My new 135i intro/progress log

[jw.e36]

Hi guys,

Sort of new to Posting on forums, and I apologize If this is a bit long, but I thought it might be cool to start an intro thread and keep kind of a build thread/progress log.

Anyways, I am a long time BMW enthusiast, (my dad started this obsession and we have both got it pretty bad lol) he's had an '02 330ci, an '08 135i, an '07 335i, and his current 2008 Jerez black on grey M3 6MT, '04 X3 and his current 2010 X6M daily. And myself I've had a few 3 series, also an '02 330ci and a couple of '98 328is's including my current one. I absolutely love that car (pictured below) but I had been wanting something with a little bit more power for a while now, and I had it pretty much narrowed down to either an e82 135i, or an e9x 335i. Was okay with N54 or N55 but absolutely had to be manual and RWD.



I originally planned on waiting until spring because I put my e36 away for the winter and had bought an Acura RSX to drive as a beater, however I bought the RSX for a cheap, and was hoping to stay on a budget this winter but after bringing it to my friends shop to safety it, discovered it needed upwards of $3k to safety. So, I decided to cut my losses, sell it for cheap to try and get some of my money back, luckily my mom had a vehicle she could loan me for a while, and I ended up finding my new car, with every option I was looking for, at a decent price, in my favorite color combo (needed a couple of things) but basically perfect. So, with that being said, here is my 2011 space grey on coral 6MT 135i M-sport!






No nav, manual seats, sunroof, the only option that it doesn't have that I would have preferred would be comfort access, but other than that it checked all my boxes! A few things done to it, but nothing crazy:
-VRSF catless DP
-VRSF chargepipe
-JB4
-OEM exhaust w/ golf tee mod
-CDV delete
-LCI blacklines

I absolutely love it.

Previous owner was only selling due to the fact that he just picked up a 2020 M2 comp and didn't need a crazy daily.

The only issue with the car is the radio. (maybe someone on here might have some input on what the issue actually is) every 4 seconds or so there is a little noise, can't figure out the best way to describe it, but the best I can think of is a little static tick or something every 4 or so seconds, and even after you turn the car off, pull out the fob and lock the car, the noise continues for about a minute, then it turns off. I also am unable to get any sound from the AUX input. And finally, occasionally, not very often but sometimes the radio just won't work at all. The noise will happen, but that is the only sound I get. If I turn the car off, pull the fob out, and lock the car, wait for the sound to stop, then start the car again, it seemingly resets it, and the radio will usually work after that. (still with the annoying sound and no aux). and the Bluetooth phone connectivity does not work at all.

So far, between the previous owner and I, we have replaced the AUX/USB/12v plug receptacle, the MULF module and the amp, and we're sort of at a loss as to what the issue is. If anybody has some input that would be great.

However other than that I am in love with the car! I remember I loved my dads 135i when he had it (I was only like 13). And coming from an e36, its nice to be in a car that feels similar size and not massive like most modern cars. I have a few things that I would like to do to it this year, I went a little crazy with my e36 (static and on the ground) and I want to stay more conservative on the looks side of things in the 135. I have picked up a few small things already for it, so far, I've picked up OEM carpet mats (it only came with rubbers) new side markers, various LED lights for it (cabin lights, reverse lights, license plate lights etc.) I also bought a set of "CREE" H8 led angel eye bulbs for it, I researched around and heard some good things about them, they only cost me about 30 USD on eBay, so worst case if they aren’t great I'll actually bite the bullet and splurge on some LUX bulbs. I also picked up an OEM performance high kick carbon fiber trunk lip, and an OEM performance shift knob (always been my fav shift knob).





I have a few more things planned for it in 2020 but a relatively short mod list. I would like to pick up a few things:
-Motorsport Hardware stud kit
-BMS intake
-BMS short shifter
-BMS diff brace
-VRSF 7.5" stepped FMIC
-and possibly a set of Eibach Pro-Kit lowering springs

The car came in winter mode on some OEM steelies with winter tires, roof racks and 3 mud flaps (when the previous owner had it the passenger side rear one fell off lol. INB4 it gets mentioned anyways). I didn’t have a T30 torx until I bought one the other day, and was finally able to get the roof racks off. The car also came with some OEM black split 5 spoke wheels that I'm personally not a fan of on PS4s (rears needed to be replaced) a couple weeks ago I picked up a set of OEM style 261Ms and I'm going to pick up a set of Indy 500’s (255/35 and 235/40) for them and probably sell the black ones. My dad and I were talking the other day and realized that we both share the same problem of wheel hoarding lol, I have 7 sets and then a pair and he's got 5 sets and a few pairs!







Anyways I've probably been going on a little bit long for an intro, I'm just excited to get it out of winter mode, start enjoying some summer fun with my new 135! I plan to live at the track this year, and my dad and I have already started planning a weekend trip to Calabogie Motorsports Park to do a track weekend with BMW Car Club of America Trillium Chapter! So hopefully if there are any Canadians on here I can see you guys there or at TMP or Grand bend or anywhere else around Ontario!

[DBShiznit]

Congrats! Nice car! I too come from an e36. Had 2 e30s (Still own one its a vert) I've owned 2 e36's one 318is and the other a 325is. I definitely understand what you mean by the similarities between the e82 and the e36. I love the fact that the e82 is just an updated more sturdy version of the e36. Not to mention on the N54 power. Anyway, good luck with the car! Keep us posted

[dtla1]

Nice car!!

BTW, it looks like the front mesh in front of the intercooler was removed, are you sure it doesn't already have an upgraded intercooler?

Also, sorry to hear about the missing mudflap, RIP OEM Mudflaps.

[mfindigital]

Surprised to see how many cars are rocking the JB4 that aren't running meth or other options jb4 handles well. Seems like 90%+ of people switched to MHD.

[DBShiznit]

I have JB4 and plan on running Meth but even still I love the safety features of JB4. One huge reason why I don't get rid of it other than the fact meth will be added down the road. Plus you can just do a BEF to smooth things out. I feel like MHD is great for someone who just wants to load a flash and go. JB4 is more involved.

[asalazar8383]

Man, car looks great! Color is my favorite, - target color for me to be honest (one day). Looks like it might be a late 2011 model if I am not mistaken. It got the rear light update but not the front headlight update or maybe someone swapped it out.

Your grey looks great with the black wheels. I dig it .

Jealous you get to hoard wheels. Have fun with your dad racing.

Update update with plenty of pics man!

[jw.e36]

So its been a while since I posted but I thought I'd give a few updates on the 135! 11 months in to ownership and I am absolutely in love with this car! Ill go back to when I started til now. So we left off basically after I bought the car, so I finally got it out of summer mode in early April! Mounted the black wheels, took off those horrid roof racks and mud flaps and it started to finally look like a presentable car! Then sadly in may, it was finally time to say good bye to my beloved e36. It was a sad day for me (my GF was never really a fan but she loves the 135 so it was a good day for her lol) but I knew it was for the best. And I finally really started to get some warmer weather so I could really try to start seeing what the 135 could do!

[jw.e36]

Thoroughly enjoyed hitting some twisty roads (tracks were still closed due to covid), and had some time and warmer weather so I had some motivation to do some things to the car, such as getting my new side markers, new halo bulbs (eBay bulbs, couldn’t be happier with them, and far cheaper than lux), got my BMS short shifter installed (absolutely adore the short shifter, shifts are way shorter, crisp, and just overall a massive improvement over stock), BMS intake, carbon fiber performance lip spoiler, etc. and finally got my set of style 261Ms mounted with the new rubber (265/35 & 235/40 indy 500s)!

[jw.e36]

So I got the wheels mounted just in time for the tracks to open up! I didn’t go opening day because my local track had an absolute shit show the first day and I knew it was going to happen, they opened on a Wednesday, and it was absolute chaos. (Toronto Motorsports Park for those who know) I'm pretty sure there were like 8 accidents between people hitting each other and people hitting the wall, then countless people going off track, people were dive bombing others in the corners waaay past the passing zones literally passing people at the apex (in a legitimate race is one thing, but not okay at an open lapping event). Also a corvette literally burned to the ground, and after one of the accidents out on the track there was a red flag and an actual fight broke out ON THE TRACK. Thankfully nobody was actually injured and it meant that the track got way more strict, and people got out the covid crazy that day, so I went the second weekend that they were open because I felt like it was a safe bet. So may 30th I finally got to really see what the 135 could do out on track! Had an absolute blast, ended up going with my dad and a friend of mine, my friend brought his Shelby GT350, and my dad brought his e92 M3 on DOT slicks. My friend is an absolute beast with that GT350, he was clocking 1:21 hot laps, and my dad wasn’t timing, but I figured he was probably somewhere around 1:23's and me in my stock suspension 135 on street tires I was clocking average 1:28-1:29's, dipped into 1:27's a few times with a PB of 1:27.4. Yes, obviously I was nowhere near them, but it was also my 3rd time driving on track ever and my first time in the car, but I was pretty happy with where I was! And the first day at the track was a resounding success! Drove 2 hours there, drove all day, and drove 2 hours home without a single hiccup! Which is more than I could say for the next track day…

[jw.e36]

So around 2 weeks later, my dad and I planned another day so we headed back out to TMP. We got there and it was an absolutely beautiful day hot and sunny, tires were gripping hard, I was feeling good. I was a few sessions in, still hadn’t beaten my PB (still 1:27.4), but I had gotten back into the 1:27's a couple times, and was feeling more consistent around 1:28. Im not sure if anybody knows Toronto motorsports park, but I was trying to practice and drop some time out of corner 9, through corner 10 and into 11a, because if you do it properly you should get through corner 10 without touching the brakes and get hard on them and get all your braking done into corner 11a. anyways I was a few sessions in (the day was 1pm-9pm it was around 4:00) and I was around 5 laps into this session, and I attempted that section again, and lost basically all of my brakes, so I had to put my foot to the floor, was able to get it slowed down enough to pull into the pit area, and visually inspected the brakes, and thought the front passenger side brake pad looked a little bit off, so jacked it up and pulled the wheel off to take a closer look. Low and behold, my stop tech brake pad had separated, and the actual pad part had started to come out, so my day was done. Luckily my dad decided to let me take the M3 out for a few laps which was fun so the rest of my day wasn’t the worst. Although driving the M3 showed me just how much I need suspension mods, slicks, and most of all brakes (he's got 6 pot stop techs on all 4 corners lol). But I then had to limp the car home and I didn’t want to take the highway, so the 2 hour drive turned into a 3.5 hour drive home, but aside from a pretty yellow wheel from cooked on brake dust and metal on metal grinding I did make it home without further damage so I couldn’t be too upset.

[jw.e36]

Now it was time to get some brakes done, and I had a 1200km weekend planed to head up to Calabogie Motorsports Park with BMWCCA trillium chapter for their advanced driving school in a month so I had to get it done, and I had an oil change to do, plus I had ordered 2 step colder plugs earlier in the year that I had yet to install, so I ordered a pair of front stop tech drilled/slotted rotors, and some Hawk HPS pads for all 4 corners, and some dot5 brake fluid. My friend got the car into his shop, got them done, and did a fluid flush, said the one pad came off in 5 pieces! So I got that all done, and decided to give the car a bit of a break from the track for a few weeks lol. Fast forward to mid-july, I had a day off so I got the new plugs done (as you can see, much needed lol) and got the oil change done, detailed it, and it was ready for Calabogie!

[jw.e36]

Headed down to meet my dad, then we met some of our friends on the way, and had a pretty cool line up heading up to Calabogie for the weekend! Me, my dad in his M3, a 991 GT3, 991.2 GT3 RS, 991 GTS, Camaro ZL1 1LE, Mustang GT350R, and one more friend met us there with his team that trailered his Radical SR-1. So needless to say I had to fight the feeling of being a peasant all weekend lol. But we made the 4 hour drive to Calabogie with no issues, got all unloaded, had dinner and hung out at the track, went to bed and the next morning it was time for some driving! BMWCCA trillium did a great job handling a driving school amidst the pandemic, rather than having instructors in school, they did lead-follow, and they did a good job matching drivers to instructors with similar cars. I actually got paired with an instructor that had an alpine white 1M, which (as distracting as It was staring at it for the whole session lol) was fantastic, we could both fully accelerate without fear of him leaving me behind or me passing him, and he was a fantastic instructor, I had a blast, and felt like I learned a lot that weekend! I then had a gorgeous drive home, and we all left at different times so I got to enjoy the scenery through northeastern Ontario just me and the car, and enjoyed some beautiful winding roads with nice elevation changes, just a beautiful drive. And the car made it home with no issues once again! 1191kms later!

[jw.e36]

I've done a couple of track days since Calabogie, once at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park driver development centre, a friend of my dad runs an exotic car rental company and I was able to bring the 1 and do some lapping, it was fun being basically the fastest car there and getting to pass all of the supercars (not me bragging, all of the supercars were driven by noobs lol). After that day, my suspension that I had ordered finally came in, I got an Eibach pro-plus kit, (Eibach pro-kit springs, and an upgraded front and rear sway bar) so I got those in, but while it was at the shop, my friend that was working on it realized it had a rear passenger wheel bearing that was going, and a drivers side RTAB that needed replacing, so that plus 2 alignments later, she was back on the road ready for the track, so I thought. The next day I was installing my stud kit I had ordered as well, and pulled the rear passenger wheel off and the wheel well was caked in axle grease. It had come apart, so it needed a new axle, luckily it was something that a local shop had on hand and we were able to have it up and running properly the next day! I also had found a killer deal on some Continental ExtremeContact DR slicks in a 245/45/17, and I had some old style 96 wheels laying around from my old e46, so mounted them on there, and boom I had a sub $300 set of racing slicks! So on the Friday before labor day weekend I finally headed back to TMP to beat my personal best (1:27.4) and I had my sights set on a 1:25, first session out, did a 1:26.3, then second session out a 1:25.7, by the end of the day I was able to clock a 1:25.4! Felt amazing out there all day, but I never felt like I did a perfect lap, I always had somewhere that I could have dropped some time, so I know that I can achieve a 1:24 or faster without a doubt! Anyways, that’s really all I have right now for the season.

[jw.e36]

And back to the present after a last track day at DDT again in October, she's tucked away, I picked up an indoor storage cover from carcoverstore.com, and a few days before I put her away I came across a killer deal on a set of VMR V703's for $400, not quite perfect spec but not terrible, 18x8.5 square, but I couldn’t pass up the deal! So I got them mounted, and I LOVE the way they look, I think they totally transformed the way the car looks and made it way more aggressive! The tires on them are just some crappy no-name tires so I decided to have one last little bit of fun before I put it away lol, but she goes away this weekend. I've got a few small plans for it, but nothing crazy over this winter, as id really love to get into the housing market within the next year. Anyways I know I have babbled on for a while now, but super excited for next season!

[gorilla]

Love those wheels, totally transforms the look.
Got an IG we can follow?

[jw.e36]

Originally Posted by gorilla

Love those wheels, totally transforms the look.
Got an IG we can follow?

yeah for sure! @jw.e82 is my insta