Jump to content

Tidy30

Members
  • Content Count

    387
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Posts posted by Tidy30


  1. Can anyone elaborate on what kind of wheels those are?

    My car is a PFL, and I think the light housing is different to your FL model, but can anyone offer some insight whether the bulbs themselves are replaceable? Have been lazily looking for Smilies for a while now.


  2. Edit: Before you go and think the following rant is full of rage, I respect that everyone has different opinions, welcome some constructive discussion and I respect others enough to keep an open mind.

    I was expecting to be questioned about it sometime, and I guess it is fair enough.

    To save time:

    I have absolutely no qualms about spending a third/quarter of the price for something which looks 50% as good. I am being polite/conservative here as I think the wheels are aesthetically almost just as good.

    As much as I enjoy and respect the community here, I would need to take a serious look at myself if I went and spent and extra $2000 for the approval of strangers on the internet, and the entrance to arbitrarily determined levels based purely on price.

    I have plenty of other things to be spending my money on, and looking at the budget I've set aside for this, dollars-to-return-ratio it makes the most sense not to go for BBS branded wheels.

    Aside from fuel economy and alleged safety, the "effectiveness" score of my daily driver is less sensitive to performance benefits as I am not using it for the track. Any losses in the above economy and safety would only skew the decision toward keeping the bottlecaps, not toward shelling out for genuine BBS.

    Given that, I've done a bit of snooping in NZ already, and it appears I can save a good $200-$300 by buying whilst in the States, which is all money that goes back into the pool which can be spent on the next best dollars-to-return-ratio item.

    It is interesting hearing these offsets people are successfully running though. With my modified ride height and this anecdotal decision making, I'm tempted to use some Optimum K model and figure things out a bit more quantitatively...


  3. 16x8 fits easily, I have 16x9 ESM wheels ET15, Fit fine in rear just needed a 5mm infront to clear the strut.

    That is a good deal.. Wish I had money I'd so get me some of those all black ones

    Will 16x8 fit non-rolled front guards? A very reliable "mentor" says 16x8 will need quite a bit of camber/guard rolling to be legal.

    Hmm wonder how much the shipping will actually be i want to hit the go button on these http://esmwheels.com/access/18-c-21_82_85.html

    When I type in New Zealand and my address into the final shipping box, it adds on an "insured shipping" value of around $120.

    Don't know if I believe it! Pretty good. It seems we can get 4x 16x8 wheels shipped to NZ for $800NZD.


  4. There is a pretty good Black Friday deal (will end in around 13 hours from my posting)

    30% off with a code on the front page = essentially free shipping from the States!

    http://esmwheels.com/access/002r-p-164.html

    So my last question before I purchase something, anyone had any experience getting 16x8 to fit fronts for E30? I would really really prefer to keep them square/same wheels.

    Otherwise I will be getting Remembers 16x7 all around.

    Thanks!


  5. I run 16x8 +7 and 16x9 +7

    My second set of wheels is 16x9 +20

    7" wide and about +20 is factory if I remember right? Wheel height only really comes into it if you have big brakes

    Factory is 14x6 et35 I think. I have standard 320i brakes and callipers.

    You must be running spacers with your second set of wheels? (Great news for me if you somehow don't) I take it your first set is currently in your signature picture, which is pretty spectacular.

    I have considered briefly getting genuine wheels, however the fact I'll be using them on my daily driver makes me a little anxious running $2000 wheels. Plus the fact I'll only be spending around $600, which I don't particularly mind if I don't get back when I resell one day. I am keeping an open mind though, feel free to sway my thoughts


  6. Hi team,

    I am currently posting from the big bad LA whilst on a trip here for the next few weeks. I have left things a little late, as I've been so busy but am now in a position where I have done less homework than I would have wanted.

    Essentially what is happening:

    • I am in a good position to purchase a set of wheels (replicas probably!) from ebay for a great price (local/no shipping and the great exchange rate at the moment)
    • I have hardly any luggage, but if the wheels don't fit in my checked baggage (which is pretty ambitious) I have a great deal for shipping through work, but I must be the one to send it, which means I can only ever take advantage of it when I'm actually here, so can't use it when I come home

    Due to not being able to find some Zender Turbos, I am going to look at some gold BBS RS replicas. The fitment however all seems very aggressive, and I'm leaning towards the "they're not going to fit" mentality.

    My question:

    I also ask my fellow bimmersporters to comment on tyre-size availability and suitability for any of the above choices. My rear guards have been rolled very slightly, need to make sure somehow they'll fit with respects to that as well.

    Didn't want to ask such blunt questions without looking into it very much, but time is of the essence now. I have played around with calculators etc as I know the stock envelope, but I have little idea how much extra space there is to play with. If anyone can offer some advice, especially ones involving personal experience (are you running any of the above!) I would be much, much obliged.

    If they don't fit, I could sell them again in NZ, but I'd rather not squander this opportunity!

    Thanks,

    Edit:

    Just found this

    Which is stupendously cheaper. I'd like to lean towards getting these, however these are 16x8 et15. I've heard 16x8 tyre choices are very limiting however, will they need a bit of camber to fit?


  7. still not facelifts though.

    (i know its personal preferences etc etc)

    I knew that was coming Andy! ha, I think the facelift cabs looks amazing, but the pfl ones look classy in a different way. The obviously look a lot more dated, but I think that kind of charm sits well with the overall aesthetics of the car just as well. They are a bit rarer, and spare bumpers etc are a lot more common. One day I will achieve my dream of finding a space pfl chrome rear bumper to replace mine, which has started to pit slightly. It seems through some slight wiki'ing cabrio rear chrome bumpers are unique only to the cabs due to length. Since tourings never came out in pfl, the pool of parts in which ti draw from for longer rear'ed E30's is halved.

    If it was me then I would go for the Hellrot for a big inspection, and if it's solid then buy it and chuck a set of wheels and slight drop at it. Only negatives that I can see are the weird rear spoiler (never seen one like that, but really wtf??) and no ABS - neither of which are deal breakers, possibly negotiating points. Colour and interior combination is very nice (check how well the red paint has lasted - tends to fade badly), rear head rests are a plus, and the half leather re-trim looks good with the houndstooth.

    Did many pfl E30's come with ABS? Mine is lacking in it as well. Only consciously acknowledged/realised what a relative deathtrap I was driving the other day when I thought about how I was only 8" off the ground sitting on essentially a bendy flat metal plate with soft brakes, no airbags, ABS or roof!

    The houndstooth is very nice indeed. Almost, almost nicer than my blue tartan/black leather. It seems quite a few of these E30's have the half leather option, amateur-me is starting to think it may possibly have been in fact a factory option?

    Not knowing very much about E30s I didn't want to make the roof comment, but I did think it looked unusually crass. The seat trim is just shite. There. I said it.

    I have a feeling the red canvas is the standard colour palate option for the Hellrot. It has the same hue and tone as mine, relatively speaking, but red instead of blue if you know what I mean. I imagine it may be a little susceptible to UV damage and sun-fade? It certainly has that look to it...


  8. These things sure are seasonal! Another 2 E30 cabrio's spotted on trademe this evening!

    http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/325i/auction-666534498.htm

    http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/325i/auction-666319746.htm

    Anyone able to shed some light on these guys? I've been on the lookout for another one of these for another good friend of mine.

    They're certainly priced highly, but they're worth what people will pay for them I guess. I got mine for a fair bit less than these numbers, but have spent a similar amount in restoration so far.


  9. What a difference good photography makes as well! Never understood why people didn't take a little extra care when it came to the photos on a listing. Sure, you'd expect people to come around for a viewing, but if the car looks like crap in the listing I'm going to be less intrigued/enthralled (very generally speaking)


  10. I haven't forgotten you Chris! Already checked your listing again as soon as the thought popped into mind. Whilst temptimg, the lack of caps + powdercoat would mean replacement ones I got would probably need to get colour matched to scratch my OCD itch. Not a dealbreaker, but definitely something I've pondered briefly over.

    Looking good man.

    Can I ask you to do me a favour and measure the height of your car from the front and rear wheel arches to the ground?

    Sure thing, Ernst actually measured the before and after for me, I've yet to speak to him and the get number off him but will let everyone know when I do. Just a heads up though, I may not have time to do for the next 3.5 weeks! Going Stateside for 3 weeks and have the worst week ever at work getting things done before I head over.

    looks f'ing awesome.

    have you considered punching out the cap logo off your wheel, and painting the centres a different colour? maybe polish the lips also :P

    jy0a.png

    Definitely! Your 3rd picture is exactly what I am looking for ;)

    But really, painting them looks pretty good, but it just jumps out as a slight hack job to me. The centre of the caps is already proportionally large, and painting it a different colour makes it worse. The 3 piece ones are amazing though! Don't know how much they cost, but at a high price I'm sure you could get some other pretty sweet wheels to consider.

    I am currently tossing up between 16" gold RS replicas like your 15"s, standard 15" weaves and 15" Zender Turbos (gotta do something while I'm in the States!). Cost is largely similar between the first 2 options, the only barrier against the replicas is the fact I may potentially need to run spacers to clear my struts. Might be a little buried here, and it's hopeful thinking but: will 16x8 et20 fit without spacers?

    My friend has RS replicas as well 17x8's (mystery offset, as all other replicas likely to be et20 as well, slightly less likely to be et15) and he doesn't run any spacers at all. I'd really, really like to not go for spacers due to the cert side of things.

    Yeah bottlecaps are 35 and they're also only 6 inch wide. Whereas the weaves are 7 inch wide so that's another 10mm either side of centre which means to counter it and make them the same as weaves you would need at least a 20mm spacer. I did this for a while, and I also painted the centres a gray metallic. Ramble I know. Just my 2c

    I would definitely like to fill the guards a little more! It looks worse in the photo in my sig, but in real life the rear tyres do look a little silly being tucked in like that.

    So yeah, next thing on the list is (headlight first) wheels, and then the search for a Tech1 kit will begin in full swing!


  11. Update time!

    Clearer photos have yet to be processed, but after another semi-mammoth detailing session, I'll give a sneak peek at what has happened since last time before a proper run through.

    After spending enough money to bail out the world's banks with Ernst at Bavarian Motorworks (who has done an excellent job so far!) I have recently done the following:

    • Tie rod replacement
    • Suspension bush replacement
    • Filters replaced as well as an engine re-tune (had my valve clearances done last time, needed to retune since)
    • Full diff refurbishment (and paint! for someone to look at sometimes!)
    • Lowered the car on an H&R Sport Cupkit.

    The cupkit is the real visual difference here. I did quite a lot of research on the net beforehand to figure out heights (as my driveway is horrendous! Did not want to condemn the cabrio to outside parking if it couldn't get into the safety of the garage) but the amount of concrete information is rather limited, especially with a non-touring cupkit installed on a cabriolet.

    I will have some numbers in the near future, but the kit gave an approximate drop of 3" front, 2.5" rear which was quite a bit more than I had expected, but has turned out exceptionally well. The cabrio even came with a sump guard, so it was meant to be!

    Once again, you're probably skipping over this text, distracted by what you see in your peripheral vision:

    66zqt5.jpg

    25hjx2h.jpg

    dnzhuw.jpg

    21j58q8.jpg

    A massive clean of the bottlecaps was included in the list for the detailing session, and I must say I have actually really taken a liking to the OEM look. Still looking for a set of RS's, but have now thought about considering some super tidy 15" weaves. Gotta find some for a test fitting sometime!

    Anyway, will have some more photos and informaiton up. Just got home and couldn't resist posting sometime in the meantime as I've been teasing for quite some time!

×
×
  • Create New...