SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

Nothing to it fellas. It's a pleasure working on such an impressive canvas.

Agreed, the drop looks perfect! It was already one of my dream cars completely stock, it's only getting better with tasteful mods.

ttribe

Seriously! His work is very impressive.

Thanks to you both for the compliments. I'm really pleased with how it's turning out.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

LOVE the new pictures. Damn that is a gorgeous color.

I think it's time for exhaust

ttribe

Thanks.

No, no, no, no...something like that is far in the future. I still have some explaining to do at home regarding what I've spent up to this point.

SaaBaaDoo

Beautiful car! I may have to check out a M5 someday just to see what they are like.

At least with the M3's there's people talking about sludging if you follow the 15k oil change intervals. I'm changing mine every 7500 miles in my M3 just to be on the safe side. Gotta love that special Castrol oil and it's price tag too! My wife about shit when I told her how much it was going to be for the oil change supplies. My car is going to be due for pads and rotors on all 4, new bushings, rear tires, and a valve adjustment in the next 5000 miles, so that should be fun trying to explain that one.

The M line of cars are expensive to maintain, but I'm with you on the fun outweighing the costs. Have fun with it and keep the pics coming!!!

ttribe

I'm pretty sure the previous owner was following 15k, but I agree, I think I'm going with 7.5k.

Thanks for the compliments.

What year is your M3? Any links for pics?

SaaBaaDoo

It's a 2003 that I picked up in April. I drove a E36 M3 when I was in college in loved it. So when I bought this one we drove 5 hours to pick it up only going on pictures, PPI, and never driving a E46 before. After the first corner on the test drive I was hooked.

CLICK HERE for pics.

ttribe

Very cool. I still really like that version of the M3.

Skatin

Beautiful car dude!!!

srika

good stuff!

ttribe

My wife is the best...last year on my birthday, she bought me these for my TL:



Fast forward one year, it's my 40th birthday today (uggh) and I received some new goodies thanks to my dear wife - First, RPI Ram Air Scoops and BMC High Flow Air Filters (combination adds approx. 10HP at 70MPH):





Also, a new set of Weisslicht Angel Eye Replacements:






For those who are interested - more about RPI kit: http://shoprpi.com/product_info.php?...products_id=31

srika

very nice!

what are the angel eye replacements for? I mean what's different about them than OEM?

srika

woops I think I got my answer... nice!

ttribe

You got it. Eliminate pukey yellow and replace with bright white.

S14 n Tsx

Noooice!!!

Hapa DC5

whoa, that definitely makes it stand out.

ttribe

I'm most excited about the air flow mods though...help the beastie breath a little better.

Hapa DC5

Definitely. I'll never say no to more power. Wish my Skyline was pushing 500+

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

CCColtsicehockey

SlimTL

Nice. Happy B-day bro! Gotta love a good spouse that supports our mod habits.

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

^ Wife that buys mod gifts. You, sir, are living the dream.

HBD, btw!

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Congrats! Awesome gift.

Your wifey rocks.

ttribe

Thanks guys. I'll be taking on the install sometime during the next couple of days and will post up pictures of the process and results.

ttribe

Update - okay, I did the install this evening of both the scoops and the new angel eyes. Many (poor quality) pictures below-

Installed the RPI Scoops and BMC filters (along with carbon filter delete) first. Pre-Install condition and prep:


Kidney grills out:


A shot of where the scoops mount:


Installing the first self-tapping screw. The shape of the scoop lines right up with the plastic housing at the top; just need to move the scoop around a bit and then the "natural" spot becomes very obvious. BTW, just a comment on build quality of the scoops - they're made from aluminum and are of the highest quality:


Installing the lower screw was tricky in low lighting because it's down deeper inside the car; a tactical light on a cross member did the trick:


A shot of where the lower screw attaches:


Almost done with the first side; this shot shows how the scoop effectively extends the reach of the intake (at left):


First one is in:


Second one in:


Wide shot; as can be seen here, the scoops encroach very little on the radiator but substantially extend the air intakes:


Grills back on; you only know they're there if you're looking for them:


Now to the filters. The E60 M5 has two airboxes and, on the US models only, each airbox has two filters: 1) a regular air filter (in orange at the bottom); and 2) a grey charcoal filter at the top. The US models come with the charcoal filters to prevent engine fumes from seeping back through the air intakes and out of the car after the engine has been turned off. These things create significant restrictions on air flow and there is no apparent emissions mandate to have them so, time for them to go:


Note the instruction on the bottom of the charcoal filter...yeah right:


After CF delete:


Air filter comparison; stock on the left, BMC on the right. Note the improvement in surface area and flow patterns:


New filter in (whole process repeated for the other side):


Now, on to the angel eyes. New Weisslichts in the box; again, high quality aluminum construction:


Sun starting to go down; breaking out the drop light (ignore the boxes...we're storing a bunch of stuff for my mother right now):


After removing the cover from the rear of the DRL and angel eye bulbs, you can see the back of each bulb - the DRL on the top with the convenient (and easy to turn) plastic tab, and the orange angel eye at the bottom...hard to reach...fun:


Pull the DRL first to make room:


Remove torx screws and slide the headlight housing out to make MORE room:


The stock angel eye bulb:


Testing:


Comparison - new on passenger side, old on driver side...new LED angel eyes look MUCH better:


Comparison 2:


Both sides completed:


With the Xenon headlights:


And, just for good measure, a shot of my license plate LEDs. These were my first mod on this car (aside from tires):


Impressions: 1) love the angel eyes...much better looking; 2) the CF delete and new filters have totally changed the car's ability to breathe. It sounded a little "asthmatic" before...not any longer. My butt-dyno tells me there's more oomph at speed as well. One very happy owner here.

srika

oooh nice.

btw you were so excited you missed this:
https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/happy-birthday-ttribe-842100/

ttribe

Oh man! Sorry I missed that.

crazyasiantl

iTrader: (7)

nice mods, car looks great

SlimTL

Coming along quite nicely!

Majofo

We need an update!

I'm actually getting the itch.. M5/M6 is at the top of the list.

Something that really concerns me is the reliability of the transmission and diff. Watching top gear, Jeremy says he blew the diff going around the track and the Stig also fucked something up. Of course they're driving it to the limit, but even then.. for something with so much power, it should be built for it.

Any common complaints about the diffs or trans? Also, is it difficult to do regular maintenance like oil, ATF, diff? How many QTs are we talking? Any workaround to the navi commentary or turn signal cancellation? Seemed like super annoying issues when featured on Top Gear and Fifth Gear.

srika

made me

ttribe

Okay, here goes:

I've had my '07 since the end of June '11; bought it with 39 miles on it and I'm currently at 55K miles (I've done a few road trips with it). I've had a few repairs, but nothing major. I've also been pretty active over at M5board.com. So, my observations below are both from my own experience as well as from my participation on that board.

- By far, the most common BIG mechanical failure is with the SMG transmission and it usually centers on the SMG Hydraulic Pump. Do they happen? Yes. Do they happen even on cars that haven't suffered through a lot of hard driving? Yes, but far less often. Figure about $4.5K-$6K here since you'll go ahead an replace the clutch, etc. while you're in there.

- The other BIG failure I see from time to time (and this is the really scary one) is a failure of the VANOS oil pump (think of VANOS like VTEC) that results in catastrophic damage to the engine. I've seen at least four engines replaced on that board and the re-built engine from BMW is about $26K.

- Main suggestion for BIG mechanical failures is an exclusionary extended warranty - plan on about $4-$5K from Zurich, EasyCare, etc. These are the lifesavers.

- I've not seen one rear diff problem. I had a small leak on the seal on my car when I first bought it; had it changed, but nothing otherwise.

- Changing the oil can be done by the owner, if he/she is inclined. The engine holds about 10 liters and the only place to buy the special Castrol 15-50 synthetic is from the dealership for $15/liter. If you have it changed at the dealership, plan on about $250 for the change. That being said, the recommended interval is 15K miles. I'm doing mine at about 7.5K to be overly cautious (best preventative maintenance for the VANOS system).

- I would not mess with the SMG maintenance. It's a complex system. It's BMW's first SMG to be designed as an SMG (versus a manual with a hydraulic pump added) and its maintenance is better left to places that have: 1) the necessary software updates; and 2) liability protection in case they brick your trans.

- The clutch is the biggest ticket maintenance item. Like any manual, it eventually wears out and it is HEAVY DUTY. Plan on $2K for this one.

- Re: Nav and iDrive: Buy an '08 or newer and you'll get an updated version of the iDrive system. Mine has the first generation of iDrive. Does it take some getting used to? Yes. Is it a little annoying sometimes? Yes. I sometimes miss the simplicity of my Nav system on my 3G TL, but it's not as bad as it's been made out to be by the car pundits.

- The turn signal thing? Clarkson totally overplayed this for the show (as he tends to do). Unless you are totally ham-fisted, it's just not that hard to work. Just tap the lever; no big deal.

- The SMG trans can be a little clunky in normal driving situations; parking lots, for example. If you're expecting a "smooth" auto trans, this is not for you. It's a manual with an "auto-mode." Treat it that way, and it's not a surprise. That being said, when you are at WOT, that trans will give you head-snapping shifts at a rate beyond human ability. It's impressive. BTW, I have a 30-mile (each way) commute every day in a lot of stop and go traffic and use this car as a daily driver. I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who complain about these cars not being okay for in-town daily driving.

- Maintenance is not cheap (if it wasn't obvious by now). There's nothing that you won't pay more for on this car than you would have on an Acura (for example). It's just the nature of the way an M car is built - different tolerances, different performance levels, etc.

- Do I love this car? YES! It is an absolute blast to drive. I can be cruising along in "comfort" mode at the default 400hp, softest suspension setting, most forgiving stability control setting, middle of the road transmission setting (there are 11 settings on the SMG) and if I decide I need to GO NOW, I touch the "M" button on the steering wheel and this car turns into an absolute ROCKET, opening up all 507hp for use. All 10 throttle bodies get maxed out in terms of response and fuel flowing and this car will treat you to performance you haven't imagined.

- It's a BIG car (over 2 tons), but I've taken it on a couple of club drives with the local chapter of the BMWCCA and had it flying through twists and turns you'd not think possible. It's still an M.

- Honestly, if I can make it cost effective (keep getting extended warranties to protect me from an engine failure), I'd just as soon keep this car forever. It's that good.

- Lots of easy mods.

- Some REALLY EXPENSIVE, but amazing mods available.

Suggestion - spend some time at M5board.com and you'll get some additional insight.

Majofo

Thanks T!

I wasn't too worried about the Diff, since I know a good rebuilder but it's a pain to think about paying 1.5K to get done, but I would know it was done properly.. glad to hear it's not a common issue. The SMG and the Vanos oil pump worries me now though. Has anyone found a reasonable solution for each as a preventative measure? Even a oil or trans fluid change from OE? 10L.. I figured so.

Definitely a lot to consider. Thanks again T! Great Update! Also.. my inbox is full if you couldn't tell.

ttribe

You bet...if you couldn't tell, I like talking about my car.

I've not seen any, but there could be some out there.

VANOS - keep clean oil in the car and make you top off the oil whenever the reserve starts to get low (the engine does burn some oil).

SMG - I don't know, honestly. Some people claim to "know" how to prevent issues, but I'm skeptical. Some just go; I've see a couple with low mileage just get the error code and stop working. At the same time, there's plenty of owners with 70K+ miles with zero problems.

Perspective check - how many 2G TL/CL owners have had more than 2 transmissions in their car? That can't be cheap.

Yep. It's a big, amazing, engine. It hits red line at 8,250 RPMs. Needs LOTS of oil.

Tried to PM you. How'd you know?

Majofo

8250!

Majofo

Have you tried using Redline? It's going to be more expensive, probably 120-150 an oil change, but nothing better in the market.

ttribe

I haven't. Honestly, I'm a little paranoid about using anything other than what BMW says in the engine. If something does ever happen, and if it ends up in the hands of BMW NA, I want to be able to say I did everything their way. But, I'm kind of a terrified chicken in that sense.

ETA: Great pic of the engine. Check out those headers!

Majofo

Gorgeous headers.. I'm guessing that's something there is no aftermarket for..

Mother of god, the alternator must be a bitch to replace. Hopefully access below is easy. I know M cars have underbody shrouding.

Off to do more research.

ttribe

Oh, there are definitely aftermarket headers. They ain't cheap.

Majofo

I'm guessing it involves dropping the engine. I can't imagine removing those..