M3, 330d Touring, R53 S
Discussion
So the M3 went for its tune up today.. to say I was excited is an understatement, been waiting for this for ages and with the car all healthy it was the right time.
Arrived at WG Motorworks on the dot 08:30!
First up was setting the bar, I said to myself before the start that I would not be chasing numbers, if it made anywhere near 400bhp standard I would be more than happy, the S65 is notorious for making mediocre numbers on dynos from standard so I was expecting anywhere between 380-400 to be honest..
406bhp!! Well happy.. yes it says 405.8 but I’m a glass half full kind of guy..
Next was on the lift for the primary decat..
And the modstock pipes going on..
Quite a few hours later whilst waiting for the ECU to be rewritten and voila, the dyno was on again and the gains were realised!
To say I’m happy is an understatement, the car sounds even more fantastic than it already did and it goes even better than before..
Only issue was the GTS software wouldn’t load to WG’s laptop so I’m back next week to get that sorted but all in all a fantastic day out and well worth it!
Arrived at WG Motorworks on the dot 08:30!
First up was setting the bar, I said to myself before the start that I would not be chasing numbers, if it made anywhere near 400bhp standard I would be more than happy, the S65 is notorious for making mediocre numbers on dynos from standard so I was expecting anywhere between 380-400 to be honest..
406bhp!! Well happy.. yes it says 405.8 but I’m a glass half full kind of guy..
Next was on the lift for the primary decat..
And the modstock pipes going on..
Quite a few hours later whilst waiting for the ECU to be rewritten and voila, the dyno was on again and the gains were realised!
To say I’m happy is an understatement, the car sounds even more fantastic than it already did and it goes even better than before..
Only issue was the GTS software wouldn’t load to WG’s laptop so I’m back next week to get that sorted but all in all a fantastic day out and well worth it!
Court_S said:
Looks like you had quite a healthy M3 as a start point. I still really like the E9x M cars.
The E91 looks good too; I think they’ve aged really well.
Yeah I was pleasantly surprised although she has had a good life with decent service history and engine issues sorted etc.. The E91 looks good too; I think they’ve aged really well.
Thanks, cosmetically the E91 is a bit battered lol but it’s the runt of the litter and is the daily hack so I kind of like it, gives it character lol.. punches above its weight too which is funny lol
Commander2874 said:
Fantastic read and love your cars, especially the fk2.
Sad to hear Honda deflecting the blatant warranty issue and very annoyed to hear how bad their customer service has become!
Unfortunately had a front grill issue with my fk8 and Bassets honda in Swansea have been brilliant and are replacing under warranty (front sensor issues)
Anyway your m3 is amazing and can't believe the issues you encountered came to £6.5k in costs thankfully covered by warranty! That is what puts me off from buying an M car, don't think I'd enjoy the experience for the costs if something went wrong!
Hopefully you can keep the fk2 as they are absolutely brilliant!
Thank you for the kind words, I try to make it interesting for others to read and hopefully it’s a good insight into the good and bad times of owning cars like these. Sad to hear Honda deflecting the blatant warranty issue and very annoyed to hear how bad their customer service has become!
Unfortunately had a front grill issue with my fk8 and Bassets honda in Swansea have been brilliant and are replacing under warranty (front sensor issues)
Anyway your m3 is amazing and can't believe the issues you encountered came to £6.5k in costs thankfully covered by warranty! That is what puts me off from buying an M car, don't think I'd enjoy the experience for the costs if something went wrong!
Hopefully you can keep the fk2 as they are absolutely brilliant!
Glad Honda are treating you well, unfortunately HondaUK are a bit hit and miss..
The M3 is now out of warranty so I’m hoping no more issues **fingers crossed**
Difficult to know what to do with the Type R, my head says keep it as it should hold its value and potentially be worth more in years to come, but it’s not being used and it’s a lot of car to just sit in the garage.
Edited by 5mileofdeath on Sunday 21st February 08:45
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Every time I see an FK2 thread I really miss mine, they just do everything so well.
Yeah I’d probably be the same if it does go as I have been very impressed with it.My only criticism since buying the BMW’s is that the suspension is very stiff even in normal mode, before I didn’t find it an issue. Or maybe it’s just me getting old
Ryan_E81 said:
I follow the WG page on insta and sent their story of your car to a friend - we've had a long suspicion that their dyno is a bit of a heartbreaker. I once saw an E60 M5 run 450bhp 
M3 is lovely - and high mileage BM Diesels are always a safe bet for a daily - My 123D is nearing 197k now!
Yeah I’ve actually had this experience before at WG, my old stage 2 VXR ran 292bhp on Courtenay Sports dyno and 282 on WG’s..M3 is lovely - and high mileage BM Diesels are always a safe bet for a daily - My 123D is nearing 197k now!
I’m taking it as a much more realistic number from WGs tbh and 433 is strong nonetheless..
Thanks for the kind words, most beemers seem to wear their mileage well
So it's been a while since my last update. Ended up with a job change within the company I work for, luckily it was a promotion although commuting has increased to 120 miles a day... fun fun..
The E91 330d is soaking up the miles ridiculously well though and with 95% of the journey being motorway I can just set the cruise control and cruise I guess lol.
Its been averaging 51 mpg which for a turbocharged 3 litre isn't bad at all.
Another thing with the job change is a different working pattern. Originally being a Mon-Fri and now moving to a rotating day off. I must admit having a day to myself to do some odd jobs around the house is great with the wife at work and kids at school, however what's even better is the joy of being able to go for a drive, where time is not restricted and the roads are relatively quiet.. bliss!
With that in mind it was an opportunity for me to get the M3 out for a decent run. Managed to stop and get some pictures.. although didn't realise how dirty she was until I uploaded the pics to my laptop
Now the only issue with enjoying yet another run out in the M3, is that the wife quite rightly questioned why we even need the Civic. Although it is a fantastic car to drive and its nice having the flexibility of 3 cars, it now sits in the garage all through the week, only for me to use it for a short journey shopping etc. I was planning on doing some track days in it but to be honest with the value of it being £15k+ and it also being on finance I just didn't want to take that risk of anything going wrong.
So the decision was taken to sell it, which was confirmed Friday.
So what next?
Well once I actually get the money in my bank I may decide to sit on it for a while to go through my options.. although I'm mindful the weather is getting better now and track days are fully booked quite a way into the future, so I could well get myself into a cheap 'track' inspired car.
Any ideas around this would be much appreciated, I already have some in mind, Clio, Mini etc but any out of the box ones for sub £5k would be great.
The E91 330d is soaking up the miles ridiculously well though and with 95% of the journey being motorway I can just set the cruise control and cruise I guess lol.
Its been averaging 51 mpg which for a turbocharged 3 litre isn't bad at all.
Another thing with the job change is a different working pattern. Originally being a Mon-Fri and now moving to a rotating day off. I must admit having a day to myself to do some odd jobs around the house is great with the wife at work and kids at school, however what's even better is the joy of being able to go for a drive, where time is not restricted and the roads are relatively quiet.. bliss!
With that in mind it was an opportunity for me to get the M3 out for a decent run. Managed to stop and get some pictures.. although didn't realise how dirty she was until I uploaded the pics to my laptop
Now the only issue with enjoying yet another run out in the M3, is that the wife quite rightly questioned why we even need the Civic. Although it is a fantastic car to drive and its nice having the flexibility of 3 cars, it now sits in the garage all through the week, only for me to use it for a short journey shopping etc. I was planning on doing some track days in it but to be honest with the value of it being £15k+ and it also being on finance I just didn't want to take that risk of anything going wrong.
So the decision was taken to sell it, which was confirmed Friday.
So what next?
Well once I actually get the money in my bank I may decide to sit on it for a while to go through my options.. although I'm mindful the weather is getting better now and track days are fully booked quite a way into the future, so I could well get myself into a cheap 'track' inspired car.
Any ideas around this would be much appreciated, I already have some in mind, Clio, Mini etc but any out of the box ones for sub £5k would be great.
So to another update..
It’s been one hell of a week!
Started off on bank holiday Monday with an impromptu visit to B Road Hunting Club with a couple of mates.. remember Mr Type R from my earlier posts well he upgraded his FK2 to an FK8, I was quite taken back by how much wider it was than the previous generation. Equally in the pics below it looks wider than the M3!
The other mate was driving an F-Type S. Pictures below for you to ogle over..
There will be more adventures coming over the summer with these cars too!
FYI - anyone looking to attend BRHC, do it! Really nice guys who own it with loads of space and some epic cars, including this 765LT!
Oh and there was a guy on the front gate taking photos as you entered, probably my favourite photo of the M3 currently.
On Thursday The Civic finally went..
I was going to take a departure photo but tbh when the gent from Listers turned up to drive it away there was not much emotion towards it. Yes it was a fantastic car to drive and I had grown fond of it, yet my love for the Civic was not as strong as I first thought. Probably the fact of the poor customer service I got from Honda UK and that the M3 had overshadowed the Type R in recent months.
In my last post I said I would probably sit on the money for a while and look at my options.. It would seem my attempts at doing this were short lived.
In my boredness that same evening I came across an interesting prospect for a track car at a ridiculously reasonable price.
A short chat with the wife and I had sent over a small deposit to secure the car.
And to today.. Mr F-Type took me to Chelmsford to collect it.. now for the eagle eyed among you, will see the thread name gives a clue to what it is.. I never thought I’d say these words either but yes I own a Mini and I love it!
It’s a 2003 R53 Cooper S with some interesting modifications of which I will detail more in the coming days. My next steps are to clean it up, take some decent pictures and start to get it into shape for some track days! Cannot wait!
Any help and advice with these cars would be greatly appreciated as I haven’t a clue about it I’ve only driven just over 100 miles in it and I’ve grown attached already. Got some parts on order so will update as it progresses.
Finally however all my fun was marred slightly by the wife telling me about a fight she had with a kerb.. as always the kerb won and promptly took some paint from the M3’s alloy with it..
Thankfully I managed to get a local refurb guy to look at it this afternoon and all will be rectified Monday.. so no harm done..
Thanks for reading
It’s been one hell of a week!
Started off on bank holiday Monday with an impromptu visit to B Road Hunting Club with a couple of mates.. remember Mr Type R from my earlier posts well he upgraded his FK2 to an FK8, I was quite taken back by how much wider it was than the previous generation. Equally in the pics below it looks wider than the M3!
The other mate was driving an F-Type S. Pictures below for you to ogle over..
There will be more adventures coming over the summer with these cars too!
FYI - anyone looking to attend BRHC, do it! Really nice guys who own it with loads of space and some epic cars, including this 765LT!
Oh and there was a guy on the front gate taking photos as you entered, probably my favourite photo of the M3 currently.
On Thursday The Civic finally went..
I was going to take a departure photo but tbh when the gent from Listers turned up to drive it away there was not much emotion towards it. Yes it was a fantastic car to drive and I had grown fond of it, yet my love for the Civic was not as strong as I first thought. Probably the fact of the poor customer service I got from Honda UK and that the M3 had overshadowed the Type R in recent months. In my last post I said I would probably sit on the money for a while and look at my options.. It would seem my attempts at doing this were short lived.
In my boredness that same evening I came across an interesting prospect for a track car at a ridiculously reasonable price.
A short chat with the wife and I had sent over a small deposit to secure the car.
And to today.. Mr F-Type took me to Chelmsford to collect it.. now for the eagle eyed among you, will see the thread name gives a clue to what it is.. I never thought I’d say these words either but yes I own a Mini and I love it!
It’s a 2003 R53 Cooper S with some interesting modifications of which I will detail more in the coming days. My next steps are to clean it up, take some decent pictures and start to get it into shape for some track days! Cannot wait!
Any help and advice with these cars would be greatly appreciated as I haven’t a clue about it
I’ve only driven just over 100 miles in it and I’ve grown attached already. Got some parts on order so will update as it progresses. Finally however all my fun was marred slightly by the wife telling me about a fight she had with a kerb.. as always the kerb won and promptly took some paint from the M3’s alloy with it..
Thankfully I managed to get a local refurb guy to look at it this afternoon and all will be rectified Monday.. so no harm done..
Thanks for reading
Edited by 5mileofdeath on Saturday 8th May 22:18
Court_S said:
Nice updates.
The MINI looks ace. I have a massive soft spot for R53’s having had three MINI’s of that era, with my Cooper S being my favourite although my ownership was short lived.
There’s a massive tuning scene for these with loads of good companies like Lohen and 1320.
Thank you, I was starting to think people found the updates boring lol..The MINI looks ace. I have a massive soft spot for R53’s having had three MINI’s of that era, with my Cooper S being my favourite although my ownership was short lived.
There’s a massive tuning scene for these with loads of good companies like Lohen and 1320.
It's a cracking little car can see why they have a strong following. Can't wait to get it out on track and see what it's like, pulls well for a 1.6 and that supercharger whine is so addictive.
I had looked around at some companies to see what they offer. Will probably look to change bits in the near future.
Already got some black spray to deal with the chrome bits that are left ...
Court_S said:
Glad I’m not the only one who hates chrome! Even on the MINI’s with their retro looks I hate it!
The noise is brill.
What bits are you looking at changing?
Yeah it's only the door handles and petrol cap but it looks so crap lol..The noise is brill.
What bits are you looking at changing?
Probably the wheels and ride height, then possibly the bushes and mounts. Just hope the coilovers it has are adjustable. Plan is to get underneath it this weekend and look at whats what.
The wheels are steel and although look pretty cool, I prefer the team dynamics pro 1.2's look.
MDifficult said:
A dark grey pre-facelift R53? They’re definitely the fastest!
Looks like we’re both on a very similar journey for very similar reasons - look forward to seeing how yours goes
It certainly surprised me on the drive home, plenty of power for such a little car.Looks like we’re both on a very similar journey for very similar reasons - look forward to seeing how yours goes
Haha yes certainly. Was looking to get to Brands or Lydden in June but alas it seems the car has a straight through exhaust so not going to be able to pass the noise test.. going to try and source a cheap standard system just to get it through lol
MDifficult said:
It certainly makes me laugh out loud - my job #1 was also getting the cat reinstated to quieten it down
If you’re in a hurry, maybe have a chat with 1320 or Sussex Road and Race etc, they’re always upgrading or returning customer’s cars to stock - so they might be able to point you to something good and straight off a customer car?
Yeah it’s not OTT like my primary cat deleted M3 but still reasonably loud lol. If you’re in a hurry, maybe have a chat with 1320 or Sussex Road and Race etc, they’re always upgrading or returning customer’s cars to stock - so they might be able to point you to something good and straight off a customer car?
That’s a good shout thanks, I’ll give them a call and see what they have.
So had a poke around the mini yesterday for bits I need to resolve before I can get it onto track 
The list is as follows;
The list is as follows;
- Rear Knocking Noise - Every slight bump on the rear right gives a horrible knocking noise. On smooth surface its fine - Its just had new coilovers fitted so I suspect it could be an issue with the top mount but could be something else.
- Exhaust is too loud for track - Being decatted the exhaust is a bit noisy when opened up, very much doubt it will pass noise test, especially on evening sessions! - A quick call to Sussex Road & Race (thanks to advice from MDifficult ) and their steer was to just buy a cat either aftermarket or secondhand from ebay and get it on the car, that will drag the noise levels right down for track use.. So thats what I have done and just ordered a secondhand Cat with manifold
- Harnesses - Seems as if they are fixed to the wrong place in the car, hopefully a nice easy fix, although I may order some new harnesses just to freshen it up.
- Tyres - 1 budget Autogrip tyre on the rear left the rest are Toyo Proxes TR1's, so will order some fresh rubber to sort that.
- Tracking / Alignment - Due to the new coilovers being fitted the tracking and alignment needs doing but that should be a nice easy fix for my local tyre place.
- Golf Ball for a Gearknob - Quite frankly Its awful and needs to go
. I purchased something better imo - Maybe trivial compared to the bits above but its got to be done..
- Missing interior trim or interior trim thats been sprayed black but needs doing again.
- Roof looks like it used to be white, interesting choice on a grey car
and it seems the previous owner/s have again sprayed it black, this is now peeling and fading, so I'm going to sand it down and respray it..
Edited by 5mileofdeath on Thursday 13th May 11:25
Challo said:
Loved those R53's, mine was dark grey as well. Good thing is loads of companies make aftermarket kit for them you can easily spend serious money. Another good company to look at is https://orranje.co.uk/ they do good kit.
In terms of maintenance most thing will have already been covered in forums and on youtube which is handy. I also found this site useful https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/MINI/MIN... as they have pictures and good step by step instructions. Only issue you may find is access as everything is packed in, and a simple job can take a while as you to replace bits and pieces to get to it. For example suspension bushes normally means the sub-frame has to be dropped out which is a pain.
Yeah I've seen there is quite a few places where you can spend lots of money In terms of maintenance most thing will have already been covered in forums and on youtube which is handy. I also found this site useful https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/MINI/MIN... as they have pictures and good step by step instructions. Only issue you may find is access as everything is packed in, and a simple job can take a while as you to replace bits and pieces to get to it. For example suspension bushes normally means the sub-frame has to be dropped out which is a pain.
Thats brilliant thank you! One of the things I forgot to put was oil and filter change, this is so simple to follow and gives all the info you need..
MDifficult said:
If you’re thinking of a gear knob - seriously consider going the Coolerworx route. It’s literally the best feature of mine and amazing on track
They do look amazing and I’m sure add to the experience, however the price is half of what I paid for the car May look to incorporate one in the future though
DanG355 said:
Not sure how I missed this thread up until now?! Great write up and glad you dodged some large bills with the warranty.
Interested to follow the thread - a 4 door E90 M3 is on the possible future car list. An R53 is a great fun little car with a large following and plenty of upgraded parts about, both new and second hand.
I hope the bloody weather improves and you get some good driving days in the M3 and some track time in the R53.
Bookmarked.
Thanks for the kinds words Interested to follow the thread - a 4 door E90 M3 is on the possible future car list. An R53 is a great fun little car with a large following and plenty of upgraded parts about, both new and second hand.
I hope the bloody weather improves and you get some good driving days in the M3 and some track time in the R53.
Bookmarked.
If you can get an E90 soon you will be laughing, fantastic cars (with some drawbacks) but the V8 outweighs them all
plus they are rarer than the Coupe & Vert variants so will rise in price over next few years. Yeah me too! I looked at the weather forecast as was going to get out in the mini this weekend but looks like rain is set in for the next week! Crazy..
So bit if an update on the Mini..
Jacked it up and found the rear right coilover (where the noise is coming from) to be loose at the part where you lock the height section in place. So tightened it up but there is still a rattling noise as driving along and when going over the slightest imperfections in the road there is a knock.
Checked all under the car and there isn’t anything loose or out of place, so kinda stumped.. my next step is to raise the ride height slightly and see if that changes anything.
Anyway apart from the noise I managed to get it out for a little drive and the thing is like a go kart.. so much fun and the cross country pace is pretty good for a lil 1.6.
Can’t wait to get it on track.
Any suggestions around the knocking noise would be much appreciated?
Jacked it up and found the rear right coilover (where the noise is coming from) to be loose at the part where you lock the height section in place. So tightened it up but there is still a rattling noise as driving along and when going over the slightest imperfections in the road there is a knock.
Checked all under the car and there isn’t anything loose or out of place, so kinda stumped.. my next step is to raise the ride height slightly and see if that changes anything.
Anyway apart from the noise I managed to get it out for a little drive and the thing is like a go kart.. so much fun and the cross country pace is pretty good for a lil 1.6.
Can’t wait to get it on track.
Any suggestions around the knocking noise would be much appreciated?
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