415 HP (N54) 135i to 1M Coupe Conversion

[champignon]

I actually don't care much either way about people trying to turn their 135i cars into ersatz or fake 1Ms.

What I do care about is reckless modification of cars by people who not long after the deed is done, get bored and then dump their "creation" on the rest of the car buying public. For the record I am not talking about a few minor cosmetic mods, like many of us do, that have no meaningful performance impact on a vehicle.

Go ahead and mod the shit out of any car you want, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep it and don't inflict it on anyone else.

I wish that the rest of us would avoid buying modified cars. This would have the effect of making people think twice before they molest a perfectly good car, because they would know that they would have extreme difficulty, and suffer a severe loss, at resale time.

The next time you see a sales listing that mentions that the car has been modified, go on to other listings.

[Venom]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Wider wheel base is functional in and of itself.

The beauty of the 1M in my eyes is the deliberate disregard for performance numbers and the total free design vision of the BMW engineers while they scrabbled through a box of E82 135i parts and a box of E90 M3 parts to make their dream raw fun drivers car a reality.

So given that the beauty of the 1M is a raw feeling, or rather a tangible emotion, I have no issue with folks trying to snag bits of that beauty for their non-M 1er. That is what being an auto enthusiast is all about.

I haven't seen a poorly done conversion yet. They have all been done out of the same love of design and driving that those original BMW engineers started Project Pyrat in the first place. And not one of them has had a ///M badge stuck on the back either. Respect.

Very well stated. Mine is probably one of the "lesser" conversions and I am impressed with all the crazy builds I see! The drivability with simply the widebody is worth the modification. I will and have always called my car a 135i, even when others call it an M (even in its pre-mod days), the badge is VENOM as it is my monster that I built.

I wanted a 1M initially but I would not have been able to enjoy the car as much if it were a 1M. It is sad to stand on a high horse and say all modifications are bad. I have: suspension, power, and widebody mods done and they have all increased my enjoyability of my car.

I will admit that I was planning on selling the car at one point but that's because I couldn't garage it due to moving. My daily died on me so I am enjoying the hell out of my 1 and have no plans to sell it now or in the future.

[ilikebmxbikes]

I have a conversion and I have only had positivity from 1m owners in person and online. No one has ever accused me of being a fake M owner or not being able to afford a 1m. Our community, 128i,135i and 1m owners are all an awesome tight nit group of people.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by OneM

You guys are a joke. You first have to understand why some 1M owners are a little defensive when it comes to copying or having imitation products.

Let's look at it this way.. a 'Coach handbag' may be of similiar or even higher quality to that of an LV, let alone justifying the LV's cost, but no matter what you do to the Coach bag it'll never turn into an LV. So trying to copy the 1M's looks and justifying it with similarity claims is no different than buying a fake LV knockoff.

And for performance claims.. I always hear stuff like "oh, just modify a 335i and it'll be faster than an M3 E92".. or "135i after a tune produces similiar power gains to the 1M". But what they seem to forget is the other car can be modified too. Apples to apples, on the DMS tune website, the 1M get 411+hp while the 135i only 370hp. I'm guessing the difference is due to the larger intercooler, 2nd radiator + oil cooler. The tuner actually takes into account the reliability of engine as well. Hell, I'm certain someone out there could make a VW beetle faster than some supercars.

Make of it what you will, but fake stuff are like fake people

I don't think you know what you are talking about.

But I guess I am the fakest of them all

[OneM]

Originally Posted by ilikebmxbikes

I don't think you know what you are talking about.

But I guess I am the fakest of them all

If you don't have an M badge on your car then its fine. You can mod the hell out of your car and no one will bother. But to make similarity claims and try to justify one's inferiority complex is lame and tackless.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by OneM

If you don't have an M badge on your car then its fine. You can mod the hell out of your car and no one will bother. But to make similarity claims and try to justify your inferiority complex is lame and tackless.

Maybe I'll ad a badge on the back. I have one under the hood.

[DieGrüneHölle]

Originally Posted by OneM

If you don't have an M badge on your car then its fine. You can mod the hell out of your car and no one will bother. But to make similarity claims and try to justify one's inferiority complex is lame and tackless.

ilikebmxbikes car has far exceeded what BMW ever had in mind for the 1M. He built what BMW was too afraid to build.

[OneM]

Awesome, hey fellas..

[Yeineken]

Originally Posted by OneM

Awesome, hey fellas..

You might have a heart attack from this one didn't realize your point was the M badge on the back. Completely agree it's wrong for any BMW to put one on if it didn't come from the factory with one.

http://instagram.com/wide_f_ck

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by Venom

Very well stated. Mine is probably one of the "lesser" conversions and I am impressed with all the crazy builds I see! The drivability with simply the widebody is worth the modification. I will and have always called my car a 135i, even when others call it an M (even in its pre-mod days), the badge is VENOM as it is my monster that I built.

I wanted a 1M initially but I would not have been able to enjoy the car as much if it were a 1M. It is sad to stand on a high horse and say all modifications are bad. I have: suspension, power, and widebody mods done and they have all increased my enjoyability of my car.

I will admit that I was planning on selling the car at one point but that's because I couldn't garage it due to moving. My daily died on me so I am enjoying the hell out of my 1 and have no plans to sell it now or in the future.

I am curious WHY some of you say you couldn't enjoy it if it was a 1M? makes no sense to me. I DD mine and enjoy the hell out of it....at the end of the day it's just a car. Your life is more important than the car!

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by OneM

If you don't have an M badge on your car then its fine. You can mod the hell out of your car and no one will bother. But to make similarity claims and try to justify one's inferiority complex is lame and tackless.

will all due respect Marco's car is a one of a kind monster....I have a huge amount of respect for his car. Totally unique.

[Venom]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

I am curious WHY some of you say you couldn't enjoy it if it was a 1M? makes no sense to me. I DD mine and enjoy the hell out of it....at the end of the day it's just a car. Your life is more important than the car!

If it were a 1M, I wouldn't have modified it to be honest. I did have money down for a 1M. Dealer sold my place in line to another buyer. Since we only got 740 units, it would haunt me with possibility of door dings and the like. I can just drive this car and enjoy it. My intent wasn't to build a 1M, if it were I would have ensured I got one in the first place and I honestly couldn't justify the 2nd hand prices(and some of the 1st hand).

I personally hope there are pristine 1Ms to gawk at 20 years down the road and at the same time I can enjoy my creation. My life is more important than a car, but I wouldn't be able to enjoy life as much when worrying about driving that car.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by Venom

If it were a 1M, I wouldn't have modified it to be honest. I did have money down for a 1M. Dealer sold my place in line to another buyer. Since we only got 740 units, it would haunt me with possibility of door dings and the like. I can just drive this car and enjoy it. My intent wasn't to build a 1M, if it were I would have ensured I got one in the first place and I honestly couldn't justify the 2nd hand prices(and some of the 1st hand).

nah man..it's just a car. just because they brought 740 of them doesn't mean it's not just a car!!

there are plenty of modified 1Ms out there....mine isn't; but lots of others around.

[Venom]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

nah man..it's just a car. just because they brought 740 of them doesn't mean it's not just a car!!

there are plenty of modified 1Ms out there....mine isn't; but lots of others around.

Very true there are. I can definitely tell that you have what you want because you took the depreciation hit to get a used 1M. I came to bmw mostly for the n54 when I was shopping cars. The only highly modified 1M that I have respect for is Einser M's 1M before he sold it. I have respect for you for getting what you truly want instead of justifying by comparison. I did fall out of love with my car for a time. But the fun for me and why I enjoy my car rather than comparing it to a 1M is because I built what I wanted.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by Venom

Very true there are. I can definitely tell that you have what you want because you took the depreciation hit to get a used 1M. I came to bmw mostly for the n54 when I was shopping cars. The only highly modified 1M that I have respect for is Einser M's 1M before he sold it. I have respect for you for getting what you truly want instead of justifying by comparison. I did fall out of love with my car for a time. But the fun for me and why I enjoy my car rather than comparing it to a 1M is because I built what I wanted.

well i think it's great you are enjoying what you have. that is MOST important!!

[ilikebmxbikes]

Thank you guys for some of the kind words

While I probably would have modded a 1m I absolutely wouldn't have pulled the motor out. There is something to be respected about the limited nature and factory built package of the car. I wouldn't have gone so far if I had an authentic one. They really are great as is. I probably would have just done minor touches, light suspension, brakes and wheels.

It is funny to see people though still hating on the converted cars and stating they were built out of 135i owners trying to be something they are not. The argument can equally go the other way and be claimed it is 1m owners who are insecure that people are rebuilding their sacred limited cars both in looks and in function.

I have my car for my own reasons. I have modded it for my own reasons and continue to do so because I love it. I don't care what people think or say. Funny how some "M owners" think they can tell me what I can or can't do on my car. I personally won't put a badge on it but its ridiculous someone thinks they can tell me I can't.

And like I said in my first post - I have only felt positivity in person at meets and shows and online from 1m and 128i/135i owners. We have a much tighter community than m3post which I am actively on.

[swagon]

I'm quite torn on this subject, and I'm just gonna say that generally, M body kit conversions on cars that are at best FBO are for posers. I know that there are technical advantages of it, but for me it's like slapping an M badge in a much bigger scale... Dunno, that's just how I feel about it. Maybe if you leave the stock badge on the trunk...

Marco's E82 is an exception, though, and I guess it's because of the engine swap and the overall complexity of the build. There also is another S65-powered E82 in the UK, but I can't remember if it is an original 1 M or not.

On the other hand, some vehicles should be left mostly stock. The 1 M is one of them IMO. Maybe because it's so rare? I don't know, I just feel bad for the 1M's that their owners modded the hell out of with roll cages and whatnot. If I had a 1M, I'd go as far as an exhaust, suspension and BMW Performance parts...

HOWEVER, let me just say that I respect all the people out there who had the balls to do such modifications and did them properly. I'm an OEM+ guy when it comes to German cars so I'll just go, check out your crazy ride and have a chat with you about the car.


By the way, champignon raised a good point about modifying cars and then selling them after they're done with the tuning. I've seen this many times - even on Bimmerpost. I don't get it. There were several guys who bought a car, had it totally modified in a week, won the main prize at an event, posted hundreds of photos on social media and then sold the car. Why for God's sake?

[ShocknAwe]

Originally Posted by swagon

I'm quite torn on this subject, and I'm just gonna say that generally, M body kit conversions on cars that are at best FBO are for posers. I know that there are technical advantages of it, but for me it's like slapping an M badge in a much bigger scale... Dunno, that's just how I feel about it. Maybe if you leave the stock badge on the trunk...

Doesn't sound like you're torn on the subject at all.

[ilikebmxbikes]

its all an interesting discussion and one that has been very prevalent with us more so than other platforms especially due to the nature of the 1m.

Some of our controversies ( not in a particular order )

- Traditional //M owners claiming 1M isn't a real //M because non bespoke motor and parts bin approach. Remember when e9x owners used to come in here and troll? 1m owners claiming their cars are //M cars because despite non bespoke motor and parts bin, the 1M has the //M spirit, performance, and released as an //M car.

- 135i guys saying they can make a faster car for less. How many times have we had guys quote their FBO 135i (w/o LSD of course) HP numbers comparing it to a stock 1m and saying they have a better car and only paid way less?

- Early 1M clones receiving mixed reception as the first were built. Back then there were a few very protective 1m owners. That was sort of when the cars were appreciating the most and in maximum demand so many likely felt the clones would lessen the value of their cars. I remember when used 1m's would sell almost instantly and there were many WTB 1m ads. It was an exciting time and no one knew how long the prices would hold or how high they would go. It was awesome.

- 1M clone guys claiming their conversions are functional and they are just doing what BMW did essentially. One clone not only did functional work but also did the oem 1m interior.

E82 forum matured and now our cars are very affordable. 1m's are holding strong in price and representation. There are so many long time 1m owners on here who actively post where many of the original and early 135is moved on.

[JimD]

There should only be an issue with somebody selling a modded car if they don't tell the buyer about the mods. For one buyer, it might be a positive. For others it will be a negative. But as long as the seller is honest about it, they should not feel any guilt in selling it. Most cars get something done to them. Buying a used car inherently has the risk of whatever the previous owner did. Badly repaired wrecks can be an issue too. Dishonest sellers mess the car up and dump it. But honest sellers just state the history as best they know it. Nothing wrong as long as you are honest.

There should be room for both purists who want their bimmers 100% stock and modders who enjoy trying to improve their cars. The Roundel has articles on engine swaps - that's far more of a change than these cars. The 1M is kind of a factory modification of a 135i. BMW took a bunch of M3 parts and put them on the 135. Why shouldn't an owner do something like that themselves?

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by JimD

The 1M is kind of a factory modification of a 135i. BMW took a bunch of M3 parts and put them on the 135. Why shouldn't an owner do something like that themselves?

uhhh...so every 911 Carrera S owner should turn their car into a GT3?

should every 335is owner turn their car into an M3?

should every A4 owner turn their car into an RS4?

ALL uptuned versions of cars are 'factory modification' stories.....the 1M is no different. MOST people do NOT add the actual M3 parts......they just add a few bushings and call it a day. Steering rack, brakes, subframes, full suspension, M-diff, clutch/flywheel, coolers.....very rarely.

The worst is that the NON-functional 1M clones (cosmetic, primarily) are essentially 135s in different clothing.....really has no value besides appearance.

[ShocknAwe]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

uhhh...so every 911 Carrera S owner should turn their car into a GT3?

should every 335is owner turn their car into an M3?

should every A4 owner turn their car into an RS4?

ALL uptuned versions of cars are 'factory modification' stories.....the 1M is no different. MOST people do NOT add the actual M3 parts......they just add a few bushings and call it a day. Steering rack, brakes, subframes, full suspension, M-diff, clutch/flywheel, coolers.....very rarely.

The worst is that the NON-functional 1M clones (cosmetic, primarily) are essentially 135s in different clothing.....really has no value besides appearance.

I get what you're saying, but it's got the same heart inside. The rest is easy (relatively speaking of course). That's actually what makes Marco's build stand out so much, and the E81 M/S65 swap conversion from overseas. But the 1M didn't ship with the S65, so what those two have is actually a whole different creation.

Just out of curiosity... How would you feel about a OEM+ E82M Clone with full aftermarket kit underneath spattered with a few M3 bits where it made sense? Quality coils, arms, bushings, LSD, Properly tuned N54, M rack, etc?