[apez]

Installed Stradale Designs front grill protector (and sly bracket still fits).

Honestly on a manual car not sure this adds that much over the built in plastic guards. I am debating if I will even bother taking off the bumper to install the side guards. I might wait and do so only if I install the carbon bits.

[rcouchh]

Some better pics

[kudos]

Originally Posted by rcouchh

Some better pics

I've heard these intakes can have issues when it rains?

[rcouchh]

Originally Posted by kudos

I've heard these intakes can have issues when it rains?

Nah they would have to be fully submerged in water to cause any issue. Plenty of people run them on G80/G82 with no issues in rain.

[rk95]

Originally Posted by rcouchh

Some better pics

[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53446793813_269bb1db48_h.jpg[/img]
[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53445735502_50cd8771d2_h.jpg[/img]
[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53446976584_c23bceebd3_h.jpg[/img]
[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53446659536_72232c8711_h.jpg[/img]

This looks absolutely phenomenal

[DarkNight707]

Less exciting than many other posts but after last week fiasco, the car has dried completely. Put it back together without breaking anything. Relieved that everything is working fine. Fingers crossed.

[DCC]

Originally Posted by MMMGuy60

Did my 1st service, and waited 2 hours instead of taking a loaner. I went home and installed the front mud flap cuz this bitch love kicking rocks all over the place.

That looks great 👍
What about for the rear?

[mtenhoven]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

Carbon fiber vent surround trim & key holder.

How well do they match the OEM interior carbon fiber?

[J-RO]

Originally Posted by kudos

I've heard these intakes can have issues when it rains?

Graet looking wheels for a black car.

[AZG87]

Originally Posted by J-RO

Graet looking wheels for a black car.

SLAs look great regardless but that finish definitely pops on BSM.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by mtenhoven

How well do they match the OEM interior carbon fiber?

So close that you wouldn't know it didn't come that way. I wish someone made the same piece for my wife's X3MC. I hate the silver trim in the interior of both vehicles.

[mtenhoven]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

So close that you wouldn't know it didn't come that way. I wish someone made the same piece for my wife's X3MC. I hate the silver trim in the interior of both vehicles.

Thanks for the feedback. Having difficulty finding the trim for the gear selector on AliExpress. Do you have a direct link?

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by mtenhoven

Thanks for the feedback. Having difficulty finding the trim for the gear selector on AliExpress. Do you have a direct link?

You can't find the gear selector piece on Ali. You have to pony up the $160 from one of the vendors. It really should be $25/$30 at most. Hell, there are carbon fiber rear spoilers cheaper than this piece.

[RootsTootsMagoots]

As part of my break-in, I drove 400 miles roundtrip to a scenic byway only to have it be 32F and so foggy I couldn't see 10 feet in front of me. Turned around in shame for not having checked the forecast.

I had an awful rattle on the bumpy roads which turned out to be the license plate holder. After putting two more screws in and taking off the dealer frame, it seems to be gone. There's a faint rattle in the front, maybe by the driver dash. It's faint though, and I can't hear it all the time.

My real question though: Any time I drive over leaves or loose gravel, it's super loud. I'm pretty sure I can hear every single piece of sand hitting my inner fenders. Is it the same for you guys?

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by RootsTootsMagoots

My real question though: Any time I drive over leaves or loose gravel, it's super loud. I'm pretty sure I can hear every single piece of sand hitting my inner fenders. Is it the same for you guys?

Yes, wide summer compound tires kick up everything.

[MMMGuy60]

Originally Posted by DCC

That looks great 👍
What about for the rear?

I will install the rear when I get a chance tomorrow.

[sammyj]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

Yes, wide summer compound tires kick up everything.

It’s so painful to hear. I’m really glad I PPFed my rockers.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by M2siast

What you’re hearing is rocks hitting the mudguards in the front fenders/wheel well. Not the body of the car.

They can also be hitting the body. I've got some marks in the ppf on the rockers already. The same happens on my Z06 at the front of the rear quarters, which is why many have that area ppf'd on those cars as well. I've had to repaint the rear brake vent inserts on my Z twice already due to rock chips. Their shape & size makes them difficult to ppf, so I just pop them out whenever they accumulate enough dings & repaint them. If one installs spacers on the G87 (like I have) it increases the risk of kicking up pebbles at the rockers and rear quarters.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by M2siast

If you have spacers I fully agree with you… spacers or different wheel offsets will push the tires outward and they won’t be covered in the wheel well. A risky proposition for better looks.

Curious, how many miles in your car and already chips on the PPF with spacers?

I was referring to a stock car.

Car has 1,375 mi. Spacers & ppf went on at 500 mi. There's so much construction and just general debris on the roads around me, I wouldn't drive my vehicles without ppf.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by M2siast

Yes, agreed, with spacers there’s no way. I had aggressive offset in my 135i (so much so it rubbed on dips, I had to roll the quarter panels and it still rubbed sometimes lol) and know what you mean.

Not an issue without spacers. I’m at 10k km and not a single chip. And if I did have one I’d probably blame it on side traffic going over rocks next to me (same as a chip on the front bumper).

Canada is very rocky because we pour rocks on the highways because of snow and we never cleanup… that’s how I lost my windshield at 600 km, way before my 2,000 km break-in service…

I'll add my wife's X3MC that we purchased used with 15ki, stock wheels/no spacers, looks like the rockers behind the front wheels were sandblasted. Don't know if the previous owner frequently drove down gravel roads, but it's pretty bad. I thought it was just dirty when we bought it but when I detailed it the first time I realized they were all tiny chips in the paint. Thankfully, you can't really tell unless you're right up next to it, but it bothers me now.

And yeah, if we get any snow/ice, they dump truck loads of sand on the roads (idiots). Can't drive on the highways for months unless you want your paint destroyed.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by M2siast

I get you… my 135i actually held up a good number of years until that front painted “lip” where the rocker panel starts was black instead of white. Normal wear of course from the sand/rocks blasting the front of it. Not on the side, though, just that part that forms the wheel well. If that’s the one you mean on the X3 as well.

I hate the rocky sand they throw, but I hate that they don’t brush/vacuum the highways after it… it stays forever. They brush the city roads, highways are way more damaging…

This area & really along the entire rocker panel back to the rear wheel opening.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by M2siast

Oh wow… yeah not sure if PO had spacers too or where they drove. Or if it’s because it’s a taller car, etc. interesting though

We already know this isn't a long-term vehicle for her, so I'm not as anal about it as I am with our other vehicles. We picked it up at night so it wasn't very noticeable, and like I said you have to be pretty close to see it. From a few feet away it looks like that area might just be dusty.

The oil cooler issue thread got me looking at her vehicle also because the oil cooler is in the same location. Her's has several noticeable impacts and multiple areas of bent or damaged fins. Nobody currently makes a guard/screen for the X3M so I'm probably going to have to fashion one myself.