Finally found my 1

[markslc1]

After months of searching, My 1 will be arriving later this week. I'm an E36M3 driver (aficionado) and feel the M3 is about as good as it gets for a street/track car. But mine was getting on in years/mileage. And at 150k it was likely going to start needing more major repairs (bearings, tranny rebuild, Diff) so I started looking for a replacement. Since the M3 was such a solid and reliable platform, I really wasn't interested in anything that would have high maintenance costs (I.e turbos). So the decision to go NA was easy.

But isn't the 128i slower than an E36M3? I thought so, but C&D showed it pulled a 5.8 0-60 and a 14.5 1/4 mile. Nearly the same as a stock M3 did 5.6/14.3 respectively. And given that an N52 with a stage 3 DISA could bump it up, I was sure we could match it for power. So what about the handling? Well he E82 needs some help here I found out. With M3 pieces up front, good shocks/plates, and new bushings it seems like it can be a decent performer. The lack of LSD may be noticeable, but I'll try it out before I spring for one.

So the search started in October. The requirements:
- 128i
- Manual trans
- Sport package (I had to have the seats)
- Exterior had be be a COLOR (no black/grey/white)
- Interior could not be black. Anything else would do
- Had to be cheap. Meaning I didn't want to spend more than I could sell my M3 for.

My guess is they only made 10% of these things with a stick to begin with. Then 90% of those were black. Its worth it to note that over 3 months I only found 2-3 cars that met my criteria, but only one that met them all below.



Specs: 08 with 52k miles with all the options I wanted (except xenon). The price was $12k, but negotiated down to $11,000.

Remember my other criteria was "cheap" related to the sales price of my M3. Well I can tell you that the market for well-kept M3's is rising. Without even advertising the car, I found a collector who made me an offer on this.



The sales price.... Exactly $11,000 for a car 10 years older(1998) and 3x the mileage (150k) as the E82 . I'm sure I'll miss the M3, but the 128 looks like a platform I can get interested in because it is essentially a more modern E36. And with a few suspension mods, I'm hoping it will be able to keep a similar pace at the track.

At this point I am committed because the 128i arrives Thursday and the M3 leaves Friday (Cars are coming and going to the east coast). The really funny thing is that I never got a chance to drive a proper 128i coupe prior to purchasing. They are so rare that there hasn't been a single one in the seattle area for sale to try. So I drove a convertible briefly. It was nice but was lacking some torque. I'm hoping the coupe is a bit quicker, and will also not depreciate much due to the rarity of the N52/6sp combo.

The 1addicts community seems similarly active the the M3 forum which is good because I like to work on my own cars. So far I have already got

- 3stage disa manifold
- Carly v2
- Eibach sport springs.
- style 264 wheels I kept from the M3

Let the fun begin!

[Bimmer-Bob]

Congrats on finding a car that met all of you criteria! Persistence pays off. Everyone says that these cars are so hard to find properly spec'ed, but I think it all depends on setting a realistic timeline.

Nice color, by the way! Is that Deep Sea Blue? Taupe or Savannah interior?

By the way, be sure to let us know how it compares to your old E36 M3. I've always thought that the 128i was similar in size and power:weight.

[E91WAG3N]

Congrats! I made a similar move (e36 m3 to e92 335i to e82 128i) and am quite happy. N51/N52 do lack the low end torque compared to an S52, but software can help. Let the modding begin!

[markslc1]

[QUOTE=Nice color, by the way! Is that Deep Sea Blue? Taupe or Savannah interior?
.[/QUOTE]

Paint code: A51 - MONTEGOBLAU METALLIC
Upholstery code: LWA5 - LEDER BOSTON 2/A

I think the interior is more of a beige instead of a grey. My only wish was for the coral red. That would have been my first choice. But it seems like a 135 exclusive.

[Esteban]

Nice 1er! Montego Blue is a great color. Your E36 is beautiful, too bad you can't keep them both. Welcome and congrats!

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by markslc1

Paint code: A51 - MONTEGOBLAU METALLIC
Upholstery code: LWA5 - LEDER BOSTON 2/A

I think the interior is more of a beige instead of a grey. My only wish was for the coral red. That would have been my first choice. But it seems like a 135 exclusive.

Very nice. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

You can get Coral Red in a 128i but tough to find. You can see mine in my sig.

Do the Clutch Delay Valve removal immediately!!!

Ric

[Hankdoll]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Nice 1er! Montego Blue is a great color. Your E36 is beautiful, too bad you can't keep them both. Welcome and congrats!

Congrats on the 1er. I did the same move but held on to the E36.

[Fume]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

Very nice. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

You can get Coral Red in a 128i but tough to find. You can see mine in my sig.

Do the Clutch Delay Valve removal immediately!!!

Ric

Indeed, coral red was an option available to 128i's as well. I just think most people didn't order that colour interior. Almost all the cars at the dealer lot when I was there had black interior. I was actually pretty close to ordering LeMans Blue + Coral Red interior but chickened out last second and went with Oyster interior since I wasn't so sure about the red on blue. But in retrospect, after seeing some superman coloured BMWs in person, I do wish I went with the Coral red interior.

At the OP: Nice car though. Good find! Especially the 6MT, which IMO makes a big difference in this car.

[markslc1]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Nice 1er! Montego Blue is a great color. Your E36 is beautiful, too bad you can't keep them both. Welcome and congrats!

Me too... Too many cars (and kids) so I can only do one car at a time. So the goal is to make the E82 as good as my M3.

[mr.fabulous]

Nice car I, too, came to my E82 from an E36 (heavily modified suspension, stock motor). Quite honestly I'm still intimidated by all the damn computers; I do miss the simplicity of my analog M42. But this little car does everything better, absolutely everything. You will *love* it.

[swagon]

Welcome! Nice to see more people joining lately, and nice car, too. Obviously.

[markslc1]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

Nice car I, too, came to my E82 from an E36 (heavily modified suspension, stock motor). Quite honestly I'm still intimidated by all the damn computers; I do miss the simplicity of my analog M42. But this little car does everything better, absolutely everything. You will *love* it.

I sure hope so, because it is really a leap of faith without spending any real time behind the wheel. But given the good reviews here and my E36 experience, I'm hopeful. It appears the checklist for the buying a 1 is the same as an E36. Replace cooling system, bushings, and fix oil leaks. Its the
No dipstick and having to "code" a new battery stuff I have to get used to I guess.

[tock172]

Excellent choice. I too came from an E36 M3. I used to have a Techno Violet on Mulberry 5 speed coupe that I sold last year before purchasing my 135i. You will love the E82. It's about as close to the old school BMW feel that the E36 encapsulates as you can get.

Definitely put the Style 264 wheels on the 1. It will do wonders for the car's looks. Wrap them in some good tires and you'll be really happy.

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by markslc1

I sure hope so, because it is really a leap of faith without spending any real time behind the wheel. But given the good reviews here and my E36 experience, I'm hopeful. It appears the checklist for the buying a 1 is the same as an E36. Replace cooling system, bushings, and fix oil leaks. Its the
No dipstick and having to "code" a new battery stuff I have to get used to I guess.

I have an E30 and used to race SPEC E30. I liken it to an all grown up E30. Like you designed a modern E30 with modern technology, suspension and safety.

[markslc1]

Originally Posted by tock172

Excellent choice. I too came from an E36 M3. I used to have a Techno Violet on Mulberry 5 speed coupe that I sold last year before purchasing my 135i. You will love the E82. It's about as close to the old school BMW feel that the E36 encapsulates as you can get.
.

I don't get tired of hearing that others have transitioned from e36 m3's and remain happy with the decision. I have my doubts. The 1 arrives in 2 days so we will see.

[Kyosky]

congrats man you sound like a DIY person when it comes to cars, love your dynamic taste ahaha

[markslc1]

Originally Posted by kypream

congrats man you sound like a DIY person when it comes to cars, love your dynamic taste ahaha

Yep. DIY is the reason I owned E36's for so long. As well as general reliability. I hope the E82 carries on the same way as far as

- Easy to work on
- Good parts availability/support
- Strong DIY help in the forums

[GSO E82]

Originally Posted by markslc1

I sure hope so, because it is really a leap of faith without spending any real time behind the wheel. But given the good reviews here and my E36 experience, I'm hopeful. It appears the checklist for the buying a 1 is the same as an E36. Replace cooling system, bushings, and fix oil leaks. Its the
No dipstick and having to "code" a new battery stuff I have to get used to I guess.

I think you'll be happy with it. I hadn't even so much as sat in one before I bought mine online/over the phone a couple months ago (2012 128i M-Sport 6MT) and had it shipped halfway across the country (CO --> NC).

I had a cherry 1990 325i and a Fiesta ST lease at the time. Sold the E30 and turned the FiST back in at end of lease and consolidated into the 128i. Very pleased with the decision.

[Mr Rooty Von Tooty]

Do any of you guys put this much effort in choosing a mate?

[markslc1]

Originally Posted by Mr Rooty Von Tooty

Do any of you guys put this much effort in choosing a mate?

It does sound similar...

- Easy to work on
- Good parts availability
- Strong DIY help in the forums

[Schalldampfer1]

Congrats! I did similar but kept my e36. Couldn't let her go...

[E91WAG3N]

Originally Posted by markslc1

It does sound similar...

- Easy to work on
- Good parts availability
- Strong DIY help in the forums

hahahahah I'm dying!!!