>>> 2PUTT Picture Thread <<<

[2PUTT]

well, better late than never. i guess i better start posting some of my pictures.

quick intro - i'm a boomerang BMW owner. i've owned a couple (1998 528i and 2001 530i) and switched to Audi when the Bangle designs started coming in 2004. started tracking a few different S4s that i owned then decided to shed the training wheels (aka Quattro) and get back to some RWD. looked around and saw the 135 as a perfect platform. then, i stumbled upon this 135is (#88/586).

so here we go...

Found the car out of state and decided to fly to the dealer and take her home on Black Friday 2014.




Some pictures on my drive home...




more to follow...stay tuned!
(she basically stayed in the garage all winter)

[Alex@YSPECtuning]

Looking good!

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by 2PUTT

Looking good...can't wait to see what you have planned, too. Do we get a teaser or preview of what you have in store for it?

And is that the tunnel just outside of pittsburgh? Looks familiar.

[2PUTT]

so, let's continue with the story...

winter was too long. seeing the car in the garage was complete torture. i ended driving the car (with the stock summer RFT) during very dry winter days to help charge up the battery, make sure the fuel got used up, and recirculate the oil to help the seals and such...

april finally showed up. i started it off with some detailing. thanks to some guidance from Phil@DetailersDomain, i was able to get the proper gear to do my 2 step polish...

after the usual wash and clay, i started it off with the Meguiar's M105 compound with a yellow pad. since the compound can build up some dust, a rinse is required before you can continue to the next step...


2nd step was the Menzerna SF4500 with a green pad. (Sorry no picture...)

once all that was done, I sealed it up with some Menzerna Power Lock. since i'm a little crazy and i wanted to try out a new product, i decided to apply a second sealant - Sonax Polymer Net Shield (it lasts for about 4-6 months).

some quick pics of the final results...




(yes, i took off the plates and bracket and detailed that area as well)


here was the car a week after the detail (sorry for the bad cell pics)

[mike@x-ph.com]

Beautiful car

[TWMPerformance]

That is exceptionally sexy. Congrats!

- Renato

[2PUTT]

thanks everyone!!

let us continue with the story...

as mentioned, this car is my spare car/toy. i intended this to be my track/weekend car (maybe some weekdays i will use it for my commute to help spice things up).

so, since i was pleasantly surprised with the 135is stock suspension and steering, i decided to start things off with some track wheels. i am not a firm believer of spending lots of money for my wheels street or track (been there done that). i would rather spend it on tires, brakes/fluid, or suspension.

with that said, i was able to pick up a set of 261M wheels. i had them shipped directly to The Alloy Artists (http://thealloyartists.com/) in Clifton, NJ. they are my preferred powder coating company for a few years now. i asked them to do a flat gray finish on the wheels. the nice thing with their services is they check and fix and bends, curbing, or scratches before they start the powdercoating process. they also have a great Corghi tire mounting machine which never damage your wheels. their Hunter laser balancing machine is very accurate. it is so precise, it uses less weights since it pinpoints the correct placement and weight requirements. they ended up getting rid of the popular (but dated) Hunter Road Force machine for this model.

enough with the typing. here are some more pics.

powdercoating process...(not sure if this was before or after the oven)


finished wheel with 225/255 Bridgestone RE-11 tires




here it is with the rest of the car

[swagon]

Beautiful is. Blue looks so good when it is in perfect, polished condition.

[tvo9]

I love that blue. It's so gorgeous!

[2PUTT]

wow...time flies...

let me post a few new pics to help catch up with the progress as we reach the midpoint of the summer season...

so, as mentioned, the car mostly sat in the garage during the winter time. this, however, did not keep me from picking up some parts to help start the project and help prepare the car for the track.

here are a list of things that collected dust all winter in my garage until about April...

- BMW Performance Black Grills
- Berk Technology Axle Back
- Berk Technology Mid-pipes
- SS Brake Lines
- Porterfield R4 Track Pads
- Castrol SRF Brake Fluid

when April rolled around, i finally took the car to my preferred shop - Drive Auto Works (http://www.driveautoworks.com/). they've worked on my previous cars and they've always taken care of my friends and family's cars for at least 5 years now. they offer 2 locations in NJ - Clifton and Mountainside.

Grill Pics (pardon the dust/pollen)






Berk
- since this was one of the earlier purchases, i decided to send the exhaust to my friends at The Allow Artists (http://thealloyartists.com/) for some ceramic coating. i asked them to just coat the muffler and tips for me. i was very happy with their work (as usual).

















Brakes
- getting ready for the track with the R4 track pads and some "never boil" brake fluid (not pictured were the SS lines as mentioned in the parts listed above)



Oil Change
- since it has already been 6 months of my ownership and i had a track day scheduled for early May with the ACNA-NJ, i decided to just go ahead and get some fresh oil



that is it for now...
these services and pictures were taken about a week before the track wheels/tires were picked up.

[QTC]

Tracking

Having seen the car in person, and knowing 2PUTT for many years, I can personally attest to his attention to detail and the immaculate condition he keeps his cars in. Post detail, you could mistake his paint for a lake or swimming pool - its that deep and inviting!

[2PUTT]

Oh geez!! Time flies when life takes over...

BUMP!!

Here is a preview of one of the pics from Pocono this past May. The event was with the ACNA-NJ. Great group of guys that setup such clean and fun events.

[HyeWarrior]

That blue is unbelievable

[2PUTT]

Originally Posted by HyeWarrior

That blue is unbelievable

Thank you!! Credit will go out to DetailersDomain for helping get the right products.

[TWMPerformance]

Very nice looking exhaust system. Love the car.

- Renato

[2PUTT]

sadly, the car is gone. i have some parts for sale.

- Berk exhaust
- AA strut bar
- KN panel filter
- Porterfield R4 track pads
- Apex wheels with RE-11 tires (225/255) barely used since they were my track set

probably missing some...will try and start posting them soon with pics.

[Winn.Nguyen]

Price for wheels?

[Gray_Panther]

What are you driving now?
Edit: Sad to see the car is gone!

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by 2PUTT

sadly, the car is gone. i have some parts for sale.

- Berk exhaust
- AA strut bar
- KN panel filter
- Porterfield R4 track pads
- Apex wheels with RE-11 tires (225/255) barely used since they were my track set

probably missing some...will try and start posting them soon with pics.

Where are you located? Interested in the wheels

[chadillac2000]

CLEAN build. Nice photo quality too!

[2PUTT]

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

What are you driving now?
Edit: Sad to see the car is gone!

Had a small garage makeover. Recently picked up an Audi SQ5 and a Golf R.

Originally Posted by Matticus91

Where are you located? Interested in the wheels

sent you a PM.

[Gray_Panther]

Originally Posted by 2PUTT

Had a small garage makeover. Recently picked up an Audi SQ5 and a Golf R.

sent you a PM.

Hopefully i will see you at the GolfMK7 forums!

Post some pics!