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      05-15-2013, 05:19 AM   #1
ManiacGT
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What to mod next?

So, I've replaced the 296's with 313's, I've put on a stubby, added in some tweeters to the HiFi, installed a SmartTop, new LCI side repeaters, LED Halos, LED Boot/trunk lamp, ... even a BMW air freshener lol... I still have an itch to twiddle with the car, and I don't want to spend mega bucks as all mods are typically money down the pan... Perhaps a change of springs/lowered a touch? Though the roads are very poor here in Manchester UK so that might be a bad idea... Hmm... what else...

Last edited by ManiacGT; 05-15-2013 at 07:35 AM..
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      05-15-2013, 06:26 AM   #2
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I too want to install either Eibach or H &R Lowering springs. Here are some relatively inexpensive mods I did and am in the process of:
1. LED interior lamps for the doors, foot wells and map lights- 7 total lamps needed. I went with the Phillips Lighting 5000k LED lamps- cost $120 US and it blows away the old incandescent OEM lamps installed for light output and color temp of the interior.
2. I just ordered from Bavarian Auto in the US, 12 OZ Space Gray Metallic spray paint and clear coat, $29.95 US per can and will be painting my roll bar covers and front lower grill insert bArs so all are the body color.
3. Paint brakes/ calipers and backing plates- cost me $20 US and 8 hours time.
4. Considering plastic dipping my lower rear bumper section to look like a diffuser. I saw some nice jobs on this forum
My 2 cents.
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      05-15-2013, 07:24 AM   #3
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PlastiDippping the front and rear bumpers, I think I used 1-2 cans of plastiDip. Cost less than $15 and 1-2 labor

Also, H&R Springs lower the car to a very nice height as shown in the first pic. =]



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      05-15-2013, 07:36 AM   #4
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The bumper mods aren't a bad idea but my car is black, and so any paint would probably look a bit poor. I had thought about changing the front/rear bumpers to M Sport ones but because again my car is black I don't think the money vs improvement is worth it. I think it is with lighter coloured cars as the differences are much more noticeable...
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      05-15-2013, 07:53 AM   #5
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Painting brake calipers is a nice mod. It looks a lot better than OEM.
I added aluminum (or aluminium, as you Brits say) pedal covers. Look really great. Check our www.bmwpedals.com
In the process of placing CF decals over the blue in the roundels.

Looks like after all your ranting, you're actually keeping the car! Good for you.
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      05-15-2013, 07:58 AM   #6
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Brake callipers were painted silver at my last detail. With the 313's you can see a lot of them so I'm glad I didn't go red or whatever as the calipers aren't that pretty and red would have made a rather ugly looking caliper set really stand out on the 313's. Silver looks good/subtle.

Thought about carbon roundels, that's low cost and I may have a go at that.. I quite like these pedals too:



As for the ranting... it was well deserved, BMW should be ashamed to have built a car so poorly. Its cost me dear to sort it all out, in time and money, but, touch wood, I'm over that hill (hopefully)...
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      05-15-2013, 08:06 AM   #7
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Oh and while we're on... does anyone have any suggestions, if I stay with the non M sport front, what I could do to the lower grey intakes? I thought perhaps either a lighter silver almost chrome wrap, or light silver carbon effect wrap on them? Or the other way, a much darker grey carbon effect wrap perhaps?


Last edited by ManiacGT; 05-15-2013 at 08:15 AM..
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      05-15-2013, 10:14 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ManiacGT View Post
Oh and while we're on... does anyone have any suggestions, if I stay with the non M sport front, what I could do to the lower grey intakes? I thought perhaps either a lighter silver almost chrome wrap, or light silver carbon effect wrap on them? Or the other way, a much darker grey carbon effect wrap perhaps?

Look at my pic, I got carbon fiber splitters on the OEM bumper then plastiDipped part of the front bumper. But since your's is black, I would paint the lower grilles it wrap it in CF.

But PlastiDip is good because it acts like a clearbra and will protect it from knicks and scratches. =]
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      05-15-2013, 12:00 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ManiacGT View Post
Oh and while we're on... does anyone have any suggestions, if I stay with the non M sport front, what I could do to the lower grey intakes? I thought perhaps either a lighter silver almost chrome wrap, or light silver carbon effect wrap on them? Or the other way, a much darker grey carbon effect wrap perhaps?

Here are my ideas for improving your Z:

Lowering springs (definately needed) -> the Eibach Pro Kit springs are not harder than the oem-springs
Black intakes grill frames from 4cyl.-models (6Euro each)
BMW Performance kidney grills in black
BMW Performance carbon splitters (painting them in car colour - let just the sticking out parts in carbon)
Carbon mirror caps
Carbon rollbars
Bigger exhaust tail pipes (e.g. from X5, X6 or non-BMW)
LCI turn signals painted in black
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      05-15-2013, 04:51 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ManiacGT View Post
Brake callipers were painted silver at my last detail. With the 313's you can see a lot of them so I'm glad I didn't go red or whatever as the calipers aren't that pretty and red would have made a rather ugly looking caliper set really stand out on the 313's. Silver looks good/subtle.

Thought about carbon roundels, that's low cost and I may have a go at that.. I quite like these pedals too:



As for the ranting... it was well deserved, BMW should be ashamed to have built a car so poorly. Its cost me dear to sort it all out, in time and money, but, touch wood, I'm over that hill (hopefully)...
I'm partial to these...
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      05-15-2013, 08:12 PM   #11
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How about changing out for one of those m performance steering wheels with the temperature display at the top
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      07-14-2014, 08:59 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ManiacGT View Post
Brake callipers were painted silver at my last detail. With the 313's you can see a lot of them so I'm glad I didn't go red or whatever as the calipers aren't that pretty and red would have made a rather ugly looking caliper set really stand out on the 313's. Silver looks good/subtle.

Thought about carbon roundels, that's low cost and I may have a go at that.. I quite like these pedals too:



As for the ranting... it was well deserved, BMW should be ashamed to have built a car so poorly. Its cost me dear to sort it all out, in time and money, but, touch wood, I'm over that hill (hopefully)...
Hi Maniac,

where did you find those pedals in realoem?
I'm looking for the part nr. of the pedals for 6MT

thanks!

G.
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      07-14-2014, 11:22 AM   #13
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I would go for the m bumper front only and later on for a tune. The oem adaptive springs are great btw but the eibachs are surprisingly more comfortable. But they would be my 4th step, the 3rd being the h&r antiroll bars which are a necessity if you want to improve cornering.
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      07-14-2014, 05:54 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ManiacGT View Post
Oh and while we're on... does anyone have any suggestions, if I stay with the non M sport front, what I could do to the lower grey intakes? I thought perhaps either a lighter silver almost chrome wrap, or light silver carbon effect wrap on them? Or the other way, a much darker grey carbon effect wrap perhaps?

Just buy the black ones and replace them - did this right after the black grill. No paint - no mess.. <$40 usd and reversible.
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      07-16-2014, 06:20 AM   #15
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No news about the pedals? please!!
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      07-16-2014, 06:38 AM   #16
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The pedals won't fit a 35i DCT so I never got them. But the set fits the manual cars and they're an option for the 1 series if that helps.
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      07-17-2014, 05:54 AM   #17
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The pedals won't fit a 35i DCT so I never got them. But the set fits the manual cars and they're an option for the 1 series if that helps.
Realoem shows only the M-performance ones on the diagram.

I found those under the E90 series LCI

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...15&hg=35&fg=95


Might they fit?
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      09-11-2014, 02:09 AM   #18
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nobody? Please!
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      09-22-2014, 05:24 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ManiacGT View Post
So, I've replaced the 296's with 313's, I've put on a stubby, added in some tweeters to the HiFi, installed a SmartTop, new LCI side repeaters, LED Halos, LED Boot/trunk lamp, ... even a BMW air freshener lol... I still have an itch to twiddle with the car, and I don't want to spend mega bucks as all mods are typically money down the pan... Perhaps a change of springs/lowered a touch? Though the roads are very poor here in Manchester UK so that might be a bad idea... Hmm... what else...
I'm new to the E89 world so I'm wondering what some of these terms mean?

Is the "296's with 313's" referring to tyres? What's a stubby lol? Are the tweeters you've added the ones which sit separately with the centre channels in the dash and between the seats? Are the standard BMW Angel Eyes a bit dim and worth upgrading to brighter LED ones?

Cheers
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      09-23-2014, 11:59 AM   #20
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the numbers are rim styles, stubby refers to the antenna.

Most people replace the tweeters that are in the pods at the top corner of the door.

LED upgrade to AEs are a quick and easy upgrade to whiter and somewhat brighter light - do a search lots of opinions...

And welcome....
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      09-23-2014, 01:14 PM   #21
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Quote:
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Are the standard BMW Angel Eyes a bit dim and worth upgrading to brighter LED ones?
You need to pay $$ for the new LCI headlights to make it brighter. the LED kits don't make it brighter. Just changes the color
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