PNW VW guy, just bought a low mileage, single owner 04' ZHP coupe!

[fantinno]

My VR6 GTI got totaled three weeks ago at the hands of a 2014 MB GLK250 :crying

I've been a water-cooled VW guy since I started driving, but I became a classic BMW owner a couple years back (72' 2002), and have been thinking about buying a 330 for quite a while, so the timing was pretty ideal.

After a few weeks of looking at 330ci's, a 35,000 mile single owner ZHP popped up on CL for a very reasonable price and I knew I had to have it!

So I now present my new 2004 Silver Grey Metallic ZHP coupe with grey, heated leather interior and 6MT. Loving the car so far, it's beautiful, well sorted and a blast to drive. I have a good connection with H&R so I'll probably be throwing on race springs or coils in the near future, and likely different wheels since I've always been a bit of a wheel whore ;-)

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/fantinno/52EECC07-4C18-40FF-B3A7-0B7A026678AC_zpsrtdlusyj.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/fantinno/media/52EECC07-4C18-40FF-B3A7-0B7A026678AC_zpsrtdlusyj.jpg.html)

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/fantinno/BAD9093E-282C-4E82-AC78-0C7072D727CD_zps1ltnhrg7.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/fantinno/media/BAD9093E-282C-4E82-AC78-0C7072D727CD_zps1ltnhrg7.jpg.html)

Apologies on the interior pic, quality is a bit rough!

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/fantinno/E6AF24F7-765A-42EE-A157-DF6AA7324ADE_zpsrsx8piuq.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/fantinno/media/E6AF24F7-765A-42EE-A157-DF6AA7324ADE_zpsrsx8piuq.jpg.html)

Anyways, stoked to be a part of the community :-)

[Avetiso]

Welcome. Sorry to hear about your VW, but at least you took a Mercedes out in the process. Not exactly a fair trade, but it's something to smile about.

You are gonna like it here.

[fantinno]

Thanks! And yeah, I can't say I'm not at least a little satisfied the Benz got totaled too, haha.

And it looks like pics won't post correctly here from Dropbox so I fixed them to a photo-bucket account instead!

[Avetiso]

Wow, the car looks fantastic. A silver gray coupe has always been my dream ZHP, except with a brown interior.

[Lanister]

Welcome! :)

Beautiful ride! but it does need black grillies though, STAT! :)

[cakM3]

Sorry to hear about your VR6 GTI but you have a nice ZHP on your hands...:thumbsup Welcome!

@Giya....with the grey interior I think the OE grills provide that "classic BMW" look better. If OP were to do an entire black interior swap (like someone I know did)...then I would say go for the black kidney grills....but that's me... ;)

[ELCID86]

Welcome, I look forward to seeing the pictures when I get out from behind my work firewall.

Sorry about the GTI.

[///Mvious]

Quite the find with the low miles, 6MT, and my favorite exterior color!

[JupiterBMW]

Beautiful car... Doesn't really bode well that the MB SUV got totaled, I would think they're built solid enough with brand new tech... But, like others have said, better that brand than others.. :biggrin And agreed, sorry about the VW. The new coupe looks great though, enjoy it and definitely post pics with new wheels. I've got to be honest, the current ones aren't my favorite... Did you get the OEM wheels too? I bet they're in fantastic shape with such low miles!

Welcome aboard!

[PirateZHP]

Welcome! Great find with the mileage and such!

[danewilson77]

Welcome

[oldzilla]

Welcome

[johnrando]

Welcome. Great find on the car, congrats. (Too bad about your VW). What part of the country you in? Also, please post pics of your 2002.

[Au1994]

welcome!

[brettbimmer]

Greetings & Welcome to the family. Sorry to hear about losing your VR6 babe, but I hope that you find that the ZHP is a fitting replacement. More photos of your 2002 would be awesome as well!!

[fantinno]

Thanks for all the warm welcomes guys, this forum is much more civilized than I'm used to seeing, I like it! I'm definitely bummed about losing the GTI and all my hard work, but I definitely think I've moved a few rungs up the ladder with the ZHP!

@Johnrando, I'm in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle mostly, but I work in Kent and spend a lot of time in Bellingham.

@JupiterBMW, I should clarify I was the secondary impact, the Benz also took out a 2010 A4 wagon, both those cars got super jacked up, mine just got enough damage for it to be a total loss. Unfortunately no stock wheels for me, OG owner sold them long ago. Unless I happen upon a set of similarly sized wheels, I'm gonna ride these ones out until the tires are worn because the last owner sprang for Pilot Super Sports. They're pretty sticky so I don't imagine they will last super long. My taste in wheels tends toward wide, step-lip, multi-piece build based off classic euro styles (RSs, AMG aeros, LMs, Borbet Type As etc), but I haven't really figured out what I will like on this car yet :-)

Here's a few shots of the 02 (I don't have many, it's usually in storage during winter months)

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/fantinno/C3A39CCB-7003-494F-A3F5-3D1A62845519_zps53jhwoqw.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/fantinno/media/C3A39CCB-7003-494F-A3F5-3D1A62845519_zps53jhwoqw.jpg.html)

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/fantinno/2C62D4EB-0724-426A-A14C-9D83B8541D27_zpslk5ncfko.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/fantinno/media/2C62D4EB-0724-426A-A14C-9D83B8541D27_zpslk5ncfko.jpg.html)

Big plans for this car. It's an auto and has a non-original motor, so I'm planning on a getrag 265 5-spd swap, E30 rear end setup and an M20 swap, amongst other things. Will be returning it to it's original color too, I'm a sucker for white 2002s ;-)

[ELCID86]

Awesome. thanks for sharing. Love the 2002.

[danewilson77]

Awesome. thanks for sharing. Love the 2002.

+1

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Imola.ZHP]

Welcome!

Sorry about your GTI, as long as you (or anyone involved) did not sustain any permanent damage, well, thats really all that matters in the end.

Great find on the ZHP, my '03 had 32,500 on it when I bought it nearly 8 years ago. I'd love to have another with such low mileage!

[Oli77]

Welcome to the silbergraw club (other color do exist but don't know why, I can't see them well).

[brettbimmer]

Awesome. thanks for sharing. Love the 2002.


+1

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

+2. Love to hear stories of '02's being rescued!

[KevinC]

From a former 3x VR6 owner (2 GTi's, '04 R32), I welcome you to the church of the inline 6 that is truly inline. Suggestion: pick up something with an S54 under the hood and be prepared to forget the VR's forever.

http://www.zpost.com/forums/images/smilies/worshipbmw.gif

[fantinno]

Yes, I'm quickly learning to love this motor for so many reasons. I was compiling my maintenance plan for the next 65k and I had the stunning realization that timing chain maintenance isn't a super normal thing for you guys :-O In fact, most routine maintenance looks to be pretty cake compared to working on a transverse FWD 6 crammed into a compact body (I.e. every maintenance item doesn't start with "drop transmission"). The only thing I still miss is the exhaust note, not that the M54 is at all bad, the VR was just exceptional in that regard ;-)

No S54 for me, not now anyways. I'm already paying enough for insurance and gas :-P if I'm ever gonna pay up for an M, it'd likely be a 5er.

[KevinC]

The exhaust note of the VR6, particularly in the .:R32 application, is indeed spectacular.

[Lanister]

My Eurovan has a VR6. The big exhaust certainly pacifies it but I can still hear (and feel) the love ;)

[Simmsled]

I had a MKV GTI (TSI) and MKV Rabbit.
Had a bunch of problems with the GTI, and then the tranny on the Rabbit started going out at 70k miles.
I love VWs, but hate their dealerships.
The VR6 exhaust note (esp MK4 .:R) is pure sex.

[cakM3]

... The only thing I still miss is the exhaust note, not that the M54 is at all bad, the VR was just exceptional in that regard ;-)

Go thru the classifieds here and at E46Fanatics to source a UUC Corsa TSE3 exhaust....probably one of the best exhaust notes for our cars :thumbsup


The exhaust note of the VR6, particularly in the .:R32 application, is indeed spectacular.
Yeah, I have to agree here...I see a red VR6 R32 from time to time where I live and we wave to each other...that car has an awesome exhaust note :drool

[Hermes]

Welcome!


http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/fantinno/C3A39CCB-7003-494F-A3F5-3D1A62845519_zps53jhwoqw.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/fantinno/media/C3A39CCB-7003-494F-A3F5-3D1A62845519_zps53jhwoqw.jpg.html)

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/fantinno/2C62D4EB-0724-426A-A14C-9D83B8541D27_zpslk5ncfko.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/fantinno/media/2C62D4EB-0724-426A-A14C-9D83B8541D27_zpslk5ncfko.jpg.html)

Big plans for this car. It's an auto and has a non-original motor, so I'm planning on a getrag 265 5-spd swap, E30 rear end setup and an M20 swap, amongst other things. Will be returning it to it's original color too, I'm a sucker for white 2002s ;-)

No, stay away from iron block engines and timing belts. M4x w/E30 intake manifold (not E36), delete smog equipment, custom chip, E36 ring and pinion in E21 open case

Edit: You can do like me and build a custom high compression M10... or if you have a big enough budget I know where to source a M12/7

[fredo]

Welcome !

[fantinno]

Thanks again all.

@Hermes: nah, no interest in keeping it 4-cyl, especially not with a newer motor. If it was the OG M10 maybe I'd build it, but it's a rebuilt motor from a 75. To get the kind of power a stock M20 makes from an M10 would require boost or a rather "challenging" street motor. I have my heart set on 6 cylinders without much regard to practicality or reliability (it's just supposed to be a fun weekend car). M30s are too big, M50s too new, so that leaves the M20 ;-)

[Hermes]

Mine will make 170hp NA and idle fine

I even know how to get to 200hp but I don't feel like building a stroker

[bradacal]

Welcome Pisano! Nice rides and what a great find in the low mileage ZHP! Manual even! I too am a sucker for white 2002's! Keep us apprised!

[fantinno]

Thanks!

Hermes: I'd be super interested in seeing a dyno graph if you have one. Why I ask is all the higher output M10s I've seen have had very peaky power bands. Idling well is one thing, but if it's only making good power at 5K+ it makes for a challenging motor outside of the track IMO. Not doubting you, just making an observation on what I've seen from built M10s :-) I'm a bit of a torque fiend, lol.

[Hermes]

I'll see if I can find you some info. Look in my 02 thread to see what I'm using for my engine.

Just another reason as to why I don't like motor swaps in 02s besides other 4 cyl, it throws off the great weight balance as the M20 weighs over twice what the M10 does

See motor swap discussion regarding my E21 here:


M20 - 180kg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/Drew325iS/M20weighIn.jpg

[WolfBMW]

Welcome, nice cars! I can see wanting the white look, but at the same time, WOW. I love that green!

[fantinno]

Thanks Wolf! The green looks OK in the photo because it's wet, but the paint is totally trashed, no saving it. It's the third color for that car, from what I can tell.

Hermes; Added weight is definitely a valid point, but I don't 100% buy the weight distribution thing after running the numbers.

A bare M10 is like 83kg, but you showed a fully dressed M20 (unladen they weight more like 117kg). The most reliable numbers I can find for a dressed M10 puts it at about 150kg/330lbs. This could be inaccurate since I don't have one on a scale in front of me, but I've found multiple sources putting it into that weight range ready to go into the engine bay.

Given a dressed M20 is about 395 lbs (lets just say 400 for simplicity) and the weight of a dressed M10 from a tii is about 330 lbs (I couldn't find numbers for a an earlier motor). So about a 70 lb difference, I'm willing to add an extra 10lbs for unknowns, hardware, etc. so let's call it an 80 lb difference.

At 2073lb curb weight and with a stock weight distribution @ 50.5 front 49.5 rear, we're looking at 1047 lbs over the front end. Making the assumption that the entirety of the M20 weight is being added over the front wheels we're now at 1127lbs over the front with a total weight of 2,153 lbs.

Our new distribution is 52.3/47.7.

I would still consider that respectable, but it could use improvement, so lets move the battery to the trunk; My battery weighs about 30 lbs, so 1127-30=1097. 1097/2153 gives a new distribution of 50.9/49.1, which can probably be evened out a little more with a good coil-over setup. I don't think most folks would be able to tell the difference between 1% WD on a street car, just my opinion. It's a bit of a simplified analysis, I'll admit, but I think it makes the point.

At the end of the day I think it comes down to a matter of preference. The right motor is the one that makes you happy! Some folks love a built 4-banger and others like the 6. I like the M20B25 because I don't need to build it to make more power than a car like the 02 really needs to eat tires and keep the butt dyno happy, plus I'll get to ditch carbs and manual fuel pumps for a *relatively* reliable EFI setup (granted I could have this with an M10 from a newer car). Timing belts aren't a huge concern, I'm pretty religious about my maintenance schedules and the car won't see much mileage ^_^

Just my $.02 :)

[edit]

I forgot to mention, I definitely do agree that adding 80 lbs over the front wheels will definitely make the steering/turn-in heavier, so handling will probably still take a hit with the bigger motor in that regard.

[edit 2]

I could always just go the route this guy went instead ;-) lol

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu130/bhacds/motormod.jpg

[Hermes]

Hahaha, I remember that car. I like this pic more ;)

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll137/demzinver/pull2.jpg

[Avetiso]

I think OP and and JP (see what I did there) are gonna get along very well.