E92 M3 OEM exhaust mod and rear diffuser

[Ripcurl]

Just bought my 2012 e92 M3 (mineral white metallic with fox red inter.) couple of weeks back. Will post some pics soon.

Here are my planned mods:

1. OEM exhaust mod
2. Window tint
3. Powder coat wheels (gloss black)
4. Vorsteiner rear diffuser
5. EAS extended pedal shifters

For exhaust mod I contacted L&L auto link. He had a 2010 e92 m3 which I test drove and it sounded really nice. For the price he is charging it was fantastic.

I had searched the forum and was about to place an order on the original Vors rear diffuser but after reading that it often doesn't fit in straight I backed off. I just placed an order on a replica from 4AMotor which some of the fellow forum members used and they were impressed. They had to use 3M tape but fitment wasn't that bad. Anyone on this forum used these diffusers?

[Nucking Futs!]

Congrats! Which Vorsteiner-style diffuser did you order from them? I ordered the GTS-V style from cnbjautofans a few days ago & I think they're the same company as 4AMotor. If you ordered the same diffuser then the installation should be straight forward (4 OEM mounting points & a ton of 3M tape). Should be here in a few weeks so will let you know by then if you haven't installed before I do it.

BTW, no clue what the differences are between the 3M double-sided tape sold at Walmart/Target & Autozone besides the packaging but ended up getting the one at Autozone since it's less expensive per feet. Will probably use the whole roll but bought two to be on the safe side.

[Ripcurl]

Thanks Jimmy.

Yes it is the GTS-V one. Just ordered couple of days back and it should be here in 2-3 weeks. I think AutoZone's 3M should be fine. I will use that as well. One thing I noticed was that some times the weave of CF wasn't that good and they had to spray black paint on the back.

[Nucking Futs!]

No prob! Yeah, I read that whole thread as well. Some people did that since it's supposedly kind of thin in certain area's thus it shows the body color paint but I don't think it'll be a prob especially if it's that low on the car but we'll see.

[Ripcurl]

BTW, are you going to install it yourself or get some help. I guess the question is if I can install it while the car is on the ground or I have to lift it up. I might ask the same guy at L&L autolink to do it for me as it will better install with the car up.

I will send you a PM.

[Nucking Futs!]

I'm going to install it myself since it's not as wide as a front lip. Unlike most front lips for this car, you don't really need it off the ground although it'd be slightly easier. I'd advise mounting it in your garage or wherever then waiting a few hours (if not longer such as a day or two) before driving it to make sure you give the 3M tape a decent amount of time to adhere to both surfaces.

I never received a PM if you did send one.

[Ripcurl]

I am not sure why it didn't go through.

Any ways, you are correct to leave the car for a day or two. From reading the other forums there is always smalls gaps when the diffuser is installed and I wonder what water will do to the tape.

[Nucking Futs!]

Ya, I've been using 3M double-sided automotive tape forever now on different vehicles. You'd be surprised how well it works if applied correctly & had enough time to adhere. You'll be fine with water as long as you install it correctly. Also used it on the Arkym SE cf front lip (in addition to the OEM nuts & bolts) & that bad boy isn't going anywhere!

[540gone]

I used the Vorsteiner Type II rear diffuser & it fit perfectly. It also came with the proper two-sided tape already installed in a "slot" in the diffuser itself so the finished install fit flush against the rear bumper cover - all I had to do was remove the backing on the side that adheres to the bumper cover.

TIP 1: Be sure and clean the rear bumper cover where the tape will adhere with alcohol or something similar - do it at least twice to ensure it is very clean and the tape will adhere perfectly.

TIP 2: Once the diffuser is in place w/ the tape set, use some blue painters tape or something similar in several places to hold the diffuser firmly in place for a day or two to ensure the tape bonds to the bumper cover.

TIP 3: Once the install is complete & the tape cured in place, get a tube of black silicone sealant and run a tiny bead of the caulk around the entire edge of the diffuser - this completely fills in the gap and resolves any minor appearance problems.

[Ripcurl]

Good tips 540gone.

Can you post some pics if you don't mind.

[540gone]

I'd be happy to, but I sold the car a couple of months ago.

[Nucking Futs!]

Received it yesterday (ordered on the 14th so 8-days total for shipping from Taiwan) & installed today. Very easy to do but tedious. Fitment's 95% with the area above the exhaust tips (right below the grill on the bumper) having a very small gap but nothing that'd drive me nucking futs (see what I did there?). All four pre-drilled OEM mounting points matched up perfectly! Having two people would be ideal to mount but you can do it yourself. Here's what I did:

1) Test fit the diffuser to make sure it aligns with everything then remove the four 8mm bolts.

2) Wash that area of the bumper then dry off.

3) Apply a liberal amount of 3M double-sided automotive tape (I used 1.5-rolls) everywhere it's touching the bumper. Peel off all of the red non-sticky film except on the area's (edges) above the exhaust tips & side's. Just peel off slightly on those corners so you can grab them easily later on.

4) Align all four mounting points then screw the bolts (don't tighten all the way yet) making sure other parts of the diffuser doesn't touch the bumper just yet. Having a second set of hands is ideal for this step but not required.

5) Peel all of the remaining red film.

6) Slowly tighten all four bolts to the point it's secure making sure you don't crack the clearcoat or worst.

7) Inspect every area you applied the tape making sure it's sticking to the bumper as best can be including the underside.

8) Wipe off your fingerprints & admire!

It took me longer to remove all of the red film than actually installing the diffuser. Overall, I'm very happy considering the real deal's $1600+ & fitment's very good. Looks sleek & matches the 1x1 cf weave on the roof (in addition to the Arkym SE front lip). If mounted correctly, you don't need to use painters tape...It ain't going anywhere with all that 3M tape! Although, I probably wouldn't drive it for a day or two to make sure the 3M tape adheres completely. I can post a pic of where I mounted the tape but I kid you not when I previously said I mounted it everywhere that's touching the bumper. Overall, it took me a little over an hour taking my time with 45-mins of that peeling off the red film.

Hope that helps!

[Ripcurl]

Thanks for the info Jimmy. Mine arrived yesterday as well but I will install it in around a week time. How was the quality of the CF and weave?

Also can you post some pictures please?

[Nucking Futs!]

No prob! Quality of the cf & weave are both very good regardless of price. Keep in mind, I'm pretty picky about that too. I wouldn't say it's perfect but it's 99.8% almost there. Honestly, you'd have to be less than a foot or two away to even notice it's not completely perfect especially with that part being so low to the ground. On mine, I didn't see any area that was too thin to the point it was translucent (as stated in that one thread) although I was prepared to paint the backside black if need be. These are the only pics I took...Told you I wasn't playing when I said I used the 3M tape everywhere, LOL! Probably a bit over kill but I'd rather spend the extra 15-20 mins applying all of that then to think about it later on. Let me know if you have additional questions. Excuse the dirty M3, once I decide on a cf trunk spoiler (CRT-style paint on the edge) or replacement trunk, I'll claybar & wax it:

[Ripcurl]

Sweet...that looks awesome. Yeah you are right about the 3M tape. This is another good remedy if the CF weave is not good ...LOL...

Will post some pics when I install mine.

[Nucking Futs!]

Haha! Sounds good!

[TexasSpartan]

Originally Posted by Ripcurl

Just bought my 2012 e92 M3 (mineral white metallic with fox red inter.) couple of weeks back. Will post some pics soon.

Here are my planned mods:

1. OEM exhaust mod
2. Window tint
3. Powder coat wheels (gloss black)
4. Vorsteiner rear diffuser
5. EAS extended pedal shifters

For exhaust mod I contacted L&L auto link. He had a 2010 e92 m3 which I test drove and it sounded really nice. For the price he is charging it was fantastic.

I had searched the forum and was about to place an order on the original Vors rear diffuser but after reading that it often doesn't fit in straight I backed off. I just placed an order on a replica from 4AMotor which some of the fellow forum members used and they were impressed. They had to use 3M tape but fitment wasn't that bad. Anyone on this forum used these diffusers?

What did L&L charge for the OEM exhaust mod?

[Ripcurl]

He is charging $400.

[Ripcurl]

Received the diffuser few days back and the box exactly looked like the one jimmy received. Did a dry installation run as it has been raining for the past few days so will install it once it dryes up. I think there are couple of holes that are not lining up properly but other then that it looks pretty good. I was amazed how light it was and CF quality is good as well. I think I will beat the shit out of the back with 3M tape as jimmy did so it shouldn't matter if couple of holes doesn't line up.

Jimmy, any suggestions with that. Is it safe to drill holes to line it up. I wish they would make the strip wider and leave a long hole so you could put the screw wherever it would lineup.

[Nucking Futs!]

It'll be safe to drill into the diffuser however, I recommend dry fitting again with a second set of hands (holding one side while you verify the other side) if you think the holes aren't lining up. The holes on mine aligned perfectly (& that's with me installing myself) so unless they jacked up on yours then all of the holes should line up. If the holes aren't too off-centered (few millimeters) then you can always buy longer bolts (make sure they're stainless steel though). I can get the measurements of the bolt tomorrow if you need them.

Lastly, steps 3 - 6 I listed up above are very important especially the corners (edges) of the diffuser & screwing slowly when tightening. Let me know if you have additional questions.

[Ripcurl]

Thanks jimmy. Looks like they did mess up on mine. I did a dry run and if I match the oem bumper face with diffuser then they won't line up. I would appreciate if you send me the new measurements for longer bolts.

I also wanted to ask you where should I go for H&R springs installation and how much should it cost around DFW?

[Nucking Futs!]

Will get the measurements later today once I get home. Should be easy to find at Home Depot or Lowes. Which holes & how far off for each one?

Did you get the PM I sent last night regarding the spring install info?