AW/FR 6MT E90 Build Journal

[mtlblaue36]

Been a couple months since I've updated this thread....

Next up, I ordered a steering wheel from Aza Auto. The one that came with my car was also from Aza but I wasn't a big fan of the style with the hand grips. I found them to be quite uncomfortable actually. The purchasing process with them was great. They send you lots of pictures showing the progress of the wheel. What I was amazed by though, was the packaging it comes in. Wrapped up so well the box could've been kicked around during shipping and it wouldn't have done a thing.

And the wheel itself! I went with a fully alcantara wrapped wheel with a flat bottom. Basically the same as an M Performance wheel but I wanted a red stripe to match the interior as well as the red M and engine start buttons.


Looks right at home

[mtlblaue36]

Around this time in April, I received my new to me xpipe from another M3post member.

I had been doing quite a bit of research into the various aftermarket options and their design differences. What I found quite interesting, is that there is very little shared evidence objectively breaking down the benefits of different xpipe designs despite lots of posts talking about the topic. Specifically, the location of the x merge pipe itself and its effect on horsepower, torque, and sound. Historically, the consensus has been that a forward (closer to the engine than OE) x pipe produces the highest horsepower while being subject to a small decrease in torque. However, after speaking with Alex at AlpineMSS, and confirmed by others, this loss in torque is no longer an issue as that can be tuned away. To add to this mystery, in a post on FB, Jordan from RKTunes suggested without any clarity that the best is a rear xpipe or no x merge at all. This all left me questioning why nobody had tried to do an apples to apples comparison with a dyno of these different designs.

The xpipe I bought is an RPi GTM. Here it is compared to my original xpipe that has resonators welded into test pipes.


The RPi GTM is a rear xpipe design with some saying that this design produces a less 'raspy' sound, which is often the case with a catless xpipe. What I also quite like about this design, is that it has resonators built into the section of the xpipe where the primary cats are in the OE pipe. This section sits right below the driver and passenger seats in the cabin, and by having resonators here, should help reduce drone in the cabin.

Here is a sound clip at the shop after the install. Paired with my supersprint race exhaust, it creates quite an exotic sound.

I also took the car to the dyno before and after install. After install, I reached out to Alex at AlpineMSS for an updated map for the fully catless xpipe. I didn't have a chance to do any driving with the new map before the dyno so in hindsight, I think if I had driven a few miles beforehand, the car would've adapted to the new map a bit more and it might have dyno'd a bit better. You can see on the dyne sheet below the torque line actually dipped a bit lower. Every run, it was itching backing up though. Despite this, the car still put out a healthy 381whp & 275wtq cutting it at an 8400 redline.

Dyno sheet comparing old run with OE with test pipes (blue) to new RPi GTM (red)


Now for my impressions after living with this exhaust setup for a few months now. I really do think it is a fantastic daily drivable catless exhaust setup. I don’t find the smell too bad, but that is quite a subjective point. The supersprint race is actually relatively tame for a “race” exhaust so that helps keep the volume down a bit, but most importantly, there is almost no drone at all while cruising on the highway. At WOT, it has the violent punch of a catless setup with a very satisfying, exotic-like, sound. I have no doubt that I, like many e9x m3 owners, will probably mix it up with something else down the road. I do like the appeal of a valved rear section to make it even quieter for cruising. I would also like to try a forward xpipe to compare to the dyno results of the RPi.

[mtlblaue36]

Spent quite a bit of time out driving and enjoying the new exhaust during the month of May.



I was moving out of the city so decided I wanted to do a good chunk of maintenance beforehand.

My list was the following:

• Oil change
• Spark plugs
• Injectors
• Brake fluid
• Trans fluid
• Diff fluid
• Power steering fluid
• Coolant
• Thermostat
• Water pump (with metal impeller)
• Rad hoses
• Fuel breather valve
• Fuel pressor sensor
• Air filter
• Cabin filters
• Check belts & pulleys

Injectors are supposed to be lifetime components, but there has been quite a bit of talk recently about injector failure so I decided I wanted to replace them anyways.

The old injectors didn't look too bad, but could see that the o-rings were starting to go.



June 2021:




July 2021:
Next mod was a pair of Goldenwrench blacklines. Something I was a bit on the fence on, and still am to be honest. I don't think they necessarily improve the look but they do add a bit more aggressive contrast to the rear end. It's very sublte.

[Mtreee]

Great progress so far man, thanks for the OSRAM bulb share I just picked up an E90 M3 last night and that will be one of the first things to switch

[Drifter2090]

Looking great man!

[mtlblaue36]

August 2021:

Celebrated 25k kms of driving the car since buying it. Been such a rewarding car to own. Looking forward to 25k more.


September 2021:

Soapy 359M. NSFW




Unfortunately, the weather started changing towards the end of September making the car not stay clean not very long.


October 2021:

Took some pictures in this very cool tunnel.


And of course, had to do a little burnout in the tunnel to hear that S65 sing.

[mtlblaue36]

October 2021 Continued:

I did a lot of driving in October as the colour of the leaves changed and took lots of pictures too.






Perhaps my favourite picture of the car I've taken to-date.






November 2021:

Installed a new set of winters, which weren't originally what I was thinking of using for this season, but are a really cool set that I didn't want to pass up on. Square rear 9.5" 219M with 255/40 front and 265/40 rear Sottozero with a 15mm spacer on the rear. Fits really well and as I found last season, Sottozero are fantastic winter tires for dry or wet winter conditions. They're not great, at all, in actual snow, however. So a good set for early and late winter when there isn't much snow to worry about.


Decided to replace my intake with a Dinan. My car came with an AFe filter but I thought it would be a good idea to get a fresh filter, and I got a good price so why not opt for the Dinan that has the nice little carbon piece while at it.




Winter ///Mode

[Drifter2090]

Looking good man, any noticeable sound difference between the AFE and Dinan intakes?

[mtlblaue36]

Originally Posted by Drifter2090

Looking good man, any noticeable sound difference between the AFE and Dinan intakes?

Absolutely none although I haven't tried with the windows down yet really because of the colder temps. We'll see if I notice anything in the spring. Doubt it though

[FiftyFive]

Wow...

Love your narratives to what you had done to the car.

May I ask what rear spoiler are you using?

Cheers

[mtlblaue36]

Originally Posted by FiftyFive

Wow...

Love your narratives to what you had done to the car.

May I ask what rear spoiler are you using?

Cheers

Thank you!

Couldn't tell you exactly unfortunately. It came installed on the car when I got it by the previous owner. It is a high kick style replica.

[RabMcLab]

Late post here but love the build so far. Dedication to an older car as such. I was hoping for a little help as I can tell you’ve really been through the car thick and thin. I have an e92 M3 and was hoping to change wheels. I want to go down to 18s I prefer the look and the tyre options. I see you run them for winter tyres and so on. What kind of fitment do you run? I was looking at 8.5/9.5j staggered but want to make sure I’m getting enough tyre to fill the space and really not sure what I should be buying. What is your expertise here??

Thanks very much in advance!

[mtlblaue36]

Originally Posted by RabMcLab

Late post here but love the build so far. Dedication to an older car as such. I was hoping for a little help as I can tell you’ve really been through the car thick and thin. I have an e92 M3 and was hoping to change wheels. I want to go down to 18s I prefer the look and the tyre options. I see you run them for winter tyres and so on. What kind of fitment do you run? I was looking at 8.5/9.5j staggered but want to make sure I’m getting enough tyre to fill the space and really not sure what I should be buying. What is your expertise here??

Thanks very much in advance!

Hey! Lots of info in this forum so first thing I'd suggest is keep browsing and reading through threads. Apex Wheels fitment guide is a great place to start too for inspiration. You can find it here.

When you're considering fitment, you need to factor in the tire size, and also brand/model as some manufacturers like Michelin fit a bit wider than others of the same width and typically a lower treadwear tire will fit wider as well. Also, your suspension is the next consideration as ride height and camber make a significant difference in how a setup will fit. Best of luck

[brandon harris]

Originally Posted by mtlblaue36

Hey! Lots of info in this forum so first thing I'd suggest is keep browsing and 192.168.100.1 192.168.1.1 reading through threads. Apex Wheels fitment guide is a great place to start too for inspiration. You can find it here.

When you're considering fitment, you need to factor in the tire size, and also brand/model as some manufacturers like Michelin fit a bit wider than others of the same width and typically a lower treadwear tire will fit wider as well. Also, your suspension is the next consideration as ride height and camber make a significant difference in how a setup will fit. Best of luck

I'm loving the work ! keep it up

[TurboT888]

can't believe u drive in winter 😭 bro the salt they put down is 🥜

[mtlblaue36]

Originally Posted by TurboT888

can't believe u drive in winter 😭 bro the salt they put down is 🥜

Yea around Toronto it’s really bad. I don’t drive the car every day in the winter as I do have an X5 too. These cars are incredibly fun to drive in the snow though