Cheeze's Mineral Grey 135i build / journal

[Cheeze1]

Hi all - recently picked up a brand new 2013 Mineral Gray 135i DCT w/ cold weather pkg. Just got through with the 1,200 mile service and first round of mods so figured I'd start up the journal for my new baby.


Here's the last photos of her as completely stock, about to go under the knife for 1,200 mile service and first round of mods. Just keeping these pics for comparison later on...









The main attraction, OE CF lip spoiler. Started the day out by running it over with my car while backing into the garage. No damage, OE quality like a boss.






More goodies!! BMS oil catch can kit, BMW engine oil and filter, magnetic drain plug, diff fluid, OE black kidneys, alcantara steering wheel cover, Phillips 6000k bulbs for Angel Eyes, OE mudflaps, tape for cf spoiler. In addition to all that, also did the golf tee mod, removed the front plate frame and mounted the rear one, and hacked out those little horizontal front slats in the two air dams in the front bumper.







First taste of the CF lip spoiler on the way home that night:







I haven't had the chance to wash it yet since I bought it, and it has been 1,300 miles on all salt-covered roads thus far, so the car is extremely filthy in the following pics. I just sprayed it down with water at a local quarter-operated place. Proper shoot will come after first wash/detail in the spring:



















The rest of these pics are just more comparison shots for later on, and to show different angle for the mudflaps which many people seem to be on the fence about. I think they are great, they absolutely add a more 'hunched / squat' look to the rear and flow with the body really well. The fronts don't flow quite as nicely but still work well, and the added protection is undeniable.






















Crappy shots of the Phillips bulbs. Definitely a big step up from stock yellow, although not as good as some of the (much) more expensive dedicated AE units. I'm very happy with them:





Can't see sh!t captn...






BBS RGRs coming in the spring, suspension in due time. Not sure what else for now though. Will keep this thread updated as I progress and maintain, and proper pics of Mineral Grey to come in the spring with the RGRs on.

[TheSt|G]

Happy to have hosted/helped out, she looks great!

[Cheeze1]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

Happy to have hosted/helped out, she looks great!

Ah yes , forgot you were on here! Thanks to TheStig for helping hands, wisdom, and facilities!

[swagon]

Black kidneys with the Chrome Line trim look off, personally I'd leave the stock kidneys on the car; looks a bit cleaner with the color IMHO. And mudflaps... Not even commenting them, but that's just my personal taste, haha.

Happy motoring, mate.

[VMRWheels]

Congrats!

Car's looking good, can't wait to see more progress

[Cheeze1]

After buying the car in the middle of one of the most brutal winters on record, I finally got to actually wash it for the first time and did a full detail while I was at it. Wash, clay bar, wash again, polish, glaze, wax, wax. Thanks to Detailers Domain for recommendations and products. Busted my ass for almost 8 hours straight and then literally within two minutes of finishing it rains hard for like 15 minutes.

Crossed 5k miles today, will do another oil change this weekend. These are still not proper photos, will get that together after I get time to mount new wheels. Mmmmmm shiny...

[Joseph@x-ph.com]

Congrats !!

[Cheeze1]

Did the 5,000 mile change @ 5,5xx miles by the time I figured out all the parts I needed (namely the jacking pucks and a lift that would work under this car). Results from the first OCC and magnetic drain plug here.

Tomorrow I'll be getting the Dinan Stg2 tune (because of warranty) and also getting the DCT fluid changed. Today I put her on a dyno to get baseline numbers to compare to after the tune. I'm sure this shop is reading high but still looks like a healthy engine with 298whp/304wtq. First pull was in 4th and the last two in 5th gear. I've never gone WOT in 5th at anything approaching those RPMs so maybe the differences are from the ECU adapting? Anyways, baseline numbers to compare with. Dyno pull at 5,750 miles:

[gregthegr8]

Looks great as a fellow mineral greyer, if that's a word/term. Can't wait to hear what you think of the Dinan Stage 2, too, as I've been contemplating it for months.

Do you know by the way, or they may know tomorrow when they do the install, if Dinan offers or suggests any companies for extended warranties though on the car with their tune after the 4 yr/50k runs up? I know BMW supposedly won't CPO it or offer an extended warranty, but wondering if that means most companies won't? Or maybe some third party company doesn't know or care if it has a Dinan tune.

I'm sure it'll feel like a crazy beast come tomorrow! Excited for you.

[chris82]

Nice ride. Those dyno numbers don't seem too high; i've seen a stock 335i N55 do that.

And you should wrap your chrome trim though

[Cheeze1]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

Do you know by the way, or they may know tomorrow when they do the install, if Dinan offers or suggests any companies for extended warranties though on the car with their tune after the 4 yr/50k runs up?

I don't know and I forgot to ask, hopefully I remember when I pick it up tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Chrisar82

And you should wrap your chrome trim though

I've definitely contemplated doing something about it. Any links / advice you could point me to towards that end?

[BimmerE82]

Most reputable window tint shops offer vinyl wrap service nowadays or just PlastiDip it?

[chris82]

Originally Posted by Cheeze1

I've definitely contemplated doing something about it. Any links / advice you could point me to towards that end?

I got mine from shadowlinetrim.com. I've had it on for two years now and it looks like it did when I put it on. It went through two cold winters and 2 hot summers. I got a roll of the gloss black for ~$25 and put it on myself. Just be patient when applying and you'll get the result you're looking for. You'll want a hair dryer to heat the vinyl up if you need to stretch it and also an exacto knife.

[Chunner]

looking good!!!

[Cheeze1]

Originally Posted by Chrisar82

I got mine from shadowlinetrim.com. I've had it on for two years now and it looks like it did when I put it on. It went through two cold winters and 2 hot summers. I got a roll of the gloss black for ~$25 and put it on myself. Just be patient when applying and you'll get the result you're looking for. You'll want a hair dryer to heat the vinyl up if you need to stretch it and also an exacto knife.

Perfect, thanks.

Originally Posted by Chunner

looking good!!!

[Cheeze1]

Ordered the shadowline trim mentioned above. I'll attempt fitment of the RGRs this weekend.

(sorry this is a straight copy/paste from the dinan stg vs ppk2 vs stock thread):

Back with dyno results. I did have the DCT fluid changed at the same time as the Stg2 was installed, so that is a variable. Different tank of gas, but same brand/grade. 200 miles later, ~125 with the Stg2 installed. Slightly cooler today.

Here are the stock pulls, 298 whp / 304 wtq:





Here is with the Dinan Stg2, 309 whp / 350 wtq:






Here is the 'best' run of stock overlayed on the three pulls from the stg 2 (I actually feel a different line from the original pulls was a better run, trying to get the 3vs3 overlay graph but will probably not happen until Monday. I will also get the temp/humidity readings as well, it was slightly cooler today):





So, that brings us to actual gains of...

Peak HP gain: 11 whp
Peak TQ gain: 46 wtq

Maximum HP gain: ~36-38 whp @ ~5.3k rpm
Maximum TQ gain: ~65 wtq @ 3.5k rpm

Dinan claims peak figures of 355hp @ 5.3k rpm and 401tq @ 3.5k rpm. I don't see where they claim maximum gains. If you take the wheel numbers I got and add 15% for drivetrain loss you come out with almost exactly the same numbers that Dinan claims, at the same RPMs. I'd call it a relatively honest advertisement.

As for my driving impressions, I'll have to get some more miles under my belt, but here's my initial thoughts. The experience is dominated by the torque. I think the dyno tells the story pretty well - there is a nice chunk of horsepower available through the whole rev range, but the down-low increase in torque is enormous. In stock config I would get minimal wheelspin in first , and second gear would hook up pretty well with virtually no wheel spin (with DCT higher gearing). With the stg2 I can pretty much roast all the way through second gear, from a dead stop or while already at speed and just hooning it. The big hustle that arrived around 4.5k rpm in stock config now feels like it has been shifted down to around 3k. When you step on it you're going to get moving very quickly. Turbo lag is reduced a tad. Driveability does not really seem to be compromised, other than I will now be leaving traction control on in the rain (as opposed to always disabling DSC like I do now) because the torque is that much. When you get to the top of the rev range it still doesn't have the spin-happiness that the n/a BMW engines enjoy, but it doesn't fall on its face quite as hard as before.

Overall, is it worth it? The difference is huge, there's no doubt about it. I haven't driven other tuned 1ers to compare to, but for the peace of mind of the warranty, it is the only option, and for this argument, that's all that really matters.

[Cheeze1]

Keeping my maintenance log up-to-date plus quick snap of the black vinyl window trim:

Purchased January 2014

1,204 miles Feb 2014
-replace engine oil / filter (OEM)
-replace diff oil (Redline 75w90)
-install OEM BMW carbon fiber rear spoiler
-install OEM BMW black grilles
-install OEM BMW mud flaps F/R
-install Dimple magnetic oil drain plug
-install BMS oil catch can
-install Alcantara center steering wheel piece
-install Phillips 6000k white bulbs for angel eyes
-exhaust 'golf tee' mod

5,5xx miles May 2014
-replace engine oil / filter
-full Detail (claybar / polish / sealant)

5,9xx miles Jun 2014
-install Dinan Stg2 software
-replace DCT transmission fluid

~6,300 miles Jun 2014
-install BBS RGR wheels
--18x8 35mm F / 18x9 45mm R
--225/40 F / 245/35 R Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
--new TPMS
-install Ground Control camber plates

10,2xx miles Nov 2014
-replace engine oil / filter

11,170 miles Jan 2015
-top off coolant (50/50 OEM BMW coolant / distilled water)

~12,500 miles March 2015
-vinyl chrome window trim black

15,083 miles July 6 2015
-replace engine oil and filter
-replace wiper blades





Quick and dirty pic with the vinyled window trim:

[gregthegr8]

Looking good, though of course I'm biased.

Can you maybe give us an update on your thoughts/impressions of the dinan stage 2 now that you've had it for a year?

I might also suggest it's about time to swap out the air filter, too, depending on how anal/ocd you want to be. The dealer probably won't do it til 30k, but some people like to replace it every 15k miles. Depends how dirty it is of course.

[inFamousKicks]

The BBS wheels look great

[Cheeze1]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

Looking good, though of course I'm biased.

Can you maybe give us an update on your thoughts/impressions of the dinan stage 2 now that you've had it for a year?

I might also suggest it's about time to swap out the air filter, too, depending on how anal/ocd you want to be. The dealer probably won't do it til 30k, but some people like to replace it every 15k miles. Depends how dirty it is of course.

Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look at the AF. I'm very happy with the Dinan tune. There is zero compromise to driveability in any way. Massive increase in torque, and power under the curve in general as compared to stock. Granted I still have not driven a 1-series with a different tune so I don't have much to compare to, but this really feels like the way the car should have come from the factory. The price is definitely the only downside, but since I had it installed so early in the car's life the peace-of-mind of ~45k miles of warranty-covered driving is worth it to me (plus I got it on sale). It really is a massive difference compared to stock. I think it's plenty of power for a street car (or at least I keep telling myself that to stave off more mods haha).

Originally Posted by inFamousKicks

The BBS wheels look great

Thanks!

[Cheeze1]

BTW my stock wheels/tires are up for grabs, just haven't had a chance to make a FS thread yet.

[schmidtp]

Originally Posted by Cheeze1

BTW my stock wheels/tires are up for grabs, just haven't had a chance to make a FS thread yet.

Car looks great! Those rims would make a great looking winter set as well. GLWS