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What have you done to your E89 today

Specific discussion about the E89 2009 Z4 (sDrive35is, sDrive35i, sDrive30i, sDrive23i)
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B21
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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by B21 » Thu Jan 09, 2025 6:33 pm

So resurrecting my leather trim interior program…I used these guys to provide the leather trim for the dash and the roll over hoops..

I ran out of time / will to live…

So going to do the centre console / arm rest trim and door arm rest / handle trim to match…

Dug this out for the removal shortly..once we get above -10.5c..
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“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”….
One of 258 Atacama Yellow 35is…165 modifications and updates…and counting.. :tumbleweed:

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by B21 » Fri Jan 10, 2025 4:52 pm

Reference my low cost rear big brake upgrade..

Trying to get pad alignment on the discs perfect..getting hard work cutting these brackets out in steel so went for 3D printing purely for alignment purposes…

So the good news is that the 345mm version is now perfect with the pad sat nicely on the disc using all the pad and most of the disc..previously the top of the pad was just fractionally past the top flat part of the disc..

The 370mm version needs one more iteration as the front of the pad is siting fractionally lower than the rear..2mm adjustment on the front caliper bracket hole should see it..

Then ready to hand them over to the laser / water cutter boys to fab a few..

Interesting to see how much disc the original 300mm rear disc pad missed..
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“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”….
One of 258 Atacama Yellow 35is…165 modifications and updates…and counting.. :tumbleweed:

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B21
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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by B21 » Sun Jan 12, 2025 2:23 pm

Having discovered that I can use the M5 rear calipers on my big brake kit ..decided to start the refurbishment process..

Going for a full refurb so time to strip them down…

The usual issues with seized brake bleeds and in this case the screws holding the EFB motor unit..

Decided not to mess around..lots of penetrating fluid..then the blow torch then more penetrating fluid..result..all came out with relatively liitle persuasion.. :tumbleweed:
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“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”….
One of 258 Atacama Yellow 35is…165 modifications and updates…and counting.. :tumbleweed:

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by Chippie » Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:34 pm

B21 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 2:23 pm then the blow torch then more penetrating fluid
You can’t beat a bit of heat to get things moving and that plastic is definitely going somewhere 😂😂
E89 35is space grey Kansas coral red leather

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by B21 » Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:38 pm

Chippie wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:34 pm
B21 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 2:23 pm then the blow torch then more penetrating fluid
You can’t beat a bit of heat to get things moving and that plastic is definitely going somewhere 😂😂
I figured 2nd hand calipers sat around..what are the chances the motors are in good condition…I’d rather lose those than risk mashing their screws in the caliper body.. :tumbleweed: :rofl: :fuelfire:
“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”….
One of 258 Atacama Yellow 35is…165 modifications and updates…and counting.. :tumbleweed:

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by Chippie » Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:50 pm

B21 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:38 pm I’d rather lose those than risk mashing their screws in the caliper body..
Be careful putting more fuel on the fire you could distort the calliper 😁
E89 35is space grey Kansas coral red leather

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by B21 » Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:57 pm

Chippie wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:50 pm
B21 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:38 pm I’d rather lose those than risk mashing their screws in the caliper body..
Be careful putting more fuel on the fire you could distort the calliper 😁
Couple of kilos of cast steel…little gas torch…no contest..now if SWMBO allowed me oxy-acetylene..maybe different story… :tumbleweed: :rofl:
“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”….
One of 258 Atacama Yellow 35is…165 modifications and updates…and counting.. :tumbleweed:

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by B21 » Mon Jan 13, 2025 12:18 pm

One of the things I’ve always disliked with E89 rear calipers is the unfinished look caused by them using a casting process using steel…this ends up with a pebble dash look that no amount of paint hides..-plus the remnants of the cast flash lines etc..

I bought a pair of F series M5 rear calipers for developmental purposes for my rear E89 big brake kit..

I discovered that the caliper itself (not the carrier) is in fact the same as the F series 5 50i caliper I’m using for production of the BBKs.

So I decided to refurbish these and re-use them.

I’ve never liked the blue that is now so popular on BMW calipers ..

So..a belt sander, conventional sander, flap wheel in the 4.5 angle grinder and a dremel later..

Voila..polished caliper ready (subject to final finish) for treating and spraying in your preferred colour..

Pics show blue and silver calipers pre process and calipers on their way to final polish before painting..
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“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”….
One of 258 Atacama Yellow 35is…165 modifications and updates…and counting.. :tumbleweed:

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by B21 » Wed Jan 15, 2025 6:22 pm

Front and rear bumpers off today..front because an earlier attempt (not me) had poorly keyed paint in one area resulting in extensive loss of top coats..and to allow me to fit the front camera for my Mr 12 Volt MMI box …

Rear following a ‘love tap’ from a fellow Zeddite on a run needs a small dent pushing out…and fitting both rear camera and the radar units for the blind spot monitoring capability of my ID4Motion digital cluster..

Removed about 4 kilos of gravel and pebbles caught in the various areas..

Disappointing to see the large Wagner Evo FMIC is not fully tightened up by the very expensive Indy I used to do that work..

The odd broken tab and the front lower grill pushed back by some form of wildlife space -time discontinuity error..

Other wise pretty good condition given the use it gets..
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“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”….
One of 258 Atacama Yellow 35is…165 modifications and updates…and counting.. :tumbleweed:

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by jenniferlouise » Wed Jan 15, 2025 7:33 pm

I feel ashamed. B21 is almost single-handedly providing the entertainment here.

Today I booked the 23i in with BMW for its VANOS recall and its MoT (and a couple of maintenance items) the day before with Bartlett Automotive.

Tomorrow I shall seek to renew the insurance. All rock’n’roll stuff here. All while the Zed sleeps off the winter in the garage…

Confession… I’m thinking ‘stickers’ in 2025. I know. But it could be great, surely

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by B21 » Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:05 pm

Today I fully dismantled the front and rear bumpers for the paint man..

The front bumper has had paint blown over the top..with the bumper flexing it’s cracked in areas from the underlying original paint..

Someone’s blown paint over the parking sensors and 3 out of 4 are missing their rubber seals around them..

Too many nose landings haven’t flown through the air caused some serious abrasions under the front bumper…some 180 paper in the sander has cut them back along with a few other serious stone chips..

FWIW the front badge on E89s is just held by two push click clips..the centre spigot is not secured..

The rear MSport diffuser slightly worse for wear..Scottish hooning takes its toll..

Anyway nothing some careful reassembly won’t fix..may need to enlist some extra fixings / adhesive to do a good job..
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“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”….
One of 258 Atacama Yellow 35is…165 modifications and updates…and counting.. :tumbleweed:

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by Reamesy » Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:24 pm

B21 wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:05 pm Today I fully dismantled the front and rear bumpers for the paint man..
You are a busy man. I was wondering why you removed your bumpers.
Currently; 2011 E89 23i SDrive M Sport Highline Titan Silver
Previously;
2014 SLK250CDI AMG Sport
2012 E89 SDrive 2.0 M Sport. White
2011 Audi TT Quattro
2006 Z4 2.5 Sport
2013 420D coupe
2002 Z3 2.2 Sport
1996 Z3 1.9

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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by Zed Baron » Thu Jan 16, 2025 6:05 pm

I wonder how fast it will go now with all that mud and gravel removed :rofl:
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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by enuff_zed » Thu Jan 16, 2025 6:15 pm

:D
Zed Baron wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2025 6:05 pm I wonder how fast it will go now with all that mud and gravel removed :rofl:
Hopefully now it will be quick enough to prevent other ‘lesser’ zeds running into the back of it. :poke:
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What have you done to your E89 today

Post by B21 » Thu Jan 16, 2025 7:00 pm

Zed Baron wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2025 6:05 pm I wonder how fast it will go now with all that mud and gravel removed :rofl:
Shocked at how much gravel n pebbles collected in the rear wheel arches and rear bumper.. :tumbleweed:
“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”….
One of 258 Atacama Yellow 35is…165 modifications and updates…and counting.. :tumbleweed:

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