Jonasaurus Space Grey / Fox Red E90 M3 build

jonasaurus · 03-16-2012, 10:20 PM

Have been on M3post for a relatively speaking reasonable amount of time now (approximately October 2010 when my E90 M3 order was confirmed by the local BMW dealership), typically admiring all the mods members post up, technical discussions about everything and anything M (or BMW) related and the great stories of European Deliveries (which we don't have the option for) to name a few. Given the lack of photos posted on my end thought it would be nice to share a few especially since I've come around to adding a few bits and pieces recently.

Just to give a bit of context to the mods below, having just sold my 997.1 Carrera S 6MT a month earlier I was looking to find an 'all-in-one' performance 4 door saloon (due to a need for easily accessible rear seats, ample storage space and limited parking space preventing ownership of a DD as well as a weekend car). I've always loved 4 door performance cars as they are typically understated, most looking at a E90 M3 would assume its a regular 3 series until they hear the S65 engine. Looked at the C63 and ISF but neither offered 6MT or the same dynamic capabilities of the M3 around a corner. Test drove a Frozen Grey E92 DCT to get a feel of what the dual clutch system was like coming from 6MT my whole life. It was as expected, quite amazing but nevertheless still hankered for a 6MT. October 2010 I put down my deposit for an E90 M3 6MT Space Grey with Fox Red (non-extended) interior, unfortunately there never was a ZCP option for the E90 M3s here in the UK so settled for EDC and 18 inch 219Ms. Yes I am one of those that prefer the 18s over the 19s (both 220M and 359M). By January 2011 I had a call letting me know there was a new E90 M3 waiting to be picked up.

Thought I would be conservative with the mods so stuck to the Performance pedals, M3 Edition grills and side gills to get rid of the chrome (it was a pain in the behind to get the side gills out). Thought I'd leave it at that and just be happy with the car.

14 months and 6,000 miles later no matter how many twisty A and B-roads I went in search for to the South, South West and North of London (have been to Snowdonia in Wales and the roads are amazing but just a bit far from London to go on a regular basis) I knew I needed to step it up a bit and take the car to the track to more safely explore its capabilities and then summer this year to The Ring and possibly Spa. That thought then led me to search for upgrades to brakes, seats and steering wheel. In all honesty I probably could have gotten by without the seat and steering wheel but it was just too hard to resist and a bit more side support for the thighs wouldn't hurt.

In order to maintain my full BMW warranty decided to keep it OEM.

BMW Performance sports pads and discs
Part numbers
34112283764 - Front pads
34212283366 - Rear pads
34112283385 - Discs
34112283386 - Discs
34112283387 - Discs
34112283388 - Discs

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...nce+brake+pads

Emil had the Performance pads installed without changing out the rotors (despite the different part numbers). From the BMW dealers that I had approached, on their parts system they were instructed to install the 'different' discs in conjunction with the Performance pads). Visually the stock rotors and the ones that are advised to be used in conjunction with the Performance pads do look the same but the parts department informed me that the new rotors are of a different compound to prevent premature wear from the sports pads, that being said yet to see anything definitive on paper.

BMW Performance bucket seat (Recaro Sportster CS) and wiring loom
Part numbers
52100442130
61122155580

A few hiccups experienced with the seat install, the new wiring loom was put in and recoding was done, in the consequent testing (takes a couple of hours) half way through it stopped as the alarm siren failed and needed to be replaced.

BMW Performance Steering Wheel V2 (non-electric)
Part number
32302212772

Looking forward to the summer will be heading off to The Ring, Welt and other alpine passes (haven't done Grossglockner previously in any car let alone the M3, will also have to introduce the M3 to a few of France/Italy and Switzerland's mountain passes that I had previously done as well as a few UK track days. Will post pics of any potential future mods (the Performance exhaust is very tempting). To prompt the answer to a potential question, I have no plans to change out the springs, agreed it would look nicer if it sat lower but unless I was out of warranty and/or going to get very serious about track work then perhaps adjustable coilovers would be the next step.

From an aesthetic perspective would love to get the CRT lip and the BMW CF Performance Spoiler II (maybe with a touch of IND!) but functionally are probably not crucial at this point in time.

Thanks all for looking.

Jon

amanuuh · 03-16-2012, 10:37 PM

you should get a second seat to balance it out it looks off lol

STALKER · 03-16-2012, 10:55 PM

Love the seats. How comfortable are they compared to the stock seats?

Sean@PYSpeed.com · 03-16-2012, 11:04 PM

Sweet!

THE TECH · 03-16-2012, 11:54 PM

An awesome start for sure. Love that seat!

jonasaurus · 03-17-2012, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amans_e90

you should get a second seat to balance it out it looks off lol

Agreed it looks not symmetrical, for the cost however would probably rather put it towards something else

Quote:

Originally Posted by STALKER

Love the seats. How comfortable are they compared to the stock seats?

Did a 150 mile long drive home through a few twisty roads and I came out of that without a bad back but tbh I don't think its as comfortable as the stock seats however do provide noticeably more lateral support.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean@PYSpeed.com

Sweet!

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE TECH

An awesome start for sure. Love that seat!

Thanks!

e92_m3 · 03-17-2012, 02:34 AM

Wow, you modded your car immediately man.

Love the seat! If you don't mind me asking, how much did you get it for? PM me for pricing.

LucWerkz · 03-17-2012, 02:36 AM

Nice! You should get the BMW Edition black exhaust tips to complete the look!

jonasaurus · 03-17-2012, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by e92_m3

Wow, you modded your car immediately man.

Love the seat! If you don't mind me asking, how much did you get it for? PM me for pricing.

No probs, supply price was approx £1350 per seat including loom

jonasaurus · 03-17-2012, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lthai

Nice! You should get the BMW Edition black exhaust tips to complete the look!

Would love to but they only fit the E92 and from E90 owners that have tried, it sticks out a bit too much! Perhaps powercoating could be the way forward or just get the Performance exhaust

HK8888 · 03-17-2012, 02:41 AM

Nice Performance Seat. +1

schnell325 · 03-17-2012, 02:45 AM

Damn!! Awesome M3! Love your upgrades!

jonasaurus · 03-17-2012, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HK8888

Nice Performance Seat. +1

Quote:

Originally Posted by schnell325

Damn!! Awesome M3! Love your upgrades!

Cheers!

schnell325 · 03-17-2012, 03:13 AM

Beers!!

goblueM3 · 03-17-2012, 10:50 AM

Dude...your steering wheel is on the wrong side!!

just kidding...looks great!!

jonasaurus · 03-17-2012, 01:35 PM

Oh and they gave me a M keyring! ha

rjd598 · 03-17-2012, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonasaurus

Would love to but they only fit the E92 and from E90 owners that have tried, it sticks out a bit too much! Perhaps powercoating could be the way forward or just get the Performance exhaust

they do fit on e90's i have them on mine and love it. having them stick in isnt actually that great when you see these tips stick out. no one has ever said "it looks weird" or anything if thats what your worried about. if you want to see pics i would be more than happy to send some over!

jonasaurus · 03-17-2012, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjd598

they do fit on e90's i have them on mine and love it. having them stick in isnt actually that great when you see these tips stick out. no one has ever said "it looks weird" or anything if thats what your worried about. if you want to see pics i would be more than happy to send some over!

Always was on the impression given the Edition ones were made for the E92 that they are naturally longer, be great to see what they look like on your E90

Singletrack · 03-17-2012, 02:44 PM

Amazing setup for tearing it up! Nothing like a fabric seat to keep you planted...

Any noise from the performance pads? Had a chance to push them? If so, any feedback there?

jonasaurus · 03-17-2012, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Singletrack

Amazing setup for tearing it up! Nothing like a fabric seat to keep you planted...

Any noise from the performance pads? Had a chance to push them? If so, any feedback there?

Took the long way home which was probably 150 miles, car sounded like an unhealthy bus when coming to a stop at slow speeds. When I'm braking hard there's no sound but as the car gets to a much slower speed (post the hard braking or just at very slow speeds) it then starts squealing like a pig. With regards to how they perform will report back after mid April post track day

kdbryce · 03-17-2012, 07:02 PM

love that steering wheel so much

car looks great!

flipm3 · 03-17-2012, 07:47 PM

I love clean, simple, and OEM looking modifications. The best part about owning an E9X M3 these days is that BMW offers some great upgrades that, although subtle, make a nice difference.

I'm looking forward to some of your future modifications.

E90 M3 + OEM 18s = best combination

I went the same route.

03-16-2012, 10:20 PM	#1
jonasaurus Brigadier General 76 Rep 3,179 Posts Drives: E90 M3 [Sold] Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC iTrader: (0)	Jonasaurus Space Grey / Fox Red E90 M3 build Have been on M3post for a relatively speaking reasonable amount of time now (approximately October 2010 when my E90 M3 order was confirmed by the local BMW dealership), typically admiring all the mods members post up, technical discussions about everything and anything M (or BMW) related and the great stories of European Deliveries (which we don't have the option for) to name a few. Given the lack of photos posted on my end thought it would be nice to share a few especially since I've come around to adding a few bits and pieces recently. Just to give a bit of context to the mods below, having just sold my 997.1 Carrera S 6MT a month earlier I was looking to find an 'all-in-one' performance 4 door saloon (due to a need for easily accessible rear seats, ample storage space and limited parking space preventing ownership of a DD as well as a weekend car). I've always loved 4 door performance cars as they are typically understated, most looking at a E90 M3 would assume its a regular 3 series until they hear the S65 engine. Looked at the C63 and ISF but neither offered 6MT or the same dynamic capabilities of the M3 around a corner. Test drove a Frozen Grey E92 DCT to get a feel of what the dual clutch system was like coming from 6MT my whole life. It was as expected, quite amazing but nevertheless still hankered for a 6MT. October 2010 I put down my deposit for an E90 M3 6MT Space Grey with Fox Red (non-extended) interior, unfortunately there never was a ZCP option for the E90 M3s here in the UK so settled for EDC and 18 inch 219Ms. Yes I am one of those that prefer the 18s over the 19s (both 220M and 359M). By January 2011 I had a call letting me know there was a new E90 M3 waiting to be picked up. Thought I would be conservative with the mods so stuck to the Performance pedals, M3 Edition grills and side gills to get rid of the chrome (it was a pain in the behind to get the side gills out). Thought I'd leave it at that and just be happy with the car. 14 months and 6,000 miles later no matter how many twisty A and B-roads I went in search for to the South, South West and North of London (have been to Snowdonia in Wales and the roads are amazing but just a bit far from London to go on a regular basis) I knew I needed to step it up a bit and take the car to the track to more safely explore its capabilities and then summer this year to The Ring and possibly Spa. That thought then led me to search for upgrades to brakes, seats and steering wheel. In all honesty I probably could have gotten by without the seat and steering wheel but it was just too hard to resist and a bit more side support for the thighs wouldn't hurt. In order to maintain my full BMW warranty decided to keep it OEM. BMW Performance sports pads and discs Part numbers 34112283764 - Front pads 34212283366 - Rear pads 34112283385 - Discs 34112283386 - Discs 34112283387 - Discs 34112283388 - Discs http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...nce+brake+pads Emil had the Performance pads installed without changing out the rotors (despite the different part numbers). From the BMW dealers that I had approached, on their parts system they were instructed to install the 'different' discs in conjunction with the Performance pads). Visually the stock rotors and the ones that are advised to be used in conjunction with the Performance pads do look the same but the parts department informed me that the new rotors are of a different compound to prevent premature wear from the sports pads, that being said yet to see anything definitive on paper. BMW Performance bucket seat (Recaro Sportster CS) and wiring loom Part numbers 52100442130 61122155580 A few hiccups experienced with the seat install, the new wiring loom was put in and recoding was done, in the consequent testing (takes a couple of hours) half way through it stopped as the alarm siren failed and needed to be replaced. BMW Performance Steering Wheel V2 (non-electric) Part number 32302212772 Looking forward to the summer will be heading off to The Ring, Welt and other alpine passes (haven't done Grossglockner previously in any car let alone the M3, will also have to introduce the M3 to a few of France/Italy and Switzerland's mountain passes that I had previously done as well as a few UK track days. Will post pics of any potential future mods (the Performance exhaust is very tempting). To prompt the answer to a potential question, I have no plans to change out the springs, agreed it would look nicer if it sat lower but unless I was out of warranty and/or going to get very serious about track work then perhaps adjustable coilovers would be the next step. From an aesthetic perspective would love to get the CRT lip and the BMW CF Performance Spoiler II (maybe with a touch of IND!) but functionally are probably not crucial at this point in time. Thanks all for looking. Jon __________________ ///M3 \| E90 LCI \| Space Grey \| Fox Red with CF Structure \| 6MT \| 260M \| My build Last edited by jonasaurus; 03-17-2012 at 05:36 PM..
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03-16-2012, 10:37 PM	#2
amanuuh Colonel 327 Rep 2,012 Posts Drives: 2017 Audi R8 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Loma Linda, CA iTrader: (2)	you should get a second seat to balance it out it looks off lol
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03-16-2012, 10:55 PM	#3
STALKER Brigadier General 160 Rep 3,817 Posts Drives: 997.2 GT3, Golf R Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Toronto, ON iTrader: (5)	Love the seats. How comfortable are they compared to the stock seats? __________________
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03-16-2012, 11:04 PM	#4
Sean@PYSpeed.com Major General 305 Rep 8,952 Posts Drives: 2009 AW E92 M3 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (22)	Sweet!
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03-16-2012, 11:54 PM	#5
THE TECH BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 303 Rep 13,094 Posts Drives: BPMsport 2012 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Kansas iTrader: (45) Garage List 2013 Nissan GTR [0.00] 2019 Sierra Denali ... [0.00] 1999 Nissan Silvia [0.00] 1999 Nissan Skyline ... [0.00] 1998 Toyota Supra [0.00]	An awesome start for sure. Love that seat!
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03-17-2012, 02:34 AM	#7
e92_m3 Lieutenant Colonel 186 Rep 1,679 Posts Drives: 2009 e92 m3 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bay Area, California iTrader: (0)	Wow, you modded your car immediately man. Love the seat! If you don't mind me asking, how much did you get it for? PM me for pricing. __________________ Hellaflush? All I could say is "effyo'flush",*"flushnuff", and Instead of 'illest', I'm calling it "faillest"*. It's just form over function nowadays... -END RANT
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03-17-2012, 02:36 AM	#8
LucWerkz Banned 77 Rep 1,237 Posts Drives: e70 X5 4.8i (Temporarily) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: DC/VA/MD/PA iTrader: (1)	Nice! You should get the BMW Edition black exhaust tips to complete the look!
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03-17-2012, 02:41 AM	#11
HK8888 Captain 23 Rep 926 Posts Drives: '08 E92 M3 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Boston, MA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2008 M3 Coupe [10.00]	Nice Performance Seat. +1
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03-17-2012, 02:45 AM	#12
schnell325 Bored at work.... 873 Rep 5,346 Posts Drives: 2016 F82 M4 GTS//2022 M235iGC Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Comox Valley iTrader: (8)	Damn!! Awesome M3! Love your upgrades! __________________ Grey Matter:2008 E92 M3:608/425. SG/PS SOLD! Dark Matter:2015 F80 M3:495/505. SOLD! Anti Matter :2016 F82 M4 GTS What next?!? A 2022 M235i GC- I must be getting old
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03-17-2012, 03:13 AM	#14
schnell325 Bored at work.... 873 Rep 5,346 Posts Drives: 2016 F82 M4 GTS//2022 M235iGC Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Comox Valley iTrader: (8)	Beers!! __________________ Grey Matter:2008 E92 M3:608/425. SG/PS SOLD! Dark Matter:2015 F80 M3:495/505. SOLD! Anti Matter :2016 F82 M4 GTS What next?!? A 2022 M235i GC- I must be getting old
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03-17-2012, 10:50 AM	#15
goblueM3 Enlisted Member 1 Rep 39 Posts Drives: '09 e90 DCT Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	Dude...your steering wheel is on the wrong side!! just kidding...looks great!!
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03-17-2012, 01:35 PM	#16
jonasaurus Brigadier General 76 Rep 3,179 Posts Drives: E90 M3 [Sold] Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC iTrader: (0)	Oh and they gave me a M keyring! ha __________________ ///M3 \| E90 LCI \| Space Grey \| Fox Red with CF Structure \| 6MT \| 260M \| My build Last edited by jonasaurus; 03-18-2012 at 04:37 AM..
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03-17-2012, 02:44 PM	#19
Singletrack 4th down; 4th quarter? Renegade. 87 Rep 3,850 Posts Drives: 09 SSII E92 M3; 19 FG M5C Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA iTrader: (3)	Amazing setup for tearing it up! Nothing like a fabric seat to keep you planted... Any noise from the performance pads? Had a chance to push them? If so, any feedback there?
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03-17-2012, 07:02 PM	#21
kdbryce I have to return some video tapes 359 Rep 4,713 Posts Drives: e70 X5M Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Albany, NY iTrader: (0)	love that steering wheel so much car looks great! __________________ 13 Carbon Black e70 X5M - 13 Black Sapphire e92 335i - 10 Le Mans Blue e92 335i - 09 Monaco Blue e92 328i xdrive - 07 Sparkling Graphite e92 328xi
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03-17-2012, 07:47 PM	#22
flipm3 E46 + E90 + F80 191 Rep 2,893 Posts Drives: E46 + E90 + F80 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Illinois iTrader: (1) Garage List 2009 BMW M3 [0.00] 2002 BMW M3 [0.00]	I love clean, simple, and OEM looking modifications. The best part about owning an E9X M3 these days is that BMW offers some great upgrades that, although subtle, make a nice difference. I'm looking forward to some of your future modifications. E90 M3 + OEM 18s = best combination I went the same route. __________________ F80 M3 DCT\|Alpine White . Black Leather \| My Build Thread E90 M3 DCT\|Melbourne Red . Speed Cloth \| My Build Thread E46 M3 6MT\|Jet Black . Black Nappa Leather \| My Build Thread
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