07-11-2020, 04:18 PM | #23 |
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Few updates inside the car --
Finally received the ceramic rear climate control unit from overseas, I decided to take on the swap myself as it seemed pretty straightforward. Release the side trim pieces of the center console with a plastic trim piece and it's simply a series of trim clips holding them in. Pop the rear seat off of its bushings to move the pieces out of the way and access the torx screws holding the unit in. 2 plugs on the back disconnected and its out ![]() New unit in -- maybe more trouble than its worth for a part I'll rarely see, but the OCD in me wouldn't allow the front controls to be completed and the rear standard ![]() ![]() Next I added a few more OEM M Performance bits One of which being the Carbon Fiber DCT Trim. I won't go too far in depth as there is already a DIY for this here which is what I followed. It adds a nice touch and perfectly matches the OEM Carbon Fiber Trim. Takes some getting used to for feel as the surface of the knob trim is slightly more raised than the standard silver knob. However, there are no 'edges' to be felt as they are all nicely rounded off with a perfect fitment ![]() I also added the M Performance Pedals as I think it is an overlooked area of the car but still is in your peripheral when you open the door to get in. The stainless steel pops nicely in contrast to the dull, dirt-stained black plastic stock pedals. This DIY (link at the bottom for a PDF of BMW's instructions) was a bit of a pain since it required drilling through the metal portion of the brake pedal. Slow and steady wins the race when drilling through metal to avoid rounding off the drill bit, so this took a little while to do. Definitely a 'measure twice -- cut once' type of job. The accelerator pedal was much easier since it is just plastic to drill through. All in all, I like the look a lot and is a nice cherry on top for an already beautiful interior ![]() M Performance steering wheel trim comes next week! ![]() |
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MMMM6GC281.50 lostcanvas2.00 |
07-22-2020, 05:38 PM | #24 |
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***LONG, PIC HEAVY POST WARNING***
So this past week was an productive one for the M6 as I tackled a bunch of different to-do’s: Cosmetics
So long story short, my OCD has required that I start to refinish areas of the car to bring back towards showroom glory. The pic below gives you an idea of what the front of the car looked like when it was clean prior to going in for respray (notice the headlights as well). ![]() Unfortunately I don’t have any pics of the rear bumper to show what drove the respray there, but there were these impressions/grooves in the loading edge of the trunk (potentially deeper scratches at one point but perhaps one of the previous owners paint corrected them out so they were these little valleys in the loading edge) along with some other minor scuffs. Incoming pic dump of the process for the bumpers and headlights. All work performed by the best body shop group in Minnesota – LaMettry’s Collision, specifically at their new 70,000 sq. ft. Minnetonka location. The GM of the location is not only a good friend but a fellow active forum member on the F10 M5post side BBM9515. The tech performing both the body and mechanical work is also a fellow forum member and F10 550 owner so he is familiar with the N63/S63 architecture. Anyone reading this in the MN metro area, go see these guys if you want your car treated like it’s their own, incredible work. Pics for each area listed chronologically throughout the process. Front Bumper: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Rear Bumper: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Headlights: (In good company with the F12 in the background ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Mechanical/Maintenance I decided to knock out some maintenance items during this time as well since the car is near 50k miles and I bought the car around 46,000 miles. I decided to put fresh oil in as well as all new Bosch coil packs and NGK 97506 plugs (step colder in preparation for tune later on). I also purchased some low dust front and rear pads based on some recommendations here on the forum but decided not to install quite yet as the pads on the car are still at 85% life. ![]() As you can see, I decided to put in Liqui Moly Molygen 5W-40 oil along with some other Liqui Moly products:
More than anything I wanted to use these products as a sort of ‘reset button’ from any adverse effects from previous ownership. Although it was maintained on time by BMW spec, I just feel the serviceable life of the oil in our engines is much shorter than what BMW dictates – after all, BMW’s definition of ‘Lifetime’ is 100,000 miles… Thus, moving forward I plan to do many of the routine maintenance items at a 2:1 ratio to BMW spec. I have become a fan of Liqui Moly’s lubricants since my Audi days and seeing the positive effects of their products in high performance equipment. You know LM is good stuff when the tech performing the work is intrigued enough by the product info to order some for his personal daily ![]() And finally, another OEM M Performance piece for the interior to complete the inside. The steering wheel trim looks great and ties the ‘driver environment’ together nicely. Only other thing I could think of to add would maybe be a set of AutoTecknic gloss carbon paddles but time will tell if I decide to add them or not – could be carbon fiber overload at that point. ![]() ![]() Thanks for reading – know this was a massive post but I like to document everything as detailed as I can in the event that it can provide guidance or help to anyone else on here. Cheers ![]() -Luke Last edited by LJohnson32; 03-24-2021 at 01:40 PM.. |
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07-23-2020, 12:41 PM | #25 |
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Bumpers and headlights looking niiiice
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LJohnson32223.50 |
07-23-2020, 02:02 PM | #26 |
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Was anything used to seal the headlights after polishing? Mine needs polished but I'm afraid that it may start yellowing quicker after.
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LJohnson32223.50 |
07-23-2020, 02:13 PM | #27 | |
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Thank you!
![]() Planning to do the same process in the springtime to the front fenders, hood and rocker panels along with XPEL to really have the car looking showroom condition again. Likely going to do a full refinish on the wheels and a few layers of ceramic as well. Can't wait! Quote:
They were wet sanded and buffed to a polish followed by a couple coats of clearcoat with UV inhibitors built into the product to prevent future yellowing. They were also XPEL filmed as well and eventually will receive ceramic coating for a few added layers of protection from the elements. I highlighted this exact concern to them as I knew the factory-applied UV protectant would be removed in the sanding process -- they assured me that they account for this in the refinishing process to ensure lasting protection. Doing this properly wasn't cheap to do, but it is a lot cheaper than having to buy new headlight housings down the road. Do it right or do it twice! |
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03-24-2021, 01:25 PM | #28 |
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After a long-endured Minnesota winter its's time for an update on what's going on with the car.
I was pleasantly surprised at how capable the car was throughout the various snowfalls and icy conditions. This is my first RWD only car, and with the Pirelli Sottozero's the car handled everything mother nature sent its way. Now that it's spring, time to get the winters off and the summers on as well as a few other items. I dropped the car off yesterday as I am out in Montana for a week, so I figured it would be a good time to knock out some projects. First of which was installing KW H.A.S springs to dial in the stance of the car. I think these coupled with the 10mm front / 12mm rear spacers will really give the car the look I'm going for -- I narrowed in on the KW kit due to it being revered for its 'better than OEM' ride quality as well as the ability to independently adjust ride height front and rear. It seems for some reason that the OEM suspension front wheel gap is slightly larger than the rear, so this independent adjustment should allow me to create a consistent, tight wheel gap at both ends of the car ![]() ![]() Additionally, the OEM 343m wheels are off and headed in for reconditioning and ceramic coating. While there was no curbing or egregious damage to the wheels, the finish was beginning to show signs of wear where the underlying silver was poking through. Once reconditioned back to the OEM satin black finish, they will get a full ceramic coating to help keep them protected long term. I will also be swapping out the OEM pads for some Powerstop low-dust formula ceramic pads, as last year I was constantly wiping down the wheels to remove brown brake dust. New Michelin PS4S summers are going on when they get back. I went with 265/35/20 front (OEM size) and 305/30/20 rear (10mm wider than OEM). Should be able to put the power down better due to the extra width and also moving from Pilot Super Sports. The rolling diameter of the 305's with the 30 aspect ratio will actually be closer to that of the OEM 265/35 fronts than the original 295/30 sized rears, so a nice proportion bonus there. Once the recon'd wheels and tires are on the car, I will update with photos of the new stance. And lastly, a small but welcome refresh to the brake caliper ///M logo -- while I replaced the faded 'M' last year, I did not go to the length of redoing the faded stripes as well. I got as close as I could to match the colors from readily available vinyl colors that had high heat resistance characteristics, and I think it turned out great. The logo really pops on the blue calipers now and is just one of those small details that is worth the effort. ![]() |
07-12-2021, 01:59 PM | #30 |
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I have been holding off on the tune to this point -- I did the plugs and coils at ~50k due to some occasional drivetrain malfunctions / misfires. Since plugs and coils are part of the 60k service anyways, I felt it was an easy place to start the troubleshooting and there have been no issues since. I did go to step colder plugs (NGK 97506) along with replacing the coils in anticipation of eventually doing the tune, but have continued to hold off on it. It's been about a year since putting those in and there have been no adverse affects of going to these plugs and staying stock.
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08-05-2021, 05:41 PM | #31 |
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Posting a quick update on things as a few things have been done since my last post -
Car was lowered on KW H.A.S. suspension. Originally installed the kit last fall but had some issues with the adjustable collars in the front that prevented me from getting the stance dialed in as I would like. Now, with that resolved, I'm happy with the overall stance of the car. Once the front was lowered, I noticed that the front suspension cambered in more as expected so I went to 12mm spacers up front, same as the rear. Zero rubbing issues at all ![]() ![]() Then, thanks to Flo1989 I bought a pair of carbon fiber paddles from F8x Freaks. Really impressed with the fit and finish for the price. ![]() Was really happy with the installed look -- definitely ties in well with the rest of the carbon in the car and they have a nice ridge along the back of the paddles for grip ![]() And lastly, while the wheel was de-trimmed for the paddle install I took the time to take care of the notorious steering trim buzz. I used 3M Quick Fix and applied with a felt-ended pick to all of the circled areas. So far, it's been a big help -- it isn't completely remedied, but 90% of the buzz is gone I'd say. Perhaps at some point I'll go back in and re-seal up every gap I can find, but for now I'm happy with the improvement ![]() ![]() ![]() |
08-05-2021, 11:30 PM | #32 |
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Looks sick, bro! Glad I was able to save both you and I a few bucks. Doesn’t happen often with these cars lol.
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LJohnson32223.50 |
08-06-2021, 02:56 AM | #33 |
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08-06-2021, 11:57 AM | #34 |
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08-07-2021, 12:52 AM | #35 |
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Stunning! This is the perfect ride height if I've ever seen one
Can I ask you which suspension kit you bought? KW V3 or V4? Or perhaps just the simple kit that only lowers 0.2"-1" And what did you adjust front and rear respectively? If there are no issues going around town, I may seriously consider upgrading as well, even though I have the comp pack, wondering if the ride height is low enough
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08-07-2021, 07:18 AM | #36 | |
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LJohnson32223.50 |
08-08-2021, 12:41 PM | #37 | ||
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Thank you! I'm not sure I fully understand your question -- but if you are referring to the overall drop you would see if the car started on comp springs versus non-comp springs, the drop should be the same. For the M6 there is no ride height difference between the comp and non-comp cars as there is with the M5 |
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08-08-2021, 12:58 PM | #38 | |||
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LJohnson32223.50 |
08-09-2021, 05:11 PM | #39 |
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I want my M6 to grow up to be this M6 hahaha, considering painting my 343Ms black and getting the KW H.A.S kit! I bought the black M grills from IND but it does not come with the M6 logo slot, no biggie.
I hope black 343s look as good on San Marino Blue as my head imagines it to look! Especially with blacked-out grills ![]()
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LJohnson32223.50 |
08-09-2021, 05:19 PM | #40 | |
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If there's any help or insight I can provide throughout your 'tailoring' of your car based on anything I've done, I'm more than happy to help |
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08-13-2021, 12:20 PM | #41 |
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Octane boost mod complete
![]() ![]() Also just a small note on a recent trunk organization tactic, as I would always have my bottle of spray detailer (Wizard's) and microfiber in the trunk, but it would always end up rolling around even after moderate driving. Bought a small 8oz spray bottle to fill with the detailer so that it tucks up nicely in the rear storage door. ![]() Always soothing for the OCD in me to have a completely clean trunk -- while also still having some spray detailer and towels in a pinch ![]() |
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11-03-2022, 10:19 PM | #42 |
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Brilliant taste! Thanks for the write-up (albeit I’m a bit late).
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LJohnson32223.50 |
11-11-2022, 12:37 PM | #43 |
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Great looking M6! I had to make an account just to give you a solid
![]() Out of curiosity, are you sticking with the 5w-40 oil weight in that Minnesota climate? I thought original oil spec was 5w-30 but perhaps the thicker oil helps with rod bearing protection in the summer? I have been eyeing a M6 coupe in the twin cities, just in my due diligence period of checking into the servicing to make sure I don't buy a problem. Last edited by HoldTheRocks; 11-11-2022 at 10:48 PM.. |
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LJohnson32223.50 |
11-12-2022, 12:04 PM | #44 | ||||
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Sorry to nerd out with the long explanation — just thought I'd share some tips as you look into M6 ownership yourself! Favorite car I've owned and it's taken care of me. Definitely not a lot of them running around in Minnesota, hopefully you find one worth pulling the trigger on! PM me with any questions, happy to help |
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