new to me 128i M Sport

[MAMSport]

Hello to the 1addicts community!

I'm new to this forum as I recently purchased the Jet Black/Coral Red 128i M-Sport with numerous upgrades (BMW M3 rear subframe bushings and control arms, Performance Exhaust, short shift kit, front strut bar, Euro intake, plus ECS sway bars, Wave Trac diff, 19" BMW V-spoke wheels, etc.) listed for sale here and located in the Boston area.

It is a much different car than the E46 M3 I have (but am likely to be selling) in that the engine has significantly less torque (and HP). It isn't that much smaller than the M3, though, and it is a fun car to drive.

The way the car behaves reminds me of my E30 M3 in that it willingly will rotate in corners, slightly stepping out with trail braking or throttle 'breathing' (not that I am a track guy in any sense).

I want to get the car detailed before I post any pics, so all I have are the ones the seller posted that most of you may have already seen. Please be patient as I'm in no hurry to get this done while I recover from the financial hit. I did have to wait a couple of weeks for BMW FS to release the title to my credit union (by USPS) before I was able to get it insured and registered, and now, a week later, I have only driven it perhaps a couple hundred miles.

I do notice that the dashboard makes a lot of noise over bumps/road imperfections. Some of this has been isolated as the glovebox cover rattling (somewhat solved with some foam in the vicinity of the rubber bumper) and some at the dashboard/lower right windshield corner (ugly piece of foam temporarily wedged between the dash and glass), but there is still some noise (not related to a/c use as it hasn't bee activated here in MA yet).

I would have liked the xenon lights (have them on the M3 and really have gotten used to them) but am not sure I'll miss the HK sound system. The base system is OK, but the ability to play from an aux input is nice.

Once the car is out of warranty (Aug '17), I think I would like to do the DISA manifold/software upgrade, but other than perhaps some very light tint (only to block UV and IR light), I have no mod plans nor needs. I might try to sell the 8 x 19" V-spoke wheels (with 225/35 front and 245/35 rear Pilot SS rubber) in favor of 18" wheels, but I like the look of the wheel style and don't think there are BMW 18" wheels in this style and fitment.

That's all for now, folks! Happy motoring!

[SHKDOWN]

Welcome! Congrats! ENJOY THE RIDE!

[bmw1racer]

Congrats!

Some pics, please?

[MAMSport]

I put on a couple of the photos from the seller on my original post as I haven't yet prepped the car for new photos. It's almost like getting ready for prom or graduation photos!

[Esteban]

Welcome to the forum.

[m_thompson]

Looks just like mine.

[BlackLizard]

Very nice, we've got basically the same car. 👍🏼

[MAMSport]

Originally Posted by BlackLizard

Very nice, we've got basically the same car. 👍🏼

And we both like Calvin and Hobbes! Not too far away, either. I'm a half-hour north of the city.

[squidge]

Nice find! Welcome to the board. You might consider going to 17s instead of 18s even -- it sheds substantial weight from the car and keeps maintenance cheap. I posted about this a bunch in the 128 section.

[Matticus91]

Looks great, welcome to the crew. Sounds like it has some nice mods already too

[Tenspeed]

Great looking car!

[MAMSport]

Originally Posted by squidge

Nice find! Welcome to the board. You might consider going to 17s instead of 18s even -- it sheds substantial weight from the car and keeps maintenance cheap. I posted about this a bunch in the 128 section.

Thanks, squidge. I wouldn't mind going to 18s and 17s for winter, but I really like the style of wheel (I think they are M3 Performance Package wheels from the number stamped on the wheels, 8 x 19" all around). If anyone can point me toward a manufacturer, including BMW, who has this style wheel in smaller diameters, you'd have my full attention. I can find wheels with 7, V spokes but not 8, and not in smaller than 19" diameters.