Power Mods
So far, I have been showing you what I did on the outside. But every motorhead knows that it is inside that matters most. Up till now. the engine has remained relatively stock. One of the first thing I did was to remove the stock air filter and replaced with a Jim Conforti CAI. It came with an ITG foam filter which I subsequently changed to an Apexi cone filter. The ITG filter is not recommended. The foam tends to disintegrate and piece of it can actually get sucked into the engine. There's the possibility of over-oiling it if you don't want that to happen. The Apexi cone filter was much better. It was virtually maintenance-free. Of course, the usual maintenance rules apply. What you see in the picture is the Simota version of the GruppeM. It comes with an integrated heat shield. So, it kinda make the JC heat shield irrelevant. However, I am an anti-heat freak and anything I can do to reduce heat affecting performance, I would go for it. The Simota CAI worked well. Having a bigger air filter, the high end was much better. The low-end remained unchanged. This is a good CAI mod if you want to remove your original air filter. The GruppeM costs 4 times more but works along the same principle. You decide if it is looks you want or performance.
However, the best power mod I did must be the replacement of the headers. The stock headers are puny little things that create a choke-point for the exhaust gas. I went for the Hiop headers because the Supersprint ones were only made for LHD cars. What a world of difference the headers made. It gave me an instant 10 bhp. The only drawback is that you will lose the 2 catalytic converters. The installation took a day to comeplete. What I did wrong in this mod was that I should have ceramic-coated the headers before installation. They do run hot and the heat from the pipes increase the temperature of the engine compartment. The original headers had some heat shield but it did not fit the Hiop, so I had to remove them.
Headers are the best bang for bucks mod you can do for your car. Forget all those magnetic stuff that attaches to the fuel line, power whatever valves, etc...If you want instant power that lasts forever, this is the mod to do.
Quad Pipes Mods
That's right folks, you can see it for yourself. Quad pipes ala M5. After months of planning, I finally got it done. Albeit the right side is not functional, but the look is really menacing. I did have the plans to make the right side work but I got lazy to follow through with the project. There were many technical details to sort out. Anyway, I like the look but as usual, I am not sure how long I will keep it. Enjoy, for now.
Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale Launch
I got an invitation to the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale launch. Didn't know how I got onto the distributors invitation list but what the heck, it's nice to feel important enough to be invited to such an event. Along with the Stradale, the Enzo was also on display. The price tag on the windscreen read US1,000,000. Goodness, that cost more than my place. After the unveiling, we got a chance to check out the car inside out. My opinion is that the car is nothing really much to crow about. Sure, it is a Ferrari but somehow, the car lacks presence. A Testarossa, F355 or 348TB probably would make someone take a second look. This is probably a personal observation. One thing for sure, it is bloody loud. When the engine was cranked up, we actually had to cover our ears. Anyway, despite what I might say about the car, I would love to owe the car if I can afford it.
Spot the Phase 4 Mods
Let's see if you have keen eyes to spot the mods in Phase 4. Of course, the M5 side mirrors! I finally had them installed. But guess what, I only paid $1500 because they are second-hand. A lot of people may scorn at me for buying second-hand stuff but frankly, I don't give a damn. Nobody could tell that these mirrors are second-hand after they were given a fresh coat of paint. I made sure that the spray painter did a correct matching considering that the original paint would have changed slightly. By the way, the colour of my E39 is titanium silver. I also installed the mirror folding module so that I can fold the mirrors when I want to. However, I must report that I do have some problems with the memory function. They don't go back to the original setting after tilting down when reversing. Pressing the M 123 buttons also did not help. Apparently, my mechanic said that this is a common problem, even on the M5. It is quite annoying actually and if anyone has a solution, I will greatly appreciate it. Of course, don't tell me to remove the mirrors! You would also noticed that the front splitters have been removed.
Actually, there is one other mod that went unnoticed. The chrome surrounds on the doors have been taped over with black-out tape. I wanted to have the shadow-line look without having to pay for new sets of door frames. The cost of the 'shadow-line' look? $15 for a roll of black-out tape which can be used for at least 2 cars. It was tricky doing the rear windows because of the kink but the tape was actually quite flexible and no one could actually tell the difference unless you tell them. It gave a car a really nice look. Somehow chrome is not my cup of tea and as you will see later on, most of the chrome parts were either removed or dulled.
More pictures to enjoy.
Mods Phase 3
Continuing from Phase 2, the ugly splitters are still on the car. Nothing much I wanted to do about it since it did make my car look completely different from the rest. Anyway, this phase was centred more on the interior.
Believe it or not but yours truly was probably the first guy to have metal rings ala M5 style on his instrument cluster. I bought them off eBay from this Norwegian fella. The first thing I did when I got them was to give it a good polish and think about how to make sure it does not drop off in the instrument cluster after they have been installed. 2 weeks later, I was ready. A quick drive to my favorite mechanic and 2 hours later, they were on. It was a nerve-wrecking experience for the 2 of us. Billy, my friend and mechanic kept reminding me that he will be absolved from all liabilites if something goes wrong when opening up the cluster. You need a hot air gun to melt the black goo that keeps both parts together. On top of that, you need to be careful when prying open the plastic tabs. You break the tabs and you are looking at at a new cluster which will cost you a thousand bucks. I love the rings. The instrument cluster looked entirely different with the rings on. It may not have the M logo which I should have put in when I had the chance but it is a really cool good-feeling mod. This mod also demonstrated the trust that I have in Billy and his trust in me that I won't screw him up if things go wrong. There are few kind of rings in the market. Some are dull-looking. If you are going to install the rings, make sure they are the shiny ones. They definitely look much better because I have seen those dull ones on other cars.
The other interior mods was my original AC Schnitzer foot rest and replicas gas and brake pedals. I had wanted to put in the M foot rest but there was long waiting time for it. It was also not a simple mod to do because you have to rip out the entire panel and replace it with the M one. I don't like things being ripped out because somehow, when you put it back, it's never the same again. So, I went with the ACS foot rest. Cost me more than $250. Honestly, it is a rip-off for a piece of metal to put your feet on. But I did not had much choice because the replicas were really, really ugly. The gas and brakes pedals were bought in Bangkok for less than $40. There was no point buying anything original because they are going to be abused. Besides, they work well. Again, my principle of function over form when it comes to mods.
An expensive interior mod was the replacement of the wood trim to the M5 titanium trim. These are the actual stuff used on the M5. They are gorgeous but they cost about $1400 and another $100 to install. The most difficult part to install was actually the cover for the cassette player because of the flip. The installation also reminded me of why you never put paper products on top of painted surfaces. The installer (not my regular fella) decided to use my hood as a table. He put a small cardboard box on top and instead of lifting it upwards, he dragged it off. The result was evident. A few deep scratches could be seen. Some I managed to polished off but 1 particular deep scratch reminds me how stupid mechanics can be if you do not supervise them. Along with the wood trim, the shift knob was also changed to a regular black leather one without any titanium inserts, etc. I like the cabin to be plain and understated and black! The M5 badge reminds me of my dream.
When the time came for brake rotors replacement, I went for Disc Brakes Australia rotors. They are cross-drilled and slotted. Stopping power really improved tremendously compared to stock. I chose to use stock Textar brake pads which gave out a lot of brake dust but at least they were quiet and need no warming up. It's a pity DBA stopped producing these rotors because they are highly recommended if ever you want to change rotors. I had some Zimmermans later on but they are not close to the stopping power of the DBA. In fact, if you are going to get Zimmermans, you are better off with stock rotors. Firstly, they are cheaper and secondly, they stopped as well as the Zimmermans. Well, they are not pretty but heck, why have pretty rotors when they cannot stop the car for you? Another case of function over form. You should see what I have now. Later.
Mods Phase 2
This is call the ugly phase of the car. Did you notice the splitters? Those things must be the ugliest mod I have ever done to the car. I was inspired to do it because I wanted the Hamann front splitter look but as it turned out, it was a really bad decision. Good thing those splitters were cheap and they stayed on a car for a couple of months only before I had them removed and sold. The lesson learnt here is that you can never duplicate a Hamann front splitter with a cheap splitter, it just does not work.
You would also notice the new shoes. Those are ROH 3-piece rims, shadow-chrome, 19", 275/30 behind and 245/35 front. It came shod with Pirelli P-Zero Russos. One word to describe this set-up: awesome. I get stares everywhere I go. Once, at a traffic light, some Caucasians in a cab were gawking at my rims. The ROH rims may be 19-inchers but they are so incredibly light. Of course, they were a bit softer too because it gets chipped rather easily. The Pirelli P-Zero Russos are the best tyres for all driving conditions. The only setback is that they are so bloody expensive and they don't last more than a year. These tyres will announce to you that it's time to change because they make horrible sounds when that time comes around. I love the ROH rims because they are different from the Hamann, AC Schnitzer, BBS, etc, etc. I never wanted my car to look like the next guy and the ROH rims made that difference. I don't care that it is made in Australia. At least it has an original design and it is not an imitation like so many other who has Hamann, ACS, etc but are made in Taiwan, Malaysia or Indonesia. I never would want to put things like that on my car unless it is the real stuff. If you cannot afford the real stuff, don't buy a copy, that's another principle I try to follow.
The Remus exhaust has 2 x 84mm pipes. Those are the biggest pipes you can ever installed. My opinion of the Remus is that if you want a loud exhaust, this is definitely not for you. I never wanted to install the Remus in the first place. I happened to be at the exhaust shop shopping around. The dealer convinced me that it is good stuff and offered to let me return it if I did not like it. My other choice was Supersprint. Anyway, I went ahead and had the Remus installed. It did help save some weight in the rear but performance-wise, it is really nothing to brag about. I did get better pulling power in the mids and highs but other than that, it was quite normal. Those pipes attracted a lot of attention due to the size. Some time down the road, I had them removed. More details later.
Mods Phase 1
By now, the stock suspension was replaced by a Sachs Sports suspension. As such, a Hiop front strut bar was added to give some rigidity to the front suspension. I hated the Sachs Sports suspension. It was too soft to be sporty. You wonder why they call it sports suspension when in actual fact, it is really not. Anyway, a couple of months later, I broke one of the front shocks. I think the valve gave way because it could compress but cannot return to full length. Since it was under warranty, the dealer gave me a new pair of front shocks. Obviously, I was completely pissed that s sports suspension cannot last more than a year. Coupled to the soft ride, the car started getting more slammed because the springs were starting to sag also. That was it. I had enough. I dumped the Sachs and switch to Koni Sports with Eibach Springs. It was a hell lot better because I could adjust the damping on the Konis. Of course, it was switched to hard. I was still not completely satisfied because the car still had the slammed look. The solution? You will find out later. The first engine mod was the installation of the Ecotek. It is a mechanical device that creates turbulence in the air flow to give better combustion. Did it work? Well, it did, sort of. Nothing spectacular. The engine did rev a bit better. Considering that it was a $200 mod, I was not complaining.
I think it is a good time now to say a bit about the way I drive or how I treat my car. I drive with my hands, legs and brain. Unlike so many others, in my opinion, who drives with their hands and legs only and leave their brain in the boot. I take my driving seriously because a momentary lapse can make the difference between life and death. I would label myself as a spirited driver. When I hit the gas, I really hit the gas but only when I know the limits of the car, road and traffic conditions. There is a time and place for everything. When I have to go slow, I will go slow and nothing that others do will make me want to participate in a race. I subsribe to driving faster than the rest because as long as I am ahead of everybody else, they cannot hurt me.
Let the mods begin
The first mod I did was to replace the wing mirrors with a pair of Hagus M3 style mirrors. They were second-hand and cost me only $250. Of course, I would much prefer to have the original M5 mirrors but they cost almost $3000. I figured that I could do without the M mirrors. I mean it won't make the car go faster. $3000 for aesthetic is just not my cup of tea. Anyway, the Hagus mirrors did not looked that bad. Well, at least they look much better than the stock mirrors. Strangely, although the mirrors are smaller, i I had no problem with it. It could not tilt down when you go into reverse but somehow the construction is so good, you don't actually notice the difference. Some of the other mods included a new M steering wheel and pedals. The 4-spoked stock steering wheel is really ugly but it had a feature that the M steering wheel did not have; you can actually turn on and off the air-con from the wheel.
Before I go further, I think it is good to list down the principles I adhered to when doing modification works on the car:
1. Cost. Simply, I will pay more for power mods but not for aesthetic mods. For example, a $7000 supercharger is not cheap but for the power gains, it is worth every penny.
2. New versus old. I would gladly buy a second-hand part as long as it is in a decent condition. This principle applies to aesthetic mods only. I will never compromise on engine parts or any part that will compromise safety.
3. Brakes and Tyres First. Never ever compromise on these 2 important components of the car. I can never understand how people can do power mods and run around on stock brakes. Unless your stock brakes are Brembo, it is best to make sure you can stop quickly and safely. By the way, Brembo brake covers do not count. Tyres keeps you on the road. Buy a good set because it keeps you on the road.
In the Beginning
This is my E39. This was how it looked like when I first got it from the showroom. As you can see, it is already quite well decked-out with a M-tech bodykit. Since the car was under warranty, there was not much I could do since I did not want to void the warranty. i did not like the wing mirrors because they were kinda big and completely un-aesthetic. But, they were great for parking and overtaking! I also thought that there was too much silver in the front. Everything that could be painted was silver in colour. Look at the fog lights! Anyway, this look did not last very long.
Pictures of E36
Here are the pictures of my faithful E36.
Introduction
I've finally decided to start a blog on the developments being put into my 5. First and foremost, an E39 was not something I wanted to buy. Having driven the E36 for almost 7 years, I knew that I will never want to drive anything else except another BMW. At that time, I was still on overseas posting to Sydney. Australia. I had kept my E36 because it would be a waste to sell the car off since it was still serving me well. I had spent much time and effort to maintain the car in tip-top condition. Of coourse, it was modified quite extensively and so, it did not actually drive like any normal 320iA. It was a fast and safe car because I made sure it had good brakes and tyres. No point putting in extra horsepower if you cannot keep youself on the road and stop in time.
Anyway, the year was 2000. I came back to Singapore for vacations because the office in Sydney was closed throughout the whole month of December! My friend, Lorraine who works in Performance Motors had been pestering me to change to the new 3 series E46. I decided to take a look without any real intent of buying. If there was a BMW I wanted to buy, it would be an M3 but that car was way beyond my league. The E46 looked quite good actually but the pricing was just a little bit less than a E39. Obviously, Lorraine convinced me that the E39 was more "cost-effective" as it was bigger and it was also new in the market. The E46 had been around for 1 or 2 years already. She worked out a nice package for me which included trading in my E36 for about 10k above market value. I remember the dealer coming over to the showroom to take a look at my car. I could see how excited he was when he saw my car because it was in such a pristine condition despite being 9 years old. He knew he had to have it.
It was sad to let go of my E36. We went through many good and bad times together. But now I have a new toy to play with. So, let the mods journey begin.
