Sky—The SS E90 M3 GTR: KMP, MKRennsporttechnik, Spage Sport, Varis, Volk, Vorsteiner

[reidetailing]

Originally Posted by Drifter2090

Great progress Alex, new format is very clean as well

Thanks Dinal!! Glad you like the new format too...again, credit to Derek derbo

Originally Posted by derbo

Nice update!

I'm jealous of those Strom uprights! After doing my calculations, I do not meet the inch drop height requirements.

Can't wait to see what you do. For your suspension, I recommend selecting spring rates that compliment the bars as they will add a lot of roll stiffness compared to the factory arb.

Is this build going to be a full out track car? Those choices are beastly for street use.
I appreciate the shoutout too.

My pleasure Derek! Good recommendation, I'll be sure to let my mechanic know!
Yes, it will be a full out track car that will see the streets too. Since I hardly drive the car, I'm ok with any sort of NVH present.

Originally Posted by 911r

@mountains_2_sea on Instagram has had both TTX and MCS 3-ways on his E92 M3, I would reach out for him for his input.

Hard to go wrong either way, but my votes for MCS! Thoroughly enjoyed my set, really surprised me.

Edit: I also see you plan on pairing the Strom knuckles with your MKRennsport arms. I would reconsider, as the adjustment of the MK arms would be negated by the change in effective suspension geometry done by the Strom knuckles—as the knuckles were ultimately designed to be used with OE arms. I know others have had issues in the past pairing SPL front arms with Strom knuckles, in that some modifications needed to be made.

Thanks Elliot! I've reached out to Sean already, and while he is happy with the TTXs, he does like the MCS coils! Glad to hear you had a great experience with them as well.
I had my mechanic Usic speak w/Brett@Strom a little while ago about this, and while they do recommend using the OEM arms, I am OK using the Strom Uprights with the MK arms...although we have to machine some sort of spacers I believe. Usic thankfully is competent with suspension components, so I'm confident he will get the car dialled in nicely!

Originally Posted by spooni

Great build my friend. I look forward to seeing how this comes together!

Thanks so much Erik! Just followed you on Instagram...will also look forward to your track excursions and build journey!

Update Begins

Hey everyone and welcome back to my journal!

I’m beyond excited to share with you all a couple updates of the latest developments for Sky — my E90 M3.

This update takes place in March 2021.

Polishing to Perfection…even on new parts

A wise man once told me, “Always polish brand new parts before applying PPF (paint protection film) to said part.”
I’ve religiously followed this to ensure all parts that go on my car are immaculate.
I had my good friend and fellow Griselda Records music enthusiast, Wes@Orion Detailing, bring out the Makita polisher and polish both my Forcewerkz Carbon Fiber Side Skirt Extensions Diffusers Splitters, and M3 Edition Side Grille Package.

Following the polish, I then had my pal Steven@Elevated Auto apply XPEL Ultimate Plus PPF, and then Ceramic Coat both with Xpel Fusion Plus.
Enjoy some of the pictures, as well as the Youtube video showcasing this:

Custom Carbon Fiber Interior Panels from Spage Sport

We are fully deleting the AC for Sky, as she’s on a weight-loss diet. I teased a few posts ago about some of my interior panels off to get some work done to them. The plan was to fully delete the AC Vents on the interior dash panels as if the car never had AC.
I believe doing this will create a more motorsport-look, while being more functional and lightweight.

I took the interior pieces to my good friend Alex@Spage Sport. Alex does not do any sort of overlay work; rather these are full carbon replacements.
Since we were deleting the AC, I no longer needed the AC dash controls. I wanted him to create a custom carbon block-off piece that would have a special cutout for a tribute badge stating something along the lines of, “Built by Spage Sport for Alex Rei.” I later had that changed to, “Designed By Spage Sport - 1 of 1 for Sky.” Like we did with the ARC Shift Plate on the custom Carbon Center Console, this badge would also be recessed inwards to ensure it was flush with the actual carbon piece itself for maximum appeal! It will also be centered in-line with the ARC Shift Plate for a proportionally-balanced look.
It’s important for me to recognize the major contributors of this build, hence why I wanted Alex to create a special badge that honours all the previous and future projects that Spage Sport will perform on Sky.

Please enjoy the pictures of the entire process for these dash pieces, as well the parts being placed in the interior (not installed) to get an idea how they look inside the M3:

Concluding Thoughts

Thank-you all for your continuous support with both my Youtube Channel and my journal here on M3Post.
Sky is getting taken apart again…I wonder for what?!

[reidetailing]

Hey everyone and welcome back to my journal!

The restoration continues to perfect Sky to a museum quality that is embodied by attention to detail, passion and excellence.

This update takes place in March 2021.

Off to the Body Shop

If you recall in last post’s teaser picture, the car was missing a few exterior parts, namely the side skirts, mirrors, windshield trim and rear bumper.
I decided it would be best to repaint these parts, as they were in fairly rough shape with stone chips, scratches and scuffs.

I decided to take it to Tommy and the Excellence Auto Collision Team to get repainted. I’m always happy taking my parts here for repaint because they have excellent painters who use BASF paints, and a state-of-the-art facility…so you definitely get what you pay for.
I’m beyond stoked to get these parts on the car and get Sky all pieced back together.
I will eventually repaint the entire car at once when majority of the exterior gets done in full carbon by my good friend Alex@Spage Sport.

Please enjoy some pictures of the parts getting refinished and repainted:

Fender Issues?

So when I got the car back in April 2018, the car had a small crack in the driver’s side fender where the fender and front bumper meet.
The shape of the crack is a tiny triangle that is still being held on at the mounting point.

I decided it would be a good idea to buy a brand new OEM driver’s side fender to replace this cracked fender.

Some really exciting upcoming news is that I will be teaming up with Alex@Spage Sport to do a custom Dry Carbon Front Bumper, and custom Vented Front Fenders that incorporate the OEM Side Grilles for a subtle look.
Even though I have yet to install my freshly painted and PPF’d Front Bumper, I think having a full carbon front end will be unique, and paint will match perfectly since all parts will be the same material (carbon), as opposed to the hood being carbon, front bumper plastic, and fenders aluminum.

Enjoy some pictures of the fender and the current state of Sky:

Concluding Thoughts

I hope you all enjoyed this update…I don’t know about you but I’m already super stoked to share the next update?!
'Til next time, enjoy this teaser pic for next update.

[reidetailing]

Hey everyone and welcome back to my journal!

This update will focus on smaller components that emphasize attention to details and being lightweight.

This update takes place in May 2021.

Emission Components Delete = #Winning

With the goal to improve functionality while shedding weight, I turned my attention to delete the emission components. I looked at an overlooked and under-appreciated part from Fall-Line that is apparently a BMW Motorsport part…the Fall-Line Motorsports E9X M3 EGR Block-Off Plates.

I reached out to my friend Tony@M-Tech Auto here in Toronto. They are a key client of IND, so I decided to purchase these block-off plates from them.

Please enjoy some of the pictures:

Did Someone Say Titanium?

That’s right! Titanium, one of the most special metals in existence and a personal favourite of mine; after all, one can never have too much titanium.

With the Varis Rear Diffuser off the car due to my rear bumper getting repainted, I felt it was a perfect time to address the diffuser. The diffuser’s hardware was all mismatched and so I asked Sierra@Total Motor Werkes to take proper measurements of the hardware so that I can get custom titanium hardware for it.

I contacted an old friend and titanium fastener specialist, Rick@West Coast Fasteners, to assist with my little project.
Rick has done plenty of work on my Subaru, and is highly recommended for those who want a bit of “titanium bling.”

Enjoy some of the pictures showing some of Rick’s work on my Subaru, followed by some close-up shots of the diffuser areas that will be addressed with the titanium hardware:

Concluding Thoughts

Thank-you all for your continuous support with both my Youtube Channel and my journal here on M3Post.
Stay tuned for next update, it’s the one you’ve all been waiting for…and judging by my face below, you know it’s a BIG ONE!

[omgzirra_exe]

lets get it alex

[x3sm]

I don't even know what to say.. this build is amazing. Loved reading through all the pages. This car will be next level when all finished and I can't wait to see it.

Question: Do you know if the BMW individual steering wheel trim fits M-model steering wheels? Didn't know this existed and was looking for something to replace my peeling trim, but I didn't want to do the alcantara or CF everyone does.

[Evice]

I am here to see you guys put in the airbox and make the necessary changes. Please make sure to capture some detailed notes on that one

[reidetailing]

Originally Posted by omgzirra_exe

lets get it alex

Haha thanks Alex!!

Originally Posted by x3sm

I don't even know what to say.. this build is amazing. Loved reading through all the pages. This car will be next level when all finished and I can't wait to see it.

Question: Do you know if the BMW individual steering wheel trim fits M-model steering wheels? Didn't know this existed and was looking for something to replace my peeling trim, but I didn't want to do the alcantara or CF everyone does.

Thanks for the appreciation x3sm! Glad you're enjoying it thus far, and hope you enjoy this update even more!
Yes, I believe this trim does fit M-Model steering wheels. It says it doesn't online, but it's the same shape and everything as the M-steering wheel I have. Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Evice

I am here to see you guys put in the airbox and make the necessary changes. Please make sure to capture some detailed notes on that one

Stay tuned for that Evice. It will be a little while as there are several other updates before I share the M24 Race Airbox.







Hey everyone and welcome back to my journal!

This is by far one of my favourite updates to share with you all, so please enjoy.

This update takes place over the course of June to August 2021.

The Hood of All Hoods

Recall on post #115, I was brainstorming ideas for a Custom Hood Project for my E90 M3.
Upon brainstorming, several key ideas were clear:

1. BMW Roundel Badge delete and level area flat.
2. Incorporate and recess Top Secret Japan x Aerocatch Hood Pins for aerodynamics.
3. Lots of vents (like Motorsport24 hood) to extract as much heat from engine bay as possible.
4. Delete OEM hood vents.
5. Retain V8 bulge.

I then discovered a Motorsport24 hood variant that omitted an assortment of vents, and rather had 2 deep dive vents where the OEM vents were. I liked this design, and wanted Alex@Spage Sport to incorporate this into the overall design.

A special thank-you goes to Usic@Total Motor Werkes for doing all the measurements and cutting my OEM hood for the Aerocatch Hood Pins.

It’s incredible working with people like Alex and Usic who are able to create exactly the same idea you picture in your mind.
There were no templates, no real do-overs. Alex was given several printed photos of the hood designs mentioned above, and then tasked to make it happen using my OEM hood as the guinea pig.

I opted out from clear-coating it, as I eventually plan to paint the entire car, and want everything to be done at the same time. For the time being, I will get Steven@Elevated Auto to PPF the hood, and then ceramic coat it.

A very special thank-you goes to Alex@Spage Sport, my dream hood is now a reality, and I am beyond stoked to see Sky sporting it proudly.

Enjoy the pictures and Youtube videos showcasing the hood through all of it’s build process:

Concluding Thoughts

Thank-you all for your continuous support with both my Youtube Channel and my journal here on M3Post.
I really am grateful to have the support from my family and friends to be able to do these cool projects.
Plenty more exciting updates to come so keep your eyes peeled!

Til next time, enjoy this teaser pic for next update.

[omgzirra_exe]

thats a sick hood wtf. sell me one lol

[ccbl]

love the detailed photos here Alex. jeeze makes me feel like i really need to update mine although its no where close to the caliber of yours

[reidetailing]

Originally Posted by omgzirra_exe

thats a sick hood wtf. sell me one lol

Haha thanks Alex!! Was a 1-of-1 buddy!!

Originally Posted by ccbl

love the detailed photos here Alex. jeeze makes me feel like i really need to update mine although its no where close to the caliber of yours

Thanks Steven! Waiting for you to update yours...been far too long my man.




Hey everyone and welcome back to my journal!

This is probably the luckiest I’ve ever been with acquiring one of the rarest parts for the E9X M3 platform.

This update takes place over several months from August 2020 to October 2021.

Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder

Planning has always been a key initiative I’ve taken to build this car into the ultimate M3.
Like many, I created an Excel spreadsheet of all the parts I eventually wanted for my car. The parts in the spreadsheet were carefully organized into groups based on the general make-up of the part (exterior, interior, engine, drivetrain, suspension, etc.).
It featured parts that were both available and discontinued, with the hopes to one day acquire the latter parts.

With respect to the having the “ultimate drivetrain” with the full catalog of parts once available, there was one particular item that has been long discontinued—the Titanium Differential Brace.
This part was made by Rick, owner of a very small fabrication shop in Pennsylvania called DEFIV Fabrication.
There were two versions of this brace: 1 being chromoly, the other being titanium of which only 10 were made.
The former retailed for around $965 USD, and $1,865 USD for the latter.

So What Does the Brace Do?

Being a huge fan of anything titanium, I knew I had to be one of those lucky 10 owners.

According to Matt@Auto Couture Motoring, “The DEFIV differential brace:

• Handmade structural support from the rear subframe to the differential.
• Drastically improves the mounting area from the differential to subframe by adding 2 new mounting points with solid billet aluminum bushings up front and replacement poly bushings in the rear making a total of 5 mounting points for the differential.
• Improves rigidity up to 50%, by decreasing the inflection of the differential, it allows the power to be delivered to the rear minimizing wheel hop.
• It creates a Drastic reduction in the geometrical movement by dispersing the load from the 3 OEM rubber mounting points to the now 5 stiffer mounting points.
• The dispersion released into the 5 mounting points in addition to the structural support of the brace itself at each end of the frame locks in the differential for maximum performance.

The Story: A Wild Goose Chase to Say the Least!

I was definitely interested in this brace, and began my search.
A needle in a haystack idiom definitely applies to this brace. I essentially had to track down any of the 10 owners of this brace without breaching any privacy laws of course.
I pretty much Googled “DEFIV M3Post” and then filtered my search to only threads from M3Post, which helped narrow down anything anyone ever said about DEFIV.

I was able to find a couple people on M3Post, but upon clicking their member profile, they hadn’t been active in several years…so no point in PMing them.

As the years went on, a couple chromoly versions popped up but I still had no luck finding a titanium version.
I had practically given up the search until for fun I browsed the Cars For Sale thread category on M3Post. There was this older gentleman named Ron (M3Post Member: “Roni911”) Roni911 who was selling a heavily modified E93 M3 that featured some “big ticket” items like a Gintani Twin Turbo Kit and 4.2L Stroker Kit, Alcon BBK, and the prized DEFIV Titanium Differential Brace.

Ronald had #2 of 10, and I knew this was probably going to be my one and only opportunity at acquiring this brace.
I PM’d Ron and asked if he would sell me the differential brace separately from the car. Ron candidly declined and said it was to only be sold with the car.
I’m not one to take no for an answer, so I replied back asking if I may follow-up in a couple months to see if Ron would change his mind; Ron thankfully agreed to my follow-up requests.
We went back and forth for several months, as his car had still not sold yet. Ron’s one and only concession was that if I could find a buyer for his car, he would gift me the brace as a finder’s fee. I began posting the car in local WhatsApp and Facebook M3 Groups, but was unsuccessful in finding Ron a prospective buyer for his M3.
I still continued to follow-up with him, until I saw an Instagram post in March 2021 from a prominent E9X M3 community member named Sal (M3Post Member: “SalM”) SalM .

Sal is recognized as the World's Fastest N/A E9X M3 & Stock Motor Supercharged E9X M3, along with just being a good, hardworking guy.
Sal had just purchased Ron’s E93 M3 for his parents; while happy for him, I knew I had to start this search process all over again.

I contacted Sal stating that I was looking for a particular part off his newly acquired M3. Funnily enough, Sal knew exactly which part I was looking for. He already had an offer of $1,300 USD for the diff brace, but was debating whether to just install it on his personal M3. His brother eventually convinced him to sell it to me, and we negotiated around $2300USD and split shipping costs at around $260USD. Call me crazy for spending more than new on a used brace, but it was one of those things were I had to seize this rare opportunity; after all, I spent countless time and effort searching for this brace.

Did I Break the Internet?

It finally arrived and I’m beyond thrilled to get it on my car.
I shared my excitement amongst friends and the global M3 community on Facebook. To my surprise, I received lots of constructive feedback regarding the condition of the brace, and the quality of the welds. Not going to lie, the memes people sent had me hysterical

What are the Plans for the Brace?

Regardless of the feedback, my plan is to have this brace fully restored. This restoration entails the brace being:

• Sandblasted.
• Welds cleaned up.
• Tubes heat treated for a nice visual appearance.

My good friend Matt@GT Customs will be performing the restoration to ensure a show-quality piece on my M3. Matt specializes in titanium welding here in Toronto, and has performed various titanium projects on my Subaru; so I’m beyond excited for him to be a part of my M3 build!
To pay homage to Matt’s high quality titanium work, we will add a plaque stating something like “Restored by GT Customs for Alex and Project Sky.”

I can’t wait for you all to see the finished product of the brace’s restoration; for now, please enjoy some photos and Youtube videos of the #2 of 10 DEFIV Titanium Differential Brace for the E9X M3:

Concluding Thoughts

Thank-you all for your continuous support with both my Youtube Channel and my journal here on M3Post.
I hope you enjoyed this update showcasing my relentless pursuit to acquire some of the rarest parts for this platform, while striving for excellence in completely restoring the car and all its components like this titanium differential brace!

Enjoy this teaser of how it's looking so far.

[M5fanaticc]

Sick write up 💯

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by bmwm3fanatic

Sick write up 💯

did you have to quote the whole damn thing jesus. as much as i love alex, i aint reading it twice lmfao.

[cchen9_]

looking fwd to seeing that piece after the mods

[M5fanaticc]

Originally Posted by omgzirra_exe

did you have to quote the whole damn thing jesus. as much as i love alex, i aint reading it twice lmfao.

LOL my bad.

[Matt@Evolve]

Just scrolled through this, what an incredible attention to detail you're going through!

[94jedi]

Wow...this build. I thought mine was detailed. This is next next level lol you need an IG just for the e90 reidetailing !!!

[M_Torx]

when have got the money will give u my car and let you take care of everything 😂

[reidetailing]

Originally Posted by bmwm3fanatic

Sick write up 💯

Thanks Faaz!

Originally Posted by omgzirra_exe

did you have to quote the whole damn thing jesus. as much as i love alex, i aint reading it twice lmfao.

Haha love you Alex! You're the best buddy.

Originally Posted by cchen9_

looking fwd to seeing that piece after the mods

Thank-you so much Cullen! Will be great to have the DEFIV Titanium Diff Brace on the car...too bad it won't be seen.

Originally Posted by Matt@Evolve

Just scrolled through this, what an incredible attention to detail you're going through!

Really appreciate your support, Matt!

Originally Posted by 94jedi

Wow...this build. I thought mine was detailed. This is next next level lol you need an IG just for the e90 reidetailing !!!

I appreciate you bro! Too bad my @screamer IG is shared by that dang Subaru of mine

Originally Posted by TurboT888

when have got the money will give u my car and let you take care of everything 😂

Lol that can be arranged haha!








Hey everyone and welcome back to my journal!

It has been a few months since I've made a post; my work-life balance has been heavily lopsided.

Last update I shared the wild story of how I acquired the #2 of 10 DEFIV Titanium Differential Brace, and the plans I had to restore it.
I’m super excited to share with you all the finished product, courtesy of my good friend Matt@GT Customs.

This update takes place in March 2022.

DEFIV Titanium Differential Brace Restored

With all the madness and trolling that occurred when I got this brace, I knew I had to restore it by the BEST hands in Toronto. I consulted my good friend Matt@GT Customs to perform this job. Matt specializes in some of Toronto's top builds with his stellar welding skills, especially with titanium.

I wanted him to clean up all the welds, strengthen certain areas where he saw fit, give it a custom burnt finish, and finally add a special plaque honouring the build collaboration with GT Customs.

Please enjoy the finished results:

Concluding Thoughts

Thank-you all for your continuous support with both my Youtube Channel and my journal here on M3Post.
Stay tuned for next update, there could be some more JDM parts going on Project Sky.

[wyatth]

Wow, kudos on your commitment to that brace (and the car in general)!

[Drifter2090]

Burnt finish looks great on the brace!

[reidetailing]

Originally Posted by wyatth

Wow, kudos on your commitment to that brace (and the car in general)!

Thanks Wyatt! I'm very pleased with how it turned out, and can't wait to see it on the car!

Originally Posted by Drifter2090

Burnt finish looks great on the brace!

It does, right Dinal?!





Hey everyone and welcome back to my journal!

This is an update for all the JDM fans out there. We are bringing more JDM-flair to Project Sky!

This update takes place in November 2021.

The Rear Diff Mods Continue

This actually occurred prior to the purchase and full restoration of my DEFIV Titanium Differential Brace; but we are continuing to modify the rear-section of Project Sky.

In case you couldn't already tell, I absolutely LOVE JDM parts...especially on Euro cars!
Being unique and throwing some of the coolest and rarest parts on my car has and will continue to be the goal.

I turned my attention to something I saw my friend Chris@JDM Cain Lab post on his Instagram. Chris always posts the rarest JDM parts and memorabilia; and what I saw definitely fit that criteria...a discontinued used universal-fit ARC Rear Differential Cooler!!

It was definitely in need of a good clean-up, but I knew I had to have it, so I made the deal and secured this special part! Part of the deal was for Chris to fully restore it (which he usually offers as a value-added extra service).


Please enjoy the pictures of the Diff Cooler and its restoration:

Plans for the ARC Rear Diff Cooler

I had this idea to totally transform the look of Sky's rear-end. Having just received my ARC Rear Diff Cooler, I had to strategically place it somewhere that would make sense, yet capture some attention.

I stumbled upon a European M3 racing website and found the following pictures on an E92 M3:






Having seen that, I knew we could aim for something somewhat similar, in that the ARC would be behind the rear bumper mesh.

Recall that I will be doing a JDM Subaru STi Rear Fog/Rain Light; the ARC Rear Diff Cooler will be sitting right next to that light, as seen below:





I've been toying back and forth to even have the rear bumper mesh or just scrapping it and leaving the fog-light and cooler fully exposed.
Some general feedback online is that it would look more OEM-like if I retain the mesh, so we'll likely keep it.

Concluding Thoughts

Thank-you all for your continuous support with both my Youtube Channel and my journal here on M3Post.

Next update, we will further continue with the rear-end...

[reidetailing]

Hey everyone and welcome back to my journal!

This is an extremely special and long-awaited update that I'm beyond excited to share with everyone.

This update takes place in July 2022.

The Holy Grail of Differentials

Back in September 2019, I reached out to our very own, and Differential specialist, Florian@LimitedSlipDE (M3Post Member:driftflo driftflo ).
Florian owns LimitedSlipDE, and is regarded as one of the few experts of differentials. I remember asking him 1 million questions, and yet not committing to buying a differential right away...sorry Florian...but I did give you my word that one day I'd buy it from you, and here we are today I'm posting it

The goal is to throw the best-of-the-best parts at Project Sky; and recall I ordered the KMP Drivetrain Axles to pair one day to a Drexler Differential curated by Florian. The only "catch" stated by Pascal@KMP is that the KMP axles "have 6xM10 bolts on a 94mm bolt circle. The E92 originally has 6xM12 on a 102 circle.
You need to use E46 flanges with the differential from Florian. We did this to make it lighter.”

When it was finally time to consult with Florian, I made sure to notify him of Pascal's message and tailor my dream-spec diff build accordingly. The coolest thing is that this is the same differential used on the M3 GT4!!

Here's what we came up with:

Differential Kit Includes:

1. OE Differential
2. 4.10 Gearset
3. Drexler "GT Race Light"
4. Seals
5. Bearings
6. E46 M3 Side Flanges

You might be wondering, "Alex, why did you order a new OE Differential Pumpkin?"
Well as much as I'd love to use the Pumpkin I currently have on my OEM Rear Differential, it's clearly seen better days...or as Usic says, "An underwater anchor."






After looking at those pictures, you can imagine how excited I was to receive a new OEM Rear Diff Pumpkin.

Please enjoy the pictures of the dream-spec diff being built by Florian:





























You can imagine how excited I am to have that differential installed.
A very special thank-you to Florian for giving me this wonderful opportunity to acquire the pinnacle of diff setups for the E9X M3 platform.

Wiggle-Be-Gone

When installing the Hard Motorsport Carbon Fiber RS Door Latches Pull Strap Conversion Kit, we noticed they were not fully secured and had a bit of play.
Any sort of wiggle would likely be more pronounced when I'm actually driving the car (solid bushings throughout the car).

I had Usic address this and fully secure the Door Latches with some serious double-sided tape...that successfully did the job.


https://youtube.com/shorts/JP-a4BNisLY?feature=shared

Concluding Thoughts

Thank-you all for your continuous support with both my Youtube Channel and my journal here on M3Post.
Stay tuned for next update, it’s going to be a good one.