Jonttt Imola II Red S54 Z3m Roadster Journal

Post pictures of your car and discuss it here. One car per thread, and keep it on-topic, please!
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
Location: Liverpool

MAF Sensor cleaned

Post by Jonttt »

Well I had to wait in for some workmen at my house where the car is stored so took the opportunity to have a tinker :D

I have read the its a worthwhile maintenance item to clean the MAF sensor so partly out of curiosity and partly for preventative maintenance I decided to have a go whilst I was waiting (its not an actual service item so would not be done as a matter of routine by a garage)

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Really is a simple job and full writeup is HERE

I was hoping to get a drive out to see if it made any difference but couldn't :bawl: so will have to report back next time I get the chance to have a run in the car (bank holiday weekend next week :drive )
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
Location: Liverpool

Z3 Soft Case

Post by Jonttt »

Well after sourcing the OEM Z3 Hardcase for my boot rack I managed to source the inner soft case as well off a fellow ZRoadster member.

I think these must be pretty rare as I have never seen one before.

Very pleased with it as its absolutely mint and has obviously never been used so go will well with my collection of Z3 accessories :D

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And this is the hardcase it fits in

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PVR
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  Z4 M roadster
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Post by PVR »

What will you do with all that stuff when you upgrade to a Z4 :devil:
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TitanTim
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  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: Stafford

Post by TitanTim »

PVR wrote:What will you do with all that stuff when you upgrade to a Z4 :devil:
:roflmao:

Looks great Jonn :lol: the case looks robust enough to withstand the conveyor belt at Heathrow :lol:

Tim.
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
Location: Liverpool

Post by Jonttt »

PVR wrote:What will you do with all that stuff when you upgrade to a Z4 :devil:
Will never happen :D (twice the price and half the smiles :wink: and yes I have driven one, lots :wink: )

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Post by PVR »

Come on ... I expected a stronger reaction then that :D
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
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Post by Jonttt »

I'm too diplomatic :wink:
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Titan
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: North Yorkshire

Post by Titan »

Jonttt wrote:I'm too diplomatic :wink:
Edited for Jonttt
"I'm too nepotic"
IIRC, neither of those Zs are now in the family?
Image :devil:
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
Location: Liverpool

Post by Jonttt »

Lol, yep he owed me a few favours :D

and yes both cars have now been sold, I swapped mine for another Z3 and my brother sold his (for a profit after 9 summer months of driving :roll: ) but he's now looking for a Z3 he can drive for a few summers and pass onto my 15 year old nephew when he passes his test.

Says it all really :D
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
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Post by Jonttt »

I had my first run out since cleaning the MAF Sensor and its broken :head:

Car started fine and had a 70 mile run to the ZRoadster Yorkshire Dales cruise but on arriving at the meeting point I stopped to fill up with petrol and the car would not restart :shock:

Was very surprising as I would have expected the fault to have shown itself first thing and not after a 70 mile motorway run.

Anyway after the embarassment of pushing the car from the petrol pumps and watching 30 ZRoadster members leave without me (you can imagine the stick I got :oops: ) the AA did a fine job. We identified the problem was the MAF sensor pretty easily and after unsuccessfully phoning around for a replacement part we decided to give it a good blast with electrical contact cleaner on the basis we could do no more harm.

The symptoms had been, car starting fine, getting to 500 revs and the engine just dying after a few secs and not being able to rev at all, as if the engine was starved of fuel. But on replacing the MAF it started fine.

So off I went (at a fair pace :wink: ) to catch up with the zedders which I did by the first stop.

But on turning off the engine the same symptoms started again and the car would not restart and just died after a few seconds.

So I decided to just disconnect the MAF and the car ran fine on a default MAF reading (a little under power but ran smoothly).

So 2 lessons learned:

1) don't mess with something thats not broke, I've ordered a new part and will be £207 poorer :!: I did have a go at cleaning again when I got home and car started fine but given what happened I am more comfortable with a new one and not having to worry about it again.

2) if you do suspect your MAF is causing rough running then just disconnect it, the car will run fine (with the engine light on though). If the problem persists its not your MAF, if it goes away and comes back when you plug it back in then its your MAF :wink:

New MAF will be in BMW tomorrow and its a 5 minute job to replace.

here is a pic of the car at the final stop on the Yorkshire Dales cruise just to prove I made it :D Great cruise and great weather, just glad I did not end up on the back of an AA recovery wagon :roll:

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  M roadster S54
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Post by Jonttt »

Had some goodies delivered today.

One of the mods I had on my list was H&R front a rear Anti Roll Bars. Well I managed to source a 2nd hand set in as new condition and still with original box from a Z3Coupe owner who had recently sold his car.

Specs are front 28mm (OEM 23mm), rear 21mm (OEM 18.5mm)

Blurp from H&R site:

"Designed to increase lateral stability and greatly improve overall handling, H&R stabilizer bars are known from motorsport. H&R’s stabilizer bars are now available for your car. They are produced by using a proprietary alloy that is both stronger and more resilient than the original or competitive stabilizers. Precision forged ends feature adjustment holes (most applications), while H&R’s exclusive composite bushings eliminate squeaks and never require lubrication. That means no mess, no maintenance—just bolt on H&R stabilizer bars and go!
H&R stabilizer bars replace the existing stabilizers and are compatible with both the original suspension and performance suspension kits - regardless of the manufacturer. Moreover, H&R stabilizer bars are the ideal choice for the enthusiast who wants precision handling, but may not want to lower the vehicle.
Like all H&R components, H&R Sway Bars are 100% made in Germany, and are powder coated for long lasting good looks and durability on the street and track."


I also ordered an Earls Braided Clutch Hose. This was a great mod on my first Z3 and after a couple of cruises I had suffered from the clutch getting hard to engage quickly part way through a spirited run. This is caused by the OEM rubber clutch hose expanding more as it gets hot and adversly affecting the gearchange. A braided clutch hose does not suffer from this expansion under pressure when hot.

So I've booked the car into my new indy in 2 days to have the Anti roll Bars and clutch hose fitted.

I'm also going to get the braided brake hoses that were supplied with the box of goodies when I bought the car, obviously bought by a previous owner but never fitted.

Blurb from the Goodridge site:

"Most vehicles are fitted with reinforced rubber brake lines, which are fine as far as they go but wil flex or "baloon" under heavy braking, more so as they age. When this happens the fluid pressure applied to your brake calipers decreases, by varying amounts depending on the circumstances.
Goodridge brake lines steel use a flexible neoprene inner tube to maintain flexibilty, however this inner tubing is then sheathed in a special woven steel material that mantains flexibilty but keeps it's diameter constant, preventing any "balooning" no matter what the pedal pressure.
By fitting braided steel lines such as these, all the fluid pressure when braking is now applied directly to the caliper pistons, resulting in better braking and more pedal "feel".



Braided Brake and clutch hoses:

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H&R Anti Roll Bars:

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Hopefully the great weather will hold out for the week and I can get a good run in a few days to test these out once fitted :wink:
Last edited by Jonttt on Mon 12 Apr, 2010 21:45, edited 4 times in total.
Happiness is not around the corner........happiness is the corner
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Post by Jonttt »

One of the things that I always thought I should change when I used the car was the AC Schnitzer brake handle, from the more common siler version to the more subtle "black line" version.

So I decided to do the deed and buy a new one and swap them over :D

Original one:

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and new "Black Line" version. I think this suits the Z3 interior much better.

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spurs fan in a coupe
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Post by spurs fan in a coupe »

Hi Jontt

I hope you have more luck with fitting the clutch hose than I did,

here comes my update in a minute!

I'm soooo annoyed!
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Post by shantybeater »

Well done for making the meet lol, I've never heard of MAF's failing on the z's my old VW 1.8t's used to eat them on a regular basis but it was more cause and effect from the massively increased air flow!! ;)

Very different symptoms though when mine died it caused rough idle, massive power loss and plooms of black smoke

Some nice mods to go on :) how much did you pay for the arbs? (if you don't mind saying)
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Post by Jonttt »

ARB's cost me £250. My logic being they are in as new condition and are c£375 (I think) new so I can get them fitted for price of a new set. I was quite happy with this :D

They are a common mod by the Coupe guys and I have to say they are a quality item :rtm:
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Post by TitanTim »

Handbrake looks great Jon :) not that I'm biased, only thing I find odd is it feels too short :| Need to compare it with the original, or maybe my hands are too large :shock:

Tim.
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Canman
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Post by Canman »

TitanTim wrote:Handbrake looks great Jon :) not that I'm biased, only thing I find odd is it feels too short :| Need to compare it with the original, or maybe my hands are too large :shock:

Tim.
if you have large hands Tim does that make your Knob feel small ? please guys its a genuine question :wink:
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Dolfan
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  M roadster S50
Location: Milton Keynes

Post by Dolfan »

Hi Jon
Looks like you will be giving me the feedback regarding the H&R's as my Zed is still off the road, I agree the black line version brake handle is a nce contrast in colour :thumb:
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Jonttt
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Photo Update

Post by Jonttt »

Nice and sunny this week so decided to use the Z3 as its booked in for the above jobs to be fitted tomorrow.

Better than being sat in the office :D

I spent 2 hours yesturday cleaning the dust out of the cabin after Saturday's Yorkshire Dales cruise :shock:

New MAF fitted this morning so back to 100% again :drive

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Topaz Z3
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Post by Topaz Z3 »

Hi Jon,

Top Job - ship shape and Yorkshire fashion. Can almost see your smile from here in the west country. :lol:

Now if there was only some means of keeping the car this way ??? :puzzle:

And still :drive

Dave.
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Jonttt
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Post by Jonttt »

I even got a "toot" from the train driver as he went past :D
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Post by shantybeater »

looks lovely mate :) i'm still not sold on those headlamps though, they look too 'aftermarket' for my liking and take away from the classic bmw look. Otherwise the car is spot on 8-)
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  M roadster S54
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Post by Jonttt »

I know I've had mixed feedback with probably slightly more liking than not.

I've kept the OEM ones so can easily swap anytime I fancy a change.

I do think these aftermarket ones give the front a more aggressive look though that suits the car so wll be leaving them on for a few years I think.
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
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Post by Jonttt »

:D Had the H&R Anti Roll bars fitted today + braided clutch and brake hoses.

I took the chance to drive the car on some of my favourite back roads on the way to its storage location and I can only say that I can see why the uprated anti roll bars are such a highly recommended mod.

I was execting a slightly harsher ride but far from it. At normal road speeds the car feels more composed and settled. However, its at speed they really show their merits. In simple terms you really can get the power down more quicly exiting a bend as the car just seems to set itself for the exit that much more quickly. In fact I would go so far as to say that it really exposes the brakes as the week point in the setup which I have never really felt before, big brake kit is definately on the list of to do's now :D

So I would highly recommend the H&R ARP's :thumb:

The braided clutch hose gave the expected improvements I had experienced in my first Z. It is far far easier to find gears (especially 2nd) when travelling at speed when the normal rubber hoses have a tendancy to expand with heat. Gearchange is now how you would expect it to be.

To be honest I felt no real difference with the braided brake hoses and as notedabove the brakes are now exposed as the week point to be addressed.

My 5 series M sport felt like a wallowing hippo on the way home :wink:
Happiness is not around the corner........happiness is the corner
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Dolfan
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Post by Dolfan »

Cheers for the info Jon, hopefully I will have mine back tomorrow so I can have a blast at the weekend :drive
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yalden
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Location: Devon

Post by yalden »

Don't even pretend you weren't train spotting Jon... :wink:

The Z3M is looking as good as ever, the photos certainly show off the smoked marker lights and side repeaters... I wasn't too sure at first but they certainly fit well with the car as a whole.

I'd agree with the above comment regarding the headlights, but it'd be boring if we all did the same things so I'd still vote to keep them if you like them! I think my only dislike towards them is because the 'halos' are full circle, if they were as per the separate halos that people have fitted to OEM headlights I'd have certainly bought a set by now!

Your car must by now have masses more rigidity than the original model, you've got the entire Strong Strut package don't you? 8-)
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Jonttt
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Post by Jonttt »

yalden wrote:......Your car must by now have masses more rigidity than the original model, you've got the entire Strong Strut package don't you? 8-)
I don't have the body brace and the butt strut is not fitted after it was removed by two previous owners due to clearance issues.

I may try it for myself some time but I've really happy with the handling setup now, combination of Ac Schnitzer suspension, H&R ARB's and front strut means I can now push the car to my limits and not the cars :wink:

I just need to be able to control entry now re the brakes as I'm happy with how the car settles in the bends.

The car was never meant to be a track weapon and I'm more than happy with the balance between ride quality and handling. In fact I'd go as far to say it now handles as well as any car I've driven (to my limits) short of a heavily modified scooby, but you can't really compare to four wheel drive (and rear wheel is much more fun :D ).

On reflection after yesturdays test I'm still surprised what a difference and how much better the ride was at normal road speeds, I think the newer ARB bushes may well have played a big part in that?

I was/am tempted to try a set of Whiteline drop links but I think I'll settle for what I've got now and save up for a big brake kit 8-)
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Post by Jonttt »

Had a great day out at the "cars in the park" event in Newby Hall. 30+ Zroadster members, can't be bad.

240 miles round trip so running on fumes when I parked up :D

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Post by shantybeater »

Looking good as always 8-) Is your perspex deflector from justroadster? was it specifically designed for the ACS hoops or do the OEM hoop ones fit too?
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
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Post by Jonttt »

Yep wind deflector is from Simon at Justroadster.

It was custom made for my car.

The problem with the Schnitzer hoops (unlike the OEM ones) is that the hoops could be fitted lower / higher (ie there is no "set" height) so you cannot have a "stock" item with a perfect fit.

I made a template for Simon and only had to adjust slightly myself.

The clear retaining straps Simon supplies look a lot better on chrome hoops as well.
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Post by shantybeater »

Cheers Jon i'll drop him an email, the OEM deflector completely hides the chrome hoops :(
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OEM Hardtop Hoist

Post by Jonttt »

New arrival to add to my collection of Z3 accessories:

Genuine OEM Hardtop Hoist with Z3 carrier

Complete and in fantstic condition for the pricely sum of .........£45 :D

Another eBay bargain.

I won't be needing it until next year but could not pass up this bargain.

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and this is what it looked like installed by the previous owner:

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Althulas
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  M roadster S50

Post by Althulas »

Nice find, I was watching one of those on ebay some time ago but could not make up my mind as theoretically when I do get a hardtop this year it would only be used twice a year to put on and take off but at least you can use it for storing it though.
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Post by shantybeater »

Cool :) but are you going park the Z under it? :shock:
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Post by Althulas »

shantybeater wrote:Cool :) but are you going park the Z under it? :shock:
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Jonttt
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Post by Jonttt »

shantybeater wrote:Cool :) but are you going park the Z under it? :shock:
For that price the idea (in an ideal world if my master plan comes together) is that I can use it as a backup to take off the hardtop if no one is available to help me (I'm not letting Lisa touch it again after seeing her struggle OVER THE CAR taking it off last time :roll: ). Long term storage would be as per now via OEM storage cover hung on the wall.

But if I don't manage my dream double garage and its tight with hardtop wall mounted I can use this for long term storage ABOVE the car :shock: :wink:
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Titan
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Post by Titan »

You could also use it as a 4-wheel jack if you leave the hood clips fastened :D
Image :devil:
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Jonttt
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Original Wheels and AC Schnitzer Gear Stick

Post by Jonttt »

Took delivery / collected a couple of bargains today :D

First was an original set of Z3m alloys.

I purchased my car with a set of Breytons fitted and no original alloys so I have been on the look out for a set to add to my cars collection of original parts / accessories.

They vary in cost drastically up to £120 per wheel + refurb costs + delivery so when a member posted a full set up on here for £100 I was obviously interested. When I found out he lived less than 2 miles from one of our offices (I just happened to need to visit this week :D ) it was a no brainer.

They are from an S50 so in the early silver colour. They need a refurb anyway so I will get them done in the later shadow chrome from the S54 model. No real curbing just some "rashes" and no corrosion (they have been stored in a garage) so an easy refurb. Bonus was the rears have Dunlop SP Sports with 5mm + tread, front are also Dunlop SP sports with legal tread c3mm so I can refit these after the refurb and fit them on the car any time I fancy it and be road legal without having to buy any tyres :D

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For reference here is a comparison of S54 shadow chrome on the left v S50 silver on the right.

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Second goody of the day is an original AC Schnitzer digital gear stick sourced from good old eBay.

AC Schnitzer Part number 25 111 0410

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Here is a picture from the Schnitzer website:

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Took a bit of a chance on this but it retails for £226 from AC Schnitzer :shock: and I got it for a lot less than that. It is mint in the original box with English fitting instructions and the gear gator for 1 series fitment. So worst case if I don't like it / it won't fit I can resell it to the 1 series guys for a bit of a profit :wink:

Hopefully I'll get a chance to try and fit it this weekend. It looks as though it will fit, is very short but also very light so I'm not sure how it will feel in operation.

You have to "program" the gear changes for your car so its a good job the instructions are included (it seems to have a built in position sensor and needs to "learn" were each gear is located in as setup mode).

should be fun though if I can get it to work :D
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TitanTim
Joined: Mon 23 Jun, 2008 18:56
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  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: Stafford

Post by TitanTim »

Looks great Jon, I will be interested to see how you fare with the AC knob, very nearly went for one of these as I felt it would be a nice addition and keeping an illuminated knob, replacing the original illiminated one :lol: but I wasn't sure on its looks to be honest :roll: plus how it actually works in knowing what number to show for gthe relevant gear. Look forward to seeing some piccies.

Tim.
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2001 Z3 1.9 Roadster Sport - 2012 Z4 sDrive 2.0 M Sport
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
Location: Liverpool

Post by Jonttt »

Yep same for me, not sure about it but was very curious so I'll have a little play :wink:
Happiness is not around the corner........happiness is the corner
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TitanTim
Joined: Mon 23 Jun, 2008 18:56
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  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: Stafford

Post by TitanTim »

Jonttt wrote:Yep same for me, not sure about it but was very curious so I'll have a little play :wink:
I think it would look very nice in my 1er though :lol:

Tim.
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2001 Z3 1.9 Roadster Sport - 2012 Z4 sDrive 2.0 M Sport
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Althulas
Joined: Fri 13 Feb, 2009 00:55
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  M roadster S50

Post by Althulas »

Nice find with the alloys though and still be able to make a profit with a full refurbished set if you decide to sell. I considered one of those gear sticks in a flight of fancy moment but knowing me I would spend to much time looking at my knob instead of the road :D Should be fun setting it up though.
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
Location: Liverpool

Post by Jonttt »

I had chance to "play around" with the digital AC schnitzer gear stick today.

I took a bit of a flyer buying this as I've never seen one fitted to a Z3 before so I had 3 concerns:

1) would it fit :shock:
2) how would it "feel" to drive (concern heightened when it arrived as its very light and usually heavier = smoother)
3) how would it look

So here are my results:

1) Well it fits :bounce: I had to just undue the very top couple of stiches in the leather to widen the aperature for the Gear stick to fit into and create one small hole (which you cannot see) for the single securing grommet to go through, no big issues.

2) I was really surprised by the "feel" whilst driving which was very good. It is very short and although there is no "weight" to the throw it does feel good, probably helped by its stubbiness and the fact it seems much more "bulbous" than other gear sticks.

3) I love the looks. I accept it may not meet with purist approval given the digital display but I think it blends in really well with my "blackline" interior.

Unfortunately I did not have time to wire up the electronics and go through the setup procedure ( you cannot use the wiring from the OEM ///M gear stick light as that is only live when the lights are one so I'm going to wire into the radio harness but did not have tools with me to remove trim etc...). I did however do a temp wiring to check it works and all is fine :D

I'll post more pics when its fully wired up :wink:

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Happiness is not around the corner........happiness is the corner
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TitanTim
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  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: Stafford

Post by TitanTim »

Looks great Jon, but be warned, with having a gear indicator in the 1er it will take over your driving and drive you crazy :P :drive

Tim.
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2001 Z3 1.9 Roadster Sport - 2012 Z4 sDrive 2.0 M Sport
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
Location: Liverpool

4th Ac Schnitzer type III racing sourced

Post by Jonttt »

Well after 6 months of searching I've finally sourced the final wheel to make up my staggered 18 inch AC Schnitzer Type III racing set :D

Bit of a saga this one. Wheel purchased from German eBay on the basis it was "mint" and shipped over.

On receipt my and the buyers interpretation of "mint" was somewhat different.

The wheel was in bascially sound condition with no major curbing, cracks or buckles but it was "worn" and corroded in several places and would need a full refurb before it could go on my car.

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So I asked the seller for a full refund as I did not really want a refurbed wheel on my car but he refused :head:

I complained to eBay as the description had been quite specific about being with the (german) words for "mint" and "perfect" being used in the description.

I arranged for the wheel to be returned by tracked courier on eBays instruction but the seller refused receipt a week later :head:

I again complained to eBay and they........ gave me a full refund :D

I thought nothing more of it and was quite happy and continued my search. 10 days later I received a delivery, the wheel had been returned to me by the courier :roll:

So I contacted eBay and they asked if I would return it to the seller. I said no, he would have to collect it this time (I was not going to pay for it to be reurned again). They suggested I contact the seller which I did and ....... he said keep it :D

So I had a genuine, basically sound but in need of a refurb Ac Schnitzer wheel for the pricely sum of £18 (ie the courier cost to return it originally which was not refunded).

I had always stayed away from refurbed wheels and wanted new but was not willing to pay £900 for one from Schnitzer and had resigned myself to a long search (a couple of years maybe) and the probablility I would cave in and pay Schnitzer prices.

I decided I might as well get the wheel refurbed and keep it as a "spare" as these would get rarer and rarer over the years and if I ever buckled/cracked one I would have a back up.

The wheel specialist quoted me £120+ I would have to travel 2 hours return trip x2 which I did not fancy.

I remembered a "back street" garage based near were I used to work in Warrington (about 15 min from my current office) that always had jags from the local dealership outside having their wheels refurbed. I gave them a call and they quoted me £80 to split and refurb including the bolts which is a fantastic price.

So I thought what the hell for £80 and convenience I'll get them to do it, I don't need a perfect job as it will only be a spare.

so I dropped it off and left it with them for a week and picked it up on Friday.

Well what can I say, I can hardly tell the difference to the new one :D (the bolts are not quite as shiney thats all really).

They have done a great job, so much so that I'm happy to fit the wheel to my car.

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nb there are some drops of rain on the pic :roll:

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So over the next few weeks I'll get some Falkens ordered and get them fitted to the car so watch this space :!:

Finally the complete (well apart from exhausts which I don't want) AC Schnitzer conversion is nearly complete :D
Happiness is not around the corner........happiness is the corner
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TitanTim
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  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: Stafford

Post by TitanTim »

Great result Jon :lol: all good things come to those that wait lol, get some piccies up when on the Zed, it will look fab, the Breytons are nice, but the ACS are nice nice, really are the sporty touch 8-)

Tim.
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2001 Z3 1.9 Roadster Sport - 2012 Z4 sDrive 2.0 M Sport
shantybeater
Joined: Wed 12 Mar, 2008 14:33
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  Porsche
Location: UK

Post by shantybeater »

Looking forward to seeing the rims fitted, i remember seeing a photo of one of the other red s54's with ACS's and they looked spot on! :)
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yalden
Joined: Sun 30 Mar, 2008 18:03
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  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Devon

Post by yalden »

It's great to see an eBay resolution work in someones favour for once!

What a bargain... I can't wait to see them mounted to the car :twisted:
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
Location: Liverpool

Post by Jonttt »

Just ordered the tyres for fitting next Saturday. They could have done them earlier but I want to spend some time cleaning the arches and won't get chance to the weekend.

Ordered from Event Tyres £500 all in

Falken 452's
Front 235/40/18
Rear 275/35/18

I've gone for slightly wider than normal as a few people who have had them fitted recently have told me they wish they had gone for 275's on the rears.

I've also ordered the correct wheel centres as the two fronts I have are the "normal" plastic ones but the correct ones (as fitted to the rears) are the polished solid aluminium ones. Down side is they are £26 each :shock: but Rossitors had them in stock so will have them for the weekend. Whilst on the phone to them I also ordered a matching valve cap as the refurbed wheel does not match.

So hopefully will get them fitted at the weekend :D
Happiness is not around the corner........happiness is the corner
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Jonttt
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  M roadster S54
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Post by Jonttt »

oops double post :head:
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