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.
posted by gabey @ Saturday, April 15, 2006
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