tungmeister Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 16 hours ago, Hawk said: Added Audi A4 larger exhaust tips I'm going to have to get a set of those ordered, what model A4 are they from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted September 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 On 17/08/2016 at 22:55, Hawk said: They're from a B8 A4 mate. I bought them cheap like the Budgie from here https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/262483178446 and here's the link with the sizes to cut out on one of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tungmeister Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 1 hour ago, Hawk said: They're from a B8 A4 mate. I bought them cheap like the Budgie from here https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/262483178446 and here's the link with the sizes to cut out on one of them Thought it might be those ones, I'd already watched them earlier, I'll get them ordered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Right let's try this update again seeing as the last one was corrupted. Firstly a job that needed done but I hadn't got round to yet, and that was painting the faded grill on the front bumper. Before Masking. The car looks happy for something that's about to be getting its teeth sprayed black. After I also done the window popper caps (no Idea on the real name) for the rear windows as these were very tired n flaky. Masking overload due to new paint paranoia And seeing as i'm on photobucket i'll add a few more things i've done a while ago but not added to this thread. Darkened the windscreen rubbers and mirror plastics with boiled Linseed oil. I wiped them over with white spirit first to remove any contaminants, then rubbed the linseed oil on, then leave it for 5 mins and wipe off the excess to take away the wet shiny look. Added larger Audi A4 exhaust tips( 3" of girth :shock: They look crap at first as you can see the bmw ones underneath but once the BMW ones soot up that wont be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Fitted an LED interior light kit And collected the lowered seat mounts I got a fabrication shop to make up for me. They're not going to work as is though. To be fair to the fabricators they done exactly as I asked and I really should have thought it through a bit more, the problem is that the slide bar frame underneath the seat is catching on the lowered mount due to the increased angle. It's not a big problem though as I'll get the angle grinder out and cut a notch out the mount to suit. Next problem is again with the sliders, basically the arm that you lift to slide the seat will have to be cut off and welded back on a little lower down the tab as it's just a few mm away from pressing the locking tabs down to slide the seat. Again, it's no big issue and it's only tack welded on from Recaro anyway. both these issues could be solved by simply using flat aftermarket runners but I'm wanting to keep the factory tilt and slide action working so people can get in the back. Other than that it's a case of fitting the seatbelt pretensioners and getting them in. I'll try and do it over the weekend but no promises as I'm a bit run down just now. I also lowered the front 10mm more as I wasn't overly happy with how it sat. I might drop it a little bit more but all said and done, the cars getting there though. heres some random shots I've taken while being out exploring too. Loch Tay This one was before I lowered the front a bit. The Laird and TriggerFish 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Seeing as I've just lowered the front a little bit more. Here's a comparison to show the difference 3/4" makes. Can't wait to show my ex mrs that 😂😂😂😂 TriggerFish and avalaugh 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted September 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 Next job was a freshen up of the corner splitters and rear diffuser. just a rattle can freshen up but it was a job that was needing done. Here's some pics. As you'd expect from a 14 year old car, the splitters were tired looking. Sandy paper helped Primer Top coat Lacquered and fitted. Diffuser And as I was popping the diffuser into place, look what little fella popped out to say hello. (Get your mind out the gutter ffs ) Turns out the other one was just resting in the back bumper too. I'm guessing someone at the bodyshop got distracted and forgot about them. Luckily they never came out on a drive though and I've fitted them properly now. Oh yeah I took the BMW exhaust tips off and tried to slide the A4 ones over the bare exhaust but they wouldn't grab so I painted the BMW tips black and slid the Audi ones over so it doesn't look weird. Next is to freshen up the wiper arms and that's it for the wee jobs that catch my eye as I'm looking over the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz 330 Cs Posted September 28, 2016 Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 Great job on the splitters and diffuser, 100% improvement. You need to sort the fog light cover too, they're not sitting properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted September 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2016 22 hours ago, Daz 330 Cs said: Great job on the splitters and diffuser, 100% improvement. You need to sort the fog light cover too, they're not sitting properly Cheers and you're right on the fog cover. I'll likely replace them though as the fit's crap and I already marked my paint trying to push one home. I'll have a quick try with the dremmel and if it's looking to be an issue, new ones will be bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaz-777 Posted October 1, 2016 Report Share Posted October 1, 2016 Good job on the paint refreshment, your brave having a go at the rear diffuser but looks great. And that is a good idea how you have removed the BMW tailpipes to fit the Audi ones. Was it hard to remove the BMW pipes? Hawk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2016 (edited) 6 hours ago, gaz-777 said: Good job on the paint refreshment, your brave having a go at the rear diffuser but looks great. And that is a good idea how you have removed the BMW tailpipes to fit the Audi ones. Was it hard to remove the BMW pipes? Cheers fella, the way I looked at it was if I make a mess, I just have to rub it back down and try again, or give it to a bodyshop, it was actually booked in to get done and I was asked if they could reschedule to to them being behind, but seeing as I had it off the car for them already and all the materials in the shed. I just done it myself. The BMW tips should just slide off but are likely baked on so I just tapped them from the back with a hammer and bolster and they came free easily. The Audi tips were then too big though so I put the BMW ones back on and painted the ends black before sliding the Audi ones over them. Edited October 1, 2016 by Hawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Another part of my car that was needing a freshen up was the wiper arms. They weren't in a complete state but it was enough to bug me into wanting to do them since I got the car, so I set about them, removed the 15mm nuts and started to wiggle and rock the arms. The drivers side was stiff and as it popped off, I heard the pinging noise of metal dropping down inside the engine bay somewhere, upon inspection it was the little sleeve that sits inside the arm that grips onto the splined post of the wiper motor. I looked about and couldn't see the sleeve, so reversed the car back and it wasn't on the ground either, so I decided to remove the engine splash guard, carport served no use here as I was lying on wet slabs with diaganol rain on my back! FML, anyway, splash guard off and it wasn't there either, after about an hour of getting more and more pissed off looking I gave up and ordered a new part, then just had to hope it wasn't somewhere it could create chaos. Top tip, if you're removing your wiper arms, slacken the 15mm nuts but don't remove them, that way when you wiggle the sleeve free, it won't get lost. Anyway, the offending wipers. Quick rub And into my custom spray booth Painted in between rain showers and left to hang in my custom oven (shed) I also darkened the plastic cowl with boiled linseed oil And the wipers fitted back on. A simple job that makes a difference. I'm pretty sure I heard the rouge sleeve fall out under the car on a drive too so I think I got away wit it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz 330 Cs Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Very nice, the wipers on my old Cs looked like that. If I still had it I was doing this fix like you've done. Great job. Hawk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2016 Next job on the list was to check the Disa valve as after reading the consequences of what could happen in a worst case scenario, I wasn't taking any chances. So off came the airbox and MAF, then as I was moving the intake boot out the way, one of the little breather hoses snapped in my hand, there was also another hole in it so it was already badly perished and on its last legs. These cars are at that age where perished hoses are to be expected so I can't be mad about that, especially as that's the first problem I've had with this car since I got it in March or April. Anyway Disa valve out. So I took it into my specialised workshop (utility room) and checked it over, and thankfully it was all operating fine. Next I went into my parts department (shed) and found a Vacuum hose for a mk2 Golf GTI that had about the same size inside diameter as the broken hose. So fitted everything up and all was well (note the hose slides over a hard plastic cable type hose that runs down to the exhaust I'd guess. I'll get the proper hose and pop it on although it's going to do no different a job than what I put on. I'll order up a Disa repair kit and check it every 5k miles or so and do it at the first sign of any play. I'll likely go check the hoses and start replacing them as if one was that bad, I can be pretty sure it's not alone, otherwise I'm happy the Disa is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2016 So after the Disa valve was done I started on the next modding idea I'd had. With this car being an Auto I really dislike how small the shifter boot is and how tall and thin the knob is (snigger) I'd wondered if an SMG dome could work but as I could find nothing online saying it would, I had a suspicion it wouldn't, so bought a dome, shifter boot and knob anyway The S is missing but I won't be using the lettering anyway. The offending Auto knob and boot. So I removed the knob and auto surround and the SMG dome clicked into place perfectly. Surely life isn't going to be this easy, so I put the knob on too (oh stop it ffs) and it was a fit, the car was in Nueutral at this point as it's a better angle to pull the knob off (ok, that defo sounds dirty) and as I went to pop it up into park, my suspicions were confirmed that to get the SMG knob up into park, I'd either have to cut a slot out the ring (sounds sore) or get a bigger ring and make that work. I've already ordered a new shift boot as the SMG one isn't designed to travel that far, then it's a case of buying or getting people with a Mini or Audi TT to measure their shifter surround ring and making it work that way. Here's a before and after of it fitted to give you an idea. To me it looks much better and if I use the plugs on the bottom of the auto surround,I'll still get the display on the dash of what gear I'm in. I might also swap out the SMG knob for one of the newer style bmw ones (dct) with the illuminated gear selector built in or just a nice metal knob. Looks wise even now It also ties in better with my paddle shifters. I'm sure i'I'll get it working one way or another and I'll be losing the SMG lettering and chrome so it doesn't look like I'm pretending I've an SMG. I know some won't like it, but I'm just trying to make the interior a nicer place for me, and I don't like looking at that auto knob at all, plus I just like frustrating myself trying to get crap to work. RichS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted October 6, 2016 Report Share Posted October 6, 2016 Good job on the gear knob, mate, it looks good. Is your original one in good nick? If so, can i buy it off you?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2016 55 minutes ago, Rich (BoxClever) said: Good job on the gear knob, mate, it looks good. Is your original one in good nick? If so, can i buy it off you?! Thanks fella. The knob is in good condition as I refurbished it not long ago. It's really easy to do (as long as yours isn't worn through) You'll see on how I done it on page 1 on this thread. I'm keeping this knob though I'm afraid fella as I keep all standard parts when I modify a car so it can return to its former glory when it, or I get old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R11CH Posted October 6, 2016 Report Share Posted October 6, 2016 (edited) Good amount of quality work going on here, nice to see someone taking time to do things properly. Good on you! That pipe that perished, i had the same with mine and did the exact same fix however i found the other day it had perished the other end on the fuel filter regulator which is where that pipe goes, worth a look. SSD foglight surrounds fit perfectly if you need to replace yours, pleased with mine. Edited October 6, 2016 by R11CH Hawk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtmonkey01 Posted October 7, 2016 Report Share Posted October 7, 2016 Love the shifter idea mate! Can't wait to see how it turns out so I can copy you haha. I hate the look of the auto shifter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2016 On 06/10/2016 at 22:41, R11CH said: Good amount of quality work going on here, nice to see someone taking time to do things properly. Good on you! That pipe that perished, i had the same with mine and did the exact same fix however i found the other day it had perished the other end on the fuel filter regulator which is where that pipe goes, worth a look. SSD foglight surrounds fit perfectly if you need to replace yours, pleased with mine. Thanks for the kind words fella, much appreciated. Good info one the pipe too, I'll investigate that for sure. I bought my CSL boot from ssdd and I'm happy with that so it's good to know their fogs are good too. Cheers for all the help. 21 hours ago, Dirtmonkey01 said: Love the shifter idea mate! Can't wait to see how it turns out so I can copy you haha. I hate the look of the auto shifter. Thanks fella, you're not alone, there's a few folk contacted me already wanting info on it. I've been looking and reading along with emailing any poor guy on eBay selling a shifter ring to measure it, but no joy so far. It will happen though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2016 Today was a quiet day so I decided to touch my knob some more. So I enlarged the notch out the base and then roughly filed one on the shifter ring. This gave me enough clearance to get the lever into Park and get the key out, so next I put my new shifter boot over the cut ring, which looked like this! The plan is to find another ring that's a good size to go around what you see above, that way when the base is painted it'll all look factory rather than untidy. I've got an idea in mind for how I want to do mine but I'll no doubt change my mind a few times before then. It looks crap just now because of the shifter knob and no ring but I'm sure it'all tie together in the end though. Also a cut will have to be made in the bottom of the base and ring so when in manual mode, you can upshift. Easy done though and as it's hidden by the new Gaiter, It doesn't matter. Here's a wee video of it in action. Hopefully it works. Note the airbag lights on because there's no passenger seat in the car. I've still got it out to get my Recaros in. Also the noise after each shift isn't me out of breath from touching my knob before you start. I don't know what the noise is.http://vid451.photobucket.com/albums/qq235/TheHawk_bucket/My%20BMW%20330CI%20Clubsport/20161008_172511_zps56tumwim.mp4 Markxr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtmonkey01 Posted October 8, 2016 Report Share Posted October 8, 2016 Do you still have to depress the brake pedal to go between park, reverse and neutral/drive? i might look into using a manual surround and a lci style shifter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2016 2 hours ago, Dirtmonkey01 said: Do you still have to depress the brake pedal to go between park, reverse and neutral/drive? i might look into using a manual surround and a lci style shifter. Yeah you still have to press it fella. A manual gaiter would certainly be much cheaper and less effort. Not that this is hard in any way, it's just trying to find a suitable ring that's taking a lot of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 Got a bit more done today after watching the F1 and seeing a couple of mates so I might as well add it. I roughly cut the notch in the bottom of the domed unit and ring so sequential shifts can still be used. I also removed the MG lettering and quickly sanded off the glue. And removed the chrome top, leather sides and rubber from the knob So that's it, it's now completely functional and it's just a case of smoothing off the notches and making things look good now. I've now no idea why I've not seen this mod done before. I was worried that if it hadn't been done, it couldn't. Luckily I was wrong though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted October 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 I've got a little more done on it now and sanded the chrome layer on the knob down to make it more like a brushed aluminium finish. I've also wrapped the dome in Matt black. I looked and looked for something identical to the BMW trim colour and everything looked a shade out to me, so I just made it match the colour of the seats and the electric window switches etc. The top of the knob is the same colour now too. I'll be re wrapping it cause I'm not happy with it. So I didn't bother cutting in the edges in this pic but you get the idea. I'm tempted to do the whole knob black and trim the leather pads in grey alcantara the same as the the gaiter but I'm also sick of messing about with it. I'm also sick of searching constantly for a suitable surround ring for it. Hey ho, if it was easy, we would all have been bored of cars years ago. TriggerFish 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...