Easter Cleaning & Wash - Long Introduction Thread

[Rcase]

Several of you know that I am focused on collecting the M cars. After 10 years of purchasing various BMW's I realized that there are so many cars pre electric steering and thousands of electronic functions. I have been restoring classic cars, rebuilding just about any engine that comes my way and donating my time to charity to help those with repairs they cannot afford. I enjoy working on the cars as a stress relief from my job. Note I will use the term 3 pedal to refer to manuals. I am so tired of hearing "manual" for variation of drivetrains that have 2 pedals.. In 2018 my wife and I moved away from Illinois (thank the lord) and went to America's Top City - Austin, Tx. I served on a board for BMW CCA, and am a legit car guy so to speak.



The X5M is my wifes primary hauler (including the carseat). It is by far the most reliable vehicle I have owned. Drop In Filters, Tune and a full exhaust and damn that is a quick SUV that gets excellent MPG. I definitely advise upgrading your deck - even if you do not use the Android side, the screen is beautiful. If you know anyone that has an E70 with CIC I will give them an amazing deal on an Avin.

The E60 is a spectacular car, the clutch feel ,the sound the fun etc - One of my favorite vehicles and with a zhp knob and just a bushing refresh with RP in the trans, gosh its amazing. With a natural brown interior its a beautiful car - the Tubi rear section sounds amazing. Tuned and ready for some RMS headers. I lucked out and bought a car from a Ford dealer who didnt realize the previous engine was replaced and fresh. My blackstone comments ask when did I build the motor? I still am ready to do the bearings and upgrade bolts at some point in the future.

My M3 Touring Project only requires the rear fenders to cut and weld on. I am completely out of Argon (hard time finding an open shop) and a very long day of prep and welding. If anyone in the Austin area is willing to do this job for me on the side, please let me know. The touring is my 4th manual sport car. It is the first that I did a complete M3 conversion. I have a stage 4 Maximum PSI (and partial HPF) kit in a box while i start to collect the expensive parts (CP Carillo Rods with Hardened Bolts, Titanium Springs are all I have). I get a budget for the abyss of the touring. Alas, it is a wonderful car even with the CSL airbox, quality headers and a full exhaust and Frank's Tune. The drivetrain swap was easy just time consuming. It has all parts that I sourced vs a donor. The brakes and brake booster (Competition) were amazing upgrades! The rear bumper cover is my attempt at what BMW "should" have made. Many shops have their own rendition - I chose to use the top curvature from the stock bumper and graft to an OEM M3 bumper cover. Dozens and dozens (hundreds maybe) of hours later, its close enough for paint when I get the rear fenders done. An OEM M3 hood aligns perfect to fiberglass OEM fenders made for a sedan front.





The E36 was purchased for my wife. Prior to our little one entering our world, she loved having an e46 m3 3 pedal cab. Given it has to be a manual, I purchased it. As luck would have it, a very uncommon (Dare i say rare) , 3 pedal E93 (above) came along and wallah - Now I want to trade the E36 for a sdean so I complete the collection (note: I sold my E90 M3 Jerez, to a great guy a few years back prior to our move, I just couldnt take it with). The E93 is a spectacular car in every way. Great find overall with one owner and a brand new interior. It has a tune already however test pipes will be on there soon.







The E30 M3 was purchased on BaT several years ago. The original owner passed away and I was fortunate to get an amazing car that my daughter will someday inherit post college.If someone in Austin knows an interior shop i have the original seats and want to 100% refresh the interior (carpet, door cards, etc). It has fresh Style 5 (17") with dark grey centers.



Last but not least is my favorite of the collection - My E39. It is currently undergoing a supersprint x pipe. The header flange studs were completely gone so i had to cut them. For those of you that have ever drilled out a stud, it is a long ugly process even with great bits. The car has been perfect, regular maintenance and easy fixes (man did new coils help). Again , Frank did his magic and it is the beast with the setup.




I want to thank Frank Smith personally for helping me with the cars. Offering to let me use your wifes X5M tune before it was even public is just an example of how great you are.

** Note - I received no compensation for my notes about Frank Smith - TTFS. Frank is the most knowledgeable I have talked with and given I do all of my own builds, always offers up an answer to questions such as torque to yield angles through camshaft choices.

Anyways, thank you to bimmerpost for a home to visit when I am not dealing with work or exhausted from washing all the cars. My wife and daughter are the gems that help support my hobby. In the next year or two I will build my super shop in our backyard. Thankfully there is plenty of space in North Austin area (Leander).Hopefully I continue to meet more folks as we live in Texas after a long life in Illinois. My 3 year old girl is already excited to help detail wheels, hand daddy the dewalt or map gas torch. I could not live without my wife who autocrosses, loves to head to Circuit of the Americas for anything and doesn't mind I am always cut up and grease embedded.



Hook'em Horns!

- Cheers - Ryan

[Rcase]

In the event the photos are absent, I created a shared gallery. Cheers - Happy Easter!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YdiMRRt7z73FyAxH9

[Dackelone]

What an awesome collection of cars. The e39M5 is my favorite too. Dang you seem to have a thing for white cars. I'm surprised none of them have any ///M stripes on them.

[Maitre_Absolut]

Nice collection. I only recently moved on from white cars had a streak of 4.

No F8x yet?

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by Rcase

Several of you know that I am focused on collecting the M cars. After 10 years of purchasing various BMW's I realized that there are so many cars pre electric steering and thousands of electronic functions. I have been restoring classic cars, rebuilding just about any engine that comes my way and donating my time to charity to help those with repairs they cannot afford. I enjoy working on the cars as a stress relief from my job. Note I will use the term 3 pedal to refer to manuals. I am so tired of hearing "manual" for variation of drivetrains that have 2 pedals.. In 2018 my wife and I moved away from Illinois (thank the lord) and went to America's Top City - Austin, Tx. I served on a board for BMW CCA, and am a legit car guy so to speak.



The X5M is my wifes primary hauler (including the carseat). It is by far the most reliable vehicle I have owned. Drop In Filters, Tune and a full exhaust and damn that is a quick SUV that gets excellent MPG. I definitely advise upgrading your deck - even if you do not use the Android side, the screen is beautiful. If you know anyone that has an E70 with CIC I will give them an amazing deal on an Avin.

The E60 is a spectacular car, the clutch feel ,the sound the fun etc - One of my favorite vehicles and with a zhp knob and just a bushing refresh with RP in the trans, gosh its amazing. With a natural brown interior its a beautiful car - the Tubi rear section sounds amazing. Tuned and ready for some RMS headers. I lucked out and bought a car from a Ford dealer who didnt realize the previous engine was replaced and fresh. My blackstone comments ask when did I build the motor? I still am ready to do the bearings and upgrade bolts at some point in the future.

My M3 Touring Project only requires the rear fenders to cut and weld on. I am completely out of Argon (hard time finding an open shop) and a very long day of prep and welding. If anyone in the Austin area is willing to do this job for me on the side, please let me know. The touring is my 4th manual sport car. It is the first that I did a complete M3 conversion. I have a stage 4 Maximum PSI (and partial HPF) kit in a box while i start to collect the expensive parts (CP Carillo Rods with Hardened Bolts, Titanium Springs are all I have). I get a budget for the abyss of the touring. Alas, it is a wonderful car even with the CSL airbox, quality headers and a full exhaust and Frank's Tune. The drivetrain swap was easy just time consuming. It has all parts that I sourced vs a donor. The brakes and brake booster (Competition) were amazing upgrades! The rear bumper cover is my attempt at what BMW "should" have made. Many shops have their own rendition - I chose to use the top curvature from the stock bumper and graft to an OEM M3 bumper cover. Dozens and dozens (hundreds maybe) of hours later, its close enough for paint when I get the rear fenders done. An OEM M3 hood aligns perfect to fiberglass OEM fenders made for a sedan front.





The E36 was purchased for my wife. Prior to our little one entering our world, she loved having an e46 m3 3 pedal cab. Given it has to be a manual, I purchased it. As luck would have it, a very uncommon (Dare i say rare) , 3 pedal E93 (above) came along and wallah - Now I want to trade the E36 for a sdean so I complete the collection (note: I sold my E90 M3 Jerez, to a great guy a few years back prior to our move, I just couldnt take it with). The E93 is a spectacular car in every way. Great find overall with one owner and a brand new interior. It has a tune already however test pipes will be on there soon.







The E30 M3 was purchased on BaT several years ago. The original owner passed away and I was fortunate to get an amazing car that my daughter will someday inherit post college.If someone in Austin knows an interior shop i have the original seats and want to 100% refresh the interior (carpet, door cards, etc). It has fresh Style 5 (17") with dark grey centers.



Last but not least is my favorite of the collection - My E39. It is currently undergoing a supersprint x pipe. The header flange studs were completely gone so i had to cut them. For those of you that have ever drilled out a stud, it is a long ugly process even with great bits. The car has been perfect, regular maintenance and easy fixes (man did new coils help). Again , Frank did his magic and it is the beast with the setup.




I want to thank Frank Smith personally for helping me with the cars. Offering to let me use your wifes X5M tune before it was even public is just an example of how great you are.

** Note - I received no compensation for my notes about Frank Smith - TTFS. Frank is the most knowledgeable I have talked with and given I do all of my own builds, always offers up an answer to questions such as torque to yield angles through camshaft choices.

Anyways, thank you to bimmerpost for a home to visit when I am not dealing with work or exhausted from washing all the cars. My wife and daughter are the gems that help support my hobby. In the next year or two I will build my super shop in our backyard. Thankfully there is plenty of space in North Austin area (Leander).Hopefully I continue to meet more folks as we live in Texas after a long life in Illinois. My 3 year old girl is already excited to help detail wheels, hand daddy the dewalt or map gas torch. I could not live without my wife who autocrosses, loves to head to Circuit of the Americas for anything and doesn't mind I am always cut up and grease embedded.



Hook'em Horns!

- Cheers - Ryan

You know they come in other colours than white eh. Nice collection by the way.

[Rcase]

Thanks Guys and Gals, I have always appreciated the BMW community.

Once I was hooked on Alpine White (1 and 3) , what do you think i should respray my touring? Does anyone on here think highly of mineral white? I have had bad luck spraying those types of paints in the past. I may need to just suck it up and pay for that one.

Appreciate it - this wasnt meant to be a boast, just simply sharing how much I love the cars and I no longer get to attend car shows or gatherings!

[Rcase]

If anyone knows a Z4M Coupe owner that wants to let a car go to someone that will be buried with it his name, please let me know. I would really love to get one. The 1M is just too damn pricey, I guess I will settle for when an M2 is inexpensive.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by Rcase

If anyone knows a Z4M Coupe owner that wants to let a car go to someone that will be buried with it his name, please let me know. I would really love to get one. The 1M is just too damn pricey, I guess I will settle for when an M2 is inexpensive.

My neighbor has a nice S54 Z3 M Coupe. Having owned one, I greatly prefer them to the Z4 MC, but do like both and know that the Z4's are a good bit cheaper. Welcome to Austin, love the cars, especially that E39, great machine.

[86Zed]

Fantastic selection of cars and I think your subtle modifications suit the character of each car well. Interested to see more information on the M3 touring conversion!

My own car projects have taken a short hiatus with a 5-month old in the house but so much (forced) time at home has given rise to a few wrenching sessions here and there.

[Rcase]

Originally Posted by 86Zed

Fantastic selection of cars and I think your subtle modifications suit the character of each car well. Interested to see more information on the M3 touring conversion!

My own car projects have taken a short hiatus with a 5-month old in the house but so much (forced) time at home has given rise to a few wrenching sessions here and there.

Thank you, I want to keep the essence of the vehicle where possible. My touring is set for "insanity" as I tire of hellcat owners and became bored of racing mustangs years ago. I will include more , i presently have a PTE7276 however turbo;s have advanced immensely and i think I can move up to near pro-mod sizes. It doesn't need to be drivable per se

Congratulations - my 3 year old is the most precious member of the family. She loves her Precision Turbo shirt a super nice guy on eBay made for me. Enjoy those early months! Cheers

[Rcase]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

My neighbor has a nice S54 Z3 M Coupe. Having owned one, I greatly prefer them to the Z4 MC, but do like both and know that the Z4's are a good bit cheaper. Welcome to Austin, love the cars, especially that E39, great machine.

Hope we can meet in Texas someday, folks are incredibly friendly in contrast to the midwest.

I would love a clownshoe or a roadster in AW. They are a great deal if you grab an S54 car as you mentioned!

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by Rcase

Hope we can meet in Texas someday, folks are incredibly friendly in contrast to the midwest.

I would love a clownshoe or a roadster in AW. They are a great deal if you grab an S54 car as you mentioned!

Just know that the Z3 M Roadsters need a lot of bracing to feel like a match to the motor. The Z4 M Roady is much better and nearly as stiff as the Z3 M Coupe.

There are some good drives out of here, specifically to the west, into the Hill Country. Once this all clears up we should all get out. I've been meaning to get out to the Twisted Sisters:

https://ridermagazine.com/2013/07/08...t-famous-trio/

[..Rush..]

Wow, this is what it's all about!
Thank you for this wonderful post!
Great collection, and great family!

[Deebo]

Great collection, and interesting comments on the E70- reliability and economy are not the reputation that those have but damn, do I want one as a daily. Awesome trucks.

[P1]

I've had multiple Alpine White BMWs and they're a bigger pain to keep clean than my three black BMWs now.

Unfortunately, wife wants another white one.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by P1et

I've had multiple Alpine White BMWs and they're a bigger pain to keep clean than my three black BMWs now.

Unfortunately, wife wants another white one.

White paint is made with titanium, so it's definitely harder to correct than black, which is made with marshmallows and cloud dust. I've had Jet Black and Sapphire. Current car is non metallic white, but silver is my favorite for maintenance.

[P1]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

White paint is made with titanium, so it's definitely harder to correct than black, which is made with marshmallows and cloud dust. I've had Jet Black and Sapphire. Current car is non metallic white, but silver is my favorite for maintenance.

My GT is Jet Black and it's the worst color ever to keep looking good. Never again. EVER. It constantly stains, swirls, etc. However, Black Sapphire Metallic is a breeze. I'll get that color all day.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by P1et

My GT is Jet Black and it's the worst color ever to keep looking good. Never again. EVER. It constantly stains, swirls, etc. However, Black Sapphire Metallic is a breeze. I'll get that color all day.

I'm the opposite. Jet Black looks great and Sapphire is a mess. Just looks like a dusty car when it's freshly detailed. I generally dislike metallic paint though and don't mind the extra effort to maintain solid paint. Or didn't before I had a kid to chase around.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by P1et

My GT is Jet Black and it's the worst color ever to keep looking good. Never again. EVER. It constantly stains, swirls, etc. However, Black Sapphire Metallic is a breeze. I'll get that color all day.

I agree. Jet black looks better than BSM when freshly washed, but otherwise dust/pollen are noticeable within a day. And if it rains even once then jet black starts going to shit in the lower half of the car. BSM holds up better overall and of course looks nicer up close due to the metallic finish.

With that being said, these waterless washes are a life saver. In 5 minutes you can clean that lower half of the car.

[roastbeef]

great cars and nice looking family. welcome to the club.

[GenXer]

Very nice collection and a swanky neighborhood as well.

[Tim1981]

Originally Posted by Rcase

Several of you know that I am focused on collecting the M cars. After 10 years of purchasing various BMW's I realized that there are so many cars pre electric steering and thousands of electronic functions. I have been restoring classic cars, rebuilding just about any engine that comes my way and donating my time to charity to help those with repairs they cannot afford. I enjoy working on the cars as a stress relief from my job. Note I will use the term 3 pedal to refer to manuals. I am so tired of hearing "manual" for variation of drivetrains that have 2 pedals.. In 2018 my wife and I moved away from Illinois (thank the lord) and went to America's Top City - Austin, Tx. I served on a board for BMW CCA, and am a legit car guy so to speak.


Hook'em Horns!

- Cheers - Ryan

What an amazing collection.... Cheers mate