ZHPizza's red car

[E46Fan]

Quoting myself to update this post too. I installed ECS's bronze caliper bushings the other day and it finally gave me the firm pedal that I'd been chasing. Pro tip: rebuild your own calipers instead of buying some shit rebuilds from Centric (or anyone else). They use the cheapest, softest excuses for rubber guides that I've ever seen and it had me thinking there was air in my lines and needlessly flushing expensive fluid through them for the past year.

Good to know, I have regularly used the centric rebuilt calipers and agree they feel s bit soft. Perhaps I'll try swapping out the pin guides.

[E46Fan]

Is there a good way to do that without looking like a maniac at 2 AM accelerating and slamming on the brakes like I've got bees in my undergarments?

Not that I am aware of, embrace the madness!

[ZHPizza]

Solid tranny mounts when?

After the interior is stripped and the roll cage is in

I look forward to your reporting back in wild jubilation with the return of the BW RTABs, or potential disappointment. Whichever, I enjoy your chaotic updates either way.

Also, when you do two things at once you literally smooth the wrinkles in my brain, muddying the waters for understanding the *fingers crossed* improved crashing; will it have been the foam or are the BW RTABs just somehow better? Your mockery of the scientific process accelerates the universe towards its inevitable heat death, you chaotic goof.



Was your pedal feel really mushy before? Can you describe the difference now? There was definitely a change for me just swapping from BMW pads to Hawk pads, but the feel was linear and none-too-mushy. Which reminds me, I need to go bed my brakes again since I got the new rear rotors. Is there a good way to do that without looking like a maniac at 2 AM accelerating and slamming on the brakes like I've got bees in my undergarments?

Listen here, smooth brain, I control variables when and how I determine it to be necessary. I only added the foam to the drivers side RTAB pocket cavity so I could see if it made a difference. The passenger side will get the RTABearing raw.

My pedal was absolute shit before. It's not OE pad levels of bite now, which you'll never have with a cold/track-friendly pad, but the response is definitely improved. I don't think the bronze bushings have much of an advantage over the OE reinforced rubber guides, though. Just a big leap from the trash that Centric used.

Good to know, I have regularly used the centric rebuilt calipers and agree they feel s bit soft. Perhaps I'll try swapping out the pin guides.

As I stated above I don't think the bronze is a huge leap from OE, so I'd just replace the Centric trash with Genuine BMW or whatever the OE is for that part.

[Will]

After the interior is stripped and the roll cage is in
...

Ok, someone has to ask: when's the s54 (or s62, s65, s85, maybe a LS?) going in?

[E46Fan]

Hey, when are those Schmiedmann headers going in along with the Magnaflow cat? Interested to know how well the headers fit and if you plan to add in post cat bungs and extend the wires.

[holyc0w]

I've been running the BW RTABs and I don't mind them, but I'm not too sensitive to changes. Usually I get parts installed, something feels stiffer or louder, then it becomes the new baseline.

[ZHPizza]

Ok, someone has to ask: when's the s54 (or s62, s65, s85, maybe a LS?) going in?

Lol I'm happy with the M54. Hoping to get it dyno tuned once I am happy with the exhaust. A little more torque paired with the 3.23 lsd *chef's kiss*

Hey, when are those Schmiedmann headers going in along with the Magnaflow cat? Interested to know how well the headers fit and if you plan to add in post cat bungs and extend the wires.

Hopefully sometime over the winter. I'm not planning to put the secondary O2's back in. I completely removed them and plugged the connectors. Just need to get them programmed out now.

I've been running the BW RTABs and I don't mind them, but I'm not too sensitive to changes. Usually I get parts installed, something feels stiffer or louder, then it becomes the new baseline.

Little things like that never stop bothering me but I think the trade-off is worth it in this instance. The diff is a loud, clunky mess at low speeds so might as well racecar, right?

[ZHPizza]

In other news, I'm still rocking the e36m ebay rep mirrors. I'll throw a bunch of pics here since I can't remember what thread I had posted them in.



No, they're not very pretty, but damn they're light compared to stock!

From the Vorshlag NASA build thread:



I definitely like the widening effect that the stock mirrors have on the look of the car, so I thought I'd try gutting them of whatever's so heavy in there (the motors?) and...

The motor is just a tee tiny little guy. Probably only a few oz. The real weight is in the massive cast aluminum core.


Not much to be done about that, so sticking with the springy boys for a little while longer...

[Will]

Car's looking fantastic! I'm digging the two-tone pinstripes, too.

[BMWCurves]

Listen here, smooth brain, I control variables when and how I determine it to be necessary.

I only added the foam to the drivers side RTAB pocket cavity so I could see if it made a difference. The passenger side will get the RTABearing raw.

My pedal was absolute shit before. It's not OE pad levels of bite now, which you'll never have with a cold/track-friendly pad, but the response is definitely improved. I don't think the bronze bushings have much of an advantage over the OE reinforced rubber guides, though. Just a big leap from the trash that Centric used.

Good to know.

Not much to be done about that, so sticking with the springy boys for a little while longer...

But you do you! The weight savings is surprising, but is basically my fat ass pre- and post-consumption of an oversized burrito.