2014 BMW F30 330d Xdrive - Mineral grey

[Cliff J]

This might be boring compared to some of the projects on here, but it’s this or my Polestar EV

The story starts when I sold my old F30 330d due to non ULEZ compliance, thought the price of my car would crash and took top money for it 2 years ago.
Sadly I pined for it ever since.

In the meantime I had a MK6 Golf GTi, a shockingly bad car, and then a 2008 Audi S5, 4.2L V8.
The Audi was superb, when it wasn’t broken!
But then my company took our diesel company cars away and gave us Polestar EVs with home chargers.
Personally I really have bonded with it.

The issue… we have a holiday home in Cornwall, neither the S5 or Polestar were ideal for the journey 6-7 times a year.

So, I sold the S5 and searched the country with 9k for my new car, eventually finding this one almost on my door step, and absolutely perfect.

The spec:

3L straight 6 diesel - Twin scroll turbo - 254bhp - 413lb ft, 0-60 in 5.4secs.
60/40 rear biased Xdrive system

M performance brake upgrade (blue calipers.
Harmon Kardon sound system
Larger infotainment screen
Optional folding rear seats
Heated red leather
Xenon lights
Facelift LED rear lights
98k miles, FBMWSH.

These are the advert photos..

Edited by Cliff J on Thursday 13th June 22:48

[Cliff J]

It’s changing almost daily.

I’ve added a few bits, lost the Xdrive height with H&R springs and generally just been enjoying it.

Our first trip to Cornwall in the F30 is days away now.

[Cliff J]

Next up, slightly Marmite, Gloss black 763m rep wheels in a 19x8.5 ET35 and 19x9.5 ET40.
I’m stepping up the tyre sizes but keeping within the recommended 1% max difference of rolling diameter to protect the Xdrive system, moving from 225/40/19 and 255/35/19 to 235/40/19 and 265/35/19 (0.37%).

Here’s a test fit to make sure they cleared my calipers.

[Cliff J]

Future mods:

I’m debating whether it’s a stage 1 map only, approx 310bhp and 650nm torque, or DPF delete and remap, approx 335bhp with 730nm!

I’ve never deleted a DPF before so I need to understand the pros/cons.

[stevemcs]

Leave the dpf alone, I must be getting old as I preferred the original ride height and wheels.

[Alfahorn]

stevemcs said:

Leave the dpf alone, I must be getting old as I preferred the original ride height and wheels.

Ditto. It’s a very nice car, however the mods aren’t for me.

[EVOTECH3BELL]

Think it looks nicer in standard form.

A remap and maybe a very subtle drop with some.spacers and I'd have called it a day.

[SmithCorona]

I saw "mineral grey" in the thread title and thought "that better have a coral red interior"...and it does!

Excellent spec, enjoy.

Though, I do echo the comments about the mods. The F30 is lovely as it comes from the factory!

[Mad Maximus]

That’s a lovely combo.

[cossy400]

I'm all in bar the black wheels.

[Cliff J]

If this was a RWD Msport I’d have left the suspension height, but these sit ridiculously high on the Xdrive suspension.
I understand the mods are not for everyone, that’s cool, no issues here.

[Shedding]

Lovely car. If you don't need to go into city centres, these older diesels make a lot of sense.
I like the black wheels.

[Cliff J]

Shedding said:

Lovely car. If you don't need to go into city centres, these older diesels make a lot of sense.
I like the black wheels.

Now I’ve got the Polestar 2 it’s allowed me to go back to the diesel, and this 6 cylinder version is both quick and economical on those long runs.

[Dms86]

Love a BMW with a red leather interior. I am surprised you can get so much car for the money. What is the tax?

On the subject of your DPF. I've had them taken off a few cars due to them becoming blocked.

Pros are that the car will run better and you will not have to worry about it becoming blocked if you're doing short journeys. If you take it to a good tuner they will map it so that it doesn't produce a lot of smoke either.

Cons are mainly around getting an MOT. I've had friendly testers that will pass it by giving them some extra cash. I've also had cars pass without DPFs and I've not told the tester it does not have one.

You'll get plenty of people on the forum saying you're killing the planet etc. Having been to countrie like India etc. We don't have to worry about people removing their DPFs here when you see what they are driving around

I personally wouldn't remove it until it starts giving you problems.

[hughcam]

For me the DPF removal thing is just not being courteous to others around you. People shouldn’t be subjected to smelling/inhaling unburnt soot just because someone wants an extra 20 bhp on a 300bhp family car.

A decat on a petrol used occasionally I’d have a different opinion but diesel fumes/rolling coal is obnoxious IMO

On another note nice car although not a fan of the black wheels.

Also what’s the thinking behind having a polestar 2 and a diesel?

[d_a_n1979]

That's a lovely motor

Good spec too

For me the 403Ms look much better; I binned them on my F31 as they were gloss black and just don't like the finish; but I run 18s all year (405Ms for summers, 397s for winters); 19s and my local roads don't mix

I'm also in agreement that leave the DPF as it is; and the EGR etc; someone like Simon at eMaps will soon have your car remapped well and it'll suit the car perfectly; without the need to remove anything

[d_a_n1979]

Cliff J said:

If this was a RWD Msport I’d have left the suspension height, but these sit ridiculously high on the Xdrive suspension.
I understand the mods are not for everyone, that’s cool, no issues here.

Agree that the xDrive's sit silly high; wollowy too on the softer springs

I did a full overhaul on my RWD F31 with Bilstein B4S shocks and Eibach pro kit springs and the car, IMO, sits perfectly now. Not silly low, still clears speed humps with no issues

[Cliff J]

Dms86 said:

Love a BMW with a red leather interior. I am surprised you can get so much car for the money. What is the tax?

On the subject of your DPF. I've had them taken off a few cars due to them becoming blocked.

Pros are that the car will run better and you will not have to worry about it becoming blocked if you're doing short journeys. If you take it to a good tuner they will map it so that it doesn't produce a lot of smoke either.

Cons are mainly around getting an MOT. I've had friendly testers that will pass it by giving them some extra cash. I've also had cars pass without DPFs and I've not told the tester it does not have one.

You'll get plenty of people on the forum saying you're killing the planet etc. Having been to countrie like India etc. We don't have to worry about people removing their DPFs here when you see what they are driving around

I personally wouldn't remove it until it starts giving you problems.

I think I’m leaning towards leaving it alone until/unless I get issues. I’ve got a friendly MOT guy, but it’s quick as it is, the remap should be plenty.

[Cliff J]

hughcam said:

For me the DPF removal thing is just not being courteous to others around you. People shouldn’t be subjected to smelling/inhaling unburnt soot just because someone wants an extra 20 bhp on a 300bhp family car.

A decat on a petrol used occasionally I’d have a different opinion but diesel fumes/rolling coal is obnoxious IMO

On another note nice car although not a fan of the black wheels.

Also what’s the thinking behind having a polestar 2 and a diesel?

I think I’m 90/10 towards just leaving it and remapping, this car is rapid as standard so the remap should be enough.

The Polestar is my company car, home charger etc, but we go to Cornwall to our holiday home 6-7 times a year.
There is literally nowhere with fast chargers within 20 miles of where we stay, my app also shows they’re rarely in service, so the Polestar would cause me range anxiety and that’s where the diesel comes in.

[Cliff J]

d_a_n1979 said:

That's a lovely motor

Good spec too

For me the 403Ms look much better; I binned them on my F31 as they were gloss black and just don't like the finish; but I run 18s all year (405Ms for summers, 397s for winters); 19s and my local roads don't mix

I'm also in agreement that leave the DPF as it is; and the EGR etc; someone like Simon at eMaps will soon have your car remapped well and it'll suit the car perfectly; without the need to remove anything

This is my second F30 330d and the second time of binning off my 403m wheels, I just can’t stand them!