[Efftooto]

Originally Posted by BrettKA7

I really coast to every stop to maximize MPG and still, my blue brakes are horrendously dusty. I can't see my wheel paint after about 3 weeks of driving. Just dust.

3 weeks?? If I don't clean my car at least weekly I start freaking out LOL. I clean with Sonax Wheel Cleaner and they look great. Right after LOL.

Chris

[BrettKA7]

Originally Posted by Efftooto

3 weeks?? If I don't clean my car at least weekly I start freaking out LOL. I clean with Sonax Wheel Cleaner and they look great. Right after LOL.

Chris

Definitely dusty after 1 week, dirty after 2, but sometimes life happens, even for a freak like me!

[GoldfishRT]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

Interesting that the standard grey caliper brakes generate so much dust. The MSport brakes do not. But, as noted before, Akebono Euro will solve that.

I think I will probably go for the Akebonos. Very reasonable price.

Another question though, perusing the sites I'd normally buy brakes from. I'm able to find front pads labeled "For Standard Brakes (Not M Sport)" but I cannot find the same for the rear. Same size as the M Sport then so no problems with compatibility? Seems odd. I think this would be the first set of brakes where the rears are more expensive than the fronts. LOL

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by GoldfishRT

I think I will probably go for the Akebonos. Very reasonable price.

Another question though, perusing the sites I'd normally buy brakes from. I'm able to find front pads labeled "For Standard Brakes (Not M Sport)" but I cannot find the same for the rear. Same size as the M Sport then so no problems with compatibility? Seems odd. I think this would be the first set of brakes where the rears are more expensive than the fronts. LOL

I suggest you call and talk (old school! ) with the folks at Tire Rack.

[swc5150]

Installed an ER downpipe over the last 24 hours. That was an awful experience, basically learning where I needed to rubber arm it to reach the turbo side V band bolt. There's more running gear in the way on an xdrive, so it was took a while. But with cut up hands I was able to flash BM3 stage 2. There's definitely a power increase, but I haven't done any hard pulls yet. You sure can feel and hear the difference though, even without getting heavy on the throttle.

[harma24]

Originally Posted by PDM5

Dropped it off at a local performance shop for a tech inspection for a track day on Sunday. I'm going to have to drive the wife's car to work tomorrow and I'm really sad I won't have my car to drive to work

First world problems!

First world solution? I bought my wife a 2-series! It's not quite the same, but I don't mind. Definitely better than her last car (Corolla) or the car before that (Neon)

Originally Posted by Efftooto

3 weeks?? If I don't clean my car at least weekly I start freaking out LOL.

I quickly found out I couldn't keep up, so I just gave in and decided to accept the dark grey powder coat. After a week of driving, the coating is so thick it looks natural.

[str8sixturbo]

Originally Posted by Boneman

Picked up a roofing nail in my brand new Pilot super sport tire. I have about fifty miles on it and not able to repair.

Feel your pain brother. Can't tell you how many tires I have lost over the past 20 years to roofing nails.

[cristo]

Can’t tell you how many tires I’ve plugged
myself due to roofing nails over the past
30 years.

[BrettKA7]

Pulled off this cover from the rear (not installed from factory on M2) for a bit more exhaust sound in the cabin. Works well!

[4Hockey4]

Originally Posted by Efftooto

3 weeks?? If I don't clean my car at least weekly I start freaking out LOL. I clean with Sonax Wheel Cleaner and they look great. Right after LOL.

Chris

I use Griots and works well. Maybe not weekly, but garaged and not DD, so I can manage 2 weeks sometimes lol

Jumping to DS2500, need a bit more...clean a bunch anyways

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by 4Hockey4

Jumping to DS2500, need a bit more...clean a bunch anyways

Not sure what you need more of, but if it's wheel cleaning strength/capacity I highly recommend Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus. To save, I buy it in the 5-liter jugs.

So far, it's been the only cleaner I've used that reliably removes all of my race pads' dust. There are probably other products out there that will do the job, but I stopped looking after trying this Sonax product.

[GoldfishRT]

As we roll into winter, looks like BMW is closing out some old wheel and tire sets? I placed an order, hope it's not a mistake and they honor it - half the price of the other winter 385 set.

https://www.shopbmwusa.com/product/6...EEL---TIRE-SET

versus

https://www.shopbmwusa.com/product/1...EEL---TIRE-SET

They appear to be fitted with an older Winter Contact, while the latter has a newer Sottozero run flats.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by GoldfishRT

As we roll into winter, looks like BMW is closing out some old wheel and tire sets? I placed an order, hope it's not a mistake and they honor it - half the price of the other winter 385 set.

https://www.shopbmwusa.com/product/6...EEL---TIRE-SET

versus

https://www.shopbmwusa.com/product/1...EEL---TIRE-SET

They appear to be fitted with an older Winter Contact, while the latter has a newer Sottozero run flats.

If you choose one of these sets, and depending upon how many winters you intend to run them, you might want to check the date codes on the tires.

My guess is that it's not an issue, but it doesn't hurt to make sure they're not already six years old when you plan to run the car another ten years.

[PDM5]

Completed my first non-trackcross day at the track. Tore up the main circuit at Summit Point!

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by PDM5

Completed my first non-trackcross day at the track. Tore up the main circuit at Summit Point!

Summit Point Main is my favorite handling track, even more than Lime Rock Park and Mid-Ohio. It's got a little bit of everything to challenge any car or driver.

Do you have any video or lap times you can share? Or a top speed on the main straight? Just curious to see what our cars can do there.

[happyjack]

Originally Posted by dradernh

Summit Point Main is my favorite handling track, even more than Lime Rock Park and Mid-Ohio. It's got a little bit of everything to challenge any car or driver.

Do you have any video or lap times you can share? Or a top speed on the main straight? Just curious to see what our cars can do there.

also wondering how your brakes held up?

[4Hockey4]

Originally Posted by dradernh

Not sure what you need more of, but if it's wheel cleaning strength/capacity I highly recommend Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus. To save, I buy it in the 5-liter jugs.

So far, it's been the only cleaner I've used that reliably removes all of my race pads' dust. There are probably other products out there that will do the job, but I stopped looking after trying this Sonax product.

Better pads then OEM, and I hit up Amazon for my griots by the gallon.

[GoldfishRT]

Originally Posted by GoldfishRT

As we roll into winter, looks like BMW is closing out some old wheel and tire sets? I placed an order, hope it's not a mistake and they honor it - half the price of the other winter 385 set.

https://www.shopbmwusa.com/product/6...EEL---TIRE-SET

RE: They cancelled my order as 'Unavailable'. Thought about trying another dealer but just FYI your mileage may vary.

[PDM5]

Originally Posted by dradernh

Summit Point Main is my favorite handling track, even more than Lime Rock Park and Mid-Ohio. It's got a little bit of everything to challenge any car or driver.

Do you have any video or lap times you can share? Or a top speed on the main straight? Just curious to see what our cars can do there.

Yeah the track is a really really nice one. I wish I had taken videos or set up a lap timer, but I was so focused on making sure I didn't embarrass myself on my first real track day. Turns out I didn't need to worry about that! I will definitely have something set up for both video and lap times next time out.

So by the end of the day, I hit 145 on my hot lap before the braking zone for turn 1. I'm sure if I got my line perfect from turn 10, that could go up a few mph. I know our speedos are purposely calibrated high by BMW, but that still was 130+ easily real mph. Our cars are absolutely no slouch. Once we got out of traffic, an S6 and I were pounding some serious laps. The B58 is a spectacular engine and at no point was it the weak point of the car. I was able to stay in front of him (and not hold him up) even on the straight with his twin turbo V8. The same old stuff that we all know such as too narrow front tires, soft suspension, lack of lsd, etc., I'd love to have improved on to see how the car handled. The front grip in the carousel along with the lack of steering feel definitely let the car down, but overall, our cars are definitely sleepers. I believe you have rectified all of those issues, so I bet you would tear up that track!

This may also be a body-specific thing, but I'm skinny and even with the bolsters adjusted to the max, I was being thrown around in the car. My left knee is bruised up from hitting the inside door handle all day. Definitely need more supportive seats for my body type.

[PDM5]

Originally Posted by happyjack

also wondering how your brakes held up?

Brakes were a lot better than expected. Completely stock. I did way too much trail braking for a novice, so I wore them out prematurely and you could definitely smell them cooking. My instructor didn't like me using that technique and relying on it so much, but it was just my instincts that I couldn't seem to break no matter how much he yelled at me lol. Again, that was my fault. But if you were driving at a more relaxed pace, they wouldn't be a problem. When I backed off and did cool down laps and drove how I was supposed to, they were fine.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by PDM5

This may also be a body-specific thing, but I'm skinny and even with the bolsters adjusted to the max, I was being thrown around in the car. My left knee is bruised up from hitting the inside door handle all day. Definitely need more supportive seats for my body type.

I know this has been mentioned elsewhere before, but the E82/92 model of these harnesses will take care of that: https://www.hmsmotorsport.com/item/s...ning-Harnesses.

Arguably, after brakes, getting yourself fixed in place in your chair should be a driver's first safety improvement. The amount of attention required when a driver isn't comfortable in the chair reduces his ability to concentrate on the controls.

We receive a great deal of feedback from the car through the chair, even in street chairs like ours. Getting this issue squared-away will not only make you safer, it will also enable you to be more precise with the controls and therefore quicker around the track.

[mb67]

Received my turbo inlet pipe today.