Slek CF Hood & Other Goodies

[MteK]

Originally Posted by Sk8fe

Just dropped the 1 off yesterday to get the AeroCatch fasteners professionally installed onto my SleK CF hood. Can't wait see it when its done and to get her back.

What is your opinion?

• Should I get the hood painted SGM? (So far the hood is not painted and I have BMW Performance CF side mirror caps and BMW Performance CF rear spoiler so CF "theme" carries from front to sides to rear.)
• What mod should I save up for and focus on next?
  • LSD?
  • Power? (Is the BMW Performance Power Kit worth it to get 2 more year warranty on the motor or no?)

LSD, no question about it.

[Peerless135]

Car looks great! Who did you get the SleK hood from?

[cooler2442]

Originally Posted by Peerless135

Car looks great! Who did you get the SleK hood from?

HP Autowerks is the main distributor atm.

[spyder562]

Originally Posted by Peerless135

Car looks great! Who did you get the SleK hood from?

This hood was never officially released. Not sure if HPA will have them.

[Peerless135]

Originally Posted by spyder562

This hood was never officially released. Not sure if HPA will have them.

I thought so! I've been looking for the past few weeks and can't find anything but the VIS hood. HPA any idea if you guys will carry this eventually or am I SOL

[Sk8fe]

Thanks for the props and updates; I just got back from the Bahamas.

I didn't realize the hood was never officially released. Pretty much for all of 2011, I had been casually monitoring iCarbon and their related CF hood threads here. When I was ready to buy this past Spring, I contacted HPA and asked what was up with iCarbon and asked who would they recommend for a similar CF hood and what did they have. They recommended SleK. Mine is a double-sided CF hood. I have been very pleased with it.

[Sk8fe]

Latest Mod and latest pic.

BMW Performance (V2) Power Kit:


Latest pic:

[Sk8fe]

1M Front-End Conversion underway.

Here are some pics from the shop of my 1M front-end conversion in progress. After initial test-fit.


1M Side Skirts are due to arrive tomorrow -- fingers crossed...


Lov'n the wide front fenders! Lines look good. I can't wait for it to be completed and to run a 265/35/18 square setup! If this doesn't eliminate the understeer then nothing will!

[ilikebmxbikes]

awesome you are doing this! I can't wait to see the car painted.

[miro2296]

WOW congrats! This is gonna look great! +1 on seeing it painted

[Sk8fe]

Thanks! I can't wait either!

One more WIP Pic (work in progress pic) of the test-fit from the shop.


The 1M front bumper came from Germany, so no cutouts for headlight washers. That's fine with me as I hated them anyway -- they always went off when you least expect them to and always sudsing up the car when they fire if you are not flying at highway speeds! Headlight washers assemblies will be removed. I'll take the weight savings; although, I'm sure its minimal.

[Gtrain]

Looks awesome

[MteK]

What are you going to do about the side skirts?

[Sk8fe]

Gtrain -- thanks!

Mtek -- When I worked with the parts department of my local BMW dealership to figure out what all parts I would need for this conversion and put together a parts list and compiled the BMW part numbers, 1M side skirts were included, but when the order was placed he forgot to order them. So they were not available for this initial test-fit and these pics, but I'm told that they are in and will be delivered to the shop tomorrow (they were supposed to be delivered to the shop doing the work yesterday or today, but now I'm told tomorrow). After a quick test-fit and hoping that no other parts are missing or that we didn't miss any parts that are still needed then I'm hoping that prep and paint can start Monday morning. Fingers crossed.

[Ammonia]

What are you doing about the rear end? I heard the rear fenders aren't so easily swappable.


Work so far looks fantastic btw, thanks for updating!

[Sk8fe]

Right now due to funds only front-end is being tackled. Prep, paint and installation will be more than the parts themselves! After recently getting the BMW Performance (V2) Power Kit installed and this work being done, my credit card is hating me right now (although the credit card company is loving me right now)!

Honestly, with the APEX ARC-8 wheels I have, I can already fit a 275/35/18 in the rear and with Bridgestone Run-flats under extreme suspension travel or high-g turns (slight tire deflection) I notice a little wear spot in the passenger side rear "cloth" inner wheel well lining, so I went with 265/35/18 tires. But all that to say, currently I do not have a traction issue with the rear of my 135, just in the front and it understeers like a pig even with E92 M3 lower control arms and Vorschlag camber plates and running -2.5 camber I can go through front tires in a day. After doing as much homework as I could and using those wheel offset calculators online, I determine that an APEX ARC-8 rear wheel for a Z4M Coupe would be perfect offset for my setup and allow me to run 265/35/18 square tire setup (in theory, hopefully to be proven correct next week).

So I may just leave it as-is with only doing a 1M front-end conversion or if the lines of the car don't quite look right then I will consider rear 1M-like fender flares. Of course I like the styling of the rear bumper of the 1M, but not enough to spend that kind of money when you consider that all the money I spent on my BMW Performance Exhaust would be waisted plus the cost to prep, paint and install -- PLUS then having to buy dual exit exhaust.

I've read in other threads here the same thing; that the 1M rear fenders are not swappable or at least it is left to those with deeper pockets than mine. A another 1M conversion related thread here mentioned that there is a company in the UK I believe that provides a 1M rear kit (1M rear bumper and other bits) and I believe their own fender flares that a shop would have to cut your fenders and weld these in. If they sold just the rear fender flares without the 1M bumper and bits then I might consider that for next year, but that kind of work is time consuming and costly I would think.

Next year I want an LSD and engine mods (CAI, oil cooler, tune maybe). Maybe next winter's project will be cutting and welding on 1M-like rear fender flares?...

[Ammonia]

Ah okay, I figured as much. Yea pretty ridiculously cost-prohibitive to do the rear as well!

Thanks for the write-up man.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by Sk8fe

Right now due to funds only front-end is being tackled. Prep, paint and installation will be more than the parts themselves! After recently getting the BMW Performance (V2) Power Kit installed and this work being done, my credit card is hating me right now (although the credit card company is loving me right now)!

Honestly, with the APEX ARC-8 wheels I have, I can already fit a 275/35/18 in the rear and with Bridgestone Run-flats under extreme suspension travel or high-g turns (slight tire deflection) I notice a little wear spot in the passenger side rear "cloth" inner wheel well lining, so I went with 265/35/18 tires. But all that to say, currently I do not have a traction issue with the rear of my 135, just in the front and it understeers like a pig even with E92 M3 lower control arms and Vorschlag camber plates and running -2.5 camber I can go through front tires in a day. After doing as much homework as I could and using those wheel offset calculators online, I determine that an APEX ARC-8 rear wheel for a Z4M Coupe would be perfect offset for my setup and allow me to run 265/35/18 square tire setup (in theory, hopefully to be proven correct next week).

So I may just leave it as-is with only doing a 1M front-end conversion or if the lines of the car don't quite look right then I will consider rear 1M-like fender flares. Of course I like the styling of the rear bumper of the 1M, but not enough to spend that kind of money when you consider that all the money I spent on my BMW Performance Exhaust would be waisted plus the cost to prep, paint and install -- PLUS then having to buy dual exit exhaust.

I've read in other threads here the same thing; that the 1M rear fenders are not swappable or at least it is left to those with deeper pockets than mine. A another 1M conversion related thread here mentioned that there is a company in the UK I believe that provides a 1M rear kit (1M rear bumper and other bits) and I believe their own fender flares that a shop would have to cut your fenders and weld these in. If they sold just the rear fender flares without the 1M bumper and bits then I might consider that for next year, but that kind of work is time consuming and costly I would think.

Next year I want an LSD and engine mods (CAI, oil cooler, tune maybe). Maybe next winter's project will be cutting and welding on 1M-like rear fender flares?...

I emailed the company in the UK and inquired if they would sell me just the rear. they said it was made to order and they only sold full kits.

Im in a similar boat to you. I have my front end widen with the ER front end and am going to be widening the rear of the car. I am debating to just do my rear fenders, side skirts and bumper, or if I should just go all out and get a 1M front end and match the rear.

[Sk8fe]

This past winter/spring I ordered an ER wide-body front-end kit, but after 4 months and numerous missed "promise dates" I gave up hope and pulled the plug. Prior to that I had contacted my local BMW dealership to try to do this 1M conversion (a year ago this time), but they said they couldn't get the parts unless I had a 1M VIN. After the ER WB FE kit fell through I pretty much gave up hope on this happening until this past September I contacted them for a quote on the BMW Performance (V2) Power Kit to "treat myself" (b-day present) and for some unknown reason I decided to ask one more time whether he could get these 1M parts and now he said he could so I said I'm IN!

Cool that your 1 has the ER WB kit -- full props! What sized wheels and tires do you run front & rear on your 1? Do the lines of the car look good ("flow") or is it like looking at double-D's with a 24" waist?

I was afraid that was going to be the case with that company in UK (only selling full kits and not just the fender flares). But who knows? Maybe by the time I'm ready to do this (if ever) then they might consider selling just the flares? Or maybe by then someone else will figure out there is a market for just the 1M-like flares to work with the stock 135 rear bumper and I'd rock them.

But I think if I ever did that would be the last mod I'd consider; long after LSD, CAI, oil cooler, boost gauges, tune and a few other things I know I am forgetting right now.

Thanks for insight tho...

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by Sk8fe

This past winter/spring I ordered an ER wide-body front-end kit, but after 4 months and numerous missed "promise dates" I gave up hope and pulled the plug. Prior to that I had contacted my local BMW dealership to try to do this 1M conversion (a year ago this time), but they said they couldn't get the parts unless I had a 1M VIN. After the ER WB FE kit fell through I pretty much gave up hope on this happening until this past September I contacted them for a quote on the BMW Performance (V2) Power Kit to "treat myself" (b-day present) and for some unknown reason I decided to ask one more time whether he could get these 1M parts and now he said he could so I said I'm IN!

Cool that your 1 has the ER WB kit -- full props! What sized wheels and tires do you run front & rear on your 1? Do the lines of the car look good ("flow") or is it like looking at double-D's with a 24" waist?

I was afraid that was going to be the case with that company in UK (only selling full kits and not just the fender flares). But who knows? Maybe by the time I'm ready to do this (if ever) then they might consider selling just the flares? Or maybe by then someone else will figure out there is a market for just the 1M-like flares to work with the stock 135 rear bumper and I'd rock them.

But I think if I ever did that would be the last mod I'd consider; long after LSD, CAI, oil cooler, boost gauges, tune and a few other things I know I am forgetting right now.

Thanks for insight tho...

The lines on the ER kit actually work very well. the front flare to rear isnt as noticeable as people think. I run 9.5's on the car. 9.5 ET 30 front and 9.5 ET60 rear. I have some HRE R43's I ordered in E92 M3 fitment. The car drives great and you will be very happy once you get some wide rubber on the fronts.

You could get the rear flairs cut and widened without using 1M panels. You would be able to keep your 135i rear bumper.

Using a 1M bumper on a 135i conversion also brings up the issue of exhaust. Our battery tray blocks some of the space a 1M quad requires. So we would either have to buy a new battery tray, hardware, and probably some heat shielding to run a 1M exhaust kit, or have a custom exhaust to run a full 1M rear. I love some of the 1M diffusers out there.

I'm sort of weighing my options right now. I will probably just widen the ass of my car to fit the 1M/M3 fitments but if I am cutting the rear of the car, it would be the time to decide on a 1M front to have the fender well edges trimmed down to match.

[Sk8fe]

Cool -- thanks! I hope so...

[Sk8fe]

Two brackets for the side marker/turn signals were missed and not part of my original order 3 to 4 weeks ago. It was caught and ordered at the end of September and I had assumed that they came in and that the shop had them and was still going to make our target completion and delivery date and time of this Friday afternoon. I just found out that these two brackets are *still* held up clearing customs in Memphis, TN for some reason so now my Friday delivery is out of the question and *maybe* Wednesday or Thursday of next week. It is always something! You try to plan and execute and get all your ducks in a row to make an October 19th event and now its coming down to the wire. Ugh!...

Fingers crossed I can still make the event. We'll see...