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      04-09-2015, 09:33 PM   #89
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Picked up the M5 from its alignment tonight, so drove it for the first time with all the new parts.

HOLY CRAP. Feels like a different car. Pretty sure it's the biggest improvement of anything I've ever done to any car.

Only 109,000 miles on the original parts, too, with no perceptible play. Didn't feel anything near this level of improvement on the e46, when I did it's overhaul at higher miles.

So very, very pleased! And now i don't have to worry about snapping the subframe diff mount, either :P

And with the m5 back on the road, I can take them m3 apart and dig into it once more
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      07-17-2015, 08:20 PM   #90
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CF roof project begins.



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      07-17-2015, 08:21 PM   #91
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Progress but ultimately frustration this evening.

Glass out:






Took the opportunity to key my car. Still amazingly painful to do, even when the panel is getting destroyed....




Sheeted off to protect it from metal shavings




Drill drill. Sometimes too far.






And then, with only a couple to go... tool failure



Couldn't find any locally. Ordered on amazon and will look more tomorrow over my lunch break. :banghead:
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      07-17-2015, 08:23 PM   #92
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      07-18-2015, 09:25 AM   #93
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I gotta say, it lurched my stomach to drill into my own hatch on my Z, I can't imagine what that felt like.
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      07-18-2015, 09:46 AM   #94
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Amirsm3 View Post
I gotta say, it lurched my stomach to drill into my own hatch on my Z, I can't imagine what that felt like.
I know that feeling just did front and rear aero on e46 and drilled holes all over the damn thing. Makes you feel sick.
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      07-18-2015, 10:48 AM   #95
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD View Post
I know that feeling just did front and rear aero on e46 and drilled holes all over the damn thing. Makes you feel sick.
Yeah I had to take a break after the second hole (had to drill 4 to make sure the spoiler didn't move).

Obioban, I bet you needed a 6 pack hahaah
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      07-18-2015, 06:05 PM   #96
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Yeah, It's a pretty miserable process. Here's a time lapse video of half the process on an e46m

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      07-24-2015, 10:44 AM   #97
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So, I ended up with a rather unique airbox by happenstance. I held off on the Evolve airbox because I wasn’t comfortable that, 50 years from now (at which time I still intend to own the car), it was certain that Evolve would still be around and I would still be able to source filters. A while back, Sal asked me if I would be interested in their development box, as it uses CSL filters. I said yes, and that’s what’s on my car. I had assumed till now that it was an Evolve airbox, just an earlier version, because it had the Evolve style ducting.

Yesterday it was brought to my attention by a fellow forum member that the box I have is actually a (pretty unusual/rare) Die Wethje airbox (Die Wethje was the OE manufacturer of CSL airboxes for BMW. They made several variants including the P54 (racing variant of the S54) version, the CSL version, the version my car has, one that has a bit larger/beefier with the big inlet, and possibly the one where the filter that slides in from the top.

I stopped by to visit my (still roofless) car, and sure enough it had the same stickers (this is not my airbox, just using the pictures as they’re the same stickers):





Pretty excited! I have nothing bad to say about the Evolve airbox, but actually having an OEM one makes me pretty excited!
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      01-20-2016, 09:08 AM   #98
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Looks like I haven't updated this for a while

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Originally Posted by Obioban View Post
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      01-20-2016, 09:09 AM   #99
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Not having a car doesn't mean you can't mod it! :roll:

Wrapping the non sunroof headliner in alcantara...

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      01-20-2016, 09:10 AM   #100
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Going to be replacing the bit of gutter I'm using for ducting currently with this. Kind of excited, as it means I can run brake ducting as well :agree:



Looks like this installed, if you ever see it (I'd imagine not most of the time)

Scoop 2 by Eventuri Intakes
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      01-20-2016, 09:11 AM   #101
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Awwwwwwwwww yeeeaaaahhhh





I should really use a better camera than iPhone for this, but...

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      01-20-2016, 09:12 AM   #102
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I stuck the car on the work shipping scale, as she currently sits (only driver seat, no headliner or pillar covers, CF roof, Lithium Ion battery, stock drivers seat.

3062 lbs! (1/3 tank gas, no driver)

I'm pretty psyched. With some light weight seats, I think she'll be under 3100 lbs with full interior/back seats back in.

I am running out of places to take weight out of it, though (not willing to ruin civility or functionality)-- pretty much all I have left is front seats and cf driveshaft. I don't think I'll be making it under 3000.

A light weight muffler (SS street is nearly stock weight) and back seat delete would put me to right ~3000. But, no.
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      01-20-2016, 09:13 AM   #103
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Found another half pound, though in an excellent location (all the way forward and above the COG).

Removed the engine hoist hook from the thermostat housing and put in some alu spacer rings of the same height. In 142,000 miles, I've never used the hook once, so I don't think I'll miss it much. I'll put it in my specialty toolbox, in case I do.

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      01-21-2016, 01:46 AM   #104
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Love seeing threads like this... You've done an excellent job with the car. Very tasteful and well thought out.

I really like the V1 integration into the instrument cluster... I wish the E9x M3 had a blank space in the cluster that was dedicated to the gear indicator. Keep up the good work!
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      01-21-2016, 06:19 AM   #105
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Benvo View Post
Love seeing threads like this... You've done an excellent job with the car. Very tasteful and well thought out.

I really like the V1 integration into the instrument cluster... I wish the E9x M3 had a blank space in the cluster that was dedicated to the gear indicator. Keep up the good work!
Thanks!

My goal has long been under 3100 lbs (no driver) with full interior/civility, but I'm close enough now that I'm thinking about moving the target to <3000 lbs (full interior/civility, not including driver). There's a bunch of new options for losing weight coming onto the market, that are without compromise other than cost (cf driveshaft, cf fenders using the OE BMW fender molds, street focused lightweight flywheel systems, etc).

Engine wise, I'm almost done (until it needs a rebuild, but I'm not going to do that till compression/leak down says I need to... so thinking at least another 100,000 miles).

Until then, I'm extremely tempted to do throttle bodies. A friend of mine, with TBs but an otherwise very similar setup, got 375 SAE rwhp out of his car. I'm currently sitting at 360 SAE rwhp, so that's a decent bump.

Come rebuild time, I'm not going to go overly nuts with it. I'm thinking a slight compression bump (12:1) since I never need to put 91 octane in it (and would probably add a second, super safe, map I could swap to with steering wheel controls if I somehow got stuck with some), some friction/heat channeling coatings/treatments, and maybe some mild head work.

I would love it get it to a reliable, streetable and trackable, 400 SAE rwhp NA, in a <3000 lb car.

But, she's feeling pretty incredible, as is, at <3100 lbs and 360rwhp!


... I might go to softer springs in the Ohlins because of the lower than designed weight of the car. When they need a rebuild (because 25-40,000 rebuild intervals), have them revalved to match the new spring rates. I'd like them to be ~2 hz front, 2.3 hz rear.

And that's probably way more than you wanted to know. But, that's where she's headed.
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      03-31-2016, 02:59 PM   #106
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I have (finally) addressed most of my complaints with the Ohlins. Still have front tire clearance to go, but I think I have a solution for that as well.

The issue: The Ohlin R&Ts were optimized for the stock strut hats. Most camber plates (I believe all except maybe the TMS plates?) move the top shock mount point higher up. On lowered cars running stockish shocks, this restores bump travel lost by lowering the car, and doesn't have any negative side effects. On the Ohlins, which have shorter total shock travel but which are optimized to make the most out of the stock strut hat, this means you have too much bump travel (tire hits the fender liner under large compressions), very little droop travel, and a ton of preload assuming a reasonable ride height. The Ohlins only have 92.5mm of metal to metal stroke, so being off target can really screw up the setup.

I didn't go into this looking to recreate the stock strut hat geometry. My goal was to have ~4mm of preload, 40% of the travel be droop travel, and 60% of the travel be bump travel. But, when I was done, I happened to have a stock strut hat and realized I had exactly recreated the dimensions of the stock strut had. So, apparently Ohlins had the same design goals as me when they made these things, just not with a camber plate in mind :roll:

Anyway, made a delrin spacer and new rubber bushings for GC street camber plates that created that geometry, installed them this morning and HOLY HELL NOW THE OHLINS ARE WHAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED THEM TO BE!

They ride nicely (for what they are), the car isn't too low, and the handling is kickass. It's been a long time coming, but I feel like I finally got them to where I always wanted them to be in ride and handling.

This also completely explains why other peoples experiences were so different from my own-- for those who were running them with the stock strut hats, this is what they have been experiencing all along!

One more trick up my sleeve yet to go-- The Vogtland springs I'm running are more resistant to coil bind than your typical spring (because they have less coils). I notice that at my current ride height I have ~1" of threads above my ride height adjuster. So, I'm thinking I'm going to order a 1" shorter spring, move the adjuster up an inch, ride height will be unchanged and I believe that should move the springs/adjuster above the tire, letting me run wide front tires like the TCKs.

I think. Need to throw her on the lift and verify the last bit before I order new springs.

After that, when they need a rebuild (not that long term of a thing with 35,000 mile rebuild intervals) going to measure corner weights and calculate desired frequencies, change the spring rates and have the shocks revalved to match while they're being built. Most likely will be going the opposite direction of everyone else and end up going softer :roll:

Anyway, I'm super excited already. Finally got the Ohlins to perform like I was always hoping they would/could!
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      04-02-2016, 08:45 PM   #107
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Thanks for the feedback on the ohlins r&t. Would you recommend that people avoid that suspension if they are using camber plates? Or am I misunderstanding the issue?
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      04-03-2016, 02:12 AM   #108
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Quote:
Originally Posted by b-thumper View Post
Thanks for the feedback on the ohlins r&t. Would you recommend that people avoid that suspension if they are using camber plates? Or am I misunderstanding the issue?
I would recommend not using them without the upper spring perch and shock mount height at/near stock. There may be a camber plate out there that does that stock.
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      05-15-2016, 09:01 PM   #109
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Did lots of stupid small projects on the M3 this weekend that I've been putting off for way too long....


Put a gasket between the fan and the radiator


Tweaked the rear preload


Installed the CSL rear sway (front went in a while back)


Properly mounted my lithium ion battery


Went to an intake duct for the CSL intake that isn't (literally) a piece of gutter)


Replaced a brake line that showed a little surface marring


Bled the brakes


Replaced the clamps on the CSL airbox with ones that can expand (OE BMW) instead of the screw types, so the trumpets don't get damaged as the box heats up and expands.


Ate my free bimmerworld gummy bears


Replaced the shift knob with a new one (old one was showing signs of wear).


Installed the homelink in the no sunroof headliner


Put BMW center caps on the M5's just refinished in BMW Chrome shadow BBS RG-Rs (M5 is still at the body shop).
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      05-30-2016, 08:46 PM   #110
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The clear bra that I had put on the car 12 years ago had started to really look bad.. so my wife and I spent all 3 days this weekend removing the clear bra, cleaning the adhesive left behind, claying and waxing the car. Miserable process... and would have taken twice as long I had to do it again.

The clear bra served me well for the first ~8 years, but, in retrospect... better to do resprays as the car starts to look chipped up. This was WAY too much work to remove.



On the plus side, the car looks awesome again...

... and by the time we were done tonight, it was too dark to take pictures.

Mid project, after clear bra and adhesive removed, but before clay or wax:



^and according to that picture, there's a monster living in my fender :bugeye:
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