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      06-29-2010, 10:35 AM   #23
crfine88
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Stoptech

#22

It was time to upgrade the brakes. I had found that after driving at the limit for 20 minutes, the M had serious brake fade. This was a confidence killer and needed to be remedied.

Despite the fact that I really only needed to upgrade the pads, fluid, and lines to fix my brake fade problem, I made the decision to do a complete big brake kit. This time, I did not want to go through the trial and error of finding the right set-up. I wanted to upgrade the braking system beyond my driving level, and have no concerns about stopping power as my skill progressed.



Why did I choose Stoptech?
I was considering Brembo and Stoptech. Stoptech’s balanced braking bias made sense to me, and there technical staff was very informative. Stoptech’s cooling properties were also key, since temp is a primary factor in braking performance. There were many articles out there that proved Stoptech’s superior braking performance too.

That being said, most vendors wanted to sell me a Brembo kit because of their “superior quality.” I think this may have had more to do with price than performance. In the end it was the opinion of forum members who heavily tracked their cars that sold me on Stoptech. Without knowing one another, each member I PM’ed came back with similar reviews. The bottom line was that the Stoptech kits were outstanding. If they had to do it all over again and money was no issue, Stoptech would be the choice.


The Best price I found was with Jon Guerra from Vivid Racing.



PROS:
1. Installation manual was very thorough.
2. Component quality was very impressive.
3. Despite huge increase in component sizes, vey little increase in overall weight.
4. Bedding instructions were very clear and easy to follow.
5. Easy to change pads.
6. No more brake fade!

CONS:
1. None yet.


Overall I am getting what I wanted out of this kit. The M stops on a dime now, and there is no brake fade. The kit is more than I needed, but I will not have to upgrade later.
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      06-29-2010, 10:36 AM   #24
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Wheel Stud Kit

#23

Since I seem to remove my wheels quite a bit, I decided to pick up a wheel stud kit. I picked the kit up from www.bimmerworld.com .


Primary function: Easier wheel changes. Planning to own a track dedicated wheel set one day.

Secondary function:
I think it gives more of a motor sport look.

Here is the Link:
http://store.bimmerworld.com/bimmerw...age-p1350.aspx



I have been messing around with Photo Shop Elements, so I added my latest attempt.
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      06-29-2010, 10:37 AM   #25
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Ceramic Coating for Exhaust

#24

With most of the components flat black on my M, the RPI exhaust stuck out like a sore thumb. I wanted the appearance of the exhaust to be more subdued in contrast to its hellacious sound. I decided to have the RPI’s ceramic coated flat black.

Good Speed (the shop that installed the ESS kit) recommended Jet Hot. They are a local company know for the quality and durability of their work. I went with the 1600 coating which was more than adequate for this application. Jet Hot had to re-do the coating three times due to difficulty with the tips. They stood behind their work and would not give up until they got it perfect. I appreciated their customer service.

The process took several weeks. In the end the results were very good and the exhaust is no longer screaming for attention when you look at the car.
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      06-29-2010, 10:38 AM   #26
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Drone Dampening

#25

After adding the ESS kit my RPI exhaust became even louder. As a result, the drone at freeway speeds became unbearable.

I decided dampen the trunk. I picked up some off brand material from Fry’s Electronics. The product is very similar to Dynamat, but at half the price. This was in no way a performance mod because I was adding weight to the car. I was conscious of this fact. I figured that it would not hurt add a little weight over the rear wheels since I had saved so much when I added the RPI’s.

- I saved 29lbs with the RPI GT exhaust.
- I added 14lbs of dampening material.
- In the end still 15lbs lighter and the drone was dramatically reduced.
- 1 unexpected result was a reduction in heat. The trunk area was noticeably cooler after driving.

For installation I cannibalized my old pool board and used the wheels to roll the material smooth. I used a regular utility knife to cut the material and went through 5 blades doing so.

What is not show in the photos ( camera fail ) is that I also added this material under the trunk area inbetween the mufflers and the car body.
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.
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      06-29-2010, 10:38 AM   #27
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Eisemann Sport

#26

While at Good Speed, I noticed that they had a new Eisemann Sport exhaust in stock for the Z4M. I had walked past it during a previous visit and thought the position of the mounting brackets looked familiar. It was beautiful with the quad 83mm tips and Good Speed was willing to give me a good price, so I gave it a shot. I was very happy with my RPI’s, but thought the Eisemann exhaust tips looked like they would fill the bumper even better.

Well this mod was bittersweet. The Eisemann exhaust was by far the best looking I had seen. The tips really did fill up the bumper and with a flat black ceramic coating they would have looked absolutely insane. The Eisemann tone was much deeper than stock and sounded wonderful. There was also virtually no drone. The problem for me was that I had gotten used to the raw motorsport sound of my RPI’s. I really missed the loud growl and the rude burbles and pops during abrupt downshifts. In the end I went back to those screaming harpies despite the sheer beauty of Eisemann exhaust.


Pros:
1. The best looking exhaust for an M coupe in my opinion.
2. It does not hang bellow the bumper line.
3. Beautifully crafted.
4. A much deeper tone than stock.


Cons:
1. Heavier than the RPI’s ( but still a little lighter than stock)
2. Rasp ( the RPI’s have no rasp and I had gotten used to that)


I think for 99.9 percent of M coupe owners out there, the Eisemann exhaust would be preferred over the RPI’s for both sound and looks. For the other .1%, you may be a crazed motor sport enthusiast like me.
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      06-29-2010, 10:39 AM   #28
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Motul Engine Oil

#27

My BMW service / warranty contracts were up in June this year and I despite BMW’s efforts I opted not to extend either.

It was time for an oil change so I went to the guys at Good Speed to see what oil they recommended. I ended up with “M engine and 24 hour Le Mans approved” Motul engine oil. The oil was only a few dollars more than picking up synthetic BMW Castrol from the stealerships. I was informed that the standards of the Motul oil were much higher than the stock stuff. For this reason the Motul would provide greater protection. The guys at Good Speed did say that the stock oil is sufficient, but since the price difference was very insignificant I decided to run with Motul. I figure any potential extra protection for my beloved ESS54 engine is most likely not a bad idea.
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      06-29-2010, 10:40 AM   #29
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Personalized Plate

#28

I wanted to get a personalized plate for my coupe. For the plate I chose one of the darker options to tie into the theme of the car. I had several ideas. When I narrowed it down to two, I had my buddy help out with the final decision.
I wanted the plate to be sort of stealth. Stealth in the way that a fellow enthusiast would get it, but everyone else would be left scratching their heads.

The final two were:

E86M207 (the car model code and production number)
&
ESS54 (ESS supercharged S54 engine)




And here is the new plate:
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      06-29-2010, 10:56 AM   #30
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1st! lol


Ive always been a fan of your car... In for pics
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      06-29-2010, 10:59 AM   #31
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in for pics!! i've got a question about you painting your rear reflectors..i've got a small bottle of A30 paint (interlagos blue) for a few tiny knicks i've found. how did you paint them? was it hard? i don't want the reflectors and if painting them doesn't look tacky i'm SO down for doing that. pics of yours??
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      06-29-2010, 12:32 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 007MCoupe View Post
in for pics!! i've got a question about you painting your rear reflectors..i've got a small bottle of A30 paint (interlagos blue) for a few tiny knicks i've found. how did you paint them? was it hard? i don't want the reflectors and if painting them doesn't look tacky i'm SO down for doing that. pics of yours??
The rears are lights not reflectors; the fronts are reflectors.
Try Dans Decals
http://www.dansdecals.com/BMW-Reflec...ls-P274C0.aspx
For $20 you can't go wrong.
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      06-29-2010, 12:34 PM   #33
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What are your opinons on the GC vs the V3s vs the Club?
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      06-29-2010, 01:00 PM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmillet View Post
The rears are lights not reflectors; the fronts are reflectors.
Try Dans Decals
http://www.dansdecals.com/BMW-Reflec...ls-P274C0.aspx
For $20 you can't go wrong.
AWESOME. thanks!
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      06-29-2010, 01:01 PM   #35
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Nice thread man! hmm makes me want to create my own journal up here..... though i dont nearly have as much mods as you but iguess thats what a journal is for...to keep track of what you did/gonna do
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      06-29-2010, 01:13 PM   #36
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+1

Awesome thread. I'm stoked to see and learn about what you've done. Hopefully when I'm able, I can make my own journal (maybe not so public as I don't have NEARLY as much mods...yet)
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      06-29-2010, 02:32 PM   #37
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man im hooked
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      06-29-2010, 03:41 PM   #38
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I wonder what 18 is?
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      06-29-2010, 03:52 PM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shakib View Post
I wonder what 18 is?
i know! we s hould take a pool for what it could be!!! lol

GOOD WORK CR!!
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      06-29-2010, 04:46 PM   #40
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How do you find the RPI exhaust-on highway ?
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      06-29-2010, 10:12 PM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jbs View Post
1st! lol


Ive always been a fan of your car... In for pics
Thank you, just need some decent photos from a pro

Quote:
Originally Posted by 007MCoupe View Post
in for pics!! i've got a question about you painting your rear reflectors..i've got a small bottle of A30 paint (interlagos blue) for a few tiny knicks i've found. how did you paint them? was it hard? i don't want the reflectors and if painting them doesn't look tacky i'm SO down for doing that. pics of yours??

Here is a link to the DIY I did:
http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=380656
I used Dansdecals first. They work well, but the color match is not perfect.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Juice84 View Post
What are your opinons on the GC vs the V3s vs the Club?
I will do the write-up on the V3's tomorrow, so you can compare notes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmillet View Post
The rears are lights not reflectors; the fronts are reflectors.
Try Dans Decals
http://www.dansdecals.com/BMW-Reflec...ls-P274C0.aspx
For $20 you can't go wrong.
You are both right, they are lighted reflectors. see attached photo.

Quote:
Originally Posted by VinnieAces View Post
Nice thread man! hmm makes me want to create my own journal up here..... though i dont nearly have as much mods as you but iguess thats what a journal is for...to keep track of what you did/gonna do
You should, I did not plan doing all of the mods I have done. I wish I would have started this thread a long time ago.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 007MCoupe View Post
+1

Awesome thread. I'm stoked to see and learn about what you've done. Hopefully when I'm able, I can make my own journal (maybe not so public as I don't have NEARLY as much mods...yet)
You Should do it. It's not about how many mods, its about enjoying the car. I am having a lot of fun, but the most exciting day of ownership for me was the first day I got the M. It was perfect stock.
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      06-29-2010, 10:21 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rich337 View Post
man im hooked
Cool, I hope some this stuff helps out.

Quote:
Originally Posted by shakib View Post
I wonder what 18 is?
Top Secret

Quote:
Originally Posted by 007MCoupe View Post
i know! we s hould take a pool for what it could be!!! lol

GOOD WORK CR!!


Quote:
Originally Posted by wrose View Post
How do you find the RPI exhaust-on highway ?
The exhaust is good on the highway. It is more about RPM than anything else. The volume the exhaust on the Freeway is low if you stay above 3200RPM. The drone kicks in when the engine is between 2k and 3k while under acceleration.
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      06-30-2010, 05:26 PM   #43
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Updated #3

Thanks to my buddy nmulax.
He sent me the link for the rubbers spacers I mention for leveling out the ride height while using H&R springs.
I added the link to mod #3
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      06-30-2010, 05:37 PM   #44
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#10
KWV3's updated
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