Dungeon rescued 135i project

[martymil]

So as some of you know I love my E series and this one is that little one i had my eye on for quite a while.

One of my suppliers and good mate had a 135i sitting in the dungeon for about 5 to 6 years and bounced around a few workshops before that as a
development car that never eventuated.

This car has not seen the road since 2012 and with only 30k km on the clock I dug it out of the basement and going to bring it back to life, after 12 years
of deep sleep.

The car is in a magnificent state apart from a few mechanical and electrical pieces missing which I have.

I'll be largely using my e87 hatch as a parts doner car to get this running.

I'm going to make this even better than my 1m3 and take it to the next level of show quality.

I'll be posting progress pics along the way and hopefully you guys can enjoy watching this beast getting resurrected.

Now for some pics of the car in its sad state the day it was delivered and me spending the rest of the afternoon cleaning 12 years of dust etched into the paint, it came up quite well and I'll be getting a stage 2 paint correction and ppf done on it once the car is mechanically finished.

 

[martymil]

Finally got around to pulling the motor/gearbox out to dress it with some new turbos and anything else it needs
as they went missing a long time ago amongst other parts.

All the parts are going to be brand new except the turbos as my 1m ones only have 12k km on them which I'll fit to this motor.

This is a 6 bolt motor and same spec as my 1m was.

 

[martymil]

The swap begins, both cars are home and will be getting started on the weekend.

Got two major shows on Saturday and Sunday so don't know how much I'll get done.

Hopefully next week I'll get it inspected and on the road.

Going to spend some time detailing the engine bay prior to install but its pretty clean as it is.

 

[martymil]

Engine is in and button up begins, take my sweet time with it as I want to pull things off and get them powder coated again.

Going to pull this manifold off and put my other brushed polished once everything is done.

Going to redo a lot of things on this install and make it perfect.

Should be rolling tomorrow and park it on the hoist to make things a little easier.

 

[martymil]

The 135i is coming along nicely, would have been driving it today but missing the gearbox linkage that stopped me.

Missing a couple of ducts for the front bar, few cosmetic and entertainment upgrades should see her registered this week some time.

From dead and in pieces to fully restored in 4 days after 12 years in the basement, not stuffing around.

 

[martymil]

So figured out the car is fitted with a short shifter and is missing more than just a linkage, went on ebay
and found a complete new shifter setup with all the parts I need and should be here friday hopefully.

Cant wait to take this beast for a spin and get it fully detailed ready for a show at the end of the month.

Going to remove the coil overs and adjustable rear arms and return it back to stock setup with a nice set of street
shocks and a HAS kit.

 

[martymil]

She's alive.

20230704_154031.mp4

MP4 File

1drv.ms

 

[martymil]

She is complete besides a hid igniter, maiden voyage to the inspection station by the end of the week hopefully.

Resurrected in less than 24hrs over 4 to 5 days.

Love this project, its not often you get a blank slate to work with.

 

[wheela]

The speed at which you get things done is amazing

 

[martymil]

Completely finished, getting a wheel alignment some time this week after I finish a customers car coming in
tomorrow and she is booked it for a full inspection on thursday.

 

[martymil]

Went to get it registered and there is a vin block on it because of the Takata airbag and battery cable recall, now I have
to wait till BMW fixes that before I can get it on the road.

 

[martymil]

PDR day on the 135i and a thorough cleaning, the vin block should be lifted tomorrow and she
goes out for PPF removal due to being over 12 years and looking quite tired, then it's getting stage 2 paint correction and suntek PPF.

 

[martymil]

She is finally registered and already on her first cruise from Sydney to Newcastle and back.

She didn't miss a beat and boy this drexler lsd diff is good, so much better than the m3 setup.

 

[martymil]

What do you guys think of these wheels, so hard to find a nice wheel for the 135i because of the high offsets.

This is not my car but the wheels I want, suits the black and something different.

 

[wheela]

I like those rims

 

[martymil]

Out of stock at the moment and waiting for confirmation of range of offsets due to the BC ER's needing spacer plates to
clear the wheels, I'm trying to avoid this due legality issues here in oz otherwise I wouldn't bother changing out the VMR's.

I can't even clear the stock wheels with BC's.

The other option is to change the coil overs which I'm trying to avoid as they are the best bang for buck setup with full adjustability.

Or get FR1 simmons wheels and get any offset I want, both are around the same price.

 

[martymil]

New shoes today the Simmons FR1's

19x8.5 +38
19x9.5 +52

Perfect setup for the BC Racing ER's

Love the simmons as you can get them in any offset from 0 to +52 and less than 1000 usd for the set.

Cant beat bang for buck, they are not the lightest but a great street rim.

 

[martymil]

Both cars out tonight at the local car show strutting their wares.

Got to say I had guys coming back 3 to 4 times to look over it a few times.

Both cars looked spectacular.

The 135i is going to give the 1m3 a run for its money, even all the judges couldn't stop gawking at them.

Won to many trophies and had to give others a chance, taking a break.

 

[martymil]

Final bugs sorted and all squeaks and rattles are gone, this drives like a brand-new car and so it should with only 31k km or 19k miles.

I was contemplating selling it, but I opted not to as where do I get a 19k mile 135i with every mod under the sun just about.

Now all I need to do is finish the hatch and have some fun at the track.



Updated mod list.

Engine

9.5 to 1 comp PPM pistons and forged H beam rods.
Vargas GC+ turbos
Schrick stage 1 cams
Vargas billet rocker cover
Plazmaman manifold
VRSF IC (for now till I finish my new setup)
Custom charge pipe
Custom RHD outlet pipe
Custom 4 Way catch can system with easy drain, no more burnt fingers.
CSF Radiator
Alloy PS pulley
PFS POD hpfp fuel pump overdrive
AR ceramic coated Down pipes

Rebuilt and blueprinted less that 1800 km ago.

Fuel System

Custom fuel lines
Walbro 535 bucket less fuel pump with custom 12x12 Hydramat
Custom FPR setup with return line.
Ethanol sensor with bluetooth.

Driveline

Drexler LSD and bolted hub conversion.
Spec brass button twin plate clutch.

Suspension

BC Racing ER coil overs.
m3 control arms front and rear.
Megan racing rear adjustable castor arms.

Wheels

Simmons FR1 19x8.5 +38
Simmons FR1 19x9.5 +52

Michelin PS4s 225/35 R19
Michelin PS4s 255/30 R19

Other Mods

Lithiumax Race 9+ Battery
BMW performance carbon fibre air diverter
Custom Radiator air scoops.
1m Strut Bars
Modified factory HVAC tray.
Custom HVAC Plates to keep water out.
BMW PERFORMANCE carbon fibre mirror caps
BMW PERFORMANCE Style diffuser
IKMOS flashed ecu and DSC unit with MDM
Burger Motorsport diff lockdown plate.
Stett vacuum canisters.

 

[TiAgAu]

Nice list! A couple of inspiring ideas there.

Out of interest where did you purchase the Simmons wheels?