Sunday Drive 15 Apr 07
I look forward to Sundays. That's when I take Daisy out for a spin, to stretch her legs, take her to the max. After all the work done, this is the best way to test whether the mod was right or not. While others may scoff at the idea of 'thrashing' her over all those bumpy roads and run the risk of damaging the car, I enjoy doing that. And so does Daisy. We always have a ball of a time. And the company we go with are amazing. Today's drive saw the presence of Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, AMG, Subaru and of course, BMW. Keeping pace with them was really fun. You learn so much about yourself and your car. The speeds we go at are incredible but all within safety limits. That is the difference between us and them. We know when to stop, they don't. So, they end up at the foot of the hill, almost killing themselves and their passengers because they don't know their limits and the car. It's almost scary to think some of these fellas put their lives in danger and others around them. Anyway, that's their story and I hope they live to tell it. For now, enjoy the pictures taken during the drive.
Revised CAI
Okay, here's the picture of the revised CAI that I mentioned in my last posting. Nothing really fantastic as you can see in the picture. Just a simple off-the-shelf Apexi Power Intake air filter mounted to a steel pipe, spray painted with anti-heat black. Then, coupled to the MAF using silicon hoses. The great thing about this set-up is the amount of money I saved. You see that white coupling that connects the filter to the steel pipe? That is actually a piece of plastic pipe used for toilet fittings. If I were to buy the adapter from the shop, it would cost me $60 but the plastic piece cost me $7.50. Of course, some work needed to be done but it's all worth it. The point I am trying to make here is that modifications need not cost alot if you put in some effort in searching the internet for how others have done it. This is not an original idea. I got this off from the guys on the Toyota Supra site. When I first showed it to some friends of mine, they didn't even know the plastic piece was for plumbing. As for whether the plastic can take the heat, I can assure you that it ain't gonna melt. I am now considering changing the steel pipe for a plastic piece, same material as the one used on the air filter. Firstly, plastic does not retain heat as much as the steel one and secondly, it does not absorb heat as quickly also. With the CAI heat-shield, I think it will hold up very well. Wait and see.
Stock Take
Wow, time flies. It's been 5 months since I last posted an article. Since then, many things have come and gone out of Daisy. By the way, that's the name of my E39. It was given by a friend who asked me "are you driving Ms Daisy for the Sunday breakfast drive?". Since then, the name has stuck. Anyway, back to the topic. I have aptly name this posting as stock take because the car is actually being reverted to its stock form. Perhaps stock form may not be the most correct term to use but essentially, I am removing as many after-market parts as possible. There is no logic behind why I am doing this. So, the RECARO seats will be coming out soon and in its place, M5 seats complete with door pannellings. These are bi-coloured black & grey seats imported all the way from Germany. The TECNOMAGNESIO magnesium rims have been replaced with original BMW Style 218 19" rims running 245/35 tyres in front and 275/30 tyres behind.
Frankly, I am really excited about these mods. There are people out there who puts lotsa non-BMW parts on their cars. But I have chosen to use original stuff because having messed around with non-original stuff, I am convinced that there is no real improvement at all in using after-market stuff, where applicable. I am even considering putting back the stock air box at a later stage. The only reason I am not reverting to the original stock box now is because I've just modified my CAI. More of this mod in my next posting. For now, enjoy Ms Daisy with her new shoes and soon-to-arrive M5 seats.
