tbone's 2013 Le Mans E92 *got no production #, but got mods* build thread

[tha_good_life]

Originally Posted by Powerbeast

Nice jump start.... I would leave the wheels alone.

Originally Posted by tbone28

If I do go with a rebuild, front offset would be about equivalent 20x10 +20. On the rear, there's room for a 10mm spacer making net offset of +8 on the stock LM-R. I'd do a 20x11 +20 which would be like x10 +8

I'm not sure yet if I will go that route. But my reasons for considering it include:
1) wider rims
2) wider lips
3) being able to go more aggressive on rear without need to run a spacer
4) I'm not completely sold on the lip finish of the LM-R
5) flexibility in fixing a bent barrel/lip on a 3-piece wheel

If you plan on going a wider route, that would be sick.... Another option is reverse the barrel and get a little more lip.

[Powerbeast]

Originally Posted by bapesta206

If you plan on going a wider route, that would be sick.... Another option is reverse the barrel and get a little more lip.

Hmmmm never thought about that.... Reversing the barrel for a bigger lip, I like that idea. Do that do that!

[Darwin@SonicMS]

i can't wait....

D

[Sean@PSI]

Cannot wait to see everything on. Awesome choice on the wheels.

[dafunguy]

If you can't wait, you can always install everything on my car to see how things look. I'll even drive it around so you can see/hear it better.

I might not come back to you though. Haha.

[tbone28]

Originally Posted by ReevesBMW

More pics of the Benz please!

Originally Posted by GTHAUS

This!

Looks like you're off to a great start in modding your car. Look forward to seeing it when the car arrives!

Thanks guys. Here you go:

[tbone28]

Originally Posted by Powerbeast

Hmmmm never thought about that.... Reversing the barrel for a bigger lip, I like that idea. Do that do that!

Originally Posted by bapesta206

If you plan on going a wider route, that would be sick.... Another option is reverse the barrel and get a little more lip.

Reverse lip is an idea to consider, but if I go that route, would I have to do the new setup in 19's? I love how the LM-R looks in step-lip format though

So guys, still curious as to why you recommended leaving the LM-R's alone. I'm wondering if there's something that hadn't come to mind and that I should consider in this process. Please share

BTW, Here's what a 20x10 +8 looks like. This guy is on 20x10 +20 LM's + 12mm spacer. 275/30 tire. This is why I think I can go more aggressive on my rear setup

[tbone28]

Originally Posted by dafunguy

If you can't wait, you can always install everything on my car to see how things look. I'll even drive it around so you can see/hear it better.

I might not come back to you though. Haha.

Originally Posted by Sean@PSI

Cannot wait to see everything on. Awesome choice on the wheels.

Thank you sir

Originally Posted by Darwin@SonicMS

i can't wait....

D

Me too, D!

BTW everyone, D's shop is my favorite mod He's worked on all my cars. He built up my little Brabus Smart too. Notice it's not the 1st time I've run a KW/Swift combo





















Sound Pics: Focal/JL. Had an 8" JL sub tucked up underneath the passenger side dash

[BMW Fanatic]

Is there a reason you decided to switch it up from HRE's this time around? Or you just wanted change?

Nice whips! Can't wait to see the M. Congrats.

[tha_good_life]

Originally Posted by tbone28

Reverse lip is an idea to consider, but if I go that route, would I have to do the new setup in 19's? I love how the LM-R looks in step-lip format though

So guys, still curious as to why you recommended leaving the LM-R's alone. I'm wondering if there's something that hadn't come to mind and that I should consider in this process. Please share

BTW, Here's what a 20x10 +8 looks like. This guy is on 20x10 +20 LM's + 12mm spacer. 275/30 tire. This is why I think I can go more aggressive on my rear setup

LM are little less aggressive in offset. IMO, the front is perfect. The rear can use a little more lip. But again, i'm not sure if you can get away with rubbing.

[tha_good_life]

BTW, you are a nut for that Smart car! Looks awesome!

[tbone28]

Originally Posted by bapesta206

LM are little less aggressive in offset. IMO, the front is perfect. The rear can use a little more lip. But again, i'm not sure if you can get away with rubbing.

I agree. I think the front on the LM-R is aggressive enough. But if I do go wider on it, I think we can squeeze a little more lip out of it while keeping the same aggressive offset.

Rear LM is not as aggressive as the LM-R, you're right.

Darwin is playing around with lips right now. He's having a couple of lips sent to his shop so he can play around with the setup to see if he can rebuild my rims. No guinea pigging on my car. He's doing the R&D at his shop first. Darwin doesn't mess around!

Originally Posted by bapesta206

BTW, you are a nut for that Smart car! Looks awesome!

hahaha, you're not the 1st to tell me that! I originally bought the smart cuz of the youtbue videos where they swapped a hayabusa engine into them. That was my original plan until I met another smart owner who did the swap and he said it's way too loud to daily drive. I then refocused to a car engine swap (MR2 - fits perfectly w/o major chassis modification), but then decided it wasn't worth the money on this car. That's when I got bored and sold the car and moved onto the E92...I don't think I'll get bored with this car

Originally Posted by BMW Fanatic

Is there a reason you decided to switch it up from HRE's this time around? Or you just wanted change?

Nice whips! Can't wait to see the M. Congrats.

Thank you! I've actually run Work, DPE, and HRE's, so I'm not an HRE fanboy by any means. Honestly, my preference would have been to stick with an HRE because I could build a rim to spec that would cost less than the BBS. However, I couldn't find a style from any of the custom wheel manufacturers that I liked enough on the E92 body. These are my 1st set of BBS ever, and was shocked to find out how much they cost. I would have hoped that, for that money, you would be able to at least spec out widths and offsets to your liking. Why the LM-R's? I saw the setup on SARD's and bapesta's cars and fell in love with how they look on the E92. Mesh style wheels go well with the racing bloodlines of the M, IMO . And I know many people are into full-face rims now-a-days, but I'm still a fan of rims with lip

[tha_good_life]

I'm very impressed with all your builds. I can't wait to see your what you have planned for your M. That's a really nice house in SF!

[tbone28]

Originally Posted by bapesta206

I'm very impressed with all your builds. I can't wait to see your what you have planned for your M. That's a really nice house in SF!

Thank you kindly I grew up in the city, but out in the burbs now. No way I could afford a house like that in the city

BTW, check out this pic of an LM I found. He chromed his lips. Looks yummy to me

[tbone28]

4) Some more practical "mods" showed up at my doorstep today



Jack Stands and Jack Pads are from Fred@Reverselogic (forum sponsor). He threw in the pads for my mercedes free. Thanks Fred! Stands will work on both my cars.

[Darwin@SonicMS]

I was about to ask you to post the smart..Miss that car.

D

[nerwyll@trinityautosport]

nice builds, looking forward to seeing the M =)

[tha_good_life]

Originally Posted by tbone28

Thank you kindly I grew up in the city, but out in the burbs now. No way I could afford a house like that in the city

BTW, check out this pic of an LM I found. He chromed his lips. Looks yummy to me

Too bling for my taste. Those prying tools look useful on some crab.

[tbone28]

Originally Posted by bapesta206

Too bling for my taste. Those prying tools look useful on some crab.

4th one from the right

[tha_good_life]

Originally Posted by tbone28

4th one from the right

Yup, the same tool I had in mind! Can't wait to see your LMR setup bro. Keep us updated

[tbone28]

BTW, I don't plan on polishing/chroming the entire inner barrel and lip like this guy did, just the lip for me. I actually don't think a polished lip is bling. I think it's OG. That's how rims came back in the day before the craze of black lips, colored lips, etc. but as they say, to each their own

[tbone28]

Originally Posted by bapesta206

Yup, the same tool I had in mind! Can't wait to see your LMR setup bro. Keep us updated

I dropped off my rims today with Darwin SonicMS. Decided to rebuild them to:

20x10 +20
20x11 +20

Will refinish centers to brushed aluminum w/ chrome step lips. Darwin has an old BBS face that he will use as a guinea pig. He's going to let the wheel refinisher refinish that and send me a pic to see if I like it before we do my rims. If I don't like them, I'm thinking of a matte or satin titanium finish.

Despite the aggressive offsets, I'm hoping to squeeze 285/25/20 and 305/25/20's under the fenders....we'll see how that goes when the time comes