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Excuse the formatting, i'll fix it later, just getting the bulk of it in for now. Thought I might as well be the first to start with a build thread.
Firstly, the name's Kirst, i've had a slowly building enthusiasm for cars, finally ending up in me starting one of the stupidest things i'll ever do... which will make sense soon haha.. anyway, on to it.
So, sept/oct 2011 i purchased a 4th gen prelude VTi-R for about $3.5k... over the next month~ i spent about ... it might have been up to $4.5k more, getting it roadworthy... 2 attempts later, i realize it has a nasty-ass hole in the exhaust and shouldn't have passed... a week or two later, the harmonic balancer shat itself, it still had EGR/O2 sensor issues, anda dying fuel gauge that were meant to be fixed, which would mean i'd need to get a new engine put in.... aaand now i hated the car, so i then sold it for $1k
lesson learnt: stop buying lemons, never get a workshop you're not 100% sure on to do stuff for you.
Nov 2011, i was tossing up between a few cars, 2005-2006+, spend a bit more, stop having shit cars... late model RX-8, 350z's, IS250, etc... decided i'd probably 'spend too much on mods' on the RX/Z', so first drive of the 130, i loved it, knew i 'wouldn't spend much on it, you can't modify this easily'.. yeah smart choice! (STOP LAUGHING DAMMIT)
Was pretty happy with that for a good while... almost a year even
ok now i want more power, supercharger kit? stroker? hm nothing really for the engine, and what is, is RIDICULOSULY expensive. i mean.. $20k to get anywhere... simply no interest. why's that? oh shit, there's an N54 OEM turbo motor in the 135i/335i that's taking all the aftermarket attention. that makes sense, oh well there's a cheap piggy for 5-10hp and making the laggy throttle less laggy.. eh that'll do. (i've now got it fully turned off lol, what a waste)
then we found out that all the M3 suspension stuff bolts on... tons of suspension mods.. oh.. well.. i guess... i could just get that slowly, isn't a bad idea, getting up in KM now (doing 200km a day 5d a week SUnshine coast to brisbane).. managed to find it for cheap too, yay! did the front stuff with some coilovers.
*skips ahead in time a bit*
sits at 120mm on the front/sides. We don't want lower, btw.
since then, wheel alignment done, guards rolled, niteshade removed from rear tail lights ($110 fine and 1 point yo) (so they're pretty munted now), plasti-dip removed (mostly) from wheels, because it looked like shit covered in brake dust. but i like orange wheels so i'll get them
*skips back in time a bit*
.... October 2012: oh there's one (N54) for sale from a wrecked 335 convertible... full ECU/harness/long block/everything? for $4k? ehhh sure! I'll work out the details later! (FYI, it's a really easy swap, after a hundred hours (probably literally) of research... ironically haha. plug and play + turn of auto transmission to manual in the ECU with easy software)
so now my 'cheap unmodified car' is going to get an N54 dropped in.. that's not so bad.
Rough progression since:
well... it's out of the car now, i may as well get it fully built before it goes in (aka, i'm getting the head done, new valvetrain, forged bottom end) - happening soon™
^ yeah it's simply not enough to have a unique engine in the shape (only one other in the world i'm aware of, in europe), i can't be happy unless it has mental power too, can i? (because the run of the mill 450-500whp everyone else gets with bolt ons just isn't enough)
well.. i need a transmission too, starter is on the wrong side (99% sure :/), oops.
6MT GS6-53BZ... so far it hasn't broken anything up to 900-1000nm on any other car... $1k shipped from the UK... stronger anyway, smart buy. (FYI, 135i N54 transmissions are stronger than 1M transmissions, they use the N55 GS6-45BZ... yes, an inferior transmission. true 'parts bin' car haha)
well, i need 135i brakes to get it road registered with the engine
+ redstuff pads
+ SS lines, F30 BMW (scoop shaped) front backing plates, + 135i (thicker) rear hubs + wheel stud conversion + superblue on the way from the states as we speak.
... hm no point going for big power with an open diff...
Oh? It comes with every suspension arm ($1.5k~ worth), bushing ($300 worth).. 3.15 1.5way LSD ($1-1.5k) sway bar ($300 odd), subframe ($300) and axles (stronger bolt straight up $???) all for $1500 shipped? LOLOK, - working out shipping now... just need a BMW V8 driveshaft
... hey, since it comes with the rear hubs/brakes and all... how much for front setup?
$500 odd? FFS
338mm/330mm 6/2pot brembos (shitty brembos but) vs 360mm/350mm floating M3/1M calipers?
and i just spent $2-2.5k on the 135i stuff -_-
so, that's basically where i am now, up to a complete 1M conversion/ race hatch in the works.. speeding up over the next few months, so you've managed to skip the half year of boring waiting lol.
will fix up formatting, make it all clearer this arvo.
Firstly, the name's Kirst, i've had a slowly building enthusiasm for cars, finally ending up in me starting one of the stupidest things i'll ever do... which will make sense soon haha.. anyway, on to it.
So, sept/oct 2011 i purchased a 4th gen prelude VTi-R for about $3.5k... over the next month~ i spent about ... it might have been up to $4.5k more, getting it roadworthy... 2 attempts later, i realize it has a nasty-ass hole in the exhaust and shouldn't have passed... a week or two later, the harmonic balancer shat itself, it still had EGR/O2 sensor issues, anda dying fuel gauge that were meant to be fixed, which would mean i'd need to get a new engine put in.... aaand now i hated the car, so i then sold it for $1k
lesson learnt: stop buying lemons, never get a workshop you're not 100% sure on to do stuff for you.
Nov 2011, i was tossing up between a few cars, 2005-2006+, spend a bit more, stop having shit cars... late model RX-8, 350z's, IS250, etc... decided i'd probably 'spend too much on mods' on the RX/Z', so first drive of the 130, i loved it, knew i 'wouldn't spend much on it, you can't modify this easily'.. yeah smart choice! (STOP LAUGHING DAMMIT)
Was pretty happy with that for a good while... almost a year even
ok now i want more power, supercharger kit? stroker? hm nothing really for the engine, and what is, is RIDICULOSULY expensive. i mean.. $20k to get anywhere... simply no interest. why's that? oh shit, there's an N54 OEM turbo motor in the 135i/335i that's taking all the aftermarket attention. that makes sense, oh well there's a cheap piggy for 5-10hp and making the laggy throttle less laggy.. eh that'll do. (i've now got it fully turned off lol, what a waste)
then we found out that all the M3 suspension stuff bolts on... tons of suspension mods.. oh.. well.. i guess... i could just get that slowly, isn't a bad idea, getting up in KM now (doing 200km a day 5d a week SUnshine coast to brisbane).. managed to find it for cheap too, yay! did the front stuff with some coilovers.
*skips ahead in time a bit*
sits at 120mm on the front/sides. We don't want lower, btw.
since then, wheel alignment done, guards rolled, niteshade removed from rear tail lights ($110 fine and 1 point yo) (so they're pretty munted now), plasti-dip removed (mostly) from wheels, because it looked like shit covered in brake dust. but i like orange wheels so i'll get them
*skips back in time a bit*
.... October 2012: oh there's one (N54) for sale from a wrecked 335 convertible... full ECU/harness/long block/everything? for $4k? ehhh sure! I'll work out the details later! (FYI, it's a really easy swap, after a hundred hours (probably literally) of research... ironically haha. plug and play + turn of auto transmission to manual in the ECU with easy software)
so now my 'cheap unmodified car' is going to get an N54 dropped in.. that's not so bad.
Rough progression since:
well... it's out of the car now, i may as well get it fully built before it goes in (aka, i'm getting the head done, new valvetrain, forged bottom end) - happening soon™
^ yeah it's simply not enough to have a unique engine in the shape (only one other in the world i'm aware of, in europe), i can't be happy unless it has mental power too, can i? (because the run of the mill 450-500whp everyone else gets with bolt ons just isn't enough)
well.. i need a transmission too, starter is on the wrong side (99% sure :/), oops.
6MT GS6-53BZ... so far it hasn't broken anything up to 900-1000nm on any other car... $1k shipped from the UK... stronger anyway, smart buy. (FYI, 135i N54 transmissions are stronger than 1M transmissions, they use the N55 GS6-45BZ... yes, an inferior transmission. true 'parts bin' car haha)
well, i need 135i brakes to get it road registered with the engine
+ redstuff pads
+ SS lines, F30 BMW (scoop shaped) front backing plates, + 135i (thicker) rear hubs + wheel stud conversion + superblue on the way from the states as we speak.
... hm no point going for big power with an open diff...
Oh? It comes with every suspension arm ($1.5k~ worth), bushing ($300 worth).. 3.15 1.5way LSD ($1-1.5k) sway bar ($300 odd), subframe ($300) and axles (stronger bolt straight up $???) all for $1500 shipped? LOLOK, - working out shipping now... just need a BMW V8 driveshaft
... hey, since it comes with the rear hubs/brakes and all... how much for front setup?
$500 odd? FFS
338mm/330mm 6/2pot brembos (shitty brembos but) vs 360mm/350mm floating M3/1M calipers?
and i just spent $2-2.5k on the 135i stuff -_-
so, that's basically where i am now, up to a complete 1M conversion/ race hatch in the works.. speeding up over the next few months, so you've managed to skip the half year of boring waiting lol.
will fix up formatting, make it all clearer this arvo.