Previously installed Hamann side skirts remained on the flanks while the rear bumper was a Kerscher piece. Finishing off the body were shaved moldings, a Schnitzer carbon wing, RD Sport mirrors and a Sparco fuel door.
The original color was Orient blue, until Carlos repainted it a bright Lamborghini blue. "I was tired of people using the Lambo blue paint, so the next best color was white," he explained. The new paint is a House of Kolor Frost white with added blue pearl.
DB Autobody in NorCal finished the final stage of bodywork, completed after five months.
The new body and paint prompted Carlos to contact Forgeline to produce a set of three-piece polished wheels. The 19" split-five-spokes measured 10" wide in the front and 13" in the rear. A set of 255/35 front and 285/30 rear Toyo Proxes tires wrap around them.
For brakes, Carlos chose The Brake Man, a company that typically works on sprint cars and SCCA racing. He opted for a front Tornado kit with 13" rotors, four-piston calipers and braided lines to provide impeccable stopping.
The engine, drivetrain and suspension have remained consistent since Carlos initiated his project. But, the only upgrade he's made to these performance parts was in the exhaust, which coincided with the rear bumper swap. "AutoWerks had to relocate the carbon mufflers under the battery tray in the trunk," he explained. "We had to move them to the bumper area, which required an extensive amount of work." After making the necessary modifications, the newly installed quad exhaust with Eisenmann Porsche Turbo tips compliment the rear.
Other power upgrades include a Carbonio intake, Dinan throttle body, evosport headers and race pulley, RD Sport software and cams, plus a Nitrous Express kit.
The interior and stereo upgrades have also gone through a host of variations. The factory interior was beige, but now sports black panels. Blue suede was also incorporated in the headliner, dash, A- and C- pillars, door inserts and trunk. Additionally, V Racing seats were fitted with Sparco harnesses.
The most frequent upgrades have occurred in the electronics department. Carlos cycled through parts from Audiobahn, Focal and Memphis before finally sticking with a combination of Pioneer, MB Quart and Xtant. The trunk houses two 10" Hexagon subwoofers and three amps mounted in a carbon box. The trunk lid displays an Accele monitor, as does the center console. He once had multiple monitors in the headrests and trunk, but removed them to create a simpler appearance.
Finally, he decided to showcase his mods by traveling to shows from Toronto to Mexico, as well as Miami, Seattle and Los Angeles in between. As a result of his determination and efforts, he was honored at the SEMA show from '02 to '04.
Carlos ended by telling us, "I like changing things up. It feels good to transform the vehicle, especially in the show scene where people don't want to see the same car every year."
Carlos' 323i may have taken seven years to build, but all his hard work has definitely paid off in the end. Stay tuned as we uncover his next project- an E92 335i (In the Garage, et 6/07). He's planning to install an evosport turbo upgrade, nitrous kit and Konig wheels.