Wednesday, April 30, 2008

My Custom Front End

I thought I'd take a moment and share what I did to get the front end look I have on my 335i. First of all, the body modeling is from the BMW Aero Kit, but I only went with the front lip. It's part number is: 511 10414371. The kidney grilles are painted to match my exterior and have a black matte look for the slats. They were ordered from Unique Euro Design. These guys were great and I definitely recommend them. I had one problem with the first set I received but they mailed me a new set quickly and easily. I also bought the black lower mesh below the headlights from them too. To install the lower mesh, I had to remove the entire front bumper. Thanks to E90Post.com I used a DIY post that was great at showing what to do. One note though: Make sure you remove your headlight washer covers before popping off the bumper, not doing that ran me $50 in parts and paint to get new washer covers.

So that is what I did to get the look I have and please feel free to send me any questions or comments.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

BMW M3 Convertible Ready for UK Release

Much to my pleasure a barrage of photos were released by BMW showing the new M3 convertible in Melbourne Red Metallic; though, I must admit I prefer the crimson red on my 335i better.

An interesting aspect comes to light in these new photos. I have been considering replacing my side mirrors with the new M3 side mirrors, but wasn't sure how the different high-gloss black treatment on the mirror body covers would look with my chrome window trim. Some prior BMW M3 Convertible images showed the M3 with the same chrome trim, but these new images show a black window trim meaning to get a clean look I should probably alter my window trim to black as well. All said and done, the OEM way to make these mods would run approximately $3,000 ($2k for the mirrors and $1k for the window trim.) Quiet a hefty cosmetic modification. Oh well, I still like the new M3 side mirrors better but I also like $3,000 in my pocket.

From AutoBlog.com: "To signal the beginning of sales of the M3 convertible in the UK, BMW decided to release two-dozen more photos of its drop-top super coupe, and that's enough of a reason for us to include them in a gallery with its white counterpart. Everything remains the same, including the choice of either a six-speed manual or six-speed DCT gearbox, all without that pesky roof to keep you from enjoying the 420 hp, 4.0-liter V8 when your sending it up into its 8.400-rpm redline." more (tons of pics).

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Fluttering Noise Service Bulletin

Some owners of the new 3-series convertibles have reported an annoying fluttering noise in the cabin of the car when the hard top is up. I personally have not experienced this but several have and it has finally been recognized and addressed by BMW in a new service bulletin. Details can be found at: Service Bulletin Details Here.