Modification Journal / 2006 M Coupe / Interlagos Blue / #207 of 1815

[crfine88]

Originally Posted by Samjam927

Did you just get some stuff done at eas?? cause theres pic of a car very similar to yours in a thread on E46Fanatics

Yeah, I made a pitt stop there on the way to CA

Originally Posted by S9

Great Tread

Thanks

[nmulax]

Hey, you gonna get around to updating this? I know you have stuff to add

[ZM4000]

Originally Posted by jdl1pt

Love the journal, very nice work! Just got my Z4M coupe in IL blue about a month ago and now have something to aspire too.

Wanted to thank you for posting the pics of the rpi exhaust...had been searching for a pic. The tips look bad ass, and I can't believe how much lighter they are.

my guess for #18, not sure if it's is technically a mod but is it the cdv delete?

if ure interested mine is for sale

[007MCoupe]

Originally Posted by nmulax

Hey, you gonna get around to updating this? I know you have stuff to add

[crfine88]

Originally Posted by nmulax

Hey, you gonna get around to updating this? I know you have stuff to add

Originally Posted by 007MCoupe

Updated:

24: ceramic coating
25: trunk dampening
26: Eisemann Sprot Exhaust
27: Motul engine oil
28: Personalized plate

[03BeastCharmer]

An update!!!!!
So do you think you have as much dampening inside the trunk as under the trunk? So you would recommend this for those who think there is too much aftermarket exhaust sound in the car?

[007MCoupe]

lol. after all that time waiting on the cermaic coated RPI...you en up getting Eisenmann...j/k

It's nice that you love your car so much. how do the Eisenmann sound?

nice to see you added the dampening material. you said you added 14 lbs of the stuff? holy crap! didn't know that stuff was so heavy.

[Dammmittt]

Originally Posted by 007MCoupe

lol. after all that time waiting on the cermaic coated RPI...you en up getting Eisenmann...j/k

It's nice that you love your car so much. how do the Eisenmann sound?

nice to see you added the dampening material. you said you added 14 lbs of the stuff? holy crap! didn't know that stuff was so heavy.

He went back to the rpi exhaust.

[007MCoupe]

Originally Posted by Dammmittt

He went back to the rpi exhaust.

In the end I went back to those screaming harpies despite the sheer beauty of Eisemann exhaust.

AHA! lol i missed that little blurb...my bad.

[crfine88]

Originally Posted by 03BeastCharmer

An update!!!!!
So do you think you have as much dampening inside the trunk as under the trunk? So you would recommend this for those who think there is too much aftermarket exhaust sound in the car?

yes I know I have been slacking.

I used 7 sheets inside the trunk and 3 under. This does help quite a bit with the noise. For me it was a perfect solution because I wanted to keep my RPI exhaust. I want to be careful about recommending this for these reasons:

1. You are adding weight to the car.
2. It is a huge PIA to take the trunk area apart and very likely that you may break some of the interior plastic pieces while doing so. This will result in unexpected costs.
3. Once you install this stuff it is not coming out, so you are committed.

All that being said, it worked really well. It does not eliminate the drone and cabin noise; but rather, brings it down to an enjoyable level. In my case I have no problem taking the M apart. I actually kind of enjoy it. The RPI's are so much lighter than the stock mufflers that I did not mind adding the extra weight over the rear wheels either.

[crfine88]

Originally Posted by Dammmittt

He went back to the rpi exhaust.

Originally Posted by 007MCoupe

AHA! lol i missed that little blurb...my bad.

Yep, couldn't live without them

[Jbs]

I am liking the black RPi

[crfine88]

#29

I sold my TE37’s and the M was sitting in garage patiently awaiting her new wheels and tires. When I ordered the new wheels the rear offset I wanted was not available. Rather than take any chances with fitment, I decided to order wheels with a higher rear offset and use hub-centric spacers to dial them in.


I picked up a set of 15mm RS Technik spacers on the forum from PYSeed here:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=372072

Their customer service was outstanding and the spacers were shipped out the same day I paid for them.






I also needed to buy longer studs. I picked up a set of 90mm studs from Turner Motor Sport (TMS) to replace my 72mm studs in the rear.

[crfine88]

#30

VOLK Racing G2’s:

For Track use I started looking for an 18” set-up. I decided on matte black Volk Racing G2’s. These are the same wheels the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team is using in the ALMS series. Part of my decision was based on the fact that I am an ALMS fan. I meet up with friends and family every year to attend the ALMS race @ Laguna Seca and always spend hours in the paddock geeking out over all the details of the race cars.

I found the best price with Jon Guerra @ Vivid Racing once again.

Pros:
1. The G2’s are lightweight and strong.
2. The G2’s are designed for maximum brake clearance (should clear 380mm. I’m running 355mm all the way around).
3. The same wheels used by The Rahal Letterman Racing on their M3.
4. Running 18’s yielded better tire options for track use.

Cons:
1. I miss the look of the 19” TE37’s. In the words of one of my friends who is also a car enthusiast “…they looked godly.”



Nitto NT05’s:

The Hankooks were perfect for multi use, but I decided to go with more track oriented tire. The extra grip would be at the expense of shorter tread life. Because I would still be tacking the car on long road trips, I narrowed my focus down to two tires that had received rave reviews for performing like r-comp tires but with better tread life. It was going to be the Advan Neova AD08 or the Nitto NT05’s. I ended up choosing the NT05’s because of price and size availability. I had also run these before and really enjoyed them, so I knew there would be no surprises. I still want to give the AD08’s a shot next time around.

Pros:
1. Improved grip. A better match to the clubsports at their stiffest settings.
2. About $300 less per set than the best price I was able to find on the AD08’s.
3. Similar performance to R-comps, but with longer tread life.

Cons:
1. Shorted tread life multi use tires like the PS2’s and the Hankook Evo V12’s.
2. Improved ride comfort compared to 19's.



Specs:

Front wheels: 18x8.5 et 35
Rear wheels: 18x9.5 et 37 + 15mm spacer = to et22

Front tires: 245/40-18
Rear tires: 275/35-18

[crfine88]

#31

What started as a cosmetic piece to protect the front bumper became a functional piece by the end of the project.

Given the low ride height of the M, I wanted some sort of front splitter to protect the fangs on the front bumper. After endless searching I realized there wasn’t anything out there I was interested in. There are a few promising prototypes out there, but I needed something now.


Good Speed came through again! They had an oversized generic APR carbon fiber splitter that they were going to use for a wide body STI project. That Project went another direction and this piece was sitting around collecting dust. I decided to buy this piece for two purposes:

1. Solve the immediate problem of protecting the bumper before my next track day.
2. Begin a sort of R&D process for making a desirable front splitter for the M coupe.


Cliff notes on the process:
1. Covered the oversized piece in blue painters tape to protect the finish.
2. Removed the bumper and made a template using the bumper and a set of RPI skid plates.
3. Drew the outline of the template directly onto the painters tape.
4. Cut the splitter to match the M coupe bumper and undercarriage using a jig saw and a very fine 32 tpi blade.
5. Secured finish molding to outside edge.
6. Remove cut tape and re-apply painters tape to protect finish during mounting process.
7. Mounted the splitter to the bumper @ 11 locations including the 7 factory hardware locations.
8. Installed the bumper and affixed the splitter to three more locations under the car.
9. Drove to Southern CA and picked up a set of splitter support braces from APR.
10. Completed my journey in Northern Can and installed the splitter support braces in my buddy’s garage.


The end result was good and I got it done on time. The splitter looked better than I had anticipated and with the adjustable splitter support braces, it was also a functional piece. To get the full benefit of being a functional piece for down force, I probably have to cover the opening between the fangs. This was a good first round on the splitter and I plan to try another idea soon.

[crfine88]

#33

[crfine88]

#29 updated on page 11

Originally Posted by Jbs

I am liking the black RPi

Thanks

I haven't seen the gloss black in person yet, but it looks perfect in the photos.

[007MCoupe]

new wheels??? kept that one low!!

[crfine88]

Originally Posted by 007MCoupe

new wheels??? kept that one low!!

Yep, just added photos and a write-up today

[inTgr8r]

Your 19” TE37’s were amazing, but I the 18" G2 setup as well.
IDK if I missed it, but I didn't see what specs you went with on the G2's?

...if you ever get tired of them let me know.

[crfine88]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Your 19” TE37’s were amazing, but I the 18" G2 setup as well.
IDK if I missed it, but I didn't see what specs you went with on the G2's?

...if you ever get tired of them let me know.

Thanks man, I appreciate your feedback in this journal.
I will let you know first if I every let these go.

I just added the specs to the post too.

[crfine88]

Updated write-up and photos added on page 11 for:

#30 18" Volk G2's + Nitto Nt05's
&
#31 CF front splitter

I envite any comments, questions, or feedback you may have.