Sweating the small stuff

[Nate@IND]

The phrase “God is in the detail” has grown in relevance in my own life since the day we began developing IND many years ago. I’ve realized that when modifying a car, you are not merely adding parts, you are developing the details.

The owner of this E70 X5 35d is someone who understands that any car starts as a blank canvas and is not truly complete without these details. Although this X5 is not intended to compete with it’s M brothers our client added some key touches to make the truck truly his own.

IND braved some new ground to perfect this X5. As this is a performance diesel engine we knew a gauge package would be an important tool. Because there is no off the shelf gauge solution for the X5, every step of the process involved custom work. A gauge pod was fabricated from sheet metal to fit perfectly in place of the ash tray, and finished in a high gloss black to integrate seamlessly into the interior. On the engine side a custom fitting was fabricated to interface with the Exhaust Gas Temperature probe, a barbed fitting was integrated into the car’s piping for a boost pressure reading, and an oil temperature sending unit was installed in the car’s oil system.

The complete interior trim was removed and refinished in Ferrari’s Grigio Silverstone color, accented by a stripe of the car’s original silver trim to integrate the new color scheme into the existing door pulls and shifter surround of the car. The 35d’s green nature was something we felt we had to acknowledge, and we did so by adding our IND logo in a bright green color.

The exterior of the car was kept simple by again only changing details where it was critical. The wheels are finished in the beautiful Grigio Silverstone color, while black and green logos were added in place of the original chrome badges. Even the X5 logo on the trunk was changed from the original large badge to a smaller more elegantly sized X5 badge from the X5M. X5 V8 exhaust tips were retrofitted and powdercoated black to give the rear of the car a more sporting appearance.

Our finished product is something all of us at IND and the owner of this car can be proud of. This X5 is one that may pass for a factory original car to the untrained observer, but to the initiated it is a car that represents a tasteful sense of restraint and an appreciation that nothing is complete without it’s details.

Enjoy the photos!

[m3the01]

Why did you choose to leave the rear red reflectors in place? I know u offer some painted ones that really cleanup the lines in the back,

Just wondering, owner choice or legality?

[Nate@IND]

Originally Posted by m3the01

Why did you choose to leave the rear red reflectors in place? I know u offer some painted ones that really cleanup the lines in the back,

Just wondering, owner choice or legality?

Since the red matches the tail lights we normally leave them in place. From what I have seen the rears painted makes them stand out a little more.

[m3the01]

The taillights standout or the painted rear inserts/reflectors?

Do you have pictures of them installed?

[Forster]

Originally Posted by m3the01

The taillights standout or the painted rear inserts/reflectors?

Do you have pictures of them installed?

Hopefully my chiming in doesn't confuse... I believe what Nate is saying is that painted reflectors actually draw more attention to themselves then oem reflectors for the sake of the outlining shape that remains when the reflector is painted. I personally like the oem reflectors in the rear for the same reason as it matches the taillights. I also believe the red reflectors draw the eye downward on the rear of the vehicle making the 'space' below the taillights seem smaller.

IND, great work as usual, its all about the detail

[Forster]

Then again, it could make the taillights stand out alone as well..

[Nate@IND]

Originally Posted by Forster

Hopefully my chiming in doesn't confuse... I believe what Nate is saying is that painted reflectors actually draw more attention to themselves then oem reflectors for the sake of the outlining shape that remains when the reflector is painted. I personally like the oem reflectors in the rear for the same reason as it matches the taillights. I also believe the red reflectors draw the eye downward on the rear of the vehicle making the 'space' below the taillights seem smaller.

IND, great work as usual, its all about the detail

Correct! They flow nice on the front but the painted rear makes them stand out more.

[m3the01]

Just for reference here is them painted,

Enough on that subject though :-)

Looks great,

[Singletrack]

It's people like iND that allow me to *not* sweat the small stuff! : )

Thank you for your great advice, craftsmanship, and dedication to customer satisfaction!

Looking forward to collaborating on future projects!

[NuclearSymphony]

Hey awesome, I was looking for a feature on this since I witnessed the delivery. The thought process and execution on this X5 is immaculate, and in person the finished product is stunning. You could see those green and black accents from 100 feet away. Great work as always IND! And Singletrack -- congrats on a great-looking X5 to go with your M3.

[Phipsibear42]

What is the color on the wheels? I see the name of the color, but I can't find it anywhere. Do you have the paint codes?

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by NuclearSymphony

Hey awesome, I was looking for a feature on this since I witnessed the delivery.* The thought process and execution on this X5 is immaculate, and in person the finished product is stunning.* You could see those green and black accents from 100 feet away.* Great work as always IND!* And Singletrack -- congrats on a great-looking X5 to go with your M3.

Thanks very much! Ilia and I spent a ton of time planning before any work actually took place. Life also threw us both a few curve balls, but we persevered. There are many details not specifically called out, but they are there to be found : )

I can honestly say that the finish on the wheels is the best I've ever seen personally. It is better than my the OEM finish on the BBS RCs and better than the finish on the OEM 220s. The depth is crazy - hard to capture even by master Johan : ) The interior is so nice that I have to make sure to keep my eyes on the road.

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by Phipsibear42

What is the color on the wheels? I see the name of the color, but I can't find it anywhere. Do you have the paint codes?

It is a Ferrari factory color, so any shop should be able to mix it for you. You can find codes with a quick google I'm sure.

[Phipsibear42]

Originally Posted by Singletrack

It is a Ferrari factory color, so any shop should be able to mix it for you. You can find codes with a quick google I'm sure.

Codes were found

[ZuerstBMW]

VERY nice

[Ninjaoz]

looks great! perfect for my wallpaper..need higher resolution though

[the infamous...]

i'm sure y'all kno bout BMW individual, right? well ladies n gentlemen, this's Chicago's iNDividual.
yet another awesome portfolio build! really like all the unqiue touches n wheel finish.

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by Phipsibear42

Codes were found

You should just have iND paint whatever it is you are painting ; )

Originally Posted by ZuerstBMW

VERY nice

Gracias amigo.

Originally Posted by Ninja333

looks great! perfect for my wallpaper..need higher resolution though

Thanks! Email iND...not sure what their policy is on those photos.

Originally Posted by the infamous...

i'm sure y'all kno bout BMW individual, right? well ladies n gentlemen, this's Chicago's iNDividual.
yet another awesome portfolio build! really like all the unqiue touches n wheel finish.

These guys have great ideas and even better execution!

[Forster]

Originally Posted by m3the01

Just for reference here is them painted,

Enough on that subject though :-)

Looks great,

Eh... To each their own..

[bavarian19]

The only thing I would have done differently is to paint the black line in the door trim white.

Other than that, job well done!

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by bavarian19

The only thing I would have done differently is to paint the black line in the door trim white.

Other than that, job well done!

Thanks!

I like your idea.

...only thing is that it's nice to have the rubber there for door protection. Will think about it though. Thanks for the input!

[stealth e70]

Nice work on all fronts, small touches pay huge dividends.