[shawrf1]

Hi - it's been awhile since I've been back behind the wheel of my F31, and I wanted to start an in-progress build thread for my 2014 328i xDrive Sport Wagon.

About me: I grew up in SoCal and joined the military in 1998. What was originally supposed to be a 4-year contract has turned into a globe-spanning >19-year career (w/a 3-year hiatus to get my BS). Having only served two combat tours, my family and I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to live in Germany and travel throughout Europe for 2+ years. As thrilling as it was to hit triple-digit speeds on the autobahn and Nürburgring with my E90 M3, I also secretly fell in love with the silhouette and practicality of the E91 chassis.

When we moved to Japan in 2011, the timing was right to pick up (and eventually ship back) my dream car - the 1989 Nissan Skyline GTR. It was my daily driver in stock form for 3 years as I stockpiled parts for an eventual transformation. I absolutely love the car, but the tastefully modified F31s I spied on the streets of Tokyo called out to me; I placed an order with the military sales program to have my F31 delivered upon our return. We reluctantly moved back to Texas in 2014 and the Skyline entered the US legally, only to become a JDM parts/garage queen. My new 328i picked up the daily duties as I went back to school for my MHA & MBA, but then it was stored 2016-2019 while I was stationed in Southeast Asia.

Fast forward to today and I’ve been reunited with my wagon with more JDM stockpiled parts in hand. Admittedly, since my commute is typically 5 miles per day now, it remains relatively low on power and I have been focusing on functional aesthetics instead. It hasn’t been without challenges sourcing Japanese parts for the car, but I’ve been lucky to make the acquaintance of generous contacts - one of which led me to source the first (and only) set of Endless brakes for the F3x chassis in the USA. I finally had a chance to install them last weekend, with some modifications. Unfortunately, I understand that they will not sell additional kits outside of Japan until they can themselves confirm fitment on US-spec models. Yes, they're definitely overkill for my setup but, then again, I've never been known to pass up a great deal! More photos and mods to follow, but here are a few pics for now...

What I've done so far (more parts on order):
Exterior
VARIS Carbon Fiber Front Lip
M Performance Sideskirt Extensions
3D Design Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser
iND Painted Front Reflectors
iND Painted Key Hole Cover
iND Painted Grill Covers
CF Rear Extension Skirts

Interior
M Performance Alcantara Trim
M Performance Alcantara Shifter Surround
M Performance Carbon Fiber Shifter
M Performance Alcantara Arm Rest
M Performance Alcantara Emergency Brake
3D Design Aluminum Pedal Set
3D Design Aluminum Dead Pedal
StudieAG Rear View Mirror (modified to fit wider US-Spec F31 mirror)
StudieAG Door Puddle Lights
StudieAG Floor Mats

Chassis/Suspension
H&R Sport Springs
auto refine company Front Strut Tower Bar
auto refine company Rear Strut Chassis Bar
auto refine company Rear Strut Tower Bar
CPM Chassis Tuning Front Brace
Millway Camber Plates
BC Racing Rear Height Adjusters

Wheels/Brakes
18x9.5 +28 Volk TE37s
255/40 Michelin Pilot Super Sports
Endless Racing 6 Pot Front Calipers
Endless Racing 370x34 2-Piece Front Rotors
Endless Racing Racing 4 Rear Calipers
Endless Racing 332x30 2-Piece Rear Rotors
Endless Racing Stainless Steel Lines
Endless Racing MX72 Brake Pads
RAYS L42 Dura-Nuts
Wheelmate Conversion Studs

Engine
Dinantronics Sport Performance Tuner

E90 M3 (sold in 2011, with TE37s bought in 2003!):


BNR32:


F31, near-stock:


Like I said... practical:


First F31 part purchased in 2014, VARIS Carbon Fiber Front Lip:


18" Bronze TE37s:


H&R Sport Springs (keeping the factory active dampening struts):


Millway Camber Plates (beta) for -2degrees camber, noticeably noisier at low speed:


DIY suspension work, installing the springs, Wheelmate stud conversion (and making good use of the free Autozone spring compressor rental). The front springs tend to bind, and I’ll look at installing thrust sheets or find another long-term solution:


Lowered, but the rear ended up being lower than I had hoped. After this photo was taken, I installed BC Racing stand-alone Rear Height Adjusters to bring it up another 5-6mm:


auto refine company strut tower brace and CPM Chassis Tuning front brace, purchased online and in-person at StudieAG Yokohama/Tokyo:






VARIS front lip taped in place prior to fitment. It currently sits too low for my steep driveway and the rugged streets of Honolulu, so I’m researching other options:


Various M Performance/StudieAG interior pieces:






StudieAG LHD Deep Pile Floor Mats (custom order):


Tearing apart the rear to install the carbon fiber arc tower braces. This was such a PITA, but this site was a huge help with identifying how each panel should be removed https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f...pair-manuals/:


Two bolts up top make it fairly easy to remove to regain practicality:


Endless Brakes, at last!:




DIY time (didn’t need the Impact Driver):


Comparison (Stock F/R Rotors: 19.4/14.2lbs, Endless F/R Rotors: 19.4/16.2lbs):


Behind 18" Factory Wheels:


Last weekend, I performed the brake installation with no major issues. Bleeding the brakes naturally took some time, as I was also flushing out the old fluid. The 15,000-mile fluid was noticeably darker than the clear RS650 replacement fluid, making it somewhat easier to know when each caliper was filled with new fluid. I ended up bleeding each corner twice and tapped each caliper with a rubber mallet to ensure all air was removed from the lines/calipers. I was also prepared to code for larger brakes, but after bedding in the pads the pedal feel was already firmer than stock.:






I'll have more pics after this weekend (hopefully)!

Instagram: @backfromleave

[BIFCAIDS]

Ace, love StudieAG stuff. Expensive though.

[Wai328]

Nice!! Another JDM F31 build

[clemsonf31]

Thank you for your service. Car looks great

Max

[Onizukachan]

Fantastic stuff, and thanks for your service!

[F31da]

Very nice! What's next? and Thanks for your service!

[dinanm3atl]

Looks awesome. Just to double check did the H&R Sport Springs correct? And the final few photos shows the ride height?

[SackMacklin]

I was unaware of how popular the F31 is in Japan until like a year or two ago and I would not even know all these products existed without your detailed post.

I have a nearly identical commute in my F31. I'm kind of interested in going overboard on bracing so that I can reduce body roll while I'm driving through my grocery parking lot. Do you notice any difference at low speed with all that on?

[shawrf1]

Thanks for your support, F31da, Onizukachan, clemsonf31, & Wai328!

Originally Posted by SackMacklin

I was unaware of how popular the F31 is in Japan until like a year or two ago and I would not even know all these products existed without your detailed post.

I have a nearly identical commute in my F31. I'm kind of interested in going overboard on bracing so that I can reduce body roll while I'm driving through my grocery parking lot. Do you notice any difference at low speed with all that on?

LOL - no noticeable difference at parking lot speeds, no.

Originally Posted by dinanm3atl

Looks awesome. Just to double check did the H&R Sport Springs correct? And the final few photos shows the ride height?

Correct - yes, I'm temporarily using H&R Sport Springs, but the final few photos show the rear raised 5-6mm with the BC Racing Rear Height Adjusters.

Originally Posted by BIFCAIDS

Ace, love StudieAG stuff. Expensive though.

Easier to swallow when you don't convert from JPY

[LaNcE01]

Hi!

would you be able to take more photos of the 18's! that got me contemplating on going 18's rather that the current 19's.

[Jimmy-F46 M-sport]

Lovely car with some lovely parts that front CPM brace is a work of art I take it that was expensive?

What are your wheel specs and tyre sizes mate?

Keep up the good work mate

[learntocode]

Hey shawnrf1, I was wondering the 3D Design products you got.. were they purchased in JP? Address/location please? Thanks!

[Moupe]

Loving the quality Japanese parts you've chosen. Nice to see a different approach you feel me?! Keep it up =)

[itsrichierich]

The Endless brakes though

[shawrf1]

Originally Posted by itsrichierich

The Endless brakes though

Originally Posted by LaNcE01

Hi!

would you be able to take more photos of the 18's! that got me contemplating on going 18's rather that the current 19's.

I'll work on this, sorry for late reply... currently on the 18's at stock height right now.

Originally Posted by Jimmy-320msport

Lovely car with some lovely parts that front CPM brace is a work of art I take it that was expensive?

What are your wheel specs and tyre sizes mate?

Keep up the good work mate

Thanks! CPM front brace was a little pricey, yes: https://search.rakuten.co.jp/search/...end+brace+f31/

18x9.5 +28 Volk TE37s
255/40 Michelin Pilot Super Sports

Originally Posted by learntocode

Hey shawnrf1, I was wondering the 3D Design products you got.. were they purchased in JP? Address/location please? Thanks!

3DDesign Rear Diffuser - classifieds here
3DDesign AT Foot Pedals and Foot Rest - StudieAG Yokohama (in-person purchase)

Originally Posted by Moupe

Loving the quality Japanese parts you've chosen. Nice to see a different approach you feel me?! Keep it up =)

Thank you!

[shawrf1]

More pics...

Driveway says no... raise it back up




Intake install




GruppeM Goodness














StudieAG Mirror (modified to fit US-Spec)

[silvrbreez]

Such high quality parts in this build. All of the white and blue looks great together too.

[BWbimmer]

Respect man, you are doing a great job.
This is really what one calls individual

[BWbimmer]

I wish I had access to these parts...