jeffbebe

I bought Lemfoerder ball joints and bushings throughout for my rear suspension overhaul. Most were a bit cheaper than BMW genuine on ECS tuning.

Original was 385mm, the mtech II is 365 or 370mm. Doesn't seem like much of a difference but it's all about the feels.... And it feels way better!

You can tell I don't get to drive many modern manuals!

Probably less than my two tonne 850.

Yep. It's a lovely little thing and much nicer than the stock wheel... Then: Now:

Good point. I should make a list of people who might like to go for a drive on a Sunday at short notice.

In 1989 when the E31 came out, everyone thought it was space age (just see the Top Gear reviews!!) but I guess tech, particularly in Japan moved on very quickly but there were no major updates to the E31 in 10 years of production. Really liked the one touch indicator and wiper controls and the cluster display in your car, there are new cars that don't work as well. You need to source some buttons in English though! I think I should have switched OFF the Soarer TRC, it was terrifyingly aggressive in the wet!

Mike and I swapped cars on the drive back to Clevedon. Very impressed with the cabin tech in the Soarer; made my 8 look like an antique and it's only a few years older.

But then you have to remember to use the clutch when you start the car... Almost as hard as remembering not to use your handbrake when it's busted! Goddamn these learned habits!!

Weather like today might not be ideal for driving but it's perfect for photos! Mike, Martin and I took a turn out to Kawakawa Bay and it was spectacular. Great fun drive too, before the rain really set in, and a good test for the new suspension in my 8er. So good! Rock solid in the twisties at reasonable pace, where previously she'd have been very skittish (or just wound up in a ditch!) at that speed. Here are a few of the best ones... The rest are on here:

Picked up a spare lock from Brent today so will fix as soon as I can find time!

I am a numbskull and forgot to use the original shorter lugs when I removed the rear spacers after lowering the car. After a couple of days one of the longer bolts caught the expanding lock on the left side handbrake assembly... And mangled it. Schoolboy error. Annoyed with myself. Lucky it's an auto!

Suspension's finally complete. All new front and rear. Sport shocks, csi bump stops and rear reinforcement plates and Eibach springs. What a difference! The old girl feels like new, so much grip in the corners. She's pretty low so the ride's a bit harsher than the floaty EDC but not much different to the mtech II suspension in my old E39 540i. She earned herself some new rubber on the fronts too. Resulting issues... Not sure I'll be able to navigate my steep drive if I fit my csi front spoiler... Too much low!! And on the odd hard bump thanks to our crappy roads, I get a bong like a check engine. Happened prior to overhaul too. No light so possibly just a loose electrical connection. Any ideas?

If they were on an E39 without hub rings they'll need adapters to fit an e38. Cheap but the E38 needs staggered with at least 9s at the back IMO.

Wheel alignment after full suspension overhaul and splashed out on some new front rubber.

No coilovers for E31. Some enthusiastic owners have looked at custom coilovers but I think the cost outweighs the benefit.

You can get a dusty old Alpina B12 5.7 for a mere US$264K... http://www.dpccars.com/gallery/index.php/Rare-BMW-8-Series-Alpina-B12-5-7-Coupe-Listed-For-264-000 So an R8's gonna seem like a steal!

csi has the same shocks as the late model 840 sports, I believe. I used these to replace the EDCs as I new I planned to lower.

Thanks. According to many E31 owners who have used H&Rs they've been disappointed with how similar they were in height to stock, especially the rears. Unfortunately not that many aftermarket options for the E31. The csi rears seem to be the pick of the bunch but difficult to get hold of. If mine don't work out I'll try and get a set made up to the same spec as the csi ones.

Don't tell me that! Archer's seemed the most reputable, promising to test the spring rate, etc after compressing. I already have Eibachs in the car and they sit quite high. Not many options for the E31. If they don't work out I'll get some custom springs made.

This is a pretty good dedicated M5 board: http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e52-z8-discussion/

Not a massive demand for e31 springs I guess. Only 30k or so cars built over 10 years so probably not much R&D spent in the aftermarket arena. Certainly not much in the way of aftermarket parts for the 8er full stop.

+1 to Dragon's breath but no real substitute for elbow grease. Soft bristled toothbrush and a few good hours should do the trick! Then regular cleaning so the brake dust doesn't build up!!

General consensus on the e31 H&R springs is that there is little difference over stock ride height. Lots of disappointed 8er owners that bought them!

I've already got Eibachs which are allegedly 35mm front and rear over stock. Is that an OE part number?