Rogue 330i ZHP - Californication

[Terry]

Hey Folks,

Thought I'd get the ball rolling on this long term project. Last Thursday I took delivery of the Rogue Engineering - built 2003 330i ZHP complete with E46 M3 powertrain. I must say it took the shippers a long time to even begin transporting the car and it was also exposed to some nasty weather along the way. Needless to say the car was absolutely filthy when it was driven off the trailer. When I mean filthy I must say that I was beginning to have doubts about whether I made a good decision. Before it came off the trailer I immediately came to the conclusion that the front bumper cover would need a complete sanding and re-spray of fresh ImolaRot. This came as no surprise though as the previous owner alerted me of the driveway / kit-kat abuse it has seen. I am not the one driving the car here, this is the driver of the transport trailer during offload:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/rogue_unload2.jpg~original

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/rogue_unload.jpg~original

Another downside to the filth was that it was very difficult to see any new scratches / blemishes in the paint. For an additional charge you can usually have the Auto Transport company wash the car before delivery. I thought this would be a waste of money since I would be thoroughly cleaning the car anyway. Maybe a lesson learned here. Driving nearly 3000 miles across the country (especially during winter) is going to seriously camouflage any damage that might occur during the transport. Only after washing the car an hour later did I find a nice fresh scratch on the rear bumper cover behind the RR tire.

Before letting the driver head off I checked the trunk for the 'trunk of goodies' and all seemed kosher. The previous owner passed along some extras that will certainly save me some money down the road. These include extra wiper blades, 12 quarts of 10w-60 Castrol, two oil filters, a fuel filter, BMW sunshade, spare set of Brembo brake pads, and also a CD that documented the valve adjustment the S54 received back in November of 2010. Trunk of goodies:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/wen_ships2.jpg~original

After the driver left and the car was just sitting there in my apartment complex I looked around for a bit scratching my head. Only after a few minutes did it dawn on me that the next logical step would be to open the driver's door and drive the car out of the middle of the street and into a parking spot, unload all the extras into the garage, check for the key and the title, and then plan on where / what to do next. The moment I sat down in the car I noticed something was already awry. The steering wheel seemed to be pointed more towards the left side of my chest rather than my sternum. In other words, the right side of the steering wheel is closer to me than the left. Oh boy. The doubts and concerns I had after seeing the car in such a filthy state immediately started to escalate. My mind started firing off questions and scenarios leading to the fact that this car may have been involved in accidents and may not be an unscathed car (as it was advertised).

Oil checked, tire pressures okay - time to drive it around the block. I was trying to convince myself that the steering wheel being tilted might have simply been a matter of PCMS (Pre Coffee Morning Syndrome). Unfortunately this did not prove to be the case however as I confirmed my initial assessment. After the first few hundred feet the first bit of positive energy started flowing through my veins as I began to sense how healthy the powertrain felt. I was aware that the S54 had nearly 2000 fewer miles than the car (which arrived with 53,483 miles on the clock), but the engine felt smooth and the drivetrain responsive. I heard and felt a bit of a 'clunk' from the front end while gently navigating the subtle speed bumps and gutters in my apartment complex. Thinking lower control arms / bushings.

So after the initial shake down around the block I thought the best place to take it would be to my friend's shop to have it smogged - Aliso Viejo Auto Service: http://http://www.alisoviejoautoservice.com (I like to call it AVAS :). My friend Shane owns the shop and used to work at Crevier BMW. He is quite possibly one of the nicest and most honest people to ever walk the Earth and is one very talented technician. On top of that his passion is driving and he understands those anal needs and concerns we enthusiasts have. Shane performed a pre-test and told me that there was a strong chance the car was not going to pass. Well, rules is rules and in California emissions are more strict (and tough to pass) than in any other state. Shane's tuned ear had him thinking it might be spark plug coils on their way out as he heard a very slight miss, but at the same time these cars run on the ragged edge of cleanliness here in CA as they are high output, etc. Therefore he assured me it could be something as simple as a dirty air filter. Shane and my friend Ardy (some of you might know Ardy as he is the yellow Honda S2000 pilot at San Diego autocross events) spotted some blemishes in the clear coat on the right side of the car. Looks like the car might have been victim to objects (or fluids?) making contact as there are tiny imperfections that will need to be worked out (last on my list).

The next day I meet my friend Ralph (who owns the Rogue E46 'M3 Wagon') at Bullet Performance in Costa Mesa: http://www.bulletmotorworks.com. I've known the Bullet guys since around 1998 and have always appreciated their enthusiasm, expertise, welcoming spirit. They're a busy outfit and quite possbily one of the largest independent BMW service facilities in North America. Whether club racing, go karting, or hanging out over a few beers with them, I have always felt very welcome and know that they have and will always be looking out for my best interests. Ralph and I really wanted to check the car out and get them side by side. We began going through a checklist of possible culprits preventing passed emissions. We swapped AFMs to see if we could eliminate that slight miss which could've been messing with the emissions (Ralph had a similar symptom which was cured by a new AFM unit in the past). Then, after checking the air filter we found what looked like a K&N drop-in that was extremely filthy, over-lubricated, and grimed-up beyond belief. BMW factory filter was in there within minutes. We were about to replace the spark plug coils until Ralph felt that the #6 coil may not have been pressed-in completely (we heard a 'click' when pressing down). So this immediately (and especially with limited finances post car puchase) had me thinking it was worth a shot at the Smog before investing in coils. I should also note that the computer / diagnostic tool we plugged in showed no faults with the coils. I feel that with a clean BMW air filter, properly-fitted #6 spark plug coil, and a nearing empty gas tank, the car was due for round 2 at AVAS. I have a feeling the New Jersey fuel (which has been sitting in the car for a few months) may not have helped matters with the smog as it doesn't possess all the environmentally-conscious ingredients we get to enjoy here in CA. So now with Shell 91 in the car combined with the clean air filter and probable coil fix, the Rogue ZHP may very well pass.

Next step - Revitalization. I am fortunate to have a friend that is quite possibly the most passionate car enthusiasts I have ever met. He has owned an E39 M5 and a Porsche Turbo (RWD...from the 80's) and was one of the first people to give me their blessing when I first expressed interest in the Rogue ZHP. This last Saturday morning Jeff cleared out his garage and put all household and family obligations on hold to undo the New Jersey Imolarust and revitalize the Imolarot that has been drowned underneath. Jeff is what I would consider a detail specialist and in my opinion his work is concours quality. I would say that we spent half of Saturday working on the outside, but that would be a lie. Jeff spent half the day and I spent half the day looking over his shoulder in awe. The brake dust had been sitting on the wheels for so long that it was rusted into the finish. While I plan to replace them with ARC-8s, I still wanted to clean them up as much as possible for their next owner. Needless to say, Jeff had to take a very high power pressure washer to the wheels and we were able to remove 90% of the brake dust (and maybe some of the clear coat?). The following morning I headed back to Jeff's for the interior of the car and Jeff made the good interior look absolutely stunning. The only real blemish is the left lower (thigh) bolster which is starting to collapse. I know this is common, but the interior is so nice that it may be worth one day addressing. The Rogue ZHP 10 minutes following Jeff's treatment:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/jeffwash.jpg~original

Now it's time to tend to matters that need addressing.

-Fix steering wheel issue
-Lower control arms (remove and replace)
-Front Bumper re-spray / paint
-Front plate delete molding 51 11 8 195 304
-Right front clear corner marker (condensation inside) 63 13 6 915 384
-New bulbs on both sides
-ARC-8 wheels non-staggered, probably Anthracite. Thinking 18x9s and with Eli's blessing I feel more comfortable as I'll have someone to blame if they don't fit ;-)
-maybe a stock E46 m3 shifter. The Rogue is a bit short for me
-thoroughly clean (and maybe pressure wash) the underside of the car and polish the full exhaust.
-even out the clear coat imperfects on the right side (rear quarter, A pillar, & hood).

I must say the ZHP is a treat to own. These cars are very unique and a joy to drive. On top of that the Rogue Engineering transplant in 2004 transformed the car from a sporty sedan into a menacing yet unassuming animal. I've never been a power hungry driver and have always appreciated the momentum game. BMW's factory spiced M54 found in ZHP cars is one heck of a powerplant. I do love the additional 100hp plus, but without a job and rising gas prices I have a feeling the car is getting tired of my premature shifting! Regarding the work that Rogue performed. Opening the engine bay was just uneventful. Yes, it was a bit dirty, but you really must take a second glance to realize what Rogue Engineering really did to this car. The cleanliness of the work was that of which you'd expect from the factory. A number of friends of mine (one of which has over 30 years of experience as a BMW mechanic!) did not know what they were looking at. A couple of times I had to mention the engine was 'different' only to have them turn their attention back to the engine bay and say "oh my, I didn't even notice that" (not in such proper English of course). There are no check engine lights, no odd-noises, no real complaints aside from the small issues I have already mentioned and intend to surmount. I feel lucky. I should not forget to mention the Rogue Engineering parts (flywheel, power pullies, transmission mounts, short shifter, and custom exhaust) seem to operate flawlessly in conjunction with some of the other aftermarket parts (Bilstein PSS9s, Brembo GT brakes, etc.) resulting in a sporty but not overly-obnoxious package. I will be doing my best to adjust to the Rogue shifter :)

More to come of course. Thanks so much for reading. It is hard to convey here, but the ZHP Mafia has so far made buying a ZHP much more comforting and enjoyable. I am also fortunate to be in contact with Ben Liaw of Rogue Engineering who is truly an enthusiastic and helpful person who without a doubt knows every nook and cranny of the car. Can't wait for the fun times and education to be had here at ZHPmafia.com.

Sincerely,

Terry Best

98 318ti
90 M3
2003 Rogue 330i ZHP

[mimalmo]

Nice writeup Terry!

Just as an FYI, I've found that sometimes the sedan corner markers just need an additional turn on the bulb socket to make the seal watertight. Try removing it, drying it out, putting it back in and monitor it.

[danewilson77]

Great writeup. Thanks Terry.

Do you think the steering column is bent?

And I wonder how that might have happened.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Terry, great write up. Looking forward to seeing the car in person on Saturday.

[nk_zhp]

Ahhh.. the holly grail of ZHPs....

[Terry]

Ian, thanks for the tip on the corner marker. Jeff (my friend who revitalized the ZHP) thinks your car is gorgeous by the way. I'm twisting the screw hoping to get him in a ZHP :)

Dane, that is a possibility. Although for that to be bent enough I would surely have seen other signs elsewhere. I have yet to even try to address it though. I hate to even mention this, but I have slowly been forgetting the steering wheel issue. However, I plan to take a look underneath to see if there are any angle adjustments for the steering assembly against the body. There might be some slightly slotted holes and may have not been reinstalled properly during assembly. I need to talk to Ben (@ Rogue) to find out if he recalls yanking the dash out or unbolting the steering assembly.

Marcus, you will see the car in person for sure. It is my duty and desire to attend. Sent you a PM as I noticed a handful of grammatical errors and forgot to add something at the end :)

-Terry

[Terry]

nk_zhp, thank you for the registry! Certainly an incredible contribution to the ZHP cars and the community. As I told Marcus about a month ago - it is people like you guys that preserve the long term value of these cars.

-Terry

[M0nk3y]

Great Write-Up.

I saw this posted FS on E46f. Lets hope everything gets worked out.

[kayger12]

Enjoyed the writeup, Terry.

Good luck with her. She's an awesome ride.

[az3579]

Another shipping horror story. What else is new.
Still not understanding why one wouldn't want to drive it back... So what if it's 3000 miles???


So where are the obligatory shots of the S54????? :biggrin

[danewilson77]

Another shipping horror story. What else is new.
Still not understanding why one wouldn't want to drive it back... So what if it's 3000 miles???


So where are the obligatory shots of the S54????? :biggrin

He knew it needed work BP.

[az3579]

He knew it needed work BP.

I'm talking about the scratch the shipper left... unless it wasn't their fault. Either way...
Let's boycott shipping. :shifty

[danewilson77]

Let's boycott shipping. :shifty

+1

[Terry]

Met up with Tripod at Irvine BMW today. Bought the front plate delete molding - very nice. Replaced it in the parking lot and just wiped off the dirt / grime behind that was left behind the plate molding.

I'll work on an engine bay shot. I must say that it is the cleanest part of the car. It is sitting in my garage right now, butt in first. So tomorrow I'll nose her in for the shot.

Regarding driving across the country. Couldn't bring myself to do that...Going to TRY to keep the miles down.

Holy Grail of ZHPs? Very nice of you to say that nk_zhp... I had to chuckle. But c'mon...all ZHPs are holy :)

Hope to address the condensation issue behind the clear corner via Ian's tips before the meet this weekend.

-Terry

[mimalmo]

It's "Eli" but that's OK. :)

[Marcus-SanDiego]

It's "Eli" but that's OK. :)

Eli, you talking about the part where he will be blaming me? It's you, right?

[mimalmo]

Yeah Marcus, aren't you supposed to be the editor extraordinaire?

;)

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I will fix. Thanks for the heads up, sir.

[Terry]

If it's any reconciliation... my girlfriend likes the look of your car more than mine. So take a hike already ;-)

-Terry

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Then she isn't going to like mine any better.

[mimalmo]

LOL, Just tell her you would smoke me in a race and she'll likely forget all about my car.

[Terry]

oh, I don't know about that Eli. Now that I bought the car I can't afford to put fuel in it so I'm sure you'd leave me in a cloud of dust :)

Forgot to mention that I did sit in Tripod's car and noticed a bit of that steering alignment issue that I have. That or I was forcing myself to see it in his car to make me feel better. And if it is indeed the same as my car then I imagine it's something that most ZHP or e46 cars experience. Therefore I can only assume, due to there not being any mention of such an issue up until I came along, that my eyes are a bit askew or my arms are different lengths (among other non-symmetrical anatomical attributes of mine). In all seriousness though I will be looking into the steering wheel thing down the road.

-Terry

[az3579]

It might be a drawback of the steering setup. With swaps, things usually are never 100% the way they're supposed to be. I ran into this a few times with the S50 swap; there were numerous things that didn't quite fit the they were supposed to and had to get modified to fit and still weren't all the way there. It's something you learn to live with, I guess.

[Terry]

Car passed smog today. Shane (at Aliso Viejo Auto Service) ran it through his machine and the car passed. Maybe not with flying colors, but then again this is no Prius :) Straight to AAA from there and registered the car and I'm sure it helped that they verified it as a 330i as it was parked next to another Imola Red ZHP :) We're legal, baby.. I deleted the front plate but I'm willing to run that risk.

Took a photo of the engine bay and will post up later.

Next on the list:
-Eli's tips on the condensation build-up in the corner marker
-Front lower control arm lollipop bushings (purchased)
-Ignition Coils (purchased)

Botond, will have some So Cal Mafia members sit in the car so I can get their opinion on Saturday. I will hopefully have the chance to sit in some other ZHPs as well. We'll go from there :) Appreciate your insight.

-Terry

[kayger12]

Terry, I've got to tell you- I drove a couple of hundred miles today, and when I looked at my steering wheel when I stopped at a light...

Yep, my wheel looked exactly like you describe- the right side looks just slightly closer to me than the left. Maybe like 3 degrees of tilt. My wife confirmed that she could see it from the passenger seat as well.

I've had the car for over three months, and that's the first time I noticed it.

Maybe we're all just seeing things.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[Terry]

Kayger, really? Makes me wonder if it might be certain cars, all ZHPs, or E46 cars? I must say that I have always been extremely picky about seating position, steering wheel location, etc. I think it took me a few days to position my steering wheel in my E30 (non-factory steering column that comes off the roll cage).

I think the next logical step would be to have the other mafia members sit in the car on Saturday. Will certainly keep you posted.

Glad I might not be as crazy as I think I am. That or I feel bad that Kayger might also have the same equilibrium issue that my head has ;-)

-Terry

[az3579]

That's weird. This is definitely something I would notice, and I don't have that problem, Keith.
What's going on here?!

[danewilson77]

Ima have a look today....

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Same here.

[kayger12]

I will be taking measurements when I get home today from a fixed point to both sides of the wheel. It could very well just be optical.

I'll report back.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[330i ZHP]

could the dash curvature have anything to do with this perception?

[danewilson77]

I will be taking measurements when I get home today from a fixed point to both sides of the wheel. It could very well just be optical.

I'll report back.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

Lets all use the same fixed point...to benchmark it. Where you going from Keith?

[kayger12]

Haven't picked a spot yet. I'll check it out when I get home from work today.

I'm open to suggestions, of course...

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[Terry]

Argh. Just got home from a really long day. I feel bad everybody is taking measurements in their cars. I will of course be very curious.

-Terry

[kayger12]

Don't feel bad Terry. Just trying to get some good data so we can figure or what's up with this steering wheel puzzle.

Of course I got so busy after work that I forgot about this, so I'll have to get back to it later today.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[danewilson77]

Haven't picked a spot yet. I'll check it out when I get home from work today.

I'm open to suggestions, of course...

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

Need spot....as I have nothing else to do.

[mimalmo]

Haven't picked a spot yet. I'll check it out when I get home from work today.

I'm open to suggestions, of course...

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.


Choose a point on the chassis that cannot be moved. Using doors, trim pieces, etc will add in too many variables.

[Terry]

Maybe best to take the measurement from the doors?

What I am thinking of is taking a fixed point on each door..Say X # of centimeters or millimeters back from the very front of the door at the window guide / seam (near the mirror). So you'll do this from either side of the car and scotch tape a string across.

Now, considering the doors have never been removed / crashed / replaced and the factory body panels are assembled to an identical spec, we should have an accurate line to measure from? I would say measure straight from the string to the 9 and 3 positions on the steering wheel..at the outside perimeter of the wheel where it has the most girth.

One thing to consider is that we'll get totally different measurements if strings do not have identical tensions. So my idea might not draw consistent data. We'd have to make sure the strings were supper tight. May entail two friends on either side of the car each with one beer in one hand and the string pulled tight in the other ;-)

Terry

[danewilson77]

Shouldn't all of our wheels, be in the same spot...in reference to like the trim pieces....directly forward?

FYI....visually, my wheel does not appear crooked.

[mimalmo]

Maybe best to take the measurement from the doors?

What I am thinking of is taking a fixed point on each door..Say X # of centimeters or millimeters back from the very front of the door at the window guide / seam (near the mirror). So you'll do this from either side of the car and scotch tape a string across.

Now, considering the doors have never been removed / crashed / replaced and the factory body panels are assembled to an identical spec, we should have an accurate line to measure from? I would say measure straight from the string to the 9 and 3 positions on the steering wheel..at the outside perimeter of the wheel where it has the most girth.

One thing to consider is that we'll get totally different measurements if strings do not have identical tensions. So my idea might not draw consistent data. We'd have to make sure the strings were supper tight. May entail two friends on either side of the car each with one beer in one hand and the string pulled tight in the other ;-)

Terry

Use a fabric tape measure. My wife has one for sewing stuff. They are flexible enough to go around corners and such without stretching their length.

Each car is a little different. We would like to think they are identical but in reality, age, trim panel fitment, etc can all be variables that would screw up the measurement. Use spots that are unlikely to vary from car to car; like seat belt mounting points or door hinge mounts, etc.

[RITmusic2k]

So, I took a trip last night and noticed *something* about my steering wheel, though it may be a different thing.

My wheel is definitely on a parallel plane to my seatback; one side isn't closer to me than the other... but it appears to be shifted slightly to the right, such that a perpendicular line drawn from the center of my wheel will hit a point right-of-center on my seat. I noticed that while I was driving with my hands casually at 4 o'clock and 7 o'clock, both my elbows were resting against the same point on the seat's side bolsters and my right hand was able to grip the wheel tightly while my left hand had to hold the wheel with loose fingers. I'd guess that the wheel is biased a little under an inch to the right side. Never noticed it before. Weird.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

We will have enough ZHPs together on Saturday to see what differences there are.

[ZSP-Mafia]

Can't wait to see this bad boy!

[ASenna]

This steering wheel angle question is interesting because I was convinced mine was off as described by Terry and kayger12 the first moment I sat in the car, but at the same time couldn't believe it was possible.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Marc, I'm looking forward to seeing these guys on Saturday. We will report our findings.

[kayger12]

Ok boys-- I have confirmed the steering wheel offset angle in my car. The right side of the steering wheel is approx 1 inch closer to the driver than the left side of the wheel.

Methodology: I ran a string across the interior of the vehicle from the rear edge of the driver's door handle to the same position on the passenger door handle. I then measured wthe distance from the string to the steering wheel. The right side of the wheel was 1" closer to the string, no two ways about it.

When you look at the steering column (at least in my car) there is ever-so-slight a cant in the dashboard trim around the column (the right side of the column trim piece is slightly closer to the driver than the left). The steering wheel seems to share this same cant.

Check it out and see if I'm right, or just crazy...

BTW-- just for informational purposes, I have my wheel telescoped out slightly and almost at the lower limit of the adjustable limit for the tilt wheel.

[danewilson77]

Checking mine now....

[danewilson77]

Passenger side verified to be about 1" closer to driver.

[Mtnman]

wow. i wonder if this is bmw specific, or is somewhat standard on passenger cars. If it is specific to bmw only, I wonder how I never noticed it. Good find guys.

[danewilson77]

I think if it was even....it would feel weird. German engineering at its finest.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Today at the meet we confirmed that we all have steering wheels that are an inch closer on the right side. It was nice to see all of the ZHPs together.

[Terry]

The steering wheel angle issue seems E46-specific to me which comes as some personal relief as I was a bit worried about my car (as I had mentioned in my introduction). I think that it may not be too far-fetched to say that there's a chance the steering wheel angle (in relation to the 'midline' of the chassis) has been overlooked over there in Munich during the chassis design and/or production. I would have noticed this in other cars long ago because I'm terribly picky about my position in the car. Wondering if it's all E46 cars or maybe after a certain production date? I have never experienced this in other Bimmers. I am sure we will eventually stumble upon an explanation. However, having said all that, 25.4 millimeters closer to one side does not fall under the category of 'slightly off'...in my opinion anyway.

Was great meeting everybody today. Such a solid group of people. We may be lucky, but these cars are all fortunate to have ended up in such good hands.

Marcus, thank you so much for breakfast. Upon receiving my next Unemployment check I plan to make a donation. The ZHP community is lucky to have you, my friend.

BTW, here's my updated 'to-do' list. Installed new the latest spark plug coil update from BMW last night. Replaced all six and the car seems to be running a bit smoother. So this narrows down the list to the following:

NEAR FUTURE:
-Front Bumper sand / re-paint
-thoroughly clean (and maybe pressure wash) the underside of the car and polish the full exhaust.

FUTURE:
-wheels non-staggered 18x9s
-maybe a stock E46 m3 shifter. The Rogue is a bit short for me
-even out the clear coat imperfects on the right side (rear quarter, A pillar, & hood) and maybe repaint the hood and stone-guard the front end

-=Terry

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Terry, this just in. Kevin just chimed in, saying that his friend's e36 m3 also is showing the same steering wheel characteristics as our e46 cars.

[danewilson77]

I think were going to end up finding it normal.

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[ASenna]

Wow. This deal about the steering wheel angle is absolutely uh-mazing. Every time I thought about it I would then think "No way... it can't really be off like that... it just CAN'T BE."

[danewilson77]

Wow. This deal about the steering wheel angle is absolutely uh-mazing. Every time I thought about it I would then think "No way... it can't really be off like that... it just CAN'T BE."

I think it would feel odd to us if it were even....

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[mimalmo]

There's probably a logical Germanic engineering reason for the slight offset. It likely has something to do with the distances as it relates to the shifter, pedals, center of gravity, etc. Especially when you consider that the E36 has a similar offset steering wheel.

[mr hish]

it is aweson ride take good care of her and she will take care of you

[Terry]

Mr Hish, thanks for the kind words. Doing the best that I can as an owner / enthusiast. Removing the bumper today for the re-paint.

Mimalmo, good point regarding the wheel alignment.

-Terry

[RITmusic2k]

One thing I forgot to mention; when we were checking the e36, we also compared to a Toyota for reference. It seems to be, thus far, a BMW-specific attribute; the Toyota was all square.

[MrMaico]

Damn....how did I miss this thread? After all, I was the one who originally posted the for sale ad here.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1066-New-member-owner-Orange-County-CA-2003-Imola-Red-Rogue-ZHP

Congrats on the score Terry! Nice to see it went to someone who will take good care of it.

I had to go and check my wheel after seeing this....it's obvious just looking in the door that it's angled quite a ways. Can't believe I/we have never noticed that before!

My guess would be that it has to do with the position that the steering column needed to be at to clear the left front suspension/strut assembly.

Barry

[Terry]

Kevin, very interesting regarding the Toyota reference.

Barry, thanks for posting the link way back when (January I think). I originally was directed to the for sale ad at 'm3forums' by a good friend of mine that has always known that I love the ZHP cars. So from there I started doing research and obviously came across the ZHPmafia website and browsed the various posts without becoming a member until the deal was sealed.

Now I'm just dealing with all that great stuff that new (and of course anal) ZHP owners must go through when buying a ZHP second (or in my case fourth!) hand.

-Terry

[Terry]

Chatted with a friend of mine who has worked in the Motorsport industry, including a handful of factory-backed teams, since the early 80s. He has worked on some 'spec' tube-framed vehicles that also experienced this steering wheel angle and it was clearly for the steering shaft to clear the suspension. Therefore he certainly agrees with Barry's theory. He also mentioned that the angle might be there due to crash testing data which led BMW to potentially angle the wheel away from the driver? I suppose at the end of the day we're only able to take guesses on this. If I ever go to Munich I will have to accost one of the engineers and get to the bottom of this. From what I can tell this is the first mention of this unique steering wheel 'attribute'. Correct me if I'm wrong, but ZHPmafia FTW? Glad my buyer's remorse-induced paranoia brought this to light.

Back to the project...

Removed the front bumper cover and took it over to my friend who told me that if I wanted it 100% perfect, 'like new', I would have to get a new cover. So off to the dealership I went (still have the old bumper here on my balcony up for sale should anybody be interested). Friend painted the bumper and the eyelids that sit under the headlamps. I cleaned the center mesh grill and took some Rustoleum Plastic 'Deep Black' spray paint to it to deepen the black. Came out great.

Now I think I need to stone-guard the bumper since it looks all pretty. Any recommendations, suggestions, tips, experiences, etc? I was told by a friend to let a pro do this... Not even sure what brands are out there. 3M, stone-guard?, Lamin-X?

Remaining items on the TO DO list:
-Stone-Guard or similar front bumper
-Apex ARC-8 wheels non-staggered, probably Anthracite 18x9s with new 245/40 rubber
-slightly longer and less notchy shifter :)
-thoroughly clean (and maybe pressure wash) the underside of the car and polish the full exhaust.
-even out the clear coat imperfects on the right side (rear quarter, A pillar, & hood).

Botond, this is for you..:
http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww232/TBest90662/ZHP/332engine.jpg?t=1300898066

[danewilson77]

Looks great Terry

[mimalmo]

Wish I could pop my hood and see that.

[Terry]

.Well, Eli.. you already have some of the items necessary for the transformation.

DO IT! . . If you think about it...the couch really isn't that bad of a place to sleep :)

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Looking great, Terry.

[mimalmo]

.Well, Eli.. you already have some of the items necessary for the transformation.

DO IT! . . If you think about it...the couch really isn't that bad of a place to sleep :)

Haha! I'll keep my eyes peeled for a cheap, crashed M3.

[az3579]

I just made a mess in my pants. Again.

Thanks for that, Terry... :shifty


:biggrin

[M0nk3y]

Terry,

When looking for front bumper applications to prevent stonechips, please look into VentureShield.

In my opinion, it's the best film on the market. It's better in many ways:
1. It doesn't contain massive orange peel
2. It doesn't discolor easily

I've worked with it apply it on cars, and is much better than 3M. We have a couple BMWs come in and have use rip off their 3M Film to replace it with VentureShield

[Terry]

Botond, sorry about the mess. FWIW - I really haven't driven it much. I'm out of the job and ride a bicycle around town :) I'm such a wanker.

M0nkey, thank you so much for the tip. Will strongly consider your recommendation... Judging from the look of your car - if it's good enough for you it'll certainly be good enough for me :) I will find some close dealers...

-=Terry

[Terry]

Personalized plate notification just arrived from the DMV. Hope to pick the plates up on Monday. Will shoot some pictures the moment I put them on.

-Terry

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Terry, excellent.

[Terry]

Well, Marcus warned me it would take a long time to receive my personalized plates. When I received the notice in the mail that they were ready and waiting at my local DMV branch I didn't think it was necessary to make an appointment. Thought I'd just walk right in and grab them from the first agent I came across. Without writing a novel I'll just say I waited in line for 3 hours and made some good friends.

The plate (thanks to the ZHPmafia for approving my choice):

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=919&stc=1&d=1305297033

and on the car...

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=920&stc=1&d=1305297113

So far I've had one person acknowledge the plate while on the road (yes Dane, i actually drove the car!). Cruising along on the freeway en route to a wedding when an E46 M3 cruised up behind me. Pulled alongside and then proved he had a fuel sponsor and disappeared into the horizon. Funny actually.

Hopefully I'll have more soon on the car. Been out of commission for awhile trying to recup.

Terry

-Terry

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Winning, Terry.

You going to Bimmerfest tomorrow?

[mimalmo]

Love the plates Terry!

[Terry]

Marcus, Eli - thank you.

Unfortunately will not be up at the Bimmerfest car show. Marc sent me a message yesterday and I hope he gets together with some of the OC crew (ie, Albert & Kevin) and is able to make it up there. I imagine there's going to be a big caravan. Be safe and avoid the crazies :)

-Terry

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Terry, I'm starting to think you don't like us. :biggrin

We need to get together soon!

[johnrando]

Congrats on the plates Terry, love 'em!

[danewilson77]

Perfection. Simple and to the point.

Droid + Tapatalk = FTW!

[Terry]

Thanks Dane.

Marcus, nothing but love on this end. I wish I could go with you guys. Seriously though, drive safe.

-Terry

[spencers]

How did I miss this thread?

:chuck

[Terry]

Spencer, probably due to the huge lapse as I haven't updated in a long time. How's the auto crossing coming along? Nearly autocrossed Rogue on Sunday but knew the lot where it was going to be held...Very rough and chewed up. Wouldn't even dare in the rain :)

On another note, I end up missing out on threads I subscribe to because my AOL account puts most zhpmafia notifications in my junkmail / spam inbox :(

-Terry

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Terry, get a gmail account. Tends to happen less.

[az3579]

Spencer, probably due to the huge lapse as I haven't updated in a long time. How's the auto crossing coming along? Nearly autocrossed Rogue on Sunday but knew the lot where it was going to be held...Very rough and chewed up. Wouldn't even dare in the rain :)

On another note, I end up missing out on threads I subscribe to because my AOL account puts most zhpmafia notifications in my junkmail / spam inbox :(

-Terry

You can mark those messages as not spam so it doesn't send messages from that sender to junk.

[Terry]

New wheels and rubber installed. Apex ARC-8 18x9 Anthracite all the way around with Hankook Ventus V12 EVO K110 245/35/18 tires.

Installed VentureShield clear bra per M0nkey's recommendation. Just did the front bumper since it's a new piece with fresh paint. The hood and fenders have significant enough chipping and imperfections to make the decision to not installed the VentureShield an easy one. Install was done by Chips Away in Orange, CA. TJ Wallace is an awesome guy and true enthusiast. With that said he has been doing the 'clear bras' for a long time: www.theclearbra.com

Took a bunch of shots with my friend Jared the other day. He's tweaking the rest of them. Here's one of the standard angle shots:

-Terry

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Looks very good, Terry. Looking forward to the rest of the pictures.

[mimalmo]

That looks amazing Terry!

[JohnnyGraphic]

Looks very nice! Great lighting. Wish mine was in that nice a shape.

Johnny

[johnrando]

Terry, looks great. How did you do that lighting? Plus, I love ARC-8s, wish I had a set.

[Terry]

Marcus, Eli, thanks for your approval and compliments.

Johnny, I'm sure yours is in just as good a shape or even better...I think it was the stage / setting / lighting that brought the best out from the car.

Lighting was done in the back of my friend's studio just down the road in Irvine. I look forward to seeing how the other shots turned out. They looked great in the viewfinder on his camera.

ARC-8s aren't very expensive... Easy sale for the wife too.. Remember, their reduction in weight / increase in performance results in better fuel economy and braking (safety) ;). I'm kidding...sort of. So what color would you get? Hyper Black??

-Terry

[johnrando]

Yes, I like the hyper-black. Like your argument for getting them too! WIN! :-)

[Terry]

:) Let's make this happen. What we gotta do? I'll help out however I can...

Terry

[danewilson77]

Thanks for the update Terry. Looks sweet.

[spencers]

Impressive.

I'd love some ARC-8's myself. Silver looks a little too silver though

[Terry]

If there is anybody that is in the Orange County area with 18" ARC-8s on their E46, I still have to do a photoshoot alongside the Rogue M Wagon and we need to have a set of ARC-8s on there for that.. You'd of course be compensated for your time and treated to fine food and hydration following.. :)

Been a long time since I've been here. New job has me by the.... neck.

-Terry

[Pip]

Really looking forward to more pics of your car. That one pic almost look computer generated it looked so clean and glassy! :drool

[danewilson77]

If there is anybody that is in the Orange County area with 18" ARC-8s on their E46, I still have to do a photoshoot alongside the Rogue M Wagon and we need to have a set of ARC-8s on there for that.. You'd of course be compensated for your time and treated to fine food and hydration following.. :)

Been a long time since I've been here. New job has me by the.... neck.

-Terry

Great hearing from you Terry. Updates! ASAP!

[derbo]

I was torn between anthracite and silver myself and now YOU have made me decision. Car looks awesome! Super jealous of the motor :)

[johnrando]

Great hearing from you Terry. Updates! ASAP!

+1, took the words right out of my mouth!

[tripod06]

Terry, i have been wondering how you have been doing! Hope all is well with you. But yes, please post updates of the photos and sorry i cannot help out with the wheels you are looking for.

[cakM3]

I don't know why I haven't gone through this thread until now. Terry, you have a very special ZHP :drool Really love seeing that S54 inside....enjoyed your writeup :thumbsup

[Terry]

cakM3, thanks for the kind words... I would say you have TWO very special cars :)

Albert, we should rendezvous sometime soon... Been far too long, neighbor.

Been away from this site for way too long. Been busy catching up with other projects in life (including my 90' M3).

Updated to-do list:

1) Correct speedo which is off by 10-11%
2) Source E46 M3 CSL seats (perfect match for the ZHP Alcantara interior)
3) eliminate seat warmer buttons on center console. May call for replacement of that panel with one from a competition package M3.
4) underside detail
5) misc. maintenance items

-Terry

[johnrando]

Great to hear from you Terry, it has been too long. Glad to hear that awesome machine is still getting love.

[wsmeyer]

I can't believe I missed this thread when it was new. The skewed steering wheel really irked me too, I even took it back to the dealer to complain. If you place a yardstick across the wheel it's obviously that the passenger side is closer to the driver. When I bought my car new in Oct 2006 it was pretty much the last E46 on the lot and when I brought it to their attention a few weeks later there was none so the service manager took me back to the service area and let me put my yardstick on a few other E46's. Not only were they all skewed, but they were all skewed the same direction and (visually) approx the same amount.

One thought I had is that they wanted the airbag to deploy slightly towards the outside of the car. Even if that is the case, if there is a way to adjust it straight I'm all ears.

William.

[johnrando]

William, it was funny, at the first ever West Mafia meet one of the first topics was the tilt in the steering wheel and whether or not it was supposed to be there. After looking at a bunch we figured that's the way they made 'em.

[danewilson77]

Welcome back Terry.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[UdubBadger]

lovely

[JupiterBMW]

Holy crap, I'm in love. How do I make one. :biggrin

[UdubBadger]

I'm thinking Terry has enough headaches so he should sell to me and I'll sell my ZHP to Ben (///Maniak). ;)

[danewilson77]

Bump. Cool story.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Terry]

Hiya Dane!

Sorry for lack of updates. She has been hibernating the past year. Cleaned up the interior with more simple center console which eliminated the seat warmer buttons. Added an Alcantara M3 ZCP steering wheel, adjusted ride height, RTABs & limiters, corner balanced and aligned her. Also replaceds lo ightly leaking Constant Pressure Valve on the S54's block.

In New Zealand, so cool to see the occasional ZHP...although I know they're not referred to as Performance Package down here. Home next week!

Terry

[danewilson77]

Great. Good hearing from you Terry.

Thanks for the check in.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[orange260z]

Excellent thread, awesome car! Looks great with those ARC-8s... too bad they end up soooo expensive for us Canadians!

Not to beat a dead horse, but the angled steering wheel is a 3 series thing, if not a BMW thing. My E90 was the same way, as was every 3 series I've tried (note - I can't comment on the F30). I figured it had something to do with how the steering column is supposed to collapse.

[az3579]

Excellent thread, awesome car! Looks great with those ARC-8s... too bad they end up soooo expensive for us Canadians!

Not to beat a dead horse, but the angled steering wheel is a 3 series thing, if not a BMW thing. My E90 was the same way, as was every 3 series I've tried (note - I can't comment on the F30). I figured it had something to do with how the steering column is supposed to collapse.

I honestly think the combination of the angled steering wheel and the fact that the sport seats don't allow "easy" access to the dead pedal for the left foot is causing my back to get out of whack... when I lay down now, it feels like the left side of my body sits is angled upward to the right. :shifty

[johnrando]

Great. Good hearing from you Terry.

Thanks for the check in.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Plus one for sure.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

[orange260z]

I honestly think the combination of the angled steering wheel and the fact that the sport seats don't allow "easy" access to the dead pedal for the left foot is causing my back to get out of whack... when I lay down now, it feels like the left side of my body sits is angled upward to the right. :shifty

I've rearranged my desk so that the left side of the keyboard is further away from me, to get ready for driving the e46 again in the coming weeks.:jawdrop

[Vas]

So how is the car doing?

[wertyu78]

So how is the car doing?

UPDATES ! ! !

[Terry]

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the interest and motivation! So I long ago mentioned I'd love to put some CSL seats in the car. A good friend of mine came across a set of front E46 CSL seats that had seen some better days. The upholstry is fine but the back of the Recaro shells were chipped and scuffed from some pretty rough / careless storage (not my friend). So I've been busy reconditioning them and hope to install them very soon in conjunction with new center console parts (i.e. armrest delete).

There are a couple of things I've changed up on the car over the past year or so but they're minor. I'll be mentioning them in the very near future with the next update (couple of weeks) that'll show the interior updates w/ pictures.

Been seeing more and more ZHPs here at work... Still my favorite BMWs :)

-Terry

[danewilson77]

Thanks for update. Good seeing you around Terry.

"No flamesuit required"

[BADCLOWN]

An S54 in these cars is so ideal for me, I'm jealous. look forward to the update.

[wertyu78]

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the interest and motivation! So I long ago mentioned I'd love to put some CSL seats in the car. A good friend of mine came across a set of front E46 CSL seats that had seen some better days. The upholstry is fine but the back of the Recaro shells were chipped and scuffed from some pretty rough / careless storage (not my friend). So I've been busy reconditioning them and hope to install them very soon in conjunction with new center console parts (i.e. armrest delete).

There are a couple of things I've changed up on the car over the past year or so but they're minor. I'll be mentioning them in the very near future with the next update (couple of weeks) that'll show the interior updates w/ pictures.

Been seeing more and more ZHPs here at work... Still my favorite BMWs :)

-Terry


Looking forward to your post, Terry!

[johnrando]

Great to see you around Terry!

Sent from mobile

[JB3]

There are a couple of things I've changed up on the car over the past year or so but they're minor. I'll be mentioning them in the very near future with the next update (couple of weeks) that'll show the interior updates w/ pictures.


Found this searching for something else. Sick car. In for updates. :)

[prowlerflyer]

Is there anyone tracking how many and where all the Rouge cars are?

[Terry]

Not sure how many Rogue project / engine swap cars are out there. The Rogue E46 M3 wagon/touring is local to me and actually owned by a close friend of mine that I've known since my old club racing days. It was no doubt his wagon that gave me confidence (and the appetite) to buy the ZHP when it came up for sale. I think Ben Liaw from Rogue also made an E36 S50 or S52 powered compact back in the day. I'm sure that was a well-done swap as well. Next time I call Rogue Engineering I'll ask if they know where all the Rogue cars are. FWIW (and not just because of me being lucky to own one of their project cars), Rogue is a quality outfit operated by good people that really do their homework before spitting out product.

Way overdue for an update and have managed to do a couple of things this year after selling my beloved E30 M3 race car. I'll start off in reverse chronological order.

Just got back from visiting family (and watching Rugby World Cup) in the UK. With the cooler Fall/Winter temperatures and having not started the ZHP in a few months I returned to a completely drained battery. I wasn't surprised because it's gradually been cranking slower and slower through the last couple of years. Argh regardless. I opted to just replace it (as opposed to charging) anyway as the build date on the Exide BMW H7-sized battery was ~2008. I decided to go with something smaller as I had planned on doing this to take some weight out of the back should the battery ever need replacement. I've been reading that a handful of E46 M3 guys had been reverting to the 'CSL' BMW battery which is the same exact battery as early model MINI's (a non-AGM H5-sized battery). Anyway, it's an 11-12 lb weight savings for those coming from the battery that my car has.. Which I think is the same as normal ZHPs (the 80AH 640A battery). So I went ahead and pulled the trigger and installed without a hitch. You can re-use all existing battery mounting hardware but you'll likely need to buy one more spacer/bracket, it's BMW pn 61-21-8-375-655. I found that this needed to be installed in the foward slot (up against the right rear wheel well) and then you move your existing spacer (the smaller one that's already equipped in your car) one hole closer towards the front of the car. If you reference the below picture you can see the orientation of the new longer spacer (white block at the bottom following the path of the vent tube:

22848

And here's a picture of the new MINI battery installed. Bought it from MINI and it looks like they have a new supplier now...this one's black. Fits like a glove as expected. If you look closely you'll see the connections for the CTEK smart charger (similar to a Battery Tender) quick connect:

22849

Next picture shows the trunk put back together. You can just make out the quick connector for the CTEK smart charger. FYI, I went with the CTEK Multi US 4.3 unit: http://smartercharger.com/products/batterychargers/ctek-multi-us-4-3/

Right around summer time I finally installed the European E46 M3 CSL seats in the car that I previously mentioned. The upholstery is in excellent shape but the previous owner had scuffed up the back of the seat shells and I couldn't live with that. I had them stripped and re-sprayed by a trusting bodyshop in the same OEM rubberized finish (it's easy to scratch even with your fingernails. Since it's a 4 door sedan I wanted extra protection in case of any future rear passengers (haha....yeah right) and thought having the seat backs wrapped in a color-matching matte black would offer just the right amount of protection without being noticeable. I had Koosha from Lucent Wraps wrap the back of the recaro shells, here's a picture of him in action:

22850

They installed without a hitch and are so damn comfortable. Fantastic support when driving like an idiot and actually a lot more comfortable in the long run for those who have backs that act up. They match the interior of the car perfectly as it's the same Alcantara/cloth design that you get in the ZHP. I often tell people that these seats belong in ZHPs as they are absolutely perfect looking. Estimated weight reduction of about 45-50 lbs. Here's a picture I took...albeit the worst quality picture ever:

22851

The CSL seat project came along at the same time as the armrest delete. I had the parts ready to go but came into a snag when I installed the shorter armrest delete center console. It exposed a hole in the carpet towards the back of the parking brake assembly. It's very small but enough to bother me. I have an appointment here this coming week to have a talented upholstery / carpet stitch professional fill in the hole. I have a donor section of carpet from a M4 that was recently gutted here at work. The carpet appears to be identical so should work nicely. Once he's done I'll take updated photos showing the seats, center console, etc. Here's the hole for now:

22852

I'll hopefully be updating this thread soon within a week or so. Glad to see everybody active still and keeping the ZHP love alive :)

Cheers,

-Terry

[Vas]

What did you do for the passenger side seat occupancy sensor?

[wertyu78]

Not sure how many Rogue project / engine swap cars are out there. The Rogue E46 M3 wagon/touring is local to me and actually owned by a close friend of mine that I've known since my old club racing days. It was no doubt his wagon that gave me confidence (and the appetite) to buy the ZHP when it came up for sale. I think Ben Liaw from Rogue also made an E36 S50 or S52 powered compact back in the day. I'm sure that was a well-done swap as well. Next time I call Rogue Engineering I'll ask if they know where all the Rogue cars are. FWIW (and not just because of me being lucky to own one of their project cars), Rogue is a quality outfit operated by good people that really do their homework before spitting out product.

Way overdue for an update and have managed to do a couple of things this year after selling my beloved E30 M3 race car. I'll start off in reverse chronological order.

Just got back from visiting family (and watching Rugby World Cup) in the UK. With the cooler Fall/Winter temperatures and having not started the ZHP in a few months I returned to a completely drained battery. I wasn't surprised because it's gradually been cranking slower and slower through the last couple of years. Argh regardless. I opted to just replace it (as opposed to charging) anyway as the build date on the Exide BMW H7-sized battery was ~2008. I decided to go with something smaller as I had planned on doing this to take some weight out of the back should the battery ever need replacement. I've been reading that a handful of E46 M3 guys had been reverting to the 'CSL' BMW battery which is the same exact battery as early model MINI's (a non-AGM H5-sized battery). Anyway, it's an 11-12 lb weight savings for those coming from the battery that my car has.. Which I think is the same as normal ZHPs (the 80AH 640A battery). So I went ahead and pulled the trigger and installed without a hitch. You can re-use all existing battery mounting hardware but you'll likely need to buy one more spacer/bracket, it's BMW pn 61-21-8-375-655. I found that this needed to be installed in the foward slot (up against the right rear wheel well) and then you move your existing spacer (the smaller one that's already equipped in your car) one hole closer towards the front of the car. If you reference the below picture you can see the orientation of the new longer spacer (white block at the bottom following the path of the vent tube:

22848

And here's a picture of the new MINI battery installed. Bought it from MINI and it looks like they have a new supplier now...this one's black. Fits like a glove as expected. If you look closely you'll see the connections for the CTEK smart charger (similar to a Battery Tender) quick connect:

22849

Next picture shows the trunk put back together. You can just make out the quick connector for the CTEK smart charger. FYI, I went with the CTEK Multi US 4.3 unit: http://smartercharger.com/products/batterychargers/ctek-multi-us-4-3/

Right around summer time I finally installed the European E46 M3 CSL seats in the car that I previously mentioned. The upholstery is in excellent shape but the previous owner had scuffed up the back of the seat shells and I couldn't live with that. I had them stripped and re-sprayed by a trusting bodyshop in the same OEM rubberized finish (it's easy to scratch even with your fingernails. Since it's a 4 door sedan I wanted extra protection in case of any future rear passengers (haha....yeah right) and thought having the seat backs wrapped in a color-matching matte black would offer just the right amount of protection without being noticeable. I had Koosha from Lucent Wraps wrap the back of the recaro shells, here's a picture of him in action:

22850

They installed without a hitch and are so damn comfortable. Fantastic support when driving like an idiot and actually a lot more comfortable in the long run for those who have backs that act up. They match the interior of the car perfectly as it's the same Alcantara/cloth design that you get in the ZHP. I often tell people that these seats belong in ZHPs as they are absolutely perfect looking. Estimated weight reduction of about 45-50 lbs. Here's a picture I took...albeit the worst quality picture ever:

22851

The CSL seat project came along at the same time as the armrest delete. I had the parts ready to go but came into a snag when I installed the shorter armrest delete center console. It exposed a hole in the carpet towards the back of the parking brake assembly. It's very small but enough to bother me. I have an appointment here this coming week to have a talented upholstery / carpet stitch professional fill in the hole. I have a donor section of carpet from a M4 that was recently gutted here at work. The carpet appears to be identical so should work nicely. Once he's done I'll take updated photos showing the seats, center console, etc. Here's the hole for now:

22852

I'll hopefully be updating this thread soon within a week or so. Glad to see everybody active still and keeping the ZHP love alive :)

Cheers,

-Terry

Great update, Terry! You're car is looking great as always. I'd love to see it in person, and grab a beer sometime if you're interested.

[BMWCurves]

Man, those seats are gorgeous. Nice update

[danewilson77]

Great update, Terry! You're car is looking great as always. I'd love to see it in person, and grab a beer sometime if you're interested.


Man, those seats are gorgeous. Nice update
+1

Glad all is well Terry.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[1 M Mike]

:like

Great thread!

Funny how I was just the other day thinking about Ben's E46 Touring with M bits he built and later sold. I started a thread about outfitting my Imola ZHP with clears on Bimmerfest, and he busted in and posted about his gorgeous Sportwagen and blew everything out of the water. I can't remember what he was selling it for at that time (neighborhood of $50k I think), but he definitely caused me to contemplate my financial situation and available disposable income for a while until I realized I could never make the numbers work.

Only real tender spot I could find is it wasn't Imola (can't remember the name of red of that day, Crimson red maybe?).

Whatever, definitely one of the coolest sleeper grocery getters with the :roundel evvvvvvvvvvver.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=23925&d=1072278041

Anyway, sorry to slightly hi jack the thread.

Please keep us posted with regular updates on your beauty. :)

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=23928&d=1072278125

[johnrando]

Great to hear from you Terry! Glad you and your car are still running. :)

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[az3579]

Wow, that is some awesome work, Terry. I'm happy to see this car getting some very nice touches added. :thumbsup

[Sockethead]

Those seats look awesome and comfy....Although the ZHP sports seats look good, the support is terrible... Especially for us skinny guys... I can't go for more than an hour so before my back/ sciatic pain starts.

[slater]

Those seat look awesome and comfy....Although the ZHP sports seats look good, the support is terrible... Especially for us skinny guys... I can't go for more than an hour so before my back/ sciatic pain starts.

do you have lumbar support in your seats? it makes a huge difference for me, i have neck and back issues as well (got rear-ended back in 2008 at a stop light, and it all started then). my original ZHP seats were comfortable for trips but, lacking in lateral support. i'm 6'1" 195lbs, not skinny, but i am a 32" waist and athletic build, so i would slide laterally in the seat under hard cornering.

enter M3 seats with adjustable bolsters (and lumbar, of course): WOW. night and day. makes the car so much more comfortable for me, and better lateral support. plus, with the bolsters being adjustable, i can bring them in for fun drives and out again for longer drives. brilliant seats!

terry, those seats you've gone with look spectacular - and i can believe the comfort bit! nice work!

[BMWCurves]

do you have lumbar support in your seats? it makes a huge difference for me, i have neck and back issues as well (got rear-ended back in 2008 at a stop light, and it all started then). my original ZHP seats were comfortable for trips but, lacking in lateral support. i'm 6'1" 195lbs, not skinny, but i am a 32" waist and athletic build, so i would slide laterally in the seat under hard cornering.

enter M3 seats with adjustable bolsters (and lumbar, of course): WOW. night and day. makes the car so much more comfortable for me, and better lateral support. plus, with the bolsters being adjustable, i can bring them in for fun drives and out again for longer drives. brilliant seats!

terry, those seats you've gone with look spectacular - and i can believe the comfort bit! nice work!

I need dis. :begging I'm a younger guy who doesn't normally have back problems, but long trips definitely begin to make my lower back ache.

Again, awesome stuff, Terry!

[slater]

I need dis. :begging I'm a younger guy who doesn't normally have back problems, but long trips definitely begin to make my lower back ache.

they are worth every penny. :)

[RITmusic2k]

Great update, Terry! Glad to see the beast is still getting that top notch attention from you!

[Sockethead]

do you have lumbar support in your seats? it makes a huge difference for me, i have neck and back issues as well (got rear-ended back in 2008 at a stop light, and it all started then). my original ZHP seats were comfortable for trips but, lacking in lateral support. i'm 6'1" 195lbs, not skinny, but i am a 32" waist and athletic build, so i would slide laterally in the seat under hard cornering.

enter M3 seats with adjustable bolsters (and lumbar, of course): WOW. night and day. makes the car so much more comfortable for me, and better lateral support. plus, with the bolsters being adjustable, i can bring them in for fun drives and out again for longer drives. brilliant seats!

terry, those seats you've gone with look spectacular - and i can believe the comfort bit! nice work!
No lumbar. The wife's 135 has adjustable bolsters which is sweet for holding me in seat but the rest of the seat makes my back even worse.
Some day I'll replace them

[Terry]

Thanks for all the compliments everyone. Just trying to do my part while I own the car...want to make sure that should we part ways she'll leave in a better state than how I received her. Glad to see that a lot of the people I used to interact with on here are still very active. Definitely a unique / tight-knit bimmerphile community here at ZHP Mafia. Dane, John, Albert, RIT, AZ3579 - great to see your names :)

Wertyu78 - A beer is due for sure. My work is having a Holiday Party at 4 Sons Brewery in Huntington Beach on Dec 16th from ~6-9pm. We'll have one of our 25 Hr race cars on display and obviously a lot of beer to be consumed. Supposedly will be some food trucks there as well. Anyway, it's not open bar or anything like that but an opportunity for us to get together with local enthusiasts and friends, etc. You are most welcome if you have any interest. No need to RSVP.

Vas, the seats came with what looked like a Seat Occupancy sensor control box that plugged into the existing connector in the car. Wasn't sure that it would work but upon starting it no Airbag light. I should have taken a picture of the control box to keep track of the part number, looked quite similar to a typical E46 seat occupancy sensor control box. Regardless, not sure what this did. I'm not sure that there is an occupancy sensor in the CSL passenger seat. I dismantled the seats quite a bit but didn't tear apart the upholstery.

1M Mike - that's a funny story about Ben hijacking your post. He's a great guy as you would probably agree. The color is Japanarot. Coincidentally Ralph is driving up at the 25 Hrs of Thunderhill race this weekend so I'm babysitting his car until I get back. Unfortunately I only have a 1 car garage.. Would have been great to have the two cars side by side.

Sockethead & BMW Curves - I feel you guys regarding the back aching after awhile. The CSL seats seem to help because I'm also slightly more reclined and my legs are lifted up more in the front..of course it's tight on the sides so there's no lateral play. Nice to not have to keep adjusting to avoid the back pain. I suppose lumbar support is necessary for people like us.

Slater, good tip on the M3 seats!

Again, thanks for all the compliments, guys. I've kept the factory ZHP seats in my garage. Will keep them with the car as spares or should the CSL seats need to come out one day.

-Terry

[Terry]

I think it's a fitting time for an update. The time has come for me to let the car go. Life has become a bit more busy and I could use the space (and money). Last few DMV registration tags never even found their way onto the car (as I have barely been driving the car). While going through photos recently to send to interested buyers I discovered the car was at 60,000 miles (exactly) on December 6th 2012 (I remember as I took a photo). And now it's currently at 63,XXX. Has always been the car of my dreams since my time working at a BMW dealership just as the ZHP cars were entering service (~2003). And to have acquired one #1 without a sunroof and #2 with a bit more OEM power, just made an already awesome machine even sweeter.

At the top of the interested buyer list is owner #1 and owner #2, both of them requesting the original stock seats be reinstalled. I went ahead and removed the CSL seats and am working on giving them a $ amount that I want for the car. A bit of a challenging/awkward situation being that the original owner/builder of the car and his friend (second owner who purchased the vehicle from original owner) are interested in having the car back.

So one last photo with the CSL seats. I like to call it the 'Ring Taxi' configuration:
31929

I ended up having the gap in the carpet addressed a couple of years ago but don't think I updated you guys on here. I just wanted to take one last shot from behind that shows how they look in a ZHP sedan and without the armrest.

Now they are in my garage trying to find a new home:
319303193131932

If anybody here has a friend with an E46 M3 looking for CSL seats. I'm selling them. I suppose anybody with a ZHP. I highly recommend them and particularly to us ZHP owners who have the Alcantara/cloth interior as it's the exact same trim as the CSL seats. Seatbelt buckles/receptacles not included.

As it stands right now I'd like for it go back to the original owners on the East Coast. If we can't agree on a figure then I will list the car publicly.

I want to conclude by saying that my favorite part about going out on a limb and buying the car was no doubt stumbling upon this website. No doubt an incredible tight-knit bimmerphile community. There's a lot of passion and respect here and that made me even more proud to be a ZHP owner.

-Terry

[joeybananaz18]

wow wow wow this car is incredible. Sorry to see it go but how cool for the original owner the have a crack at getting it back.

[danewilson77]

Damn Terry. Great hearing from you. Glad you've got the balls to do what's right for you, and the car.

Are you limiting the sale to those two buyers?

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[sillieidiot]

how much were you thinking for the seats?

[Terry]

Thanks for the kind words, Joey.

Dane, great to still see your name! I imagine you've been keeping busy keeping this community rocking and rolling.

Sillie, I am asking $5500 firm. I had the hardbacks/shells refinished (there were minor scuffs from the previous owner). After having them refinished I also had a wrap guy vinyl wrap them in the OEM matte black finish for further protection (in case I had young rear passengers who like to kick..). Lol, fortunately never had any young rear passengers...or any rear passengers for that matter.

-Terry

[johnrando]

Wow Terry. I know how much you loved that car. That was the 1st one of those I ever saw so I have always like it. I hope things go well with the sale. Good to see you around.

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