RJS's E85 Project - New update April '14

[dan yeates]

Good job!

I'm doing a similar sort of thing. My Zed was pretty filthy inside and the boot shuts and under bonnet were really dirty. The roof was also green!

So I've been busy cleaning it all up and it's come up so well. Amazing what a good bit of elbow grease will do. Mine is going into the paintshop on Thursday for a front end refurb. Repaint the bonnet, bumper and blend into the wings to tidy it up. I'm a little nervous about it, as I'm so particular, so I really hope it's a good job.

 

[RJS-Z4]

Thanks mate, also thanks for reminding me, I also bought a whole other front bumper that's going to be painted on very cheaply for me in the next few weeks. It's black at the moment, but it's only the front bumper that lets the car down.

Getting that done will be a huge relief, plus I still have the old bumper should all go wrong.

 

[shawna]

Your car and my car I think are from the same production month if not week.

Done more or less what you have done to yours but I added the HID, staggered the rear alloys and fit a parrot.

I also refurbed the leather of the seats and the steering wheel and changed a torn door card.

Full service + geo and awaiting the ZHP knob.

Any hints about the wrapping and where it is best to buy (am afraid of fake 3M stuff).

Shawn

 

[dan yeates]

Thanks mate, also thanks for reminding me, I also bought a whole other front bumper that's going to be painted on very cheaply for me in the next few weeks. It's black at the moment, but it's only the front bumper that lets the car down.

Getting that done will be a huge relief, plus I still have the old bumper should all go wrong.

Yeah, I was going to buy that, but changed my mind when I saw it had no headlight washer holes. Decided to get the paintshop to just refurb the whole front end with my existing bumper and bonnet.

Look forward to more updates.

 

[RJS-Z4]

Your car and my car I think are from the same production month if not week.

Done more or less what you have done to yours but I added the HID, staggered the rear alloys and fit a parrot.

I also refurbed the leather of the seats and the steering wheel and changed a torn door card.

Full service + geo and awaiting the ZHP knob.

Any hints about the wrapping and where it is best to buy (am afraid of fake 3M stuff).

Shawn

Just make sure you get real 3M stuff, buy it from somewhere reputable.

It's a totally different ball game using the real stuff, it's very easy in comparison and is easy to rework it.

How do you mean staggered alloys? The standard ones are already wider on the rear?

I'm thinking about going for HID's just need to sort out my now condensation filled headlight What did you go for?

Thanks mate, also thanks for reminding me, I also bought a whole other front bumper that's going to be painted on very cheaply for me in the next few weeks. It's black at the moment, but it's only the front bumper that lets the car down.

Getting that done will be a huge relief, plus I still have the old bumper should all go wrong.

Yeah, I was going to buy that, but changed my mind when I saw it had no headlight washer holes. Decided to get the paintshop to just refurb the whole front end with my existing bumper and bonnet.

Look forward to more updates.

There are holes marked in the underside for the washers though, with a dremel we can cut them out dead easy and then get it all painted up.

I'll get some shots up once I've had the new bumper fitted and got my winter wheels on.

 

[T2FFN]

fit a parrot.

Ay matey, every pirate needs a parrot.

Sent from my HTC One X

 

[shawna]

fit a parrot.

Ay matey, every pirate needs a parrot.

Sent from my HTC One X

Ahoy matey.

i am getting my fair share of pirates with my kids watching Jake and the Pirates

 

[RJS-Z4]

Got bored tonight, so dug out my old steering wheel trims and grabbed some spare 3M wrap I had lying around, the results:

Not sure if I'll fit them yet, it may be too much carbon... I may even lacquer them to see how they end up, as they are spare after all

 

[RJS-Z4]

Right, I guess first off I'd better apologise for the lack of updates, but here's a big old post (if you can be bothered to read it) of what the car's been going through.

First off winter arrived, so winter mode was engaged, the same wheels I used for the track day:

Then, a friend and I detailed the car, writeup here:

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=48865

Then I fitted new seats, sports, Armon (sp?) leather with matching doorcards.. Actually love it them, so so much. All heated, electric, working just fine.

Best thing ever.

Pics:

]

I then developed a knock from the back of the car and decided to forefit paying BMW "specialist" prices this week and rectify it myself (ish).

Fitted some powerflex rear trailing arm bushes last night (RTAB's) with Ant. Without "the unit" (an industrial unit kitted out down in Tilbury a great friend has) I could see BMW ownership being quite expensive on occasion, but thankfully its worked out cheap as chips.

Thankfully, Steve in the unit next door had an oxy acetylene torch and some metal plates, so we disconnect 90% of the rear arms and dropped the front of them down. We put some metal plates in places supported with some pieces of timber that would guard the fuel tank and bodywork etc and then set fire in a big way to the old bushes.

Then a quick hacksaw through the thick sleeves, a dash of sand paper and Ant's man strength fitted the new bushes, no press required. The mounting plate for the RTAB's even had clear silver bolt locations on (clean vs dirty) so we could bolt them back exactly where they were.

Quick breakdown in difference of costs..

Specialist:

Bushes: £50+VAT
Labour: 1 hour per side at £60+VAT
Alignment: £130+VAT

Total: £360

Unit Style:

Bushes: £46 Delivered
Alignment: £59 + possible £20 to equal rear camber up
McDonalds to keep us alive: £6

Total: £131 (That's maximum if the camber needs doing)

So, today I went and had the tracking done, and what can I say, the car is literally transformed.

I'm off to the lakes on Friday morning for a week, so expect a little write up when I get back with all sorts of pictures from my trip.

One last picture from the other night:

 

[ZermattV]

Love the seats with silver

 

[Adamski]

Sports seats - huge improvement over SE spec.

No more hanging on to the wheel to stop you falling out of your seat around the corners :lol:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RJS-Z4]

You're not wrong mate, make such a difference!!!

 

[sam1832]

Nice update. Youve done some good work there

Sport seats should of came standard in all the 3.0's

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[srhutch]

Love the seats with silver

X2

 

[mac27040]

great job

but isnt the carbon pattern different on door grab handles, ie same material just direction is wrong

 

[RJS-Z4]

Wow, so a fair bit has changed since I last updated this...

Biggest change I guess was me fitting the 224's:


The Zed by evil_giraffes_rule, on Flickr

I also managed to source a Wind deflector for a decent price, I hate drilling into any car especially in a place where if you f**k it up, it's a very expensive replacement. Fitted that but the pics have disappeared...

Then I moved on to doing a s**t load of mechanical work that really needed to be done, namely:

New clutch
Gearbox oil

Carried out here (at a friends with a handy outside ramp):

Then, at "the unit" (where we carry out an awful lot of repairs and details) last night:

Service
New belts
Oil filter housing gasket (to stop a small leak)

I've also managed to kerb two wheels in a small altercation with a very skinny road and some plonker coming off a driveway, so they'll all need a refurb now (but they will look mint)

The car currently looks like this:









After the above work, it drives better than it ever has in my ownership, smooth as you like, feels fast as hell, and with the //M wheels and decent rubber, it handles brilliantly.

There's more coming in the next few weeks... I'm going to figure out how to get my LCM coded to work my OEM xenon upgrade, and Mr Monkey and I are getting the HUGE brakes sorted out... Hope the read wasn't too long and boring, and the pictures kept it fresh.

 

[markeg]

Wow ... Looks very nice and shiny, and with the work underneath - great job Are you planning to embrace the ginger or convert to clears?

 

[Jembo]

:

Car looks like it's coming along fantastically, though looks like you CF wrapped your grab handles in the same way as me (thatch going in different directions) - according to Bing & srhutch, it's a Forum no-no & alegedly will bug you after a while - However, am still waiting for it to happen...

Anyway, does this now mean the car's now mechanically sorted so you'll finally be able to make it along to a hoon?

 

[RJS-Z4]

Wow ... Looks very nice and shiny, and with the work underneath - great job Are you planning to embrace the ginger or convert to clears?

Thanks Mark! I don't think I am actually, based upon this image really:

Now to me, that front end looks bland, I prefer the bumper, yes, but I think on silver, it loses something without the orange.

Mine to compare:



Do you not think on a silver car, the orange is needed to break up the front end?

 

[RJS-Z4]

Car looks like it's coming along fantastically, though looks like you CF wrapped your grab handles in the same way as me (thatch going in different directions) - according to Bing & srhutch, it's a Forum no-no & alegedly will bug you after a while - However, am still waiting for it to happen...

Anyway, does this now mean the car's now mechanically sorted so you'll finally be able to make it along to a hoon?

I've been told this is incorrect elsewhere too, but it doesn't bother me yet. As far as I can tell, I only have one to re-do, right?

I have enough spare to do it, so maybe I will

As for the hoon, yes, 100% mate, I have one last issue to find (the front end has felt a little loose for the last two days and I'm not sure what it could be), then I'll be fully sorted but even as it is, I think it's all good TBH. Sign me up!