M3Dragon - NorCal CSL build

58K. Weekend only car and also did not drive it for a year due to resolving the roof install issue.

The intake is seriously $6,000???

I dig this. Excellent work man.

Originally Posted by A55A55IN

The intake is seriously $6,000???

If I was able to years back it was only 4000 but I was not in a position to buy then. Now all CSL parts are at a premium.

so sick! love this build!!

Originally Posted by m3dragon

IT for a living. Currently working in Information Security (computer cop) for the local university.

Is that why I sometimes see you around CSUS? Poasting for the Computer Lab at the Airc

Originally Posted by Lucky579

Is that why I sometimes see you around CSUS? Poasting for the Computer Lab at the Airc

HAHA if you see me that is a bad thing. Means you or someone is getting in trouble.

Most of the time you will see the 1M at work.

Today's parts update was a woohoo and a damit moment. The Recaro Profi XL seats are at the shop along with the install brackets. We installed the drive side seat and epic fail. The seat with the bracket sits taller than the stock seats so my head was holding the roof up. We are looking into either new brackets or having to make custom ones to drop the seat low enough. So I have sets but not in the car.



While at the shop I wanted to get a base dyno before all the big moods. Again another damit moment. We were only able to get to 2nd gear for the dyno test. We were able to at least use all the revs so we got a descent set of numbers. Max power was 317 and the consistent number was 312.4. Not too bad for a starting point.

Love your build and love your updates.

nice !

So I did something stupid. I made it so I do not have to smog the car anymore but in order to do that I needed to so one last smog test. Well because of a minor oversight on my part, I was thrown into the idle and 2500 idle test group. In years past, I was able to pass the smog text because of yee old friend pictured below. The test was the rolling 20mph and 30mph tests. I passed with race software, 100 cell race cats and all the other intake / engine mods. All you need it the blue and orange can to make any car pass the sniffer. Took a quick snap shot while the car was at the smog stop.

As I have to do the idle test, I fail that by 19 points but pass the 2500 test better than a Prius LOL. So I am off Friday to get a test section to pass the idle part only. This will be the last time is have to smog whoohooo.

Still waiting on the cam from Bekkers so I can start putting all the goodies on. Trying to time it to be done all at once as the car will be mostly apart.

Oh and the car just went over 59K finally =)

HOLLY COW. Finally after almost a year I have both cams at last.

Car is going in to have sub frame reinforcement installed and diff upgraded. After that it is going in for the intake and cam install FINALLY.

Originally Posted by m3dragon

HOLLY COW. Finally after almost a year I have both cams at last.

Car is going in to have sub frame reinforcement installed and diff upgraded. After that it is going in for the intake and cam install FINALLY.

[IMGhttp://www.eurosunday.net/press/norcalcsl/24-ReplacementCam.jpg[/IMG]

I am off tomorrow to get the car smoged for the last time hopefully. I had an O2 go out just before I had a test section made. The last few week I have had o drive the car around with a test section in that is bouncing around a little under the car. It is freaking me out a bit that it is going to break something as there none of the brackets are installed. Car hates having to work through 100 cell race cats and 2 high efficiency cats. Car is also being dropped off tomorrow for rear sub frame and diff upgrade to 3.91s

So I have had some parts installed a tad out of order. I had custom seat brackets made to have the Recaro seats installed. I had to have them made as I am using the sliders so the wife can drive the car still. I sit about the same height as the stock power seats. The goal was to drop weight and sit lower. I could get about a inch lower if I went to a non fixed slider but as mentioned above the wife needs to drive the car. Here are some quick pics of the seats installed.





Can you say Pile Of Parts!

Cant wait to see this project all finished

Incredible. In for the intake install.

Car is back after being gone for the weekend. So here is the latest and greatest.

Got the car smogged for the last time WOOTTT. As you can see I am cleaner than a prius... 4 cats can do that HAHA. Anyone needs a test section I will loan it out for $30 bucks.





After I got the car smogged I took it straight over to the fabrication shop to have the rear sub frame done as well as have the diff upgraded to 3.91 gears. Trying to time work when things can be done together. My car had started to show signs of spider cracks on both sides. The frame had not "completely cracked" but if I had not done the reinforce kit it would have eventually done so. Here is some images of the car at the fabrication shop.











From what I have found and what the shop believes as well is the reason the frames are cracking is fatigue failures. Same issue with aircraft hulls and the pressure changes. The metal eventually begins to fracture with the constant pressurization and un-pressurization.

The fatigue part in our cars is the loading and unloading going around turns. This constant flexing causes the area to fail. Bad job by BMW not to beef this up for that is the reason for the cracks. Stiffer suspension only acerbates the issue faster. As the car has 59000 hard miles on it from back roads driving and being on CA roads I guess I am not surprised to know I would potently have the issue.

Last of the recent changes is the 3.91 gears upgrade. Already I can feel a change in the car and I don't even have them broken in. I t made sense to do the diff work now as I had the sub frame out. Pics are of the old 3.61 stock gears.

I love my 3.91 gears, just what the car needed.

this build
this thread
this car

the most win!

I want a CSL weekend car!