Bill's 2003 Titanium Silver/ Gray Sedan

[illirep]

Well it's official. I have a sickness. I bought another ZHP. 3 months with the e60 535i sport was all it took! Just picked her up this morning.

2003 Sedan
Titanium Silver
Gray
Silver Cube
3 pedals
ZHP Package
Premium Package
Cold Weather Package
Xenons
Sunroof
Homelink

This was a local 2 owner, previous CPO / extended maintenance car. Very lovingly maintained, and clearly garage kept. The car exceeded my expectations when I first saw her this morning. Not a single door ding. No scratches that I've found thus far. The wheels are in excellent shape.

The previous owner had just replaced brake pads and rotors, front and rear, and installed a brand new set of Pilot Sport AS3's!

The titanium silver paint is really beautiful in person. Contrary to popular opinion, I think the gray interior complements the silver paint very nicely, however, a full interior conversion to Alcantara is in store for this car.

Maintenance History:
[to be updated]

Mods:
Previous owner:
-K&N intake
-LED Angel Eyes
-Clear bra on hood, fenders and mirrors

Performed by me:
-OEM rear RCR tail lights
-Full Gray to Alcantara conversion (carpets, dash, seats, door panels, etc.)
-New floor mats
-New center console
-New euro storage tray
-New rear ashtray delete storage cubby
-New Dynavin N6
-New HVAC relocation bracket
-New e90 Msport shift knob and leather boot retrofit
-New performance alcantara ebrake and boot
-New M dead pedal
-A and C pillar DIY repair
-New H/K rear speaker grills
-New OEM Tri-stitch steering wheel
-Authentic Gruppe M Intake
-Black leather shift boot
-B&M Short shifter
-New OEM silver cube trim

Maintenance:
Previous owner:
[placeholder]

During my ownership:
-Full cooling system overhaul
-New wiper blades
-Oil service and filter


Side note: In 3 months of owning the 535, there was no tinkering time shared between the car, my boys and myself. Within an hour of owning the ZHP, the 'four' of us were already bonding!

[illirep]

A few shots following my interior 'renovation'.

[BCS_ZHP]

Congrats Bill. However, given your track record I'll be very surprised if you still have this by tax day.

[johnrando]

Lol +1 on both

[ELCID86]

Congrats. Looking forward to the progress.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[JupiterBMW]

Awesome Bill! Can't wait to see it, and honestly, I have a serious love for Dove Grey. Should be a looker!

[illirep]

Congrats Bill. However, given your track record I'll be very surprised if you still have this by tax day.

Thanks. April 15, 2015 is a generous over/under. If the lci e90s get more attractively priced between now and then, I'll go with the under as well!

[Vas]

Saw this car on e46fanatics. Glad to hear it went to a good home.

[az3579]

FYI, the grey interior in the E46 platform is not Dove Grey. It's just Grey.
Dove Grey is almost white in color, and was in the E36 platform.

The is one very clean car for sure.

[illirep]

FYI, the grey interior in the E46 platform is not Dove Grey. It's just Grey.
Dove Grey is almost white in color, and was in the E36 platform.

The is one very clean car for sure.

Thanks. Corrected

[az3579]

Curious if you have pics of the restore alcantara steering wheel. I didn't think those could be salvaged beyond a certain point; just how worn was it? Do you have before/afters?

[spatchel]

OK Bill this is really weird. Before I bought your car I believe this car was on Craigslist in Somerset. I watched it for a while. It disappeared from the list. I still had an email so i sent him a message asking if it was still available. I did not get a response and I ended up buying yours. The day after I picked up your car I got an email asking if I was still interested. Obviously I was not still interested, but I thought at the time it was a nice car. I think the color combination looks great. It looked good in the pictures though I never saw it in person. He had said that he just put the new tires on it and had the brakes replaced. Good luck with it! If you are still going to run only a front plate you can have the front trim back. Buy the way his reason for selling was that he needed a bigger car. Sound familiar?

[illirep]

Wow, interesting how that all played out. I jokingly told him that I sold my ZHP for the e60, which he really liked (and ironically he is replacing the ZHP with a 5 series), and told him he'd be back to a ZHP in no time!

With a third on the way, I wanted more space with the 5, but who was I kidding - not fitting 3 car seats in the back of either...

[slater]

congrats on the TiAg ZHP, bill! and congrats on the upcoming 3rd child!

looks like your kids approve of the new fleet member? :) my son loves the ZHP (sedan... my daughter loves the coupe, and she is sad that it might be gone soon).

peter

[illirep]

Thanks for all the complements guys.

BP - I unfortunately did not take pics of the wheel before, but I can tell you that it was similar to the first pic attached that I found on google, plus some pretty significant dingle berries in addition to the wear, matting, dirt that you see in this example pic. The second pic is after I worked my magic.

[az3579]

WOW. That is ... WOW.

[illirep]

Found a great deal on OEM rear euro lights. Should be here Friday!

[JupiterBMW]

Holy crap its upside down!! Hurry up and flip that thing over before you scratch the roof!! Dammit Bill!! :biggrin

Just got into port and on "real" internet, so just now saw the pics. I want some interior pics! I'd love to see the Grey.

[illirep]

This forum hates iphone pics...lol. I have some interior pics but they are going to be upside down if I post them

[JupiterBMW]

I'm on an 11" Macbook Air... I can handle flipping this thing over... Post em!

[ELCID86]

This forum hates iphone pics...lol. I have some interior pics but they are going to be upside down if I post them

I still can't figure out why that happens.

[az3579]

This forum hates iphone pics...lol. I have some interior pics but they are going to be upside down if I post them


I still can't figure out why that happens.

I have no problems with iPhone pics... mine all upload perfectly.

[illirep]

What is even stranger is that I just rotated my photos on my PC, then re-uploaded them, still showed as upside down....

I'll just wait until I give the exterior a full detail and use my DSLR. In the meantime, I pulled down the upside down photos

[cakM3]

Nice to see you got yourself another ZHP Bill. You know, BP has a full alcantara interior he could sell you for your ZHP. The grey interior that comes in E46 is way too much grey in my opinion. Just in case you get bored with your interior (I did with my grey ///M interior) there's always an option for you :biggrin

I think the Alcantara interior will go much better with TiAg :thumbsup

[johnrando]

Steering wheel looks amazing, nice work.

[slater]

Thanks for all the complements guys.

BP - I unfortunately did not take pics of the wheel before, but I can tell you that it was similar to the first pic attached that I found on google, plus some pretty significant dingle berries in addition to the wear, matting, dirt that you see in this example pic. The second pic is after I worked my magic.


WOW. That is ... WOW.


Steering wheel looks amazing, nice work.

agreed, nice work, bill! mine looked like your 'starting point' pic as well, and turned out like your 'after' pic, too - i was really surprised. of course, it needs to be cleaned again, but i hope it come back nicely. still thinking about getting it recovered though.

peter

[ELCID86]

Did you sell the illuminated knob?


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[illirep]

Sorry Shawn - didn't see that until now. I still have it. Pm/ text me if you still need it.

[illirep]

Quite a productive Christmas break:

-My car now has Alcantara interior - full interior conversion from carpets to dash! Damn you BP! Thank you at he same time;). My fifth time doing this, not a single broken clip during the process!

-Full cooling system overhaul, including radiator, water pump, exp tank, etc.

-DIY repair of A pillars, C pillars, and rear deck panel

-New M dead pedal, right front kick panel, front and rear door sills

-Near new M tri-stitch leather steering wheel

-New armrest delete center console with new euro long tray and new rear ash tray delete

-New Dynavin N6 with new HVAC relo kit; ran flush mount USB through euro center console and a secondary one through ash tray.

-New E90 M-sport shift knob and boot retrofit

-New rear H/k speaker grills

-Hardwired V1 radar and wired remote display unit

-New OEM floormats

[cakM3]

Awesome work Bill, now when are you selling this ZHP? :)

[illirep]

I don't think I'll make that mistake for a while, hopefully a much longer while than my track record suggests!

[cakM3]

I don't think I'll make that mistake for a while, hopefully a much longer while than my track record suggests!

I thought you have always wanted the AW ZHP that you just sold. Surprised you have the TiAg as I didn't think this was your color….

[illirep]

Or unless I hop on the s54 bandwagon! But I'll probably entertain the new ESS product before that happens...I'm a sedan kinda guy (with one legendary exception)

[cakM3]

Yeah, the E30 ///M you have is awesome :thumbsup I just figured you would continue to sell the ZHP until you actually found the right one you have been looking for :scratchinghead The TiAg you now have and that you're implying you will keep this one awhile doesn't seem to fit what you have told me when I picked up the steering wheel from you. I didn't think you really cared for the color, that's all.

[Vas]

So where are the pictures.

[cakM3]

So where are the pictures.

Agreed….it would be nice to see how well your ZHP looks now Bill. I know it will look awesome with the new interior :thumbsup

[illirep]

Charlie - it is no secret that AW is my favorite color. I never said I didn't like TS however. My first BMW was a 1999 TS 323i sport. Yes, in hindsight, I should have kept the AW ZHP after all the money I invested (or perhaps blew would be a better term). Certainly wasn't planning on buying another one after I sold that car, and then this one came on the market locally and I couldn't resist. Am I going to keep it forever? Absolutely not. But I'm not thinking about selling anytime soon.

[illirep]

I'll post pics this weekend

[cakM3]

Gotcha Bill, completely understood.


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[illirep]

Pics loaded of interior

[Vas]

Bill, what brand of radiator did you go with ?

[illirep]

My tech picked it up at Princeton BMW, so OEM BMW, but not sure who the actually manufacturer is.

[ELCID86]

Good work Bill. Looking fwd to pics. I already sourced a 'lit' knob. Thanks.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[Vas]

Thanks Bill.

[az3579]

Pics loaded of interior

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[NoVAphotog]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
+1

Awesome conversion Bill! Looks sweet.

[slater]

+1

Awesome conversion Bill! Looks sweet.

indeed - love that shift knob - i want to try one of those, it looks perfect!

peter

[illirep]

Have some progress to report here, some good, some bad. Unfortunately no pics until we get some nice weather and I can clean her up.

The good:
New OEM tri-stitch M3 steering wheel
Authentic Gruppe M Intake
Shared some teaser pics of an interior trim re-wrap job. Will post full interior pics once I finish all the pieces
(Also have a brand new set of factory silver cube trim in transit from Germany)

The bad:
My 4 year old son was "helping" me clean the snow off the car when I was busy snow-blowing the driveway last week. His toy shovel put a few scratches in the paint. I'm hoping most of which will buff out.

[cakM3]

The bad:
My 4 year old son was "helping" me clean the snow off the car when I was buys snow-blowing the driveway last week. His toy shovel put a few scratches in the paint. I'm hoping most of which will buff out.

That's gonna hurt Bill....

[ELCID86]

Ouch, but kid's will be kids and cars are only "stuff". I remember when I backed my dad's truck into our Buick---he handle it so well--I thought I was going to die! He was like "that's what insurance is for."

[illirep]

That's gonna hurt Bill....

So pessimistic Charlie - only acknowledge the bad and not all the GOOD! ;)

[illirep]

Ouch, but kid's will be kids and cars are only "stuff". I remember when I backed my dad's truck into our Buick---he handle it so well--I thought I was going to die! He was like "that's what insurance is for."

So true - just "stuff". I actually surprised myself with how little it affected me. Didn't even so much as raise my voice.....

[illirep]

Gruppe M intake en route. Very excited to hear the magical sound everyone speaks of!

[az3579]

Gruppe M intake en route. Very excited to hear the magical sound everyone speaks of!

I do say I am curious what it sounds like with a stock exhaust. I'll tell you that it definitely makes the Corsa exhaust come alive!

[illirep]

Congrats Bill. However, given your track record I'll be very surprised if you still have this by tax day.

Tax day quickly approaching ;)

[illirep]

Had oil service done. While the car was there, had B&M SSK installed. I had my car jacked up and was going to do the install myself, and just didn't want to leave my life in the hands of jack stands.

[az3579]

Had oil service done. While the car was there, had B&M SSK installed. I had my car jacked up and was going to do the install myself, and just didn't want to leave my life in the hands of jack stands.

Screw jack stands. That's why if there's no lift and have to get under the car, I'm paying someone else to do it.

[Vas]

Current mileage?

[illirep]

90,500


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[illirep]

Brand new full set of silver cube arrived from Tischer BMW today.

Also received new sunroof switch panel. Those damn clips broke when I Hardwired my V1

Edit - gruppe M intake just arrived as well!

Stop spending money on this car Bill!!!

[az3579]

Just out of curiosity, what did Tischer charge for the silver cube set? I know the set was super cheap on ECS Tuning recently (mid 400's).


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[illirep]

I checked them first. Tischer was low $400's shipped.



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[illirep]

Edit post above - ended up being about $470 after shipping. Still much cheaper than the $700-800 they used to be!


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[illirep]

Gruppe M installed, not much sound difference from the K&N I replaced. And I may be imagining this, but there seems to be less power as measured on the butt dyno...

Surely looks much better though ...lol

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/23/359b0276214d36bbf1e24ae5e7a3d06f.jpg


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[illirep]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/23/d3476afe84a0dcc7531e82c3b5ce9e64.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/23/36de8bbf0663e9d07d78e28f2e6b2463.jpg

New cube trim installed, new M3 tri-stitched wheel also pictures, installed a couple weeks ago.


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[kakashi169]

This project car is one of my favourites in the forum.

[illirep]

Thanks. Are you color biased ;) ?


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[illirep]

Carbon splitters en route from Rando!


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[Vas]

Thanks. Are you color biased ;) ?


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Or color Blind lol.

[kakashi169]

Thanks. Are you color biased ;) ?


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Haha, maybe.