Singletrack's M3

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by SchnellM3

Looking good as always


Any plans to swap out the OEM chrome grills to match the Gloss black accents?




*Also noticed that you blocked out your plate all the other pictures but the last one you posted... Just a heads up

Thanks! Just doing so additional touch-up right now. A couple of small places I didn't have enough K1, so I am forcing it in with a plastic razorblade. Kind of tedious, but it will be perfect when I'm done.

I had the grills all black for a while, and it looks cool in certain lighting (like at night) but kind of dull in the flat lighting we have 80% of the time in Pittsburgh. So I actually put the chrome trim back on to add a little definition to the front end. While it doesn't match the shadowline, it does match the 220s, so that's my thoughts on design cohesion there.

Thanks for the heads up on the plate - yah, was just lazy today and I don't even know why I really do it to be honest. Seems like there would be a number of easier ways to locate my car or me if someone really wanted too...I have a gun and a shovel people : )

[Singletrack]

All done. Add that to the list of things I'd like to never do again before I die...although I have to say I'm very happy with the result.

I'm sure I could actually do a great job in half the time now that I've done it.

Crappy iphone pic of completed install:



I'll have some additional notes up tomorrow and better pictures once I get a chance.

[Singletrack]

Took the car up to 120 and it didn't fly off, so I think I'm good : P

So here are my notes on this install; I hope they will help someone:

-Use dental floss or fishing line (better) and heat gun to remove spoiler. Heat it up one section at a time, pull line, repeat until done.
-My adhesive was badly weathered since it had been on the car for close to 4 years. Since it was brittle, it was basically impossible to peal it off; even with heat. I saturated it with "Goo Gone" and let it sit for probably 15minutes. Then dried it off, and used heat to remove it along with a plastic razor blade. You want to get a big enough piece going to you can try to heat and pull it off…like taking a sticker off in one piece. The goo gone will soften the adhesive so it is easier to work.
-Once that is done, you may need to correct the paint. I had some pretty decent watermarks on the paint. I used Meg's 105 to remove the spots, but many products will work. A commonly available one is scratch-x 2.0, which can be had at most auto parts stores, target, etc…
-Once the paint is clean of that, it needs to be wiped down with the cleaner that comes with the k1.
-Bottom of spoiler must also be prepped. Before applying the cleaner, I also lightly sanded the bottom of the spoiler per the instructions.
-With regard to positioning, I did the following. I taped down the spoiler to the trunk where I thought the fitment was as close to perfect as possible.
-I then took painters tape and ran a line where the spoiler meets the top of the trunk. I also marked the sides so I knew exactly where to put the spoiler once I had the K1 on it. Be careful here because you do not want to put the spoiler on top of the tape, or it will be a bitch to get the tape off. The other nice thing about this, is that if you do have too much K1 applied, it will run onto the tape, and not the trunk.
-Next you need to apply the K1 to the spoiler. Now I've heard people say less is more and blah blah. I don't agree. You really need a fair amount of this stuff - particularly on the very ends and in the very middle. You also need to make sure to apply an adequate amount behind, and on, the surface that mounts to the top of the trunk. If you fail to do so, you can actually end up being able to see "daylight" between the spoiler and the trunk. I had this issue and had to go back and force more K1 into the cracks using a plastic razor blade. This really sucked. The right amount is enough to fully adhere all the surfaces, but not so much that it oozes out everywhere when you press it down. Still, I chose to put a lot on the ends and spend time cleaning it vs. going to thin and having it not bond properly.
-Once you have the spoiler lined up, drop it on starting from one side, using the tape as a guide, and lay it down on the trunk.
-Next I focused on the ends since they were lifting on my particular spoiler. I taped down one side with painters tape, then the other, then taped down the center lightly. You don't want to crank the thing down just yet because you can distort it.
-Once I had it as well aligned as possible, I added tons of painters tape to keep it in that position and to keep any high points pinned to the trunk.
-Next I cranked down the ends using duct tape on top of the painters tape to ensure the ends were perfectly flush.
-I then put show towels between the spoiler and the bottom of the trunk and put some heavy clamps on to hold the ends.
-Now you need to remove any extra K1.
-The spatula that comes with the kit is very good. You can use the end to push k1 under the spoiler, or lift it out. You can use the teeth, in a circular motion to pull the k1 out of the cracks. The cleaning agent is also a big help here. I applied it with a q-tip, microfiber, etc. I then used the spatula, plastic razor blade, toothpick, and even paper (believe it or not) to remove the access. The way you use the latter is to fold a nice sharp crease and then drag it on the surface of the cracks. The paper essentially acts like a shovel to dig out the extra.
-Note, in reasonable heat and humidity, this stuff sets up pretty fast, so you want to work briskly.
-The K1 does not need to be perfect at this point, but you want any remaining exposed K1 to be thin or diluted with the cleaner.
-The absolute KEY before you step away is to ensure that the alignment is good and the ends are really cranked down.
-Go away for an hour and come back to clean up the rest of the K1, At this point it will be the consistency of dry tar. It is a little easier to pick at since it won't streak anymore. Use the above mentioned tools to get it perfect. Double check the corners to ensure they are not lifting.
-If you did everything perfectly, you can now go away for 4 hours, then come back and take all the tape off. If you find any extra K1, it can still be removed, but may be a bit tougher. The plastic razor blades are a life saver here!
-You'll need to wax anywhere that the cleaner was applied to protect the paint.

Things I screwed up:

As mentioned above, I didn't have enough K1 in the center section. Even after the spoiler was on there, I could see that there were some gaps. To fix this, I placed tape up against the spoiler in these areas, placed K1 on the tape, then pushed it into the cracks using the razor, the spatula, etc. This is not difficult, but cleaning the excess can be a pain in the ass. This is especially true on the underside of the spoiler which mates with the back side of the trunk. It is very difficult to work in this area.

Other recommendations:

-Lighting: I would recommend one high powered light on top of the roof pointing back at the top of the trunk. I used a second light and had it shining across the trunk. This allows you to see if there are any gaps between the spoiler and the trunk (not enough K1). It also allows you to see into all the cracks to clean up the excess.
-If you screw up the alignment or K1 or whatever, don't hesitate to take the thing off and start again. If you are going to do this though, you have to make the call early. Once this stuff sets up, it is a pain in the ass to remove from the spoiler. The top of the trunk is easy to clean up.

Anyway, those are my verbose notes on the install. I hope they are of benefit! Hopefully I remembered everything; but will edit this if anything else comes to mind. Please let me know if there are questions.

Later!

[Singletrack]

Better pictures:






...and now for more driving ; )

[e92_m3]

Looks good man! Love the mods you did, but why debadge an ///M?

Stealthier I guess? Not so hot on the cops eyes? Some guys will think that it's a 335?

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by SchnellM3

Looking good as always


Any plans to swap out the OEM chrome grills to match the Gloss black accents?




*Also noticed that you blocked out your plate all the other pictures but the last one you posted... Just a heads up

Originally Posted by e92_m3

Looks good man! Love the mods you did, but why debadge an ///M?

Stealthier I guess? Not so hot on the cops eyes? Some guys will think that it's a 335?

Thanks!

RE: Debadge...once I put the spoiler on there, I liked it better without the badge. The tips, which you can't see too well there are a bit busy IMHO. The spoiler adds more lines to the rear. I'm a minimalist when it comes to design in general - not for everyone!

Curiously though, last time I was in Germany, almost every M3 I saw was debadged. I think most BMWs look better without badges. I still have them on the sides and everywhere else on the interior etc.

I'm married, so it doesn't matter if the chicks think it is "just" a 335 ; )

[Martin_D]

I personally think it looks very clean

-Martin

[M3SQRD]

^This

However, it does look a little strange at first glance without the M badge but very clean.

[esquire]

Super clean. I love the color matched spoiler add on. Well done

[Denk]

Retaining the classic look with just a little flair...love it!

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by Martin_D

I personally think it looks very clean

-Martin

Thanks man! Trying out those products today or tomorrow...will start a thread in detailing on them : )

Originally Posted by dbarnes

^This

However, it does look a little strange at first glance without the M badge but very clean.

Thanks, and I agree. The other thing I think would look cool is a silverstone II matched M logo with the colors still on there. Maybe I'll do this in a year if I get bored of the current look...

Originally Posted by esquire

Super clean. I love the color matched spoiler add on. Well done

Thanks man!

Originally Posted by Denk

Retaining the classic look with just a little flair...love it!

Thank you; makes me sound more sophisticated than I am ; )


...the other pic I need to get is through the rear-view mirror - you can see the top of the spoiler from inside the car.

Another interesting tid-bit...I think this thing might actually produce some noise at higher speeds from the airflow. Not a bad sound, just similar to say the noise the wind makes going through the mirrors. Have to drive it some more to make sure I'm not going crazy.

[IMG]

[Mike van D]

Looks good...the debadge does clean it up a bit. Well done.

My X6 is debadged, but don't know if I could do the M....love the look of it too much.

[jonasaurus]

Clean looking ride. I'm on the fence with your de-badge, I guess it works into the minimalist look well.

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by img

Thanks man; tribute from a true pimp ; )

Originally Posted by SehrSchnell

Looks awesome!!! I love your car! Nice work!

Thanks man! Putting that damn spoiler on was truly "work". I will never tell anyone how long it actually took me, because you will all think I live in my parents' basement.



...when in fact I sleep in the den.

Originally Posted by NeedMoreToyz

Looks good...the debadge does clean it up a bit. Well done.

My X6 is debadged, but don't know if I could do the M....love the look of it too much.

Thanks man! Yah, the M3 was one of my "dream" cars to an extent, so it took a while to pull the trigger : )

Originally Posted by jonasaurus

Clean looking ride. I'm on the fence with your de-badge, I guess it works into the minimalist look well.

Appreciate your opinion! Yah, I have two things that I think would look cool that I may play with - the ssII m badge, and maybe a little subtle M pinstripping work from IND. Just have to drive the car out there sometime this summer!

The X5 is going under the knife on 4/2.

; )

[Trevor .:R]

I have to say for the debadge i have it as well...

Little is more in my opinion

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by Trevor .:R

I have to say for the debadge i have it as well...

Little is more in my opinion

Thanks man; like your car as well! Yah, I'm liking it more each day...so I think I made the right decision. Plus I get to have the OEM badge here in my office as a decoration. Win-win ; )

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by SehrSchnell

Is that an Akra with carbon fiber tips?

But of course sir:



When do you get yours? : )

[GOLFFRR]

looking really really good buddy. Painted spoiler really sets it off!

[Singletrack]

Thanks Jimmy.

X5 thread is up for those that are interested : )

http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=678036

[datbimmerdoe]

ssii zcp spoiler n cf akra tips r titayz!

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by the infamous...

ssii zcp spoiler n cf akra tips r titayz!

Thank you. You sir, have a way with words.

For you: