Imola.ZHP
01-07-2013, 03:23 PM
Hello!
Marcus here, just got approved to be a new member (thanks Marcus!). I purchased my 2003 330i ZHP in May of 2006 with just 32,500 miles on the odometer. Nearly 7 years later we're at nearly 118,500 with a lot of history behind us...
I decided to attempt to get onto this forum because our beloved e46F forum seems to becoming over run with very young BMW buyers (hey, I was only 24 when I bought mine, but I had already passed that "ricer" stage) that can be quite "challenging" to share a forum with at times...
I hope to contribute here enough to continue my membership, over the course of 7 years I have learned a lot about working on my ZHP, and hope I can be of assistance to others. Most recently a good friend (and fellow ZHP owner) and I undertook putting a new clutch in my car. The old clutch actually looked to have some life left in her, but the flywheel was quite "loose" in every meaning of the term. The car was getting quite "jerky" at low speed forward (and reverse) take off's. I've almost got 150 miles on the new clutch and break-in is killing me. I bought a house close to work (and not too far from school) when fuel prices were rumored at going over $4/gal. Thankfully that hasn't happened, and I haven't regretted buying a house close to work, but at the same time, 500 miles for the clutch break-in is going to take at least 4 weeks, possibly 6...
Here are some pics...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/13656_1164155031672_6357673_n.jpg
Just a month after purchase at her first auto-x. I participated in auto-x for the first few years of ownership, pretty much up until the point that I returned to college. Since then I just haven't had time...
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/2590_1028011028157_4325677_n.jpg
After clears and DIY painting the kidney rings (not pictured)...
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/5449_1104029288566_4410190_n.jpg
8/21/2009, splitters, aftermarket kidney's and no tint (tint from original owner turned purple)
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/182766_1581429303268_4252125_n.jpg
2/9/2011, snow day, new tint job done the summer before and Orion V2 LED halo's installed here...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/281640_1904961471370_3893817_n.jpg
8/1/2011, new wheels (19" VMR v710's wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sports), my 30th birthday present to myself...
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/426969_2626155300765_612406936_n.jpg
2/4/2012, thank you Instagram, this is how your paint should look when wet. Even if its 9 years old...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/421084_2854241282772_1872592119_n.jpg
3/16/2012, OEM nav (LCD is starting to have dead pixel's), all weather mats, black cube on heated black leather, no cold-weather package though, meaning my rear seats do not fold, extra stiffness...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/538344_3257837812433_1019543155_n.jpg
5/25/2012, H&R sport cup kit 1/2 installed (front) showing some rake...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/156221_3274253102805_1052848085_n.jpg
5/28/12, just after installing my H&R sport cup kit, roof-rack also pictured...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/403131_4065823371567_642675554_n.jpg
11/29/12, cool effect with a new camera...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/66997_4120430056700_2103562952_n.jpg
12/12/2012, at school, last day of fall semester...
That may seem like a "lot" of pictures, but its not, over the course of nearly 7 years, I have hundreds of them. I love everything about this car (and I mean that in a non creepy way). If it were stolen tomorrow or wrecked I would immediately start searching for another one just like it, or as close to it as possible (must already be a ZHP though)...
Future? Well, thats a vague term when you plan to keep a car "forever." At nearly 120,000 its about time to start doing lots of bushing replacements. Thats probably going to occur over the next 6 months. Next summer I hope to have enough saved up to go ahead and do an M3 rear subframe (and components) swap like my buddy that helped me install my clutch did on his ZHP. My differential is leaking as it is and I'd rather just get rid of it than fix it. My drivers-side splitter went missing (again) so that needs to be taken care of soon, its also time for her yearly wax job which usually takes at least 10 hours (to do it right! including wheels). I'd love to get started on the sound system soon too. I used to work at a car-audio shop, but I'm still not crazy about the idea of adding a ton of weight for audio equipment. You can bet that my "system" will be small, efficient and will (hopefully) not exceed the weight of the components coming out. My major hiccup is the head unit though. I love having nav, but I haven't updated it in YEARS. I'm an apple user (nearly every product) so I'm really holding out for a kit to put an iPod mini in the dash to replace the OEM screen...
Well, I think thats enough for an intro, feel free to ask any questions and I look forward to contributing to the forum!
Marcus here, just got approved to be a new member (thanks Marcus!). I purchased my 2003 330i ZHP in May of 2006 with just 32,500 miles on the odometer. Nearly 7 years later we're at nearly 118,500 with a lot of history behind us...
I decided to attempt to get onto this forum because our beloved e46F forum seems to becoming over run with very young BMW buyers (hey, I was only 24 when I bought mine, but I had already passed that "ricer" stage) that can be quite "challenging" to share a forum with at times...
I hope to contribute here enough to continue my membership, over the course of 7 years I have learned a lot about working on my ZHP, and hope I can be of assistance to others. Most recently a good friend (and fellow ZHP owner) and I undertook putting a new clutch in my car. The old clutch actually looked to have some life left in her, but the flywheel was quite "loose" in every meaning of the term. The car was getting quite "jerky" at low speed forward (and reverse) take off's. I've almost got 150 miles on the new clutch and break-in is killing me. I bought a house close to work (and not too far from school) when fuel prices were rumored at going over $4/gal. Thankfully that hasn't happened, and I haven't regretted buying a house close to work, but at the same time, 500 miles for the clutch break-in is going to take at least 4 weeks, possibly 6...
Here are some pics...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/13656_1164155031672_6357673_n.jpg
Just a month after purchase at her first auto-x. I participated in auto-x for the first few years of ownership, pretty much up until the point that I returned to college. Since then I just haven't had time...
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/2590_1028011028157_4325677_n.jpg
After clears and DIY painting the kidney rings (not pictured)...
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/5449_1104029288566_4410190_n.jpg
8/21/2009, splitters, aftermarket kidney's and no tint (tint from original owner turned purple)
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/182766_1581429303268_4252125_n.jpg
2/9/2011, snow day, new tint job done the summer before and Orion V2 LED halo's installed here...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/281640_1904961471370_3893817_n.jpg
8/1/2011, new wheels (19" VMR v710's wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sports), my 30th birthday present to myself...
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/426969_2626155300765_612406936_n.jpg
2/4/2012, thank you Instagram, this is how your paint should look when wet. Even if its 9 years old...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/421084_2854241282772_1872592119_n.jpg
3/16/2012, OEM nav (LCD is starting to have dead pixel's), all weather mats, black cube on heated black leather, no cold-weather package though, meaning my rear seats do not fold, extra stiffness...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/538344_3257837812433_1019543155_n.jpg
5/25/2012, H&R sport cup kit 1/2 installed (front) showing some rake...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/156221_3274253102805_1052848085_n.jpg
5/28/12, just after installing my H&R sport cup kit, roof-rack also pictured...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/403131_4065823371567_642675554_n.jpg
11/29/12, cool effect with a new camera...
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/66997_4120430056700_2103562952_n.jpg
12/12/2012, at school, last day of fall semester...
That may seem like a "lot" of pictures, but its not, over the course of nearly 7 years, I have hundreds of them. I love everything about this car (and I mean that in a non creepy way). If it were stolen tomorrow or wrecked I would immediately start searching for another one just like it, or as close to it as possible (must already be a ZHP though)...
Future? Well, thats a vague term when you plan to keep a car "forever." At nearly 120,000 its about time to start doing lots of bushing replacements. Thats probably going to occur over the next 6 months. Next summer I hope to have enough saved up to go ahead and do an M3 rear subframe (and components) swap like my buddy that helped me install my clutch did on his ZHP. My differential is leaking as it is and I'd rather just get rid of it than fix it. My drivers-side splitter went missing (again) so that needs to be taken care of soon, its also time for her yearly wax job which usually takes at least 10 hours (to do it right! including wheels). I'd love to get started on the sound system soon too. I used to work at a car-audio shop, but I'm still not crazy about the idea of adding a ton of weight for audio equipment. You can bet that my "system" will be small, efficient and will (hopefully) not exceed the weight of the components coming out. My major hiccup is the head unit though. I love having nav, but I haven't updated it in YEARS. I'm an apple user (nearly every product) so I'm really holding out for a kit to put an iPod mini in the dash to replace the OEM screen...
Well, I think thats enough for an intro, feel free to ask any questions and I look forward to contributing to the forum!