Barty's Green Z4 Coupé - Not another one…

Thanks for the kind words [ref]Calps[/ref]! Hope you’re successful in sourcing the template, looking forward to your results 8)

[ref]Griffo46[/ref], I must disagree, but only because I enjoy the unique, rare and slightly quirky nature of the E86 in the BMW history. :lol:

Can’t quite think of anything similar over the last two decades, which is why they’re so great to spot in the wild as well as work on. The platform really lends itself to both originality and personalisation, whereas most cars you should either leave stock because personalising them often ruin the looks, or the base model is just so plain boring that it begs for a personal touch. Weirdly, the Zed (both the coupe and roadster) manages to be great either way! And when you do spot one on the road, it always feels a bit special. Let’s keep it that way :wink:

Barty said:

Thanks for the kind words [ref]Calps[/ref]! Hope you’re successful in sourcing the template, looking forward to your results 8)

[ref]Griffo46[/ref], I must disagree, but only because I enjoy the unique, rare and slightly quirky nature of the E86 in the BMW history. :lol:

Can’t quite think of anything similar over the last two decades, which is why they’re so great to spot in the wild as well as work on. The platform really lends itself to both originality and personalisation, whereas most cars you should either leave stock because personalising them often ruin the looks, or the base model is just so plain boring that it begs for a personal touch. Weirdly, the Zed (both the coupe and roadster) manages to be great either way! And when you do spot one on the road, it always feels a bit special. Let’s keep it that way :wink:

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Great words, the rarity of these machines IS what makes them so amazing, your right!

Great thread Barty! I said it before, but I'll say it again, that Aero diffuser is gorgeous. Really complements the small spoiler on the rear by making the rear end look that little bit more aggressive 8)

looks bloody great Barty

[ref]LemonConnoisseur[/ref], [ref]Vanne[/ref], thanks guys

The rear end is pretty much where I want it. Sides too with the Aeros. Now it’s time for the nose to follow suit 8)

I’ve never really been one for mods but Barty, your mods have changed my perspective (some going for a 12yr mod free Z4 owner!). Not loud but subtle and improve the iconic design very well indeed.
Not an easy feat.. well done!

[ref]Z4hid[/ref], that's one hell of a compliment, thanks! It's the mantra for the coupe: it should be in line with the original design ethos, matched to the timeframe of its design, and using only materials that BMW used or could have used.

In other news: [ref]RvsBmw[/ref] was both kind and mad enough to let me have a go in his lovely Z4M Coupe. Driven back to back, you really get a feel for the differences between the Si and M. Some observations in no particular order:

- Engine. The S54 dominates the experience of the M. Where the N52 is smooth and linear in its power delivery with plenty of low-down torque, the S54 demands more thrashing to get the most of it. Under 3.5k rpm, they're not all that different in the way they pull. Get up above that point and the S54 just gets better and better. By no means does the N52 feel underpowered, but the S54 just keeps getting better with every 1000 rpm right up to the red line. Bonus: the supersprint exhaust really allows the oldschool sound of the M to come into its own. My Si has the aFe intake and a Bastück backbox, but it sounds eerily quiet compared to the M-chorus. Very addictive...
- Gearbox. The manual box in the M is more mechanical in feel. Notchy in first and second, but very precise in the rest. The N52 is smoother to operate, which on a day to day basis would certainly be a benefit. Given that I'd spent an hour in traffic before that drive, I was glad I did it in the Si. The M isn't by any means impossible, it's just that the Si is a lot easier to use.
- Steering feel. The M just has spades of it, whereas the Si is just lacking in that regard. Numb is too harsh a term, but the electronic power steering isn't nearly as communicative as the hydraulics in the M. The suspension of the M feels well-sorted, though my Si is on STX coilovers so it doesn't feel like a boat either. Can't really compare the two honestly because of it.
- LSD. When you throw the Si into a turn you need to feather the throttle lightly, as the open diff tends to push you into understeer. The rear of the M just comes round under power, pushing you through the turn. It's an addition that transforms the way you take corners and massively boosts the driving experience.
- Tyres. Something that did catch me off guard was the behaviour of the Michelin PS4S: they've got boatloads of grip, but need to "set" themselves on their sidewalls a bit more compared to the Vorti R's. The slightly softer sidewalls of the Michelin's had to load up a bit before achieving their full bite, whereas the Vorti R has stiffer sidewalls and load up more sharpish. Out and out grip of the PS4S is excellent, but their feel building up to the limit (so not actually on the limit) is something you need to get used to.
- Styling. One thing that instantly made me go: "I need that", was the view over the bonnet. The two creases just finish off the view over that long nose. Interesting to see was the variation in the front bumpers. Not just the obvious differences in lines, but also in depth and dynamics: the Si has protruding outer areas with a recessed central area, giving a flatter, wider front. The M has rounder sides with a positive central area stepped up from the sides. The kidneys also lay further back into the nose of the M compared to the Si, which further boosts the flat front of the latter. The recessed grills are design queues we see with other M-models as well.

Another interesting difference is between the halogen and xenon lights. The halogen's outer and inner lens are placed side by side, whereas the two projectors in the xenon headlight are stepped in design with a curve around their inner edges. Coupled with the bumper design, the M has a more pointed, rounded nose compared to the somewhat "blunt" Si. As for the rears: I actually liked the look of my diffuser more than the original M-bumper now. It looked more aggressive, sportier. It only lacks the 4 pipes, something which I'll be tackling this winter with a custom project on the diffuser. Final styling point: the dials. Really like the red needles and white lighting, looks special. Oil temp gauge was another addition I miss in the Si.



Like I said above: the rear end of the Si actually looks better -to my eyes- with the diffuser now fitted. The M looks great, if perhaps a little restrained. Although, M-cars of the era hadn't yet fallen prey to the over-designed looks of the 2020's, so perhaps my perception is a bit tainted by modern M-cars.



As for the front: I lose that battle by quite a margin. The Si just looks a little "flat" compared to the more rounded, stepped design of the M. I like the way the xenon's tie in with the raised central area of the bumper, further offset by the increased depth of the kidneys. Classic looks that have aged brilliantly, especially confronted with the modern radiator grills (can't really call them kidneys anymore can you) we see today.

All in all, a great day out with a few key take-aways for me: hydraulic conversion just got bumped up the list, "comfort" seats really aren't so I need to get a move on with the Pole's, an M-bumper should really complement the new rear-end of the Si, xenon-style stepped housings are in order, and I've got a few plans in my mind for this winter that neither car originally had; exciting times ahead!

Big thanks to [ref]RvsBmw[/ref] for letting me take his pride and joy for a spin, an absolute gent

That's a great comparison Barty.

Probably sums up my thoughts more eloquently than I could. :roll:

Maybe the MC could do with a rear diffuser? Mine came with one already fitted.

[ref]Mr Tidy[/ref], thanks. The diffuser definitely helps, looks good! Taking another look at the rear bumper of the M, it's as though it shares the same curved lower recess as the pre-facelift bumper. The ports for the exhausts protrude with a slanted edge and a sharp notch in the transfer from the port to the area under the plate. Perhaps if they'd kept that line sharp and horizontal rather than rounded downward the rear would look sharper, especially as the other elements of the rear facelift have also been straightened out (rear lights and lower edge).

Car design really is interesting to nerd over for me, so apologies if anyone finds this a bit nitpicky :lol:

Barty said:

Big thanks to [ref]RvsBmw[/ref] for letting me take his pride and joy for a spin, an absolute gent

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It was a pleasure and thanks for the ride in your (more) comfy Si . It looks stunning and i was surprised in positive way! Looking forward to your next mod and the next meeting. Cheers!

Door Cards

The current doorcards and seats always have been an interim solution. Phase 1 for the interior was the big swap, having the two-tone door cards to tie the old seats and nee black interior together. Phase 2 encompasses the alcantara headliner, door cards and seats. The headliner is done, and the doorcards finally had all required components come together.

I’ve spent the last few days on the door handles, sanding them down, prepping them and then painting them satin black. As for the door pulls, I’ve had them skinned with actual carbon fiber (not a fan of wraps due to the texture and lack of depth) to tie the interior colour scheme to the exterior. The backs of the door pulls have been upholstered in nappa leather, not something you might see but you’ll feel it every time you close the door

Furthermore, I’ve added a set of OEM doorspeakers which I’ll splice in as an interim solution. Might not be much, but every bit helps. I’ve also redone the window buttons to complete the look.

I’ll install them either tomorrow or Saturday, but here’s a sneak peek in advance. Really like the satin black pulls, they blend in beautifully.



Next step? Vacation. A 3500km roadtrip through the Swiss Alps, Como, the Dolomites and Croatia. After that, it’s time to hunt for some seats and get those finished to conclude phase 2.

Phase 3 will encompass a customised dash set-up, upgraded audio and sound deadening. The 4th and final phase will involve the door cards once more, as well as the dash… Far from done, but happy with every iteration. Really means the car grows with you :wink:

Good work Barty!

If you are on FB look for a guy named James Tanner.

He has just designed a great looking back lighting for the speedo etc. Still awaiting prices but he always produces great bits of kit!

jock156 said:

Good work Barty!

If you are on FB look for a guy named James Tanner.

He has just designed a great looking back lighting for the speedo etc. Still awaiting prices but he always produces great bits of kit!

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Thanks! That definitely sounds interesting, will have a look

Wasn’t planning on changing the cluster however. What I’ve got planned involves cutting up the dash, so I’ll be using a donor dash… :?

Barty, mate, really starting to grown on me that green.. have you got some hi-rez pics in the sun that show it off with your current wheels. d-day is around the corner and i have to choose a color in the next few weeks. this is in my top 3 colors list.

Vanne said:

Barty, mate, really starting to grown on me that green.. have you got some hi-rez pics in the sun that show it off with your current wheels. d-day is around the corner and i have to choose a color in the next few weeks. this is in my top 3 colors list.

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That is a big compliment! I’ll take some shots in the mountains today, and go through what I have. PM me your email and I’ll send them over

Cheers bud

Thanks for the pics mate, frikkin epic

Vacation Prep
In preparation for my trip I decided to treat the Zed to a bit of extra TLC as well as a pair of new brake callipers, which got a fresh coat of dark grey metallic paint since they were off anyway.



New pads, fresh oil and original MANN filter, as well as a clean of the aFe intake. I also removed the CDV, which I'm happy to report has made the car even more enjoyable to drive. Subtle and yet profound, the pedal feel is considerably more natural yet not shockingly different to before. It's nice, but hard to explain! If you're considering it: mole grips for the flex line, 10 minutes of your time and you're all set. Since I replaced both of the front callipers I treated the coupe to fresh brake fluid as well.

Finally, I retrofitted a pair of original BMW doorspeakers to add a little to the other wise lacking 6-speaker set-up. Easy enough job, and with a noticeable result- excellent for the trip ahead. The now complete all-black doorcards went in a few days before departure, and have once again moved the interior look forward.



Como & Croatia 2022
My very first introduction to Z4 ownership was my trip to Como last year. A week blasting around the lake and surrounding mountains. This year, that tradition continued. A few days in advance, we decided to turn our drive down to the lake into part of the experience. Together with a good friend, who joined in what can only be described as the best cared for Brera I know of, we set off.



Day one was spent on an autobahn blast to Freiburg, 50 miles from the Swiss border. Nothing special there, but day 2 was spent entirely on crossing Alpine passes: Grimsel, Furka, Andermatt, Lukmanier, as well as a few smaller passes in between. 500km's of Swiss roads, resulting in a smile that was hard to get rid of. Absolutely stunning scenery for mile after mile. Naturally, the gratuitous Furka Pass Belvédère Hotel pic was in order!



We spent the next 5 days at Como, mostly stringing together gorgeous sights and simply lovely towns. Lots of lovely lunches and dinners, with a particularly memorable night out at Villa d'Este. Once again, in for a classic!



We were joined by a few more friends on Saturday, adding a seriously tuned Giulietta QV and a 159 torque monster to the mix. Good times



On Monday, we set off to Croatia. A mind-numbing 550km drive to Optralj; endless Italian motorways through uninspired landscapes, mostly under the close supervision of average speed camera's. Granted... In areas without average speed camera's, some Italian tune ups were performed. Happy to report the revised geometry and alignment feels more stable at speed- even well above 200 kph.

As for the rest of the week? It was spent driving through one of the prettiest countries I've been to in a long time, visiting lovely towns and meeting great people. If you're considering a trip to Croatia: do it. Kind people, good food, great views, lots of history- some of which still very much alive.

The Zed performed almost flawlessly: on the 1400km drive back, the wipers -well, one of them- decided to pack up with another 1000km to go, and nothing but unrelenting rain and bad traffic to make it even more interesting. We could see the mechanism had come off the ball joint at the driver's side wiper. We attempted to remove the arms and scuttle, but they simply wouldn't budge. A slight saviour was my decision to pack a small bottle of Aquavelox, a glass sealant similar to RainX but a bit more hardy. At the first services I cleaned the glass best I could, applied two coats and waited with a cup of coffee for it to dry out. The sealant that is, not the weather. No chance there...

As we set off, visibility was acceptable as long as I was driving above 50 kph, and good when going above 100. Unfortunately, this wasn't all that easy... We had to take a 1.5h backroad route around Munich, saving us well over 3 hours otherwise spent in a queue that only turned out to get longer. We found this out because 2 of my friends decided to join the back of the line, and got home about 8 hours after us despite departing only 90 minutes after we did.

Nearly 4000km's in 12 days, some of them at considerable speed, "unusual" angles of attack (Croatia's roads are really slippery, which is fun!), as well as a few bum-clenching moments on the way home. It was an absolute hoot, and I wish it could have lasted longer.

The Zed performed beautifully aside from its minor mechanical faillure (albeit with less than minor consequences, granted). It ran smoothly, pulled up to 252 kph on the GPS on three occasions, carried me and a friend with our luggage in decent enough comfort- I can't fault it! It came back covered in dust, sand, mud, flies, dirt and God knows what else, so I spent an hour or two today cleaning it back up.



Ready for new adventures!

That sounds like a great trip Barty, and your Z4 has cleaned up nicely.

This thread is inspiration for me and the future with my Zed.