[HM-2]

With a second kid on the way, I felt it was high time to upsize from my previous F20 M140i, so back in May I managed to pick up an F30 340i M Sport saloon that was for sale with a small independent dealer locally.

Compared to my 140i (which was fairly spartan) the spec is pretty plush- Estoril II over Oyster with individual aluminium/piano trim, M Performance Plus pack, 370mm brakes, heated seats and wheel, comfort pack, HK, Pro Nav, 442Ms, WiFi and wireless charging. Slightly higher mileage than I wanted, but it was good deal and a very fair offer for my old car.

It's been treated to a few "OEM+" type modifications already, including:

• Hot Climate Intake
• M Performance brakes (front so far)
• Bimmer Masterpieces knee rest

There's a few more bits to go on it that I've not got round to fitting, including

• SLS printed enlarged phone bracket for the Wireless charger
• M2/3/4 paddles

Short term, the plans are:

New Wheels, mostly like Japan Racing SL01s as these are light, decent looking and some in some very handy offsets. I'm between 18" and 19" at the moment, leaning towards the latter. 8.5 front and 9.5 rear in gunmetal. Non-RFT 245/275 tyres (PS4S or Eagle F1s).

M Performance LSD, currently waiting for a fitted quote back

M Performance rear brake disks/pads, same as above, awaiting a quote for supply and fit


I'll probably also be looking at the xHP Stage 2 gearbox map, and likely some sort of Stage 2/2+ engine upgrade (catted downpipe, charge pipe and accompanying map, maybe also Supra HPFP).

Cosmetically, other than a M Performance style spoiler I'll probably be keeping it as is. I like the idea of the M Performance style kit in carbon fibre, but I already ground the front on my parent's-in-law's drive so going lower probably isn't really an option. For similar reasons, I'll be keeping the suspension pretty much standard, though I might swap the shocks onto Koni Active Reds.

Collection day (I managed to get caught by a camera van on the way to collect it in the 140i...)


Out in the sun...it's been very well cared for and is basically immaculate other than some minor road rash on the front bumper.
I think it's been mostly a motorway car...the previously owner averaged more than 35 mpg!)







Honestly, sits really well for OEM suspension IMO.


Crappy pic, M Perf disks and pads up front (properly scrubbed in)


Fun and games fitting the Hot Climate intake...very quick job but rather fiddly getting down into the bumper.






Knee rest: this is 100% the best quality of life upgrade. Can't believe these didn't come with one from the factory, the M140i does!

[Cytoplasm0671]

Ok now I want a knee rest retrofit

[HM-2]

Fitted the F80 M3 paddles today.





Not a hard job, but fiddly. My thoughts:

1) The airbag release spring is a real pain. I could reliably get the right one after like 30 seconds but the left took me ages.

2) If you have a heated steering wheel, good luck being able to get the right paddle out as a complete unit. It's almost completely inaccessible behind a big plastic piece that I couldn't figure out how to remove. I had to just replace the paddle and leave the switch in situ which is annoying as I'd wanted to just swap in both units as whole pieces.

3) The M3 switch mechanism is 100% different from the F30 over, but I can't figure out exactly where or how. The electronics look identical as does the plastic clip for actioning the switch. The springs feel the same. But there's a clear tactile difference between the M3 and the F30 paddles, the former have a much more noticeable click. I reckon it's the rubber membrane but I'm not 100%


Right now I've got the F30 switches and switch innards with the F80 paddles. I'm going to try swapping the rubber membranes from the F80 paddles into the F30 switch unit and see if that gives me the "click".

[justis]

great car congratulations!

Mini Militia App Lock

[HM-2]

Thought I'd give one of Forge Motorsport's drop-in filters a try. These are literally half the price of an AFE Magnum or similar, and I had decent experiences with Forge stuff back in my VW days. They're super local to me, and all UK made parts.



Not fitted yet, but we'll see how it goes.

[HM-2]

M Perf diff is booked in first week of September. Dropping £1600 deposit to get the diff sourced smarted a bit, but the overall cost with Cotswold is great- £1880 all in fitted- which makes it miles cheaper than doing a Quaife or similar.

It was actually cheaper with BMW all in that my usually brilliant local specialist could do without 20% VAT.

[charlie fairmont]

Originally Posted by HM-2

M Perf diff is booked in first week of September. Dropping £1600 deposit to get the diff sourced smarted a bit, but the overall cost with Cotswold is great- £1880 all in fitted- which makes it miles cheaper than doing a Quaife or similar.

It was actually cheaper with BMW all in that my usually brilliant local specialist could do without 20% VAT.

Sounds like you and I go about things the same way--a healthy dosing of mperformance parts. You're gonna love the LSD. The car really rotates like it should and makes for a great dance partner.

[HM-2]

New filter fitted



Need to try and grab some time to so the wireless charger bracket retrofit.