peter's canadian imola ZHP project

[slater]

Giving up on your PSSs?

possibly. wife doesn't like them, and she drives it as much as i do. will likely keep the bilstein PSS and just get the konis and some new top mounts so i can have another fully-assembled set here.

yes, i am crazy.

[ELCID86]

What doesn't she like about them?


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous

[slater]

What doesn't she like about them?

she thinks it rides too stiffly.

[ELCID86]

she thinks it rides too stiffly.

Just on the tires? Or suspension?


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous

[az3579]

How did you get on board with the group buy? It's closed...
This is the one I'm thinking of:

https://www.groupbuyparts.com/index.php/group-deals/apex-17-arc-8-wheels-q1-2016.html

[slater]

Just on the tires? Or suspension?

suspension. i'm running 17" michelin PS AS3's, they ride nicely. it's gotta be the bilstein PSS. i removed the front bilsteins tonight and disassembled them, cleaned everything, and checked the dampers - they are operating correctly, all looked normal. my top mounts (OE) have a slight tear starting, nothing major - but i need to replace them, and i am wondering if they are causing tracking issues. i also unbolted the rear shocks and tested - all good. everything else is tight.



How did you get on board with the group buy? It's closed...
This is the one I'm thinking of:

https://www.groupbuyparts.com/index.php/group-deals/apex-17-arc-8-wheels-q1-2016.html

there's a new group buy for 18" wheels. that one is for 17" wheels.

https://www.groupbuyparts.com/index.php/apex-18-arc-8-wheels-q1-2016.html

[az3579]

there's a new group buy for 18" wheels. that one is for 17" wheels.

https://www.groupbuyparts.com/index.php/apex-18-arc-8-wheels-q1-2016.html

Damn it, I need 17. Oh well.

[slater]

Damn it, I need 17. Oh well.

well, they still sell the 17s from their website, man! ;)

[ELCID86]

Thanks. Thought the PSS was Pilot Super Sports, not shock model.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous

[slater]

Thanks. Thought the PSS was Pilot Super Sports, not shock model.

i know, it's confusing. :) michelin PSS, bilstein PSS... ;)

:cheers

[Vas]

If you decide to let those PSS go, I can give them a loving home.

[az3579]

well, they still sell the 17s from their website, man! ;)

Not at $200 off and free shipping. :(

[slater]

If you decide to let those PSS go, I can give them a loving home.

;)

got a little update on them, actually - i upped my tire pressures to 40psi F/R (was at 33/39) on these 225/45/17 and 245/40/17 michelin PS AS3's - and quite shockingly it feels a LOT better. bobbing is gone, it just feels smooth and planted. very weird. i was running 33/39 last december when i put them on with the bilstein PSS initially and they felt just like they do now... what the heck!

anyway, i guess that's the deal. these tires must have softer sidewalls than i thought.



Not at $200 off and free shipping. :(

nope. but i'm sure they'll have another group buy soon, they have been wildly successful.


now... the next debate - tires for my new 18" ARC-8s. i'm either ordering a new set of michelin PSS in 235/40/18, or i found a set of 600-mile goodyear eagle F1 asymmetric 2's in 235/40/18 for $550 CAD. the PSS are supposed to be crisper, but they are almost twice the cost (in CAD). hmmm.

[slater]

well, crap. radiator developed a pinhole leak right near the upper hose neck. and i have a roadtrip for work on tuesday...

trying to order a new OEM BMW (Modine) radiator today. i didn't replace it during the cooling system refresh back in 2014, so the current unit is original - almost 12 years old. getting a new OEM BMW rad, especially in canada, is going to be expensive.

replacing strut mounts today as well.

[Vas]

Hope you get it figured out and replaced without overpaying.

[FL116]

well, crap. radiator developed a pinhole leak right near the upper hose neck. and i have a roadtrip for work on tuesday...

trying to order a new OEM BMW (Modine) radiator today. i didn't replace it during the cooling system refresh back in 2014, so the current unit is original - almost 12 years old. getting a new OEM BMW rad, especially in canada, is going to be expensive.

replacing strut mounts today as well.

That's unfortunate. I am about to hit 100k miles and am thinking about ordering the cooling system kit so I can be prepared if it goes bad. Haven't decided if I'm going to order the radiator with it. Or if I should just replace the radiator and wait on the cooling system.

[BMWCurves]

Sorry to hear Peter, hope you can find one relatively cheaply and you can get the maintenance done in time.


That's unfortunate. I am about to hit 100k miles and am thinking about ordering the cooling system kit so I can be prepared if it goes bad. Haven't decided if I'm going to order the radiator with it. Or if I should just replace the radiator and wait on the cooling system.

Do it allllllllll.

[Rovert]

Can you patch it temporarily? I know not the most reliable. Not sure if there's a such thing.

[slater]

Hope you get it figured out and replaced without overpaying.

thanks vas. got a new OEM BMW (Modine) radiator ordered through my local (2hrs away!) dealer, total with tax and delivery (should be here tomorrow) was $411CAD ($317USD at today's rates; ECS sells this same unit for $240USD + shipping, so i don't think i did too badly, especially considering my price was $265USD before tax and shipping - tax here is 13%!).



That's unfortunate. I am about to hit 100k miles and am thinking about ordering the cooling system kit so I can be prepared if it goes bad. Haven't decided if I'm going to order the radiator with it. Or if I should just replace the radiator and wait on the cooling system.

my car now has 140K miles, so on the original radiator i guess is OK. i've only had to replace a radiator on one car before (out of the 30 i've had, crazy!), and i did it TWICE! it was my 1996 audi S6. the original radiator finally cracked at 490K KMs (around 302K miles). i replaced it with a nissens unit, which decided to grenade one of it's endtanks about 10K later. got another from them under warranty and it was fine - it looked like a redesigned unit.

i would definitely replace everything in the cooling system, including the radiator, for peace of mind - the behr units are only $140USD, that's cheap. the cooling system on this car is ridiculously easy to service. i love it!



Sorry to hear Peter, hope you can find one relatively cheaply and you can get the maintenance done in time.

well, it wasn't too expensive - see above. the important part is i can have an OEM BMW radiator here tomorrow, which i am happy to pay extra for, as i need it ASAP.



Can you patch it temporarily? I know not the most reliable. Not sure if there's a such thing.

i thought about patching it, but i have to go to ottawa on tuesday and that's 2.75hrs each way. i hate getting towed. just going to replace it and not worry about it. :)

[anandoc]

i thought about patching it, but i have to go to ottawa on tuesday and that's 2.75hrs each way. i hate getting towed. just going to replace it and not worry about it. :)

Goodluck on the radiator replacement. It's really straighforward...the hardest part was getting the plastic support thingy which holds the expansion tank in place.

How long you in Ottawa for? Time for a quick coffee?

[slater]

Goodluck on the radiator replacement. It's really straighforward...the hardest part was getting the plastic support thingy which holds the expansion tank in place.

How long you in Ottawa for? Time for a quick coffee?

yeah, it looks easy. tons of room!

i'm actually going to be in barrhaven at a customer site for the day. should be there by 9:30AM, and hopefully won't be there any later than 5PM. what's your schedule on the 5th?

[ELCID86]

Sorry to hear that Peter. Lots of us still running our old rads...


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous

[AggieBlake]

Sorry to hear it's giving you trouble, Peter. Best of luck with the replacement. I'm sure you probably already know this, but I found it easier to replace mine by taking the old radiator down under the car rather than trying to bring it up. More clearance that way. Went in easy. Have a safe trip!

[anandoc]

yeah, it looks easy. tons of room!

i'm actually going to be in barrhaven at a customer site for the day. should be there by 9:30AM, and hopefully won't be there any later than 5PM. what's your schedule on the 5th?

Barrhaven is not too far. I can try to swing by at lunch. Whereabouts in Barrhaven...its become huge!

[slater]

Sorry to hear that Peter. Lots of us still running our old rads...

yep, it seemed premature to me too. oh well! i was fortunate enough to find an OEM BMW radiator at the local (2hrs away) dealer and they have shipped it to me, will have it tomorrow. not bad!



Sorry to hear it's giving you trouble, Peter. Best of luck with the replacement. I'm sure you probably already know this, but I found it easier to replace mine by taking the old radiator down under the car rather than trying to bring it up. More clearance that way. Went in easy. Have a safe trip!

thanks, blake! i'll definitely bring it down, there's a lot more going on at the bottom of the rad than the top. thanks for the tip! should be an easy replacement.



Barrhaven is not too far. I can try to swing by at lunch. Whereabouts in Barrhaven...its become huge!

LOL, yeah, it is! it's at strandherd + cedarview. there's a really nice cafe in the plaza there! good excuse to go back (well... i was planning to go there for lunch anyway ;) ).


in other news... replaced my front strut mounts today. my bilstein PSS were really low up front, lower than they should be. i don't know how i didn't notice this before, but wow, strut mounts totally flatten out over time! that's like 15mm of difference there! my ride height at max height in front is now how you see below - almost stock height. the new mount is a lemfoerder, btw.

also, just for fun (and test-fitting for what tire size i want to run on my new apex ARC-8s), here's an 18x8.5" 135M with a 10mm spacer and 255/35/18 michelin PSS - this is just about stock height, and about -1.2º camber. it fits!

so... i ordered some 245/35/18 michelin PSS for my new 18x8.5" ET38 ARC-8s! woohoo!

:cheers

[Vas]

I thought you installed new upper mounts when you installed the coils.

[slater]

I thought you installed new upper mounts when you installed the coils.

nope; and, to be honest, i have no idea why. i guess because so many folks say "you don't need to replace them", and mine we're making noise. oh well. live and learn! all good now.

[slater]

got the new rad installed on saturday - total job was about 3hrs. however, after sitting for 24hrs now the expansion tank is seeping where it meets the two plugs on the bottom of the mounting bracket. crap.

[Vas]

Wonder why. Think the O-Ring are bad ?

[slater]

Wonder why. Think the O-Ring are bad ?

possibly - the expansion tank is less than two years old. i have a spare tank here (used - from 2012; i removed it from my car in 2014, it also has just under two years of use), so i have some spare o-rings if need be. i'm wondering if they got mis-aligned during install, but it seems odd that BOTH connections on the bottom are leaking. and it's a very minor leak, but still, a leak nonetheless.

[09mageec]

It's definitely worth checking the O-rings. Did you have a means of pressure testing the cooling system after doing the radiator? I'm not sure how long this leak persisted for, but I ask this because, after having a leak in the cooling system, you loose adequate operating pressure. After fixing the issue, once you bring the system back up to operating pressure, it's a PERFECT environment for other things to start leaking that may have been starting to wear out before hand..

[slater]

It's definitely worth checking the O-rings. Did you have a means of pressure testing the cooling system after doing the radiator? I'm not sure how long this leak persisted for, but I ask this because, after having a leak in the cooling system, you loose adequate operating pressure. After fixing the issue, once you bring the system back up to operating pressure, it's a PERFECT environment for other things to start leaking that may have been starting to wear out before hand..

my radiator only started leaking last tuesday or wednesday, and i had no other leaks beforehand, so i'm assuming it's a fluke thing with the o-rings. will be able to tear into it this afternoon.

[09mageec]

Ohhh, alright. Yeah, that's more of a thing to look out for if you neglect leaks. - If you were solid before that short, little leak, then its a good bet that its those o-rings..
Curious to hear how it goes for you.

[Ssparrow]

I remember when I did my cooling system overhaul, I had the hardest time getting the ET to seal on the mounting plate. Ended up having to remove the mounting plate and installing the ET onto it, then put the entire assembly into the car. Might help out a little in your case!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[san]

I remember when I did my cooling system overhaul, I had the hardest time getting the ET to seal on the mounting plate. Ended up having to remove the mounting plate and installing the ET onto it, then put the entire assembly into the car. Might help out a little in your case!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1 had to do the same

[09mageec]

I remember when I did my cooling system overhaul, I had the hardest time getting the ET to seal on the mounting plate. Ended up having to remove the mounting plate and installing the ET onto it, then put the entire assembly into the car. Might help out a little in your case!

Definitely remember having to do this, haha.

[cakM3]

I remember when I did my cooling system overhaul, I had the hardest time getting the ET to seal on the mounting plate. Ended up having to remove the mounting plate and installing the ET onto it, then put the entire assembly into the car. Might help out a little in your case!

Peter, when I replaced my radiator I too had a hard time getting my ET to seal onto the mounting plate.

[slater]

I remember when I did my cooling system overhaul, I had the hardest time getting the ET to seal on the mounting plate. Ended up having to remove the mounting plate and installing the ET onto it, then put the entire assembly into the car. Might help out a little in your case!


+1 had to do the same


Definitely remember having to do this, haha.


Peter, when I replaced my radiator I too had a hard time getting my ET to seal onto the mounting plate.

dang, guys... the mounting plate is hard to remove when the radiator is in the car (that torx screw on up the side is hard to get to). i'll give that a shot. it's hard to tell if it's sealing unless you have fluid in it! i guess i could put water in to test, then drain and refill with coolant mix.

when i replaced the ET almost two years ago, i didn't have any issues getting it seated on the mounting plate. crap.

thanks for the tips. i'll let you know what happens.

[slater]

well, it was a good thing i kept my old expansion tank. the o-rings on the bottom of the 'new' tank (a valeo unit, installed 7/29/14) were totally flat on 75% of the o-ring's surface (the larger one was worse than the smaller).

my 'old' tank is a behr/hella unit, with a 12/12 date of manufacture - which mean it was likely only on the car for 18 months. the o-rings were in good shape so i hosed out the tank, lubed the o-rings, and installed it. seems to be holding nicely. whew.

[BMWCurves]

Good work. Now I'll question using Valeo for an expansion tank in the future. Glad you got it all sorted!

[Vas]

Behr or OE bmw. Only way

[09mageec]

well, it was a good thing i kept my old expansion tank. the o-rings on the bottom of the 'new' tank (a valeo unit, installed 7/29/14) were totally flat on 75% of the o-ring's surface (the larger one was worse than the smaller).

my 'old' tank is a behr/hella unit, with a 12/12 date of manufacture - which mean it was likely only on the car for 18 months. the o-rings were in good shape so i hosed out the tank, lubed the o-rings, and installed it. seems to be holding nicely. whew.

No more leaks! Glad to hear everything is in order..

[slater]

No more leaks! Glad to hear everything is in order..

me too! car was flawless today, and enjoyed the smooooooth front end - thank you new strut mounts! did over 500km today. nice to get out on the road.

had lunch with anando today, too! :cheers

[slater]

car is buttoned back up after a coolant mishap... bonehead move on my part.

it was so nice today and tonight, about 55F today, 48F tonight. went for a really nice 30min drive with the sunroof open and DSC off. :) i raised the rear of the car a bit and now it feels amazing. really happy with it.... but... interested in those new MFactory/YCW coilovers.... hmmm. ;)

[Rovert]

Expecting a good detailed review from the suspension guru!

[Sockethead]

That's great you got it all sorted out and got to air it out a bit. I've been wanting to do that with my car really bad but the traffic down here in Charleston is so bad that there is just no room to do this even on the highways...

[ELCID86]

That's great you got it all sorted out and got to air it out a bit. I've been wanting to do that with my car really bad but the traffic down here in Charleston is so bad that there is just no room to do this even on the highways...

Head down 17 to Edisto Beach!

[Sockethead]

Will do Shawn tnx!

[ELCID86]

Will do Shawn tnx!

I grew up going there almost every summer. Love it. Nothing but beach and houses and a few shops/restaurants.

If you want to camp, I'd suggest there or Hunting Island State Park just a bit further south.

Have you taken the boat out yet? Explore some of the creeks up the Cooper or Ashley.

[slater]

new ARC-8s. 18x8.5" ET38 with 245/35/18 michelin PSS.

i love the look... but i am not happy with the feel. i think going to 245's up front was a mistake, the steering is so much more vague compared to either 225/45/17 or 225/40/18. and the straight-line stability sucks. i also think the shop that mounted them didn't do a great job balancing them. i'm running 39psi cold in all 4 tires.

going to add a 10mm spacer to the rear to test out the stability issue. that's way too huge for me, but it's what i have here. a 3mm spacer in the rear should bring the offsets back to OEM spec, and hopefully not rub (no rubbing right now). however, the 245 issue up front, not sure about yet...

with the Style 68s and 225/45/17 + 245/40/17 setup i had on before this, the car was just about perfect. now... awful.

(yes, i am a bit melodramatic ;) )

and yes, i am a wheel hoarder... oh man. the pic below doesn't even show my winter wheels.

[Vas]

245 is a good amount of tire for the front. I think the most I would run would be a 235.

Car looks good though

[NoVAphotog]

new ARC-8s. 18x8.5" ET38 with 245/35/18 michelin PSS.

i love the look... but i am not happy with the feel. i think going to 245's up front was a mistake, the steering is so much more vague compared to either 225/45/17 or 225/40/18. and the straight-line stability sucks. i also think the shop that mounted them didn't do a great job balancing them. i'm running 39psi cold in all 4 tires.

going to add a 10mm spacer to the rear to test out the stability issue. that's way too huge for me, but it's what i have here. a 3mm spacer in the rear should bring the offsets back to OEM spec, and hopefully not rub (no rubbing right now). however, the 245 issue up front, not sure about yet...

with the Style 68s and 225/45/17 + 245/40/17 setup i had on before this, the car was just about perfect. now... awful.

(yes, i am a bit melodramatic ;) )

Hmm...does it matter whether the total size of the wheel/tires are different for the feel despite the width being the same? I love the way the 245/40/17s feel.

[slater]

Hmm...does it matter whether the total size of the wheel/tires are different for the feel despite the width being the same? I love the way the 245/40/17s feel.

hmm. what pressures are you running? any straight line stability issues? what are your alignment settings?

(sorry for 20 questions...)

[09mageec]

The flat face looks very nice!

[az3579]

hmm. what pressures are you running? any straight line stability issues? what are your alignment settings?

(sorry for 20 questions...)

What exactly do you mean by straight line stability issues? I currently run 245/35-18 all around and my car darts around like a fly every time I run over our shitty roads. Good surfaces are fine, with zero stability issues, but there's a stretch of highway I run on every day that has huge speedbumps all over the place (sounds like I'm hitting a wall head on when I go over them) and has horrible grooves and depressions/impressions that cause the car to wallow all over the place. I figured it was a Bridgestone thing as I have had only Bridgestone tires for the past couple of years...

[slater]

What exactly do you mean by straight line stability issues? I currently run 245/35-18 all around and my car darts around like a fly every time I run over our shitty roads. Good surfaces are fine, with zero stability issues, but there's a stretch of highway I run on every day that has huge speedbumps all over the place (sounds like I'm hitting a wall head on when I go over them) and has horrible grooves and depressions/impressions that cause the car to wallow all over the place. I figured it was a Bridgestone thing as I have had only Bridgestone tires for the past couple of years...

what i mean is, the car is super darty, even on smooth stuff. if there's any kind of grooves or crown in the road, the rear end feels like i've got bad shocks or RTABs. with my staggered wheels - both michelin pilot A/S3's and michelin PSS - it does not do this.

going to increase the rear track width after lunch and go for a drive.

[az3579]

what i mean is, the car is super darty, even on smooth stuff. if there's any kind of grooves or crown in the road, the rear end feels like i've got bad shocks or RTABs. with my staggered wheels - both michelin pilot A/S3's and michelin PSS - it does not do this.

going to increase the rear track width after lunch and go for a drive.

I definitely don't have the issues you describe. The rear end feels perfectly planted for me, but the front is darty only under the conditions I described to you in my last post. On smooth roads, the front feels stable and controllable.

[NoVAphotog]

hmm. what pressures are you running? any straight line stability issues? what are your alignment settings?

(sorry for 20 questions...)

I'll post pics of the road force balance and alignment sheets from rrt in my build thread and will need to double check pressures.

But yeah...watch the video I posted from the track. I surely didn't have any straight line issues at 120+mph!!

[Sockethead]

My tramlining/stability issues were due to my tire choice... took me about a year to figure that out. After replacing parts aligning and swapping Kristen's Dunlops, I switched from the Dunlop Star spec to Kristen's Hankooks after she went with Michelins and all my problems went away. It's interesting to note that she didn't have any issues at all with the Dunlops.

BP, You need to get rid of those Bilsteins :)

[az3579]

BP, You need to get rid of those Bilsteins :)

Yeah well it looks like I'm only going to be replacing them with another set of Bilsteins... :(
My PSS' do not fit, they rub like crazy, so I'm in "emergency coilover order" mode. Ugh.

It'll have to be the PSS10's since FCP is close, so I'll get them very quickly, and they will lifetime warranty them.

[BMWCurves]

Huh, I'm sorry to hear you're not satisfied with your new wheel setup in its current state.

When I first purchased my car and it had the factory 135 wheels with factory-spec sized rubber, it would occasionally tramline and follow the ruts and crowning of the road at highway speeds. This was really only noticeable on a particularly bad stretch of road (405N to the Fremont Bridge, for those that know the area). When I switched to my APEX ARC8s wrapped in 245/40R17 tires, I was worried there would be increased tramline and an alteration in steering feel with the wider tires. Fortunately, tramlining is no worse, and maybe even better, than the factory setup, although some of that initial instability might be due to needing an alignment. I haven't experienced that rear end instability you've described, and the ARC8s actually make the rear feel more planted than the factory 135s that had wider tires. Steering feel is great. I truly prefer my ARC8s to my Style 135s for steering feel, ride comfort, and performance.

Also, won't a spacer decrease offset, say a 10mm spacer would push a ET38 wheel to an effective ET28 wheel? If so, that's further from factory spec, which our Style 135s were ET47 front and ET50 rear.

[derbo]

hopefully your alignment specs can be taken care of and restore your faith back in a square setup! :)

[Rovert]

Yeah Peter you scare me. Get your alignment checked! Let us know what the results are.

[kakashi169]

Just sell the wheels to me Peter. ;)

[slater]

When I first purchased my car and it had the factory 135 wheels with factory-spec sized rubber, it would occasionally tramline and follow the ruts and crowning of the road at highway speeds. This was really only noticeable on a particularly bad stretch of road (405N to the Fremont Bridge, for those that know the area). When I switched to my APEX ARC8s wrapped in 245/40R17 tires, I was worried there would be increased tramline and an alteration in steering feel with the wider tires. Fortunately, tramlining is no worse, and maybe even better, than the factory setup, although some of that initial instability might be due to needing an alignment. I haven't experienced that rear end instability you've described, and the ARC8s actually make the rear feel more planted than the factory 135s that had wider tires. Steering feel is great. I truly prefer my ARC8s to my Style 135s for steering feel, ride comfort, and performance.

Also, won't a spacer decrease offset, say a 10mm spacer would push a ET38 wheel to an effective ET28 wheel? If so, that's further from factory spec, which our Style 135s were ET47 front and ET50 rear.

i'm no stranger to tramlining; this was just plain instability. i've heard that new tires can be greasy, but i've had a lot of sets of new tires before and never experienced anything like this.

the steering is a lot lighter and more vague that it was with the 225's (on both 17" and 18" OEM wheels) with 10mm spacers.

i used 10mm spacers with both 17" Style 68s and the 18" 135Ms, making the front/rear offsets effectively ET37/ET40. my ARC-8's are ET38, but the fronts are 8.5" wide, so that would effectively be the same as the stock 18x8 front wheel at ET32 (i'm only accounting for the outside of the wheel, not the inside). so they are 5mm further out up front, and 2mm further out in the back, than my OEM setups with 10mm spacers; a 3mm spacer in the rear would bring the balance back (ha, now i've got led zep on the brain!).



hopefully your alignment specs can be taken care of and restore your faith back in a square setup! :)

i hope so. the wheels are too pretty! :) haha. or i mount some 225/40/18's up front.



Yeah Peter you scare me. Get your alignment checked! Let us know what the results are.

will do. hopefully next week. it's just weird that with both sets of staggered wheels, it behaved wonderfully!



Just sell the wheels to me Peter. ;)

it may come to that!! :) we'll see after i get the car re-aligned.

[derbo]

I think staggered wheels mask the alignment issue. :)


-Sent from Mobile

[NoVAphotog]

Balance and alignment sheets Peter granted these are with the 17s:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160422/8e76117516715cf6aa0b0f6e77bd6025.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160422/4c8cdeba3bb4caa708d7e2866c0b64d5.jpg

[slater]

thanks daniel... you've got less toe in up front than i do, but more toe in in the rear. that seems to be the general consensus with the M3 folks too.

[slater]

well, small update... got about 800km on the new tires and have been playing with the pressures are they are feeling much better (sitting at 35psi front and 38psi rear, cold). i still feel like 245's are possibly too wide for the front of a 99.9% daily driver car, as on-center feel is not as good (it's much better now with some miles on the tires), but the front end bite in corners now is nothing short of amazing! the car, especally with the camber settings i have, is setup to be very neutral, and is a now more neutral-oversteer than it was before (and it was very neutral before). but the lateral grip and balance in long, tight corners (like a highway entrance ramp) is simply awesome.

the stiffness of these PSS over my 17" PS A/S3's really makes the bilstein PSS shine even more, too.

so in order to potentially resolve the on-center feel issue, i'm going to put the stock front 135Ms with 225/40/18 on with my biggest spacers (12.5mm) and see how it feels, then will decide on if i'm replacing the front tires with 225/40/18 PSS or not.

in other news... i put a deposit on a 2003 mitsubishi montero limited today. really cool truck, relatively low miles (105K), good maintenance history. excited for ownership... and getting rid of the uncomfortable odyssey!! (the montero is light years more comfortable.)

[ELCID86]

Congrats on the new Monty! And for mostly getting your wheels dialed in.
BTW,
I like my Ody and my 18yo daughter is upset that I plan to sell it soon--she loves driving it.

[Vas]

225 or 235 max section width for a street car is what I think works best.

[slater]

Congrats on the new Monty! And for mostly getting your wheels dialed in.
BTW,
I like my Ody and my 18yo daughter is upset that I plan to sell it soon--she loves driving it.

thanks re: the monty and wheels! i pick it up tomorrow night.

re: the odyssey... it's been reliable engine-wise, but it just needs a lot of other parts right now (brakes, tires, axle, one electric door does not work, etc) and with 355K KMs, it just isn't worth it - plus it hurts my neck to drive it (i have neck and back issues). it's a 2004, so last year of the 2nd gen body style. the 2005+ had much better seats and ergonomics for the driver - but, my wife didn't want a minivan. :) so i'm excited for the montero... or pajero, as it is everywhere else in the world.



225 or 235 max section width for a street car is what I think works best.

yeah, i'm curious. didn't get a chance to try out the 225's up front yet, hopefully tomorrow or tuesday.

[slater]

this is kinda related to my ZHP... it got a stable mate, although this one won't fit in the garage! it's replacing our odyssey.

2003 mitsubishi montero limited - aka the 'pajero' outside of north america. this thing is affectionately called "The Tank" by my wife and kids - they love it! i dig it too - it's comfy to drive, handles decently, looks awesome, seats 7. monster sunroof, overbuilt, long-travel 4-wheel independent suspension, RWD/AWD/4WD-LOW modes. 33" tires, new brakes, timing belt, radiator, etc. it's sweet. :)

gets horrendous gas mileage - about 18mpg highway. :) it's a lot bigger than it looks - about 7' tall.

[Sockethead]

Man, that thing is a tank :)
Our X5 wasn't much better on gas... maybe 19mpg highway, granted it was a 4.8is but still...

[slater]

Man, that thing is a tank :)
Our X5 wasn't much better on gas... maybe 19mpg highway, granted it was a 4.8is but still...

yeah. it also had a CEL on, which i've since fixed, so perhaps the mileage will improve - but 18mpg is about what they're rated for. 15mpg city. :) it's a 3.8L V6. also, the 33" tires don't help - but man, they look awesome. speedometer is off a tiny bit - at 60mph on the speedo, you're actually going 62mph. not a huge deal.

[san]

Congrats! Those tires look huge...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[slater]

Congrats! Those tires look huge...

thanks! yep, they are... 285/75/16! (32.8" diameter - that's 7.8" larger than our tires, LOL)

[slater]

well, the odyssey drove away with the new owner around 8:30PM tonight. i listed it online at 8:30AM today - dang that was fast! kids were sad to see it go.

[BMWCurves]

Digging the new tank :thumbsup Large SUVs are growing on me.


well, the odyssey drove away with the new owner around 8:30PM tonight. i listed it online at 8:30AM today - dang that was fast! kids were sad to see it go.

Who knew the market for Honda Odysseys was so hot?

[az3579]

Digging the new tank :thumbsup Large SUVs are growing on me.



Who knew the market for Honda Odysseys was so hot?

Hondas in general. They sell like hotcakes here, and they're all over the place.

[slater]

Digging the new tank :thumbsup Large SUVs are growing on me.

thanks! yeah, normally i don't care about them, but this one is unique. and i like driving something unique. :)



Who knew the market for Honda Odysseys was so hot?

Hondas in general. They sell like hotcakes here, and they're all over the place.

yeah, i know - but, two things surprised me about this:

1. i live in the sticks - you've got to drive 35-45min from any small city to get here
2. this thing had 355K KMs on it (219K miles)
3. it was ugly (dents and rust, some broken plastic, etc)

now, i did advertise it for $950. sold for $900. it's a lot vehicle for $900.

happy it's gone though. :)

[alexandre]

What a monster! There's one that parks downtown where I go to school here in Montreal. I always wonder how he backs that thing up in parallel. That $900 price tag was probably what made the van go so fast!

[slater]

What a monster! There's one that parks downtown where I go to school here in Montreal. I always wonder how he backs that thing up in parallel. That $900 price tag was probably what made the van go so fast!

well, it was only worth about $900. :) (i did some comparison shopping on kijiji.)

re: the Mega Monty, yeah, it is big - and rearward visibility is not awesome as it's so high up. this morning i ordered a double-din blaupunkt BPSD530 nav head unit and a backup camera - my wife actually requested a backup camera. i normally don't care about those things (you should be able to back up yourself ;)), but this thing is really tall.

[slater]

finally swapped my front 135M rims with 225/40/18 PSS back on, with 12.5mm spacers, to see how the 225-width PSS felt versus the 245's on the ARC-8s. went on back-to-back 20min drives, same route. i have to say, the 225's really do have better on-center feel, but it's quite interesting how - even in 50mph sweepers - the 245's up front just feel so much more 'planted' (the car feels more stable), and neutral - the 225's feel like they want to push a little - it's hard to describe.

so, while on-center feel and initial turn-in is a bit duller with the 245's, they excel everywhere else. they are tracking straight now - i think they just needed to break in a bit (i've also worked out my tire pressures - 36psi up front, 37psi in the rear (cold). this car is sooo sensitive to tire pressures - i can feel a 2-3psi difference).

the 225's feel a lot more 'alive' up front on-center, and more precise during initial turn-in.

i am really splitting hairs here. but i obsess over these little details. ;) i think i'm going to keep the 245's on, and dial in some more negative camber up front. :)

besides... i need those 225/255 PSS for a new project on the horizon. :) details when it's 100%. :cheers

[ELCID86]

Glad you are getting it dialed in! And excited to here abute (insert Canadian accent) the new project.

[Rovert]

Who says that anyways? Is that an American accent? lol

[BMWCurves]

eh?

[slater]

Glad you are getting it dialed in! And excited to here abute (insert Canadian accent) the new project.

shawn, nobody says that... at least not in 5 provinces that i've been in anyway. :)

new project should be very exciting. :)



Who says that anyways? Is that an American accent? lol

LOL. exactly! ;)



eh?

hahaha.... nobody says that either! :) these stereotypes are weird. :)

[az3579]

shawn, nobody says that... at least not in 5 provinces that i've been in anyway. :)

hahaha.... nobody says that either! :) these stereotypes are weird. :)

Funny you say that because I've heard numerous people talk like that when I go to Canada. Ayan is one of them. :biggrin

Sent from my LG V10 on Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

Funny you say that because I've heard numerous people talk like that when I go to Canada. Ayan is one of them. :biggrin

Sent from my LG V10 on Tapatalk

Unless pretty much every Canadian with an accent I've met is putting on a show for me because I'm 'Murican, "eh"s and "aboot"s are relatively common (for me). Not Quebec though. My high school PE teacher was Canadian and played soccer for the national team in the 70s and 80s, he was an avid user of both of those stereotypical phrases. I forget what part of Canada he was from.

Sorry to run your thread off the rails a little bit, Peter, but I do enjoy some harmless Canadian/American banter.

[ELCID86]

eh?

Take off.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160430/69a5dd3e9725b095e76a7eb92b994b59.jpg

[slater]

Sorry to run your thread off the rails a little bit, Peter, but I do enjoy some harmless Canadian/American banter.

LOL, it's cool! being AmeriCanadian i'm on both sides of the fence. :)

staying on-topic... got a cylinder 6 misfire code today. car was running like it was on 5 cylinders (as it was ;) ).

got home, pulled the coil packs and plugs. installed new plugs (had them on the shelf :)), swapped cylinder 6 coil pack with cylinder 1, started it up... no misfires. dead plug! never had that happen before (always a coil pack).

[Sockethead]

Last time I had that happen, new plugs fixed it for me too

[ELCID86]

Glad you had the parts in stock. I've not seen a plug die like that before.

[slater]

Last time I had that happen, new plugs fixed it for me too

cool. are you running stock plugs?



Glad you had the parts in stock. I've not seen a plug die like that before.

me either, it was weird. i'm using NGK BKR6E. i've been using this brand and type of plug (performance copper) for over a decade now, no issues until now.

[slater]

so i thought, since it has been 6 months already on this overhaul (time flies), that i would do a little recap of how stuff is working out, if i would do anything differently, etc...

i've added new strut mounts, and the 18x8.5" ET38 apex ARC-8s and 245/35/18 michelin PSS, and 3mm rear spacers since the post below. i'm mostly over the fence on the feel of the 'square' setup - my winter setup is squared, but this new setup is utilizing 245's up front, so that's way different. the on-center feel is not as good with them, but i'm also replacing my steering coupler and full tie rods soon (and new swaybar endlinks), so we'll see how it feels after that...




- Bilstein PSS: wow. they are indeed stiffer, but not too much. i think the key part is that the dampers are SO fast to react - they really sharpen the cars' reflexes without killing you. the damping is a little too quick on really choppy surfaces, but still miles better than tired OEM dampers. but overall, the damping profile is so well-judged, i don't see why you'd spend the extra on the PSS10's.

still happy with these. they are awesome.




- BW spherical RTABs: oh my crap. no more loading up in the rear as with the poly RTABs... if you go around a tight bend (like at large intersection, or a low-speed bend), especially on uneven pavement, and put the power down - no fuss, no "wait, WHAT do you want me to do?!" - it just puts it down with sublime "i've got this" attitude and goes. it feels... innate. and they're quiet.

still quiet! still awesome.




- MFactory LSD with 3.46 ratio: love love love it. it makes the car intuitive, playful-yet-controllable. and the shorter ratio is present everywhere - the car feels so much quicker, especially in 2nd and 3rd. on the highway - 75mph is sitting at 2950rpm, and i averaged 30MPG at that speed, at 35ºF ambient temp. not bad! on the 50mph roads i was averaging about 32MPG at the same ambient temp.

to be honest, the LSD goads me a bit. i find myself turning DSC and DTC off more frequently and i want to hang the rear end out a lot more. i do, however, want to try derek's suggested DSC coding tweaks (using a hybrid of ZHP/M3/CSL settings) for when i turn just DSC off, so i can get a little more slip out of it. happy to leave the stock DSC/DTC 'on' settings for when my wife drives the car in the wet.




- shifter: best part of the car now? i dunno, perhaps. getting off the highway onto a tight exit ramp, double-clutch downshifting to 3rd, then 2nd... there is zero drivetrain or shifter slop. it's car-guy ecstasy.

this has held up very well - the rear shifter rod bushing mod has gotten a tiny bit softer, but still feels great. i drove alex's car recently and he has the BMW Performance shift lever (aka 'euro' shift lever), and i really liked that - it was a subtle reduction in throws and notchy-ness that i would really like.




- poly diff mounts: i do have some gear whine and more drivetrain noise transmitted into the cabin. it actually suppressed quite a bit after 5hrs of driving - i'm hoping it continues to calm down over time. i don't mind it at all, but my wife and kids might.

i changed the rear diff fluid after 1000km with motul 300 GL-5, and it actually helped quiet the diff noise down a tiny bit. it's still there a little, enough to notice but not enough to bother me (and that says something!).




- UUC black trans mounts: the only bad spot. i don't know what the heck is wrong, but when i rev the engine at a standstill (in neutral or otherwise), i get vibrations. i didn't have these with the M3 engine mounts i installed just prior to starting the project, and the vibrations happen when stopped - so it's not anywhere else in the drivetrain. they did not fit so well, so i'm going to loosen them, and as UUC recommends, 'drive around the block' like that, let things settle, and then re-tighten. if they still vibrate... i'll try the rogue trans mounts.

i did read that a few folks who installed the UUC trans mounts had vibration that ended up being a broken DMF, which, hey, i might have. i have some chatter at idle and when i shut down the car - it's been there since i bought the car. so maybe the stiffer trans mounts are bringing that issue to light? i dunno. i'll see what it's like after i 'settle' the trans mounts.

after lots of troubleshooting i've deduced that this is indeed my DMF going bad. it's going to be replaced sometime in the next year with a SPEC 20lb steel SMF, and either the SPEC street or E34 M5 clutch + PP (both kits have a sprung hub clutch disc). will probably do next spring at tax return time if it can hold out that long.




bottom line - my car is awesome. it has a new character. it's my favorite car!

i still feel the same way - i had 1.5hrs in the car last night on mostly 50mph roads and it just is so nice to drive - it's exactly how i want it (minus the on-center steering feel and DMF rattletrap ;) ). excited to drive this car til it's dead! :cheers

i replied to my own post. what a weird thing to do. :blink

[slater]

upcoming to-do list:

ENGINE
- remove shark injector tune
- reflash DME with latest software
- reinstall shark injector tune
- GAS DISA rebuilt kit

SUSPENSION/STEERING
- install new lemförder front swaybar endlinks, tie rod assemblies and steering coupler
- alignment with more negative camber front and rear (aiming for -1.5ºF and -1.0º rear; currently at -1.25ºF, -0.75ºR)
- PS fluid flush

BRAKES
- new zimmermann rotors and stoptech sport pads

BODY
- wash/wax/detail
- replace broken RF lower fender liner (has been broken since i bought the car...)
- re-aim headlights

MISC (road trip items for my kids :) )
- install E38 rear cupholder in leading edge of rear seat bottom
- install USB port and +12v charge port in rear storage cubby (on the back of the center console)

[Vas]

The zimmerman rotors are very nice. I got a set waiting to be installed with some stoptech street pads.

[slater]

The zimmerman rotors are very nice. I got a set waiting to be installed with some stoptech street pads.

cool. i've been using zimmermann rotors on audis for years - and the set of rotors coming off this car are zimmermanns... i buy the coated ones. they've always been good.

[cakM3]

upcoming to-do list:

BODY
- wash/wax/detail
- replace broken RF lower fender liner (has been broken since i bought the car...)

You have a good list to work on Peter! I was reminded by the lower fender liner... I have been living with my broken lower RF fender liner myself... I will replace mine this summer...

[slater]

You have a good list to work on Peter! I was reminded by the lower fender liner... I have been living with my broken lower RF fender liner myself... I will replace mine this summer...

yep... and they're not expensive, like $50USD for an OEM one.

my list looks nice and short - which is good because the to-do list for the estoril coupe is looong!! and i'm also working on the tank... :)

[BMWCurves]

Thanks for the updates, Peter. It's always nice to know how these sorts of maintenance/modifications hold up over time and in combination with one another.

[slater]

installed:

- new lemförder front swaybar endlinks
- new rear headlight leveler sensor arm
- new rear lower spring pads
- new zimmermann coated rotors
- stoptech sport pads

i bedded them in, but the intial feel is quite soft compared to the PBR pads i had on before. not crazy about that. otherwise they feel good, stopping power is decent (PBR pads were good too).

[slater]

14hr road trip over the last two days. car was great, but i think my fuel pump is dying - more than 25% throttle produces a bit of an 'electric drill' sound from under the rear seat. ordering a new one this week.

[Vas]

14hr road trip over the last two days. car was great, but i think my fuel pump is dying - more than 25% throttle produces a bit of an 'electric drill' sound from under the rear seat. ordering a new one this week.

I will be replacing one today as well. It finally decided to just die.

[slater]

I will be replacing one today as well. It finally decided to just die.

are you using a VDO/Siemens unit?

[Vas]

are you using a VDO/Siemens unit?

Correct. I used it on my imola sedan and had no issues with it.

Also added the M3 fuel pump fixture since it was cheap.

[slater]

Correct. I used it on my imola sedan and had no issues with it.

Also added the M3 fuel pump fixture since it was cheap.

M3 fuel pump fixture...? do tell!

[Sockethead]

Its a baffle to keep the fuel from sloshing away from the pickup... been meaning to pickup one myself :)

[slater]

Its a baffle to keep the fuel from sloshing away from the pickup... been meaning to pickup one myself :)

cool. i'll check realoem.com for the part #.

[Vas]

cool. i'll check realoem.com for the part #.

16112229656

[slater]

16112229656

thanks vas. i ordered:

- VDO/Siemens pump
- new victor reinz gasket
- M3 fuel pump baffle

[Vas]

thanks vas. i ordered:

- VDO/Siemens pump
- new victor reinz gasket
- M3 fuel pump baffle

Nice. I need to do the same for Sketchi

[slater]

really thinking about getting some 911 bilstein PSS rears, 6" 500lb springs, clevis top mounts and doing a rear coilover conversion.......! i'd be able to run less spring rate in the rear and it, in theory, is a lot less stress on the rear floor. hmmmmm.....

did an oil change on wednesday night, @ 249243km.

need to do tie rods and steering coupler soon, then alignment.

likely doing the fuel pump w/ M3 baffle this weekend.

:cheers

[slater]

installed the new VDO fuel pump, gasket and M3 fuel pump baffle today. 250994KM.

[Vas]

Thought again on the stoptech street pads since you put more miles on them since install.

Pedal feel, dust? etc?

[Rovert]

Less cold temp initial bite. But totally adequate for the street. High temp endurance is great. I bedded them with over 10 60-10 slowdowns and not once did I feel them fade or smell anything burning. Dust is light orange/brown and it takes maybe two to three fuel tank fulls to show. That was when I had my ZHP.

[slater]

Thought again on the stoptech street pads since you put more miles on them since install.

Pedal feel, dust? etc?

i think they're now called stoptech 'sport' pads, the 'street' ones are different.

i need to bleed my brakes again as i think i have a bad bleeder valve - i've got air in the system. so initial pedal feel is not really accurate right now, but i can say that dusting is low and modulation is good. initial bite is decent, but again, i need to re-bleed and then i can make a good call on that.

i will say that rain performance is very good - i experienced the 'no brakes' fun when driving in the rain with my old pads (PBR) and it was not fun - it took a few hard stabs to dry out the brakes. i drove in some torrential rain last night (unfortunately several hours from my house - we didn't get any, and we need it badly!), and i had brakes every time i needed them.

[slater]

kind of exciting: i placed a deposit on a 'vince' no-weld RACP (Rear Axle Carrier Panel) reinforcement kit (it's an epoxy and rivet-on install). my imola ZHP will be the first non-M car to use it, and while i don't think there will be any issues (the M3 RACP is the same as the non-M), i'm going to be the guinea pig. i'll put together a thread on the process later on - it's going to be pretty involved. vince is also thinking about making some epoxy and rivet-on rear floor 'cups' for the subframe mounts, which i will hopefully be testing as well.

unfortunately i found a small crack in my rear floor the other day by the LR subframe mount, which is what's prompting this. crappy, but at least i caught it early and it's going to be as good as possible when done. i'm also going to drop the trans and replace the clutch and flywheel (SMF conversion) at the same time. looking into buying a low-profile trans jack for the job(s).

more info (and a lot of pics) on the 'vince' kit: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=546116

i'm kind of curious if higher spring rates in the rear (with my bilstein PSS kit - even though they're not that stiff) contribute to RACP separation and cracking. moving to a true rear coilover would allow me to run much softer rates as the spring is a lot further outboard - i'd be able to use 350# springs - and i've read of quite a few M3 guys who do this for street and track use - apparently the moton setup is like this. it also would allow for more rear suspension travel.

all in all - another massive fall project for this car. i won't be getting the reinforcement kit and floor 'cups' until mid-september, so i will be driving the car sparingly until then. this means i really need to get the estoril car done soon. :) and, it means i might considering putting the full M3 rear end in from my new parts car. hmmm.....

:cheers

[san]

You recently changed all the sub frame bushings correct? So you didn't find any cracks then?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[slater]

You recently changed all the sub frame bushings correct? So you didn't find any cracks then?

nope. i did a full inspection last october/november when i had it apart to do the bushings/mounts/diff/etc.

i can only imagine that it's my driving that caused it, but i'm not that hard on the car at all - no clutch dumping or smoky burnouts. ;)

[Rovert]

How did you see the crack without pulling the subframe off?

[slater]

How did you see the crack without pulling the subframe off?

it was right in the bend where the LR always cracks first... easy to spot with the subframe still on the car.

here's a pic of what it looks like cleaned up (not my car), to give you an idea of the exact location. for reference, the crack below is about 25mm.

[Rovert]

Oh I thought the sealant would mask the crack underneath.

[slater]

Oh I thought the sealant would mask the crack underneath.

it's not that thick... it can mask it, depends on how much grit and grime you've got on the bottom of your car. :) mine is pretty clean because i cleaned it last fall.

[Sockethead]

That sucks Peter. At least you caught it early on. There is really no difference between the M and regular e46 other than the fact that the M cracks on the front right first since the diff mounts are basically the opposite of ours. The root of the problem lies in the spot welds between the layers. It Looks like your kit will address that perfectly by through bolting the subframe.

I'll be looking forward to your review of this too... ;)

[slater]

That sucks Peter. At least you caught it early on. There is really no difference between the M and regular e46 other than the fact that the M cracks on the front right first since the diff mounts are basically the opposite of ours. The root of the problem lies in the spot welds between the layers. It Looks like your kit will address that perfectly by through bolting the subframe.

I'll be looking forward to your review of this too... ;)

thanks, rob!

you're correct that the M and non-M have the exact same RACP. the M's crack in the LR first, it seems - that is also where BMW was filling with their structural foam. i'm going to likely fill the fronts, and together with this 'vince' kit that i'm putting in, should be sufficient - this kit transfers a lot of the load to the rear frame rails and away from the main failure points. and, really - for the price, it's not bad! it's a lot of work, but then again vince put a lot of engineering work already into the kit. it should be doable in a weekend. i'm going to document the process of mine and post it up here.

and re: the spot welds - yes, those are a major problem. vince drills some of them out and replaces them with rivets, with large washers. i like that idea.

oh - and i found another SMF clutch kit! valeo was making an SMF conversion for the 5-speed cars, and now they have one for the 6-speed cars - only, they are on backorder everywhere at the moment (i guess they were popular :)). at $545, it's less than half the cost of the SPEC kit and for my basically stock-powered car, should be totally fine.

i'm planning to do the clutch + SMF and the RACP reinforcement at the same time. my new parts car has an M3 rear end and some bimmerbrake headers on it... thinking of putting those on too... ;) but i might stick with the MFactory helical LSD over the M3 one.

[Sockethead]

swap the headers, you going to like it... more torque everywhere.

[slater]

swap the headers, you going to like it... more torque everywhere.

yeah, i'm just concerned about the ramifications of removing the cats...

[Sockethead]

We don't have inspection here so luckily, I don't have to worry about it... other than that there aren't any issues with the car itself by removing them

[az3579]

We don't have inspection here so luckily, I don't have to worry about it... other than that there aren't any issues with the car itself by removing them
Other than the smell... And sometimes smoke.

Sent from my LG V10 on Tapatalk

[slater]

We don't have inspection here so luckily, I don't have to worry about it... other than that there aren't any issues with the car itself by removing them


Other than the smell... And sometimes smoke.

right... and ethical reasons. and CELs.

the magnaflow headers with high-flow cats look awesome, but they are like $1300USD for the pair.

[slater]

ordered a rivet gun today for the upcoming project. :)

[Sockethead]

Other than the smell... And sometimes smoke.


I guess you guys are too young to remember the days before catalytic converters...

No smoke at all from my car. Even on the dyno

[Sockethead]

You can always add high flow cats in place of the first resonator if your conscience is bothering you.
Just keep the stock exhaust. It works well. You can change it later if you don't like the sound

[slater]

You can always add high flow cats in place of the first resonator if your conscience is bothering you.
Just keep the stock exhaust. It works well. You can change it later if you don't like the sound

OK, that's a good idea. i will be keeping the stock exhaust... but adding the BMW Performance muffler. :)

[slater]

ordered a valeo SMF conversion kit from fcpeuro! from what i can tell, this is a new product, and they are selling like hotcakes (attention rob! ;)).

the SMF is steel, and comes with a stock-type sprung-hub clutch disc and pressure plate, throwout bearing, etc. does not come with a pilot bearing or clutch install tool - ordered those separately. :) all told is was less than HALF the cost of the SPEC clutch and 20lb steel SMF setup!

good things are happening - it's going to be 2 months before i can really drive the car again, but man, i am excited! :cheers

[Sockethead]

Sounds good...and good price

[slater]

Sounds good...and good price

yep! for stock-ish power levels... i think it's a great option.

[ZacharyMikel]

ordered a valeo SMF conversion kit from fcpeuro! from what i can tell, this is a new product, and they are selling like hotcakes (attention rob! ;)).

the SMF is steel, and comes with a stock-type sprung-hub clutch disc and pressure plate, throwout bearing, etc. does not come with a pilot bearing or clutch install tool - ordered those separately. :) all told is was less than HALF the cost of the SPEC clutch and 20lb steel SMF setup!

good things are happening - it's going to be 2 months before i can really drive the car again, but man, i am excited! :cheers
That's sick that they're selling that kit now! I couldn't find a good kit to save my life when I was searching for one a few months ago when I thought my throwout bearing was done...

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[slater]

That's sick that they're selling that kit now! I couldn't find a good kit to save my life when I was searching for one a few months ago when I thought my throwout bearing was done...

yep! came across it by accident... glad i did. :) it's exactly what i was looking for.

[san]

Just checked on fcp and It seems like they're on back order now with no ETA...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[slater]

Just checked on fcp and It seems like they're on back order now with no ETA...

yep... they were able to locate one for me, but if i remember correctly i heard that there is a big shipment arriving late august/early september.

[TheFinanceGuy]

Good Stuff Peter!

[slater]

Good Stuff Peter!

thanks man!

bought a small MIG welder today - woohoo!! finally. lots of learning to do.

[Sockethead]

cool! Here's a technical video to get started... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mcTl0VrvWQ

[slater]

thanks rob! :cheers

[slater]

washed, waxed and detailed the outside of the imola ZHP on friday night. good timing too... while it was 15C yesterday (roughly 62F), today it snowed and was -3C (roughly 25F). the car is filthy now with slush, salt and dirt. oh well.

[slater]

7AM saturday. prepped for winter... minus snow tires of course, LOL. rear is sitting a tad low - trunk was full of tools (and a jack) to help a friend with a car repair.

[anandoc]

Awesome pics, Peter! Feel free to drop by here with your tools, I will have plenty of stuff waiting for you to work on :)

[slater]

Awesome pics, Peter! Feel free to drop by here with your tools, I will have plenty of stuff waiting for you to work on :)

well, she is a broke single mom and lives 8min from my house. my day was already booked with house stuff but i had to make time at 7AM to get it done!

[anandoc]

well, she is a broke single mom and lives 8min from my house. my day was already booked with house stuff but i had to make time at 7AM to get it done!

Just teasing ya Peter! I know you are extremely generous and helpful to your friends & neighbors. Please don't take any offense at my lame attempt of making a joke.

Daniel and I met up yesterday and he loved the M3 seats I got from you. I might have convinced him to get a pair for his car ;)

[slater]

Just teasing ya Peter! I know you are extremely generous and helpful to your friends & neighbors. Please don't take any offense at my lame attempt of making a joke.

Daniel and I met up yesterday and he loved the M3 seats I got from you. I might have convinced him to get a pair for his car ;)

haha. cool! :)

[slater]

kinda sad, but... this car is officially off the road for good as of tonight. the bumpers and skirts are going to get painted and enjoy life on anando's car, and the hood and fenders are going to a needy imolarot sedan in toronto.

the entire drivetrain and suspension will go into the Touring. i will inventory a lot of the misc extra stuff (fasteners, modules, etc) as it will be super handy to have down the road. hoping to sell the shadowline trim, anthracite interior bits, and extra set of M3 seats right away.... i don't need TWO sets of M3 seats, that's just ridiculous. ;)

it's been about 3 years and 2 weeks of happy ownership! onward and upward into ZHP Touring land!

signing off...

[BMWCurves]

http://i.imgur.com/wexZETK.gif

[704sw]

signing off...
https://media.tenor.co/images/7254b34c9bd8466912e5271f30dcc274/tenor.gif

[fredo]

Organ donor, she will continue to live thru the recipients. :thumbsup

[holyc0w]

29640

[ZHPizza]

sad.gif

[san]

I thought you were going to just take the good bits from the sedan and turn it back to stock to sell it, didn't realize you would be parting it out [emoji15]



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[slater]

I thought you were going to just take the good bits from the sedan and turn it back to stock to sell it, didn't realize you would be parting it out [emoji15]

no, that

a) would take way too long... all of the 'good bits' are encompassed in the drivetrain. so the drivetrain needs to come out. :)
b) is actually more expensive than doing what i'm doing - which is creating a ZHP Touring.

plus there is a crack in the RACP of the sedan, and i just wouldn't feel comfortable selling it like that.




and... you guys' GIFs are hilarious. love it.

[san]

no, that

a) would take way too long... all of the 'good bits' are encompassed in the drivetrain. so the drivetrain needs to come out. :)
b) is actually more expensive than doing what i'm doing - which is creating a ZHP Touring.

plus there is a crack in the RACP of the sedan, and i just wouldn't feel comfortable selling it like that.




and... you guys' GIFs are hilarious. love it.

Ya I get that I guess. But just pains me a little so see a good car (with a RACP crack, which can be fixed) to be taken off the road and be taken apart for parts. Must not have been an easy decision.


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[slater]

Ya I get that I guess. But just pains me a little so see a good car (with a RACP crack, which can be fixed) to be taken off the road and be taken apart for parts. Must not have been an easy decision.

no, it definitely wasn't easy. and my RACP had started to separate from the chassis leg - only a tiny bit, and i secured it with rivets as per vince's recommendation, but ultimately i knew i didn't want to be tracking this car because of that. the Touring has the factory reinforcement piece, no cracks, and i am putting the VinceBar in very soon. if i'm going to drive this car like i drove the sedan (occasional hard launches, tail-out fun, future track days), i need to be darn sure i won't have to tear it apart again to repair it.

so... sad, yes. but with a happy ending. i'm creating a one-of-a-kind car, and my friends are benefiting from the parts i'm not using, so everyone wins! :cheers

[nextelbuddy]

sad but parts will go to happy homes and the soul will live on..

now on to the great part out :shifty


black cube trim? :cigar

[slater]

sad but parts will go to happy homes and the soul will live on..

now on to the great part out :shifty


black cube trim? :cigar

hahaha... yes, i will have a set available soon. :)

[anandoc]

now on to the great part out :shifty



Looks like the vultures are already circling around Peter's imola sedan :p

[BMWCurves]

Looks like the vultures are already circling around Peter's imola sedan :p

Nah, not really. We wouldn't do that.

On a completely different note: remind me what extra goodies you have in this car, Peter.

[slater]

Looks like the vultures are already circling around Peter's imola sedan :p

LOL, i'm the biggest one! :)



Nah, not really. We wouldn't do that.

On a completely different note: remind me what extra goodies you have in this car, Peter.

stuff for sale? all extra goodies are going into the Touring... the rest (leftover) will be stock ZHP stuff.

i might have a shark injector for sale. might be going with an AA tune if i decide to use the bimmerbrake headers i've got here...

[Rovert]

I wish it was a coupe. I need coupe trim. [emoji23]

[slater]

I wish it was a coupe. I need coupe trim. [emoji23]

haha. which trim? interior or exterior?

[Rovert]

Inside. The OEM titanium painted garbage just bubbles up and creates veins everywhere. I just sand them down with find paper so it's smooth for now. I wish I could get ZCP trim for lower than the cost people ask for it but it's just a car to me and I don't need $1000 of ZCP trim. [emoji52]

[BMWCurves]

LOL, i'm the biggest one! :)




stuff for sale? all extra goodies are going into the Touring... the rest (leftover) will be stock ZHP stuff.

i might have a shark injector for sale. might be going with an AA tune if i decide to use the bimmerbrake headers i've got here...

Nah, I was trying to remember what you're transferring over to the Meisterwagen

[slater]

Inside. The OEM titanium painted garbage just bubbles up and creates veins everywhere. I just sand them down with find paper so it's smooth for now. I wish I could get ZCP trim for lower than the cost people ask for it but it's just a car to me and I don't need $1000 of ZCP trim. [emoji52]

so you're looking for ZHP cube trim, then?



Nah, I was trying to remember what you're transferring over to the Meisterwagen

oh...that:

- ZHP engine w/ aFe intake, new radiator, M3 engine mounts
- ZHP getrag trans, UUC black trans mounts, upgraded linkage, driveshaft
- ZHP rear end with 3.46 MFactory helical LSD, AKG subframe mounts, BW spherical RTABs, M3 control arm bushings, 20mm rear sway, 330i brakes
- ZHP exhaust (getting the BMW Performance muffler though)
- bilstein PSS
- M3 front swaybar
- CF strut bar
- 330i front brakes
- ZHP steering rack and subframe
- TRS ZKW headlights
- fog lights
- newish wiper cowl cover
- newish mirror glass
- half-perforated leather M3 wheel
- E90 M Sport shift knob
- black cube trim
- M Sport dead pedal
- M Sport sills
- ZHP door panels
- leather armrest
- new floor mats
- homelink module
- aux input (thinking about getting a GROM BT-3 though)

[704sw]

I absolutely love this Coby Wheel, but when it's raining and my hands are a little wet I think about your perf'd M3 wheel and go down a bit of a rabbit hole.

[slater]

I absolutely love this Coby Wheel, but when it's raining and my hands are a little wet I think about your perf'd M3 wheel and go down a bit of a rabbit hole.

ha.

you know... i love both. they both have their good points. the bad points are that they don't have the others' good points. ;)

i think about getting another coby wheel a lot, but ultimately the half-perf leather M3 wheel is my favorite. i love perforated leather.

[704sw]

ha.

you know... i love both. they both have their good points. the bad points are that they don't have the others' good points. ;)

The alcantara was pretty great during this brutal North Carolina winter!

Sarcasm aside, I assume it's going to be a nice change from the black leather wheel when it gets to 100° in August.

[slater]

The alcantara was pretty great during this brutal North Carolina winter!

Sarcasm aside, I assume it's going to be a nice change from the black leather wheel when it gets to 100° in August.

yes, it absolutely will. that is when i'm going to be thinking really hard about sending my spare wheel to coby!

[cakM3]

oh...that:

- ZHP engine w/ aFe intake, new radiator, M3 engine mounts
- ZHP getrag trans, UUC black trans mounts, upgraded linkage, driveshaft
- ZHP rear end with 3.46 MFactory helical LSD, AKG subframe mounts, BW spherical RTABs, M3 control arm bushings, 20mm rear sway, 330i brakes
- ZHP exhaust (getting the BMW Performance muffler though)
- bilstein PSS
- M3 front swaybar
- CF strut bar
- 330i front brakes
- ZHP steering rack and subframe
- TRS ZKW headlights
- fog lights
- newish wiper cowl cover
- newish mirror glass
- half-perforated leather M3 wheel
- E90 M Sport shift knob
- black cube trim
- M Sport dead pedal
- M Sport sills
- ZHP door panels
- leather armrest
- new floor mats
- homelink module
- aux input (thinking about getting a GROM BT-3 though)

Your touring will be set up really nice Peter! Can't wait to meet up with you sometime this year and check it out! [emoji41][emoji1417]


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[BMWCurves]

Your touring will be set up really nice Peter! Can't wait to meet up with you sometime this year and check it out! [emoji41][emoji1417]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

+1

That Touring is going to be downright awesome. You'll have a great time doing the work too, I'm sure.

[slater]

Your touring will be set up really nice Peter! Can't wait to meet up with you sometime this year and check it out! [emoji41][emoji1417]

that would be awesome! hoping to get to NE this summer to see my dad and step-mom in maine, and do mount washington with the kids.



+1

That Touring is going to be downright awesome. You'll have a great time doing the work too, I'm sure.

i certainly plan on it! :) i'm going to pace myself, as i'm tired of marathon nights where i don't get to bed until 2-3am (did one last night for work and i'm hurting this morning). keeping it to 2-3hrs a night will keep it fun.

[Sockethead]

i'm going to pace myself, as i'm tired of marathon nights where i don't get to bed until 2-3am (did one last night for work and i'm hurting this morning). keeping it to 2-3hrs a night will keep it fun.

I hear ya on that! The older I get, the harder it is to recover from those late nights.
I have a lot of work to do on my car that I've been putting off for that very reason.
The touring is going to be killer.