This Just In-- Carbon Fiber!!!

[kayger12]

First, a low-light nighttime teaser pick, then I'll discuss....

http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff401/Kayger12/2011-01-04_22-18-10_465.jpg

Ok, so carbon fiber grills from Bimmian. Quality is great. It can't be easy to wrap all those curves and corners, but they did a good job and the grills look great. I LOVE them on the car. Blend wonderfully with the Sparkling Graphite paint. I'm very happy with them and they are now permanent residents on the ZHP.

CF splitters from Khoalty-- Arrived on time and very nicely packaged. Had the wife hold one in place and took a good hard look-- not liking them on my car.

Nothing wrong with them, I just don't like the way they change the lines down there. The grills are subtle and look like they belong on the car. They don't beg to be noticed. The splitters, on the other hand, seem to really draw your attention to the bottom of the bumper. Too visually obtrusive for me. So, they will not be residing on the ZHP.

Next up, black/silver CF roundels from Khoalty for hood, trunk, and hubs. They look great when held up to the car, but I'm waiting on grommets and the nifty little roundel removal tool from ECS Tuning before I put them all on. They are definitely keepers and are really going to complete the look. Very happy!

http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff401/Kayger12/2011-01-04_22-53-11_323.jpg

So, some daylight pics tomorrow and when I get the roundels on the car.

Also have a unique visual mod in the works, but I'll leave that one as a teaser...

[Marcus-SanDiego]

The grill looks great on the car. I like it.

[kayger12]

Thanks, Mark.

[billschusteriv]

Nice kidneys! I'm not normally a fan of CF - but I think they look good!

I haven't heard of this roundel removal tool - sounds like a must add to the tool box. I'll have to check out ECS tunings website.

Has anyone used it yet?

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I'm old school myself. A cotton shirt and a screw driver do the job for me.

[billschusteriv]

That's what I've used for my replacements so far - I've done front and back on my e30 twice. The second time the screwdriver poked through the cotton tshirt I was using. Luckily no paint was damaged.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Yeah. I have had that happen before, too. Have to be careful.

[nk_zhp]

Be sure to say carbon fiber with a British accent... it just sounds cooler that way.

[pyreguy]

unless your British accent sounds like Austin Powers :biggrin

I love the CF kineys! I got to see the CF roundels on mtnmans car in person, and I really like the way they look on there. You will love them! Can't wait to see what the secret mod is!!

[kayger12]

I haven't heard of this roundel removal tool - sounds like a must add to the tool box. I'll have to check out ECS tunings website.

Has anyone used it yet?

Figured for under $1, I couldn't go wrong.


http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0L/Exterior/Emblem/ES261617/

[kayger12]

Thanks for the positive words, gents. Looking forward to seeing the grills in daylight this morning.

Lance- the secret mod should be done in about a week. My wife hates the idea, which usually means I'm on to something...

[pyreguy]

I know how that is :biggrin

[danewilson77]

Looks good Kayg....

[MrMaico]

The kidneys look great! I went with the gloss black ones from BMW Performance after trying some aftermarket flat black ones that I didn't think looked right.

That tool looks like some banding strap for strapping freight down on a pallet. I'll have to remember to save some next time I run across a piece.

[Maximus57]

Anyone know of a tool to remove the center caps without taking the wheels off the car. I used a small, thin bladed screwdriver. Already messed one up.

[az3579]

That tool looks like some banding strap for strapping freight down on a pallet. I'll have to remember to save some next time I run across a piece.

That is exactly what it is. I think I still have some saved from when my tires were shipped to me. FREE! No $0.95 + shipping for me...


Anyone know of a tool to remove the center caps without taking the wheels off the car. I used a small, thin bladed screwdriver. Already messed one up.

It's best to take the wheel off if you don't want to damage anything. The clearance is so tight, even if you did "fit" something thin enough in there, you would still probably end up damaging something.

[jjcools]

Looks good.

No pic of the splitters?? What do they run?

[SC4ME]

I was interested in the splitters but after your observation, maybe not so much anymore. I really need to re-paint my bumper, too many chips from too many high speed highway miles.

[jjcools]

Now that I think of it, I would probably not be too into splitters since this is my DD and I take it to client offices. I have to fake it until I make it in the business world :). It can't be too racey

[FullyBalanced]

I have the carbon fiber BMW Performance splitters (NOT the club sport spitters)

[kayger12]

Looks good.

No pic of the splitters?? What do they run?

I'll post up a pic if them when I get home. I think they were $55 from Khoalty.

[kayger12]

I was interested in the splitters but after your observation, maybe not so much anymore. I really need to re-paint my bumper, too many chips from too many high speed highway miles.

Don't put too much stock in my observation. I'm pretty picky about mods, especially on this car.

You might like them. They don't look bad- I just like the look of the bumper without them for my car.

I'm gonna take another look at them tonight when I get home just to make sure.

[kayger12]

That tool looks like some banding strap for strapping freight down on a pallet. I'll have to remember to save some next time I run across a piece.

Just opened my newly arrived package from ECS and I can confirm that the .95 cent removal tool is most certainly a piece of packing strap.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

But it's pretty, right?

[danewilson77]

Its genius that they actually figured out a way to sell us their garbage.

[kayger12]

But it's pretty, right?

It is now....

http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff401/Kayger12/2011-01-05_19-33-43_873.jpg

[kayger12]

Its genius that they actually figured out a way to sell us their garbage.

So true.

[Alphatek45]

^ worth .96 now. Sell it back to them.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

^ worth .96 now. Sell it back to them.

Now that it says ZHP Mafia on it, it might be worth more than $1 now.

[az3579]

^ worth .96 now. Sell it back to them.

I smell profit.

[kayger12]

Now that it says ZHP Mafia on it, it might be worth more than $1 now.

Collector's item to be sure.

[Tampa330i]

I was able to remove both my roundels with my old FL driver's license.

[danewilson77]

Collector's item to be sure.

I bid a buck and a quarter....shipped!

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[kayger12]

I bid a buck and a quarter....shipped!


:rofl

Seriously, though- if anybody needs this thing just PM me your address and I'll throw it in the mail.

No need to return it- just pay it forward and send it off to the next mafia member who needs it.

[kayger12]

Cf hood and trunk roundels are on and look great! Pics in the am.

Hood roundel fit fine but the trunk roundel was definitely a little loose. Had to add a thin piece of tape to make it tight. All good to go now.

I screwed up and apparently only ordered one of the cf hub roundels for my wheels when I thought I ordered four so I ordered up another three from Khoalty.

[adb1028]

I was able to remove both my roundels with my old FL driver's license.

I read any type of plastic card will work fine, I wouldn't put a flat head any where near the paint

[danewilson77]

^Yes....

[az3579]

I'm going to use my non-scratch mylar prying tool I use to pry open laptop cases. Should be a breeeeeze.

[Tampa330i]

Hood roundel fit fine but the trunk roundel was definitely a little loose. Had to add a thin piece of tape to make it tight. All good to go now.

Keep an eye on the trunk one. Mine kind of rattled it's way looser after a single trip. I took it off until I get new grommets. Is yours loose even with new grommets?

[kayger12]

Keep an eye on the trunk one. Mine kind of rattled it's way looser after a single trip. I took it off until I get new grommets. Is yours loose even with new grommets?

I ordered two hood and two trunk grommets, but got four hood grommets, go figure- so I didn't have new grommets for the trunk.

Let me know how yours is with the new grommets when you get them.

I'll keep an eye on it in the mean time.

[Tampa330i]

The grommets should be the same I think. The ones I ordered from ecs don't differentiate between hood and trunk varieties. Here's what they got: http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Exterior/Emblem/Grommet/

[danewilson77]

^They are different P/N's...so I am not sure that is correct....

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=EV53&mospid=47725&btnr=51_3263&hg=51&fg=20

[kayger12]

My trunk grommets look like these
http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0L/Exterior/Emblem/ES1899446/

and hood ones look like these

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0L/Exterior/Emblem/ES205815/

Just realized though that on ECS website they both have the same Mfr#.

Not sure what the deal is, but the trunk emblem posts definitely have a smaller diameter than the hood emblem posts. I would think the grommets would have to be different.

[danewilson77]

Yes.....def......I will PM Joe and see whats up....

EDIT: PM sent...

[Tampa330i]

Just got the white grommets from ecs, confirming they do not fit the trunk emblem (they're too big). They're very tight on the hood emblem.

When I search ecs for 51148209932, I get 2 results but says "Parts listed below do not contain any applications that match your vehicle." I searched Bav Auto and found them with a note at the top of the page " Showing products for 2004 330i. Please note: for trunk emblem". Looks like we've just got the wrong grommets. Ecs doesn't consider those to be the ones for our car, hence they never showed in a search for emblem on a 330. Seeing as the ones that do show fit the hood fine and not the trunk at all, I think it's safe to say that they are in fact different and 51148209932 is right for the trunk.

[kayger12]

Just got the white grommets from ecs, confirming they do not fit the trunk emblem (they're too big). They're very tight on the hood emblem.

When I search ecs for 51148209932, I get 2 results but says "Parts listed below do not contain any applications that match your vehicle." I searched Bav Auto and found them with a note at the top of the page " Showing products for 2004 330i. Please note: for trunk emblem". Looks like we've just got the wrong grommets. Ecs doesn't consider those to be the ones for our car, hence they never showed in a search for emblem on a 330. Seeing as the ones that do show fit the hood fine and not the trunk at all, I think it's safe to say that they are in fact different and 51148209932 is right for the trunk.

Ok-- Good leg work. Thanks.