02-08-2018, 06:10 PM | #1 |
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The purpose of this journal will be to document my journey with my CPO 2015 Glacier Silver Metallic 335i M Sport. This is going to be as much for me "to have a place to get things out of my mind and into words" as it is to share the experience with you all.
I plan to start with a little about myself and my journey to this car. From there, I will document my research and thought process into any modifications I make to the car. Thanks for checking in and I hope you join me for the ride. KEY POSTS Intro & First Vehicle Previous Vehicles & Road to my F30 Factory Equipment & Modifications July 2018 Photos April 2020 Photos April 2022 Photos October 2024 Update & Photos Photo from October 2024
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2015 F30 335i | Glacier Silver Metallic ///M Sport | Journal
2014 E84 X1 sDrive28i Last edited by silvrbreez; 10-02-2024 at 05:01 PM.. |
02-08-2018, 11:40 PM | #3 |
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Congratulations man. Awesome ride. Look forward to the journal
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02-09-2018, 01:17 AM | #4 |
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Car looks good! Love the M sport with the rims.
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02-09-2018, 06:48 AM | #5 |
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Beautiful F30!
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02-09-2018, 07:28 AM | #6 |
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Thanks guys!
First a little about myself and my first vehicle… I was born and raised in the suburbs of New Orleans, LA (Westbank/Marrero for those familiar). My parents were not well off, but they worked hard. I’d say we were on the lower end of middle class, so we never had anything flashy. My father always had an extended cab pickup truck (he is a Chevy guy) and my mother always had a big cars (used Buicks mostly). Those made family road trips with me and my two younger sisters tight but fun. I learned to drive in my mother’s 1981 Buick Regal complete with an 8-track and sagging headliner. When I got my license in 1998, my maternal grandfather (who had done well for himself with property and A/C business in the Caribbean) and my father decide to each put in half to purchase my first vehicle. I immediately started dreaming about what my first car would be. Something about the BMW brand always appealed to me. Perhaps it was the prestige and status-symbol persona that I wanted. Perhaps it was my desire to have something nicer than I’d ever had before. I don’t recall the exact motivation, but I knew I wanted a BMW. I would pickup a copy of the local used auto classified periodical (News on Wheels) and began circling the BMW’s that I thought might be in my price range. I knew that a new BMW would be out of the question, but I thought that a used E36 could certainly be had for the price of whatever my father and grandfather were considering. I ended up having little contribution to the decision of what that first vehicle purchase would be. Was I complaining? No. After all it was going to be purchased in full for me so I wouldn’t have any debt to my name heading into college. The decision was made that I needed to have a pickup truck. Something small, economical, but with a bed so I could haul all my own stuff back and forth to college 4 1/2 hours away from home. We looked mostly at the Chevy S10, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan Frontier, and we eventually settled on a silver extended cab automatic 4-cylinder Nissan Frontier. My academics afforded me a full ride to Louisiana Tech University where I majored in Civil Engineering. It wasn’t my first choice of major or school, but it was obviously part of a bigger plan because that decision has rewarded me well and gotten me to where I am today in my career. The truck served me well over those 4 years and it received some minor modifications during college spurred on by the Fast and the Furious. I’m talking spray painted interior pieces, vinyl decals, big subwoofers, windshield washer fluid nozzle lights, and more. After college, I put on some wheels, cleared turning signals, “Altezza” tail lights, a Stillen cat back exhaust, some carbon fiber interior trim, and upgraded stereo. Unfortunately, the truck was totaled in 2004. The next post will rattle through a few of my non-BMW car purchases, the reasons they were the right vehicle at the time, and how I got to the F30.
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2015 F30 335i | Glacier Silver Metallic ///M Sport | Journal
2014 E84 X1 sDrive28i Last edited by silvrbreez; 10-02-2024 at 03:32 PM.. |
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02-09-2018, 04:43 PM | #7 |
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So I’ve been a BMW fan since circling used E36 options in a local used car classified in high school. Over the years, my fandom has matured from a desire to have the brand because of its recognition and status to an appreciation for the quality and engineering that the company puts into their automobiles.
Past Cars The circumstances surrounding my vehicle purchases never led me to buying a BMW for one reason or another. Whether it be the need for an SUV or truck with storage for work, an economical family hauler, or budget limitations, the opportunity just wasn’t right. Over the past 20 years, my wife and I have owned a variety of vehicles. A few were purchased new, but most were purchased used and quickly paid off, gradually moving up in comfort and features over the years. There was a hiccup with a 1983 Chevy C10 that I drove daily for about a year in order to maximize my financial savings in preparation for our second child. Many of these vehicles were modified in some way to suit our tastes visually or functionally, and’ve we’ve always enjoyed making something our own with wheels, suspension, brakes, stereo, etc. I’m lucky that I have a wife that appreciates a clean and personalized vehicle. Our list of previous vehicles includes:
My History with BMW I’ve had run ins with friends having BMW’s of various kinds over the past 20 years, but never one of my own.
Each of these gave me an opportunity to get more acquainted with the brand and a chance to see each variation up close and personal. I helped swap an M5 rear end into my coworkers E39 540i in exchange for him helping me swap some lowering springs onto my Civic. I was able to test drive many, and in fact I learned to drive a manual in my bosses Z3. His variety of BMW’s over the years has probably been the most influential in my increased appreciation of the brand beyond the stereotypical status symbol. As a car guy himself, we could relate to the deeper details that cars like these have to offer. I can honestly say that today I am completely driven by the quality and thought that goes into a BMW far greater than any notion of feeling like owning a BMW elevates or affirms my accomplishments. It’s never been about that for me…as you can see by skimming through the list of my previous vehicles above. I had a chance to own a used E46 330i sedan (black with natural brown interior) in 2011, but a pre-purchase 3rd party inspection revealed some damage to the front suspension mounts that would have cost a significant amount to repair. It hurt, but I had to walk away. I almost had it… In 2013 I was ready to move away from the trucks I’d owned and start down the path of luxury performance sedans. I’d made it to a place in my career where I didn’t need a truck for daily use anymore and I could transition to something I’d always wanted. Naturally a BMW was at the top of my list, so I test drove a used E90 335i sedan. I test drove it first to set the bar high. It was just a base model (no sport seats, nav, nothing), and man it was a blast to drive, but I also drove a few other vehicles to see how things stacked up. I drove…
The Audi just didn’t do it for me. It was too sterile feeling and I know I wouldn’t ever consider anything other than a S4 or S6 in the future. Even before driving the cars, I had a feeling it would come down to either a BMW or the Acura TL Type-S. I’d liked the Type-S since they first came out in 2006/2007, but in my mind it would take a lot to keep me away from the BMW I’d been wanting for 15 years. The 2008 Type-S was equipped with everything Honda could throw at a vehicle that year, and it was honestly more comfortable and felt more stable than the base E90 335i. A quote from my insurance carrier revealed a significant difference in premiums to insure the two vehicles. That all pushed me towards the 2008 Type-S. The Type-S was a great fill-in until I could get into my first BMW. It was economical, a great platform for modification, fit the mold as a luxury performance sedan, and I learned a lot about what I like and don’t like a sedan to have while I owned it. It was a great beta test for me to be sure that the BMW I would eventually get had everything I wanted it to have. 2008 TL Type-S Car shopping in October 2017 After almost 5 years owning the Type-S, it was time to move onto something else and I didn’t look far. I knew it was time for the BMW I’ve been wanting for 20 years. My family and finances were in a place that made the purchase of a lightly used BMW fit right in where the Type-S had fit in just 5 years earlier. I’m still not in the realm of the M cars, but we all need something to keep aspiring for right? So I created a list of wants and set out searching for just the right model to fit the bill. I knew I wanted it to be…
I came across various options outside of Texas that checked each of these boxes, but I knew I needed to see the car myself, drive it, get it inspected (if not from a CPO dealer), visit the car a couple times before making up my mind. This made the option of anything out of state tough to stomach. One evening after having dinner with my daughter, we drove through the BMW dealership just to see if anything was there that caught my eye. I saw this silver 3-series M Sport in the back of the lot with an OEM roof rack on it. (Honestly, it was the rack that caught my eye…not that I need a rack, but it got my attention.) We walked over and I immediately noticed the M Sport brakes with blue calipers, black interior, and then I walked around the back and saw that it was a 335i. I told my daughter, “I think this is just what I’ve been looking for.” There wasn’t a price or sticker anywhere on the car, so I thought it just might be in for service. Since the car didn’t have any plates on it, I took note to call the dealer about it when my search heated up. A couple of weeks later, as my search got more serious, a silver 335i popped up at that local dealership. The photos showed no roof rack, so I thought it might not be the same car. I went by the dealership to check out the car and have a test drive. While talking to the salesmen, I learned that this was the same car and they had taken the roof rack off to make it more appealing to prospective buyers. First impressions of the car were great. It was a much different feel than the E90 I’d driven 5 years earlier. This was an M Sport with just about every option except for lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control. It even had the optional Anthracite trim that I didn’t even consider, but fell in love with over the standard M Sport aluminum trim. Car was peppy, brakes were on point, the change from Comfort to Sport was instantly recognizable, and it checked all my boxes. I took the weekend to mull over the possibility of owning the car, weighed the finances against our budget, checked with insurance, and slept on it a couple nights. I returned and purchased the car two days later. They threw in the roof rack at no charge. The next post will share how the car was equipped as purchased and what modifications have been done so far during my first 3 months of ownership.
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2015 F30 335i | Glacier Silver Metallic ///M Sport | Journal
2014 E84 X1 sDrive28i Last edited by silvrbreez; 08-04-2018 at 01:30 PM.. |
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02-09-2018, 10:24 PM | #8 |
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So here's the breakdown of my 2015 335i as I picked it up CPO…
Here's a quick rundown of the modifications I've done thus far (UPDATED 10/2/24)...
Future plans include…
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2015 F30 335i | Glacier Silver Metallic ///M Sport | Journal
2014 E84 X1 sDrive28i Last edited by silvrbreez; 10-02-2024 at 03:38 PM.. Reason: updated list |
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02-10-2018, 09:37 PM | #9 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
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Current:16' F30 340 Alpine WHT MSport
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02-10-2018, 09:41 PM | #10 |
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My previous vehicle had Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires. Quite harsh and noisy. There are better RFT tires if you prefer RFT tires.
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02-10-2018, 10:22 PM | #11 |
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What RFT do you prefer? I was considering the Continental's if I kept the RFT on the next set of wheels. Then again, I may just switch to Michelin Pilot Super Sports when that time comes...but not having a spare on board is worrisome.
Speaking of wheels, I'm back and forth with options that I'm considering. My list includes... BBS CI-R in Platinum Silver (TOP CHOICE CURRENTLY) BBS CH-R in Titanium (a long time favorite style of mine) HRE FF01 in a custom gray finish of some kind (customization is appealing) VMR V706 in Matte Gunmetal (most affordable option with appealing simple design)
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02-10-2018, 10:53 PM | #12 | |
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2005 Nissan Frontier What they heck? Here's a few shots of some of my other previous rides... 2002 Honda Civic 1983 Chevy C10
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02-12-2018, 07:26 PM | #13 |
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Awesome!
Let me know if i can help modding this car
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05-31-2018, 11:15 PM | #14 |
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Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…
After owning the car for seven months now, I can say that I enjoy driving now more than I ever have. The ride is so smooth, although it could be smoother without runflats (back to that in a bit). The car handles better than anything I’ve had, and the best equipped suspension was the ISC N1 coilers on my TL Type S. It’s peppy enough for me to get spirited when I want to. Sport and Sport+ give a little extra fun on tap. The tech and options have become natural to use. It’s been a great seven months.
I’ve been considering several of the future plans listed in my previous post and trying to make a decision moving forward. Wheels & Tires I thought long and hard about trying to adapt my restored 18” Koenig Specials in 5x114.3 to fit onto the F30, but the combination of spacers and resulting offset would lead to a fitment I would never be happy with. I’ve considered redrilling them, but the backspace on the spokes don’t clear the M Sport brakes at all so spacers would be a must anyway. And then they are a drop down in overall diameter. All signs point to this just not being a good idea. The wheels are up for sale locally and I’m hoping to find a buyer to fund some of my other plans. I’ve consider many wheel choices over the last several months. I’m fairly set on getting something flow formed or rotary forged and not full-on forged or multipiece. I’ve shopped and gotten quotes from the likes of Avant Garde, Forgestar, and VMR and others. In the end I’m leaning most heavily toward the HRE FF Series or the BBS Performance Line. Out of those, I’m pretty dead set on moving forward with a set of 19” BBS CI-R in Platinum Silver Now to decide whether or not to go with the always popular, respected, and well reviewed Michelin Pilot Sport series of tires (Super Sport or Sport 4S) or stick with the stock-like runflat option. This is the first car I’ve had equipped with runflat tires and no spare or flat kit. It makes me nervous to think about riding around with a non-runflat tire and no backup. I’d like to get the opinion from guys that have been equipped with both to see how different the ride really is. I’m sure I’ll get strong opinions to ditch the runflats from guys rolling on Michelins and I’m sure I’ll get so-so opinions from guys rolling on runflats. I’m curious about if the difference in ride quality and performance is really worth the switch from the style of tire that the car originally came with. Brakes I like the brakes on the car, and I’ve learned that as long as I clean my wheels regularly (which in turn cleans the rotors) that I don’t have the squeaking issue that so many complain about with these M Sport brakes. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking of tweaking them a bit. Every car I’ve owned has had some sort of brake upgrade…mostly rotors and pads. These M Sport brakes are better than anything I’ve had previously, even after modifying them, so I’m not sure I want to ruin a good thing. But then I think that it can’t hurt to upgrade to something slotted and/or drilled/dimpled since the M Performance brakes are basically just that. So with that in mind I’ve got my eye on a set of Adam’s Rotors rotors in either the Sport I (overdimpled) or Sport II (overslotted) configuration. I had the Sport II’s on my TL and loved the look and seat-of-the-pants feel in improved braking performance. Whichever I chose would probably get paired with a set of Post-Quiet pads since I’ve had good experience and long life out of them in the past. EDIT April 2023: Ending up going with Zimmerman Z-coated dimpled slotted & Akebono pads. The rotors do offer the clicking that some complain about when driving against a wall or barrier due to sound resonating, but it doesn't bother me. The pads are amazing and almost no dust. Suspension For this one I think I’m just going to lean on what seems to be the tried and true mild lowering options. I’m considering H&R Sport Springs since I had run those on my ’02 Civic back in the day so I’m familiar with the brand. I’m also considering the Dinan setup with their supplemental ride and handling kit (i.e. replacement bump stops) and Shockware tune. Both should give me the mild drop I’m looking for to remove the wheel gap. I’ve considered the M Performance suspension, and while I’m sure the performance may outshine either the H&R or Dinan option, I’m not sure it’ll give me the look I’m after. I’m still researching each of these a bit, so I’m open to any experience this group has to offer. I’ve run coilovers in the past and didn’t find the adjustability for height and dampening something I took advantage of. I’m more a set it and forget it kind of guy. If I planned to track this car occasionally at Autocross events or something like that in the future, I can see myself considering something from KW that’d work with the M Adaptive suspension on the car, but I’m not there yet. Performance I’ve started poking around a few tuner websites a bit to see what others are doing and what there is out there, but I’m not big on heavy performance modifications. I just won’t take full advantage of them. Any changes I make would be for enjoyment in normal driving (sound and peppiness) and not flat out racing on a strip or track. I’m considering some of the offerings from Burger Motorsports with their JB+ plug in and intake, and pairing those with something like a Dinan, M Performance, Eisenmann, Turner/Corsa, etc.
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2014 E84 X1 sDrive28i Last edited by silvrbreez; 04-24-2023 at 12:25 PM.. |
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06-08-2018, 03:10 PM | #15 |
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Wheels & Tires (update)
I'll be placing my order today with Supreme Power for 19" staggered BBS CI-R in Platinum Silver wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Supreme Power had the best price on the wheels...hands down. They would not be beat by anyone on the total package price with wheels, tires, TPMS, mount/balance, and shipped. Eric at Supreme Power responded promptly to my online inquiry for pricing and kept in touch regularly over the last few days as we ironed out the details. I'd be glad to deal with them again anytime in the future.
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07-06-2018, 11:49 PM | #17 |
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Wheels are in and on. Here’s a quick snapshot in the driveway. I’d like to get better shots next weekend.
Suspension plans include Dinan springs, ride & handling kit, and Shockware Last edited by silvrbreez; 07-06-2018 at 11:56 PM.. |
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07-07-2018, 07:24 AM | #18 |
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Looks great with BBS CI-R's!
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07-27-2018, 10:03 AM | #22 |
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love the detail you went through describing your entire process up to this point and appreciate the thought and detail you are going through when deciding on modifications! Sub'd and looking forward to more updates!
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