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Car of the Month August 2011 |
How James Got Started
I caught the mod bug before I even owned my first car, over 15 years ago. And once I modified my first car, I couldn’t stop. I always had to do something different; my car had to stand out from the rest. I wanted each of my cars to be its own, not a factory make and model that resembled everything else on the road. I started with small simple modifications, wheels, exhausts, intakes and stereos, anything I could do in my driveway in an afternoon. Small mods became bigger, and the bug hasn’t stopped growing since.
About 10 years ago, I bought my first of 3 BMWs, a black 1999 528i Sport. My next car was a 2003 330ci. I drove the 330 for 5 years, loved every second of it, and have been in love with the BMW 3 series ever since. While modifying the 330ci, I discovered the guys at Modbargains.com, and ever since they have been my go-to for anything I order for my car. In 2007, when BMW debuted the new 3 series, I took one out for a test drive and knew I had to have one. In 2009, I came across a 2007 335i coupe with black metallic paint, peanut butter brown leather, and equipped with the factory M-Tech package. Three hours later, I left the dealer with the keys in my hand. I immediately began to think of how I was going to modify it.
My vision was to make the car all black with carbon fiber accents, while keeping a classy look and feel. I started with lighting and a set of ACS pedals. Modbargains.com came through once again after I had a lot of trouble finding a set of LED angel eye upgrades that would work in the 2007 E92. They turned me onto the City Vision LED Angel Eye Upgrade and they’ve worked error-free, as promised, ever since. To finish the lighting I went with LED fog light bulbs in 6k, Lamin-X Taillight Covers, E92 painted reflectors and LED license plate lamps by City Vision.
With the lighting out of the way, I focused on the exterior of the car. I added an ACS Style Roof Spoiler that I had to paint to match the car. I found a V Style Carbon Fiber Lip from JL Motoring that fit the M-Tech front bumper, and Carbon Fiber Mirror Covers. Wheels and tires were next. I liked the concave look and decided to go with Matte Black 19” Eurosport Monza Wheels; ET35 front and ET25 rear. I wrapped the wheels with Falken 452’s 235/35/19 on the front, and 275/30/19 on the rear. With the new wheels on I needed to lower the front of the car, but didn’t want to change the stock suspension. After much debate and research, I decided to order lowering perches and M3 bump stops to give me the drop I needed. Mach V Motorsports in Sterling VA did the install for me, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I started blacking out everything I could on the car. Modbargains.com, once again, came up big. I ordered Matte Black E92 Kidney Grills and Black BMW Roundel Overlays for the wheels, hood and trunk. I blacked out all the window trim with matte black vinyl wrap from BMW-Shadowline.
With the exterior of the car well on its way, and with my warranty expiring, it was time to focus on the car's performance. Tune was the first thing I modified. I wanted to go safe so I decided on the BMS JB+. I added an aFe Dual Cone Intake and M2 Performance exhaust shortly after. Looking to get some extra stability, I decided to order a Cusco Os Style Strut Brace. I finally added an aFe Throttle Body Spacer. The performance modifications were more than I could imagined, and the torque and horsepower gains were amazing.
My future plans for the car include an intercooler, a CF CSL Style Bootlid, KW v2’s, Cobb access port and a set of 20” wheels. All my future mods will be purchased through the awesome guys at Modbargains.com. Their customer service and knowledge is hands down the best around. Thanks also to Chance Carter, who took all the shots of my car, check out his blog http://chancellor-carter.blogspot.com/. Xclusiv Alliance thanks for all your support guys!
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