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The BMW E21 3 Series has become more and more popular within the modified scene in recent years, and it’s no surprise as to why… Being the ‘baby’ shark nose of the bunch, it’s a lot more affordable and easier to work on, compared to the E28, E24, and E23 of the same era, which are so much bigger and complex. The E21 is more of a back-to-basics package, with the upside of sharing the same charismatic looks of its elders. Today’s feature looks at one of the UK’s cleanest examples… And although it’s been around for a good few years in various guises, we think we’ve captured the car in it’s best form yet. Shot in Slovenia back in 2018, we’re excited to finally take an in-depth look into the build of one of Slam Sanctuary’s long-time friend and supporter, Lucy Barlow.
Lucy has been interested in cars from the get-go - she started her apprenticeship as a mechanic at just 14! Her first car was a MOT-failure Volkswagen Polo 6n2 which was given to her by her aunt, a blessing in disguise, as this really taught Lucy how to maintain and repair a car. This then led to a Polo Mk2f, where she became interested in the modified side of cars. Starting with the standard procedure of lowering it, adding some BBS, then getting involved with trims and paint. However, it’s always been a dream of Lucy’s to own a super clean, show-worthy classic car on air suspension… So that’s what she did! The hunt began a few years go for the project candidate, and decided to look for a BMW E21, which, in retrospect seems like the perfect progression from Polo ownership to the world of BMWs.
After searching on the ’Car & Classic’ website, Lucy soon came across a possible candidate, although it was gold in colour, which she absolutely hated. Luckily, working at bodyshop ‘Kustom Kolors’, head honcho Colin told her it wouldn’t be a problem, and they’d of course repaint it in-house. A deal was done on the E21, and Lucy put it straight through an MOT to find out the true state of the car. Amazingly it only failed on lights and rear brakes, and she noticed an issue with the fuel filter. Once she addressed the niggles, the E21 ran as it should, and with faith in the car restored, she knew it’d be a good base to start a full restoration on.
Working at Kustom Kolors meant that most aspects of the restoration could take place in-house, bar the interior work and engine tuning. This meant she got to do a lot of the work herself, along with the rest of the team at Kustom Kolors. Picking a colour was Lucy’s hardest decision. With a couple of colours in mind (metallic greys, to deep metallic reds, to metallic browns). The grey was too boring, the red would clash with the all-red rear lights she wanted, and the brown was too common, she stated. Colin at Kustom Kolors found a Xirallic Pearl which she initially thought looked too purple, but being a painter, Colin had a gut feeling that it would work, so he sprayed out a test panel to try and change her mind. It’s safe to say she fell in love with it straight away, and the decision was made!
Like any 80’s BMW, Lucy’s E21 needed a fair amount of fabrication work to bring it back to life. Once the car was solid, she decided on some subtle changes for the exterior, including the removal of all locks, extending the height of the stock front spoiler, and turning the rear light clusters completely red for a ‘US spec’ look. To bring the car together, she opted for a set of 15x8.5j BBS RM wheels, with gold centres. These are mounted with 185/45/15 tyres all round, and certainly look at home on the E21.
Inside the cockpit, you’ll notice that it has had the luxury of a full interior re-trim and the addition of Recaro front seats, thanks to the guys at Trim Deluxe. Lucy was a big fan of Harris Tweed, so Trim Deluxe ordered a few samples and one in particular caught her eye straight away. The centres of the seats and door panels were trimmed in this, whilst a darker tweed was sourced for the outers to add some contrast. Then, of course, Lucy added a deep dish Nardi wooden steering wheel. “You just cannot find a more beautiful steering wheel” Lucy says. Would it even be a classic build without one?
Getting the car sitting right was a top priority. Lucy had already decided that she wanted air suspension… “I love that I can air out when I park and drive the car higher so I don’t damage it - I can’t think of anything worse than damaging something I love” she mentions. So, the first job with the suspension overhaul involved a chassis notch, as the E21’s stock sump was sitting too low. Alex Taylor came in and did the welding work… resulting in the engine sitting a little higher and safer from potential damage. The air suspension was built up using a custom front setup - coilovers mounted with custom triple bellow bags, which have an impressive lift capability. The rear uses universal chapman air shocks, and everything is then controlled with an Air Lift 3P management system.
Being a mechanic, Lucy became rather absorbed with the engine and running gear. The original engine was swapped out, and another installed consisting of a large bored E30 318is head (brand new from BMW), which had been skimmed, ported, polished, and all the injector seals blanked ready for carbs. The engine was rebuilt using a Shrick 316 camshaft, valves, and valve springs. Plus, uprated rockers, standard bottom end with baffled sump and an uprated oil pump. You’ll also notice twin 45 Webbers and a custom built 4-branch manifold in the bay. But wait, there’s more… an E30 325i Sport clutch was fitted along with a BMW 2002 lightened & balanced flywheel, Mocal oil filter sandwich plate for Mocal oil cooler, modified dizzy, OBP catch can with K&N filter and magnetic sump bung (supplied by Hack Engineering), Cometic head gasket (as the original had blown), and an ARP head stud kit. The engine was finally set up and dyno’d at 180HP.
Clearly, Lucy’s E21 has been fully rebuilt from the ground up. This isn’t just an ‘air and wheels’ build, so many hours have been put into creating the complete package. The workmanship is truly outstanding, it’s a credit to Lucy and the OCD she has towards cars. Naturally, the 316 is always evolving, and her “massive wishlist” continues to grow, which we’ve been told includes a 123/BMW-4-R-V dizzy, 16” BBS RS wheels, a Wilwood front & rear brake setup, new exhaust from manifold back (as hers is unbearable on a long drive), an LSD, and possibly a smaller cam. It’s great to see that she hasn’t lost the love for the car, even though she’s owned it for many years. Right now, she’s busy working on her latest purchase, an E46 330ci Sport daily driver, but we’re sure that she’ll be back tinkering with the E21 very soon.
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Our friends at Kustom Kolors built their latest demo car which was finished just in time for the trip, a BMW E34 540i Touring, which we made the journey in. It's running Air Lift Performance / BAGS by OCD suspension, widened ACS Type 2 wheels, complete re-trim in red leather, full repaint, and custom rear arches... plus much more. The car is an absolute beast, and made the 1000-mile / 15-hour journey in one hit, faultlessly.
If you're taking a car to Wörthersee, one thing you'll find yourself doing multiple times throughout the trip is trying to keep it clean. Luckily there are numerous petrol stations with outside jet wash facilities in the area, although due to the amount of people wanting to do the same thing, you'll have to get used to queueing, too! After driving solid for 1000 miles, the 540i was certainly in need of a proper wash ready for the day and XS Carnight event later in the evening. We got to work with our care package from Meguiar's UK - our go-to car care products.
XS Carnight announced their second edition of the Wörthersee event, held at an indoor exhibition centre in Klagenfurt, situated just the other side of the lake from Velden (a 15 minute drive), although we stayed in Klagenfurt that night to make things easier as it's a late finish. XS are known to put on some of the best shows in the stance scene, and, let me tell you... they didn't disappoint. We were totally amazed by the sheer size of the event, let alone the amount of people in attendance. We think the numbers were around 10,000 visitors! Absolutely astounding. Plus, the quality of the vehicles was another level compared to what we're used to in the UK. With years of experience putting on events, the XS team clearly know what they're doing and what people want.
You can spend your time in Wörthersee however you want, but most people enjoy attending local 'meets' put on by various car groups and brands in the surrounding area. As social media is king nowadays, it's best to keep an eye on it throughout your stay to see who announces a last-minute meet. Our friends at ILB Drivers Club decided to hold their first meet half-way up the Villacher Alpenstraße, a scenic mountain pass, so, of course, we used the opportunity to have a look and also enjoy the sights of the mountain road. Unfortunately, it started raining as we arrived, but still managed to enjoy many gorgeous cars.
Our third day in Austria called for a host of meets, starting with Swissbox meet which is famous for being the biggest meet at Wörthersee. This year they changed their location to a Camp Site on another lake just a little further up from Velden. Once again they packed out the location with a huge selection of cars.
Later that evening, we heard that the XS Mag guys were also putting on a meet in a retail park in Klagenfurt... a quick 15-minute blast and we were there. We managed an hour or so, before the local police decided to come and shut it down!
'Turbo Kurve' is a stretch of road outside of Camping Arneitz, host to a buffet restaurant with a huge car park opposite. Throughout Wörthersee, the car park is turned into another modified car destination, with people coming and going throughout the day, every day. It's a great spot to park up at and have a wander to see some cars, and to grab some food. People tend to sit up and watch the cars drive up and down the 'Turbo Kurve', hoping for some burnouts and anti-lag.. although the police are pretty hot on it nowadays. It's the place to be when darkness falls if you're looking for antisocial behaviour!
For our last evening of the trip, we decided to head back to Velden to check out the cars once again. With most people on a similar time scale as us, getting ready to essentially leave, the town was packed, and the busiest we'd seen it.
Find more photos from our Wörthersee Tour on our Instagram page - @slamsanctuary
]]>'Chilled' is probably the best word to describe how the morning panned out, and that means it was a success. We added some touches, including great coffee, plenty of breakfast food, a DJ, and prizes. We couldn't have done it without the support of our sponsors, so big thanks to The Wheel Specialist Fareham, Air Lift Performance UK, Rotiform UK, Car Audio & Security, Kustom Kolors, Meguiar's UK, Attitude Cycles, Players Shows, Studio Incar, and Jimmy's Iced Coffee.
So, are we planning to do another one? Hell yes! Keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, check out our highlights from the event:
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The evening started off with a selection of cars on display alongside the park entrance, in addition to numerous cars that turned up on the road outside, too, surrounding the local area! The weather worked out absolutely perfectly, giving us an awesome sunset, which made the evening even better, so, before the action started in the park, there was an hour or two for people to check out the cars before heading indoors.
We also launched our collaboration t-shirt with the one and only Profile Racing. You can buy it online HERE
Photography by Paul Taylor
We ran the bmx and skateboarding jam side-by-side, splitting up the park into sections. This worked well and everyone had a proper chance to ride and skate. Thanks to our sponsors, we had some awesome prizes to giveaway from Profile Racing, Meguiar's UK, Jimmy's Iced Coffee, Hot Mank Skateboard Co, 608 Skateshop, Entity BMX, and of course lots of clothing from ourselves! We even had DJ Specifik of B-Line Recordings on the decks, dropping old-school funky hip-hop all night long. Here's some of the highlights...
BMX Highlights by SteevCVM
Spring Jam was a massive success! We'd like to thank Prevail and all of the event sponsors for helping us put on such a cool event. And of course everyone that stopped by to check it out. We hope you had as much fun as we did. Until the next one!
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FittedUK is one of the biggest indoor shows in the United Kingdom. We can always expect a huge turnout with a very varied selection of cars, with 2018 being just that! All the vehicles on display are pre-approved by the show organisers who have done a great job, highlighting cars to cater for all automotive enthusiasts in one place. We love FittedUK for this, and for the sheer size of the venue, Eventcity, which is located adjacent to Trafford Park, one of the UK’s biggest shopping malls. This means there’s plenty to do over the weekend. With cars even venturing over from Europe, FittedUK remains one of the top UK car show highlights of the year and we wouldn’t miss it. This time we also managed to display our best all-BMW booth, ever! Make sure you scroll down right to the end to see!
Marcel Bäumer’s Mercedes-Benz W108 280SE on Air Lift suspension
@baeumers
Alex Steff’s static BMW E9 on Style5’s
@qualitatief
Bespoke Cars' Porsche 993 RWB
@bespokecarsuk
Josh Gresswell’s Honda Accord (gen1) on SSR Mk3 / Techno Racing wheels
@joshwaa___
Jake McEwan's Volkswagen Mk2 Golf GTI on custom Bottle Top splits
@jake_mcewan
'86 Renault Turbo 2
Gursh Chohan’s BMW E30 ‘vert on Air Lift suspension & custom 3pc Alpina’s
@g_e30
Edward Johnston’s wide-body BMW E36 Touring w/S50 M3 conversion, Air Lift suspension & custom BMW Style32 splits
@edward_e36
Robert Cumberbatch’s Hillman Imp on Air Lift suspension & Gotti’s
@robertiain
Daniel Beckwith's Volkswagen Mk3 Golf on AccuAir / Air Ride System suspension & Carline CM6's
@dannyb2812
Shannon Kiely’s Vauxhall Corsa D on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS'
@shannonmkiely
Stuart Gray's Audi B5 RS4 on Air Lift suspension & BBS E88's
@kic_stu
Limebug’s bagged ’51 Tempo Matador RHD on custom split Smoothies
@limebugvw
Jake Kitching’s Volkswagen Mk2 Golf on BBS E50’s
@jake_kitching
Az Riz’s BMW E92 330d on Air Lift / AccuAir suspension & WORK VS-XX’s
@azriz
Tom Healey’s Mk2 Golf on Air Lift / BAGS by OCD suspension & BBS RS’
@texastom_lowcollective
Pennzoil Nissan Skyline R33
@garagelunacy
Barry Warren's Volkswagen Mk7 Golf R on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS'
@vwbaz
Jonatan Vivas' Audi A1 on Air Lift suspension & Artec Turbo's
@jonatanvivas
Brandon's Mk1 Caddy on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform SEA's
@25_brandon
Players Show’s 1950 Ford F1 on Air Lift suspension
@players_shows
Steve Fraser's Audi TTRS on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform OZT's
@s30bmx
Jamie Warnes' Honda Integra DC5 on AirForce suspension & OZ Futura's
@jamie__dc5
James Olley's Pandem-kitted Porsche Cayman S on Air Lift suspension & B-Star wheels
@pandemshift
Jay Spendlove's '74 Honda Civic RS
@jayspendlove
Jack Royston’s ’71 VW Type 3 Notchback on Air Lift suspension & BBS E30’s
@notchjack
Ben Hodgson’s BMW E28 M535i on Air Lift / Airforce suspension & Gotti’s
@e28_b.hodg
Alexandre Galeotti’s BMW E30 on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS’
@e30_bggd
Lee Curtis’ BMW E24 635CSI on BAGS by OCD / Air Lift suspension & BBS RS’
@lee_slamsanctuary
Ben Anson’s M50-swapped BMW E21 on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS'
@bm_bean
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CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE EVENT INFO & APPLICATION FORM
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Come and join us for the Slam Sanctuary Spring Jam! We're bringing together the local BMX and Skateboarding communities for an unmissable evening event at Prevail, one of the south coast's biggest indoor skate parks. The event is open to all BMX riders, skateboarders, and anyone who just wants to come and hang out!
Prevail Skatehouse
65-67 Ringwood Rd, Poole, Dorset, BH14 0RG
Saturday 30th March 2019
18:00-23:00
£10 to ride or skate
Spectators FREE
Comps & Prizes
BMX and skateboarding competitions going on throughout the evening. Win prizes from ourselves and sponsors, including... Profile Racing, Entity BMX shop, Prevail, 608 Skate shop, Hotmank, Meguiar's & Jimmy's Iced Coffee!
Car Display
A curated selection of stanced vehicles, at 6pm.
Food & Drink
Burgers & hot dogs available at Cafe Caballero onsite.
Licensed Bar
Eight Arch Brewing Company will be offering their local craft beer on tap to anyone 18+ not riding or skating (unless you want to grab a pint after your session).
Onsite Barber
Haircuts from £12 by Josh Foxxs of Gentleman & Rogues Club.
Pop-Up Store
All our latest merch available for sale
Old School Hip-Hop
The best tunes playing all night by DJ Specifik of B-Line Recordings
Last July we returned to Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire for the latest offering of SlammedUK’s ‘Gravity’ automotive event, which promised to offer a huge mixture of modified show cars from all over the UK and Europe. It’s safe to say that the team did not disappoint, growing the show with an additional indoor hall, housing even more cool cars to ponder over. One thing’s for sure, Gravity had it all, from low-end, to super high-end cars, and all done with taste. This meant that there was something for every enthusiast to enjoy. Take a look at our highlights from the day... PS, we wanna say a huge thanks to everyone that popped by our Store in the new hall, your support means everything!
The 'Motor City' t-shirt modelled by @readman_
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The 635CSI has always been one of our all-time favourite classic BMW’s here at Slam Sanctuary. I had an Alpine White example myself during the early days, until I decided to sell it in order to invest further into the business - this actually allowed me to start building the apparel side of Slam Sanctuary which, over time, has become our primary focus. Even though I don’t regret selling it, I’ve still never missed a car as much as that one. There’s something about the E24, it’s just a ‘cool’ car. I mean, all you have to do is look at it. Stock or modified, It’s a car that anyone will appreciate, even if they’re not interested in cars - the big sharknose coupe will always get a thumbs up wherever it goes. So, let’s rewind to September 2017, when I received a text message from Lee, the other half of Slam Sanctuary… I believe his words were “Guess what I’ve bought?”. “Oh dear” was my initial reaction, as, knowing him, it could’ve been absolutely anything. But when he continued to tell me it was a 635CSI, my jaw dropped. A particular car sprung to mind, as we’d recently been made aware of an E24 sitting around at our local BMW specialist’s shop.
It was indeed that same car, a 1987 build in Diamantschwarz Metallic, with this particular model being produced during the E24’s ‘switchover’ period, when BMW changed their chrome bumper design to the later ‘Highline’ plastic bumper cars. It’s also a Shadow Line spec’d car, which means all the chrome bumpers and surrounds are blacked from factory, making this shark rather unusual from the norm (not that these cars are common, anyway!). This was a definite selling point for Lee. However, the state of the car was another story. Our local BMW mechanic bought the car a few years ago (this was actually whilst I owned my Alpine White car), drove it from Brighton to Poole, once, and parked it up in his unit. During this time, the car was pretty much stripped apart with the aim of fully restoring it, which he never got round to doing. So, Lee did a deal and ended up taking on the huge project. Oh, and it didn’t even run. Getting to grips with someone else’s project is never an easy task, so a stressful Winter was on the cards…
Lee’s vision for the big coupe was to put together the cleanest 635CSI he could, keeping the majority of the car as stock as possible, apart from the suspension, wheels, and a couple of interior upgrades. He knew that a car like this didn’t need to be over-the-top, and the results prove that. But if you think this is merely a ‘bags and wheels’ build, you’d be wrong. The further and further Lee investigated, the worse the condition of the car became. It was clearly a lot more than he had planned to take on, but it didn’t stop him, he was wholeheartedly determined to save the car… It was time to call in the assistance of our friends at Kustom Kolors, our go-to bodyshop, who know a thing or two about restoration. It was decided that the car would get a full respray, and no shortcuts would be made to make the car look as good as possible. Lee was clear about wanting to keep the car black, but Colin at Kustom Kolors suggested going for something a bit special, finally deciding on BMW Rubinschwarz Metallic for the new colour, which has a lovely ruby red sparkle to it under sunlight. A deadline was set to drive the car to Wörthersee 2018 to make its debut - which, at the time, seemed like wishful thinking.
The car spent the Winter months at Kustom Kolors, with work taking place whenever they had a spare minute. As time went by, more and more issues appeared. Major welding to the roof/sunroof, rear arches, notorious front wings, and the front clip took place in-house to get the car back to factory spec. It was also decided that the car would be taken back to bare metal to allow for the best possible paint job, as multiple layers of paint were discovered during the tear-down process. The project turned into an extensive group effort, with Kustom Kolors, ourselves, and a few good friends getting involved and getting their hands dirty to ensure we made our deadline. As the car wasn’t running, various electrical faults were found and rectified. Plus, unsure of when the car was last driven properly, the M30B35 motor was given a complete service with new belts, the cooling system was overhauled, along with a brake fluid flush and new lines. Remember that the car purchased as a non-runner, so Lee wanted to make sure the car would be as reliable as possible on it’s maiden voyage to Wörthersee… only a 2000+ mile round trip, no biggie!
Whilst the car was undergoing extensive surgery at Kustom Kolors, meanwhile me and Lee had moved the interior into my garage ready to undergo a refresh. Luckily the car came with a Sport interior from factory, and although the leather was in really good condition for its age, it was full beige, which Lee absolutely hated. With little funds left for a re-trim, we decided to try our hands at dying the original leather. Choosing the colour wasn’t a straightforward task, we looked at several variants of red, but Lee eventually decided on a chocolate brown, and ordered a colour-change kit from Furniture Clinic. This ended up taking far, far, longer than we had anticipated, and I’ll say that, if you’re thinking of dying yours, you need to be 100% dedicated! It really was a labour of love... there is a ton of prep work involved and the seats had to be completely dissembled. The dye kit allowed us to change the colour of all the leather seats, as well as the door cards and plastic trims. The results are pretty phenomenal for not much money, even if we did sacrifice a lifetime in labour.
The chocolate interior looks right at home amidst the black paint work, and blissfully period-correct. If you didn’t know it was dyed, you’d think it was original, and that’s exactly what Lee was going for. A light brown Nardi Classic steering wheel was added (along with genuine Nardi boss) to further contrast everything, and the headlining & parcel shelf were transformed from the original beige to black alcantara (thanks to Rawhide Upholstery). The grubby beige carpets were also dyed black to finish off the cockpit renewal. A new Bluetooth/DAB headunit along with new OE-spec speakers were then added to make the upcoming road trip to Wörthersee more enjoyable.
After we featured Jan-Eric Géugis’ stunning 635CSI last year, Lee knew that he wanted his car sitting fairly similarly… bagged and with perfect fitment. So, having recently installed an Only Charged Dubs ‘BAGS by OCD’ BC Racing conversion pack on my E38 740i, we opted to go down the same route with the 635CSI. Lee purchased a brand new set of E24-specific BC Racing coilovers which fit directly to the car (after some basic cutting and welding to the original McPherson struts). The BAGS by OCD air bags were then ordered to replace the BC springs, turning the coilovers into fully adjustable air struts, with minimal effort. Once installed by Kustom Kolors, the appropriate time was spent to adjust the height of these, allowing a perfect arch-to lip fitment on ‘air-out’ as well as a comfortable driving height. We wanted the air ride to be as reliable as possible, so, of course, Lee opted for an Air Lift Performance 3P management system, with dual black VIAIR 444c compressors and a 4-gallon tank.
Moving on to possibly the most important part of the build, the wheels… They say ‘wheels make the car’, a statement we fully agree with. Unfortunately, with the deadline for Wörthersee getting ever closer, and Lee’s wallet becoming lighter and lighter thanks to all the unexpected issues the car was throwing at him, he was left with no wheels to complete the project. His initial idea was to get some custom one-off wheels produced, but having now completely ran out of time and budget, he had to re-think the situation. This is where our longtime friend, Joey Hazell, came to the rescue. Having previously built a set of 17-18” stepped-up BBS RS 302’s for his E36, he very kindly loaned Lee the wheels for the majority of the 2018 show season. Find yourself a mate that will let you drive his RS’ to Wörthersee and back… what a guy! The specs are 18x9.5j ET22 up front and 18x10.5j ET10 at the rear, although ideal for an E36, they were a little off for the E24, but Lee rectified this with spacers all round (25mm fronts, 15mm rears). New Nankang NS20 rubber was fitted too, with 225/35/18’s up front and 245/35/18’s on the rear, offering just enough stretch for perfect fitment, without being over-the-top.
Let’s get back to the bodywork. Kustom Kolors worked their magic restoring the 635CSI to its factory condition, so, next it was time for Lee to decide on several finishing touches. Luckily a few spares, including some new trim pieces, came with the car when it was purchased, but there were still plenty of parts to either buy brand new from BMW that had been lost or not included, and other parts which were no longer available new. This resulted in numerous trips to classic BMW breakers, hunting for all sorts. As a result, Lee spent a small fortune collecting new and old trim pieces - if you’ve ever restored a classic car before, you’ll understand! Lee made the wise decision of keeping the car Shadow Line, but decided to add chrome front grill surrounds and kidneys, which completely make the front end of the car pop, and show-off that iconic sharknose shape. Brand new amber indicator lenses were also installed to bring this together.
With just a couple of days left to spare before our road trip to Wörthersee, everyone involved worked their butts off to get the car done. Lee barely had a chance to drive the car around locally before he found himself on the first real test for the previously non-running car, a 2000+ mile road trip. Amazingly, the car made it there and back with no hiccups and gave us the road trip of a lifetime. Naturally, it made perfect sense to shoot the feature along the iconic alpine road, Villacher Alpenstraße, just outside of Velden.
After plenty of nerve-racking moments, Lee’s vision ultimately turned into a car that is even better than what he was hoping for. There’s no doubt, that this is one of the coolest cars of 2018, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to promote Slam Sanctuary with such a badass project. Nonetheless, like any modified car, the build hasn’t ended here… there’s still plenty left to do this Winter to get ready for 2019, including a new set of wheels. Unsurprisingly, Lee is now 100% set on sticking to BBS RS’. Like everyone said, once you fit them, you won’t want anything else - they just work on everything. Rather than building another set of 17-18” wheels, he wants to go for a 16-18” setup using slant lips, which should look even more impressive! Furthermore, there’s still plenty of work to do behind the scenes, including a new exhaust system and a few maintenance issues. We can’t wait to get it back out.
We started with Lee's BMW 635CSI... After the 2-hour drive up to Meguiar's HQ, a full wash was required before we could get started inside the bay, Dale recommends using the Ultimate Wash & Wax shampoo.
The wheels were given a thorough cleaning with Ultimate Wheel Cleaner - applied to dry wheels and then rinsed.
Next step was to get the car into the detailing bay and dry it using Supreme Drying Towel's.
With the car completely dry, Dale set up the DA Microfibre system.
The first step is to use the Correction Compound with Microfibre cutting pad to restore clarity to the paint. Dale showed us the various techniques on using the machine.
The second stage of the DA process uses Finishing Wax with a Microfibre Finishing Pad - this enhances the gloss and protects the paint.
Of course, we all had to get involved!
With a few hours spent on the DA process, we moved to the finishing touches, starting with Perfect Clarity Glass Cleaner to bring more shine to the windows.
Endurance Tire Gel was then used to make the tyres pop - Dale told us that this can be used for either a satin finish, or glossy finish (by adding a second coat). It's super important to make sure the tyres are clean and dry before this is applied, to avoid sling.
Clearly, the results speak for themselves. The car looked absolutely incredible!
With the E21 previously polished (and already protected), Dale took us through the best method of cleaning the car on arrival to a car show. Possibly the best-ever invention for this is Meguiar's Ultimate Waterless Wash & Wax Anywhere. Yep, no need for water and it won't damage your paint. This is applied over the car in a similar fashion as you would apply quick detailer. We now swear by this and use it at every event we attend.
Next, Mirror Bright Detailer and a finishing cloth were used, the perfect combination to enhance gloss and leave a streak-free finish.
And last but not least, we broke out the Endurance Tire Gel once again for that perfect sheen.
We had an awesome time in the bay, Dale is so full of knowledge which meant that we learned so much about how to professionally clean the cars. This was an experience that will certainly stick with us forever.
We aren't the only ones who are lucky enough to have our day in the bay... Meguiar's and Dale actually welcome anyone to spend a day with them and learn how to DA your car. If you have something cool, just drop an email to dmasterman@meguiars.com and they will try to fit you in.
You'll also notice that we've introduced a new website... Yeah, we've finally merged our blog and store as one, meaning you no longer need to visit the old store URL to get your shop on. You can finally create your own customer account and keep track of your orders, addresses, etc, too.
We hope you enjoy this collection as much as we did creating it. Scroll down for our behind-the-scenes video and photos from the first lookbook shoot...
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As usual, all our t-shirts are printed in the UK and of the highest quality. Check out our video and photos during the screen printing process of the Air Lift tee...
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Last year, I made my way to Wrocław for the first time. Why? Well, the biggest stance event to hit Europe takes place in Poland. 2017’s show completely blew my mind, within the first few minutes of being there I knew I’d be returning in 2018. It’s an experience that will completely change your mindset into what a car show should be. So, after a mere two-hour flight from Stansted to Wrocław, I was ready to experience this year’s even bigger Raceism, which has now grown into a three-day event. Not only is it the biggest event in its class, it’s also the highest quality. It’s turned into such a prestigious event in the stance and modified scene, that enthusiasts travel from all over Europe, (as far as Russia!) to show their cars at this incredible spectacle. Wrocław stadium is transformed into what can only be explained as a “stance paradise”, taking place on the hard-standing outer area of the stadium, with cars scattered around as the owners wish to park them. There’s none of the strict parking in rows, which is so common to most car shows – quite frankly, I’m bored of that. Raceism let’s you experience the cars in a much more enjoyable way. Whilst previous year’s events only managed to fill up to half the exterior of the stadium, this year it’s finally grown to occupy the entire perimeter, which means you can actually walk around the whole stadium.
The addition of new branding and an insanely huge poster as the backdrop on the stadium, featuring this year’s Raceism promo vehicle (a BMW M4 with a badass wide arch kit designed by Khyzyl Saleem), was the perfect touch, along with several blue shipping containers making up the stage area. All this was visible on the walk into the venue, which gave me goosebumps – I knew I was about to have my mind blown before I had even stepped into the event! Add some international judges, live music acts, breakdancing competitions, and great tunes throughout the day, the atmosphere was perfect. And of course, the drifting. How can I forget the drifting… Organised by Next Level Drift, you can watch drift teams take to the self-constructed track on one side of the venue throughout the whole weekend. Everyone involved seemed to give no fucks, either – it’s so much fun to witness. More of this further into the article.
This was one of those shows where I just wanted to photograph everything, hence once of our longest write ups ever. Enjoy our coverage and don’t forget to check out the Bonus Gallery at the bottom for even more quality cars.
Edelweiss Customs’ Ferrari 250GTO replica on AccuAir suspension & Rotiform DNO’s
Sebastien Polit’s static Dodge Viper GTS on Rotiform ROC’s
Kerstin Kreis’ BMW Z4 on Air Lift / HP Drivetech suspension & BBS RS’
Christian Ammer’s Porsche 964 RWB on AccuAir suspension & Messer ME15-3’s
Andi Schoba’s BMW E36 on K-Sport air suspension & custom BBS RC’s
Mike Laszkiewicz’s static BMW M4 on Rotiform 917’s
Wide arch kit designed by Khyzyl Saleem & built by Maxton Design
@goodchubby / @the_kyza / @maxtondesign
Frode Dale’s BMW F80 M3 on Air Lift suspension & OZ Futura’s
Moritz Enderle’s Porsche 997 on AirREX / AccuAir suspension & RAD48 RSI’s
Simon Bauer’s Porsche 964 on H&R suspension & WORK Meister’s
Michael Fett’s BMW E46 Touring on TA-Technix air suspension & BBS RC300’s
Martin Weiß’s Audi R8 V10 on KW suspension & custom OZ Mae / Super Futura’s by MACHEINS
Cool-Tints’ BMW E30 w/Rocket Bunny kit, AccuAir suspension & Messer ME16-3’s
Maxklusiv Carworks’ BMW i8 on G-Ride / AirREX suspension & mbDESIGN KV3.3’s
Alex von Ostrowski’s bagged Mercedes-Benz W111 280SE on RAD48 BR’s
Daniel Braconier’s BMW E46 M3 CSL on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS2’s
Piotr Mrozowski’s bagged BMW E34 on custom M-System’s
Vincenc Lang’s BMW E36 on Air Lift suspension & CST Hyper Zero’s
Marco Prochaska’s bagged Audi 80 cabriolet on BBS RS’
Mario Mattick’s Mercedes-Benz SL500 on AccuAir suspension & RAD48 ZR’s
Rudi Johne’s BMW E31 840ci on AccuAir suspension & RAD48 RUD’s
Tobias Lampinen’s bagged BMW E38 740i on custom M-System Throwing Stars
Olli Grimme’s BMW 2002 on AccuAir suspension & BBS E50 centrelocks
Jiří Flexa’s BMW E38 on Air Lift suspension & custom Style32’s
Maximilian Ernst’s BMW E23 on WCP / Airforce suspension & BBS RS’
Mariusz Michalski’s bagged Pontiac Fiero GT on Kerscher New Star’s
Sebastian Scherb’s Porsche 964 RWB on Rotiform 917’s
Christoph’s BMW F11 Touring on HP Drivetech suspension & Rotiform LAS-R’s
Phil’s supercharged BMW E92 M3 on KW suspension & BBS RS2’s
Alex Bachmann’s BMW E24 635CSI on Air Lift suspension & custom TRX’s
Michał Erpel’s Peugeout 205
Ed Fxyz’s BMW E63 on HP Drivetech / Air Lift suspension & 3SDM 3.41’s
Gabriel Hardwood’s BMW E36 on Air Lift suspension & BBS E50’s
Mattias Levin’s bagged BMW E61 Touring on ACS Type 2’s
BaggedParts’ BMW E38 on K-Sport / AccuAir suspension & Hamann PG1’s
Nick Werner’s BMW E38 on K-Sport air suspension & Speedline Mistral’s
Christian Reichhart’s Volkswagen Mk2 Golf GTI on AccuAir suspension & RAD48 RSI’s
Evgeny Ivanov’s static Porsche 997 on BC Racing suspension & WORK Emotion CR’s
Ju Scha’s BMW E91 Touring on AccuAir suspension & Vossen LC-2 C1’s
Alex Steff’s static BMW E9 on Style5’s
Lexy Roxx’s Liberty Walk Lamborghini Huracan on AccuAir suspension & R3 H6’s
Bremi Grabowski’s bagged Audi Mk1 TT on BBS RS’
Chris’ Audi Allroad on Air Lift suspension & WatercooledIND JB1’s
Michael Königshofer’s BMW E24 M635CSI on Air Lift suspension & custom BMW wheels
Alexander Richter’s BMW F06 M6 Grand Coupe on Air Lift / AirREX suspension & LX-FELGEN LXVT4’s
Mateusz Karwowski’s static BMW E28 on BBS RF’s
Cezary Piechowicz’s bagged Mazda RX7 FC on BBS RS’
Yourboxe’s Nissan S14A on Air Lift suspension & WORK Emotion’s
Whilst the main stance event takes place, the drift spectacle goes on simultaneously. Organised by Don Musk and ‘Next Level Drift”, this is proper hardcore, raw drifting on a make-shift track built on the stadium’s car park. However, that doesn’t mean it’s full of typical beater drift cars, the Polish guys take things to the Next Level. Wide body E46 M3’s, V8 E30’s, S50 E28’s, E38 740i’s, all stanced and on split rims… This makes for the most visual pleasing drift experience ever. Well, I’ll let the photos do the rest of the talking…
Kacper Knapkiewicz & Don Musk’s BMW E46 M3’s
Dima Teslenko’s M60B40 V8-swapped BMW E30 on BBS RS’
Mlodydrft’s S50B30-swapped BMW E30
Łukasz Szymborski’s BMW E28
Raceism continues to break the boundaries in the stance community. With fans flying in from all over the world (I met Americans and South Africans!), clearly, Adrian and the team behind the event are doing something right. I think I said the same thing last year, but it’s still valid… If you have to do just one car show a year, make sure it’s Raceism. You will not be disappointed. I can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves for 2019, I’m expecting great things. Thanks for having us!
Players Classic, it’s got to be one of the most anticipated car events on the calendar, and for good reason… Take the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit, fill it with the best modified cars from the UK and Europe, add some incredible sponsors, traders, entertainment, and of course great people, and the results speak for themselves. Players Classic has that chilled vibe, crucial to the success of a car show. This year, Jay, Carl, and the rest of the team behind Players decided to take things a step further and turn it into a two-day event. The idea was to make day one (the Saturday) a track day, with the usual pre-booked track cars taking to the circuit all day long, with a similar show car layout to previous years – imagine cars scattered around the grounds of Goodwood, it’s a pretty amazing sight. Day two (Sunday), saw the track taken over by show cars – which were parked all up and down the main straight – in a similar style to Goodwood’s own events, this was an awesome opportunity to actually see many more cars than you would have in past Players Classic shows. If you want to see variation, this is the place to be. Check out our highlights from this year’s event, and don’t forget the bonus gallery at the end!
James Dandridge’s 1948 Chevrolet pickup on AccuAir suspension
Lloyd Jackson’s 1950 Volkswagen Beetle
Denis Goleszny’s BMW E23 735ia on Air Lift / Airforce suspension & custom TRX wheels
Angus Munro’s Porsche 964 on Air Lift suspension & Verein Club Zero’s
Kenneth de Bock’s BMW E92 335i on AccuAir suspension & OZ Futura’s
Chris Phillips’ static Lexus IS200 on WORK Equip’s
KEAN Suspensions’ Ferrari 308 GTB on KEAN / AccuAir suspension & AL13 Heritage S20’s
Niall O’Dowd’s Porsche 993 on hydraulic suspension & BBS RS’
Matt Hollands’ BMW E38 on Air Lift suspension & WatercooledIND JB1’s
Connor Hollamby’s Mercedes-Benz W201 190E on Air Lift suspension & BBS RF’s
Rob Goodwin’s BMW E28 on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS’
Adam McPeake’s static BMW E28 on CAtuned suspension & BBS RS’
Joe P’e’s VW T25 pickup on hydraulic suspension & Rotiform CCV’s
Josh Gresswell’s Honda Accord (gen1) on SSR Mk3 / Techno Racing wheels
Christian Ammer’s Porsche 964 RWB on AccuAir suspension & Messer ME15-3’s
Jordan Saunders’ Mazda RX7 on AirREX / Air Lift suspension & SSR Professor’s
Harvey Howe’s BMW E82 on Air Lift suspension & WORK Equip’s
Haps Gill’s Volkswagen Mk7 Golf R on Air Lift suspension & CCW LM5T’s
Gursh Chohan’s BMW E30 ‘vert on Air Lift suspension & custom 3pc Alpina’s
Tristan Holmes’ Jaguar XKR on Air Lift / BAGS by OCD suspension & Weds Kranze Bazreia’s
Meguiar’s UK’s Datsun Sunny pickup on Air Lift suspension
Carlos Gomez’ BMW E36 on Air Lift suspension & OZ Futura’s
Tim Tremlett’s Nissan S15 on Air Lift suspension & 7Twenty Style 49’s
Alex Douglas’ Toyota JZX100 Chaser on Air Lift suspension & Weds Cerberus II’s
Nick Pritchard’s BMW F81 M3 Touring on KW suspension & 6Sixty Crypto’s
Oshe Design’s Porsche 911
Conor Auld’s BMW E34 525i Sport on Air Lift suspension & ACS Type2’s
Mikel Roe’s Honda S2000 on AccuAir suspension & BBS RS’
Joseph Cummins’ static BMW E36 on WORK Equip’s
Ben Hodgson’s BMW E28 M535i on Air Lift / Airforce suspension & Gotti’s
Remco Gijzen’s Opel Kadett on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS’
Immi Hussain’s BMW E46 M3 ‘vert on Air Lift suspension & Carline CM6’s
Faye Collins’ Audi RS3 on ABP/AccuAir suspension & Rotiform HUR-T’s
Lukas’ BMW E34 540i/6 Touring on BC Racing suspension & ACS Type1’s
Lee Curtis’ BMW E24 635CSI on BAGS by OCD / Air Lift suspension & BBS RS’
Lucy Barlow’s BMW E21 on Air Lift suspension & BBS RM’s
Players Classic was the first ever show we attended back in 2013 as Slam Sanctuary – it’s amazing to see how much it has grown since then. All these years later, it still very much remains one of our favourite car events in the UK. The quantity/quality of cars, variation, and perfect setting would be very difficult for anyone to top. Combining so many aspects into two days has just made it even more enjoyable and accessible to everyone. Can we just go back every weekend?
Once you go to VW Days, you can’t help but go back every year for the foreseeable future. Last weekend was our third year at France’s premium modified car show, and, although it is a Volkswagen show, it’s started to attract fans of other marques. Why? It’s simple really, VW Days is one of the best weekend’s a car enthusiast can experience. Once you’ve crossed over from the UK into Calais, it’s just a quick drive (under two hours) down one toll road, into Saint-Quentin. You can choose to either camp onsite at the show, or stay in the nearby hotels in the heart of the town. We recommend taking a few friends and turning it into a long weekend / mini break. Every year we are blown away by the quality of cars on display and the chilled atmosphere. Held over two days, there’s plenty of time to see everything. So, here are our highlights from the weekend…
Matt Carter’s Audi A5 on AccuAir suspension & Asphalt Dreams x MACHEINS wheels
Marco Pereira’s Audi C7 A6 Avant on AccuAir suspension & Carline CM6’s
Florian Höck’s Porsche Cayman S on HP Drivetech / AccuAir suspension & Asphalt Dreams 5.Star Modern’s
Emir Taletovic’s BMW F80 M3 on Air Lift suspension & Vossen LC-108T’s
Jean Colaert’s Jaguar XJ300 on Air System FR suspension & WORK Equip 3-spoke’s
Joe P’e’s VW T25 pickup on hydraulic suspension & Rotiform CCV’s
Jak Johnston’s VW Mk1 Golf G40 on StillStatic/H&R suspension & Ronal Racing wheels
Jessy Morais’ bagged Volkswagen Mk2 Golf G60 on BBS RS
Stan Jalhay’s Volkswagen Mk2 Jetta on BBS E50.2’s
Tani Caglayan’s BMW F83 M4 on H&R suspension & Rotiform LAS-R’s
Joao Ferreira Reis’ Porsche 911 on OZ Futura’s
Connor Hollamby’s Mercedes-Benz W201 190E on Air Lift suspension & BBS RF’s
Johann Pasquier’s BMW E30 on Air Lift suspension & ACS Type 1’s
Olivier Bugskull’s ’65 Volkswagen Beetle
Benjamin Eddy Michel’s 1971 Volkswagen Beetle
Tiago Santos’ Volkswagen Mk3 Golf VR6 on Air Lift suspension & custom BBS RC041’s
Patrick Rodrigues’ Volkswagen Mk6 Golf R on HP Drivetech / Air Lift suspension & Rotiform YVR’s
Alexandre Galeotti’s BMW E30 on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS’
Florian Dmgt’s BMW E28 on A2K Air suspension & OZ Futura’s
HR Autoworks’ 1971 Volkswagen Type181 on custom air suspension & Radar wheels
Francois Karikari’s Volkswagen Mk2 Jetta on G.A.S / Mr Airride suspension & BBS RS’
Popof Vlad’s Porsche 964 on BBS RS
Mickael Marques’ Volkswagen Mk1 Golf on BBS E50’s
I know what you’re thinking… Yes, the quality of cars was indeed incredible, so you know you need to get it in your diary for next year – trust us, you won’t be disappointed! Furthermore, if you’re a fan of nightlife, then the onsite festivities are highly recommended by many, equally, if you decide to stay in a hotel, there’s plenty going on for the three nights surrounding the show. Regrettably, some Brits went a bit too far this year… let’s calm it down guys, we don’t want this show disappearing due to the stupidity of a select few. Again, thanks to Ilce and the organisers at VW Days for being so welcoming, see you next year!
We’ve been attending Retro Rides Gathering for years, which is known for its hill climb motorsport action at Prescott Hill, which then moved to Shelsley Walsh. Well, this year the guys at Retro Rides had something else in store for us… In addition to the usual Gathering, they’ve introduced a sister show, the Retro Rides Weekender, held at no other than the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit. We are huge fans of Goodwood, it’d be hard for any petrolhead not to be! Now, imagine the historical paddocks and grounds taken over by all sorts of weird and wacky classic cars. Retro Rides is where you go to see the biggest mixed bag of old cars, ever. Add the surroundings of Goodwood, and you’re onto a winner – this included Pre-selected paddock displays, point-to-point sprint track action, ‘guest’ vehicles, clubs, retro parking, food, and traders (including ourselves!). Just like the Gathering, Retro Rides Weekender did well to attract that unique blend of anything retro. We attended on the Saturday with our Pop-Up Store and took some photos of our highlights, enjoy…
Kieran Piper’s 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
Rolling Dice’s 1962 Chevrolet Impala on hydraulic suspension
1964 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon on hydraulic suspension
Robert Connolly’s 1976 Nissan Skyline
James Mean’s 1991 Honda NSX
Pipey McGraw’s BMW S65-swapped Jaguar E-Type
Wayne Greatrix’s LS-swapped BMW E30 M3 on KW suspension & Image wheels
Terry Holmes’ Judd Lola Tegra
Scott Paterson’s BMW E36 Touring on BC Racing suspension & M-system Turbine’s
Eden Cayless’ Volkswagen Type2 on Gotti’s
Ben Rees’ 1976 Toyota Celica GT on WORK Equip Spirit 11’s (front) & SSR Riverside R109’s (rear)
Dougie McColm’s Mercedes-Benz W108 280SE on Air Lift / Slam Specialities suspension
Rob Goodwin’s BMW E28 on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS’
Leroy Goddard-Fletcher’s bagged Mercedes-Benz W126 on custom Mercedes Intra splits
Fresh & Minty’s Honda Acty on hydraulic suspension
Lee Curtis’ BMW E24 635CSI on Air Lift / BAGS by OCD suspension & BBS RS’
Tristan Holmes’ Jaguar XKR on Air Lift / BAGS by OCD suspension & Weds Kranze Bazreia’s
Although we had to leave and run off to Early Edition, Sunday (day two) saw the historic Goodwood track taken over by club stands and cars parked all over it, we can only imagine that it must’ve been quite a sight! So, if you like what you see and missed the Weekender, the usual Retro Rides Gathering is back this year also, at Shelsley Walsh in Worcestershire on Sunday 19th August for more retro goodness. We highly recommend that you check it out. Visit retroridesgathering.com for more info.
At the end of 2017 I picked up a facelift BMW E38 740i Sport for myself… I was fully loving the car (which was already fitted with BC Racing coilovers), but a voice in the back of my head was constantly telling me that something this big and ‘VIP’ needed bagging. Being Air Lift dealers ourselves, I knew that there was no specific bolt-on kit available for the E38, however, after some discussion with our friends at Only Charged Dubs (OCD), they said they could offer a solution using their newly released ‘BAGS by OCD’ air bags – these are designed to directly fit specific BC Racing coilovers. The idea is simple… Replace the springs with their BAGS. This new product range means it’s super easy to bag any car that has a BC Racing coilover kit available, which is awesome news, because BC cater for a much bigger selection of vehicles than manufacturers of bolt-on air kits. With BAGS sorted, I was left to decide on a suitable digital management system to control the air suspension. In the past, I’ve used both Air Lift and AccuAir management systems, and I highly rate both of them… However, OCD have just introduced a new budget system to the market, KNTRL. It’s a pressure based system (like Air Lift’s AutoPilot V2 & 3P), but much more simplified, customizable, and affordable. Wanting to bag the E38 as cheaply as possible, I opted to give KNTRL a go.
I was keen to see how easy it was to install, so Matt and Holly from OCD traveled down to the South Coast to take us through the process of bagging my 740i. We had originally planned to do this all on my driveway, but it decided to snow on the weekend we had booked (typical Britain!), so luckily our pals at Kustom Kolors came to the rescue and lent us their workshop floor to get to work and to keep warm! We documented the whole process to show you how easy it is to DIY with a few friends on a weekend.
This is how the E38 looked on its BC Racing coilovers, prior to the air conversion.
For the BAGS by OCD conversion, we opted for single bellow BAGS up front and slim double bellows for the rear.
The KNTRL system controller is a nice and simple 3d-printed unit.
I wanted to keep all of the air management components in my spare wheel well, so we constructed everything onto a board to drop straight into the well. This contains the KNTRL manifold and ECU, dual VIAIR 444c compressors in black, and two Air Lift 2.5gallon tanks.
The first task was to install the 1/4″ air lines to each corner of the car and route them to the spare wheel well. It’s important to take your time and fix the lines as carefully as possible. If you have a ramp, it makes this task far easier.
With the air lines routed, it was time to start removing the suspension from the car… we decided to start with the front. Luckily we didn’t have to deal with original parts that are usually seized, as the suspension had been switched to the BC Racing coilovers not long ago.
With both front coilovers removed from the car, we had to dismantle them to remove the springs and replace with BAGS. The process of installing BAGS is a pretty simple one, almost too simple which can make you not quite trust it.
The key here is being clean and taking your time. Especially if you’re converting a BC Racing kit that has been installed as coilovers like we were here. Start by removing the top mount (on the majority of BC kits you will have camber adjustable top mounts), a centre nut will be holding the top mount tight and keeping the pillowball bearing secured.
From here you can remove the full top mount, splitting it from the steering bearing mount, which also secures to the top of the coil spring. The steering bearing isn’t needed for the BAGS conversion, so set this aside.
Next, remove the coil spring, dust boot and bump stop – these also won’t be needed. The next un-needed part will be the spring seat, use your BC Racing C-spanners to loosen this from it’s locking ring and unwind and remove from the damper, add this to the pile of parts no longer required.
The first main point not to miss, is that BC add an inspection sticker when testing each individual damper. It’s a thin white sticker on the top of the damper cartridge above the threads. If this is left on it can cause the BAGS internal o-ring seals to leak. Remove this sticker and clean any residue left off the damper body.
You’ll know be left with a pile of removed parts and a bare damper. Get to cleaning the threads well – a soft wire brush is great if you’ve been running on your existing BC coilovers to remove any road dirt. Then get in with parts or brake cleaner to completely remove any remaining dirt. It’s important to get the dampers looking as good as new.
Prepping for the BAGS conversion, using a multi-purpose grease, apply a thin covering to the smooth section above the threads, where the sticker was, and to the top few threads. Now mount the upper o-ring, which is supplied with the BAGS Conversion Pack, again applying a covering of grease.
The lower o-ring seals are pre-mounted inside the BAGS lower mount, ensure they are sat straight and that there’s no debris on them, then lower the BAGS over the damper until they reach the threads. Next, simply wind the BAGS to the damper threads, in the same way the spring seat would. You may find as the BAGS wind on more and more it gets tighter, this will be the airbag rubber stretching out as it seats at the top of the damper rod. Don’t worry, keep winding until the BAGS come to a solid stop. This is how you know it’s fully installed. You can then wind the existing spring seat lock ring back up and lock this to the airbag, preventing it from un-doing whilst being driven.
Also included in the BAGS Conversion Pack, is the pillowball support. This replaces the old steering bearing from the coilover kit, converting the top of the airbag to correctly mount and support the pillowball bearing.
The pillowball bearing will now also work for the steering, they can be tight, both from new and used, so some WD40 or lubrication can help loosen them off. If there’s play in your bearings then don’t worry, brand new bearings can also be supplied by Only Charged Dubs.
Re-mounting the camber top mount and installing the original top mount nut will secure everything back together. A lock nut is also supplied with the BAGS Conversion Pack. This again ensures the top mount nut stays tight and allows the pillowball bearing to turn without trying to loosen everything.
The final step is installing the nickel plated airline fittings (supplied with the Pack), these specific fittings do not require PTFE tape or paste. They come with o-rings installed – simply wind in tight by hand and nip with a spanner. Ideally pressure test the whole assembly off the vehicle to ensure you have no leaks, a little soapy water will be a perfect test.
Next it’s time to install back onto the vehicle and connect the air lines in. Re-assemble the hub and lower suspension components and the front is done.
From here you can adjust the static height of the suspension as you would of done with the coilover kit, adjusting the damper in the hub mount you can set the suspension strut and BAGS to reach their maximum drop, and at the same, point the suspension or wheel in arch stop. This ensures you can’t air out too far and also gives the maximum lift the dampers can offer.
With the front BAGS fitted, it was time to do the same with the rear setup. Of course, this meant removing most of the rear interior to gain access to the top of the strut towers. This did take some time as the E38 is so over-engineered like most big BMWs.
Like the fronts, start by removing the top centre nut, remove the top mount, coil spring, dust cover and bump stop. Undo the spring seat collar and locking collars, removing the spring seat collar. Clean all the damper threads and remember to peel that sticker off! Apply grease to the upper threads and smooth part of the damper body, install the upper o-ring and grease.
The slim double bellow BAGS are quite short, and some BC rear dampers have a large amount of travel. If you’re struggling to get the BAGS down to thread on, with some assistance compress the damper rod with the BAGS slid over, so they can be wound on easily. Be careful you don’t force them and risk cross threading. Once wound on, you can install the top mounts again. As the rears won’t be turning you won’t need any pillowball supports, so the BC rubber mounts straight on to the top of the BAGS isn’t an issue.
If your kit does have pillowball rear mounts, then just spec this when you order your BAGS. Fully re-assemble and tighten everything to BC specs.
Re-install to your vehicle and connect all suspension components back together. Again, check your static heights of the damper to the hub mount to ensure you get the best drop and lift results.
With the suspension all re-installed, we could move on to fit the KNTRL management package. As we had already mounted everything on to a board, it was a case of simply dropping this into the spare well well and wiring everything up accordingly.
KNTRL is a really simple management pack to install, only requiring an ignition live and earth for the ECU. Ideally, one not affected by the engine cranking. Testing the ignition source with a voltmeter, as we cranked the engine we found a wire not dropping below 8-9v. This prevents any delays when using the ‘rise on start’ function of KNTRL.
Joining the earth and ECU plug to manifold and pressure sensors completes the KNTRL install. We wired with dual Viair 444c pack in with an 8AWG main feed from the battery and strong earth point. Fusing the 8AWG wiring close to the battery with a 70A fuse. This feeds a power distribution block feeding 2 relays, 1 per compressor, with individual fuses and joining to each compressor. This prevents one faulty compressor blowing the full circuit.
A tank pressure switch is wired from ignition as well, before sending a signal to the relays to turn on once air tank pressure has dropped below the desired pressure. We then joined the controller USB cable to the ECU, routing to the cabin and joined the controller to the other end. Taping all wiring and securing to OE wiring along the way to ensure as neat as possible install. Powering up the ignition brought the controller and compressors to life. Allowing the compressors to complete a full cycle before operating the individual corners, testing the full lift and drop of the suspension.
We set the calibration of the pressure sensors, altered screen colours, adjusted corner speed and precision before setting preset ride heights up.
What can I say? After just two days of work, I couldn’t be happier with the result. The E38 finally looks as it should, and with presets set up on the KNTRL controller, I can now easily drive on a variation of heights and stay out of trouble. Once calibrated, the system is super simple to use and you can even adjust the speed it rises or drops, as well as the precision in doing so.
If you’re considering bagging your BMW E38 or another car which BC Racing coilovers are available for, get in touch with Only Charged Dubs, Bag Riders, or FS Projects for a quote and availability. Both complete BC Racing conversion kits are available (coilovers & BAGS) or just the BAGS themselves.
BMW E38 BAGS Conversion pack, ready to DIY install, with fittings and hardware required – £660 (this is what we opted for)
After the unveiling of Early Edition’s newfound venue last year, excitement was certainly in the air on the days leading up to what Edition38 call their ‘warm-up event’. Now held at Sywell Aerodrome (just around the corner from Edition38’s main show), the new venue has increased the capacity, making room for loads more show cars, traders, food & drink vendors, and with room to breathe. They even have a hangar featuring a selection of high-quality hand picked cars. With a banging soundtrack and absolutely perfect weather, the overall vibe was spot on and had everything that you’d expect from Edition38 and more. Although we were super busy throughout the day with our Pop-Up Store, we managed to get around the show and photograph a few cars that stood out, check out our highlights…
Jak Johnston’s VW Mk1 Golf G40 on StillStatic/H&R suspension & BBS E76’s
Mike Neck’s VW Mk2 Golf on BBS RF’s
Jack Royston’s ’71 VW Type 3 Notchback on Air Lift suspension & BBS E30’s
Jon Lawrence’s Audi B5 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform LAS-R’s
Matty Loveridge’s VW Mk1 Golf on Air Lift / AccuAir suspension & custom-built steel splits
Claire Billingham’s 1974 VW Beetle
Joe P’e’s VW T25 pickup on hydraulic suspension & Rotiform CCV’s
Chris Lodge’s 1957 VW Split on hydraulic suspension
Reflex Auto Design’s Old&New-kitted Porsche 997 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform LVS’
(Click here to check out our feature on Reflex’s Porsche 997)
RIIVA Design’s VW Arteon on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform ROC’s
James Barton’s VW Mk1 Golf on H&R suspension & Ronal Racing wheels
Brendan Dolo’s Mk2 Audi TTS on Air Lift suspension & Messer ME03-3’s
Luke Butler’s Mk1 Audi TT on H&R suspension & BBS LM’s
Auto Finesse’s Porsche 3.2 V6-swapped VW Mk1 Caddy on Air Lift suspension & BBS E52’s
Ameet Sagoo’s VW Mk1 Jetta on BBS RS’
If the ‘warm-up’ show was anything to go by, you won’t want to miss Edition38’s main event starting on August 31st which will bring more quality cars in addition to camping and of course nightlife entertainment! Check out the Edition38 website for more info: edition38.com
Last time we popped down to Car Audio & Security, it was summertime, the sun was shining, and it was glorious. This time, however, we were met by the typical dull British weather. Fear not though… Being the UK’s biggest car audio retailer, the forecast seemed to have no effect on the turnout – the CAS HQ was packed all weekend, as usual! Held over two days (Saturday 28th and Sunday 29thh April), they opened their doors to host their annual SALE event – the perfect opportunity to grab some absolute bargains from Air Lift, Rotiform, Kenwood, Alpine, JL Audio, Hertz, JBL, Rockford Fosgate, Pioneer, GoPro, and more. It’s also an ideal chance to check out CAS’s updated lineup of demo vehicles along with a whole host of incredible guest cars. For that reason, we never miss it. Enjoy a few of our highlights from the Saturday…
Parm Panesar’s BMW F80 M3 on Air Lift suspension & forged Rotiform LAS-R’s
Players Show’s 1950 Ford F1 on Air Lift suspension
Jake Stanford’s Volkswagen Tiguan on Air Lift suspension & cast Rotiform IND-T’s
Raj Sangha’s BMW E30 M3 on Air Lift suspension & forged Rotiform LHR’s
Amal Patel’s BMW E93 on Air Lift suspension & cast Rotiform LSR’s
Kenwood’s Voomeran-kitted VW Scirocco on Air Lift suspension & forged Rotiform VCE/LHR
Steve Fraser’s Audi S3 Saloon on Air Lift suspension & cast Rotiform SIX’s
Ben Chandler’s BMW F80 M3 on Air Lift suspension & forged Rotiform SIX’s
Car Audio & Security’s BMW M4 on Air Lift suspension & forged Rotiform LSR’s
@rajsangha964 / @caraudiosecurity
Jay Patel’s Nissan 350Z on Air Lift suspension & cast Rotiform KPS’
Parm Panesar’s VW Mk2 Golf on BC Racing suspension & BBS RS’
Meguiar’s Ford Crown Victoria on Air Lift suspension
Keil Critten’s R32-swapped VW Mk3 Golf on Air Lift Suspension & custom-built Mk3 GTI splits
Our clothing collection now available in store at Car Audio & Security!
As you can see, the lineup of cars was nothing short of amazing. There were customer cars popping in and out all weekend as well, so make sure you check out the Bonus Gallery below for even more snaps. What made the weekend even more special for us, was the fact that CAS are now official stockists of Slam Sanctuary clothing – which means you can now head down to their store whenever you like to check out and purchase our gear in person, pretty cool right?
There are some incredible demo vehicles within the UK modified car industry, but today’s feature car has got to be one of the most eye-catching builds that we’ve seen in a very long time. Sadly, we’re rarely rewarded with such high-calibre cars over here, so on first glance, you’d expect this sort of machine to hail from the USA, Japan, or Europe where folks tend to put a lot more money into their show builds. Reflex Auto Design’s Porsche 997 has been at the forefront of social media since it was unveiled a couple of weeks ago, mainly because this is no normal 997, but one which has been fitted with an ‘Old&New‘ slantnose body kit, a sort of homage to the early flatnose/slantnose “Flachbau” Porsche 930S. Thanks to Reflex’s expertise and bodywork experience, the final results are absolutely phenomenal. Naturally, we had to make a trip to Northamptonshire to take a closer look, nabbing the 997’s first ever feature shoot.
The Porsche is a joint-venture between Reflex Auto Design (a bodyshop based in Daventry, Northamptonshire) and Matt Clifford, who works with Reflex – dealing with their social media and marketing. The whole idea for the car was to get Reflex back into the modified car community spotlight… well, it looks like they’ve done just that! Matt and Reflex initially considered countless options for a project car… Being a Liberty Walk dealer/fitter already, a car with one of the kits was tempting, but they just couldn’t find anything that hadn’t been done and within budget. Eventually, they considered the Porsche 997 Liberty Walk kit, which then led to the discovery of a Japanese Old&New kit that existed for 996’s and 997’s. After some initial research into the kit, it turned out that their friends at V.A.D Design just so happened to be the UK supplier for Old&New. They got talking, and eventually placed an order.
With the kit on its way, Reflex had the task of deciding how the car was ultimately going to look. “We all decided to go for a race car theme… Paying homage to the Porsche 962 Le Mans race cars, we had several options such as the Leyton House and Hawaiian Tropic liveries, and we even considered the modern red and black design seen on the newer GT3 911’s” Matt explains. In the end, they came to the realisation that nothing was more iconic than the Rothmans Porsche livery. With the theme set for the 997, they needed to finalise a design and concept to work towards.
It just so happened that Matt had been in touch with Khyzyl Saleem, a concept artist at EA, for the past year and have become friends. Khyzyl (aka. The Kyza), has become well known for his conceptual automotive imagery, just check out his Instagram on @the_kyzaand you will see why. Anyway, back to the Porsche… “I dropped him a message and told him what we were building and that we wanted a Rothmans Livery, I sent a photo of Phazes slant nose in America and a Render he had created of a 964 with a Rothmans livery previously… after a few weeks he sent us over a completed visual, which we all thought looked badass” Matt comments. With the image on everyone’s mind, it was time to set about making the dream a reality.
Next, Matt had to source a suitable Porsche 997 to use as a base car, eventually settling for a black 2005 Carrera 3.6. He decided not to fork out unnecessarily on a ‘Turbo’ or ‘S’, just to chop it to pieces on their first big build. “Personally I’ve never really been a big fan of Porsches, plus I could never work out all the different 911’s! But now, after driving and owning one, there’s much more to it than their looks, it’s the feeling behind the wheel… they’re so planted on the road.” he tells us.
The Old&New kit finally turned up in a huge box all the way from Japan, consisting of a front bumper, front wings, air ducts, rear arches, side skirts, rear bumper, tailgate, headlights, DRLs and fuel cap. Having worked with countless fibreglass kits in the past, Reflex knew what was needed to make everything fit correctly, with only minimal work required to get everything lined up as it should. They also decided to alter the rear bumper to house an exposed exhaust set up. “We really wanted our car to the best Old&New Porsche in the world, so nothing but perfect would suffice.” Matt explains. With Reflex being a paint and bodyshop, they also wanted to show off their skills, so rather than simply painting the car white and wrapping the rest, countless hours were spent hand-painting all the colours and stripes you see on the livery, made up of Ford Imperial blue, Rolls Royce gold, Audi Misano red, and Audi Pearl white.
“We knew the car wanted air, it had to for the look and audience we have” Matt tells us… so given their previous experience working with Air Lift Performance kits, they opted for Air Lift universal bags/struts tied to a 3P management setup (which all sits nicely in the trunk under the bonnet). After considerable measuring and fabrication, the new bag set up was installed in-house and made to sit perfectly with the front bumper touching the ground once fully aired-out. It really is a nice modern twist on a traditional race car. And, let’s face it, with the way this body kit sits, there’s no way it would survive the dreadful UK roads on a low coilover setup.
Inside the cockpit, you’ll notice the racer theme continues with the addition of Recaro Pole Position seats, and a half cage painted in white to match the main body colour. Capital Seating in Leicester supplied these, and re-trimmed the dash, centre console, and door cards in black alcantara with red stitching to conform to the seats and exterior stripes. Reflex also painted the interior plastics in a gloss piano black which really helps to bring the interior together. Furthermore, the Air Lift 3P controller has been tastefully moulded into the centre console and a Kenwood double-din headunit added for some refinement and entertainment on long journeys.
Getting the wheels right was hugely important for this build. Having run several 3-piece Rotiform wheels in the past, Matt and Reflex opted to stick with them, describing them as the “show wheel kings”. To pull off the Rothmans Porsche livery, they selected Rotiform LVS design with hidden hardware, a cool modern twist on the traditional magnesium gold BBS wheels you would have seen on the original race cars. Rotiform sized these to 19×10 and 19×13 to fill the huge arches, fitted with 265/30 and 305/30 tyres. There are also plans to create some turbo fans for the front wheels in the future to complete their initial vision/concept!
Whilst the stock 3.6 motor has been left alone, the 997 still needed a big noise to go with the big bodykit, so Reflex enlisted the services of Dave at EMP Performance to create a custom exhaust, which is completely exposed at the rear of the car to showcase his welding porn. We can 100% confirm that this system sounds awesome, and is ridiculously loud! The stock brakes weren’t going to cut it either, so a Forge Big Brake kit was installed up front along with new EBC rear discs and pads. All these elements really help this race-car inspired build to come into fruition.
Whether you’re a Porsche fan or not, you can’t disagree that this build is completely nuts! There’s no doubt it will be dropping jaws throughout the year when it hits all the major car events – if you don’t see it coming (you’d have to be visually challenged, mind…), you’ll definitely hear it. The 997’s first stop will be Wörthersee at the end of the month. We’re humbled to have been given the first opportunity to photograph it, making it an incredible first feature car for us to kick off 2018. We’ll also be in Wörthersee from 6-10 May and looking for more quality cars to shoot, so don’t hesitate to get in touch via Instagram or email if you have something mind-blowing.
Show season truly kicks off for us in early March, when we make the trip up to the Telford International Centre, this time playing host to Ultimate Dubs (UD). There’s always a ton of anticipation regarding what has become the season opener. Although it’s predominately a Volkswagen/Audi-group based show, you’ll find all sorts of custom car fans at the event, there to check out what’s current in the car world, and catching up with old friends. Now our fifth year attending UD, it’s clearly become more of trade event than a typical car show, but, that’s no bad thing… We see it as the perfect opportunity to check out what’s new in the car industry, including new demo/project cars that the host of traders are showing off. It could be described as a mini-SEMA Show for the modified scene in the UK, in fact. With plenty of non-VAG cars on trade booths, a large selection of pre-approved show-cars dotted about throughout the halls, as well as outdoor space with car clubs and more pre-selected cars (don’t forget to check out our Bonus Gallery), we’ve done our best to capture our top-rated slices of metal, enjoy…
Kiran Mistry’s S2-converted Audi 80 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform SIX’s
Car Audio & Security’s Nissan GT-R on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform SFO’s
RIIVA Design’s VW Arteon on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform ROC’s
Raj Sangha’s BMW E30 M3 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform LHR’s
Alex Wright’s static BMW E36 328i Sport on ACS Type 1’s
Russ Whitefield’s VW Mk2 Jetta on BBS RS’
Aaron McMahon’s Audi RS5 on ABP/AccuAir suspension & Rotiform LAS-R’s
Faye Collins’ Audi RS3 on ABP/AccuAir suspension & Rotiform BUC’s
Plush Automotive’s VW Caddy on ABP/AccuAir suspension & Rotiform HUR-T’s
Plush Automotive’s VW T6 on ABP/AccuAir suspension & Rotiform HUR-T’s
GepfeffertUK’s VW Mk1 Golf on Gepfeffert V3 suspension & Eta Beta’s
Ryan Stewart’s BMW E92 M3 ‘Frozen Edition’ on Bilstein suspension & BBS E88’s
Justdents’ VW Mk1 Caddy R32 on Air Lift suspension & BBS E50’s
MMR Performance’s BMW M4 GTS on Air Lift suspension & Ispiri FFR6’s
Jordan Forbes’ Mini R50 on Bags by OCD/KNTRL suspension & BBS RC041’s
Peter Kornelis’ Audi S4 Avant on KNTRL suspension & RAD48 LR 2.0’s
Only Charged Dubs’ Audi C5 A6 Allroad on Airdynamiks/AccuAir suspension & 3SDM 0.09’s
Carl Atkins’ VW Mk2 Golf on Bags by OCD/Air Lift suspension & BBS RM’s
Jak Johnston’s VW Mk1 Golf G40 on StillStatic/H&R suspension & BBS E76’s
Raj Sangha’s Porsche 964 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform STR’s
Nathaniel Warth’s bagged BMW E28 on BBS RS’
Jamie Webster’s ’83 VW Santana on Air Lift suspension & custom-built P-Slot’s
Ben Kmita’s supercharged Mk3 Golf VR6 on Air Lift suspension & ACT’s
Tom Raybone’s Audi RS3 on H&R CCK/Air Lift suspension & MBDesign LV1’s
Neil Chapman’s VW Mk7 Golf GTI Clubsport on H&R suspension & BBS GT’s
Rebecca Sweetland’s VW Mk7 Golf GTD on H&R suspension & MBDesign KX1’s
Faahbio Faah’s Audi B7 RS4 Avant on Air Lift suspension & Damnraw Lobomotive’s
Beth Halsey’s Audi S1 on Air Lift suspension & Fifteen52 Formula GT’s
Sonny Frost’s Audi A3 on H&R suspension & BBS RS861’s
Tom Waller’s static ’59 VW Beetle
Jack Royston’s ’71 VW Type 3 Notchback on Air Lift suspension & BBS E30’s
The UK car scene is distinctly alive and well… it wasn’t difficult to find cars that we’ve never seen or photographed before, although we typically had to throw in a few of our all-time favourites that just keep getting better and better every time they go on display. But for all those that we missed, fear not… show season has only just kicked off! We can’t wait to get stuck in with more events throughout the year – 2018 is going to be a big one for us. Catch our Pop-Up Store and new demo car soon!
The Telford International Centre has become something of a second home for us. Starting the show season off with Ultimate Dubs in March, and finishing it in November with Ultimate Stance, both shows are certainly a must if you’re interested in custom cars – the perfect opportunity to see what’s new in the car scene. If you’re not an avid Volkswagen/VAG fan, Ultimate Stance might be the preferred show for you, however. Being open to all marques, there’s plenty of interesting stanced cars on display to take your fancy, whereas the display cars at Ultimate Dubs are strictly ‘VAG’. Being the final event of the year, we’ve typically seen most of these cars throughout the year, nonetheless, there were still a handful of gems that seemed to have appeared from nowhere, as well as a few European cars that made the long journey over. Overall, there was plenty to look at, including a UK Lowrider display keeping everyone entertained outdoors (check out the Bonus Gallery), and the carpeted hall which we were based in also hosted a retro car display and retro arcade and pinball zone. Here’s a few of our highlights…
Dan Taylor’s BMW E46 M3 on Air Lift suspension & BBS E88 centrelock’s
Jorge Lupton’s Honda EG Civic on Air Lift suspension & BBS RM’s
Connor Hollamby’s Mercedes-Benz W201 190E on Air Lift suspension & BBS RF’s
(Click here to check out our feature on Connor’s 190E)
Hoho Chan’s BMW E92 330d on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS2’s
Parm Panesar’s BMW F80 M3 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform LAS-R’s
Micheal Evans’ Lexus LS on Air Lift suspension & WORK Durandal DD5.2’s
Kenny Germeau’s Jaguar XJ40 on Epsilon Southern Way’s
Karel Spijker’s Mercedes-Benz W201 190E on Air by OCD / Air Lift suspension & OZ Futura’s
Mark Allen’s Volkswagen Mk4 Golf estate on Air Lift suspension & Eta Beta’s
Jack Royston’s ’71 Volkswagen Type 3 Notchback on Air Lift suspension & BBS E30’s
Monique Chadwick’s Audi A3 on Air Lift suspension & OZ Futura’s
Tom Lilico’s BMW Z3 on Air Lift / AccuAir suspension & BBS RS’
Liam Elmore’s Audi TT on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform OZT’s
Kenneth de Bock’s BMW E92 335i on AccuAir suspension & OZ Futura’s
Matt Hollands’ bagged BMW E38 on WatercooledIND JB1’s
Ben Walker’s BMW E28 on Broadway Static suspension & OZ Breyton’s
Kiran Halsey’s BMW F80 M3 on Intermotiv suspension & OZ Futura’s
James Brown’s Mercedes-Benz 190E on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform MBZ’s
Leroy Goddard-Fletcher’s bagged Mercedes-Benz W126 on custom Mercedes Intra splits
Raj Sangha’s BMW E30 M3 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform OZT’s
George & Jack Heath’s BMW 1602 on hydraulic suspension & BBS RS’
Reece Parr’s BMW E30 on Air Lift suspension & BBS RF’s
Lucy Barlow’s bagged BMW E21 on BBS RM’s
Alex Wright’s static BMW E36 328i Sport on ACS Type 1’s
Nick Sahota’s BMW E30 M3 on Air Lift suspension & BBS Bugatti EB110’s
Carlos Gomez’ BMW E36 on Air Lift suspension & OZ Futura’s
As always, Ultimate Stance had an incredibly high standard of cars to drool over… the show never disappoints. It also marked the launch of our Winter clothing collection which went down an absolute storm – big thanks to everyone that popped by our store and picked up something, whether it was anything from a sticker to a hoodie… we couldn’t do what we do without you guys and girls. We’ll be back in the same location for Ultimate Dubs on March 11 with our new Spring collection – you’re not going to want to miss it! Get those cars finished and we’ll see you soon!
The last time I was at the Old James Cond Printer Works in Birmingham city centre was back in 2014 when DTA held the previous End of Season meet. If you were there, I’m sure that day will be imprinted in your memory just like it is mine. It was quite possibly the best car ‘meet’, or ‘gathering’, that I’ve ever attended, and that’s saying something, considering I am an avid BMW fanatic, not air-cooled! But if you’re a regular Slam Sanctuary reader, you’ll know we’re into all sorts here – oh, and the air-cooled scene do ‘slammed’ rather well! The DTA End of Season Meet brings together the best of the UK’s air-cooled scene, as well as a few heroes that made the trip over from Europe. It’s got to be the chilled vibe and incredible choice of venue that makes DTA different to everything else, with the run-down look of the ex-printer works suiting the sheer amount of patina’d cars, whilst equally complimenting those glossy restored ones, too! This also made it one of the most fun events to photograph, so I’ll let the images do the rest of the talking, enjoy…
Martin Hobé’s VW SP2
Mark Barrow’s Type2 early bay
Bobby Wilcox’s Oval
Adam Berry’s Karmann Ghia
Dave Pennell’s ’66 Beetle
Daniel Mandat’s Audi 100GL
Ryan Noon’s ’71 Beetle
’58 Type2 Mango bus
Steve Lawrie’s ’68 Beetle ‘vert
Jon Hancock’s Porsche 356 Outlaw
Andy Finch’s Karmann Ghia
Ned Faux’s VW Brasilia
ob1brand’s Karmann Ghia
Sam Trigg’s ’57 Oval
Even though there were still awards to be won, the overall vibe of this meet was different…. Everyone seemed to have a respectful view on the whole shindig, which makes a change from the snobbish few that you can sometimes get at the usual car shows, and those only in it for the trophies. It was clear to me that everyone at DTA was truly obsessed with the cars. With no traders or market stalls (only coffee and food to keep everyone going!), it was like a back-to-basics car meet and a perfect opportunity for friends to catch-up for a few hours. As before, there’s no decision whether the End of Season Meet will come back, but I sure hope it does. Understandably, it takes a hell of a lot of effort, planning, and funding to put on something like this… and to make it free entry. Cheers to Si Medlicott and the rest of DTA, you all smashed it again.
Seeing as our diary is usually rather quiet come January, we were stoked to hear that our friends at Ergen Motorsport were holding an open house event at their newly finished headquarters in Fareham, Hampshire. If you’re interested in BMW’s and M-Power engines, you’ve most likely heard of Ergen. They’re masters of the trade, specializing in M-cars, rebuilding them, converting them, and extracting more power from them. We first became aware of them thanks to their S54 engine conversion in Nick Sahota’s iconic orange E30 M3, which we featured previously. If that build is anything to go by, these guys certainly know what they’re doing. Adem, the head honcho at Ergen, has been wanting to upgrade their unit for the past two years, and finally, towards the end of 2017, the deal was sealed on their awesome new premises. Working flat-out over the Christmas period on refurbishments, they managed to get the majority of it ready in time for a soft opening on the 6th of January.
So how does one go about setting up a business like Ergen? “In 2013 I was working as a sales manager and got messed about by my boss. I gave him an ultimatum, he tried to call my bluff, so I ended up quitting. I had always played with cars, especially E30’s from the age of 18 – when I had a dolphin grey 318. Pile of shit, but I loved it. Started tinkering, and it quickly became my new obsession.”Adem tells us… However, the progression into engine swaps and power gains truly began when he sourced himself a 50k mile bronze USA LHD E30 car to tinker with.
“It was originally a 325e, with the 2.7 engine. Completely rust free and concourse! I quickly got fed up with the lack of power and started looking into engine swaps. From there, I did a few engine swaps, including the M50, M52, and then the S54. Eventually, I started developing a plug n play loom for the swap to work directly with the E30. A few people I knew then saw this and asked me to come and do theirs for them, so I did. From there it has just grown into what it is today. I quit my job, decided that a single garage and gravel driveway were adequate to start a business, and cracked on!”
You only have to take a look at what they already have in the workshop, to realise that these guys mean business. Straight away we were drawn to a gorgeous white E30 M3 on ACS Type 1’s, owned by their customer AK Iconic Classics. Not only is it a fully restored, concourse exampe, it’s currently being converted with an S62 V8 engine from an E39 M5.
Ergen have fitted an all-new bottom end, oil pump, BBB drivetrain lightweight flywheel and Helix clutch, Bosch 044 high-pressure fuel pump, MK60 ABS (with Ergen’s in-car miniature servo kit for LHD cars), Awron vent gauge, Nitron R1 suspension, Superpro bushes throughout, and H&R antiroll bars. Oh, and a custom Ergen exhaust system with stainless V8 E30 headers. It’s the perfect car to demonstrate their skillset.
As well as the E30 M3, there are plenty more interesting cars also in for treatment, including an E46 M3 (getting an S85 V10 E60 M5 engine), and a Porsche 996 (receiving an LSX 454 cubic inch forged motor, which should be making over 750hp) – so it’s not alwaysBMW orientated!
Ergen are committed to offering all sorts of bespoke services to cater for each vehicle that comes into the workshop. Adem designs and develops a wide variety of products, too, which are mostly plug n play. Be it a wiring loom for a V8, a remote servo kit, or a set of manifolds, he can do it. Along with their engine rebuilds, swaps, wiring services, ECU coding and mapping, the new unit also means an expansion into MOT’s, servicing, alignment and race car set up. It really is a one-stop shop for all things motorsport.
Along with the new workshop area, Ergen’s premises includes a retail shop dedicated to all aspects of motoring, which acts as the hub of the business… “It will be somewhere for us to help customers with their cars, demonstrate our own products and our chosen partners products” Adem explains…. “Brands like Superpro, Nitron, Millers oils, Bosch, Arai, Sparco and any other decent motorsport brand you care to mention. We can get a hold of it, fit it and set it up for you.” Oh, and they’re even stocking the latest Slam Sanctuary clothing – if that isn’t one valid reason to go and visit, I don’t know what is…
In addition to daily duties, Ergen host their very own track days across the UK. “They’re usually very small and low key, but have steadily grown over the years. Our BHP Breakfast Club has gone from strength to strength, and our Track Day events are evolving too” Adem tells us… If you want to get involved in one of their track days, a normal day will set you back about £175 with just 30 cars on track, in addition to their VIP days which can have just 8 cars on track! “Track days are quite a specialist market, but that’s what we like; a personal service to making sure our customers have a great experience with us!” Ergen’s next event is being held alongside Raw Motorsport on the 9th March at Castle Combe – check out ergen.co.uk for more info.
However, if you fancy something that involves slightly less effort, Ergen have also dipped their toes into the world of race car simulators, which you can try out in their shop. It’s a lot of fun! Although there’s still some work to do, the new headquarters gives Ergen a much-needed environment to grow the business. We’ll be keeping a close eye on their happenings and definitely be paying them a visit with our new project car, to be announced soon, so keep your eyes peeled on our social media pages.
For the perfect outdoor end-of-year show, Westside is the one. It’s the final event on our calendar that makes use of whatever sunshine the British weather has left before the Winter period begins, and it’s always one to look forward to. Held in the picturesque grounds of the Chalfont St. Peter cricket club, just west of London, the show gets busier year on year, and remains a solid favourite amongst many. This is more than likely down to the amazing, chilled vibe, great old-school music, delicious traditional Indian and Jamaican food, and of course awesome cars to drool over all day. This is the show for those select friends you meet over the years (okay, perhaps the older generation?), who have given up going to car shows, but still find themselves here. It’s the “If I only do one show this year…” event. So much so, we always bump into old friends at Westside, which makes it even more worthwhile. 2017’s show marked the 10th anniversary – that’s quite an achievement! And, the fifth year of us covering it… So, sit back, and take a look at our highlights…
Raj Sangha’s Porsche 964 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform STR’s
Steve Fraser’s Audi S3 Saloon on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform LAS-R’s
Lucy Barlow’s BMW E21 on Air Lift suspension & BBS RM’s
Johnny Mercy’s bagged Mercedes-Benz SL500 on WORK VS-KF’s
Tej Bajwa’s static BMW E30 M3 on AC Schnitzer Type 1’s
Rad Khalil’s Audi B7 RS4 on Air Lift suspension & BBS E28’s
Micheal Evans’ Lexus LS on Air Lift suspension & WORK Durandal DD5.2’s
Jason Buckley’s Mk1 Golf on H&R suspension & BBS E50’s
Pav Gill’s Chevrolet Impala SS lowrider on hydraulics
Raj Sangha’s BMW E30 M3 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform OZT’s
Angus Munro’s Porsche 964 on Air Lift suspension & BBS Super-RS’
Scott Paterson’s static BMW E36 Touring on Throwing Stars
Erdal Pinar’s BMW E30 cab on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS’
Barry Smith’s BMW E36 328i on Air Lift suspension & 3SDM 3.19’s
(Click here to check out our feature on Barry’s E36)
Connor Hollamby’s Mercedes-Benz W201 190E on Air Lift suspension & BBS RF’s
(Click here to check out our feature on Connor’s 190E)
Blade ICE’s BMW X5 on AirREX / Air Lift suspension & Rotiform KPS’
Daryl Ingram’s BMW E30 M3 on AC Schnitzer Type 2’s
Kos Loizou’s BMW E24 635CSI on ACT splits
Carlos Gomez’ BMW E36 on Air Lift suspension & OZ Futura’s
See what we mean by awesome cars? Don’t forget the Bonus Gallery below for even more, too. So, what started out as a purely Volkswagen orientated show, Westside have rightfully moved with the times and opened up to much more than just VAG cars. Every year we see even more BMW’s, Mercedes, and even Jap cars wanting to be involved with this ‘gathering-style’ event. There’s not another show like it in the UK, and for that reason, Westside will always have a place on our calendar. 2018’s date is provisionally set for Sunday 23rd September… What are you waiting for? Get it in your diary.
If you’re into modified cars, you’ve more than likely heard of Players. It’s one of the most well-known car shows in the UK, taking place every September at North Weald Airfield in Essex, where the venue is overridden by hundreds of show cars from all over the country, and even Europe. It’s a rather unique location, given the fact that the show takes place alongside a live airfield, also making use of two gigantic hangars… One displaying an Air Lift Performance showcase, and the other holding ‘VIP’ show cars, hand-picked by the event organisers Jay McToldridge and Carl Taylor. Aside from the chosen cars, the rest of the show remains open to ANY modified vehicle, so if you turn up on time, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be in the show – unlike their sister event, Players Classic, which is entirely pre-approved. Unsurprisingly, this leaves us with a highly varied showground packed with all sorts of cars, and all tastes. Although, that’s not a bad thing. It’s a great way to bring the community together, regardless. Check out our highlights from Players’ eleventh show below…
Parm Panesar’s BMW F80 M3 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform LAS-R’s
Rob Goodwin’s BMW E28 on Air Lift suspension & BBS RS’
Connor Hollamby’s Mercedes-Benz W201 190E on Air Lift suspension & BBS RF’s
(Click here to check out our feature on Connor’s 190E)
Chris Williams’ Porsche 964 on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform LHR’s
Vasco Matos’ Volkswagen Mk7 Golf on HPDrivetech / Air Lift suspension & Rotiform LSR’s
Kamal Sokhi’s BMW E30 Touring on Air Lift suspension & OZ Futura’s
James Sharp’s Volvo 244
Nathan Atkinson’s BMW E46 M3 ‘vert on Air Lift suspension & custom-built Style 32’s
James Brown’s Mercedes-Benz 190E on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform MBZ’s
Jay McToldridge’s Volkswagen Mk1 Golf G60 on H&R suspension & Rotiform YVR’s
Patric James’ Volkswagen Corrado on Air Lift suspension & Eta Beta’s
BMW E30 Sport on Air Lift suspension & OZ Futura’s
Edward Johnston’s wide-body BMW E36 Touring w/S50 M3 conversion, Air Lift suspension & custom-built Style 32’s
James Manners’ Audi B5 RS4 Avant on Air Lift suspension & Rotiform LVS’s
Leroy Goddard-Fletcher’s bagged Mercedes-Benz W126 on custom Mercedes Intra splits
EPS Motorsport’s Audi S1 Quattro on Rotiform LSR’s
It would seem that Players are sticking to a recipe that has worked for them for eleven years now. Their North Weald show provides the ideal opportunity for anyone with a modified car to get involved and show their pride and joy to the rest of the community, with no worries of pre-approval – which is happening more and more with car shows these days. Players is one of the few shows left that anyone can take part in, so if you want to experience UK car culture in full, it’s the place to be. Oh, and don’t miss Players Classic at Goodwood Motor Circuit on the 23rd and 24th of June 2018 for their next installment, you’re in for a treat.