Realistic cost of 1m conversion

[BadM4]

i think the kerscher front end kit looks pretty good and gives you the 1M look in the front, the rear is the most costly, if you do it the way venom and ilikebmxbikes did it or the way i did it by buying the 1M rear sheet metal its a very costly mod either way.

[uberschnell]

I came out to about 51K with the price of the used car at 23K
That's complete M suspension swap + ast coilovers
Wavtrac LSD
1 piece forged wheels and fat tires
intake, remus exhaust, FMIC, JB4
widebody conversion with 1m parts + paint

Used 1m @ around 55K

The 135i will be moderately faster and provide moderately better handling, has nicer wheels and exhaust. Also doesn't factor the money you could recoup by selling the old parts.

1m would likely have lower miles, be newer, have the M interior and would hold a higher re-sale value

This is for someone who is starting from scratch. For a person with a 135i and who has already invested in many of the parts mentioned above the cost point shifts considerably towards the 135i.

[Fifty3bags]

You can do front and rear 1M bumpers on the 135i, Kerscher makes both. You would have to change the exhaust for the rear though. I'm thinking I may do this down the road, but we will see. I have other things I'd rather spend my money on right now though. If only people would do a quick google

Front:
http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/stylin...Spoilerschwert

http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/styling/detail.php?id=733 (pictures)

Rear:
http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/stylin...Hecksch%FCrzen

http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/styling/detail.php?id=754 (Pictures)

[kpsingh0]

Originally Posted by Fifty3bags

You can do front and rear 1M bumpers on the 135i, Kerscher makes both. You would have to change the exhaust for the rear though. I'm thinking I may do this down the road, but we will see. I have other things I'd rather spend my money on right now though. If only people would do a quick google

Front:
http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/stylin...Spoilerschwert

http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/styling/detail.php?id=733 (pictures)

Rear:
http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/stylin...Hecksch%FCrzen

http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/styling/detail.php?id=754 (Pictures)

I wasn't looking interested in the cost of replicas. I was interested the actual kit and cost associated with the wide body conversion. I got some solid answers but thanks anyway.

[Curare86]

Originally Posted by Fifty3bags

You can do front and rear 1M bumpers on the 135i, Kerscher makes both. You would have to change the exhaust for the rear though. I'm thinking I may do this down the road, but we will see. I have other things I'd rather spend my money on right now though. If only people would do a quick google

Front:
http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/stylin...Spoilerschwert

http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/styling/detail.php?id=733 (pictures)

Rear:
http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/stylin...Hecksch%FCrzen

http://www.kerscher-tuning.de/styling/detail.php?id=754 (Pictures)

those are NOT equivalent to 1m parts

[flinchy]

Originally Posted by -c-

Well I know all OEM parts cost at least 3700 bucks for front, rear, sides and nuts and bolts. Still need to get a stock or custom exhaust and then the cost of paint and body work will set you back around 7500

Where are you getting that from?

$500 for battery tray swap + exhaust... About $1500 for front end + paint... Then about $1500-2k for rear widening MAX (considerig its a tiny bit of the guard and you have a guide to go off from the skirts+bumper)

[Fifty3bags]

Originally Posted by Curare86

those are NOT equivalent to 1m parts

My bad. I must've been half asleep when I typed that, I saw some people on the first page talking about the replicas and thought that was where the thread was going.

[Curare86]

Originally Posted by flinchy

Where are you getting that from?

$500 for battery tray swap + exhaust... About $1500 for front end + paint... Then about $1500-2k for rear widening MAX (considerig its a tiny bit of the guard and you have a guide to go off from the skirts+bumper)

jesus flinchy what have you been smoking. 500 for battery tray AND exhaust?! 1500 for the front end including painting? do you get your labour done by 12 year old indonesians? I have done it now I can assure you the other estimates are pretty on the money

[flinchy]

Originally Posted by Curare86

jesus flinchy what have you been smoking. 500 for battery tray AND exhaust?! 1500 for the front end including painting? do you get your labour done by 12 year old indonesians? I have done it now I can assure you the other estimates are pretty on the money

re-read.. i said + paint and + exhaust lol

@ about $300 a panel, that's $1500 in front end painting.

so say $500 for the exhaust on top (up to $2k if you really want..)

$1500+$1500 for front end painted
$1k for battery tray + exhaust
$2k for the rear wide

wheels+tires.. $2000-$2500+++?

[-c-]

Originally Posted by flinchy

Where are you getting that from?

$500 for battery tray swap + exhaust... About $1500 for front end + paint... Then about $1500-2k for rear widening MAX (considerig its a tiny bit of the guard and you have a guide to go off from the skirts+bumper)

My local dealer, I had them run all the parts needed.

All dealers prices are different from one another some are cheap some are crazy.

Also find parts on realoem.com then cross reference it with getbmwparts.com and you'll get a realistic price for the parts.

Also paint is a giant wild card as one shop can charge 200 to paint a front clip others can charge up to a grand just for the front bumper. So it's a crap shoot.

For reference one shop here in Chicago quoted me 17k for the conversion while another quoted 8k. Literally over double the cost.

Though the cheaper shop does everything while the expensive shop works on Ferraris and BMW's and McClaren's as well as many other high end brands and their work is second to none, You get what you pay for. He'll it's not uncommon to see 20k to 30k for some paint jobs even depending on quality and effort.

[Curare86]

Originally Posted by flinchy

re-read.. i said + paint and + exhaust lol

@ about $300 a panel, that's $1500 in front end painting.

so say $500 for the exhaust on top (up to $2k if you really want..)

$1500+$1500 for front end painted
$1k for battery tray + exhaust
$2k for the rear wide

wheels+tires.. $2000-$2500+++?

for cheap wheels/tires, sure. everything is subjective.
You're forgetting all the smaller things like sideskirts, windscreen washer tank, side markers, wheel wells blah blah blah. They all add up. and SHIPPING! ugh

[flinchy]

Originally Posted by Curare86

for cheap wheels/tires, sure. everything is subjective.
You're forgetting all the smaller things like sideskirts, windscreen washer tank, side markers, wheel wells blah blah blah. They all add up. and SHIPPING! ugh

i'd start at forgestars for concave.. you could get low enough offsets with lip-style wheels reasonably lower (they just look funny imo haha).. i don't see how $1600-$2000 a set of wheels is 'cheap' either?

no i'm not forgetting the skirts or washer tank, i went and checked prices on ECS

wheel well liners? ehhh it's up to the individual whether they're even run.. and they're all of $50 anyway?

shipping, nope! i even did shipping to AUSTRALIA. people in NA have nothing to worry about there haha

[-c-]

Also the prices for 8 to 10 k for the convertion was just body work, did not include wheels and tires or exhaust.

So $3700 for parts (have quote from dealer) $2k to $3k a side to re-weld the factory quarters (lots of work)
And at least $3k to $4k for good paint job ( practically painting whole car and have to properly blend the panels for proper paint match) puts you at around $12k to $13k without even hitting on wheels and tires and exhaust and all the small bits.

Decent tires are at least $250 to $300 a tire, with decent wheels running $300 to $600 a wheel. Not sure why you would spend all that quid on the conversion then buy sub par cheap wheels and tires.

Add another $600 to $800 for an exhaust and you getting up their

Granted this is just my experience and others will very ...... As paint and body works are all changeable plus if you have a friend who can hook you up on body work all the better

[flinchy]

Originally Posted by -c-

Also the prices for 8 to 10 k for the convertion was just body work, did not include wheels and tires or exhaust.

So $3700 for parts (have quote from dealer) $2k to $3k a side to re-weld the factory quarters (lots of work)
And at least $3k to $4k for good paint job ( practically painting whole car and have to properly blend the panels for proper paint match) puts you at around $12k to $13k without even hitting on wheels and tires and exhaust and all the small bits.

Decent tires are at least $250 to $300 a tire, with decent wheels running $300 to $600 a wheel. Not sure why you would spend all that quid on the conversion then buy sub par cheap wheels and tires.

Add another $600 to $800 for an exhaust and you getting up their

Granted this is just my experience and others will very ...... As paint and body works are all changeable plus if you have a friend who can hook you up on body work all the better

as for the dealer prices - yeah fair enoughh, i see where you got that now haha.. i'd suggest looking at ECS, it'd be $1500-$2000 for the same parts, if i'm remembering the prices i found (including fasteners) correctly.. which is a HUGE saving at least?

and as for the quarters, true, it depends on your shop, i've found some oldschool hotrod guys that would do it for much lower prices locally.. plus it depends where you live (and what country you live in).. and the painting can vary from $250/panel up to $1000 a panel depending on everything too haha

if you went alternative methods it could cost more?

not trying to start arguments again, just trying to explain where my numbers were from

so it can range from $7-15k depending on where you buy parts, who you get to do the work, whether you get good rates or not.. what parts you buy in terms of wheels+exhaust..

ED: oh i forgot mirrors which would be $1k if we're talking COMPLETE cosmetic swap...

ED: just ECS'd kit prices - $1771.90 + washer fluid bottle (<$100, just having trouble finding part number again).. + fasteners (i'd estimate a couple $hundred)..

ED: full OEM rear quarter panels are $622/piece, then weld on + paint, which SHOULD come out a sight under $3k per side?

[ilikebmxbikes]

I posted the part numbers for everything. It is a bit more complicated than the obvious fender/ skirt/ bumpers arches etc. in the US, using real oem prices, you will land around $3-3500 in parts. Rear arches + paint is more. Rear arches and paint can be done cheap or expensive. All shops will vary based on technique and location. There will be no fixed price on this mod. I personally paid around 7500+ exhaust + wheels and tires. That included paint for all new parts and blending. My entire car except for the roof was painted and blended. The job looks really good and I don't have the oem orange peel paint, mine is much smoother.

@flinchy - when we gonna see updates on your conversion?! I love your car.

[flinchy]

Originally Posted by ilikebmxbikes

I posted the part numbers for everything. It is a bit more complicated than the obvious fender/ skirt/ bumpers arches etc. in the US, using real oem prices, you will land around $3-3500 in parts. Rear arches + paint is more. Rear arches and paint can be done cheap or expensive. All shops will vary based on technique and location. There will be no fixed price on this mod. I personally paid around 7500+ exhaust + wheels and tires. That included paint for all new parts and blending. My entire car except for the roof was painted and blended. The job looks really good and I don't have the oem orange peel paint, mine is much smoother.

@flinchy - when we gonna see updates on your conversion?! I love your car.

realoem prices? ok that sounds bang on haha

i'll have to go digging in your thread for part numbers - i can only find full parts list for the battery tray?

and your car looks spectacular


as for updates - got an engine crane finally on sat (fits in the hatch fyi.. seriously the perfect size :P ) with almost no damage done to the interior!

found bolts from the local hardware store that are long enough for the stand.. ($20 later...)

and removing N54 injectors sucks hah... this weekends project getting it up on the stand and disassembled the rest of the way, then it's just buying parts from ABR, and giving it to shops.

soon ilike, soon, and i'll make sure you know specially haha

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by flinchy

realoem prices? ok that sounds bang on haha

i'll have to go digging in your thread for part numbers - i can only find full parts list for the battery tray?

and your car looks spectacular


as for updates - got an engine crane finally on sat (fits in the hatch fyi.. seriously the perfect size :P ) with almost no damage done to the interior!

found bolts from the local hardware store that are long enough for the stand.. ($20 later...)

and removing N54 injectors sucks hah... this weekends project getting it up on the stand and disassembled the rest of the way, then it's just buying parts from ABR, and giving it to shops.

soon ilike, soon, and i'll make sure you know specially haha

Let me know if you need any parts source from the states. I got u.

Generally parts here are around 10% lower or around real oem prices. I posted my full parts list but edited out the prices because I didn't want to lock my vendors into price matching as parts prices fluctuate.

I can email anyone that full priced out list if they want.

My original 1m underbody shield was around $110 and my replacement one was around $160. The new bumper was also $30-40 more than my first one. These parts are more inline with the 135i parts now, where before for some reason 1m stuff seemed to be cheaper.