2011 BMW E90 M3 ZCP DCT Fully Loaded

[Cyberdemon]

Thanks guys for the kind words, got it home this morning and at first I was a bit on the fence as I was cruising in traffic, my butt hurt a bit and the exhaust is a bit drone. As soon as I got out of traffic and hit the M button I had a shit eating grin from ear to ear. I've run the E92 on track for the M Driving school a few years back, but I forgot how special this engine really is.

For right now, I do plan on doing both a full paint correction at one of the higher end shops here and another PPF. The first owner did have PPF film on but the dealer did frankly a shit job of removing it (they blamed the original PPF installer, but that doesnt matter) - it pulled a few small spots of paint off and I still see some residue, but overall the base paint across the car is in very good shape and should clean up really well. That plus a ceramic coat should be a solid investment for the coming years and future resale value.

I also wound up getting a 5 year/60k warranty, I do plan on daily driving it, but realistically I have my wife's X5 for all hauling and family duties, this will mostly be to get me to and from work. With Covid, I don't expect to go back until 2021 at the earliest, and I suspect they'll encourage working from home even part time after that. Should keep me at around 10k/year.

I'd gladly get a winter beater but at the moment it's tough because of garage space, but we'll see how that goes in the future.

I am right down the block from TKX Motorsports which is a well known BMW/Porsche shop in the area in case I need to get the bearings done but with the warranty for right now my plan is to get the oil analysis done and go from there.

Going from Idrive 7 (And NBT cars like my F23/F30) does make me groan a bit with the older CIC system. I might be able to survive for a while with a working iPod cable and satellite radio, but I think a NBT retrofit is probably very high on my list - I think that would keep it at an OEM+ level that wouldn't hurt resale.

I do get bored pretty quickly, and with kids life situtations can certainly change, but I can see myself keeping the car as clean as possible for the next few years then giving someone else a turn, so we'll see.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about interlagos in person, I still really like Lemans but I'm very happy with the color, I've been trying to order a blue car since 2007 and each time I've somehow been screwed between factory backups, dealer inventory and everything else, so I'm just happy I finally have something in a color I really like.

It already needs a wash, then I'll post up some proper photos.

[nyc_dude]

Dr. ColorChip is OK...but not the same as real paint. I had to work too hard to find the last paintstick bottle of Interlagos Blue (A30) from 2015 in CA. If you go to the local BMW Parts Department, they can tell you which dealer has a bottle left.

I am getting the bumper and hood repainted this summer, before PPF and ceramic coating. 90 miles a day commute on the 405 for 12 years is like Mad Max, but without Charlize Theron....crazy ole Mel Gibson.

I am also restoring the Fox Red/FuchsRot!! Interior Leather...Colourlock-ing.


Cheers

[nyc_dude]

I have an F30 335i and the iDrive difference with an E9X CIC isn't dramatic. Another story with the X5 modern iDrive.

Don't worry about rod bearings. They changed the material from copper/lead to aluminum/tin in 2010, which is a harder and more durable material. Also not an issue until the mileage is above 100k miles. Blackstone Oil Test is a good idea.

Bimmertech makes the upgrade kit for the iDrive to include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Bryan at Kies Motorsport in NJ used to work for Bimmertech.

I am more excited than you are...welcome to the ///M club.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-Park...YAAOSwLy1eESVt

I had to add these to my M3 like the Millenium Falcon. The kids will love them.


Cheers

[Cyberdemon]

Yes I need to be cautious with how quickly I spend my remaining money on mods. The electronics stuff is probably lower priority, for right now I got one of those Amazon bluetooth adapters - as long as I can stream spotify for right now that should be fine.

Didn't have time to get any good pictures before a thunderstorm rolled by, the car was still a little bit dusty from being in the warehouse, it certainly needs a proper bath.

[wyatth]

Nice car, congrats! Let me know if you decide to flip it, I have a friend who would be very interested in this exact spec.

[akkando]

Originally Posted by wyatth

Nice car, congrats! Let me know if you decide to flip it, I have a friend who would be very interested in this exact spec.

The ppf to me would have been a huge plus. Hard to find paint that's immaculate, but I guess the ppf in this case peeled off some paint. hopefully just the clear came off? I think I would have bought this car if it had come up when I was looking. It's cleaner than mine.

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by akkando

The ppf to me would have been a huge plus. Hard to find paint that's immaculate, but I guess the ppf in this case peeled off some paint. hopefully just the clear came off? I think I would have bought this car if it had come up when I was looking. It's cleaner than mine.

Unfortunately, it peeled down to the plastic, the dealer had the body shop mix up some color which matches pretty closely, but it's obviously thick and uneven with the surface, I am going to see if the detail shop can do anything to try and level it out a bit more.

The rest of the car was in extremely good shape for something this old and I think it'll clean up very nice, but certainly presented well there are a few small areas of clear that are starting to bubble a little, will see if they can't be cleaned up and protected.

[wyatth]

Bummer to hear about the clear, hopefully salvageable by a pro.

The extended black leather is also a big standout detail.

Congrats again,

[nyc_dude]

Before you PPF and ceramic coat this car you might need to repaint the front bumper and maybe the hood.

I also have a 2015 BMW F30 335i M-Sport and the detail shop PPFed and ceramic coated over a trashed front bumper and corrosion on the diamond cut OEM wheels. They barely used Dr. ColorChip to repair any chips and I left them the paint and they have the Dr. ColorChip pro kit. Stooopid.

So always check/approve the Stage 1-2-3 paint correction before letting them apply the PPF and ceramic coating.

I am having some Interlagos Blue panels repainted this summer, before PPF and ceramic coating the BMW E90 M3 in the Fall. I have to wait 30 days for the new paint to cure and outgas.

BONUS: Vinyl wrapping the roof in 3M carbon fiber wrap.


Cheers

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by nyc_dude

Before you PPF and ceramic coat this car you might need to repaint the front bumper and maybe the hood.

I also have a 2015 BMW F30 335i M-Sport and the detail shop PPFed and ceramic coated over a trashed front bumper and corrosion on the diamond cut OEM wheels. They barely used Dr. ColorChip to repair any chips and I left them the paint and they have the Dr. ColorChip pro kit. Stooopid.

So always check/approve the Stage 1-2-3 paint correction before letting them apply the PPF and ceramic coating.

I am having some Interlagos Blue panels repainted this summer, before PPF and ceramic coating the BMW E90 M3 in the Fall. I have to wait 30 days for the new paint to cure and outgas.

BONUS: Vinyl wrapping the roof in 3M carbon fiber wrap.


Cheers

Yeah, the detail shop basically told me they wouldn't bother doing a PPF over the touchup and to just respray it.

Given the cost to respray + PPF + coat + correct the car I may just drive it as is for a while. The mileage is going to be very limited this year because of Covid, and I still have my Mazda lease for a few more months for winter. If I'm going to repaint it anyways I'm less concerned about any bumper chips I get in the mean time.

I'm also very OCD because I've seen so many poorly matched metallic paint jobs, and know that poor paint work will probably hurt the value of the car more than the existing touchup, so don't want to screw it up.

[br2wdc]

Back 6 months ago it was an M4 at the BMW Track Meet at the Performance Center down in SC and specifically the M button that pushed me back to BMW. There is almost nothing better on the planet then pressing the M button and seeing your somewhat "normal" M3 transform into a "beast".

This is not breaking news, but I concur 100% with your comments on the color: IB/LMB is one of the best "blue" colors for any car let alone BMW, and unless you have an individual color M3 it is very unique and turns heads no question.

Originally Posted by Cyberdemon

Thanks guys for the kind words, got it home this morning and at first I was a bit on the fence as I was cruising in traffic, my butt hurt a bit and the exhaust is a bit drone. As soon as I got out of traffic and hit the M button I had a shit eating grin from ear to ear. I've run the E92 on track for the M Driving school a few years back, but I forgot how special this engine really is.


I wasn't sure how I'd feel about interlagos in person, I still really like Lemans but I'm very happy with the color, I've been trying to order a blue car since 2007 and each time I've somehow been screwed between factory backups, dealer inventory and everything else, so I'm just happy I finally have something in a color I really like.

It already needs a wash, then I'll post up some proper photos.

[br2wdc]

I would concur on iDrive; I'm not sure there is enough bang for buck with an upgrade but clearly your call on what is important to you.

One note of caution: I would never say you don't have to worry about Rod bearings. Your statement is correct about BMW changing the material, but I believe the tolerances were not changed so that is the main issue and is still a concern.

That is sort of the good news for those of us with 2011, but the downside is the change of material makes the Blackstone Oil analysis almost useless because copper is no longer in the material, and higher copper levels was an indicator your RB were close to needing replacement.

Being away from BMW and now having returned as a relatively new member to the ///M Club, I would argue I am more excited then both of you combined

Originally Posted by nyc_dude

I have an F30 335i and the iDrive difference with an E9X CIC isn't dramatic. Another story with the X5 modern iDrive.

Don't worry about rod bearings. They changed the material from copper/lead to aluminum/tin in 2010, which is a harder and more durable material. Also not an issue until the mileage is above 100k miles. Blackstone Oil Test is a good idea.

Bimmertech makes the upgrade kit for the iDrive to include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Bryan at Kies Motorsport in NJ used to work for Bimmertech.

I am more excited than you are...welcome to the ///M club.