ubersteuer's "Build" Thread

[E91WAG3N]

Hello all!

I suppose a proper introduction is needed before rabbling on about my new vehicle. I am a long time bimmerhead and first time e82 owner. These Bavarian built masterpieces have been my passion since I was lucky enough to drive one. Through the years I have owned several e36s and have always loved their handling, size, and how nimble they feel all while being practical daily drivers.

My addiction started young as my Dad worked for a local BMW dealership and I was able to take on a part time gig at the age of 16 as a lot porter circa 2000. My first car was a super high mileage (200k+) 1993 325is Black on Tan autotragic that was taken in on trade. After a year or so, I saved up enough pennies to move into a very similar but much more fun to drive lower mileage 1994 325is 5 speed Black on Black. I spent quite a bit of time and money upgrading it with new suspension, M aerodynamics, M3 interior swap, LTW wheels. To this day, it was the most enjoyable car I have owned.

After a couple years, I bought the real deal - a 1998 M3 in Cosmos Black on Black leather. It had a factory arched spoiler and LTW wheels. I owned that from 2005 until I sold it in 2013. It was a great daily and I loved the car but it was time to move on. I ordered a brand new e92 335i M sport 6 speed. I had gotten to a point in my life where I wanted a reliable and newer car, especially now that I lived in Vegas. After about 6 months, I realized I really didn't like the e92. It was a nice car but missed that 'x' factor that my e36s had.

About 6 months ago, I began searching for an e82 128i to replace my e92. I wanted what the e92 lost. I realized that to me, a BMW feels special because of how it turns in and how maneuverable it feels. The 3600lb 335i didn't capture that magic. The 128i is the pinnacle of what I loved about BMW and the last of the breed: A proper RWD, naturally aspirated, hydraulic steering example of engineering. Sure DCTs and turbos are quicker shifting and make more power but that isn't what gives me that James May fizzing sensation. I wanted a light and toss-able car.

My search requirements were simple: 6 speed and M sport. I hoped for xenons, sunroof delete, and leather (and CPO warranty would be nice). Those 3 were gravy in my mind and could be dealt with or lived with as-is. The only color I wasn't fond of was silver. Sure enough, I found the same issue that I encountered when shopping for my 335i, hardly any of these cars were built with a third pedal. After I few months, I felt like the search was hopeless. I happened to be up in the middle of the night unable to sleep and decided to check the dealerships in San Diego to see what they had. BMW of El Cajon, where my former boss now works, had a 6 speed 128i. I couldn't believe it. I got a hold of him the next morning and gave me the lowdown on the car. We happened to have a trip planned down to San Diego so the timing worked out perfectly. Went and looked at the car that weekend before it even cleaned up from being traded in. I was instantly in love.

After a few days of dealer prep, I signed over my 335i through BMW's lease pull ahead program and signed my name on the dotted line.

Next to my Mom's F30:


The specs:
2011 128i
52,xxx miles
N51 with 6 Speed gearbox
Black Sapphire Metallic (475) on Black Boston Leather (LWSW)
M Sport Package
No Sunroof
Heated and Power Leather Seats
HarmonKardon Sound

This car must have been ordered as it's a pretty strange combination. I was ecstatic over how it was spec'd, everything is how I would have ordered it sans the lighting package.

The original wheels were fairly rough and needed tires. My old boss had a set of freshly powder coated 261s laying around with new tires that he threw on for me.

A few shots after I got it home -






All tucked in my garage next to my e36 track car project:
http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=529239


So far, I have just been driving it for about a month. I picked up a set of stock finish 261s as I wasn't quite feeling the Darth Vader look. The plan is to get a feel for the car first and see what actually warrants upgrading. So far, number one on my list is Euro Spec Xenons and LCI tails. I feel blind at night, I haven't had halogen headlights in over a decade. The CDV needs to go asap too.

Down the road, I'd like to maintain an OEM+ feel to the car. As factory parts wear out, I will replace them with upgraded bits where I can. The suspension does feel floaty and soft like my e92. I'll likely go with 1M bushings, and BMW Performance Suspension. I don't want to turn this into track car for at least another 100k so I'd like to keep the ride civilized. The 135i/performance brakes will be done when my front pads and rotors are toast as will 8.5 front wheels and non-runflats. The exhaust is almost non-audible so that will be addressed as well, likely with a BMW Performance unit. 1M mirrors are on the list as well, the stock ones are fairly ugly.

A few shots of my previous rides -

My "old" e92:


My favorite e36 in Darth Vader mode:



Until next time

[Soccs]

Amazing cars! I've been thinking about the performance coilovers... But are they really worth it ? Been talking with Raeder Motorsport, they tuned my mini at the ring, and they recommended me kW club sport v2 . And they state that on soft mode it's quite Confertable! Undecided yet ...

[Bimmer-Bob]

Nice find! I think you definitely lucked out finding a 128i spec'ed like that, and not too far from home, either. Too bad you couldn't get xenons, too, but I guess you have to be a little flexible when buying used. There are quite a few "enthusiast-spec" 128i's here on the boards, but they're not often encountered in the wild, and even less so on the market, I think.

But I'm a little confused - does your car have power seats but no sunroof? I thought those two things were part of the Premium Package, and not available a la carte. I guess I'm mistaken, or I misread your post.

If I could make one suggestion on where to place your attention in the near-term, I'd say you must do something about the rear subframe bushings ASAP. I did coil overs and camber plates and a sway bar and everything else first, and when I finally did the RSFBs I felt like it almost made the most difference in making the car feel stable and planted at speed. If you wanna save some money, I'd suggest the Whiteline RSFB inserts - they cost me $40-something and a couple of hours on jack stands. Cheap and easy enough to be a stop-gap measure, although you might not feel the need to ever upgrade. I'm still happy with mine after a couple years - even though they're "just" inserts, I think the poly is pretty much indestructible.

Anyway, good luck! I look forward to following your build.

[E91WAG3N]

Originally Posted by Soccs

Amazing cars! I've been thinking about the performance coilovers... But are they really worth it ? Been talking with Raeder Motorsport, they tuned my mini at the ring, and they recommended me kW club sport v2 . And they state that on soft mode it's quite Confertable! Undecided yet ...

I have driven a couple bimmers with KW setups and they're solid. My main reasoning to go with the OEM Performance bits is to keep the car as OEM as possible as I'm covered under CPO warranty for almost 2 more years. Having worked in the BMW dealer service department, I've seen my fair share of warranty claims given a second look or denied due to aftermarket stuff. I'm sure you can get more bang for your buck with aftermarket though. That said, I have coils on my e36.

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

Nice find! I think you definitely lucked out finding a 128i spec'ed like that, and not too far from home, either. Too bad you couldn't get xenons, too, but I guess you have to be a little flexible when buying used. There are quite a few "enthusiast-spec" 128i's here on the boards, but they're not often encountered in the wild, and even less so on the market, I think.

But I'm a little confused - does your car have power seats but no sunroof? I thought those two things were part of the Premium Package, and not available a la carte. I guess I'm mistaken, or I misread your post.

If I could make one suggestion on where to place your attention in the near-term, I'd say you must do something about the rear subframe bushings ASAP. I did coil overs and camber plates and a sway bar and everything else first, and when I finally did the RSFBs I felt like it almost made the most difference in making the car feel stable and planted at speed. If you wanna save some money, I'd suggest the Whiteline RSFB inserts - they cost me $40-something and a couple of hours on jack stands. Cheap and easy enough to be a stop-gap measure, although you might not feel the need to ever upgrade. I'm still happy with mine after a couple years - even though they're "just" inserts, I think the poly is pretty much indestructible.

Anyway, good luck! I look forward to following your build.

The lack of xenons is disappointing but I planned to upgrade to pre-LCI Euro spec housings regardless so in my mind the damage to my wallet will just be the retrofit pieces, bulbs, ballasts, and module if I need it. I also look forward to coding as all my modding experience has been with e36s.

The car is optioned really strangely, in a good way. It does not have premium package, so sadly no auto-dim mirrors, but has power seats that are leather and heated. All the e82s I've looked were either bean cans with no options or were loaded to the teeth with premium/sport/nav/xenon. I worked at the dealer when e90s first came out but left before we got the 1 series, so I'm not sure what configurations were possible on our cars. Overall, I'm very happy to be in the car that I should have ordered instead of my e92.

I've had mixed thoughts about the inserts. I absolutely feel the soft/floaty rear end, but after suffering through nearly 3 years of it in my e92, I don't notice it as much. Once my e36 build is done (3.38 lsd, m3 rear subframe with poly bushings etc..) it will bug me since I will have a point of reference. Ideally, I'd like to throw in an LSD with 1M bushings but that won't happen for a couple years with my e36 build in full swing. In the meantime, I might give the Whitelines a try, even if they are a stop-gap measure. Not a huge investment at $40 and a few hours. The CDV however is driving me more and more bonkers with each passing day.

FWIW in my 1,500 miles of not very spirited seat time, the soft bushings combined with the hard tire setup (stock 135i 18" runflats in 245 and 215 wide) seem to be the weak links in the chassis. The stock springs and dampers aren't that horrible.


Some updates -

A couple days after getting it home, like all of my cars ///M and non-M alike, it was debadged. After getting used to the look in Europe, I don't care for how cluttered cars stateside look with all their emblems. A couple of my pics above were taken after removing it.





New wheels were fitted as well. I will be keeping my eye out for a second set so I can run square 8.5s. The black wheels were too much, I tried to like it and couldn't get used to it. [Shameless plug: they're for sale in the classified section] They will look great on someone else's non-black car!

[Soccs]

What size tires are you thinking ? I was recommended square 235- 40- 18.

What are your plans ?

[chris82]

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

Nice find! I think you definitely lucked out finding a 128i spec'ed like that, and not too far from home, either. Too bad you couldn't get xenons, too, but I guess you have to be a little flexible when buying used. There are quite a few "enthusiast-spec" 128i's here on the boards, but they're not often encountered in the wild, and even less so on the market, I think.

But I'm a little confused - does your car have power seats but no sunroof? I thought those two things were part of the Premium Package, and not available a la carte. I guess I'm mistaken, or I misread your post.

If I could make one suggestion on where to place your attention in the near-term, I'd say you must do something about the rear subframe bushings ASAP. I did coil overs and camber plates and a sway bar and everything else first, and when I finally did the RSFBs I felt like it almost made the most difference in making the car feel stable and planted at speed. If you wanna save some money, I'd suggest the Whiteline RSFB inserts - they cost me $40-something and a couple of hours on jack stands. Cheap and easy enough to be a stop-gap measure, although you might not feel the need to ever upgrade. I'm still happy with mine after a couple years - even though they're "just" inserts, I think the poly is pretty much indestructible.

Anyway, good luck! I look forward to following your build.

What are the camber plates you went with? Do they make noise of any kind?

[Bimmer-Bob]

Originally Posted by chris82

What are the camber plates you went with? Do they make noise of any kind?

I've had both Dinan camber plates and Ground Control street adjustable camber plates. Both have been fairly quiet. I get a little bit of noise from my front struts but it's very minor and it's been the same with both brands of camber plates.

[E91WAG3N]

Blacklines shipped today! Can't wait to fit them Anything to make my car more visible to all the horrible Vegas drivers helps.

Originally Posted by Soccs

What size tires are you thinking ? I was recommended square 235- 40- 18.

What are your plans ?

Haven't looked into it too much yet but I'd like to run 245s all around as long as they clear the front suspension and brakes.

[chris82]

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

I've had both Dinan camber plates and Ground Control street adjustable camber plates. Both have been fairly quiet. I get a little bit of noise from my front struts but it's very minor and it's been the same with both brands of camber plates.

Thanks man, my race plates are pretty noisy, I think a bearing is worn out

[_Pants]

Congrats on the purchase! I look forward to seeing this thread progress. I have a nearly identical spec car to yours, '11 128i m-sport, 6 speed, slick top, no xenons. I searched high and low but couldn't find one with the lighting pack but it was still way too great of a combination to pass on. Had mine just over a year now and been loving it ever since. The BMW Performance exhaust really opens up the sound without being overbearing. Enjoy it and drive it well!

[E91WAG3N]

Originally Posted by _Pants

Congrats on the purchase! I look forward to seeing this thread progress. I have a nearly identical spec car to yours, '11 128i m-sport, 6 speed, slick top, no xenons. I searched high and low but couldn't find one with the lighting pack but it was still way too great of a combination to pass on. Had mine just over a year now and been loving it ever since. The BMW Performance exhaust really opens up the sound without being overbearing. Enjoy it and drive it well!

Very cool, I just checked out your thread! Lighting package seems to be a pretty rare option on 128's I saw a automatic Le Mans Blue 128i with it at a dealership a year or so ago but don't recall seeing any on a 6MT car while my search was underway.

[E91WAG3N]

Ordered a few goodies from Schmiedmann last week and to my surprise they found their way to Vegas in just 5 days. They packaged everything really well and even bubble wrapped the outside. Everything arrived safe and sound!



I [ulled tpe trigger on a pair of blacklines, BMW part number 63-21-2-225-282. Not sure if it was my imagination but I feel like I've had a few people nearly rear end me in the last week so I figured brighter tail lights couldn't hurt.





They were very straight forward to install. My biggest concern was the wiring as my car was equipped with halogen lights from the factory. I read several threads with different solutions to make the lights operate. Most of the information I read indicated that it was necessary to jump/bridge the two non ground connections in the 3 prong harness.

To my surprise, my harness had 3 wires already. My car is a 2/11 build and apparently had the xenon early style tails already.



All plug and play!





The LED swoosh illuminates as the parking light when the lights are switched on at position 1 or 2 and under automatic mode. The two outer bulbs light up when pressing the brake pedal. Having seen a couple of 2012+ cars with updated lights, I believe they are correctly configured.

Better pictures will be taken when the sun is out this weekend.



I also picked up some silver coded turn signal lights. The front and rear signal bulbs are easily available from vendors stateside but the wedge bulbs are not. They are part number 63-21-2-352-229 for those wondering.

Having seen these on the first generation X5 in circa 2005 while working at the dealership, I picked up a pair of the rear bulbs to run in my e36 at the time. It's a simple touch but they will add up throughout the car. I fit them once I order some new sidemarkers.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by ubersteuer

They were very straight forward to install. My biggest concern was the wiring as my car was equipped with halogen lights from the factory. I read several threads with different solutions to make the lights operate. Most of the information I read indicated that it was necessary to jump/bridge the two non ground connections in the 3 prong harness.

To my surprise, my harness had 3 wires already. My car is a 2/11 build and apparently had the xenon early style tails already.

That's because you have a pre-facelift car. LCI E82's with halogens do not have that third wire so LCI HIGH tails are not plug&play.

Anyway, congrats on the car.

[Bimmer-Bob]

Originally Posted by swagon

That's because you have a pre-facelift car. LCI E82's with halogens do not have that third wire so LCI HIGH tails are not plug&play.

Anyway, congrats on the car.

Stuff from Schmiedmann is always ridiculously over packaged, but I bet they don't get many "damaged in transit" claims!

The black lines look great. They are must have IMO, especially for pre-LCI cars. They really update the look - the big LED swoosh is much more modern-looking, I think - and the tint is aggressive without being overdone like many of the DIY jobs you see. You'll be admiring that rear end even more now! Especially with the debadge, which is such a small thing but cleans up the look considerably - as you said, the little things add up.

You'll be pleased, too, with the chrome bulbs in fresh side marker lenses. Super subtle but a nice detail, especially since I'm guessing your current lenses are sun-damaged. I feel like the "fried-egg" look is probably especially bad on a black car.

By the way, BMW of El Cajon used to be my servicing dealer, back when I lived in San Diego (and was still named South County BMW). Did they finish their expansion and renovation yet?

[E91WAG3N]

Originally Posted by swagon

That's because you have a pre-facelift car. LCI E82's with halogens do not have that third wire so LCI HIGH tails are not plug&play.

Anyway, congrats on the car.

Exactly. The information was scattered across several threads when I was researching. Almost everything I came across pertained to the early build cars or LCI, both of which need modification. I'll post pictures in the sticky thread along with pre-LCI/build date info to help others when searching.

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

You'll be pleased, too, with the chrome bulbs in fresh side marker lenses. Super subtle but a nice detail, especially since I'm guessing your current lenses are sun-damaged. I feel like the "fried-egg" look is probably especially bad on a black car.

By the way, BMW of El Cajon used to be my servicing dealer, back when I lived in San Diego (and was still named South County BMW). Did they finish their expansion and renovation yet?

My sidemarkers are just as bad as yours, they were on my list (minus the bulbs) before seeing your thread. All the small details do really stand out on a black car.

Their new building is all finished, it's a big step up from their old location which now houses a Mercedes dealership. They need to sell and service a lot of cars to pay for that place! South County is their new name, I still seem to use all the old names for SD dealers - Harloff, Brecht, and El Cajon.

[honestzergtea]

The blacklines look great!

[Dackelone]

Nice story and a nice 1er! But what's the deal with your Munich plates? I noticed your running the front German tag from your e36. ?

Dack

[Solo_M_Tech]

Those black wheels are 261M's that were powder coated black. They are exactly the same as the silver wheels you have on there now. Just have them painted to match, and you'll have your 8.5 square set up bro. No need to sell them lol!~

[E91WAG3N]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Nice story and a nice 1er! But what's the deal with your Munich plates? I noticed your running the front German tag from your e36. ?

Dack

I spent some time there in 2003 and brought some expired plates back with me. I run them when I have temporary registration and don't require a plate and throw them on for pictures sometimes. I'd rather not plaster my actual plate all over the web

Originally Posted by ApexResistance

Those black wheels are 261M's that were powder coated black. They are exactly the same as the silver wheels you have on there now. Just have them painted to match, and you'll have your 8.5 square set up bro. No need to sell them lol!~

I thought about it but refinished wheels never quite match the factory finish. If it was difficult to find OEM sets in good condition, I'd go that route but there are tons out there.

[Gangplank]

Nice car. I'm in Las Vegas also. Hoping to move to a 128i sometime next year. Keeping an eye on this thread.

Btw where do you take your car for work in Vegas. I've been using SW Bimmers for my 545i. Good guys.

[E91WAG3N]

Originally Posted by Gangplank

Nice car. I'm in Las Vegas also. Hoping to move to a 128i sometime next year. Keeping an eye on this thread.

Btw where do you take your car for work in Vegas. I've been using SW Bimmers for my 545i. Good guys.

I've heard good things about SW Bimmers but have never used them. Other than taking my cars into the dealer for warranty work, I do everything. Welding is really the only area that I don't have experience, so I may be taking my e36 subframe to SW to be reinforced.

[E91WAG3N]

Snapped a decent picture in the junkyard parking lot today. I'm pretty happy with the look of the rear.