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Karl Lazlo
02-12-2017, 08:25 PM
Come to think of it, I did see some ridiculously attractive Leafs fans in Toronto.

Ah yes, Canadian womenz... I (barely) recall a weekend in NB, barely 19 years old, ready to make some seriously bad decisions with/for a Québecoise I had met in a local watering hole. She thought my horrible high school Parisienne French was somewhat charming. But I digress, I am no longer cool or possess anything that could be considered "game."

Avetiso
02-12-2017, 09:11 PM
Ah yes, Canadian womenz... I (barely) recall a weekend in NB, barely 19 years old, ready to make some seriously bad decisions with/for a Québecoise I had met in a local watering hole. She thought my horrible high school Parisienne French was somewhat charming. But I digress, I am no longer cool or possess anything that could be considered "game."

Ahem. You haz ZHP.

az3579
02-13-2017, 03:29 AM
Clearly, I took license with Trevor's posting. Canada is a great country, but we keep BP, he's a national treasure.

I actually threw up a little in my mouth. LOL
I totally agree about Canada, at least the parts that I experienced. If it wasn't so damn cold in the winter.


Ahem. You haz ZHP.

And M3. And an '03 330 that's a track car candidate. :shifty

Karl Lazlo
02-13-2017, 05:59 AM
Ahem. You haz ZHP.

I'm compensating for my lack of game with three E46s...


I actually threw up a little in my mouth. LOL

That was the effect I was going for.


And an '03 330 that's a track car candidate. :shifty

Soon. Now it's just covered in a layer of snow.

Avetiso
02-13-2017, 09:58 AM
Yeah I went to Winnipeg once. It was cold in the summer.


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slater
02-13-2017, 10:38 AM
Yeah I went to Winnipeg once. It was cold in the summer.


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LOL.

derbo
02-13-2017, 10:51 AM
Talk about digressing. LOL


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Karl Lazlo
02-13-2017, 12:43 PM
Talk about digressing. LOL

And down the rabbit hole we GO!

az3579
02-21-2017, 07:12 PM
Back on track, fellas... :p


The ZHP now has another option retrofitted: HomeLink
#becausegettingoutandturningkeytoopengaragedoorist oomuchworksoistypingallthisholycrapicantbelieve (breathe) ijustdidthat

This is indeed the latest part number available from BMW for this part, which, according to RealOEM, was last available on the last E53 X5's in 2006. I'm not so sure why I was so obsessed with finding the latest part number; perhaps it was just because I wanted a guarantee that it would have rolling code support. Either way, it was in pretty good shape (compared to all the other HomeLink modules on eBay) and it was priced the same, so I decided to pick it up.

I used delmarco's excellent DIY located here:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=396312

Voila:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2422/32199221514_93efec6027_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/R4kqKC)IMG_20170221_173726 (https://flic.kr/p/R4kqKC) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3823/32662593520_26e273a20f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RLhk79)IMG_20170221_173803 (https://flic.kr/p/RLhk79) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2561/33044609615_068f40059f_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Sm3gbx)IMG_20170221_215552 (https://flic.kr/p/Sm3gbx) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



I was asked by someone why not just get the rear view mirror with the HomeLink buttons on it. My answer is simple: so I can retain my amazing looking M3 oval mirror, of course! I can't give this puppy up; it looks too damn good, and matches my M3 side mirrors perfectly.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7498/28837812685_f78500e350_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/KWik1Z)0807161905_HDR (https://flic.kr/p/KWik1Z) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

cakM3
02-21-2017, 07:19 PM
Back on track, fellas... :p


The ZHP now has another option retrofitted: HomeLink
#becausegettingoutandturningkeytoopengaragedoorist oomuchworksoistypingallthisholycrapicantbelieve (breathe) ijustdidthat

This is indeed the latest part number available from BMW for this part, which, according to RealOEM, was last available on the last E53 X5's in 2006. I'm not so sure why I was so obsessed with finding the latest part number; perhaps it was just because I wanted a guarantee that it would have rolling code support. Either way, it was in pretty good shape (compared to all the other HomeLink modules on eBay) and it was priced the same, so I decided to pick it up.

I used delmarco's excellent DIY located here:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=396312

Voila:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2422/32199221514_93efec6027_k.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3823/32662593520_26e273a20f_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2561/33044609615_068f40059f_k.jpg

Looks good BP! :thumbsup I used the same procedure...


I was asked by someone why not just get the rear view mirror with the HomeLink buttons on it. My answer is simple: so I can retain my amazing looking M3 oval mirror, of course! I can't give this puppy up; it looks too damn good, and matches my M3 side mirrors perfectly.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7498/28837812685_f78500e350_k.jpg

You're welcome :drevil

704sw
02-21-2017, 07:23 PM
I was asked by someone why not just get the rear view mirror with the HomeLink buttons on it. My answer is simple: so I can retain my amazing looking M3 oval mirror, of course! I can't give this puppy up; it looks too damn good, and matches my M3 side mirrors perfectly.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7498/28837812685_f78500e350_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/KWik1Z)0807161905_HDR (https://flic.kr/p/KWik1Z) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

I do really like the look of the oval mirror. I saw the Z4M mirror installed in an M3 last weekend in-person. I must say, it looks really good too.


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derbo
02-21-2017, 08:21 PM
That looks is amazing. :)


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az3579
02-22-2017, 03:32 AM
You're welcome :drevil


That looks is amazing. :)



:chuck


I do really like the look of the oval mirror. I saw the Z4M mirror installed in an M3 last weekend in-person. I must say, it looks really good too.


The Z4M mirror is a very close second for me, for sure. If I ever decide to change it up, this is what it'll be with.

nextelbuddy
02-22-2017, 05:55 AM
looks great! i may consider the M3 oval mirror. i have the E90 homelink mirror with the invisible compass and i like it for now. i love the auto dimming and i love its FOV. i have no experience with the M3 oval but it feels like it might limit the FOV just a hair more than I prefer.

704sw
02-22-2017, 06:42 AM
looks great! i may consider the M3 oval mirror. i have the E90 homelink mirror with the invisible compass and i like it for now. i love the auto dimming and i love its FOV. i have no experience with the M3 oval but it feels like it might limit the FOV just a hair more than I prefer.

I have the E90 Homelink too. I have noticed the mirror blocks my forward view a lot, I guess because I sit so low in this car I'm always looking up at other vehicles. I had the same mirror in my X3, but I sat up high enough for it to not impede my vision.

Now I'm casually looking at Z4M mirrors and a headliner-mounted Homelink. I guess I just love spending money to solve minor problems.


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derbo
02-22-2017, 07:11 AM
I have the E90 Homelink too. I have noticed the mirror blocks my forward view a lot, I guess because I sit so low in this car I'm always looking up at other vehicles. I had the same mirror in my X3, but I sat up high enough for it to not impede my vision.

Now I'm casually looking at Z4M mirrors and a headliner-mounted Homelink. I guess I just love spending money to solve minor problems.


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You are too tall. [emoji23][emoji23]


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704sw
02-22-2017, 07:31 AM
You are too tall. [emoji23][emoji23]


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5'9" so definitely the first time anyone's ever said that to me.


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az3579
02-22-2017, 07:59 AM
i have no experience with the M3 oval but it feels like it might limit the FOV just a hair more than I prefer.

I thought it would be slightly annoying as well but it really doesn't make much of a difference. The only things I missed out on are things that don't matter, like the interior of my car, and even then I see enough of it. The only real-world difference in usability between this mirror and the rectangular ones is that adjusting the mirror properly is just a touch more important with the oval mirror so you can get the best view. Otherwise, I never feel like it's lacking in viewing area as whatever falls outside of its scope is something I can easily pick up in my sideview mirrors, as I have those adjusted outwards.


5'9" so definitely the first time anyone's ever said that to me.


You and Derek are like the same height or something. :rofl

az3579
04-15-2017, 07:00 PM
My quest for unique and interesting things continues with my latest adventure: LED Headlight bulbs.

I've waited a long time for LED headlight bulbs that were worth a damn. Since I found out about Morimoto's 2Stroke LED bulbs, I've been keeping an eye on them, watching for reviews of folks who decided to try them. There still isn't a whole lot of information about their use online, but it seems that the few who have tried them seem to be overall satisfied with their performance. Unfortunately, I found nobody that has installed them in their BMWs.

These bulbs come in a variety of fitments. In reality, the bulb itself is the same for all of these applications. It is the base adapter that changes between the different fitments you can order. They offer a fitment in D2S, so I decided to give these a try and be the (to my knowledge) first person to install them in a D2S projector housing on a BMW.

Now, to be clear, the ultimate goal here isn't the bee's knees in automotive lighting. If that was the case, I wouldn't even pass a second glance at these. These aren't quite as good as a traditional Xenon setup, but I'm okay with that. The reason I bought these is because the bulbs I have in now are aftermarket 6k bulbs, which look like crap IMO. I hate blue illumination, and these aftermarket HID bulbs have a turquoise kind of color to them. So, to kill two birds with one stone, I bought the 2Strokes.

Despite showing backorder on The Retrofit Source's site, I received these within 2 days of ordering. I'm very impressed by how quickly TRS turned my order around.

Here is everything that you get with this specific product:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2940/34061992255_ae3597a311_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TTWBAx)IMG_20170414_213735 (https://flic.kr/p/TTWBAx) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

(2) Morimoto 2Stroke LED bulbs
(2) LED drivers and their wiring
(2) Extended rubber caps
(2) D2S base adapters

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3935/33932730171_43e35b324c_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TGw7tV)IMG_20170414_214005 (https://flic.kr/p/TGw7tV) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2869/34061985835_031d0b560c_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TTWzFR)IMG_20170414_214104 (https://flic.kr/p/TTWzFR) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2873/33905467832_9da4b69f5d_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TE7okA)IMG_20170414_214257 (https://flic.kr/p/TE7okA) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



I won't get too crazy with the product pics; I'll reserve that for my review that I'll post in the appropriate section once I'm done testing. I will keep the relevant technical details that pertain to my install here.

These are the adapters they provide. They just slip on the bulb and twist lock in place. When installing in the projector, these will stay in the projector and the bulb just twists off these adapters, should you want to remove the bulb and not deal with the retaining clips. It's a very slick design.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2865/34061988655_8ed8f85893_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TTWAwt)IMG_20170414_213927 (https://flic.kr/p/TTWAwt) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr


If these bulbs check out and throw out enough output to keep me happy, I plan on integrating the bulbs and the drivers into the factory housing. The drivers are pretty small, so they should fit inside.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3950/33932728791_ace6e9ecb0_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TGw758)IMG_20170414_214153 (https://flic.kr/p/TGw758) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



I did a test run last night to see if they work plug & play. I can say that they do technically work P&P, though some cleverness is going to be required for them to work as though they were factory.

When I plugged them in, I got low beams with no issue. I plugged the LED drivers directly into the 9006 connector coming from the body harness that would normally plug into the headlight housing. This worked for low beam, but unfortunately the projector shutters are wired into the harness inside the housing, so they weren't getting power and as a result, not activating upon high beam actuation. I have a couple of thoughts on how to address this, but my main plan of action is as follows:

* Remove the factory ballast
* Remove the factory ignitor
* Plug the LED driver directly into the 9006 connector that the ballast connects with
* Plug the factory 9006 connector into the housing, as usual

In theory, this should power the LED driver as well as the shutter wiring, so I should have full high beams. I haven't inspected the connections that the ballast uses just yet - my information comes from online research. Once I take out the headlights and verify the connector, I should be able to test my theory. If the ballast doesn't use a 9006 connector, then I will have to proceed with Plan B, which is to order (Qty 2) 9005 Male --> 9005/9006 female splitters. This will allow me to plug into both the headlight housing and the LED drivers, since the drivers use connections that don't care if it's 9005 or 9006.

Tomorrow I will take one headlight out and inspect the ballast connections. I really hope that it uses a 9006 because this will simplify my install process. If everything works as planned, I'll plan out the stuffing of "stuff" inside the headlight housing and making the whole thing work as OE as possible.

cakM3
04-15-2017, 07:13 PM
You have gotten my interest Botond... looking forward to seeing how these turn out! :thumbsup

derbo
04-16-2017, 08:39 AM
I'm very curious how the output will look like with the shutter from the projector.

I'll dig around on how the wiring works in the headlight later today and we can chat.


I'm happy with these bulbs in my civic so hopefully you will be too!

Photo bomb

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170416/5841e956953db37161a965645d0a1244.jpg





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az3579
04-16-2017, 01:29 PM
Today was the day; I attempted the retrofit.

There is some mixed news: good, bad, and not sure. Let me break it down:

The Good:
* I was able to successfully install these bulbs without the need for any splitters or extra hardware by using the 9006 connector meant for the ballast.
* Everything works, including the LED bulbs and the shutters.
* The headlight bulb cover fits perfectly over the Morimotos! No external wiring that was meant to be internal is showing on the outside of the housing.

The Bad:
* ZKW makes the shittiest lights I've ever seen. Not only are their projectors shitty (don't worry, I've already changed them out [twice, with different brands for different reasons]), but their wiring is also garbage. I lost count of the number of breaks in the insulation for these wires all over the place. It really is scary. Both of my headlights are going to need a full internal wiring rebuild. Ugh.

Not Sure:
* The bulbs don't look as bright as the Xenons on high beam in the daytime, whereas with HIDs you can usually tell when they're on high beam during daylight by looking at them. Illumination against the garage door looks fine compared to the HID though, but it is only a couple of feet away, so that's subjective. I will find out tonight when I go for a drive.





For this retrofit, I took my headlight assemblies out entirely as I had to get access to the ballasts underneath the housings. Once the ballast was unbolted, I found a disaster with the wiring. At first I only saw this:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2920/33268648493_a2168c0ea9_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SFQw8P)IMG_20170416_130447 (https://flic.kr/p/SFQw8P) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



But, as I started to disconnect things, it just got worse:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2938/34039842876_131b41d58a_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ6mG)IMG_20170416_130901 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ6mG) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



The damn insulation was flaking off before my eyes. Unbelievable.

Had to go to the store with only one eye to pick up some liquid electrical tape. :(

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3934/34039840106_51cefa5eae_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ5wW)IMG_20170416_132411 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ5wW) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr




After some prompt liquid electrical tape work, I proceeded with the install.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2846/34039838456_2ef1ad1a82_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ53u)IMG_20170416_140625 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ53u) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr





As you can see, the ballast uses a standard 9006 connector, which is exactly where I plugged in my LED drivers. It's a direct swap - ballast for driver.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2936/34039845446_ee045d1d21_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ781)IMG_20170416_130827 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ781) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2846/34039844076_881f338c6a_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ6Ho)IMG_20170416_130843 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ6Ho) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Here is a demonstration of why 2Strokes produce usable light compared to some bulbs. The illumination point is in the same place, so the light should reflect in a similar pattern. Granted, not as much light bounces around as an HID because the HID lights up all the way around the bulb, where the LED has a bulb on each side of it, but not on all sides.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2938/34039837256_242c0c55d2_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ4FN)IMG_20170416_142357 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ4FN) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



After making the connection for the driver, I ended up stuffing the LED driver and its wiring into the housing itself, allowing me to push the 9006 connector back in as well. I don't like this setup at the moment, but I'll re-think how I'll route stuff when I re-wire the headlights.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2845/34039833986_dec5686be4_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ3Hq)IMG_20170416_153516 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ3Hq) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



The drivers fit beautifully in the housing. Thankfully, our E46 headlight housings have a ton of room.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2875/34039832826_1bc57654cd_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ3nq)IMG_20170416_153521 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ3nq) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



I was able to fit not only the LED driver, but also was able to leave the factory ignitor in place until I decide whether I want to keep the LEDs or switch back.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3956/33950307671_6a6ee08233_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TJ5cEg)IMG_20170416_153552 (https://flic.kr/p/TJ5cEg) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Comparison shot of the Morimoto 2Stroke LED on the driver's side and the aftermarket craptastic 6k Xenon bulbs on the right:

Low beams. The HID bulbs right now are very blue, which you can see from the picture. They have a brighter hotspot in the middle, where the Morimoto 2Stroke bulbs have a more even light distribution.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2848/34039835726_3d50ffcc87_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ4eq)IMG_20170416_144443 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ4eq) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

High beams. Don't mind the yellow. I have yellow high beam bowls with LED bulbs in them as well. They are coded to turn on with the high beams.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2943/34039834726_921ea3a1c0_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ3Wb)IMG_20170416_144508 (https://flic.kr/p/TRZ3Wb) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



It is interesting that you can see the two illumination points of the bulbs through the lens:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2912/33950302981_5cf63c8556_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TJ5bgp)IMG_20170416_162106 (https://flic.kr/p/TJ5bgp) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3949/33950301421_26b5ea252c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TJ5aNv)IMG_20170416_162131 (https://flic.kr/p/TJ5aNv) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



And finally, both bulbs in.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2828/33950300431_1738a8206d_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TJ5avr)IMG_20170416_162235 (https://flic.kr/p/TJ5avr) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2905/33950298001_a9ab4c5e10_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TJ59Mx)IMG_20170416_163534 (https://flic.kr/p/TJ59Mx) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Now I must wait for nightfall to get a real-world idea of how they perform. Stay tuned!

BMWCurves
04-16-2017, 01:32 PM
Very cool. I'm interested to see what the output is like at night. Bummer to hear about crumbling insulation for your headlight wiring, that's a bitch.

anandoc
04-16-2017, 03:07 PM
Extremely impressive work, BP! And thanks for detailing everything so well for the rest of us.

I am scared to see how the wiring inside my ZKW would look like at this point - yikes! I do have a spare ZKW housing, maybe I can steal some of its wiring and replace my headlight's wiring.

Also, nice to see Wobz inside the garage of your new place :)

EDIT: BP, do you think one can use the H7 Morimoto 2stroke LED bulbs for our high beams? They are rated at 5000 lumens - much higher than my current Osram Rallye 65W rated at 2100 lumen. Link: https://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting/led-bulbs/h7-morimoto-2stroke.html

nextelbuddy
04-16-2017, 03:21 PM
nice! never heard of these before. where did you get them? do they fit into the standard D2S/D2R bases in the headlight housing?

cakM3
04-17-2017, 04:42 AM
Damn BP....... damn.......

slater
04-17-2017, 05:16 AM
High beams. Don't mind the yellow. I have yellow high beam bowls with LED bulbs in them as well. They are coded to turn on with the high beams.

BP, i would be interested in doing this also - more light output is always good.

bummer about the insulation issues. i will be examining mine now before they go into the Touring.

az3579
04-17-2017, 06:09 AM
Very cool. I'm interested to see what the output is like at night. Bummer to hear about crumbling insulation for your headlight wiring, that's a bitch.

Yeah, the insulation royally pissed me off. Whatever; at least it'll be perfect once it gets re-wired, better than any OE headlight. :thumbsup


Extremely impressive work, BP! And thanks for detailing everything so well for the rest of us.

I am scared to see how the wiring inside my ZKW would look like at this point - yikes! I do have a spare ZKW housing, maybe I can steal some of its wiring and replace my headlight's wiring.

You should definitely check your housing to see what condition the wires are in. I would not, however, re-use crappy ZKW wiring from any other used headlight. I recommend you buy the wiring here (thanks Derek for the link!):

https://www.eficonnection.com/home/category/automotive-wire/txl-wire-by-the-foot?Wire%2BSize=20&Color=&Stripe=&action_ProductFilterForm=Filter

They have all the proper color-coded wires to do the job right. :)



Also, nice to see Wobz inside the garage of your new place :)


Yeah, tell me about it!



EDIT: BP, do you think one can use the H7 Morimoto 2stroke LED bulbs for our high beams? They are rated at 5000 lumens - much higher than my current Osram Rallye 65W rated at 2100 lumen. Link: https://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting/led-bulbs/h7-morimoto-2stroke.html

I don't see why not. ;)


nice! never heard of these before. where did you get them? do they fit into the standard D2S/D2R bases in the headlight housing?

I bought these from The Retrofit Source (direct product link: https://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting/led-bulbs/d2h-d2s-morimoto-2stroke.html). They fit in to a variety of sockets, depending on which adapters you order them with. The D2S version fits perfectly behind the factory cover.


BP, i would be interested in doing this also - more light output is always good.


I did call this very point out earlier; these are NOT better than Xenons. This is expected; LEDs don't have as good of a throw for distant light as HIDs do. What I can tell you is that these have a better light disbursement compared to my crappy aftermarket HID bulbs I had before. The light is better spread in the foreground, and dare I say, they added light in the foreground to a projector that is known for not having any foreground (FX-R v1). I'm really surprised by how it added foreground to the area that was never lit with any of my bulbs before, not that it matters since that area is irrelevant at speed.

Anyway, I did go out for a sighting run yesterday. Unfortunately, it rained hard the whole time. As you know, you can't see headlights at all when it's raining out, so that was almost pointless. It did slow down a bit towards the time I was getting home, so I found a nice dark road to check 'em out with.

Note: I've come to the realization that I need to raise my headlight adjustment a little bit. They were pointed a little too low, so I think that's partially why I didn't get the full distance the bulbs can achieve. Also note that the pics show the light a little bit more intensely than in reality, as pictures usually do. These pics were off my Pixel phone (with which I'm also impressed, for its low light capabilities :) ).

Low beams:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2935/33965607141_cc448f8b3a_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TKqBEe)IMG_20170416_211534 (https://flic.kr/p/TKqBEe) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



High beams (ignore the yellow, forgot to turn off the H7 high beams in coding):

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2941/34054939316_2a3ff5ba47_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TTjt19)IMG_20170416_211552 (https://flic.kr/p/TTjt19) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



They were super intense inside my buddy's garage before I headed home, but then again, that was only a few feet away:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2859/33284100483_7e897aceae_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SHcHtr)IMG_20170416_195044 (https://flic.kr/p/SHcHtr) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Here are some "dusk" photos. The sun was going down and it was getting dark. This was at 19:34, outside my buddy's shop:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2869/33952513611_9151cb38c0_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TJgvpH)2017-04-16_07-34-59 (https://flic.kr/p/TJgvpH) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



This was earlier on the way to his shop. The picture was taken at 19:04. You can faintly see the cutoff of the projectors on the Jersey barrier. I'm not sure how this stacks up agains the Xenons; I never paid attention to it before.

Edit: Looking at it now, it seems that you can't see it in the picture. You could definitely see it in person, but it was very faint as it wasn't dark enough out yet to be able to clearly distinguish a cutoff there.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2812/33710946920_1fe6413dba_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TmVq3L)IMG_20170416_190450 (https://flic.kr/p/TmVq3L) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



I will go going out again tonight to take some better pics, since it'll be dry outside and it should give a better idea of how these light up the road. I'll also be adjusting my headlights before going out just to be sure I get a fair representation of how these should look.

NoVAphotog
04-17-2017, 06:25 AM
Yeah, the insulation royally pissed me off. Whatever; at least it'll be perfect once it gets re-wired, better than any OE headlight. :thumbsup



You should definitely check your housing to see what condition the wires are in. I would not, however, re-use crappy ZKW wiring from any other used headlight. I recommend you buy the wiring here (thanks Derek for the link!):

https://www.eficonnection.com/home/category/automotive-wire/txl-wire-by-the-foot?Wire%2BSize=20&Color=&Stripe=&action_ProductFilterForm=Filter

They have all the proper color-coded wires to do the job right. :)



Yeah, tell me about it!



I don't see why not. ;)



I bought these from The Retrofit Source (direct product link: https://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting/led-bulbs/d2h-d2s-morimoto-2stroke.html). They fit in to a variety of sockets, depending on which adapters you order them with. The D2S version fits perfectly behind the factory cover.



I did call this very point out earlier; these are NOT better than Xenons. This is expected; LEDs don't have as good of a throw for distant light as HIDs do. What I can tell you is that these have a better light disbursement compared to my crappy aftermarket HID bulbs I had before. The light is better spread in the foreground, and dare I say, they added light in the foreground to a projector that is known for not having any foreground (FX-R v1). I'm really surprised by how it added foreground to the area that was never lit with any of my bulbs before, not that it matters since that area is irrelevant at speed.

Anyway, I did go out for a sighting run yesterday. Unfortunately, it rained hard the whole time. As you know, you can't see headlights at all when it's raining out, so that was almost pointless. It did slow down a bit towards the time I was getting home, so I found a nice dark road to check 'em out with.

Note: I've come to the realization that I need to raise my headlight adjustment a little bit. They were pointed a little too low, so I think that's partially why I didn't get the full distance the bulbs can achieve. Also note that the pics show the light a little bit more intensely than in reality, as pictures usually do. These pics were off my Pixel phone (with which I'm also impressed, for its low light capabilities :) ).

Low beams:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2935/33965607141_cc448f8b3a_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TKqBEe)IMG_20170416_211534 (https://flic.kr/p/TKqBEe) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



High beams (ignore the yellow, forgot to turn off the H7 high beams in coding):

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2941/34054939316_2a3ff5ba47_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TTjt19)IMG_20170416_211552 (https://flic.kr/p/TTjt19) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



They were super intense inside my buddy's garage before I headed home, but then again, that was only a few feet away:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2859/33284100483_7e897aceae_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SHcHtr)IMG_20170416_195044 (https://flic.kr/p/SHcHtr) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Here are some "dusk" photos. The sun was going down and it was getting dark. This was at 19:34, outside my buddy's shop:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2869/33952513611_9151cb38c0_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TJgvpH)2017-04-16_07-34-59 (https://flic.kr/p/TJgvpH) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



This was earlier on the way to his shop. The picture was taken at 19:04. You can faintly see the cutoff of the projectors on the Jersey barrier. I'm not sure how this stacks up agains the Xenons; I never paid attention to it before.

Edit: Looking at it now, it seems that you can't see it in the picture. You could definitely see it in person, but it was very faint as it wasn't dark enough out yet to be able to clearly distinguish a cutoff there.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2812/33710946920_1fe6413dba_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TmVq3L)IMG_20170416_190450 (https://flic.kr/p/TmVq3L) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



I will go going out again tonight to take some better pics, since it'll be dry outside and it should give a better idea of how these light up the road. I'll also be adjusting my headlights before going out just to be sure I get a fair representation of how these should look.

All I see in that last pic is the 428,524 km (266,272mi)!!!! I think you'll be the first ZHP on here to break 300...

slater
04-17-2017, 06:29 AM
I did call this very point out earlier; these are NOT better than Xenons.

i was referring to coding the halogen high beams to come on with the bi-xenon high beams.

az3579
04-17-2017, 07:47 AM
i was referring to coding the halogen high beams to come on with the bi-xenon high beams.
Ah, ok. Get to it! 😀
If my bowls weren't yellow, I'd have some crazy bright inner highs since those are also LED. The yellow bowls dumb down the output, unfortunately.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

derbo
04-17-2017, 07:58 AM
Nice writeup BP.



Extremely impressive work, BP! And thanks for detailing everything so well for the rest of us.

I am scared to see how the wiring inside my ZKW would look like at this point - yikes! I do have a spare ZKW housing, maybe I can steal some of its wiring and replace my headlight's wiring.

Also, nice to see Wobz inside the garage of your new place :)

EDIT: BP, do you think one can use the H7 Morimoto 2stroke LED bulbs for our high beams? They are rated at 5000 lumens - much higher than my current Osram Rallye 65W rated at 2100 lumen. Link: https://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting/led-bulbs/h7-morimoto-2stroke.html


Some data crunching for you guys:

Morimoto 2-strokes are rated at 5000 lumens at 34W.

They use 2x CREE XHP50 LEDs per bulb.
Each of these LEDs are rated at 2546 lm max at 19W or 149lum/W.

At the operating 34W power, that is roughly 5066 raw lumens from each bulb.

This is pure raw lumens from the LEDs before optic losses from the projector.

Datasheet:
http://www.cree.com/led-components/products/xlamp-leds-arrays/xlamp-xhp50


Background:
I purchased these bulbs for my Civic because I didn't want halogen bulbs or paying for OE Honda LED lights (At least for now, since its $1000 for the setup). I told BP about these bulbs and he had the bright idea to replace his bulbs as well. I gave him an semi-generic review of these bulbs in my civic projectors because I hadn't had a chance to drive it at night since 9pm is still bright! I told him foreground was great, color was matching my DRLs at 6000k and the mid-range was decent.

As per BP's review, these LED bulbs are wonderful but with a caveat. Presently, HID systems will have longer and wider throw than LED bulbs. The foreground is very bright and develops a hotspot in relation to the long distance throw we are accustomed to with HIDs.


Kudos to BP for trying it out! :)

anandoc
04-17-2017, 09:09 AM
Nice writeup BP.





Some data crunching for you guys:

Morimoto 2-strokes are rated at 5000 lumens at 34W.

They use 2x CREE XHP50 LEDs per bulb.
Each of these LEDs are rated at 2546 lm max at 19W or 149lum/W.

At the operating 34W power, that is roughly 5066 raw lumens from each bulb.

This is pure raw lumens from the LEDs before optic losses from the projector.

Datasheet:
http://www.cree.com/led-components/products/xlamp-leds-arrays/xlamp-xhp50



That is awesome. I plan to throw them in my flash-to-pass/high-beams, replacing the existing halogen H7s.

az3579
04-17-2017, 09:47 AM
Thanks for trying these out first, Derek! I've been wanting to buy these bulbs for a while but was scared to. Then you finally got 'em and that pushed me over the edge. :)


That is awesome. I plan to throw them in my flash-to-pass/high-beams, replacing the existing halogen H7s.
Just remember; not all LED bulbs are created equal. My high beam LED bulbs are kind of 'meh' with regards to placement inside the housing. The chips are facing odd angles, so light doesn't reflect properly. I have the Weisslicht Illustro Flex LED bulbs from Bimmian (which are severely overpriced, BTW).

You should be fine if you get the Morimotos. Their chip placement seems to be spot on!

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

anandoc
04-17-2017, 10:43 AM
I have the Weisslicht Illustro Flex LED bulbs from Bimmian (which are severely overpriced, BTW).

You should be fine if you get the Morimotos. Their chip placement seems to be spot on!

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Arent the Weisslict Flex LEDs priced at around $165 CAD for the pair? Almost the same as what the Morimotos are priced at ($120 USD for the pair).
https://bimmian.com/Accessories-for-BMW/Lighting/Fog-and-Head-Lights/Illustro-LED-Headlight-Fog-Light-Bulb/#tabs

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting/led-bulbs/h7-morimoto-2stroke.html

az3579
04-17-2017, 11:33 AM
Arent the Weisslict Flex LEDs priced at around $165 CAD for the pair? Almost the same as what the Morimotos are priced at ($120 USD for the pair).

Yes, that sounds about right. The thing is, you can have the same bulbs on eBay (called something else, of course) for half that. :)
The Mori's are a better buy.

derbo
04-17-2017, 02:19 PM
Arent the Weisslict Flex LEDs priced at around $165 CAD for the pair? Almost the same as what the Morimotos are priced at ($120 USD for the pair).
https://bimmian.com/Accessories-for-BMW/Lighting/Fog-and-Head-Lights/Illustro-LED-Headlight-Fog-Light-Bulb/#tabs

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-lighting/led-bulbs/h7-morimoto-2stroke.html


Yes, that sounds about right. The thing is, you can have the same bulbs on eBay (called something else, of course) for half that. :)
The Mori's are a better buy.



The Morimotos run the CREE XHP50 LED which is in fact at least double in brightness.

The Bimmians I believe are XLM2.
http://www.cree.com/led-components/products/xlamp-leds-discrete/xlamp-xm-l2

The WiessLicht model is fanless, and has nice heatsink fan belts that makes it quieter (but i mean an engine is louder...).

As a low beam replacement, the Morimoto is a much better choice. :)

az3579
04-17-2017, 02:32 PM
The WiessLicht model is fanless, and has nice heatsink fan belts that makes it quieter (but i mean an engine is louder...).

In all honesty, once the hood is closed, you'd be hard pressed to hear it even with just the ignition on (motor not running). You wouldn't notice it unless you were listening for it. With the motor running, it's as silent as anything else since the motor drowns it out. :)

Regarding the fan itself, I actually don't even care that the Morimoto has one. I didn't want to buy bulbs with fans due to the potential failure of the fan, but the Mori's use bearing-less fans. I'm not sure how it works, but I know that usually when fans go, it's the bearings. No bearings sound great to me!

derbo
04-18-2017, 07:55 AM
In all honesty, once the hood is closed, you'd be hard pressed to hear it even with just the ignition on (motor not running). You wouldn't notice it unless you were listening for it. With the motor running, it's as silent as anything else since the motor drowns it out. :)

Regarding the fan itself, I actually don't even care that the Morimoto has one. I didn't want to buy bulbs with fans due to the potential failure of the fan, but the Mori's use bearing-less fans. I'm not sure how it works, but I know that usually when fans go, it's the bearings. No bearings sound great to me!


Totally agree on all levels. With an raw output that is double the weisslicht, these morimotos are very nice. :)

anandoc
05-18-2017, 01:37 PM
Found a distant relative of Wobbie lurking around in my neighborhood :)

http://i.imgur.com/eQZ65QE.jpg

ELCID86
05-18-2017, 02:04 PM
[emoji33][emoji23]


---
"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." - anonymous E46 fanatic

BMWCurves
05-18-2017, 03:41 PM
Found a distant relative of Wobbie lurking around in my neighborhood :)

I was thinking more "spiritual successor."

az3579
05-19-2017, 03:53 AM
Found a distant relative of Wobbie lurking around in my neighborhood :)

http://i.imgur.com/eQZ65QE.jpg

Yeah, that's the enforcer in the family. They call him "Bear". Don't mess with us!


I was thinking more "spiritual successor."

Eh??

BMWCurves
05-19-2017, 05:03 AM
Eh??

Dumb joke.

anandoc
05-19-2017, 12:14 PM
Another relative of wobbie I spotted at he car wash line up

http://i.imgur.com/uTE2rJt.jpg

704sw
05-19-2017, 12:44 PM
Another relative of wobbie I spotted at he car wash line up

http://i.imgur.com/uTE2rJt.jpg

Look at that 4x4 clearance! We had a 330i loaner this week, and I couldn't get over it.

Karl Lazlo
05-19-2017, 12:47 PM
Is BP secretly Canadian?

704sw
05-19-2017, 12:48 PM
Is BP secretly Canadian?

He does have Canadian gauge faces...the plot thickens.

Karl Lazlo
05-19-2017, 12:50 PM
He does have Canadian gauge faces...the plot thickens.

That seals it.

anandoc
05-19-2017, 01:30 PM
And he visits Canada every year for "track days"

704sw
05-19-2017, 01:47 PM
And he visits Canada every year for "track days"

Sounds to me like we've solved the mystery of the missing Canadian.

Case closed.

az3579
05-19-2017, 01:59 PM
Another relative of wobbie I spotted at he car wash line up

http://i.imgur.com/uTE2rJt.jpg
Wobbie is no relative of a poverty spec BMW. Yes, she's a snob.

Is BP secretly Canadian?


He does have Canadian gauge faces...the plot thickens.
You mean EURO gauge faces. It's okay, I forgive you. [emoji14]

And he visits Canada every year for "track days"
Just because I'm practicing my eh's and aboot's doesn't mean I'm not there for actual track days. No need to put that in quotes! (I really wanted to say 'ya hoser!' to top off all the bad Canadian references but didn't want to be mean lmao)

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

az3579
08-11-2017, 04:51 PM
Got something new to play with...
Borrowing this from Derek to see if I like it. I like rare things!
Had to bust out the old, worn out shift boot for this shift knob. We'll see if I end up keeping it or sending it back...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4351/36464410556_0db2bbebed_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XyeCRJ)IMG_20170811_203132 (https://flic.kr/p/XyeCRJ) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4396/35676073404_87325f8d25_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WmzcFS)IMG_20170811_203151 (https://flic.kr/p/WmzcFS) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

Vas
08-11-2017, 04:58 PM
I wouldn't mind trying it out too

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

az3579
09-29-2017, 02:52 PM
After years of dealing with bootleg M3 side mirrors courtesy of a previous owner, I've finally gotten them fixed... hopefully!
I sent them off to Shawn (nextelbuddy) to get them fixed and received them today. Thanks Shawn!

So far, the alignment is absolutely perfect on the driver's side and 95% on the passenger side, which is still FAR better than it was before!
The driver's mirror also isn't as loose as it was before, so I'm confident it won't shake nearly as much, if at all, once I get them mounted.

I will probably mount them tomorrow, but I'm sure glad to have these puppies back. I really missed my aspherical glass. :)



https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4461/36728263833_8777da4a7c_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XXxXfa)IMG_20170929_180244 (https://flic.kr/p/XXxXfa) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4482/37398633781_208665bc15_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YYMLSH)IMG_20170929_175653 (https://flic.kr/p/YYMLSH) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4489/23546051808_2160d077ad_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BSFESu)IMG_20170929_175915 (https://flic.kr/p/BSFESu) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

johnrando
09-29-2017, 03:44 PM
Nice!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

joeybananaz18
09-29-2017, 05:05 PM
Thats awesome. I have some things I need to do first, but I want to take advantage of one of the sets that he has available.

fredo
09-29-2017, 05:33 PM
:like

WOLFN8TR
09-30-2017, 06:25 AM
Nice BP [emoji106][emoji106]

az3579
01-06-2018, 01:21 PM
It was too good to be true.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4633/27766676819_d965d61511_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/JiDtDe)IMG_20180105_132455 (https://flic.kr/p/JiDtDe) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



It looks like the metal bracket broke on the passenger side this time. This is incredibly frustrating since I've thrown so much money at these mirrors already in my ownership. Considering they were already installed in my car when I bought it (not having to purchase a pair of them), I've still spent roughly $690 on fixing them throughout the years, so you can imagine how unhappy I was to find out that the only person who seems to make new brackets for it wants almost $70 without shipping in US dollars (he's in the UK) for a single bracket. Me being me, I would want to rebuild both sides as these are supposedly much better than the stock brackets and hold the mirror tighter. But... another $160-170 after shipping is really heavy, and that's not counting the $100-200 mirror motor I need to now buy because it ripped the cable as it hung from the car.

So, I've decided to utilize the stock mirrors I purchased the last time my M3 mirrors shit the bed and installed them. I've also ordered a super cheap set of aspherical glass for the stock mirrors (will write a review) so I can at least have functionality back while I figure what kind of a fire I'm going to burn the M3 mirrors in.

nextelbuddy
01-06-2018, 04:05 PM
damn thats a bummer. i have a guy that sells those brackets to me for $40 a piece. let me know if you want his contact info. they are used and from e39 M5s but the same brackets.

az3579
01-06-2018, 04:44 PM
damn thats a bummer. i have a guy that sells those brackets to me for $40 a piece. let me know if you want his contact info. they are used and from e39 M5s but the same brackets.That's a lot more reasonable. I'm afraid that they're still used and the same fragile design, so it would probably happen again. IF I replace the brackets, I'd like to use the upgraded ones that supposedly hold the mirror housing tighter than a brand new OE mirror. They say there's absolutely no slop with these upgraded brackets.

Thanks for the heads up on those M5 brackets; I'll keep that as an option for now.
You wouldn't happen to have any extra passenger motors, would you?

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

slater
01-06-2018, 08:13 PM
that sucks, BP. sorry man!

az3579
01-06-2018, 08:55 PM
that sucks, BP. sorry man!

Life could be worse. Spare parts are always a good thing, as we both know. :)

ZHPizza
01-06-2018, 09:03 PM
Once you go aspherical glass, you never go back. The spatial awareness makes you feel like a demigod.

slater
01-06-2018, 09:13 PM
Once you go aspherical glass, you never go back. The spatial awareness makes you feel like a demigod.

i went back after about 1 day. couldn't deal with the headache-inducing split image in the glass... :scratchinghead

incidentally, my wife hated it too.

i guess we're weird.

az3579
01-06-2018, 09:16 PM
Once you go aspherical glass, you never go back. The spatial awareness makes you feel like a demigod.

This, 1000x. It's like auto-wipers; I can't stand driving cars without these items. lol

Sockethead
01-07-2018, 08:24 AM
i went back after about 1 day. couldn't deal with the headache-inducing split image in the glass... :scratchinghead

incidentally, my wife hated it too.

i guess we're weird.

I'm not a fan either... And I used to drive trucks for a living. Much harder to judge distance to the object behind you... IDK maybe its the glass I got but the whole mirror seems to make everything smaller...not just the outside portion.

BP my M3 mounts are super tight... no play at all.

WOLFN8TR
01-07-2018, 08:53 AM
Once you go aspherical glass, you never go back. The spatial awareness makes you feel like a demigod.


This, 1000x. It's like auto-wipers; I can't stand driving cars without these items. lol

Totally agree. It took a few days to get use to them but love these. I can't tell you how many times I almost changed lanes into someone with the stock mirrors.

Rovert
01-07-2018, 09:57 AM
I set my side mirrors so as a car beside me leaves my center rearview mirror, it comes into the side mirror. As the vehicle leaves the side mirror it’s already in my peripheral vision. My mirrors hardly duplicate anything behind making them perfectly effective against hitting something solid from a lane change or even turning right where there are pedestrian crosswalks. This allows me to swerve lanes if I ever had to without needing to turn my head the check if the space is clear beside me, saving milliseconds where a crash might occur.

So many people set their side mirror to see the side of their car “for reference”. I can understand where people come from when they’re learning how to drive but once you set mirrors this way, you get used to it within a week of pointless shoulder checks. As my racing instructor told me, mirrors don’t lie and since when did the side of my car come out to hit me?

holyc0w
01-07-2018, 10:08 AM
So many people set their side mirror to see the side of their car “for reference”. I can understand where people come from when they’re learning how to drive but once you set mirrors this way, you get used to it within a week of pointless shoulder checks. As my racing instructor told me, mirrors don’t lie and since when did the side of my car come out to hit me?

I think I'll change my settings. I set my side mirrors so they are right on the side of the car (can't see from the driving position, but a little movement left or right will show the side). There is a bit of time before the the other cars reappear in the side mirror, and a bit of neck movement when changing lanes. Might be interested in the aspheric glass.

ZHPizza
01-07-2018, 10:17 AM
I set my side mirrors so as a car beside me leaves my center rearview mirror, it comes into the side mirror. As the vehicle leaves the side mirror it’s already in my peripheral vision. My mirrors hardly duplicate anything behind making them perfectly effective against hitting something solid from a lane change or even turning right where there are pedestrian crosswalks. This allows me to swerve lanes if I ever had to without needing to turn my head the check if the space is clear beside me, saving milliseconds where a crash might occur.

So many people set their side mirror to see the side of their car “for reference”. I can understand where people come from when they’re learning how to drive but once you set mirrors this way, you get used to it within a week of pointless shoulder checks. As my racing instructor told me, mirrors don’t lie and since when did the side of my car come out to hit me?
I think I'll change my settings. I set my side mirrors so they are right on the side of the car (can't see from the driving position, but a little movement left or right will show the side). There is a bit of time before the the other cars reappear in the side mirror, and a bit of neck movement when changing lanes. Might be interested in the aspheric glass.With the aspherical glass, you get the best of both worlds. You still see your car 'for reference' and the outside edge shows all the way to your peripheral. No blind spots.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180107/338208716fa9d360bae482334806111f.jpg

704sw
01-07-2018, 11:12 AM
I like the spatial awareness, but I absolutely hate backing up with them. I will not be putting Euro glass on my M3 mirrors.

johnrando
01-07-2018, 04:18 PM
Sorry about the mirror BP

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

az3579
01-07-2018, 07:00 PM
I'm not a fan either... And I used to drive trucks for a living. Much harder to judge distance to the object behind you... IDK maybe its the glass I got but the whole mirror seems to make everything smaller...not just the outside portion.

It's different driving a truck versus a car, though. When driving a car, you have a rearview mirror to handle seeing what's behind you in the distance. The side mirrors can then be used for checking to see what's next to your car. If used like this, distance doesn't matter when looking at the sideview because you already looked in the rearview for distance judgement.

I think the common reason people don't like them is because they're not using them the way they're intended to be used. I never have to look at the blind spot section for more than a split second, and that's not enough time to cause a headache. I primarily look at the main area of the mirror, and my peripheral handles looking at the blind spot since it's not that far from where my eyes are focusing. When I'm ready to make a lane change, I look in the rearview first to see who may be in that lane behind me, then I quickly glance at the sideview and make my move. It makes for super fast and safe lane changes. It also helps that I can sometimes see two lanes over in my blind spot! :biggrin

Being able to see two lanes over actually saved my ass the other day. The lack of magnification on the glass as well as the aspherical section of it allowed me to quickly detect that the person two lanes over was trying to merge into the middle lane at the same time I was, and I was able to pick it up and swerve back over. The stock mirrors have some kind of magnification, so I wouldn't have been able to see that whole scene unfold in the small space of the glass.


I set my side mirrors so as a car beside me leaves my center rearview mirror, it comes into the side mirror. As the vehicle leaves the side mirror it’s already in my peripheral vision.

This is how I set mirrors on cars that don't have aspherical glass, which usually means setting the mirrors all the way out, or almost all the way out, to get the desired effect. This is a problem, however, because...



So many people set their side mirror to see the side of their car “for reference”. I can understand where people come from when they’re learning how to drive but once you set mirrors this way, you get used to it within a week of pointless shoulder checks. As my racing instructor told me, mirrors don’t lie and since when did the side of my car come out to hit me?

Setting your mirrors to have a little bit of the side of your car is immensely useful for all the times you have to park next to a curb. Nobody is going to want to sit there and adjust the mirrors all the way back in again. I'm of those who uses the reverse mirror tilt religiously but want to limit the mirror movements as much as I can to prolong the life of the extremely expensive mirror motor, which is why I have my mirror tilt set to a custom setting halfway between normal and the factory-default of all the way down when I put my car into reverse. The tilt function is an extremely useful tool for not curbing my wheels and use it every time I back into a parking space (to judge where the line is) and when parking next to a curb. With the aspherical glass, I get the best of both worlds; no blind spot and purely an up/down movement from the mirror when reversing instead of having to go back in and down.

You're right; mirrors don't lie, which is why I want as much usable space on the mirror glass as possible! It's like the difference between a high resolution and a lower resolution on the same aspect ratio monitor. It's the same physical real-estate, but the high resolution being a lot more usable. :thumbsup


I like the spatial awareness, but I absolutely hate backing up with them. I will not be putting Euro glass on my M3 mirrors.

Why do you hate backing up with them? Whatever line or curb you're using as a reference should be in the main field of view, not the edges; if it's on the edges, you're probably too far away from the curb. :)

nextelbuddy
01-07-2018, 10:40 PM
I don't have any spare Motors in left unfortunately sorry man. I'm going through an issue right now where I keep blowing driver side Motors. I had four spare driver side Motors and I burn through three of them. I can't figure out what keeps killing them. Always driver side never passenger and my fuses are always good. I can use them no problem for a whole complete day adjusting power fold up and down. The next day I go to use them and they don't work. Starting to get a bit irritating and frustrating now.

ELCID86
01-08-2018, 02:45 AM
Good discussion. Sorry for your woes BP. I’m a long time fan of aspherical sides as well.

Sockethead
01-08-2018, 06:58 AM
Everybody has their own preferences. Whatever works for you may not work for the next person. I drove vehicles without back windows for so long that I never rely on the rear view mirror plus, my back window is tinted pretty dark.
We have a backup camera in the MDX... the only time I use it is to get the boat on the hitch. I'm just old school when it comes to mirrors and backing up..

WOLFN8TR
01-08-2018, 08:05 AM
Hey BP I went out to the shooting range yesterday with a friend of mine that works at BMW, turns out he is the parts guy. Let me know if you want me to find out what he can get the parts for.

Karl Lazlo
01-08-2018, 08:32 AM
Hey BP I went out to the shooting range yesterday with a friend of mine that works at BMW, turns out he is the parts guy. Let me know if you want me to find out what he can get the parts for.

Enough of that noise. Where did you go shooting?

WOLFN8TR
01-08-2018, 09:29 AM
Enough of that noise. Where did you go shooting?

Ha Ha. It's this range- http://www.brpc1.org

I took Charlie and BP there to shoot the first time they were out during Veterans Day weekend.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180108/6481f2edcc2c6a4fd774777d8b9f7ae0.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180108/80a3ca08692a59e1a750d4cbb10c4332.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180108/f22dea9ad9474b139c5ffcbfbc7b85b8.jpg

M3 and Guns...[emoji7]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180108/9be63f510807ed4855f8ec938510ffa5.jpg

Karl Lazlo
01-08-2018, 09:41 AM
Cool - Been there a few times while I lived in the valley. Though, most of my time was spent @ CCRC.

WOLFN8TR
01-08-2018, 11:00 AM
Cool, too bad you still don't live here. [emoji46]

az3579
01-08-2018, 12:28 PM
Everybody has their own preferences. Whatever works for you may not work for the next person. I drove vehicles without back windows for so long that I never rely on the rear view mirror plus, my back window is tinted pretty dark.
We have a backup camera in the MDX... the only time I use it is to get the boat on the hitch. I'm just old school when it comes to mirrors and backing up..

I'm with you on the whole backup camera thing - it feels weird, but it sure is incredibly useful for when you have to do those "super close" actions like parking in the city or rigging up that hitch.


Hey BP I went out to the shooting range yesterday with a friend of mine that works at BMW, turns out he is the parts guy. Let me know if you want me to find out what he can get the parts for.

Dealer pricing is usually really high even with employee discounts. I'm probably going to be looking for a used mirror motor as they tend to be a lot more reasonably priced. Maybe I'll attempt fixing mine, but with my luck that won't work. lol

Sockethead
01-08-2018, 01:00 PM
The mirror motor was around $500 from the dealer last time I checked

WOLFN8TR
01-08-2018, 02:54 PM
The mirror motor was around $500 from the dealer last time I checked

Whoa!

az3579
01-08-2018, 03:50 PM
The mirror motor was around $500 from the dealer last time I checked

Ugh... it was $300 last time I checked. I simply don't understand how they can get away with this kind of crap.

Sockethead
01-08-2018, 03:52 PM
If you think that's bad, the complete mirror assembly for the 135 retails for $1100.00
Kristen got sideswiped by a tractor trailer and it destroyed her mirror

johnrando
01-09-2018, 07:37 AM
wow

az3579
01-09-2018, 04:03 PM
It turns out the Aupoko aspherical glass that arrived today was a total disappointment. The connectors for the heating element are supposed to be on the same side as the aspherical part of the glass, but instead they are opposite of each other. That means the only way to install them is to take your mirror motor out and move the connectors for the heating to the other side of the housing. That poses the problem of the connectors bending when re-assembling because there is no cutout in the housing for the connectors on that side.

That's all assuming that you can even get them clipped on without breaking them. I tried to attach them to a junk motor I had laying around to see if it's just me, but I couldn't even get them clipped onto that. It attached so tightly on only one side, I almost broke the clips trying to get it off.

Needless to say, I submitted for an Amazon return and will get the Dubstop ones, which we know work fine as at least a couple of members here have them.

ELCID86
01-10-2018, 05:48 AM
^ that sucks.

anandoc
01-10-2018, 08:58 AM
That means the only way to install them is to take your mirror motor out and move the connectors for the heating to the other side of the housing. That poses the problem of the connectors bending when re-assembling because there is no cutout in the housing for the connectors on that side.


I have tried this and your assumption is correct. The mirror housing does not have enough clearance for the connectors to be plugged in to the heating element connectors if you move them to the other side (closer to the door).

az3579
05-28-2018, 12:45 PM
Not a whole lot of updates at the moment, but I plan on doing some DIY things to make the car a bit better. Since I can't spend a ton of money now, I'm going to try to ramp up the DIY projects a little.



Of course the first couple of updates involved spending a ton of money... :rofl

The first update is that I switched from the Morimoto 2Stroke LED bulbs back to Xenon bulbs, Osram Xenarc 66240 CBB (Cool Blue Boost). I was okay with the light output from the Morimoto 2Strokes, even though they don't throw light quite as far as Xenons, but the reason for switching was really because of the failure of both bulbs. One failed a few months ago, which I got replaced, and the second one failed not that long ago. I got warranty replacements for both, which Retrofit Source says is a new design that isn't as prone to failing as the original ones I had. Still, by then I had tabled them and purchased Osram CBB's to replace them, so I reinstalled my ignitors in my headlight housings to do that.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/885/41520513395_69640b1283_k.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/877/41520512075_dd53e6b92d_k.jpg

Overall, I'm a little disappointed in the color temperature of the CBB's. They have excellent light output and are very bright, but the color temp is closer to 5000-ish K. The box advertises 7000k, which we all know Osram does that as a marketing ploy. In reality the color is supposed to be somewhere in the 5500k-6000k range, but these don't appear to be. There's a touch too much yellow in them to qualify for that color temp. It's tough to see in the pics, as the pics clearly show 6000k, but in reality it's warmer than that.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/882/40614897450_165891ecf4_k.jpg

At the price I paid, I'm unlikely to switch to something else, as these were very expensive and the light output really is excellent, so I can't really complain too much about it.



Another thing I ordered is a pair of Ultimate Cup Holders. Since swapping in my euro tray (as I needed the storage), I've struggled with transporting beverages. When I would have a need to transport a beverage, I would remove the stock cupholder that I stored in my glovebox and put it on the seat, placing the beverage in there. That would mean I'd have to drive very carefully as to not tip the beverage over. This got old, so I'm hoping these Ultimate Cupholders gets the job done.

Stock photo from their website:

https://www.ultimatecupholders.com/images/1liter-320-ds.jpg

Their website:
https://www.ultimatecupholders.com/



In preparation for my big 300k rollover, I swapped back in the US cluster face reading in mph so that I could have the big '300 properly photographed. So close (taken a few days ago)...

Currently at 299,400+. I drove a lot the past few days.

33056

Don't worry, I cleaned the interior today so it's no longer as full of pollen. :)


Other things I plan on doing myself cheaply in the near future:

Respray bumper grille
Respray bumper and door trims
Either debadge or replace gloss black 330i embled on bootlid
Find a place to mount my hotspot that I keep in the car
Rip off remaining pillar fabric from whatever pillars still have it attached
Convert all interior and license plate lights to an off-white type of LED bulb that's closest to stock color, if I can find such a thing
Put the euro instrument cluster faceplate back on once I roll 300k

derbo
05-28-2018, 02:18 PM
Nice BP, but your pics don't work. :)

san
05-28-2018, 03:11 PM
Nice BP, but your pics don't work. :)

+1


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az3579
05-28-2018, 03:28 PM
Nice BP, but your pics don't work. :)Thanks for nothing, Google Photos. [emoji849]
I'll fix it later I guess. Thanks for pointing that out.

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johnrando
05-28-2018, 05:17 PM
LIKE

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nextelbuddy
05-28-2018, 07:00 PM
And here I was hoping for an oil top off update but this is even better :shifty

az3579
05-28-2018, 07:37 PM
Pics in my previous post have been fixed. Wish the photo sites would get their crap together; Flickr is best quality but has a terrible app and website. Google Photos has an excellent website and great unlimited photo storage for phone backups but nonexistent forum sharing capabilities. :facepalm



And here I was hoping for an oil top off update but this is even better :shifty

Nah, bruh... that's for the maintenance thread. This thread is only for modifications and upgrades. :)

derbo
05-29-2018, 06:57 PM
I just use imgur for the sake of simplicity.

danewilson77
06-01-2018, 11:23 AM
I heart wobz

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az3579
09-23-2018, 04:06 PM
Some updates have been afoot and I've been lazy. Let's see how many of these updates I remember. :)



U.S. Mill Works License Plate Bracket

A few months ago I had purchased a U.S. Mill Works license plate mount after my GoMiniGo one was destroyed in an "incident" in February/March. The aforementioned laziness means I didn't get to install it until today. Better late than never, right? :)

This mount is a work of art. Beautiful black metal finish with what I assume are stainless steel screws, so hopefully no rusting issues. The kit I purchased was from a forum member and is the quick-release variety.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1937/44873595101_0fc5b32aa0_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2bnjUsa)IMG_20180923_174333 (https://flic.kr/p/2bnjUsa) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



I previously had the GoMiniGo kit. It was a nice kit for the money, but removing and installing was a pain. It required a wrench I didn't typically carry in my toolkit, and I had to be careful removing the bracket so I didn't scratch my bumper. I no longer have to worry about that because the U.S. Mill Works bracket is easy to remove and install without any special tools (assuming the plate and assembly isn't going to be disassembled).

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1960/43061663560_000a30d233_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28Bdhkb)IMG_20180923_180645 (https://flic.kr/p/28Bdhkb) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



The quick-release consists of a bracket that attaches to the license plate mount which then slides onto a holder on the mount car-side. The bracket secures by way of two cotter pins.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1935/44873594821_069fd57979_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2bnjUnk)IMG_20180923_181651 (https://flic.kr/p/2bnjUnk) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Mounted on the car:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1946/43962388285_72e5c5e791_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/29YNJpP)IMG_20180923_182913 (https://flic.kr/p/29YNJpP) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



This one definitely sits further out than the GoMiniGo kit, which is great in case something taps the bracket. This avoids damage from simple taps.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1975/43962388385_02d75b4ea8_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/29YNJrx)IMG_20180923_182917 (https://flic.kr/p/29YNJrx) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Unfortunately CT is stupid and still has that little section in the upper right corner of the license plate for a registration sticker, which hasn't been required for over 10 years. That means that corner of the plate pops up a bit from the bracket because the bracket is designed for plates that don't have this special corner. Oh well...

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1929/29936817137_9468d730c1_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MBq1KB)IMG_20180923_183055 (https://flic.kr/p/MBq1KB) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

Silver headlight trim

This is a small and pretty insignificant mod, but I like to make my car different. This is a subtle touch and I feel helps set it apart a little. I've always loved the silver headlight trim on the 330i Premium Package cars. While my silver trim conversion isn't comprehensive (missing the inner piece between the bowls), I may choose to implement that piece in the future. For now, this'll do just fine.



Comparison pic (stock black trim on the left, silver trim on right)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1914/43963008255_c90438ee04_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/29YRUGX)IMG_20180909_183557 (https://flic.kr/p/29YRUGX) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1978/44874195781_dc4bc3839a_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2bnnZ1H)IMG_20180909_183602 (https://flic.kr/p/2bnnZ1H) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Closeup

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1939/29937361987_896369acc2_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MBsNHz)IMG_20180909_184712 (https://flic.kr/p/MBsNHz) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Complete on both sides

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1916/43062323160_44bf435e4a_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28BgEpA)IMG_20180909_184705 (https://flic.kr/p/28BgEpA) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1958/43062322840_e54d34c62e_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28BgEj5)IMG_20180909_184700 (https://flic.kr/p/28BgEj5) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



And the best for last...

Diffsonline 3.46 3-Clutch Limited Slip Differential

And this is the pièce de résistance of this post. When the opportunity to buy Charlie's car came up, I knew I had to take it because of this hidden gem. Among all the parts I swapped with Charlie's old ZHP, this one was my main focus.

This unit was originally purchased by our own Rob (sockethead), who at some point sold the diff to Charlie. We're keeping this one in the family, boys...

I was really after a 3.38, which is right in between a 3.07 and a 3.64, but I figured this was "close enough". Besides, the deal was too good to pass up! For the first time I heard tires chirping going up a spiraling parking garage. It was magical!

Unfortunately, I won't be able to really put it to the test for the rest of the season. I won't be able to make the last few track events of the season due to some medical bills, but I will be sure to put this thing through its paces next year. :cool

Yes, this bad boy has the Z4 finned differential cooler. Winnnnnnnnn!
Ignore the tape over the axle boots; my friend accidentally ripped both when reinstalling the axles, so he will be replacing the boots for me.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1938/43062842680_29655c11dc_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28BjjQQ)IMG_20180825_140403 (https://flic.kr/p/28BjjQQ) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr




That wraps it up for now. I do have another update coming (which will probably cause some eyerolls), but that'll have to wait for now. :)

ELCID86
09-23-2018, 04:18 PM
So, I’m sure you’ve done a check ride or two ... love the diff the diff makes?!

az3579
09-23-2018, 04:58 PM
So, I’m sure you’ve done a check ride or two ... love the diff the diff makes?!#iseewhatyoudidthere

So far so good, though I don't do crazy stuff like burnouts or drifting (wish I wasn't such a scardey-cat) so I can't really comment on that kind of stuff. What I can comment on though is it feels tighter around very tight turns. I'll soon be able to comment on winter performance as well. :)

The ratio change helps with the loss of power I'm experiencing, though Charlie's old ZHP with the 3.07 diff in it now still feels a lot faster than mine, and verified IS faster accelerating. At least it helped my car car accelerate "a little" faster...


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ELCID86
09-23-2018, 05:09 PM
#iseewhatyoudidthere

So far so good, though I don't do crazy stuff like burnouts or drifting (wish I wasn't such a scardey-cat) so I can't really comment on that kind of stuff. What I can comment on though is it feels tighter around very tight turns. I'll soon be able to comment on winter performance as well. :)

The ratio change helps with the loss of power I'm experiencing, though Charlie's old ZHP with the 3.07 diff in it now still feels a lot faster than mine, and verified IS faster accelerating. At least it helped my car car accelerate "a little" faster...


Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I’m the same on the no burning rubber... definitely better on corners, especially from a standstill on uphill stops. And yes winter is coming!

Rovert
09-23-2018, 06:53 PM
I don't do crazy stuff like burnouts or drifting (wish I wasn't such a scardey-cat) so I can't really comment on that kind of stuff.

I was so proud of you last year in the white stuff. Keep stretching outside of your comfort zone. [emoji41]

az3579
09-24-2018, 02:40 AM
I was so proud of you last year in the white stuff. Keep stretching outside of your comfort zone. [emoji41]It's not me I'm worried about, it's the police. I am so scared of getting caught!

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PetesZ
09-24-2018, 03:33 AM
That is why autocross is so much fun. Smoking tires and killing cones all legal

RUS_ZHP
09-24-2018, 03:41 AM
Great updates ad I am happy to hear to Wobz got a proper diff.
Diff is on my wish list and I am eager to hear your thoughts and updates after you hit the snow and put some miles on diff.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

az3579
09-24-2018, 04:14 AM
That is why autocross is so much fun. Smoking tires and killing cones all legal

Autocross is fun for all of 10 minutes. The rest of the day is spent waiting around and working. lol
All that time spent doing nothing or even working is the reason I stopped going to auto-x. It definitely helped sharpen my skills though, so it is definitely valuable.

Auto-x was one place I really wished I had an LSD.


Great updates ad I am happy to hear to Wobz got a proper diff.
Diff is on my wish list and I am eager to hear your thoughts and updates after you hit the snow and put some miles on diff.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I had an LSD in my E30 and can say that it definitely helps in the snow. Unfortunately I never ran proper winter tires with the E30, so it was still challenging at times. With the ZHP, I do run proper winter tires and rarely had an issue even with the open diff. There were a couple of times that got a little bit hairy from not having an LSD, but I made it through. It should be a lot easier this time around! :thumbup

Sockethead
09-24-2018, 04:55 AM
Wow those Northeast winters have been hard on that diff. It was shiny new when I put it in Charlies car.
If you want to test the diff but don't want the strain on the drive train of doing a burnout , why not find a big empty parking lot in the rain...

cakM3
09-24-2018, 06:43 AM
Wow those Northeast winters have been hard on that diff.

New England sucks Rob.....SUCKS.....

RUS_ZHP
09-24-2018, 07:09 AM
New England sucks Rob.....SUCKS.....+1000

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az3579
09-24-2018, 07:29 AM
New England sucks Rob.....SUCKS.....

Yeah... I think you'd be shocked if you found out how much rust was on the hard brake lines in the back of your old ZHP. We discovered it when removing the LSD...

holyc0w
09-24-2018, 07:57 AM
Yeah... I think you'd be shocked if you found out how much rust was on the hard brake lines in the back of your old ZHP. We discovered it when removing the LSD...

Before I sold my 98 Malibu, the brake lines rusted through and I had fluid dripping on the side. That was about 17 winters.

Sockethead
09-24-2018, 08:05 AM
Yea I had a F250 I used for snow plowing.... Had to replace every brake line on it...

Oli77
09-24-2018, 04:35 PM
That is some serious update.
I like the silver headlight trim, don't see that often.
And thanks the correct spelling on your French: la pièce de résistance!

johnrando
09-24-2018, 07:12 PM
Very nice werk BP!

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az3579
09-25-2018, 03:44 AM
Before I sold my 98 Malibu, the brake lines rusted through and I had fluid dripping on the side. That was about 17 winters.

Ouch. Some states are just worse than others, I guess.


Yea I had a F250 I used for snow plowing.... Had to replace every brake line on it...

Not surprised. So many of the plow trucks are rusting to oblivion around here.


That is some serious update.
I like the silver headlight trim, don't see that often.
And thanks the correct spelling on your French: la pièce de résistance!

I tried to get the phrase right; I knew the spelling but I didn't know the 'direction' of the accents so I had to Google that one. :)


Very nice werk BP!


Thanks JR

az3579
10-06-2018, 02:07 PM
My lighting changes continue. Next on the list: Morimoto XB LED fog lights via the Group Buy that Gary so kindly set up. Just paid for my set, so we'll see when it arrives.

I'm also kicking around the idea of getting a spare set of headlight bowls and retrofitting proper LED projectors to them. I'm thinking of going with M-LED projectors from Morimoto. They seem to provide the best high beam pattern and width out of the other projectors, and have brightness comparable to Xenons at a set distance judging by some of TRS' videos. They're rather pricey though, and I'll have to learn how to do this type of retrofit.

Rovert
10-06-2018, 04:09 PM
I have driven in the night on the interstate for four hours with the F10 LCI that has full LED headlights. After all that time of driving I still feel my HIDs with CBI bulbs and HID fogs are much less exhausting mentally to process what my eyes see on the road.

BMW LED headlights seem to be a tad more cooler than my CBIs with less intensity. The LED fogs are pretty well just for looks and bragging rights. They’re great compared to most halogen and LED setups that I’ve passed on the interstate but HID still takes the candle for being able to see and allowing the brain to easily work out what you’re seeing without straining.

Normally I could make that 6 hour night drive easily but with the F10 is was a bit more challenging so someone else took over the driving after my four hour endurance. I hope laser technology will be seen as an asset to the TSB and not a liability. LED is just about getting there but not enough compared to proper aftermarket HID.

az3579
08-10-2019, 03:24 PM
Damn, I can't believe I haven't updated this thread in almost a YEAR. Not a lot has changed but do have some honorable mentions during this time. So, here goes!

Back in October 2018, about a week or so after my last update here, I installed a newly wrapped steering wheel. I know, I know; I've gone through 3 steering wheel changeouts now, but having a new looking steering wheel is a serious thing of mine. I don't like slimy steering wheels and after a while it gets very difficult to avoid it happening on a weekly basis despite regular cleaning.

To help alleviate this feeling, I went with a smooth Napa leather wrap this time from a well known guy called 'tainik' on eBay. He does seriously nice looking wraps, and mine is no exception. It has a very nice tri-color stitch as well.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51011468530_30e23816f4_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH7o7)OCsIbEx (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH7o7) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51011468455_b86031aea3_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH7mP)zsEsKde (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH7mP) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51011468605_501f43c1a0_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH7pp)kykhY1U (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH7pp) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51080651526_e3495e98c6_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kPPG5o)lCFNZvF (https://flic.kr/p/2kPPG5o) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51011468490_eba1d3ac79_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH7nq)ZGsx2sN (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH7nq) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr


For some unexplained reason, I felt motivated to refinish the top of my washer reservoir while it was out for a part replacement, so... That's that.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51079963543_35b14b41d0_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kPLayB)PR6ymLl (https://flic.kr/p/2kPLayB) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51011475595_49b5e799ba_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH9tV)OBiCjTX (https://flic.kr/p/2kHH9tV) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



That's pretty much it for now. The rest were maintenance items, which goes in the other thread. I've also done things to the touring in this timeframe, so things have been quiet on the ZHP front. I desperately need to do something about this engine though. Sigh



Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

fredo
08-10-2019, 03:40 PM
Good job on the washer reservoir. What did you use ?

az3579
08-10-2019, 04:12 PM
Good job on the washer reservoir. What did you use ?Don't remember; it was around 8 months ago. Some kind of trim paint.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

johnrando
08-12-2019, 08:23 AM
Don't remember; it was around 8 months ago. Some kind of trim paint.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using TapatalkIt does look good! May hv to do that.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

az3579
08-12-2019, 11:17 AM
It seems the stars have aligned for something I didn't really have planned for a while. A buddy of mine does upholstery work and offered to do my headliner for me. So, that is what we did on Sunday...

My headliner was in pretty bad shape. It started sagging maybe a year or two ago, but in a very minor way. Then, this summer, it took a turn for the worse and got really bad. My A, B, and C pillars were screwed a long time ago, so the material was ripped off those. The headliner was the last straw though; it's rather embarrassing to drive around with the windows down and have this thing flapping around in the wind.

We used suede (alcantara, same thing) as its cost wasn't much more than standard black material. I traded a pair of coupe LED tails for the labor, so everyone would up happy.



This is how it looked before:

No material left

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51080760767_e91dcae886_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kPQfxR)zNCzBRy (https://flic.kr/p/2kPQfxR) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



The B pillars actually looked pretty good with no material on 'em...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51011483110_a137b62919_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kHHbHu)WJ2iEMw (https://flic.kr/p/2kHHbHu) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



The C's, not so much.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51079971303_fdc72542ba_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kPLcSp)VU0VPo2 (https://flic.kr/p/2kPLcSp) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



And the main attraction... I threw up a little looking at this pic.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51011483190_f212ee4aa4_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kHHbJS)S7KDbqA (https://flic.kr/p/2kHHbJS) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Probably the only view I'll get with the headliner out until somehow I start ballin', can get a better daily and weekend car, and turn this into a track weapon. Maybe one decade.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51011492650_f9c2515478_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kHHexY)nQ53zpw (https://flic.kr/p/2kHHexY) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51011492685_c70387f994_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kHHeyz)LbvOdI3 (https://flic.kr/p/2kHHeyz) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



And there it is. Installed, ready to go... almost.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51079980598_66f16cdbbd_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kPLfCE)7vGC2RJ (https://flic.kr/p/2kPLfCE) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51079980558_a94471eb71_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kPLfBY)DoKEBKH (https://flic.kr/p/2kPLfBY) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



One thing I wasn't expecting was that he didn't make the cutout for the airbag cover. He said he isn't able to cover the airbag strip, and also mentioned that the pillar stays in place just fine without the torx bolts. I'm not totally happy about this arrangement, but he mentioned that if I want to get the strips back in that he'll make a cutout for them and he'll "flock" the strips so there'll be a material that closely matches in color on there. I haven't decided how I feel about this yet...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51080666566_d32a1e9545_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kPPLxG)wVAEy4r (https://flic.kr/p/2kPPLxG) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



B's and C's came out great!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51080666656_dd9cd7bca5_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kPPLzf)PolL7e3 (https://flic.kr/p/2kPPLzf) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51080676211_39174a19e6_4k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kPPPpZ)7EybGtJ (https://flic.kr/p/2kPPPpZ) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Still to do: reinstall the moonroof shade. I couldn't reinstall it because I lost one of those springy clips on one side, so I have to order a replacement.

johnrando
08-12-2019, 03:15 PM
Def looks grt!

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RUS_ZHP
08-12-2019, 04:14 PM
Nice! It should be such a great feeling with sagging free headliner and beautiful suede.

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az3579
08-12-2019, 05:01 PM
Thanks guys.
Nice! It should be such a great feeling with sagging free headliner and beautiful suede.

Sent from my SM-G960U using TapatalkYeah, it's embarrassing to me to have my car looking like it's not taken care of. Being dirty all the time is one thing, but a sagging headliner or my busted trunk light not lighting up hurt my pride a bit. Unfortunately the tail light not lighting up properly is going to take some work to diagnose.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Chaplian
08-14-2019, 05:32 PM
It seems the stars have aligned for something I didn't really have planned for a while. A buddy of mine does upholstery work and offered to do my headliner for me. So, that is what we did on Sunday...

My headliner was in pretty bad shape. It started sagging maybe a year or two ago, but in a very minor way. Then, this summer, it took a turn for the worse and got really bad. My A, B, and C pillars were screwed a long time ago, so the material was ripped off those. The headliner was the last straw though; it's rather embarrassing to drive around with the windows down and have this thing flapping around in the wind.

We used suede (alcantara, same thing) as its cost wasn't much more than standard black material. I traded a pair of coupe LED tails for the labor, so everyone would up happy.



This is how it looked before:

No material left

https://i.imgur.com/zNCzBRy.jpg



The B pillars actually looked pretty good with no material on 'em...

https://i.imgur.com/hDzODLw.jpg



The C's, not so much.

https://i.imgur.com/VU0VPo2.jpg



And the main attraction... I threw up a little looking at this pic.

https://i.imgur.com/S7KDbqA.jpg



Probably the only view I'll get with the headliner out until somehow I start ballin', can get a better daily and weekend car, and turn this into a track weapon. Maybe one decade.

https://i.imgur.com/nQ53zpw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LbvOdI3.jpg



And there it is. Installed, ready to go... almost.

https://i.imgur.com/DoKEBKH.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7vGC2RJ.jpg



One thing I wasn't expecting was that he didn't make the cutout for the airbag cover. He said he isn't able to cover the airbag strip, and also mentioned that the pillar stays in place just fine without the torx bolts. I'm not totally happy about this arrangement, but he mentioned that if I want to get the strips back in that he'll make a cutout for them and he'll "flock" the strips so there'll be a material that closely matches in color on there. I haven't decided how I feel about this yet...

https://i.imgur.com/wVAEy4r.jpg



B's and C's came out great as well!

https://i.imgur.com/PolL7e3.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7EybGtJ.jpg



Still to do: reinstall the moonroof shade. I couldn't reinstall it because I lost one of those springy clips on one side, so I have to order a replacement.

Damn, this came out good! My sedan's headliner is just as bad as yours was, but since that car is in storage, I'm putting it off. My wagon's headliner is about 6 or so months away from getting to this level, so I plan on having it done in Alcantara next month. I hope it turns out as nice as yours.

ZHP_Brandon
08-24-2019, 01:04 PM
It seems the stars have aligned for something I didn't really have planned for a while. A buddy of mine does upholstery work and offered to do my headliner for me. So, that is what we did on Sunday...

My headliner was in pretty bad shape. It started sagging maybe a year or two ago, but in a very minor way. Then, this summer, it took a turn for the worse and got really bad. My A, B, and C pillars were screwed a long time ago, so the material was ripped off those. The headliner was the last straw though; it's rather embarrassing to drive around with the windows down and have this thing flapping around in the wind.

We used suede (alcantara, same thing) as its cost wasn't much more than standard black material. I traded a pair of coupe LED tails for the labor, so everyone would up happy.



This is how it looked before:

No material left

https://i.imgur.com/zNCzBRy.jpg



The B pillars actually looked pretty good with no material on 'em...

https://i.imgur.com/hDzODLw.jpg



The C's, not so much.

https://i.imgur.com/VU0VPo2.jpg



And the main attraction... I threw up a little looking at this pic.

https://i.imgur.com/S7KDbqA.jpg



Probably the only view I'll get with the headliner out until somehow I start ballin', can get a better daily and weekend car, and turn this into a track weapon. Maybe one decade.

https://i.imgur.com/nQ53zpw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LbvOdI3.jpg



And there it is. Installed, ready to go... almost.

https://i.imgur.com/DoKEBKH.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7vGC2RJ.jpg



One thing I wasn't expecting was that he didn't make the cutout for the airbag cover. He said he isn't able to cover the airbag strip, and also mentioned that the pillar stays in place just fine without the torx bolts. I'm not totally happy about this arrangement, but he mentioned that if I want to get the strips back in that he'll make a cutout for them and he'll "flock" the strips so there'll be a material that closely matches in color on there. I haven't decided how I feel about this yet...

https://i.imgur.com/wVAEy4r.jpg



B's and C's came out great as well!

https://i.imgur.com/PolL7e3.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7EybGtJ.jpg



Still to do: reinstall the moonroof shade. I couldn't reinstall it because I lost one of those springy clips on one side, so I have to order a replacement.

Man this looks incredible, he does this professionally?

I’m from Long Island but I got in contact with an upholstery shop from the Bronx that has a good reputation and got quoted 580$ for basically everything. It’s a catch 22 since I have to remove/reinstall everything myself lol


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az3579
08-24-2019, 04:52 PM
Man this looks incredible, he does this professionally?

I’m from Long Island but I got in contact with an upholstery shop from the Bronx that has a good reputation and got quoted 580$ for basically everything. It’s a catch 22 since I have to remove/reinstall everything myself lol


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkHe does work at an upholstery shop for his day job but he does a lot of custom car modding stuff on the side. His shop is in Norwalk, CT. Want me to ask him if he'll do your headliner and a quote?

He helped me disassemble and reassemble mine.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

ZHP_Brandon
08-25-2019, 06:09 PM
He does work at an upholstery shop for his day job but he does a lot of custom car modding stuff on the side. His shop is in Norwalk, CT. Want me to ask him if he'll do your headliner and a quote?

He helped me disassemble and reassemble mine.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Yeah absolutely, I have family in Port Chester so if anything it would be a short trip back and forth. I don’t mind taking it all apart myself if it means I’ll save some money in the end


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az3579
08-26-2019, 09:22 AM
Yeah absolutely, I have family in Port Chester so if anything it would be a short trip back and forth. I don’t mind taking it all apart myself if it means I’ll save some money in the end


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Alright, I'll ask him for a quote. Questions he asked me:
Sedan? And you want the quote as if you're bringing him the headliner (he doesn't have to pull it)?
What material, standard black material or suede? Do you want the pillars done as well? I assume you also want the moonroof shade?
Was that $580 you were quoted the "I'll pull it and bring it to you" price or was that including them removing/reinstalling it?


Side note: Today is my ninth anniversary of purchasing my ZHP.
Purchased August 26, 2010 with 75,963 miles
Today, August 26, 2019: 324,533 miles

ZHP_Brandon
08-26-2019, 09:44 AM
Alright, I'll ask him for a quote. Questions he asked me:
Sedan? And you want the quote as if you're bringing him the headliner (he doesn't have to pull it)?
What material, standard black material or suede? Do you want the pillars done as well? I assume you also want the moonroof shade?
Was that $580 you were quoted the "I'll pull it and bring it to you" price or was that including them removing/reinstalling it?


Side note: Today is my ninth anniversary of purchasing my ZHP.
Purchased August 26, 2010 with 75,963 miles
Today, August 26, 2019: 324,533 miles

Yes sedan & yes I’ll remove everything my self
Black Alcantara, & yes all the pillars as well & the sun visors were included in that price.

I was told the sun visors alone would fetch 100$/visor since there super intricate.

So he said Headliner+all pillars & sunroof shade I guess 375$
+ 200$ for the visors
= 575$

He said if I remove it all he can potentially do it for less as long as I give him a heads up, I’m unsure sure why that means I can get a better price but I’m not questioning it lol

That’s absolutely incredible, I just told my brothers your mileage and my group chat is exploding lmao congratulations. I have 0 intentions of ever selling mine either. That mileage is insane. I need to make it out to a Mafia reunion to put some more (s)Miles on mine lol


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az3579
08-26-2019, 09:55 AM
So he said Headliner+all pillars & sunroof shade I guess 375$
+ 200$ for the visors
= 575$


That is really cheap labor (~$380). My buddy says they can't do it that cheap.
He also has no idea how they're able to do the visors, since he said they're "vacuum" something-or-other... sealed? I dunno. Trying to remember what he told me when I asked him about it.

az3579
02-10-2020, 08:44 AM
It's been dead in here, but things are changing.

A few months ago, I broke down and bought a spare M54B30 from a friend of mine for dirt cheap. I wanted to rebuild my original ZHP motor instead of buying another motor because it would probably have been way cheaper to rebuild mine than to spend $1400-1500 on another B30 motor and rebuild that. While I will still rebuild the ZHP motor one day, I couldn't pass up on this really cheap motor with less than 100k miles that I purchased for $600. The motor itself ran fine when pulled, it just had some coolant mixing with oil, and it wasn't the head gasket. The theory was some kind of coolant pipe or something. Anyway, it's got less than 100k on it, and since money's tight, I didn't want to risk being without a car for several months while I bought parts "while you're in there".

I was going to take this year to start buying "while you're in there" parts, but my buddy's been bugging me to free up space in his garage where the engine currently sits, so I was forced to start disassembling it and starting to buy parts now instead of later. So much for paying off the bills.

The intent is to finally fix this ridiculous oil consumption problem once and for all by buying and installing a combination of M54 and M52tu piston rings. It peeves me to this day that BMW would have such a faulty piston ring design, especially since it was working fine in the previous generation motor. While I'm in there, I'll be replacing all the crap I don't want to have to take the motor apart for again, such as the head gasket, head bolts, timing case seal, and whatever else we can think of as we rip this thing apart. I made a list, which unfortunately is on paper, so I don't have it in front of me to put in this post, but will update later for input on what I need to buy.

I'm not going crazy here; I'll be keeping the pistons and valves, but still still be sending the head off to get checked and have whatever done to it that needs to be done by a machine shop. All seals that need replacing will be done, as well as items upgrading that I should get in preparation for a supercharger (goal being 300-350whp). I think ARP head studs was recommended as well as a cut ring head gasket set (whatever that is). I don't know jack about this stuff so will need a lot of research on the subject.

Considering I know nothing about engine disassembly/reassembly, so far I'm feeling good about what has been accomplished. I'm to the point where all accessories have been removed, valve cover, VANOS, cams/trays, and finally head bolts. The head still sits on the block as the next time I go there I will be removing the oil pan, crank, and pistons.

Image from last week before removing the cams. I'm not good on pictures; it's too much work taking oily gloves off, taking pictures, and then waiting 10 minutes for them and my hands to properly dry before putting them back on again. lol
I've been leaving the valve cover just sitting on top to protect the internals while it sits waiting for work to be done.

http://i.imgur.com/IT8ROxX.jpg (https://imgur.com/IT8ROxX)



At the end of all this, the motor will come out of the ZHP, cams swapped, and then the rebuilt motor put in to minimize downtime. Then the ZHP motor will be rebuilt the same way for the touring, and maybe, just maybe, a 6-speed will go in the touring (unless someone can figure out a way to get the 8-speed ZF to work!).

delvin
02-10-2020, 10:03 AM
Double up on the gloves and remove them when you wanna take pics.

Looks good!

RUS_ZHP
02-10-2020, 10:10 AM
Nice Botond and good luck. That is a serious task you have my friend.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

az3579
02-10-2020, 11:46 AM
Double up on the gloves and remove them when you wanna take pics.

Looks good!

Not a bad idea... I'll still forget though. lol
"I just wanna get it done" always comes to mind.




Nice Botond and good luck. That is a serious task you have my friend.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Thankfully I have supervision, so that's the only reason I'm even thinking about tackling this myself.

johnrando
02-10-2020, 02:55 PM
Can't wait, GL!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Oli77
02-10-2020, 05:43 PM
You're in deep now BP!

Will
02-10-2020, 05:54 PM
Great updates! The headliner, pillars, and steering wheel look fantastic.

Looking forward to the engine build.

az3579
05-23-2020, 05:55 PM
Obtained some more engine parts.


Oh wait... I don't think that goes there. :facepalm

https://i.imgur.com/hdpjla8.jpg

BADCLOWN
05-23-2020, 06:07 PM
Wish I had a trunk like that

az3579
05-23-2020, 07:03 PM
Wish I had a trunk like that

I'm sure you can find one if you look hard enough!
I was offered this a while ago and kept rejecting the idea because I love the clean look of my stock trunk without the lip. I guess I'm warming up to it.
I have to get a trunk painted anyway since mine has gouges in it from when the lip spoiler was stolen, and this one is just so light, so might as well make the switch to carbon fiber.

johnrando
05-23-2020, 07:54 PM
Nice! I love what the lip does for the lines of the verts.

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cakM3
05-24-2020, 02:53 AM
I have more ZHP parts for you Botond... just have to dig them out. It's about time you took me up on my many offers... I knew you would finally see the light! :p


Wish I had a trunk like that
I had to clean out my closet Jacob. It was taking up space and I no longer have a sedan to mount it to... so I gave Botond an offer he could not refuse. ;)

Tnhl1989
05-24-2020, 07:05 AM
Glad he is able to use it!

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

derbo
05-24-2020, 08:12 AM
Charlie always holding it down


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az3579
05-24-2020, 08:23 AM
Charlie always holding it down


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkHe is the BMW Parts Fairy. Leave a spark plugs under your pillow and a carbon fiber trunk will show up in your garage.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

fredo
05-24-2020, 08:54 AM
:rofl

johnrando
05-24-2020, 10:44 AM
:rofl+1

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cakM3
05-27-2020, 07:20 AM
:roundel

Karl Lazlo
05-27-2020, 10:44 AM
LOL @ "Parts Fairy."

I have some cak parts in my M3...

cakM3
05-28-2020, 07:33 AM
LOL @ "Parts Fairy."

I have some cak parts in my M3...

Yes you do! :thumbsup

Karl Lazlo
06-03-2020, 07:54 AM
@Parts Fairy - I have old coils, plugs, and oil from my M3. If I put those under my pillow, what would be an expected exchange?

az3579
08-26-2020, 11:20 AM
And so I look at the date today and realize that today marks my 10th anniversary with this car. Purchased August 26, 2010.
It's a bittersweet day; it's been a long time, but it now sits in the garage waiting for me and my friend to get our acts together and assemble this replacement engine. Really wish I could drive it!

cakM3
08-26-2020, 02:15 PM
And so I look at the date today and realize that today marks my 10th anniversary with this car. Purchased August 26, 2010.

You reached a milestone. Congrats BP [emoji1417]



Sent from my iPhone 11 Pro Max using Tapatalk Pro

Oli77
08-26-2020, 02:56 PM
Nice birthday. Mine my be coming around. Better check.

fredo
08-26-2020, 03:01 PM
Congrats, BP. How many miles did you add in 10 years ?

3ZHP
08-26-2020, 04:07 PM
Nice!


Sent from my iPhone Xs using Tapatalk

derbo
08-26-2020, 05:36 PM
And so I look at the date today and realize that today marks my 10th anniversary with this car. Purchased August 26, 2010.
It's a bittersweet day; it's been a long time, but it now sits in the garage waiting for me and my friend to get our acts together and assemble this replacement engine. Really wish I could drive it!

reached a milestone I never got to. :)

az3579
08-26-2020, 08:30 PM
Congrats, BP. How many miles did you add in 10 years ?

Precisely 252,377 miles added from the time I handed the check over and started driving home to now where it sits in the garage.

BMWCurves
08-27-2020, 05:51 AM
Precisely 252,377 miles added from the time I handed the check over and started driving home to now where it sits in the garage.

Hot damn, averaging 25.2k miles/year.

t.er
08-27-2020, 06:15 AM
Hot damn, averaging 25.2k miles/year.Yeah, I find it pretty amazing how people can drive so much, PO of my car did about 180k km in 6 years.

Meanwhile here I am, only putting about 7-8k km on my car every summer

johnrando
08-27-2020, 07:53 AM
Happy car-a-versary!

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BMWCurves
08-28-2020, 02:55 PM
Yeah, I find it pretty amazing how people can drive so much, PO of my car did about 180k km in 6 years.

Meanwhile here I am, only putting about 7-8k km on my car every summer

Yeah, I do about 5-7k miles a year.

az3579
03-28-2021, 08:20 PM
So, thanks to Photobucket changing their policies after the fact, I had to back up all of my Photobucket pictures, upload and sort them on Flikr, and go through every page of this thread to update the links. Man, what a pain in the ass. But, at least every photo that I've posted in this thread should now point to Flickr.

Update on the ZHP? None. The bare engine block still sits in my living room. I'm deathly afraid of putting it together, and quite frankly can't invest the insane amounts of time to look up every single little thing to put it together. Not sure what I'm going to do yet, but financially focused on getting the trans swap done on the touring. I will have to pay off some debt first before I can come back to this project, so in the garage without a battery the ZHP will continue to sit for a while. Sigh.

johnrando
03-30-2021, 11:08 AM
Bummer.

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az3579
01-18-2022, 08:38 PM
For anyone wondering, an M54 fits the back of the touring just fine.
I've always wanted a rear-engined touring.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51829411451_7bbd205804_k.jpg

orange260z
01-19-2022, 05:53 AM
Hey, maybe post-COVID Charlie will let you run his Porsche at the next Calabogie event.:santa3

az3579
01-19-2022, 09:18 AM
Hey, maybe post-COVID Charlie will let you run his Porsche at the next Calabogie event.:santa3


Knowing Charlie, I don't think he would track his Porsche considering it is the flagship vehicle in his fleet.
Even if I was offered it, I'd decline. If anything ever happened to it, I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing what his cars mean to him.

orange260z
01-19-2022, 05:19 PM
Knowing Charlie, I don't think he would track his Porsche considering it is the flagship vehicle in his fleet.
Even if I was offered it, I'd decline. If anything ever happened to it, I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing what his cars mean to him.

I fully agree, I don't like driving other people's cars. I was just trying to poke Charlie! :biggrin:biggrin:biggrin:biggrin:biggrin:biggrin:b iggrin

cakM3
01-19-2022, 05:55 PM
I fully agree, I don't like driving other people's cars. I was just trying to poke Charlie! :biggrin:biggrin:biggrin:biggrin:biggrin:biggrin:b iggrin

https://media2.giphy.com/media/DkVpNlNxe74Uo/giphy.gif


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johnrando
01-20-2022, 09:48 PM
For anyone wondering, an M54 fits the back of the touring just fine.
I've always wanted a rear-engined touring.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51829411451_7bbd205804_k.jpg[emoji1787]

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RUS_ZHP
01-21-2022, 03:39 PM
Botond, I am glad to see that touring is performing its duty very well.
Is that a motor for your sedan?

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