Some Updates on the Signal Green M3

JEllis · 05-17-2015, 01:02 PM

The car is over two years old now and I felt it was time to transition to the final form I wanted the car to take. The huge wing, green TEs and SC were fun but in the long run I felt I wanted something a little more OEM+.

First, I contacted Malek at MRF and discussed the move to an RKP GTS/GT4 wing. With Maleks help I ordered a new E92 trunk lid that would have welded in reinforcements for the wing.

IMG_0830 by JEllis, on Flickr

As you can see the RKP reinforcements are welded to the structure of the trunk lid. Very sturdy!

MRFs paint guy did a great job matching both the exterior color but also the matte under coat.

IMG_0828 by JEllis, on Flickr

I chose the flat black version of the wing as it best represented an authentic GT4/GTS wing. And, I think it flows nicely with the signal green paint.

IMG_0831 by JEllis, on Flickr

This is the first time the car has been at MRF since the new wheels and RS3s. Time for an alignment check. As expected, I had fallen out of spec due to some changes I had made in ride height and camber.

IMG_0832 by JEllis, on Flickr

Having the car on the lift and a good tire shop down the street gave me an opportunity to have the wheels re-balanced with a road force machine. No more pesky vibration.

IMG_0826 by JEllis, on Flickr

Now I loved the SC and I still believe the ESS 550 is one of the best kits on the market. But, I had always intended for this car to be NA over the long haul.

IMG_0836 by JEllis, on Flickr

I had saved just about every tiny part when I installed the SC. Even this connector housing that had to be removed for integration with the ESS manifold. Its all about the details.

IMG_0838 by JEllis, on Flickr

I normally try to go with OE parts but this Clampco clamp is far superior to the OE one.

IMG_0849 by JEllis, on Flickr

The kit sold in two days after removal and went to a good home!

IMG_0844 by JEllis, on Flickr

Cleaned up some pieces I removed during the SC un-install.

IMG_0850 by JEllis, on Flickr

Cleaned and protected my wheel hubs!

IMG_0851 by JEllis, on Flickr

Touched up and then sealed the corners of the bumper with helicopter rotor tape. These little corners are not normally seen but they sometimes rub on the headlight.

IMG_0852 by JEllis, on Flickr

I ordered a bunch of replacement clips and OE fabric tape to put all the wires I had moved during the SC install back into OE position.

IMG_0853 by JEllis, on Flickr

I am a little OCD when it comes to my cars and after 14 years of E36 ownership I know how these wire looms can rub through paint. I decided to prevent it here with some stick on rubber sheeting.

IMG_0854 by JEllis, on Flickr

Well I am not going all the way back to stock with the motor. Here is the Dinan intake side by side with the OE intake.

IMG_0855 by JEllis, on Flickr

A lot of people have questioned any advantage a Dinan intake has over a drop in filter. Here you can see the size difference in the collars that attach to the filter. Dinan claims theirs is 30% larger. It certainly looks less restrictive.

IMG_0857 by JEllis, on Flickr

Its a beautiful piece installed.

IMG_0858 by JEllis, on Flickr

The noise the Dinan intake helps the motor make is bliss.

IMG_0859 by JEllis, on Flickr

IMG_0863 by JEllis, on Flickr

IMG_0872 by JEllis, on Flickr

IMG_0871 by JEllis, on Flickr

Messing with my camera to try convey the true color of my car.

IMG_0869 by JEllis, on Flickr

X5-User · 05-17-2015, 01:39 PM

man...what a beautiful car !

E90M3velocity · 05-17-2015, 01:43 PM

Yours is one of the best builds i've seen while lurking in this forum for years. Functional and no bs. Have you ever thought about stroking the motor too?

JEllis · 05-17-2015, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E90M3velocity

Yours is one of the best builds i've seen while lurking in this forum for years. Functional and no bs. Have you ever thought about stroking the motor too?

Yes I am considering a built motor as the next step.

BobS · 05-17-2015, 01:57 PM

If your going to go NA and keep the car, a stroker would be awesome! The car looks the part for sure...very nice

webninja · 05-17-2015, 04:54 PM

Great photos. Saw this car in person at MRF, and the level of detail is impressive, the signal green looks much better in person. It's interesting you went back to NA, maybe a stroker in your future

buddalun · 05-17-2015, 05:38 PM

Very nice. What kind of side mirrors are those?

JEllis · 05-17-2015, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buddalun

Very nice. What kind of side mirrors are those?

BMW DTM/Le Mans Motorsport Mirrors and RKP mounts from IND.

IMG_0548 by JEllis, on Flickr

Curt2000 · 05-17-2015, 06:47 PM

Very nice Jason! You have unmatched attention to detail and impeccable taste!

STooK · 05-17-2015, 10:42 PM

I thought I was OCD but your attention to detail is unparalleled…car is perfect in every way. I hope you end up holding on to it for as long as you can…although if you do sell it whoever buys it will be very lucky.

mah1688 · 05-17-2015, 10:48 PM

gorgeous car!

AP3X_FTW · 05-17-2015, 11:15 PM

Glad to see that the blower was removed. The extra power can be fun on the street, but the S66 is a beautiful high revving NA motor that really does not need a blower. You will be much better off this way should you put her through her paces at the track.

I love your attention to detail. I think the gold E88's are beautiful on a white or black car, but I would go with silver with a polished lip in this case.

Very nice

JEllis · 05-17-2015, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AP3X_FTW

Glad to see that the blower was removed. The extra power can be fun on the street, but the S66 is a beautiful high revving NA motor that really does not need a blower. You will be much better off this way should you put her through her paces at the track.

I love your attention to detail. I think the gold E88's are beautiful on a white or black car, but I would go with silver with a polished lip in this case.

Very nice

The blower made the car a beast on the straights of big willow. I think my times on that particular track will suffer. The smaller tracks, like streets, probably a wash.

That being said, the S65 is a beautiful NA motor.

Hujan · 05-18-2015, 12:22 AM

Amazing car. Still can't believe I haven't seen her in person. Someday soon, I hope.

KudosM3 · 05-18-2015, 02:29 AM

One of my favourite builds

Is this a car for life? No plans to move to the new F8X?

BMWDEMON · 05-18-2015, 07:34 AM

Looking great as usual!

JEllis · 05-18-2015, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hujan

Amazing car. Still can't believe I haven't seen her in person. Someday soon, I hope.

Bimmerfest? You going?

Quote:

Originally Posted by KudosM3

One of my favourite builds

Is this a car for life? No plans to move to the new F8X?

Yeah no plans to ever sell. I could see myself in an F8X but it would be in addition to my small collection instead of a replacement.

nicksm3 · 05-18-2015, 10:05 AM

- Hence why i kept my motor N/A and will

Always loved your car man!

mkPOTO · 05-18-2015, 10:56 AM

great work. I have been thinking about doing the same thing as well. Car looks stunning as always though!

SheaButter · 05-18-2015, 11:37 AM

Was the first drive home without the blower sort of depressing? I remember when I uninstalled my blower from my C6 and went back down to around 450hp it felt like my E-brake was up... haha

Great looking M3 btw!

JEllis · 05-18-2015, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheaButter

Was the first drive home without the blower sort of depressing? I remember when I uninstalled my blower from my C6 and went back down to around 450hp it felt like my E-brake was up... haha

Great looking M3 btw!

Honestly, I dont miss it. The 550 kit is fairly mild to begin with and it was not really on boost till higher in the rev band. I did really like the kind of boost squirt high in the rev band as it rolled in.... it always made me giddy.

Edward · 05-18-2015, 01:11 PM

I like this car a lot better now.

It looks like Tom Schirmer's M3 builds.

I think the S65 powerplant is too special and unique to muck up with a blower anyway. You'd do your laptimes more of a favor by ditching more weight (if possible) and going even more hardcore on the suspension and chassis.

05-17-2015, 01:02 PM	#1
JEllis Major General 532 Rep 5,498 Posts Drives: E36 M3, E92 M3 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth iTrader: (4)	Some Updates on the Signal Green M3 The car is over two years old now and I felt it was time to transition to the final form I wanted the car to take. The huge wing, green TEs and SC were fun but in the long run I felt I wanted something a little more OEM+. First, I contacted Malek at MRF and discussed the move to an RKP GTS/GT4 wing. With Maleks help I ordered a new E92 trunk lid that would have welded in reinforcements for the wing. IMG_0830 by JEllis, on Flickr As you can see the RKP reinforcements are welded to the structure of the trunk lid. Very sturdy! MRFs paint guy did a great job matching both the exterior color but also the matte under coat. IMG_0828 by JEllis, on Flickr I chose the flat black version of the wing as it best represented an authentic GT4/GTS wing. And, I think it flows nicely with the signal green paint. IMG_0831 by JEllis, on Flickr This is the first time the car has been at MRF since the new wheels and RS3s. Time for an alignment check. As expected, I had fallen out of spec due to some changes I had made in ride height and camber. IMG_0832 by JEllis, on Flickr Having the car on the lift and a good tire shop down the street gave me an opportunity to have the wheels re-balanced with a road force machine. No more pesky vibration. IMG_0826 by JEllis, on Flickr Now I loved the SC and I still believe the ESS 550 is one of the best kits on the market. But, I had always intended for this car to be NA over the long haul. IMG_0836 by JEllis, on Flickr I had saved just about every tiny part when I installed the SC. Even this connector housing that had to be removed for integration with the ESS manifold. Its all about the details. IMG_0838 by JEllis, on Flickr I normally try to go with OE parts but this Clampco clamp is far superior to the OE one. IMG_0849 by JEllis, on Flickr The kit sold in two days after removal and went to a good home! IMG_0844 by JEllis, on Flickr Cleaned up some pieces I removed during the SC un-install. IMG_0850 by JEllis, on Flickr Cleaned and protected my wheel hubs! IMG_0851 by JEllis, on Flickr Touched up and then sealed the corners of the bumper with helicopter rotor tape. These little corners are not normally seen but they sometimes rub on the headlight. IMG_0852 by JEllis, on Flickr I ordered a bunch of replacement clips and OE fabric tape to put all the wires I had moved during the SC install back into OE position. IMG_0853 by JEllis, on Flickr I am a little OCD when it comes to my cars and after 14 years of E36 ownership I know how these wire looms can rub through paint. I decided to prevent it here with some stick on rubber sheeting. IMG_0854 by JEllis, on Flickr Well I am not going all the way back to stock with the motor. Here is the Dinan intake side by side with the OE intake. IMG_0855 by JEllis, on Flickr A lot of people have questioned any advantage a Dinan intake has over a drop in filter. Here you can see the size difference in the collars that attach to the filter. Dinan claims theirs is 30% larger. It certainly looks less restrictive. IMG_0857 by JEllis, on Flickr Its a beautiful piece installed. IMG_0858 by JEllis, on Flickr The noise the Dinan intake helps the motor make is bliss. IMG_0859 by JEllis, on Flickr IMG_0863 by JEllis, on Flickr IMG_0872 by JEllis, on Flickr IMG_0871 by JEllis, on Flickr Messing with my camera to try convey the true color of my car. IMG_0869 by JEllis, on Flickr __________________ Instagram: jellismotorwerks Last edited by JEllis; 05-17-2015 at 01:15 PM..
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05-17-2015, 01:39 PM	#2
X5-User Lieutenant Colonel 188 Rep 1,755 Posts Drives: X5 35d Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: VA iTrader: (2)	man...what a beautiful car !
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05-17-2015, 01:43 PM	#3
E90M3velocity Captain 338 Rep 923 Posts Drives: Manual-Slicktop E90 M3 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Bay Area CA iTrader: (4)	Yours is one of the best builds i've seen while lurking in this forum for years. Functional and no bs. Have you ever thought about stroking the motor too?
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05-17-2015, 01:57 PM	#5
BobS Colonel 97 Rep 2,002 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southern NJ iTrader: (0)	If your going to go NA and keep the car, a stroker would be awesome! The car looks the part for sure...very nice __________________ ESS 650 ACM-R Upgrades
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05-17-2015, 04:54 PM	#6
webninja First Lieutenant 23 Rep 339 Posts Drives: 2011.75 E90 M3 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: LA iTrader: (5)	Great photos. Saw this car in person at MRF, and the level of detail is impressive, the signal green looks much better in person. It's interesting you went back to NA, maybe a stroker in your future
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05-17-2015, 05:38 PM	#7
buddalun Lieutenant Colonel 679 Rep 1,934 Posts Drives: 911 x 2, Tesla M3P & MYP Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: USA iTrader: (7)	Very nice. What kind of side mirrors are those?
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05-17-2015, 06:47 PM	#9
Curt2000 Brigadier General 1013 Rep 3,157 Posts Drives: '93 Supra Turbo Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Washington D.C. iTrader: (25)	Very nice Jason! You have unmatched attention to detail and impeccable taste! __________________ Former Car: '16 SUNBURST GOLD F80 ///M3--6MT/Carbon Cloth (ED Thread) Former Car:'13 SANTORINI BLUE E92///M3--6MT/Speed Cloth/ZCP(ED Thread) INSTAGRAM:@C2KMotorsports
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05-17-2015, 10:42 PM	#10
STooK Lieutenant Colonel 726 Rep 1,974 Posts Drives: 2013 E92 M3 ZCP Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: NY iTrader: (6)	I thought I was OCD but your attention to detail is unparalleled…car is perfect in every way. I hope you end up holding on to it for as long as you can…although if you do sell it whoever buys it will be very lucky. __________________ 2013 BMW E92 ///M3 AW/BLK ZCP CF Roof 6 Speed - Perfection 2011 BMW E90 328i xDrive Space Grey/Black - Daily 2011 BMW E93 ///M3 MW/FR/BLK 6 Speed - Gone but not forgotten
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05-17-2015, 10:48 PM	#11
mah1688 Enlisted Member 11 Rep 43 Posts Drives: 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 Join Date: May 2015 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (0)	gorgeous car!
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05-17-2015, 11:15 PM	#12
AP3X_FTW Captain 216 Rep 982 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: OC iTrader: (15)	Glad to see that the blower was removed. The extra power can be fun on the street, but the S66 is a beautiful high revving NA motor that really does not need a blower. You will be much better off this way should you put her through her paces at the track. I love your attention to detail. I think the gold E88's are beautiful on a white or black car, but I would go with silver with a polished lip in this case. Very nice __________________ E46 ///M3 Race Car F15 X5 ///Msport For Sale - E92 M3 Full Black Interior Part Out
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05-18-2015, 12:22 AM	#14
Hujan Brigadier General 569 Rep 3,742 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: . iTrader: (16)	Amazing car. Still can't believe I haven't seen her in person. Someday soon, I hope.
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05-18-2015, 02:29 AM	#15
KudosM3 First Lieutenant 160 Rep 325 Posts Drives: M3 V8 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	One of my favourite builds Is this a car for life? No plans to move to the new F8X?
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05-18-2015, 07:34 AM	#16
BMWDEMON Super modder 104 Rep 1,973 Posts Drives: E90 M3 & E46 M3 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Annapolis, MD iTrader: (1)	Looking great as usual! __________________ SOLD - 2005 E46 M3 ZCP - I/B on black CURRENT - 2011 E90 M3 - meticulously modified 2015 X1 Xdrive 28i
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05-18-2015, 10:05 AM	#18
nicksm3 Colonel 969 Rep 2,433 Posts Drives: e92 m3 Competition Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Westchester NY iTrader: (6)	- Hence why i kept my motor N/A and will Always loved your car man!
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05-18-2015, 10:56 AM	#19
mkPOTO Mr. Nice Says Hello 636 Rep 16,662 Posts Drives: BMW M3 \| X5 xdrive 35i MSport Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: USA iTrader: (25) Garage List 2002 Lexus GS300 [0.00] 2008 BMW E92 M3 [5.58]	great work. I have been thinking about doing the same thing as well. Car looks stunning as always though!
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05-18-2015, 11:37 AM	#20
SheaButter Lieutenant 275 Rep 529 Posts Drives: F80 M3CP F86 X6M Join Date: May 2015 Location: Irvine, CA iTrader: (2)	Was the first drive home without the blower sort of depressing? I remember when I uninstalled my blower from my C6 and went back down to around 450hp it felt like my E-brake was up... haha Great looking M3 btw!
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05-18-2015, 01:11 PM	#22
Edward Colonel 377 Rep 2,982 Posts Drives: 2013.9999 E92 Jerez ZCP Join Date: May 2010 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (2)	I like this car a lot better now. It looks like Tom Schirmer's M3 builds. I think the S65 powerplant is too special and unique to muck up with a blower anyway. You'd do your laptimes more of a favor by ditching more weight (if possible) and going even more hardcore on the suspension and chassis.
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