BMW and M Power Owners
- Thread starter panthro
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KW Variant 3's all day long and its nothing to do with shaving a second here or there.
Its about driving a car with a good suspension setup thats nice both on road and track. You dont have be a driver to appreciate what a good suspension setup is like
When it comes to suspension it really is a case of you get what you pay for. Cheaper devices tend to lack the damping capability of quality set ups and this of course is less of an issue on track unless you start to use curbs heavily. On the road however it is vital and I see so many cheap suspension kits (and have driven a few) when all they add is stiffness which is really missing the point somewhat. I don't know your suspension set up so cant comment with authority but if they are cheap I suspect they wont have the damping quality of the more expensive set ups. This is what you pay for and on suspension for mixed roles this is vital.
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Decided against that type of suspension due to different ride heights effecting the shock travel where as my ride height adjustment is independant of the damper/spring.
Also wanted a set of camber plates with pillowballs which i couldnt see on the KWs to help make sure my slicks wear evenly on track.
Also i didnt want to use my 12 yr old top mounts on the front and rear and didnt fancy buying a full set again from BMW, where these coilovers come with them
But everyones different, KWs are twice the price of mine and for me i didnt believe it was worth it.
If it was a e60 m5, then maybe, but not on an old e39
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Soldato
Fitted my replacement indicator stalk, no more ticking noise when steering.
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With people not impressed with my choice of tyres or suspension, we shall see what the reaction will be to this.
i fitted the front coilovers today while the weather was nice, wasnt a massive job but i did wonder what they were going to be like with the 10k springs i can specced them with(come with 6k normally) but i was pleasantly surprised, didnt feel rough or crashy at all, took them over a couple of shallow pot holes just to see if they would panic but there wasnt much difference in feeling over my stock shocks.
I suppose this look is what they called hellafunctional, cant get any wider on the front at all, im at the limit everywhere and they dont rub on lock which is a nice feeling, just need to wait till the suspension has settled then lower it another 15-20mm from what it is now, got my helmet ready so cant wait to get it on track.
Should easily able to produce over 1g lateral grip
i fitted the front coilovers today while the weather was nice, wasnt a massive job but i did wonder what they were going to be like with the 10k springs i can specced them with(come with 6k normally) but i was pleasantly surprised, didnt feel rough or crashy at all, took them over a couple of shallow pot holes just to see if they would panic but there wasnt much difference in feeling over my stock shocks.
I suppose this look is what they called hellafunctional, cant get any wider on the front at all, im at the limit everywhere and they dont rub on lock which is a nice feeling, just need to wait till the suspension has settled then lower it another 15-20mm from what it is now, got my helmet ready so cant wait to get it on track.
Should easily able to produce over 1g lateral grip
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Didn't spot this until now, have a few interior pics taken recently though my usual **** photography has rather spoiled them. In reality there isnt quite the contrast between the floor mats and the rest of the interior
Soldato
Seriously clean door shuts 
Soldato
Well, the missus picked up the car on Friday and called me on the way home as she was driving it. She seemed VERY happy. As she has not had a new car before she was over the moon. Later that day she picked me up from work with a huge grin on her face. As I don't drive I can't really say much on the driving experience but I can say it is very comfy, quiet and quick.
Its a 318d (Touring apparently) Estate. Basic interior but very nice and finished well. We are used to much older second hand cars so this is like a Rolls Royce to us. The ride is very smooth and very quiet which I found as a surprise being a diesel n' all and it has quite a lot of power that she isn't used too. Certainly makes things easier getting up the hill on the way home.
We took it out to Carsington Water yesterday with the dog and she really liked the journey there and back. No issues with up hill driving and was very comfy over the pot holes in the single lane country roads. Plus she noticed a few people turning their heads as we went past, not sure why? Maybe it was the fact she was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Anyway. Here is a rubbish photo of it.
I shall try to get some more pictures once its a nice day. After a year in the job she will have the option of choosing her next car, not sure on the budget yet but she is not sure if it will be another BMW. she will see how she gets on with his one.
One more thing. I understand the 3 in the model number is the series eg. 118, 318, 320 etc. what about the other two numbers? I was under the impression that was the engine size. When she told me it was a 2 litre BMW she thought it would be a 320d but its a 318d. Whats that about? It is a 2 litre engine. Is there anyone on these forums that can clear this up for me.
Its a 318d (Touring apparently) Estate. Basic interior but very nice and finished well. We are used to much older second hand cars so this is like a Rolls Royce to us. The ride is very smooth and very quiet which I found as a surprise being a diesel n' all and it has quite a lot of power that she isn't used too. Certainly makes things easier getting up the hill on the way home.
We took it out to Carsington Water yesterday with the dog and she really liked the journey there and back. No issues with up hill driving and was very comfy over the pot holes in the single lane country roads. Plus she noticed a few people turning their heads as we went past, not sure why? Maybe it was the fact she was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Anyway. Here is a rubbish photo of it.
I shall try to get some more pictures once its a nice day. After a year in the job she will have the option of choosing her next car, not sure on the budget yet but she is not sure if it will be another BMW. she will see how she gets on with his one.
One more thing. I understand the 3 in the model number is the series eg. 118, 318, 320 etc. what about the other two numbers? I was under the impression that was the engine size. When she told me it was a 2 litre BMW she thought it would be a 320d but its a 318d. Whats that about? It is a 2 litre engine. Is there anyone on these forums that can clear this up for me.
Does your missus not bother using the gearbox and just leaves the car in the highest possible gear? In 20 odd years of driving, including a number of sub 1.3ltr cars with 50 or less horsepower, I have never had an issue with hills. Just change down a gear and use the throttle correctly.
Soldato
It didnt mean to sound like that. It means it coasted up the hills with ease in what ever gear she was in compared to the 1.4 xsara oldsmobile we had. (still have)
. It means it coasted up the hills with ease in what ever gear she was in compared to the 1.4 xsara oldsmobile we had. (still have)
Soldato
Given the grand scheme of colour options on offer from BMW it's almost the same.Jeez, it's amazing how awful and old manish your interior looks compared to Fox's
His steering wheel looks much more modern.
I am debating whether to ditch the wood or not though!