I spent several months searching for the right car. The ZHP isn't rare but it isn't very common either. I began looking into flying to another city to buy one and driving it back. One of my regular routines during my search was to check the inventory at Minnetonka BMW and Motorwerks BMW (both in the Minneapolis area). In early February 2008, Motorwerks had a 2004 330i listed with no pics or details. After speaking to someone on the phone I knew immediately by his description it was a ZHP. After a short test drive and some price haggling we made a deal. This is what it looked like when I got it (not my pic but mine looked identical).
I opted for the OEM clear corners and sidemarkers because I was intent on keeping OEM quality and appearance as much as possible.
At the Eurowerks show in 2008:
Some window tint to keep the sun from fading my interior. 35% on the front, sides and rear.
Couple of simple upgrades after that were an iPod connecting/charging cable (iSimple)that allows me to still use my steering wheel controls and factory radio as well as a hard-wire kit for my radar detector. I also swapped out the chrome grilles on the car for a pair of matte black ones.
Fall of 08 Wheels & Wings show (yes, it's a show with cars, bikes and planes! Cool event with over 1,000 cars every year.)
One thing that always bugged me was the gap between the front tire and fender. I looked into lowering springs but nobody could guarantee a ride height or performance level so I started looking into coilovers. A bunch of the guys on E46 Fanatics use KW and after learning about the stainless steel bodies' reliability against rust, I was sold. I needed a 10mm spacer up front for clearance with the OEM wheels. Plan on spacers and longer wheel bolts if you are using the OEM ZHP wheels. 5mm is minimum needed but 10mm is better for a more "flush" look. The KW V2's were installed in January of 09 and have been perfect.
Winter Mode with the coilovers, OEM wheels and Blizzak snow tires:
Compared to stock: