Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    North San Diego, Las Vegas
    Posts
    1,959

    Rear Seat Folded Down?

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do recall someone mentioned that the rear seat for a sedan can be folded down. But if possible, there are no rear seat latches similar to the E39. So, how is the seat folded down to have more space to haul stuff?

    Thanks.
    Lawrence
    "But Mama....That's where the fun is!"
    BMW CCA #192742
    San Diego & Sin City Chapter
    NRA Lifetime Member

    STABLE
    '90 M3 AWII - Garage Queen (The Crown Jewel)
    '20 X5 M Sport Tourquis Blue - #3 Son Ride
    '23 X5 M Sport Sapphire Black - #1 Son Ride
    '23 X5 M Sport Mineral White - Daughter & Grand Kids Ride
    '24 X4 M40i Brooklyn Grey - SO's New Ride
    '05 330i ZHP Mystic Blue Metallic 6 spd - My Ride
    '03 Nissan Frontier XE Crew Cab - Hauler & Down Range vehicle

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Branford, CT
    Posts
    16,055
    If your car has folding seats equipped, the latches are in the trunk on the 'roof' of the trunk.

    If you don't see them, your car is not equipped with folding rears. Sedans had them either as a standalone option or as part of the Cold Weather Package.

    Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
    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.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Charlotte, NC
    Posts
    3,130
    Also, if you don't have them, the your car is roughly 40% (!!!) stiffer than a coupe with our foldy bits. I miss the frick out of the stiffness in my nonfolding sedan.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    10,243
    Quote Originally Posted by ZHPizza View Post
    Also, if you don't have them, the your car is roughly 40% (!!!) stiffer than a coupe with our foldy bits. I miss the frick out of the stiffness in my nonfolding sedan.
    I like my car to have the stiffness of cooked spaghetti.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    588
    According to this post: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sh...#/topics/52170 ...

    “For the E46: Sedan (w/o folding seats): 18000Nm/deg of torsion Sedan (w/folding seats): 13000Nm Sport wagon (w/folding seats): 14000Nm Coupe (w/folding seats): 12500Nm Convertible: 10500Nm”

    If true, the loss of torsional rigidity is actually 28%, which still seems major.
    2004 BMW 330i ZHP (52k miles), Jet Black with black leather, MFactory LSD (3.38) with Z4 cover, 18"x8.5" ET38 APEX Arc-8's (Anthracite) with 245/40 Michelin PSS', Koni Sports with factory springs and front and rear reinforcement plates, Shark Injector, Corsa TSE3 cat-back exhaust, TMS under-driven pulleys (water & steering), CDV delete, TMS CF strut brace, K&N CAI, GAS DISA rebuild, TMS pedals, Wheelskins steering wheel cover, roller tray center console, black-out grilles, and WeatherTech mats

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Charlotte, NC
    Posts
    3,130
    Quote Originally Posted by Reasoned1 View Post
    According to this post: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sh...#/topics/52170 ...

    “For the E46: Sedan (w/o folding seats): 18000Nm/deg of torsion Sedan (w/folding seats): 13000Nm Sport wagon (w/folding seats): 14000Nm Coupe (w/folding seats): 12500Nm Convertible: 10500Nm”

    If true, the loss of torsional rigidity is actually 28%, which still seems major.
    Nice find! Torsional stiffness is one of the few things that I can actually feel in a car and your numbers above confirm that I wasn't dreaming when it felt like the wife's wagon was indeed stiffer than my coupe. Damn this floppy car.

    I'm in the process of trying to fix it with bracing and filling the pillars with structural foam. Oh to have that stationary rear seat sedan feel...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    North San Diego, Las Vegas
    Posts
    1,959
    Quote Originally Posted by Reasoned1 View Post
    According to this post: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sh...#/topics/52170 ...

    “For the E46: Sedan (w/o folding seats): 18000Nm/deg of torsion Sedan (w/folding seats): 13000Nm Sport wagon (w/folding seats): 14000Nm Coupe (w/folding seats): 12500Nm Convertible: 10500Nm”

    If true, the loss of torsional rigidity is actually 28%, which still seems major.
    I guess I do not have the rear fold down seats even though I have the Cold Weather Package. Although I was hoping for the best. I need the fold down for the space. So, to my understanding it is better to not have the rear fold down seats?
    Lawrence
    "But Mama....That's where the fun is!"
    BMW CCA #192742
    San Diego & Sin City Chapter
    NRA Lifetime Member

    STABLE
    '90 M3 AWII - Garage Queen (The Crown Jewel)
    '20 X5 M Sport Tourquis Blue - #3 Son Ride
    '23 X5 M Sport Sapphire Black - #1 Son Ride
    '23 X5 M Sport Mineral White - Daughter & Grand Kids Ride
    '24 X4 M40i Brooklyn Grey - SO's New Ride
    '05 330i ZHP Mystic Blue Metallic 6 spd - My Ride
    '03 Nissan Frontier XE Crew Cab - Hauler & Down Range vehicle

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Branford, CT
    Posts
    16,055
    Quote Originally Posted by das boots View Post
    I guess I do not have the rear fold down seats even though I have the Cold Weather Package. Although I was hoping for the best. I need the fold down for the space. So, to my understanding it is better to not have the rear fold down seats?
    If you have Cold Weather Package (ZCW), then you have fold down seats. If your seats don't fold down, you don't have ZCW. The giveaway for ZCW is headlight washers.

    I'd take fold down seats over whatever extra stiffness there may be any day of the week.

    Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
    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.

  9. #9
    I've never driven an e46 or zhp with rear folding seats. Is it that noticeable?

    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
    -Corey

    2003 Blue ZHP Sedan @ 210k
    Dead due to damaged valve. Parts are being transferred to a wagon:

    2003 325iT Japanrot 6MT @ 230k

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    588
    Both my 330xi’s have folding seats and, while my ZHP definitely handles better, I can’t say it’s as noticeable as I’d have thought—given a 28% difference. Of course, I’m not pushing any of my cars to their handling limits. Tire pressure, on the other hand, I notice.
    2004 BMW 330i ZHP (52k miles), Jet Black with black leather, MFactory LSD (3.38) with Z4 cover, 18"x8.5" ET38 APEX Arc-8's (Anthracite) with 245/40 Michelin PSS', Koni Sports with factory springs and front and rear reinforcement plates, Shark Injector, Corsa TSE3 cat-back exhaust, TMS under-driven pulleys (water & steering), CDV delete, TMS CF strut brace, K&N CAI, GAS DISA rebuild, TMS pedals, Wheelskins steering wheel cover, roller tray center console, black-out grilles, and WeatherTech mats

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