FORUMS
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| 05-10-2011, 02:27 PM | #1 |
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BimmerPost Supporting Vendor
 
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IND installs another E90 M3 carbon fiber roof
All of us at IND have loved the E90 M3 since the day the car was released to the public. It’s wide and aggressive rear fenders and it’s perfect mix of style, performance, and utility confirm what most BMW enthusiasts already know- after 40 years at the top, BMW still makes the best sports sedans in the world.
Unfortunately, fans of the E90 M3 got the short end of the stick in many ways, especially when it came to aftermarket support. Those who got into an E90 M3 early on will remember how difficult it was to source exterior parts- everything from trunks to hoods had to be custom made in the E90’s early days. One area where we felt E90 enthusiasts were truly short handed was the lack of a carbon fiber roof. The E92 M3’s carbon roof represented a major step for BMW M as it was essentially the first use of structural composite components bonded into the car’s unibody specifically to save weight. BMW had not released an item like this on a mass scale before the E92 M3, and of course chose to highlight this feature by leaving the roof panels completely unpainted. Of course, fans of the E90 who wanted a carbon roof were out of luck. IND addressed this problem several years ago when we worked to develop our own mold for a carbon fiber roof for the E90 M3 chassis. Since then we’ve been blessed to perform carbon fiber roof conversions on some of the most notable E90 M3s in the US, and this week are tackling our next job. I wanted to share some photos of the conversion in progress with the M3community, to give some insight into the process: www.IND-Style.com http://ind-style.com/2011/05/10/ind-...on-fiber-roof/  Our first step is removing the roof molding, and then removing each spot weld on the factory metal roof panel.   The roof panel is lifted from the M3.  The OEM roof panel weighs about 24lbs…  Next, we install the factory roof liner.  We apply Valvoline brand adhesive to the roof frame…   First, here are some photos of the roof panel prior to installation. You can see that the panel is a complete carbon fiber piece, with no fiberglass reinforcement. We grind through every spot weld in order to release the metal roof skin from the roof frame. We cover the entire interior in plastic, and then in very heavy welding blankets to prevent any sparks from striking the interior components.  After the spot welds have been removed, we can separate the roof skin from the roof frame.  …while the carbon roof weighs in at 9.8 lbs! That means the carbon roof provides a 60% savings over the original panel, even without the sunroof assembly. A sunroof equipped car could see a very substantial weight savings, right at one of the most important points on the car.  …and then lower the roof into it’s position.   The roof is retained with the factory fastners, and also clamped to the roof frame while the adhesive cures. Stay tuned to see the finished product!
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| 05-10-2011, 02:48 PM | #3 |
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BMW and reliability....haha....
Drives: Something reliable. Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Pacific Standard Time
Posts: 3,878
iTrader: (27)
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Very, very nice! But question re: first use of structural composite components bonded into the car’s unibody specifically to save weight, I thought the M6 was the first? Forgive me if I'm mistaken.
Have to admit, I may have gotten an E90 if it had come with a CF roof. Was definitely considering one, but was swayed to the coupe for my 2011.
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 "As I lay rubber down the street, I pray for traction I can keep. But If I spin and begin to slide, please dear God protect my ride! Amen." ― ONEBADWS6, LS1TECH.com Member |
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| 05-11-2011, 12:13 AM | #8 |
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Brigadier General
 
Drives: 10' M3 Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: San Diego,CA
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How much does a process like this cost?
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10 E90 M3/dct/ztp/zpp/heated seats/eps/19'/iPod
retired- 08 535i/nav/prem./L7/ipod retired- 06 325i/nav/prem./sat/xenons/style 128  |
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| 05-11-2011, 12:41 AM | #10 |
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Bulldog
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 Thanks IND I love my CF roof!Post pics from my install too. The one with the clamps is cool!
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1M ESS Stage 1+ Tune | IND Grills - Sides | Eisenmann Race | HRE P43S | KW V3 | SOLD-M3 ESS VT2-625 | IND/Challenge CF V-Weave Roof - LipSpoiler – BootLid – Diffuser - Mirrors - Brembo BBK Fiji-Green | HRE P44SC | MA Carbon – CF MatteSilver Trim | Akra GT4 Mid-Pipe - Eisenmann Inconel | 3.62Diff | TopStitch Custom Interior | KW Clubsport | RD Sport Sways
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| 05-11-2011, 03:04 AM | #13 |
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Captain
 
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You guys ROCK!!!
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EURO E92 M3 2008 6MT Interlagos ///Fully Loaded! Evolve-R ECU Flash/Gintani Sport Exhaust/MS Stg2 Intake Kit/H&R Springs/MS 18/15 mm spacers/Bmw Perf. Grills/Gloss Black side gills/LCI Tails/LUX V3's/RD license plate leds |
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| 05-11-2011, 08:27 AM | #15 |
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The Jesal
Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chicago IL
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Damn another one?!
Your employees must be able to knock this out easily after doing so many. 
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2009 E90 M3
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| 05-11-2011, 09:15 AM | #17 | |||
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BimmerPost Supporting Vendor
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Quote:
Quote:
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| 05-11-2011, 09:29 AM | #18 |
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Colonel
 
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I personally wouldn't do it to my E90 (if I had one) but it is kinda cool.
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"But resist we much; we must; and we will much; about that be committed." ~Rev. Al Sharpton  2010 E92 M3|Silverstone II|M-DCT|NCSW|2MT|ZCW|ZPP|ZTP|302|507|Gas Guzzler Tax |
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| 05-11-2011, 09:40 AM | #19 |
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SMYLMKR
Drives: 2011 E90 M3, 1988 M3, 2007 X3 Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Posts: 1,315
iTrader: (7)
Garage List 1988 BMW M3 [4.70]
1990 BMW M3 [5.00] 2011 BMW M3 Sedan [4.64] 1998 BMW M3/4 - sol ... [0.00] 2008 BMW 135i - sold [0.00] 2003 BMW M3 - sold [0.00] |
subscribed....I can't wait to see this!!
Edit: Didn't have time to read through the entire thread as I was trying to pay for all this....haha. the infamous...I actually didn't see this thread. It is a little weird watching some strangers take her top off, LOL. I know a CF isn't for everyone, but I have wanted one since they did it first on the M6. When they put it on the E92 I was praying for it to end up on the sedan. Ultimately, I bought a 135i because of the no CF roof on the sedan. I am so, so happy that IND did this. I think the other weaves are really cool, but I wanted an OEM look as I think this is how BMW should have done the sedan to begin with! The best part is that this process costs about as much as the difference between a E92 and an E90 without a sunroof. Thanks, Ilia for posting this. With your permission, I'm thinking about making a really cool book with all these photos!!
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2011 E90 M3 - Alpine White/Fox Red Extended/Carbon Leather
Premium/Convenience/Cold Weather Package - Competition Package - M-DCT - Sunshades - EPS - BMW Apps - Sat Radio - Ipod/USB Last edited by Justin(OKC); 05-11-2011 at 11:21 AM. |
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| 05-11-2011, 09:47 AM | #20 |
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Second Lieutenant
Drives: BMW M3 Coupe E92 Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Munich / Germany
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Wow. It's always a pleasure to see you with so much passion at work.
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| 05-11-2011, 10:08 AM | #21 |
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Private First Class
 Drives: 1998 M3 sedan Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Oklahoma
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Thanks for showing the progress! I can't wait to see it in person, and Justin, congratulations!
edit: subscribed Last edited by PPower; 05-11-2011 at 03:16 PM. |
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| 05-11-2011, 10:17 AM | #22 | |
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Major
 
Drives: 2012 Mineral White E92 M3 Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 1,076
iTrader: (18)
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Quote:
 Sigh. +1 IND!
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PAST 2002 GGP Lexus IS300 - RMM - HKS - Rays
PAST 2007 Black Sapphire E90 335i - BMS - JB+ PAST 2010 Jerez Black E92 M3 CURRENT 2012 Mineral White E92 M3 - IND - EAS - Macht Schnell - H&R - Meisterschaft - CCW |
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More to come...
