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09-25-2019, 10:46 PM | #1 |
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Good mods, bad mods.... whatta ya got??
As these cars age and transfer into the hands of people who want to make them their own, I thought it might be good to share experiences with modifications. Spending lots of $ on a mod doesn't always make it worth while, whilst a small suspension change or a cabin change like a steering wheel or paddles for example can make the driving experience that much better. What have you guys done that you thought was worth doing and what have you done which you feel just "checked a box" (a bit of a waste of mullah). Please post one of each if you can and share your experiences with the rest of us.. pictures are heavily encouraged
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09-26-2019, 01:09 PM | #3 |
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Drives: ///M3
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2009 BMW E93 6MT///M3 - SG/FR
2011 BMW E90 DCT///M3 - JB/FR (Sold) |
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09-26-2019, 02:54 PM | #5 |
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Everyone regrets a straight pipe after a while.
I've been on eBay exhaust cutouts placed before the muffler for like 2-3 months now, it was $280 and I would never do a different exhaust setup after this. Would consider something lighter but I worry about the weight balancing issues and aero issues with more minimal exhausts. OEM muffler helps balance F/R weight and flows air up from under the rear bumper. - I felt an immediate difference on my local freeway offramp after pulling the alignment pins and pushing the struts inward. Great little modification. Much less "push" during hard cornering. - I cut my stock X pipe for test pipes and aside from a small leak that was pretty easily fixed, I don't regret it at all. Getting rid of the cats was my favorite thing I've done to this, there's more power everywhere. -Editing to say that I did notice the difference between the revised stock air filter and an aftermarket MS stage 2 intake. Felt about half as significant as test pipes. I got mine used for $150 and it cleaned right up. Had fitment issues when my motor mounts were trashed, it could use more flexible couplers. No issues after those were fixed. - Euro / GTS tune is great as well. Last edited by chocstraw; 09-26-2019 at 03:29 PM.. |
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R-3551.00 |
09-26-2019, 02:58 PM | #6 | |
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I can't imagine driving or owning this car without this change.... yeah, it's a pain to figure out emissions in some states, but it's not terribly impossible to slap the cats back on for that once a year. totally worth it. The car drives, idles and performs so much better after those cost effective changes. |
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09-26-2019, 03:12 PM | #7 | |
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I also remember that thread about a collapsed cat on one of the banks. Part of the cat broke, started plugging up the exhaust, it got hotter, everything melted together, plugged up the entire side. Having said that, I can't imagine how you wouldn't notice the engine wildly out of balance before a catastrophic failure. |
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wfdeacon881104.00 |
09-26-2019, 03:17 PM | #8 |
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Drives: E92 335XI (sold)/E92 M3 (sold)
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When I began the process of buying my M3, I made a promise to myself that I would avoid unnecessary mods that involve a healthy chunk of cash. So for me, no aftermarket suspension, no engine tuning, no major exhaust work, no interior mods, etc. I was lucky that the previous owner already added carbon fiber splitters, rear spoiler, side gills, etc.
The mods I have done (or plan to do) will be small, cheap or just for preventative maintenance: Replaced Kidney grills Replace emblems (side gills, trunk roundel and M3 emblem) AFE Dry Intake filter Spacers Rod Bearings Future mods I will do (which will be the last of them): Dinan DCT Tune OEM Muffler Mod Replace EDC shocks/structs with low mileaged take offs. Last edited by BeaterM3; 09-27-2019 at 09:20 AM.. |
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09-26-2019, 03:37 PM | #9 |
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-Ultimate clutch pedal.. total waste of $ with stock clutch. Don't do it.
- I do agree that catless m's are tough to daily, the smell is noticeable and living in California I constantly await a state ref ticket. They'll let the Harley guys get away with it all day but not us. I do enjoy a sweet sounding M though... - I do think a shift kit for the 6 speed guys is a great mod. Definitely a good value mod which one will appreciate every time you drive.
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09-26-2019, 04:02 PM | #10 | |
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09-26-2019, 04:12 PM | #11 | ||
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09-26-2019, 04:26 PM | #12 | |
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I was surprised by how much of a difference it made when I finally sealed up a pinhole leak. I had written it off as typical catless smell but it was night and day even with the tiniest of a leak. But in regards to cops, IMO it’s very difficult to legally prove unless you explicitly admit that you removed the cats. There are enough chop-shops and failing cats around LA / CA to introduce plausible deniability. I have seen some of those mobile emissions testing stations but (shockingly) only in low income areas, and they were waving all of the newer cars through. |
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09-26-2019, 04:48 PM | #13 |
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Drives: 2011 E92 M3
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Previous owner did these that are a waste IMHO:
Dinan ITBs (pricey for nothing IMHO) Dinan strut braces (cosmetic and expensive) Things the previous owner did that I would do again: Dinan pulley Dinan cat-back (sounds nice) Dinan intake (nice induction sound) Dinan 4.10 LSD (sold it because where I used to live I did a lot of highway driving - wish I had not now that I live where the roads are twisty - it had a nice pre-load - will likely buy another 4.10 at some point) Things I have done that I would not do again: Test pipes (ultimately ended up with a proper x-pipe) Bolt to stud conversion (should have simply bought larger bolts as I rarely remove the wheels and gone with 15mm and 12mm spaces on day one) 12mm spacers on all 4 corners (due to stud kit - ended up going with 15mm front and 12mm rear) Mods I did and would do again: 15mm front spacers and 12mm rear spacers Challenge sport x-pipe (HFC to limit smell but Stage II tune) Alpine tune (nice to have access to different tunes, still have the Dinan tune but it has cold start...) 50% front tint 40% rear tint AutoSolutions 18% reduction stock height short shifter with 80A bushings Future mods: 4.6L stroker with Schrick 292 cams 4.10 LSD of some sort It is all about the journey.
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2011 E92 M3 - 6MT, ZCP, ZF LSD, ESS G1, Some other goodies... Last edited by Scharbag; 11-26-2019 at 09:52 PM.. |
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09-26-2019, 05:16 PM | #14 |
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4.10 gears are cool.. car always seems to be in the right gear even though the increase in ratio is pretty minimal above stock. I have an osg lsd in mine. It's noisy though, I like the sound but it would get annoying driving it everyday, especially noisy on deceleration.
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09-26-2019, 06:28 PM | #15 |
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E90 M3 mods:
Evo sport Power pulley Full ipe exhaust (but running stock X, too lazy to put back plus i live in Cali and exhaust laws suck out here) LED package TE37rt H&R race springs FancyWide diffuser Light window tints regrets? Just one.. The infotainment is outdated and plan to upgrade it to Apple CarPlay |
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09-26-2019, 06:37 PM | #16 |
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If this applied to previous cars, I'd have a super long list, LOL.
Fortunately I've learned that "less is more," "you get what you pay for," and that due diligence will avoid regrets. No regrets with this one yet, though subjective/styling details may always be subject to change. Best bang for the buck: Alpine tune and GTS flash, billet DCT paddles, PS4S tires, ... https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1455563 |
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09-26-2019, 07:50 PM | #17 | ||
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and it worked passing emissions. I'm not in California, so I don't have to worry about those nut case laws, but tempted to try this ... but since I don't have jacks, I'd have to find a place to help me install.... |
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09-26-2019, 11:05 PM | #18 |
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Drives: 2013 M3 coupe' 6mt
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Wanna go faster? Try a driver mod...High Performance Driver's Ed
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09-27-2019, 07:12 AM | #19 |
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I hope my wife doesn't read this thread but here it goes:
Akrapovic Evolution Exhaust Macht Schnell Uber drive pulleys Macht Schnell Stage 2 air intake Alpine Stage 2 engine tune Dinan DCT software tune MFactory carbon fiber driveshaft Performance steering wheel with carbon fiber paddle shifters Carbon leather interior trim and IND DCT boot and parking brake boot VR2 carbon fiber front spoiler and rear spoiler I also had my wheels powder coated bliss black from the factory silver. |
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09-27-2019, 07:52 AM | #21 |
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Haven’t done much to my E90 as I like to keep it close to stock, but the things I have done, mostly cosmetic, I really like. Black kidney grills, carbon mirror covers, carbon front splitters, F10 shift knob and lastly but the best one was the M performance exhaust, which I think sounds awesome. I had an Eisenmann Race at one point but thought it was too much and it droned a lot
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09-27-2019, 09:24 AM | #22 |
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Drives: E92 335XI (sold)/E92 M3 (sold)
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Seems like a lot of you guys seem to like 15F/12R for spacers. I am assuming these are put on M3 specific offset wheels?
Since I run non M3 offset wheels, I went with 15F/18R instead. |
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