Imola in Seattle. Ridge's build/maintenance thread.

[Ridgey]

Hello hello hello, my name is Ridge and I live in Seattle, Washington. On November 3rd, 2016, I purchased an Imola Red on Alcantara 2003 ZHP with a 6 speed manual. I'm loving the car so far and have slowly been making repairs and upgrades.

Here is a picture of the car; They're not great but you get the idea. Will take better pictures with my DSLR from now on hopefully.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5637/30142318883_80dcdba963_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MVzgga)

Here's a picture of the car next to my E39 that I am selling. I love the E39 but I was missing a manual transmission. It was a 530i so I'm used to the M54. Beautiful engine and it's a blast to ring it out in this smaller body size. Also, the E46 is the car that made me fall in love with BMW's when I was a teenager and I got to drive my dad's 328i.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5811/30142320113_c95b03e922_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MVzgCn)

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5787/30142322833_d3c16fefaf_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MVzhrg)

Here's a picture of my interior too. I have all the basic fabric failing symptoms on the A,B, and C pillars; as well as a torn drivers side bolster. It's no biggie though. Just gives me something to do.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5321/30142313983_29a8b8c576_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MVzeNF)

All in all, I'm excited about the adventure with this car.

I've already started improving it. I removed these blind spot mirrors that I hated. Thankfully, the previous owner used a nice adhesive that didn't leave any residue behind.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5531/30850599185_ebe115f89b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P1aojv)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5490/30814034096_31de33a6ea_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NWVYMW)

Getting it emissions tested. Passed! So I have it in my name now. Sweeeeet.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5622/30215232463_abe7d80645_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N31XVR)

Also, I took a fabric shaver and a magic eraser to the E-brake boot and the Shift Boot. They look worlds better.

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5558/30230653053_585976f795_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N4nZW6)

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5443/30866351085_e48be6bcda_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P2y7NZ)



Before:

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5713/30829883566_359f923167_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NYkdhE)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5338/30829887016_bba462cd33_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NYkej9)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5478/30829888536_579b4e3947_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NYkeLm)

After:

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5607/30230672503_2a580d6baf_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N4o6Hr)

https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5773/30749810242_466b45063e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NRfPh7)

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5655/30866347605_7c0b0fbda9_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P2y6LZ)


Another thing I did was I took the shift knob out. It is well used but I wanted to bring some life back into it. So I took the insert out. It was peeling and flaking and gross underneath, so I scraped all the old adhesive and paint off. I repainted it in black. I lost the M Stripes but it's no biggie as I plan on replacing it in the future anyway. Looks better in my opinion. Not perfect, but better.

Before:

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5325/30866382045_987f6a1b58_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P2yh1M)

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5833/30829896406_4cf9878079_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NYkh73)

After removing the emblem insert:

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5686/30866351805_7e2f051d74_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P2y82p)

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5445/30866302145_a402275610_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P2xSgc)

Emblem cleaned of old paint:

https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5450/30829889706_1d6de3e823_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NYkf7w)

Here's an idea I played around with, but I decided on black in the end. It hid more imperfections.

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5598/30230656293_28c8293840_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N4o1TX)


Painting the emblem:

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5508/30230655413_61119b0102_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N4o1CM)

And the results: Not awesome but definitely better.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5612/30230653563_6829389d61_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N4o15T)


Other than that, I've ordered a bunch of parts already. Mostly just maintenance stuff.

Here's a list:

- Castrol Edge 0W-40 LL01 Oil. It's due for an oil change and I want it on my maintenance schedule. I have leftover oil filters from my E39.
- Also got some interior trim clips for the dashboard trims. They are all broken. Easy peasy.
- Mann Air Filter
- Bosch Charcoal Cabin Air Filter
- A new hood roundel (OEM)
- Front all weather floormats. Will get rear ones in the future, but I never have passengers in the back so it can wait.
- New fog light trims. Both were missing. Easy peasy.
- New Zimmerman front rotors. The ones on here are shot and they have a pulsating. Ew
- And lastly but not least! A contitech idler pulley and tensioner/belt kit. I love these kits and it makes me feel good getting all this basic maintenance done.

And I do have some bad news. The starter in the car is worn out. It won't start randomly and my battery is testing fine. Also, different keys don't change the ability to start. And my ignition switch isn't doing anything wonky. So I'm hoping it's the starter. The car wouldn't start today so I got it towed to a local mechanic I like. I didn't want to tackle the starter right now especially after reading the DIY's. I don't have the space at my condo, and if I want to do any procedures, I need to go to Camano Island up north of Seattle to my mom's house as she has the garage. Other than this, I plan on doing everything myself. It was worth my money to not have to deal with this headache.

And I finally get to use the towing service I have through my insurance. I've been paying for it for awhile so it's honestly not even bad to use it.

Here's a pic of my beautiful ZHP on the flatbed. :crying

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5767/30230644663_1e15671caf_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N4nXrr)



Future plans include:

- Restore headlights (new lenses most likely)

- Patch seat bolster for now (Will get professionaly done soon but it bugs me)

- Cooling system. I know how these BMW's work so it won't be long. The expansion tank was just replaced and all hoses look good for now.

- Suspension refresh with new shocks, control arms, etc. These seem so much easier to work on than E39's. In E39's, you have to rip out the whole backseat and rear interior to get at the rear shock mounts. Such BS. So I'm excited it's so much easier to do the rear suspension on this car.

- Possibly a respray of the front end. Has some minor rock chips and stuff. Not a top priority but will be done in the future most likely.

- New fog-lights.

- Refinish Style 135's. I know they're heavy but they just look so good.

- Akebono Euro Brake Pads. Had them on my E39 and it's nice to not clean the wheels every 10 miles.

- Differential fluid, transmission fluid, coolant etc. Just get it on my maintenance.

- Dynavin possibly. We'll see.

- New taillights. I think the previous owner slightly tinted the turn signals. Not something that bugs me super bad but I might just replace them anyway.

- Paint detail. SOOOOOO many swirlmarks.

- New interior pieces. Cupholders, console, etc. They have the typical BMW soft touch scratches.

- Re-wrap A,B, and C, pillars in suede or faux-suede.

- Possibly change from the black cube trim to something lighter. The interior is very dark in my opinion, especially with the tint. Might want to do a brushed aluminum or something. Not super important right now, but nonetheless, it might happen.



Anyway, thanks for reading guys. I can't wait to participate in this forum. Everybody seems cool in the posts I've seen so far. And this car is such a little beast, I love it.

[BMWCurves]

Welcome! That's a good looking ZHP. It sounds like you have most of your bases covered and have a plan of action for the various aspects of the car you want to bring up to snuff/improve. Seems you're pretty handy so you'll have fun cleaning the car up and making it yours. I have a couple of questions/comments:

I might have missed it, but how many miles on the car?
I loved my father's E39 540i, but I definitely prefer the handling of my ZHP. You can tell the difference in weight and it feels more agile and nimble as a result. You've probably noticed the same.
If you didn't like the blind spot mirror shape but do like the functionality, a few members bought glass through eBay that has the outer 1/4 that is curved for better blind spot observation. Relatively cheap option
What suspension refresh are you thinking of doing? One option I am a large fan of are Koni Yellows on stock springs with Z4M FCABs/RTABs. My 50k mile refresh thread is here: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?16182-Help-with-Suspension-Refresh-at-50k-miles-10-years
For the new taillights would you replace them with the same units, or get red/clear/red euro sets?

Anyways, welcome again, and especially for a fellow West Coaster! :cheers

[Ridgey]

Welcome! That's a good looking ZHP. It sounds like you have most of your bases covered and have a plan of action for the various aspects of the car you want to bring up to snuff/improve. Seems you're pretty handy so you'll have fun cleaning the car up and making it yours. I have a couple of questions/comments:

I might have missed it, but how many miles on the car?
I loved my father's E39 540i, but I definitely prefer the handling of my ZHP. You can tell the difference in weight and it feels more agile and nimble as a result. You've probably noticed the same.
If you didn't like the blind spot mirror shape but do like the functionality, a few members bought glass through eBay that has the outer 1/4 that is curved for better blind spot observation. Relatively cheap option
What suspension refresh are you thinking of doing? One option I am a large fan of are Koni Yellows on stock springs with Z4M FCABs/RTABs. My 50k mile refresh thread is here: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?16182-Help-with-Suspension-Refresh-at-50k-miles-10-years
For the new taillights would you replace them with the same units, or get red/clear/red euro sets?

Anyways, welcome again, and especially for a fellow West Coaster! :cheers

Currently 124k on the car for mileage. I was thinking OEM for the suspension refresh bushings, control arms etc. I'm open for aftermarket shock options though. I will keep the stock springs on this car. On my E39 I had coilovers and then lowering springs/shocks and they weren't as good as the OEM springs in my opinion.

I'll check out the Koni Yellows though! Also, I was just thinking of going with amber taillights. I like the look on Imola.

West coast best coast!

[san]

Welcome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fredo]

Welcome, man ! Your car is similar to mine. I have a 2005 ZHP IR sedan, 6MT, black leather, with 142k miles. The best cosmetic upgrades I have done are:

Interior: silver cube trim.
Exterior: Khoalty lenses.

GL on this project. :thumbsup

[ELCID86]

Welcome and thanks for sharing. Nice werk. And great color combo!


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

[johnrando]

+1

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Ridgey]

Thanks for the love guys!

Update time. Got some work done on the car this weekend. I installed my air filter, cabin air filter, hood emblem, interior trim clips, front brake rotors, and all weather floor mats!

I also changed the oil with the Castrol 0W-40. Car seems to like it.

I picked up an Alpine OEM headunit off of craigslist and a BMW aux cord as well. The previous owner must have swapped the headunit out for an older style one at some point. Anyway, all good now. I put the aux port in the sunglass pocket. Out of the way and it can hide the aux cord when I want it. Win win.

On to some pictures of the process.

Old air filter vs new.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5564/30906438571_c63bc40897_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P66zqx)

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5793/30877981902_5eb2858932_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zJfj)

Old rotor vs new. I tried to capture the lip on the old rotors. Pronounced to say the least.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5497/22816038158_aa2926c901_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ALbaff)

https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5805/30877978562_30928c09e1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zHfJ)

https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5530/30877980722_4009e99f7f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zHTY)

And a picture of my favorite tool. A wheel hanger that also doubles as a rotor hanger! Sweet.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5567/22816038718_2ddfbdee8d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ALbapU)

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5453/30906438871_c24db711ea_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P66zvH)

New foglight trims:

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5829/30994511445_41e27cb4c4_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PdSYqn)

Before/After:

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5716/30877977062_cfa677320e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zGNS)

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5497/30906439171_169d5b1d6c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P66zAT)

My all weather mats, gotta love em':

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5818/30906440521_3cd1f5e27b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P66A1a)

Interior trim clips:

https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5472/22816038068_b6e88dcf23_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ALbadG)

Old emblem vs new emblem:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5743/30877977632_f460214127_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zGYG)

My "new" headunit:

https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5492/30877980572_796afec279_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zHRo)

The one in my car currently:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5583/30877979952_0230099633_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zHEG)


And last but not least, my aux install:

https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5598/30877980402_9ca3d7c70b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zHNs)

https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5816/30877980162_8e4064f67e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zHJj)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5819/30877979712_bea5f45102_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zHAy)

https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5643/30877981442_63ec01b407_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P3zJ7o)


Lastly, just waiting to install these tomorrow:

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5519/30906439751_b569660f49_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P66zLT)



Thanks for checking in guys. Hope you enjoyed.

[danewilson77]

Great intro thread. Welcome Ridge.

Sent by the Pixel XL

[NoVAphotog]

Great intro thread. Welcome Ridge.

Sent by the Pixel XL

+1

Great work so far man. Keep it up. Can't go wrong with Imola/black. I personally love the dark abyss of the black leather, black headliner and black cube trim. No distractions, no sun glare off of anything, etc.

[Vas]

Imola, Heated seats with Alcantara and a 6spd. The perfect zhp...

[BMWCurves]

Imola, Heated seats with Alcantara and a 6spd. The perfect zhp...

http://i.imgur.com/xdYPjxU.gif

[Ridgey]

http://i.imgur.com/xdYPjxU.gif

Haha I love that movie.

[Ridgey]

Imola, Heated seats with Alcantara and a 6spd. The perfect zhp...

You already know!

[slater]

Imola, Heated seats with Alcantara and a 6spd. The perfect zhp...

debatable... ;)

[Ridgey]

Installed my tensioners and belts today. The old tensioners were starting to show their age. A little bit of play here and there and some not so smooth rolling. Feels good to get those on there. The old belts actually looked great but I still replaced them for peace of mind. I kept the old belts in my spare tire well just in case.

Also, someone that changed the oil on this car before me must have really torqued on the drain plug. When I was doing the change the other day, I noticed there was a weird drain plug with a 19mm head and a really short bolt length. Then I looked in the drain hole and saw an old BMW drain plug broken off in there. Thankfully it was one of the hollow ones as I hoped when I was researching it. So I used a bolt/screw extractor and got the old hollow portion out. I had a spare drain plug for an M54 because I switched my old E39 to a magnetic one. Popped that one in with a new copper washer and we're good as new. Even kept the oil I just changed and put it right back in.

Here's a picture of the drain plug hole with the old bolt broken off.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5489/25376679969_526a1d0145_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/EEs7QZ)


Here's a pic of the spare BMW bolt on the left, the broken bolt portion, and the ghetto bolt someone used to hide the broken one. Thank god they used the same thread size. Previous owners can suck it!! I can see why people buy new cars. Sigh, maybe one day.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5685/30710932600_36b316737e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NMPyiW)

Other than that, I installed the CD53 radio and got my aux working. Yet again though, previous owners screwing me over. They took the new style antenna plug that goes into the back of the headunit, cut it off, and put the old style on to be compatible with the old style radio. Driving me crazy. So I need to source a new style connector and splice that on so I can use the radio again. For the time being though, I have my music and that's actually good because the radio sucks and has been driving me up the wall lately lol.

[ELCID86]

Sorry for your woes. Persist and overcome! Those wheel hangers come in very handy. I ended up with studs on my car. I find it even easier to swap wheels now.

I like that aux jack spot and offer wish I'd put mine there.

And that reminds me I need to buy more orange dash trim clips.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

[johnrando]

good stuff

[Ridgey]

Watsup boys. I finished a couple projects today and figured I'd make a post.

First and foremost, my car came with a missing air intake duct and elbow piece. I couldn't find one locally and I was a little impatient thinking of my engine breathing in hot air, so I bought this used piece on eBay. Came shipped very well and it's in excellent condition.

I popped it in today with a new rubber grommet for one of the holes, and 3 new push rivets. I bought a pack of ten push rivets because why not. They're cheap and nice to have. Ahhhhh nice and comfortable now knowing my engine is breathing the air it was designed to, especially with my new air filter. Feels good man.

This is how the piece came to me. A little dirty and the sticker was completely shot, so i removed it. I figured why not clean it up before I throw it in the car? So that's what I did. I ran some water through it, and got into the nooks and crannies with a magic eraser.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5744/30369033464_ac6eba50d6_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NgBeBf)

Look how dirty this thing got. Satisfying to say the least.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5684/30382999383_b0dce6b07b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NhQPbX)

A little plastic polish to bring some life into it before I put on some Mother's VLR (Vinyl, Leather, Rubber) to bring some shine out of it.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5670/31075875601_c2ed9d91e3_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm4Z9D)

And, the final product. Looks nice.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5719/30369032654_c966e88c13_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NgBenh)

Installed

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5570/31189972605_07967dd146_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pw9Ldn)



Then, I decided to tackle the headlight lenses and sad condition of the ambers. I bought Magnetti Marelli lenses through FCP Euro so if I ever need new ones, they're just a return away.

My headlights were bad. Like bad bad. I had to use my fog-lights to drive home at night in the city bad. Unfortunately I think my ZKW bowls are burnt of course. So I will need to tackle that in the future. But for now, I'm doing better.

Here's a before:

Passenger side:

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5594/31075881311_2d2103f076_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm51R6)

Driver's side: I'm hoping this condensation was from a loose cover on the back of the headlight and nothing more. My seals were in great condition, but I used VLR on them anyway to clean them up.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5755/31075885111_5d508b9c7c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm52YB)

And after, but before I did the ambers:

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5802/31189973635_7868b4ebd9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pw9Lw8)

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5778/31189985055_85befbc343_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pw9PV2)

Huge difference to say the least. I love how it looks.

And here's a better picture of the sad state of my amber lights. They have condensation in them, and the mounting brackets aren't in the best shape after I broke one today :facepalm

Anyway, I figured I would try and revive them a little bit while I decide on if I want new ambers or new clear corners.

The previous owner had used some sort of spray on tint on them (Thankfully off the car) and I hate spray on tint. So I used my girlfriends nail polish remover and stripped it off. (So nice having a female in the house because they always have this kind of useful stuff, cotton swabs etc)

After taking the tint off, I proceeded to use some sanding pads from an old headlight restoration kit I have. First I went 500 grit, then 800, then 3000, and finished off with a Meguiars polish on a microfiber. All by hand.

The lights aren't perfect, and they're still holding moisture, but they look semi presentable for the time being.

Here's a picture of old on the left, "restored" on the right

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5700/31075876861_0df873a050_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm4Zwn)

Then I installed them. They look better than they did. brighter and the light looks better when it's on. Pleased for now.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5462/31075879001_7034879685_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm51ag)

Then, as I was installing the amber corners back on, I figured why not seal them with something as they have been sanded now.

I used the Mother's synthetic sealant. I like it. It goes on incredibly smoothly and is supposed to last upwards of 3 months or so.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5658/31075879801_e0e9b8272e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm51p4)

I also put some on the headlights, because why not?

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5331/31075873781_01f79d1016_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm4YBg)


Anyway, after that was all said and done, I had the desire to do more to the car. So I popped on my new power steering reservoir O-ring. Hopefully keeps some of that gunk off my engine!

And then I detailed the engine bay for only about a half hour or so. I think it looks a lot better. Unfortunately I don't have any true before pictures because sometimes I'm just on get shit done mode and forget about cameras.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5688/30369036854_51f73b34fb_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NgBfBG)




Some more stuff I want in the future (Does it ever end?)

- Windshield cowl. Didn't even bother detailing it. It's rotted and cracked.
- Cabin Air Filter cover. Old plastic becoming white is uggggggly.
- New corner lights.
- New bowls for ZKW or a cheap set of AL's if I can find them.

Thanks for reading guys!

[fredo]

Looking good, man. My amber corners had condensation inside when I bought the car. I ended buying new ones.

[ELCID86]

Nice work on the lenses. I get blinker condensation too. I think I saw someone who drilled a vent hole. :dunno


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

[NoVAphotog]

Watsup boys. I finished a couple projects today and figured I'd make a post.

First and foremost, my car came with a missing air intake duct and elbow piece. I couldn't find one locally and I was a little impatient thinking of my engine breathing in hot air, so I bought this used piece on eBay. Came shipped very well and it's in excellent condition.

I popped it in today with a new rubber grommet for one of the holes, and 3 new push rivets. I bought a pack of ten push rivets because why not. They're cheap and nice to have. Ahhhhh nice and comfortable now knowing my engine is breathing the air it was designed to, especially with my new air filter. Feels good man.

This is how the piece came to me. A little dirty and the sticker was completely shot, so i removed it. I figured why not clean it up before I throw it in the car? So that's what I did. I ran some water through it, and got into the nooks and crannies with a magic eraser.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5744/30369033464_ac6eba50d6_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NgBeBf)

Look how dirty this thing got. Satisfying to say the least.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5684/30382999383_b0dce6b07b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NhQPbX)

A little plastic polish to bring some life into it before I put on some Mother's VLR (Vinyl, Leather, Rubber) to bring some shine out of it.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5670/31075875601_c2ed9d91e3_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm4Z9D)

And, the final product. Looks nice.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5719/30369032654_c966e88c13_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NgBenh)

Installed

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5570/31189972605_07967dd146_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pw9Ldn)



Then, I decided to tackle the headlight lenses and sad condition of the ambers. I bought Magnetti Marelli lenses through FCP Euro so if I ever need new ones, they're just a return away.

My headlights were bad. Like bad bad. I had to use my fog-lights to drive home at night in the city bad. Unfortunately I think my ZKW bowls are burnt of course. So I will need to tackle that in the future. But for now, I'm doing better.

Here's a before:

Passenger side:

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5594/31075881311_2d2103f076_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm51R6)

Driver's side: I'm hoping this condensation was from a loose cover on the back of the headlight and nothing more. My seals were in great condition, but I used VLR on them anyway to clean them up.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5755/31075885111_5d508b9c7c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm52YB)

And after, but before I did the ambers:

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5802/31189973635_7868b4ebd9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pw9Lw8)

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5778/31189985055_85befbc343_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pw9PV2)

Huge difference to say the least. I love how it looks.

And here's a better picture of the sad state of my amber lights. They have condensation in them, and the mounting brackets aren't in the best shape after I broke one today :facepalm

Anyway, I figured I would try and revive them a little bit while I decide on if I want new ambers or new clear corners.

The previous owner had used some sort of spray on tint on them (Thankfully off the car) and I hate spray on tint. So I used my girlfriends nail polish remover and stripped it off. (So nice having a female in the house because they always have this kind of useful stuff, cotton swabs etc)

After taking the tint off, I proceeded to use some sanding pads from an old headlight restoration kit I have. First I went 500 grit, then 800, then 3000, and finished off with a Meguiars polish on a microfiber. All by hand.

The lights aren't perfect, and they're still holding moisture, but they look semi presentable for the time being.

Here's a picture of old on the left, "restored" on the right

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5700/31075876861_0df873a050_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm4Zwn)

Then I installed them. They look better than they did. brighter and the light looks better when it's on. Pleased for now.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5462/31075879001_7034879685_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm51ag)

Then, as I was installing the amber corners back on, I figured why not seal them with something as they have been sanded now.

I used the Mother's synthetic sealant. I like it. It goes on incredibly smoothly and is supposed to last upwards of 3 months or so.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5658/31075879801_e0e9b8272e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm51p4)

I also put some on the headlights, because why not?

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5331/31075873781_01f79d1016_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pm4YBg)


Anyway, after that was all said and done, I had the desire to do more to the car. So I popped on my new power steering reservoir O-ring. Hopefully keeps some of that gunk off my engine!

And then I detailed the engine bay for only about a half hour or so. I think it looks a lot better. Unfortunately I don't have any true before pictures because sometimes I'm just on get shit done mode and forget about cameras.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5688/30369036854_51f73b34fb_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NgBfBG)




Some more stuff I want in the future (Does it ever end?)

- Windshield cowl. Didn't even bother detailing it. It's rotted and cracked.
- Cabin Air Filter cover. Old plastic becoming white is uggggggly.
- New corner lights.
- New bowls for ZKW or a cheap set of AL's if I can find them.

Thanks for reading guys!

No it doesn't...well...sort of. I can't think of anything left to do on mine. But then again, my PO was a nice lady who got it dealer serviced for all of her 58k...THAT SAID...I do feel your pain with my Toyota. The PO for that thing took the path of least resistance for almost everything. Half the work I've done on that truck is reverting things he did out of laziness when he could have gone ONE step further to do it right. VERY annoying.

For the cabin air filter cover and rear speaker deck (how's yours looking, a little blurple or still black?), Shawn and I used this stuff, perfect match:

https://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-HVP106-Black-Performance-Fabric/dp/B00098PO3G

[johnrando]

Great werk. Lenses look amazing. What is VLR?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Ridgey]

No it doesn't...well...sort of. I can't think of anything left to do on mine. But then again, my PO was a nice lady who got it dealer serviced for all of her 58k...THAT SAID...I do feel your pain with my Toyota. The PO for that thing took the path of least resistance for almost everything. Half the work I've done on that truck is reverting things he did out of laziness when he could have gone ONE step further to do it right. VERY annoying.

For the cabin air filter cover and rear speaker deck (how's yours looking, a little blurple or still black?), Shawn and I used this stuff, perfect match:

https://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-HVP106-Black-Performance-Fabric/dp/B00098PO3G

I've used that stuff for my E39 rear parcel shelf. I love it. Very durable and doesn't leave any weird smells. Do you think it will work for engine bay plastics?

[Ridgey]

Great werk. Lenses look amazing. What is VLR?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

VLR is Mothers Vinyl, Leather, and Rubber. It leaves a nice matte finish on everything I've used it on. I like it.

[NoVAphotog]

I've used that stuff for my E39 rear parcel shelf. I love it. Very durable and doesn't leave any weird smells. Do you think it will work for engine bay plastics?

Oh yeah. Works great. That's what we used it on as well. The cabin air filter cover.

[Ridgey]

Oh yeah. Works great. That's what we used it on as well. The cabin air filter cover.

Fantastic news. Thanks for the heads up.

[Ridgey]

Alright so got a little update.

Fixed my radio wiring. The previous owner hacked off the connector so I had to put a new one in. Working well now. Nice to have it back so I can turn it off from the annoyance. But I just like stuff to work.

I installed my new control arms, bushings, tie rods, and swaybar end-links on the front. Car feels more solid and I took it in for an alignment.

Next part of my suspension refresh will be shocks,struts, and bushings in the rear. For the time being though, my wallet is recovering especially since paying for school tuition. Sucks man. But my tax return will be nice lol. But here are some pictures I took of my old control arms. One was OEM and the other one was some crappy aftermarket with no labeling.

OEM Lemforder went in.

https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/80/31495107506_83f69a2c69_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PZ7EbW)

https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/75/30723925013_f230fe94f0_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/NNY9v4)

Old bushings

https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/521/31161596390_890557ca47_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PtDjXh)


New control arm. I love it.

https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/134/31161595460_a72c020f8d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PtDjFf)

New bushings

https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/83/31161594390_f5ac74891c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PtDjmN)

Dat Ass

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/137/31495103056_0bbbbed809_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PZ7CSd)

And also, my ZKW headlights are garbage. Even the xenon brights don't light anything up. And when another car is coming towards me at night, I'm pretty much blind. It's sketchy.

So I bought some used AL's on eBay. I searched for awhile and picked up the best deals I could find. A lot of headlights were more expensive and were missing parts. I paid roughly $400 for AL's with all the covers, ballasts, and corner lights to boot. So that's nice. I didn't want to mess with retrofitting. It's just not my bag baby.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/630/31533119535_e70c5f2295_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Q3ttQK)

I can just transfer my new lenses over to the used AL's since they are Magnetti Marelli lenses anyway. It will be nice to see again.

And lastly, it's snowing in Seattle. Very pretty and we don't get much up here in the PNW so it's kinda fun for the time being. Snapped a picture of my car this morning.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/676/31161571030_535e69c015_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PtDcq3)


Thanks for reading guys!

[Ridgey]

Christmas day update.

Picked up a Schwaben scan-tool a little while ago and I'm liking it so far. I got it, and a service engine code popped up shortly after. Already saving me time and money. Got a P2240 Code. Looks like I might need a couple new O2 sensors. No biggie.

Here's a picture of the scanner. It's well built, and can look up specific BMW codes. It can also do crazy things such as control the speakers separately so you can pinpoint a rattle, or stuff of that nature.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/576/31735607422_cc7fac1cb2_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Qmnhrd)


Also, my mom asked what I wanted for Christmas and I said a new ZHP shift knob. So she came through. Super awesome. It feels heavier than the old one that was in my car. Did they change them at all? Took some pictures of the differences. The old knob is worn down, I painted it black underneath so it doesn't look right, and the knob itself is loose on the shifter because a couple clips are broken. The new one is awesome.

Onto the pics:

https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/656/31073723933_b5a43926c9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PkSXwV)

https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/729/31510375270_8b48530ae5_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Q1sULf)

https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/448/31042439034_06335bbd1f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Pi7BC7)

https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/447/31510374430_6f85165edd_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Q1sUvL)

Thanks for reading guys. I have lots planned for 2017 as well.

Resolution Car List?

- New steering coupler (Bought, just need to install)
- New shocks - Koni Yellows
- Rear Trailing Arm Bushings
- O2 Sensors
- Spark Plugs
- Install my fuel filter (Bought) It's just so cold on the garage floor I don't want to do it haha.
- Dr. Colorchip
- Buy a polisher so I can bring this paint back to life
- New shift boot and parking brake boot
- Maybe clear corners, side-markers, and clear taillights. (On the fence if I like ambers or not)
- Respray front-end and clear bra? (Maybe, this might have to wait till 2018)
- Paintless Dent Repair (Again, maybe)

[Vas]

Old control arms were bad or still had life left in them ?

[Ridgey]

Old control arms were bad or still had life left in them ?

Honestly not bad at 125k miles. Balljoints still pretty firm. CAB were shot though. Tie rods looked ok, and swaybar end-links did too. I'm glad I won't have to do it again soon though.

[BMWCurves]

Nice work! And yeah, when I replaced my shift knob the factory knob felt much lighter than the replacement knob. Most sellers say "weighted ZHP knob" so I guess that was an alteration.

[nextelbuddy]

good job on refreshing those headlight lenses. looks great! its a shame Washington forces you to have a front plate.

[Ridgey]

good job on refreshing those headlight lenses. looks great! its a shame Washington forces you to have a front plate.

Yeah it is lame, but I've been running without one for a little under a month so far. No issues. I'll just keep doing it until I get a warning lol. Then I'll probably grab a towhook license plate mount.

[Ridgey]

Work has been slow, so I got called off tonight. So I took advantage of the time and removed the taillight tint that the previous owner had sprayed on. It wasn't a very thick layer, but it took awhile scrubbing with nail polish remover.

I removed the taillights completely so I could work in my nice warm home! Here's a picture of the car with no lights. I took advantage of the lights being out and cleaned thoroughly underneath them. Feels good man.


Lights before:

https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/754/31937587186_df14f8e953_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QEdtYW)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5608/31937586376_2f89624678_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QEdtJY)

No butt.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/291/31974454905_d3811da021_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QHtrtg)


Here are some pictures of the grime underneath the lights. Not too bad, but I took one of my recently acquired detailing brushes and went to town with the Griot's Garage Speed Shine. I like this stuff. Great for bird poop, so I leave it in the car at all times with a microfiber cloth. Sorry, getting off track. Pics!



Before:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/599/31974467465_c52a9f6cb1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QHtvcP)

https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/313/31134460274_870a22795d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Prffkd)

https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/499/31165413813_de10c7e29a_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PtYTJV)

https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/603/31165412423_96b93c683b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PtYTjX)


This is the amount of dirt I got off. This cloth was pretty clean when I started.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/712/31974458025_4fc2e51457_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QHtsp4)


Here's the brush I used:

https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/423/31937498886_d8dbab990f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QEd2Jw)



After:

https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/266/31974457375_78f6d1af46_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QHtscR)

https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/526/31134439974_ca76cf022b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Prf9id)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/255/31826531112_854d77bb11_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QuphT3)

https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/774/31134439084_571c7e83ef_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Prf92S)

Here are a couple pictures of the lights afterward in my condo. No pictures of them on the car yet, but it would be hard to see the difference anyway.

https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/731/31134585204_56a029d033_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PrfTtb)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/522/31134588704_93951570a9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PrfUvw)



ooh oooh oooh I got a little personal Christmas present as well. Get this, the polisher kit from Chemical guys was $221.00 on Amazon. They were running a 20% off coupon, so I used that; my girlfriend works at Amazon so I used her 10% off employee discount for another amount off; and then the aforementioned girlfriend's dad got me a $50 Amazon gift card for Christmas, so all in all after these discounts, I only paid $105.00 dollars for everything. What a sweet friggin' deal I love it. I couldn't pass it up considering it comes with all the pads, cleaning solution, pad moisturizing solution, and the infamous Porter Cable 7424XP. I can't wait to use it in the next couple months. It's gonna be fun.

Pics below:

https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/498/31826529442_76c59eddcf_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Quphof)

https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/309/31974454195_3d2ec1f4f9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QHtrg2)


And all laid out:

https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/777/31826528962_c6c22bec69_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QupheY)

I love new car parts and car things.

I also vacuumed and detailed my interior recently as well. It's the first time I've truly gone over the interior and made it my own. I recommend the Griot's Garage Interior Cleaner. It has a nice clean smell, and suds up nicely when paired with a detailing brush.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/395/31974480135_f4bd988c37_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QHtyYg)


Thanks for reading guys.

[BMWCurves]

Nice work! That car looks great.


Yeah it is lame, but I've been running without one for a little under a month so far. No issues. I'll just keep doing it until I get a warning lol. Then I'll probably grab a towhook license plate mount.

My father ran his Miata without a front license plate here in Oregon for a few years, and then we got a series of warnings and then a parking ticket in the span of a month last year so he finally broke down and got a bumper bracket. Oregon is really looking for any way to generate revenue recently, it's super annoying.

[Ridgey]

Alright a little bit of an update. Work on the car has been slow, but I've accomplished a couple of things.

I replaced my upper and lower intake boots recently and installed my new to me interior trim, new shift boot from Coby, and my new BMW Performance e-brake boot I bought off a member here. I'm loving the interior now. I also installed a little phone mount on my center dash vent. I was worried it would harm the vents themselves, but it's in actuality very fine.

Some people might think I'm crazy for not going silver cube, but matte silver is my favorite trim and with the alcantara, matching e-brake handle, and black headliner it looks so awesome I can't stand it. I love the orange lighting in the interior with it as well.

On to pictures:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2171/32625901470_dc7439c906_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RH3gQA)


https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2129/32192332163_f3253e69d8_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/R3J7MH)

Here's a picture of my new M-Tech keychain as well.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2154/32162763894_f5d607f9f1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/R17zaY)


Also, I got my airbag recall done for both passenger and driver's airbags on 2/16/17. Feels nice to swap those out with new parts, especially considering the emblem on the steering wheel was cracked a little bit. I love free parts.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/592/32625905680_c54e6e7445_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RH3i6b)

Here's the loaner they gave me. Nice little X3 with only 2700 miles. Was fun to drive a brand new car for a day, but was missing the steering feel of the ZHP.

Girlfriend loved the X3 though, and one might be in her future.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2429/32625900220_2978331de6_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RH3gt3)

Also, look at the i3 wheels. They blow my mind with how large of a diameter they have, yet are so skinny.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2944/32162763214_e7f98dfa81_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/R17yYf)


Also, I ordered a lot of parts in anticipation of my spring break coming up for school. I have ten days to knock it out hopefully. I'm talking a huge order guys.

First, and most importantly, I picked up all new shock and strut components. I got Koni yellows all around, with brand new hardware and the works for the rest of the setup. I also got new rear trailing arm bushings and limiters, as well as a cargo mat, manual transmission fluid, differential service kit, new cooling system components all around, etc. Took awhile to research everything I would need and I made sure it's everything when checking on Real OEM. Here are some pictures of my order from Tire Rack for the Koni yellows, and my order from FCP Euro for everything else.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/587/32163065414_557914fafb_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/R197NA)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/649/32626116920_a131d2eb9f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RH4nTf)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2130/32852576162_755ac5e24b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/S453jW)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/489/32626116800_4f599b3f66_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RH4nRb)


I'm eager to get this stuff installed. Probably won't be all at once, but I'm at least going to try and get the suspension components in first, as well as the brake pads. I'm trying to get the car as reliable as possible, and on my own maintenance schedule. I love that peace of mind.

Thanks for reading guys.

[BMWCurves]

Damn, you've got a lot ahead of you.

But the car looks great right now!

[Vas]

Talk about an order.

Dang.....

[anandoc]

This is awesome! I spy a 1:18 model car in the picture with the i3 wheels...which car is it?

[san]

Should be as good as New when you are done :thumbsup


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ridgey]

This is awesome! I spy a 1:18 model car in the picture with the i3 wheels...which car is it?

I think it was an i8. Not sure though. BMW Seattle is nice.

[Ridgey]

Small update here. Classes are going well and my spring break is coming up from March 17th-27th. I'm planning on tackling a lot of stuff in this time. Most importantly, I plan on the suspension refresh. My cooling system is working fine for now so I might wait until I have a free weekend between Spring/Summer.

Basically I'm just waiting on parts now, but in anticipation I've ordered another set of jackstands. I had a little Amazon rewards discount so I picked them up for a good deal. I have one set already, but after doing a suspension refresh on my E39, I decided to do it with a couple of sets of jackstands this time. Will make it a lot easier, and I may be able to refresh my wheels a little bit at the same time........:biggrin

Anyway, here's a screenshot of the jack-stands I picked up. I've had nothing but good experiences with my first set, even leaving cars on them for days at a time, so it will be nice to have them in my arsenal. And it's a bonus because I'll never need to buy jack-stands again hopefully.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3880/33163884495_7456e8d741_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SwzzrZ)


I also had a real moment of weakness after looking at the Imola Red image thread, and decided to purchase a set of clear corner lights and clear side-markers. I'm justifying it in the fact that my corner lights have condensation in them even though I've sealed them, and my side-marker lights are weathered. Also, I have some Lamin-X to install on the corner lights that I have been saving for.......new corner lights.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2841/32781241440_940324b93f.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RWLqZW)


Here's a picture of my order on eBay. I've read good things about the TYC brand, and these light housings are expensive and on backorder at ECS Tuning so for the price for both, I said why not try them out.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/623/32318686764_c433c647d9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ReTHBj)

One more thing, I ordered a U.S. Mill Works tow hook license plate bracket because I got a ticket for not having one while I was parked on the street. WTF. End of month quota BS I know it!! Anyway, it felt good to support a local Seattle business and I've heard good things about them in Dane's thread on here. I'll throw some pictures up when I get it in. Shouldn't take very long....Seattle to Seattle shipping should be fast on paper at least lol.

And last but not least, I took advantage of a beautiful day off and drove down to Magnuson Park in the northern area of Seattle. It's a really cool place along Lake Washington. I snapped a quick pic of my car while there.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/702/33163885125_94100b0b6b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SwzzCR)

I didn't have my camera so my iPhone had to suffice. It's hard to take a bad picture of Imola anyway though. :p


Thanks for reading guys.

[danewilson77]

Not a fan of the jack stands. Thanks for checking in.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Cadeez]

Great thread here Ridge, and great to have another PNW member! Whereabouts in Seattle do you live? My dad lives in W Seattle so I'm up there relatively often. You are really doing some serious maint, nice work! I thought I was getting after it, but you're really getting down to the nitty gritty. Also funny that you posted the Austin Powers Meme, because I quoted that exact line in the opening of my recent project thread :thumbup

Keep up the good work, looking forward to more updates and pics. Odd how other people's threads keep me going on my own project thread



Not a fan of the jack stands.

What does that even mean DW? Is there such a thing as bad jack stands?? I happen to be in the market for another pair, interested in your thoughts, I was probably just going ot go to Harbor Freight

[san]

Great thread here Ridge, and great to have another PNW member! Whereabouts in Seattle do you live? My dad lives in W Seattle so I'm up there relatively often. You are really doing some serious maint, nice work! I thought I was getting after it, but you're really getting down to the nitty gritty. Also funny that you posted the Austin Powers Meme, because I quoted that exact line in the opening of my recent project thread :thumbup

Keep up the good work, looking forward to more updates and pics. Odd how other people's threads keep me going on my own project thread




What does that even mean DW? Is there such a thing as bad jack stands?? I happen to be in the market for another pair, interested in your thoughts, I was probably just going ot go to Harbor Freight

Something like this would be more safer -

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben-parts/aluminum-3-ton-jack-stands-pair/005945sch01a/?gclid=CPuu8ozEs9ICFdhKDQodLAgLeg

There is a pin which goes through and through and isn't just supported by a notch. Although they're pretty good at what they do they're just not as safe as the ones I posted the link to...


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[Cadeez]

Something like this would be more safer -

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben-parts/aluminum-3-ton-jack-stands-pair/005945sch01a/?gclid=CPuu8ozEs9ICFdhKDQodLAgLeg

There is a pin which goes through and through and isn't just supported by a notch. Although they're pretty good at what they do they're just not as safe as the ones I posted the link to...


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Ahh I see. Yeah I suppose that design is a bit safer, but I don't like the upper pad/rest design, and at a premium price $86... I've used the ratcheting notched ones like in the above pics all my life, never had any issue nor heard of anyone being crushed using them. I also eat food I drop on the ground, and won't hesitant to drink out of a strangers glass. So basically, I live on the razors edge

[Ridgey]

Ahh I see. Yeah I suppose that design is a bit safer, but I don't like the upper pad/rest design, and at a premium price $86... I've used the ratcheting notched ones like in the above pics all my life, never had any issue nor heard of anyone being crushed using them. I also eat food I drop on the ground, and won't hesitant to drink out of a strangers glass. So basically, I live on the razors edge

Yeah these jackstands are fine for me because I usually leave them on the very bottom setting anyway. I rarely rely on the notches at all. Not too worried about it. They have great reviews and I've been using them for over a year with great results. YMMV. I also use them in conjunction with a jack supporting something, wheels under the rocker panels, and sometimes even ramps as well.

[san]

The lowest setting is never quite enough for me, so when I jack the car up I usually put wheels under the car in case the jack stand fails


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[BMWCurves]

Ahh I see. Yeah I suppose that design is a bit safer, but I don't like the upper pad/rest design, and at a premium price $86... I've used the ratcheting notched ones like in the above pics all my life, never had any issue nor heard of anyone being crushed using them. I also eat food I drop on the ground, and won't hesitant to drink out of a strangers glass. So basically, I live on the razors edge

There's a story somewhere here of someone Mafia members know of getting crushed despite using all the normal precautions. I can't remember where it is. There's an inherent risk in doing your own maintenance, but use your head and you'll be fine. I too use those 3 ton jack stands that are ratcheting. I'm now trying to talk my dad into getting a set of QuickJacks :drool. Cheaper and easier than an actual lift: https://www.quickjack.com/


The lowest setting is never quite enough for me, so when I jack the car up I usually put wheels under the car in case the jack stand fails


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+1. I just roll out one of the three sets of wheels that are in the garage and line them up strategically around the car along with the jack stands and the floor jack.

[Ridgey]

Great thread here Ridge, and great to have another PNW member! Whereabouts in Seattle do you live? My dad lives in W Seattle so I'm up there relatively often. You are really doing some serious maint, nice work! I thought I was getting after it, but you're really getting down to the nitty gritty. Also funny that you posted the Austin Powers Meme, because I quoted that exact line in the opening of my recent project thread :thumbup

Keep up the good work, looking forward to more updates and pics. Odd how other people's threads keep me going on my own project thread




What does that even mean DW? Is there such a thing as bad jack stands?? I happen to be in the market for another pair, interested in your thoughts, I was probably just going ot go to Harbor Freight

Thanks man. I'm in the North Seattle area near Greenwood and Northgate. My girlfriend and I are thinking of purchasing a condo soon though but we'll be here until at least August. And yeah I love looking at build threads because everybody's car is different and it's fun to see the individuality.

[Cadeez]

There's a story somewhere here of someone Mafia members know of getting crushed despite using all the normal precautions. I can't remember where it is. There's an inherent risk in doing your own maintenance, but use your head and you'll be fine. I too use those 3 ton jack stands that are ratcheting. I'm now trying to talk my dad into getting a set of QuickJacks :drool. Cheaper and easier than an actual lift: https://www.quickjack.com/

It's funny you say that, my old man has a lift exactly like that, and it's awesome. Not sure of the brand, but knowing him it's a good one.


Thanks man. I'm in the North Seattle area near Greenwood and Northgate. My girlfriend and I are thinking of purchasing a condo soon though but we'll be here until at least August. And yeah I love looking at build threads because everybody's car is different and it's fun to see the individuality.

Okay I know where that is, not too far away. My dad is down near Alki Beach, pretty sweet little area down there. Best of luck with the housing search!

My thoughts exactly, plus it gives me new ideas of things I either wanted to do and forgot about, or something new all together.

[ZHPizza]

Ayyy quickjacks is lit fam

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170301/539318316c90a31f5d322a3260a4d411.jpg

[Ridgey]

Ayyy quickjacks is lit fam

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170301/539318316c90a31f5d322a3260a4d411.jpg

Quickjack, snapback, fuggin on thots in the backpack.

[Cadeez]

Cleanest garage ever...where are the tools!?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dt5Nf7ct5c

[Ridgey]

Small progress happening here.

I have some great news. A woman at my condo unit had a parking spot for rental so I took her up on the offer. It's so awesome to keep my car off the street and people in the garage are very respectful and haven't dinged my car so far. Also, I don't have to worry about the two hour parking zone in front my unit and I can just relax. Unfortunately, with this the angle of the garage entrance is very steep and scrapes my bumper, but to be honest it was already beat up before I bought it so it's okay for the time being. If I take it slow enough I don't scrape.

I also ordered a U.S. Millworks tow hook license plate adapter and installed it today. The quality is top notch. I love it and it feels good to support a local Seattle company.

Here are some pictures of what the kit includes.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/734/32867771790_0e7c4323f5_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/S5pVsw)

The machining is beautiful. Almost feel bad it's just used as a license plate holder lol.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/724/33122498441_494df3c21d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SsVsPk)

And here are some pictures I snagged while installing. It's a really nice piece of kit.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/674/33250825595_f2d2814fbd_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SEgb1t)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3870/33250822835_3b77e0bfa2_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SEgabT)

Man these pictures make me so sad there are scrapes on the bottom of my bumper. Will address in the future.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3757/33209330656_f7452b8b8c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SAAv1u)

Side profile:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2925/33250814295_04e9c58e4d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SEg7DD)

It's nice that the kit included multiple size screws to install everything. It made using my BMW license plate frame very easy. The black matches as well, which is always good.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3905/33209325016_84fcff6a5e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SAAtkf)


Since I had my camera and was snapping pictures, I grabbed a couple more. Such a nice car.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3938/33250807145_a291de1cd8_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SEg5wn)

Closeup of my new airbag. Looks and feels good man.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3707/33122459321_16f2e9e787_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SsVgbR)

Also, I had some replica BBS centercaps leftover from my E39 so i threw them on for a second for fun. What do you guys think? I like the red. I think Imola with dark grey wheels and red centercaps would be beautiful. I switched back to the BMW ones because I don't want to be a poser haha.

Before:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2916/33250801495_cb680db933_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SEg3QX)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2923/33250798405_0d4d7dd048_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SEg2VF)


Let me know what you guys think. Thanks for stopping by.

[fredo]

I think your car looks super clean. But that pole on the passenger side makes me a little nervous. BMW center caps FTW !

[anandoc]

Car looks nice. Thanks for the closeups of the US Mill Works license plate - makes me want to get one as well!

Your passenger side blinker has moisture trapped inside...its probably cracked?

[johnrando]

Love the millworks. I'm not totally feeling those red w yellow text center caps, I've seen other red caps that I like better, but it's your car so rock it.

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[Ridgey]

Car looks nice. Thanks for the closeups of the US Mill Works license plate - makes me want to get one as well!

Your passenger side blinker has moisture trapped inside...its probably cracked?

Yeah the housing is compromised in some way, but I have a brand new set of clears on the way so it will be resolved shortly. I recommend the U.S. Millworks. Another one that caught my interest was the ECS Tuning one.

[Ridgey]

Love the millworks. I'm not totally feeling those red w yellow text center caps, I've seen other red caps that I like better, but it's your car so rock it.

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Can I ask what other red caps you've seen? I wouldn't mind grabbing a pair that said BMW or something. The red is pleasing to my eye for some reason.

[johnrando]

I like the red too. I think Dane has some I like, and maybe Charlie (cakm3)?

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[danewilson77]

Can I ask what other red caps you've seen? I wouldn't mind grabbing a pair that said BMW or something. The red is pleasing to my eye for some reason.



I like the red too. I think Dane has some I like, and maybe Charlie (cakm3)?

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Are we talking about BBS center caps?

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[johnrando]

Dane's are BBS

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[danewilson77]

Dane's are BBS

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170305/5f70a587de4cc8bdfc977ca347f58f8e.jpg

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Ridgey]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170305/5f70a587de4cc8bdfc977ca347f58f8e.jpg

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


The reps I have are of those red BBS. I like them but the 135's aren't BBS (I believe?) so I feel kinda dumb rocking them. I would use just plain red ones with "BMW" on them though.

[johnrando]

Makes sense. They are not BBS of course. Can you take a btr pic of yours? The letters look all fuzzy and the text style seems off to me
but maybe it's just the pic.

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[Ridgey]

Added a little oil today as I noticed my it was towards the lower end of my dipstick. No lights or anything. Did about a half quart and will check again in the morning.

Also, installed my clear corner lights and sidemarkers. I put my Lamin-x film on the clear corners. The film is ok. Not the best fit for the corner lights but whatever.

On to pics!

They are the TYC brand and fitment is good. No issues.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/629/33263495931_972d861aa3_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SFo7sx)

Here are the sidemarkers. God my paint needs a detail. Can't wait for that. I swapped my clear bulbs from the orange sidemarkers to these new ones so they blend a little better.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3690/32548297704_eb60d00742_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RAbwWC)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3802/33235319222_b97846b4a1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SCTGvd)

Close-up
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3839/33350703426_6cac3843c7_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SP65d3)


Anddddd the front lights:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3693/32577132643_b334640346_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RCJjyK)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2832/32577129593_3688794529_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RCJiEa)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2922/32577126673_f472b15959_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RCJhMP)

Lovin it so far. The first real cosmetic mod that I've done; other than the license plate bracket and the new headlight lenses lol.

[Lorenzo]

Looking good!

[danewilson77]

Annnnnnd...... You're using a frame with your tow hook mount.

Nice. Unique. Touch.

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[Ridgey]

Annnnnnd...... You're using a frame with your tow hook mount.

Nice. Unique. Touch.

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Yeah it's super awesome that they provide multiple kits of hardware with the license plate mount. I was prepared to have to get longer bolts but it all worked out really well. Especially great because the black bolts worked perfectly!

[Ridgey]

Wanted to show some of the parts I will be installing this weekend/beginning of next week.

I've had this package for awhile, but I haven't documented it. My BavAuto fuel filter installation kit. I've read that a lot of guys on here wish they would have gotten this when installing their filter, so I figured why not.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3955/33407338906_2c3609739d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SU6kXQ)

It comes with a multitude of hose clamps. Should get the job done nicely.

Also, I originally ordered UUC Trailing Arm Bushings from ECS Tuning, but they were on backorder and cost $75.00. I was impatient and I had been looking around and they popped up on Pelican Parts for $55.00. So I canceled my order with ECS and went with Pelican. They got the part here faster for less money, but I needed to add another $24.00 to qualify for free shipping. Shipping was going to be roughly $12 so I said screw that and ordered some extra parts to get that free shipping. Funny how the human mind works right? Spend money to save money lol.
Anyway, I picked up the trailing arm bushings, a set of OEM valve stem caps for my wheel repainting in the future, and some trim removal tools. Here are some pics.

Bushings: I have copper anti-sieze on the way for them.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3808/33319598381_0d5f6237c9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SLkDLa)

The valve stem caps: I like how simple they are, will look nice when I paint my wheels.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/589/33447781895_af45b401cd_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SXECfK)

And last but not least, my trim removal tools: These will help out a lot. I should have bought these a long time ago. I'm tired of trying to pry everything out with a flat head screwdriver.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2936/33292167232_80b83b6f28_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SHV4rj)



Thanks for checking in guys.

[Vas]

I used that bav auto fuel install kit. Worth the money

[BMWCurves]

I used that bav auto fuel install kit. Worth the money

Wish I had thought about getting it before I replaced my fuel filter. I'll do it next time around. Or might just do it anyways at some point.

[Vas]

Wish I had thought about getting it before I replaced my fuel filter. I'll do it next time around. Or might just do it anyways at some point.
That little vacuum hose was torn on my car.

But I didn't bother even trying to remove the old hose and clamps. Just cut them since they were stubborn

[Cadeez]

Looking good man! Clear/Euro indicators might be my favorite all around mod in general. It literally transforms the look of the car in my opinion. Did you get RCR tails as well? Which license plate bracket did you go with? I was up in Seattle this past weekend, did a little sight seeing as the gf had never really explored up there. That downtown traffic on Saturday was bruuutal, as was parking. I always forget how much worse Seattle traffic is than down here in PDX. The main thing you guys lack is parking structures, are there any?? We've got a bunch, it's pretty nice

Not sure if these overlays would work on the wheel caps, but I'm sure you could cut them to fit
https://bimmian.com/Accessories-for-BMW/Decals/Emblems/Colored-Roundel/

[Ridgey]

Looking good man! Clear/Euro indicators might be my favorite all around mod in general. It literally transforms the look of the car in my opinion. Did you get RCR tails as well? Which license plate bracket did you go with? I was up in Seattle this past weekend, did a little sight seeing as the gf had never really explored up there. That downtown traffic on Saturday was bruuutal, as was parking. I always forget how much worse Seattle traffic is than down here in PDX. The main thing you guys lack is parking structures, are there any?? We've got a bunch, it's pretty nice

Not sure if these overlays would work on the wheel caps, but I'm sure you could cut them to fit
https://bimmian.com/Accessories-for-BMW/Decals/Emblems/Colored-Roundel/

Thanks dude! And yeah I stay out of downtown Seattle. My girl works at Amazon and the commute sucks. I did not get RCR's. I may in the future, or I might play around with red vinyl and "red out" the taillights. Maybe make it look similar to new BMW's. For now it's fine.

And yeah I've seen those wheel cap stickers. Might have to try some of them out.

[Ridgey]

Where do I begin? I've done so much work to my car over the past week and a half it's sickening!

I'll start off with my suspension refresh.

I installed Koni Yellows all around, new suspension components (everything from spring pads to new bumpstops), and reinforcement plates.
I also installed Meyle HD rear shock mounts and new rear trailing arm bushings. Overall, this process was much easier than working on my previous E39. I didn't get a lot of pictures because I was working constantly and didn't want to stop and take a bunch of pictures. So here are a couple.

One of a front strut assembled. I used one of the sketchy spring compressors from O'Reilly autoparts free rental program. Worked fine. So was it sketchy actually?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2944/33565387351_23d97a45c3_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/T94og2)

Installed in car. Wish I had a nice impact wrench. May be a future purchase.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2865/33565385891_8a98c9c1fb_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/T94nPR)

Here is a picture of one my rear shocks. All original, all gross. I compressed the shock and it never came back up. Not even a wiggle. Such a joke. Original build date of April 2003.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2867/32851895334_6251666c40_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/S41xWw)

I also rented a RTAB tool from a gentleman on E46Fanatics. Made the job easier for sure. Here's a picture of my old bushings.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2858/32851898544_00017ac9e7_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/S41yTS)

To be honest I was expecting worse shape than I encountered. There were some slight tears in the rubber, but I was expecting some torn apart ones.

In their place I put in UUC Polyurethane bushings. I slathered them in copper anti seize and haven't heard a peep since. Very happy with their performance, and have noticed no ill effects. Would recommend thus far.

A few days later I threw on my new hood cowl. The old one was gross and what was underneath was even worse. I cleaned pretty thoroughly underneath and it feels goooooood.

New vs. Old

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3776/33653817556_fa66aa17dc_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TgSBtJ)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2897/33538406652_d51055d97e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/T6F6Qy)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2935/33653815466_43e9eeff07_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TgSARG)

Underneath the old one!!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2946/33653813796_2224d9192b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TgSAmU)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2939/33538405152_7f163a7c6e.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/T6F6oG)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3736/33538610832_0e5ca8e439.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/T6G9wU)

I cleaned it really well then took some after pictures. Niceeee.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2885/32881385203_d16234a0fa.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/S6BGfx)


A couple more days went by and I tackled my fuel filter and steering coupler as they are so close together.

I used the BavAuto fuel filter line and clamp kit and please everyone buy this. It is so nice to not have to deal with that old crappy hose.

No pictures of the install itself because gas was dripping out and that's not kosher so I tried to get it installed ASAP. But I snapped a quick picture of the old filter and new filter. The old filter was stamped 2011, so that's reassuring knowing the previous owner had swapped it.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2940/33538544882_a936c209c5.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/T6FNVQ)

Also, here are a couple pictures of the steering coupler. This made a huge difference in freeway driving for me. I don't have to fight road crowns as much. Makes it a little more relaxing to drive. Pic of my old one.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3753/32852048164_3d0ce8eafb_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/S42knw)

And a picture of the new one out of the car.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3727/33310609320_1b76c2d08a_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SKxzCm)

I installed it incorrectly at first, not realizing I had to install the screw through a notch on the steering column side of the coupler. This meant on my shakedown run that my steering was slipping and being overall sketchy. I quickly rectified it however. Now the steering is nice and tight and with the new suspension I am loving this car. The feel is so much better than when I first bought it. Hallelujah or Halle Berry.

And finally, I completed my German Auto Solutions DISA rebuild. Mine was in fantastic shape but it still feels nice to replace plastic with aluminum. One part that was unnecessary was removing the OEM "gasket" stuff. It was in good shape and I didn't realize what can of worms I had opened trying to remove it until it was too late. Eh whatever, all good! I also ordered their black coolant cap and it's a nice piece of kit as well.

Here's a picture of the kit. Awesome little DIY project. It's fun to work on your car inside your nice warm condo unit instead of a cold garage floor.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3710/33538666472_c9612cbc21_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/T6Gr5d)


And lastly but not least the most exciting and important aspect of my spring maintenance.

My cargo mat installed!!!!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2944/32851896824_4db11dda67_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/S41yod)


So overall I accomplished a lot over my college spring break.

Next up:

- Anthracite plasti-dip my wheels.I know plasti-dip is kinda lame but it's inexpensive and my style 135's are beyond trashed. It looks like someone went to war with all the curbs in Seattle. I have to do something and until I can afford to pick up some Apex's or something, this will tide me over.

- Cooling System. I have all the parts but I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew in my timeframe.

- Differential and Transmission fluid. Again, I have these and as soon as I have some extra time, I will bust out the old Motive power fill.

- Brake pads. I have a set of Akebonos and will do these the same time as plastidipping the wheels. This will vastly reduce my brake dust and keep the wheels looking good.

- Spark plugs. They are on the way. Good ole NGK's.

- New centercaps and valve stem caps for my wheel "refresh".

- Uninstall my front seats and vacuum underneath. Also see if I can find the short that's happening with my heated seat on the driver's side. Not the end of the world to not have heated seats but I do want the functionality back.

- Paint correction!!!!

Thanks guys. 2017 is shaping up to be an awesome year for this car and me. And I also have a trip to Mexico planned!!!

[san]

Damn that's a lot of work. Impressive.


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[BMWCurves]

Damn that's a lot of work. Impressive.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1

Link to the BavAuto fuel filter line kit?

[Vas]

+1

Link to the BavAuto fuel filter line kit?

Link here :

https://www.bavauto.com/b1300000

Part number on the site: PART#: B1300000

Cost: $17.40

[ZHPizza]

Great work! I want to know what words came out of your mouth during the first test drive when the steering was slipping.

And those spring compressors aren't sketchy at all....just ask Peter....

[BMWCurves]

Great work! I want to know what words came out of your mouth during the first test drive when the steering was slipping.

And those spring compressors aren't sketchy at all....just ask Peter....

My father's set of cheap spring compressors from China broke on me while I was compressing the front strut of my sister's 330Xi (similar to this set: https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Design-ATD-7561-MacPherson-Compressor/dp/B000M61KTC/ref=sr_1_18?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1490712931&sr=1-18&keywords=spring+compressor). The design was crappy because the large bolt was not a bolt but actually a threaded rod with a nut at the end that had a pin through it, so the pin sheared off and ejected the nut. Was less terrifying than I thought it would (I was uninjured) be but still not a pleasant experience (needed a fresh pair of dungarees).

Advice to anyone, don't cut corners on shitty spring compressors.


Link here :

https://www.bavauto.com/b1300000

Part number on the site: PART#: B1300000

Cost: $17.40

Appreciate it :thumbsup

[Ridgey]

Great work! I want to know what words came out of your mouth during the first test drive when the steering was slipping.

And those spring compressors aren't sketchy at all....just ask Peter....

When the steering was slipping I was just dreading having to get back under the car and remove all those 16mm bolts holding the brace on haha.

[Ridgey]

My father's set of cheap spring compressors from China broke on me while I was compressing the front strut of my sister's 330Xi (similar to this set: https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Design-ATD-7561-MacPherson-Compressor/dp/B000M61KTC/ref=sr_1_18?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1490712931&sr=1-18&keywords=spring+compressor). The design was crappy because the large bolt was not a bolt but actually a threaded rod with a nut at the end that had a pin through it, so the pin sheared off and ejected the nut. Was less terrifying than I thought it would (I was uninjured) be but still not a pleasant experience (needed a fresh pair of dungarees).

Advice to anyone, don't cut corners on shitty spring compressors.



Appreciate it :thumbsup

Yeah spring compressors suck but I never use them so I don't want to to buy nice ones. Maybe I should buy some and then rent them out?

[san]

I rented the spring compressor from auto zone while working on my car and my friend's Zhp, worked pretty well... I wouldn't personally buy them and I think they're quite heavy so shipping wouldn't really be that cheap...


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[ELCID86]

Nice work and nice to-do list. I don't think I've seen anyone with that cargo mat. Nice addition.

BTW I have a tool for rent that does RTABs, the rear diff bushing and subframe bushes.

[Ridgey]

Little update time.

I installed my Akebono Euro pads and I like them. Had them on my E39 and you do lose a little initial bite, but they are easy to modulate and barely leave any dust. I installed the pads while I was waiting on my coats of anthracite grey plasti-dip to dry on my super beat wheels. I don't have the funds to spend on Apex wheels right now and the tires on my 135's are in great shape. Nearly new still. I've included some pictures of an example of how bad my wheels are curbed and rashed. So for the time being, I will rock them like this until I can afford another set.

Before pictures of one of the wheels. All of them look like this too.:facepalm

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2942/34250999405_6de126631f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UbDjQv)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4179/34250997755_d1ef9792dd_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UbDjm4)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2887/33867346580_96dff30676_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TAK1dC)

Man previous owners can be brutal.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4182/34250993365_f0bd12cab1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UbDi3n)


Here's a picture of during the process. I got a kit from DipYourCar.com. It came with wheel cleaner, a microfiber towel, and 4 cans of anthracite gray dip, with a few cans of glossifier as well. I only ended up using two cans of glossifier for all four wheels. I also took the time to install my new style center-caps to finish off the updated look.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2945/34250991235_f097d1fb38_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UbDhpD)

After dipping my wheels, I also installed my new Depo R/C/R's. Completes the look of clear all around. On Imola I think it's the way to go.

Here are a few pictures I took today to show the couple of mods.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2805/33867267460_c49d5e5e1d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TAJAGu)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2821/33867270670_e5b82434aa_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TAJBDQ)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2833/34250898895_8a0c737226_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/UbCNXz)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2941/33867254510_0d8f64d5e9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TAJwRd)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2832/33441070453_1fb7f05f62_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SX5ebe)

I like this picture a lot.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2805/33867262690_b48b16e9a3_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TAJzhf)


Also, I took the time last week to wrap my A-Pillars in a microsuede material. They came out pretty well, but the fabric is definitely thicker than the original stuff, so the little inserts in the pillars don't fit perfectly. I may try trimming them, or trimming a little of the suede fabric to see if I can flush them up. For the time being, it is way better than they were before.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2871/33867260500_f70af90ddb_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TAJyCu)

I also couldn't stand the white patch on my torn driver's bolster, so I patched it temporarily. It looks like total crap but sometimes I don't notice it because at least it's black lol. But I'm considering getting M3 seats. I really like these ones. There's a guy selling a set on M3 Forum but he's in Cali and shipping would be rough and I just don't see the need to spend a grand on seats right now.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2876/33441249673_1fa7de1736_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SX69se)

Thanks for reading guys.

[johnrando]

:Like

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[BMWCurves]

I highly encourage the installation of M3 seats. One of my favorite mods to my car..

[san]

My wheels are trashed by the PO as well, now you've got me thinking about plastidip...
good job btw...


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[Cadeez]

Car looks great! I really like the look of that new wheel color against the Imola, really clean. And of course the clear indicators are one of my favorite mods, keep up the good work

[Ridgey]

My wheels are trashed by the PO as well, now you've got me thinking about plastidip...
good job btw...


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Yeah plastidip is pretty cool for it's ease of use. It looks pretty good too!

[Ridgey]

Car looks great! I really like the look of that new wheel color against the Imola, really clean. And of course the clear indicators are one of my favorite mods, keep up the good work

:roundel

[ZacharyMikel]

That plastidip job turned out really clean. Nice work.