BoldUlysses' 540i/6 Log & Thread o' Questions

[Leonator134]

Rondells!!

[BoldUlysses]

T-stars, but only because I'm 100% biased. I had Mpars too, either way, some M bumpers will help out your cause immensely.

Wish I could afford your 530! Then all my problems would be solved, haha.

M-pars ride noticeably worse than T-Stars. The latter is also the lightest of all your options, and quite strong. After messing around with more than a few wheels I always come back to the stars. Oh, and I almost always choose Michelins...the car deserves nothing less.

Good input.

M-pars will look Better than the photoshop does justice. T-stars are classics too. Either way ditch that spoiler, stat!

I think your color would actually look better with clear Hellas vs the ambers.

Nah, I like the ambers; between the gray and the light gray interior the car is so "cool" it needs a little visual warmth from the ambers on the outside and the wood trim on the inside.

Still on the fence about the spoiler.

Rondells!!

No thanks. Not enough detail at the face-lip intersection for me, and besides, I don't want our cars to be any more clones than they already are.

I think I need some more options.

[ShapeShifter]

Car looks great!

Sorry I missed your post about radiator dimensions. I will see if I can get them when I get home from work tonight.
Do you want the inside dim for the core? which rad?

Go against the grain and go with the 19's.

For the squeak at the rear, its possible the ride height changed little thus, re-indexing the sway bar a tad. Try a squirt of WD40 on the bushings and see if thats it.
If it is the bushings, remove and add grease.

[BoldUlysses]

Car looks great!

Sorry I missed your post about radiator dimensions. I will see if I can get them when I get home from work tonight.
Do you want the inside dim for the core? which rad?

Go against the grain and go with the 19's.

For the squeak at the rear, its possible the ride height changed little thus, re-indexing the sway bar a tad. Try a squirt of WD40 on the bushings and see if thats it.
If it is the bushings, remove and add grease.

Thanks Pat. I'm actually leaning toward 17s. 19 is just...way too much.

Re:the rad core, dimensions of your replacement (Mishimoto?) rad, please. As noted, my Volvo shroud is a long way from being able to cover the stock core and I want to confirm that A) your replacement rad's core is narrower and B) your 940 shroud is the same size as my 960 one.

Good tips about the swaybar. I actually have a set of rear sway poly bushings; I should just throw those on for kicks while I'm in there.

[ShapeShifter]

I meant style 19's ....


I mishi is considerably smaller, if you order one make sure you get the new euro mounts.
You will need to mod the lower lower rad hose or try finding the euro part.


http://www.ecstuning.com/ES1892545/



Mounts
P/N
17111709332


17111709333

[BoldUlysses]

I meant style 19's ....

*smacks forehead* Where's my coffee??

I mishi is considerably smaller, if you order one make sure you get the new euro mounts.
You will need to mod the lower lower rad hose or try finding the euro part.


http://www.ecstuning.com/ES1892545/



Mounts
P/N
17111709332


17111709333

Thanks for the links. Good to know I'm not seeing things and that the Mishi is smaller. May try to mate the fan with the stock shroud, then.

[Binjammin]

don't use wd40, it will dissolve rubber and petroleum based bushings. use a silicon based spray if you're determined to hose down your car with something.

[BeLiQ]

I have been using the Mishimoto radiator for about 10 months now w/o a shroud. Very satisfied, can't go wrong.

I missed the fact that you have purchased a 540/6. Congrats!!!

[thatonedood]

don't use wd40, it will dissolve rubber and petroleum based bushings. use a silicon based spray if you're determined to hose down your car with something.

Wouldn't spraying silicon on possible locations for a squeak, one at a time, help to isolate the offending area? Then the necessary fix can be determined

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and no rondells, no e60 wheels; I know you like them, but NO 19s. MPars look the best of the above, but just I'd just go 17" aftermarket

[Leonator134]

Rondells look excellent, as to the Mpars.

But I must say, the 19's are really doing it for me.. they look mean with those black center cap!

[thatonedood]

The 19s Matt posted with the darker painted centers looked pretty good – diminished the octopus gut and brought out the great looking lips they sport

Here they are

[Leonator134]

The 19s Matt posted with the darker painted centers looked pretty good – diminished the octopus gut and brought out the great looking lips they sport

Here they are

Absolutely agreed.

[Binjammin]

Style 19s will always suck because they just look to busy.


Need proof? Style 19s are always for sale everywhere and at like half the price of a set of style 5s. They're the same wheel, the centers interchange, but the ugly wheels nobody wants are 19s.

[BoldUlysses]

Style 19s will always suck because they just look to busy.

Need proof? Style 19s are always for sale everywhere and at like half the price of a set of style 5s. They're the same wheel, the centers interchange, but the ugly wheels nobody wants are 19s.

Arguable. Could be that Style 5s are overrated.

Also Style 5s look good in a wider range of applications than the 19s (E23, E24, E28, etc), and the higher demand drives up the prices.

I maintain 19s actually look less busy than 5s (ref. HE53's car on Page 4).

And for all you practical-minded types out there, they're easier to clean than 5s.

[Leonator134]

Arguable. Could be that Style 5s are overrated.

Also Style 5s look good in a wider range of applications than the 19s (E23, E24, E28, etc), and the higher demand drives up the prices.

I maintain 19s actually look less busy than 5s (ref. HE53's car on Page 4).

And for all you practical-minded types out there, they're easier to clean than 5s.

Agreed! I look everyday for BMW wheels for sale on CL and only once have I seen 19's. So, "for sale everywhere" may not be the case.

[Binjammin]

Agreed! I look everyday for BMW wheels for sale on CL and only once have I seen 19's. So, "for sale everywhere" may not be the case.

Considering the poster quoted, all facts in this statement are inverted into untruths.

[clevertd]

I'll be sort of near you on Friday, up near Belews Lake. Want me to pop off a throwing star for you to try on?

[bubba966]

Matt,

The way I see you talk about the driving feel of the 540 compared to your old 525 and then the 540 w/Koni's I am having a hard time why the T-Stars aren't already done. They're great looking wheels. And are strong, light weight, and aid in brake cooling. Not to mention easier to clean than 19's are.

Throw some Pilot Super Sport's on a set of square T-Stars and you are really going to love those new Koni's. As well as absolutely love the whole car...

[BoldUlysses]

I'll be sort of near you on Friday, up near Belews Lake. Want me to pop off a throwing star for you to try on?

That'd be awesome. I'm off work at 3 PM and I'll be pulling the right rear shock that afternoon, in all likelihood. But I can meet you somewhere if you like. PM me.

Matt,

The way I see you talk about the driving feel of the 540 compared to your old 525 and then the 540 w/Koni's I am having a hard time why the T-Stars aren't already done.

Money?



T-stars are up near the top of the list for sure.

[gixxerboy63]

Mpars

[BoldUlysses]

And the squeak disappeared last night. The car was a bank vault on the way to the gas station yesterday evening and to work this morning. Weird. Still gonna investigate this weekend.

Mpars

Yeah, yeah...

[IronmanE30]

Have you seen where folks take and put a grove in the rubber/poly bushing and add a grease fitting to the metal cap? This is the route I will take when I get to that part of my build. That way if they squeak again you just add a little lithium grease via the fitting and your good to go.

As far as wheels go I have found that the larger the diameter of the wheel the worse the ride. I think this is due to the sidewall thickness of the tire. The handling is better seeing that you have a shorter sidewall with less roll over but the ride is worse.

T-stars have a great classic look and are nice and lite, Style 5's are more conservative and give the car a nice look also but are a PITA to keep clean. I also like the look of the M-pars and they are a lot easier to keep clean than the other options. I think they are all good options for our cars.

Cheers,

Jim

[BoldUlysses]

Thanks for the tips. Will be removing the right rear strut for inspection tomorrow.

* * * * * *

Went by the junkyard on the way home from work today to cannibalize the '93 525iA that arrived on Tues. Nabbed the foglight connectors which allowed me to wire up the HIDs (thanks Ben!):



Still have to aim them; didn't have time earlier. I'm assuming that's controlled by the set screw on the inside of the plastic frame holding the fog?

Needless to say, they make the stock headlights look...even more pathetic than they already are.

But there's no more "F FOG LIGHT" on the Check Control anymore! Still, I'm anticipating some false alarms (seems most everybody with HIDs get them), so I'll probably have to root around in the LKM at some point...

[Binjammin]

Those are DDM 35w 6000k in the fogs. Car looks the business man.

[K Fox]

Thanks for the tips. Will be removing the right rear strut for inspection tomorrow.

* * * * * *

Went by the junkyard on the way home from work today to cannibalize the '93 525iA that arrived on Tues. Nabbed the foglight connectors which allowed me to wire up the HIDs (thanks Ben!):



Still have to aim them; didn't have time earlier. I'm assuming that's controlled by the set screw on the inside of the plastic frame holding the fog?

Needless to say, they make the stock headlights look...even more pathetic than they already are.

But there's no more "F FOG LIGHT" on the Check Control anymore! Still, I'm anticipating some false alarms (seems most everybody with HIDs get them), so I'll probably have to root around in the LKM at some point...

Those are DDM 35w 6000k in the fogs. Car looks the business man.

I'm jealous...mine blows the fuse after about 10 secs with HID's in my fogs. Didn't do it with the halogens in, so it's gotta be the HID's...But with that said, I actually prefer the fogs to have regular bulbs - it actually makes a difference in foul weather. Halogens let you see better than the HID's (due to the color of the HID's - too blue compared to regular bulbs). Still, they do look good...

Fox