Black & Tan 332iT

[heinzboehmer]

Driving impressions ( tlow98 and mrgizmo04 have both driven it now as well, if they want to comment here), this will be hard to describe but I'll give it my best shot.

I'm jealous, really want to drive it.

Also I just realized I have a set of 996 calipers sitting in the garage just waiting on parts (and time) to get installed. You're welcome to borrow one to test fit with the wheel. Haven't gotten the brackets yet and the caliper isn't machined, so would need some measuring and zip ties to get it in the right spot. Should be fine for test fitting though

[Bry5on]

Cant wait to hear your overall impressions on this once you've had a chance to drive with it. This is a piece I'm highly considering. It looks absolutely fantastic in your engine bay. Thank you for sharing the detailed photos and thoughts about it thus far!

I know people thought it was too "swoopy" when he first announced it, but the more I look at it, the more I think it looks right at home in sitting in that engine back. Especially with the CSL intake.

Also, I'm another mountain biker. Have a similar bike to Gt4 (we've discussed this previously!) - a Santa Cruz Megatower. The wagon looks fantastic with the bike out back!

I think it looks good in there, especially with the black anodized tower mounts. It would have been too loud with the clear anodized aluminum. Some day I may still remove and paint the cowl filter cover flat black to make it less conspicuous, but it's fine for now.

I've been slacking on updates, and I have a bunch of photos to help detail the install, but for lack of time I'll just give my thoughts here now and detail the steps to install a bit later. Install wasn't too bad, it took about 2.5 hours and I was moving at a pretty quick pace. I'd budget 4-6 for this.

Driving impressions ( tlow98 and mrgizmo04 have both driven it now as well, if they want to comment here), this will be hard to describe but I'll give it my best shot. Right away there's a huge difference. My first thought was immediately that the car doesn't feel like an e46 anymore. I had 50/50 mixed feelings on the first couple drives, but those have given way to 90/10 positive feelings. The car is way more rigid, feels more like a modern car, somewhere around an e39 or closer to an e90 with front end steering precision. Steering precision is way better and more accurate, once you place the wheel, the car doesn't need much interactive correction to keep course. The dead-center e46 feeling is further a thing of the past (this brace, combined with 712 rack and CSL-like toe settings). It's hard to describe, but there is the feeling of more 'support' for the suspension. Initially, it felt like the car was about to understeer because it didn't 'roll' or 'dig' into a corner, the body just stays as one and stays flat. Again very hard to describe.

There is less feedback through the wheel, as some of the e46 feedback through the wheel seems to have come from undamped front end vibration. I'm calling this the e46 'sizzle' and it's what I was initially sad to lose. The car is certainly more capable and planted, keeps more consistent tire loading in corners, and is generally objectively better, but it did take a way a little of the low speed driver feedback that makes tooling around town exciting. It didn't take away all of it, the car certainly isn't like a modern EPAS BMW, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss a little of that feel through the steering wheel. That feel doesn't seem to have provided any real benefit, but it was part of the e46 experience. Now, the contrast to this is that the wheel doesn't vibrate much on the highway anymore, making it more comfortable and more "BMW-like" to cruise at high speed. The e46 always had some extra feedback at speed if you didn't have a super fresh tire balance, and it is actually much nicer on the highway.

NVH is improved, the car is sharper, firmer, and more comfortable over tough roads. It's most noticeable when you hit bumps with only one side of the car, or hit a bump at a diagonal. Really, much more rigid and composed when interrupted. The car is slightly less 'crashy' on abrupt bump inputs, and generally just feels a bit tougher. Again, much more like a modern car

I'm basically ignoring all the handling and feedback benefits, because I'm assuming folks reading this will already be well aware. To be clear, the car corners way more confidently and can be placed more accurately with less see-sawing at the steering wheel on the limit. It's a half way step between an e46 and an e90, and that's a good thing. It keeps a bit of the e46 sizzle, but adds some of the benefits of the stiffer, newer chassis.

Overall, I knew to expect a change, but I didn't really know what to expect. I was really surprised by some of the changes, and after driving around and getting used to it, I wouldn't be able to go back. The rear is also now noticeably less planted and buttoned down than the front. I'm really looking forward to adding that v-brace to balance it all out. Soon. Thanks Slonik for getting this so right!



Also, I did a quick tool around in mrgizmo04's M3 with 996 brakes and now I'm sold, it really does have pedal feel like a Porsche. I ordered the last 17x9 et42 Apex EC-7R wheel (drops a cool 7lb/corner!) in stock to test clearance over the 996 brakes as there's no way in hell the Style 32's can make fixed calipers work.

[Casa de Mesa]

Slon brace is installed. More details later after it cures up.

Cant wait to hear your overall impressions on this once you've had a chance to drive with it. This is a piece I'm highly considering. It looks absolutely fantastic in your engine bay. Thank you for sharing the detailed photos and thoughts about it thus far!

I know people thought it was too "swoopy" when he first announced it, but the more I look at it, the more I think it looks right at home in sitting in that engine back. Especially with the CSL intake.

Also, I'm another mountain biker. Have a similar bike to Gt4 (we've discussed this previously!) - a Santa Cruz Megatower. The wagon looks fantastic with the bike out back!

[Bry5on]

Slon brace is installed. More details later after it cures up.

[Bry5on]

I’ve had 26’’ until 2017 than switch to 29’’ than got my mullet in 2022. Would not go back to a 29’’ rear wheel. I should of ride 27.5’’ bikes all those year instead (never had a 27.5’’). 29’’ are fun to roll over stuff but IMO it takes too much energy to accelerate with them vs a 27.5’’. I think mullet is best of both world.

Well I’ll have to give a mullet a shot then! On the same theme, and also in the theme of the thread, two of the most fun drivers cars of the era:

[Gt4]

Nice! Yeah my Ripmo is an XL also, thing is a beast. I’ve never ridden a mullet setup but I loved how nimble my old 27.5” bikes were! Definitely curious to try one some day

I’ve had 26’’ until 2017 than switch to 29’’ than got my mullet in 2022. Would not go back to a 29’’ rear wheel. I should of ride 27.5’’ bikes all those year instead (never had a 27.5’’). 29’’ are fun to roll over stuff but IMO it takes too much energy to accelerate with them vs a 27.5’’. I think mullet is best of both world.

[ARCHBID]

Well it was rainy all day today, so that means house and car work. The 6001 bearing at the bottom of the pinion shaft didn't feel so great, so I finished off the rack rebuild other than replacing this bearing (which arrives this week). I didn't bother replacing the PTFE seals as I don't have tapered tools to stretch/install them properly. Yet another concession that I hope I don't regret down the road..





I also got to painting the ground control lower control arm replacements. I haven't been able to get camber in spec on either side (maxing under 1.6 degrees on both sides), and I figured I'd try a set of arms with a ball joint a la CSL. The ground control arms are a nice shade of red, but I'm not exactly jazzed about having some red arms showing from underneath my car as folks follow me. It just screams 90's Honda Civic to me. I also found it a bit odd that the two arms are using what appear to be different brand ball joints.

I am in awe

[Bry5on]

Get an older bike on 26’’ wheels with steeper head angle and it will be 1’ shorter, problem solved!

My 2022 SC Bronson XL also have a 50.5’’ wheelbase, at least I save 0.75’’ on my 1up hitch rack cause it’s mullet!!!

Nice! Yeah my Ripmo is an XL also, thing is a beast. I’ve never ridden a mullet setup but I loved how nimble my old 27.5” bikes were! Definitely curious to try one some day

[Gt4]

Get an older bike on 26’’ wheels with steeper head angle and it will be 1’ shorter, problem solved!

My 2022 SC Bronson XL also have a 50.5’’ wheelbase, at least I save 0.75’’ on my 1up hitch rack cause it’s mullet!!!

[Obioban]

Don't know how I missed your journal till now, but this is great. Subscribed!

[Will]

...
Also, in the full OCD effort to chase every little rattle noise down, I also stripped apart the HVAC controls and felted the buttons to keep them nice and quiet.

Wow! I didn't know the HVAC buttons rattled.

I love the build. Thanks for sharing the updates.

[tlow98]

That is a big bike! looks fun tho. I need to get another one of those...

[Bry5on]

Did just fine with the big bike on the highway, no noticeable wind noise even though the bike is a solid foot and a half wider than the car. Trailer hitch is the way to go!

Also, in the full OCD effort to chase every little rattle noise down, I also stripped apart the HVAC controls and felted the buttons to keep them nice and quiet.

[Bry5on]

I almost forgot, I had my inaugural e46 window regulator! And I also put in new front wheel bearings chasing what's probably just worn tires groaning. Oh well, now I've got the peace of mind at least. Thanks mrgizmo04 for the loaner tools

[Bry5on]

And one more crappy job complete! This weekend, with a helping hand from heinzboehmer, I finally tackled the black headliner conversion. I opted to go for it myself using the veteran co material and it actually came out pretty well. This was my first time doing a headliner, and I think I'd opt to have a professional do it next time.

After removing, the first step was stripping off the old felt and plastic bristle brushing the tattered foam. This makes a huge sticky mess, I did not tarp off enough of the garage floor, and I ended up trashing the tarp AND my shoes after I was done.


Then spray foam, work it down, and trim


Then pop it in, complete with all the black euro touring bits


And we're back to regular duty, the longroof party