[CoralRed]

I had no idea the low profile rails even existed for the e91. I agree the e91s look better with them just deleted. My red e91 doesn’t have them but my white one does… makes a huge difference!

[Onizukachan]

Cluster is back assembled now.

I made the e60 dial work, but it involved custom shaping and profiling the inside of the dial, indexing it and building my own stop /limiters, etc etc.

not even remotely close to PNP like the rest of it is.


Pretty cool effect though.

[StradaRedlands]

Wow! Next level of awesome!

[Onizukachan]

I did get the acpully rebuild yesterday. Not terrible but not fun.

My e91 is manual which means the pipe shouldn’t have been in front of the pulley…but is xi and it was.

So had to remove that, but bought a vacuum pump so no biggie.

The biggest issue was getting the pulley Free from the stem as turning the stem with a 7mm socket clockwise it wanted to turn the pulley and belt. Even with the belt locked with vice grips.

Eventually got my air rachet and used it as a mini impact amd the shock of it hitting after a few time was enough to get it free.


The other issue was the bearing was toast. All that was left was the races and a few balls. It literally feel off after I took the c clip off
I had to use my dremel to cut both the races and get them of, but all is well.
It was more work but probably easier for me than trying to pull the bearing truth be told.

Put it back together, pulled a vacuum for a few minutes, then base charged it. It was too cold to get a good read (sub 50degrees) but it worked fine today when the fam and I went to a couple car meets. Just need to find tune it on a warmer day

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by CoralRed

I had no idea the low profile rails even existed for the e91. I agree the e91s look better with them just deleted. My red e91 doesn’t have them but my white one does… makes a huge difference!

2011-on. And they suck to actually use as roofrails, as you need special fittings for them vs. any old clamp-on accessory for the round rails. And you can't tie anything to them.

I would cheerfully swap mine for the old style with somebody, though it's a LOT of work to take the headliners down. BMW should have taken a page from Volvo and made them bolt on from the outside of the car.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

2011-on. And they suck to actually use as roofrails, as you need special fittings for them vs. any old clamp-on accessory for the round rails. And you can't tie anything to them.

I would cheerfully swap mine for the old style with somebody, though it's a LOT of work to take the headliners down. BMW should have taken a page from Volvo and made them bolt on from the outside of the car.

I've always been jealous over the flush kind, but you make some great points there! I have bike racks on all the cars, and being able to swap from one to the other is pretty great!

[M-technik-3]

I have Kayak's and bikes and a box so my old high rails are used all the time and now that I have an X3 that shares the same rails it will see the same Yakima system. I won't be loading 14 foot kayak's on that though.

Edit: If I didn't have all the toys I might have gone the same route.

[Onizukachan]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

2011-on. And they suck to actually use as roofrails, as you need special fittings for them vs. any old clamp-on accessory for the round rails. And you can't tie anything to them.

I would cheerfully swap mine for the old style with somebody, though it's a LOT of work to take the headliners down. BMW should have taken a page from Volvo and made them bolt on from the outside of the car.

The e46s rails actually DID. Actually all you had to do was lift the trim and unscrew the base mount, take the mount and rails out, then put the bolt and gasket back in the hole. Done.

Never used the x3 or e46 or e34s rails. Still have the full e46 rails and mounts sitting on the garage, lol. Did truly use the f31 rails and bars once when we were moving 3-4 years ago. Put the dining table on top upside down and chairs inside drove the 3 miles to the new house so we’d at least hav3 a place to sit and to set small kitchen items and have breakfast and lunch the first day. .


After that I occasionally put the cross bars on for my 55” longboards for car shows, or wrapped them in battery operated lights for Xmas or Halloween car shows, and that’s it.

If you were remotely local I’d flat out give the tall ones to you. Same for anyone who wanted them.

[Onizukachan]

Got my cheapo used base halogen euro switch in today, disassembled it,
and pulled the two push pins and the rear fog “button” out of it.

Was too tired to put them in on lunch at 4pm since I had to get up super early and
take my eldest kid to see about buying a f10 528i before I went into work at noon. sadly it had sold on Saturday.
Every time we find an f10 or f30 328 auto within his budget and under 80k miles…
it’s always gone by the time we can go even go see it.


Once I do that tomorrow, That will complete my interior ‘updates’ for now
(CIC would be nice though) and as far as outside, I’m also almost done for now.

For outside, I need to replace my normal white flash to pass bulbs with
the hella ambers once I figure out how to on xenon’s,
and I’d like to get some black tips to over ye olde 325 peasant level bare pipe.

Nothing else is chrome on the outside now that the peeling model designator letters
are shaved so I don’t really want chrome OEM tips. I had black tip on my F31d, looked OEM+.
See possibility pics below. Feedback welcomed.
Leaning toward the more black flat ended tip vs the smoked back slant tip slip ons.

Still waiting to get the call from tax assessor that my bloody “ONE OF1”
personalized plates Have shown up and get the rear one and black custom/
personalized “Future classic” frame installed.

[StradaRedlands]

Onizukachan I have the titanium ones and love them, but flat black is great, too. Anything is better than nothing!

[Freewheeling]

Beauty Car

[Onizukachan]

Plates were in at county tax assessor.

And rear fog button swapped into the lighting switch.


I would like some metal pedals though, got used to having/seeing them on my f31. But some other day.

[StradaRedlands]

That plate is AWESOME!!!

[Onizukachan]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Onizukachan I have the titanium ones and love them, but flat black is great, too. Anything is better than nothing!

Any pics?


Have to get up early again, son #1 found an f30 diesel rwd (not AWD) nearby, white over beige. Isn’t sport or msport nor adaptive xenon… nor is beige interior my thing, but it isn’t my money either.

Does have 609 and HUD and regular 676 hifi so that means I can add the glovebox USB to play movies and all the custom stuff to it via esys.

[POBEP]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

I would cheerfully swap mine for the old style with somebody, though it's a LOT of work to take the headliners down. BMW should have taken a page from Volvo and made them bolt on from the outside of the car.

I have old rails and inserts sitting in my garage collecting dust for last 10 years
If you serious about swap - perhaps we can figure out shipping solution.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by Onizukachan

Any pics?

They fit perfect on the 328i, but not quite flush on a 330i. And I had to notch one to clear the hanger, and you can see how the curve is a little different. But I really like the oil slick finish on them, and it's held up fine over a few years on two cars.

[Onizukachan]

Thanks! They are for sure nice but I think after seeing your slant tips that I do like th3 squared end tips better.


Only tangentially related, my son (and I) along with the bank now owns this.
It had not even gotten cleaned from trade in, yet… and they have to replace the HUD windscreen as it has a horizontal crack, but we should be able to pick it up in 3-5 days.

[Onizukachan]

Well, trying a new caliper color on the 328 brakes.

Burnt copper.

Got my drill and several of my brass wire wheels of various sizes and 91% alcohol, thoroughly cleaned the calipers all around and masked the rotors and used cardboard as a overspray shield.

So far like it. Still have 3 more to go.


Just a semi quicky job, 3 coats color, heat gun, 2 coats clear, heat gun, then one more color coat atop the clear let it sit and one final clear & let sit for a while to flow out well before heat gunning on low to set.

And the clips I redid as accent piece in two coats caliper silver, heavy clear then more silver while clear still wet, (caliper silver has great adhesion, but really rough texture so the very heavy clear followed by silver again whilst still wet so it flows out better) second clear, then heat gun to set amd start curing

if I like it, then when I upgrade to 335i brakes I will do the whole disassemble and paint before install with oven baking and more time between final color and final clear coats.


Upside got the 2nd (drivers) headlight’s flash to pass halogen bulb changed over to Hella amber really easily, maybe 15 minutes, did that one from the top after removing the airbox.

Downside, I apparently have pressed far too hard on the upper release tab on the passenger side, ie the first one I was doing and now it is bent just a bit too far out and I couldn’t securely latch the first headlight’s Hella bulb back in at the top.

Tried to tweak it back out but my hook tools are just too short, I can occasionally grab it but can’t apply any torque to bend it out again, actually made it even worse, now it doesn’t latch at all.

Ah well, I ordered new longer pick set off Amazon to be here Wednesday and see if I can get it tweak back out so I can put the fender well back in and the wheel back on. I’ve spent over 3 hours fighting with that first one I tried. Ugh.

Otherwise I’d had had this wheel back on and the other front caliper done too today.

[Onizukachan]

Tips came in. Still trying to get the flash to pass bulb retainer to work again. May simply have to abandon it and not have a bulb there anymore.

[CoralRed]

I’m sorry if I missed it somewhere but can you tell me about those taillight lenses on the lift gate?? Omg they look so much better than stock….

Edit: just saw that they’re vinyl overlays. Did you make them yourself?

[Onizukachan]

Originally Posted by CoralRed

I’m sorry if I missed it somewhere but can you tell me about those taillight lenses on the lift gate?? Omg they look so much better than stock….

Edit: just saw that they’re vinyl overlays. Did you make them yourself?

I wish I had that kind of skill, got them off eBay before I even had the car!
Do not love the big white “Ermagerd origami” triangle.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/372456407673

[Onizukachan]

Had to take bumper off and remove headlight to fix the flash to pass retainer,

Whilst had it off, took advantage to install my grill badge.