The E46 BMW is a wonderful car, with an unfortunate lack of aftermarket "infotainment" opportunities due to the shape of the stock head unit. It's curvy and extra-wide, and most aftermarket head unit brackets end up looking really awful, like this:



Come on now, that looks horrible.

The other option is made by companies such as Dynavin. They produce a drop-in, 2-DIN unit that runs on Windows CE or Android 2.x, has a clunky interface, gives you iPod/Bluetooth/navigation, and is typically slow and very outdated with software that can't be upgraded. They do at least look physically nice:



So, when the other half decided that his 330i's stock head unit wasn't acceptable (he wanted aux input and Bluetooth), we both agreed that the "easy button" aftermarket upgrades were hardly upgrades due to the downsides.

Fortunately, the size of the dashboard lends itself to fitting a 7" tablet. The iPad Mini doesn't work very well as the screen is the wrong aspect ratio, and iOS is not flexible enough to be customized sufficiently for in-car use. The Nexus 7 is the easiest option. And, to make it even better, there's a guy who custom-makes bezels for the E46 (and other BMWs) that are sized to accommodate a 7" tablet, mounting brackets and all.

We are not the first people to put a Nexus 7 in a car, but I think we certainly did one of the cleaner installs. A lot of folks will hide the stock head unit (or an aftermarket, if stock doesn't have Aux in) and route the audio through the head unit to the speakers. Well, why do that? BMW head units do not amplify the audio. Rather, there's an amp in the trunk with front and rear inputs. So, this install was pretty easy.

First, you gotta remove some things.



The climate control panel can be relocated to where the "sunglasses holder" pocket is, in front of the shifter. Some E46's came with factory Navigation, so their climate panels were down there by default. That means you can order the BMW bracket to hold the panel. Unfortunately, Paul was shipped the wrong bracket, so his climate panel is just kinda pushed in there until ECS Tuning can re-send the correct bracket.

From there, you have to figure out your wiring "flow" to make sure things are in order. We elected to use a USB digital audio converter (DAC) as it's a cleaner output than the Nexus's headphone jack. From there, we routed the DAC's output to a Clarion EQ that is mounted in the glovebox. This provides equalization abilities that are accessible, and also conveniently splits the one sound output from the DAC into a Front/Rear set of outputs.

The Front/Rear outputs are routed directly to the BMW/Harman Kardon amp in the trunk. Joey and I soldered RCA connectors directly to the proper wiring coming from the BMW radio harness behind the dash. The amp and EQ both require a "trigger wire" to make them turn on with the ignition. You can tap those directly to the red 12V power wire of the BMW radio harness.

Sorry I didn't take more photos of the install, I forgot entirely and three of us were all busy getting this done.

Anyway, here's the layout of how this all works:



You make sure it all functions before you solder, then you solder, heatshrink, and reinstall everything. We stuck the DAC and EQ and hub to various inside-the-dash support bits using Velcro strips.

Finished product! It uses a custom ROM to allow for charging + external USB devices. The ROM also makes the device turn on and off when power is supplied (aka, with ignition key). The launch screen is a combination of custom wallpaper, a "desktop widgetizer" app to create landing zones that launch the apps, and UCCW widgets for all the info on the left sidebar.

Internet access is required for this whole shebang to work, so his phone creates a WiFi network (he has an unlimited LTE data plan) that the tablet connects to when the car is started.

Starting this to gauge interest if anyone is in need of a beater.

Mileage: 137,xxx? Somewhere in there
Transmission: 5sp manual as the gods intended

The good:
Just did the main shaft bearing that somewhat commonly fails so the trans should be good for quite awhile.

-New Clutch less than 3k
-New OEM Flywheel
-New CV half shafts
-New valve cover gasket
-Brake and Clutch recently bled with ATE Super Blue (shit is mad rare and adds like 1,000 HP which is probably why it was outlawed )


The bad:
-Could use window regulators/motors ($47 per door)(windows currently still work)
-Hood latch handle broken ($8 but hood can be opened still)
-Motor/trans mounts probably wouldn't hurt (est $150 for all 5 or something)
-One CV is slinging some grease (I can't spot any tears though)
-Most likely needs AC compressor (<$200)
-Trunk lets in a little water. (Probably from tail lights, but that sealant stuff is nasty so I haven't put it on yet in case someone wants to go back to stock lights)
-Wiper switch has broken detent. Still works but doesn't "click" into settings. ($45)


Car starts up and drives pretty good. I currently drive it And wouldn't be worried about it standing me. All of the bad things are mainly cosmetic or comfort. It has a lot of dents and dings mainly on roof and hood but overall paint is surprisingly good. It's an EX, so it's like an Si for poor people.

Will be updating with pics and anything I left out and forgot over the next few days or when I get around to it.


As-is price for MM and friends is around $2,250

If you want all the shit fixed, $2,800-$3,000

I don't drink beer so PBR and Natty will not be acceptable forms of payment.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

Well, I wouldn't call this a build, more like a car I drive everyday and do some cool stuff to sometimes. More or less, I'm just showing off. Some of you know I'm a Jeep guy, and EVERYONE knows if you wheel a Jeep, you don't want to DD it. So, in July of 2011 I found this hatch. 1997 CX, 5 speed, base model as can be, no PS, but has A/C, 200k miles, owned all it's life by a female school teacher who had all the maintenance done by a shop. UNPOSSIBLE! I didn't honestly think unmolested hatchbacks still existed, but I found one. I drove it and immediately forked over the $1500 she wanted for the car.

The day I brought it home.



And other than swapping in an EX cluster (kept the speedo in the center for correct mileage) it was the same 2 years later.



Then, this summer, I picked up an EG coupe on Si's to flip. I swapped the hatch wheels for the Si's, bought a nearly new set of 195's for the Si's for $150 and put them on.



I also ended up getting a a Thule roof rack to haul my mountain bikes...



And sometime I put a new front bumper on it and painted it myself. Some doosh hit my car while it was parked at the Warsaw deck and didn't bother to tell me. Luckily, they just tore up the bumper. Oh well, the new one looks better anyways.

Last weekend I finally installed some Eibach Pro Kit springs and it gave it a good stance. Yeah, it's not that low, but for daily driving it's perfect. Just got it aligned this morning. Don't think camber kits will be needed.



And that's about it at the moment. Changed the oil yesterday. Odometer reads 243,xxx and she still runs smooth as silk. More will come soon I'm sure. This Honda stuff seems fun and easier than the weld/cut/fab Jeep stuff. :lol:

This guy had the idea to use a box truck to haul his race cars around. It's actually pretty cool. He says it's cheaper than most trailers... and seems much cooler!

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Is you wheel bearing making noise? Might want to change it, or it could end up like the one on my friends car last night. I have never seen one this bad.

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Looking to trade in the the SAAB towards one of the two following vehicles. Escape is out due to some recall issues popping up for the newest generation, and Yotas/Hondas are overpriced soulless pieces of shit.

2014 Forester Limited or a CX-5 Grand Touring

We test drove both yesterday and I honestly have no clue which I like better.

The CX-5 had a sportier feel, we enjoyed intuitiveness of the interior/radio, it is arguably better looking. Quiet, nice nav unit, nice interior, comfy seats. Blind spot indicator was really cool, especially with a baby seat blocking most of your rear passenger window viewing angle.

Cons: Cost, can get the Subaru for approx 4-6k cheaper with VIP pricing and exact same features.

The Forester felt faster due to the torque of the boxer and CVT, cabin felt roomier, has more cargo room, comfy seats. Has auto lift gate, which I thought was just a gimmick for lazy ass people, until you are trying to open/close the hatch with your kid hanging off of you. AWD standard, additional cost on the CX5. Approach lights on the mirrors were a cool feature. GIANT ASS SUNROOF WAS AWESOME. 2013 IIHS safety winner. Potentially better resale.

Cons: Handled less like a car, more like an SUV, cushier ride, no blind spot indicators, NAV unit missing some features.and less intuitive, more pedestrian look over the CX-5.

So thoughts?????

We are seriously at a loss. We like the CX-5 but feel the Forester is the better value for what we would be getting, and the extra space is nice. Every review I have read has these 2 things #1 and #2

Next conversation....

Lease vs Buy

Why isn't leasing the no brainer?

Casey is now WFH 3 of 5 days, and more than likely going WFH 5 of 5 days. If either of us have to travel for work we can get a rental. We have put the majority of miles on my forester since buying it in march (Vacation, track weekends, trips to the inlaws/parents) and are at about 17k, since we have been trying to keep miles off the SAAB in prep for a trade in. I think we would be safe with 12k on a lease and we have my car if we get in a mileage crunch.

Just seems like a lower payment and a new car every 3 years seems like a nice deal? I know Insurance will go up a bit, but that cost should be offset by the 10-15mpg we are saving per tank of gas.

What am I missing, I know it can't be as glorious as I am seeing right now.

2 hour kart enduros at Summit and VIR. Nothing required, not even NASA license:
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I'd like to sign up for at least 5 of these, if not all 10. Ends up being <$200 per race either way, per team. If I could get two to three other committed people, we could decide how many we're game for, go ahead and register and be in the $50-$75 per event, per person range.

Who's in?

Race 1 – VIR Sat Mar 22, 6:30p-8:30p

Race 2 – SPK Sat Apr 26, 7:30p-9:30p *schedule change

Race 3 – VIR Sat May 3, 6:30p-8:30p

Race 4 – SPK Sat May 17, 7:30p-9:30p

Race 5 – VIR Sat May 31, 7:00p-9:00p

Race 6 – SPK Sat Jun 7, 8:00p-10:00p

Race 7 – VIR Sat Jul 19, 6:30p-8:30p

Race 8 – SPK Sat Aug 16, 7:30p-9:30p

Race 9 – VIR Sat Oct 4, 6:30p-8:30p

Race 10 – SPK Sat Nov 8, 6:30p-8:30p

Went to Buffalo on Friday to pick this up:



I really like the way it drives and handles except for brake feel (more on that later), quick enough and feels very solid and planted for a CUV. I was able to push as hard as I’d want to on the ride home through the mountains of central PA. The current family hauler is a Camry and I think we all know the story there in terms of attempting to change direction. This is a nice change.

I was also shopping the Acura RDX and Justin was kind enough to check one out for me in Richmond. Then I got in the shower where I do most of my rational thinking...and the thoughts of premium fuel, pretty poor observed mileage by owners, a turbo engine used only in that car and decided to go more mainstream. I wanted to grab ‘an 11+ model for the updated interior and drivetrain but they just weren’t coming down fast enough.

I had very specific requirements, including nav, as much for the touchscreen interface with the BT and media controls as the actual nav, light interior seating but with dark panels, dash and wheel to avoid a sea of beige, “limited” trim, body color mirrors/handles and not black, silver, gray or frickin creme brule on the outside. This one popped into my budget as an end of year special down about $3K from original list 3 months ago. Carfax showed it was a local car and traded in at the selling dealer.

More dealer pics...





The newer versions are certainly nicer inside overall, but something about big, easy to hit controls especially with ski gloves on was appealing. Also like the extra area below the HVAC controls to put phone, wallet, etc.






One thing I don’t like is the very long brake pedal travel. It was that way on the two I drove so I assumed normal but research is giving me some conflicted info. I mean, long travel means different things to different people, but halfway down is excessive in my book.

Planned mods:
- Heavy duty mats. We went skiing Saturday and parking lots for that are generally gravel and messy. And until I get a rack, dirty equipment is riding in the cargo area. I want to be able to throw muddy cleats, fishing poles, and what ever else back there without ruining the carpet.
- Roof or trailer hitch rack. Leaning towards trailer hitch for ease of access. Thule makes a nice swing away 4 bike holder but I want to keep looking for something that might be convertible to ski/board carrier.
- Projector headlights with black housing.
- Paint grille black or deep gray, leaning gray. Plasti-dip to the rescue
- Black out chrome trim under the windows. Plasti-dip to the rescue
- Wheels - Chrome snowflakes are not working for me. They are 20" on this model (Sport model has 22s) which is plenty big enough. Tires are brandy new Pirelli Scorpion so no tires needed. Suggestions? Will go with a gray be it gunmetal, titanium, or whatever.
- H&R Springs to lower 1.5"
- Paint lower rocker trim body color

Pretty much in that order too I guess.

Should end up similar to this:



After several years in that Integra, this was long overdue and I couldn't be happier!

I'm going to be at Snowshoe the weekend of MLK Jr. Day. Anyone going to be around?

Also got another trip up there planned for March 6-9 (some free OAR concert going on or something).

I usually go with a crew of people, so I think our house is already booked at least for the first one.

I rented gear last year. I am looking to buy boots and bindings this year - Anyone got recommendations for good stuff on sale or just good stuff? I think I definitely want something that ratchets down from the top. I didn't like the shit I rented last year that had the click-in from the back.

Hey guys, I know probably no one will join, but I figure I might as well throw it out there. I'll be going with some Toyota buddies to Shoe Creek trail in Lexington ( one hour south of H-Burg) on Saturday the 18. We'll be riding for about 3 hours then heading back. I might go camp out with them Friday night at the first river crossing. I'll probably have a seat available and a spot in my tent for anyone that wants to ride along, and anyone with a 4wd is welcome. They're pretty tame trails.

2097 Perkins Mill RD
Roseland, VA 22967

That's the trail head. We'll be meeting there at the first river crossing at 10 AM.



Some of the group is meeting at the BP station down south of there, I probably won't considering I'll be coming from up North.

Group at the BP will be meeting at 9 AM,

1495 North Amherst Highway
Amherst, VA 24521


Edit: This is weather permitting. If there is heavy rain or ice on the trails, I might not make it through so well. I'm not trying to total my only vehicle