So I came from an '03 325i auto. Researched ZHPs for a while and always kept my eye out in what became a weekly ritual of autotrader and cars.com searches.
Found this ride at a dealership in Mechanicsburg, PA. Car looked great from the pictures, had 45K miles and a CPO warranty until 9/11. I reached out for a sales rep and spent several days negotiating via email and finally decided that we were close enough to warrant the 3+ hour drive to see her.
I took her for a test drive and distant-parking-lot-PPI of well over an hour. Car was immaculate and I was on the hook.
A long round of negotiating left us $500 apart. I am a stubborn prick, so I walked.
While sitting in my 'ol 325 preparing to drive 300 miles back home without the ZHP, my wife talks me into giving it one more go.
We walk back in and I throw myself on the mercy and good will of the sales guy (who, mind you, was bending me over on the deal regardless of the $500).
Long story long, he gives the $500, and I leave paying a premium price but somehow feeling good because of the $500 (sign of a great salesman).
Picture of her on the lot with my old 325.
Last picture I have before the mods started.
So, got her home and had an oil change kit from Tischer on the way. Immediately changed her oil and started with some minor cosmetic changes.
First up was getting rid of the amber bumper reflectors. Ordered up some clears-- much cleaner look.
Next up was to get rid of the long neck shift knob and replace it with a ZHP knob. Also ordered up some aluminum pedals and all weather mats from Bav Auto.
Old knob and pedals
New shift knob, pedals, mats
After that, I added some CF grills from Bimmian.
I then paused to have a beer..........
Next up was the difficult personal decision of losing the Bavarian blue and going with cf roundels. The PO had put a cf roundel on the steering wheel, and I absolutely loved how it worked with the interior. She also came with a cf rear bumper diffuser, so I decided to roll the dice and ordered cf grills, cf trunk/hood roundels, cf center cap roundels, and cf splitters.
I ended up not liking the way the splitters looked on my ride, so I passed those along to the most generous member of the ZHP community that I know-- DW.
The cf roundels were a thing of beauty and worked wonderfully with the Sparkling Graphite paint.
CF roundels
CF grills and hood roundel
CF wheel center cap
Next up was the clutch stop mod and much debated BMW Performance Intake.
2/10/11-- Added some 35% tint all the way around.
Also added the BMW Performance CF Strut Brace
2/16/11-- Added an aspherical mirror to the drivers side. Makes a huge difference, so I ordered up one for the passenger side.
2/19/11-- Front bumper painted and front license plate deleted.
2/22/11-- Updated the nav system to firmware version 32.2. Review of the firmware update here.
Also got a new welcome screen.
2/25/11-- Installed the Homelink setup today. DIY here.
2/26/11-- Passenger side euro-mirror added.
3/16ish/11-- LED interior lights from Khoalty added. I'll have to get some pics.
4/30/11-- Received my CF valve cover and fuel rail. Gonna be exchanging due to some finishing issues.
12/11/11-- Some new pics of the second set of CF valve and fuel rail covers.
Also finally got around to the CDV delete.
12/11 ///M valve stem covers thanks to my SS!
...and yes-- I now realize that my center caps are not aligned with my ///M stickers. That will be squared away in the near future. Never noticed before.
I think that's really it for Jersey Graphite. No other mods in the future that I can foresee.
Thinking about going back to the stock roundels in the spring...
3/31/12
Well, after much thought, a little indecisiveness, and one trip to the ER, Jersey Graphite is back to blue and white roundels. I miss the CF already, so I don't know if this will be permanent. She'll stay this way through the summer, though, and we'll see how things go before winter gets here next year.
Pic placeholder
Next up, I rolled the dice on some shadowline kidney grills with the piano black finish. Again, I'm not sure about this. I liked the CF grills because they were not nearly as common as the matte or gloss blacks. Gonna let this one percolate as well and see how I feel about them after the summer.
Pic placeholder
My other mod will remain undisclosed for now, as the part(s) I ordered didn't quite work on my car. Still working on a solution...
And finally, I'm still waiting for the arrival of the CF sheets that I ordered so that I can make CF covers for the drug bin and EC box bin.
Stay tuned...
Reply With Quote
