[dh_e90_bim]

I'm new to the forum, I've never really had a nice car before, and now that I'm working I have a little bit more scratch to spend

About 6 months ago I bought a 2014 335i-xDrive. It has the premium, m-sport, and cold weather packages. I'd love to do a few things to it to "make it my own" but I'm not really sure what I can do? I don't know much about cars so this is definitely a learning experience for me.

I've bought an Escort Redline I'm going to hardwire in, and a custom sub enclosure for the empty space above the battery in the trunk. These aren't really BAM customizations, but it's something.

Anyone have any suggestions? Possibly done something to your car that you liked and would recommend? Thanks.

[bily]

Black kidney grills
Tint windows
Exhaust tips
Tire stem caps

All small but can make a nice difference in appearance.

What color is your car?

[dh_e90_bim]

My car is Black Sapphire Metallic. I should have mentioned, I've already tinted my windows. 30's on the sides and 20 in the rear.

I have a black leather interior with black carpet and silver carbon fiber trim. After I get it washed today I'll try to take some pictures

[Alan_NJ]

With all that black I bet the reflectors stick out like a sore thumb!
Some painted reflectors would streamline the look real nice.

Especially if you are going to get the black kidney grills.

http://ind-distribution.com/ind/bran...reflectors-998

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by dh_e90_bim

I'm new to the forum, I've never really had a nice car before, and now that I'm working I have a little bit more scratch to spend

About 6 months ago I bought a 2014 335i-xDrive. It has the premium, m-sport, and cold weather packages. I'd love to do a few things to it to "make it my own" but I'm not really sure what I can do? I don't know much about cars so this is definitely a learning experience for me.

I've bought an Escort Redline I'm going to hardwire in, and a custom sub enclosure for the empty space above the battery in the trunk. These aren't really BAM customizations, but it's something.

Anyone have any suggestions? Possibly done something to your car that you liked and would recommend? Thanks.

Tint - I like 35% ceramic all around, but depends on local laws and your interior color.

Bavsound stage 1 - basically just a speaker and sound deadening material upgrade, but worth every penny, imho.

Forged wheels - lightweight, and they look great. Lots of options out there.

Coco mats or weathertech liners - I use coco mats because the weathertechs are too slippery for my tastes.

Dash cam - a go pro or something similar. You can get fancy and hardwire it so it turns on if the car is disturbed at night, but if you park in your own garage, may be overkill. Just a basic go pro is a good idea for pretty much anyone though

Light tune +/- some bolt ons - JB4, aFe, Dinan, etc have some good products.

Detail/clear bra protection - I would get a new car prep, although if you're 6 months in, may be a little late. I would still take her to the best local detailer you can find and have her coated (opti coat, etc.), and a clear bra placed on the front bumper, lights, and hood. Honestly, if you're concerned about resale, keeping the car looking and running like it just came from the factory is the best thing you can do. A good coating will minimize how much you need to get out and actually do a deep clean too, especially through the winter.

Have fun!!

[dh_e90_bim]

I had Cilajet applied on the entire surface of my car (excluding glass) when I bought it so add some protection, but a clear bra might not be a bad idea. Currently I'm not concerned about resale, this is my baby and I can't even imagine getting rid of her

I haven't heard of coco mats, I'll look into them I do want to get something for the winter (mat-wise) though, since I'm in Ohio and it's pretty cold and snowy here.

Dash cam is something I hadn't even thought of. I park outside so I would probably want to do the fancy hardwire (I'm assuming it would be a similar to hardwiring my escort redline). I like that idea, I can do some research to see if there are any that look good. Any suggestions as far as dash cams go?

Thanks!

[dh_e90_bim]

The painted reflectors do look really nice. Are there any kind of laws or 'consequences' I'll need to worry about if I install those? I do live in a city so I'd like my car to be seen by others (mainly so they don't hit it).

[Alan_NJ]

Yeah I believe there is a reflector law, though I dont know how enforced it would be.
Ive never heard of anyone getting a ticket for not having them, but I guess you never know.
And if you are concerned about visibility then maybe its best not to get them.

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4501-15


With that said though, Im likely getting them next year.
But I also dont have a front plate, so im obviously a rebel! lol

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by dh_e90_bim

I had Cilajet applied on the entire surface of my car (excluding glass) when I bought it so add some protection, but a clear bra might not be a bad idea. Currently I'm not concerned about resale, this is my baby and I can't even imagine getting rid of her

I haven't heard of coco mats, I'll look into them I do want to get something for the winter (mat-wise) though, since I'm in Ohio and it's pretty cold and snowy here.

Dash cam is something I hadn't even thought of. I park outside so I would probably want to do the fancy hardwire (I'm assuming it would be a similar to hardwiring my escort redline). I like that idea, I can do some research to see if there are any that look good. Any suggestions as far as dash cams go?

Thanks!

This is the dashcam combo I plan to get for my F31. I would just have a trusted shop do the install, but if you're a DIY kind of person, it's not terribly difficult:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...d_i=B008B8ERIO

[dh_e90_bim]

Originally Posted by Alan_NJ

Yeah I believe there is a reflector law, though I dont know how enforced it would be.
Ive never heard of anyone getting a ticket for not having them, but I guess you never know.
And if you are concerned about visibility then maybe its best not to get them.

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4501-15


With that said though, Im likely getting them next year.
But I also dont have a front plate, so im obviously a rebel! lol

I don't have a front plate either, there's no way I'm drilling into my bumper for that crap. It's good to know about the law, just like it's good to know about front plate laws, but the car would look pretty slick without the off-colored reflectors...

[Fronzdan]

The first thing I had to do was the audio system. Replaced the amp and in the process of doing a Bavsound stage 1. Huge difference. As for the painted reflectors...just my opinion, but on a BSM car, blacking out the rear reflectors is too much black. Doing the sides is fine though.

My next will be wheels and maybe the rear deflector. You have a lot of choices to consider

[KneeDragr]

The first thing I would do is have the paint corrected, ceramic coated, and a clear bra put on the front end. I realize the car wont look customized, but it will look brand new for several years with that protection.

Then I would upgrade wheels/tires.

[dh_e90_bim]

I'm definitely going to black out the side reflectors. I'll keep the rear ones on for now tho.

[dh_e90_bim]

Originally Posted by KneeDragr

The first thing I would do is have the paint corrected, ceramic coated, and a clear bra put on the front end. I realize the car wont look customized, but it will look brand new for several years with that protection.

Then I would upgrade wheels/tires.

What do you mean by have the paint corrected then ceramic coated? I take care of it and wash it weekly so it's not exactly wearing poorly.

[paul @ eas]

Originally Posted by dh_e90_bim

I don't have a front plate either, there's no way I'm drilling into my bumper for that crap. It's good to know about the law, just like it's good to know about front plate laws, but the car would look pretty slick without the off-colored reflectors...

Just in case you change your mind about putting on a license plate, Pedal Haus makes good front license plate mount. You don't need to drill a hole in your bumper.

http://europeanautosource.com/bmwped...ate-mount.html

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by dh_e90_bim

What do you mean by have the paint corrected then ceramic coated? I take care of it and wash it weekly so it's not exactly wearing poorly.

I think he means what I referred to in my post above. Most of these cars come from the factory with defects in the paint, some worse than others. It's usually subtle, but easily noticed by a good detailer (you can see a lot of good examples in the detailing sub forum).

What they usually do is correct those defects and then coat the entire car with a polymer that minimizes not only how much the environment warps it over time, but how frequently you need to even wash it at all (with anything more than water, that is). I pick up my F31 next weekend and plan to have it detailed and coated with Opti Coat Pro the following week (along with any necessary paint correction). It actually comes with its own warranty and can last several years (they claim up to 5, but I think that's a stretch).

You will still need to wash the car with a detergent, and maybe wax from time to time, but weekly shouldn't be necessary - unless that's just you're thing, in which case, don't let me stop you!

Here's an excellent example of a new car prep, from the place I'm taking my car to:

http://www.detailersdomain.net/2014/...-installation/