Announcement

**Arbee** · 07-06-2020, 09:58 AM

So, things have been going slow in terms of modding... I have been spending money though, just need time to get the acquired parts installed.

Random, heavily edited pic by Google Photos:

vs Straight of the phone

I managed to find a South African gent who opened up a PDR and SMART repair store and this recently expanded and at the time of me wanting to send the car to him he moved to a new bigger premises and asked if i can allow him some time to settle before sending my car in. Of course, i was happy to do so.

The mentioned store will be fitting and painting some parts for me.
- Calipers (Tossing between Yellow or Red)
- Intake Scoops - Currently Red, but will be painted to match the calipers.
- Front GTS CF lip
- Front gloss black kidney grilles
- Side fender gloss black grilles
- Remove the current slim boot spoiler and install the Performance CF Spoiler

Pics of the new parts:

Im not so sure on the Black M3 badges, it was sent free of charge and while i like the black badge, it feels out of place as it is bigger than the current M3 badge on the trunk.
The puddle lights, i will fit them myself.

Im planning to send the car to CarDip, to get the silver window and roof line trim either wrapped or painted in a peel-able paint. Prices are sort of high so im still thinking about the POA.

Thats the plan, im hoping the car goes in next week to get the bits fitted and calipers sorted. Then the step is to send her for a service and get the oil analysis done together with a oil and filter change and maybe the spark plugs if required.

On the whole, the car is just so enjoyable. I found myself driving into a sandstorm a few weekend ago just cos i did not want to stop driving the car. Ended up meeting Andy and some gents from the BMWClubUAE for breakfast an hour away from home.
Weather here is just perfect for the drop top and no need to say, topless is always winning, for the car that it... The intake and exhaust note of the V8 is just so amazing!

I have not really pushed the car, like to illegal speeds just yet. Want to have it serviced and get it tip top before i push to the limit or close by and i plan to attend a Yas Marina Track Night soon to do such!

However, i did do a 1-3 gear WOT pull and man oh man, it sounds and goes so well! Since owning this car, i wonder why it took me so long to get one!

Enjoy - More to come soon!

UPDATES!!!

So the M3 went to Dentworx to have the brake calipers painted and as mentioned above, the owner is a saffa and was kind enough to accept the job to fit the CF and Gloss black bits i had purchased... Off she went!!

Shane sent me this pic and i was amazed!!!

We had some rain and sandstorms again while the car was with Dentworx so excuse the filthy M3...

The day came around to collect the car and i rushed through after work to be welcomed by this:

Man! If i may say so myself :blowheart:

Painted calipers and gloss black fender grills

Family trip to Dubai ended up being dual purposed as the M3 needed a brake service so i took it along with to Octane Service Centre, who are BMWClubUAE sponsors. I dropped the car off and had them do a oil and brake service and a check through the engine and suspension. Gladly, the bill was not too much as the suspension was good as well as the engine. Only coil 7 and the engine and gearbox mounts needed some attention. Had these replaced, some new oil and brake fluid and we were good to go...

My brother in law was with, so while the wife drove the Ford, i drove the M3 and he took a pic... :=):

Divio's brother joined us at Mall of Emirates for some Cheesecake Factory and he wanted to peek at the car (at the request from Divio)...

Some randoms as well as a cleaned out numberplate bracket pic!

For now, i spent a bit on the car. Focus on next will be bearings and wheels. Not sure on suspension just yet... Maybe later...

Skittles!!!

Honestly, dont feel the need to mod this car much, its just so enjoyable as it is that im in no rush to get mods done. Maintenance yeah, bearings first. Hopefully, i will leave the car with Octane in July/August when i plan to head to SA for a few weeks.

Attended a really chilled out event yesterday by Flat.12 called Ramadan Drives. With an almost 15 hours of fasting, and the shortened working hours we tend to have a lot of free time and free time that needs to pass by quick. My working hours are 9am to 2pm in Ramadan, most companies and stores are closed anyway between 4pm and 7pm. So, this event was posed to help kill time until we break fast at 7pm.

Met with a couple friends, the F80's, E92, F30 and E46 and went to the first meeting point. I was really in awe of all the cars. Classics to modern to exotics, it was all there. Roughly 60 cars... Made some new friends too! Here's some pics...

I want to start this post by saying a huge thank you to @Divio for always being there when i was in SA, ready to take pics when ever needed. BMWFanatics is really lucky to have a fanatic like Divio in the crew. Even when Divio visited Dubai last year, he took some pics of my ex-X3 and all this is appreciated 10 folds now...

So, i guess you got the drift, i had a photoshoot done for my cars out in the desert roads here in Abu Dhabi. Here are some of the pics...

**Arbee** · 07-06-2020, 10:00 AM

Some random images from a recent impromptu meet with fellow friends...

Very humid evening, so we tried to stay within AC, but had much fun 'cruising' around the town!

Happy New Year to all...

New year, new bearings!!!

I guess, it was about time and happy that it is done at present as the way they look, the inevitable was near.

New ones going in...

Car is still with mechanic as once the bearings are installed, he will be installing the new coils and spark plugs as well as going through the entire car and giving my a breakdown of what will likely be replaced next and over the next 6 months in terms of wear priority.

Cannot wait to get the car back and run in...

Some recent pics...

Update...

Picked up the car on Tuesday from Octane and Shak advised that all is good on the overall wear and tear items and the only item to really worry about is the steering rack which has a slight leak. The reason the car was with Octane for more than 4 days was to monitor the severity of this leak and it was very minimal. However, i have ordered the item and will send the car back once the parts arrive to have it replaced.

As you saw above, the bearings did not look too happy although no issues reported thankfully! Shak did advise that it was good timing, so im glad to have this ticked off the list.

Running in the bearings, keeping it low RPM as much as possible. Once the 1000km are done, will probably do an oil change and then increase the rpm gradually for the next 1000km. Not necessary but just for my own peace of mind.

At the same time, i had Shak replace the coils and sparks as well and what a huge difference, the car feels much more smoother, even the exhaust note changed.

While the weather is cool here, i want to get the car through its paces as much as i can, booking a track day for end of Feb at Yas Marina Circuit.

So... The time came, finally... Well actually, this is the second set of wheels i purchased for the car. The first set, did not get fitted and is still wrapped and stored in the boxes they came in.

1st set... 20 inch, 7 series wheels, offsets would have worked well also.

And then, i managed to find a set of ESR SR01 wheels locally, the guy had purchased them for his E9x M3 but then sold the car. So, i looked at the opportunity to grab these considering they are already here, no need to wait and they were the perfect spec.

19 x 9.5j ET22
19 x 10.5j ET22

Wrapped around are Michelin PS4S:
255 35 19
295 30 19

Currently, they are fitted with spacers, that was on the car when i bought it. Not sure of the sizes. But, they are soon to be taken off as the wheel spec i think is perfect for running them directly.

Will get some better pics soon...

Thanks guys!

Turns out they were 10mm spacers and a b1tch to remove. They off the car now personally, i think they look much better. Flush!

Rear sits perfect! Front, needs some low. I really dont want to lower though...

**Arbee** · 07-06-2020, 10:02 AM

Picked up a very uncomfortable vibration on the car since putting on these wheels. Had balancing checked and rechecked but the vibration is still there 110km/h onward.

Took it to a wheel specialist and found a very slight bend on the rear wheels, i guess it could be due to shipping! Spoke to the chaps i got the wheels from and decided to rather just get it repaired locally to avoid shipping and customs duties again. The cost will be covered by the shop i got the wheels from. They have also agreed to pay for the color change i decided to go for...

Wheels will be completed today. Will share pics then...

Heres a quick video of the car in motion...

[youtube]https://youtu.be/0vO1M3xMMlI[/youtube]

Color change done on the wheels...

Terribly unfortunate, but the ESR wheels are off the car. The vibration continued after 120km/h and going back and forth to different tyre and wheel shops to try to rectify it left me annoyed to a point where i cut my losses and decided to remove them. The seller has refunded me (excluding courier fees) - Its not their problem anymore!

I plan to start tracking the car occasionally as i have access to Yas Marine Circuit when they have their weekly open nights so i decided to put new tyres on the stock wheels. Well, 2 new tyres.

I purchased a pair of Michelin Cup 2's in 275 35 19 for the stock rear wheels and i have used the set of 255 35 19 (PS4S) from the ESR wheels on the stock front wheels.

Ford doing its duties!

Excuse the dirty car, was parked out at the tyre shop the entire day

Keeping the 295 30 19's and acquired a pair of 255 30 19's for the new wheels, both PS4S tyres.. New wheels are in build process, should get them in 5-7 weeks.

I have a problem!! There's 2 sets of rims and a set of tyres there... Plus the stock wheels and new tyres on the car!

Coffee tables!!

Also, in build is a custom steering wheel - More on that later!

M3 will be going in for some maintenance once again, just to prepare for the summer months.
- Coolant refresh
- DCT service
- Diff service

Off she went, to Dubai to the humble abode of Octane garage for:
- Coolant refresh
- DCT service
- Diff service
- DCT Flash
- Update the OEM Software

Before anyone asks, i could have driven it to Dubai (120km), but it costs 250-300aed to catch a taxi back to Abu Dhabi while a recovery truck costs 200aed.

**Arbee** · 07-06-2020, 10:02 AM

With the ESR Wheels leaving a bad taste in my mouth for budget wheels, i opted to get a custom wheel from a reputable brand.

Took some time to look at the options out there and contact some of the companies, dealers etc to see what my options look like.

Was really impressed with the communication and assistance from BC Forged, and ended up placing an order for the LE72.

Spec chosen was pretty much custom and with the help of the team, secured the following.

Front - 9.5j, ET22
Rear - 11j, ET28

After 1 week of option selecting, BC Forged sent me the final renders and then 3 weeks later, the build was completed.
Opted for Matt black centre shift face with gloss black lip and barrels and silver studs.

Within that week, the wheels were shipped and delivered by UPS.

With a complimentary goodie bag - Im a sucker for these!

Had to open them up and have a look immedietly

Test fitting, just to make sure before mounting the tyres on

Tyres mounted and wheels installed to the car
Went for 255 30 19 in front and 295 30 19 rears.

Ordered side skirt extensions as well in the last few days and got it installed.

Wanted to see what the car looks like on a roll, so had a friend drive...

On the way, low!!!

Thanks for watching!

**Arbee** · 07-06-2020, 10:04 AM

Short clip on the car rolling...

https://youtu.be/N5fb4U3-2i8

Hope all of you are safe and staying at home during the lockdown, here in the UAE while we may not be in a full lockdown, a lot of the country is staying at home. We have a curfew, non-essentials to be indoors between 8pm and 6am daily while only necessary movement is allowed during the day (have to apply for a permit to be outside). With that, my family is safe in our home going on 3rd week now. Do your bit, stay at home. Prevent the spread!

Since in "quarantine", i have not driven the car in over a week. Took this as an opportunity to do a cold start video.
https://youtu.be/qR-R3x7f_lg

And a little ride around the "block" once the oil temps were suitable.
https://youtu.be/kmj6O1ZAyh4

I was going to wait until the below are fitted, but seeing that the delays now are due to the current COVID19 situation, i thought i might share. It give me joy knowing these are coming soon.

Steering wheel from AZA Autowheel in Ukraine. Decided to go full leather with a gloss black trim with the M color stitching.

Also ordered from AutoTecnik. Red start/stop and M button and the Silver extended pedels. Went with silver as i have the silver trimmings and wanted to contrast since im going gloss black on the steering

Got some gloss red centre caps for the wheels, to break the black on the wheels, again, for some contrast...

Suspension is also on the way!

Some Dinan goodness!

Got a Carbon key chain, matched to the rear end of the car.

Thanks for watching!

So, a quick update on the 'M3 getting low'. Coilovers are finally paid for and should start build on Monday 4th May.

I found it very interesting, taking the COVID19 situation and general market downfall, it took a lot more time to secure a supplier. I reached out to resellers, both international, UAE and even tried some of the guys back in SA (granted courier from SA will be a problem, but i was willing to wait in effort to support SA based performance stores). At the same time i reached out directly to KW and BC Racing at the same time, both took a few days to get back and a few days between each email. Both had the items i was looking for respectively. KW stopped responding when i asked, "How do i Pay" and BC Racing came through with a much better and feasible solution within my budget.

So, i ordered the BC Racing DS Series (with EDC) coilovers and further customized its ability to suit my needs. I did not opt for the super low, as i dont plan on going that route and also asked for the comfort level as close to stock ride. Trying to get the coilovers in a custom color although not so much of a concern on this as its mostly hidden anyway.

ETA is not known yet, due to the pandemic it could take a little longer, but we could be looking at a mid-June installation. Im going to try and get the steering wheel fitted in the next week since some stores have opened up and the lockdown is a little more lenient here.

On that note, i know you love pics. So here's a few quick ones taken yesterday near a beautiful Abu Dhabi landmark, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Enjoy

A huge thanks to @Taz0 for coming to me and getting the steering fitted!

And with that, the AZA Steering, Autoteknic DCT Peddles and red M & Start/Stop buttons are installed.

I have not driven the car much, but man it feels so much more comfy in my hands now. Pics for your enjoyment (i guess)

Update:

M3 is with Enzo, they have started off the process to paint the exterior trim gloss black. To preserve the trim, i have asked them not to remove to reduce the risk of them getting bent, etc. Nothing interesting, just some pics of the start of the masking process. The entire car will be covered to prevent overspray.

And, the coilovers have arrived from BC Racing!

Peelable paint process will be finished by the weekend, have included a detail and coating on the entire car while its at Enzo.
Eid holidays for the entire week next week, so the car will go over to Octane in the first week of June for coilovers to be installed.

Shup!

**Arbee** · 07-06-2020, 10:06 AM

Gloss black peelable paint drying...

https://youtu.be/bgmYX6bNUho

Black trims done...

Dont know why i took this long to get this done. Should have been the first mod.

Just a quick before/after pic and some pics with the top down, rolling...

When i collected the car at Enzo.

The Enzo detail video:
https://youtu.be/JCzb3vZ-10Q

**Wazif** · 08-06-2020, 11:35 PM

Wow! what a thread!! happy to know that you've achieved a dream and a life goal! The car has totally transformed and it looks amazing!! Well done.

I learnt something new from your post - Something that @444YYY pointed out to me - My car, being a LHD, the driver sits behind the intake so the intake sounds is louder to the driver. I noticed this as well, you can actually hear the intake sounds especially with the top down.

I didnt know this before :) i will pay a bit more attention to it (i probably have taken the sound for granted by now!)

**Arbee** · 09-06-2020, 09:24 AM

Originally posted by Wazif View Post

Wow! what a thread!! happy to know that you've achieved a dream and a life goal! The car has totally transformed and it looks amazing!! Well done.

I learnt something new from your post - Something that @444YYY pointed out to me - My car, being a LHD, the driver sits behind the intake so the intake sounds is louder to the driver. I noticed this as well, you can actually hear the intake sounds especially with the top down.

I didnt know this before :) i will pay a bit more attention to it (i probably have taken the sound for granted by now!)

Thanks Wazif it sure is a dream that has been achieved. Hoping that this car stays with me in good health and i can pass it down to my son (when he buys me the latest and greatest).

Yeah, so did i and its true. Especially with the top down, its louder than the E9x M3's i have driven back home (RHD).

**Sana S** · 10-06-2020, 09:47 AM

Great Post!! and Amazing Photos!! Thank you for sharing!!

**RAFiK** · 10-06-2020, 08:39 PM

What a thread!! Haha!!

How long did it take you to type all that?

Kidding man, lovely post!

**Arbee** · 11-06-2020, 09:13 AM

Originally posted by RAFiK View Post

What a thread!! Haha!!

How long did it take you to type all that?

Kidding man, lovely post!

Thanks Rafik! Actually, i just copy paste from my build thread on another forum. I have build threads of all my cars - the ones worth customizing/modding.

**Arbee** · 11-06-2020, 09:17 AM

Originally posted by Sana S View Post

Great Post!! and Amazing Photos!! Thank you for sharing!!

Thank you Sana!

**Wazif** · 11-06-2020, 12:03 PM

Originally posted by Arbee View Post

Thanks Wazif it sure is a dream that has been achieved. Hoping that this car stays with me in good health and i can pass it down to my son (when he buys me the latest and greatest).

Yeah, so did i and its true. Especially with the top down, its louder than the E9x M3's i have driven back home (RHD).

So whats next for this beauty? Any mods being planned after the coilover installation?

**Arbee** · 11-06-2020, 02:18 PM

Originally posted by Wazif View Post

So whats next for this beauty? Any mods being planned after the coilover installation?

Just some small changes. Updating the Badges, Caliper paint and the interior trims. I also have a Macht Schnell (sp) intake and pulley kit ready to be installed. I will probably install the the intake, but the pulley kit im not sure if i will install it anytime soon, maybe next year when i plan to add a midpipe/xpipe and software.

I really want to get the front bumper sorted, it has a whole lot of holes from the numberplates that were mounted on. But, i will hold on until next year when i plan to re-paint the CF bits gloss black. Spent too much this year!

Announcement

Arbee's 2009 BMW E93 ///M3

Arbee's 2009 BMW E93 ///M3

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