[Dylan86]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

If you’re only here for the car details, skip passed the first five paragraphs

Otherwise, a little of me, before we begin;

I'm currently 31 years old, from Rossland, BC, Canada. I’ve been a car/tuner nut since I was a teenager (well earlier, but that’s when my “ownership” journey began). I started off my journey, at 16, with a ’97 GTI VR6. I loved the sound of the 6cylinder engine, the basic but “euro” look of the car, and the enthusiast following around the VAG scene, in Toronto, where I grew up. I quickly lost interest in the hatchback and traded that car for a ’95 Corrado VR6 at 18, my very first REAL coupe (sans RWD) of which I fell in love with. The ‘Rado simply handled much better than the GTI, probably due to lower CG, etc. And it had a rarity to it like no other car I’ve owned, to date. Unfortunately, a friend completely totaled it “racing” a Grand Prix (supercharged) on the highway, without my knowledge, as he was to take the car home for me (was drinking that night). After receiving my (petty) insurance payout settlement, I started longing for a turbocharged car, but wasn't finding anything on the used market, worth getting excited for...

I managed to sourced a rust-free shell out from a local used VW yard, and built a ground up ’95 Golf CL (lightest spec Golf, manual everybody, no sunroof, etc). We painted the engine bay and full gutted interior matte black, had the shell painted gloss black, and transplanted a 20v 1.8t Audi A4 engine, along with standalone, full fuel system, custom everything from intake to exhaust manifolds, piping etc, and a t3/t4 turbo. This was now about 2003/4 time frame and this type of build, in this generation of shell had never commenced, as of yet, lol.. It was absolutely my “gateway drug” into car building/racing/modding, outside of racing motorcycles and karts, from my youth. I then sold that car, “as-is” after blowing up my 2nd engine (self-taught tuner, and horrible local support for SDS), it was later featured on PVW with the new owner, who's since swapped in a Haldex AWD system, full OEM harness and ECU (newer technology, today).

I then picked up a ’00 A4, which I built into another "drag car" (first street trim A4 to hit 10’s in NA, went 10.82@136), using a built stroker 2.0l 20v , w/Borg Warner S366, 1000cc injectors, all tuned on the OEM Bosch Motronic ECU, resulting in my first home-built high hp “turn-key” reliable car.. That was the highest HP car I’ve ever owned (580awhp), but was also the biggest $$ pit I’d had owned, to date. I had that car for two years, dragged it over a dozen times at local events, then grew tired of having an “older car” and sold it to a friend out in Alberta, in search of some newer technology/comfort.

FFWD a few years and a bunch of in between boxes on wheels, to my first ever, new car. This was a ’12 GTI DSG, which I acquired in summer of 2012. Car was perfect for me at the time, had a new career etc, and the city/condo life was tough to own more than one vehicle so it had served me well as a 12mo/yr vehicle. I ended up modding it to Stage2+ APR, DSG tune, etc and it served me well as an "everything" car. THEN, 1.5 years later the ALL NEW GTI came out with a punch of news releases, in spring of 2014, so being me, I “HAD TO HAVE IT”!! The remorse had kicked me straight in the nuts, I was choked this had happened, and shame on me for not doing my DD on the upcoming model release.. I took a healthy financial hit on the ’12 and found an allocation on a ’15 GTI DSG and moved on it without thinking twice about it. This was the first time, I had felt good about what I had in terms of a fun/reliable/quick DD that I could enjoy for years to come, one that wouldn’t leave me wanting “more”. I modded that car to APR Stage 2 very quickly with some tasteful suspension/wheels, and was super happy with the power and handling at that point.

LOL!!, and that was UNTIL Chris Harris did some reviews on the new R, and M235 (one was the R vs M235, which got me bent over the RWD/6MT config.) and I was now in a position of remorse, yet AGAIN, lol. So it came down to, “what haven’t I tried?” well, it was clear, I was still longing for another Coupe, and this time it had to fit the following criteria: German, RWD, 6MT, 6cyl turbo, factory LSD, 4 seats. Doesn’t leave much out there for options, hey?


On with the BMW Journey:

Car as delivered in 2016



Car started its life as a 2015 Black Sapphire Metallic M235i “M Performance Edition” car. It is a 1 of 50 build, which was exclusive to the Canadian market. It was built with the lot of cosmetic M Performance bits, including Carbon exterior pieces and the Forged 19” Wheels, MPE, etc. Basically, everything checked off aside from the carbon interior options.
I purchased it from Kelowna BMW, Certified Pre-Owned with about 12k kms on the clock. I had initially put the call out to their Sales rep, for a build/price on a Base 2016 m235i with minimal options (Base White paint, 6mt, sunroof delete, LSD, MPE) and he came back later that same day, with this option (a low km 1yr executive lease return, over $13k off of MSRP, and +5 years of combined factory/CPO warranty). At first I was not wanting to hear about another car “no, sorry, only interested in what I called in, for” lol. He was reluctant to let me have the last word, said “let me send you a link on this car, I think you’ll be impressed with the price and options”, so I caved. Upon receipt of his email, my jaw dropped, I hadn’t seen one spec’d this way before, and started to add up the cost of everything it came with, I was already over and above my initial budget, so value was there, for someone like me, who would probably do most of this on the aftermarket, anyway. I initially thought the look and colour of this car was a bit “over the top” for my style, especially being my first BMW. Just being black and accessorized with “M”/wheels etc didn’t help as a first-time owner, but it started to grow on me over a few days of pondering about the future and what I’d want from my car, down the road. So it was on, from there, happy camper, smiles for miles!

On with the modd’ing, yea? I initially said this car would stay stock (LOL), less some suspension work until out of warranty, but we know how that goes.. It started with Dinan Springs/Bump stops, some new rubber, and a JB4. It quickly turned into a FBO car thereafter, with a catless 4” DP, Intercooler, Intake, Chargepipe, and Meth integration. At this point, the car makes plenty of power, more than it really needs..


Car as of last year/week






What you notice, when you add power, is how quickly everything else starts to surface as an “issue” or bottleneck. It wasn’t until I got the car on the track that I saw the demand for more grip, braking power, and damping control. Brakes could have sufficed with endurance pads, but I wanted to take it a step further. I could have lived with a 235 square tire setup, but seeing that a 255 could be done, if done right, I wanted to take advantage and spend the money, once. Suspension could have been left alone, but I feel as though I’d become unhappy without the ability to set this car up the way I truly want to. The OEM damping in these cars is great for touring and street driving, but shows weaknesses at speeds, namely on the track where your highest forces are being applied to the chassis. That all being said, I’ve decided to take this car to the level where I’ll be able to track it several times, yearly, drive it on the street when I feel like it, and have it handle/perform the way I want it to, to be happy with it, long term. Have had most of these parts for almost one year, it’s time to finally put the pieces, together!

FWIW. Buying an M2 at this point of ownership was becoming a thought, a serious one, but when I weigh in the cost of the base car, and combined it with everything I'd end up wanting to do, to it, I'd be better off building from the F22 platform, first. No sense in paying upfront for uprated suspension, brakes, etc if I'd be changing it all to suit my needs, anyways


The car’s equipment/modifications consist of the following, all work is currently underway, ETA end of week for completion (MORE PICS ARE COMING):

Exterior

- Stock MP Edition w/ smoked reflectors

Interior

- Ledermanz Alcantara wheel w/ flat bottom and tri-colour stitching
- M2 Dry Carbon Trim kit
- MP Pedal Set (Clutch, Brake, Gas)
- Escort Redline Radar Detector w/ Blendmount & wiretap (super clean install, highly recommended)
- F30 Headrests, which allow tilt both rearward and forward to clear a helmet, comfortably

Wheels/Tires

- Apex ARC-08 18x9 square ET42
- Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R 255/35 (track)
- Michelin Cup2 235/40 F, Michelin PSS 255/35 R (street) Reason for the 235 is to hopefully run less aggressive camber on the street and to compensate for the grip lost from the smaller front section. Had the tires anyways, so f’it.

Engine/Driveline

- Burger Motorsports JB4 tuner
- Burger Tuning WMI kit, utilizing washer fluid tank as reservoir
- Burger Tuning Intake
- VRSF Chargepipe
- VRSF Race 6” FMIC
- VRSF 4” Coated Catless DP
- N20 spark plugs
- Superpro Rear Subframe Bushings
- Turner/Derlin Differential Mounts
- LSD
- MPE

Suspension/Chassis/Brakes

- KW Clubsport 3-way adjustable coilovers w/external dampers
- KW EDC cancellation kit
- Swift springs w/ -50lbs spring rate
- Brembo GT 370mm/345mm F&R BBK, with Type 3 2-piece rotors, Endless pads (street) PFC-08's (track)
- Motul RBF 660 Racing Brake Fluid
- Hotchkis F&R Swaybars
- Hotchkis uprated steel F&R Swaybar End Links
- F8x Front Lower Control Arm’s and Torsion Struts
- Powerflex Rear Lower LCA bushings
- Megan Racing 4 links (full 4 link replacement setup, fully adjustable to get rear end back to factory toe specifications, from changing the factory geometry)

Some petty pics at early build stages, have the DSLR at the shop being used for more of a "documented" step by step. Hoping to help future DIY'ers, especially on the sway bars and bushing job(s), they'll be the largest task at hand, without a doubt.

Couldn't fit the parts all into one pic, missing rear coilovers, sway bars, brakes





Strut/Spindles out



Front Sway bar in



Rear suspension/axles unbolted in prep to drop rear end for bushing work







Street/DD tire setup mounted




Pic of Meth lines, pump is mounted to the fender liner, underneath the intake. Really the easiest place to mount up front, without having to get under the car for service, etc. Tapped into the washer fluid reservoir instead of running a tank in the trunk;





I'll edit/modify and add progress photos to this as I go, as I'm sure I've missed out some key details, and feel free to call me out if I've missed something obvious, this was long winded! Thanks for reading, if you've gone this far, know that I appreciate any feedback or suggestions you may have. Thanks to all, in advance!

D

[SteveInfante]

Very awesome route you are taking. I like the detail in the progression of your journey and it really shows how you ended up where you are now. A bunch of the same parts you have one the table are what I have in my running list of what I want under my 228. How difficult was the front sway bar install? I'm going to do all the work myself so I'm curious. I'm sure that when you are done you will have one heck of a car to scoot around town and a track in. Well done so far and I can't wait to see the next installment.

[Lipper]

Great stuff! Keep it coming!

[amw896]

subd! sweet build dude. I also have one of the cdn m performance models and love it. Would like to hear your feedback on some of your mods. The differential mounts, coilovers and n20 plugs. I'm fbo with bm3 flash and thinking I might want to try colder plugs soon but I really want to start going down the rabbit hole of beefing the suspension bits. I had bc racing coilovers on my previous cars but they really started breaking down after about 30k from hard commuting and nasty Ontario roads. I'm thinking about some ohlins in hopes of better performance and reliability.

Keep it up! Also, you should post some pics of your previous cars, especially the corrado! those were awesome.

[MetalMK]

Awesome cars you owned! And what a great build! Also, does changing the suspension void the warranty?

[Tcmcec]

Originally Posted by MetalMK

Awesome cars you owned! And what a great build! Also, does changing the suspension void the warranty?

Great write up! I also bought a pre owned 2016 235 from Kelowna BMW. Great shop. I went down a very similar path right away with my car, except I went the E85 route and not the WMI. So far very happy with the E85, Im in the process of customizing a map 6 setup for a E30 mix. Have you looked into a flash tune or is the WMI more than enough power?

Were these pictures taken at Area 27 this past weekend by chance? I was planning on being there but ended up overlapping with a California trip. Good to hear from a BC resident who also tunes!

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by SteveInfante

Very awesome route you are taking. I like the detail in the progression of your journey and it really shows how you ended up where you are now. A bunch of the same parts you have one the table are what I have in my running list of what I want under my 228. How difficult was the front sway bar install? I'm going to do all the work myself so I'm curious. I'm sure that when you are done you will have one heck of a car to scoot around town and a track in. Well done so far and I can't wait to see the next installment.

Thanks, Steve, appreciate the feedback! I got really lucky with a lot of the parts. Patiently waited for take-offs, and some brand "n'used" deals which just made the build that more sensible form a cost perspective. It's tough to buy a lot of this stuff brand new, you never get the value back from them, in the future. At least this way my re-sale, if ever, is only at a minor loss. Front sway bar is not bad, just need the engine support up top (princess auto sells a good one) and that way you can lower the subframe and sneak the bar through, it's HUGE this thing! Should have more updates in the next day or two. Dropped the BBK off, this morning.

Originally Posted by amw896

subd! sweet build dude. I also have one of the cdn m performance models and love it. Would like to hear your feedback on some of your mods. The differential mounts, coilovers and n20 plugs. I'm fbo with bm3 flash and thinking I might want to try colder plugs soon but I really want to start going down the rabbit hole of beefing the suspension bits. I had bc racing coilovers on my previous cars but they really started breaking down after about 30k from hard commuting and nasty Ontario roads. I'm thinking about some ohlins in hopes of better performance and reliability.

Keep it up! Also, you should post some pics of your previous cars, especially the corrado! those were awesome.

Will definitely give you guys some feedback on the bushings, etc. A few of the F30 track guys have done the full bushing saloon and were happy to report minimal NVH increases, if anything, you just feel more of the car's actual damping, as opposed to bushing movement. Can't wait, this is my biggest gripe with the factory suspension, something not as noticeable with a full M car, until you get stick y tires and some track time.. I am actively trying to get back into an old Photobucket account, I think I have almost every car, or at least a single shot, of each...

Here is a few pics of my first VR6 GTI (Jazz Blue on the left) and my Black 1.8t Golf CL build sitting at one of the public parks in downtown Toronto







The 10 sec A4, wasn't much to look at from the outside, all business under the hood, though..





Even found one of my in-between'ers, my daily driver MK4 GLI on Bags, MAE monoblocks. I rocked this for about a year while my Audi was being built. Yea, I used to be one of "those" car show guys lol





The MK7, and MK6






Some of my racing roots

Originally Posted by MetalMK

Awesome cars you owned! And what a great build! Also, does changing the suspension void the warranty?

Thanks! It's been a good run, happy to be on the BMW side of things, now Any modification "could", in theory, void your warranty. There isn't much I would take this car in for, for support, at these stages, though. Maybe catastrophic engine failure, but I'd have to put the engine back to stock if something like that would happen, in order to not get "flagged" by a tech or warranty rep, as "modified". Not worried, the least. Something like the Dinan spring setup would not void your warranty, Dinan would handle it, if anything..

Originally Posted by Tcmcec

Great write up! I also bought a pre owned 2016 235 from Kelowna BMW. Great shop. I went down a very similar path right away with my car, except I went the E85 route and not the WMI. So far very happy with the E85, Im in the process of customizing a map 6 setup for a E30 mix. Have you looked into a flash tune or is the WMI more than enough power?

Were these pictures taken at Area 27 this past weekend by chance? I was planning on being there but ended up overlapping with a California trip. Good to hear from a BC resident who also tunes!

Where the heck did you find E85 up here?? lol, nothing in my parts, that's for sure! I will eventually stack BM3 with my JB4 for a final tune, just last on my priorities for spring time. Maybe for my bday, in July .

Pics were taken at Area27, yea, my new favourite place









I'm getting this one blown up for my shop area

[capt_and]

Very extensive work! You took a completely different route than I did. I am on an as needed basis, and you went all the way! How do you like the tune? Are you turning it off on the track? Lots of horror stories about blown engines.

[skinnyroots]

Thanks for the post. Currently driving an MK7 Golf but I've been lusting after the 2 series for a while now. Seems like a nice, natural progression.

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by capt_and

Very extensive work! You took a completely different route than I did. I am on an as needed basis, and you went all the way! How do you like the tune? Are you turning it off on the track? Lots of horror stories about blown engines.

Yea, like you, I was not going this far, at first lol. I ended up hoarding the coilovers and sway bars all last year, due to the install timeline. It was then I decided to do the rest of bushings since I'd have it all apart, anyways. I figured if I'm going to have full damping control, then I'd be best to get the car as stiff as possible, prior to installing them. Then I read about the rear alignment getting out of spec with the "lowered" suspension geometry, which is why I went for the adjustable 4 link. Could have just done the toe arms, but they were a reasonable price so I went ahead and did all 8.. Only thing stock on the rear end is the rear LCA's, which are not heavy or an issue, aside from the soft OEM bushing (which I've dealt with).

I also plan to corner balance the car sometime in May, will be curious to see how close to factory (or better) we can get the car set up. The reduced weight of the BBK's is surprising, never thought the 380mm two piece rotor would be lighter than the oem 340mm rotor, and the calipers are at least 20-30% lighter, even though they're larger.. Would love to have the car under 3400lbs, full tank, for now. Just have to wait and see how it all pans out.

As far as the engine goes, It's been super strong. I have no blow by that's concerning, much less than what I'm used to with my VW's. The plugs looked pretty good for the 35k kms they saw, most of which was tuned and on meth. Gap was only out by a couple thou on the factory plugs. The JB4 is pretty safe, and has many safety features built into it, so never a concern for engine destruction, there, lol.. If I went with a flash tune, it was be an "off shelf" 91 oct back-end flash, and would run the JB4 to control meth and my favourite feature "boost-by-gear" which is ideal at the track, especially in 2nd/3rd on the MT. Running meth also keeps things safe, with regard to ping'ing or detonation concerns, also keeps the engine burning clean and the temps, "cool". What I've seen, more recently, is oil starvation concerns, and appears the M2 oil pickup tube is the fix, for that. A few hundred bucks and you're running the same setup as the m235iR, which I'd like to do in this coming winter while the car is in storage..

Originally Posted by skinnyroots

Thanks for the post. Currently driving an MK7 Golf but I've been lusting after the 2 series for a while now. Seems like a nice, natural progression.

Nice, and welcome to the dark side! I feel there's a strong connection between these German cars, working on the BMW so far has been delightful, to be honest. It's not much different than the VAG cars.. I think you'd find yourself very happy with any of the 2 series offerings. What were you hoping to get into, if anything?

[mike@x-ph.com]

Very nice build OP

[skinnyroots]

Originally Posted by Dylan86

Nice, and welcome to the dark side! I feel there's a strong connection between these German cars, working on the BMW so far has been delightful, to be honest. It's not much different than the VAG cars.. I think you'd find yourself very happy with any of the 2 series offerings. What were you hoping to get into, if anything?

In a perfect world, I'll be able to find a CPO'd 235i/240i with a 6-speed manual, but it's all a matter of what I'm able to find when it's time to make my purchase.

I honestly wouldn't mind going for a 228i/230i as long as it has the 6-speed. My pops drives a 428xi and I think it puts down enough power for a daily. And if I find myself itching for more power (which I inevitably would), I'd slap on a JB4.

Whatever I end up with, I plan on holding onto it for a long time. I want to be driving this car and turning heads in 2048 the same way a clean E30 breaks necks today.

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by skinnyroots

In a perfect world, I'll be able to find a CPO'd 235i/240i with a 6-speed manual, but it's all a matter of what I'm able to find when it's time to make my purchase.

I honestly wouldn't mind going for a 228i/230i as long as it has the 6-speed. My pops drives a 428xi and I think it puts down enough power for a daily. And if I find myself itching for more power (which I inevitably would), I'd slap on a JB4.

Whatever I end up with, I plan on holding onto it for a long time. I want to be driving this car and turning heads in 2048 the same way a clean E30 breaks necks today.

Awesome, I'm sure you'll find the right car, just might need to go on an adventure to get it. And yea I feel the same about the m235i

[Dylan86]

Mid week update, things looking good for Saturday, to hit the road. Rear end getting ready for bushing job, front end back together, about 60% there! Thanks to Karl, the magician (Master BMW Certified tech) behind the scenes, for making this happen in such a squeeze for time. There is a local event this coming Sunday I'd really like to be a part of. Fingers crossed it all goes smooth, biggest fear is the front wheel/tire fitment...

[Dylan86]

Rear Subframe Bushings installed, Diff next

[tripitz]

Very nice progress. Are you considering any of the 235R unique parts such as the fenders, etc.? My local dealer quoted me some actual reasonable prices on those parts (not like what I have seen for sale at one of the major vendors... .think 350% markup versus what the dealer offered me...).

I have a 228i currently in daily usage mode and am currently in the late stages of an E36 race car build. I love the 2 series platform so much I am strongly considering building a 2nd track/race car in a year or two.

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by tripitz

Very nice progress. Are you considering any of the 235R unique parts such as the fenders, etc.? My local dealer quoted me some actual reasonable prices on those parts (not like what I have seen for sale at one of the major vendors... .think 350% markup versus what the dealer offered me...).

I have a 228i currently in daily usage mode and am currently in the late stages of an E36 race car build. I love the 2 series platform so much I am strongly considering building a 2nd track/race car in a year or two.

I think it is definitely a possibility down the line, but I'd like to keep the exterior as close to OEM as possible, while the car is still in "like new" condition. If I did do something like that, I'd probably use the iR parts, for sure. I was going to use their rear suspension kit but for the cost, it just didn't make sense. It would require the custom KW full body rear coilover, and combined with the 4 link setup and rear LCA cost, would be over $10k to replicate, just not worth it, imo.. I get the full 4 link adjust-ability, cheap-ish replacement cost if I ever strip/bend one of them, and the ability to use the two part spring/damper setup these cars come with from the factory. I've learned when going full "soup to nuts" on a car, there are areas where $$ is better spent, and that was one of those areas, lol

I definitely see the F22's as that next "desirable" lower costing track toy. Once these things can be obtained for less than $30k (cdn) I think builds like mine will become "the norm", just like what you see with most e46/e82 owners, today. Almost every track prepped 1er I have come across has the same or similar mods done (BBK, Coilovers, full bushings, sway bars and LSD). This chassis is just a better starting point. If a stock m235i can outperform a stock 1M, we know we have a special "base" car, to build from, fender clearance being the biggest drawback from a full "M" car, and that's not the end of the world..

[Dylan86]

So... shit didn't go according to plan (as always), there was a slight fitment issue up front. The Front caliper is making contact with the inner wheel barrel, but mounts and rotates. The contact appears to be coming from the raised "Brembo" scripting just past the pad area at the top. Had to end up taking a bit of material off, which was mainly just the lettering. Took maybe an additional .5mm of caliper material off as well, and it's good to go. Won't know until we get some load/flex if it'll make further contact, but otherwise couldn't see any real concern there after the modification. I've ordered some touch up paint to cover the area, but you can't see it unless a wheel is off, so no biggy. Brakes are bled, everything else is buttoned up.

Question: With the Pad Wear sensors not in use, will I throw a light? If so, is it like any other two wire pad sensor where you can throw a resistor in there, or even easier just snip/twist the wires together? Just curious, haven't run the car yet.

The alignment rack at my shop is currently getting new hydraulic seals, so I'm trying to find a local who can set the car up with the specifications I want, without going through the run around. Otherwise I may just wait until the rack is fixed, and do it myself as planned, next week. Really trying to get it on the road this weekend, though, the weather is calling!

Some near final pics, cell phone quality. Have my DSLR loaded up and I'll edit things later on when I have time.

KW EDC diodes installed, to keep the chassis management happy



Derlin Differential Bushings in



Rear end buttoned up





Ready for wheels





More updates to follow. Cheers,

D

[Dylan86]

Car was insured on Friday, and had the pleasure of doing my own alignment for the first time, ever, because my tech was booked off. I wasn't about to sit around and wait!

Got it dialed in to:

F&R Toe = 0
Front Camber = -2.5*
Rear Camber = -2.0*



Was thrilled to have the car home, and give it a proper two bucket wash, after 7 months of storage. Weather couldn't have been any better




Running a pretty "soft" compression/rebound setup and will dial things in as I commute, daily. The best part about this suspension is the ease of tuning. Everything is within reach, and the most you have to do is remove a wheel, if you don't want to climb under the car to make the adjustments. Should be all set to go by end of week, and will throw it back on the alignment rack, to see if there's any room for fine tuning after things have settled. The KW EDC Cancelers went in, after some fussing with the plug ends (two of the KW connectors needed to be modified, was pretty mad about that, but it's done) and no codes or funny business from removing the EDC suspension that the car came equipped with.

Initial driving impressions?

Stiff/Tight! But in a good way, the car feels planted, super stiff in regard to the chassis, but not jarring or unreasonable in any way driving around town. My fiance and I took a drive to Nelson BC, yesterday (about 30-40mins through the local roads) and she had no complaints with the ride, just noticed it was a lot sharper when we went over small bumps. A small 1" deep asphalt patch feels like a 3" deep pothole, lol...

Front axle: You do absolutely feel a LOT more through the steering wheel. I think this is related to the steel bushings in the M4 LCA's, the sway bar/links, and obviously the spring rate in the coilovers. I literally feel every crack/groove in the road, but this was to be expected with these mods. I'd also think running more camber would attribute to some more NVH since there's a slightly smaller contact area on the ground when driving in a straight line.

Rear axle: This is where the biggest change has happened. First, the Derlin Differential bushings, WHAT AN IMPROVEMENT in shifter feel and clutch engagement/disengagement. Every complaint I had regarding the "soft" feel in the driveline, is gone, including engine slop. I think anyone with a MT should do diff bushings if they're looking for more connection with the driveline. You get a little more NVH but it's mainly in the shifter itself, and also an increased gear whining noise from the rpm's of the differential climbing as you accelerate and declining as you decelerate. It sounds more like a race car, but not obnoxious whatsoever, I love it.
Secondly, the rear subframe bushings/swaybar/4-link/coilover transformation. This has to be the biggest noticeable change, mostly in regard to chassis stiffness and NVH, so far. The NVH isn't bad (for me), as I mentioned, but it's definitely something you'd want to consider if this was your 12 month/year car. The factory bushings are super soft compared to the urethane units, and this will transform the "soft" feeling BMW wanted us to have, in these cars. It is stiffer and more "connected", now, than any factory M car I've driven, and that was what I was after. I'm still well under the cost of a new base and stock M2, so I feel I'm in a good place

Brakes: I'm sure I won't see the true capability of them until I'm on the track, but initial impressions are that they're are frickin' strong, in comparison to the stock Brembo's. I use 1/4 of the pedal effort to slow the car down, than I used, before. The tires will now be the cars only limitation for hard braking and distance. Hoping when I get the Cup2's installed I'll have much better traction under hard braking. The PSS's locked right up on my first couple of pedal mash tests, which is expected with a BBK on street tires, lol. More impressions to come, later, once I put on the R compound tires, at the track.

Very happy with everything, and will work on getting those who requested detailed sway bar install pics, etc, to them.

Cheers,



D

[K8_M235i]

I will definitely consider those diff mounts. The stock m235i shifts are already worlds better than the feel in my previous wrx, so I think I'll be able to hold out for a bit longer.

I eventually want to go solid bushings all around like you, but that will happen at the same time I do sway bars since everything will already be torn apart.

I slide around on my supersports under hard breaking at autox now on stock brakes. A part of me regrets not getting r comps for my apex wheels instead of super sports again, but I couldn't resist super sports on tire rack close out. -$160 a tire!

[MetalMK]

Just curious how much did this entire setup cost you?

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by K8_M235i

I will definitely consider those diff mounts. The stock m235i shifts are already worlds better than the feel in my previous wrx, so I think I'll be able to hold out for a bit longer.

I eventually want to go solid bushings all around like you, but that will happen at the same time I do sway bars since everything will already be torn apart.

I slide around on my supersports under hard breaking at autox now on stock brakes. A part of me regrets not getting r comps for my apex wheels instead of super sports again, but I couldn't resist super sports on tire rack close out. -$160 a tire!

That's a good price for PSS's! Can't blame you. The diff bushings did a lot more than I had expected, and it was a pleasant surprise. The take off from a dead stop in 1st gear now is SO much smoother and crisp, just how it should be, but if you're not smooth you'll stall much easier (not an issue for 99% of us enthusiasts) or squeal the tires, whichever comes first. I don't have the weight transfer of the driveline coming through the car either, which is great, because engine mounts were on my radar, not so much, now.

D