Love my new ride!!! SilverGrey Coupe

[EastBayJay]

So after looking for a ZHP coupe for over a year , I started looking for a good 330i as I didn't really think I was going to find a good one. I've got a friend that works at Steven's Creek BMW in San Jose CA I had on look out for a low mileage 330i for me or an inexpensive e90 for the wife. He came up with an 03 330i auto with 70k for $7k, wasnt my cup of tea.

So I had my birthday a week ago and he says "happy birthday" and sent me this picture..
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I said "ZHP". He said "ZHP?" So I explained the significance of the car.. "how many miles?.. "52k"..

Holy crap.. "how much?"

So anyway, wasnt really ready to go buy a car that day but after about 20 min of thought I was like "ok I want it". So, I got it.

This thing is awesome, yes it is an auto, yes its got grey leather interior (which I dont mind at all) but, its a stunning silver grey ZHP coupe with 52k miles on it in nearly flawless condition. I've always preferred the looks of the e46 coupe to sedan. (I have an e39 with four doors I love as well). And I have always preferred the way the ZHP looks over the M3, the Mtech kit on the E46 just looks so sexy. The fact that it doesnt require M3 maintenance, its still a blast to drive and its not something you see everyday. I obviously need to explain given the name of this forum.

First order of business is tint, fallowed by xenon halo headlight fixtures, I'm going Depo on those. Would like to upgrade the NAV to the Android system. I'll be dumping a bunch more money in this thing in high quality parts only in the next couple weeks, its just what i do with my BMWs, pretty much all 12 that I have had.

Gloss black kidneys?
Gloss black sport mirrors?
Exhaust and headers?
Shark?

One of the many reasons anybody participates in a group like this is to tap in to knowledge and experience of fellow enthusiast, so I would much appreciate any suggestions.
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[EastBayJay]

Interior looks just as good, aluminum cube trim. I'll post more photos when I get some light.

[twentyniner]

I love that color. Congrats!

[bosszhp]

Great combo and looks extremely clean to boot, just need to paint those bumper reflectors now :thumbsup

[EastBayJay]

Paint them? With a black tint? Or do they have clear out markers? I know pretty much everything about e30s but not a ton about e46s I'll admit.

[BMWCurves]

First, welcome!

Second, that's a very nice looking coupe!

Third, mods/maintenance etc. Your car is basically my car, just with different paint and an auto transmission (mine has 52k as I type and is a 2005). I'll go down the list of my thoughts:

Bosszhp mentions painted bumper reflectors. I snagged a pair of color-matched bumper reflectors from Bimmian (https://bimmian.com/Accessories-for-BMW/Painted/Exterior/Bumper-Reflectors/) (text is hyperlinked, and the part number for our bumpers is REF461317) but some people like clear reflectors. I'm not quite sure where you can source those, but I'm sure they're out there.
Angel Eye Headlights - You mention switching to a DEPO headlight housing. I don't know if you'll lose your adaptive headlights (the headlight beams turn when you turn the wheel) if you go that route, but I might suggest just buying some Angel Eyes and installing them into your current headlight housings. Far cheaper option and will look just as good. There's a set for coupes for $80 here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?16969-FS-Brand-New-Helios-Angel-Eyes-for-04-06-Coupe-90-shipped).
Head unit - There are a handful of units out there, each with their advantages and disadvantages. Look into Eonon, Avin, and Dynavin for an OEM look but Android functionality. I'm thinking about one of these units down the road, but for now, my phone will suffice.
Kidney Grilles - I don't like chrome so I'm always a fan of switching to black, and I like gloss black to match the shadowline trim on the exterior but other people seem to like matte black as well. I have the BMW Performance Gloss Black Grilles and love them, but they are a bit spendy, about $110 wherever you look unless you can catch them on sale. A good alternative are ECSTuning's own grilles which are supposed to be just as good. You can find their gloss black grilles for our coupes here (https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0L/Exterior/Body/Grille/ES2747963/), their gloss black with ///M stripes here (https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0L/Exterior/Body/Grille/ES2826972/), and their matte black here (https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0L/Exterior/Body/Grille/ES1005630/)
Gloss black mirrors - I'm not quite sure what you mean by these, that the mirror covers are gloss black? I don't know if that's a common mod or not. I prefer the cover to be color-matched as is, but I have thought about retrofitting round M3 mirrors, which several people have done.
Exhaust - I haven't messed with the exhaust, but a lot of people here like their UUC Corsa exhaust. Other people can chime in on that topic, along with headers. I think you may run into issues with CA emissions tests with aftermarket headers though, so just be aware.
Conforti Shark Injector - I have this and it wasn't night and day difference. It improved little things here and there. If you can get the Injector on sale, I'd say go for it, but I wouldn't fork over $350 for it, you'll probably be disappointed. Most chip tunes aren't going to get you a whole lot of added benefit in our cars in terms of power/torque, but you will feel a little difference in the throttle response. UDubBadger (a member here) also sells a EuroCharged tune that is supposed to be just as good. That said, I think there are good tunes for autos that will help make shifts smoother/more aggressive and overall be a better transmission. People with autos can discuss that at greater length.
Steering Wheel - Unless your car is a late model 2005, you have an alcantara wheel that will probably need refreshing. A lot of people like to keep the alcantara and go with Coby Wheel to refresh it (they're the affiliate link above). I didn't like the alcantara as much so I got a mix of leather/perforated leather like this (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?15714-William-s-330Ci-ZHP-Maintenance-and-Project-Thread&p=431923#post431923). I love it.
Maintenance - I should have put this higher but "maintenance before mods" is how I like to treat my car. When I got my car back in the end of March it was "up to date" on maintenance according to BMW's maintenance schedule, but that translates to not a lot of maintenance having been done. Our cars are 10 years old and that means despite the low miles, rubber and fluids have probably degraded. You will want to look at the cooling system as it is a common failure point in E46s, so water pump, thermostat, hoses, expansion tank, etc.. I DIY'd my maintenance for the most part and for the cooling system refresh I used Turner Motorsport's kit (http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-1987-complete-cooling-system-overhaul-package-1999-2006-e46-323i-325i-328i-330i.aspx) which worked well. I also replaced belts, pulleys, fluids (transmission, differential, power steering, engine oil), spark plugs, filters (oil, cabin, intake) and a few other things using Turner's Maintenance Kit (http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-1065-e46-325330i-maintenance-service-package.aspx). Also no issues with that kit. I refreshed my suspension a little while ago with Koni Sport shocks/struts and replaced all the ancillary parts since my original Sachs shocks were shot. I love the new Konis, you can read about what I did for that here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?16182-Help-with-Suspension-Refresh-at-50k-miles-10-years).
Other common mods:
- Short shift kit (SSK): I have the UUC Evo3 kit which I had some installation issues with (UUC sent me the wrong part) but overall I like how it feels now. A lot of people bought the BMW Performance SSK and seem to like it. It's a much cheaper option to the UUC.
- Wheels: Our wheels are heavy, like 28 lbs heavy. A lot of people try and minimize unsprung weight be going to a lighter or smaller wheel. Apex said they're having a group buy on their 17" Arc8 wheels (http://www.apexraceparts.com/apex-products/ARC-8-Wheels/17x8-5-ET40-APEX-ARC-8-Wheel.html) just after the new year so I will be buying a set of those since they're 17.2 lbs a piece. Here's a thread (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?16922-Apex-ARC8-17-quot-vs-18-quot-Offset-and-Tire-Size-Questions) I started discussing the pros and cons of size, offset, etc.
- Suspension: I already mentioned it above, but a lot of people spring for coilovers as well because of the adjustability. People seem to like Bilstein PSSs. Bushings also fail anywhere from 50-100k miles so you might consider the front control arm bushings (FCABs) and rear trailing arm bushings (RTABs). I opted for the Z4M FCABs and RTABs for increased caster and feel.
- Brakes: Some people upgrade to big brake kits (BBK) from StopTech or Wilwood. Not cheap new, but you can sometimes find a decent used set. I just refreshed my brake pads with Hawk HPS 5.0 pads and BMW Performance drilled rotors and am pleased with the setup so far. I also went with StopTech stainless steel brake lines as well as UUC stainless steel clutch line, I think it helps the feel a tiny bit, but also puts me at ease knowing all the soft lines are braided steel.
- Rearview mirror: If you don't have the Premium Package, then your rearview mirror doesn't auto-dim. I wanted that feature so I retrofitted a rearview mirror from an '06 E90 that had auto-dim, compass, and HomeLink garage door opener. You can find more info what I did for that here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?15714-William-s-330Ci-ZHP-Maintenance-and-Project-Thread&p=429617#post429617).
- Coding: There's a bunch of coding you can do for our cars. There are several options, I personally have BMW Scanner 1.4 with PA Soft. There's a thread about what you can do here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?14456-FS-PASOFT-BMW-SCANNER-1-4), such as making a more representative temperature gauge, single unlock, all windows open/close using the key, etc. and you can read about what I first did with mine here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?15714-William-s-330Ci-ZHP-Maintenance-and-Project-Thread&p=432475#post432475). I also did one-touch close for our rear windows that required a little modification of the window switches, you can read about that here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?15714-William-s-330Ci-ZHP-Maintenance-and-Project-Thread&p=432575#post432575).
- Cold Air Intake: A lot of people go down this path, but don't expect any tangible boosts in performance. Really they're glorified noise makers. Common options are AFE, BMW Performance, and GruppeM. I have the BMW Performance one and it sounds a little throatier, and maybe a tiny bit of added power on the top end.
- LED Lighting: Some people opt for LED interior lights. I don't like the harsh/sterile lighting for the interior, but I did swap my rear license plate lights for LEDS for cheap on eBay. I've liked them so far.
- Engine/Trans mounts: These mounts I believe are fluid filled in our cars so they can degrade. People here tend to swap them out for M3 mounts and enjoy the improved rigidity of the driveline. I plan to do this at some point.
- M3 seats: M3 seats have larger side bolsters than our cars and are supposed to be more comfortable. I'm currently looking for a set of front M3 seats for that reason
That's a good starter list I think. If you want to read more about what I did personally, you can check out my project thread here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?15714-William-s-330Ci-ZHP-Maintenance-and-Project-Thread). Other members will be sure to chime in on what they think you should look into.

Again, welcome!

EDIT: Removed CDV delete and ZHP shift knob refresh as options since OP has an auto.

[BADCLOWN]

cleans up very well. congrats on the purchase!

[bosszhp]

Paint them? With a black tint? Or do they have clear out markers? I know pretty much everything about e30s but not a ton about e46s I'll admit.

Your best bet is getting the color matched ones from Bimmian like BMWCurves suggested. I didn't want to spend $65 dollars on them though and since my car is black I simply plasti-dipped them while still on the car (just taped the surrounding areas off). Was quick and only cost a couple bucks. They blend in on my car since it's Sapphire Black but I'm not sure how black bumper reflectors would look on silver. Could always give it a shot and if they don't look good buy the Bimmian ones, a can of plastidip is only a couple of bucks.

[danewilson77]

Win. Congrats. Welcome.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[WOLFN8TR]

Welcome and Nice color! Some good recommendations on Mods above. Autos don't have CDV delete btw. I had a Auto ZHP coupe and one of the best mods I did was the Sprint Booster V2. Also the Euro No Blind Spot mirrors are way better than stock mirrors. If you are looking to get some Angel Eyes there are a set of Khoalty for sale on here for $90, I had them and they are nice and bright. I also paid $280 for mine thou.

Sprint Booster on eBay for Sale.
http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/231782743474 (http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/231782743474)

SprintBooster SPORT Button Mod
http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7679

Brand New Helios Angel Eyes for 04-06 Coupe - $90 shipped
http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16969

[BMWCurves]

Welcome and Nice color! Some good recommendations on Mods above. Autos don't have CDV delete btw. I had a Auto ZHP coupe and one of the best mods I did was the Sprint Booster V2. Also the Euro No Blind Spot mirrors are way better than stock mirrors. If you are looking to get some Angel Eyes there are a set of Khoalty for sale on here for $90, I had them and they are nice and bright. I also paid $280 for mine thou.

:facepalm whoops. I even deleted "refresh ZHP shifter knob" that I accidentally put in the list as well.

[Vas]

Welcome

[EastBayJay]

Thanks for the tips and the warm welcome. And thank you Curves for all the knowledge, I think I am going to be referring to that post for the next year.

I've seen these AC Schnitzer mirrors that come in the same gloss black as the trim and BMW gloss black kidney grills, I think it would look good.
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Boss, I will be getting some clears ASAP.

The alcantara steering is awesome, not a bit of wear, I'll stick with it for a couple years I think.

Certainly not looking for noise when it comes to intake and exhaust upgrades, however a bit of sound wouldnt be bad either. Again some of the suggestions will have to be referred to. Was thinking of doing a catback Borla system.

Depo makes a full fixture with Bi-xenon and auto leveling and halos. The setup is around $600 with a ballast and thats fine, I just want a single unit to upgrade.

Rear view mirror needs to be replaced, like, its bad, I see double at night.

So first things first, maintenance is key, the car is 11 years old so things need to be done. Bushings, bushings, plugs, trans and diff fluids. Coding? I am a rookie if you say coding. Going to go ahead and get just the 2 aesthetic things done first, tint, headlights. Will probable be posting a new thread and adding to the "what did you do for your ZHP today" as I upgrade.

I spend stupid money on my cars sometimes, its and addiction, put $10k in to this 91 318is over about 1 1/2 years as I loved it. Already love this car, got to ease the wife into though. She got an idea after the what Ive done to the e39.
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[EastBayJay]

I haven't been on any type of forum for a while so quoting and pictures and sizing is going to have to come back to me.

[Vas]

Don't do Depo headlights.

[ELCID86]

Don't do Depo headlights.

+1


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46f member

[oldzilla]

Welcome.

[fredo]

Welcome, sir. Glad u found a good ZHP.

[DANG3R]

Looks like a very solid ride, Congrats!

[3ZHPGUY]

Welcome!


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[johnrando]

Welcome from SoCal. Great find, congrats.

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[EastBayJay]

Thanks again for the wlcomes.

So after driving the car for a day I realized the control arm bushings were completely toast.


Took it back to the dealership and after a bit of back and forth, all new bushings installed. Sweet stuff, less for me to do, ride is all that much better and handling feels nice and tight now.

[ELCID86]

^glad you got it dialed in now.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46f member

[EastBayJay]

^glad you got it dialed in now.

Thanks man, me too. Even happier it was at no cost to me as I was going to do it anyway.

[EastBayJay]

Gloss black mirrors - I'm not quite sure what you mean by these, that the mirror covers are gloss black? I don't know if that's a common mod or not. I prefer the cover to be color-matched as is, but I have thought about retrofitting round M3 mirrors, which several people have done..

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[BMWCurves]

Interesting. It's not a look I'm used to so I'm hesitant about it, but looks well done nonetheless.