ttribe

Yep. If I had to replace it today, I'd probably be looking for another convertible. I'm not ready to move on from that yet.

oonowindoo

Top down in a summer night in the low 70s when there is no car around........ ohhh i miss it...

no amount of hp could give you that kind of satisfaction...

Sarlacc

oonowindoo

It is not for everyone... i have known quite a few who own convertibles, and they told me they used it once when they bought the car and that was it

i used to drive top down from LA to Vegas... needless to say i was burned and my gf's hair was tangled for days.

and of course the type of convertible matters too. If you give me a sebring, i probably would never enjoy it

ttribe

So, decided to do a little preventative upgrade. The charge pipe on the N54 is plastic and notoriously brittle...I've blown up two of them in the last 6+ years. I decided my latest one was probably living on borrowed time. Turner Motorsports and Cobb to the rescue. This one is made from aluminum:

Yumcha

Nice. This, I assume, will last for awhile.

oonowindoo

does it have any performance benefits other than durability?

ttribe

I don't think so. I'm just looking to strengthen the weakest link in the system with this change.

Here's more info: https://www.turnermotorsport.com/f/p...r-charge-pipe/

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I love preventive maintenance!
good work!

How long do you plan to keep?

1StGenCL

Nice and there is something about open top driving but with the womens, not so much. We drove down to the keys this week, a perfect time for the Wrangler with no top and perhaps no doors but tangled hair so....we took my company car

Nice to see the Bimmer is back up and running!

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

that used to annoy me more than anything with my ex wife...we could never take teh S2000 because it was always a problem with her and her hair.
so lesson here is replace the girl, not the car.

1StGenCL

RPhilMan1

Thumbs up to Cobb! Looks good.

ttribe

Given my current circumstances, at least another year, I think.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

shit yeah, good man...
meaning you are happy to keep it more than a year but might not be able to?
Or you will plan to move onto something else in a year?

ttribe

Still love the car, but many, many miles... Current personal circumstances do not bode well for replacing the car any time soon, however. Just how life goes. I'm making the most of my situation, at the moment.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I'm sorry to hear that, Tim.
I hope everything works out, man.

Yumcha

ttribe

Well, this made for a below-average day...driving on the freeway, didn't hit anything, no big bumps...the shock just gave way...sheared off right at the weld.

TylerT

iTrader: (1)

That's ... interesting.

How do the other shocks look? Might be a good excuse for some nice coilovers

oonowindoo

Yup... time to upgrade.. Koni yellows are good if you dont wanna spend too much. As car gets older, it is all part of wear and tear.

I am more interested in how did it feel when it happened? Did the car literally fall on the floor on the freeway?

ttribe

Just going to replace both rears with OEM equivalent. This thing already sits pretty low and I'm not unhappy with the stock ride given that it's the sport package suspension on there.

ttribe

No, actually. That's what was so strange. I started getting a terrible noise over every little bump in the road. When I got to where I was going I opened the trunk because I could have sworn it was coming from inside the trunk. When I drove it again, I realized the right rear felt soft and I was getting a lot more movement back there. Took it to my independent and this is what they found. Totally bizarre.

Yumcha

Well, I guess just how weird things can go awry with cars at times. Part of the fun of ownership...like a marriage.


At least you found the source of the problem relatively soon. Sometimes, these nagging things take awhile to find out and in some cases, it's too late and the problem much much worse/serious.

oonowindoo

That is so interesting, i would have thought a separated shock will result a lopsided car for sure.

I guess the only logical explanation is the other 3 shocks were compensating for the 4th one. BMW FTW

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Spring determines height, shock only determines how fast it rebounds when you hit a dip. No shock would just be bouncy, but not cause it to hit the ground like a failed GM bearing or something like that.
Glad it's no biggy, man...

Time for some Ohlins, don't be a bitch!

Yumcha

What's the best bang for the buck...? Koni...?

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Looking like Bilstein actually makes an upgrade to the oem intended for standard height although probably a cool time to slap some H&R springs on it.
OEM replacement Bilstein are $84 for convertible with sport...
these are $210...fronts are $52 for normal bilstein and $125 for the upgradeBILSTEIN 35120407 {Click Info Button for Alternate/OEM Part Numbers} B8 Performance Plus; For Adjusted Suspension Info
Front Left; Base Model; Sport Suspension$210.99Add to CartBILSTEIN 35120414 {Click Info Button for Alternate/OEM Part Numbers} B8 Performance Plus; For Adjusted Suspension Info
Front Right; Base Model; Sport Suspension

Rear are:BILSTEIN 24120425 {Click Info Button for Alternate/OEM Part Numbers} B8 Performance Plus; For Adjusted Suspension Info
Rear; Base Model; Sport Suspension$125.99Add to Cart

RPhilMan1

Yes to Bilstein!

ttribe

Too late. Did OEM replacements.

oonowindoo

Best bang? Yellow's of course!

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

The Bilstein were listed as the "OE Replacement" on rockauto...
maybe they're just rebranded.
Nein.

kurtatx

Live look-in to @rockstar143's house

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Fuck it!
Shiet...I did springs on the Vulva this weekend and I was a little peeved at myself for not buying shocks/struts as the oem didn't rebound super fast. Now I'm thinking that's how they are designed because the ride is superb.

oonowindoo

I have gotten some OE replacements from Autozone before.... for my gf's Civic...

They did not feel the same as the stock ones. Actually they felt worse.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

knock offs! beelstains, maybe!?!!?

oonowindoo

dont know... just not all OE replacements are created equal...

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I know it...
Knowing Tim though, they legit say Bavarian Monkey Shit on them.

oonowindoo

Of course... he is all about name brand... iLLest!

ttribe

Bunch of miscreants...no, they are not BMW branded. They are an aftermarket replacement, but not a fancy one like Bilstein or Koni; my independent uses the ones I bought because they are the same performance as OEM but much less expensive. I can't remember the name, right now, but they work well so far and my car no longer feels like a '74 Buick bouncing down the road.