Benny's 2004 OB/Tan ZHP

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Hey everyone,

As some of you know I picked up an 2004 ZHP Orient Blue / Tan ZHP. Thanks to William (BMWCurves) I spotted this beauty in Atlanta BMW. It had only 45K miles and met all the requirements I had. I had specific requirements NO Fold down rear seats, Xenon headlights, tan interior, 6MT. I did not want fold down seats for the sake of torsional rigidity, trust me it makes a difference when hard cornering. I noticed the difference between my prior e46s one with fold down and one without. I always liked tan because when it is clean it is perfect and looks rich.

When i first looked at the pictures the car looked ruff. The dealer didnt clean it and the driver seat looked really bad. Hey restoring is fun and satisfying. Have restored a few e46s in the past so I wanted to do this one.

I have a 2006 e90 330i for daily driving so the ZHP will spend most of the time in the garage. Some of you might have seen the pics from the dealer but when I saw her in person it was actually in good condition much better than the pictures.

As soon as I found the car online I called the dealer and put a deposit. I have to say Global Imports BMW (Atlanta BMW) were incredible to work with. They said they will hold my car as long as it takes for me to get there from NOVA. So 2 weeks after i put the deposit I rented a car from enterprise drove down to Atlanta on a Friday, picked her up and drove back to DC the next day. Here are the pics at the dealer

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On my way back at a Apple Bees Parking lot

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Over all she is a beauty. Currently in my garage going through a interior restoration.

The dealer installed new Brakes, Brand new Bridgestone Potenzas, and even a new Valve Cover Gasket.

More to come, Plan is make her immaculate example of a ZHP

[ZHP_Brandon]

She's gorgeous, Never been a fan of the interior color solely because of its TLC Requirements, but seeing one this clean and in that condition is amazing. Good luck with her & Welcome to the Mafia, take good care of her and I'm sure she'll put a smile on your face every time you drive it!


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[Vas]

Good luck.

[danewilson77]

Nice pick up.

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[[USMC]Skywalker]

Thanks guys!

[BMWCurves]

Looks good! Glad you snatched this up. Was this previously posted by the dealer as an automatic? I don't remember seeing an OB sedan 6MT with this low of miles.

Anyways, congrats on the acquisition!

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Yeah man, it was posted as Auto, only after I clicked on the link I knew it was manual and immediately jumped on it

[Pip]

Looks like an awesome car. Have fun on the restoration. Rear bumper and trunk lid look like the only real exterior trouble areas.

[ELCID86]

Congrats again. Can't wait to see what you have in store for her.


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"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." - an e46f member

[330i Lover]

Nice find, keep us posted on your projects.

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[[USMC]Skywalker]

Just finished the first round of cleaning on the interior, it came out really well
Here is the Alcantara steering wheel

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Installed brand new ZHP shift knob

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Driver seat, The bolster needs to be restored. I am going to take it "Metro Leather" in Herndon. They restored my previous e46's Natural Brown driver seat to like new condition

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Rear Seats

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Replaced the Engine and Cabin air filters followed by a quick cleaning of the Engine bay

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[ELCID86]

Looking good. We need a NoVA get together !


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"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." - an e46f member

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Yes we do that will be great!! before the real winter sets in :)

[johnrando]

Great pickup!

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[[USMC]Skywalker]

Thanks John!

[Vas]

Nova members need to have a meet up. I will make the trip as well

[ELCID86]

Nova members need to have a meet up. I will make the trip as well

Or perhaps we should come your way. A lot better roads...And less traffic!


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"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." - an e46f member

[[USMC]Skywalker]

where is he located?

[ELCID86]

Skywalker;464832']where is he located?

Harrisonburg area. Some good breweries out that way too! We did a Skyline drive last year.


---
"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." - an e46f member

[Vas]

Harrisonburg area. Some good breweries out that way too! We did a Skyline drive last year.


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"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." - an e46f member
Or that.

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Harrisonburg area. Some good breweries out that way too! We did a Skyline drive last year.


---
"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." - an e46f member

Shawn if you set it up let me know it would be nice to meet you guys and go for a fun drive!

[330i ZHP]

Nice. Congrats. Beautiful color

[kakashi169]

Nice pick up, are you going to hunt for them bmw performance parts again? Or are you transferring them from the previous car you had?

[fredo]

Car looks great ! Only 45k miles, amazing. I also had a 2006 e90 330i before buying my ZHP. I sold it to my father-in-law.

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Nice pick up, are you going to hunt for them bmw performance parts again? Or are you transferring them from the previous car you had?

I sold those parts man, now I am in the hunt again so if you locate one send them my way!

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Car looks great ! Only 45k miles, amazing. I also had a 2006 e90 330i before buying my ZHP. I sold it to my father-in-law.

Thanks man. e90 is great car but i missed the raw feel of the e46. I drive a lot for daily commute so might keep the e90 as my daily as it is loaded and is a very relaxing car to drive. Might sell it this summer. IT is a 6 speed with all the options so should be easy to sell. For now the ZHP stays in the garage while I restore her.

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Just had the drive seat refinished at Metro Leather in Herndon, VA. They did an awesome job!! would highly recommend

Before
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After

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I will get the stitching redone in the future, for now it looks like new!

[kakashi169]

Skywalker;465102']I sold those parts man, now I am in the hunt again so if you locate one send them my way!

Sad times, I remember when we use to hoard the bmw performance parts together. Get back on track! Hahha

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Sad times, I remember when we use to hoard the bmw performance parts together. Get back on track! Hahha

Haha yes, this time I think I am going to get the chrome Performance Strut bar new from the dealer its around 250 and its essentially an M3 bar in Chrome. But i really want the Performance intake bad!!

[Vas]

Seat looks great. Do you know what they did to it? And pricewise?

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Seat looks great. Do you know what they did to it? And pricewise?

Total cost was around $250 they had to do the entire seat along with the bolster where the damage was worst. They guy said they do a light sanding and have some type of filler that essentially has a leather texture and can be conditioned. They prep the color form scratch to match the car as leather fades over time so its customized for the car. They did my natural brown seats in my last e46 and I had it for a few years after they did it and it looked perfect when I sold it so the fix is permanent and very durable.

These guys fix all kinds of leather stuff to include office and house furniture

Here is the link to their website

http://www.metroleather.com/

[Lorenzo]

Looks great Benny. This is Larry - we met yesterday at BMW Sterling. I just joined ZHPMafia today and I'm sitting at metroleather to have them refinish my drivers seat. I did a leatherique treatment yesterday, with some success. But it works best in the heat of the summer to pull out all the dirt. With my new ZHP, I don't have the patience until summer and figured metroleather would do a better job - especially on the well worn side bolster. The technician said I should leatherique the passenger and rear seats in summer and I will get good results. Thanks for the great tip.

[Vas]

Looks great Benny. This is Larry - we met yesterday at BMW Sterling. I just joined ZHPMafia today and I'm sitting at metroleather to have them refinish my drivers seat. I did a leatherique treatment yesterday, with some success. But it works best in the heat of the summer to pull out all the dirt. With my new ZHP, I don't have the patience until summer and figured metroleather would do a better job - especially on the well worn side bolster. The technician said I should leatherique the passenger and rear seats in summer and I will get good results. Thanks for the great tip.

Welcome to the forum. Post an into when you get the chance

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Awesome man, send me a pic of how it turned out!!

Last night I replaced all the plastic pieces in my car; the center console, cupholders etc car looks new.


Looks great Benny. This is Larry - we met yesterday at BMW Sterling. I just joined ZHPMafia today and I'm sitting at metroleather to have them refinish my drivers seat. I did a leatherique treatment yesterday, with some success. But it works best in the heat of the summer to pull out all the dirt. With my new ZHP, I don't have the patience until summer and figured metroleather would do a better job - especially on the well worn side bolster. The technician said I should leatherique the passenger and rear seats in summer and I will get good results. Thanks for the great tip.

[fredo]

Benny, do you have the P/Ns handy ? I would like to do the same (center console, cupholders, etc) at some point. Thanks !

[wertyu78]

Skywalker;465236']Awesome man, send me a pic of how it turned out!!

Last night I replaced all the plastic pieces in my car; the center console, cupholders etc car looks new.

Ooohh, that sounds nice! Post some pics, please :).

I've been meaning to do this + steering wheel re-wrap & boots.

[BMWCurves]

Benny, do you have the P/Ns handy ? I would like to do the same (center console, cupholders, etc) at some point. Thanks !

Be aware, they'll be different part numbers for different interior colors. Black interior part numbers are 51168234154 (center console), 51168217957 (coin storage), 51168217953 (cup holder), 51168202188 (storage compartment above ash tray for non-nav cars), 51168260312 (glasses storage, same as previous item just opens outward), 51167043093 (eurotray, short), 51167038323 (eurotray, long), and 51168217927 (open storage tray in center console).

[fredo]

Thank you ! The info you posted works for me. My car has black interior. :thumbsup

[BMWCurves]

My pleasure! I would verify that the part number listed is what you intend to purchase by googling it, my descriptions can sometimes leave a lot to be desired. That said, they all should be correct.

[fredo]

For sure, I will double check first. Thanks again !

[illirep]

Nice looking Zhp. Great work so far.

Ecs tuning is the best site to shop for parts / colors, etc. then take the part numbers to your local dealer for price match or buy at cheaper site.


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[[USMC]Skywalker]

Benny, do you have the P/Ns handy ? I would like to do the same (center console, cupholders, etc) at some point. Thanks !

Ill post pictures tomorrow, when you buy the center pieces black and grey are easy. The problem is the new center console pieces from certain dealer are more yellowish and doesnt match the cup holders they sell. Not sure if they have a wrong batch or something. I returned them a few times until I got the right color. WIll definitely post pic tomorrow.

[Lorenzo]

Does anyone know the part number for the front door of the ashtray? Mine is all scratched. All I could find was the entire ashtray assembly. Part 51168268891. But it's $92 at ECS.

https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0L/ES87553/

I was hoping there was a lower cost option.

[Vas]

It is a complete assembly.

Check out fcp euro or thebmwminipartstore

[Lorenzo]

It is a complete assembly.

Check out fcp euro or thebmwminipartstore

Thanks. Thebmwminipartstore was a little cheaper...$84

[BMWCurves]

You could also just see if anyone is parting out their car or selling used on E46Fanatics or other forums. There's bound to be an ashtray assembly that isn't too beat up that you could buy for cheap.

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Hey guys bad news at work, my contract just got cut in the government and may have to sell the ZHP as I need cash for my business If I cant find another contract soon enough. pains of working with the government i suppose. If you any of you are interested in my car let me know. Ill keep in mind if I sell it. Hoping I get this sorted out but anything with the government in soo ambiguous and painful

[cakM3]

Skywalker;466792']Hey guys bad news at work, my contract just got cut in the government and may have to sell the ZHP as I need cash for my business If I cant find another contract soon enough. pains of working with the government i suppose. If you any of you are interested in my car let me know. Ill keep in mind if I sell it. Hoping I get this sorted out but anything with the government in soo ambiguous and painful

Damn Bennie!!! So sorry to hear this.... hope things work out for you and soon!!! I work with the government myself and there is always a possibility this may happen to me as well... I take things one day at a time.... good luck...

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Thanks man as a small business owner this government unpredictability is killing me

[fredo]

Sorry to hear the news. Hope you manage to keep the ZHP !

[[USMC]Skywalker]

me too, may be Ill sell my e90 330i, I need to sell one. i love the ZHP more so we shall see

[fredo]

I would think your e90 is up-to-date on service and repairs. That could be a factor when it's time to sell one. GL on your decision.

[Lorenzo]

That's sad. Good luck and I hope your job situation improves. If you've got to keep one, keep the ZHP! Harder to find good condition low mileage ZHP vs E90.

[Vas]

Good luck. Keep the zhp

[NoVAphotog]

That's sad. Good luck and I hope your job situation improves. If you've got to keep one, keep the ZHP! Harder to find good condition low mileage ZHP vs E90.

+1

Nature of the beast in the DMV...Good luck!

[[USMC]Skywalker]

I want to keep the zhp too. I posted a feeler for the e90 expecting this so need to make it into a full post

[BMWCurves]

Skywalker;466792']Hey guys bad news at work, my contract just got cut in the government and may have to sell the ZHP as I need cash for my business If I cant find another contract soon enough. pains of working with the government i suppose. If you any of you are interested in my car let me know. Ill keep in mind if I sell it. Hoping I get this sorted out but anything with the government in soo ambiguous and painful

Damn, that's very unfortunate. I'd say keep the ZHP if you can over the E90, but that's a decision only you can make. Hopefully a contract will come along quickly and you won't have to make that decision!

[ELCID86]

A lot of that going around. Hope you find a fix quickly.


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"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." - an e46f member

[johnrando]

Sorry to hear. Hope things work out.

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[[USMC]Skywalker]

Thanks for the kind words guys, hope this works itself out soon.

[[USMC]Skywalker]

OK decided Gentlemen, going to sell my e90. Already listed on Craigslist and I am going to put the ad shortly on cars.com. Here is the rundown if any one is interested

Jet Black /Black Dakota Leather
6 Speed Manual
66k miles
Premium Package
Sport Package
Heated Seats
Navigation / iDrive
Xenon adaptive headlights
Logic & stereo
Satellite radio installed and programmed

All maintenance performed at BMW of Silver Spring and BMW of Sterling. All maintenance documented on carfax. Previous owner never skipped anything. Currently has Michelin Pilot Sport ZPs. Exterior and interior in excellent shape

the negative: A deer literally jumped into the passenger door a while ago and its head hit the windshield. Opted for replacing the door, fender and windshield with OEM replacements though had to pay more than insurance would pay and have all receipts.


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[ELCID86]

Awesome


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"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." - an e46f member

[fredo]

Very similar to my now sold e90. What's your asking price ?

[[USMC]Skywalker]

Looking at what they go for in cars.com i think 14900 will be good starting point?

[fredo]

Good starting point for the miles and options. My e90 had the same miles in March 2010 when I bought her. GL !

[BMWCurves]

Looks good. Price seems fair to me.