Xjan's 1M "frankenstein" project

[xjan]

Hello from Europe, Estonia. After reading the forums for some time, I want to share my E82 project with you. To get some feedback, exchange ideas and to keep a log of what is happening + maybe I can be an inspiration to some like many of the guys here with their builds have been to me.

So the story starts with a BMW 323ti (Compact), which I have had for about 7 years now as a track-day fun machine. The last years, while building a house, a business and raising small children, it has been just sitting with very little use. But now.. a few months ago I felt again the need to start it again... and then came the idea, after being offered a N54B30 engine, to plant it in the 323ti....

This car:


After studying all the work and parts needed and carefully thinking through everything I expect from the "new" sunday/track car, the idea of transplanting a new engine into this 323ti was discarded. Actually I discarded the whole idea of doing anything to it and this car is for sale now.

I decided I wanted a N54 run 1-series, a 135i. After looking at the suspension-axle upgrades it became more and more clear, that I would eventually be doing a "1M conversion". Given the cost calculations - donor 135i car + M bodywork + M axles etc I ended up looking at the cheaper 1M Coupes also . Many had a lot of miles on them etc + these prices were still a bit too much considering an OEM 1M would not quite satisfy me anyway and would need to be upgraded... more costs + a kind of a feeling inside, that a true 1M would be wiser to be kept original and taken good care of, rather than beating it around the track and modifying it. Not so many have been built afterall, and many already crashed...

So next up, it happened just so that I found an ad for a wrecked 1M. Unrepairable body, but car is from 2012 and has 26000 km on it, the engine and gearbox have been replaced under warranty just 8000km ago. And I bougth it ...



Original color is black, has been 3M-d to gray. Has already some exterior carbon bits + KW V3 installed by the previous owner. Other than that, it was bought as a parts-donor for a new body, some exterior and interior bits ofcourse can be used also, which are not damaged or can be repaired.

As BMW no longer produces nor sells a E82 1M Coupe bodyshell, not even a regular E82 shell, I then started hunting for a new body. All I basically needed was the body, preferably a 135i manual with slight accident damage, bad engine or similar. And with a low price ticket.

Some weeks passed and I ended up also looking at other E82-s, diesels, automatics...you name it. Not many suitable matches. Decided a accident free, running, no-sunroof car, with some parts and bits having also resale value after taking off the car is the route to take. Color wise, in order not to respray the car fully, I was looking at white, black and silver ones.

So here is the new "body": 2009 120D, manual. Due to arrive from Germany in 1 week.


And now.. the plan, starting in full power probably latest in early January:
* Strip the 120D
* Order a bunch of upgrade parts
* Transplant engine, gearbox, axles, suspension, brakes, interior etc from 1M
+ while at it also do some upgrades that are otherwise a pain to do when engine attached to the car etc
* Fit 1M specific body parts, repaint them in 120D's space gray paint
* Fit numerous upgrades - cooler, downpipes, new exhaust, roll bar, etc.

to ultimately resurrect the 1M and have a 2-seater, everyday driveable (summer and short trips still), track oriented E82, similar to the E92 GTS. A world-first 120D GTS I would think . Cost wise I aim at having all this done at about the same price a cheaper end 1M would cost without upgrades. We'll see

With the help of data scraping and analysis tools I have run at bmwfans.info parts catalogue, I am doing my homework in terms of what would need to be replaced and what is a direct match between the 1M and the 120D. No point of swapping parts if they are the same.

In short, 75,2% of the parts on the 1M match the 120D, 4953 out of 6582


The match percentage would be considerably higher if the new "body" would have been a 135i, or even some other gasoline model.

Looking at part categories it will give me quite good info on what parts to transplant either because they are different or just because they have been upgraded between 2009 and 2012.

Here is chart view of the full list:


For instance, "Pedals" category has 1 part, which is not matching - part no 10, the bush bearing on the clutch pedal has been upgraded after 2010 . I think I will leave it as is on the 120D
http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E8...helper_spring/

But yeah, just looking at fuel lines, tank etc it will help a lot to find out a bit easier, what needs to be changed. For instance, the 1M has a specific brake master cylinder and brake servo, a specific DSC unit I did not now before I made this excel...

PS! You need some parts from the 120D?

[IEDEI]

why don't you just buy a 1M? this will probably be more expensive and way more work.

[xjan]

But I did, didn't I? It just needs a new body...

[Yeineken]

Awesome idea! Love that your giving new life to that poor 1M. Good luck on the build and have fun.

[rob24ert]

Wow awesome! Looking forward to the build and seeing if it ends up being cheaper.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

why don't you just buy a 1M? this will probably be more expensive and way more work.

I agree with you. But the OP is probably doing this to avoid the high road tax that you have to pay in some countries. In some countries you can end up paying several thousand euros in tax for just owning a car! In Germany its not so bad, but they still raise your tax every year to get you to buy a new-er less taxed car.

[TWMPerformance]

Love your 323ti but I can't wait to see more progress on your new project!

- Renato

[xjan]

Managed to finally break in to the 1M trunk and hook up the battery. Car started, so whew, this one is off the list.



The new "body" has also arrived:


Santa came by also with some parts already:

Catted DPs, JB4, Mishimoto cooler, splitter with brake ducts, camber plates and Lightweight titanium muffler. Some parts new, some a bit used.

Cars planned to go into work starting 4th January. Until then waiting and searching for some more upgrade parts.

[xjan]

Start as of today. Both cars are being ripped apart.

[mistawall]

sweet looking forward to your progress. im sitting on all of my own 1M body panels. im really going back and forth whether or not to do conversion or just sell my panels.

[xjan]

So the donor body is now being prepared for new body panels

[E82IsTheWay!]

whats with the black and white photos haha

[xjan]

Originally Posted by 08128i

whats with the black and white photos haha

They are actually more clear with B/W as of now and a nice photoshoot will be done when the car is ready anyway

[VMRWheels]

Looks like quite a project! Good luck! Keep the pics coming!

[sirantsE90]

Amazing project

[xjan]

So, no more 1M... all is left is this pile of metal on a pallet and documents waiting for its new owner in Netherlands.

[xjan]

Today marks a significant step in this project build. Dismantling almost all done and started to put the 1M parts to the 120D body.

Fuel tank, rear axle and brake lines done.

[E82IsTheWay!]

I wonder what the guy in Netherlands is going to do with that 1m shell? Wonderful project though looks like so much fun!!!!!!

[xjan]

Garden decoration probably, modern art

[xjan]

New body panels attached now. A lot of parts still waiting for delivery and then work continues.

[xjan]

Engine and gearbox back in. I added new turbo inlets, kittyless downpipes, charge pipe, bypass valves etc too. Sooooo much easier to do all of this with the engine out

[E82IsTheWay!]

Originally Posted by xjan

Engine and gearbox back in. I added new turbo inlets, kittyless downpipes, charge pipe, bypass valves etc too. Sooooo much easier to do all of this with the engine out

looking wonderful