Former M5 boat captain gets an M3..

[shrimp_chips]

Hi, I'm going to start a small, build-thread on a 2009 E90 M3 I picked up yesterday from fellow-board-member, FrenchBoy.

I sold my Dakar yellow ZCP E92 late last year, and got into a MINI GP and an E36 S50 M3. Sold the Mini after a few months, and picked up my current DD, the F10 M5. The M5 is a great car but it's too heavy for me, so after thoughts of S2000's and BRZ's were done running through my mind. I eventually came to the conclusion that I needed another E9X M3, but an E90 and 6MT this time around.

I ended up purchasing this particular E90 from FrenchBoy because it was perfectly stock in the engine bay, and it came with a nice set of upgrades; Akrapovic Evolution, Stoptech Trophies, JRZ RS1, and Cantrell brake ducts.

The plan for the build is to go as light as possible without my garage looking like the M3 vomited it's entire interior in it. I'm going to start the car off with a refresh to start with a solid base.

Updates w/ pics on the build will happen once I get the car back up to Seattle.



Pic of my former mini-stable for pictures-sake:

[bgalex]

Congrats on the pick up! What is the major reason you went from F10 to E90 again?

Funny thing is, I sold my E46 M3 to get my current E90 M3 ZCP but looking to get into a F10 M5 next year. Wondered why you switched!

What you doing to this one?

[shrimp_chips]

I haven't owned the car for 24hrs. yet, and it's already heading the car to Malek at MRF Engineering so he can work his magic on it.

1. MRF solid rear subframe upgrade
2. Turner diff. bushing
3. Rogue Eng. monoballs up front
4. Replace motor mounts (OEM)
5. Replace and upgrade rod bearings (motor is about to turn 70k w/ multiple track days)



Here's a teaser pic of the nicest set of real OG TE37s (no raised-lettering around edge) which I've ever come across. Titanium-silver and an absolute barn find. I was lucky to buy it from another forum member, 'Slicer,' who gets all the credit for bringing these to the light of day

Debating whether or not to use it for the E90. Cat loves it lol.

[shrimp_chips]

Originally Posted by bgalex

Congrats on the pick up! What is the major reason you went from F10 to E90 again?

Funny thing is, I sold my E46 M3 to get my current E90 M3 ZCP but looking to get into a F10 M5 next year. Wondered why you switched!

What you doing to this one?

I actually still have the F10. I guess that made the choice a little bit easier lol. E46 M3's are my favorite M3 body of all time.

I'd say to make sure you drive it a bit before buy it. It's the ultimate cruiser, and it's bat-$hit fast going straight. I just enjoy my cars high-strung...and the M5 is too "comfortable," even with the Comp. pkg. Great car, but apples to oranges. You should keep the M3, and get an F10 550i (almost the same as an M5 in the real-world imo).

I'm going to make it into a race car that I can drive to work and pick up groceries in.

[bgalex]

Originally Posted by shrimp_chips

I actually still have the F10. I guess that made the choice a little bit easier lol. E46 M3's are my favorite M3 body of all time.

I'd say to make sure you drive it a bit before buy it. It's the ultimate cruiser, and it's bat-$hit fast going straight. I just enjoy my cars high-strung...and the M5 is too "comfortable," even with the Comp. pkg. Great car, but apples to oranges. You should keep the M3, and get an F10 550i (almost the same as an M5 in the real-world imo).

I'm going to make it into a race car that I can drive to work and pick up groceries in.

Post some pics of the F10! And what kind of brake ducts do you have on the E90? Post some pictures of the mods

[the6M3]

Nicely done! I myself plan on adding a F10 M5 ZCP for daily duty in a few years while keeping my M3. I feel like it's a fantastic combo of modernism and sportiness.

[FrenchBoy]

Congrats buddy. I look forward to seeing what happens to my old car :-)

[Move Over]

Darren what kind of suspension are you going with?? Or are you keeping it under wraps?

[slipaway37]

Originally Posted by shrimp_chips

Hi, I'm going to start a small, build-thread on a 2009 E90 M3 I picked up yesterday from fellow-board-member, FrenchBoy.

I sold my Dakar yellow ZCP E92 late last year, and got into a MINI GP and an E36 S50 M3. Sold the Mini after a few months, and picked up my current DD, the F10 M5. The M5 is a great car but it's too heavy for me, so after thoughts of S2000's and BRZ's were done running through my mind. I eventually came to the conclusion that I needed another E9X M3, but an E90 and 6MT this time around.

I ended up purchasing this particular E90 from FrenchBoy because it was perfectly stock in the engine bay, and it came with a nice set of upgrades; Akrapovic Evolution, Stoptech Trophies, JRZ RS1, and Cantrell brake ducts.

The plan for the build is to go as light as possible without my garage looking like the M3 vomited it's entire interior in it. I'm going to start the car off with a refresh to start with a solid base.

Updates w/ pics on the build will happen once I get the car back up to Seattle.



Pic of my former mini-stable for pictures-sake:

Seeing your driveway pic instantly made me think of my old awesome house in Federal Way, WA! Miss that place a lot! Love the SG e90 M3!

[shrimp_chips]

Originally Posted by Move Over

Darren what kind of suspension are you going with?? Or are you keeping it under wraps?

Lol, you would know better than me

Originally Posted by slipaway37

Seeing your driveway pic instantly made me think of my old awesome house in Federal Way, WA! Miss that place a lot! Love the SG e90 M3!

Yeah, a sunny day in WA is awesome. You're one of the few that have moved out of the state, seems like everyone is coming but not going. Thank you for the traffic-relief

Originally Posted by bgalex

Post some pics of the F10! And what kind of brake ducts do you have on the E90? Post some pictures of the mods

Nicolas, aka 'FrenchBoy' installed the Cantrell ducts. The install looks great, no rubbing, and the air inlets are cut out of the front-lower felt boxes. I actually have a picture from when I loaded the up on transport.




Pics of the M5, which is currently at the dealer's body shop ATM with a broken window.

[shrimp_chips]

It's only been a couple days but my plans have already taken a major turn. I intended to retain the JRZ RS1's, but 'Move_Over' was selling his Motons, and I felt obligated to take them in, and give them a home. RS1's for sale soon

Alex was nice enough to box everything up, and ship it out this morning.

Wish that I could ogle the dampers in person, but since the car is already on it's way to Malek at MRF, I had the Motons shipped there.

[Hujan]

Congrats on the E90!

You made a wise choice taking your car to MRF. That shop is simply the best in SoCal, hands down. I just picked up my E92 there yesterday for some work and it is dialed. Your car is in great hands with Malek.

Nice pickup on those TE37s from Slicer. I saw those wheels in person and the finish quality is unbelievable. Easily the nicest silver I've ever seen. The Japanese do some fantastic silver finishes and yours might be the best of them. Enjoy!

[jaehshim]

Congrats and welcome back!
If I had to have 1 car, just can't beat an E90 M3 6MT
If I had a NA GT3 in my garage, F10 M5 would be my perfect FI daily sedan.

[sansin]

congrats on the pick up! nicolas was kind enough to take me for a quick ride so i could experience the akra... you have a great car there

do you think the guys at mrf could snap some shots of the bearings when they're out? i am curious to see how they look. nicolas did such a great job of caring for that car and making sure fluids were readily replaced. i just wonder if there is still an issue with the bearings...

Edit: those TE's would look great on that car!

[Bimmer-M3]

Wow..you shipped the car down to Socal to do the modifications? There are no good shops in Seattle area?

[shrimp_chips]

I'm planning a week vacation down there, so I thought it'd be nice to fly down, and drive back. I was also talking to Andrew at Lang Racing about their carbon roof, and since he's a couple miles from MRF..everything just worked out.

Cantrell Motorsports and Group 2 are some great shops up here, so nothing against them . The original owner of my E36 actually had his car built by RRT in VA.

Originally Posted by Bimmer-M3

Wow..you shipped the car down to Socal to do the modifications? There are no good shops in Seattle area?

[shrimp_chips]

My other project: Not that much left to do on this one, just need to replace some trim and return it to the OEM amber light setup. Former owner, no joke, used gorilla glue to mount the spoiler on to the trunk lid lol, so I need to tackle that soon. I took a gamble buying this one, luckily it ended up being a diamond in the rough. Sorry for the lack of pics, all I could find on my computer.

A few mods but relatively OEM++, I’ll keep it simple:
1995 Cosmos black S50 M3 46,xxx miles (fourth owner)

-Overhauled cooling system (most E36-guys can relate)
-Active Autowerke stage-2 supercharger with methanol injection.
-Brembo 355GT BBK
-OS Giken TR1-CD single-plate clutch & lightened flywheel
-Bilstein Clubsport coilovers (the best street coilover that no one talks about or uses IMO.)
-If it was rubber, and under the car; it was replaced. (the bane of low-mileage older-vehicles.)
-Front and rear subframe reinforcement

The car was built and setup by RRT Racing in VA by the first owner. The suspension is setup perfect for the street, I’ve never rubbed, and the suspension feels so compliant it’s amazing. The extra-light flywheel can cause stalls if I get lazy with the clutch coming to a stop. It has a semi-brutal OS Giken clutch which took a little getting used to, it was so stiff I thought I was going to lose a toenail while driving it for the first time. Eventually, I realized that I was ‘breaking it in.’ It just seems like the owner had the car built, and never drove it. The Brembo brakes look brand new too.

I have a feeling this E90 project is going to slow down the progress on the E36. But I hope to have it ready by next Spring.

[MFL]

I recently got rid of my 332is

My JB Racing Flywheel + Clutchmasters Kevlar is about as good as it got as far as clutches were concerned in my opinion. Cool E36!

[Flying Ace]

I approve

[W///]

Originally Posted by shrimp_chips

My other project: Not that much left to do on this one, just need to replace some trim and return it to the OEM amber light setup. Former owner, no joke, used gorilla glue to mount the spoiler on to the trunk lid lol, so I need to tackle that soon. I took a gamble buying this one, luckily it ended up being a diamond in the rough. Sorry for the lack of pics, all I could find on my computer.

A few mods but relatively OEM++, I’ll keep it simple:
1995 Cosmos black S50 M3 46,xxx miles (fourth owner)

-Overhauled cooling system (most E36-guys can relate)
-Active Autowerke stage-2 supercharger with methanol injection.
-Brembo 355GT BBK
-OS Giken TR1-CD single-plate clutch & lightened flywheel
-Bilstein Clubsport coilovers (the best street coilover that no one talks about or uses IMO.)
-If it was rubber, and under the car; it was replaced. (the bane of low-mileage older-vehicles.)
-Front and rear subframe reinforcement

The car was built and setup by RRT Racing in VA by the first owner. The suspension is setup perfect for the street, I’ve never rubbed, and the suspension feels so compliant it’s amazing. The extra-light flywheel can cause stalls if I get lazy with the clutch coming to a stop. It has a semi-brutal OS Giken clutch which took a little getting used to, it was so stiff I thought I was going to lose a toenail while driving it for the first time. Eventually, I realized that I was ‘breaking it in.’ It just seems like the owner had the car built, and never drove it. The Brembo brakes look brand new too.

I have a feeling this E90 project is going to slow down the progress on the E36. But I hope to have it ready by next Spring.

What a cool combo of cars you have, very similar to mine! Got a Sparkling Graphite E92 M3 and Techno Violet E36 M3 coupe.

There have been many times I thought about adding a JCW, those cars are a freaken blast. Had a Cooper S convertible while I worked in England for a couple of months and had a blast in that car. So why'd you sell the GP?

[shrimp_chips]

Originally Posted by W///

What a cool combo of cars you have, very similar to mine! Got a Sparkling Graphite E92 M3 and Techno Violet E36 M3 coupe.

There have been many times I thought about adding a JCW, those cars are a freaken blast. Had a Cooper S convertible while I worked in England for a couple of months and had a blast in that car. So why'd you sell the GP?

Honestly, it was too harsh. And I've had a Honda Civic with horrible coilovers, an EVO IX w/ KW CS, and a variety of Japanese coilovers.

It had no sound-deadening, and came stock with RS-3's. So it was quick, and turn-in was when and how you want it lol. But way too uncomfortable for a DD with the OEM Bilstein setup. It would be awesome to have tucked away in the garage. I was actually looking for an R53 GP before I came back to the E9x.