[andydutton]

Hi All,

I just wanted to introduce myself and say hello. I have been checking the forums for a good while now while looking for my ideal E92. After being unsure if I wanted a 320i or 325i and then not being certain if I wanted the later in manual or auto, looking at numerous vehicles that were not in the condition described, i came across this and instantly put a retainer on it. So it was goodbye to my previous Ford Focus 1.6 Sport.



and hello, E92 - 2008 with 45k - 325i M Sport - Auto - Le Mans Blue - Grey Leather - With a few extras like sunroof and extended lighting package. It also came with the performance black grills which was a bonus. I picked it up last weekend and have been really happy with it and glad i chose both the auto and 325i 3 litre lump.





My plans are to add upgraded H8's CREEs - not sure on which brand yet, M3 Lip spoiler from BC Moto as they are highly recommended for the money on here and possibly interior lighting pack converted to LED.

Thanks for all the help on here in getting me to this stage. Now I just need to not be tempted to spend more money!

Andy

[wolly440]

Looks a nice motor mate

I think the grills are aftermarket ones not BMWP, the top lip is too fat, looks like pre-facelift e90 style grills

[AWBimmer]

Beautiful car buddy and lovely colour! Sunroof! That's a big plus and the original person who speccd it definitely knew what he wanted enjoy and get a build thread going with all your updates and pics. BC moto is definitely the man doing wonders so don't hesitate to buy from him

Teddy at SSDD Motorsport does lighting and lots of other mods so have a look on his website or give him a call (number on website) and he'll surely help you out. If you say Sam with the silver e92 pointed you in his direction, who knows, he may look after you well! Lol.

[andydutton]

Just noticed the Say hello section sticky, after i posted this. Shall I close this thread down before i anger the E90 Gods?

Thanks, really happy with it so far, im not a speed freak by any means and love the quality of the ride and the laziness and smoothness of the engine, if you treat it like a GT its effortless.

The grills are a bit of a strange one as everything else is completely unfettled, but they suit the car much more than chrome ones. I was looking for a bit of a later model but the mileage on this sold it to me. Its in really good condition inside and out for its age.

[AnthonyR]

Nice car mate, welcome

[andydutton]

Originally Posted by wolly440

Looks a nice motor mate

I think the grills are aftermarket ones not BMWP, the top lip is too fat, looks like pre-facelift e90 style grills

Since you mentioned that, i cant stop looking at them and now want to change them as they dont fit in with the lines of the car!!!!

Would the e90 ones fit anyway?

So next question is, with my BC MOTO spoiler currently on its way from Taiwan after some brilliant reviews on here, is it worth ordering a set of grills?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MATTE-BLAC...item3a8c447f30

I have also just picked up a set of SSDD H8 Cree replacements, brand new and boxed on ebay from a guy who is selling his e92 and didnt ever fit them for......£11. Well happy with that.

So i will be back soon with some piccies!

[old grey steve]

Perfect exterior colour with a complementary light interior way to go let the wallet abuse begin

[andydutton]

After a busy week at work i have finally had time to have a good look around the car this weekend, tidied up the interior a little with a good vac and carpet clean (even though I picked up the car valeted) and cleaned and conditioned the leather.



I have taken a few pictures of the few problems the car does have. Now im ashamed i didn't notice this when buying the car, but i was suckered in by the test drive in the sun with the sunroof open!

The usual problems with peeling vinyl on the steering wheel where the previous owners thumb used to sit, I sit my thumb on the leather but hopefully this will not get any worse. I actually don't mind the finish below, has anybody peeled the whole things back, and if so do they have any pictures or does it leave an uneven / adhesive appearance?



And also has anybody seen anything like this before. The vehicle has been checked for previous accidents and its clean, all parts used are original factory parts including the bonnet, bumper, lights. All the braces are clean and all mounts are fine. I have tried to take it from a few locations to see the problem, even if it is pretty minor.







The shut lines from the A pillar are absolutely spot on, all the down the wings the line is even, across the headlight it is still even, its just where it meets the front bumper it overlaps by about 10mm and lifts ever so slightly by about 5mm on both sides, but it is slightly worse on the driver side as shown on the pictures? Any ideas? I have had a good look through the forum at other e92's and they all look pretty flush, so what the hell is up with mine?

Thanks for any help,

Andy

[N11KDJ]

The steering wheel trim is an easy DIY job to replace and you don't need to remove the airbag. I've just replaced mine as it had the same wear as yours. £86 from the dealer I think it was, expensive for what it is but it'll make the wheel look new again.

A how to guide here - http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243169

[andydutton]

Thanks for that, is the replacement M sport part any better, or would it be back to sqaure one in a few years time? Also has anybody peeled all of the vinyl off to expose the glossy surface below it? How did this look if so?

[M4rius]

It looks like bonnet sits on grilles , i would suggest to fit e92 grilles .

[andydutton]

Thanks for the reply, i have just had a quick look, and to me the grills look fine and are not causing the problem. They seem to sit in the housing and do not come into any contact with bonnet, it seems to be where the bonnet pins grab the arm that is making it sit proud.









Would somebody be able to send me a picture of the bonnet open similar to my first image to look at the standard grill fitment, i appreciate mine are different but i cant see how they are causing the problem and i dont want to particulary shell out for some new ones at this stage.

Do the E90 grills not come in 4 pieces like this anyway?



The only image i can find of my grills are by an American company called ECS tuning, but on the images, they are causing no trouble with the bonnet alignment

http://www.ecstuning.com/News/BMW_E9..._Set/ES518034/



Thanks,

Andy

[M4rius]

Try to adjust the bumper , only four bolts on the top holding it in place

[andydutton]

Does the bumper have room to adjust though or does it just locate? All of the other fitments like lights etc are all fine, like i said earlier, its like the bonnet is an inch to long. Does the E92 share the bonnet with E90, 91 & 93?

Thanks for the help so far, anybody who could send me a picture with the bonnet open to see how the grills locate would be brilliant. Andy

[M4rius]

[wolly440]

Try undoing the 4 torxs screws across the top of the bumper and pull it forward a little bit

[andydutton]

Thanks for the pic M4rius. Would you say my grills appear to be the same dimensions as yours, although they are obviously not the same design?

wolly440 My only problem with moving the bumper forward is it currently lines up fine with the rest of the car, i.e lights and wings. Id be potentially robbing peter to pay paul but i will give it a go and give you all the results. Now im just worried why is it like this, has it been in a shunt? Anyway of finding out easily and for free?

Thanks for the help guys.

[Brian mc21]

Them grills look a bit suspect to me. You say it's not touching the grills though 5 mins takes them off and try closing the bonnet and see if it sits any better.

[andydutton]

Originally Posted by Brian mc21

Them grills look a bit suspect to me. You say it's not touching the grills though 5 mins takes them off and try closing the bonnet and see if it sits any better.

Yeah i thought that at first, but as you can see on both pictures the way they are located is exactly the same, its just the design of the spokes that differ and the thickness of the banding at the top. The grills definately fit as they should. It will have to wait until next weekend now and i will do your suggestion of grills entirely out and see what am left with. To me it almost feels like the 3 bonnet catches is engaging to soon if that makes sense.

Hopefully will have more updates by next weekend if royal mail and fedex work their magic.

Thanks for the help so far, this is a brilliant forum

[N11KDJ]

Originally Posted by andydutton

Thanks for that, is the replacement M sport part any better, or would it be back to sqaure one in a few years time? Also has anybody peeled all of the vinyl off to expose the glossy surface below it? How did this look if so?

I did read somewhere that the new trims don't suffer the same peeling, might be true , might not but it certainly looks a lot better. It annoyed me when I got in the car as you can't exactly forget about it. I'll make sure I don't rest my thumbs on it when driving and it should be fine.

[andydutton]

Just having a look at getting a set of standard grills incase i want to go back to standard at some point or to sell, and i came accross these which look identical to my current set up, they can only be for the e92.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-3-SERI...item43c776cb5a

The mystery deepens

[SpaceGreyOnBlack]

Originally Posted by andydutton

Just having a look at getting a set of standard grills incase i want to go back to standard at some point or to sell, and i came accross these which look identical to my current set up, they can only be for the e92.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-3-SERI...item43c776cb5a

The mystery deepens

Welcome mate!

Those grilles you have are for e92s! I had them on my car initially, I think they were modelled on the old 6 series style ones! But it made the front of my car look like it had Jay-Zs lips... So I switched to normal grilles

By any chance were you parked on curry mile last week?