Mike's 128i (HPDE & DD)

[blnk-128]

Howdy everybody! As I approach one year of ownership with my red 128i I figured it was about time to make a build thread. This is as much for me as the next person and I hope you find this either educational or entertaining.

The Purchase: October 2020
Stuck at home in quarantine I was looking for something RWD, manual, and cheap to help pass the time. Living in DC I'd been car-less for the last few years but had missed driving and wanted back in. I test drove a few NA miatas when I came across a listing that made no sense to me. A 2011 128i for only $7800!

Even with the standard BMW reliability rep that just felt too good to be true. Surprisingly in doing some digging I found this was actually fair market value (keep in mind these were pre crazy prices). Using the buyers guide on this site I made a call and asked the standard N52 questions. When everything appeared good to go I made arrangements for a cash in hand test drive the next day.

10 seconds after getting in the car I knew I was buying it. Fits like a glove is an overused cliche, but there's a reason for that and my oh my was it true here. My previous drives and frames of reference were a 2004 Suburban, 2008 Toyota Avalon, and a 1994 Honda Civic so in comparison this thing felt GOOD. I was drawn to the blend of performance, simplicity, and awesome seats thanks to the sport package.

We agreed to a deal in principle at $7k if it passed a PPI with no major issues and I went home beyond excited. The next day at a shop the mechanic found the oil pan gasket to be leaking and with that news we shook hands at $6750.

I was now the proud owner of a 128i, all that was left to do was drive it.



Current Mods
Power:
- N54 Intake & Throttle Body
- Roundel Werk Headers
- Stage FP N52 Tune

Handling:
- TC Kline SA Coilovers
- M3 Front Control Arms
- Whiteline Poly RSFB
- E46 M3 Transmission Mounts
- Apex EC7 8.5" x 18" Wheels
- 200TW Kumho Ecsta v730

Braking:
- F30 335i Front Calipers w/ 340mm Rotors
- E90 328i rear brake calipers
- Stoptech Stainless Steel Lines
- Hawk DTC-60 Front Pads
- Hawk DTC-70 Rear Pads


Cooling:
- N54 Housing & Thermostat w/ 19 Row Cooler

Safety:
- Schroth Quick Fit Harnesses


Best Lap Times
Road Atlanta: 1:48.86
Lime Rock: 1:07.31
VIR: 2:18.00
VIR North: 1:47.46
Watkins Glen: 2:19.80
Pitt Race: 2:07.25
Mid Ohio: 1:49.14
Summit Point Shenandoah: 1:44.67

[..Rush..]

Congratulations. Keep us posted

[Phloozy]

Enjoy! Glad to see another mid atlantic! Maybe i'll see you around

[blnk-128]

Car Specs: 2011 128i 6sp with Sport Package (117k miles)

Little did I know that registering a car requires the patience of a monk. With the earliest DMV appointment over a month out, I set to work giving the car a good scrub. Going through the engine bay was particularly satisfying and cleaned up quite nicely.

Before:


After:


Washing the outside revealed a few dents and scrapes, but more significantly I uncovered some areas of overspray. By taking out the fender liners and the trunk liners it became very clear that the car has been hit on 3 of 4 corners. Over the last year this has given me no issues and I’ve been unaffected by the discovery (knock on wood).

Post Wash:



On the maintenance side of things I did the following in November:
1. Diff flush: Redline 75W-90
2. Transmission flush: Redline MTL 75W-80
3. Oil Change: Mobil One 0W-40
4. Headlight Bulbs
5. Intake Air Filter
6. Battery: Diehard Gold H7
7. Water Pump & Thermostat: FCP Euro Kit
8. Replace Rear Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport All Seasons

Now would be a good time to illustrate my skill level when it comes being an at home mechanic. I had done ONE oil change prior to this month, and that’s the sum of my prior experience. While these jobs were intimidating, thanks to an automotively inclined roommate with tools I had enough confidence to send it. They don’t exactly grow on trees, but I highly recommend this roommate mod.

The car was having trouble starting so I set to the battery first and had minimal issues with coding. Approx time: 4 hours (forum research, install, code)

Flushing the transmission completely transformed the shift feel and I highly suspect it had never been done before. Shifting into first and second became much smoother and it no longer struggles to get in gear.
Approx time: 2.5 hours (forum research, jacking up the car, flushing)

The water pump and thermostat took a bit more time but it was well worth it as the thermostat was cracked. It’s tough finding the space to fit your hands at times but I would say it’s very doable. I’m glad to have the job complete and save the $900 I was quoted at the dealer.
Approx time: 8 hours (excluding forum research)

Fast forwarding to the end of the month with the car used and improved, I registered and slapped on the vanity plate BLNK-128.

[sholzer]

Just want to drop in and say hey as a fellow Virginia 128 owner that is planning to track it. I actually just brought mine home tonight, hoping to hit an event or two before the season ends. I'm up in Fredericksburg, so I'm sure I'll paths will cross at some point!

[blnk-128]

Originally Posted by sholzer

Just want to drop in and say hey as a fellow Virginia 128 owner that is planning to track it. I actually just brought mine home tonight, hoping to hit an event or two before the season ends. I'm up in Fredericksburg, so I'm sure I'll paths will cross at some point!

Love it! There's a BMW CCA event running the Shenandoah Circuit at Summit Point that I'll be at Oct 16th/17th. Hit me up if you'll be there.

https://www.motorsportreg.com/events...-jersey-334804

[Onebunchmin]

Check for any open recalls. Like the PCV Heater. Blower motor wiring. Ect.

[sholzer]

Originally Posted by blnk-128

Love it! There's a BMW CCA event running the Shenandoah Circuit at Summit Point that I'll be at Oct 16th/17th. Hit me up if you'll be there.

https://www.motorsportreg.com/events...-jersey-334804

I won't be at that event, but I'm planning to do NASA at summit main on the 30th

[blnk-128]

It's already been a year since the last update! After 10 track events and trading paint with the wall at Watkins Glen, the car is rougher to look at but still running great. Right about now I would say this track hobby has turned into the all encompassing black hole of time and money that everyone says it does.

I'm still making stock power, although I needed an oil cooler to keep the 230 raging horses from overheating themselves. Suspension wise I'm running the Single Adjustable TC Kline setup with their street springs which are now struggling to keep up. The M3 control arms, camber plates, and RSFB are all worthwhile investments. Currently the brakes are still stock, eating front DTC-70 pads at a rate of 1 set per 400 miles on track.

I moved on to 200TW tires with the Continental Extreme Contact Forces. In a 245 width, these tires are super wide and rub both the rear fender and front strut (camber setup is ~3 degrees in the front and 2 degrees in the rear). Due to the extra width, they have compromised sidewall stability on 8.5" wheels. Grip is great and longevity has been solid so far, but I'm not sure I would buy them again.

This offseason I plan to install F30 brakes with a 135i master cylinder, either the 3-stage or N54 intake, and either a 3.64 or 3.73 diff (non-LSD).

Here are some onboard laps from VIR and Road Atlanta these past couple weekends.

Road Atlanta:

VIR:

[edycol]

Before you change master cylinder, check whether you can code EBD to performance brakes. On E90 328/330 that is possible. That is more important than master cylinder itself.
Also, you doing rear ones?

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by blnk-128

I'm still making stock power, although I needed an oil cooler to keep the 230 raging horses from overheating themselves. Suspension wise I'm running the Single Adjustable TC Kline setup with their street springs which are now struggling to keep up. The M3 control arms, camber plates, and RSFB are all worthwhile investments. Currently the brakes are still stock, eating front DTC-70 pads at a rate of 1 set per 400 miles on track.

I moved on to 200TW tires with the Continental Extreme Contact Forces. In a 245 width, these tires are super wide and rub both the rear fender and front strut (camber setup is ~3 degrees in the front and 2 degrees in the rear). Due to the extra width, they have compromised sidewall stability on 8.5" wheels. Grip is great and longevity has been solid so far, but I'm not sure I would buy them again.

Love reading this kind of stuff, what mods have been worthwhile. Thanks for the update and good to see the car truly getting used!

[blnk-128]

Originally Posted by edycol

Before you change master cylinder, check whether you can code EBD to performance brakes. On E90 328/330 that is possible. That is more important than master cylinder itself.
Also, you doing rear ones?

If I'm unable to code to performance brakes, why would that prevent the car from taking advantage of the MC? I'm assuming the performance brakes correspond to the 135i 6 piston option.

Based on this post https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=556807 it seems like the coding should be possible.

I'm only planning on doing the fronts, but have been reading about the 42mm piston vs. 40mm piston to move brake bias back towards the rear.

[edycol]

Originally Posted by blnk-128

If I'm unable to code to performance brakes, why would that prevent the car from taking advantage of the MC? I'm assuming the performance brakes correspond to the 135i 6 piston option.

Based on this post https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=556807 it seems like the coding should be possible.

I'm only planning on doing the fronts, but have been reading about the 42mm piston vs. 40mm piston to move brake bias back towards the rear.

So, coding affects Electronic Brake Distribution. Performance package has bigger rear brakes so it has to be adjusted. Some experienced fishtail in wet converting to 335 E90 brakes on their 328. Coding solved that.
If you don't plan to replace rear, different MC is not necessary (so I heard it). But you should go different brakes in the back!
E82/90 on track go through rear faster than front. Problem is ediff. function. Even if you turn off DTC and code out other nannies (not ediff) it puts a lot of strain on rear brakes. I managed to actually set them on fire on my 328.
If you go F30 front (I am doing that too in the spring) go at leas 335 rear brake but you will have to do some modifications on E brake.
Or you can go Brembo from 135. They would be direct fit.
Here is comparison between pads from 135, 335 and 328.

[spidertri]

So I don't want to take over Mike's thread with brake discussion but I want to clear up a few things that don't transfer from E9x to E82.

1) The E9x N52 cars use the same MC as the N54/N55 335i cars, this is not true with the 128i and 135i, the 128 uses a smaller MC. The 135i uses the same larger MC as the E9x cars. So there is a definite advantage to swapping to the larger 135i/328i/335i MC if you have a 128i.

2) The performance brake option for the 128i is very unbalanced compared to the performance brakes for the 328i. Adding the 135i front caliper/rotor and only increasing the rear caliper piston diameter to 42mm on the 128i moves the brake bias forward by quite a bit.

3) If the coding for the performance brakes on the 128i does anything, it's going to be for the heavily front biased set up of 135i brakes in the front and 42mm piston calipers in the rear. If you end up swapping rear 335i brakes you really should change the coding back to the stock because you'd no longer have such a front biased system.

4) None of the larger rear brake options, besides the 42mm caliper, are a direct fit on the 128i. 135i rear brakes still require an e-brake solution, 335i calipers/rotors require the hub mod and e-brake, and F30 rears need a special rotor, e-brake, and caliper mounting.

5) Do whatever you can to increase cooling air to the front and rear brakes on the 128i. The front m-sport bumper is very good at sending air to the wheel wells, and you can trim a great deal of the backing plate away to allow air to get into the center of the rotor. The rear backing plates are incredibly insulating, trim as much of them away as possible, a little more difficult in the rear due to all of the control arms but it still makes a difference.

[edycol]

Originally Posted by spidertri

So I don't want to take over Mike's thread with brake discussion but I want to clear up a few things that don't transfer from E9x to E82.

1) The E9x N52 cars use the same MC as the N54/N55 335i cars, this is not true with the 128i and 135i, the 128 uses a smaller MC. The 135i uses the same larger MC as the E9x cars. So there is a definite advantage to swapping to the larger 135i/328i/335i MC if you have a 128i.

2) The performance brake option for the 128i is very unbalanced compared to the performance brakes for the 328i. Adding the 135i front caliper/rotor and only increasing the rear caliper piston diameter to 42mm on the 128i moves the brake bias forward by quite a bit.

3) If the coding for the performance brakes on the 128i does anything, it's going to be for the heavily front biased set up of 135i brakes in the front and 42mm piston calipers in the rear. If you end up swapping rear 335i brakes you really should change the coding back to the stock because you'd no longer have such a front biased system.

4) None of the larger rear brake options, besides the 42mm caliper, are a direct fit on the 128i. 135i rear brakes still require an e-brake solution, 335i calipers/rotors require the hub mod and e-brake, and F30 rears need a special rotor, e-brake, and caliper mounting.

5) Do whatever you can to increase cooling air to the front and rear brakes on the 128i. The front m-sport bumper is very good at sending air to the wheel wells, and you can trim a great deal of the backing plate away to allow air to get into the center of the rotor. The rear backing plates are incredibly insulating, trim as much of them away as possible, a little more difficult in the rear due to all of the control arms but it still makes a difference.

Did not know MC on 128 is smaller.
Yeah, in that case I would go to E90 or 135 MC. I wouldn't be surprised if buying E90 MC on ebay is cheaper than 135 although they are same.

[blnk-128]

Originally Posted by spidertri

So I don't want to take over Mike's thread with brake discussion but I want to clear up a few things that don't transfer from E9x to E82.

1) The E9x N52 cars use the same MC as the N54/N55 335i cars, this is not true with the 128i and 135i, the 128 uses a smaller MC. The 135i uses the same larger MC as the E9x cars. So there is a definite advantage to swapping to the larger 135i/328i/335i MC if you have a 128i.

2) The performance brake option for the 128i is very unbalanced compared to the performance brakes for the 328i. Adding the 135i front caliper/rotor and only increasing the rear caliper piston diameter to 42mm on the 128i moves the brake bias forward by quite a bit.

3) If the coding for the performance brakes on the 128i does anything, it's going to be for the heavily front biased set up of 135i brakes in the front and 42mm piston calipers in the rear. If you end up swapping rear 335i brakes you really should change the coding back to the stock because you'd no longer have such a front biased system.

4) None of the larger rear brake options, besides the 42mm caliper, are a direct fit on the 128i. 135i rear brakes still require an e-brake solution, 335i calipers/rotors require the hub mod and e-brake, and F30 rears need a special rotor, e-brake, and caliper mounting.

5) Do whatever you can to increase cooling air to the front and rear brakes on the 128i. The front m-sport bumper is very good at sending air to the wheel wells, and you can trim a great deal of the backing plate away to allow air to get into the center of the rotor. The rear backing plates are incredibly insulating, trim as much of them away as possible, a little more difficult in the rear due to all of the control arms but it still makes a difference.

I'll add the 42mm rear calipers from a 328i to the plan. The F30 brakes & rotors are already purchased, and the master cylinder is planned as well. If 42mm turns out to not be enough, I'll move up to the 335i rear brake option.

My stock front calipers were measuring ~900-1000 degrees coming off track. I still daily the car and I'm hoping with the extra thermal capacity of the larger F30 rotors and calipers I'll be able to avoid brake ducting. I'll see what the temps say next season and go from there.

Thanks for all the brake input!

[Suprgnat]

At the risk of being pedantic, I wanted to clarify that it is the take-up cylinder diameters that differ between the various master cylinders assemblies. The "master cylinders" are all 22mm while the take-up cylinders, which apply no pressure to the brakes, are larger in diameter to compensate for the increased fluid volumes of the larger front brake cylinders. 128i is 23mm, 135i is 25mm, and the 1M/M3 is 26mm. I still have a 1M master cylinder to install to get rid of the excessive pedal travel I have due to installing the 135i/Performance brakes. 1M vs 135i only because I got a great deal. The "excessive" travel isn't that bad, just annoying.

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by spidertri

2) The performance brake option for the 128i is very unbalanced compared to the performance brakes for the 328i. Adding the 135i front caliper/rotor and only increasing the rear caliper piston diameter to 42mm on the 128i moves the brake bias forward by quite a bit.

I'll also point out that the 328i Performance Brake kit is front only and the rears remain the stock 42mm calipers with 300x20 rotors, identical to those provided in the 128i Performance Brake kit.

[edycol]

Originally Posted by Suprgnat

I'll also point out that the 328i Performance Brake kit is front only and the rears remain the stock 42mm calipers with 300x20 rotors, identical to those provided in the 128i Performance Brake kit.

No.
Performance option is also rear Brembo:

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by edycol

No.
Performance option is also rear Brembo:

E91 and 330i (also the 130i and the Xdrive models) all use the larger rear wheel carrier of the turbo models. The E90/E92 2wd 328i use the same smaller size wheel carrier as the 128i, so no rear Brembo option.

[edycol]

Originally Posted by Suprgnat

E91 and 330i (also the 130i and the Xdrive models) all use the larger rear wheel carrier of the turbo models. The E90/E92 2wd 328i use the same smaller size wheel carrier as the 128i, so no rear Brembo option.

Yep.
I am saying it was an option on E90 too.
The 328 rear brakes, at least on 328 are a problem on a track. I can go through a pad set easily in a day. Depending on type of pad, it might not even last a day.

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by edycol

Yep.
I am saying it was an option on E90 too.
The 328 rear brakes, at least on 328 are a problem on a track. I can go through a pad set easily in a day. Depending on type of pad, it might not even last a day.

I think you were spot-on here:

Originally Posted by edycol

E.diff eats those pads.

I see an LSD in your future