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Hi Team, I've been lurking on here for a while but never committed to writing up a project summary for my Beamer, so here it goes. I picked up my 1993 E34 back in 2015 for the grand sum of $3000 with north of 250,000Km on the clock. It was not running very well, it leaked all kinds of colors and the clutch was poked as was the suspension. The positive points were that it had a manual transmission and an M52B28 fitted instead of the original M50B25. Thanks mainly to the color, the car quickly earned the nickname 'Ronin' after the Dunkelblau M5 'getaway car' that features in the movie of the same name. This Ronin however was not getaway ready, but I think I've rectified that deficiency. The first job was to fix the tired clutch, which I sorted by going to an E30 race series favorite carbon-kevlar unit. I matched the new clutch with a single mass flywheel from a 318i E30 and this combo is still going strong today. To rectify the driveline challenges in the car I have replaced the tired G240 E30 transmission with a G220 E46 unit. This also required the change from a 3.92 differential to a 3.19 ratio unit which results in 2,700Rpm @ 100Kph which feels ideal. After the gearbox swap I put some effort into the shifter connection which required some modification to work with the newer gearbox. I have gone with a Turner Motorsport shift bush kit and an Ruf adjustable short shifter. Topped off with a leather Msport knob & boot it feels incredible to row through the box. Regarding the tired suspension, this received a full refresh as did the steering linkages. I went with Bilstein HD shock absorbers and H&R sport springs which seems to be a good combo for decent stiffness whilst retaining relative comfort. Now that the driveline is sound and the suspension is sorted, it's time for some power. As it sat, the power delivery was very 'lumpy' with holes in the torque band and lost torque. I fitted the larger M50 intake manifold and matched it up with a set of M3 injectors, I then fitted one of those trick LINK ECU E36 G4X computers. Luckily the 93' E34 525i ECU is identical to the 325i E36 which made the LINK ECU a direct plug in job. After a dyno tune I've ended up with a claimed 234Hp and 300Nm, which is a healthy step up from the original output and more than enough to really enjoy hustling the car. Most importantly the power delivery is now beautifully linear and plenty of torque is available from 2,500RPM, so the larger intake manifold has not hurt the bottom end appreciably. I am also impressed with the car's performance considering it is still breathing through a decat M50 exhaust and manifold from the original engine configuration, perhaps something to look at in future. After the engine tuning I decided to finally get the whole thing engineering certified, which it passed with flying colours. The latest round of modifications have been purely aesthetic. I have made up some BMW dealer plate surrounds, fitted some EU spec yellow high beam tints and installed clear indicator lenses. I have also recently fitted some staggered Hartge 17"wheels (reproductions I believe), wrapped with 235 wide rubber in the front and 255 wide rubber in the back. This has been a very worthwhile modification, as the original 225/55 R16 rear tires, even with Bridgestone RE003 rubber made first and second gear difficult to utilize fully without breaking loose. I can now get off the line and give full power in dry conditions without loss of traction, which is very rewarding. Interior wise I have kept the car quite basic. It has full black leather seats robbed from a 540i which are in excellent condition, the dashboard is crack free and the AC blows cold after replacing a few aged components and re-gassing the system. Thanks to all the weight lost from the front end due to the combination of an all alloy engine and manual gearbox, turn in is brisk and the car changes direction with ease and feels very precise on windy roads. It does feel more like a comfortable 3 series than a 5 series when I compare it to E34s that I've driven with either six or eight cylinder power. The modifications that have been made to the 2.8L engine have resulted in enough power to really make the car scoot when needed, but not so much so that I can't enjoy revving it through the gears without losing my license. In all a pretty tidy package and I still enjoy owning 'Ronin' 8 years down the line.. I hope this wasn't too long a read...

You could be doing warp 10 and some tosser in a ute will be pissy about it. Ranger Danger is real.

Next was mounting speaker and sound deadening. With the focal es100k series a speaker adaptor is required. With mounting speakers or speaker rings onto a metal surface you want a form of isolation between speaker and metal otherwise you get a ringing effect or distortion of the music. The 3d printed adaptors came with a weather seal that followed curve nicely. Created a gap for speaker wire and used crimp terminals on wire ends. For the door deadening I used Dynamat which just happened to be on special at Repco. I went with a 5 sheet system so one for each door and half each around the underseat woofers. Nice thing about dynamat is that it’s odourless so the car doesn’t smell like a shoe factory post install. Only covered the metal parts around the speaker mount area and put the majority on the door card. A quick knock test and the door metal was a bit quieter and the door card was really good. Obviously full treatment of inner door and replacement of door membrane would yield better results but not prepared to go that far. One door down , three to go.

If you ask me, it's situational. No one is gonna pull over because they're going 40 on urban streets. You wouldn't get anywhere. On the other hand, if you're driving 50 over the Remutaka's and ignoring a bunch of slow vehicle lanes - you're a prick for not using them. You need to put ego aside when dealing with other cars on the road. If someone is up your ass and tailgating, it's safer for everyone in your vicinity to just let them pass. My mentality is that people that drive like that will eventually bear the brunt of it - let it not be you on the unfortunate receiving end. My girlfriend often says "I'm going the speed limit, why are they so close", to which I respond "Just let them pass so they aren't our problem anymore."

Second part was to create hole in door card for oem tweeter mount and grill. Must admit that I was a bit nervous about doing this as getting it wrong could mean new door card. Fortunately BMW have marked the inner door card with an indentation which by my measurement as 51mm in diameter. I also measured the inner side Harman Kardon grill and 51/52 mm is about right for hole size. So by measuring 25.5mm from either side of the circle to create a y axis and then measured up 25.5mm. Checked everything three time and drilled a pilot hole from inner to outer door card. Then flipped the door card as you want to cut through the vinyl first with it supported by the door card material. Stops the risk of the fabric tearing if going other way. Also checked that 51mm hole saw was running true before drilling. Once hole drilled simple case of installing tweeter bracket onto three plastic posts via m6 axial clips. These have a very tight fit so used a 11 mm socket and small hammer to push them on. Also added a Harman Kardon grill to mid bass hole as they are a bit more acoustically transparent.

Heck, I have no idea what it's worth but keep in mind that an e46 M3 shell is not the same as a bog standard e46 coupe shell, it has different guards front and rear, additional reinforcements, lighter panels (roof, doors, and bonnet IIRC?). Does that make it worth ~8k? Not sure, but I am sure you'd need to be proper keen. Edit: even the cosmetically identical e36 M3 body is vastly different from the standard coupe/sedan version.

Still doesnt give you the right to be a wanker and bully someone else on the road if you are behind them. Just chill out, sit back and accept the extra 2 seconds it'll take to get to where you're going. If we were talking about doing 20 under the limit, it'd be another story, but 5-10 under in bad weather? Grow up.

I'm taking that on face value as sarcasm given the EMPHASIS, and if that's the case I agree. I didn't make a comment or judgement on speed (or safety), this is a discussion about driving up to speed limits... and if you're driving below the limit, regardless of the conditions, you have an absolute responsibility to move aside for those that want to travel at the speed limit. This is not a debate, it's an absolute in road courtesy. Now, if the people you let past go ahead and crash, or get pulled over by a cop, then so be it, not your problem. I want to be unambiguous here, if you are driving BELOW the speed limit for YOUR comfort, you must ABSOLUTELY (edit: safely) pull over as soon as people behind you want to pass, it is NOT your place to judge how fast or safe they are driving. Get out of the way.

Just because people are driving faster than you, doesn't mean that they are driving safely.

But it "started" at a roundabout? That could be telling... Any chance that at the approach, the first driver practically stopped, even though NOBODY is on the roundabout??? My 75 year old father gets pissed at people doing that: "Oh dear, a roundabout with nobody on it, I'll practically stop, and give way, in case there is an invisible car I should give way to..." and he doesn't even drive a ute 🤣 Most people on the road are UNAWARE of what is going on around them.

26.06.2023 PRESS RELEASE Seventh generation of the BMW M5 Sedan already undergoing an intensive testing programme. BMW M GmbH to continue its product offensive in 2024 and confirms the extension of its model range to include a Touring variant of the new high-performance model. Munich. The prototypes are carefully disguised, but they cannot conceal their character as high-performance cars. The future generation of the BMW M5 has entered the practical phase of its series development process. The new high-performance sedan from BMW M GmbH is now completing its test drives on public roads, BMW Group proving grounds and racetracks around the world. Moreover, fans of the BMW M brand can look forward to a further result of the product offensive that will continue into the year 2024. BMW M GmbH has now officially confirmed that with the new edition of the BMW M5, it will be adding a Touring variant to its model range. The perfect symbiosis of M-typical performance, uncompromising long-distance comfort and impressive spaciousness will experience a renaissance in 2024 with the new BMW M5 Touring. Just like the future BMW M5 Sedan, the Touring variant will also feature a completely newly developed partially electrified drive system. Its M-typical performance characteristics as well as the precisely tuned chassis technology refined with innovative systems facilitate driving dynamics and agility at a level unique in this vehicle class. Thus, BMW M GmbH is steadily progressing on its path to electrification. "We are now also installing a hybrid drive system with typical M performance in other high-performance cars," says Dirk Häcker, Head of Development at BMW M GmbH. For almost 40 years now, the BMW M5 has been the benchmark for driving dynamics, agility and precision in the high-performance sedan segment. Evolutionary progress, development know-how from racing and pioneering innovations in the areas of drive, suspension, aerodynamics and lightweight construction have shaped the history of the BMW M5. Engines with six, eight and ten cylinders, M TwinPower Turbo technology and high-revving characteristics, the compound brake system with M Carbon ceramic brakes and M xDrive four-wheel drive are just some of the technological milestones with which this model has repeatedly redefined top performance in a sedan that is unconditionally suitable for everyday use. The seventh generation of the BMW M5 takes up on this – with fascinating innovations for an even more intense performance experience. The first BMW M5 Touring was launched back in 1992 based on the second-generation BMW M5 Sedan and has since stood for a combination of high performance and everyday practicality on four wheels. In 2007, BMW M GmbH also added a Touring variant to the fourth-generation BMW M5. And currently, the successful launch of the first BMW M3 Competition Touring with M xDrive* also underscores the high appeal of this special vehicle concept in the premium midrange segment of high-performance cars. Testing of the first prototypes of the new BMW M5 Touring is to commence in the next few days in urban traffic as well as on country roads and motorways around Munich and at the BMW M GmbH headquarters in Garching. The integrated application of all drive and suspension systems will then also be carried out for the new BMW M5 Touring on the Nürburgring's Nordschleife, among other places, with the aim of ensuring the ideal balance of sporting performance on the racetrack and superior ride comfort in everyday driving and over long distances.

Wasn't a Ranger danger, was it? Ute bros are a pest.