Christmas Eve of 2006 and I was back in business, this time with a clutch. My '95 got me around for a good long run. This was my first car that I actually got to modify. The previous owner had chipped the car, which I was thankful for. Saved me a few dollars. I put a CAI in it along with Bavarian Autosport high energy coils. For suspension, I installed Bilstein OE replacement shocks and struts. I went with OE's because I was on a budget and I didn't want to go any lower or beat myself to death on crappy roads. After that, I upgraded from the OEM 15" bottle cap style wheels to 16" Kosei K-1s.



    I learned a lot with that car. It served me very well for many years. Unfortunately, cancer (read: rust) got the better of it. Almost the entire length of the top side of my windshield was infected. Rust had embedded itself under the seal and was eating away non-stop. I had had a rust spot repaired in the same area two years prior. Needless to say, they didn't do a very thorough job. I was facing the decision of either to borrowing money to do another repair or go ahead and borrow more to get another car.

    I was hoping to get a 330. The ZHP was way out of my price range. After searching for several months, my dad found this car on craiglist. The guy was asking $7,900 for it. It has a nice clean record and has been professionally maintained since the original owner. The only issue was the sunroof wasn't working. He had a guy quote him $900 to put in a used cassette. After doing a little research, I found out that the sunroof can be repaired for about $50. Bargaining point. I met the guy, drove the car, and gave it a thorough inspection. Everything was in good working order. He said that if he were to have the sunroof fixed, he would be firm on the price. I offered $7,200 as is. He came back with "Since it's about a $900 fix, just make it $7." I was kinda surprised by that but accepted. There are still honest people in this world. So, I went to the bank the next morning, processed the loan, and picked up my car.



    As stock as it gets. It's going to be a slow process as I don't have much money to spend on mods. I'm more focusing on paying it off than I am modding. The list is going to be a simple one though. But before modifications comes maintenance.

    Maintenance:
    Coolant system
    VANOS
    all of the usual stuff

    Mods so far:
    A & C pillar recovering
    Wheels and tires (Yeah, they may have been left-overs but it works.)
    Short shift kit (waiting to be installed)

    Mod want list:
    Tint
    CAI
    Mild suspension kit
    Clears
    Performance software

    -Kyle
    19" VMR VB3 CSL reps w/ General G-Max 3 A/S, BMW Performance short throw shifter, CDV delete, M54B30 swap, and a redneck CAI.

  2. #2
    Clear markers in front and sides will make a very dramatic
    change in look, you'll love it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Great story. Sweet whippage.

    Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  4. #4
    spencers Guest
    Your cars sure enjoy being at the beach or by some body of water!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Branford, CT
    Posts
    16,055
    Quote Originally Posted by Johnmadd View Post
    Clear markers in front and sides will make a very dramatic
    change in look, you'll love it.
    Oh come on man, I'm over here hoping he won't switch to clears like everyone else (almost) and then there you go... lol


    Kyle,
    It is a slow and painful process, I know. Getting the car the way you want takes lots of time and money. Of course you could sacrifice some more money for less time.
    BP
    2005 330i ZHP / 6MT
    Imolarot / Naturbraun
    2003 330iT / 6MT
    Orientblau / Naturbraun




    It's not the car you drive, it's how you drive it.

  6. #6
    spencers Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by az3579 View Post
    Oh come on man, I'm over here hoping he won't switch to clears like everyone else (almost) and then there you go... lol
    Exactly. Amber Army FTW.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Asheville, NC
    Posts
    2,591
    i roll amber style myself...... Good write up so far static. I expect this thread to be updated regularly. Tax return season=mod season!
    "No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there's nothing to be afraid of"

    09 135i Msport 6mt
    04 330i ZHP (sold)
    David

  8. #8
    The side and bumper should be clear,or the bumper color matched, I also roll and like the ambers next to the headlights. Rears rcr or all reds in the back.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Tampa, FL
    Posts
    2,127
    In some cases I have liked clears in others, not really. Color match on the bumper would be cool and a clear side marker would blend with the lines much better. I think I'll keep my amber corners.
    19" VMR VB3 CSL reps w/ General G-Max 3 A/S, BMW Performance short throw shifter, CDV delete, M54B30 swap, and a redneck CAI.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Ocean County, NJ
    Posts
    7,273
    Great write up, Static.


    Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.
    -Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
    ZHP Pre-Ride Briefing

    2005 ZHP, Alcantara, Silver Cube, Nav, Sharked, BMW Perf Intake, BMW Perf CF Strut Brace, CF Valve/Fuel Rail Covers,
    Shadowline Grills, CF Splitters, Fog Light Inserts, Euro-mirrors, CDV Delete, Beisan vanos, GAS DISA, BP Coded

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