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Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
Can a 200,000 km F30 320d Still Be a Good Buy?
- Thread starter Clint@MMS AUTO
- Start date
TODAY’S UPDATE - ALIGNMENT, COSMETIC BITS, OIL SERVICE & PADDLE PREP
I forgot to mention in the previous update that, before dropping the car off at Apex for the detail, I took it in for its proper wheel alignment.
Happy to report that everything is going really well.
The new front suspension has completely transformed the way the car drives. Everything now feels solid and tight, the steering is much more direct, and the combination of the new ball joints, tie rods and steering rack thrust-bush repair has removed the play and looseness that was there before.
Going over bumps and uneven roads is probably where the difference is most noticeable. No more knocking or clunking from the front end — everything just feels properly damped and controlled now.
Honestly, it’s delightful to drive.
While I was underneath the car previously, I also noticed that the front driver-side jacking point was missing, so I sourced a new one and fitted that as well. Small thing, but another item off the list.
Now that Apex had finished detailing the car and the Melbourne Red was looking fresh again, I figured it was finally time to fit some of the gloss black cosmetic bits I had been collecting.
First up were the easiest ones — the mirror caps and smoked LED indicators.
The mirrors were stripped, the new indicators fitted, and everything reassembled with the gloss black mirror caps.
So I fitted:
I originally bought mud flaps and double-slat front grilles as well, but I’ve decided not to fit them for now.
I actually really like the way the car looks in its current form and don’t want to overdo it.
I may still add gloss black side-skirt extensions later, but for now I think the exterior is pretty much where I want it.
So we went from this:
To this:
It looks so good now.
Next up was another engine oil service
I’ve done roughly 300 km on the oil since the previous change and wanted to see what it looked like after using that short interval as a bit of a clean-out.
When I previously looked inside the valve cover, the engine looked extremely clean with no visible sludge or nasty build-up, so I was expecting the oil to come out fairly clean.
The car went back onto the lift and I ran another engine flush through it before draining the oil.
After Flushing the engine, the Oil Filter was removed
Once the drain plug came out, it was pretty much what I expected — the oil was still fairly clean with only some light discolouration.
I let it drain properly, fitted a new crush washer and closed everything up.
The engine then finally got the good stuff: 5.2 litres of Motul X-clean 5W-40.
So that completes the short-interval oil-cleaning phase for now.
Then onto the next little project — paddle shifters.
My car unfortunately isn’t wired from the factory with the paddle signal wire at FEM pin 5.
I’ve ordered the MQS terminals, wire and the other small bits I need to make the harness, but those seem to be taking forever to arrive.
In the meantime, I managed to source a new M Sport steering wheel fitted with paddle shifters, as well as M1 and M2 buttons.
I’ve also sourced and fitted the additional button module to the steering wheel that will allow the M1 and M2 buttons to cycle through the driving modes.
So most of the steering-wheel side is now ready.
All that remains is to make up the signal wire, run it between the steering column and FEM, and then swap the new steering wheel onto the car.
Once it’s fitted and wired, I’ll see what coding is still required to get everything working properly.
So another decent bit of progress.
Mechanically the car is now driving beautifully, the suspension and steering finally feel the way they should, the paintwork is looking fresh again, the gloss black bits have sharpened up the exterior nicely, and the paddle-shift conversion is slowly coming together. Theres also the Cooling system refresh which i have also been collecting parts for but will maybe get to that next month sometime.
More to follow.
I forgot to mention in the previous update that, before dropping the car off at Apex for the detail, I took it in for its proper wheel alignment.
Happy to report that everything is going really well.
The new front suspension has completely transformed the way the car drives. Everything now feels solid and tight, the steering is much more direct, and the combination of the new ball joints, tie rods and steering rack thrust-bush repair has removed the play and looseness that was there before.
Going over bumps and uneven roads is probably where the difference is most noticeable. No more knocking or clunking from the front end — everything just feels properly damped and controlled now.
Honestly, it’s delightful to drive.
While I was underneath the car previously, I also noticed that the front driver-side jacking point was missing, so I sourced a new one and fitted that as well. Small thing, but another item off the list.
Now that Apex had finished detailing the car and the Melbourne Red was looking fresh again, I figured it was finally time to fit some of the gloss black cosmetic bits I had been collecting.
First up were the easiest ones — the mirror caps and smoked LED indicators.
The mirrors were stripped, the new indicators fitted, and everything reassembled with the gloss black mirror caps.
So I fitted:
- Gloss black mirror caps
- Smoked LED mirror indicators
- M Performance-style boot spoiler
- Gloss black rear diffuser
- Gloss black front lip spoiler
I originally bought mud flaps and double-slat front grilles as well, but I’ve decided not to fit them for now.
I actually really like the way the car looks in its current form and don’t want to overdo it.
I may still add gloss black side-skirt extensions later, but for now I think the exterior is pretty much where I want it.
So we went from this:
To this:
It looks so good now.
Next up was another engine oil service
I’ve done roughly 300 km on the oil since the previous change and wanted to see what it looked like after using that short interval as a bit of a clean-out.
When I previously looked inside the valve cover, the engine looked extremely clean with no visible sludge or nasty build-up, so I was expecting the oil to come out fairly clean.
The car went back onto the lift and I ran another engine flush through it before draining the oil.
After Flushing the engine, the Oil Filter was removed
Once the drain plug came out, it was pretty much what I expected — the oil was still fairly clean with only some light discolouration.
I let it drain properly, fitted a new crush washer and closed everything up.
The engine then finally got the good stuff: 5.2 litres of Motul X-clean 5W-40.
So that completes the short-interval oil-cleaning phase for now.
Then onto the next little project — paddle shifters.
My car unfortunately isn’t wired from the factory with the paddle signal wire at FEM pin 5.
I’ve ordered the MQS terminals, wire and the other small bits I need to make the harness, but those seem to be taking forever to arrive.
In the meantime, I managed to source a new M Sport steering wheel fitted with paddle shifters, as well as M1 and M2 buttons.
I’ve also sourced and fitted the additional button module to the steering wheel that will allow the M1 and M2 buttons to cycle through the driving modes.
So most of the steering-wheel side is now ready.
All that remains is to make up the signal wire, run it between the steering column and FEM, and then swap the new steering wheel onto the car.
Once it’s fitted and wired, I’ll see what coding is still required to get everything working properly.
So another decent bit of progress.
Mechanically the car is now driving beautifully, the suspension and steering finally feel the way they should, the paintwork is looking fresh again, the gloss black bits have sharpened up the exterior nicely, and the paddle-shift conversion is slowly coming together. Theres also the Cooling system refresh which i have also been collecting parts for but will maybe get to that next month sometime.
More to follow.
It sure feels like it. 🙌
Benji
Well-known member
Just stumbled across this thread now, congrats @Clint@MMS AUTO 🍻 awesome find and amazing condition and work done to it so far. Attention to detail is tops as always, thanks for documenting your journey
How rare is that power kit? I understand it is an upgraded intercooler and tune? Would be interesting to see what power this makes after the downpipe and other work you have done...Surely around 150 kW?
How rare is that power kit? I understand it is an upgraded intercooler and tune? Would be interesting to see what power this makes after the downpipe and other work you have done...Surely around 150 kW?
I got it from Facebook marketplace, the Chinese writing on the box label makes me think its not OEM
It cost me R4500 and is brand new and the buttons all feel good so for my little experiment its perfect.
Thanks Benji,
Power kit, Not sure how rare it is but its the first one i came across. I dont think its popular because it sold for R16.8K and offered such little gains. From what i understand the uprated intercooler is only 25mm wider than the original so from 75mm to 100mm increase on core size so not much there. and Then the other ECU with the 147kw tune on it. A downpipe and tune from most aftermarket tuners will come in way cheaper and make more power.
Lebofa said he dyno'd the car and it made like 128wkw with the power pack.
It goes so well now that i dont know if i would end up tuning it further. Its reliable like this and i dont want to blow a turbo or something. I just need to code out the EGR cooler and Delete it along with the swirl flaps soon. Then its as reliable and bullet proof as they come, Fully serviced and Ready to rack up the mileage.
Or i might sell it and move onto another project with an N57 next since i have been getting some good offers already lol
MR_Y
Well-known member
Excellent 👌
Regarding insurance, I assume the traditional retail value cover may not be sufficient to cover all the restoration work done.
Open to correction, but I think the BMW Club can offer you a valuation certificate that can be used to motivate a higher insurance cover through their insurance partner.
On my Z4 E85, which was 3 years ago, BMW Club did provide a valuation certificate that helped cover all the extra work done. Not sure if they still offer this.
Regarding insurance, I assume the traditional retail value cover may not be sufficient to cover all the restoration work done.
Open to correction, but I think the BMW Club can offer you a valuation certificate that can be used to motivate a higher insurance cover through their insurance partner.
On my Z4 E85, which was 3 years ago, BMW Club did provide a valuation certificate that helped cover all the extra work done. Not sure if they still offer this.
CK4LIFE
Active member
I knew the selling part was coming... Lol
I said i "might" but thats not part of the plans.
I still have alot of stuff to do and a bunch of parts/things on the way so for now i'm still committed.
osiris
///Member
Nice work dude! Looking fresh.
Did you notice a difference in the car after removing the DPF?
I did the paddle shift conversion and the sports gear shifter conversion on my 220d, running that wire was pretty easy, I actually took one of my old 02 sensors I had lying around, cut the wire out of one of those as it has a very long wire and it's a very good quality wire, I then made the pin connections for it from an old harness I bought for my Z4 when I did the oem bluetooth streaming module fitment which happened to be the exact pins I needed, then pushed it into the plug and ran it through the dash to the steering wheel and connected it all up and then coded it with I think ProTools iirc. I then also coded in the cruise control as my original steering wheel didn't have cruise control buttons and that all worked perfectly. I now have sports shifter, paddle shift and cruise control all working flawlessly.
Did you notice a difference in the car after removing the DPF?
I did the paddle shift conversion and the sports gear shifter conversion on my 220d, running that wire was pretty easy, I actually took one of my old 02 sensors I had lying around, cut the wire out of one of those as it has a very long wire and it's a very good quality wire, I then made the pin connections for it from an old harness I bought for my Z4 when I did the oem bluetooth streaming module fitment which happened to be the exact pins I needed, then pushed it into the plug and ran it through the dash to the steering wheel and connected it all up and then coded it with I think ProTools iirc. I then also coded in the cruise control as my original steering wheel didn't have cruise control buttons and that all worked perfectly. I now have sports shifter, paddle shift and cruise control all working flawlessly.
Thanks Nick,
Theres a slight power difference in with the downpipe, revs up a little better and makes turbo whistling Sounds lol
Still waiting on the terminals, wire and the Badge for the steering wheel, international shipping is weird this past 2 weeks. Few updates, long connecting flights. Hoping to get it this week and put an end to the steering wheel bit.
With regards to the sports Transmission shifter, other than looking better it does the exact same thing as the ugly one so its not on my list but If I find one easily and at a good price I might add it then.
Have you done the EGR Delete on your N47 as yet?
TODAY’S UPDATE - REAR SUSPENSION REFRESH
In my attempt to constantly make some kind of progress on the car whenever I get a bit of free time, it was finally time to attend to the rear suspension.
The front suspension now feels so good that it only made sense to sort out the rear as well.
The rear shocks were old and tired, and the bump stops had already started breaking apart. I’ve also got a fairly long trip coming up soon, so I want the car as close to 110% as possible before then.
For the rear we sourced:
Once the wheels came off, you could immediately see how tired everything was.
The old shocks and bump stops had definitely reached the end of their useful life.
View attachment 36602
Once the shocks were removed, I pushed them in by hand and they basically stayed there instead of extending back out properly. When you compare them to the new Bilsteins, the difference is obvious.
At that point there was no question that they needed replacing.
View attachment 36608
So in went the new Bilstein shocks, mounts, bump stops and dust covers.
Everything was refitted and I took the car out for a test drive afterwards.
The difference is immediately noticeable.
The old rear shocks really weren’t adding much value anymore. The rear of the car now feels far more controlled going over speed bumps, uneven roads and rough surfaces.
It also balances the car out nicely now that both the front and rear suspension have been refreshed.
Fresh shocks really do make a huge difference, especially on a car with this kind of mileage.
At 200,000 km and after years of dealing with Johannesburg roads, I think the originals have more than earned their retirement. 😂
So consider this your reminder to actually check your shocks once in a while.
Still quite a bit more to do. I’m just waiting for the last few cooling-system components to arrive, and then the plan is to do a proper cooling-system refresh next.
More progress soon.
In my attempt to constantly make some kind of progress on the car whenever I get a bit of free time, it was finally time to attend to the rear suspension.
The front suspension now feels so good that it only made sense to sort out the rear as well.
The rear shocks were old and tired, and the bump stops had already started breaking apart. I’ve also got a fairly long trip coming up soon, so I want the car as close to 110% as possible before then.
For the rear we sourced:
- Bilstein rear shocks
- New rear shock mounts
- New bump stops
- New dust covers
Once the wheels came off, you could immediately see how tired everything was.
The old shocks and bump stops had definitely reached the end of their useful life.
View attachment 36602
Once the shocks were removed, I pushed them in by hand and they basically stayed there instead of extending back out properly. When you compare them to the new Bilsteins, the difference is obvious.
At that point there was no question that they needed replacing.
View attachment 36608
So in went the new Bilstein shocks, mounts, bump stops and dust covers.
Everything was refitted and I took the car out for a test drive afterwards.
The difference is immediately noticeable.
The old rear shocks really weren’t adding much value anymore. The rear of the car now feels far more controlled going over speed bumps, uneven roads and rough surfaces.
It also balances the car out nicely now that both the front and rear suspension have been refreshed.
Fresh shocks really do make a huge difference, especially on a car with this kind of mileage.
At 200,000 km and after years of dealing with Johannesburg roads, I think the originals have more than earned their retirement. 😂
So consider this your reminder to actually check your shocks once in a while.
Still quite a bit more to do. I’m just waiting for the last few cooling-system components to arrive, and then the plan is to do a proper cooling-system refresh next.
More progress soon.
Attachments
MLorgat
Active member
THIS IS MAKING ME WANNA DO MY SHOCKS NOW.
osiris
///Member
I haven't done the EGR delete as yet. I haven't actually done any performance mods to the car as yet. Only creature comforts like the apple car play, sports gear shifter, paddle shift steering wheel retrofit and the digital climate control cluster replacement (That was a pain to code but works beautifully) and the E89 msport 19" Rims and headlight cover replacement, but in terms of performance stuff, stock as it came from the factory.
With regards to the sports shifter, yea I don't think it does anything differently but I did set the cars transmission to the sports transmission in ProTools when I installed it which made a big difference. From how it was to how it is now it almost feels like I put an XHP flash on the car.
I do definitely also need to do suspension next though.
