Z4MC - Project YesNoYes

[NLW73]

picked up black sapphire Z4MC from great guy in new milton.

i knew the car needed a fair bit of TLC as well as a good clean, clay bar and good polish too.
it has come up ok and got a list of stuff to work through...

Spec:
2007 (56) plate z4M coupe
First registered 29.09.2006
98k miles
5 owners
2 keys
Original handbooks and leather pouch
BMW and specialist history
Running in check done and in book (27.10.06)
Imola Red Leather
Piano black interior finish
Business CD and 6 CD changer
19 inch replica CSL wheels
Good tyres all round (Dunlop rear; Bridgestone front)
new discs and pads last year and only 1k miles on them.

has some very odd pioneer DAB push out screen flip thing which will be come out and replaced for OEM business CD jobbie

Standard spec:
Multi function steering wheel; roof lining anthracite; headlight washing system; xenon lights; auto air con; on board computer; radio BMW business CD; M leather sport wheel; M sport seats leathers; language version English

Options:
Floor mats; alarm system; electric memory for seats; 6 CD changer; Cruise control; Rain sensor; park distance control (PDC); BMW Piano black interior finish

Planned work:
CSL wheels to refurbed in silver
Seats re coloured and treated in Imola Red
Carbon Air Box for CSL sounds
Sports rear exhaust from Stromung
New King race bottom end shells and ARP rod bolts ( BMR performance Dartford)
New engine mounts (BMR)
Oil change (BMR)
Vanos check (BMR)

New M rear and side badges
New BMW badge up front
New BMW centre caps

New Gearknob in black leather
Steering wheel to be retrimmed by Royal steering wheel (black leather with Red stripe at 12 o’clock M stitching)

New OEM windscreen rubber
New Windscreen (done through insurance)

 

[NLW73]

first job was to get the CSL rims re furbed in silver by Farnham Alloy clinic.

great job from the guys plus new centre caps and m badges

 

[NLW73]

work started on the bottom end at BMR in Dartford. Martyn Scott is the owner and old friend who has looked after loads of my BMws over the years.

fair to say that after 98k miles the shells were on their last legs and not much left.

down to the copper on some of them so good catch really.

King race shells and rod bolts going in. new engine mounts too as they were on last legs. should drive better

 

[NLW73]

S54 Carbon air box went on today for trial fitment and it should be epic.

BMR are going to do their race gauze and foam over the end set up to ensure filtration too.

am going to use the standard MAF set up and put the MAF into the bottom of the box as not sure I want it DE MAFd?

nice air feed in too from the front bumper.

that is all for now.

Front bumper being re painted and back boxes next week so more to come.

 

[Zedebee]

Bearing shells don’t look any worse than Mr Tidy’s at less mileage from what I remember, and they are evenly worn, whereas they tend to wear worse at one end of the engine (#1 cylinder I think). Still, that’s peace of mind for another 60k at least.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Well it has to be a resounding "Yes" from me.

Piano black trim is pretty unusual, especially in an M - that must look really good!

And you are getting stuck right in with the mods - good luck with the rest of them.

On an M of this age with previous owners it makes sense to get the bearing shells replaced as you just don't know how the car has been driven.

Mine were replaced at 78k and 7 previous keepers - photo added for comparison purposes.

 

[TomK]

Looks good, enjoy it. Few points

19 inch OEM CSL wheels

Afraid they are not oem, they're reps. No BMW stamp on the face.

am going to use the standard MAF set up and put the MAF into the bottom of the box as not sure I want it DE MAFd?

I'm not sure that's a great idea. You should be running alpha-n with this. Have you found another example of someone putting the MAF in front of a CSL box?

 

[buzyg]

Nice work. Getting there nicely.

 

[TomK]

Oh I see, it;s not a true csl box, i.e. there is no panel filter in the middle of it like there should be?
So the filter goes at the opening and the maf goes in front of it I guess. In which case, yes definitely keep the MAF!
Here's mine, you can see the bolts in the middle of the box where it separates and the panel filter sits.

 

[john-e89]

Good itenery of works there fella, should make for a good car..

As Tom says the wheels are reps and you won't notice any difference from new bearings but you're good for another 80+k letting the car warm up correctly before flooring it. Top job.

 

[NLW73]

thanks all. good pointers there too

TBH am learning all the time hence posting here to get thoughts.

Iain will bring it round soon so you can have a gander

fair enough on the wheels. was not sure tbh and good to know if ever I sell it.

yes not a proper CSL carbon box as no panel filter where it splits. I did have 2 CSLs back when and before Kids - I remember the panel filter being in the middle as OEM. CSLs were Black and grey. great cars but not sure they are worth what they are now. the GT3 was much more of a sports car and special feel. CSL always still felt like a saloon car sitting up higher. the Z feels more like a 911 as in you are low down and amongst it all. its a giggle car that's for sure.

I will keep the MAF in there and run in front of the filtration as you say. I could go re map and de map but if someone wants to put it back to OEM down the line then it's all still there.

Bearings and rod bolts were prevention type stuff like Iain done as you never know the history and how it was driven. it should drive a little better on the new engine mounts but I will know it sorted on the bottom end

had forgotten what a straight six was like and the S54 is a great engine. been trucking around in my T6 van of late full of bikes and kids!!

 

[NLW73]

Oh I see, it;s not a true csl box, i.e. there is no panel filter in the middle of it like there should be?
So the filter goes at the opening and the maf goes in front of it I guess. In which case, yes definitely keep the MAF!
Here's mine, you can see the bolts in the middle of the box where it separates and the panel filter sits.
DSC_2181.JPG

very nice Tom and more like CSL OEM with that set up. lovely feed from the air at the front. is that the evolve box?

 

[TomK]

very nice Tom and more like CSL OEM with that set up. lovely feed from the air at the front. is that the evolve box?

Thanks, it fits pretty well. It is a Goeke one made for the Z4.
I've seen these boxes that keep the maf before but not heard one, I imagine there's not a whole lot of difference. As you say, going down the route of mapping it without a maf is a bit of a headache, so it's probably a pretty good solution you have. Enjoy!

 

[NLW73]

are you Tom Knight who used to race the Blue and orange E36 then E46? we know each other and I used to be on Northloop as Das Chin. small world mate!!

i will keep the MAF and like standard as I am not going to noise a huge power gain on the road. its more for the look and sound when you open the taps.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Iain will bring it round soon so you can have a gander

Thanks Nick it would be good to see it.

 

[TomK]

are you Tom Knight who used to race the Blue and orange E36 then E46? we know each other and I used to be on Northloop as Das Chin. small world mate!!

No different surname, the only bmw I have raced is an e30 sadly.

 

[NLW73]

Airbox on now, dip stick moved and MAF is attached too into the air flow.

Rear stromung back boxes on too. look good and should sound good too.

nasty pioneer pop out screen thing out and OEM business CD in so looks much better

onwards and upwards. big thanks to BMR in dartford as ever.

 

[Martyn]

Please don’t drive it with the MAF sensor plugged in there, the sensor must sit in the housing in which it was designed/mapped.

The MAF sensor is calibrated with a housing of known volume/diameter, if you change the diameter of the housing you’ll change the reported airflow.

 

[TomK]

Airbox on now

Please don’t drive it with the MAF sensor plugged in there, the sensor must sit in the housing in which it was designed/mapped.
The MAF sensor is calibrated with a housing of known volume/diameter, if you change the diameter of the housing you’ll change the reported airflow.

Would listen to this guy! #ecuworx

 

[axelleveau]

I did not comment before as I am not familiar with the MAF on this specific car and did not know hot it would be mounted but I had a look at the part online as well as the pictures and think I can bring some more insight:

I will join Martyn and Tom here and advise against using the MAF with that new mounting position. If the MAF was inclusive of a piece of tube and honey comb it could have been reaplied (though could have run into issues with turbulences or other weird phenomenons). The main issue I am having with the instal here is that the location has changed a lot. The MAF is measuring an air speed (as well as density) to figure out the flow of air. This speed is dependant on the area of the pipe it is mounted to which has changed as it is now on the airbox so the sensor will end up reading false values.

I would be very surprised if this has been doned by other people and worked.