Making the jump from an e30 to an e82

[Anthony B]

Hi All

Firstly though I'd introduce myself I'm Anthony, I'm a massive car bore, currently have 2 e30's one I daily which is a 318i sedan & the other is a 318is which is mid build that will end up with a m52b28 with US spec m3 cams & caged.

It has finally come time for my daily e30 to retire to being a weekend car the 378,000kms on it are showing, I'm going to start refreshing all the suspension & looking to refresh the engine & gearbox in it.

Currently hunting for a 135i, just trying to make/get some guidance the only requirement is it needs to be an auto I do a lot of heavy traffic driving & have a bad knee so manual is left for the weekend e30 I'm building, looking at a few 135i on carsales I've come across a few 08 cars with steptronic low km's for the low to mid $30k region, then I have one other car that is a 2010 with DCT the ad claims it is an n54 not sure if DCT was available on the n54 135i? this car is 10k more the same sort of km's but 2yrs newer & has more options like the update iDrive computer.

My question is would you go the 2010 135i, or the 08? the 10k difference is a solid amount of money & if I was to get the 08 would most likely be spent at BMR on modifications. Or for a more fun drive is the DCT a better option, along with have a 2yr younger car & then just modify later on when my budget allows?

[Superdaws]

No DCT N54s... When they switched to N55s in March 2010, thats also when DCT became an option. Thats for 135i anyway, theres a couple of different models that have DCT and N54 like Z4is etc but not on 135i.

[Anthony B]

Hmmmm the question then would be, would you choose an n55 with DCT over an N54 with steptronic?

[Superdaws]

lol, thats a choice for you mate. Personally i hated the 6 speed steptronic that i test drove initially, only cause there was no manual to drive at the time. Thats me though. If you plan on modding the spare 10K is gunna make the n54 smash a stock n55 dct... Theres plenty of opinions on this board (not just AU section), suggest you put the search button to work.

choices choices!

[Anthony B]

That is more than fair, searched & read so many threads of DCT vs Steptronic, guess I drive both & see how they feel to guess its going to be a personal preference at the end of it all.

Wish me luck & hopefully within 3wks an e82 will be in my hands

[BMW86]

If the 2010 has DCT it is definitely an N55. It's the smarter choice, newer and has the new iDrive. It would be a great daily driver with a tune, conventional tyres and maybe an axel back if you like some noise.

However, if you're planning to dump the upfront 10k savings straight back into mods I would 100% go for the N54. Try and find one with low km's though.

Modding these cars makes a huge difference when it comes to power and handling. You can make the 1 series look pretty good too. My car feels and looks nothing like a standard 135i.

If you budget carefully, 10k will get you FBO + some nice cosmetic mods + wheels/tyres + some general maintenance stuff out of the way.

[Superdaws]

Just an FYI there though. Yes a N55 will definitely have the new CIC navigation system, but the last of the 135i N54s also have the updated CIC navigation (mine does and its N54). There was about 5-6 months of N54 production with CIC Nav before it went to N55 engine, from approx Sep 2009 to March 2010 build dates.

[135]

DCT cars: 135i N55 or 335i N54/N55.

Read up on people's opinions on iDrive, use it yourself and then determine if it's an absolutely must-have option - if not, don't restrict your search to just those cars that include it.

If you had an N54 Step, you could always get the Alpina flash and have DCT-like shift changes - supposedly not much between them after the flash.

Buy a car as new and with as low kms as you can afford. If you're only going to do basic mods, then probably get an N55, otherwise, get an N54. And if N54, then consider this! Peter@Advan can answer any questions since it looks like he did all/most of the work.

[Anthony B]

I love the look of that car, but alas it's manual. Pretty much has the exact list of modification I plan to do aswell.

I think I'll test drive both, & have a look into the alpina flash option. Having a look at the 08 models I think it's wise I budget for a new waterpump & thermostat & the hpfp.

Thanks for the pointers, I will post my progress once a 1series is in my hands. A little bit of me hopes the zf steptronic box drives a little like the zf in my e30 where it's a little notchy but rather snappy when you want it to be, then can be driven normally & is happy to cruise along in traffic.

[Anthony B]

This is one car that has my eye but is the very top end of my budget http://carsales.mobi/cars/details/20...GC-AD-15878214

& then there is this which has so many nice options & low Km's http://carsales.mobi/cars/details/20...GC-AD-15932830

[BMWRX]

Originally Posted by 135

If you had an N54 Step, you could always get the Alpina flash and have DCT-like shift changes - supposedly not much between them after the flash..

Apologies for the hijack but Alpina flash to make an AT feel more like DCT...you've got my attention.

Where can this be done in Australia (or where to buy it OS)? And will it work running a JB4?

[1BimmerNut]

Originally Posted by Anthony B

This is one car that has my eye but is the very top end of my budget http://carsales.mobi/cars/details/20...GC-AD-15878214

& then there is this which has so many nice options & low Km's http://carsales.mobi/cars/details/20...GC-AD-15932830

My car is a late 2009 MY2010 with only 29,000 kays and cheaper than those two. Its a silver one on car sales N54 with STEP- I'll throw in a free COBB I used for a week before not bothering as I hardly use the car. So 1/3rd the kays, under budget and 95% ofyour tuning needs sorted - and I reno my kitchen - win win

[Anthony B]

Originally Posted by 1BimmerNut

My car is a late 2009 MY2010 with only 29,000 kays and cheaper than those two. Its a silver one on car sales N54 with STEP- I'll throw in a free COBB I used for a week before not bothering as I hardly use the car. So 1/3rd the kays, under budget and 95% ofyour tuning needs sorted - and I reno my kitchen - win win

http://carsal.es/s5W

If it wasn't silver I'd be on it like a heartbeat, I should have added I'm colour picky

But I wish you a quick sale of your car

[135]

Originally Posted by Anthony B

I love the look of that car, but alas it's manual. Pretty much has the exact list of modification I plan to do aswell.

I think I'll test drive both, & have a look into the alpina flash option. Having a look at the 08 models I think it's wise I budget for a new waterpump & thermostat & the hpfp.

Thanks for the pointers, I will post my progress once a 1series is in my hands. A little bit of me hopes the zf steptronic box drives a little like the zf in my e30 where it's a little notchy but rather snappy when you want it to be, then can be driven normally & is happy to cruise along in traffic.

Sorry about that - I didn't realise it was manual. Here are a couple others:
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/d...SSE-AD-2824599
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/d...SSE-AD-2803011

I also spotted that DCT that you mentioned. That's a great option too. But if you're going to do the same mods as the manual one that I suggested then perhaps you should lean towards an N54. Decisions, decisions!

[135]

Originally Posted by BMWRX

Apologies for the hijack but Alpina flash to make an AT feel more like DCT...you've got my attention.

Where can this be done in Australia (or where to buy it OS)? And will it work running a JB4?

It's a DIY and, yes, it works with a JB4. Best thing to do would be a search - there are long threads on 1addicts/e90post and other BMW forums. So much information and opinions that it can become overwhelming!

[Anthony B]

So a holding deposit is down, should if all goes to plan I'll be picking up a 09 Lemans blue with a lot of bmw performance options. Will be picking it up around the 23rd

[SLIPPERY]

Nice!!

get those pics up ASAP!

[135]

Originally Posted by Anthony B

So a holding deposit is down, should if all goes to plan I'll be picking up a 09 Lemans blue with a lot of bmw performance options. Will be picking it up around the 23rd

Congratulations!
Was it the one from Tamworth?

[Anthony B]

It is the one in Tamwoth, the dealer is flying me up for it. Got a little off not much damned bmw dealers bargin hard & I thought being 1/2 Croat I had good bargaining skills lol.

If all goes Ok I'll be flying up around the 26th, the dealer has done a vin check on all the recalls & all including the HPFP have been seen to, doing a service on the car before delivery, & he will provide a dealership warranty(for any bmw dealership).

He's also going to acquire some parts I need for my e30 which comes in handy. Honestly so far has been a really great experience, just want the days to hurry by so I can pick it up!