[uberschnell]

Wanted to share my DIY 1M conversion, po boy style.

A few years ago switched from 335i to the 135i. Then I fell in love with the 1M. I considered getting the 1M, but lack of availability and the fact that the 1M is and instant classic that it better belongs in a garage then a Daily Driver I decided to go for it.

Norcal sucks for shops willing to do extreme modifications, unlike Socal. And the cost for full quarter panel replacement was prohibitive without Insurance covering it. So after thinking about it I decided that I could probably do the conversion myself.

A little about me. I don't have auto repair experience, but I've worked sheet metal as an aircraft mechanic. Using some of the same repair techniques I found a way to do it in a way that created a strong panel. The plan was to cut out the flares on the original 1M panels at the point they match the 135's then cutting out the 135 flares, flanging the edges and attaching with 3M panel bond and stainless counter sunk blind rivets.

I know a few conversions have been done already, and the help from guys like IlikeBMXbikes and Venom has been huge, but I think this will be original in that it's the first Monaco Blue conversion and the first one done in a driveway.

My full mods list:

Brembo GT front brakes
M3 Suspension conversion + Megan Adjustable Control arms
M3 Strut brace
Wavetrac LSD
AST coilovers and Swift Springs
Dinan Camber Plates
Whiteline SFB
AFE Intake
COBB Tuning

And what it looks like as a 135i:


So here is a photo of the car before and after: