Signal Green E92 M3 Build

[JEllis1]

With all the mechanical bits installed. Time for the front splitter and spoiler.

Varis wing and Challenge CF/Kevlar trunk

Spoiler2 by JMEllis, on Flickr

Spoiler1 by JMEllis, on Flickr

I wanted something functional that worked. However, paying the premium for the OE BMW Motorsport part that would eventually get cracked or destroyed did not appear logical. So, I went with the next best thing.... The RKP GT4 front lip.

I wanted a lip that would be held securely by bolts, not tape or glue. I wanted something that would resist the high speeds that come with track duty. I further secured the bolts in place using high strength loctite. Yes, getting the lip will be difficult but its not coming off unless its destroyed anyway.

Splitter0 by JMEllis, on Flickr

Interesting to note that BMW does not completely spray the bottom of the bumpers. You can just make out the raw PU underneath.

Bolts going on.

Splitter4 by JMEllis, on Flickr

And the finished look!

Splitter3 by JMEllis, on Flickr

Yes, its difficult to drive with this big lip. But careful driving and road planning has kept it looking nearly new.

Splitter1 by JMEllis, on Flickr

Time for the mirrors. This is actually pretty simple as long as you are not squeamish about pulling out interior panels. The mirror install will require removal of the door panel. However, you do not need to disconnect all the electrical bits. Just pull the panel off and set it on something (I used a cooler) in order to access the tweeter and mirror mounts.

Here are the mirrors going on.

Mirror3 by JMEllis, on Flickr

The mirrors and Puma logo are a homage to the BMW Motorsport RLL M3 GTs that until recently raced in ALMS.

Mirror2 by JMEllis, on Flickr

[laextreme5]

Sir, could you please calm down.






Nah to hell with it keep going balls out, this is awesome.

[hi its me alec]

Well, this is baller. Thanks for all the little details! I don't have the patience or foresight to stop and take pictures while things are happening

[J2nicee]

Followed your build on M3post, still looking nasty!!

[JEllis1]

I had been looking for a suitable replacement shift knob for a while. My search took me to TWM Performance and their unique approach to a solution for BMWs. They provide a threaded adapter for the BMW shift lever that is secured with three set screws. Then the shift knob can be torqued down onto the threads of the adapter. The result is a very secure knob. I chose TWMs competition series knob and I am very happy with the product.

The packaging

TWM0 by JMEllis, on Flickr

The packaging inside is very nice. The threaded adapter is on the left

TWM1 by JMEllis, on Flickr

The result

TWM2 by JMEllis, on Flickr

[JEllis1]

Alignment at MRF Engineering in Lake Forest, CA.

Align6 by JMEllis, on Flickr


Align3 by JMEllis, on Flickr

Doesn't she look great sitting on the lift?

Align5 by JMEllis, on Flickr

I think I did a decent job at capturing the color. In sunlight, Signal looks much deeper while under cloudy skys it can look dark.

I had initially setup the car with a lot of camber and a lot of "low". MRF adjusted my settings to a better ride height and a much more performance oriented camber setting.

get-attachment-3.aspx by JMEllis, on Flickr

I love how the car turned out after the alignment! The car feels great and best of all, it does not rub! Here she is all dialed in and ready to go!

[Staggered]

Amazing

[becausephilchow]

Love it, love it, love it!

[viaotone]

Thanks for all the little details!

[BuFFyZA]

Thank you for this. It is amazing

[kittenpuncher]

this is unreal, I absolutely love the color choice.

[fackinsteve]

This thread makes me feel poor

[JEllis1]

Time for solid bushings.

As you can guess, its a lengthy and an in depth process.

GTS exhaust removed.



Exhaust, X-pip, brakes and subframe removed.



Here are all the rubber bushings removed. Notice the diff bolt bushing is actually made of foam. No wonder a lot of diff bolts fail. Removing these bushings the correct way is a very tricky process and requires some specialized tools.



Solid subframe bushings installed.





Differential bushings installed



All ready to go back into the car!





And finally going back in!

[driftsucky]

I like this. It makes me GREEN with envy

[btns44]

This is incredible! Green on green has never looked better.