ZHPizza's red car

[Galapolis]

I don't have it installed and a pic wouldn't show perspective well anyway but yes on the instrument cluster obstruction. It sucks. I already can't see the top of the speedo/tach with the stock wheel, so it's even worse with the Z4. I haven't figured out a fix for this yet, but I need to do something because I can't see the red oil pressure light eek!

Sounds like you need some Recaro Sportsters.

[ZHPizza]

Sounds like you need some Recaro Sportsters.

Lmao in this shitbox? A wet fart would total the car

I'm hoping the 0.5-1.0 inch drop from swapping to manual bases will be enough for me. If not, then I'll bust the Corbeau A4's out of storage and work on fitting them.

[t.er]

Lmao in this shitbox? A wet fart would total the car

I'm hoping the 0.5-1.0 inch drop from swapping to manual bases will be enough for me. If not, then I'll bust the Corbeau A4's out of storage and work on fitting them.

This is why you keep all your stock parts - if you get totaled you quickly swap everything back before it is sold to the insurance company. Or just buy the car back and part it out

[Will]

Lmao in this shitbox? A wet fart would total the car

LOL. Don't give insurance adjusters any ideas now.

[Galapolis]

On behalf of the Pizzaman himself, who could not be here with us today, here are some details on the LiFePo4 battery he installed (and that he convinced me to buy as well).

To secure it, he created a special custom high-tech mounting solution.



You can try to use the original mounting system, but it does block the restart button which is apparently quite useful.



He also got this charger, since you need one suitable for LiFePo4.

https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-56-926-L...964491&sr=8-13

And these if you want to keep your stock terminals.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...P2NQRBZG&psc=1

[ZHPizza]

Thanks man! Just found this pic too -- 50lb savings over the chonkin stock size battery!



It definitely threw off my corner-to-corner balances, but less weight is almost always better.

Does a damn fine job of starting the car too. I've had to use the restart button a few times after it died on me, but that from was leaving the car sitting for 4+ weeks, usually when I left an OBD2 dongle in the port

Edit: Just saw that I already posted about the battery last year

[ZHPizza]

Looks like I never posted my feedback on the Mason clutch pedal, so heres a throwback to January 2020 when I posted these pics on the now-defunct m3forum.

I had both pedals out of the car, so decided to align the pivot points and take some measurements since Mason can't be bothered to do this himself:











My pedal cover didn't match the curvature of the Mason pedal plate, so...



Bonk



Beauty



And final comparisons. Stock, sitting higher than the brake pedal:



Mason, now lower than the brake pedal:



The throw is definitely shorter, but it's really slight. Mason's website claims a 1.5" reduction in overall throw, but I think this must take into account the lower starting point. You don't have to change the pivot points to achieve a shorter throw (that wouldn't be good for the master cylinder anyway). You can just reduce the lever arm length, which is what Mason does while also reducing the resting pedal height.

I installed it last night and immediately stalled the car on my test drive. I had the UUC clutch stop in and the grab point was right at the stop, which was bottomed out on the long threaded rod. I drove to work without a clutch stop this morning, cut/ground ~1/2" off the bolt, and reinstalled it bottomed out to the rubber. Much better.


I only have a 10 minute commute but I noted the following now that I could drive it with the clutch stop at a reasonable height:

- My left knee no longer hits the steering wheel. That's nice.

- With the clutch now lower than the brake pedal, I was able to move my seat forward a good bit. I've always struggled between comfortably reaching the wheel/shifter with my hands and fitting my legs under the wheel, so that was a huge +. This thing definitely isn't for short folks, though.

- I noticed that I now release the clutch and just twist my foot 30° to rest on the dead pedal. When it's time to shift, I just pivot on my heel back to the clutch instead of having to fully lift off the dead pedal. Another huge + for me.

- The result feels better than removing the cdv did. It got rid of the occasional jerk I would get at the end of the release due to the long engagement zone and pedal height. To me, it feels like the clutch in an e36. I dig it.

[RUS_ZHP]

You reminded me Jeremy Clarkson. His solution to all problems was a hammer.
Also, Sreten at M539 likes hammer a lot.


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[ZHPizza]

Just came across these that I don't think I ever posted. Playing w corner weights on stock springs:

Corner balances look great until you add the driver and see exactly why BMW put the 60lb battery on the opposite corner:

[ZHPizza]

Posting a big thanks to @Galapolis for his help a few Saturdays ago. Dude drove 2.5 hrs, worked his ass off for like 7 more, then drove back. Hell I didn't even feed him.

We got my solid aluminum subframe bushings changed out to polyurethane though. I had a clunk that I don't think was the bushings now but too late.

Note to others: just lowering the subframe to swap the bushings really isn't much less work than dropping the whole thing out. Just bite the bullet and drop that bish.