I picked up this Vortex 2 on the sewing site from a member who sold his R56. Using the instructions from the M7tuning website, there were some discrepancies on the instructions. Thought I would post my own DIY on installing it. Yep you do need to drill a hole. It's not hard and it's not visible even with the scoop removed so its reversible if you want to return to stock. The hole you are drilling is behind the existing factory hole. You're really creating an access hole for your socket to fit. The stock scoop is held in place by snap in clips. The Vortex 2 has 3 attachment screws. Once the stock scoop is removed, you can see all the holes that the Vortex 2 fits into. The rear holes don't need drilling and you see them under the bonnet. With the Vortex 2 scoop in place you can see the rear threads appear through the factory holes here Just need to put on a washer and nut to finish that. The front hole is the one that you need to drill. It has an anchor though that needs to be removed first, it looks like this. This is the hole without the anchor I put the scoop in place and noted that the thread lined up with the front most part of the hole, so I knew that when I drill the hole, I just angle it towards the front of the bonnet. I started off with a small bit and gradually made it larger. So this is what the hole looks like under the bonnet. I checked to see where the scoop attachment thread was and turned out I missed on the angle, so I had to open the hole larger until the thread poked through the hole I was drilling. In order to secure the same washer/nut with a socket, the hole has to be big enough, so I opened it up with a Dremel. Eventually it was big enough Here's the final hole with the nut/washer in place. I will touch up the metal around the hole to clean it up. Now it's done!
Cause it's unique depending on what side you are standing on! Good eye, lol. Here is the JCW side again.
helpful well all your pix and insight was more than helpful. Just wish that m7 would include a degree of angle the pilot hole needs drilled in. We had to keep opening not only for the socket but also for the angle the socket needs to be in to munipulate the tool on the nut. I installed mine yesterday and looks amazing.