Discussion
Another 8 months have passed in the 40i. Still loving it, I've been doing a few more miles up and down the motorway and it's really doing well on the economy front. No real issues, I had an annoying rattle from the passenger side tweeter area, after weeks of trying to work out what it was, I think I've narrowed it down to the rubber seal that runs along the edge of the mirror plate, against the window. Little wipe of silicone lube and it seems to have cured it.
I had a bash at a proper ceramic coating a few weeks back, came out quite well for a first go. It lasts 1-2 years so hopefully that'll keep it looking smart and easier to wash for a while.
Typically the sun went in as soon as I got it out the garage! Looks a funny shade in these pictures.
I noticed the tyres are getting towards the end of their life now, I priced up a new set, then accidently had a look on ebay at some wheels. I've always liked the 437m wheels, although I'm not a huge fan of diamond cut wheels they sit nice and look tidy in a colour. Anyway, I found a set of them, with very good tyres for only a small amount more than the tyres were. I had to act quick though, so off I went at 7pm on a sunday evening to pick them up.
Pretty pleased with them, few small blemishes but I will get them powdercoated eventually. Obviously they will look stupid on stock suspension so I need to lower it a touch. I've got some prices, Eibach springs are a little under £500, Bilstein coilovers are about £1200 (both fitted) so I just need to make my mind up which to go for.
It's due a self imposed oil change now too so it'll have that when it goes in too, my guy reckons he can retrive the oil filter bottom if it falls apart but has had no issues with any B58 motors so far, fingers crossed mine goes alright too!
The car had barely been used for a good 8 weeks at the start of lockdown so when I finally took it for a spin I forgot how bonkers it is when you give it a poke.
I can't imagine what these 430/460 bhp cars are like to drive. One thing I've always wanted is the sport mode settings but to have the box change up a little earlier (as it does in comfort). It appears XHP software can do just that, along with getting rid of the horrible thud on the upshifts in sport(+). Obviously it will void the warranty so it will have to wait but it sounds like a good option.
No road trips planned thanks to the dreaded Covid but I might get away with a little trip aboard if we are allowed over soon enough. I'll update when the wheels/suspension go on!
I had a bash at a proper ceramic coating a few weeks back, came out quite well for a first go. It lasts 1-2 years so hopefully that'll keep it looking smart and easier to wash for a while.
Typically the sun went in as soon as I got it out the garage! Looks a funny shade in these pictures.
I noticed the tyres are getting towards the end of their life now, I priced up a new set, then accidently had a look on ebay at some wheels. I've always liked the 437m wheels, although I'm not a huge fan of diamond cut wheels they sit nice and look tidy in a colour. Anyway, I found a set of them, with very good tyres for only a small amount more than the tyres were. I had to act quick though, so off I went at 7pm on a sunday evening to pick them up.
Pretty pleased with them, few small blemishes but I will get them powdercoated eventually. Obviously they will look stupid on stock suspension so I need to lower it a touch. I've got some prices, Eibach springs are a little under £500, Bilstein coilovers are about £1200 (both fitted) so I just need to make my mind up which to go for.
It's due a self imposed oil change now too so it'll have that when it goes in too, my guy reckons he can retrive the oil filter bottom if it falls apart but has had no issues with any B58 motors so far, fingers crossed mine goes alright too!
The car had barely been used for a good 8 weeks at the start of lockdown so when I finally took it for a spin I forgot how bonkers it is when you give it a poke.
I can't imagine what these 430/460 bhp cars are like to drive. One thing I've always wanted is the sport mode settings but to have the box change up a little earlier (as it does in comfort). It appears XHP software can do just that, along with getting rid of the horrible thud on the upshifts in sport(+). Obviously it will void the warranty so it will have to wait but it sounds like a good option. No road trips planned thanks to the dreaded Covid but I might get away with a little trip aboard if we are allowed over soon enough. I'll update when the wheels/suspension go on!
Another update on the noise, it came back, after lots of googling and driving round slowly like a kerb crawler, turns out it was the transmission tunnel trim rattling. Gonna get me some sticky foam but it's nice just knowing what it is in a funny kinda way!
I've just ordered the Bilstein B14s so they'll be fitted once they arrive along with the new wheels.
I've just ordered the Bilstein B14s so they'll be fitted once they arrive along with the new wheels.
Mr911lover said:
Lovely motor and really enjoyed the ready, my friend with an m140i is having the XHP gearbox flash done tomorrow.
Nice, hopefully it's as good as everyone says it is!drdino said:
Very nice! Do the 437Ms fit without spacers/rubbing/protruding?
Pretty well from what I've seen. The rears are 10J, fronts are 9J so quite wide but well within what is possible. I will likely drop the tyre width by 10mm when I replace the ones on it but they should fit nice. Car below has the same setup as I will.
Coilovers finally arrived, I'm off to pick the car up in a bit. Oil and filter change was done without issue thankfully and they're just finishing off.
I'm like a kid at christmas
I'm like a kid at christmas
Court_S said:
Looking good; those wheels will lovely on it.
I’ve just lowered my M140i with H+R springs (-15mm) and it’s sitting really well now. The damping is still the weak spot but I’m not too keen on chucking cash as new dampers (I’d rather put that money towards an M2).
That's understandable. My mates 140i didn't sit too bad, subtle drop is all they need really. I’ve just lowered my M140i with H+R springs (-15mm) and it’s sitting really well now. The damping is still the weak spot but I’m not too keen on chucking cash as new dampers (I’d rather put that money towards an M2).
Picked the car up wednesday and been flat out since. They're finally on, had a quick alignment but once they settle and I've adjusted the height it'll get it aligned properly.
I've not done many miles on them yet but first impressions are good, they’re obviously much firmer than stock but they also don’t seem as crashy to me. There’s some bumps on my regular roads where on stock suspension they were terrible, really resonated through the car. Taken at the same speed with the coilovers, while you still feel the bumps you dont get the nasty crash where it feels like it's going to damage something.
I'd kinda forget what coilovers were like tbh, not had them on a car for a couple of years now. Rocked the car and the only give in it was the tyre wall flex
I went for a quick spin round some back roads, steering feels more direct, it doesn’t bounce about all over the place when you’re pushing on over an uneven bit of road, they feel nice and composed. It wouldn't be fair to draw comparisons to my previous cars with coilovers (KW, VMaxx, eBay specials) but I’m happy I paid a bit extra for these over more budget options for sure, I'm really happy with them.
Height wise, my days of scraping about the roads 5mm from the tarmac are past me to be honest, I'd like it to look smart but still be fairly practical. I suspect they'll need dropping a bit more but as I said I'll wait a week or so for them to settle.
Once it’s settled and I’ve got it sitting nice I’ll chuck some more pictures up.
I've still got lots of bits I want to do to it, everything adds up though. I thought I might trim the wheel next but then I want the 'open V' trim, dry carbon front and paint some of that, M3 shifters and the gear shifter to go with it. What starts out as a £200 mod ends up costing £700
Wallet might need to recover first.
I've not done many miles on them yet but first impressions are good, they’re obviously much firmer than stock but they also don’t seem as crashy to me. There’s some bumps on my regular roads where on stock suspension they were terrible, really resonated through the car. Taken at the same speed with the coilovers, while you still feel the bumps you dont get the nasty crash where it feels like it's going to damage something.
I'd kinda forget what coilovers were like tbh, not had them on a car for a couple of years now. Rocked the car and the only give in it was the tyre wall flex
I went for a quick spin round some back roads, steering feels more direct, it doesn’t bounce about all over the place when you’re pushing on over an uneven bit of road, they feel nice and composed. It wouldn't be fair to draw comparisons to my previous cars with coilovers (KW, VMaxx, eBay specials) but I’m happy I paid a bit extra for these over more budget options for sure, I'm really happy with them. Height wise, my days of scraping about the roads 5mm from the tarmac are past me to be honest, I'd like it to look smart but still be fairly practical. I suspect they'll need dropping a bit more but as I said I'll wait a week or so for them to settle.
Once it’s settled and I’ve got it sitting nice I’ll chuck some more pictures up.
I've still got lots of bits I want to do to it, everything adds up though. I thought I might trim the wheel next but then I want the 'open V' trim, dry carbon front and paint some of that, M3 shifters and the gear shifter to go with it. What starts out as a £200 mod ends up costing £700
Wallet might need to recover first.
Edited by Pizzaeatingking on Thursday 30th July 19:35
I've had the coilovers on for a few months now and I'm still chuffed with them. They feel lovely when pushing on, no body roll and a nice direct steering feel too. Even with all that they still manage to offer a relatively nice ride, no crashing about, no bum clenching at every little bump etc, they really offer a nice balance for me.
I've been tweaking the ride height, they didn't 'settle' much after fitting but I think I've got it just right for me now. Nice and low but no rubbing, even with 4 people in. Front bumper has been painted and I'm not putting the plinth back on so no screw holes, just sorting out some magnetic plates so they can be removed when I need to. Looks cool without them thought!
I've been tweaking the ride height, they didn't 'settle' much after fitting but I think I've got it just right for me now. Nice and low but no rubbing, even with 4 people in. Front bumper has been painted and I'm not putting the plinth back on so no screw holes, just sorting out some magnetic plates so they can be removed when I need to. Looks cool without them thought!
Scottie - NW said:
I really like Bilstein suspension!
Do you know what the spring rates are front and rear please? In the past I've found about 6 front and 5 rear was a nice compromise.
I have 10/8 on my track car with rose jointed alignment arms, solid mounted subframe etc and it's ruined it for B roads.
Are the B14 dampers adjustable?
Thanks.
I'll be honest I have no idea on spring rates! I know a few guys who had the kit on their 340i and were happy so just went with them. Non damper adjustable, B16 have that extra bit of adjustment. Do you know what the spring rates are front and rear please? In the past I've found about 6 front and 5 rear was a nice compromise.
I have 10/8 on my track car with rose jointed alignment arms, solid mounted subframe etc and it's ruined it for B roads.
Are the B14 dampers adjustable?
Thanks.
jackstrath said:
Car sits well, i have the 437's on my f31, what tyre sizes you running? I just swapped over the tyres from the stock alloys 225/255 but they are a bit on the streched side of things for me, thinking of running the M2 sizes of 245/265.
I've got M3/M4 sizes so 255/35 & 275/35. My original plan was to go for M2 sizes, they seem to be the sweet spot but I've warmed to the slightly chunkier fitment of the larger tyres so might stick with them. DanG355 said:
I hadn’t seen this thread before and as with other threads that are a few pages long, I clicked the first page and thought that looks nice and if I’m honest, just looked like another new shape BMW. Then flicked to the last page for the latest posts and saw the pictures with the new wheels and suspension - what a difference! The car looks fantastic with an OEM+ look. I shall now read all 5 pages...
Thank you, that's the look I was going for. My main reason for having this thread was to keep a bit of a diary over the years. I went back and looked at them photos on the first page after you posted that, it's amazing how a few subtle mods can transform a car. jackstrath said:
wow, ok wasnt expecting you to say that! Looking at mine i didnt think id get away with 275's so surprised to read you have! Good to know and i think il be buying some in the M2 size just because mine is a bit lower than yours.
There's a couple of guys I spoke to running the original M3/M4 tyres and found a set with tyres for a decent price so I thought I'd give it a go. It is tight for clearance, any lower and it'd scrub so yeah, I'd say the M2 sizes are the sweet spot. What colour are your wheels? jackstrath said:
Mine are black, sadly i bough a set needing refurbed and 1 alloy couldnt be machine cut again so had to go a solid colour. Really love the smoked dimond cut you can get!
That looks fantastic! Silver went from being super common on the E9x to quite rare on the F3x, really suits it though, especially on yours with the black detail. My wheels need a tidy up, they're past being recut too so it'll either be silver or some kind of funky shadow chrome that's I've seen a few times. What splitter is that? Looks smart...Magnetic plate sorted, I'll get some pictures later.
Glad the creaking is sorted it really drove me mad too! I had a small rattle recently from what sounded like the passenger door/glove box area. After MUCH stressing over it I got the mrs to drive me around while I looked for it, the trim on the passenger side of the centre console where it meets the underside of the glove box was the issue in the end. There was just enough movement to buzz, thick double sided tape sorted that too.
peetee7 said:
Car looks great OP. Car ticks so many boxes
Court_S said:
That looks spot on now OP.
It sits really well and the wheels really suit it.
My creaking seals finally appear to have been sorted with a thicker tape. It did my head in big time.
Thanks guys! It sits really well and the wheels really suit it.
My creaking seals finally appear to have been sorted with a thicker tape. It did my head in big time.
Glad the creaking is sorted it really drove me mad too! I had a small rattle recently from what sounded like the passenger door/glove box area. After MUCH stressing over it I got the mrs to drive me around while I looked for it, the trim on the passenger side of the centre console where it meets the underside of the glove box was the issue in the end. There was just enough movement to buzz, thick double sided tape sorted that too.
Just realised I managed to sneak out to the 'ring in september between all the lockdowns and chaos of this year. Looking back now we totally lucked out getting there and back but I'm glad we done it! Long drive there by myself as I had other commitments in the morning of us going but the car made the 600+ miles and 11 hours on the road a pleasure. Queuing for the train
Late night autobahn blast was very enjoyable and the active cruise made life easy when not doing vmax runs. Slightly lonely drive but Deezer and the eclectic mix of cars on the roads kept me entertained. Once onto the twisty roads I made the most of the MPPSK soundtrack. Arrived about 11pm I think with the orange paint looking menacing in the low light.
Got a quick shot of the car outside the M testing centre for scene points.
Last shot of the trip, driving home was much more fun in a group. Lots of traffic on the way back but google maps saved our arses and we made the train no bother. I did get fully questioned by the UK border guy on the way in for some reason, lots of car questions, perhaps he was a PHer?
The track was full of Germans and Dutch, I'm guessing they were making the most of the lack of brits getting in the way! My mates both done a couple of laps but I wasn't fussed, it was super busy and very hot so I enjoyed cold beers and sunbathing trackside.
I've got everything crossed we can get a couple of trips in next year!
Late night autobahn blast was very enjoyable and the active cruise made life easy when not doing vmax runs.
Slightly lonely drive but Deezer and the eclectic mix of cars on the roads kept me entertained. Once onto the twisty roads I made the most of the MPPSK soundtrack. Arrived about 11pm I think with the orange paint looking menacing in the low light. Got a quick shot of the car outside the M testing centre for scene points.
Last shot of the trip, driving home was much more fun in a group. Lots of traffic on the way back but google maps saved our arses and we made the train no bother. I did get fully questioned by the UK border guy on the way in for some reason, lots of car questions, perhaps he was a PHer?
The track was full of Germans and Dutch, I'm guessing they were making the most of the lack of brits getting in the way! My mates both done a couple of laps but I wasn't fussed, it was super busy and very hot so I enjoyed cold beers and sunbathing trackside.
I've got everything crossed we can get a couple of trips in next year!
RipRideRocket said:
Great thread. I have a 2018 340i M sport shadow edition and reading stuff like this keeps me enthused even though I quite fancy a change. I've owned it from new, only has 11k on the clock. Love your colour.
Issues to date were a fogged up headlight (replaced under warranty) two years back. A slight loss of coolant (residue around the cap). This has been cured by running some lithium grease around the filler cap.
Two rattles, one beneath the glove box after they changed the cabin filter - now sorted. Another in the steering wheel console that varies with temp.
Overall MPG is 27mpg (mainly town ) but on a motorway trip 40's are easily done. As I said I'm getting itchy feet but as a rapid all rounder it ticks most of the boxes.
Common issues from what I've seen, especially the coolant cap. The rattles have irritated me, they're incredibly frustrating to find and stop. My E90 has no rattles and it's 13 years old now! Bit annoying that the F30 has more at 3 years old. Issues to date were a fogged up headlight (replaced under warranty) two years back. A slight loss of coolant (residue around the cap). This has been cured by running some lithium grease around the filler cap.
Two rattles, one beneath the glove box after they changed the cabin filter - now sorted. Another in the steering wheel console that varies with temp.
Overall MPG is 27mpg (mainly town ) but on a motorway trip 40's are easily done. As I said I'm getting itchy feet but as a rapid all rounder it ticks most of the boxes.
I can relate to the itchy feet, I have used this as a daily for nearly three years, the last 12 months I've been doing weekly long motorway trips, just clocked up 30k now. I've just bought myself a work van so the 40i isn't used so much now, I considered something a bit more 'weekend car' but tbh this has more than enough performance for the road, it might not be an M2 on the back roads but it's still great fun with the current setup. An LSD will improve things a bit too I think. I always planned to keep it long term and I don't think anything out there does everything I need it to so well tbh so it'll stay.
Edited by Pizzaeatingking on Friday 25th December 14:27
Edited by Pizzaeatingking on Friday 25th December 14:28
I wanted some smaller plates but don't like the look when they're cut right down to the bare minimum so didn't go too mad, I think they strike the right balance. The front one is fitted with a Magna Plate kit which I'm thoroughly impressed with, I was worried that because the plate bends a bit it'd struggle to hold the ends on but it's spot on.
I also played about a bit with sticking the magnet parts onto the back of the number plates. The front bumper where the plate goes on points down a bit so if the plate is put straight on it looks a bit silly. I added a few layers of 3M tape on the bottom of the magnet bits so it levels it out a little. It's not 100% but it sits well enough that it doesn't look out of place.
Pulls off easy and snaps back into place perfectly. It's a bit overkill, it'll have the plate on most of the time but for cleaning, photos, car shows and stuff it's nice to be able to pull it off.
I also played about a bit with sticking the magnet parts onto the back of the number plates. The front bumper where the plate goes on points down a bit so if the plate is put straight on it looks a bit silly. I added a few layers of 3M tape on the bottom of the magnet bits so it levels it out a little. It's not 100% but it sits well enough that it doesn't look out of place.
Pulls off easy and snaps back into place perfectly. It's a bit overkill, it'll have the plate on most of the time but for cleaning, photos, car shows and stuff it's nice to be able to pull it off.
Small mishap with a rear wheel last week 
They weren't perfect when I got them, the black has marks and the diamond cut faces had been redone but they were presentable so I put them on and thought I'd wait to refurb them. After the small incident last week the mrs offered to get them sorted for my birthday. So after a bit of thinking I've decided to go for good old silver. I know black and grey are fashionable at the moment but you lose the detail with black, my other car has grey wheels and they just don't quite hit the spot after a good wash. I reckon silver will make a comeback, they look fresh and I reckon they'll accentuate the concave on the rear wheels.
Thankfully I still have the stock wheels so I've put them back on for now. I'm tempted to flog them afterwards and grab a set of 18" M Sport wheels for winter tyres. Part of me wants to keep the original wheels but another part of me realises I don't have infinite space to store wheels.
Anyway they've been sent off to be powder coated and should be back next week. I'm excited, you can't beat a set of fresh wheels, I'm going to coat them in some C5 before putting them on, after seeing how easy it is to wash my mates wheels after he coated his I was sold on it.
They weren't perfect when I got them, the black has marks and the diamond cut faces had been redone but they were presentable so I put them on and thought I'd wait to refurb them. After the small incident last week the mrs offered to get them sorted for my birthday.
So after a bit of thinking I've decided to go for good old silver. I know black and grey are fashionable at the moment but you lose the detail with black, my other car has grey wheels and they just don't quite hit the spot after a good wash. I reckon silver will make a comeback, they look fresh and I reckon they'll accentuate the concave on the rear wheels. Thankfully I still have the stock wheels so I've put them back on for now. I'm tempted to flog them afterwards and grab a set of 18" M Sport wheels for winter tyres. Part of me wants to keep the original wheels but another part of me realises I don't have infinite space to store wheels.
Anyway they've been sent off to be powder coated and should be back next week. I'm excited, you can't beat a set of fresh wheels, I'm going to coat them in some C5 before putting them on, after seeing how easy it is to wash my mates wheels after he coated his I was sold on it.
RammyMP said:
Do you need the tyre pressure sensors if you get another set of wheels?
I’ve got a set of winter wheels for my old A5 in the garage but they are a different size for BMWs. I need to get them on Ebay really but can’t be bothered!
Mine uses the sensors in the wheels so yeah, I bought a set for the M3 wheels so I can use the set from the original wheels for the winters. I’ve got a set of winter wheels for my old A5 in the garage but they are a different size for BMWs. I need to get them on Ebay really but can’t be bothered!
peetee7 said:
Sounds like a lovely trip that - glad you enjoyed it. Nice to have a different mix of cars too. I bet there was 1 or more friendly rolling races involved to the national speed limit
Until a couple if years back I'd never been, since then I've done at least 6 trips and loved them all. The drive home was a good laugh, a few little runs up the motorway together and traffic meant we went a different way so saw some slightly different views. So the wheels are back from the powder coaters. They look good, still not 100% sure how they'll go with the orange but we'll see. Managed to fit them into a VW Fox
The the usual car cleaning delivery arrived
The coating went on nice and easy before the wheels were left to bask in front of the heater. They're going to have 72 hours to cure but I stuck them in the warm for a bit anyway. I'm putting them on sunday so I'll update with some pictures when they're on.
The the usual car cleaning delivery arrived
The coating went on nice and easy before the wheels were left to bask in front of the heater. They're going to have 72 hours to cure but I stuck them in the warm for a bit anyway. I'm putting them on sunday so I'll update with some pictures when they're on.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff