Wobz

[brettbimmer]

BP's Eonon stereo is complete. Got everything routed, connected and installed. Everything seems in order and the stereo output sounds amazing! So much more functionality compared to my OE Nav setup.

I'll be upgrading my ZHP soon :thumbsup


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Great news gents! Looking forward to photos of the finished product and getting the analysis report from the owner!

[cakM3]

17080

17081

[NoVAphotog]

I love OEM that looks!

[cakM3]

In for the Video of that GA5150 in action!!!


Awesome!!! Good luck guys!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gary, after BP has had some time he will be posting a very indeph review of his new Eonon GA 5150. We took our time with the install and were at it all day today until about 6pm. Having Tony there was a major help as Tony has done this at least 3x so far and is very familiar with the install process. He was able to point out some areas of concern while installing the Eonon and I feel we were able to provide Botond with a "quality" installation.

Patrick I have to admit that I was very impressed with the product after everything was "test fitted" and then op-tested before final installation. The backup camera BP used worked flawlessly and provided decent video as he backed up his car against my ZHP. Man there's so much more functionality to this unit compared to BMWs offering but then we're talking about a system being over 12 years old (BMWs). I for one feel it's nice to see something that looks decent when installed and not look "out of place" like some of the other solutions out there. Even if this product is made in China, I like the look and functionality that this unit provides.

I am looking forward to seeing what BP has to say after having it in his ZHP for a time…:thumbsup As much as I want to say I'm done working with cars this week…I still have my ZHP to work on…. I need to give it some good TLC (PC action)….my back is not looking forward to that!

[az3579]

First and foremost, thank you so very much Charlie and Tony for all the help you guys provided this weekend!
This most likely wouldn't have happened until spring if it wasn't for the heated garage space Charlie provided, and the delicious meals provided (top notch home made cooking). The paint correction you provided resulted in amazing results on parts of the car that looked pretty trashed before.

Tony, I can't thank you enough for you willing to give up the only day you have free in a typical week to help out with this, and for this awesome jacket. Your expertise proved invaluable with this install, and most certainly would have resulted in a lot more head scratching and experimentation if it wasn't for your prior knowledge on these installs. Hats off to both of you!

I will be posting a full review of this unit perhaps at the end of the week. I am still experimenting with certain aspects of this unit. I've had quite a few qualms with the unit after install but have sorted most of them out. I expected to have to tinker with it to some degree to get all the functionality to work the way I wanted it to, so this isn't really a problem. There are still a couple of minor issues to resolve, but I'm sure I'll find solutions to them over the course of this week. The review will go under the Product Reviews subforum; look for it soon!

I will post a couple of pics later today after I get out of work.

[orange260z]

Awesome, guys!! I LOVE the way everyone in the family pulls together to help others out!

BP, how much do you think this will take off your lap time at Calabogie next year?? ;)

On a more serious note, does this allow you to run any data acquisition and/or video capture?

Congrats!!

[az3579]

Awesome, guys!! I LOVE the way everyone in the family pulls together to help others out!

BP, how much do you think this will take off your lap time at Calabogie next year?? ;)

On a more serious note, does this allow you to run any data acquisition and/or video capture?

Congrats!!

Haha, if anything this will slow me down just a tad bit. At least the trip up there will be more enjoyable! :)
It actually can do data acquisition. It's an Android platform, so if there's an app for it, this can most likely run it provided I have the hardware required for it (OBDII adapter). I was given one for free by a former colleague so I plan on putting it to use now!

There is also a the capability of recording video, though a separate camera will be needed for that. I don't plan on using it since I have a GoPro. Heck, I'll be able to control the GoPro from this thing as well, now that I think about it. :biggrin

[orange260z]

that's going to be pretty cool - esp if you can do an data overlay on the GP footage...

And no, I don't think Calabogie will let you watch Ricky Bobby (for inspiration, or course) while you lap.... ;) ;)

[az3579]

And no, I don't think Calabogie will let you watch Ricky Bobby (for inspiration, or course) while you lap.... ;) ;)

I'd have a massive crash from the massive IQ drop I'd suffer if I was to watch that movie again...

[johnrando]

Great werk BP, all!

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[az3579]

Great werk BP, all!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

:thumbsup Good werk team

[derbo]

shame you guys aren't on this coast

[cakM3]

shame you guys aren't on this coast

I agree.....


Sent from my iPad Mini using Tapatalk HD

[johnrando]

Agree

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[derbo]

Agree

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Shame you aren't up a few hundred miles north either. Lol


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[johnrando]

:wub

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[az3579]

I agree.....


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+1000 :\

[Ryans323i]

17080

17081
It's going to take me am hour to figure out everything this stereo can do, but it looks fantastic BP. So clean and OE looking. Congrats.

[az3579]

It's going to take me am hour to figure out everything this stereo can do, but it looks fantastic BP. So clean and OE looking. Congrats.

Nice to hear from you, Ryan. :)

[Ryans323i]

[emoji317]

[danewilson77]

It's going to take me am hour to figure out everything this stereo can do, but it looks fantastic BP. So clean and OE looking. Congrats.
:wavy

Ryan!

"No flamesuit required"

[johnrando]

Ryan! :hi

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[ELCID86]

Merry Christmas Ryan! I hear there's a special present on the way!?


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[danewilson77]

Merry Christmas Ryan! I hear there's a special present on the way!?


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.
Do tell!

"No flamesuit required"

[danewilson77]

I for one, will personally extend a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and Kyle, Ryan. We've really missed you guys around here.

"No flamesuit required"

[cakM3]

I for one, will personally extend a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and Kyle, Ryan. We've really missed you guys around here.

"No flamesuit required"

+1000

[ELCID86]

Do tell!

"No flamesuit required"

Hint (sorry for the thread-jack BP)

17144


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[danewilson77]

Hint (sorry for the thread-jack BP)

17144


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

Woot!

The friendliest forum on the planet.

[Tnhl1989]

Here is a little something you wanted.


To anyone trying to get Navigation App working, here's what I did to get Waze (and Sygic) to work:

(1) Find a way to plug a microSD card into my computer (I used a hub)
(2) Go to Google Play on my computer and find the app I want. (ex. Waze)
(3) Copy the URL link from Google Play (ex. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.waze&hl=en (http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1058202&page=9))
(4) Go to http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/ and type in the Google Play URL to download the APK file
(5) Copy the APK file to the microSD card
(6) insert microSD card into the Eonon unit and run the APKInstaller that came with the unit
(7) Start Waze

I setup personal hotspot on my iPhone and connected the Eonon to the hotspot, so I can use Waze (online) while driving.

Also, 1 last tip. If you setup Waze (or another navigation app) to be launched from the NAVI physical button (Settings/GPS/GPS Application), make sure you click "GPS Monitoring" and setup your audio option. Otherwise, you can't play music/radio while in GPS screen. This took me a long time to figure out...

Hope this helps.

[Ryans323i]

Great thread John. Your e30 has come along way and the paint teaser pictures look great. Hopefully she'll be all done and you'll get her back soon.

Just my .02: I like gloss black with any red, and if there's any gloss black, every black should be glossy. There's another option for the front grill ( not kidneys), paint them it color matched Imola. My e30 had a color matched grill, I think it looked nice and you don't see it often. Im going to try to attach a picture below for reference.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/26/66ff4ec3d1fe8805db194db045d20876.jpg

[Johnmadd]

Great thread John. Your e30 has come along way and the paint teaser pictures look great. Hopefully she'll be all done and you'll get her back soon.

Just my .02: I like gloss black with any red, and if there's any gloss black, every black should be glossy. There's another option for the front grill ( not kidneys), paint them it color matched Imola. My e30 had a color matched grill, I think it looked nice and you don't see it often. Im going to try to attach a picture below for reference.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/26/66ff4ec3d1fe8805db194db045d20876.jpg

Hmmm, wrong thread Ryan, it's been a long time I know :biggrin thanks for the feedback. I think the flat over gloss will provide a bit more contrast over gloss in my opinion but since I will be doing the trim work myself I am not stuck with anything so I can change it up if I change my mind.

[Ryans323i]

Hmmm, wrong thread Ryan, it's been a long time I know :biggrin thanks for the feedback. I think the flat over gloss will provide a bit more contrast over gloss in my opinion but since I will be doing the trim work myself I am not stuck with anything so I can change it up if I change my mind.
I was wondering where the heck my post went in your thread. Who knows what I did. :dunno

[johnrando]

Lol

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[az3579]

I realized my mod list and planned mods list in the original post were very outdated. So, I took the time to come up with a new list. Updated OP to add this:

(holy crap I have a lot of stuff done on this car...)



Current list of mods/upgrades (as of 12/31/2014)

Exterior and Lighting

* OE BMW ECE tails, side markers, and corner lights
* CREE CANBUS 25W Amber LED bulbs for turn signals front and rear
* SMD Amber LED bulbs for sidemarkers (will be changed in the future)
* 5050 CANBUS White LED bulbs for brake lights (will be changed to CREE)
* Projector White LED reverse light bulbs (will be changed to CREE)
* Yellow high beam bowls
* OE BMW E46 M3 AL projectors with ZKW lenses
* OE BMW F15 X5 LED fog lights with yellow LaminX
* OE BMW E46 city lights wired into angel eye harness (with disable switch), remote capability
* Matte black kidney grilles
* BMW CCA Map grille badge
* Gominigo.com tow hook license plate bracket
* OE BMW E46 M3 side mirrors
* OE BMW E46 M3 aspherical mirror glass
* Reverse camera
* BMW E46 LCM v4.0
* BMW E46 euro LCM faceplate, auto headlight control with auto leveling and front+rear fogs



Mechanical and Performance

* H&R Sport Cup Kit springs
* Bilstein Sport shocks
* OE BMW E46 M3 motor mounts
* OE BMW E46 M3 transmission mounts
* AKG 90A poly rear trailing arm bushings
* AKG 95A poly differential bushings
* BMW Performance short shift kit
* Gruppe M intake
* German Auto Solutions 1,2 bar expansion tank cap
* Headlight washer delete washer fluid resevoir
* Headlight washer pump delete
* UUC TSE3 cat back exhaust
* OE BMW Performance 6-piston calipers, front - with ECS Tuning brackets
* EBC Redstuff brake pads, front - for street usage
* Hawk HP+ brake pads, front and rear - for track usage only
* ECS Tuning Geomet slotted rotors, front
* ECS Tuning stainless steel braided brake lines, front and rear
* OE BMW E46 M3 shock and strut mounts, front and rear
* OE BMW E46 M3 control arm bushings
* BBS CH 015 wheels, 18x8.5 et35 front and rear - for spring/summer/fall use
--- Currently with 245/35-18 Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position tires all around
* OE BMW Style 68 wheels, 17x7.5 et47 front, 17x8.5 et50 rear - winter user only, with Turner 12.5mm spacers all around
--- Currently with 225/45-17 Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 tires all around
* Kosei K1 wheels, 17x8.5 et40 front and rear - for track use only
--- Currently with 255/40-17 Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 tires all around



Interior

* Silver cube trim (came with black cube from the factory)
* Eonon GA5150 head unit with iPod/USB integration (had Business CD from the factory)
* HVAC relocation bracket
* Lit LeatherZ ZHP shift knob, 6-speed
* Armrest removed
* OE BMW E46 Natural Brown leather seats (heated, with lumbar) and door panels (came with alcantara/cloth from the factory)
* OE BMW E90xi rubber all-weather floor mats
* OE BMW E46 M3 tri-stitch leather steering wheel
* Schroth Quick Fit harnesses, driver and passenger - only fitted for track events
* Turner Motorsport Racing black aluminum pedals with rough texture for grip
* OE BMW M3 auto-dimming rearview oval mirror
* Custom made clutch stop, made by Chad44



Coding

* Front corner light delete (only turns on when signaling left or right - both lights on with parking lights from the factory)
* Halogen high beams on with Xenon highs (halogens are flash to pass only with factory coding on cars with bi-xenons)
* Fog lights on with high beams (fogs turn off on high beam activation with factory coding)
* Double-blink hazard lights (factory coding is single blink)
* Rear fog lights enabled, both driver and passenger side (rear fogs disabled from the factory in the U.S. - OE functionality is only driver's side rear fog in Europe)
* Brake Force Display - Stage 2 active on hard decel, Stage 3 active on ABS (Stage 3 disabled from the factory)
* Daytime running lights disabled (this car had it enabled from the previous owners)
* Rear daytime running lights enabled (disabled from the factory)
* Remote window opening function - only two front windows, no moonroof (all windows open with factory coding)
* Remote window closing function - close all windows (disabled from the factory)
* Outside temperature gong disabled (factory coding beeps at 37 degrees Farenheit)
* Cooling temperature gauge correction - shows actual temp (factory coding is a hugely buffered range)
* Speedometer gauge correction - shows actual speed (factory coding shows higher speed than actual)
* Conforti Shark Injector software - raises RPM limit to 7000 (factory is 6700), slightly better throttle response
* Key in ignition beep disable (enabled from the factory)
* Seat belt beep disable (enabled from the factory)
* Service Interval set to ~6,700 miles (15,000 miles from the factory)



Planned mods/upgrades/fixes (in no particular order):

* Replace A, B, and C pillar covers
* Rebuild M3 oval rearview mirror
* Recover or fill & dye driver side seat
* Redye front seat headrests
* Redye rear seat backs, headrests, and bolsters
* Replace center console with armrest delete version
* Replace cup holders with euro tray
* Built-in powered port, out of sight, for iPhone charging cable integration
* Repaint rear parcel shelf black
* Clear film OR 50% tint, haven't yet decided
* Install FX-R v1.0 projectors into spare headlight bowls to replace M3 projectors
* High powered LED bulbs for high beams
* CREE LED bulbs for brake light portion of rear housings, currently bright but want it to be brighter
* LED license plate lights
* PedalBox
* Dinan throttle body (currently have, just need to install)
* Software update to accomodate catback exhaust, intake, and Dinan throttle body
* Silicone intake and cooling hoses
* New trunk lights - currently faded compared to outer tails
* New headlight lenses and LaminX to cover them
* Strut bar to replace cracked OE BMW Performance bar - must be made of metal this time!
* New front windshield
* New rear windshield
* Level and repaint hood, fenders, bumper, and any other areas where there are major rock chips
* Repaint side mirrors black
* Repaint roof strips gloss black
* Repaint trunk lid spoiler gloss black
* Repaint door handles gloss black
* Repaint bumper and door lower trims gloss black
* Repaint lower mesh grille black
* Replace all speakers
* OE BMW F10 M5 lit shift knob
* Replace steering wheel with new of the same kind
* Possibly swap out silver cube trim with black cube - undecided
* Diffsonline 3.23 or 3.38 LSD
* Full engine rebuild
* ESS Tuning Supercharger kit

[cakM3]

That's a big list Botond :thumbsup

[Rovert]

[emoji33]

[danewilson77]

:thumbsup

"No flamesuit required"

[johnrando]

Wow. Git er done. :)

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[cakM3]

Wow. Git er done. :)

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

John, you know BP will, in time, get his checklist done :thumbsup

[Rovert]

I think you guys' cars are more needy than Kim Kardasian. LOL

[az3579]

I think you guys' cars are more needy than Kim Kardasian. LOL

Well we don't all have exactly what we want so we make it what we want. :biggrin

Now if only I could just easily retrofit Estoril Blue... :shifty

[Rovert]

My car is not Estoril anymore. Been driving it in the canyons of salt, mud, snow, and ice. She's got a nice gradient on her while she sleeps in the parking lot at 12 degrees F. She looks like a Star Wars racer. That's how I drove her from Vancouver to Whistler. It was fun. LOL

[cakM3]

My car is not Estoril anymore. Been driving it in the canyons of salt, mud, snow, and ice. She's got a nice gradient on her while she sleeps in the parking lot at 12 degrees F. She looks like a Star Wars racer. That's how I drove her from Vancouver to Whistler. It was fun. LOL

Be careful Trevor!! Some idiot will come by and think how cool it will be to draw letters like "wash me" all over your car.....

[Rovert]

That's what a buffer is for should that ever happen. I never had a problem driving my brownish white ZHP in the winter. What I'm more concerned with is when the beast on winters steps out the rear on a lazy drive home. LOL

What's your winter setup BP?

[cakM3]

I think you guys' cars are more needy than Kim Kardasian. LOL

Now that's a funny comment….

[danewilson77]

Now that's a funny comment….
Zactly. No one here could ever be that needy.

"No flamesuit required"

[Rovert]

Hahaha you guys are awesome. True I guess no one needs a $12 million marriage party for their car.

[Ryans323i]

I think you guys' cars are more needy than Kim Kardasian. LOL
They might be more needy, but they have nicer backsides. It's a tradeoff. :dunno

That is one heck of a list BP. I'm curious about the cracked Performance strut bar, can someone point me to that thread or tell me what happened?

[az3579]

What's your winter setup BP?

Style 68's sitting on 225/45-17 Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32's. Blowing by SUVs in the snow is a regular occurance.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/02/4d79593e90a8554a64fd48a41b5304be.jpg

^ and that's about a month and a half'a worth of brake dust. :biggrin

[Rovert]

Was the LM32 a rare tire that came out just after the 25 went out of style? Then all the sudden they made a 60 which I have? My 60's feel all over the road. Maybe my suspension is f'ed. LOL

[Hornung418]

Was the LM32 a rare tire that came out just after the 25 went out of style? Then all the sudden they made a 60 which I have? My 60's feel all over the road. Maybe my suspension is f'ed. LOL
I have Blizzak WS80s on my car. Traction is superb in these super low temperatures. I know nothing about the Blizzak LM series, but the WS have a really high rating.

[az3579]

The LM series tires are the "performance" winter tire series. The one I have is V-rated, good for 149mph.
The grip in the dry is almost as good as an all-season tire. It makes very little road noise, even though I'm about halfway through the wear, and in the wet, these tires are phenomenal. Snow performance is great as well.

[cakM3]

LM tires are the perfect snow tire :thumbsup

[ryankokesh]

The WS have the very soft/squishy nanotube (I think that's what BS calls it) compound that bites phenomenally well on ice. The LMs don't have that as they're, like you said, performance oriented. They should last longer than the WSs, since they're harder. All are technically considered 'worn out' at 6/32nds remaining though, if you plan to drive in snowy conditions. (I'll try and see how mine deal when they get a little past that...)

The LM numbering got a little confusing when they did run flat versions, etc. I still can't tell you exactly what each one is for.

So both are awesome tires, they just specialize in slightly different things.


Sent from my iPhone

[Hornung418]

The LS compounds didnt come upnin my tire sizes :-( They are probably what I was after. But it has been good so far. Can't wait for extreme weather.

"You don't have to blow out my candle just to make yours shine brighter."

[az3579]

Can't go wrong either way. Blizzak is a household name for a reason. ;)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[az3579]

Was the LM32 a rare tire that came out just after the 25 went out of style? Then all the sudden they made a 60 which I have? My 60's feel all over the road. Maybe my suspension is f'ed. LOL

Forgot to directly reply to this.
No, the LM-32 is a standard tire versus the LM-25 seems to be Run Flat. When I was looking, I wasn't able to find non run-flat versions of it so I drew that assumption. Could be wrong.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[az3579]

They might be more needy, but they have nicer backsides. It's a tradeoff. :dunno

That is one heck of a list BP. I'm curious about the cracked Performance strut bar, can someone point me to that thread or tell me what happened?

Crap, I keep missing posts somehow.

There isn't much to it. It just cracked through regular daily driving. I drive on shitty roads regularly but still can't believe it cracked.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ryans323i]

Crap, I keep missing posts somehow.

There isn't much to it. It just cracked through regular daily driving. I drive on shitty roads regularly but still can't believe it cracked.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Dang! I can't believe it either. Well thanks for getting back to me!

[az3579]

So with recent events, I have started my research on replacing my brake calipers with something that works.
I am highly interested in obtaining Wilwood Superlite calipers for use on Wobz. I have some concerns about their streetability, however, as all of the people that I read about who have them run them currently on race cars. I just sent an email to Wilwood, which is as follows:



Hello there,
I am currently looking to replace my existing big brake setup for something that works properly.
I have a 2005 BMW 330i that sees 95% street usage (approximately 30-35k a year); I do about 3-4 track events per year and a season of autocross, when I’m at my busiest.

I am very interested in getting a Wilwood kit for my car, specifically the Superlites. I am a bit uneasy about it, however, because of the things I’m reading about Wilwood’s usability on the street.
The things that I’m reading include:

· Require frequent rebuilds / require lots of maintenance

· Have no dust boots


As you can imagine, driving so much on the street per year has me concerned about those two data points. In the posts that I’ve been reading from people who use Wilwood calipers, so far all of them claim to have them on race cars, which aren’t exactly comparable to a street car both in specs and in usage. I haven’t found any information about people using these in street cars.

It appears that the Superlite calipers indeed do not come with dust boots, but I did some digging and found a place that sells dust boots that they claim work with the Superlite calipers. I don’t know the legitimacy of the possibility of having dust boots on these calipers and would be very helpful if you were able to shed some light on this.

From a rebuild/maintenance perspective, I assume that the claims of frequent rebuilds was due to the fact that the calipers were being run on race cars that saw 20+ events per year, which is about what I’d accomplish in about 5 years. If that claim is indeed because of their usage case (they didn’t specify), then this is not a concern to me as I don’t have a problem rebuilding the calipers every few years. If, however, I have to rebuild these every few months or one year, then this wouldn’t be appropriate for my use. I would also appreciate some more information on this from you if at all possible.


Any information that you can provide about street useability and the two items I previously addressed would greatly benefit my research on brake replacement options. I would greatly prefer Wilwood as I know that it is an excellent product.

Thank you,
Name
Phone number

[slater]

So with recent events, I have started my research on replacing my brake calipers with something that works.
I am highly interested in obtaining Wilwood Superlite calipers for use on Wobz. I have some concerns about their streetability, however, as all of the people that I read about who have them run them currently on race cars. I just sent an email to Wilwood, which is as follows:

BP, i had a set of wilwood dynalites on a superb 1992 vw corrado VR6 about 10 years ago. the car was street driven primarily and between me and the previous owner, had seen about 30K miles of street use without a rebuild (these also had no dust boots). they performed very well and were an astounding 5lbs per caliper! (my previous porsche 996 calipers on my S6 were 8lbs each, and that's light!)

is there an off-the-shelf mounting bracket available for them?

peter

[az3579]

BP, i had a set of wilwood dynalites on a superb 1992 vw corrado VR6 about 10 years ago. the car was street driven primarily and between me and the previous owner, had seen about 30K miles of street use without a rebuild (these also had no dust boots). they performed very well and were an astounding 5lbs per caliper! (my previous porsche 996 calipers on my S6 were 8lbs each, and that's light!)

is there an off-the-shelf mounting bracket available for them?

peter

I'm not sure about the Dynalites having an off-the-shelf bracket. www.massivebrakes.com sells E46 kits for the Superlites, as well as the SL4/SL6R's, so I would think they'd have brackets.

As far as the Corrado goes... despite not having dust boots, they didn't rust at all? Did you ever drive it in the winter?

[cakM3]

Doing this in Charrie's garage!
17525

Botond installing his DINAN throttle body! :thumbsup

[Vas]

I ran a set of wikwood superlight 4 piston calipers before on my previous car. Used them with wilwood bp10 pads. Loved that set-up.

Calipers did not have dustboots but did not have any issues during the winter.

Wilwood FSL 4 in black
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/18/6252d792ee1ef1b3c736cd4055148e74.jpg

Also had Wilwood FSL 6 pot in red.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/18/bd474d8f0d2b1b616f672921219db26b.jpg

[cakM3]

17526

BP putting everything back together now that his new theottle body is installed

[derbo]

TB :)

[3ZHPGUY]

17526

BP putting everything back together now that his new theottle body is installed

Is he doing the Dinan Stage III tune after?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[az3579]

I ran a set of wikwood superlight 4 piston calipers before on my previous car. Used them with wilwood bp10 pads. Loved that set-up.

Calipers did not have dustboots but did not have any issues during the winter.

Wilwood FSL 4 in black
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/18/6252d792ee1ef1b3c736cd4055148e74.jpg

Also had Wilwood FSL 6 pot in red.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/18/bd474d8f0d2b1b616f672921219db26b.jpg

Thanks for the info! Wilwood still hasn't responded to my email I sent them, so I get the feeling they never will. What car did you run each setup on, and for how long (years)?


Is he doing the Dinan Stage III tune after?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nope. This is the only Dinan product I have on my car.

I'm thinking of going with a custom tune instead, dyno runs and everything. Haven't decided yet, but I do want it to be tailored to this particular car instead of being a generic tune.


Thank you Charlie for lending the space and assistance when my back was acting up. :thumbsup


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[Hornung418]

So what is the cost of the rebuilding the performance calipers with the upgraded parts?

Is there a Porsche brake option for the 330?

[danewilson77]

So what is the cost of the rebuilding the performance calipers with the upgraded parts?

Is there a Porsche brake option for the 330?
Yes. With special brackets of course.

"No flamesuit required"

[cakM3]

Yes. With special brackets of course.

"No flamesuit required"

+1

[Hornung418]

All comes down to cost versus price of multiple rebuilds. Porsche brakes are amazing. Moreso than the ZHP brakes. However I though there was an upgrade for the Performance Calipers. Does that make sense over going with Wilwoods or Stoptechs?

[Vas]

I ran the wilwood for more then 5 years using the 4 pot system. Then went to the 6 pot for about 2 and then sold the car. The car was a Nissan maxima.

Brackets were custom.

[cakM3]

All comes down to cost versus price of multiple rebuilds. Porsche brakes are amazing. Moreso than the ZHP brakes. However I thought there was an upgrade for the Performance Calipers. Does that make sense over going with Wilwoods or Stoptechs?

There is an upgrade for the Performance Calipers Justin but at $450 + shipping from Turner motorsports.


https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8584/15692419463_dabc55775c_z.jpg


I don't think BP is interested in going this route as he's completely frustrated with what he had.

[Hornung418]

There is an upgrade for the Performance Calipers Justing but at $450 + shipping from Turner motorsports.


https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8584/15692419463_dabc55775c_z.jpg


I don't think BP is interested in going this route as he's completely frustrated with what he had.
But if it is less than the cost of the Wilwoods, than there's nothing to lose.

[cakM3]

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7583/16311554682_a0af364287_z.jpg

Food coma kicked in once BP got comfortable sitting in my chair...:) He worked hard getting his DINAN throttle body installed and was a great help when I installed mine today so I figured I'd let hime sleep a little :)

[az3579]

Justin,
I am done with these calipers. The upgrades I had on the calipers were equivalent to what Turner sells. I've rebuilt them twice for the same issue and am not going to spend another dime on these calipers. They had their chance.

What I'm really after is rock hard pedal feel, which I had on my E30 with Wilwood calipers. I'll never forget the amazing pedal feel of those calipers, so I'm really after Wilwoods this time around. I may not get the same exact feel, but I've heard nothing but good things about Wilwood, which backs up my desire for them!


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[cakM3]

Justin,
I am done with these calipers. The upgrades I had on the calipers were equivalent to what Turner sells. I've rebuilt them twice for the same issue and am not going to spend another dime on these calipers. They had their chance.

What I'm really after is rock hard pedal feel, which I had on my E30 with Wilwood calipers. I'll never forget the amazing pedal feel of those calipers, so I'm really after Wilwoods this time around. I may not get the same exact feel, but I've heard nothing but good things about Wilwood, which backs up my desire for them!


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Looking forward to seeing you get the Wildwood calipers BP. Would like to see if you get the same pedal feel....this will seriously sway me in this direction for the ///M :thumbsup

[derbo]

Shame you aren't near me to test out my stoptechs.


Sent from iPad Mini

[slater]

I'm not sure about the Dynalites having an off-the-shelf bracket. www.massivebrakes.com sells E46 kits for the Superlites, as well as the SL4/SL6R's, so I would think they'd have brackets.

As far as the Corrado goes... despite not having dust boots, they didn't rust at all? Did you ever drive it in the winter?

no, i didn't run it in the winter and i don't think it had been previously with the dynalites.

i just checked out massive brakes - they are in montreal, very cool! looks like they make some very high-quality stuff. the caliper brackets look superb.



So what is the cost of the rebuilding the performance calipers with the upgraded parts?

Is there a Porsche brake option for the 330?

i don't know, but designing and making caliper mounting brackets for porsche brembos is pretty easy. i've done it.



There is an upgrade for the Performance Calipers Justin but at $450 + shipping from Turner motorsports.


https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8584/15692419463_dabc55775c_z.jpg


I don't think BP is interested in going this route as he's completely frustrated with what he had.

that is a pretty pricey upgrade! and - unfortunately as they should have come like that from the factory. oh well!



Justin,
I am done with these calipers. The upgrades I had on the calipers were equivalent to what Turner sells. I've rebuilt them twice for the same issue and am not going to spend another dime on these calipers. They had their chance.

What I'm really after is rock hard pedal feel, which I had on my E30 with Wilwood calipers. I'll never forget the amazing pedal feel of those calipers, so I'm really after Wilwoods this time around. I may not get the same exact feel, but I've heard nothing but good things about Wilwood, which backs up my desire for them!

i am curious to hear about your findings, BP! that kit from massive brakes looks fantastic.

peter

[az3579]

Shame you aren't near me to test out my stoptechs.


Sent from iPad Mini

I wouldn't want to anyway. Those are way too rich for my budget.. I could get a whole front set of Wilwood calipers with brackets and floating rotors for far less than Stoptech's regular price. Heck, it's less than Turner's "overstock" sale on the Stoptech's, which were about $1800 last time I checked on sale.

I'd like to contact Massive and see if I could get just calipers and brackets, but I do need front rotors so I probably will just get the kit. We shall see if I could even manage to get $50 for my "Performance" calipers. :facepalm


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[derbo]

I wouldn't want to anyway. Those are way too rich for my budget.. I could get a whole front set of Wilwood calipers with brackets and floating rotors for far less than Stoptech's regular price. Heck, it's less than Turner's "overstock" sale on the Stoptech's, which were about $1800 last time I checked on sale.

I'd like to contact Massive and see if I could get just calipers and brackets, but I do need front rotors so I probably will just get the kit. We shall see if I could even manage to get $50 for my "Performance" calipers. :facepalm


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How much is the massive brakes set? 1499CAD + shipping? thats still probably around $1400?

And you would probably try it out anyways for fun. :) I gave up on trying to mix and match setups since you were having problems with the 135i setup. I was getting to the point where I needed a rebuild so I said fuggit too.

[az3579]

How much is the massive brakes set? 1499CAD + shipping? thats still probably around $1400?

And you would probably try it out anyways for fun. :) I gave up on trying to mix and match setups since you were having problems with the 135i setup. I was getting to the point where I needed a rebuild so I said fuggit too.

Yeah the price is cheaper in USD. And you are right; I'd try the Stoptech's Kit on your car anyway. If anything, I'd look for a used set if I liked it enough...




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[slater]

How much is the massive brakes set? 1499CAD + shipping? thats still probably around $1400?

And you would probably try it out anyways for fun. :) I gave up on trying to mix and match setups since you were having problems with the 135i setup. I was getting to the point where I needed a rebuild so I said fuggit too.

$1499CAD is $1253USD at today's exchange rates.

sigh. a good deal for you stateside folks...

peter

[derbo]

Yeah the price is cheaper in USD. And you are right; I'd try the Stoptech's Kit on your car anyway. If anything, I'd look for a used set if I liked it enough...




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You know it. Then again, I'm not always a fan of used brakes unless I know the owner of them. (Peace of Mind IMO.)


$1499CAD is $1253USD at today's exchange rates.

sigh. a good deal for you stateside folks...

peter

Slater,

The shipping is what might kill us since its international.

[johnrando]

Good stuff BP.

[Avetiso]

So, sorry if I'm not reading the other pages... but you're performance calipers are bad again?

[az3579]

So, sorry if I'm not reading the other pages... but you're performance calipers are bad again?

Correct.


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[az3579]

Yesterday, after much suffering and head scratching, Charlie and I installed black Stett upper and lower intake boots. The fitment is extremely tight and definitely needs modification to relieve pressure it is putting on my intake pushing against the metal support. At least for now, I'll probably never have to buy replacement boots again! The quality on these is very nice. I will definitely be putting their longevity to the test as I rack on the miles.

[derbo]

Yesterday, after much suffering and head scratching, Charlie and I installed black Stett upper and lower intake boots. The fitment is extremely tight and definitely needs modification to relieve pressure it is putting on my intake pushing against the metal support. At least for now, I'll probably never have to buy replacement boots again! The quality on these is very nice. I will definitely be putting their longevity to the test as I rack on the miles.

With the minor fitment issue, once its done, its DONE! Great buy for your car :D

[az3579]

With the minor fitment issue, once its done, its DONE!

Yeah, until it comes time to take it apart again. lol

[derbo]

Yeah, until it comes time to take it apart again. lol

:facepalm you are right. What's that like 2weeks from now? :P

[az3579]

:facepalm you are right. What's that like 2weeks from now? :P

Umm, yeah... I need to fix the fitment once the weather gets a little warmer. Then, I also have intake manifold gaskets that I want to replace later in the summer. Let's not forget that my intake needs some cleaning too, so I'm gonna have to remove the GruppeM and reinstall the stock one for a few days and then do it again. I'm also going to be ordering LED bulbs for my high beams, so that's another occasion the intake will have to come out. I have to replace my driver's side porchop and properly remount my temperature sensor, which is mounting in the intake snorkel at the moment, so the intake will come out for that as well so I can get to it.

My intake comes out frequently, Derek, for various reasons.

[danewilson77]

With the minor fitment issue, once its done, its DONE! Great buy for your car :D
Every time he (I) wants to clean and oil his filter, he's(I'm) screwed.

"No flamesuit required"

[anandoc]

I'm also going to be ordering LED bulbs for my high beams...

BP, care to share more details about these LED H7 lamps? I am quite interested...

[az3579]

BP, care to share more details about these LED H7 lamps? I am quite interested...

I'm planning on getting LED bulbs for the high beams. Since my high beam bowls are painted matte yellow, the reflectivity is lost, so using those lights for flash to pass or to indicate to someone that I'm giving right of way can be a bit challenging since they're not as easily visible. I also have LED bulbs on all other function lights such as front and rear turn signals, reverse lights, and brake lights. I left running lights as halogen in the rear since they're on with the ignition and they're cheaper to replace when they burn out.

The high power LED H7 bulbs will provide that extra brightness and immediate on/off response that I seek to make my car that much more modern. I plan on buying ones that do not have a fan so I eliminate that as a point of potential failure.


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[anandoc]

I'm planning on getting LED bulbs for the high beams. Since my high beam bowls are painted matte yellow, the reflectivity is lost, so using those lights for flash to pass or to indicate to someone that I'm giving right of way can be a bit challenging since they're not as easily visible. I also have LED bulbs on all other function lights such as front and rear turn signals, reverse lights, and brake lights. I left running lights as halogen in the rear since they're on with the ignition and they're cheaper to replace when they burn out.

The high power LED H7 bulbs will provide that extra brightness and immediate on/off response that I seek to make my car that much more modern. I plan on buying ones that do not have a fan so I eliminate that as a point of potential failure.


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What brand/vendor are these LED lights? If you are able to share a link that would be great.

[az3579]

What brand/vendor are these LED lights? If you are able to share a link that would be great.

I haven't done enough research yet since I'm nowhere near ready to buy yet.


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[anandoc]

I haven't done enough research yet since I'm nowhere near ready to buy yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe I misunderstood - aren't you already using LED lights for the indicator lamps and the brake lights? If so, were these simply plug 'n play in the factory connector or did you have to make any modifications?

I suppose you are researching for the headlamps? I came across this site:
https://www.beyonddrivenauto.com/led-headlight-kit

[az3579]

Maybe I misunderstood - aren't you already using LED lights for the indicator lamps and the brake lights? If so, were these simply plug 'n play in the factory connector or did you have to make any modifications?

I suppose you are researching for the headlamps? I came across this site:
https://www.beyonddrivenauto.com/led-headlight-kit

Correct, I am using LED bulbs in those locations, which are plug & play.
I thought you were looking for info on the H7 ones...

I recommend you go with CREE CANBUS bulbs. The ones I have are 25W, which are plenty bright even in direct sunlight.

I got mine from eBay before any place carried this type of bulb. The Retrofit Source now carries this type of bulb and it appears that they are of a higher quality bulb than I have. A little too late for me, but if I was in the market, I'd take a look at those.

1156:
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting/led-bulbs/morimoto-xb-led-1156-bulbs.html#.VQ-BroiCPCQ

Note: these are not the bulbs that I personally have, so I cannot attest to their performance and quality. TRS is a very reputable source, so I would trust that their product is good to use.

I currently use White ones in the brake light housing. I want Red, but they don't offer Red so I'll have to source my brake light bulbs from eBay. The ones I have in the brake light housings are not CREE LEDs, which is why I want to replace them (they're not as bright as the CREE). Using white bulbs in that housing is fine; the color is similar to halogen bulbs (very slightly pinkish) with the red lens.

The rest of my bulbs (turn signals front and back) are 25W CREE sourced from eBay. My sidemarkers are weak crappy LEDs that I will replace down the road with bright ones.

I've had so many different types of LED bulbs on my car that it makes my head spin. It took a long time and many different combinations before I found bulbs that are bright enough for use in bright sunlight. I am finally happy with what I have for the most part, except for the sidemarkers.


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[anandoc]

Thanks BP. I bought FX-R projectors from TRS so I trust their quality. I will check out the turn signal led bulbs. Do keep us posted about the led H7 bulbs when you settle on one.

Sent from my Z30 using Tapatalk

[az3579]

Thanks BP. I bought FX-R projectors from TRS so I trust their quality. I will check out the turn signal led bulbs. Do keep us posted about the led H7 bulbs when you settle on one.

Sent from my Z30 using Tapatalk


Will do. It'll be a looooong time though; they're over $100 for the pair.

[az3579]

Traded my Alcantara shift and handbrake boots with a fellow nutjob today for black leather ones. I figured my car doesn't have anything else Alcantara in it anymore so what's the point of keeping those two items in that material?

Now my interior is fully leather.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/12/cd5c262553b3998060d6c506c07c0eb1.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/12/42813d9cb1a8ef14a850470e8ed161d3.jpg


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[derbo]

OH YOU FANCY.

[brettbimmer]

Looks nice against NB!

[az3579]

Looks nice against NB!

I agree! The alcantara looked great but bothered me that it no longer matched anything. I am missing the alcantara already, but I just have to convince myself that the leather boots are the way to go. At least I won't have to worry about pilling of the Alcantara anymore.

[brettbimmer]

I agree! The alcantara looked great but bothered me that it no longer matched anything. I am missing the alcantara already, but I just have to convince myself that the leather boots are the way to go. At least I won't have to worry about pilling of the Alcantara anymore.
LOL, no more alcantara shaving!

[Karl Lazlo]

I am missing the alcantara already...

Offers stands that if you want to swap back, say the word. I really don't want to find you in my driveway, late at night, stroking and fondling your old alcantara boots. That would be a little weird, even by my standards.

[az3579]

Offers stands that if you want to swap back, say the word. I really don't want to find you in my driveway, late at night, stroking and fondling your old alcantara boots. That would be a little weird, even by my standards.

Nah man, they're yours. Besides, I'm starting to stroke and fondle the leather boots now. You know how much I like leather.


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[johnrando]

LOL. I think the leather with leather looks good. You'll get used to it.

[az3579]

I've just gotten used to it. lol
The leather is slightly hard; I'm going to treat it with some leather products soon and see if it softens up a bit.

[derbo]

patiently waiting for your new upgrades :)

[az3579]

patiently waiting for your new upgrades :)

When they're paid for. All in due time...


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[az3579]

Installed my Schroth Quick Fit 4-point harness mounting points today. Then I installed the harnesses to make sure everything is kosher with the new setup.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/15/3e1334ae3d123012c00e99eb3318d655.jpg

The straps tighten up when the harness is in use:

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/15/2d1e9b966ad70a2aebe77d5bba02afe4.jpg

I forgot to take a pic of the fronts, but the rear seats look like this when the harness is not installed. Notice the extra male buckles; the fronts are similar. The buckles mount to the same bolt that the factory seat belts mount to. Two go to those mounting points, while the other two just click into the factory female seatbelt receptacles.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/15/b00e752d71c4f3c68da28d245885b80d.jpg




This is certainly not meant for daily use. The beauty of these harnesses is how quickly you can install/disconnect them as needed, thanks to those extra buckles. I can't wait to try them out at Calabogie in July!

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[johnrando]

much :like

[ELCID86]

much :like
+1

[az3579]

So I got some goodies for Wobz yesterday while in VA.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/19/4b2705eb4fc55d81ef2d958ded41a9db.jpg

Picked up Wilwood Forged Superlite calipers front and rear, with matching stainless brake lines, Hawk Ceramic pads all around, and M3 rotors all around. The rear heat shields will need some trimming to make the M3 rear rotors to fit, but it's an easy job to do. I figured since I need rotors and pads in the back and rotors in the front (they feel warped), I'd rather just spring for this used kit instead buy new stock rotors and pads and eventually buy this kit anyway. I saved some serious money buying this kit, so I'm lucky Derek pointed it out to me! Thanks for the heads up, Derek.

Pad changes will be so much easier going forward. All I'll have to do is remove the wheel, undo this bolt pictured below, and the pads just slide right out; no caliper removal will be needed. Win!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/19/8191aec8055016d5b820dd8954cc4b23.jpg


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[cakM3]

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8770/17201160785_9da847961a_o.jpg

gonna start calling you Speed Racer ;) jk

Nice grab BP! :thumbsup

[az3579]

Thanks Charlie. I'm thinking of painting these calipers Phoenix Yellow, if powdercoat is possible... they have an anodized finish. I don't know how that would work, but I'll do some research.

[cakM3]

Thanks Charlie. I'm thinking of painting these calipers Phoenix Yellow, if powdercoat is possible... they have an anodized finish. I don't know how that would work, but I'll do some research.

Now THAT would be awesome!!!

[derbo]

LOL. I was debating on telling you or not cause of your financial situation but I'm glad I did.


I'm such a bad influence. :)

[ELCID86]

I'd like to see them painted. Maybe Stuart could media blast them!


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[rguti153]

So I got some goodies for Wobz yesterday while in VA.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/19/4b2705eb4fc55d81ef2d958ded41a9db.jpg

Picked up Wilwood Forged Superlite calipers front and rear, with matching stainless brake lines, Hawk Ceramic pads all around, and M3 rotors all around. The rear heat shields will need some trimming to make the M3 rear rotors to fit, but it's an easy job to do. I figured since I need rotors and pads in the back and rotors in the front (they feel warped), I'd rather just spring for this used kit instead buy new stock rotors and pads and eventually buy this kit anyway. I saved some serious money buying this kit, so I'm lucky Derek pointed it out to me! Thanks for the heads up, Derek.

Pad changes will be so much easier going forward. All I'll have to do is remove the wheel, undo this bolt pictured below, and the pads just slide right out; no caliper removal will be needed. Win!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/19/8191aec8055016d5b820dd8954cc4b23.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You bought, dammmmmnnn I was eyeing these babies, but look what I had in mind 19224

[az3579]

You bought, dammmmmnnn I was eyeing these babies, but look what I had in mind 19224

That's pretty much how I want them to look, though I want Wilwood to be in black lettering with the caliper being Phoenix Yellow.


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[Vas]

BP, if you want to powder coat them I would suggest

http://www.renewedfinishes.com/

They do a lot of stuff for bmw. Based out of PA

[az3579]

BP, if you want to powder coat them I would suggest

http://www.renewedfinishes.com/

They do a lot of stuff for bmw. Based out of PA

I'll look into them down the road. Thanks!


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[ELCID86]

Plastidip?

[az3579]

Plastidip?

No way. Every time I've used the stuff it would start peeling on its own no matter how many or thick I spray.

I'm sure PD wouldn't stand up to the heat anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ELCID86]

No way. Every time I've used the stuff it would start peeling on its own no matter how many or thick I spray.

I'm sure PD wouldn't stand up to the heat anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've read several threads that say it does. Maybe not at "race temps".

[az3579]

I've read several threads that say it does. Maybe not at "race temps".

These calipers will see track usage so they will definitely get hot.


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[cakM3]

Botond got a good night's rest so he could attempt his caliper swap again today. We went to Harbor Freight this morning so he could get a 4 1/2" electric grinder
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/26/6e778b33bc9e53b9b7cc031fb7d1e2f0.jpg

Then he proceeded to grind the mount area of excessive metal
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/26/ef6e6c11f9f22e25afa46d68c8f1e07e.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/26/11d59d8eb77ebc5fa3c93c52655778fa.jpg

After the area had enough metal grounded out he mounted his new calipers
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/26/5c7d4db0ddd327f1d4b734550f26a3ca.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/26/a3fa1ff12d2292aaf973a81749e6801d.jpg

Everything lined up perfectly. Botond is happy!!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/26/5611fee1367ae64fb7644e52d85040cc.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/26/27decaa8f9146c174652cedb98d8499b.jpg


Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

[ELCID86]

Nice job gents.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[cakM3]

Thanks Shawn! It's tough sitting watching Botond do all the dirrty werk! :thumbsup


Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

[BADCLOWN]

Thanks Charlie. I'm thinking of painting these calipers Phoenix Yellow, if powdercoat is possible... they have an anodized finish. I don't know how that would work, but I'll do some research.



definitely would approve of this. nice pick up!

[Hermes]

Nice work!

[az3579]

Thanks guys!
After lunch I'll be tackling the rears. Both fronts are done.

[cakM3]

After lunch....Botond busy working on the rear of his car...
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/26/e8993a48b71d198a4053c79679afafc7.jpg


Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

[Johnmadd]

Lol, and your sitting in the zhp... nice werk bruh :)

[Johnmadd]

Good job BP!

[az3579]

Lol, and your sitting in the zhp... nice werk bruh :)

He was supervising like a BAUCE.
It wore him out quite a bit. Supervising is no joke.

[johnrando]

Good werk

Sent from mobile

[az3579]

Thanks John. :thumbsup

[az3579]

Update on the status of the front calipers.
Yesterday, I had finished retrofitting the front calipers. By the time I finished, we were fast losing daylight, so I decided to go for a quick test drive. I noticed the car was kind of sluggish, and upon pulling back into Charlie's driveway, I noticed that the car was stopping itself when not on the brake (in neutral), even though his driveway is on an incline. After a few quick movements, I noticed that the brake pads were sticking and not fully disengaging from the rotor when off the brake pedal.

Since daylight was running out, I had no choice but to stay the night. Charlie was extremely hospitable and allowed me to stay the evening so I could tackle it in the morning.

This morning, I took apart the caliper on one side and found the reason for why it was sticking. The caliper was not centered on the rotor, which explains why only 2 of the 4 pistons in both calipers were extended out. That also explained why the outside pad in each caliper was pretty much lodged between the rotor and the pistons with zero piston travel, which is what was causing the pads to stick.

I had to find all of this out by trial and error because this kit, which was originally sold new from UUC as a front and rear kit, had no installation instructions on UUC's website. Wilwood does not have instructions pertaining to the Wilwood Superlite installation on an E46 330, only a 6-piston setup that had all kinds of extra steps that I didn't need to take. With no usable guide, I had to ping various folks on the forum as well as personal contacts. Then, while staring at the caliper disassembled, I had an epiphany and tried to relocate the shims that were provided with the kit to another area.

It turns out the seller who I bought the kit from didn't put the shims back in to the correct locations when he took it off his car. He tried his best to keep things as together as possible to aid in the installation of the kit for the new owner, but he just didn't have the shim locations correct. This is why it took me so long to figure it out. I moved a few shims to the mounting between the caliper bracket and the mounting ears (previously having them all under the bolt that attaches to the mounting ears) and voila; the caliper now sits perfectly centered over the rotors. I pushed the pistons back in, reinstalled the calipers, pumped the brakes a few times, and the pads seated perfectly on the surface of the rotor, with free rotor motion when sitting. Prior to doing this, I was NOT able to move the rotor at all by hand. I bled the front brakes and can now consider those done.

The rears will be a challenge of their own. I already cut the dust shield for one of the rears. I ended up having to cut the entire curved-in lip of the rear dust shield on the passenger rear yesterday. Now all I have to do is cut the driver's rear. The rears will be a challenge because the passenger rear brake line nut is stuck; I can't break it loose. I need to be able to re-use this, so cutting it off and reflaring is something I'd like to avoid at all costs.

[ELCID86]

Nice work figuring that all out!

[johnrando]

Glad it worked out BP

Sent from mobile

[derbo]

Good job BP! I'm glad you figured it out. It was very strange that the caliper would cause anything like if it was setup properly. Good Job brother!

[FL116]

Glad you were able to fix it. Weird that that happened. Nice job BP!

[az3579]

Glad it worked out BP

Sent from mobile


Good job BP! I'm glad you figured it out. It was very strange that the caliper would cause anything like if it was setup properly. Good Job brother!


Glad you were able to fix it. Weird that that happened. Nice job BP!

:thumbsup

I actually felt what Jeremy Clarkson must have felt in the "$1500 RWD coupes" episode when he proclaimed "I MENDED SOMETHING!!!"

[BMWCurves]

:thumbsup

I actually felt what Jeremy Clarkson must have felt in the "$1500 RWD coupes" episode when he proclaimed "I MENDED SOMETHING!!!"

Did you use the only tool necessary, a hammer?

[az3579]

Did you use the only tool necessary, a hammer?
I absolutely did use a hammer. Its name is Thor.

[cakM3]

I absolutely did use a hammer. Its name is Thor.

and it worked very well! :thumbsup

[cakM3]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/02/52a97ef9739ada8ad7e3f58d35b26158.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/02/7b0eb69d0a20ff74e0ca6aeb02a7832a.jpg

Botond is working to install his rear Wilwood BBKs



Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

[brettbimmer]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/02/52a97ef9739ada8ad7e3f58d35b26158.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/02/7b0eb69d0a20ff74e0ca6aeb02a7832a.jpg

Botond is working to install his rear Wilwood BBKs



Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk
Nice werk gents. Got a chuckle when I saw the appropriate time in this post. [emoji16]

[az3579]

Got the left rear on. The right rear will need some work though. The brake line nut is seized. I couldn't break that sucker loose despite spraying PB Blaster on it two days ago as well as this morning. Does anyone have any tips before I cut that sucker and have the line reflared?

[BCS_ZHP]

BP,
Add heat. They sell a little butane torch at most parts stores, use it to heat the threads on that line at the caliper, it will break loose. Bruce

[az3579]

BP,
Add heat. They sell a little butane torch at most parts stores, use it to heat the threads on that line at the caliper, it will break loose. Bruce
Brake fluid is flammable, Bruce... I'm not so sure that's a good idea!

[BCS_ZHP]

Read Rob the Hack Mechanic's most recent article online on BMWCCA.org, he just did it and describes how to add the heat just on the threads. And once hot, reshoot the PB Blaster and it sucks itself down into the threads.

[az3579]

Read Rob the Hack Mechanic's most recent article online on BMWCCA.org, he just did it and describes how to add the heat just on the threads. And once hot, reshoot the PB Blaster and it sucks itself down into the threads.
I talked to a guy yesterday that outline the process for me. I'm still not too keen on doing this though. I think I'm just going to have a shop loosen it for me. Doing this without adult supervision is probably a bad idea!

[slater]

good flat-jawed vise grips work well for stuck/seized flare nuts.

do you have the correct wrench for flare nuts? i forget the actual name, but they are 5-sided and really help to not strip the nut. they are always the best place to start, and then resort to the flat-jawed vise grips.

good to see you using the ol' PB Blaster. that stuff is amazing.

peter

[az3579]

good flat-jawed vise grips work well for stuck/seized flare nuts.

do you have the correct wrench for flare nuts? i forget the actual name, but they are 5-sided and really help to not strip the nut. they are always the best place to start, and then resort to the flat-jawed vise grips.

good to see you using the ol' PB Blaster. that stuff is amazing.

peter


Both of these methods failed.
It's called a flare wrench, BTW.

[az3579]

Alright, so quick update.

Bruce, when you mentioned vice grips, we tried that at Charlie's place and failed. It turns out, the vice grips were at fault in this case. The ones we used were from Harbor Freight, and it was actually damaging the vice grips as we tried to get the nut loosened.

Today I was visiting my BMW Tech friend at his place and he said "let's check it out". Little did I know I'd have my caliper installed tonight.
He used his SnapOn vice grips and that totally did the trick. That thing grips like a mofo.

Needless to say, I didn't tighten the line very much, just enough to feel pressure and gave it a very slight turn on top of it. He double checked the tightness just to be safe.

For the record, he didn't recommend using heat, and thought it was a bad idea to use heat on components that carry brake fluid.

[slater]

Both of these methods failed.
It's called a flare wrench, BTW.

i was going to say, maybe you just weren't doing it right... ;) but then i read on...



Alright, so quick update.

Bruce, when you mentioned vice grips, we tried that at Charlie's place and failed. It turns out, the vice grips were at fault in this case. The ones we used were from Harbor Freight, and it was actually damaging the vice grips as we tried to get the nut loosened.

Today I was visiting my BMW Tech friend at his place and he said "let's check it out". Little did I know I'd have my caliper installed tonight.
He used his SnapOn vice grips and that totally did the trick. That thing grips like a mofo.


nice, glad you got it sorted. and yes, cheap tools do suck sometimes. there are rare exceptions, of course (depends on the tool).

peter

[az3579]

Received the six coil packs I ordered, only to find out on the way to pick them up that my right rear shock has failed. Guess I'll be out of a car for a few weeks. [Sigh]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/05/77fd44ca3e2a3a2142a2ea04c5053122.jpg

[Johnmadd]

That sucks man. Could it just be a failed mount?

[Vas]

The seal blew?

[az3579]

The seal blew?
It's been leaking for at least a couple of weeks now. I only discovered it recently.

[ELCID86]

Sorry for your woes. Happy for your successes.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[Karl Lazlo]

The seal blew?

On a really hot day, a penguin takes his car to a mechanic. The penguin asks, "How long will it be?" The mechanic says, "Just a few minutes."
So the penguin decides to go get an ice cream at the grocery store across the street. When the penguin gets there, he climbs inside the big freezer door and starts to eat ice cream.

Three hours go by before the penguin looks at his watch and jumps out of the freezer and races back to the mechanic.
With ice cream all over his face and his stomach, he asks, "So how's my car?" The mechanic comes walking out wiping his hands on a rag and says, "Looks like you blew a seal." The penguin says, "No, I was just eating ice cream."

[ELCID86]

:rofl

[johnrando]

Groan. Lol.

Sent from mobile

[az3579]

On a really hot day, a penguin takes his car to a mechanic. The penguin asks, "How long will it be?" The mechanic says, "Just a few minutes."
So the penguin decides to go get an ice cream at the grocery store across the street. When the penguin gets there, he climbs inside the big freezer door and starts to eat ice cream.

Three hours go by before the penguin looks at his watch and jumps out of the freezer and races back to the mechanic.
With ice cream all over his face and his stomach, he asks, "So how's my car?" The mechanic comes walking out wiping his hands on a rag and says, "Looks like you blew a seal." The penguin says, "No, I was just eating ice cream."


Whatever you're smoking... I want some.
If that's what it takes to get penguins to buy cars... :biggrin

[ELCID86]

One from the meet.

20383

[az3579]

Thanks for the pic, Shawn! Love that big group of Imolas. :)

[danewilson77]

Good one Shawn.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

[ELCID86]

Good one Shawn.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Thanks. Hanging camera out the window while rolling (Dan driving) and using the Fuji app to compose and shoot!


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[johnrando]

Great shot

sent from mobile device

[az3579]

Great shot

sent from mobile device

+1


Thanks. Hanging camera out the window while rolling (Dan driving) and using the Fuji app to compose and shoot!


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

Dedication. Starting to remind me of Casey Withers hanging out of the Mercedes GL three Reunions ago. :rofl




Tonight I bought some track decals. I used to have one of Lime Rock on my E30 before I sold it and never ended up putting them on Wobz. I like to have them as a badge of honor, so I ordered 2 of each track to be placed on the non-moving window panels on the rear doors, 1 on each side. So far I have three tracks that I've ever driven and am hoping to drive that number up soon!

I've got a couple of other little odds and ends I want to order while in financial recovery mode. Once I'm caught up, I've got some bigger things down the pipe. :biggrin

[brettbimmer]

+1



Dedication. Starting to remind me of Casey Withers hanging out of the Mercedes GL three Reunions ago. :rofl




Tonight I bought some track decals. I used to have one of Lime Rock on my E30 before I sold it and never ended up putting them on Wobz. I like to have them as a badge of honor, so I ordered 2 of each track to be placed on the non-moving window panels on the rear doors, 1 on each side. So far I have three tracks that I've ever driven and am hoping to drive that number up soon!

I've got a couple of other little odds and ends I want to order while in financial recovery mode. Once I'm caught up, I've got some bigger things down the pipe. :biggrin
Yes, like VIR!!!!!! 😉

[az3579]

Yes, like VIR!!!!!! 

Definitely VIR...

[az3579]

Today I got the motivation to attempt troubleshooting my reverse camera and the side mirrors.

For the reverse camera, I disassembled my dash trim (breaking one of the plastic pin retainers on the radio trim... ugh) and took out my Eonon unit to look behind it, hoping to find a loose wire or something. Nothing of the sort; everything was firmly attached and jiggling the wires did nothing to bring back the reverse camera. No luck there, so I moved to the trunk area. I removed the trunk handle, camera, and the trunk lid trim on the inside so I could investigate the wires there. Again, there appeared to be no damage to any of the wiring, and even jiggling them there did nothing to bring back camera functionality. I don't know what on earth could possibly be wrong with this thing... I'm not in the mood to go tracing the wires all the way to the front of the car, so this is just gonna have to stay broken. :(

Moving on to the mirrors. Anando had his replacement mirror assembly shipped to my place so I could bring it to Canada, so I (with his permission) used the mirror to troubleshoot mine. I removed my door panel and plugged in his mirror assembly; nothing. The mirrors still didn't adjust. Perplexed, I checked the fuses and found TWO missing fuses for the "Outside mirrors", fuses 31 and 57. I pulled one of them when my mirrors stopped working because the passenger mirror would adjust into all kinds of weird positions all on its own when the driver's side shit the bed, but why another one was missing is beyond me. I put fuses into both slots and lo and behold, the eBay mirror worked. Mine is already on order, so it should be arriving tomorrow, and maybe I'll have working mirrors after long last.

[derbo]

well at least you got one task solved.

[az3579]

well at least you got one task solved.

Yeah, at least. I managed to repair the broken pin retainer. I got lucky since it ripped clean off and I was able to use superglue to put it back exactly the way it was before. I let it sit overnight and today installed it. So far so good...

Hopefully I won't have to remove the trim again anytime soon. I've removed the trim dozens of times before but it never gets any easier, especially with fresh new dash inserts (I like to replace whatever comes out with the pins upon removal with new ones). I wish the trim was as easy to insert/remove as the door trims are. Those are rock solid once installed, yet I can still remove them with just my hands.

[az3579]

It was time for a slight change.

With the advent of the new ZHP Mafia stickers, I have decided that it is a design worthy enough to replace my OG stickers.

Out with the old:

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/02/5ad860ffbee85eba777de9d47aaa7bb0.jpg

In with the new. I bought some other goodies to keep the ZHP Mafia stickers some company, my badges of honor:

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/02/35d75a66a5fbbb07d4c01ee6b5a84232.jpg



Of course where there is good, there is bad. Courtesy of a Chevy Lumina that apparently has the unique ability to turbocharge rocks at very high psi:

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/02/7386c9cea2870bcfb72842fba12af773.jpg

It hit so hard I literally jumped out of my seat for a split second when it hit. Then, as a slap on the face, it rolled onto my hood and stayed there till I rolled it off at a stop light. :facepalm

[ELCID86]

It was time for a slight change.

With the advent of the new ZHP Mafia stickers, I have decided that it is a design worthy enough to replace my OG stickers.

Out with the old:



In with the new. I bought some other goodies to keep the ZHP Mafia stickers some company, my badges of honor:





Of course where there is good, there is bad. Courtesy of a Chevy Lumina that apparently has the unique ability to turbocharge rocks at very high psi:



It hit so hard I literally jumped out of my seat for a split second when it hit. Then, as a slap on the face, it rolled onto my hood and stayed there till I rolled it off at a stop light. :facepalm

Ouch. I was just talking to the Safelite guy at my neighbor's today. He was saying how many relies he does a day/week from rocks on I-95 here.

He did say that they can get Pilkington and one other brand that is good for BMWs and Audis with RSLs. Didn't discuss prices.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[anandoc]

BP, I don't know whether our cars are jinxed with the same issues!

I was driving out from Ottawa to Toronto today and a rock came and hit my windshield pretty hard and I too got a stupidly big rock chip! Sigh, this is the first time something like this happened since I have owned my car and I was pretty bummed about it. Not sure whether I can get it repaired or have to get a whole new windshield.

[az3579]

He did say that they can get Pilkington and one other brand that is good for BMWs and Audis with RSLs. Didn't discuss prices.


I actually looked online and found that I can get Genuine BMW glass with the BMW logo on it for $281 from FCP Euro. They are about 15 minutes from me. I'm going to call insurance and see if my rates will go up if I submit a glass claim. I have zero deductible for glass, so hopefully the rates won't go up if I go that route...

BP, I don't know whether our cars are jinxed with the same issues!

I was driving out from Ottawa to Toronto today and a rock came and hit my windshield pretty hard and I too got a stupidly big rock chip! Sigh, this is the first time something like this happened since I have owned my car and I was pretty bummed about it. Not sure whether I can get it repaired or have to get a whole new windshield.
It's almost as though our cars are connected telepathically, right? lol

[az3579]

It looks like my glass replacement will be covered by insurance 100%, and I made sure to specify OE glass. Zero deductible... total win.

I started to do the mirror motor swap today but hit a brick wall.
Since I've never had the sedan rectangular mirrors (bought the car with M3 mirrors installed [rather poorly installed, I might add]), I wasn't familiar with how the mirror motor ribbon routes inside the mirror. Upon disassembling the mirror assembly I bought on eBay, I found a nightmare of a setup. I had to practically remove various trim bits just to get to the motor, and found that the ribbon routes through metal, so extra care is needed when handling the ribbon cables. On top of that, the ribbon cable routes through a metal cylinder that is too small to fit the connectors through.

It is practically impossible to pull the ribbon cables through this metal opening without taking the connectors off the cables. I don't have a pick tool, so I tried my best with a really small jeweler's screwdriver with the flathead bit attached. I was able to fit it, but was not successful in pushing the pin contacts down so I could release them from the plastic connector. In my frustration, I started to attach the mirror motor back into the housing so it's secure for when I attempt to this again, but found the last screw not to be screwing in properly. It turns out that the ribbon cable extension for the heating function was stuck right under where the screw was trying to screw into, so I ended up damaging the cable. FML...

Charlie offered to help with getting the connectors off, so I drove up to his place tonight. He will also try his hand at repairing the part of the cable that was damaged by the screw. The motor still works, but I have my doubts the heating function will work. Unfortunately I won't find out until winter whether Charlie's attempt at fixing it tomorrow will work. I supposed it's a small price to pay considering a new driver's side mirror motor is $332 at the cheapest dealer I've seen.

After all is said and done, I think I'm going to post up a DIY on how to replace the driver's side mirror motor, since it's not entirely straightforward. I've been taking pics of the process so far, so I'll take some more tomorrow when we get the connectors off.

[anandoc]

Congrats on the windshield replacement - I have been looking at a lot of youtube videos on fixing chips and it seems my chip should be easily repairable. I will get it done by a professional.

Good luck on the mirror motor replacement. Its too bad that BMW had to make this design so complicated and all this accomplishes is being able to move a mirror up/down and sideways.

[derbo]

BP, I MAY have a driver motor laying around. I'll have to double check. It should be brand new.

[az3579]

BP, I MAY have a driver motor laying around. I'll have to double check. It should be brand new.


wwwwwwhhhhhhhhAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT??? I am definitely interested. Let me know what you want for it and I will have to put it on the list. :)
If we can get this used motor to work with both adjustments and heat, I'll probably be offering it up as a pay it forward item.

[ELCID86]

Glad the glass is covered! I need to swap my passenger side mirror as I ripped the end off that fragile thing while installing the new door. I now have the replacements mirror on hand from Tony. It's always sumpin.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[cakM3]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/04/790402fac7727fffa2d364da9af7365d.jpg

Botond is taking apart his broken driver's side mirror and discovered the source of his problem.....a broken ribbon cable...
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/04/6c6ae3090bc567e8371752aae720a98d.jpg

It completely snapped off....

The replacement motor and connectors are ready for install and set aside...
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/04/fe59f13292ea68c73dc85deac6f4110b.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/04/2f3750b378888e26d2bcb49375e4f2c6.jpg

The connectors are a pain to remove because you need to take your time or risk ripping the ribbon cable....patience is the key here....soon we should have Botond's mirror issue resolved.


Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

[cakM3]

Driver's side mirror has been properly aligned and full mirror functionality has been restored to Wobz. :thumbsup


Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

[ELCID86]

Driver's side mirror has been properly aligned and full mirror functionality has been restored to Wobz. :thumbsup


Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

Nice assist Charlie. So does the end connector have to come off in order to feed it thru the door hole?


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[cakM3]

No Shawn, the end connectors have to be removed when threading the ribbon connectors thru the mirror housings.


Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

[ELCID86]

No Shawn, the end connectors have to be removed when threading the ribbon connectors thru the mirror housings.


Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

I need to install a n assembled mirror onto my car. I shouldn't have to remove the connector IOT get it onto the door, correct?


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[az3579]

I need to install a n assembled mirror onto my car. I shouldn't have to remove the connector IOT get it onto the door, correct?


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.
Correct. You can just take the old housing off and put the new one on, nothing special.

[az3579]

Wobz also received an unexpected replacement set of grilles. :)

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/04/1c2dceeb61a818f903b96bd6bd06964a.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/04/ac7e4c8702eb508fcf67be438606fea9.jpg

[ELCID86]

^looks great.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[cakM3]

^looks great.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

I had a spare set of Performance grills I sold to BP this afternoon :thumbsup

[ELCID86]

He needs to pint that lower grille now (as do I!).


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[cakM3]

He needs to pint that lower grille now (as do I!).


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

I hate to say this Shawn but I also need to paint my lower grill


Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

[az3579]

He needs to pint that lower grille now (as do I!).


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

Considering what a pain it is to either take it out or put it back in (I can't remember which), this gets put low on the priority list along with my rear deck. :(

I'll probably do it one of these weekends. I need to spray the rear deck so if I'm going through the effort for that, then doing a stupid front grille will be a piece of cake. I'll be in the zone. :biggrin


I do want to extend a big thanks to Charrie for getting my motor perfectly aligned in the mirror. This is such a pain to do with the sedans where the ribbon cable motor has to be swapped for the M3 housings. My mirrors have never been right the entire time I've owned the car because one of the previous owners completely butchered the M3 mirror swap, so it's so refreshing to finally have mirrors that adjust properly! It only took 5 years for me to fix this after much trial and error (mostly error). All it took was Charrie's keen modding eye to get it done. Kudos to you sir.

The mirror vibrates like a mofo when the car is running and on the street driving, but that's nothing that we can fix at this time. We spent all afternoon trying to fix both the mirror alignment and the vibrating mirror. Charlie thinks it's the screws that hold the M3 mirror cap to the baseplate, but we've tightened those quite a bit and used Red Loctite on it, yet it still vibrates. Since the mirrors now work, I'm going to put this issue to bed for now and revisit it one day...

[anandoc]

20791 Look who we found in our neck of the woods. Ayan is working hard supervising BP while he changes his brake pads.

Sent from my Z30 using Tapatalk

[johnrando]

Nice

sent from mobile device

[ELCID86]

They let him and Wobbie across the border?!


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

[cakM3]

They let him and Wobbie across the border?!


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

Anything is possible Shawn! ;)

[Johnmadd]

Anything is possible Shawn! ;)

KG lol

[anandoc]

Was great to meet BP in person for the first time. He replaced my driver's side mirror motor and boy, he is so detail oriented and particular about doing everything the 'right way'. Thanks so much BP!!

[orange260z]

What these young kids don't understand is the importance of coordination, supervision and empowerment that I like to call "management". We managers are the ones that really make it all happen. :cigar

Great to see BP again, and wish him an awesome track weekend at Calabogie.

[az3579]

Was great to meet BP in person for the first time. He replaced my driver's side mirror motor and boy, he is so detail oriented and particular about doing everything the 'right way'. Thanks so much BP!!


What these young kids don't understand is the importance of coordination, supervision and empowerment that I like to call "management". We managers are the ones that really make it all happen. :cigar

Great to see BP again, and wish him an awesome track weekend at Calabogie.
I've got so many supervisors already, what's another 2 more? lol

sent from my Droid Turbo

[derbo]

BP, hit me up again, I totally forgot about the driver motor if you still need it. :)

[BCS_ZHP]

GiGi said she's riding with you when Tiff Takes a ride. Then she said after Tiff is out of the car she might have to show BP how a ZHP is meant to be driven. All perchance to you willing to let it happen, jus saying.

[BCS_ZHP]

And you're wondering why I've hung on to her for 24 years???

[az3579]

Today, I tackled the refurbishment of my rear parcel shelf. Using JP's DIY (from which there is deviance due to having a sedan), I successfully removed and resprayed the parcel shelf. In total, about 5 coats were applied, about 3/4 of the can of Duplicolor Fabric and Vinyl flat black paint. Then, with Charlie's crucial assistance, had some material laid down underneath where the parcel shelf sits so I could eliminate the source of a rarely heard rattle I get.

The shelf before refurbishment:

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/22/fb8a66172b6e30f7c00fe7a4f8d66b9f.jpg



The shelf after. You can see some of the material used for noise reduction poking out from the speaker openings. I'm told having that material there will provide deeper bass, which I'm just fine with!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/22/ffba5bf9151824396e0e78a4da84e001.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/22/d82e991d17a881ef805b6bdd9c721ddd.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/22/d66f7b92fb7b8684195247a7e3c681ed.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/22/986c81f50085d58692f4026361a86d83.jpg

Right before pulling the shelf, I had an "oh shit" moment and remembered that I just had the windows tinted, which was still in the process of curing. Luckily, Charlie and I managed to get everything done without touching the rear window!

The speaker covers are in pretty bad shape. On one side, the Harmon Kardon strip is broken off the main grille, so it's just wedged in there. This strip on both sides is severely faded. I will probably just end up buying new covers.

Overall, this has been a complete success. Thanks to Charlie for the workspace and for getting certain things done much faster than I would have been able to pull off. :thumbsup





GiGi said she's riding with you when Tiff Takes a ride. Then she said after Tiff is out of the car she might have to show BP how a ZHP is meant to be driven. All perchance to you willing to let it happen, jus saying.


And you're wondering why I've hung on to her for 24 years???

Well then, if she's confident she can show me how to properly drive my car then I'm just gonna have to oblige. :biggrin

sent from my Droid Turbo

[Rovert]

Where's the popcorn?? I want a TopGear-like episode on this drive. [emoji41]

[az3579]

Where's the popcorn?? I want a TopGear-like episode on this drive. [emoji41]

A GoPro Hero 3 is all you get........ :ninja

[Rovert]

Need a couple. One on driver. One on road. One on BP's surprised face.

[az3579]

Need a couple. One on driver. One on road. One on BP's surprised face.

I'll be sure to set that one camera to my rear passenger floormat. :p

[Rovert]

That would turn into the BP pants/seat soiling cam.

[az3579]

That would turn into the BP pants/seat soiling cam.

I'll be damned if I'm gonna ride in the back of my own car! I'll be in the front, homie.

[Rovert]

Exactly. The camera will point forward under the front passenger seat catching the drips. LOL

[az3579]

Exactly. The camera will point forward under the front passenger seat catching the drips. LOL

Do you set up cameras in bathrooms in your spare time, by any chance? LMAO

[ELCID86]

And you're wondering why I've hung on to her for 24 years???

Who's hung onto whom?? :-)


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

[az3579]

So as most of you know by now, I got fucked last night, not in a good way.

Some jackass decided to take a KEY, pry up my lip spoiler, and run off with it. As a result, I had some pretty nasty gouges in my trunk, past the paint and e-coat and straight into the metal. A baffoon could have removed it cleaner than this dumbass.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/06/87ae75d07f4521d7074842cafd85a45d.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/06/ef7502701aa48290e4a790ddfafa71ee.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/06/20caa187da9d03af024d162d4ca2aa52.jpg


So, I spent a good hour and a half cleaning the accumulated dirt that was where the lip spoiler used to sit, subsequently removing the adhesive.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/06/7bd2bd3ed96d914bf6159cca050c9f58.jpg

I like being different (in this case not running a rear spoiler), but this isn't quite what I had in mind. I wouldn't mind it if they just stole the spoiler, but the damage they caused is what has me heated. This will be quite costly to fix. For now, I touched up the gouges with touchup paint so it doesn't start to rust.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/06/2dbb27968f0ca512f6491b232aa7bfd1.jpg



What's the plan? Who knows. Charlie offered to swap boot lids since he will be mounting the CSL boot lid shortly, but I was proud of the fact that my car has its original VIN sticker on every panel of the car. Losing it would bother me a little, but I would certainly avoid very costly repairs if I go this route.

I'd love a CSL bootlid, but the fitment on them isn't perfect and having a body shop perfect it and paint is too costly considering I'd still have to buy the bootlid. I'm most likely going to take Charlie up on his offer since that is the best deal I'm gonna get, but stay tuned...

sent from my Droid Turbo

[WOLFN8TR]

So sorry to see this BP. Man I would LOVE to catch the person in the act!!! [emoji35]

BP what about something like this? It would cover the damaged area and look pretty cool.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Carbon-Fiber-Rear-Trunk-Lip-Spoiler-Wing-For-BMW-E46-325i-328i-330i-1999-2005-/201440151960?hash=item2ee6c4c998&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/05-11-BMW-E90-323i-325i-328i-330i-335i-4Dr-OE-Carbon-Fiber-Trunk-Spoiler-Lip-/151616826980?hash=item234d112e64&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/D2S-B46S-L2-M3-CSL-Style-Carbon-Fiber-Rear-Lip-Spoiler-/161809224560?fits=Year%3A2005%7CMake%3ABMW&hash=item25ac94d370&vxp=mtr

[ELCID86]

^not a bad idea. Or paint one red?


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

[Vas]

I think your car just needs to be caressed with new paint.

It just sucks because people don't respect other people's property.

[Oli77]

You can buy a new one already painted to your car's color.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?2559-Oli77-s-maintenance-amp-yearly-totals-ledger&p=282923#post282923

[az3579]

So sorry to see this BP. Man I would LOVE to catch the person in the act!!! [emoji35]

BP what about something like this? It would cover the damaged area and look pretty cool.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Carbon-Fiber-Rear-Trunk-Lip-Spoiler-Wing-For-BMW-E46-325i-328i-330i-1999-2005-/201440151960?hash=item2ee6c4c998&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/05-11-BMW-E90-323i-325i-328i-330i-335i-4Dr-OE-Carbon-Fiber-Trunk-Spoiler-Lip-/151616826980?hash=item234d112e64&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/D2S-B46S-L2-M3-CSL-Style-Carbon-Fiber-Rear-Lip-Spoiler-/161809224560?fits=Year%3A2005%7CMake%3ABMW&hash=item25ac94d370&vxp=mtr


Thanks for the suggestions Gary.

Let me start off with the fact that I'm not big on Carbon Fiber. I can appreciate it, but I don't have anything carbon fiber on my car, so it wouldn't match anything.

With that being said, I quite like the second one you linked to because it most reminds me of what I really want for my car, which is this:
https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/Spoiler/ES2804270/

Unfortunately what I really want (linked above) is E92 fitment, meaning it won't look right or may not even be compatible with my car. That second one you linked to is a somewhat similar style when viewed from the top and I like that. Because I'm not that big into carbon fiber, however, I'd have to paint it. Pair paint with the already high cost of this part and I'm almost at what it would take to buy a CSL bootlid.

The second one is pretty much OE style, also carbon fiber. That would probably be the closest aftermarket match I'd get. I do feel that if I'm going with the same style lip then should go for the OE one since it has the best adhesive surface I've found amongst the aftermarket stuff, which tend to have two narrow strips of adhesive versus the one bit fat strip the OE one seems to have.

If I had to choose between the two, I'd prefer the second, more expensive one. However...

Neither of these would cover the damage. The markings were made outside of where the lip would be mounted, so the only way to cover the marks up would be to move the spoiler more towards the rear glass, which looks awkward.

Another thing I've thought about is that even if I swap bootlids with Charlie, I'm still at risk. I just found out that my neighbor also had his roof spoiler stolen because it was stuck on with adhesive. Pretty much whoever roamed down the street was looking for "easy to steal" and hit the only two cars on the block with easily stealable parts. So, either I park on the street and risk getting my car vandalized again, or I park in my driveway and risk getting fleas from that the fucking stray cats on the property. Why can't I just live in peace? :facepalm

[Johnmadd]

Bp, sleep in your car with a gun and be prepared to get woken up, and when you get woken get out and scare the shit out of that bastard.

[az3579]

Bp, sleep in your car with a gun and be prepared to get woken up, and when you get woken get out and scare the shit out of that bastard.

I need to hire a trunk monkey instead.

[Johnmadd]

I need to hire a trunk monkey instead.

:rofl hilarious

[Johnmadd]

How about parking in your driveway and melting peanut butter on some decon aND killing all the Ferrell cats?

[Johnmadd]

Bp, sleep in your car with a gun and be prepared to get woken up, and when you get woken get out and scare the shit out of that bastard.

No need to shoot, just scare.

[az3579]

How about parking in your driveway and melting peanut butter on some decon aND killing all the Ferrell cats?

And go to jail for animal abuse? No thanks.

Animal control won't do anything (they say it's our job to round them up). The neighbors keep feeding them. We can't (legally) kill them.
I have no idea what the hell we're supposed to do, but until they're all gone, the fleas are here to stay. I feel like a prisoner in my own home, having to "escape" the back way any time I want to go to my car.

[Johnmadd]

Just wear gloves when preparing the morsels of death. :) if there is no prints they can't prove anything... and I have a pet cat just fyi.

[BMWCurves]

How can Animal Control say that it's the property owner's problem?

That's like the CDC saying an isolated case of Malaria is the patient's issue to sort out.

[az3579]

How can Animal Control say that it's the property owner's problem?

That's like the CDC saying an isolated case of Malaria is the patient's issue to sort out.


I stopped trying to make sense of this crap.

[ELCID86]

What the heck do they plan to do with the stolen spoiler. Sell it? Install it??

Any chance you can get your car in the garage?


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

[az3579]

Any chance you can get your car in the garage?


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

Never gonna happen. 3 car garage and we can't use it for a single damn car thanks to my brother.

[Johnmadd]

How about getting an outside dog?

[az3579]

How about getting an outside dog?
Our dog is an inside dog. I do not have a choice in the matter as it's not my dog.

sent from my Droid Turbo

[Oli77]

"duz you're dug bite"?

Sorry, easy one for me.

[ELCID86]

"duz you're dug bite"?

Sorry, easy one for me.

LOL. Pink Panther!


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

[johnrando]

Hope things work out, I know you'll keep us posted.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[az3579]

To ease some of my frustrations with my car, some things have been done to improve my experience with my aging Bimmer.

I finally got my rear-view mirror rebuilt. Charlie gave me a smoking deal on this M3 oval autodim rear-view mirror that I've had installed for at least 2 years now, but it needed to be rebuilt since it didn't dim. I ran with it that whole time without the ability to dim it, so any of those morons with their high beams on behind me really affected me. I finally got tired enough (and got a job paying enough lol) to be able to send this in for a rebuild. I ordered the Lifetime warranty from Radar-mirror.com, so I shouldn't ever have to worry about rebuilding my mirror again! Top notch work, and very fast turnaround from him. :thumbsup

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5797/22016005588_cf3005b46a_k.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/651/22015713710_89f1cb8013_k.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5780/22177665416_4f26ba9e17_k.jpg



Also, the number one thing I love about getting behind the wheel of a loaner or any other brand new vehicle is the fresh leather of a new steering wheel. This is my favorite thing about a brand new vehicle and have been dying to get a new one for my car for years, so I finally locked in one of these bad boys from Husker BMW:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5623/22214102771_603335a523_k.jpg

Ooooooh man, look at that fresh-as-heck brand new leather... I need a new pair of pants (and no, I don't mean leather pants).

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5672/21581021224_d55d6de422_k.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5730/22203783955_aadb731b9c_k.jpg

And what's a new steering wheel with ratty leather everywhere else... a Leatherique treatment took care of that right quick. Everything feeling just right...

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/657/22213849751_5b3a4628da_k.jpg



Plans in the near future include a bootlid swap with Charlie, who is offering up his lid to me since he's switching to a CSL lid anyway. Major thanks to Charlie! While I really am starting to like the look without the lip spoiler, I'd rather have an undamaged/ungouged bootlid, so I'll make that small sacrifice for that.

I've got quite a bit of maintenance to do, so that will *probably* be it for mods/improvements at this time. I would like to get another strut bar to replace my BMW Performance one that cracked right down the middle. I have one in mind, but I can't seem to find it on Turner's website anymore, so I hope it's still available.

Also on the list will be a new center console so I can finally properly delete my armrest. I originally had every intention of putting it back in, but the bolt wasn't threading and couldn't be bothered to fix it. I've gotten used to the armrest not being there, so I'll buy the delete console as well as a Euro tray that I will swap in and out with the cupholder as needed.

That's it for the near future... everything else I'm planning will be next year. :)

[BMWCurves]

Looks awesome, natural brown is still my favorite interior :thumbsup I need to do a Leatherique treatment eventually, but that'll be down the road.

I can't agree more about feeling the leather in new cars, especially on the steering wheel (although I think the quality of leather in newer BMWs is a little suspect). It was one of the first things I replaced on my car (the alcantara was worn), and love mine.

Are you keeping the cupholders or going with a eurotray when you do your armrest delete?

[anandoc]

Great work BP. Love the fresh M3 wheel you got going there. I agree with you, the feel of a fresh and clean steering wheel makes a great difference to your overall driving experience. I felt the same way when I installed a used (but in great condition) M3 SMG wheel earlier this year.

:fistpump

[az3579]

Are you keeping the cupholders or going with a eurotray when you do your armrest delete?

Both. I'm going to throw the cupholders in the glovebox and swap them out as needed. I don't use them 98% of the time, so I might as well utilize the added function of the euro tray and not have to compromise for when I do have a drink to transport.


Thanks Anando - such a nice feeling having a new(er) steering wheel. Did you get the paddles functional?