Mikelly

Rags, It's oil, and it's not a lot, but I don't want to be "that guy" oiling a track down and having someone else have an issue because of my inattentiveness. Mark, These sure are flimsy, make no bones about it... Clive, If you can find them, I would appreciate it... I had no luck with it... Maybe I'll leave the other one at the other end on... Mike

I bought a pair of ZG flares from Japan that fit like a glove when we got them in... There was minimal "bending" required, and the flares indeed did contour to the lines of the fender. I have no clue why the seller in the OP's link would sell a product that would require that amount of trim/fab work. Mike

Got the CV boot replaced on the torn side, but will probably replace the one that isn't torn, just to be on the safe side. What I've noticed is that the older boots are really thick, but really dry, which is why the other one probably cracked. The CV angle is farely steep. The DOREMAN unit I am replacing it with is very flexible, but doesn't seem as thick a material either. So there is some concern there... Expect to get Justin's Carbon flares in this coming week, and then I'll get to ordering my CCWs and after that, I'll try to run down a leak that's really bugging me. I believe the head on the driver's side is going to have to come off for some troubleshooting of a constant leak. If this were a street car, I'd not worry much, but the bell housing is wet every time I run the car and collects a small drip at the bottom... so I'm going to have to find the source. Mike

Today I ran over to Harrisonburg and picked up the rest of the "stuff" the previous owner had for the car, including a full sized Contour spare, the Shark tune file uploader module, a new central locking module for the driver's door, the headliner, a new set of ground control front camber plates, and the old stock intake. Also bought a new Sony DSX-S300BTX head unit for the car, with bluetooth, along with new floor mats, shifter bushings, and shifter... Also picking up some Performance Friction pads, floating rotors and some other goodies in the coming days... Mike

Yes they do... Really love driving this thing... It's just a perfect daily driver... I'll be using it to instruct the wounder warriors at summit point next Friday. Mike

And you mooks wonder why some want to leave the north east!

Because I know we have a bunch of idiots who may jump on that with both feet... I took these photos at my home, and do not condone driving while drinking... YES these pics were taken on my property and those who have been here can attest to the fact that this is my home. It's actually in the background of most of the pics. I live in the Wilderness National Battlefield, and have approximately 500 ft. of asphault drive, along with over 300 ft. of driveway to the shop. The intersection of the two drives is where the pics were taken. Mike

Latest Beauty shots... really digging this car... Interior... Carbon roof interior pic... Exterior: Really Digging this Ride... Mike

Michael, Thanks. I've always worn my heart on my sleave and maybe I take some things to seriously... You know, I had so many people tell me I COULDN'T OR SHOULDN'T try to do it, that I always try to provide encouragement to others. Hell I have had people on this very site question facts and figures I've thrown out about what we pay for benefits or what we provide for our employees. Bottom line is it's not easy to be your own boss and I hope Owen educates himself before moving forward towards a decision. 6 years later and we're still going strong. Gross revenue over that timeframe is well over $12M in gross receipts. Most of that going to pay for our employee salaries and benefits. My payroll is over $100K per month. Owen, It's been a great ride for me, and you know what, this could be you 6-7 years from now! Mike

Mine was indeed originally a luxury model. Mike

Obviously I couldn't disagree more, and yes Michael I know your comments were aimed at me...Horatio Alger rags-to-riches, really? WOW... Good going sport. You've worked one place your whole adult life. Not sure that qualifies you to give such advice. I've been a government employee. Nothing like not being rewarded for your hard efforts because budget doesn't allow, or because they don't have the "space" for another GS promotion... Yea the benefits are "OK" but even they're getting water'ed down in the government sector. It's not all it's cracked up to be, but those who don't know they've been institutionalized generally make the same arguements for "big" government. What I do know is this... Owen will never know he sucks at being a business man, or not, unless he tries... Mike

Finally got the list togeher from the previous owners "updates" and knowing he pretty much did everything thru Bimmerworld, it was easy to figure it all out... In the suspension departsment the previous owner added the following: Bilstein PSS9 coilovers Rogue control arm bushings Powerflex motor mounts Power Flex Trailing arm bushings Power Flex rear control arm bushings Front and rear shock tower plates Exhaust mods: AAW trackpipe and exhaust system Intake mods: 90 degree boot kit AFE CAI Traction Control bipass kit M50 intake Software/tune: Bimmerworld Shark tune Cooling System: Aluminum Radiator Bimmer World Fan conversion kit Bimmerworld Coolant hose kit Aluminum Thermostat housing New OEM waterpump and 180 Degree T-stat Euro Coolant Reservoir Kit Body: Carbon delete moonroof Fog Light Delete Panels Hartge Rear Wing Interior: Vader Seats... Wheels/tire: Kosei K1 8.5 with Kumho XS tires BMW OEM M3s Front 12mm wheel spacers/wheel bolts. I think it was a pretty good deal for a wellsorted car...Having a ball with it... Mike

Thanks John! It was actually the loose nut behind the wrench. I was installing a new hoodliner and apparently got the hood latch plunger slightly off on re-install. I got it straightended out today... A curved handle from a miata jack kit was used to pull the plunger forward slightly to release it. Then I got the bolts loosened and realigned the plunger and got it all resolved. Mike

So I pulled the CV axle today, got the thing appart, and mostly back together. I got interupted with an M3 with a sticking hood cable, and that was the end of working on the Zcar for the day... Oh well... Maybe wrap it up tomorrow... Mike

Latest Zcar related update: So when I picked up the M3 last week, I also picked up a front suspension from a Zcar Tom Harris had. Today I managed to get the uprights disassembled and the spring perches cut off. I will cut and re-weld the fronts together in a few weeks. I'm going to drop them 1.5-2 inches so I have more front adjustment. Figure I'll store the rears as I really don't need to drop the rear suspension. I Have plenty of range in the rear, but not enough in the front! I also started work on the CV axles boot issue. The driver's rear boot had cut on the inside. I Ordered 4 Dorman replacement boot kits, and will replace the two boots on the driver's side. I managed to get the axle unbolted today. I'll tear into it in the coming days. I also manged to install a new carbon cowl panel I've been sitting on for a bit... The unit is probably a 3rd the weight of the stock steel panel and looks and fits well... except for the whole, well... Hole. Or lack of... If you buy this panel, you need to cut the holes for the wiper pivots yourself and that can be a daunting task for anyone who might be less than comfortable with cutting into a carbon fiber panel... I did it with a twist. I removed the passenger side arm, since it's a track car and I'm in weight savings mode... Cutting the hole in the panel and making it that funky teardrop shape was simply a matter of using a couple of files to form it as I cut way the material. I then painted the edges in a flat black and it turned out well. I like the look of it, although the carbon weave/finish is darker than that of the hood. Mike

Savannah is probably where my wife and I will retire to... We love the city and it's close to everything we like in the south... Mike

Well done... Wiring is not my strong suit... ask Tom Harris... Mike

That thing looks like it would boil the fuel in the bowls the way the carb sits below the two outter branches of the manifold... Not something I'd want to run personally... I had several of the 4bbl kits on my Zcars over the years (owned 22 of these things) and they never really performed as well as a properly setup SU carb combo... The advantage of the holley was that you could find someone knowledgable about the carbs... and parts are easy to find... I forget what the jet sizes were I used but I think the range was in the "50s." Mike

Pete, She's been driving this for the last 18 months: 2011 Hyundai Sonota. We're slowly falling out of love with it. Fine "appliance" for a commuter and travel car, but they lack soul. I'm just glad we bought it with the sport suspension package. It holds its own on a back road, but it's still 'Meh... Mike

Here's the car it's replacing: And my last "M"... This ain't my first BMW rodeo! Mike

Michael, I bought the car as is, with the mods that were made to it. If the shark tune and exhaust do nothing for the car, oh well... It's pretty damned peppy to me, but maybe I don't qualify for knowing anything about fast cars. The parts seem to work well enough with the car and Im' happy with it for the price I paid. I couldn't find anything clean and unmodified in a coupe for less than $18-20K. When I started looking, I wanted something in a 3.2L with suspension and cooling updates, and nothing else... I ended up with this... Go figure...You should buy my SpecMiata, and come play on the racetrack! And oh, Uh no interest in an LS1/3/6 swap for me. I have an LS1 motor in my shop, but I have no clue what I'll do with it. I may end up selling it... Mike

NC would be first on my list... Love that state, if for no other reason, the motorsports support is huge... Mike

It's got a 3.2L 6cylinder, with the M50 intake mod, aFe CAI, AAM full exhaust system, shark tune, TCS removed, and lots of other smart mods... Car handles very well and makes very good hP! Mike

New addition to the garage... Mike

It needs some interior piecework replaced, but overall has all the right bits and pieces to make it a fun commutor car that might also see a little track time...The sunroof had issues so the previous owner removed all the hardware and installed the carbon delete panel. He also did away with a lot of the emissions stuff, the traction control system, airbags, and upgraded the coolant system to the euro spec setup with the self bleeding reserevoir and aluminum radiator. The car sits on Bilstein PSS9s with other Bimmerworld components on the suspension to do away with the known suspension issues. Came with the Kossi wheels and a set of M wheels that need to be repainted, and other parts he threw in! The car has the new Active Autoworks 3inch exhaust system on it, from the header back. It's also got their "Shark" chip... I'm pretty impressed with how quick it is and how well it handles! Mike