unmolested 2008 6MT SSII E90 M3 speed cloth, low miles, BE RB done

[tubedreamer]

BIMMERPOST / Classifieds

Asking Price:

Sold

Item Interest

TL/DR: Selling a clean, unmolested, low option, all California E90 M3, BE rod bearings done.

2008 e90 M3
Color: Silverstone II
476xx mi
All-California car
No accidents
Title in hand

Options:
Silver stone metallic
Anthracite black interior
Speed cloth seats
Sycamore anthracite wood trim
6MT
EDC
Heated seats
Moonroof
iPod USB adapter
18” wheels with Bridgestone S-04
E90 M3 sedan floor mats



Detailed photos available upon request








Exterior: 8/10 - Overall in great shape, looks like new from 10 ft, especially for the mileage. If you look closely there is road rash on the front and impact areas behind the wheels. Rear bumper has some marks from the few times it was street parked to visit people. Overall the paint still has a mirror like finish as evident in the photos.

Interior: 9/10 - Super clean interior. Typical wear marks on soft touch plastic such as around window switches. Steering wheel surface has typical bubbling problem. Original steering wheel was replaced but new steering wheel still had the same issue. It seems pretty common. Minimal wear on bolsters and seats. Rear seats were almost unused.

Mechanical: 10/10
This car runs and handles like new. Good blackstone reports. Shifts smoothly, and clutch engages smoothly. Steering is tight and has no play.
Brakes 11mm pad remaining on all brakes.
The Bridgestone S-04s on the stock rims have 4mm on the rear, and 4-5mm on the front. New OEM TPMS sensor set as of 7/2019.


I love this car and it was supposed to be my first and forever car, but I got bitten by the car bug, and need to make space for newer things. I'm looking for someone who would enjoy and care for this car for a long time. This car still looks and feels new and deserves a garage space. I've had some indelible memories with this car, and I'll be sad to see it go, but if I can find an enthusiast who can take care of it, I'll be glad to see it go to a new home.

The E90 is an awesome car. You get so much for the price. >8k rpm redline, individually controlled throttle bodies for precise throttle response, 414 freaking horses, an engine that makes most of its torque and power near the screaming redline, terrific steering feedback that communicates the road surface and the loading experienced by the front tires on turn-in.

Being the one of the last naturally aspirated V8s, and last hydraulic steering cars, this E90 is destined to become a classic some day, especially with its manual transmission. If you want a car to keep long term, you want it to be simple, and this car really strips down on the options. There's no nav hump to look dated; instead the dash is clean and timeless, with it's driver centric amber LED controls that minimize blindness when driving at night. It’s a great “no distractions” car in contrast to the gadget-laden stuff coming out today, probably the last generation of car to be designed around the driver, that is unless you venture into 6-figure car territory.

This car also comes with the uncommon option of sticky speed cloth seats, which is more suited to spirited driving than slippery luxury leather. It also has a solid back seat that doesn’t fold down (i.e., no pass through) for added torsional rigidity for those who care about these things. And it also means when something is locked in the trunk, it is locked. Unless someone steals the car and sawzall through the trunk, they are not getting in there quickly.

This car is mechanically perfect. It drives like new, and feels like new especially from the inside. It's not cosmetically concourse-quality perfect, having blemishes befitting a car with 47k miles, but on first impression, everyone I’ve met think this car looks brand new, and are surprised how clean it looks for an 08. If you value an owner history of OCD, mechanically sympathetic owners over cosmetic perfection (and TBH, which car at 47k miles has no blemishes or rock chips whatsoever?) this is the car for you. (The PO was so OCD he never removed the plastic wrap on the dead pedal. I took it off because plastic wrap deteriorates over time.) I think it's just the right balance of being driven enough to avoid major problems, and not having too many miles with the consequent wear and tear.

I've been following the Mike Miller "old school" maintenance schedule for fluid changes. I submitted oil to Blackstone for used oil analysis on every oil change.

When I decided to do the rod bearings, I went for the highest cost, premium option of BE rod bearings (I’m sure you’ve read through all the RB threads if you’re looking for a car on this forum) and bolts, and while the subframe and oil pan were out, added the BimmerWorld dipstick kit, and replaced the engine mounts with OE. The dipstick address one of the most common complaints about servicing newer cars that only have an electronic dipstick, which can take 10-20 minutes to give you an initial reading, and sometimes give you an inaccurate reading if faulty. The physical dipstick is a nice second option and also provides access to draw out oil if for some reason you wanted to do that. The new engine mounts noticeably improved shifting feel and reduced 1st gear jerkiness on throttle application and lifting i.e. in stop and go traffic. This in combination with the UCP clutch pedal mod made this car actually bearable, almost comfortable, to drive in traffic, whereas before it was a real chore.

Out of OCD, I’ve kept the original RBs for you to see and frame if you’d like. I also have the original clutch pedal if for some unfathomable reason you prefer that piece of flimsy plastic to the smooth operation of the UCP.

Being a 2008 has certain advantages: The flywheel was changed between 2008 and subsequent cars. The flywheel in 2008 was lighter, and produces some motorsport-like NVH, which caused a revision in 2009. All I can say is enjoy the light flywheel while you can. It revs easily, and RPMs drop like a rock when clutching in to up-shift. It’s really exciting to shift this car, makes you feel like you’re driving a racecar, but it’s got 4 doors!

Also I actually prefer the look of the 2008 sedan rear compared to the bangle butt E90 LCI tail lights. Especially because this car has OE blackline tail lights. The rounded edges look more Euro and consistent with the lines of the car.

Exhibit A:


This car is otherwise all stock except for the cosmetic mods, and is up to date on all recall work. No tunes nor turbos nor any suspension/chassis upgrades.

I bought the car at 27k miles 4 years ago and it has a complete service record. During the car’s 4 year, 20k mile tenure with me, it has mainly been used for long road trips and a long highway commute. The last year, it’s been a great backroads commuter when I want to avoid traffic, otherwise I take the Mazda 3, which TBH is a better commuter in stop and go, but the backroads take a toll on the Mazda, whereas the M3 gets some needed exercise.

We drive the car with a lot of mechanical sympathy. We never rev above 4k before the oil temperature comes up to the middle of the dial and actually I try to keep it below 3k with light throttle application. People must think what’s wrong with this BMW driver accelerating more slowly than a Prius. We never take short trips with this car and avoid starting the car just to move it. If I do have to move it, I let the oil come up to temperature before shutting down to avoid fuel dilution and water condensate. We’ve never launched the car with a clutch drop, and avoid taking the car all the way up to redline but we do rev it out once in a while when warmed up since they say it’s good for the engine.

Please note the E90 is not a drag racer. You can search the threads on this. The low torque at low rpms means most minivans will get a jump on you at stop lights. The E90 shines at 45 to jail mph speeds. The 6MT is not meant to be shifted instantaneously (see the threads for shifting 1-2 gear), you have to be patient and let the synchros match up to shift optimally.

It makes a lot of drivetrain noises because of its motorsport DNA, which is what makes it awesome.

Did you know that the hood of the E90 M3 is not steel? It isn’t magnetic and it’s lightweight. It feels like aluminum to me. The E90 also has a front end panels (bumper, fenders) made of some kind of plastic (ABS?).

The PO and I have both kept the car on Californian roads so no salt, snow, or even much rain to worry about.

This car has never been put through a car wash or detailed. I do it all myself. Meaning the clear coat has never been abraded with a mechanical buffer. Last time I checked at the detail shop considering getting a detail done, he said the clear coat was at full thickness. I just vacuum, wash, clay, and wax with Klasse acrylic sealant, plush sometimes multiple coats per application, and remove with a plush purple premium microfiber made in Korea (the highest quality kind).

A bunch of spare parts included.

Extras (original Value):
Black line tail light set, originals included
Llumar Pinnacle formula 1 ceramic tint 30% sides and back $400
UCP adjustable clutch pedal, original included $350
Bimmer world dipstick $230
rod bearings replaced with BE bearings and bolts $3000+
US Mill Works front plate bracket $80
BMW Velcro oil holder bag kit $5
Anker roav dashcam $99

Spare parts:
BMW 10w60 oil 4.5 L
Mahle oil filter kit 1
E90 Mahle air filter 2
E90 corteco cabin filter 1
CHF11S 1 bottle
Transmission plugs 2
Transmission oil filter 1
Aluminum bleeder valve 1
Aluminum radiator drain plug 1
OEM brake pads, lightly used (8-9mm remaining) 1 set
Touch up paint kit

Notes:
Rigid back seat
No Nav
Blackstone report every oil change
Maintenance schedule following Mike Miller’s schedule
Red line MTL
Red line 75-140 NS diff oil
BMW 10W60 oil changes
Always garaged
Kept on battery tender
Always warmed up before hard acceleration
Driven with much mechanical sympathy
Avoided short trips. Mostly longer trips or commutes.
Porterfield R4-S brake pads installed as a lower dust alternative to the OEMs, 11mm thickness remaining.

Prefer to deal locally.

[corino]

pmd

[BASELINE]

Originally Posted by tubedreamer

TL/DR: Selling a clean, unmolested, low option, all California E90 M3 with extra set of wheels, tools, and parts, BE rod bearings done.

2008 e90 M3 VIN ending in 15553
Color: Silverstone II
47xxx mi
all-California car

Options:
Silver stone metallic
Anthracite black interior
Speed cloth seats
Sycamore anthracite wood trim
6MT
EDC
Heated seats
Moonroof
iPod USB adapter
18” wheels with Bridgestone S-04
E90 M3 sedan floor mats

I love this car and it was supposed to be my first and forever car, but I got bitten by the car bug, and need to make space for newer things. I'm looking for someone who would enjoy and care for this car for a long time. This car still looks and feels new and deserves a garage space. I've had some indelible memories with this car, and I'll be sad to see it go, but if I can find an enthusiast who can take care of it, I'll be glad to see it go to a new home.

I mean how can you not love this profile? (Death valley superbloom 2015)


The E90 is an awesome car. You get so much for the price. >8k rpm redline, individually controlled throttle bodies for precise throttle response, 414 freaking horses, an engine that makes most of its torque and power near the screaming redline, terrific steering feedback that communicates the road surface and the loading experienced by the front tires on turn-in.

Being the one of the last naturally aspirated V8s, and last hydraulic steering cars, this E90 is destined to become a classic some day, especially with its manual transmission. If you want a car to keep long term, you want it to be simple, and this car really strips down on the options. There's no nav hump to look dated; instead the dash is clean and timeless, with it's driver centric amber LED controls that minimize blindness when driving at night. It’s a great “no distractions” car in contrast to the gadget-laden stuff coming out today, probably the last generation of car to be designed around the driver, that is unless you venture into 6-figure car territory.

This car also comes with the uncommon option of sticky speed cloth seats, which is more suited to spirited driving than slippery luxury leather. It also has a solid back seat that doesn’t fold down (i.e., no pass through) for added torsional rigidity for those who care about these things. And it also means when something is locked in the trunk, it is locked. Unless someone steals the car and sawzall through the trunk, they are not getting in there quickly.

This car is mechanically perfect. It drives like new, and feels like new especially from the inside. It's not cosmetically concourse-quality perfect, having blemishes befitting a car with 47k miles, but on first impression, everyone I’ve met think this car looks brand new, and are surprised how clean it looks for an 08. If you value an owner history of OCD, mechanically sympathetic owners over cosmetic perfection (and TBH, which car at 47k miles has no blemishes or rock chips whatsoever?) this is the car for you. (The PO was so OCD he never removed the plastic wrap on the dead pedal. I took it off because plastic wrap deteriorates over time.) I think it's just the right balance of being driven enough to avoid major problems, and not having too many miles with the consequent wear and tear.

I've been following the Mike Miller "old school" maintenance schedule for fluid changes. I submitted oil to Blackstone for used oil analysis on every oil change.

When I decided to do the rod bearings, I went for the highest cost, premium option of BE rod bearings (I’m sure you’ve read through all the RB threads if you’re looking for a car on this forum) and bolts, and while the subframe and oil pan were out, added the BimmerWorld dipstick kit, and replaced the engine mounts with OE. The dipstick address one of the most common complaints about servicing newer cars that only have an electronic dipstick, which can take 10-20 minutes to give you an initial reading, and sometimes give you an inaccurate reading if faulty. The physical dipstick is a nice second option and also provides access to draw out oil if for some reason you wanted to do that. The new engine mounts noticeably improved shifting feel and reduced 1st gear jerkiness on throttle application and lifting i.e. in stop and go traffic. This in combination with the UCP clutch pedal mod made this car actually bearable, almost comfortable, to drive in traffic, whereas before it was a real chore.

Out of OCD, I’ve kept the original RBs for you to see and frame if you’d like. I also have the original clutch pedal if for some unfathomable reason you prefer that piece of flimsy plastic to the smooth operation of the UCP.

The car comes with 2 sets of wheels. The OE 18” wheels, and the 18” APEX square setup (275s all around, no spacers needed, no rubbing at all, see the threads about 275 fitment). The lightweight APEX ARC-8 wheels are highly recommended for a sporty, grippy experience. It is all sorts of awesomeness. The OE wheels are fine if you want a more luxurious, isolated ride. BTW: I’ve tied off the brake wear sensors because they are single use and need to be replaced along with the brake pads if the light comes on. With how wide open the wheels are, there’s no reason not to check yourself visually and know exactly how much brake pad is left.

Being a 2008 has certain advantages: The flywheel was changed between 2008 and subsequent cars. The flywheel in 2008 was lighter, and produces some motorsport-like NVH, which caused a revision in 2009. All I can say is enjoy the light flywheel while you can. It revs easily, and RPMs drop like a rock when clutching in to up-shift. It’s really exciting to shift this car, makes you feel like you’re driving a racecar, but it’s got 4 doors!

Also I actually prefer the look of the 2008 sedan rear compared to the bangle butt E90 LCI tail lights. Especially because this car has OE blackline tail lights. The rounded edges look more Euro and consistent with the lines of the car.

Exhibit A:


This car is otherwise all stock except for the cosmetic mods, and is up to date on all recall work. No tunes nor turbos nor any suspension/chassis upgrades.

I bought the car at 27k miles 4 years ago and it has a complete service record. During the car’s 4 year, 20k mile tenure with me, it has mainly been used for long road trips and a long highway commute. The last year, it’s been a great backroads commuter when I want to avoid traffic, otherwise I take the Mazda 3, which TBH is a better commuter in stop and go, but the backroads take a toll on the Mazda, whereas the M3 gets some needed exercise.

We drive the car with a lot of mechanical sympathy. We never rev above 4k before the oil temperature comes up to the middle of the dial and actually I try to keep it below 3k with light throttle application. People must think what’s wrong with this BMW driver accelerating more slowly than a Prius. We never take short trips with this car and avoid starting the car just to move it. If I do have to move it, I let the oil come up to temperature before shutting down to avoid fuel dilution and water condensate. We’ve never launched the car with a clutch drop, and avoid taking the car all the way up to redline but we do rev it out once in a while when warmed up since they say it’s good for the engine.

Please note the E90 is not a drag racer. You can search the threads on this. The low torque at low rpms means most minivans will get a jump on you at stop lights. The E90 shines at 45 to jail mph speeds. The 6MT is not meant to be shifted instantaneously (see the threads for shifting 1-2 gear), you have to be patient and let the synchros match up to shift optimally.

It makes a lot of drivetrain noises because of its motorsport DNA, which is what makes it awesome.

Did you know that the hood of the E90 M3 is not steel? It isn’t magnetic and it’s lightweight. It feels like aluminum to me. The E90 also has a front end panels (bumper, fenders) made of some kind of plastic (ABS?).

The PO and I have both kept the car on Californian roads so no salt, snow, or even much rain to worry about.

This car has never been put through a car wash or detailed. I do it all myself. Meaning the clear coat has never been abraded with a mechanical buffer. Last time I checked at the detail shop considering getting a detail done, he said the clear coat was at full thickness. I just vacuum, wash, clay, and wax with Klasse acrylic sealant, plush sometimes multiple coats per application, and remove with a plush purple premium microfiber made in Korea (the highest quality kind).

I’m including all the accessories and parts I’ve collected over the 4 years of taking care of this car. There’s over $2k of extras included with this car.


Extras (original Value):
18” wheels Apex ARC8. Old super sport tires $1,000+
Black line tail light set, originals included
Llumar Pinnacle formula 1 ceramic tint 30% sides and back $400
M Division coil pack remover tool $38
4 reverse logic aluminum jack point adapters for e90 $100
UCP adjustable clutch pedal, original included $350
Bimmer world dipstick $230
rod bearings replaced with BE bearings and bolts
US Mill Works front plate bracket $80
BMW Velcro oil holder bag kit $5
Anker roav dashcam $99
One-stop-electronics K+DCAN $99

Spare parts:
BMW 10w60 oil 4.5 L
Mahle oil filter kit 1
E90 Mahle air filter 2
E90 corteco cabin filter 1
CHF11S 1 bottle
Transmission plugs 2
Transmission oil filter 1
Aluminum bleeder valve 1
Aluminum radiator drain plug 1
OEM brake pads, lightly used (8-9mm remaining) 1 set
Touch up paint kit

Notes:
Rigid back seat
No Nav
Brake wear sensors tied off
Blackstone report every oil change
Maintenance schedule following Mike Miller’s schedule
Red line MTL
Red line 75-140 NS diff oil
BMW 10W60 oil changes
Always garaged
Kept on battery tender
Always warmed up before hard acceleration
Driven with much mechanical sympathy
Avoided short trips. Mostly longer trips or commutes.

(I need to take better photos when I get a chance with the SLR)

Prefer to deal locally.

Great and thoughtful for sale thread, OP. Best of luck with the sale.

[tubedreamer]

Ok SLR photos didn't come out better than iPhone photos.

see
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showpo...6&postcount=59

Lots of extras included here and a very clean car.

[Eddybro]

Your car is literally the same as mine! Mine is just a 2011. So awesome! Great price, someone is getting a gem!

[tubedreamer]

Adding more photos soon

[tubedreamer]

More pics

[FASTTOYS]

GLWS plus it’s a manual

[tubedreamer]

Updated photos. I have an extensive photo album of exterior, interior, and underside.

[kablammo]

Do you know the width and offset of the ARC-8 wheels?

Thanks,

k

[tubedreamer]

18x10. I think they only come in ET25. Running 275/35R18 tires.

[tubedreamer]

I made an appointment to move the TPMS to the stock 18" wheels. Thinking of parting out the ARC-8 wheels separately to make it easier to sell.


EDIT: Actually I'm ordering a new set of TPMS for the stock 18" wheels now and having it installed over the weekend.

[tDabz]

Originally Posted by tubedreamer

I made an appointment to move the TPMS to the stock 18" wheels. Thinking of parting out the ARC-8 wheels separately to make it easier to sell.

Where is the car located? I may be interested in taking a look if possible.

[tubedreamer]

Originally Posted by tDabz

Where is the car located? I may be interested in taking a look if possible.

SF Bay Area, the southern part, near San Jose. 95008 zip code.

[tubedreamer]

Updated price, removed some extras.

[tubedreamer]

Updated pics

[tubedreamer]

This car looks like new on the inside. Even the door jambs are clean!

[dev_null]

PM'd

[JTO24]

Love it! GLWS!!