phenryiv1's 530xiT Thread
#11
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My Ride: 530i
Model Year: 2004
Engine: M54
Thank you for the compliment!
It is actually a poor man's M-Tech. I removed all the moldings for the repaint and ordered euro trim, plus properly executed the plastic bumper conversion. When the car was painted, all of the moldings were painted off of the car. The rear valance is some no-name fiberglass replica that came on the car. When it was all back on, the car looks similar to an M-Tech car until you look closely.
Nothing about it really adds value but that car is a driver. I have somewhere between 12-15000 miles on it in just over 2 years. If the weather is nice, that car is on the road so I went for a look that was appealing to me and was not hung up on adding or maintaining value so going with an OE appearance package was not justified for me.
It is actually a poor man's M-Tech. I removed all the moldings for the repaint and ordered euro trim, plus properly executed the plastic bumper conversion. When the car was painted, all of the moldings were painted off of the car. The rear valance is some no-name fiberglass replica that came on the car. When it was all back on, the car looks similar to an M-Tech car until you look closely.
Nothing about it really adds value but that car is a driver. I have somewhere between 12-15000 miles on it in just over 2 years. If the weather is nice, that car is on the road so I went for a look that was appealing to me and was not hung up on adding or maintaining value so going with an OE appearance package was not justified for me.
No threadjack intended, back to your regularly scheduled 5er programming
#12
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My Ride: 2006 530xiT, 2001 325ciC, 1989 325iC
Model Year: 2006
awesome, there are a couple of us here that also have E30s. Below is mine, OEM M Technic kit (took some work to fit it to my '87), Alpina wheels, 2.9L stroker, etc. It's hard to fathom the car turned 30 years old this past December. No threadjack intended, back to your regularly scheduled 5er programming
I have an SETA 2.7L bottom end with an "i" 885 head (rebuilt prior to assembly) and M50 injectors, but that is it. There is some chip in it but I don't know what- looking to get a properly-configured tune some time. The differences between the 2.5L and the 2.7L SETA bottom end are pretty noticeable- I can't imagine what a 2.9 is like.
I was going to install a different head (272 Schrick cam, port/polish) on my stock 2.5L bottom end but ended up doing the SETA 2.7i when a buddy's rally car got crunched about 1000 miles after building/installing the 2.7i SETA motor in it. We had it towed to my place and we pulled the motor and put it in my convertible and it has been a blast to drive. The only other significant mechanical things are a lightened single mass flywheel and a 3-clutch LSD (also scavenged from his destroyed rally car).
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My Ride: 2006 530xiT, 2001 325ciC, 1989 325iC
Model Year: 2006
I guess I shouldn't mention that the side bolsters snug up to you (to the pre-set) when you sit in the car and crank it up. Always takes passengers by surprise...I tell them it's so that they don't fall out around a curve
It was the color and seats alone that made finding the exact wagon I wanted take almost a year and a half.
-r
It was the color and seats alone that made finding the exact wagon I wanted take almost a year and a half.
-r
Those headrests are awesome, though. I wish that mine had that extra neck pad. Is that sewn in/on or is it attached to the headrest posts? If attached, is is a part of the back or the headrest?
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My Ride: 530i
Model Year: 2004
Engine: M54
my car started life as a stock '87 325iS
stock M20 block bored to 86mm. 10.5:1 Wiseco forged pistons, stock 'i' rods, forged 524td crank. Top end is 885 head, Schrick 284/272 asymmetrical camshaft with Schrick valve springs and titanium valve retainers, M30 injectors. stock valves. also have a Metric Mechanic lightened flywheel, stock gearbox, rear diff was rebuilt and has a 3.91 ring and pinion set taken from an M6.
intake is the stock manifold with M30 AFM conversion (swapped over the board from the M20 AFM), custom made intake elbow. Manifold is BavAuto header, Y-pipe goes into a single 2.5 pipe with Magnaflow catalyst and Magnaflow 2.5 in/out muffler. I also have a small shot of NOS hooked up that I never, ever use
I didn't port the head when I built the motor. I drove my friends E30 with a hogged out Korman head and 288/288 cam, and the car was totally gutless until around 4000 RPM. I do want to take the head off to put an MLS head gasket on, when I do that I'll probably take a dremel and smooth out the intake ports just a touch.
Your E30 looks super nice, thanks for sharing
stock M20 block bored to 86mm. 10.5:1 Wiseco forged pistons, stock 'i' rods, forged 524td crank. Top end is 885 head, Schrick 284/272 asymmetrical camshaft with Schrick valve springs and titanium valve retainers, M30 injectors. stock valves. also have a Metric Mechanic lightened flywheel, stock gearbox, rear diff was rebuilt and has a 3.91 ring and pinion set taken from an M6.
intake is the stock manifold with M30 AFM conversion (swapped over the board from the M20 AFM), custom made intake elbow. Manifold is BavAuto header, Y-pipe goes into a single 2.5 pipe with Magnaflow catalyst and Magnaflow 2.5 in/out muffler. I also have a small shot of NOS hooked up that I never, ever use
I didn't port the head when I built the motor. I drove my friends E30 with a hogged out Korman head and 288/288 cam, and the car was totally gutless until around 4000 RPM. I do want to take the head off to put an MLS head gasket on, when I do that I'll probably take a dremel and smooth out the intake ports just a touch.
Your E30 looks super nice, thanks for sharing
Last edited by KyleB; 02-03-2017 at 10:01 AM.
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My Ride: 530i
Model Year: 2004
Engine: M54
they're integrated into the headrests. I believe those are actually the 'comfort' seats in OPs photo, I have them in my E60 as well. I'm pretty sure only the comfort seats have that extra padding built into the headrest.
Last edited by KyleB; 02-03-2017 at 04:00 PM.
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My Ride: 2006 530xiT, 2001 325ciC, 1989 325iC
Model Year: 2006
Not much exciting stuff for now but I did get the windows tinted.
Looks a little less like an old man's car now:
40% all around. Wanted the top strip but the tinter was uncomfortable doing the top strip until I looked into whether it might mess up some of the built in functions.
Looks a little less like an old man's car now:
40% all around. Wanted the top strip but the tinter was uncomfortable doing the top strip until I looked into whether it might mess up some of the built in functions.
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My Ride: e30
Model Year: 2008
awesome, there are a couple of us here that also have E30s. Below is mine, OEM M Technic kit (took some work to fit it to my '87), Alpina wheels, 2.9L stroker, etc. It's hard to fathom the car turned 30 years old this past December.
No threadjack intended, back to your regularly scheduled 5er programming
No threadjack intended, back to your regularly scheduled 5er programming
#18
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My Ride: 2006 530xiT, 2001 325ciC, 1989 325iC
Model Year: 2006
Originally Posted by phenryiv1
Those headrests are awesome, though. I wish that mine had that extra neck pad. Is that sewn in/on or is it attached to the headrest posts? If attached, is is a part of the back or the headrest?
they're integrated into the headrests. I believe those are actually the 'comfort' seats in OPs photo, I have them in my E60 as well. I'm pretty sure only the comfort seats have that extra padding built into the headrest.
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My Ride: 2006 530xiT, 2001 325ciC, 1989 325iC
Model Year: 2006
Not that I would not like one but I think I'd rather (for practicality's sake) have an S5x-swapped late model coupe or even a DASC-equipped 318is. At least those I'd feel like I could drive without bleeding value with every mile.
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My Ride: e30
Model Year: 2008
As much as I'd love to have an M3, I don't know that I want it to be a "kept" car. To own a car like that, I'd have to drive it. And I don't know if I'd want to risk damaging it.
Not that I would not like one but I think I'd rather (for practicality's sake) have an S5x-swapped late model coupe or even a DASC-equipped 318is. At least those I'd feel like I could drive without bleeding value with every mile.
Not that I would not like one but I think I'd rather (for practicality's sake) have an S5x-swapped late model coupe or even a DASC-equipped 318is. At least those I'd feel like I could drive without bleeding value with every mile.
Glad I got to rack up the miles on her before values shot up though so I got my satisfaction out of it guilt free.