Vlad: The Zinno '87 535is

[code]

If you find out, please post it here!

[tig]

If you find out, please post it here!

PN: 51187160607



https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw ... 187160607/

[code]

Thanks! Man, at that price they're using it to print the catalog.

[athayer187]

Thanks! Man, at that price they're using it to print the catalog.

The knockoffs are at a much more reasonable price point (used one on my old E46):

https://www.amazon.com/License-Holder-B ... 9433172986

[marek]

Thanks! Man, at that price they're using it to print the catalog.

Those used to be under $10 a couple of years ago

[tig]

Took a risk today and took Vlad into a local repair shop (Paul's Automotive, in Sandy, UT) to have my clutch issues addressed. Risk because I hate letting others touch this car.

The issue has been with me since I replaced the clutch master in Feb 2018. The symptoms were:

- Clutch pedal would not return to top (1/2" - 3/4" away from stop)
- Often clutch would feel like it had air in it. As @vince101 knows, everything was tried to ensure it was bled properly
- Clutch engaged too close to floor

Thanks to @bengerman's engineering prowess we have these:



I figured installing it couldn't hurt, and would likely lead to the root cause.

It did. The old spring's plastic was cracked and falling apart.

The clutch now feels totally right. I like Paul's and the owner Jeff, who is one of Paul's 5 sons. Jeff knows his shit and took great care of me and Vlad. Paul is this Paul, btw.


Of course, I had to go for a drive. Little Cottonwood Canyon is amazeballs.


What a car.


Coming down the mountain I noticed a bit of shudder when breaking hard. I wonder if my rotors have become warped...

[tschultz]

Coming down the mountain I noticed a bit of shudder when breaking hard. I wonder if my rotors have become warped...

FYI I had this in 2013 coming down a mountain canyon right after replacing thrust arm bushings (rotors were a couple years old, but almost like new). It didn't happen again-- and on my daily driven car I have done a fair share of mountain roads. I have had it happen occasionally, but less than 5 times since, all of then coincidentally heading down from a mountain canyon (all with 16" wheels).

I suspect something in the natural frequency gets exacerbated with the downhill loading and heated rotors. With that said, it didn't happen on every downhill and I am on the same thrust arms/bushings (although they are going to need to be replaced sometime soon).

Take it for a spin again and I suspect you won't notice any strange shimmy.

[tig]

Hi. Love you too.

[tig]

Did the local Ferrari club fall drive today (same drive I did this time last year). Lovely day. Lovely car. Lovely drive.







If you ever get a chance to drive Guardsman Pass (the pass goes between the valley that holds the Solitude/Brighton ski areas and Park City and is not open in winter), do it. This is my 4th or 5th time driving it. On the way East I was with all the super/hyper-cars and someone out front was driving super slow. But on the way back I was all by my lonesome and didn't encounter a SINGLE car the entire drive up from Midway to the top of Guardsman. It's a (barely) two lane road that was just repaved this spring. No lines. Just sweet asphalt and dozens of great turns.

I love this car.

[Bonsaibacker]

I love this car.

[tig]

Vlad needed service. Currently at 204,650 miles.

It's been almost 26k miles since I put the M30B35 in (can you believe that thing hasn't esploded yet?!?!). I did the typical routine service at about 201k right before it was shipped to Salt Lake. The brakes were finally due (38k on them). The steering had gotten a bit sloppy again and I had developed a shimmy above 80mph (one of the things I love about Utah is how fucking fast they drive on the freeways here). Needed an oil change.

The Conti DW Extreme tires were at the point where I was getting nervous on cold Utah roads.

So I decided to find a shop and do, essentially, an Inspection II service. My orders were all fluids, front to back. New rotors, pads. Valve adjust. Etc... New tires too.

My trainer told me about Kevin at Elite Auto Specialists in Draper (http://www.euroautomotiverepair.com/). I like guys named Kevin who work on cars. The K in KD Motorsports (Redmond) stands for Kevin and he did the baseline work getting the S54 in Minerva, for example. So before my recent trip to Europe I dropped by to meet Kevin and check the place out. He and his techs impressed me, and I could tell from the shop they knew the right stuff. I could also see they saw how special Vlad is. I signed them up and dropped the car off just before I left.

I picked it up last Friday and other than them using 75W90NS in the diff (vs the non-NS variant that has the LSD additive) they nailed it. It was expensive to pay someone to do all this stuff that I'm now more than capable of doing, but this is the price I pay for choosing to take the car to Utah where I live in an apartment and use it as my daily.



I'm ignoring the timing cover and oil pan leaks. They were leaking 5k miles ago and they are not leaking bad enough to leave oil on the ground. Once that starts I'll bite the bullet and have it taken care of... doing the timing cover on an M30 without pulling the head is iffy. The output shaft seal on the transmission was leaking when I got the car (almost 7 years ago!), I had a transmission guy in WA try to fix it when we did the M30B35 swap and they couldn't get the nut off. I gave up. I'm not going to worry about it (it also doesn't drip on ground).

I'm sending the oil off to Blackstone. The shop was nice enough to keep samples of all the oils so I could do a taste test. Yum.


This time I went with Bosch plugs. Curious if I notice any difference (I don't so far, although the motor is running more smoothly with the valve adjustment).


I love this car.


I gotta pull the driver's seat again though. When I repaired the weld, I put something together wrong because the back is squeaking when I go through turns. I also never wired up the seat heaters and am regretting my lazyness on these cold Utah mornings.

[hunneman]

wow this car looks great.. clean in and out ...

[tig]

Oil analysis came back. Looks good. (3,703 miles on this change.)

[Bonsaibacker]

Getting blood work done is very important as we age.

[tig]

Vlad still likes Utah. He's not as big a fan of COVID-19. Some construction pr0n...







Finally got fed up with the condition of the overhead console, headliner, and front door-fur. Seemed like a good project with the tools & stuff I have at the apartment...























I had to re-glue the vinyl twice on the driver's side because I cheated the first time, thinking I didn't have to pull it all the way up. That didn't work, so yesterday I did a re-do.


I'll install it this evening, I hope.

[GoNoles]

Vlad, build, view.
Awesome pic!

[1st 5er]

I'll install it this evening, I hope.

And?

[tig]

I'll install it this evening, I hope.

And?

Turned out great, as you can see from this amazing photo.



Julie & I hare having fun driving the canyons together...

[1st 5er]

I'll install it this evening, I hope.

And?

Turned out great, as you can see from this amazing photo.



Julie & I hare having fun driving the canyons together...

Beautiful.... both.

[tig]

$65 bucks later.

Pro tip: Do not try to clean your washer nozzles with wire, even if you think said wire is smaller gauge than the holes. If you don't listen to me you'll end up with windshield wiper flooders, not sprayers.

[tig]

Utah golden hour


Put away for another few weeks...

[Dale3783]

Will you be keeping both Vlad and Maytag now that Minerva is finished? (as finished as any of these ever are)

[tig]

Will you be keeping both Vlad and Maytag now that Minerva is finished? (as finished as any of these ever are)

I will never sell a car again.*

*Unless not doing so threatens my marriage.

[Dale3783]

Will you be keeping both Vlad and Maytag now that Minerva is finished? (as finished as any of these ever are)

I will never sell a car again.*

*Unless not doing so threatens my marriage.

This is the correct answer. Congrats

[tig]

As has become tradition upon returning to Utah, I stretch Vlad's legs by driving up to Alta. Joy.



Both sides (esp driver) mirror mechanicals are failing. The glass on both sides is also pretty lame. I have spare mirrors at home, and I could pull them apart for mechanicals, but I'd rather just know this car is 'right'. So I've ordered new glass and mechanicals for both sides.

[tig]

[muleskinner]

cek:

"I will never sell a car again. Unless not doing so threatens my marriage."

I just keep telling my wife "It's an appreciating asset.". So far, it's worked, but it takes a lot of repetition and reinforcement of the message.

[tschultz]

Looks great!

[vinceg101]

cek:

"I will never sell a car again. Unless not doing so threatens my marriage."

I just keep telling my wife "It's an appreciating asset.". So far, it's worked, but it takes a lot of repetition and reinforcement of the message.

I tried this also with my wife; you should have seen the look on her face right before she burst out laughing.
Then she mumbled something like "Whatever you need to tell yourself..."

[tig]

Please join me in wishing Vlad a happy birthday.

Here's how Vlad's progressed since he joined my family:











Nov 2013:


July 2014:


March 2015 (M30B35):


As of July 19, 2015:


As of Nov 29, 2015:


As of Oct 18, 2018:


As of Sept, 2020: