Return to the 128i thread....

[Donkeyshins]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

Got a wild hair and painted my a pillars. They were gray. Grabbed a can of automotive interior lacquer. Several light coats.

Follow the typical instructions to remove. Pop off the AIRBAG cover, remove torx bit, pull top of cover out an inch, then pull up and back.

Clean the AIRBAG covers with solvent.

I didn't clean the fabric at all.

lots of very light coats.

Reinstall by pulling the white plastic plugs out out of the car and sliding in place on the A pillar then reverse the process.

The uneven surface in the pics below is the light through the rain drops...

You going to do the same for the B & C pillars as well? I'm rather intrigued by this cheap & cheerful mod since my sport-not-M-sport 128i lacks the charcoal headliner...

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by Donkeyshins

You going to do the same for the B & C pillars as well? I'm rather intrigued by this cheap & cheerful mod since my sport-not-M-sport 128i lacks the charcoal headliner...

This was so easy that I only did the fronts...

Car is a bit stinky now!!!

(Left the windows down all day...way less stink....)

[WrathOTM]

So are you going to go whole-hog and paint the roof fabric too?

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by WrathOTM

So are you going to go whole-hog and paint the roof fabric too?

No...I don't mind the light headliner....brightens up the interior. Not going to do the B pillars since I think they would look terrible fast....hard plastic and paint will chip.

The A pillars are great black though...

[Ric in RVA]

Oil Change Saturday. Damn I love this car....

[fotontom]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

Oil Change Saturday. Damn I love this car....

Same Saturday. Every 4,000. Worth it in the long run...

[Ric in RVA]

Valve cover ordered Wednesday from FCPEURO, delivered this AM (saturday) and done Saturday afternoon....



Very clean. Good oil and 5000 mile changes. 110000 miles.

Make your life easy. Remove the bracket passenger side rear for the beauty cover and throw it away. It gives you much better room to install and no one will miss the passenger side beauty cover bolt....i just put the screws back in but the holes are blind and they won't leak....

[2tonik]

It's my forever car - I'll keep it 'til I can't drive stick any longer.
78k miles - so far - with at least another 78k to go!
Really nice in stock form, even better w/ square wheel package (stay skinny with 225's for the most fun), Quaife, and M3 front arms.
And ludicrously fun with DISA intake and AA or SuperSprint equal length header!
Just did RSFB's and now it feels like its ancestors from the 90's and 00's...
128i's are starting to get lots of love and appreciation from the enthusiast community and values are going up!

[Ric in RVA]

Chesterfield Auto Parts placed a 2007 530ix on the third of April so I ran down to see if the 3 stage intake manifold was still on it.

Snagged that as well as the throttle body, an oil to water oil cooler and what appears to be a near new starter!

Just got to love salvage yards!!


I will have the N54 manifold and throttle body I bought but never installed for sale and I am going to sell the 3.73 open diff I've never installed.

[Donkeyshins]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

Chesterfield Auto Parts placed a 2007 530ix on the third of April so I ran down to see if the 3 stage intake manifold was still on it.

Snagged that as well as the throttle body, an oil to water oil cooler and what appears to be a near new starter!

Just got to love salvage yards!!

Oil to water oil cooler is still on my short list of upgrades to do.

[Ric in RVA]

I personally think the 128i is the modern version of this car. I'd bet good money that one of these was part of the design brief when they came up with the car.

Too many similarities.

Basic shape...four lamps...aggressive stance, kind of nose high...that crease down the side....Front wheels pushed forward with the pilot sitting just aft the center of wheel base around the CG...enough roof line to fit four people if you had to.....

Giorgetto Giugiaro was 22 when he designed this elegant little coupe!

[Ric in RVA]

This morning I pulled my OEM 1 stage and installed the 3 stage I had gotten from a local salvage yard.

I replaced the DISA's with VAICO from FCPEuro.

While I was in there I replaced the starter since the car in the salvage yard had a minty brand new starter and my original was getting wonky.

Car seems to have a bit meatier low end but really no change at all in how it drives with no software upgrade.

Then went to Bimmerlabs and their website certificates are bad so I can't access the software!!!!

Anyone know where I can get that info?




I also have an N54 manifold and throttle body for sale too.....

[Ric in RVA]

New AGM battery from batteries plus.

Installed the used "Like new" starter I found under the 3SIM I took off at CAP.

Installed the 3 SIM with two new VAICO DISA's from FCPEuro.

Time to code!!

[WrathOTM]

You find the files for the tune?

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by WrathOTM

You find the files for the tune?

Yes...but I can't figure out which SP-daten file to use. No E8* or e9* variants are on the bimmertools list here.

https://www.bimmergeeks.net/downloads

[WrathOTM]

It's there, its E89

edit: at least I'm pretty sure that was the right file

[Ric in RVA]

Success! Car all coded and runs great!!!!

[Ric in RVA]

Whiteline RSFB and Diff bushings ordered!

[Ric in RVA]

Current mods:

K&N
No charcoal filter
Ventilated airbox
Silicone Intake tube
Three stage intake manifold
330i tune

Berk Street 135i exhaust

CDV delete
BMW OEM performance shift lever
Clutch pedal helper spring delete.

M3 front LCA
DINAN rear upper shock mount
DINAN Camber plate
Bilstein B8 shocks
Eibach Matched springs. (B12 kit)

F30 Brembo 4 piston front calipers
335i 340 mm Front Rotors
Studs
10mm spacers
261 wheels from a 135i


Parts in hand and ready to go on the car

M3 rear subframe bushings Whiteline black
Differential Mounts Whiteline Black
Braided SS brake lines


Most recent maintenance
Starter
Valve cover and gasket
Battery

Current miles 113000
__________________

[Ric in RVA]

I gotta say...the combo of three stage, tune, open airbox cover, silicone intake pipe and berk street exhaust makes an intoxicating noise and the car is so great to drive.

I thought it was a great car before...but now it really is epic!!

The soft RSFB are next and they are driving me crazy with rear steer...

[Ric in RVA]

Tirerack apparently has Eibach Sway bar set for a bargain basement price.

They say 2 in stock. I bought 1. We will see if they arrive at this price.

EVERYWHERE I see 554, I found as low as 451 at ECS tuning.

Tire rack? $315 for the pair.

So if you want a set of bars....I'd jump on this. https://www.tirerack.com/suspension/...r+After+9%2F10

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

Tirerack apparently has Eibach Sway bar set for a bargain basement price.

They say 2 in stock. I bought 1. We will see if they arrive at this price.

EVERYWHERE I see 554, I found as low as 451 at ECS tuning.

Tire rack? $315 for the pair.

So if you want a set of bars....I'd jump on this. https://www.tirerack.com/suspension/...r+After+9%2F10

Order shipped...supposed to be here UPDATE SATURDAY!!!! Impressive shipping speed!!