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      01-23-2022, 08:52 PM   #1
ndyvidual
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New England "Dual Duty" M2C Build Journal

Hi.

I'm starting a build journal to consolidate notes to reflect my many projects to make my 2019 M2 Competition truly my own.

This car gets me to work (even through the Winter) and allows me to chase down (or point by!) those in the Advanced run group in DE's. My journal focus is more on maintenance, function and comfort rather than appearance.

That said, I do have an attention to detail and prioritize modifications that have practical value add. I learned a lot from building my Dakar E46 M3 into a very fun and durable car, so I'll carry the learnings forward!

Here's my weekend toy, the outgoing M3 (ready for buyer pickup) and the newly received M2 Competition...
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      01-23-2022, 09:30 PM   #2
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Stealth Hitch Install

I use my daily driver to carry lawn debris to the local compost site. And with a second, different trailer I take tools, fuel and track tires to the tracks along the East Coast. So the first modification is to turn it into a little "work truck."

I chose Stealth hitch because of the reputation of being...well... 'stealth' while being securely locked in place to prevent noise while under load. Costly, but worth it. I used the regular 2 series package from etrailer.com. Instructions were great. Just needed to cut the heat shield and diffuser quite a bit and also figure out what wiring I needed for the PWM interface. I picked up all signals from the right side rear light area and mounted the PWM in the bottom of that area where I routed the wires in from the outside via an unused OE grommet.

The area inside of the green tape was needed so I would have ample space to get my hand underneath to turn the locking knob without rubbing on the cut materials and shedding blood.

The car is happy and my trailers' lighting was too. The cutting is invisible when behind the car. The increased torque over the E46M made hauling things effortless. So I'm very happy with outcome.
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Last edited by ndyvidual; 01-23-2022 at 09:46 PM..
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      01-25-2022, 07:11 AM   #3
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Following this thread. I explored the idea of trading my 19 M2C in for a Tacoma (I miss having a truck, it's useful when you have a house) but I just couldn't do it. Was offered a very fair trade in value too.

I think the F87 will be one of my forever cars, so I'd be interested in adding a roof rack or stealth hitch as well. I currently only have coupes, so more practicality would be welcomed.

Keep the pictures coming!
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      01-26-2022, 05:45 PM   #4
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Trailer Hitch In Action

So here's a typical weekend after doing lawn work....

I picked up a washer/dryer, refrigerator and a snow thrower with my E46 M3. This car will see the same duties as needed.
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Last edited by ndyvidual; 01-26-2022 at 07:04 PM..
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      01-26-2022, 06:18 PM   #5
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Radar Locator Install

My Gen 1 Valentine One serves me very well in my Porsche. The Gen 2 design revision fits well with the M2's cluster design, so I added this for added protection. I don't want to require a phone to operate my car so this was essential for my travels across state lines. In my region, we are heavy KA, light laser until we're approaching Canada.

I use SmallRig SLR camera hardware for such 'articulating' applications because of its vast customizing options and very low cost. I bonded a ball mount to the windshield, added a pivot piece and a locking hot shoe with its mating component bonded to the radar locator. I'm very happy with the outcome and it's been very easy to connect/disconnect... and can quick release it to swap it out for another display.

More on that later in 2022.

And more about what else will be mounted here later.
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      01-26-2022, 08:49 PM   #6
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With the critical, yet practical daily duties out of the way, I started preparing for track duties for next season- earlier than normal given the workforce and supply constraints in place.

I needed a better fitting and safer seat. So I ordered some matching leather and thread and sent it all to Cobra in England. In parallel, I ordered a lot of BK and Schroth hardware. Thanks to HMS Motorsport for coordinating my sub-project.

Several months later, I got it all back and did this. Simple, complementing the interior and comfortable both on the street and track. For those whose hips can fit it...they've been well received! I did replace the bottom [butt] cushion from the, as-supplied, thinner foam to 45lb conventional cushion so I don't sink to the fiberglas shell and onto the lumber air line. Overall, I'm very happy with them again (it's my second set- another modification I carried over from the E46 M).

Take note of my "M color" zip tie choice!
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Last edited by ndyvidual; 01-29-2022 at 01:56 PM..
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      01-28-2022, 08:06 PM   #7
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Half Cage Install

With the seats in hand, I could have my New Hampshire cage builder build to the negotiated requests. We used the M2 CS rear cage section as a reference and made tweaks for my particular needs:
  • Zero degree angle from harness bar to neck restraint when seated. I could not achieve this with any bolt in offerings.
  • Cross bars low to not obstruct my rear view.
  • Weld in to the same front locations as the M2 CS.
  • Weld to the lower floor (reinforced) and not the rear wheel well for strength; a better connection through the rear frame mount point area.
  • Tabs for mounting equipment for future projects.
  • Durable painted finish instead of powder coat in case I need to do touchup.

I got the car back, re-installed the removed interior pieces and then installed the harnesses, split collars and roll bar pads (all not shown). With this, all of my needs are met.
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      01-29-2022, 02:32 PM   #8
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My mod philosophy is in this order:
  1. Driver comfort/safety
  2. Grip
  3. Enhancing driver talent

I don't add power to cars (never say never though, right?); for fear of impacting reliability since I drive long distances to tracks.

With the seats/coding/cage/harness and race pads ready, I did a few track events to get a feel for the car at speed before I just start throwing parts for maximizing grip without know what I'm addressing.

Quick takeaway: I made a really good choice coming from the E46 M3. VIR with the PCA chapter was really great as always.

Area of improvement: I noticed that the rear is nervous under threshold braking though. I stumbled across a thread on this exact topic and daap113 offered a verified solution to this. I had the coding session during this Winter, so I haven't had a chance to try the changes (braking settings, GTS diff and steering) safely, but I'll looking forward to more confidence in braking zones after long straights.

So I have my race wheels waiting in the garage and double adjustable suspension has been ordered. Once I've got these in place in a few months, I'll then move to step 3.
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Last edited by ndyvidual; 02-07-2022 at 08:31 PM.. Reason: Typo. More of them.
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      01-29-2022, 02:52 PM   #9
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Misc. Projects

So while waiting for parts, I wanted to tackle some smaller projects:
  • Pushing the fender liners back to fit my taller, Winter tires using a heat gun and a block of wood.
  • Replacing the reflectors with painted units using a heat gun and interior pry tools.
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      02-04-2022, 09:24 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ndyvidual View Post
With the seats in hand, I could have my New Hampshire cage builder build to the negotiated requests. We used the M2 CS rear cage section as a reference and made tweaks for my particular needs:
  • Zero degree angle from harness bar to neck restraint when seated. I could not achieve this with any bolt in offerings.
  • Cross bars low to not obstruct my rear view.
  • Weld in to the same front locations as the M2 CS.
  • Weld to the lower floor (reinforced) and not the rear wheel well for strength; a better connection through the rear frame mount point area.
  • Tabs for mounting equipment for future projects.
  • Durable painted finish instead of powder coat in case I need to do touchup.

I got the car back, re-installed the removed interior pieces and then installed the harnesses, split collars and roll bar pads (all not shown). With this, all of my needs are met.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ndyvidual View Post
With the seats in hand, I could have my New Hampshire cage builder build to the negotiated requests. We used the M2 CS rear cage section as a reference and made tweaks for my particular needs:
  • Zero degree angle from harness bar to neck restraint when seated. I could not achieve this with any bolt in offerings.
  • Cross bars low to not obstruct my rear view.
  • Weld in to the same front locations as the M2 CS.
  • Weld to the lower floor (reinforced) and not the rear wheel well for strength; a better connection through the rear frame mount point area.
  • Tabs for mounting equipment for future projects.
  • Durable painted finish instead of powder coat in case I need to do touchup.

I got the car back, re-installed the removed interior pieces and then installed the harnesses, split collars and roll bar pads (all not shown). With this, all of my needs are met.

This is beauty
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      02-04-2022, 09:41 AM   #11
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This looks awesome and WAY too familiar. Very similar build. Awesome looking build!
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      02-04-2022, 09:53 AM   #12
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Love the seats! Nice job
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      02-04-2022, 10:16 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tke743 View Post
This looks awesome and WAY too familiar. Very similar build. Awesome looking build!
Actually remember your F80s, didn't know you picked up an M2C. Nice!

OP, love the updates and how you use the car. Keep the updates coming!
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      02-04-2022, 10:35 AM   #14
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This is no biggie. I'm turning my m2 competition into a taco truck.
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      02-04-2022, 11:57 AM   #15
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Thanks for sharing this!
Cayman, E46 M3, M2C is pretty much my dream perfect weekend toy garage. I wouldn't want to sell any one of those, so I admire your ability to move on from the E46 and this journal is a perfect demonstration of "use them, don't just look at them". 👍
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      02-04-2022, 02:14 PM   #16
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This is awesome more pictures please! Ie: Show the trailer hooked up and the hitch area itself, more interior shots etc.
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      02-04-2022, 02:43 PM   #17
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I'm lost, did I see your m2 towing a trailer?!?

I did Not scroll down your whole post, it's like catchup on a hotdog, sure you could but you shouldn't tow with a bimmer coupe

I'm a fellow mass hole, borrow one of my trucks when your needing something from Home Depot, please unhook the trailer from one of the best M cars made in a long time, my eyes are bleeding

Edit: other mods roll cage etc look great
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      02-04-2022, 07:09 PM   #18
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Bravo. Interestingly, I see a lot of Vette guys pull a tire trailer to the track.

One of my favorite quirks and features of my F80 is that it can fit up to 6 tires, although that's with a harness bar, not a cage.

Your paddock set up is the tits btw.
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      02-04-2022, 09:58 PM   #19
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Oil Cooler Protection

While changing the oil, I noticed this big piece of plastic was doing a poor job in protecting my oil cooler. So I got new panel from Turner. Sturdier sure, but I didn't like how it offered only 'a little more' protection... why design it with similar gaping holes in it???

But using some scrap metal and my trusty grinder, I could make something more functional. So after some cutting, drilling and thread lock, I feel a bit better to combat the street debris found on the highways up here.
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      02-04-2022, 10:25 PM   #20
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Winter In New England

After last week's storm (25 inches!), I had to dig the car out. It's a trooper in the snow (Alpin 4A's on OEM sizes), but the x drive is almost invincible by comparison. In true four season fashion, I still safely get through the snow in the M.

Oh and the tread tracks in the driveway are from my snow thrower, not me driving around in circles, hahaha...
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      02-04-2022, 10:40 PM   #21
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Brake Fluid Flush

I make up a lot of little tools to get my jobs done. Using some recycling and some fuel line I had laying around, this makes flushing through these big calipers easy and efficient. The tea container has a wide bottle so it doesn't tip over so easy when you're working with the bleed valves.

I used a liter of Castrol SRF. I plan to flush yearly. The brakes felt good on the track (other than the braking force variation I mentioned in an earlier post).
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      02-05-2022, 07:30 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by D_SheerDrivingPleasure View Post
Bravo. Interestingly, I see a lot of Vette guys pull a tire trailer to the track.

One of my favorite quirks and features of my F80 is that it can fit up to 6 tires, although that's with a harness bar, not a cage.

Your paddock set up is the tits btw.
Thanks. I put a lot of work in making the logistics and comfort of attending track days as easy as possible. If I'm comfortable and hydrated, I'm a better, safer driver.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NEfan508 View Post
I'm lost, did I see your m2 towing a trailer?!?

I did Not scroll down your whole post, it's like catchup on a hotdog, sure you could but you shouldn't tow with a bimmer coupe

I'm a fellow mass hole, borrow one of my trucks when your needing something from Home Depot, please unhook the trailer from one of the best M cars made in a long time, my eyes are bleeding

Edit: other mods roll cage etc look great
Your eyes do not deceive you None of my cars are garage queens; I get as much fun out of them as possible. Once, my E46M was down and I needed to get some bags of charcoal, so I took the Porsche and loaded it up! I don't preserve cars for the next person to enjoy, I live for today and with thorough maintenance and detailing, they last for many more 'today's' for me to enjoy as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisM4 View Post
This is awesome more pictures please! Ie: Show the trailer hooked up and the hitch area itself, more interior shots etc.
Once [my] track season starts, I'll definitely include more. I think people should see what's functionally possible with this car.

Quote:
Originally Posted by eljay View Post
Thanks for sharing this!
Cayman, E46 M3, M2C is pretty much my dream perfect weekend toy garage. I wouldn't want to sell any one of those, so I admire your ability to move on from the E46 and this journal is a perfect demonstration of "use them, don't just look at them". ��
Thanks, and agreed. My Cayman S has almost 60kmi on it as of today and it's a great long distance cruiser. I perform maintenance on all of my cars, so I take pride in that and the pleasure of driving them every day... rain or shine.

Quote:
Originally Posted by infinitekidM2C View Post
This is no biggie. I'm turning my m2 competition into a taco truck.
That actually made me laugh out loud as I was eating a taco when I read this

Quote:
Originally Posted by W/// View Post
Actually remember your F80s, didn't know you picked up an M2C. Nice!

OP, love the updates and how you use the car. Keep the updates coming!
Thanks. I've been meaning start this since I bought the car in April 2021, so now I'm following through. I learn a lot from other journals, so I wanted to hopefully do the same for others.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hellyesmorgan View Post
Love the seats! Nice job
Thanks. I learn they were one of my more effective mods from the yellow car so it was an expensive no-brainer to do over, haha.

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