SMOKEY - My 2005 E53 3.0D Run Sheet

[qimis]

Just curious any particular reason on going with Eibach vs H&R lowering springs? I'm thinking to get one, but not sure which one.

[SMOKEY53]

I'll be sure to document the installation and give a thorough review once I get them.

I'll be doing lower control arms, suspension upper mounts and a Whiteline rear sway bar at the same time.

[SMOKEY53]

Update - Maintenance - Exterior

Paint Correction & OptiCoat Pro Plus

VV Link to Detailer's Write Up VV
BMW X5 - Metallic Black - Recovery

In my first post I mentioned that this car was a lot rougher than I expected when it turned up on the flatbed. A month after I bought the car I booked it in for professional detailing. I have most of the tools and products required to get this done, but this car was in a pretty bad way and I knew that I needed to give it to the best hands in the business to know that nothing was being left on the table as a result of my amateur skills. My brief to him was that I wanted him to do as much as he could to take some years of hard abuse off the car, and also make it easier for me to clean and maintain. (Black car owner's know my pain!) Unfortunately, he was booked up for 3 months, so it was a long wait.

Finally the day arrived and I dropped the car with him for a 3 day stay over.

Full decontamination, paint correction, 1 coat OptiCoat Pro and 1 coat OptiCoat Pro +.

The results are staggering and I couldn't be happier.

The detailer has put a thread up on Detail Paradise which has plenty of before/after shots and he explains all the challenges he faced so head over for a read if that is your thing.

Credit and massive thanks to Dan from Dan's Garage - Dan's Garage Detailing - Specialist Car Detailing for Auto EnthusiastsDan's Garage Detailing | Detailer for Enthusiasts

This was not a cheap exercise by any stretch, but the value and the new appreciation it has added to the car outstrips the cost IMHO. Can't wait to enjoy not only a much better looking, but easy to clean (!!) black car.

[SMOKEY53]

Update - Modifications - Exterior

Rear Wiper Delete - You can probably see in the images above that I took my rear wiper off but that the hole is covered with electrical tape. I did this for two reasons. Firstly to see if I could live with it and if it created any visibility issues in rain etc (it doesn't) and secondly because I was waiting on my glass delete plug to arrive from Germany. The first one they sent was the wrong size (although advertised to fit BMWs) so the second one I ordered was a custom size (a service the offer for a few bucks more, the size you need is 28mm).

The company is called Ge Cleant. I have no idea what this translates to as Google doesn't either.....but I like to think it means 'Get Clean' because that's exactly what it does to the rear of the car visually.

Install is pretty easy. Remove the plastic trim on the lower section of the upper tailgate. Remove the plastic cap on the exterior of the wiper. Remove the retaining nut and wiggle the wiper arm off. Go inside the tailgate and remove the three torx screws holding the wiper motor to the tailgate, unplug motor. Grab glass plug, bit of Sikaflex around the edge and push into place from inside. I put a piece of duct tape over the plug from the inside for safe measure.

Reversing modification: fortunately this is not a permanent mod (the best kind IMO), as in Australia a rear wiper is considered a roadworthy item IF one was fitted from the factory originally. I found this out when I did the same to my MazdaSpeed 3. Luckily, you can just push the plug straight back out, breaking the Sikaflex seal. Peel off any remnants of sealant and put the motor and wiper arm straight back in.

Pics below: I haven't had a chance to clean up the glass yet, so there is a bit of Sikaflex smudging and also some pretty ingrained dirt on the glass where the rubber seal on the wiper arm used to meet. I'll polish this up once the Sikaflex has fully cured. Overall very happy with the look. That part of the window has a slight curve so it's not 100% flush, but I would call it 95%. It's vastly better than a dirty big wiper arm. I don't think I'll miss the wiper arm. In 6 months of owning the car I haven't used the rear wiper once. I have also applied RainX to the front and rear windows that helps a lot with dissipating any water build up.

[SMOKEY53]

Update - Modifications - Exterior

Umnitza ICE VXX Angel Eyes

Not much to say here. These are pretty bright and with the optical limitations of the OEM halos, I am not expecting huge things, but they are definitely brighter - I'd say 50% brighter - and the colour is nice and crisp. Apologies for the bad photo, the camera did not like the low light balanced with the bright LEDs. My next step is to hardwire them as DRLs





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[jabata]

Originally Posted by SMOKEY53

Update - Modifications - Exterior

Umnitza ICE VXX.

Not much to say here. These are pretty bright and with the optical limitations of the OEM halos, I am not expecting huge things, but they are definitely brighter - I'd say 50% brighter - and the colour is nice and crisp. Apologies for the bad photo, the camera did not like the low light balanced with the bright LEDs. My next step is to hardwire them as DRLs





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I LIKE your style.

[nice1guv]

Some seriously good work going on in here!!
This would surely have to be one of the best looking E53s around!

That paint correction is amazing!

[SMOKEY53]

Originally Posted by nice1guv

Some seriously good work going on in here!!
This would surely have to be one of the best looking E53s around!

That paint correction is amazing!

Thanks guv! My thread just ticks along quietly in the corner because all the US guys are sleeping when I do updates.

Speaking of updates: my Bilstein B12 kit got refunded after 4 months of the seller stuffing me around. To add insult to the injury, when I received my refund, the AUD had dropped 20% so PayPal screwed me over in the currency fluctuation plus I lost the transaction fees. Not fun.

I have sourced a new supplier so hopefully will have progress soon. If it wasn't for the fact I had bought all new suspension mounts, gaskets etc I probably would have just caved and bought KW V3 coilovers......


I love this shot.....big booty.

[nice1guv]

Originally Posted by SMOKEY53

Speaking of updates: my Bilstein B12 kit got refunded after 4 months of the seller stuffing me around. To add insult to the injury, when I received my refund, the AUD had dropped 20% so PayPal screwed me over in the currency fluctuation plus I lost the transaction fees. Not fun.

Jeeezz!!!! That is just painful! Can't believe poeople operate like that.

You've seen my question to F1pilot about the EGR delete?
When you did yours was it a bugger of a job and do you remeber if yours was a UK one (as there seems to be a lot there) and any preference for aluminium or stainless?

[SMOKEY53]

I did my EGR delete the easy way. Just take off the vacc hose that actuates the valve - block it with a bolt and zip tie in place. EGR is now deleted. Takes about 5 minutes to do.