New LPG E53 owner checking in...

[JimmySpeed]

Hi,

I have a recently acquired titanium 2001 4.4i Sport running on LPG. The whole 4x4 thing is new to me but BMW's are not, I've had 3x e46 330ci sports, an e46 M3 and a 535d M sport. I just never realised that being 6'6 my life would be 10x easier in a 4x4!

So far I have completely dewaffled the front headlights for that 'modern look' and have fitted a matt black front grille. I also have an OEM skid plat on order from the States. The previous owner also colour coded the roof rails

Future plans are to change the rear lights as the boot lights are really scratched for some reason I will probably go with some OEM looking LED's in red/clear with the silver strip in the inner boot lights that go right across (like the e70 inner boot lights).

Hope to help and be helped!

[Sanj]

Welcome fella!

Funny that - done the skid pan and the LED tail lights. Have a quick search and you'll find em.

What other plans do you have for your car? Feeling this site could be expensive for you!

Don't forget them pics!

[JimmySpeed]

[quote=""Sanj""]Welcome fella!

Funny that - done the skid pan and the LED tail lights. Have a quick search and you'll find em.

What other plans do you have for your car? Feeling this site could be expensive for you!

Don't forget them pics![/quote]

Tell me about it - I've got so many thinks whirring round in my tiny mind, without the funds for any of it! I don't even want to get started looking at the forum too much because all these badboys on here will get me spending! Happens every time I get a new car!

I would like a 4.6 rear diffuser and also to renovate my tail pipes but I can't get the bloody things off!! Oh and an AC Schnitzer spoiler finisher (its just a little tip that goes on the existing spoiler). And to refurb my alloys in gun metal or black. And to upgrade to a mk4 nav with 16:9 screen. And change the speakers a fit a sub. Oh look you got me started now

Pics will definitely be coming when I get a chance to clean it.

I will have a search for your pics mate - cheers

[x555]

Welcome along .....don't get talking to Sanj too much or you'll be skint before you know it with all the mods

[Sanj]

[quote=""mobilejo""]Oh and an AC Schnitzer spoiler finisher (its just a little tip that goes on the existing spoiler). [/quote]

You mean this? And the lights for you...



a close up - it is a fake though. But who cares, still looks fine.



Promise no pics of the sub or skid pan (have a search if you want to see them).

Oh and blame x555 for the great sub enclosures!

[AW8]

Like the spoiler

Not a fan of window signs but mindful some like these.......especially some proud &/or protective parents.

[AW8]

As for scratches to rear lenses these can be machine polished out without too much hassle & for far less cost.

You could try using autoglym super resin polish correction by hand is the only option.

[JimmySpeed]

Cheers Sanj - thats the spoiler and the lights I'm thinking of, although the lights i've seen have the clear strip going all the way across, like this:



As for my existing ones, these scratches are too deep for polishing - i've tried. Besides I would actually like a new set, they freshen up the rear quite nicely

[JimmySpeed]

[quote=""x555""]Welcome along .....don't get talking to Sanj too much or you'll be skint before you know it with all the mods [/quote]

Cheers. I'm already skint having started spending on the X5 before even selling my old car! (anyone want a facelift 330ci clubsport in estoril blue? )

[lezmtaylor]

Hi there and welcome to our forum, have a look at my car spec , it is an 02 4.4 E53 and there may be a few mods of interest !!
Lez

[JimmySpeed]

[quote=""lezmtaylor""]Hi there and welcome to our forum, have a look at my car spec , it is an 02 4.4 E53 and there may be a few mods of interest !!
Lez[/quote]

Thanks, you've got a fair few mods there. What is the glass on sat nav though?

[Sanj]

[quote=""mobilejo""]As for my existing ones, these scratches are too deep for polishing - i've tried. Besides I would actually like a new set, they freshen up the rear quite nicely [/quote]

I'll leave Lez to explain the glass but a quick search might help you.

As for the rear lights... I went with the LED ones and found them whey too bright, like fog lights when you brake. So I tinted them:



That was horrible, after a month of seeing them that dark and tbh, not OEM, I started with wet and dry/polish/elbow grease and got to this:



And finally the LED ones that got done - back to normal. I ended up opening the units and spraying the lens on the individual LEDs to get what I like. I know, very sad... Pic is a lot darker but they are much better/brighter.

[JimmySpeed]

Sanj you are the X5 king! - I have just found your post on your new sat nav screen and the glass protection. Very clever.

All of my previous e46's had widescreen nav and all had a scratched screen so on each one I would polish the screen with autosol or peek or similar polish. This took the scratches out but also removed the anti-glare coating and each time (possibly due to the angle of view in the e46) the glare was really bad.

Now my X has only the 4:3 screen but the previous owner has removed the anti glare coating just like I used to do on my e46's, and its not as affected by glare as the e46's. However I would still like to reduce the glare if possible.

[Sanj]

Sit tight on eBay and invest in the wide screen unit and the mk4 satnav unit. You'll feel the car has just lost 20 years!

Bit pricy but WELL worth the upgrade. Win win for you too as it's OEM youll be going to.

Make it FIRST on the list over the other mods you have in mind!

[X5Sport]

Do any of the screen protectors for things like phones, camera viewfinders or iPads not provide an option? Getting it fitted with no bubbles or trapped dust may not be easy and may take some finesse.

The only other thing I can think of might be a light spray coating of a clear matt varnish as used by modelmakers? Make sure you mask off completely and carefully, but in theory it ought to work. I've never used it on clear materials but we're only talking a mist coat anyway.