3er's Alpine White F80 M3 Build (04/25/2016: Rain & AMMO)

[3er]

Topic	Post
Pre-Delivery	#1
Previous Vehicles	#1
Garage Preparation	#1
Escort Passport 9500ci Pictures	#22
BAVSOUND Stage 1 Pictures	#22
Parts Negotiation (PM for pricing)	#41
Delivery & First Pictures	#51
First "Real" Pictures	#73
BAVSOUND Stage 1 Review	#111
E90 & F80 M3 Photos	#128
iND Cosmetic Package Install	#134
Escort Passport 9500ci Review	#140
Pictures - 04/05/2015	#148
Dyno Run - Stock	#188
Pictures - 05/31/2015	#195
Photo & Editing Tips	#202
DINANTRONICS Stage 1 Review	#213
A stroll through River Oaks... (Pictures)	#223
M3 Love (Pictures)	#227
Harris Hill Raceway - First Ever Track Event	#230
BMW CCA Houston - July 2015	#231
Charcoal Filter Delete	#232
Silo Picture Shoot	#247

Pre-Delivery

Original Post: 01/26/2015

I planned to delay my build thread until receiving my car, but my patience has worn thin . On November 8, 2014, I placed my order for a 2015 M3 at BMW North Houston with the “promise” that it would be delivered before year’s end or early January ’15 at the latest. Well, they must not have been privy to the carbon fiber shortages. Just today, however, I found that my car entered production with an estimated completion date of February 5, 2015. Assuming all goes well, I should have my car towards the end of March.

I ended up ordering the following (order sheet picture below), but later added the Side & Top Camera package. I went into the order 60% 6MT / 40% DCT, but later cemented my choice with the 6MT after 1) driving an F82 DCT twice and an M6 DCT and 2) hearing about the fantastic 6MT from all of you. As impressive as the DCT was/is, I felt that I would soon become bored with it.

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Update: 01/27/2015

It feels so much more official now that the status has been updated on BMW's website.

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Update: 02/05/2015

Finally!

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Update: 02/16/2015

"All aboard!" My M3 is finally on its way to Texas. It's aboard the "Oregon Highway," which I find quite funny given the name spin on the Oregon Trail. On a side note, I was always too aggressive on the Oregon Trail PC game - who cares if Annie dies of dysentery along the way?! Cruel...I know... I just hope my car doesn't share a similar fate during its journey.



The car is currently ported at Southampton in the UK, so I'm *guessing* that it will arrive to Galveston in ~15 days or so, but I'm really not sure. According to the "Ultimate Guide to BMW M3/M4 Series Tracking (Order and Delivery)" sticky, it'll follow the path noted below. Unsurprisingly, BMW's website is out of date.

East Coast Delivery:

• Bremerhaven (port of exit)
• Southampton
• Zeebrugge
• Baltimore
• Brunswick
• Truck carrier to Houston

For those interested and perhaps in the same situation, this has been my schedule so far. As others have done, I'm tracking my progress on this Google Docs Spreadsheet to help others judge how their order may fare.

Timeline:

• November 08: Order Placed
• Early December: Modified Order
• January 05: Told week 4
• January 12: Told week 6
• January 26: Production Begins
• February 04: Production Ends
• February 08: Arrived @ Port
• February 13: Aboard the "Oregon Highway"
• March 04: Landed on American soil in Brunswick
• March 10: Delivered

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Update: 02/17/2015

BMW finally updated their website ("only" five days late). Surely, they must have a better way to update their online system...

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Update: 03/07/2015

American soil!

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Update: 03/10/2015

Vehicle delivered!

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Previous Vehicles

Original Post: 01/26/2015

I come from a 2012 BMW 335i 6AT and really enjoy it. It’s such a great DD with nice, low-end torque – very useable on the street. The 6AT, however, is VERY boring. This will stay until the M3 arrives.





Prior to that, I owned and loved a 2012 Mustang GT (5.0L) 6MT. However, due to a wreck (other driver's fault, FWIW), I ended up letting it go. I miss it dearly - a true performance bargain! With that said, my wife HATED the car, lol.







Before deciding on the M3, I planned to go with a truck as a DD and a Porsche 911 as a "fun" car. I planned to get a 911 SC or 911 3.2, but abandoned the 80’s models after 911 prices skyrocketed. I then moved to the 997.1 911 Turbo (07-09) and later realized that the 996 Turbo (’01-’05) is much the same car (997 has quicker spooling turbos and “true” AWD) for way less money. I then got into Porsche 993’s (’95-’98 for the US) to meet in the middle between “old school” and “modern.” I found a beautiful 1995 911, but a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) detected a ton of rust on the underside of the car. I passed on this. A few weeks later, I stumbled upon a 2003 Porsche 911 Turbo 6MT X50 PCCB and ended up purchasing it after a clean PPI. The car was a BEAST. With that said, I found myself dropping ~$1,000/month maintaining and fixing odds and ends. Nothing major...but few things are "minor" on a Porsche. I later discovered that the car had an engine rebuild 20K miles prior. Long story short, this was not disclosed/known during the PPI when I pulled the trigger. After purchasing the car and later reviewing all the documents/maintenance (dumb to do this after the fact, I know), I found that little gem (engine rebuild bills). Due to my OCD nature, this weighed heavily on my mind while I had the car. What would I do if the engine had issues when I owned it? Well, given that the rebuild was ~$30K, the car would have been a very large paperweight had that occurred on my clock. While owning the car, I took an oil sample and sent it to Blackstone Labs for analysis to get an indication of engine health. If you haven't heard of them before, check them out - it's a fantastic company/service. The report came out very well (low metals in oil, etc.), but I still couldn't get past the "what if." Had this been an older 911 with a ~$10K-$15K (?) engine rebuild, I wouldn't have succumbed that that line of thinking...but I did with this. Lastly, when looking through the paperwork, I saw a comment *after* the engine rebuild that the engine oil was dirty. This was noted during the time the previous owner tuned the car. Well, perhaps this explains why an engine rebuild was in order (who the Hell doesn't change oil frequently on what was once a $150K car?!). Anyways, lesson learned - read the damn maintenance history prior to purchasing a car!

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Garage Preparation

Original Post: 01/26/2015

In the midst of awaiting my car’s arrival, I began prepping my garage. I’m not mechanic, but I do like to perform simple to moderate DIY’s. I still have a ways to go, but I just purchased a workbench (thanks to quiksi for helping me assemble and move it) and am currently painting. I also need to do something about the floor...









It’s a constant battle keeping the garage clean!!


My helper!


Let the painting begin! I went with Sherwin Williams 7660 Earl Grey Flat Super Paint. It’s incredibly high quality paint and I can get away with one coat (although I applied two coats in the high traffic areas). I also went with an oil-based white paint for the baseboards and cabinets. I hope to finish up the painting this upcoming weekend.









I already ordered the BAVSOUND Stage 1 package and Escort Passport 9500ci and will post pictures of them soon (and after the installation).

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Update: 02/05/2015

I finally finished painting the garage this past weekend, minus some of the baseboards, which won't take but an hour or two. Painting the ceiling was a real PITA, but the 6' extension I bought was worth its weight in gold. Also, my car should be getting shipped very soon!

[JDS]

Congrats on the order. It won't be long now and the wait will be worth it
Nice work on the garage. Impressive!

[HuskyBMW]

Looks good! I too am waiting but mine got pushed back to end of April. The waiting really sucks

[LDSM]

nice garage, looks like you have everything you need, very efficient

[Vectors2final]

I'll be tracking you. You said you were week six, right? Wouldn't first week of Feb make you week five?

Sweet Stang, I had two 2013 SGM GT's... I miss them as well, sorry to hear about yours.


Hope to see you around Tx one of these days.

[GOLFFRR]

nice set up indeed. Cool pup also!

I think your new ride will really enjoy its new home

[3er]

Thanks for all the nice comments .

Originally Posted by Vectors2final

I'll be tracking you. You said you were week six, right? Wouldn't first week of Feb make you week five?

Sweet Stang, I had two 2013 SGM GT's... I miss them as well, sorry to hear about yours.


Hope to see you around Tx one of these days.

Thanks, man. I was quoted week 6, but it moved into production just yesterday. It looks like a few others that were quoted week 6 have moved into production as well.

[Tiago@VRSF]

Nice build. Garage looks great, nice color choice.

[Tnitaly]

Great work on the garage and congrats on the new ride! She will be nice and cozy indeed in her new home.

[RW Carbon]

Love the garage (man cave). Cant wait to see the new M3

[JustChris]

Great thread man, love the garage and prior car pics.

[catch]

Garage looks great! I currently live in a condo, excited to have a garage to make it nice like that

[damnitBobby]

Cool stuff! Did the M4 ever cross your mind? Jut curious

[VMRWheels]

Congrats! Look forward to seeing what you have planned for the F80

[Vectors2final]

Originally Posted by 3er

Thanks for all the nice comments .



Thanks, man. I was quoted week 6, but it moved into production just yesterday. It looks like a few others that were quoted week 6 have moved into production as well.

Hmmm... I might be moving up if that's the case. MilSales doesn't give you an exact week, just the month it's going into production. He mentioned something about mid February, so maybe I'll here something soon.

[sampelligrino]

Huge congrats I am expecting delivery of my M3 in the next week or two, and I have the exact same build as you down to the T except I went for DCT opposed to 6MT.

[3er]

Originally Posted by damnitBobby

Cool stuff! Did the M4 ever cross your mind? Jut curious

Not this time. I don't yet have children, but this will be my baby hauler when my wife and I decide to move in that direction.

[3er]

New update on Post #1 (01/27/2015).

[3er]

New update on Post #1 (02/05/2015).

[Money2536]

How the heck did I miss this thread? The garage is looking good man.

[3er]

Originally Posted by Money2536

How the heck did I miss this thread? The garage is looking good man.

Lol, thanks dude. I have a ways to go and look forward to a larger garage in our next house. In any case, I'm happy with how it's coming together. Your garage is .

[3er]

Topic	Post
Pre-Delivery	#1
Previous Vehicles	#1
Garage Preparation	#1
Escort Passport 9500ci Pictures	#22
BAVSOUND Stage 1 Pictures	#22
Parts Negotiation (PM for pricing)	#41
Delivery & First Pictures	#51
First "Real" Pictures	#73
BAVSOUND Stage 1 Review	#111
E90 & F80 M3 Photos	#128
iND Cosmetic Package Install	#134
Escort Passport 9500ci Review	#140
Pictures - 04/05/2015	#148
Dyno Run - Stock	#188
Pictures - 05/31/2015	#195
Photo & Editing Tips	#202
DINANTRONICS Stage 1 Review	#213
A stroll through River Oaks... (Pictures)	#223
M3 Love (Pictures)	#227
Harris Hill Raceway - First Ever Track Event	#230
BMW CCA Houston - July 2015	#231
Charcoal Filter Delete	#232
Silo Picture Shoot	#247

I finally took some pictures of the Escort Passport 9500ci and BAVSOUND Stage 1 system for HK. I was really surprised to see how tiny the control and display modules are on the 9500ci, so I decided to place some quarters next to the control module to give everyone a sense of scale.Based on the advice of others here, I decided to use 3M adhesive spray on the foam rings that mount between the BAVSOUND midrange speaker and car to avoid them moving and getting pinched during installation. It was a tad messy, but worth the effort, IMO. I can't wait to get my car and get these installed (9500ci = professional installation, BAVSOUND Stage 1 = DIY installation).