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  • Silver S50 with ACS parts journal

    Currently 4 and a bit years in to ownership, and following a nudge on the forum from Dave P, I've finally got around to starting my S50 ownership journal...

    A bit of background I guess... I first saw an MC parked up in at Harewood House, near Leeds, back in '99. I stood, drooling at it with my wife, despite not knowing that much about the model, but fell for the crazy lines instantly. Fortunately, so did my wife so no hurdle to overcome there

    It wasn't until 2010 that it became feasible (sportsbikes/finance/blah blah blah) but following a redundancy payout, and then finding another job, I was faced with a decision to either payoff a chunk of the mortgage or buy the car I'd wanted for years. Yup... heart won!

    After a few viewings and test drives, I eventually decided on an MC located up in Scotland and drove it back home to Yorkshire through ice and snow - a great experience in the first powerful RWD I'd ever driven.

    Link to Dave's "new listing" post:
    http://www.z3mcoupe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10624

    Couple of photos sent through by the seller:





    Full story to follow. Just wanted to commit to getting a journal started.
    Last edited by Fat Tony; 15-02-2015, 08:33 PM.
    Not actually in the least bit fat

    2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
    ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
    Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

  • #2
    Good start Tony.... I'll be back in 2019 for the next installment
    2002 '52 S54 - Titanium Silver with 18" BBS LMs, AP Racing BBK, KW V3, H&R anti roll bars & ACS flippers (previously 2000 'X' S50 - Arctic Silver)

    Comment


    • #3
      Hahahahaaaaa, you know there's so much truth in that mate
      Not actually in the least bit fat

      2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
      ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
      Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

      Comment


      • #4
        Just to prove you wrong Spooks, instalment 2 (slow afternoon!)

        I'd negotiated a good price for the car due it having a couple of areas of rust on the leading edge of both sill covers, as well as a small amount on the lips of the rear wheel arches. Looked to me like it had a couple of stone chips on the lips around top-centre that hadn't been caught in time - nothing that couldn't easily be sorted though and I wasn't looking for a garage queen. Hell, I didn't have the budget for a garage queen for starters, but fair to say that I prefer to drive a car than to clean it anyway, so it wouldn't have been a garage queen for long.

        The small rust spots might have put some buyers off, but after seeing and driving several standard M Coupes, I'd completely fallen for this car as soon as I saw it in the flesh, and the test drive just blew me away - it felt much more responsive to steering input. Yep, heart ruling head again

        The car looked and drove so much better than OEM spec in my opinion, with the stance looking great, sat on ACS suspension with 18" ACS Type IIIs fitted. At this point, not having done much research in to the ACS suspension, I didn't realise that there were 2 versions available. As it turns out, the car had the sport version, with coilovers upfront and the top front mounts had also been swapped over to increase camber.

        I'd done some research in to the car, speaking to 2 garages who'd serviced the car during the more recent years of it's 52,000 mile life, both of whom gave it a thumbs-up relating to when they'd serviced it. I also contacted the garage that had fitted the Simota intake and new EBC brake discs and pads all round for the seller, who waxed lyrical about the car.

        Other issues I'd spotted with the car were that the passenger window was doing the sluggish opening thing, to the extent that it struggled to get beyond halfway down unless helped, and also the airbag warning light was on when I first viewed it. The seller had this reset before I collected the car, but when I moved the position of the driver's seat on the drive home, the warning light lit up again. I also discovered that the NS electric door mirror didn't operate.

        After the long drive home from Edinburgh in December 2010, with my dad smiling nearly as much as I was, we got the car back to Leeds and gave it a bloody good clean. It was an ace day, despite having stalled on first attempt to drive away from the seller's house and despite falling snow and the fuel shortages that were on at the time. I was so pleased to find that the MC exceeded my expectations - I'd never enjoyed driving a car so much.

        Next job was to remove the Tag Hauer stickers that the seller had added. Nope, never did find out why, but I was relieved to find that they hadn't been added to cover up any damage.



        Despite having planned to tuck the car away for the winter to avoid exposure to road salt and muck, I couldn't resist driving it often

        I was advised that the ACS mods had been fitted when the car was purchased new. These were:
        • Exhaust
        • Sport suspension
        • 18" Type III wheels
        • Front flippers
        • Gear shift knob
        • Handbrake lever
        • Foot pedals
        Last edited by Fat Tony; 15-02-2015, 09:33 PM.
        Not actually in the least bit fat

        2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
        ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
        Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

        Comment


        • #5
          Dec 2010

          After having a couple of tailgate hits forehead moments, I ordered new 320Nm gas struts from SGS and fitted them. Very straightforward job, keeping the tailgate up where it should be when the car's parked up on our steep driveway.

          Feb 2011

          After some research online I found Autohaus Diagnostics. Everything I found about them suggested they were a quality, specialist BMW indy who were fairly local to me. I gave them a call and booked the MC in for a thorough look over, and to sort out the airbag warning light.

          Everything I'd read online about the garage was spot on - really tidy, clean and well equipped setup with 2 great guys that I was more than happy to leave the car with. A couple of days later I picked the car up with a clean bill of health, a new dust seal on the N/S front brake caliper and modified seatbelt pre-tensioner wiring to resolve the airbag warning light

          Last edited by Fat Tony; 05-04-2015, 02:17 PM.
          Not actually in the least bit fat

          2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
          ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
          Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

          Comment


          • #6
            April 2011

            Unable to resist driving the MC more than I'd planned during my first winter of ownership, I decided it was time to get those bits of rust on the leading edge of the sill covers and on the lip of the rear wheel arches sorted. Yeah I know - should have done so beforehand!

            My research in to the boot floor issues that MCs can suffer from also made me want to get that checked out properly. I'd found mention of a firm called Emley Refinishers who'd done several boot floor repairs for some Roadster owners and given that they're BMW approved paint shop, I figured that was as good a place as any to get it all looked at at the same time.

            With them doing both a boot floor inspection as well as the paintwork I left the car with them for the week. While the boot floor was given the thumbsup, the sill cover leading edges were a little worse than I'd thought and it turned out to be about £200 more to replace the sill covers with new parts than it would have been to prepare and paint the leading edges. Seemed like the sensible thing to do so new sill covers it was.

            With the covers off and inner rear wheel arch lining out, Emley gave it all a thorough prep, painting and then a covering of anti-stonechip 'paint' on the hidden areas (sills and inner wheel arches).

            After picking the car up, absolutely delighted with the work they'd done, and a thumbsup for the boot floor as well, I was very happy indeed. However, on the drive home I noticed a wheel-speed related clicking from time to time. Hmmmmm.



            A couple of weeks later I found the O/S front brake caliper binding a bit. My own fault for washing it after every drive in winter, hosing down the wheels and brakes and never being able to get them dry before putting the car away in the garage I guess. Fixed with a piston clean and new seal kit by the guys at Autohaus.

            I'd also asked them to look into that wheel-speed related click that I'd realised only occurred on fairly hard cornering. Turned out that Emley hadn't realised that the wheel bolts were slightly different lengths for front and rear wheels. A couple had got mixed some up and were fitted to the wrong wheels, protruding slightly and just brushing something on tight turns.
            Not actually in the least bit fat

            2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
            ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
            Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

            Comment


            • #7
              May 2011

              It was all about the brakes... this time a rattle from the N/S rear wheel caused by a broken hand brake spring. New mounting kit fitted. All good. Took the opportunity to clean calipers front and rear.



              It was at this point that I noticed the car was missing the recommended ACS spacers for the rear Type IIIs. That'd explain the fact that they seemed to sit further in to the arches than photos I'd seen of other ACS equipped MCs then.
              Last edited by Fat Tony; 05-04-2015, 04:49 PM.
              Not actually in the least bit fat

              2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
              ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
              Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

              Comment


              • #8
                Discrete..........

                Like the Nurburg decal on the rear quarter windows- both sides?

                And those 18's set the stance just right.Smart car in silver.

                Write more please..........

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by btz461 View Post
                  Like the Nurburg decal on the rear quarter windows- both sides?
                  It was just on the one side. The circuit part of it has since been removed, leaving just the text. I haven't actually done the 'ring in the car, only on sportsbike, and only managed a 9-minute-dead best lap, so it shouldn't be on the MC at all really

                  I justify leaving it on with it being where the ACS suspension was tested I believe, ha.
                  Not actually in the least bit fat

                  2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
                  ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
                  Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    July 2011

                    Having realised that the rear wheels were missing 10mm wheel spacers that are supposed to be fitted with the 9.5J Type IIIs... order placed with Rossiters for new ACS spacers and extended bolts. Rear arches now nicely filled

                    McGard locking nuts also purchased

                    Last edited by Fat Tony; 05-04-2015, 03:03 PM.
                    Not actually in the least bit fat

                    2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
                    ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
                    Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Sept 2011

                      I'd bought the car with ACS suspension fitted. Having been advised this was fitted from new, I want to keep the car that way - all ACS - so having been advised that the front right suspension had a small leak, when I spotted that Classic Heroes were selling a full set of ACS suspension that had been removed from an MC they were selling that had only covered 15,000 miles I jumped at the chance to buy that. That suspension had in fact only covered 12,000 miles so should be pretty fresh.



                      Looks a bit of a mess but looked great once I'd washed off all the underseal that had been applied.

                      Oct 2011

                      Since buying the car, I'd never been sure how I felt about the AC Schnitzer badge on the tailgate. Anyway, decided to remove it because it wasn't in that good condition anyway






                      Dec 2011

                      Oil service carried out by Autohaus Diagnostics in York. Additional work carried out included replacing rear right wheel speed sensor, replacing oxygen sensor (bank 2), replacing both front to rear brake lines and fitting a new constant pressure valve
                      Last edited by Fat Tony; 05-04-2015, 07:17 PM.
                      Not actually in the least bit fat

                      2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
                      ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
                      Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Jan 2012

                        A previous owner had swapped the front top mounts from side to side, increasing negative camber, but it was causing the front tyres to wear faster on the inside. Swapped them back over to their correct sides and booked the car in for 4 wheel geo check. While booked in, they also replaced front lower arm bushes.

                        Feb 2012

                        Couldn't resist getting a new reg for the MC and bought front and rear pressed aluminium plates



                        Sept 2013

                        MC spotted on Google Streetview, heh



                        March 2014

                        I'd wanted to fit an ACS roof wing since getting the MC. While the replicas that are available look ace, it's not an original ACS part and I'd like to maintain genuine parts, given that the car was spec'd with quite a lot of ACS parts from new. Unable to source an original ACS roof wing, I decided to opt for the ACS roof spoiler instead when one became available from another forum member. While it is currently fitted unpainted, I intend to get it colour coded soon.



                        Aug 2014

                        After having sat in CW's MC at Silverstone I'd had the notion of switching to a smaller steering wheel. I know, you purists will insist that getting the OE wheel recovered is the best option, but I just couldn't get on with the large diameter of OEM. Having looked in to the options, not wanting to lose airbag safety I decided that the Raid wheel was the one to go for, sorting a group buy for the forum at the time.

                        A few weeks later, CW kindly offered to help me out fitting the wheel. The kit with the Raid wheel made it a pretty straight forward job, though I was nervous about messing with the airbag system and generally fcking things up





                        Plug-and-play wiring kit:



                        Dec 2012

                        Inspection 1 service carried out by Autohaus Diagnostics. Transmission oil replaced with Amsoil Synthetic MT. Mr Vanos uprated bolts, gasket ring and seal kit fitted.

                        New rear wiper motor fitted after the original started to fail occasionally. I also fitted a one-way valve in to the rear washer line to prevent the leaking from the rear wiper that would occur both when parked facing uphill, and when accelerating hard
                        Last edited by Fat Tony; 05-04-2015, 07:46 PM.
                        Not actually in the least bit fat

                        2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
                        ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
                        Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Jan 2014

                          With MOT pending, and them previously having mentioned the small leak from front O/S suspension, I decided to get the low mileage ACS replacement suspension that I'd bought a while ago, replacing the rubber bellows which had had lost some of their pliability over the years.

                          As I mentioned previously, it turned out that the ACS Suspension fitted from new was the ACS Sport kit featuring coilovers up front. The replacement set I'd bought was the ACS Road version, which follows OE fitting, so there were a few additional parts to buy in order to do the switch.

                          I took the opportunity to fit new front top mounts and droplinks as well as Rogue top mounts at the back while at it. Also, the O/S front wheel arch liner which had seen better days, with the tyre scrubbing through part of it so I got a new one fitted.

                          To be perfectly honest, I can't tell the difference between the Sport and Road versions of the ACS suspension, but I suspect that somebody that knows what they're doing could, ha



                          May 2014

                          Small oil leak needed addressing which appeared to be originating from the Vanos so the guys at Autohaus Diagnostics replaced the rear O-rings.
                          Last edited by Fat Tony; 06-04-2015, 07:47 AM.
                          Not actually in the least bit fat

                          2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
                          ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
                          Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            March 2015

                            Still had a tiny oil leak from the Vanos area and I'd noticed that the engine felt a little hesitant around the 1800-2000rpm mark, so I booked the car back in to Autohaus Diagnostics.

                            It appears that the Vanos filter was the cause of the leak. Diagnostics indicated one of the exhaust solenoids was probably the cause of the that 'fluffy' feeling around the 2k rpm mark, so that was sorted with a bit of new solder.
                            Not actually in the least bit fat

                            2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
                            ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
                            Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              April 2015

                              When Jonttt listed a brand new set of ACS Type III rims for sale in the correct MC fitment, I couldn't resist the opportunity to buy them. Having been on the car for 14 years, the originals have picked up a couple of small marks and getting them refurbed was on my list for this year.

                              Having got the new rims homes, they're obviously immaculate and I'm delighted to have them. My OCD has noticed that they're the ACS-supplied finish, rather than the BMW-fitted finish. When BMW fitted the Type IIIs from new, they had a slightly more metallic finish, whereas the ACS-supplied rims have a slightly flatter finish. So I'm now trying to decide whether to fit them as they are, or get them painted to match the original BMW finish.

                              It's never easy being me

                              Jonttt was a pleasure to do business with.
                              Not actually in the least bit fat

                              2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
                              ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
                              Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

                              Comment

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