Alright, everyone...I've been home from college for summer for about a week and a half, and I've been taking care of some maintenance tidbits and upgrades on the Bimmer. Finally got a chance to wash it today, and it made me so happy to see her shine that I got a bit...well, snappy! Got kinda artsy at the end...hence the black-and-whites...lol. Tell me what you think! P.S.--still waiting for my fifth Ronal wheel and the BMW emblem caps--they've been delayed about five weeks ...can't wait to mount them!!! The last pic is of one of the four that I already have, eating up space in the garage...
That's a beautiful cabrio! Very well kept and quite stunning indeed! I think you made an awesome choice on the wheel purchase. Those closely resemble the BBS rims that some of them came stock with. How much were they (5)?
Thanks! I was really set on getting the true 15" factory basketweaves, but wasn't keen on breaking the bank with over $300 a piece......yikes. The Ronals are perfect, I agree--and who can argue with $170 bucks a pop? The grand total (5 wheels + 5 BMW emblem hubs + shipping) cost me $1042. I'll take that over $1500 any day.
Where'd you buy them from? I'm curious what other places I could get wheels other than Tire Rack. Their selection is pretty limited as there isn't much that I could afford on there that actually looks good as well. Is there a website?
Well, I searched around and found Ronal's USA website, www.ronalusa.com. From there I found a link to this custom place in Cali called GTPro Tuning (www.gtpro.com). Don't get your hopes up, though...these were apparently the last five they had in stock there. There are other "recommended" dealers on the Ronal page that I haven't checked...might be worth a shot. Ronal recently closed their US branch and shipped all wheels out to dealers--total liquidation. When I was shopping around, I talked to Bavarian Autosport, but they only had 3 of these Ronal LS's left...and that was 5 weeks ago... And I know what you mean about TireRack...nothing particularly attractive enough to justify the prices.
Well there were the O.Z. Ultraleggera's, but it seems they raised prices on them by about $20 a piece! That's enormous. Please take pics when you mount them. I'm really curious now; I wanted to get basketweaves but that's later down the line. I might look up Ronal on eBay to see if *maybe* could get them later on. Do those have a lip on them? It's not clear looking at the small picture...
Yeah, the 16" Ultraleggeras were a possibility, too...but I really swooned over the vintage look of the mesh... I'll def post some pictures when I grab some tires and get them mounted...fyi, the recommended tire size for these is 205/55-R15. I'm going to try to order some Michelin Pilot Exaltos over the weekend. I don't know why that pic was so small...let's try it again. Nice, deep lips--they're a half-inch wider than the factory-optional 15's (7.5" vs. 7")...but curbs are most definitely the enemy. They are in fact one-piece, if that's what you're wondering. I also like the fact that there's a built-in locking mechanism on the hubs, too...hence the small hole below the emblem. It houses a small bolt with a special-pattern head on it...may make locking studs superfluous.
Are you changing the ride height for these rims? Are you pretty much at stock ride height right now? I would like to know if adding larger rims with close to stock ride height improves the look....Looking forward to your next set of pics. Thanks.
Yep, everything in that arena is stock. Trying to keep this whip factory-original! I was debating whether or not to look into some lowering springs, but figured that since it's a minor increase in size, it wouldn't make too much of a difference. That, and Penndot's been slacking off with road irregularity correction lately...
Nice! It's good to see a cardinal interior that's still so dark...everything out here is horribly sun faded. That car looks great.
Thanks a lot! Yeah, the previous (original) owner had the driver's seat reupholstered a few years ago, which is why it's the only one in decent condition. Sometime down the line, I'd like to redo all the seats together. The Cali sun really took its toll on this ride...haha.
Even the door cards look new...or the pictures just boosted the colors either way, looks sharp. It'll look fantastic on the new wheels.
Chris, Your car looks GREAT! I saw a car just like yours a few months ago. (well without the bells and whistles) They had the same interior and it looked new. Unfortunately they ruined it by putting M3 emblems all over the place. Even cut into the front side fenders! I couldn't be a poser, so I passed on it.
Thanks, Melyssa! Yeah, I can't stand when people M-ecize their non-M cars...just appreciate what you've got! Sheesh! The only ///M paraphernalia I have is the shift knob...love those subtle stripes!
Yeah, gotta agree with Melyssa (kept on wanting to spell "Melissa"!)...car looks awesome! Sucks that here in the Philly area we can't keep em clean very long. Got the whole thing clean on Saturday and for WHAT - another rainstorm on Wednesday. Here's to Spring/Summer and washing our rides!!
O/T question (and we can bring this off-line) re: the Delaware Valley chapter...any targeted info on the chapter and how to get involved? Thanks in advance...
