//M Homecoming

[Matt P]

at 8:12 pm CST..... For the first time in 2004.... Presenting.....

http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/homeAtLast1.jpg

My baby is home.... and she has never looked better. Literally. :)


Only to leave out again at 5:30 tomorrow for the track.


I'm putting some pictures toegther and should have them up in the next 30 minutes.

[Matt P]

About 3:00 this afternoon I arrived at Classic BMW in Richardson to pick up my M5 Touring. In addition to taking care of some additional mechanical work that it needed (fan clutch, door actuator, mirror switch, brake fluid flush, new rear tires, alignment, missing clip, twisted seat belt, and tech inspection for tomorrow's BMW CCA driver education event), the detail department went at it with major paintless dent removal, paint touchup, clay bar treatment, and a full detail inside and out.

Anyway, here is the car as they pulled it up to me.

http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/classic_3.jpg



Dang... It is looking like a whole new car. shiny, Shiny, SHINY :)


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/classic_4.jpg



The man behind the car is Pat Arnold, service advisor, Dinan rep, and diehard BMW enthusiast. For people like us, he is the only service advisor I would recommend using at this dealership.

http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/classic_5.jpg



Josh, one of the you guys working there, was real fond of the M5T and got into an argument with one of the other services advisors who insisted.. quote "I've been working with BMWs for 20 years and BMW *NEVER* made an M5 Wagon". Right about now Josh has called him over here to show him what is under the hood.

*PLOINK*

I think that noise was a disbelieving service advisor's jaw hitting the ground. ;-)


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/classic_6.jpg



Oh no! A last minute problem with the front seat (motor cable) requires a quick trip back into the service bay. After an hour passes, Pat drives the M5T back to the drop-off/pick-up, this time really ready to go.


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/classic_7.jpg



Pat refuses to let me take possession until all smudges have been removed. :)

http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/classic_8.jpg

Now, on around back for some more photos before running errands to get ready for tomorrow's track event.

[Matt P]

The detail department at Classic did a fantastic job making my M5 Touring look great.

When I got home and parked, my wife stuck her head out the door into the garage. The first thing she asked was "Did you have them repaint the car???".

Remember, this car has sat outside in the Texas sun much of the last 8 months (dash and windows covered fortunately). Looking at the hood or roof, you could not tell it today....

To minimize detail loss, I did not size reduce these images, though I did crop them.

http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_01.jpg


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_02.jpg


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_03.jpg


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_04.jpg


more to follow

[Matt P]

The detail department at Classic did a fantastic job making my M5 Touring look great....

http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_05.jpg


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_06.jpg


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_07.jpg


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_08.jpg


more to follow....

[Matt P]

The detail department at Classic did a fantastic job making my M5 Touring look great.


Tomorrow, I go to the track and get it all dusty and dingy again ;-)


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_09.jpg


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_10.jpg



I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee.
Clouds in my coffee...


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_11.jpg


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_12.jpg


more to follow...

[Matt P]

The detail department at Classic did a fantastic job making my M5 Touring look great.

For some reason the camera flash make the seat leather look much more worn than it actually appears to a person.

http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_13.jpg


http://www.biginthesky.com/users/matt/m5t/posing_14.jpg


That's it for now. Feedback is always welcome.

[George M]

Great pics Matt! Congrats on getting your car back...that baby has had the works. Love your garage...wish I had a 3 stall...only way to go if not more. A question about the ride of your car compared to the other Bimmers you own. Looks like you have the factory correct painted M//'s on your M5T versus say the turned/brushed M//'s that came on an E-38...further adds to the distinctive look of those wheels on the car. How is the ride of your M5T compared to the other Bimmers you own with a more generous sidewall. Not a straight up comparison I understand with your M5T having EDC but wondered if you felt the ride was overly stiff with so little a side wall.
Thanks.

[cerdman]

That is one beautiful car!

[Elekta]

<speechless>

Please let me know if you ever come to austin in the M5T

[rickm]

*drool*

That should be labeled NWS. Pretty car, Matt.

[Matt P]

The EDC is (much) stiffer than our other cars... to the point of being somewhat harsh on less than smooth freeway. And that's in "p"rogram mode. In "S"port mode, it goes from stiff to stiffer. The short sidewalls don't help any, but I'm not sure how much to attribute to them.

I didn't notice it so much in the M5T, as I did when I got back into the 535i. Suddenly the 535i felt like it was flopping right and left at the slightest twist and that the wheels were all bouncing around in random directions... My wife's 540iT has the sport package, and stays level almost as well as the M5T, but doesn't suffer from the harshness on the highway.

I guess I wish that the EDC had an additional, softer, setting for rough roads, etc...

As for the Garage, if I had another stall, I'd probably get another car to fill it -- so I guess only having 3 slots is a good thing.

[George M]

a bit disappointing about the harshness of the EDC. I would think by design it would be more forgiving in its best ride mode...the reason for it to exist...to offer a broader range of comfort and performance. Would like to hear from Jr on this...don't recall if his M5 has EDC...would like his assessment of ride since he too owned a 535i with both basketweaves and then upgrading to 17" BBS no.5's. Have to believe your M//'s add to the stiffness...not much sidewall supporting a fairly heavy car.

[Matt P]

It'll also be interesting to see if they "break in" any during the first 1000 miles, or if the EDC computer is adaptive. Right now I probably only 250 miles or less on the new shocks.

[George M]

Good point...in any event...enjoy that beautiful car and thanks for sharing your pics...probably not another equivalent model as fine in the US....perhaps not in the world...quite a unique car.

[Matt P]

I will be in Austin on sept 9-10 for the Austin Game Conference at the convention center. My Wife will probably join me and we'll be driving down.

[Elekta]

I will be in Austin on sept 9-10 for the Austin Game Conference at the convention center. My Wife will probably join me and we'll be driving down.

I should be there too. I office a couple blocks from there. Now the imortant question: Which Touring are you driving down in?