The Grocery Getter aka #deflategate

[bimmerniklas]

Hi Indiejack. Nice ride Quick question, where did you buy your rear cups? Doing a similar conversation on mine. Have ordered everything but the cups since I don't know what fits.
Thanks.

[indiejack]

Beautiful. Been wanting to lower my 01 touring but can't seem to find a good front coilover/rear SLS link setup in my price range, stoked to see what you do with this! Where did you find those crossbars? Can't find them anywhere

Thanks, I took a little break for the winter on doing much with the daily here but I just sourced all of the parts for the manual conversion so pretty soon this should be a 6-speed.

As far as the crossbars I found them on ECStuning, just search for 82710144379 (mfgr part number) and they're generally under $200. EDIT: wrong part number, you can possibly call them that is for the set if you do NOT have the roof rails

As far as coilover+sls options that's a different monster, you can get adjustable links for the SLS for pretty cheap and some companies may sell you just the front coilover setup but that's hard to say.

[KanyeWest]

Beautiful. Been wanting to lower my 01 touring but can't seem to find a good front coilover/rear SLS link setup in my price range, stoked to see what you do with this! Where did you find those crossbars? Can't find them anywhere

[indiejack]

I like the re5's but I did consider tapered bags as well given the shape being so close to stock. Stock can be converted, I think iceboxxcustoms on IG slow an adapter but I'd be wary of the condition of the bags, and once you replace them you're likely over aftermarket money or near it.

Ride quality is a tough one to speak on, I ride with around 40psi in the rear and with Koni adjustables on soft settings I get very little bounce. Getting over speed bumps is around 65psi and that ups the spring rate enough to really bounce.

[mpowered02]

Nice touring.
So, how do the rear RE5's ride in comparison to the stock rear SLS tapered sleeve air springs? Looking to bag my 540iT eventually, and considering different rear air spring options. Options i'm considering are to 1) keep the stock air springs (but remove the air reservoirs), 2) Use some other Tapered sleeve air springs like the Firestone 9000's, or 3) run a bellows air spring like these RE5's...

[Luda]

The fronts, yes, 100% but the rears I don't believe will due to the shock geometry being closer to 45deg BagRidersis the place to go and if you want I can shoot you a PM on what things I picked on their site and added, etc. Overall the process was awesome with them (this is the second car I've bagged and went through them both times with stellar service on their end).

This is accurate. SLS / air suspension tourings use a physically different rear shock arrangement, not just a different part number. I would imagine any of the adjustable dampening shocks available for touring w/ air would suffice for an aftermarket conversion.





The rears didn't need much fabrication, did a little work to one of the D-Cups but after that everything pretty much bolted up and I was able to use all stock hose locations. I didn't have any straight connectors up top and used elbows (don't do this, pain to get final bolt up done with hand routing hoses to not kink them).
[/QUOTE]

Ive been doing some digging and it looks like you are NOT using airlift air struts in the rear, but instead using Slam specialties RE5's [http://www.universalairsuspension.co...es-p-138.html] Which sound like they bolt up without to much hassle.

I figured INPA could disable the SLS system, but as mine is still functioning (fingers crossed) i havent dug into it to much. Well and I've had my touring for 8 days now LOL. Ive had a couple people send me pictures of your wagon and tell me that i need to bag mine and I am in agreement, especially after driving it stock after spending 18 months dailying a coilovered e36, the ride quality is magical.



PS. If you have a rough parts list i would be SUPER interested, This is shaping up to be my first Airbag project (surprised right hahaha) and I'm still hesitant on what i would actually need to swap over to 4 corner aftermarket.

[MsDriftMissile]

Damn... My grocery getter was an automatic 97 honda accord lx that I autocrossed. Lol. You win

[indiejack]

So do the regular e39 air struts fit the touring too? I've been looking at getting the complete v2 kit on bag riders website and wasn't sure if the tourings were different than e39 sedans.

The fronts, yes, 100% but the rears I don't believe will due to the shock geometry being closer to 45deg BagRiders is the place to go and if you want I can shoot you a PM on what things I picked on their site and added, etc. Overall the process was awesome with them (this is the second car I've bagged and went through them both times with stellar service on their end).

Im pretty sure the rear needs to be custom fabricated. The rear suspension setup in the tourings is different than the rest of the chassis's if i remember correctly.


Indiejack, were you able to put the lid back on over the compressor in the stock location? What did you do about the self leveling system / OE air ride computer?

The rears didn't need much fabrication, did a little work to one of the D-Cups but after that everything pretty much bolted up and I was able to use all stock hose locations. I didn't have any straight connectors up top and used elbows (don't do this, pain to get final bolt up done with hand routing hoses to not kink them).

The stock lid to the compressor did not fit, I suppose if I'd routed the water trap further up the line it may have but I did use the stock plate and my full size spare fit over top of the assembly. I have yet to turn off the SLS warning and that is annoying but doesn't cause any drivable issues, I need to get to a buddies shop when he's there with his laptop and INPA (iirc) software to disable that bit, I will say this, spring for the Koni Adjustables for the rear and make them the softest possible and you'll float like a Cadillac, the only thing I ever scrape is the front air dams below the bumper and mostly the ones in front of the wheels.

[Luda]

Im pretty sure the rear needs to be custom fabricated. The rear suspension setup in the tourings is different than the rest of the chassis's if i remember correctly.


Indiejack, were you able to put the lid back on over the compressor in the stock location? What did you do about the self leveling system / OE air ride computer?

[nminnich]

So do the regular e39 air struts fit the touring too? I've been looking at getting the complete v2 kit on bag riders website and wasn't sure if the tourings were different than e39 sedans.

[CougarHouseGarage]

Love the touring model keep it low!

[indiejack]

Instant-win. I love slammed touring. When is the manual swap? Before you complete the compact off course. Right? Because a touring 540/6 bagged is just full of win and you'll be on the cool list of those with a 540/6 touring. And my idol.

Thanks, yes a manual swap is one of the items on my list because this is my first automatic in years and that part of it just sucks. I'm going to source parts this winter I think, try to do that in the spring I hope.

[Meeve]

Instant-win. I love slammed touring. When is the manual swap? Before you complete the compact off course. Right? Because a touring 540/6 bagged is just full of win and you'll be on the cool list of those with a 540/6 touring. And my idol.

[Chuckdee]

Now I'm really liking this thread! Please, continue....

[indiejack]

So things and stuff and nonsense, I'm super stoked to have bagged the waggin. It's one of those things where I used to look at the car and say "Damn, I really dig this car" and now it REALLY dig it.

So after a long wait on AirLift getting parts they needed to build out the front struts I needed to carve away time with my buddy Crawford to install. After a marathon Saturday night (the kind where my wife bitches me out at 4am with that whole "Where the f#%k are you?!?" type of thing) we were just a few fittings away from completion. I headed home in a borrowed Suburban which was a very odd experience as I'm not used to towering over other autos on the road. I run back Sunday morning to find that he and another ace were buttoning up the final bits on the rear bags!

As I pull up in front of the garage I just, no words, the Grocery Getter was sitting so nice! This may be the last update for a while because I need to finish That Bastard Compact before I go full retard on this beast so pardon me if I'm milking it a bit, lol.

First shot after the deed was done, phone quality so yeah buddy!


Here's some shots of the install bits, none of the tank setup yet because I literally zip tied the tank to the rear cargo mat until I get around to building something out.

Reusing the Factory Air System plate


Trimmed a factory piece that literally did nothing but hold up the flooring to hide the manifold


A few weeks later, I washed it and snapped a pic at the cruising height