Quote:
Originally Posted by scar
As I look ahead to putting my beast up for the winter, I am leaning toward getting an S2 upgrade. Comments appreciated, particularly from those who went through the same decision making process and concluded it made sense (or not).
For the record, the nearest shop to me here on the coast of Maine is in Chichester NH. Any direct experience with this shop alos appreciated.
Cheers, SCAR  |
My, my, ANOTHER Chiaretto Red car!! Wow, there must be 4 or 5 of us on this board now.
To your question, and FWIW: 'Bought my car new in 5/02 and it remained bone stock for almost 3 years. 'Loved the car. But in late '04, being the ever curious high performance sedan/big coupe enthusiast, and with E39 M5 out of production, 'went through an exhaustive search for a new car (any of several different makes/models) to replace mine. Long story short, 'found nothing that I liked better. Then I was fortunate to actually get some seat time in an S2. I was amazed. But, because of the price tag, 'reasearched and examined alternative mod's; where mixing different after market components could achieve good results @ a lower overall price. To make another VERY long story short, 'concluded that I'd be better off with a total designed and tuned pkg from Dinan that had a great warranty and performed as advertised (my research uncovered zero disputes about that; only gripes were about cost). Also, I previously acquired/had installed Dinan components for other BMW's I'd owned; and never had a problem with any of it.
All that said, and based on my own direct experience, 'will share some recommendations with you:
1. The absolute key to getting a great result is choosing the right Dinan dealer. Dinan has over 150 authorized dealers in North America; some are great and highly capable/experienced, some are just OK, and some are only interested in profits from selling the components and really haven't focused on installing them properly. Since you live in a relatively remote area, it's vital you get your car back with everything done right the FIRST time.
'Dunno anything about the New Hampshire dealer you mentioned as being closest to you. Geography is the LAST thing I'd base a dealer decision on. How many "full monty" S2 installs have they completed?? What has been the incidence of returns for warranty work?? (I know, for a fact, 'vast majority of returns for warranty work on S2's are from dealer installation error, NOT failure of Dinan components. If you want to know how I know this, PM me and I'll tell you). Also, most, if not all, dealers who do a lot of Dinan work will offer you a "total pkg" deal on price that includes components/sales tax/labor/quality enclosed trailer transportation costs, etc. You shouldn't have to pay full retail for an S2 pkg.
2. I made 3 mistakes when I got my S2 pkg done in Jan. '05:
A) 'Got the Dinan LWFW, but reinstalled my original OEM clutch to save
$$$. Don't do that. Trust me.
B) 'Went with Koni Stage 3 suspension set-up 'cause 'was afraid JRZ would be too harsh for street use. Absolutely dead wrong thing to do. IMO, JRZ is actually much better for ride quality; and certainly WAAAY better for handling dynamics.
C) Again, to save $$$, 'didn't get a BBK and kept stock brakes. An S2 pkg completely transforms the car for power and handling (also, components reduce weight by a considerable amount; even more if you opt for some lightweight wheels). The car's capabilities for high speed twisties or track fun are severely compromised by keeping stock brakes.
'Hope this all helps and enjoy getting your car transformed during the winter months when it can be down for the work. Regardless of what you decide to do about after market components and install shop, The E39 M5 platform lends itself to being significantly improved and, assuming a quality job is done, there's no question you'll be delighted; with the option of keeping your great sedan for many years to come.