[BlueM3Wagon]

Originally Posted by tetsuo111

Hi, I wasn't clear about exactly which dimensions on the shift boot ring would be most constructive, nor do I have any experience with details on the F3X center console, so I just took a bunch of pics, with a ruler for scale. If you need a specific dimension, ping me and I'll measure.

You probably know that the shifter boot ring for the E9X M3 and non-M are very different. I had to source a E9X M3 shifter and boot, and repurpose for my use.

Hope this helps your project, Michael.

You are the man! Thanks so much, I didn't know how much the shifter holes varied by model. This gives me a great starting point to find the best solution.

[BlueM3Wagon]

Originally Posted by tetsuo111

This car's interior has received more love compared with the last car, in the spirit of improving the "high-touch" areas. The walnut burl trim was replaced with M3 carbon fiber leather trim, sport seats made way for Recaro Profi buckets, the cluster was replaced with a M3 cluster, the E-brake handle was upgraded, an AutoSolutions SSK was installed, a GTS-style arm rest replaced the pillowy stock version, plus other small jobs that in toto are surprisingly effective at making me look forward to spending time in the cockpit. I enjoy the interior mods more than I could have imagined when I began.

The interior color-tone is black, but the number of different materials and textures was beginning to multiply and look too busy. On the center console, the trim plate is wrapped in smooth Napa leather, the shift boot was too shiny, the e-brake boot was Dakota leather, the CF leather trim was yet another different material / texture. I decided to simplify, so ordered a bundle of Alcantara shift and E-brake boots from LeatherZ. I also ordered some extra matching Alcantara to upholster the GTS V.2 armrest I'm working on.

LeatherZ makes the boots to order, and offers a few material options. I chose to have mine finished in light gray BMW Performance thread, which matches the stitching on the Prototipo. The quality of the product is great, and the matching material reduces the visual clutter and adds to the purposeful, sporty atmosphere.

That looks fantastic!

[mattpete13]

LOVE this car!

I'm considering the m3 gauge cluster for my e91 - what are your thoughts on this upgrade? I pored through your thread but didn't find what I was looking for...

Is it a difficult install and what about coding? Does the oil gauge work??

Any insight you could provide will be helpful to a fellow enthusiast, thank you!

[tetsuo111]

Originally Posted by mattpete13

LOVE this car!

I'm considering the m3 gauge cluster for my e91 - what are your thoughts on this upgrade? I pored through your thread but didn't find what I was looking for...

Is it a difficult install and what about coding? Does the oil gauge work??

Any insight you could provide will be helpful to a fellow enthusiast, thank you!

Thanks for your feedback mattpete13 . This mod is hard to justify objectively, at least IMO.

- There is no additional functionality gained with the M3 cluster. There's no more nor less information compared with the stock 328i cluster.

- Economics. It wasn't inexpensive, but was far from the costliest mod on the car.

- Installation. Trivial . There are two easy to access screw fasteners that attach the cluster to the dash hood. There's one wire harness connector behind the cluster to complete the electrical connection with the car.

- Coding. Also trivial. I worked with Dan in TX. He will walk you through the process, from loading sw on your PC and coding the new cluster to your car. Dan can also provide the cluster, or you can provide one of your own. He refurbishes the clusters. Mine arrived well-packaged and in excellent cosmetic condition. Dan is a one-stop shop for this job. Ping me offline for contact info.

- Oil temp gauge. Yes, it works!

- Value. For me, absolutely. Subjectively, the aesthetics and design of the M3 cluster are superior. The cluster imparts a purposeful and sporty feel to the interior. I'm not a fan of BMW's "Efficient Dynamics". The 328i cluster and it's MPG gauge reek of eco-box to me. The M3 cluster helps me remember a more exciting, pre-ED BMW.

[mattpete13]

Originally Posted by tetsuo111

Thanks for your feedback mattpete13 . This mod is hard to justify objectively, at least IMO.

- There is no additional functionality gained with the M3 cluster. There's no more nor less information compared with the stock 328i cluster.

- Economics. It wasn't inexpensive, but was far from the costliest mod on the car.

- Installation. Trivial . There are two easy to access screw fasteners that attach the cluster to the dash hood. There's one wire harness connector behind the cluster to complete the electrical connection with the car.

- Coding. Also trivial. I worked with Dan in TX. He will walk you through the process, from loading sw on your PC and coding the new cluster to your car. Dan can also provide the cluster, or you can provide one of your own. He refurbishes the clusters. Mine arrived well-packaged and in excellent cosmetic condition. Dan is a one-stop shop for this job. Ping me offline for contact info.

- Oil temp gauge. Yes, it works!

- Value. For me, absolutely. Subjectively, the aesthetics and design of the M3 cluster are superior. The cluster imparts a purposeful and sporty feel to the interior. I'm not a fan of BMW's "Efficient Dynamics". The 328i cluster and it's MPG gauge reek of eco-box to me. The M3 cluster helps me remember a more exciting, pre-ED BMW.

I'll PM you for Dan's info, thank you.

Couldn't agree with you more on this - hate the mpg gauge and love the sport look of the M3 cluster.

For me it would be a worthy addition to the car so I like your objectivity on the points you made.

Really enjoy everything you've done to the car and am absolutely using it as a muse, provided my bank account can keep up!

[Yassssm4]

Wow love this thread so much esp cus I also live in Seattle and have a e92 328i 6mt. Only did cosmetic mods to my car and an intake but you make me want to do more lol. Was the 3 stage intake and oem 330i tune worth it even for 6mt 328i? I have second cat/resonator/ and a muffler delete and was wondering if I get the intake and tune will the car be noticeably Day and night faster?

[Drifter2090]

Love the progress so far!

Now i'm looking for a m3 cluster for my e92! haha

[FlaPatsFan]

Originally Posted by tetsuo111

Thanks for your feedback mattpete13 . This mod is hard to justify objectively, at least IMO.

- There is no additional functionality gained with the M3 cluster. There's no more nor less information compared with the stock 328i cluster.

- Economics. It wasn't inexpensive, but was far from the costliest mod on the car.

- Installation. Trivial . There are two easy to access screw fasteners that attach the cluster to the dash hood. There's one wire harness connector behind the cluster to complete the electrical connection with the car.

- Coding. Also trivial. I worked with Dan in TX. He will walk you through the process, from loading sw on your PC and coding the new cluster to your car. Dan can also provide the cluster, or you can provide one of your own. He refurbishes the clusters. Mine arrived well-packaged and in excellent cosmetic condition. Dan is a one-stop shop for this job. Ping me offline for contact info.

- Oil temp gauge. Yes, it works!

- Value. For me, absolutely. Subjectively, the aesthetics and design of the M3 cluster are superior. The cluster imparts a purposeful and sporty feel to the interior. I'm not a fan of BMW's "Efficient Dynamics". The 328i cluster and it's MPG gauge reek of eco-box to me. The M3 cluster helps me remember a more exciting, pre-ED BMW.

I am also considering this upgrade.

So does the coding adjust the RPM rev limits? On the base cluster it only goes to 7000 rpm....on the M3 it goes to 9000. Also will it erase the cluster mileage???

[6ixSpd]

Badass wagon!

[Bours]

Anthracite or hyperblack.the arc 8 wheels ? Nice wagon love it

[tetsuo111]

Originally Posted by Patrickkim1

Wow love this thread so much esp cus I also live in Seattle and have a e92 328i 6mt. Only did cosmetic mods to my car and an intake but you make me want to do more lol. Was the 3 stage intake and oem 330i tune worth it even for 6mt 328i? I have second cat/resonator/ and a muffler delete and was wondering if I get the intake and tune will the car be noticeably Day and night faster?

Thanks!

As always, it depends.... If you want more power, there are more suitable platforms than the N52.

If you love NA (I do), then yes, a 3 stage intake manifold and tune ought to be among the first mods on your list.

NA power gains cost $$$ compared with similar gains on an FI platform.

I can't use the modest power I have where I live (Seattle), other than off-road / track. I love this platform because it reminds me of classically balanced BMWs, before they became lumbering muscle cars.

[tetsuo111]

Originally Posted by FlaPatsFan

I am also considering this upgrade.

So does the coding adjust the RPM rev limits? On the base cluster it only goes to 7000 rpm....on the M3 it goes to 9000. Also will it erase the cluster mileage???

Coding the M3 cluster results in correct mileage and motor speed. The dynamic redline works, too. Pretty cool. Mine's a 6MT cluster. For those who choose a DCT cluster, be advised the upshift light indicators do NOT operate because that function resides in the ECU.

[tetsuo111]

Originally Posted by Bours

Anthracite or hyperblack.the arc 8 wheels ? Nice wagon love it

New ARC-8s are hyper silver.

I'm considering having the current ARC-8s re-finished in anthracite.

Good car / bad car

[tetsuo111]

I ordered a second set of APEX ARC-8 17x9 ET:30 rims in hyper silver. These will be used for summer street tires. I also bought another set of Bridgestone S-04 Pole Position tires when they were on promo at Costco.

Wheels: I've been burned and delighted by various vendors. One vendor that consistently delights is APEX. I think that I bought 3 or 4 sets of wheels from Matt at Apex. Every time I contact this vendor, they surprise on the upside. I need a second set of rims to use for track tires in the summer and for snow tires in the winter. The main-use rims are dedicated for summer tires.

17" ARC-8s are the bomb. They weigh 16.5 lbs. Let me repeat. They weigh 16.5 lbs. I confirmed these numbers on a scale. This drops almost 10 lbs per corner compared with OEM rims. Nearly 40 lbs total less unsprung weight! Low unsprung weight is a main ingredient for driver feedback and agility. Another nice benefit is the number of times people compliment the appearance of the ARC-8s and how they match the car.

Tires: The last few years, PSS was the unanimous extreme summer tire benchmark. This season, it's the P4S. IME, PSS is fine on street, but is simply not up to the task on track. Every track tire I've used is not fit for street, being not-DOT certified, or too noisy and uncompromising for routine daily use.

I used S-04 PPs on my last car for summer street use, and loved them. They are a half step / second place behind PSS on Tire Rack. What isn't talked about enough, is that the PSS wins 1st place because they are slightly better on track compared with S-04. But as I said, PSS just doesn't cut it on track for anything more than a easy Sunday drive. S-04 is quieter and more comfortable on street compared with PSS. It grips as well as PSS in a street environment. When I track the car, I'll swap to real track tires. Even the guy who tests tires for Tire Rack chose S-04 for his car, for street applications:

blog tirerack.com make-driving-fun-2/bridgestone-potenza-s-04-pole-position-vs-michelin-pilot-super-sport

TPMS -> FTM Conversion

With a second set of rims, it was necessary to buy another set of TPMS sensors. These add weight and cost. I wanted neither. Only N America BMWs use TPMS because DOT mandates that pressure must be monitored, as well as the method used to monitor. DOT mandates direct monitoring of pressure via TPMS.

All other markets use FTM (flat tire monitoring). FTM uses ABS / DCS to monitor individual tire rotations. If the delta between tires is too large, the system concludes a tire is low. The benefit of FTM is no need for another set of TPMS sensors @ $250.

There are plenty of DIYs to do this. Simply remove the RDC fuse (position #27 on my car, check your map behind the glove box) to disable TPMS, then enable FTM via coding:

How to disable TPMS and enable FTM (ABS-based flat tire monitoring)

[The Nightman]

Would love to see photos. 17" Arc 8s need more love! What size tires will you be running for the street?

[Bours]

Originally Posted by tetsuo111

New ARC-8s are hyper silver.

I'm considering having the current ARC-8s re-finished in anthracite.

Good car / bad car

The arc 8 on the black car currently are silver !?
Looked hyperblack to me

[tetsuo111]

Originally Posted by Bours

The arc 8 on the black car currently are silver !?
Looked hyperblack to me

The rims on the car now are ARC-8 in hyper-black. The new rims are spec'd in hyper-silver for contrast against the black car. Those are scheduled for delivery later this month.

Hyper-black was a nice match on the old Deep Sea Blue metallic wagon, but not as much with the black car.

[tetsuo111]

Originally Posted by freedomfries

Would love to see photos. 17" Arc 8s need more love! What size tires will you be running for the street?

Not surprisingly, I agree about 17" ARC-8 love. They're significantly lighter and less expensive compared with larger sizes. They look and perform about as well as I need in a rim. I'm a fan of the "meaty" tire look and appreciate the ride quality and protection of a 40 series profile compared with a 35 or 30.
Apex is a fantastic vendor that supports their products and customers post-sale. And 17" tires are $hundreds less than the equivalent compound sized larger.

Sorry, no photos yet. The new rims are scheduled for delivery from Apex in a couple of weeks. Tire sizing is the same as before, at 255/40/17 square.

I realize this is an aggressive front fitment for non-M E9X. The identical setup worked without rubbing on the last car, but that car also had camber plates and ~ 2.5 degrees in front. This car doesn't have camber plates yet, and only ~1.5 degrees in front. So no confirmation that these will fit properly - yet.

Funny, I was thinking of you yesterday while I was working on my car. How's the progress on your front end stiffening plate? Think I shared that I had a pair of 1" x 3" billet AL bars fabricated to connect the subframe to the unibody. We have a metal fabricator at The Shop, whose specialty is hand-formed body restoration on collectable (and non-collectable) cars. His work is superb! Having access to him is both enabling as well as a little dangerous, because he makes it so easy to fabricate ideas that used to be limited to imagination. For instance, my friend's 911 Turbo was in the shop this weekend to replace the stock roof with a lighter roof panel from Porsche's R- motorsport catalog, dropping ~ 60 lbs from the roof of his track car.

[tetsuo111]

Cleaned and vacuumed yesterday at The Shop.

[tetsuo111]

It's finally time to convert from lug nuts to studs in preparation for the arrival of new wheels and summer tires. Naturally I forgot to bring my 12.5mm spacers used for matching the front and rear track widths, to increase front grip and help the rear come around.

Lift access made this project a breeze.

MSI studs and Turner 19mm lug nuts.

[tetsuo111]

Yesterday I installed wheel studs. I was concerned the front studs appeared too short to safely fit a 12.5mm wheel spacer, in spite of ordering the identical length studs used on the old car.

In my case, the purpose of the front spacers is to widen the front track, matching the rear track width, in order to mitigate some of BMW's purposely-designed understeer.

Today I pulled the front wheels to fit those spacers. Good news - fitment is fine. SCCA tech inspection regulations state lug nuts need to make a minimum of 6 full rotations on the stud after the threads are engaged. I counted at least 9 full rotations here, or 50% greater safety margin than required by SCCA.

Picture #2 in post #108 (above) shows the studs without spacers. This picture is with spacers (ignore the tired rotors. they are next to go.):

[tetsuo111]

What a weekend! The arrival of clear skies and sunshine in PNW is reason to celebrate. I was beginning to feel like a mushroom after months of cool and damp Wx.

The weather is perfect for driving: sunshine and crisp, cool temperatures. The conditions were superb for the drive to Bremerton on Saturday, where I instructed at the Porsche Club of America car control clinic. There was a great group of PCA staff and students present for the event, and a bunch of interesting cars. 911 Turbos are fast. Really fast. So are GT3's. The event is held at a former airport, a perfect venue for going sideways safely and with minimal consequences (although in the past we have had cars leave the asphalt to be stopped by the concrete barrier - ouch). There are five stations: skid pad, slalom, accident avoidance / braking, figure 8, and auto-X. Some drivers are interested in honing driving skills in preparation for the track, while others are simply interested in gaining a familiarity of vehicle dynamics in a manner that isn't wise on public roads. For anyone who hasn't experienced a car control clinic (they're offered by your local BMW CCA chapter, too), you can learn a tremendous amount about your car, and yourself, in a safe environment. Where else can you get a pat on the back for executing a perfect drift on a wet skid pad???! You might also glean that high performance driving adheres to the Pareto principal, or 80/20 rule: 80% is driver, the car is only around 20%. For the drive home I avoided the I-5 urban combat and took the ferry.

I'm still on snow tires. Argh. Summer tires are here, just waiting on new rims. The rims can't arrive soon enough....