Don’t feel bad. He basically did the vinwiki garage for free in exchange for Ed to interview him so he could get some vinwiki exposure
Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT From a "double" to a DOUBLE
- Thread starter Purist
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
thetastelingers
Well-known member
Here's an Ego wall mount that I found that works really well.
Hope you are enjoying that new Bronco. Every time I come back into this thread, you make that M3 nicer and nicer. I love it!
Hope you are enjoying that new Bronco. Every time I come back into this thread, you make that M3 nicer and nicer. I love it!
The dinan engine cover is choice. Maybe would have been better to apply coating instead of using jescar and colinite wax. That combo does look nice at times but is almost a waste of time and product since the wax might last a couple daysWell, it certainly has been a while, hasn't it?! And a lot has changed (the cars and garage are all the same, don't worry). I left my company of 18+ years and started a new job in December, so I've been pretty busy onboarding and learning the new EHR software system that I'll be supporting and haven't been spending nearly as much time in the garage/on the cars as I'd like...winter wasn't helping much, either, let's be honest.
Oddly enough, back in October, I entered one of those pointless "like/share/add to your story/etc/" giveaways on Instagram from Liqui Moly. I ended up winning this hat signed by Cody Walker (Paul Walker's brother) and Tyrese Gibson, which was pretty cool. I've got it on display atop my cabinets in the garage now:
Got my new Tekton sockets all organized and sorted using my new Westling rails:
On the M340i front, I picked up a new Dinan carbon fiber engine cover and swapped that in:
Applied a coat of Jescar Powerlock followed by Collinite 845 for some gloss and protection:
Also scored a sick deal on some Dinan strut braces, to go along with the engine cover:
Local detailer was advertising a $90 winter special for an exterior wash and short-term paint protection (probably some ceramic soap), so we took my wife's X5 in for a much needed bath and interior detail (these boys make a mess of the backseat):
I also picked up this "E46 M3" brick (generic legos) set from Petrolbricks:
Also, as my boys continue to grow, we are looking for more family activities to do with them. We hike occasionally, but figured biking could be another thing we can all do together. I was in need of a new bike so figured now would be the time to grab something used but in good shape and a good candidate for future upgrades, if I was so inclined. With that in mind, I began my search for a hardtail mountain bike and settled on this Marin San Quentin 2, which I found about 45 minutes from my house:
Other than being a little dirty and the dropper post sticking a bit, the bike's in great shape. My buddy offered to tune it up for me, so we'll see if we can get that done soon, or else I'll drop it off at the local bike shop and let them do their thing.
And while I don't have any photos of the install, I had a local shop FINALLY (I say finally because I've had it for over 2 years sitting in the garage...blame my back injury!) install the Stealth Hitch on my wife's X5. And I scored a cheap 4 bike Yakima rack off Marketplace that was literally 0.5 miles from my house. So just need to find a bike for my wife on Marketplace, and we should be good to start hitting up the various bike paths in and around our area.
Got the M3 up in the air, ready for some much needed TLC:
It's finally time to overhaul the brakes on the M3. New Powerstop drilled & slotted rotors, carbon fiber brake pads, Motorsport Hardware stud conversion kit, and painting the calipers black was next on the docket (excuse the blurry photos, not sure what is going on lately with what seems like 1/2 of my uploads from my phone to Flickr, but they look 100% fine on my phone, but end up looking blurry/grainy on Flickr and when sharing from Flickr):
I also threw on 20mm H&R spacers up front to try and get the wheel more flush with the fender. It helped, but think there's too much camber so I'll need to take another stab at adjusting that, though I already thought I had as little camber as I could...we shall see.
Also ordered the Radium oil catch can kit for the M3, which I have yet to install, but should help with any oil blow by with the CSL style intake:
Also performed my annual oil change on the M3 and this one was a bit more memorable than most, and not in a good way. Stripped the oil pain drain plug, which is a common issue on these and the E9x M3s. Luckily the bolt is in there good enough and the oil leak is barely a drip, but I'm hoping (weather dependent) to drive the car to a local Cars and Coffee 3/30 at a very reputable BMW Indy shop about 45 minutes north of me and then leave it there for the helicoil repair, which they've had great luck with in the past and have performed on many cars. After that, the next bit of service the M3 is overdue for is replacing the water pump and thermostat, along with the radiator hoses. I have all the parts, but not sure it's a job I feel like undertaking, so I'll probably be bringing it back to this shop later in the Spring to get that work done.
Took her out this past Sunday for the first official drive of the season, which also allowed me to properly bed in the newly installed brakes:
Garage updates:
Not too much here, but some useful changes did occur. First off, in an attempt to try and keep as much cold air out during the winters, I swapped in new garage door hingers from Green Hinge Systems:
I also ended up taking down my air hose reel and selling it. The only thing I've used that for was for filling tires, but with the Milwaukee M18 inflator, the air hose reel was rendered useless and was taking up valuable real estate. So once that was gone and I took down my fastener organizer, I was able to push my Husky toolbox over and up against the NewAge cabinets, giving me room to store my bike on the wall with a SteadyRack. Bear with me as the garage is still a bit of a shitshow (needs a proper spring cleaning/organizing):
More M340i updates. I picked up the AWE Diamond Black tips, so I removed the Infinite AutoWerks tips that were previously installed and sold those off:
I did snap a few bolts while installing the new AWE tips, and just received some replacements, so I still need to get back out there and adjust the tips a bit more...they weren't 100% lined up properly and my OCD is killing me, as a result.
And I FINALLY lowered the car, and would you guess it, using more Dinan parts!
Can't wait to get the HRE's on now that the car is at the proper height. Figure a few more weeks, once the overnight temps are in the mid to high 40s, I'll swap them on. Then give her a proper detail, because she hasn't been cleaned since November, I believe. Yikes!
Well, I think that's all for now. Still haven't done anything with the ProSlat...debating on getting another section of it so I can go 8' high instead of just 4', or selling it (still in the box). Not sure at the moment but will decide soon, just need to clear EVERYTHING out of the garage so I can clean/organize and go from there.
Ohhh, almost forgot, I scored yet another Marketplace deal on some Kies Motorsports carbon fiber mirror caps.
And I ordered a carbon fiber rear diffuse from RW Carbon for the M340i that is still in the box. Just need warmer weather and a clean car before I install. Here is what I ordered:
Last thing that I'm just remembering as I type this...looking for someone local to respray the front bumper. If you'll recall, I had a **** ton of rock chips. So I'll have whoever does it also paint the grey trim under the headlights gloss black to match the rest of the trim on the car, fill the license plate holes, and paint match the orange reflectors. Once that happens, the mirror caps and diffuser are installed and the HREs are back on, the car will pretty much be where I want it!!
Cheers!
That is a nice wall mount. I'm currently hanging mine on my slatwall, but this is a great option should I ever decide to change that up. Appreciate the suggestion.
Thanks for the kind words, man. Crazy I've had the M3 for 7+ years now (longest I've ever had a vehicle, BY FAR). Little by little, I've improved it over time and will continue to do so.
Thanks! And you aren't wrong, but I was just using what I had lying around. Regardless, both the engine cover and the car have been gone for months now.
TX4runner
Well-known member
So now that the snow is gone, how are you liking Bertha? And congrats, I missed out on seeing your car changes. Glad it was the 340 and not the M3 that was on the dinner menu for the rodents. I need to go check under the cover of the Cobra to ensure no guest have showed up as it hasn't been on the rode in 9 months 
So now that the snow is gone, how are you liking Bertha? And congrats, I missed out on seeing your car changes. Glad it was the 340 and not the M3 that was on the dinner menu for the rodents. I need to go check under the cover of the Cobra to ensure no guest have showed up as it hasn't been on the rode in 9 months
Absolutely loving it! Have had the whole roof off a few times, and just the front sections off even more, while soaking up summer. Still need to take the boys off-roading in it. This weekend looks like an absolute washout, so might be the perfect opportunity to get them out of the house and see what Bertha is capable of.
How did you make out with the Cobra? Any rodents?
I've been slacking with updates, lately, so here goes (in chronological order)....
You know I just had to grab the Lego Technic Bronco set:
The only issue I've had with the Bronco to this point is the front passenger tow hook/D-ring is starting to rust
. Not a huge deal, obviously, so I'll rock it until she goes in for her first service. At which point, I'll ask Ford to replace it.
I've added a few things to the Bronco, namely a shorty antenna, mud flaps (front only, to keep the sides of the vehicle clean), and a tow hitch to lug around our bikes:
If you recall, this is how my vacuum setup was originally situated:
Well, my OCD got the better of me and I ended up buying the Obsessed Garage vacuum wall plate/mount, which lends itself to a much more aesthetically pleasing look:
I ended up scoring a great deal on this tailgate table I found on craigslist. Figured it would come in handy for tailgating and what not:
On the M3 front, I decided to wrap the trim that runs over the doors and rear windows gloss back, as a buddy of mine had his painted gloss black which inspired me to change up my look. I didn't want to commit to painting mine just yet, hence the vinyl route. I think they look fantastic and will ultimately end up having mine painted:
For any of you MTB fans, I decided to add some color to my Marin:
Now I just need to ride this damn thing more.
On a slightly more personal note, my wife and I took a trip to Charleston,SC for our anniversary over Memorial Day weekend. I've expressed my desire to get out of New England and move south for a while, and this trip absolutely made the hunger worse lol. I absolutely fell in love with the vibe, the food, the people, the culture, everything. So my next quest is trying to convince my family to uproot our lives and move south to escape winter and to allow ourselves to be outside and in nature the majority of the year. The want is real. We are actually planning a trip back in October/November with the boys to look at potential neighborhoods and figure out whether or not we can make this happen. My wife is open to the idea, but terrified (understandably so). I'd move tomorrow if it were up to me. The battle is ongoing.....stay tuned....(photos of said trip):
Back to the M3...
I can't leave well enough alone, so I decide to dress up the engine bay a bit with a new oil filler cap:
Father's Day was a great one this year. We took the roof off the Bronco and drove about 45 minutes to a cool hike we had never tried in south county RI:
We followed the hike up with some BBQ from a food truck at one of our favorite breweries, Tilted Barn in Exter,RI.
At the end of June, the Boston chapter of the BMW CCA hosted their annual Concours d'Elegance at Prowse Farm in Canton,MA. I usually register for this show as 'display only', but after having a few people recommend that I get my car judged, I did just that....and came away with this:
Found the perfect spot in the garage to hang the plaque:
Was at my parents one day and laughed at the size difference of my dad's XJ and my Bronco:
Earlier this month the Bronco got it's very first handwash (yes, in nearly 7 months of ownership...it's refreshing to have a vehicle that isn't "precious"):
If you aren't already using them, do yourself a favor and buy Bilt Hamber Touch-Less (pre-wash) and Touch-On (spray on ceramic protection). They make washing an absolute pleasure and are incredibly effective products.
Had to pick this bad boy up:
And last but not least....my new wheels!!! Ordered these from ewheelworks back at the end of February and they arrived earlier this month:
M3 at ARG Wheel Repair in Seekonk,MA getting tires mounted, rear adjustable camber arms installed and fitment dialed in:
Now wheels back off for cleaning and ceramic coating and, lucky me, had to remove the stud conversion kit I had installed only last year because they are too long and don't allow me to install the BBS center caps. So back to the OEM lug bolts:
And the maiden voyage, after 2 coats of Armour Detail Supply wheel coating on wheels and center caps:
I'm in LOVE with how the car looks!! I went with the red center caps for obvious reasons, to match my Imola red interior. The carbon fiber trim kit that I ordered in February STILL hasn't arrived. Evidently they were delivered to the shop in CA from Germany earlier this week, so I'm hoping they arrive here next week. So from a 8-10 week timeframe to just over 27 weeks now. Ridiculous.
Think that's about all I've got right now, and I'll try to update on a more reasonable basis. Sorry folks, hope everyone enjoys the update and is doing well. Cheers!
You know I just had to grab the Lego Technic Bronco set:
The only issue I've had with the Bronco to this point is the front passenger tow hook/D-ring is starting to rust
. Not a huge deal, obviously, so I'll rock it until she goes in for her first service. At which point, I'll ask Ford to replace it.I've added a few things to the Bronco, namely a shorty antenna, mud flaps (front only, to keep the sides of the vehicle clean), and a tow hitch to lug around our bikes:
If you recall, this is how my vacuum setup was originally situated:
Well, my OCD got the better of me and I ended up buying the Obsessed Garage vacuum wall plate/mount, which lends itself to a much more aesthetically pleasing look:
I ended up scoring a great deal on this tailgate table I found on craigslist. Figured it would come in handy for tailgating and what not:
On the M3 front, I decided to wrap the trim that runs over the doors and rear windows gloss back, as a buddy of mine had his painted gloss black which inspired me to change up my look. I didn't want to commit to painting mine just yet, hence the vinyl route. I think they look fantastic and will ultimately end up having mine painted:
For any of you MTB fans, I decided to add some color to my Marin:
Now I just need to ride this damn thing more.
On a slightly more personal note, my wife and I took a trip to Charleston,SC for our anniversary over Memorial Day weekend. I've expressed my desire to get out of New England and move south for a while, and this trip absolutely made the hunger worse lol. I absolutely fell in love with the vibe, the food, the people, the culture, everything. So my next quest is trying to convince my family to uproot our lives and move south to escape winter and to allow ourselves to be outside and in nature the majority of the year. The want is real. We are actually planning a trip back in October/November with the boys to look at potential neighborhoods and figure out whether or not we can make this happen. My wife is open to the idea, but terrified (understandably so). I'd move tomorrow if it were up to me. The battle is ongoing.....stay tuned....(photos of said trip):
Back to the M3...
I can't leave well enough alone, so I decide to dress up the engine bay a bit with a new oil filler cap:
Father's Day was a great one this year. We took the roof off the Bronco and drove about 45 minutes to a cool hike we had never tried in south county RI:
We followed the hike up with some BBQ from a food truck at one of our favorite breweries, Tilted Barn in Exter,RI.
At the end of June, the Boston chapter of the BMW CCA hosted their annual Concours d'Elegance at Prowse Farm in Canton,MA. I usually register for this show as 'display only', but after having a few people recommend that I get my car judged, I did just that....and came away with this:
Found the perfect spot in the garage to hang the plaque:
Was at my parents one day and laughed at the size difference of my dad's XJ and my Bronco:
Earlier this month the Bronco got it's very first handwash (yes, in nearly 7 months of ownership...it's refreshing to have a vehicle that isn't "precious"):
If you aren't already using them, do yourself a favor and buy Bilt Hamber Touch-Less (pre-wash) and Touch-On (spray on ceramic protection). They make washing an absolute pleasure and are incredibly effective products.
Had to pick this bad boy up:
And last but not least....my new wheels!!! Ordered these from ewheelworks back at the end of February and they arrived earlier this month:
M3 at ARG Wheel Repair in Seekonk,MA getting tires mounted, rear adjustable camber arms installed and fitment dialed in:
Now wheels back off for cleaning and ceramic coating and, lucky me, had to remove the stud conversion kit I had installed only last year because they are too long and don't allow me to install the BBS center caps. So back to the OEM lug bolts:
And the maiden voyage, after 2 coats of Armour Detail Supply wheel coating on wheels and center caps:
I'm in LOVE with how the car looks!! I went with the red center caps for obvious reasons, to match my Imola red interior. The carbon fiber trim kit that I ordered in February STILL hasn't arrived. Evidently they were delivered to the shop in CA from Germany earlier this week, so I'm hoping they arrive here next week. So from a 8-10 week timeframe to just over 27 weeks now. Ridiculous.
Think that's about all I've got right now, and I'll try to update on a more reasonable basis. Sorry folks, hope everyone enjoys the update and is doing well. Cheers!
I use Flickr to host all my photos. From there, if you right-click on an image and select 'Copy Image Address', you can then come here and use the 'Insert Image' icon in the editor toolbar. Then select the 'from URL' option. Paste the address that you copied earlier and, voila, photos are embedded directly in the thread.
Huh, that's interesting. I asked because right clicking on the picture and opening it in a new window shows me they're hosted here on GJ. Must be some background wizardry going on then. Thanks!
TX4runner
Well-known member
Looks like you have had a great summer with the experiences with the boys and Berta and starting the discussion with the wife on the move. Congrats man!!
The Cobra is rodent free, but I'm waiting for the local Cobra specialist to have a spot open to work on it. Given that it's 102 today, I'm in no rush to drive a roadster right now. lol
Since I steal all your ideas, I'll have to look into Bilt Hamber Touch-On for the F150. I did the full Gtechniq EXO/CSL on the M3, and I don't have the patience to do that again on the F150. The 911 needs it, but that should be easier since it would be on PPF, so not the same prep.
The Cobra is rodent free, but I'm waiting for the local Cobra specialist to have a spot open to work on it. Given that it's 102 today, I'm in no rush to drive a roadster right now. lol
Since I steal all your ideas, I'll have to look into Bilt Hamber Touch-On for the F150. I did the full Gtechniq EXO/CSL on the M3, and I don't have the patience to do that again on the F150. The 911 needs it, but that should be easier since it would be on PPF, so not the same prep.
thetastelingers
Well-known member
Nice update!
I never understand why someone would live so far north that they have to put their life on hold because of winter.
The south is calling you...
The Wheels.... nom nom.....
Also, that vacuum is crooked.
I never understand why someone would live so far north that they have to put their life on hold because of winter.
The south is calling you...
The Wheels.... nom nom.....
Also, that vacuum is crooked.
M-technik-3
Well-known member
Why I never moved south is is too unbearable in the summer and I enjoy the snow. On the roads no but ski. Colorado would be best but there is no ocean within an hour.
JohnX14
Well-known member
Nobody chooses it, you are born into it. IME.
Thanks, man...appreciate the kind words!
And steal away. These ideas are not original to me lol. And like you, I don't know that I have dialing in the Bronco in me. Especially since it's a lease. So I prefer the easier keep up.
You're preaching to the choir. I've never loved winter and with each passing year, I despise it a little more. Being stuck in the house for ~5 months blows Would much rather have a few HOT months and be able to be outside 80-90% of the year.
I'm working on it, trust me. I would move tomorrow if it was up to me.
The vacuum is most definitely NOT crooked.
See previous statement...get me out of the cold.
Bingo! My parents emigrated from Portugal in the 60s and moved to MA. It's all I've ever known, but since I was in my early 20s, I've had a desire to leave and move somewhere warm. And then I discovered South Carolina and knew that THIS was the place for me.
Took the boys and did some off-roading in Bertha this past Sunday (after a boys breakfast, of course). We had a blast:
And a few more glamour shots of the BBS wheels, because why not:
And since the boys are sleeping at my in-laws for a few nights, took my wife out for dinner last night in Bristol,RI and had to take the M3:
And a few more glamour shots of the BBS wheels, because why not:
And since the boys are sleeping at my in-laws for a few nights, took my wife out for dinner last night in Bristol,RI and had to take the M3: