Sics Consolidated Faded Moderns Thread - 2004 BMW Z4 2.2 & 2005 BMW 330i

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

When these came out three years ago I thought they were just awful. Now I sort of like them:

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

These really do look good, especially from the back:

[Hooli]

Specsavers.com

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

They're ok in my eyes. Just a bit too generic 2010-era BMW looking. BMW styling department could knock out some cracking, cutting edge looking cars at the time like the i8.

Did you get the 530d then?

730d.

No, it was too much £££.

You can buy any number of 06 730d’s for £2500 so I’m not paying £1300 for a damaged one. For under a grand plus a door, wing and paint it was just about worth doing. Copart fees just slaughter it.


The old 4 Series is starting to look a bit bland now. The previous 3 Coupe was a bit sharper.

[SiC]

Fitted the Carplay/android auto box at the weekend. Actually took two attempts as the first died shortly after installation. This is where I'm glad I paid extra for a mr12volt units over a cheaper AliExpress special as they shipped a replacement next day. 



Nifty piece of kit really. Resolution is a bit low as mine is the older CCC unlike the facelift CIC display that had a more pixels making it sharper. However the stock screen is much clearer in daylight than most cheap android units. Not touch screen like those android units but the iDrive control works with this. Sound quality is excellent as it pretends it's a CD Changer (required a bit of coding) and the audio stays digital right till the moment the iDrive headunit decode the audio to analog.



Microphone I installed in the light box on the ceiling. Interesting to see two microphones in this car - in installation videos on later cars I only see one. Probably the biggest hassle of the whole job was getting this bit out and the cable up there. Rest was all plug and play into the existing loom.


While I was under the dash, I set about removing the squeaky interior blower motor. Pretty easy job. Undo an electrical connector, move tab up, twist and pull down. Then negotiate it between bits of plastic and wiring loom.


Date code suggests it was replaced in 2010. This lines up with the fact the retaining screw was missing that should stop it twisting out. So it's had at least one new motor in its life. Pretty crap that it's squeaking already.


I didn't have a replacement so instead I just sprayed both the bearing bushes with some lube.


Seems to have fixed it for now. 

In other BMW news, my neighbour has finally binned his 118d N47 that shat it's chain. He had been holding out to see if scrap prices would rise but they ended up going the other way. I don't think it even quite hit 100k this car. He wasn't too bothered as he owned it 10yrs and felt he got hit monies worth.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Tragic.

It’s a £2500 repair but really we should not be throwing away cars like that.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I was selling those as new cars 2009/10. That’s a Sport model as well, £30 tax. They were nice cars.

[SiC]

I could have had it for scrap value - probably under £200. Was quite tempted as a project to faff around with but diesel is no good for me with the Bristol CAZ making it annoying. Maybe if it was a petrol or a 6cyl diesel I'd reconsidered.

Second hand engines went for too much to justify even that.

[SiC]

The old 4 Series is starting to look a bit bland now. The previous 3 Coupe was a bit sharper.

I think I've said it before but my neighbour has a M4 of that era. The aggressive front look makes it look sharp. But still pretty anonymous.

He's not long remapped it. An absolute animal now where it will wheelspin at 60mph in 3rd gear if the tyres aren't hot. Real world as quick or tbh quicker than his R8.

PXL_20240329_130055066.jpg (1 MiB) Viewed 4348 times

(Only picture I have - front number plate fell off while they were away and a bit of a panic incase it had been stolen)

[SiC]

When these came out three years ago I thought they were just awful. Now I sort of like them:

I think the number plate across that massive gopping grille helps break up the front visually a bit and not as bad. Or modern BMW styling is so awful that it had made the older ones look more 'normal'.

I still dislike modern aggressive car styling that looks like it wants to bite your face off at any moment.