My build/progress thread of old and new ride (formerly SH330CI, lots of pics)

I have realized after all these years I never got around to making my own build thread so I will mash the old and new ride into one. I bought my 04 330CI ZHP TIAG June 25th, 2008 CPO from a friends bmw dealership with 32k miles on the vehicle. Since then it has been on a long journey and endured 4 years of several trips to and from Michigan (to see my family and my fiance(now wife) in dental school in Michigan). I sold it at 111k miles. Below you will see pics of my mods through the years.

The day I bought it



1st Mod (Rac Dyn Air Intake, AEM dryflow installed and rac dyn rear strut brace both not pictured)

2nd Mod (Angel Eyes)

3rd Mod (M3 Seats)

4th (M3 Wheels)

5th (Slotted Rotors all around and Pagid Performance brake pads)
6th (Black rear diffuser)

7th (CSL Rep Wheels)

8th (CF Hood)

9th (Headers)

10th (BC coilovers)

11th (new zhp shift knob)

12th (leather wheel)

13th (arqray lip)

14th (CSL trunk)

15th (CSL Center Console)

16th
Depo Smoked Tails (oem tails separated and leaked)

17th (BBS Style 5s 18")

Last but not least this was the way it looked the way I sold it: (minus the style 5s, vid below)


A list of the maintenance it underwent during the 4 years 2 months of ownership.

Control Arms and Bushings Changed under warranty August 2008
Flashed with updated DME before sold to me.
CPO Warranty Expired August 2011
Oil Changed Every 7500 Miles
Brakes Replaced and Upgraded with Slotted Stop Tech rotors and pads at 80k miles
DISA valve replaced @ 82k miles.
Polyurethane Rear Trailer Arm Bushings at 90k.
Crankshaft position sensor 93k.
New NGK Iridium Spark Plugs and Valve Cover Gasket @ 93k.
New Battery at 100k.
Water Pump Replaced at 103k miles.
Water Pump Pulley replaced at 103k miles.
Control Arm and Bushings replaced again at 104k miles.
Alignment done @ 106k miles.
02 bypass done @ 107k miles.

Now my wife was bugging me to get my next car since January but our wedding was in April so I wanted to keep that cash aside just in case some unforeseen expenses occurred. Well, after my wedding I started my hunt for my next car and I found it in NC thanks to posting a WTB thread on M5board. I was not going to waiver on the ext/int color combo I wanted. Interlagos Blue/Silverstone Leather interior. I finally found an 07 with 56k miles still under warranty. SMG pump just replaced, new clutch new battery.

All maintenance done at BMW. Good to go! I took the zhp on one final ride to pick up my new ride. I must admit, it was an emotional rollercoaster going down with the zhp because I had so many fond memories in it. Hell I took my wife on our first date in it. As soon as I arrived in Wilmington NC and I saw my new car and its former owner waiting at the Holiday inn parking lot for me all those sad feelings washed away. This car is amazing! The blue pops in person so much so that taking photographs does not do it justice. The car is pristine inside and out and has a Dinan exhaust, 12mm spacers all around, and an Eibach sport spring kit on it. The roar of the engine is bonerworthy. Here it is as she sits today.








All I plan on doing is an AFE stage 2 intake and maybe a chip. So far I have put in new brake pads, oil change, and resonator delete. A long read but I feel worth it. Hope you enjoy!

SUbbed, enjoy it man.

that prefacelift M3 hood and hood pins kinda ruined the look.
nice M5. wish they made a manual version for the new one.

Looks fantastic. Love the new M5 and especially love the HUD speedo and tach. Wish you have a sound clip of the exhaust.

Originally Posted by jasonbimmer

that prefacelift M3 hood and hood pins kinda ruined the look.
put the factory one back on please.

Lmao didnt read huh? I sold that hood way before I sold the car. Last video clip was the way it looked when I sold it two weeks ago.

Originally Posted by lsteg

Looks fantastic. Love the new M5 and especially love the HUD speedo and tach. Wish you have a sound clip of the exhaust.

I do but it doesn't do it justice. In person sounds a million times better.

Originally Posted by S85FTW

Lmao didnt read huh? I sold that hood way before I sold the car. Last video clip was the way it looked when I sold it two weeks ago.

at work, some of the pic didnt show.

Originally Posted by jasonbimmer

at work, some of the pic didnt show.

IF you are using the app on your phone, there is a blue arrow at the end of a post where you can expand it to see the full post.

Originally Posted by Wickedly

Thanks! Now I need to decide whether I pull the trigger on a vanity plate now or wait until CT hits 7 letters.

what headers did you go with?

Originally Posted by mightymouse777

what headers did you go with?

eBay headers, I got lucky bc all flanges lined up correctly and the bungs for the 02 sensors. Only problem was the last bolt hole on the manifold was off by 2mm so I had to drill the header hole a bit to get it to line up perfect. Other than that ended up being a great bang for buck mod.

Originally Posted by S85FTW

eBay headers, I got lucky bc all flanges lined up correctly and the bungs for the 02 sensors. Only problem was the last bolt hole on the manifold was off by 2mm so I had to drill the header hole a bit to get it to line up perfect. Other than that ended up being a great bang for buck mod.

you recall what you paid? $200ish? this is what im wanting to do but cant afford some 800+ supersprint headers

Originally Posted by mightymouse777

you recall what you paid? $200ish? this is what im wanting to do but cant afford some 800+ supersprint headers

I believe180.

Update, I pulled the trigger on a res delete since I had leaks around it on the stock welds somehow. Below are two vid clips of what it sounds like now.



I also sourced a set of badly curbed style 95s. Refinished them and painted them in glossy white bc I think they would look great on Interlagos Blue. I am still 50/50 on whether I should put these on the car as I am not crazy about departing from the oem look.

keep them silver personally, i feel like painted stocks look cheap.

I'd be all over those if they were Gunmetal haha

Love how the wheels came out! Put them on! or you can give them to me!

Some updates on my car, today took it to Pruven Performance down the road here in Milford to get some baseline numbers before I throw in my custom stage 3 intake and eurocharge tune. Not sure if most of you know, but my current setup is basically bone stock, except for Dinan Exhaust and Resonator delete. Most intake systems out there dyno a loss to a minimal gain for the S85 (1-2hp max). However there has been a stage 3 intake system that retails for about $1500 - $2000 that creates a true cold air intake system with the cones sitting behind the kidney grills. Problem is, these systems utilize very cheap parts (ie. no name filters, rubber elbows) to maximize the profits of their systems. I went ahead and built my own system, nearly identical to theirs for a fraction of the cost. Not only is it cheaper, but I am utilizing two billet aluminum maf flanges, two AEM dry flow 3"x5" cones and blue silicone elbows rather than rubber, creating a higher end product. Next week I will dyno with just the cones, and the week after with the tune as well. If my results are as expected, I will begin to produce and sell these intakes on my own. Without further adue, the dyno videos and numbers.

Dynojet Dyno Runs
First Run 393 whp (realized he only ran to 8000 instead of 8200)

Second Run 419 whp

Third Run 419 whp






After SAE Correction numbers came out to 411whp however we could not get a good reading on the torque. The individual running the dyno said that sometimes you need to pop the housing off of one of the coil packs to get an accurate reading bc bmw insulates their coils heavily making it difficult to read. Next week I will be doing another three runs with the Stage 3 intake system on, then another 3 runs after the tune the week after that. I am trying to prove that this system is worthwhile. If my assumptions are correct we should look at around a 5whp gain without a tune and a significant bump with a tune. I will also try to get the torque reading issues worked out. Any input from any of you guys to try and get an accurate torque reading with a dynojet?

Filters came in, project will begin monday.