Barty's Green Z4 Coupé - Not another one…
- Thread starter Barty
- Start date
Finally managed to fix the wipers. I’d originally ordered a retaining clip to secure the ball joint that had popped off. Unfortunately that got lost in the post, and I was fed up with not being able to go out in the rain… So:
Drilled out a slightly undersized hole through the ball, then tapped a thread and fitted a screw with a decent size washer. The washer only just touches on the arm, so there’s no stress on the screw when in use. Wipers are working as before again!
Then this morning, I got a message from my neighbour informing me of a car show just round the corner. Popped over, at which point they promptly asked me to park on the field rather than the lot- great morning out 8)
Drilled out a slightly undersized hole through the ball, then tapped a thread and fitted a screw with a decent size washer. The washer only just touches on the arm, so there’s no stress on the screw when in use. Wipers are working as before again!
Then this morning, I got a message from my neighbour informing me of a car show just round the corner. Popped over, at which point they promptly asked me to park on the field rather than the lot- great morning out 8)
Aero Adventures
For a while now, I've wanted an M-bumper to bring the nose up to standard with the rest of the car. Given the price BMW asks these days, it wasn't on my shortlist of items, though the now complete rear-end did feel a little unbalanced to the still original front. Suddenly, an opportunity arose: a friend with an M-bumper fitted to his Si decided on an aero front bumper. So we made a deal: I'd source and buy an aero front-end, and I could in return have his M-bumper. Fair enough! In fitting my aero skirts, I also seem to have inspired a few fellow Dutch Zed-owners who now decided to do the same. Soon enough, interest rose from not just one but three coupe-compatriots! The hunt was on...
A few weeks later and the shopping list was complete: one aero front bumper, three sets of side skirts, as well as few small bits and bobs. With the goods arranged, I set off for England with my fellow Zed owner and friend [ref]joelvdrZ4C[/ref]. Left home at 03:30 for the 1-hour drive to Joel, and then off to Calais. Arriving 3 hours later, we had a mere 35 minute wait for the next train, arriving in England at 08:00 local time. First stop was just off the M20 for the first set of skirts, and then onwards to Warrington.
14:00 arrival, quick load-up and a friendly chat, only for us to head back the way we came. A well-deserved burger at the tunnel during our wait, followed by a quick and comfy passage back to France. Another 3-hour jaunt back to Joel's, ending up back in the Zed for the last hour home. Total time in the car: 23h40m, with a distance of 1700km/1060 miles covered.
Our companion, an almost new X5 40e, proved to be hugely comfortable and a very capable long-distance cruiser. Still, getting back into the simple, analogue world of the Z4 was very welcome after being lulled into a sense of comfort and ease by the X5. The back-to-basics experience never disappoints, and proved a perfect stimulant to perk me back up at night!
Next step will be taking the bumper to the bodyshop for some minor repairs and a respray, after which we'll be face-swapping the Zeds. More on that soon!
I spy with my little eye: something that starts with Z!
A week or two later we organised another edition of the Z-tour with the Dutch E86 club. Poor weather and busy schedules saw our numbers dwindle from 12 to 5, but that didn't prevent us from having a blast! Country lanes, fast forest routes, as well as a few dike roads- we had a bit of everything thrown in the mix.
Fast forward to last weekend, where on Saturday I set off to Zeeland with Joel and his freshly updated coupe: aero skirts painted and fitted, as well as a slew of other updates I'll leave to him to reveal. Fair to say: it looks absolutely stunning! We met up with Thomas and went for a spirited drive around the peninsula, after which the guys continued on without me because I had a track-session that afternoon at Zandvoort!
Zandvoort. GP lay-out by default, so what you see on TV is exactly what you get to sample. Except maybe the speed... First time taking the Z on track (not my first time, thankfully), and a few random observations I've had during my 30 minutes of fun:
Smiles for miles; having the straight six singing just never gets dull. Handling-wise, I was impressed with the performance of the Vredestein Vorti R's as well as the STX coilovers. Other drivers commented on how flat and composed the car looked from the outside, sentiments I can echo from behind the wheel. I do miss the feedback from the steering wheel, which is slightly dulled by the EPS. Turn-in is slightly compromised by initial understeer and the lack of an LSD, the latter of which you also feel when powering out of a turn. That said, the Z will happily track through a corner once persuaded into it. A few 4-wheel slides into turn 2 (Gerlach) setting up for the slingshot through 3 (Hugenholtz) were an absolute hoot. The biggest compromise (besides my lack of talent) were the seats; Recaro Pole Positions have been on my shopping list for almost a year now, but have been bumped up near the top after last Saturday! Brakes were okay but not brilliant. I'll have to see about swapping for better pads next time (DS2500 or Red Stuff) while planning my overall brake upgrades next spring.
After 30 minutes of hooning around, we pulled in to share stories, smiles and experiences. Bas' Barchetta (which has been rebuilt last summer) held up beautifully, with the only car suffering a failure being the Volvo: 4 burst coolant pipes have led us to expect the worst...
Corvo on Tour: Dishing the Dirt
With a Saturday like that it would make sense to take it easy on Sunday, both car and driver deserving a rest. So we didn't. Instead we hosted the second edition of Corvo on Tour, a drive with a number of our customers, their friends and a few followers from social media. 25 cars lined up for the start ranging from Alfa's to Land Rover's and Mazda's to BMW's, including two Zeds as well! A 150km drive around the Veluwe and Heuvelrug followed, which also included a 2-kilometre stretch of sandy trail. Huge fun in the RWD cars, all happily throwing their tails out given the opportunity. It did lead to my car -being messy already from the track and daytrip before- getting absolutely bathed in dirt, sand and mud.
Legend has it those wheels were once bronze... :roll: Funnily enough, I love it when cars look like this. To me, it shows they're being used for what they were intended for: fun!
Getting back from the Tour, I suddenly realised the car was booked in for an MOT the next day... Yikes. With the sand literally coming off in chunks, I gave it a quick rinse so I wouldn't completely soil the poor guy's workshop.
Two new front brake hoses (OEM, not braided) were fitted before the MOT as they were a known worn item. The outer liner showed cracks in the rubber, not yet going down to the core but better safe than sorry. Fortunately, all the main brake lines were replaced a few years back, including the sections over the tank. Saved me that trouble, thanks very much! With no other remarks, the car is ready for another year
Next up...
Short-term, I'll be fitting the M-bumper once the Aero is ready to go for my mate. I also have a donor-dashboard at home that I plan to use for something special. As always, OEM-quality and style is the aim of the game where possible, and this is no exception. More on that later. Furthermore, I'll also take on the headlights and bring them up to par; upgrade to modern xenon projectors instead of the current halogens, installing halo's and reworking the internal shroud to align more with the rest of the front-end design. Finally, another trip to the UK is in the books for the end of December... More on that as it unfolds (you'll get that pun once I get back)... 8)
For a while now, I've wanted an M-bumper to bring the nose up to standard with the rest of the car. Given the price BMW asks these days, it wasn't on my shortlist of items, though the now complete rear-end did feel a little unbalanced to the still original front. Suddenly, an opportunity arose: a friend with an M-bumper fitted to his Si decided on an aero front bumper. So we made a deal: I'd source and buy an aero front-end, and I could in return have his M-bumper. Fair enough! In fitting my aero skirts, I also seem to have inspired a few fellow Dutch Zed-owners who now decided to do the same. Soon enough, interest rose from not just one but three coupe-compatriots! The hunt was on...
A few weeks later and the shopping list was complete: one aero front bumper, three sets of side skirts, as well as few small bits and bobs. With the goods arranged, I set off for England with my fellow Zed owner and friend [ref]joelvdrZ4C[/ref]. Left home at 03:30 for the 1-hour drive to Joel, and then off to Calais. Arriving 3 hours later, we had a mere 35 minute wait for the next train, arriving in England at 08:00 local time. First stop was just off the M20 for the first set of skirts, and then onwards to Warrington.
14:00 arrival, quick load-up and a friendly chat, only for us to head back the way we came. A well-deserved burger at the tunnel during our wait, followed by a quick and comfy passage back to France. Another 3-hour jaunt back to Joel's, ending up back in the Zed for the last hour home. Total time in the car: 23h40m, with a distance of 1700km/1060 miles covered.
Our companion, an almost new X5 40e, proved to be hugely comfortable and a very capable long-distance cruiser. Still, getting back into the simple, analogue world of the Z4 was very welcome after being lulled into a sense of comfort and ease by the X5. The back-to-basics experience never disappoints, and proved a perfect stimulant to perk me back up at night!
Next step will be taking the bumper to the bodyshop for some minor repairs and a respray, after which we'll be face-swapping the Zeds. More on that soon!
I spy with my little eye: something that starts with Z!
A week or two later we organised another edition of the Z-tour with the Dutch E86 club. Poor weather and busy schedules saw our numbers dwindle from 12 to 5, but that didn't prevent us from having a blast! Country lanes, fast forest routes, as well as a few dike roads- we had a bit of everything thrown in the mix.
Fast forward to last weekend, where on Saturday I set off to Zeeland with Joel and his freshly updated coupe: aero skirts painted and fitted, as well as a slew of other updates I'll leave to him to reveal. Fair to say: it looks absolutely stunning! We met up with Thomas and went for a spirited drive around the peninsula, after which the guys continued on without me because I had a track-session that afternoon at Zandvoort!
Zandvoort. GP lay-out by default, so what you see on TV is exactly what you get to sample. Except maybe the speed... First time taking the Z on track (not my first time, thankfully), and a few random observations I've had during my 30 minutes of fun:
Smiles for miles; having the straight six singing just never gets dull. Handling-wise, I was impressed with the performance of the Vredestein Vorti R's as well as the STX coilovers. Other drivers commented on how flat and composed the car looked from the outside, sentiments I can echo from behind the wheel. I do miss the feedback from the steering wheel, which is slightly dulled by the EPS. Turn-in is slightly compromised by initial understeer and the lack of an LSD, the latter of which you also feel when powering out of a turn. That said, the Z will happily track through a corner once persuaded into it. A few 4-wheel slides into turn 2 (Gerlach) setting up for the slingshot through 3 (Hugenholtz) were an absolute hoot. The biggest compromise (besides my lack of talent) were the seats; Recaro Pole Positions have been on my shopping list for almost a year now, but have been bumped up near the top after last Saturday! Brakes were okay but not brilliant. I'll have to see about swapping for better pads next time (DS2500 or Red Stuff) while planning my overall brake upgrades next spring.
After 30 minutes of hooning around, we pulled in to share stories, smiles and experiences. Bas' Barchetta (which has been rebuilt last summer) held up beautifully, with the only car suffering a failure being the Volvo: 4 burst coolant pipes have led us to expect the worst...
Corvo on Tour: Dishing the Dirt
With a Saturday like that it would make sense to take it easy on Sunday, both car and driver deserving a rest. So we didn't. Instead we hosted the second edition of Corvo on Tour, a drive with a number of our customers, their friends and a few followers from social media. 25 cars lined up for the start ranging from Alfa's to Land Rover's and Mazda's to BMW's, including two Zeds as well! A 150km drive around the Veluwe and Heuvelrug followed, which also included a 2-kilometre stretch of sandy trail. Huge fun in the RWD cars, all happily throwing their tails out given the opportunity. It did lead to my car -being messy already from the track and daytrip before- getting absolutely bathed in dirt, sand and mud.
Legend has it those wheels were once bronze... :roll: Funnily enough, I love it when cars look like this. To me, it shows they're being used for what they were intended for: fun!
Getting back from the Tour, I suddenly realised the car was booked in for an MOT the next day... Yikes. With the sand literally coming off in chunks, I gave it a quick rinse so I wouldn't completely soil the poor guy's workshop.
Two new front brake hoses (OEM, not braided) were fitted before the MOT as they were a known worn item. The outer liner showed cracks in the rubber, not yet going down to the core but better safe than sorry. Fortunately, all the main brake lines were replaced a few years back, including the sections over the tank. Saved me that trouble, thanks very much! With no other remarks, the car is ready for another year
Next up...
Short-term, I'll be fitting the M-bumper once the Aero is ready to go for my mate. I also have a donor-dashboard at home that I plan to use for something special. As always, OEM-quality and style is the aim of the game where possible, and this is no exception. More on that later. Furthermore, I'll also take on the headlights and bring them up to par; upgrade to modern xenon projectors instead of the current halogens, installing halo's and reworking the internal shroud to align more with the rest of the front-end design. Finally, another trip to the UK is in the books for the end of December... More on that as it unfolds (you'll get that pun once I get back)... 8)
Much appreciated [ref]Calps[/ref]! Every time I see those bronze wheels on your sapphire coupe, I just think it looks even better than I remembered. The combination of wheel design and colour are spot on. Any further plans with the Zed right now, or in hibernation over the winter?
Every time I see those bronze wheels on your sapphire coupe, I just think it looks even better than I remembered. The combination of wheel design and colour are spot on. Any further plans with the Zed right now, or in hibernation over the winter?
North West Surrey
Thanks [ref]Mr Tidy[/ref], managed to clock up roughly 20.000km over the first year in the Zed, as well as a fair few in the hunt for parts… :lol:
Finally gave the Zed a proper clean again today, in preparation for a piece in a local paper on unique cars and their owners. At least one of the two should look presentable… :roll:
Finally gave the Zed a proper clean again today, in preparation for a piece in a local paper on unique cars and their owners. At least one of the two should look presentable… :roll:
04:30 in the morning, but the diffuser is back on (had to do two other Zeds first) and the M-bumper is fitted. Normally I’d leave it to tomorrow, but this Saturday I’ve got a shoot planned with a photographer, and I can’t have these goodies kicking around and not be fitted to the car…
Now: bed. Later: update!
Zandvoort Stumble, Seating Arrangements & Nosejobs
It's been another few busy months with work on the Zed, some of which wasn't exactly planned... High time for another update then.
Cold tyres, wet track, smashed carbon...
There's no other way of saying this: I messed up. Two weeks after my previous Zandvoort session, I had another track outing booked. While the weather was perfect the first time (9 degrees, sunny and dry), things were decidedly less ideal this time around. 2 degrees above freezing, a damp track with wet patches too, and tyres that were about as cold; not your ideal conditions. Coming down the back straight, I hauled in a track-built Micra on the approach to turns 11 and 12. Rather than braking on the wet at 150kph, I decided to brake a little early and follow the Nissan through the chicane, as I didn't want to slide on straight into the gravel or tyres. Coming out of 12, I started to -gently- accelerate out of the turn but as soon as I went off-line to overtake the back stepped out, and that was that. I started sliding and almost immediately ended up on the wet grass. Rather than go into the metal barrier sideways I released the brakes and managed to get the car rotated far enough so I'd end up going backwards into the tyres instead. Solid whump at 20-30kph and the distinctive "crack" of plastics/composites breaking.
I pulled off at the next exit and inspected the damage: the carbon diffuser had been torn to shreds in about 4 places, the bumper carrier on the right had snapped clean off and the bumper had cracked through the fold running down from the rear light cluster. The rear quarter panel had been bent inward by about 4-5mm, applying pressure to the rear light. A video review at race control proved ironically comforting, as a track instructor happened to be in the room as well. As soon as he saw the footage, he deemed it "hard luck", noticing the Zed of my friend coming out of the turn at a higher speed than I was. A quick inspection of the guardrails and I was told I could go home to cry. While ultimately no tears were shed, I must confess I did down an extra glass of Talisker that night...
Yeah... That hurt. Ultimately though, it's part of the risk of taking your car on track, and it's a risk I took knowingly. So head up, knuckle down, and fix it. The next morning I was in the car to a very good friend who has an M-rear bumper and graciously donated his old rear bumper to the cause. I dropped that off at the painters on Monday, and had the painter himself not gotten pneumonia it would have been restored that same week. While that was at the shop, I turned to the rear of the car for inspection. All structural components proved straight and intact, so it was just a matter of reshaping the rear quarter panel, removing a number of deep scratches on the bootlid, and ordering a new diffuser. Unfortunately, the rear quarter panel had been resprayed before my ownership. Although I'd measured the paint thickness beforehand, the final polish to remove my sanding marks from a refilled deep cut promptly burned through the paint. Damn...
Removed the right skirt, then removed the quarter panel and dropped it off that same night at the bodyshop. A week later, and I got the call I was waiting for: parts are ready for collection! Another night of rebuilding, and the Zed was at least back to a roadworthy condition. The diffuser had to be produced, but given the timing with the holidays that would have to wait another few weeks. Still, at least I could now drive the car again
So would I do it again? 100%. It happens, and track driving is too much fun for me not to. Given what could have happened had I not managed to rotate the car enough, I feel I got away as well as I could have. Still... Maybe not take the Zed next time in December!
Another UK Trip
December was also when I had my second UK trip scheduled, this time combining a visit to my sister with a trip to [ref]bigwinn[/ref] for a set of folding mirrors and M-sport seats. The latter were intended to end up in [ref]JoelvdrZ4C[/ref]'s coupe, however at nearly 2 metres he proved to be too tall to find a comfortable position no matter what he tried... So after a week of backpain, sore knees and frustration we decided to swap his old seats back in, and I'd take the M-sports instead.
Since we had a few other seats at the shop for a refurb, I decided to take on the M's as well. Original BMW black leather has a few droplets of blue dye mixed in with the black to create a specific hue, followed by an 80-20 mix of matte and gloss topcoat. I decided to go for deep black (so zero additives) and full matte finish. While at it, I also redid the door cards as they had some minor scuffs and marks after 16 years of service.
So, after a little over a year with the beige "comfort" seats, out came the old and in went the new! I must say, while I knew what they were like from my previous coupe I'd forgotten just how much better they were compared to the stock seats. The look and feel of the car have -again- been transformed for me. Perhaps that's the best thing about building up a car to your exact liking: you get to fall in love over and over again with every change you make!
Nosejob
Speaking of changes... It was high time for the M-bumper to go to the painters, as I couldn't wait to see a green coupe with an M-nose! Besides, I had a professional shoot booked for months now in early February, so that gave me a deadline to work towards. I also knew my new diffuser would arrive sometime end of January or early February, so I could bundle that work to create a single, massive transformation.
You can imagine my excitement when I got this picture... Notice the rear bumper? That's the crashed Zandvoort bumper! While at a repair specialist for a customer, I told him of my accident. When I showed him a few pictures, he was adamant he could fix the damage- so he did. The upshot is that I don't have to re-cut the bumper in order to install the diffuser, making that process a whole lot easier.
Then, last Friday, it was time: off with the old, and on with the new. I had to fit 2 other diffusers that day, so by the time I got round to my own car it was about 10 in the evening. Since I had a shoot the next day, and I couldn't wash the car with the freshly painted bumpers on, I had to clean the car first. At 11:30 in the evening, I started work on the rear-end and fitted the diffuser. With that done, we -Joel was extremely kind to stick around and help me- moved on to the front. Off with the Si bumper and floor panels, and on with the M-components. I've taken the liberty to paint the brake ducts and lower grill gloss-black, tying in nicely with the kidneys and lifting the overall look of the front-end.
At 04:30 in the morning, all was done, and I once again couldn't believe the difference it had made to the look of the car. While I knew what the rear looked like when fitted with a diffuser, it still managed to make me smile from ear to ear. But the front... Wow! I wouldn't call the Si bumper ugly, that'd be unfair. But I do find it a tad boring when compared to the M or Aero, especially in darker colours.
So after 3 hours of sleep, about 4 cups of coffee and a cold shower, I set off for my appointment. The result? Well, this:
A very familiar rear-end, with the new diffuser fitted nicely. The exhaust needs a tiny bit of fettling, as it hangs to the right of the aperture slightly. Nothing crazy, a few mm should do it.
This though... Wow. I really live how the new front looks especially with the gloss black components. While at it, I also refurbed the brace that lives behind the kidneys, so no more flaking bare metal.
What's next...
With the new seats, I've "officially" finished phase 2 of the interior. There's not a shred of the original beige left in there; the only original component left is the dashboard- that's it. Funnily enough, that too will come out in the future for phase 3. Given the extra costs incurred from the repairs, that plan has been pushed back slightly. All in good time...
As for the exterior: like stated above, the xenon upgrade had to make way for repairs. It's still on the cards, just not right now. With the new bumpers done, focus now shifts to the roof, bonnet, and a few minor details. I also need to pull my finger out and get on with a bunch of preventive maintenance: sensors, solenoids, DISA, starter, cam cover gasket, intake gaskets, CCV and related pipes, coils, filter housing gaskets... Most of the stuff is already kicking around the house, just a few more parts required and then I can overhaul the mechanical side of things too.
Onwards and upwards!
It's been another few busy months with work on the Zed, some of which wasn't exactly planned... High time for another update then.
Cold tyres, wet track, smashed carbon...
There's no other way of saying this: I messed up. Two weeks after my previous Zandvoort session, I had another track outing booked. While the weather was perfect the first time (9 degrees, sunny and dry), things were decidedly less ideal this time around. 2 degrees above freezing, a damp track with wet patches too, and tyres that were about as cold; not your ideal conditions. Coming down the back straight, I hauled in a track-built Micra on the approach to turns 11 and 12. Rather than braking on the wet at 150kph, I decided to brake a little early and follow the Nissan through the chicane, as I didn't want to slide on straight into the gravel or tyres. Coming out of 12, I started to -gently- accelerate out of the turn but as soon as I went off-line to overtake the back stepped out, and that was that. I started sliding and almost immediately ended up on the wet grass. Rather than go into the metal barrier sideways I released the brakes and managed to get the car rotated far enough so I'd end up going backwards into the tyres instead. Solid whump at 20-30kph and the distinctive "crack" of plastics/composites breaking.
I pulled off at the next exit and inspected the damage: the carbon diffuser had been torn to shreds in about 4 places, the bumper carrier on the right had snapped clean off and the bumper had cracked through the fold running down from the rear light cluster. The rear quarter panel had been bent inward by about 4-5mm, applying pressure to the rear light. A video review at race control proved ironically comforting, as a track instructor happened to be in the room as well. As soon as he saw the footage, he deemed it "hard luck", noticing the Zed of my friend coming out of the turn at a higher speed than I was. A quick inspection of the guardrails and I was told I could go home to cry. While ultimately no tears were shed, I must confess I did down an extra glass of Talisker that night...
Yeah... That hurt. Ultimately though, it's part of the risk of taking your car on track, and it's a risk I took knowingly. So head up, knuckle down, and fix it. The next morning I was in the car to a very good friend who has an M-rear bumper and graciously donated his old rear bumper to the cause. I dropped that off at the painters on Monday, and had the painter himself not gotten pneumonia it would have been restored that same week. While that was at the shop, I turned to the rear of the car for inspection. All structural components proved straight and intact, so it was just a matter of reshaping the rear quarter panel, removing a number of deep scratches on the bootlid, and ordering a new diffuser. Unfortunately, the rear quarter panel had been resprayed before my ownership. Although I'd measured the paint thickness beforehand, the final polish to remove my sanding marks from a refilled deep cut promptly burned through the paint. Damn...
Removed the right skirt, then removed the quarter panel and dropped it off that same night at the bodyshop. A week later, and I got the call I was waiting for: parts are ready for collection! Another night of rebuilding, and the Zed was at least back to a roadworthy condition. The diffuser had to be produced, but given the timing with the holidays that would have to wait another few weeks. Still, at least I could now drive the car again
So would I do it again? 100%. It happens, and track driving is too much fun for me not to. Given what could have happened had I not managed to rotate the car enough, I feel I got away as well as I could have. Still... Maybe not take the Zed next time in December!
Another UK Trip
December was also when I had my second UK trip scheduled, this time combining a visit to my sister with a trip to [ref]bigwinn[/ref] for a set of folding mirrors and M-sport seats. The latter were intended to end up in [ref]JoelvdrZ4C[/ref]'s coupe, however at nearly 2 metres he proved to be too tall to find a comfortable position no matter what he tried... So after a week of backpain, sore knees and frustration we decided to swap his old seats back in, and I'd take the M-sports instead.
Since we had a few other seats at the shop for a refurb, I decided to take on the M's as well. Original BMW black leather has a few droplets of blue dye mixed in with the black to create a specific hue, followed by an 80-20 mix of matte and gloss topcoat. I decided to go for deep black (so zero additives) and full matte finish. While at it, I also redid the door cards as they had some minor scuffs and marks after 16 years of service.
So, after a little over a year with the beige "comfort" seats, out came the old and in went the new! I must say, while I knew what they were like from my previous coupe I'd forgotten just how much better they were compared to the stock seats. The look and feel of the car have -again- been transformed for me. Perhaps that's the best thing about building up a car to your exact liking: you get to fall in love over and over again with every change you make!
Nosejob
Speaking of changes... It was high time for the M-bumper to go to the painters, as I couldn't wait to see a green coupe with an M-nose! Besides, I had a professional shoot booked for months now in early February, so that gave me a deadline to work towards. I also knew my new diffuser would arrive sometime end of January or early February, so I could bundle that work to create a single, massive transformation.
You can imagine my excitement when I got this picture... Notice the rear bumper? That's the crashed Zandvoort bumper! While at a repair specialist for a customer, I told him of my accident. When I showed him a few pictures, he was adamant he could fix the damage- so he did. The upshot is that I don't have to re-cut the bumper in order to install the diffuser, making that process a whole lot easier.
Then, last Friday, it was time: off with the old, and on with the new. I had to fit 2 other diffusers that day, so by the time I got round to my own car it was about 10 in the evening. Since I had a shoot the next day, and I couldn't wash the car with the freshly painted bumpers on, I had to clean the car first. At 11:30 in the evening, I started work on the rear-end and fitted the diffuser. With that done, we -Joel was extremely kind to stick around and help me- moved on to the front. Off with the Si bumper and floor panels, and on with the M-components. I've taken the liberty to paint the brake ducts and lower grill gloss-black, tying in nicely with the kidneys and lifting the overall look of the front-end.
At 04:30 in the morning, all was done, and I once again couldn't believe the difference it had made to the look of the car. While I knew what the rear looked like when fitted with a diffuser, it still managed to make me smile from ear to ear. But the front... Wow! I wouldn't call the Si bumper ugly, that'd be unfair. But I do find it a tad boring when compared to the M or Aero, especially in darker colours.
So after 3 hours of sleep, about 4 cups of coffee and a cold shower, I set off for my appointment. The result? Well, this:
A very familiar rear-end, with the new diffuser fitted nicely. The exhaust needs a tiny bit of fettling, as it hangs to the right of the aperture slightly. Nothing crazy, a few mm should do it.
This though... Wow. I really live how the new front looks especially with the gloss black components. While at it, I also refurbed the brace that lives behind the kidneys, so no more flaking bare metal.
What's next...
With the new seats, I've "officially" finished phase 2 of the interior. There's not a shred of the original beige left in there; the only original component left is the dashboard- that's it. Funnily enough, that too will come out in the future for phase 3. Given the extra costs incurred from the repairs, that plan has been pushed back slightly. All in good time...
As for the exterior: like stated above, the xenon upgrade had to make way for repairs. It's still on the cards, just not right now. With the new bumpers done, focus now shifts to the roof, bonnet, and a few minor details. I also need to pull my finger out and get on with a bunch of preventive maintenance: sensors, solenoids, DISA, starter, cam cover gasket, intake gaskets, CCV and related pipes, coils, filter housing gaskets... Most of the stuff is already kicking around the house, just a few more parts required and then I can overhaul the mechanical side of things too.
Onwards and upwards!
