5 Mods you loved / 5 Mods you didn't

[sc_tr0jan_m3]

I'll throw my 2 cents in for the track rats out there:

Most fav

• MCS 2 way with remotes
• Half cage with bucket seats with harness
• Epic Motorsports tune
• Garmin catalyst
• Essex AP front kit

Least fav

• Kinda wish I kept the carpet for the front half of the car
• GruppeM exhaust... the thing was loud, farty, and droned like a mofo
• Cheap koni coilovers
• Having to fix the previous owners issues for almost a year
• Cheap wheels. I've learned to just save up for the good stuff then buy it once.

[Nate047]

Things I didn't like

3. Tramlining due to zero toe and a lot of neg camber

I feel this. But I got used to it, only sucks after you don't drive the car for a while and then get back in LOL.

[enjoy_m3]

I have a quiet exhaust so I can hear my CSL box.crazy loud exhausts will drown out the CSL noise so I guess you would need to pick which noise you prefer.CSL box or exhaust.

thanks for the input guys. Well I have an amuse exhaust and I do like it. Look like I'm staying stock intake. LOL

[T.J.]

this is what I did to pass NY inspection.its a mod you really want to do for it to be worth it.

I would imagine a lot of states have the OBD check as part of emissions check- am I wrong?

[robgill]

Great thread, Love seeing all the feedback in one place.

Love
- Sunroof delete (either panel or carbon roof) with non-sunroof headliner. SOOO much more headroom (I'm tall).
- SCZA Section 3. Yeah you have to deal with Status Gruppe but when it actually arrives its the best sounding muffler imho.
- 996 Brembos. Fun project and they look and perform great.
- OEM CSL Trunk.
- "Short" center console and armrest delete. Always thought the OE armrest looked like an afterthought and was basically useless.

Hate
- CSL tune. Cant pass NYC inspection and drivability sucked. Go Alpha N.
- Bimmerworld 3.5 Exhaust. I knew it was loud going in, and I still got it. Straight up ruined the car, even on track.
- Angel eyes. I like the look but hate the janky wiring in the engine bay.
- Door pull straps.
- Anything Poly

[maw1124]

I haven’t done anything I didn’t love... chalk that up to due diligence and the car being well thought and well bought...

Loved:
1) Dynavin head unit (original & N7 Pro)... best solution for pixelation on the screen of 15 year old tech
2) BSW (now BavSound) speakers and ski pass sub (verts only), plus Hertz 4-way cabin amp... best stock look and feel audio upgrade IMO
3) OETuning ECU Tune — good midrange torque bump
4) TTFS SMG Tune
5) How could I forget the sound deadening to go with the stereo install. The engine noise through the firewall was teeth chattering with the top up. Honorable mention: Convertible Wind Screen (technically not a mod, but... you get my drift)... the tint was nice too.

maw

PS... this is absolutely a great thread... there’s so much trash out there people throw at these cars... it’s a good quick way to know what not to do... cuts the noise and increases the signal.

[benzthis]

Also wondering is it a function of loud exhaust? Folks I've seen happy with the airbox sound seem to run a quieter section 3?

I have a quiet exhaust so I can hear my CSL box.crazy loud exhausts will drown out the CSL noise so I guess you would need to pick which noise you prefer.CSL box or exhaust.

[benzthis]

loudness is about the same I'd assume.. for NY people, if you want to pass emissions and run a MAP sensor, you need 2 DMEs... One for alpha N to pass NYS inspection and 1 for the map sensor tune.. It turns out to be over 4k at the end of the day... just not worth it.

this is what I did to pass NY inspection.its a mod you really want to do for it to be worth it.

[Nihilation]

Love

1. S2R Tuning sunroof delete w non-sunroof headliner. I noticed similar difference when adding/removing a small bike from the roof rack. Also far more headroom, which I love.
2. Apex ARC-8 wheels. Love the look, even if it blends in.
3. Cobra Nogaro Circuit seat w BMW powered rail. Purchased only the driver side setup to make sure I liked it. I do, and will eventually find one for the passenger side.
4. Z3 steering rack makes the car much more responsive and lighter feeling.
5. Bill Boat Tri-flo muffler sounds great to my ears inside the cabin. I'm sure it sounds like garbage to everyone else, but they're not driving, so F'em
6. Intake elbow with cheap 4" open element air filter. Great intake sound, especially with the hood vent, over stock without paying huge dollars. Don't care if I lose a few ponies. Makes me consider reinstalling the factory muffler and adding a good anti-rasp pipe just to hear it more.
7. The 3.85 gearing and limited slip differential from E92 M3 was the perfect increase on a budget.
8. CSL transmission software

Hate

1. Angel Eyes

Don't HATE, but worth mentioning...

1. eBay taillights work fine and have a different look but sometimes appear to illuminate slightly delayed
2. KoyoRAD radiator didn't solve my water temp issues on track. But neither did the new water pump, thermostat and 50/50 coolant mix.
3. eBay LTW style trunk spoiler fits good and gets loads of compliments but I'm worried about it sagging in the middle over time. Keep the car garaged out of the sun so hopefully that helps.

[Str8f4c3]

Super Cool idea for a thread, shows so many different perspectives on the same car. My car is street only, "fun car" (not a daily but I drive it 4-6 times a week)

5 Love:
- Flat ride - Really makes the car super complaint in all conditions
- CDV Delete/Clutch stop - Best bang for the buck ever. Car is so much easier and therefore more fun to drive.
- Sway Bars - I've had turner and H&R, they just make the car so flat through corners, no fuss no muss.
- 18" Wheels - Better Ride, Better pickup at low RPMs.
- CD Changer Removal/add Low Profile Trunk Liner - Adds a ton of rear trunk space, no one will ever know you had a disc changer.

One in the middle: Quad Projectors - I do a lot of night driving, and extra lighting performance is KILLER. But they're also a huuuge pain to do yourself. I've taken mine apart and rewired probably 4 times and I am still not happy with how they fit and line up. Have someone do this for you if you do it.

5 Less Good:
- Camber - All my setups have run 2.5-3 degrees of negative camber up front, and I am very tired of tramlining.
- Bavsound Speakers - These aren't worth your time. They are spectacularly meh, and for the price you are better off buying a dedicated amp. Can't wait to sell these.
- Magnaflow headerback - it has 2.5" piping which is nice, but the tips fit like garbage, it drones like crazy and sounded very poor (I was catted at the time, but I hear it's very raspy without cats)
- Battery Tray subwoofer box- This one's a bit of a weird one. It's nice to save trunk space, but I feel like any sub that doesn't directly move air in the cabin won't deliver the punch I want. I know the members of this forum don't really focus on sound, but it's a big part of the driving experience for me, and I look forward to setting something up properly.
- Silicone Elbow - Not worth the money you spend on it. It's pretty I guess but that's about it.

[mooninite]

worst (none of which are installed anymore):
...
carbon fiber driveshaft
...

I have probably asked you this question but it's been a year or two... Why did you hate it?

[oceansize]

Disliked:

4. Toe Out (Shredded my new PS4S tires)

Don't know why but that really made me laugh but I'm sure it didn't make you laugh.

[Jickel180]

Also wondering is it a function of loud exhaust? Folks I've seen happy with the airbox sound seem to run a quieter section 3?

When I first installed my airbox I had an SS race on the car. I quickly went with a quieter muffler (Eisenmann Sport), and still struggled to hear the airbox unless the windows were down. I removed the hood pad and that helped slightly, but unless the windows are down I don't really notice it. Don't get me wrong it sounds awesome with the windows down, but I'm not convinced it was worth the hassle.

[Good]

Loved:
1. Karbonius CSL Airbox
2. CMP Solid Diff/Subframe Bushings
3. CSL Front Bumper (Non V/SG)
4. SS V1 Stepped Headers
5. Interior: Euro Center Console/BlueBus

Disliked:
1. Vorsteiner CSL Front Bumper (Rubbish)
2. Statusgruppe Exterior/Exhaust Parts (much worse than Vorsteiner)
3. Angel Eyes (installed by previous owner)
4. Toe Out (Shredded my new PS4S tires)
5. Polyurethane Bushings (Fcabs, rtabs)

[heinzboehmer]

Also wondering is it a function of loud exhaust? Folks I've seen happy with the airbox sound seem to run a quieter section 3?

Probably. My exhaust is not too much louder than stock (modified my stock muffler, think SS sport volume) and I'm extremely pleased with my airbox. It's plenty loud for me and makes a much better noise than what I've managed to get out of the exhaust.

A good condition stock muffler popped up for free a couple months ago on craigslist and I really regret not picking it up. I really want to try the quiet exhaust, loud intake setup.