Why do you modify.....

[PawnSacrifice]

... before I get home I find something on the Forum and just have to buy it. Then spend my leave tinkering with the Zed, an absolute joy!

:lol: A friend, an active member on 911UK, wouldn't let himself join another forum when he bought another car... he didn't again want to feel as if his life wouldn't be complete without a carbon fibre xxxxx.

I think I am predisposed to tinkering and I think in addition ideas the forum has also delivered the realisation that these things could be done without being naff - although I understand a louder exhaust may not be to everyone's tastes... and all the better for it IMO!

But yes, mine mods have been done to enhance the look, handling (to follow) or the experience (the racket )

 

[epbrown]

When the M version was announced, I immediately felt BMW had gota few things wrong; my mods were to correct those oversights. A 3.91 final drive to put the perfomance where it should be (ahead of the Cayman S). The CSL wheels and aero side skirts to give the car a more "high performance" look compared to the non-Ms. I've been ver pleased with the result.

 

[sixspeed]

epbrown, I'm sure it's been covered in the past, but probably skipped over it since I had no interest at the time... but how does the 3.91 final drive affect gearing over standard, and how big a job is it to change etc? (sorry for the hijack - feel free to PM!)

 

[Lucy]

Personal preference really. I personally think that my car looks better with tinted windows, carbon fiber badges, black kidney grilles and red brake calipers. Just adds something a bit more. Though I appreciate that not all of these things will be to everyone's taste. But it suits me down to the ground.

 

[craig3.2]

The same for me as most have said
1.To Individualise my car,subtley/oem+
2To keep me interseted in it/freshen it up and...
3. because i want to/like to/can

This forum is very addictive for making u want to add/alter things

Stubby/for looks
Connects I-POD kit/for proper use and charging of ipod thru stereo
EBC DRILLED AND DIMPLED DISCS with Redstuff Ceramic pads all round/LOOKS and BETTER BRAKING
M-sport aluminium pedals/looks and feel underfoot
BMW Valve caps/ enhance looks
NON RFT'S/COMFORT AND HANDLING(IMPROVED)
BMW O-E STRUTBRACE/improved handling,ride and looks good
K&N AIR FILTER/Better air intake
2nd 1st aid kit/more storage
(all done/being done asap,with parts bought))
Big thanks to this forum for half that lot :driving:


WISHLIST
ESS SUPERCHARGER KIT/450BHP,PERFORMANCE WANTED/NOT YET DONE(BE SAVING FOR A WHILE FOR THAT LAST1) :rofl:

 

[aquazi]

Because i have no wife or children to spend my money :lol:

Sometimes i feel like i should pull parts off just to prove to myself that i can put them back - a bit like lego!

 

[epbrown]

epbrown, I'm sure it's been covered in the past, but probably skipped over it since I had no interest at the time... but how does the 3.91 final drive affect gearing over standard, and how big a job is it to change etc? (sorry for the hijack - feel free to PM!)

Andy, here's a couple of posts I wrote at the time:

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showpost.php?p=3199633&postcount=1
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=13807666&postcount=12

The 3.91 gears are, imo, the most perfect mod for the Z4M. As much as I love my CSLs, if I had to go with one mod it'd be the gears. However, years on I'd recommend buying the gears and having a trusted shop install them in your original diff, rather than going the route I did, buying the complete diff from Dinan. Dinan outsources the rebuild and it seems that everyone ends up having to their first one replaced, as I did. Paying Dinan nearly twice the price of a rebuild was supposed to prevent such complications.

 

[sixspeed]

Thanks for that. I did some research on Google after I posted and found a few threads (mostly from M3 owners)...

I'm not sure I fully understand the benefits. I get that you're effectively shortening the gears, but, say you're going for the 4.10 and making 1st ineffective, then aren't you simply just moving 2nd gear to 1st in some ways, and then losing the taller 6th for cruising? I understand that the car will pull harder in each gear, but then if I drove around in 5th instead of 6th that would have the same effect anyway... ?

 

[epbrown]

Thanks for that. I did some research on Google after I posted and found a few threads (mostly from M3 owners)...

I'm not sure I fully understand the benefits. I get that you're effectively shortening the gears, but, say you're going for the 4.10 and making 1st ineffective, then aren't you simply just moving 2nd gear to 1st in some ways, and then losing the taller 6th for cruising? I understand that the car will pull harder in each gear, but then if I drove around in 5th instead of 6th that would have the same effect anyway... ?

Similar to what many say about the sport button - why have it at all? Why not just press the throttle all the way down?

Yes, beyond a certain point you're better off simply starting in a different gear, but the 3.91 is a more moderate change. It makes the existing transmission gearing more eager, rather than superfluous. The E9x M3s use a 3.85 final drive ratio with the same transmission gearing as ours, several Porsches use 3.88 (though first is a bit longer); this drive ratio range is something of a "sweet spot" for our rpm curve and torque level, I feel. The 3.62 isn't bad, but the 3.91 feels right. The 4.10 doesn't match as well, but in discussions about the two I'm always beaten down with the arguments that 1) the 4.10 gears are the same price so why leave some performance on the table? and 2) faster is always better, regardless of how it's achieved.

The 4.10 doesn't mate as well with the transmission ratios, imo - it's not as smooth, you're shifting more often in street driving. It's more suited to a dedicated track car, where 3rd and 4th are your chief weapons and you never want to have to dip to 2nd to stay in the torque band. Every major tuner offered/recommended the 3.91 as a performance upgrade for the Z4M and E46 M3.

If you get the chance, try it. A Z4MC with the 3.91 final drive in 2nd gear with the sport button on is quite a happy place to be

 

[sixspeed]

I think that would be the ideal option, that is to try it, but I'm not sure of anyone who has carried out the mod in the UK. I think there *may* be some E46 M3s out there, so I could try that route but it would be nice to feel the difference in the same car.

I wasn't trying to rubbish the idea, more-so provoke a discussion as I have had trouble understanding the benefits just going through the theory in my head. I can see what you're saying though, and its interesting the new M3 has a higher final drive, although doesn't the M3 have an extra 500rpm on the limiter (8400rpm, instead of our 7900rpm), so may have something to do with it...?

I must say though that I still see no point in the sport button on the Z4M... lol. So I hope you weren't using that as an analogy I just think it makes the throttle far too sensitive, it and it doesn't actually add anything in terms of performance/power etc. If you're driving hard and trying to carefully balance the throttle, it makes it a pig to transition from trailing/off throttle to an on-throttle position without unsettling the car unneccessarily. I could count the number of times the Sport button has been engaged, in my car, on one hand...

Anyway, this is rapidly going off topic, so I'll maybe start another thread about this and try and see if I can find a Z4M or E46 M3 with the mod here in the UK to grab a drive/pass ride in...