Nothing officially set in stone yet, but we're in talks of it! I think we'll be working together
Congrats! Is it also a built head or just short block?
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Jake's Epic BMW 135i Build Thread (5+ Years of Ownership)
- Thread starter suspenceful
- Start date
Congrats! Is it also a built head or just short block?
As I continue to go down the rabbit hole of weight reduction/track-inspired modifications... bucket seats were next up on the list.
With a budget of $1,000 shipped for a pair of seats and hardware to mount them, I started my search. Ideally, that price would include sliders because other people drive my car and a fixed seat would be inconvenient. I didn’t want fancy, reclining seats because I'm doing this to save weight. I was tempted to go with a pair of cheap NRG seats from eBay, but decided against it. Buying the cheapest possible safety equipment doesn't seem like a good idea.
That's when I stumbled on Corbeau's website and found some attractive, affordable options. I narrowed it down to their FX1 Pro seats for $339 each and E92 (E8X/E9X) brackets with sliders for $119 each. Quality, name brand stuff totaling up to $916, just within my budget!
A few days later and I had a package waiting at home.
Out with the old...
Seat installed on bracket and buckle swapped over...
All done!
I will admit, these seats are pretty comfortable for being a race seat. If I were taking the car on a cross-country road trip, I’d prefer the stock seats… but when will I be taking this car on a cross-country road trip? I’m much happier that my body isn’t flopping around when I’m ripping around the track!
I ordered a pair of 8″ seatbelt extenders so I could snake the belt through the seat. This allows me to buckle up within the seat instead of over the top of the seat.
Surprisingly, the stock seats weigh a massive 59.6 lbs! For comparison, the FX1 Pro and bracket weigh 27.4 lbs. That’s a difference of 32.2 lbs, bringing the total weight loss to 64.4 lbs for the front seats. I’ll take it! I also previously removed the rear seats, which saved about 55 lbs.
Next up; a carbon fiber sunroof delete and carbon fiber door panels!
Oh wait... airbag lights...
I used the ProTool app by BimmerGeeks to get rid of these error codes. Simply connect an Android tablet to your car with a K+DCAN cable and OTG adapter, open up ProTools and go to work!
Under the “Safety” section > MRS – Airbag > Coding > Standard, we must deactivate the following options.
- Seat Mat Sensor (OC3_1)
- Driver Seat Position Sensor (SPSF_1_CD)
- Left-Side Airbag (SIDEBAG_LINKS_1)
- Passenger Seat Position Sensor (SPSBF_1)
- Right-Side Airbag (SIDEBAG_RECHTS_1)
It is my understanding that the airbags within the stock seats had sensors and those were the ones I coded off (since they are removed from the car). I hope the rest of the airbags go off (steering wheel, dash, curtain, etc.)
If someone has more knowledge on this, I'd love to hear it!
Well, I went back to the drag strip the other day. Made a decent shakedown pass, well on my way to setting a personal best.
Then I snapped an axle. This is the 3rd stock axle that I've snapped.
I'm sick of throwing junkyard axles in it and driving like I'm on glass, so I decided it's time to give the car the parts it really needs.
- MFactory LSD
- DSS axles
- BMS differential brace
- Powerflex differential bushings: front & rear
- BimmerWorld solid rear subframe mounts
- BimmerWorld adjustable rear toe arms
- ECS performance rear trailing arms
- BimmerWorld rear trailing arm bearings
- M3 rear wishbone kit
- M3 rear guide rod kit
- BimmerWorld rear camber arm bearing kit (inner)
- OEM rear camber arm bushings (outer)
- OEM rear shock mounts (lower)
- M3 front control arm kit
- BimmerWorld M3 front control arm bearing upgrade
- Front tie rod kit
- Rear calipers (15" conversion): left & right
- Rear brake rotors (15" conversion)
- Rear brake pads (15" conversion)
- Stainless brake set screws
- 3 series rear hub (x2)
- Rear wheel bearing kit (x2)
- APEX ARC-8 17x9" ET42 rear wheels
- Forgestar F14 15x10" ET44 rear wheels
- 1M-style front bumper
- Deka 17lb battery
- SAE battery terminal conversion kit
- Macht Schnell battery enclosure
- Carbon fiber door panels
- Seibon carbon fiber hood & trunk
- Carbon fiber sunroof delete
- VAC rollbar
- Custom F-series style headlights
I'm also going to gut most of the car, but still make it presentable. Work in progress.
Goal is to have the car completely set up and ready by Sept 20th for NFZ 1/2 mile event.
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You're telling me!
I think people would be surprised how much it costs to 'do it right' in terms of suspension. Coilovers are just the start. It's all those bushings, arms, and ball joints that add up! Easily as much if not significantly more than a quality single turbo kit for this platform.
Did you consider a real cage vs. bolt in?
Have you read any reviews of the Tie Rod Replacement Kit or are yours bad? Just curious.
I was worried about the BimmerWorld E8X/E9X Non M Adjustable Rear Toe Arm Set not being sealed. Hopefully they are not an issue for you wearing out prematurely.
Agreed, I was surprised when I started picking things out... and of all things, I still haven't done coilovers. But those will be happening later this year or next spring. Had to trim some initial cost somewhere.
I could get a deal on a used VAC rollbar locally, which is steering me in that direction. I still drive the car a lot on the street so I don't want a cage.
My original tie rods were seized. When we tried aligning it a few weeks ago, we sheared the locking bolt head. Needed to replace. Already installed them and the quality seems great. Not really an upgrade, but got rid of the crappy rusted ones.
I've read good things about the BimmerWorld adjustable toe arms, so I'm hoping they live up to their name. They seem of great quality. Only time will tell, but I'll be sure to update this thread once install and after a few thousand miles.
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You're welcome
I'm gonna be a tease here. I've posted some stuff on IG and YT, but haven't done much on the forums. The car went under the knife and I installed every single part (and more) from the list in one of my previous posts. I've been so busy in the garage and at the track that I haven't been posting much. Here is a picture and some video until I'm able to put together solid content.
Please go straight, please go straight...Please stop straight...
Almost 169mph from a dig with a 30-50mph headwind and a parachute hood.
This was on 28psi, was going to turn it up to 30psi at the end of the day but rain snuck up on us.
(hood pins have since been installed
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