Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT From a "double" to a DOUBLE

[samb]

M340i looks great, mine is July 2020 which I'm somewhat disappointed about as they obviously locked the ecu for mapping and removed the pops/bangs. Not paying 1k to send it to Finland for an unlock as no one in the UK offers it- as far as I am aware.

Very interested to know what the exhaust is like, I have locked out the exhaust buttery flap on mine but not as loud as I would like, although my missus says different when its cold idling at 0600 hrs.

We get the Touring option here which I really wanted, due to a large dog, but due to UK law 'quitting' means that the remote start is unlawful from BMW at least, I'm sure it can be retro fitted. I'd live to have it though as an option.

Here's mine, Dravit grey. Wasn't sure if I'd like the colour at first. Small mods, eibach spacers, front lip and Maxton diffuser thus far.

 

[Purist]

M340i looks great, mine is July 2020 which I'm somewhat disappointed about as they obviously locked the ecu for mapping and removed the pops/bangs. Not paying 1k to send it to Finland for an unlock as no one in the UK offers it- as far as I am aware.

Very interested to know what the exhaust is like, I have locked out the exhaust buttery flap on mine but not as loud as I would like, although my missus says different when its cold idling at 0600 hrs.

We get the Touring option here which I really wanted, due to a large dog, but due to UK law 'quitting' means that the remote start is unlawful from BMW at least, I'm sure it can be retro fitted. I'd live to have it though as an option.

Here's mine, Dravit grey. Wasn't sure if I'd like the colour at first. Small mods, eibach spacers, front lip and Maxton diffuser thus far.

You have no idea how jealous I am that you have the touring...man I wish that was available in the states. Talk about the perfect daily.

I'll be sure to take some videos before and after: cold start for both, idling for both, revs, etc.

Look into the BMW ConnectedDrive store. My M340i wasn't initially optioned with remote start, but I was able to purchase the add-on and through a software update, I now have remote start. Not sure if you guys have the option across the pond, but worth a look.

Dravit grey was my 2nd choice behind Portimao Blue. You, sir, have great taste!

 

[zanyad]

You have no idea how jealous I am that you have the touring...man I wish that was available in the states. Talk about the perfect daily.

!!!

 

[pickles]

I totally agree. A BMW wagon would definitely be my next car if they were available new in the US. It would be replacing my wife's Volvo SUV.

 

[samb]

You have no idea how jealous I am that you have the touring...man I wish that was available in the states. Talk about the perfect daily.

I'll be sure to take some videos before and after: cold start for both, idling for both, revs, etc.

Look into the BMW ConnectedDrive store. My M340i wasn't initially optioned with remote start, but I was able to purchase the add-on and through a software update, I now have remote start. Not sure if you guys have the option across the pond, but worth a look.

Dravit grey was my 2nd choice behind Portimao Blue. You, sir, have great taste!

Thank you mate, a video would be great to see. Are you going to have to modify it, if its touring specific?
It's so strange to me that they didn't bring the Touring over to the States- aren't these cars made in Mexico now too? I'm certain they would have sold brilliantly.

No, sadly remote start isn't offered which is a real shame, very cool that it can be done so easily for you.

Yeah can't go wrong with Portimao. I also note you changed your kidney grille to black. It was the first thing I wanted to change but still haven't pulled the trigger on them, as not sure if it'll blend too much with the dark paintwork. Might just buy some and see!

Talking of tastes, seems our are similar! I also had an e46 M3, which I absolutely loved and would gladly have another. It's just a shame I paid £7k for mine, they now go for £20k+ so that'll likely have to wait! Mine was SMGII - which I don't think I would get again, I'd def go manual.

 

[Purist]

!!!

I totally agree. A BMW wagon would definitely be my next car if they were available new in the US. It would be replacing my wife's Volvo SUV.

Yep! But specifically, an M340i wagon!

Thank you mate, a video would be great to see. Are you going to have to modify it, if its touring specific?
It's so strange to me that they didn't bring the Touring over to the States- aren't these cars made in Mexico now too? I'm certain they would have sold brilliantly.

No, sadly remote start isn't offered which is a real shame, very cool that it can be done so easily for you.

Yeah can't go wrong with Portimao. I also note you changed your kidney grille to black. It was the first thing I wanted to change but still haven't pulled the trigger on them, as not sure if it'll blend too much with the dark paintwork. Might just buy some and see!

Talking of tastes, seems our are similar! I also had an e46 M3, which I absolutely loved and would gladly have another. It's just a shame I paid £7k for mine, they now go for £20k+ so that'll likely have to wait! Mine was SMGII - which I don't think I would get again, I'd def go manual.

To clarify, the exhaust is not touring-specific, I was just proclaiming my love for them!

Love, love my E46 M3. Paid $17,800 for it with the Competition wheels in Feb of 2019...just before prices began to soar. Guess I lucked out a bit.

 

[Purist]

Couple quick things. My 8 yr old picked out this for my birthday (he gets me):



And my buddy dropped these off yesterday for me to borrow for a few weeks, so I can coat the wheels from all our vehicles much quicker and easier than jacking each corner of each vehicle up one by one. Might also try and install the exhaust on the M340i while it's on the quickjack. My buddy offered up his 4 post lift, but the M340i stock exhaust is basically ONE piece from the downpipe back and with the width and height of the exhaust, we're concerned we won't be able to drop it down and remove it.





Might also try to dial in the M3 and X5 while I have these.

 

[samb]

You'll start charging me for requests at this rate, but let me know how you find the quick jack system!
I'd like to get one this year but never used one even. Seems like a great solution for small garages like mine.
Been looking at this one : (not Quick jack, but the same style and allows for 240v hookup)

Clicky

 

[TX4runner]

I've had QuickJacks for about 8 years now, and they have worked great for my current low height garage. I pinched one of the hoses and had to replace it, and had a relay blow out that I had to replace 3 years ago (luckily while it was down without a car on it), otherwise it has been flawless at tire changes, brake and oil changes, suspension changes. I still want a taller garage and full lift, but no complaints about QuickJack, and they have improved the locks and lowering mechanic on the newer ones which is a little involved on the Gen1 version I got when they first were announcing the 5K lb version. I just have to have magnets to hold the legs up when I want to lower them vs rotate the little foot so slides past the lock.

 

[samb]

I've had QuickJacks for about 8 years now, and they have worked great for my current low height garage. I pinched one of the hoses and had to replace it, and had a relay blow out that I had to replace 3 years ago (luckily while it was down without a car on it), otherwise it has been flawless at tire changes, brake and oil changes, suspension changes. I still want a taller garage and full lift, but no complaints about QuickJack, and they have improved the locks and lowering mechanic on the newer ones which is a little involved on the Gen1 version I got when they first were announcing the 5K lb version. I just have to have magnets to hold the legs up when I want to lower them vs rotate the little foot so slides past the lock.

Nice thx, will check out your thread. They seem like a brill bit of kit for smaller garages, simple wrenching duties.

 

[Purist]

You'll start charging me for requests at this rate, but let me know how you find the quick jack system!
I'd like to get one this year but never used one even. Seems like a great solution for small garages like mine.
Been looking at this one : (not Quick jack, but the same style and allows for 240v hookup)

Clicky

Well, as luck would have it, the jack pads on the M340i are TOO wide for this particular model of Quick Jack. Because of course they are. So haven't actually been able to use it just yet. Looks like the M3's jack pads will fit, though, so I'll do the oil change, coat the wheels, paint the calipers (a project I've been meaning to do for some time), and mount the front lip while it's up in the air and report back!

 

[Purist]

Nice thx, will check out your thread. They seem like a brill bit of kit for smaller garages, simple wrenching duties.

I NEED to incorporate "brill bit of kit" into my vocabulary. You brits have the best slang!

 

[Purist]

I spent a few hours on Friday prepping the HREs. Started by de-nibbing the tires (something I have NEVER done before, but figured why not), then wiping down each tire with Stoners Tarminator to prep for tire dressing, then CarPro Eraser to clean the wheels, and lastly coating the wheels with Armour Detail Supply Wheel Coating. One coat, which I then let cure for roughly 48 hours:













And as some of you may have noticed in post #1,371, the Quick Jack didn't quite work out for the M340i, whose jack pads/points are too far apart. Go figure. Therefore, I did it the old fashioned way and jacked up each corner, one at a time. I swapped on the new HREs, and took the opportunity to clean and coat the calipers and, my word, other than needing a slight drop, the look of this car has absolutely transformed (mind you, it's dirty):












Cheers!

 

[samb]

Those HRE's are ****** lovely mate, properly nice. Game changer. Agree, looks too high now, you going with just lowering springs? I'd like to lower mine, speed bumps are life round here though.

I suppose you can buy extensions for the quick jack for larger cars? is it the distance between the jacking point from to back that is the issue?
Not sure if that's worth doing though if you're borrowing it from a mate. Certainly is something for me to consider though as I'd have been in the same boat if I had bought one, finding out I couldn't actually use it on my car!

 

[Purist]

Those HRE's are ****** lovely mate, properly nice. Game changer. Agree, looks too high now, you going with just lowering springs? I'd like to lower mine, speed bumps are life round here though.

I suppose you can buy extensions for the quick jack for larger cars? is it the distance between the jacking point from to back that is the issue?
Not sure if that's worth doing though if you're borrowing it from a mate. Certainly is something for me to consider though as I'd have been in the same boat if I had bought one, finding out I couldn't actually use it on my car!

Appreciate the kind words! Yeah, I'm between the Dinan springs (along with the supplemental kit), H&R springs, and Eibach springs. Dinan is a subtle drop, while the H&R is a bit more noticeable. Need to research the Eibach springs a bit more. While I'd love a more aggessive drop, this is also my daily driver so need to keep that in mind. Especially if the wife should ever need to get behind the wheel....

Correct, you can buy extensions. They also sell different versions of the jacks, themselves, so you can go on their website and input your vehicle and they will tell you which are compatible. And, right, I won't be doing any of that since I'm just borrowing them. They should work with my M3 just fine, so I'll get a few things done on that car while it's in the air, and might try to swap my dad's wheels on his Jeep XJ, but need to figure out if it'll work with this quick jack model, first.

 

[davidstutler]

LOVE the HREs - just stunning! Great, great choice.

I've had the QuickJacks for about 8 years and they remain some of the best money I've ever spent. I have the extensions as well but only needed them twice - once for my old E61 and once for my current E53 X5 4.8iS. Handy to have.

I've got my E36 M3 on them at the moment - doing a new clutch. Just high enough to have all the clearance I need.

 

[Purist]

LOVE the HREs - just stunning! Great, great choice.

I've had the QuickJacks for about 8 years and they remain some of the best money I've ever spent. I have the extensions as well but only needed them twice - once for my old E61 and once for my current E53 X5 4.8iS. Handy to have.

I've got my E36 M3 on them at the moment - doing a new clutch. Just high enough to have all the clearance I need.

Thank you, Dave! I appreciate the kind words. As you're probably aware, big fan of your thread and all the BMW-related content you put out.

Even with the small hiccup, I'm still convinced I'll want a set of QuickJacks for myself at some point. They make too much sense!

 

[Purist]

Not sure how I almost forgot to mention this, but the other day while taking photos of the new wheels, I happened to notice some blemishes on the front bumper that were absolutely not there when I spent an entire weekend+ correcting and coating the paint. As I looked across the bumper, I found dozens of rock chips, and I have absolutely NO idea where they came from. For all of them to appear so suddenly, my hunch is that I parked somewhere where landscaping crews were doing work and perhaps a leaf blower blew a bunch of debris against my car.

Aside from that, I don't know what it could be. I don't drive on the highway all that much, granted, the car has only been on the road for less than 2 months. This all happened after the correction/coating and it chewed me up that first day when I noticed it; it's all I could think about. Told my wife that it'll probably result in me having the front bumper resprayed (while taking the opportunity to fill the license plate holes) and then PPF'd, to avoid (or at least reduce) the chances of this happening again. Feast your eyes on this:



























I do have some touch up paint left that I had purchased to address a few nicks/scratches while correcting the paint. So I'll spend some time trying to address the majority of these, but it's still not going to look great, but I suppose better than seeing all the white chips. After all that time I spent on the paint, this was rather heartbreaking to see.

Oh well, could be worse, I guess.

 

[Bob Heine]

This is why we can't have nice things.

 

[Purist]

This is why we can't have nice things.

Ain't that the truth, Bob?!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Ugh that stinks about the bumper, but the new wheels look sick!!!

 

[Purist]

Ugh that stinks about the bumper, but the new wheels look sick!!!

Thanks, buddy! Yeah, I washed my car yesterday and it just pains my heart to see the bumper looking like it does. Definitely going to get it resprayed and PPF'd at some point this summer... I just can't keep looking at in in it's current condition, it's eating at me.

 

[Mark_17]

I have a new 2024 M2 and right after I got it I had the whole thing PPF'd. It was worth every penny.

I live in NJ with rough roads and my G37 and corvette have taken a beating.

 

[Purist]

I have a new 2024 M2 and right after I got it I had the whole thing PPF'd. It was worth every penny.

I live in NJ with rough roads and my G37 and corvette have taken a beating.

Good call (and great purchase!!). The odd thing is, I've only put on a few hundred miles since owning the car, with primarily non-highway driving, so I just don't see how this could have happened so quickly other than the scenario I mentioned earlier (landscaper/leaf blower/etc).
Got any photos of the new M2? Are you on bimmerpost?

 

[Mark_17]

I'm on bimmerpost under the same username but I don't really post.

I have a few pics post PPF and tint, but I just added wheel spacers and a CF spoiler. I'll snap a few pics after I wash it this weekend.

Here is a small vid from the detailer doing the PPF. I had him take off the stock spoiler as we waited on the new one to come in. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3FjFHcrLoF/

 

[Purist]

I'm on bimmerpost under the same username but I don't really post.

I have a few pics post PPF and tint, but I just added wheel spacers and a CF spoiler. I'll snap a few pics after I wash it this weekend.

Here is a small vid from the detailer doing the PPF. I had him take off the stock spoiler as we waited on the new one to come in. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3FjFHcrLoF/

Fair enough. Car looks great! If my kids were older and 4 doors weren't as much of a necessity, this would absolutely be on my want list. One day!

 

[Mark_17]

Fair enough. Car looks great! If my kids were older and 4 doors weren't as much of a necessity, this would absolutely be on my want list. One day!

I appreciate the kind words. Next step is to find a nice set of wheels, like you did.

 

[Purist]

As expected, the M3 fits on the QuickJacks without any issue:





So my goal over the next 1-2 weeks is to address the following for the M3:

• Oil change
• Reinstall front lip
• Remove all 4 wheels and coat them with Armour Detail Supply Wheel Coating
• While wheels are off, paint (and coat) calipers and rotor hats

Of course little league just started for both boys, so my already limited free time is even more limited these days.

Swapped in the red Start/Stop button from the M3/M4:



Also had my dad swing by over the weekend so I could swap on his new (to him) wheels using the QuickJacks (big shoutout to @Mr. Roboto for finding them in the first place!!):









Washed the M340i on Monday...man, this car is clean (front bumper aside)!!!



And 1 of only 2 cars in the parking garage at work this morning at 6:26am:

 

[TX4runner]

As expected, the M3 fits on the QuickJacks without any issue:




Washed the M340i on Monday...man, this car is clean (front bumper aside)!!!

Tell me you have obsessed garage tendencies without saying you do......
Look at that photo with perfectly aligned center cap to valve stem, to wheel name to the floor. Looking great, and the M3 on quickjacks also looks great. Getting ready to take care of business!!!

 

[samb]

How the hell do you remove the engine start button on the G20? I tried hot glue, dental floss but neither worked for me. I have a red button to fit, but don't want to damage the trim around it with sharp tools.

Also, I saw that you can use the regular Quickjack's side ways on the G20/G21 to circumnavigate the ridiculously long spread between jack points on this model. I know this would prevent some work being done on the underside, but if you're doing wheel/brakes/engine then it could be a good solution for you?

I was going to get an XL version of the Quickjack- such as the BL-6000XLT, but actually the additional cost, weight and length doesn't make a lot of sense, over using the above solution for me. I need the Quick jack I buy to fit under a host of smaller cars too and realistically most of the work I will be doing on the G21 will not need the QJ to be along the sills.

 

[Purist]

Tell me you have obsessed garage tendencies without saying you do......
Look at that photo with perfectly aligned center cap to valve stem, to wheel name to the floor. Looking great, and the M3 on quickjacks also looks great. Getting ready to take care of business!!!

Guilty as charged...

How the hell do you remove the engine start button on the G20? I tried hot glue, dental floss but neither worked for me. I have a red button to fit, but don't want to damage the trim around it with sharp tools.

Also, I saw that you can use the regular Quickjack's side ways on the G20/G21 to circumnavigate the ridiculously long spread between jack points on this model. I know this would prevent some work being done on the underside, but if you're doing wheel/brakes/engine then it could be a good solution for you?

I was going to get an XL version of the Quickjack- such as the BL-6000XLT, but actually the additional cost, weight and length doesn't make a lot of sense, over using the above solution for me. I need the Quick jack I buy to fit under a host of smaller cars too and realistically most of the work I will be doing on the G21 will not need the QJ to be along the sills.

Haha, it wasn't easy! I tried 1 stick of hot glue...then 2 sticks at the same time, with no luck. THEN I realized my red start/stop button actually came with this ridiculously sticky substance that made the removal of my gray button super simple. I'm not sure what it's called, but I think it's some sort of butyl rubber putty.

I also found this solution that you may want to look into: https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/showpost.php?p=27215005&postcount=5

Best of luck, man!

As for using the QuickJack's sideways, I had heard about this, as well, but I'm looking to swap out the exhaust so unfortunately, this isn't a viable solution for me. But after using them to change the oil on the M3 over the weekend, I think I'm sold and will be keeping my eyes out for a deal on them...they pop up fairly often on Marketplace for cheap money.

 

[Purist]

My M340i made a friend at the gym the other day:



Changed the oil on the M3 over the weekend and had a sad realization. While documenting my oil change/mileage in my maintenance spreadsheet, I found that with my back injury and all the rain we had last summer, I only put about 1,360 miles on the M3 all season. So now my goal this driving season is to make up for lost time!:





Yesterday, I got around to installing the Infinite Autowerks cold air intake on the M340i:

Stock Intake





Stock intake removed








IAW intake


















And very tough to hear (much more noticeable inside the car, though the rain wasn't helping), but here's a video clip I took on the first drive after installing the intake:

https://flic.kr/p/2pKfDcV

 

[Purist]

OK, here's a better video...weather was much more cooperative yesterday, so windows were down (my boys were giggling with glee in the backseat, though you probably can't hear them):

https://flic.kr/p/2pKzJzb

 

[Purist]

What does one do when one MUST wash the daily driver but has almost no shade in the driveway during the day? One gets creative, that's what.








Other than the terrible rock chip situation on that front bumper, this car cleans up so amazingly well, thanks to the Gtechnic coatings on the paint and the wheel coating:















Also coated the competition wheels for the M3 recently, again using Armour Detail Supply Wheel Coating (I almost forgot that BBS made these wheels):









I need to start driving the M3 more...no excuses. I was going to install the Motorsport Hardware stud conversion kit and paint the calipers/rotor hats while she was in the air, but I just don't have the time and need to get the quick jack back to my buddy so I figured I'd rather drive it, as is, than continue to wait to get that other stuff done.

Maybe I'll try and borrow the quickjack again later in the summer to do it then. Or this waits and becomes a fall/winter/storage project. I'm leaning that way because I'd also like to grab the PowerStop brake kit for this car with slotted (or drilled...not sure which, yet) rotors and that would be the perfect time to paint the calipers. We'll see how it plays out.

And picked up a new foam cannon wall mount solution. As much as I love OG, I just can't fathom spending the money on some of their products (trust me, I wish I was loaded enough where I could), so I found this significantly cheaper option on Amazon. Grabbed a 2 pack for like $18:





Will they last as long as OG's, maybe/maybe not, and they probably won't look as good in a few years, but I'll toss these out and buy another pair.

Need to figure out exactly where I want to mount them, but got a few spots in mind. Will update once that happens (so damn busy lately).

Lastly, this weekend MIGHT be the weekend where the AWE exhaust gets installed on the M340i. Should have a better idea come Thursday/Friday in regards to my buddies schedule, since he has the 4 post lift we'd be doing this on. Would love to knock this off the list and then focus on the H&R springs next up.

 

[Purist]

Yesterday was exhaust day! Got to my buddies house around 11:45am and swapped spots with his Evo on the BendPak lift:









We had the stock exhaust out within 20 minutes. Even on a relatively new car (minimal oxidation), I was surprised at how quick and anti-climactic this was:



Swapped out the busted rear section badge for a fancy new piece:





Progress shots:











Getting the tip outlets aligned perfectly:




And all buttoned up!




Entire install took about 3 hrs, and that was with us taking our time, shooting the **** and sipping on some beer. Went for a quick drive after we were done to test everything out and hear what she sounds like. I'll have to get some additional videos, but the car sounds great. At normal cruising speeds, it's barely louder and pretty tame, which is great. My buddy and I easily had a conversation without needing to talk louder/yell. But at WOT, you sure as hell hear the deep, visceral tone!! That, coupled with the intake, and this car makes a whole bunch of glorious noises. I was giggling like a schoolgirl the entire drive.

Of course on the next drive (me heading home), the exhaust started to rattle somewhere. We're thinking it's banging against the crossmember brace, so I'll try and get it up on ramps tonight or tomorrow to get a better look. Might just need some washers to shim the brace a bit to create some extra space.

Oh and my buddies Evo, which was gracious enough to give up her spot on the lift, and my M340i:



Cold Start (stock exhaust)

https://flic.kr/p/2pPoon9
Cold Start (AWE exhaust)

https://flic.kr/p/2pPnh7P
To finish off the exhaust, I ordered these 4" quad tips from Infinite AutoWerks earlier this morning:





Little update as I actually hadn't posted this reply before going on a little walk here at work to get outside in the sun for a few minutes. Ended up visiting my car in the parking garage and got down on my hands and knees and, sure as ****, the exhaust is absolutely resting directly on the crossmember brace. So I now know the issue! Gotta find some time tonight or tomorrow to get it up on ramps, loosen all the clamps and try to get the exhaust to sit a bit higher using my floor jack before tightening everything back up. I'll probably shim the brace, as well, regardless, to be safe!

After the exhaust is fully sorted out, next up on my ever growing and never ending To Do list is the suspension. Already talked to my buddy Brandon (who fabricated that custom rear section for my M3) about possibly shooting up to his shop one of these weekends since he has spring compressors and a 2 post lift I could borrow.

Add onto this the roughly 3 yards of mulch still remaining in my driveway from the 6 yards I had dumped last week. Never enough time.

 

[Purist]

Got the car up on ramps this morning and shimmed the crossmember brace. This'll do until I can get it on a lift for the suspension install, at which point I'll loosen all the exhaust clamps and try to get it to sit a bit higher.

https://flic.kr/p/2pPPSNe

 

[Purist]

The quad tips came in yesterday so spent a few minutes installing them before dinner...way more aesthetically pleasing!

















And the obligatory first start-up with tips installed:

https://flic.kr/p/2pQV7R2

 

[Purist]

More exhaust videos should anyone care or have any interest:

Stationary/Parked

https://flic.kr/p/2pRaZLv
Driving/Takeoff

https://flic.kr/p/2pRfCsn

And I founds some time to get my new foam cannon mounts installed near my detailing supplies:









Just need to order a 2nd Griots Boss Foam Cannon for my incoming order of Bilt Hamber Touch-Less pre-wash to mount below my dedicated soap/shampoo foam cannon.

 

[Purist]

Not much happening over here outside of just being busy with work, family, etc. That said, we had a new addition parked in the garage recently:



My buddy down the street let me borrow his mini-backhoe so I could move a large rock in my backyard (more on that shortly) and better clear out the path I made from my backyard to the woods where I dump grass clippings/leaves/etc., and I wasn't about to leave it parked outside while in my possession, so my wife's X5 got the boot for one night.








Last month, I got around to something that has been on my To Do list for quite a while now, granted, just for my wife's parking area. I removed sections of the Swisstrax flooring and cleaned both the tiles themselves and the concrete underneath:

























Excuse the upside down video:

https://flic.kr/p/2pY1VGh








Still need to get the area under the M3 done.

Also got the windows and rear windshield tinted on the M340i (35%...legal limit here in MA. The photos in the shop are not mine):





















Also just finished up a small project on the M3. The speaker cover/grille on the passenger door had faded and was a much different color than the driver door cover, and I found this DIY which seemed like an easy enough thing to do:

Faded BMW 330 CI Coupe Harman Kardon door handle speaker...

www.bimmerfest.com

Passenger Door







Driver Door







Using Rit Black All Purpose Dye, I masked off the area and got to work:







I was able to achieve the following results:









So back to the rock I had moved with the backhoe. Reason I needed to do so was because these 2 trees were getting removed:







They were actually removed yesterday, after nearly 1.5 years when I first contacted the tree removal company:



My fall project will be cleaning that area up and leveling it and getting it seeded. Pretty pumped that this area will just be open now, as it always made for a bit of an awkward spot that I'd have to navigate my tractor around and made getting in and out of the shed a little tougher than it needed to be. They did run into a couple of large rocks/ledge, so not sure how level I'll be able to get it, but we will see.

Here are some videos of the trees coming down:

1) https://flic.kr/p/2q5RXMz (peep the guy in the blue shirt...talk about a close call )

2) https://flic.kr/p/2q5TJie
That about does it for now. Cheers!

 

[Purist]

So as @Mr. Roboto was aware of, ever since seeing the Obsessed Garage vacuum solution come into play, I had been on the hunt for a cheaper (ahem, more budget friendly) option and had all but settled on the Hoover GUV (Garage Utility Vacuum). I ended up finding one in Maine for a great price, but it was a 6 hr round trip and as we got closer to the day of me making the drive North, I decided a vacuum didn't quite justify this sort of a road trip.

Back on the hunt I went, using Searchtemptest.com to check craigslist and Marketplace listings all around the country, and scouring eBay. The ones I found either were too much money, or the seller's weren't interested in figuring out the logistics of shipping the vacs.

@Mr. Roboto then brought up the Vacumaid Garage Vac, of which there happened to be one semi-local to me. I did some research into them and they seemed to be a great alternative to the Hoover model. And this specific one came with a 30ft hose, wall mount, and all the accessories, as well as 2 replacement bags. And it was in great shape, to boot.

First thing I did after getting it home, debadge it, of course:





And then I had another idea. I really like how Wahba's ProSlat wall came out in this video, so I think I've decided I'm going to ultimately remove the Rubbermaid Fasttrack kit seen below, and go with the ProSlat wall. It'll afford me way more storage, both horizontally and vertically, as opposed to the Fasttrack kit. I'm currently undecided on whether I want to go with a 4' x 4', or an 8' x 4' (I have the room) slat wall, but for the time being, I temporarily mounted the vacuum so I can at least begin to use it:









I also recently picked up a 2nd Griots Boss Foam cannon, which will be dedicated for Bilt Hamber Touch-Less:



Roughly a week after picking up the Vacumaid (which also happened to be the first day I started showing symptoms of my most recent bout with Covid), my family (including my parents, sister, brother-in-law and nieces) left for Aruba. I'm thankful I got sick when I did, as it gave me time to mostly get over it. I'm still dealing with some congestion issues, nearly 3 weeks later.

Not much else going on. Just trying to keeps my cars relatively clean and enjoying the last bit of summer with the boys.