Originally Posted by BimmerM3inGA

After reading these replies, it looks like I need to add a couple of items to my mods list:

1. Angel eyes. Can anyone recommend some decent ones? All the ones I've seen so far look cheap and junky - definitely not an OEM look. How custom do you want to go? I (and so does mam4.6) have the same housings that tmv used to have, which are the best look for the pre-facelift IMO, however, he installed them on a halogen vehicle. The housings come with a halogen projector, and you have to bake them open, and swap all your xenon internals into them to make them work on your X. If you aren't familiar with retrofitting it may not be for you. The housings also come with CCFL rings which is outdated, mam4.6 and I both had LED rings swapped in. And also, if your housings are permasealed (manufactured after 10/02), you have to buy new projectors because you won't be able to swap the stock ones over without cutting open your stock lights. PM me if you need help.

Most people go with fishcake321 on ebay for his Depo, plug and play solution. It's $550, but a lot less effort. Do yourself a favor either way and buy a new set of OEM xenon bulbs, for $75 you will see a benefit, the stock bulbs are less than half their brightness at their age. OEM Philips or Osram found at www.hidbulbzrus.com which I have recommended to others on this site and can vouch they are 100% genuine.

Here is link to fishcake321 Depo's, if you email him ([email protected]) he offers a direct PayPal (outside Ebay) discount and will send you an invoice.

Depo 2000 03 BMW E53 x5 UHP LED Halo Xenon HID D2S Headlight Auto Level CCFL | eBay

These are what Matt (mam4.6) and I have:


2. X-Pipe. I am a little disappointed by the sound of the exhaust. It's too polite. Does anyone offer a bolt-in kit to replace the resonator? Unfortunately unless you want to buy a Supersprint mid-pipe for $800, no. Most everyone on this board who does X-pipe buys a 2.25" stainless (or is it 2.5"?) Magnaflow for about $75 and just pays an exhaust shop to cut out the factory resonator, and weld in the X-pipe (closest to engine) and the necessary extensions to meet the factory exhaust. You should be able to get it installed for under $150 I would think.


I'm still trying to figure out what to do about the cluster. I have contacted a couple of rebuild services that I've used on other projects, but have not gotten any replies yet. I used "bavarianaudio" on Ebay, he is in Rahway NJ and his name is George, I dropped mine off locally. Maybe try messaging him? He goes by "Concrete Donkey" on bimmerforums.

I sent BCRedliner a PM about how he lowered his, and he said he'd get back to me as soon as he could. I looked up the H&R kit, and it includes front springs and new links for the rear air springs. It's about $300, which isn't too bad. I just want to know if I can keep my stock dampers (at least for now). According to H&R, it will lower the car about 1.5", but in Redliners photos, it looks lower than that. I'm hoping he can help me figure that out. It's a 1.5" drop for sure, you definitely notice it more because on the iS and Sport Suspension equipped cars they are a touch lower than standard E53 height, which you may be used to seeing from working on your old E53. At $300 that's great! Turner has a link for $276 plus shipping, it says 1.2" front and 1.0" rear lowering.

H&R Sport Spring Set - E53 X5 2000-2006 with Air Ride Suspension - Turner Motorsport

At the mileage of the X I'd probably just get Bilstein shocks and do it all at once, the Yellow (sports) are stiffer, you probably can get away with doing the B4 Tourings as they are an OE sport replacement shock if you'd like more of a factory ride. However you prob can run the stock ones for a while if you don't want to drop the coin, Bilstein struts are $250 a side and the rear shocks are cheap at $80 per side.

That is the plan this time! It sucked not having my wagon, so this one is a keeper!