Barty's Green Z4 Coupé - Not another one…
- Thread starter Barty
- Start date
Lights, Preventive Maintenance, Alps
It was that time of year again: roadtrip! Our classic Italian trip followed little over a month after our NC500 adventures, but I took the interim as an opportunity to take on some preventive maintenance, as well as a small upgrade with a big impact.
First things first: the headlights. On the last leg of the NC500/Zedfest trip we had to cover 300 very dark nighttime kilometers through northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. This demonstrated the woeful inadequacy of the original halogen headlights (even though they were decent Osram Nightbreakers), so time for an upgrade. I had a set of Osram LEDriving H7 bulbs kicking around the house, so when shortly after my trip one of the Nightbreakers faded into the night I decided to give them a try. First things first: suitable adapter brackets. Osram sell these (type 64210DA06-1) for about a tenner, making the lights pretty much plug and play. Cut-off is crisp and the light output...
Truly a night and day difference! First test was right after installation on the drive over to a friend who lives in quite a rural area. Visibility has much improved and the front of the car instantly looks a bit more modern (but not Tesla-LED in your face bright and blue...). Happy days
Keeping up with the K's
Having covered almost 186.000km's, it was high time for some preventive maintenance on the coupe. I've decided to chunk the work into smaller segments that go together nicely, such as the intake-side, "hot"-side, rear-end, front-end, etc. First up was the intake-side of things, as I'd started to develop some oil consumption without any leaks or telltale signs. Prime suspect: the PCV system. Since the hoses had decayed over time, they too deserved to be replaced. While in there, I also replaced the intake gaskets, both DISA valves, the crankshaft sensor and the starter motor. The alternator pulley was also past its best, so while at it I decided to have the alternator refurbished too. Once the intake was off, it was clear that the PCV was shot; a film of oil coated the intake manifold and the return line from the PCV to the intake was soaked too.
Good, problem solved! All lines replaced, new PCV, and everything back together. The start is noticeably more powerful with the new starter in place (OEM Denso unit) so that's a nice bonus.
With all that done, I took it to a friend with a lift to tackle the last few jobs: oil change and filter plus two new rear suspension top mounts. Remember what happened to the old ones..? I decided I didn't want to find out how long the other one would last, so swapped both out for new ones just to know they're of equal age and make.
Final quick job: steering wheel buttons! While I've restored them about a year ago, the finish wasn't quite to my liking, so a rainy evening I whipped out the wheel, set up the baby spraybooth in the shed and gave them a quick refresh:
With all that done, time for a...
Annual Alpine Classic
Roadtrip! This year we decided on Maggiore rather than Como, and we've also plotted a route that would take us there solely over back roads rather than motorways. Fun times! The first leg took us from home to Adenau, where we had a spot of lunch at the Cockpit Bistro just off the Nurburgring. After a typically German spot of sausages we took off for Saarbrücken, our first overnight stop.
Day two took us across the Vosgues. For anyone who hasn't been; they're the edges of the Alpes and while not as high or savage they're beautiful in their own right. Lots of green, plenty of small towns and loads of great twisties, especially in the southern half. Yet again a beautiful day of diving with loads of great views.
One thing missing from this picture: the Jaguar XJR. It had decided that cooling fans were for the weak and feeble, which soon after proved to be a mistake. A quick cooldown session followed by a relatively easy cabling fix proved succesfull in reviving the big cat. Thankfully so, because that supercharged V8 absolutely roars through the tunnels, especially with the bypass valve fitted to the exhaust right after the manifolds...
Day three: Alps. Mulhouse to our final destination in Maggiore, covering the Furka, Gothard, Sustrenen as well as a few smaller passes in between. Loads of driving fun, apart from an hour-long delay when we got held up by... cows. Yep: the local farmer had decided to use that precise moment to walk his herd down the mountain into the valley, taking up the entire single track road. Ah well, more time to enjoy the views and crisp mountain air!
The last two hours took us over the Italian motorways to Maggiore, parking up just as the sun came out.
We spent the first week touring the area, visiting local towns, the Alfa Romeo museum, Milan fashion week, Oriental Mandarin (amazing dinner and cocktails), as well as a boatload of pizza places- some call them restaurants. One of those was at the end of a particularly narrow road...
Yeah- not ideal. No issues, but with about 2-3cm clearance either side it could be considered "snug". While the rest set off home after our collective week, my GF and I decided to stay a few days longer. Wednesday though, it was time to head home. 1000km of monotonous motorways- except when we came to a dead stop in the middle of the Gotthard tunnel!
As it turned out, a lorry had broken down on the other lane, causing a massive jam behind him. Whenever this happens, they shut down the entire tunnel and you're required to come to a dead stop at the first set of lights. An elderly German gentleman didn't agree with me on that, deciding it was a good idea to get out of his car in the middle of the tunnel, cross to the other side, curse me out for not driving on, and then get back in his car angrily. Ah well, saves me the extraordinary Swiss fines you'd get for ignoring the reds, which apparently one gentleman had done a few years back- 29 times... Auch!
An otherwise uneventful drive saw us get home around 10, and the Zed tick over onto 190.000km. I really can't fault the car. Sure, it's got its little foibles and there are a few maintenance things I really need to get off my list, but it's been an absolute joy over the last two years and 40.000km. Here's to many more!
It was that time of year again: roadtrip! Our classic Italian trip followed little over a month after our NC500 adventures, but I took the interim as an opportunity to take on some preventive maintenance, as well as a small upgrade with a big impact.
First things first: the headlights. On the last leg of the NC500/Zedfest trip we had to cover 300 very dark nighttime kilometers through northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. This demonstrated the woeful inadequacy of the original halogen headlights (even though they were decent Osram Nightbreakers), so time for an upgrade. I had a set of Osram LEDriving H7 bulbs kicking around the house, so when shortly after my trip one of the Nightbreakers faded into the night I decided to give them a try. First things first: suitable adapter brackets. Osram sell these (type 64210DA06-1) for about a tenner, making the lights pretty much plug and play. Cut-off is crisp and the light output...
Truly a night and day difference! First test was right after installation on the drive over to a friend who lives in quite a rural area. Visibility has much improved and the front of the car instantly looks a bit more modern (but not Tesla-LED in your face bright and blue...). Happy days
Keeping up with the K's
Having covered almost 186.000km's, it was high time for some preventive maintenance on the coupe. I've decided to chunk the work into smaller segments that go together nicely, such as the intake-side, "hot"-side, rear-end, front-end, etc. First up was the intake-side of things, as I'd started to develop some oil consumption without any leaks or telltale signs. Prime suspect: the PCV system. Since the hoses had decayed over time, they too deserved to be replaced. While in there, I also replaced the intake gaskets, both DISA valves, the crankshaft sensor and the starter motor. The alternator pulley was also past its best, so while at it I decided to have the alternator refurbished too. Once the intake was off, it was clear that the PCV was shot; a film of oil coated the intake manifold and the return line from the PCV to the intake was soaked too.
Good, problem solved! All lines replaced, new PCV, and everything back together. The start is noticeably more powerful with the new starter in place (OEM Denso unit) so that's a nice bonus.
With all that done, I took it to a friend with a lift to tackle the last few jobs: oil change and filter plus two new rear suspension top mounts. Remember what happened to the old ones..? I decided I didn't want to find out how long the other one would last, so swapped both out for new ones just to know they're of equal age and make.
Final quick job: steering wheel buttons! While I've restored them about a year ago, the finish wasn't quite to my liking, so a rainy evening I whipped out the wheel, set up the baby spraybooth in the shed and gave them a quick refresh:
With all that done, time for a...
Annual Alpine Classic
Roadtrip! This year we decided on Maggiore rather than Como, and we've also plotted a route that would take us there solely over back roads rather than motorways. Fun times! The first leg took us from home to Adenau, where we had a spot of lunch at the Cockpit Bistro just off the Nurburgring. After a typically German spot of sausages we took off for Saarbrücken, our first overnight stop.
Day two took us across the Vosgues. For anyone who hasn't been; they're the edges of the Alpes and while not as high or savage they're beautiful in their own right. Lots of green, plenty of small towns and loads of great twisties, especially in the southern half. Yet again a beautiful day of diving with loads of great views.
One thing missing from this picture: the Jaguar XJR. It had decided that cooling fans were for the weak and feeble, which soon after proved to be a mistake. A quick cooldown session followed by a relatively easy cabling fix proved succesfull in reviving the big cat. Thankfully so, because that supercharged V8 absolutely roars through the tunnels, especially with the bypass valve fitted to the exhaust right after the manifolds...
Day three: Alps. Mulhouse to our final destination in Maggiore, covering the Furka, Gothard, Sustrenen as well as a few smaller passes in between. Loads of driving fun, apart from an hour-long delay when we got held up by... cows. Yep: the local farmer had decided to use that precise moment to walk his herd down the mountain into the valley, taking up the entire single track road. Ah well, more time to enjoy the views and crisp mountain air!
The last two hours took us over the Italian motorways to Maggiore, parking up just as the sun came out.
We spent the first week touring the area, visiting local towns, the Alfa Romeo museum, Milan fashion week, Oriental Mandarin (amazing dinner and cocktails), as well as a boatload of pizza places- some call them restaurants. One of those was at the end of a particularly narrow road...
Yeah- not ideal. No issues, but with about 2-3cm clearance either side it could be considered "snug". While the rest set off home after our collective week, my GF and I decided to stay a few days longer. Wednesday though, it was time to head home. 1000km of monotonous motorways- except when we came to a dead stop in the middle of the Gotthard tunnel!
As it turned out, a lorry had broken down on the other lane, causing a massive jam behind him. Whenever this happens, they shut down the entire tunnel and you're required to come to a dead stop at the first set of lights. An elderly German gentleman didn't agree with me on that, deciding it was a good idea to get out of his car in the middle of the tunnel, cross to the other side, curse me out for not driving on, and then get back in his car angrily. Ah well, saves me the extraordinary Swiss fines you'd get for ignoring the reds, which apparently one gentleman had done a few years back- 29 times... Auch!
An otherwise uneventful drive saw us get home around 10, and the Zed tick over onto 190.000km. I really can't fault the car. Sure, it's got its little foibles and there are a few maintenance things I really need to get off my list, but it's been an absolute joy over the last two years and 40.000km. Here's to many more!
North West Surrey
Mr Tidy said:You've certainly been piling on the miles this year Bart!
It looks like you had another great trip too.
Yeah it’s been a busy year! Onwards and upwards
RAYK47 said:Wow what a read, you certainly are living the dream.
Thanks! They were made to be driven, so who am I not to oblige
Quick pre-MOT check last Friday. Both lower wishbones at the front show excessive play (corroborated by a slight vibration that’s been starting to play up over the last few weeks) and a minor issue with the seat belt stopper designed to keep the buckle from sliding down to the base when not in use, apparently that’s technically an MOT fail so I’ll replace that this week. Also…
Our Zeds are really practical! :lol: Bastuck mid-pipe without dampers inbound. Curious to hear how that sounds 8)
I did a mid-box delete on my old 3.0si coupe years ago - it was actually really nice. Made the exhaust a bit deeper and a bit raspier, with some nice burbles but it wasn't droney at all. It was a lovely mod in terms of balancing using it for long drives and having a bit more noise/drama when you wanted to give it the full potato 
Ed Doe said:
That sound good, and exactly what I’m going for! Did you have the original backbox? I got some very mild burbles with the Bastuck rear box already, so should be nice
Replaced the slightly unsightly LED bulbs for the position lights for a pair of OSRAM’s I got from a friend. Slightly brighter and with a matte dome design a lot nicer looking. Note also the missing high beam bulb, which will be replaced with a set of LEDriving OSRAM’s (matching the low beams) as soon as they arrive. I finally managed to fit the OSRAM brackets into the housing properly for the high’s, but sadly the XTR LED’s don’t fit so need to swap those out.
Hi, Barty.
Can I ask which Osram LED's you have gone for?
I have been really disappointed with the light output, even from Nightbreakers.
Can I ask which Osram LED's you have gone for?
I have been really disappointed with the light output, even from Nightbreakers.
[ref]Simiewimie[/ref], they’re 64210DA06-1 Osram Adapter Brackets coupled with LEDriving H7 bulbs. You may need to fettle the brackets on the adapter a teeny bit (easy to do by hand), otherwise plug and play. Solid upgrade over stock halogens.
Alternative can be the Night Breaker LED’s though I’m not sure if they fit the adapter brackets.
Alternative can be the Night Breaker LED’s though I’m not sure if they fit the adapter brackets.
Barty said:Ed Doe said:
That sound good, and exactly what I’m going for! Did you have the original backbox? I got some very mild burbles with the Bastuck rear box already, so should be nice
Mine was the original back box, so yours will be a bit fruitier I'm sure. Should be nice!
Another few mods over the last few weeks, so time for a quick update!
First, swapped out the AFe intake for the Gruppe M. Why? Well, a few reasons: the additional sound from the AFe was absolutely brilliant but it resonated with the frequency from the Bastuck backbox at 4K rpm. This caused annoying drone between 95 and 110mph, which running back from Italy proved a tad tiresome on the Autobahn. Second, who doesn't like a bit of carbon bling under the bonnet right?! Finally, it allowed me to reconnect the sound generator, providing me with more control over the amount of intake roar in the cabin. Make no mistake: the AFe is great! Had the Gruppe M not crossed my path, then I'd have been perfectly happy with the AFe
Second, I had the annual MOT with a few advisories: play on the front wishbones so replaced both of those and fitted purple Powerflex bushes while in there. Also replaced the little stopper on the belt which prevents the buckle from sliding down when undone; less than €1 to replace that little bugger...
Then to the fun bit: mid-resonator delete! I scored myself a Bastuck midsection (code: BMWZ4-C1P) sans mid-resonators. Ideal for me as it slots onto the Bastuck backbox beautifully. As for the front section, it does require a bit of cutting...
It then slides onto the original pipes and clamps in place with a pair of 51-54mm exhaust clamps.
The result: the Z now really sounds like a straight six sportscar should! The noise is a tad deeper, absolutely ZERO drone at speed, nice burble on the overrun, and a raspy straight six soundtrack from 3.5k rpm onwards. It has since been praised with comparisons to oldschool E-type'esque rasps to E46 M3 top-end howls. My take on it: a nice throb at speed gaining in pitch as you go through the rev-band. Great burbles and the odd pop on lift-off; it just sounds fun! When are we getting the option to place vids... :lol:
Finally...
An afternoon spent shooting the Zeds of [ref]JoelvdrZ4C[/ref] and myself to cap off the year. 2023 has been an absolute blast, and there's a bunch of great trips (Wales, Italy, Austria, Swiss, France) lined up as well as a number of upgrades: carbon goodies, building my own headlights, new seats, custom rear axle, new wheels, different bonnet and roof, dash, doors, speakers- the list goes on, and so does the enjoyment of the Zed.
Big thanks to the great community that is this forum. It's one of the few forums I know with such a positive, helpful and welcoming atmosphere. So to all of you, have a great 2024
First, swapped out the AFe intake for the Gruppe M. Why? Well, a few reasons: the additional sound from the AFe was absolutely brilliant but it resonated with the frequency from the Bastuck backbox at 4K rpm. This caused annoying drone between 95 and 110mph, which running back from Italy proved a tad tiresome on the Autobahn. Second, who doesn't like a bit of carbon bling under the bonnet right?! Finally, it allowed me to reconnect the sound generator, providing me with more control over the amount of intake roar in the cabin. Make no mistake: the AFe is great! Had the Gruppe M not crossed my path, then I'd have been perfectly happy with the AFe
Second, I had the annual MOT with a few advisories: play on the front wishbones so replaced both of those and fitted purple Powerflex bushes while in there. Also replaced the little stopper on the belt which prevents the buckle from sliding down when undone; less than €1 to replace that little bugger...
Then to the fun bit: mid-resonator delete! I scored myself a Bastuck midsection (code: BMWZ4-C1P) sans mid-resonators. Ideal for me as it slots onto the Bastuck backbox beautifully. As for the front section, it does require a bit of cutting...
It then slides onto the original pipes and clamps in place with a pair of 51-54mm exhaust clamps.
The result: the Z now really sounds like a straight six sportscar should! The noise is a tad deeper, absolutely ZERO drone at speed, nice burble on the overrun, and a raspy straight six soundtrack from 3.5k rpm onwards. It has since been praised with comparisons to oldschool E-type'esque rasps to E46 M3 top-end howls. My take on it: a nice throb at speed gaining in pitch as you go through the rev-band. Great burbles and the odd pop on lift-off; it just sounds fun! When are we getting the option to place vids... :lol:
Finally...
An afternoon spent shooting the Zeds of [ref]JoelvdrZ4C[/ref] and myself to cap off the year. 2023 has been an absolute blast, and there's a bunch of great trips (Wales, Italy, Austria, Swiss, France) lined up as well as a number of upgrades: carbon goodies, building my own headlights, new seats, custom rear axle, new wheels, different bonnet and roof, dash, doors, speakers- the list goes on, and so does the enjoyment of the Zed.
Big thanks to the great community that is this forum. It's one of the few forums I know with such a positive, helpful and welcoming atmosphere. So to all of you, have a great 2024
Barty said:Ed Doe said:Told you the midbox worked nicely
Absolutely bang on! Combined with the Bastuck backbox, it sounds like it should now 8)
What would your recommendation be to make a stock Z4 exhaust sound great? I wouldn't want to spend more than £800ish. Somewhere around £400 would be perfect! I know everyone has a different answer, so would be great to know your thoughts!
Abbas said:Barty said:Ed Doe said:Told you the midbox worked nicely
Absolutely bang on! Combined with the Bastuck backbox, it sounds like it should now 8)
What would your recommendation be to make a stock Z4 exhaust sound great? I wouldn't want to spend more than £800ish. Somewhere around £400 would be perfect! I know everyone has a different answer, so would be great to know your thoughts!
It depends on what you want. If you just want a slightly more deep or throaty sound without too much loudness, go for a different backbox such as the Bastuck or Eisenmann. They come up second hand every now and then and require minimal work to fit.
If you want a bit more, leave the backbox as it is and change the mid-section to a non-resonated one. Bastuck make one that requires you to cut the original pipes, or go to an exhaust specialist and have a set made up. Should be able to for £400. This will give you a bit more oomph under load, burbles on the overrun and little to no risk of drone.
If you twisted my arm and I had to pick between the two, then I’d go for the deresonated midsection and leave the backbox as-is. You could then always upgrade the backbox in the future if you felt so inclined.
Finally, gutting the original backbox is a no for me: increased drone kills the fun in my book.
My two penneth! If you’re at Ultimate BMW on April 28th, you’re welcome to have a listen