Atacama Yellow 35is build thread

[R.E92]

The 437M are 10J rear so that will also play a part, my tyres are 275/30r19.

Previously I had some VMR V710 wheels, they were 9.5J ET33 with the same size tyres and they rubbed the wheel liner under compression. They were a good lesson in the importance of quality wheels in the correct offsets, aside from the rubbing they buckled in multiple places and also were really heavy and completely ruined the way the car drove.

I don't think you'd want the weight of a cast 10j rear wheel if you care for the dynamics of a vehicle.

 

[B21]

The 437M are 10J rear so that will also play a part, my tyres are 275/30r19.

Previously I had some VMR V710 wheels, they were 9.5J ET33 with the same size tyres and they rubbed the wheel liner under compression. They were a good lesson in the importance of quality wheels in the correct offsets, aside from the rubbing they buckled in multiple places and also were really heavy and completely ruined the way the car drove.

I don't think you'd want the weight of a cast 10j rear wheel if you care for the dynamics of a vehicle.

Good to know thnx

 

[Nanu]

Looking forward to monitoring the upgrades

 

[B21]

Looking forward to monitoring the upgrades

Starting Monday 18th October there is a fairly intensive 3 car swap over of bits and changes..I’ll write up the plan next week and take a few pictures of the goodies

 

[B21]

The Prologue

Part II (Long)

I explained the history of how I ended up buying a AY 35is and my initial disappointment with my choice.

To explain / justify this we need to look at it from the perspective of someone who has tweaked and tuned without regard to cost over a 4 year period a 20i MSport Auto, and of course a question of bias.

So it’s my view and I appreciate others may disagree but it’s based on over 2,000 miles of use of the 35is and looking at the differences, not to mention 30,000 miles in the 20i.

It’s rare to be able to jump from one car to another side and compare them!

Comfort

The ride on the 18" runflats on anything but smooth surfaces are poor, especially small ripples in tarmac.

The adaptive dampers were too softly sprung but too harsh compression damping, then not enough rebound damping, toggling the sports mode did little to improve matters, just worsening the compression damping that was already too stiff.

The multiway electrical adjustable seats were great..over a long run being able to easily move them around kept the driver comfortable.

Handling

Definitely the most negative aspect, the combination of the run flats and adaptive suspension was very disappointing, far worse than the 20i, I would estimate that the 20i could run 10-15mph faster on any road with bends than the 35is.

Tramlining was bad although with an average of 3-4mm on the tyres that didn't help.

I didn't find roll too bad actually despite only having the same ARBs as the stock other E89s.

Pitch and weight transfer were much more noticeable, causing braking and turning to be an unpleasant affair.

The extra weight on the nose made sudden changes in direction much slower than the 20i.

In contrast sat on a motorway or high speed dual carriageway the package gels and as an autobahn burner its great..just not what I signed up for.

Engine

Compared to the highly tweaked 20i overtaking at say 50-60 was disappointing, again, despite the DCT box running lower gearing so spinning the engine faster at any point. Seems like the low back pressure and much fettled bigger twin turbo on the 20i scored well.
I would say that the 35is needs another 200-300 yards to safely execute the same manoeuvre as the 20i.

In contrast, once the peddle had been pressed for a period of time then the surge of power was relentless and highly impressive, if it was not for the worry of what to do about the upcoming corner.
Gearbox
The DCT box in its day must have seemed splendid, however next the ZF 8HP it’s just not quite as good. It doesn’t pick a gear for the occasion quite as well as the 8HP. Stop start and slow speed crawling again highlight the limitations. Although the gear changes are fast, to me, they are no better, and not as smooth as the 8HP.

Sound
There is no doubt that the noise of the 35is with its gutted back box (or whatever they do to change the Db level) males on full chat is splendid. However it becomes an irritating drone on a steady throttle in the 60-70 area.

Sound system
The car came with the 677 Top-Fi 14 speaker DSP system. Again, maybe compared to the 676 Hi-FI 11 speaker system I had in the 20i as standard then it might have sounded better. However compared to the Audiotec Fischer Match 7 DSP/amp plus Eton/Audison/Rockford Fosgate speakers it came across as dull, blurry but loud..a bit like the rest of the car.

Seats
The multiway electric seats are great; being able to easily tweak them, just a bit, on a long journey enhances the comfort of the trip. Pity the lumbar part was still missing off what was a fairly fully loaded car.

Cosmetics
The car was in great condition, clearly spent a lot of time in a nice dry garage and little high speed use judging by the lack of stone chips. The old 3 screw rear lights were still in good condition.

The old pre LCI side repeaters really showed their age, cheapening the car somewhat.

The bumper, rear valance and diffuser colour sequence, like all 35i versions, optically makes the bottom look like its prolapsed. .IMHO yellow, yellow black doesn’t look as good as yellow, black, yellow.

The silver grills on the front and the silver line across the lower area along with the silve headrest covers arr personal choice but in my case are going.

The heated steering wheel was a novelty, but having tried it I much prefer a Royal steering wheel and turn up the cabin heat. It again IMHO showed the cabin's age.

Interestingly, I assume because its not been in the sun as much, the Atacama yellow is slightly lighter than the newer 20i which has spent almost all its life outdoors.

So, this is the end of the whining and carping. If you are still reading this you can probably deduce I was underwhelmed and pondered for over 3 weeks whether to return the car.

However, as others pointed out I was comparing a 10 year old car in original condition at 50,000 miles against a highly refined and adapted car reflecting my personal tastes.

So I crossed the Rubicon and now we move on!

 

[Nanu]

Interesting comparison. I had a 28i previously and now driving the 35is it's like chalk and cheese although neither were adapted in any way.

I find the 35is handling in everyway superior although neither had non run flats. I was tempted to change but my Indy mechanic says the adaptive suspension just doesn't work as well with non run flats. One day perhaps I may get the opportunity to drive a 35is without the run flats and judge for myself. As for outright performance and grunt, the standard 35is is more than acceptable for me and will see off many a competitor.

 

[tiglon]

:? You really didn't like the 35is, did you?

TBH, if you want a roadster that handles brilliantly you'd be better off in a £2k MR2...

With regards to the gearbox, I think there was room for a third setting in between D and S. D is fine for trundling around, although the kickdown is too unnecessary - when overtaking I now always pre empt it by changing down myself. S is fine when you're absolutely going for it, but neither D or S works very well for spirited driving when you don't want to go nuts and hit 7k rpm before changing up, which is where I probably spend most of my time. For that reason I end up in manual a lot of the time.

It's taken me about 4k miles to work out how to get the DCT to behave exactly how I want it to.

I imagine once you make your planned changes the engine, transmission and handling will all feel far better to you.

Nanu, I would definitely recommend non RFT's, although I haven't driven a 35is with RFT's. With the michelin PS4s Andy put on, the grip is exceptional compared to my old 30i with RFT's (albeit with smaller wheels and SE suspension).

 

[Chippie]

:? You really didn't like the 35is, did you?

TBH, if you want a roadster that handles brilliantly you'd be better off in a £2k MR2...

With regards to the gearbox, I think there was room for a third setting in between D and S. D is fine for trundling around, although the kickdown is too unnecessary - when overtaking I now always pre empt it by changing down myself. S is fine when you're absolutely going for it, but neither D or S works very well for spirited driving when you don't want to go nuts and hit 7k rpm before changing up, which is where I probably spend most of my time. For that reason I end up in manual a lot of the time.

It's taken me about 4k miles to work out how to get the DCT to behave exactly how I want it to.

I imagine once you make your planned changes the engine, transmission and handling will all feel far better to you.

Nanu, I would definitely recommend non RFT's, although I haven't driven a 35is with RFT's. With the michelin PS4s Andy put on, the grip is exceptional compared to my old 30i with RFT's (albeit with smaller wheels and SE suspension).

Totally agree with your comments on the DCT, only driven mine with non run flats so can’t really comment on the run flats, one thing I can say is that when I fitted the Michelin PS4S’s the handling was a great improvement from the previous mismatched rubber it had on when I bought it

 

[R.E92]

I think the DCT just takes time to get accustomed to. It's really a superior unit to the 8HP in every way, it'll shift faster and hold much more torque.

With xHP software it can hold 1000Nm of torque so you don't have to worry about the trans holding you back.

I have mine configured to hold gears a lot longer in D mode. The stock config shifts too early, probably for emissions reasons.

 

[B21]

I think the DCT just takes time to get accustomed to. It's really a superior unit to the 8HP in every way, it'll shift faster and hold much more torque.

With xHP software it can hold 1000Nm of torque so you don't have to worry about the trans holding you back.

I have mine configured to hold gears a lot longer in D mode. The stock config shifts too early, probably for emissions reasons.

Hello R.E92, I think we'll have to disagree on 'how nice' the DCT vs 8HP is.

Whether I've adapted to it or its adapted to me, it does seem to better 'think' about what I'm doing.

Against the 8HP45 of course the DCT box out flanks it, which is good for all tuners and tweakers!-

However when its cold, or you change your mind suddenly in tight spots or slowing up rapidly it shows its age /limitations.

I'll treat it to some fresh oil and filter.

Given the history of DCT sumps leaking do you think a pre-emptive change of actual sump is merited?

 

[B21]

Interesting comparison. I had a 28i previously and now driving the 35is it's like chalk and cheese although neither were adapted in any way.

I find the 35is handling in everyway superior although neither had non run flats. I was tempted to change but my Indy mechanic says the adaptive suspension just doesn't work as well with non run flats. One day perhaps I may get the opportunity to drive a 35is without the run flats and judge for myself. As for outright performance and grunt, the standard 35is is more than acceptable for me and will see off many a competitor.

It would be no suprise to surmise that the adaptive suspension is optimised for run flats as that was the only option specified by BMW.

However having done 30k in the 20i and now 4k in the 35is we will have to beg to differ on the merits of each versions handling.

 

[B21]

So getting ready for the start of the big parts swap / upgrade program next week.

Just unboxed the Ohlins suspension system, its a work of art and engineering..beautiful.

I've used Ohliins several times on various bikes to great effect so feel very comfortable with this decision.

I chose it over the popular KW series primarily as it leaves the ride height unaltered (well 5mm down at the nose)

For Scottish hooning ground clearance is already too tight on single track and bumpy roads, Ohlins AFAIK, is the only coilover that doesn't dramatically reduce the ride height.

Not cheap but is probably the best road biased suspension in the world.

If its good enough for Porsche and Lambo to be used as upgrades it should be OK.

The dual valve action should get around the normal trade off between high speed, large diversions control and pottering around ride comfort.

Has a simplified one knob for rebound and compression..most reports indicate that one set there's little need to vary it.

 

[Flyingfifer]

So getting ready for the start of the big parts swap / upgrade program next week.

:dance2:

 

[enuff_zed]

If that kit works to the standard of your photo presentation you'll be fine.

 

[B21]

If that kit works to the standard of your photo presentation you'll be fine.

Just getting ready for the porno shoot!

 

[B21]

So, following down another tried and trusted route..

Fitting E90 M3 steering linkages and bushes as per previous N20 Yellow Peril.

Not sure if its a waste of resources, but the hot tip from the US, is to put a very high grade bearing in the top part of the steering linkage.

In my case its an M3 arm, brand new of which one bearing will be removed and replaced before we even move!

The view is that this bearing is under the greatest strain under braking and or hard steering or even worse with both.

So anyway going with both M3 arms and the mega bearing upgrade.

For the observer, as the front headlamp angle sensor cannot be connected directly to the control arm, I've got a whole new one and I'm going to use aerospace glue to bond the clip to the new M3 control arm.

As a by the by..one of the TRW arms was destined to be a BMW boxed part..hence the grinding off, of the BMW logo in the centre of the arm.

 

[Zed Baron]

If that kit works to the standard of your photo presentation you'll be fine.

Just getting ready for the porno shoot!

Shocking!

 

[R.E92]

I think the DCT just takes time to get accustomed to. It's really a superior unit to the 8HP in every way, it'll shift faster and hold much more torque.

With xHP software it can hold 1000Nm of torque so you don't have to worry about the trans holding you back.

I have mine configured to hold gears a lot longer in D mode. The stock config shifts too early, probably for emissions reasons.

Hello R.E92, I think we'll have to disagree on 'how nice' the DCT vs 8HP is.

Whether I've adapted to it or its adapted to me, it does seem to better 'think' about what I'm doing.

Against the 8HP45 of course the DCT box out flanks it, which is good for all tuners and tweakers!-

However when its cold, or you change your mind suddenly in tight spots or slowing up rapidly it shows its age /limitations.

I'll treat it to some fresh oil and filter.

Given the history of DCT sumps leaking do you think a pre-emptive change of actual sump is merited?

I wouldn't replace the sump unless it's leaking and even then only if I suspect it was warped. If you are going to open it up to replace the suction filter then I'd just make sure to use a fresh gasket and you'll be fine.

The most important filter to change is the suction filter on the side. That one seems to take the most strain.

 

[B21]

I think the DCT just takes time to get accustomed to. It's really a superior unit to the 8HP in every way, it'll shift faster and hold much more torque.

With xHP software it can hold 1000Nm of torque so you don't have to worry about the trans holding you back.

I have mine configured to hold gears a lot longer in D mode. The stock config shifts too early, probably for emissions reasons.

Hello R.E92, I think we'll have to disagree on 'how nice' the DCT vs 8HP is.

Whether I've adapted to it or its adapted to me, it does seem to better 'think' about what I'm doing.

Against the 8HP45 of course the DCT box out flanks it, which is good for all tuners and tweakers!-

However when its cold, or you change your mind suddenly in tight spots or slowing up rapidly it shows its age /limitations.

I'll treat it to some fresh oil and filter.

Given the history of DCT sumps leaking do you think a pre-emptive change of actual sump is merited?

I wouldn't replace the sump unless it's leaking and even then only if I suspect it was warped. If you are going to open it up to replace the suction filter then I'd just make sure to use a fresh gasket and you'll be fine.

The most important filter to change is the suction filter on the side. That one seems to take the most strain.

Hi R.E92..when you say 'suction filter on the side'..so there is one in the sump and one elsewhere for the DCt?

 

[R.E92]

Hi R.E92..when you say 'suction filter on the side'..so there is one in the sump and one elsewhere for the DCt?

Yes, 2 filters.

Here's a list of parts that might be useful for the DCT service:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/BMW-parts/Z4/Transmission/?year=2009&m=2232&e=180&t=11&b=10&d=788&v=