[cartuned]

Hey All -- I'm Pete -- I've been lurking around here on the forums for a few months and finally pulled the trigger on a 2009 e90 335i xDrive 6AT MSport.

I'm an engineer during the day, and a eCommerce entrepreneur at night... and a husband... and a dad... and so I finally bought a n54 e90 to meet my need for power and practicability.

I have the current goal of making it a 500 whp(ish) daily(ish) show car for fun and as a company car for my business -- IG: @CarTUNEDco (https://www.instagram.com/cartunedco/).

I'll be updating this first post with the current setup and posting any updates subsequently. Feel free to hit me up with any questions!

Current Setup:
Drivetrain:
- MHD Stock Tune
- VRSF Charge Pipe
- VRSF DCI

Suspension/Wheels/Tires
- H&R Sport Springs (XI) with stock shocks (strut spacer/ring removed)
- VMR V710s (19x8.5 & 19x9.5 / et35 F, et33 R) (15mm spacer front, nothing rear)
- Continental DWS Extremes (235/35 F, 265/30 R)

Exterior/Cosmetic
- Ebay Carbon Fiber Front Splitters
- Gloss Black Kidney Grills (Amazon)
- Some Headlight Halos
- Ebay 4" Stainless Exhaust Tips

Future Plan(s):
- VRSF Down Pipes (Sitting my garage)
- VRSF 5" or 7" FMIC
- JB4
- Forge Diverter Vales (Sitting in my garage)
- BC BR XI Coilovers (Sitting in my garage)
- 19" Forgestar F14s SDC F/R (cookie cutter specs)
- Single turbski? Stage 2 Twin Turbski? LS swap?

Here's how the thing sits now:

[cartuned]

So much stock. Very unstanced.

[cartuned]

Monster truck stance boosts my insecurity... stock suspension AF.

19x8.5 et 35 front
19x9.5 et 33 rear

No spacers.

The Blackhawk made me look brawny... So I took a picture of my car with it.

[cartuned]

Since I was so eager to be cooler than I was, I bought springs instead of putting that money into coils like I should have done from the beginning.

H&R Sport Springs (XI) w/Stock Suspension (Strut Spacer removed)...

[cartuned]

Not too shabby for 60 bucks...

Link to grills: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[cartuned]

Installed the Ebay Carbon Fiber Splitters with Gorilla Two Sided tape -- not a perfect fit, but it'll do for now -- will definitely have to mold/glue them to sit flush with the bumper.

Yes -- my plate does say what you think it does.

Link to splitters: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CARBON-FIBER...item2cababba6b

[cartuned]

I legit trusted my pseudo luxury car with the most ghetto muffler shop you'd ever see in Waterbury, CT -- they charged me $50 bucks -- and wanted to install my left tip about 1" farther aft than the right tip... I came up with some tooling made of cardboard to help them center and align the two... 45 minutes later you'd never be able to tell it was done by American Muffler.

Link to the tips... http://www.ebay.com/itm/261640978901...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[cartuned]

I got fed up with the orange hazard reflectors on the front bumper... was going to paint it... then realized 1" wide electrical tape was reversible, 'free', and super easy to apply... holding up for a month now with no issue.

While I was there, I debadged my fenders using my heat gun and goo gone...

[addict]

Looks good

[cartuned]

So I went out driving in about 4 inches of unplowed snow in my hilly neighborhood using my Continental DWS Extremes thinking they would hold their own compared to a legitimate snow tire setup...

Boy, was I wrong.

I nearly killed myself going downhill on a gradual left turn because I just couldn't stop or turn... I've run snow tires with my other AWD cars, and this was by far the worst traction in the snow I've experienced.

The next day I went out and bought a used set of 17x8 (et40) KM11s with 225/45/17 Blizzaks and TPMS sensors for about 300 doll hairs off craigslist -- about 2 more seasons left on them -- radical.

These wheels are popular among the 135/e82 crowd and assumed they were a direct fit because I was too lazy to research... they did require me to shave about .010-.015" off the edges of the calipers (front and rear) as the barrels of the wheels would interfere by that much when installed.

They ride much smoother than the 30/35 sidewalls on my continentals.

But, as for fitment...

I have a daughter that is 18 months old -- and she looked at me with absolute disgust when she saw that daddy went to 17s and reverse poke... I might as well drive a flesh colored PT cruiser.

15mm Spacers up front... none in the rear.

20mm front / 25mm rear spacers on order.

Also, my garage has turned into a tire storage center.

[Deluxx3]

Ha those 17s looks a little funky.

Love the car, OP! It's very clean!

[iamjamen]

You're on your way now. Looking good in summer guise.

Also, I hope you are joking about the BC BR coilovers.

[cartuned]

Originally Posted by Deluxx3

Ha those 17s looks a little funky.

Love the car, OP! It's very clean!

Thanks -- Yeah -- They're small -- hopefully tire lettering will make them look less toonish.

Originally Posted by iamjamen

You're on your way now. Looking good in summer guise.

Also, I hope you are joking about the BC BR coilovers.

I wish I was kidding about the BC coils I got them almost new for cheap -- I have to give them a chance for that much... I see KWs in my future.

Originally Posted by addict

Looks good

Thanks, man!

[iamjamen]

Originally Posted by cartuned

I wish I was kidding about the BC coils I got them almost new for 200 bucks -- I have to give them a chance for that much... I see KWs in my future.

Perfect opportunity to flip and profit. If you put those dampers on a shock dyno you would be terrified after seeing the results. You can still make some money on them before they go through a winter and are trashed.

[cartuned]

Originally Posted by iamjamen

Perfect opportunity to flip and profit. If you put those dampers on a shock dyno you would be terrified after seeing the results. You can still make some money on them before they go through a winter and are trashed.

You're making me cry - they're that bad?
Didn't plan on installing them until spring (will have F14s by then).

And still, I have been looking around for a good used set of V3s (had V1s on my 'stanced' Volvo S40 and loved them - pics attached) -- Ironically, saw someone post a set just this morning that's close to home.

[iamjamen]

It just depends on what your MO is with the car. If you just want a show car as you stated above then the BCs should be fine as they will give you the height adjustability that you want. For a DD with an occasional track day I would say that a set of Bilstein B8s paired with those H&Rs would be titty sprinkles.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Thank you for sharing, very nice mod list

[cartuned]

20mm spacers front and 15mm rear - the baby 17s are growing on me... 25s for the rear will be in on Monday.

[cartuned]

It's been a long time since my last post due to a bad snowboarding accident... But here is the latest!

AG M590s - 19x9.5 et 33 Square
Ventus V12s - 235/35 Square
10mm spacer front - 15 rear

Light pull and roll in rear only with rubbing under full passenger load.

New at 86k:
VRSF 5" stepped FMIC
VRSF Upper/Lower CPs
VRSF Catless DPs
VRSF v2 Sport Exhaust
Tial BPVs
MHD stg 2 + 93oct
XHP stage 2
kW v1s
Carking Front Lip (fit like poo)
Custom side and rear splitters

Maintenance at 86k:
New HPFP
Oil Change
New OEM rotors (F & R)
New Akebono Uro Ceramic Pads (F & R)
New OEM/Bosch Wipers
New OEM Spark Plugs
New OEM Coils

[HGreen335]

those wheels

[PourBoi-Jay]

Love the front splitter. You've convinced me that I need one. Nicely done.
I'm in Bristol, CT btw. Maybe I'll see you around.

[meekz]

Love this. I have an awd as well and MAN it's a tractor in the snow. Keep up the good work