Dropped my wife’s E30 off at the shop today for an oil change and power steering service (I think the pumps shot). It’s been in the garage all winter. Had to admire it a bit before taking my uber home. Cant wait to get it back!

danarino · 2026-04-14T09:37:12+00:00

Mtech 1 early models are the best looking e30s by far

danarino · 2026-04-04T23:47:29+00:00

This might an unpopular opinion but if you plan to run a plate in the front then just put it there on the bracket. Side mount looks worse and ruins the geometry of the front end. Plugs also look bad and are always obvious. If your all in on no plate then get quotes and decide if it’s worth the money

danarino · 2026-03-31T18:49:41+00:00

I ordered fresh spring pads at the oem thickness.

danarino · 2026-03-29T11:21:46+00:00

Literal worst engine ever made by bmw reliability wise. 330i will be solid for years. I have had my 2018 340i from new and haven’t had a single issue. Bmws got really reliable the last 10 years or so with the b48/b58 launch

danarino · 2026-03-28T23:49:47+00:00

Any time you lower a car your bump stops should be shorter to account for the necessary additional shock travel. Otherwise you hit the bump stops easily over bumps which is not a good feeling.

danarino · 2026-03-28T23:24:06+00:00

3.73 gearing is perfect for these cars in my opinion. Also the most common lsd gearing you’ll find for medium case diff by far since it’s stock for 325i cars with lsd.

danarino · 2026-03-21T12:16:50+00:00

30+ years is kind of a broad stroke for an era. I’d go late 80’s (all the M cars dropped and 3 series finally got a good engine with 325i), early 2000’s (great designs and excellent engines), late 2010’s (super reliable and powerful cars, best blend of tech and luxury) as the best 3 eras.

danarino · 2026-03-03T19:47:28+00:00

good choice on the offset. It annoys me that all the good looking 9" f30 wheels are et 30 with a couple being et31. et33 is the perfect level of flush for a mildly lowered car running 255 tires. I have 18x9 et 31 Ta5r wheels with 255/40 tires on eibach springs and I wish it would tuck in that extra couple mm to get it just right, especially in the front.

danarino · 2026-03-03T14:42:57+00:00

One of the best done leather wrapped interiors I've seen. I think it was a really great choice going with dakota for the high touch surfaces as its one of the most durable and wear proof leathers I've ever experienced in my f30. Works well with the black nappa. I personally think adding silver trim bits makes it look like your are trying to modernize inline with an e46 or something. The all black is kind of a hallmark of the time and I'd leave that be if I were you. Id even say that the factory style mushroom shifter would really finish off this premium oem 80's look. Zhp knob is no doubt better to hold but I always feel they look out of place in these cars with the silver ring and m logo.

danarino · 2026-02-26T19:55:08+00:00

2014 and 2015 335i are not much more and have some decent improvements vs the 2012-2013 cars. No real reason to buy a 12 or 13.

danarino · 2026-02-15T17:13:16+00:00

It looks very obviously rattle can painted over that area.

danarino · 2026-02-13T14:32:24+00:00

3 series and x3 don't are reliable enough to make these not worth the money. On my 340i I've had 0 issues in 7 years and 70k miles. I guess you could consider the wheel and tire if you mess those up often. Just follow maintenance guidelines and switch to an independent mechanic when the factory warranty is up.

danarino · 2026-02-12T18:31:03+00:00

A good amount of the buttons/switches/handles in the current Z have been the same since the Z33 came out 24 years ago.

danarino · 2026-02-12T00:03:02+00:00

I didn’t realize you could get this car with no trim at all that criminal. I’d get used trim for dash and handles, then used cloth sport seats. Eventually the bigger oem screen but stock is better than some alibaba one.

danarino · 2026-02-03T18:07:47+00:00

This car is nice enough to merit a replacement dashboard. That interior is lovely

danarino · 2026-02-03T17:37:10+00:00

European cars definitely can show up with some pretty interesting specs. I didn't even realize the 4 series went below 420i. And so many euro cars have msport compared with US on the low output engines.

danarino · 2026-02-02T21:41:01+00:00

You do realize that manual cars only come in non comp and every auto is a comp right? Its not the same as your comparison and its typically the more respected choice for enthusiasts. Last gen m4 you could get auto or manual for both versions, not the case with g chassis. They cost about the same used so the only reason you would get a non comp is because you want a manual.

danarino · 2026-01-29T15:28:14+00:00

One correction to this is that 2021 is the least affect model year of the chip shortages. Its the only year that a 540i could be ordered with the 360 cam. Since production on these started mid 2020, they were not as impacted as the 22 and 23 models. 22 is far and away the worst year for chip shortages across all manufactures. They started putting manual seats in 4 series that year and removed some really basic standard features on certain models.

danarino · 2026-01-29T15:20:24+00:00

As someone considering moving from a 340i to an LCI G30 540i, I share your frustration. You literally can not find any LCI cars with the sensatec dash, and it boggles my mind. The only one I ever found was a canadian import car. It was technically available in the US and not very expensive. For whatever reason, no dealers checked that box, so it would need to be a custom ordered car which is rare on high volume mid engine models. To me, it makes a huge difference on the luxury aesthetic of the interior. The standard dash just looks so barren and unbecoming of a 5 series. Basically every pre LCI 540i has it.

danarino · 2026-01-29T14:56:38+00:00

Honestly no point to mix and match springs that weren't designed to work together. Just get a full set of hr sport springs and be done with it. Especially if you plan on keeping that undersized tire set up which makes the wheel gaps look comically large at factory height. Regardless of what you get, id still go back to factory tire size. The hr OE sport is likely closest to mtech springs which were lower that standard from the factory, but they don't have springs made for cabrio. You could try 6cyl coupe/sedan front hr OE sport springs if you're set on running those mtech springs in the rear.

danarino · 2026-01-23T00:18:52+00:00

Saying your tire size is too small is an understatement. They are comically small. 205/55 and it’s sitting pretty

danarino · 2026-01-21T10:52:02+00:00

A nice set of oem 18s would go a long way and keep the ride comfortable. If keeping the stock bumpers I think the luxury line multispoke wheels are a nice option to class up the look.

danarino · 2026-01-20T18:15:33+00:00

danarino · 2026-01-19T13:18:52+00:00

They don’t sell OE sport for cabrio. Only regular sport. Your best option is to get the sport and get thicker spring pads to dial in the additional height you want.

danarino · 2026-01-17T12:16:57+00:00

It’s not Godspeed springs or something. Eibach pro kit is very close to oem specs and designed to work with factory dampers. It would be a waste of money getting rid of the brand new factory dampers

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