My tech 2 325i Sport. 25 years old today 25.10.14

[mikeyboy]

im gonna have to pop by to see this when its done barry! i loved your car before and the alpina spoiler i think will just be the cherry on top!!! iv not seen those seats in the flesh yet i dont think either so would be good to see. i plan to kick off my project in full next year!

[bss325i]

How's it going Mike? Whats your project or is it the blue 325i you stil have/had?

[B7]

I think it looks shit and you should sell it to me!!!!!


































Really though, I like that a lot.

[Royalratch]

Though I admire the quality of work and passion in maintaining this car, I still think it should have stayed TECH'ed up and Recaro-less.

[bss325i]

Though I admire the quality of work and passion in maintaining this car, I still think it should have stayed TECH'ed up and Recaro-less.

Fook that.

Time for a change.

[StuBeeDoo]

I really like the Alpina spoiler.
I quite fancy getting one for my touring, but it wouldn't look right mix'n'matched with the Hartge wheels (and no, I don't want to change them for Alpina 16s).

[StuBeeDoo]

I don't get the hype around the Recaros either, I think it's one of those "it's rare so it must be good" situations. They are comfortable, but then so are the BMW sport seats.

I find Recaros are far more comfortable than BMW sport seats. .....And I consider myself to me Mr Average-ish when it comes to build - 5'10" and 13st.
TBH, with hindsight, fitting the sport seats in my touring in place of the comfort seats was a retrograde step. I wish now I'd gone straight to the Recaros.

To OP - sorry for spamming your thread.

[bss325i]

No worries Stu.

I am a similar height and weight to you and i to find them far more comfortable and more supportive than ordinary sport seats.

My first E30 had recaros, i had some in the S50 touring for a while and plenty of cars from back in my ford days had them.

The BMW E30 sport seat is like a watered down version of the Recaro.

[Cook318IS]

Looking stunning with that 'pina valance Barry, great work bud This is going to be one epic car with plenty of morsels once its finished.

[Jhonno]

Looking good Barry!!!

[spook]

That looks very very smart indeed, are you gonna put some stripes on it?

[B7]

Any progress today Baz or too wankered last night?

[bss325i]

Thanks guys!

No stripeage for this one for now. If i do i will only be on the front spoiler but i doubt i will even do that.

No done anything today Trev, go no bumper or brake ducts till next week. I did have a clear out in the garage yesterday, getting fed up with the sport being on the drive.

[RicoSuave]

Stripes are for girls.

Looking forward to seeing it finished.

[Simon13]

they aren't

[bss325i]

Alpina strips rule, on the right car.

[RicoSuave]

Yeah I suppose having stripes on an original Alpina is acceptable.

Sort of like the whole M badge debate...

[steve_k]

wow what can i say? been reading this thread on & off & all in all i reckon it wil be a true stunner.

bss325i you have done me a favour as i was thinking about going for the alpina "snow plough" for mu tech 2 sport & you have helped me make up my mind.

just one thing will the new valence line up with the standard tech2 brake ducts??

p.s more pic's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[steve_k]

forgot to add, will i have to move the fog lights? or do they stay in the same place?

noob qeustions i know but sorry you know what it's like lol.

[bss325i]

Why thank you!

More pics to come when the snow is gone and i can pic up my upper front bumper from the painter. When fitting the Alpina front spoiler in place of the M tech 2 one you need to use both the front and rear parts from a standard car as the rear parts are longer for tech2 kitted cars and the front parts are integral to the valence.

[steve_k]

Why thank you!

More pics to come when the snow is gone and i can pic up my upper front bumper from the painter. When fitting the Alpina front spoiler in place of the M tech 2 one you need to use both the front and rear parts from a standard car as the rear parts are longer for tech2 kitted cars and the front parts are integral to the valence.

thanks for that i'll bare that in mind, now to start the hunt for the valance (i might even go for a replica one).

[bss325i]

The replica ones dont fit to well.

[davse30]

What with the OEM'ness going on i have decided to de-council and revert back to a standard exhaust system. The car currently has a BTB2 six branch, a sebring centre and a scorpion STW rear box. I will be keeping the awesome BTB2 in place but thanks to Si13 and B7 who were breaking a rusty 325i, i now have a 18 month old genuine BMW 3 peice centre and rear so they will be going on for an OEM look to the rear and a sound closer to OEM.
Ordered some new nuts, bolts and olives for the centre to manifold join and also some new shadowline tail pipe trims

hi where did you get your shadowline tail trims ?

if still available from the dealers how much and do you have a part number.

cheers dav

[bss325i]

hi where did you get your shadowline tail trims ?

if still available from the dealers how much and do you have a part number.

cheers dav

I got them from the dealer, they are still available and i think about £20 each. Part number in the link below but this is for a 60mm tailpipe on a genuine bmw 325i system. Other system tail pipe sizes may differ.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=18&fg=95

[Royalratch]

£20 each is a horrific price for those.

Do you get a decent deal from them now you work for them?

[bss325i]

I get parts at cost plus Vat.

[Royalratch]

Are the margins on parts big?

On what parts are they low and what parts are they big?

[bss325i]

Are the margins on parts big?

On what parts are they low and what parts are they big?

The margins vary anything between 20 and 40% off retail.

Alpina parts are about 20%, consumables like filters more.

[Ant]

V Nice Mr Barry.

slight O/T but I have 2 keys for the B3S @ the yard, the previous keeper found them last week !

[bss325i]

Hello mr Ant, thanks very much, how tricks?

The B3S is long gone now.

[cro320]

£20 each is a horrific price for those.

Do you get a decent deal from them now you work for them?

I must confirm that!

just ordered new keys and wanted those pipe trim but 60 EUR for booth is

[bobbin1982]

i had a chav nick one of my tailpipe trims

[DanThe]

Are the margins on parts big?

On what parts are they low and what parts are they big?

The margins vary anything between 20 and 40% off retail.

Alpina parts are about 20%, consumables like filters more.

The price of filters is a joke, I laughed all the way to GSF the first time I asked for an air filter at the dealers!

[Jon_Bmw]

As above, they wanted £22 for my e39 air filter. Jokers, I politely declined and went to GSF.

I used the work at a Vaux main dealer* and a specific canister type oil filter cost us 99p and was sold on trade club for 1.01. There are big mark ups on service items for retail in most dealerships as far as I am aware.

*Hence I still get to use trade club semi and fully synth.

[DanThe]

That trade club stuff is great, makes the BMW parts guy look like Dick Turpin