Road/Race Track Car Setups

[IncrediBrian]

Guys,

I'm new to this 1-Series BMW community and currently looking for a clean 135i Coupe to start a build. I've read tons of info on this model and wanted to get opinions from you guys on the best (op) road-race setup. I have used most of my previous cars at my local track down at http://www.motorsportranch.com/ and I'd like to build a 135i for some fun as well. I have already seen the list of all the current mods available for the 135i, but I'd like to hear from the experienced owners on this forum for what they would build from start to finish. I'd like to cover these categories below and reasons why you chose that option. Maybe this can be a sticky if it already hasn't been covered before. If I've missed a previous post in regards to this, I apologize in advance.

n54 or n55: ?
Step/DCT/Man: ?
Braking Mods: ?
Drivetrain Mods: ?
Electrical Mods: ?
Engine Mods: ?
Exhaust Mods: ?
Exterior Aero Mods: ?
Roll Cage/Harness Bar Mods: ?
Suspension Mods: ?
Tires (specs): ?
Wheels (specs): ?
Front camber = ?
Front toe = ?
Rear camber = ?
Rear toe = ?

[blutattoo]

Just my opinion's here, like a-holes everyone has their own.

[B]n54 or n55: N54= More tune-ability N55= More reliability
[B]Step/DCT/Man: I'm a 6mt fan, but for ultimate speed DCT
[B]Braking Mods:Brembo GT's fr/Stock rr or Stoptech fr/Stock rr CL R6 Pads for track Ferodo 2500 for street
[B]Drivetrain Mods:Quafie LSD perfect for both street/track use
[B]Electrical Mods:n/a
[B]Engine Mods:N54 GAIC or Cobb, N55 JB4(more power) Dinan S3(reliable)
[B]Exhaust Mods:Take your pic they all work well and sound good I prefer the sound of the BMW performance exhaust, but it's a bit quieter
[B]Exterior Aero Mods:BMW Carbon fiber diffuser/spoiler
[B]Roll Cage/Harness Bar Mods:Custom only or a Schroth quick fit
[B]Suspension Mods:Full M3 conversion with Vorshlag camber plates
[B]Tires (specs):Hankook R-S3's 255/35/18 275/35/18
[B]Wheels (specs):Apex Arc-8's light/perfect fit/look good/relatively inexpensive

Other bits to consider. Upgraded cooling is required for regular track duty. New Intercooler, oil coolers, and some kind of brake ducting.

I haven't mentioned downpipes or removing cats since I live in CA I couldn't tell you about those since it won't pass smog inspection.

Also I found the intake options for the N55 to be worse than stock on the track due to heat soak. N54 could be different.

[02rsxpilot]

All I can say is the DCT is phenomenal on the track, and having that means you have to have the N55. Considering the car lacks the grip to use even it's stock 300/300 power, the next priority to me would be tires and downforce and then weight reduction. More power is way down on the list, which is why I wouldn't put too much value on the N54's tunability, at least initially.

[IncrediBrian]

Originally Posted by blutattoo

[B]n54 or n55: N54= More tune-ability N55= More reliability
[B]Step/DCT/Man: I'm a 6mt fan, but for ultimate speed DCT
[B]Suspension Mods:Full M3 conversion with Vorshlag camber plates

Also I found the intake options for the N55 to be worse than stock on the track due to heat soak. N54 could be different.

Thanks for your input...I've heard many different opinions from various people. I've heard that the n54 was stronger (forged internals) > n55 (cast internals). I'm a 6mt fan myself and drove a 6mt n54 and a DCT n55...honestly the butt-dyno liked the DCT soooo much better. Also, your opinion on the Full M3 conversion...you would want this over any other aftermarket brand? That speaks volumes for the M tuning. As far as the intake options, this is the first I've heard of this, but then again, I do not own one yet. Great info though, thanks again!

[IncrediBrian]

Originally Posted by 02rsxpilot

All I can say is the DCT is phenomenal on the track, and having that means you have to have the N55. Considering the car lacks the grip to use even it's stock 300/300 power, the next priority to me would be tires and downforce and then weight reduction. More power is way down on the list, which is why I wouldn't put too much value on the N54's tunability, at least initially.

I was thinking the same...a n55/DCT combo with a moderate tune for a little extra, BOV, intake, more efficient FMIC, Rear Diff. Cooler, Oil Cooler, brake ducts, track pads, sticky track tires, coilovers or springs, sways, canards, cage or harness bar, harnesses...basically a street car/weekend track car.

[IncrediBrian]

http://www.europeancarweb.com/featur...cing_bmw_135i/


Something like the BR Racing 135i is the idea I'm going after.

[Nugget]

I think mine is a pretty good compromise right now. Works well on track and I haven't ruined it's road manners yet

n54 or n55: N55 has been very reliable. Enough power without overwhelming the chassis.
Step/DCT/Man: DCT, works great on track and one less thing for an amateur to worry about.
Braking Mods: Stoptech ST-60 front kit with F30 backing plates and Endless ME20 pads, stock rear with Ferodo DS2500
Drivetrain Mods: Wavetrac LSD, M3 rear subframe bushing, DEFIV diff Lockdown kit
Electrical Mods: N/A
Engine Mods: ER Intercooler, ER Charge Pipe
Exhaust Mods: BMS Downpipe and valved custom catback
Exterior Aero Mods: Kerscher front lip and rear performance spoiler, so no real aero
Roll Cage/Harness Bar Mods: I just use a CG lock but thinking of getting a Schroth Quick Fit.
Suspension Mods: M3 front control arms, Ohlins Road and Track Coilovers
Tires (specs): 225/255 AD08R
Wheels (specs): 18" Advan RZ

[IncrediBrian]

Originally Posted by Nugget

Braking Mods: Stoptech ST-60 front kit with F30 backing plates and Endless ME20 pads, stock rear with Ferodo DS2500

I had Stoptech ST-40's on my 350Z and worked nicely which are only 4-piston...are the stock 6-piston factory calipers not sufficient enough for track use in your opinion?

[dcaron9999]

I also have a 2011 135i M-sport with a 6SMT, that I take to the track.

To improve shift sloppiness, and help with heal and toe under load at the track:
Got great results with these popular DIY's: CDV delete, BMS clutchstop, M3 transmission mounts, Redline D4 transmission fluid.
Edit 07/2015: Trying Redline MTL fluid, which feals better then D4 when tranny is warm. Removed clutchstop, which caused rough shifts occasionally.

To help with rear end wiggle: DIY'ed the M3 rear subframe bushings. Rear end now feals planted.

To help with understeer: Ground Control Street Camber Plates (getting slight rattle noise from them on the street), M3 Front Control Arms. During lapping season, I set my front up for max negative camber (-3.2* camber in the front, and max is -2.1* in the rear) , used slightly wider tires in front (225/40 RE-11). All of this did not completely eliminate understeering, and Im still getting some outside edge tire wear, even if I kept an eye on hot tire pressure at the track. Im aiming for square 255/35R18 set up next season.

Brakes: Still not totally happy here. For cooling, I bent the stock shields for now, but looking at F30 brake shields like you did. I tried Titanium pad heat shields, but my CC pads did not handle the extra heat well, and not up to the task even without them. Will get track pads for next lapping season (Spring 2014). Edit 02/2015: Installed custom brake cooling ducting attached to my stock brake dust shields. Got rid of the F30 brake shields.

Spring 2014 Update: I installed a Quaife LSD with 3.46 final drive, F20 cooling dust shields, Carbotech XP10 brake pads, Dimple magnetic engine oil and transmission fluid drain plugs. Went with four rear style 261 wheels, and a square 255/35R18 Dunlop Direzza ZII tire setup.

Spring 2015 Update: Installed custom brake cooling ducting attached to my stock brake dust shields. Got rid of the F30 brake shields. Installed N55 catless downpipe and custom PTF/Cobb stage agressive tune ...

June 2015 Update:
Replaced manual tranny fluid with Redline MTL fluid, which feals better then Redline D4 when tranny is warm. Removed clutchstop, which caused rough shifts occasionally.

[IncrediBrian]

Originally Posted by dcaron9999

I also have a 2011 135i M-sport with a 6SMT, that I take to the track.

To improve shift sloppiness, and help with heal and toe:
DIY'ed CDV delete, BMS clutchstop, M3 transmission mounts, Redline D4 tranmission fluid.

To help with rear end wiggle: DIY'ed the M3 rear subframe bushings.

To help with understeer: Ground Control Street Camber Plates, M3 Front Control Arms (-3.2* camber in the Front) , slighty wider tire in front (225/40 RE-11 tires in the front), but aiming for square set up next season.

Brakes: Still not totally happy here. I bent the stock shields for now, but looking at F20 brake shields like you did. I tried Titanium pad heat shields, but my CC pads did not handle the extra heat well, and not up to the task even without them. Will get track pads for next lapping season (Spring 2014).

Very nice info...great insight from all you guys. Seeing a common theme here with utilizing factoy M equipment on the 135's. In (scaring the hell outa sale people), I mean, "test drives" trying to find the cleanest one around...I've noticed a little rear-end wiggle on acceleration similar to what we used to call "death wobble" in the driveline on the Manuals primarily, not so much on the DCT's. On the track, I have no clue as of yet. As far as stiffening up the chasis, have you guys noticed a huge improvement in bracing like strut bars/tie bars...etc?

[savowood]

Before we get too far into this, you should note my expectations are probably a bit different than what you may have. I race a 128i in Grand-Am in the CTSCC. I also go out and have fun at the occasional DE, so I think I have an idea of what you might want, although I could be way off.

How much is budget a consideration? It's hard to tell you what you can/should do without an idea of how much you're willing to spend. Given the car list in your signature line, I can imagine you might have a good sized budget available.

Let's get started though, with brakes and tires. The first thing you should do, and the thing that will make you faster than engine mods, is brakes and tires. The 6 piston calipers and rotors on the 135 are quite good, but the street pads will burn away in no time. You're going to need to get some nice pads on there. Hawk makes several in the HT line. Stay away from the HPS or HP+. HT-10 is probably a good choice. We use aftermarket brakes with Pagid pads. Pagid doesn't make anything for the street version of the car.

Tires and wheels should be done at the same time you do the brakes. You can find a lot of nice lightweight 18" wheels. You'll probably want an 18x8.5 with an ET of 45. Try to keep the weight to 20# or less per rim We use the O.Z. Allegria. There are other options for less which perform as well. As for tires, are you going to drive them on the street? If not, you can get full slicks, but you're probably going to want to start with something like a nice summer high performance tire. Maybe even an R compound if you already have some track experience, but seriously stay off them if you don't. They can mask your mistakes. A good street tire would be something like a Toyo T1R or R1R, or maybe a Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. If you want a set of the Continental slicks we use, I can put you in touch with the right person to get some. You might do better to get some basic Hoosier R6 rubber as it tends to be a little less expensive.

By this time, you're probably going to want to do a short shift kit and clutch if you don't have the DCT. Steptronic is an evil and awful excuse for a transmission, so we'll just stay away from that. I like B&M for shift kits, and SPEC for clutches. I've had several cars with a SPEC clutch and I find them to be excellent. The punishment I put them through, they last amazingly long. Pricing is about the same or less than your typical tuner sport clutch. You're probably going to stall it several times the first month you have it while driving on the street, but you'll get used to it. I'd probably go with a SPEC 3, which is surprisingly cheaper than a 2 or 2+.

Moving on to the next stage, the bars. You can get some nice bars for a few hundred bucks each. You can get what we use for about $2k or a little more per axle. They're bladed bars, and basically infinitely adjustable. Adjusting on the fly if you want to set it up that way (in car adjustment), or mounted on the strut bar. If you're interested in these, let me know. I can put you in touch with my team owner and he'll get them to you.

After the bars, it's time for springs and dampers. Ground Control does a nice job with adjustable coil overs. You can always specify the spring you want. Then for the dampers, although we use AST, my preference would be JRZ. They're good for dual duty, while at the same time being great on the track. Dual adjustable, easy to set up, and probably the one thing that will make you feel like a master more than any other. It'll be the best $4k you've ever spent on making your car (and you) faster. Also, depending on how sticky the tires are and the stiffness of the springs, you're probably going to need camber plates. Brian at JRZ can help you out with them. When you're ready to do this stage, call him and tell him what you're looking for. He'll set you up with what you need based on your level.

By this time, you're spinning the inside wheel, and think the traction control is for wimps. It's LSD time! No, not time to drop acid. Limited slip, baby! I'm not sure which one we use on the CTSCC car, but it's probably the Turner one, and yes, it's expensive. On the other end of the price spectrum, it's Wavetrac. I've heard great things about them, although no personal experience. Personally, if I were building a dual duty car, I'd probably go for the Wavetrac.

Now you're getting really fast, and probably wanting to Time Trial with SCCA or NASA. I think they require a cage, so it's time to do a full roll cage. I have a great guy in Austin (Dripping Springs) who builds a nice cage. There's also Precision Chassis Works in Arizona. Great work from that shop. And of course, if you're in the Virginia beach area, my team owner's shop does them, too.

You may have noted I haven't mentioned a single engine or drivetrain mod so far. Power will make you faster, but not as fast as the other stuff I've already mentioned. A full intake, exhaust, and tune will get you probably 60 horses. That might take a half second off your lap times. For comparison, just switching to an R compound tire will take at least a second off. I'd probably go with the Dinan stage 3 to do this. I think it includes the headers, pipes, intake, tune, etc. Then look at getting serious in the motor after doing the stuff i just mentioned...

Balance the crank, match the pistons, port and polish the heads, and get a hot cam in there. You're looking at about $15k to have it done right, but you'll get the car over 400 to the ground. At this point, it's a good thing you did the brakes and tires. =-)

Now, we can look at aero. A splitter and wing should be done at the same time, and they'll take a lot of time to match. We're not allowed any aero, so I don't have any idea on where to go for this on the 135. On my Boxster, I built the splitter myself, and I'm still trying to tune the rear wing to match it after almost a year.

I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me for more exacting details on anything.

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by IncrediBrian

I had Stoptech ST-40's on my 350Z and worked nicely which are only 4-piston...are the stock 6-piston factory calipers not sufficient enough for track use in your opinion?

They aren't bad, but not great.
By the time you change pads, lines, fluid, shims, backing plates you are halfway to a stoptech kit which has a bigger thicker rotor and you know it will work.

[dcaron9999]

Great advive from savowood - I like the gradual sequence of your recommendations too.
Why do you prefer the HT-10's over the DTC60 or DTC70?

[savowood]

Originally Posted by dcaron9999

Great advive from savowood - I like the gradual sequence of your recommendations too.
Why do you prefer the HT-10's over the DTC60 or DTC70?

Thanks...I try.

As for the HT-10, I think it's a little better for a mild crossover car. It's still a big mean snarly race pad, but the operating temperature is lower than the DTC60 and DTC70, although not by much.

HT-10 > 300-1300 degree range with 500-1100 degree optimal
DTC60 > 400-1600 and 700-1100
DTC70 > 400-1600 and 800-1200

I'm also a big fan of the Blue with a range of 100-1200 with optimal being 100-800, and it has a little milder torque so it's nicer on the street, and it works very well at lower temperatures, but in my experience, Blues have a ravenous appetite for rotors at lower temperature range use, and they squeal like a third grade tattle-tale. They also produce enough dust to make an OCD person apoplectic.

So, given the weight of the 1er, you may be right in thinking the DTC60/70 is a better choice, especially if this is a track only car, or basically like my Boxster where it sits in the garage, gets driven to the track, on the track, and back home. I rarely use it for just cruising around town. I have the PFC06 on that car and absolutely love them. I just got off the phone with the head motorsports guy at PFC about this, and he said he didn't know if the caliper was the same as the E90. If it is, then he has something, or could have something very soon.

[Groundpilot]

Originally Posted by savowood

Before we get too far into this, you should note my expectations are probably a bit different than what you may have. I race a 128i in Grand-Am in the CTSCC. I also go out and have fun at the occasional DE, so I think I have an idea of what you might want, although I could be way off.

How much is budget a consideration? It's hard to tell you what you can/should do without an idea of how much you're willing to spend. Given the car list in your signature line, I can imagine you might have a good sized budget available.

Let's get started though, with brakes and tires. The first thing you should do, and the thing that will make you faster than engine mods, is brakes and tires. The 6 piston calipers and rotors on the 135 are quite good, but the street pads will burn away in no time. You're going to need to get some nice pads on there. Hawk makes several in the HT line. Stay away from the HPS or HP+. HT-10 is probably a good choice. We use aftermarket brakes with Pagid pads. Pagid doesn't make anything for the street version of the car.

Tires and wheels should be done at the same time you do the brakes. You can find a lot of nice lightweight 18" wheels. You'll probably want an 18x8.5 with an ET of 45. Try to keep the weight to 20# or less per rim We use the O.Z. Allegria. There are other options for less which perform as well. As for tires, are you going to drive them on the street? If not, you can get full slicks, but you're probably going to want to start with something like a nice summer high performance tire. Maybe even an R compound if you already have some track experience, but seriously stay off them if you don't. They can mask your mistakes. A good street tire would be something like a Toyo T1R or R1R, or maybe a Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. If you want a set of the Continental slicks we use, I can put you in touch with the right person to get some. You might do better to get some basic Hoosier R6 rubber as it tends to be a little less expensive.

By this time, you're probably going to want to do a short shift kit and clutch if you don't have the DCT. Steptronic is an evil and awful excuse for a transmission, so we'll just stay away from that. I like B&M for shift kits, and SPEC for clutches. I've had several cars with a SPEC clutch and I find them to be excellent. The punishment I put them through, they last amazingly long. Pricing is about the same or less than your typical tuner sport clutch. You're probably going to stall it several times the first month you have it while driving on the street, but you'll get used to it. I'd probably go with a SPEC 3, which is surprisingly cheaper than a 2 or 2+.

Moving on to the next stage, the bars. You can get some nice bars for a few hundred bucks each. You can get what we use for about $2k or a little more per axle. They're bladed bars, and basically infinitely adjustable. Adjusting on the fly if you want to set it up that way (in car adjustment), or mounted on the strut bar. If you're interested in these, let me know. I can put you in touch with my team owner and he'll get them to you.

After the bars, it's time for springs and dampers. Ground Control does a nice job with adjustable coil overs. You can always specify the spring you want. Then for the dampers, although we use AST, my preference would be JRZ. They're good for dual duty, while at the same time being great on the track. Dual adjustable, easy to set up, and probably the one thing that will make you feel like a master more than any other. It'll be the best $4k you've ever spent on making your car (and you) faster. Also, depending on how sticky the tires are and the stiffness of the springs, you're probably going to need camber plates. Brian at JRZ can help you out with them. When you're ready to do this stage, call him and tell him what you're looking for. He'll set you up with what you need based on your level.

By this time, you're spinning the inside wheel, and think the traction control is for wimps. It's LSD time! No, not time to drop acid. Limited slip, baby! I'm not sure which one we use on the CTSCC car, but it's probably the Turner one, and yes, it's expensive. On the other end of the price spectrum, it's Wavetrac. I've heard great things about them, although no personal experience. Personally, if I were building a dual duty car, I'd probably go for the Wavetrac.

Now you're getting really fast, and probably wanting to Time Trial with SCCA or NASA. I think they require a cage, so it's time to do a full roll cage. I have a great guy in Austin (Dripping Springs) who builds a nice cage. There's also Precision Chassis Works in Arizona. Great work from that shop. And of course, if you're in the Virginia beach area, my team owner's shop does them, too.

You may have noted I haven't mentioned a single engine or drivetrain mod so far. Power will make you faster, but not as fast as the other stuff I've already mentioned. A full intake, exhaust, and tune will get you probably 60 horses. That might take a half second off your lap times. For comparison, just switching to an R compound tire will take at least a second off. I'd probably go with the Dinan stage 3 to do this. I think it includes the headers, pipes, intake, tune, etc. Then look at getting serious in the motor after doing the stuff i just mentioned...

Balance the crank, match the pistons, port and polish the heads, and get a hot cam in there. You're looking at about $15k to have it done right, but you'll get the car over 400 to the ground. At this point, it's a good thing you did the brakes and tires. =-)

Now, we can look at aero. A splitter and wing should be done at the same time, and they'll take a lot of time to match. We're not allowed any aero, so I don't have any idea on where to go for this on the 135. On my Boxster, I built the splitter myself, and I'm still trying to tune the rear wing to match it after almost a year.

I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me for more exacting details on anything.

You make some good points and seem to be very knowlegeable, but i disagree about HT-10 being better than DTC-70. I tryed both and DTC-70 pads are much better than HT-10 for our front calipers in every way.

[02rsxpilot]

Thanks Savowood for taking the time to do such a great write-up. Knowledge is rampant on forums, but wisdom is not. Your post includes both. How refreshing!

[Splinterz88]

Originally Posted by IncrediBrian

Guys,

I'm new to this 1-Series BMW community and currently looking for a clean 135i Coupe to start a build. I've read tons of info on this model and wanted to get opinions from you guys on the best (op) road-race setup. I have used most of my previous cars at my local track down at http://www.motorsportranch.com/ and I'd like to build a 135i for some fun as well. I have already seen the list of all the current mods available for the 135i, but I'd like to hear from the experienced owners on this forum for what they would build from start to finish. I'd like to cover these categories below and reasons why you chose that option. Maybe this can be a sticky if it already hasn't been covered before. If I've missed a previous post in regards to this, I apologize in advance.

n54 or n55: ?
Step/DCT/Man: ?
Braking Mods: ?
Drivetrain Mods: ?
Electrical Mods: ?
Engine Mods: ?
Exhaust Mods: ?
Exterior Aero Mods: ?
Roll Cage/Harness Bar Mods: ?
Suspension Mods: ?
Tires (specs): ?
Wheels (specs): ?

I know this may seem out of place, but if your budget allows you should get a 1m if you can find one in the low $50s or less and are looking for a manual. I say this because the brakes, suspension, LSD, wider wheel arches will give you a better platform to start off with. The car has so much more potential over he 135i in stock form. I look forward to seeing what you end up doing as we need more 1 series representation.
Cheers,
Art

[dcaron9999]

Wish I could afford a 1M ... so for now, Im stuck with my poor man's 135i , with Cobb Flash tune, and M3 bits on it, but still happy... ;-)

[int2str]

savowood already said all there is really (Thanks!!!), but I have to reply to this:

Originally Posted by Splinterz88

I know this may seem out of place, but if your budget allows you should get a 1m if you can find one in the low $50s or less and are looking for a manual. I say this because the brakes, suspension, LSD, wider wheel arches will give you a better platform to start off with. The car has so much more potential over he 135i in stock form.

There are only two advantages the 1M has over the 135i (or the 128i for race duty):
1. No sunroof
2. More room for tires

You can buy a very nice used N54 135i for $20k, add M3 suspension bits + bars etc. for ~$3k, coil-overs+springs for $4k and a good LSD for ~$3k. Add brakes to that ~$5k and for ~$35k you have a car that's much better than that stock 1M you mentioned for $50k.

If you had bought the 1M, you'd still want proper dampers etc. So you'd still be adding $4k for that.

The sunroof problem can probably be solved for ~$2k or less. More room for tires is a bit harder, but thanks to ER widebody kits etc. also probably less than $3k.

The extra money you'd spend for a 1M is a complete waste.

And to answer the OPs request for info, here's what I did:

n54 or n55: N54
Step/DCT/Man: Manual all the way
Braking Mods: Ferodo DS-2500 pads; RBF-600 fluid (IMPORTANT!)
Drivetrain Mods: UUC short shift-kit, CDV delete, Quaife LSD
Electrical Mods: Wired-in AIM Solo DL for data acquisition
Engine Mods: BMS DCI, FMIC, Advan oil coolers (!!), GIAC tune
Exhaust Mods: 3" DPs, Maddad whisper
Exterior Aero Mods: None; Hit >140mph on Auto Club Speedway though, so should consider...
Roll Cage/Harness Bar Mods: Not yet. There is no middle ground; street belts or cage + 6pt. + HANS; Everything inbetween seems more dangerous
Suspension Mods: M3 bits, TC Kline coil-overs, TC Kline camber plates, E92 FSB
Tires (specs): 255/35-18 (square)
Wheels (specs): Apex ARC-8 8.5" ET-45 (square)

[Splinterz88]

Originally Posted by int2str

savowood already said all there is really (Thanks!!!), but I have to reply to this:

My only point was that if finances were not an issue you could start with them 1M instead of adding all the M bits and going through all those modifications. The 135i is a great car and I'm not debating that.

[IncrediBrian]

Originally Posted by 02rsxpilot

Thanks Savowood for taking the time to do such a great write-up. Knowledge is rampant on forums, but wisdom is not. Your post includes both. How refreshing!

I couldn't have said it better! Savowood, I appreciate your input and knowledge in regards to this topic. To answer you question on budget...I plan on driving this daily and working on it at my shop on the weekends. I plan on keeping this car for a long time hence the reason it's taking longer than usual to find a clean one.

Many thanks

[IncrediBrian]

Originally Posted by Splinterz88

I know this may seem out of place, but if your budget allows you should get a 1m if you can find one in the low $50s or less and are looking for a manual. I say this because the brakes, suspension, LSD, wider wheel arches will give you a better platform to start off with. The car has so much more potential over he 135i in stock form. I look forward to seeing what you end up doing as we need more 1 series representation.
Cheers,
Art

I completely understand what you meant. My dealership took in a Valencia Orange 1M and it was sold in under 2 hours. I am an Assistant Service Manager for Park Place Motorcars in Grapevine so I have my guys looking for ones for me. I'd love to start out with a 1M, but those are even harder to find and I'd prefer a White one. The 1M is honestly one of the best looking cars out there.