Out with the new and in with the old; my 130i LE
Discussion
d_a_n1979 said:
Bespoke do get some good looking cars through, but always overpriced
I called Bespoke out if interest…The N53 car with a slightly better spec had gone.
The N52 powered car is still available. They do seem to do a lot of prep work that goes some way to justifying the price. This particular car is about to have a new gaskets (valve cover, oil filter housing and oil cooler), new DISA valves, new tyres all round plus refurbed wheels. It should in theory be a pretty well sorted car.
Court_S said:
cerb4.5lee said:
That could possibly be an Omen to stick to NA engines perhaps?!
Hope you get the opportunity to see it soon.
Quite possibly! But, they’re quite hard to ignore Hope you get the opportunity to see it soon.
Ben Lowden said:
As much as it pains me to link to AT and not PH, this looks exceptional https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203304...
I've put my name down on the waiting list if it doesn't go on the weekend Am I right in thinking the LCI 325i engine is essentially a detuned 330i and will map to 330i power?
As I understand it the switch from the N52 to the N53 took place before the LCI.I've put my name down on the waiting list if it doesn't go on the weekend
Am I right in thinking the LCI 325i engine is essentially a detuned 330i and will map to 330i power?It's easy to tell which is which though as the N52 325i has a 2.5 litre engine but the N53 325i has a 3 litre lump - which I think can be re-mapped to 330i power. Not too sure as I've stuck to N52s to avoid the potential injector and HPFP issues I have read about!
Sadly that one has gone though.
Mr Tidy said:
As I understand it the switch from the N52 to the N53 took place before the LCI.
It's easy to tell which is which though as the N52 325i has a 2.5 litre engine but the N53 325i has a 3 litre lump - which I think can be re-mapped to 330i power. Not too sure as I've stuck to N52s to avoid the potential injector and HPFP issues I have read about!
Sadly that one has gone though.
All correct, there are pre-LCI N53. As stated, known N53 problems are with the injectors (expensive and getting difficult to source now), HPFP and NOx sensor. The N53 325i is a 3.0 that can be mapped to similar power to the 330i, aside from the mapping the other difference is that the 330i has a 3-stage inlet manifold with 2 DISA valves to optimise airflow at various RPMs. This can be retrofitted to the N53 325i.It's easy to tell which is which though as the N52 325i has a 2.5 litre engine but the N53 325i has a 3 litre lump - which I think can be re-mapped to 330i power. Not too sure as I've stuck to N52s to avoid the potential injector and HPFP issues I have read about!
Sadly that one has gone though.
I have a 330i manual touring with the N52, I gave up on my "must have" spec of xenons as there are so few cars to choose from in the first place and of that small selection very few of them have xenons. I bought one with halogens and retrofitted OEM bi-xenons. It's a bit of a pain involving removal of the front bumper and some wiring changes, but nothing too complex. Pro Nav (iDrive) is crap as you would expect, but it's well worth getting as for not much money you can replace the screen with a high-res touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay which transforms it into something very useful and as good as anything in modern cars.
pmorg4 said:
All correct, there are pre-LCI N53. As stated, known N53 problems are with the injectors (expensive and getting difficult to source now), HPFP and NOx sensor. The N53 325i is a 3.0 that can be mapped to similar power to the 330i, aside from the mapping the other difference is that the 330i has a 3-stage inlet manifold with 2 DISA valves to optimise airflow at various RPMs. This can be retrofitted to the N53 325i.
I have a 330i manual touring with the N52, I gave up on my "must have" spec of xenons as there are so few cars to choose from in the first place and of that small selection very few of them have xenons. I bought one with halogens and retrofitted OEM bi-xenons. It's a bit of a pain involving removal of the front bumper and some wiring changes, but nothing too complex. Pro Nav (iDrive) is crap as you would expect, but it's well worth getting as for not much money you can replace the screen with a high-res touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay which transforms it into something very useful and as good as anything in modern cars.
Do the new index 12 injectors fit the N53? They’re supposed to cure all of the previous issues on the N54 albeit at a fairly chunky price.I have a 330i manual touring with the N52, I gave up on my "must have" spec of xenons as there are so few cars to choose from in the first place and of that small selection very few of them have xenons. I bought one with halogens and retrofitted OEM bi-xenons. It's a bit of a pain involving removal of the front bumper and some wiring changes, but nothing too complex. Pro Nav (iDrive) is crap as you would expect, but it's well worth getting as for not much money you can replace the screen with a high-res touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay which transforms it into something very useful and as good as anything in modern cars.
I’m currently torn between the practicality of a touring and the more generous spec of a coupe (xenons, heated electric seats, BMW HiFi etc). My other half is very taken with the grey 330 touring from Bespoke.
Just caught up with your thread. Thanks for gathering all the research for me.
That LMB 330i has my name on it. If I can get my finance sorted. So hands off.
To be fair it looks like it needs a bit of work. Bad paint on rear bumper, wheels are a mess, I cant quite make it out but I think the tyres are cheap. It does lok ripe for a slight drop, CSL wheels, and a performance exhaust.
That LMB 330i has my name on it. If I can get my finance sorted. So hands off.
To be fair it looks like it needs a bit of work. Bad paint on rear bumper, wheels are a mess, I cant quite make it out but I think the tyres are cheap. It does lok ripe for a slight drop, CSL wheels, and a performance exhaust.
Edited by IAche on Friday 1st April 13:22
IAche said:
Just caught up with your thread. Thanks for gathering all the research for me.
That LMB 330i has my name on it. If I can get my finance sorted. So hands off.
To be fair it looks like it needs a bit of work. Bad paint on rear bumper, wheels are a mess, I cant quite make it out but I think the tyres are cheap. It does lok ripe for a slight drop, CSL wheels, and a performance exhaust.
That LMB 330i has my name on it. If I can get my finance sorted. So hands off.
To be fair it looks like it needs a bit of work. Bad paint on rear bumper, wheels are a mess, I cant quite make it out but I think the tyres are cheap. It does lok ripe for a slight drop, CSL wheels, and a performance exhaust.
Edited by IAche on Friday 1st April 13:22
it’s nice but it’s the not the one I’m after. Lucy wants me to buy the grey 330 from Bespoke because she wants it after me! I don’t think it’ll be a goer though because someone is looking at it tomorrow. That blue one could be really nice with a bit of work / money chucked at it.
I’m still torn between the safe between of a 330 and the slightly more wallet damaging 335.
pmorg4 said:
All correct, there are pre-LCI N53. As stated, known N53 problems are with the injectors (expensive and getting difficult to source now), HPFP and NOx sensor. The N53 325i is a 3.0 that can be mapped to similar power to the 330i, aside from the mapping the other difference is that the 330i has a 3-stage inlet manifold with 2 DISA valves to optimise airflow at various RPMs. This can be retrofitted to the N53 325i.
I have a 330i manual touring with the N52, I gave up on my "must have" spec of xenons as there are so few cars to choose from in the first place and of that small selection very few of them have xenons. I bought one with halogens and retrofitted OEM bi-xenons. It's a bit of a pain involving removal of the front bumper and some wiring changes, but nothing too complex. Pro Nav (iDrive) is crap as you would expect, but it's well worth getting as for not much money you can replace the screen with a high-res touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay which transforms it into something very useful and as good as anything in modern cars.
Yikes the injectors are expensive – definitely something that requires some more research then and the potential to stick with the N52 if it's deemed to be more reliable. Cheers!I have a 330i manual touring with the N52, I gave up on my "must have" spec of xenons as there are so few cars to choose from in the first place and of that small selection very few of them have xenons. I bought one with halogens and retrofitted OEM bi-xenons. It's a bit of a pain involving removal of the front bumper and some wiring changes, but nothing too complex. Pro Nav (iDrive) is crap as you would expect, but it's well worth getting as for not much money you can replace the screen with a high-res touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay which transforms it into something very useful and as good as anything in modern cars.
Ben Lowden said:
Yikes the injectors are expensive – definitely something that requires some more research then and the potential to stick with the N52 if it's deemed to be more reliable. Cheers!
Yeah they’re savagely expensive especially for all six. ML Performance are selling the index 12 jobbies at £272 each. That’s an expensive day out especially once you factor in installation and coding.Court_S said:
I’m still torn between the safe between of a 330 and the slightly more wallet damaging 335.
I completely understand what you mean. The TVR was a gamble/risk that didn't pay off for me, and I much prefer the comfort blanket(touchwood) of the 370Z in comparison for sure. Sometimes risks/gambles can pay off though, and you might find that the 335i looks after you. Plus you've got a lot of experience with the N52 engine already(so I can understand why you may want to stick with what you know), but it would be a nice change to experience the N54 I think.
Please don't blame me if you do go in the direction of the 335i...and it doesn't work out the way that we would want it to though!
If you do go in the direction of the 335i...I will definitely keep my fingers crossed that it goes really well for you.
cerb4.5lee said:
I completely understand what you mean. The TVR was a gamble/risk that didn't pay off for me, and I much prefer the comfort blanket(touchwood) of the 370Z in comparison for sure.
Sometimes risks/gambles can pay off though, and you might find that the 335i looks after you. Plus you've got a lot of experience with the N52 engine already(so I can understand why you may want to stick with what you know), but it would be a nice change to experience the N54 I think.
Please don't blame me if you do go in the direction of the 335i...and it doesn't work out the way that we would want it to though!
If you do go in the direction of the 335i...I will definitely keep my fingers crossed that it goes really well for you.
The extra grunt of the N54 is appealing and while they don’t have the best of reputations they can’t all be wallet destroying time bombs especially given the numbers that were sold. Can they? Sometimes risks/gambles can pay off though, and you might find that the 335i looks after you. Plus you've got a lot of experience with the N52 engine already(so I can understand why you may want to stick with what you know), but it would be a nice change to experience the N54 I think.
Please don't blame me if you do go in the direction of the 335i...and it doesn't work out the way that we would want it to though!
If you do go in the direction of the 335i...I will definitely keep my fingers crossed that it goes really well for you.
Sounds like the car I was supposed to see this week is behaving again so I just need to find a date / time to see it. This one could be put back under a BMW warranty because it has a full BMW SH. It’s not cheap admittedly but it’s less than a set of injectors or a turbo.
I should be getting sone pics / videos of the E91 335i this weekend too.
I’ve written the advert for my car, on I’m a step closer.
Court_S said:
The extra grunt of the N54 is appealing and while they don’t have the best of reputations they can’t all be wallet destroying time bombs especially given the numbers that were sold. Can they?
Sounds like the car I was supposed to see this week is behaving again so I just need to find a date / time to see it. This one could be put back under a BMW warranty because it has a full BMW SH. It’s not cheap admittedly but it’s less than a set of injectors or a turbo.
I should be getting sone pics / videos of the E91 335i this weekend too.
I’ve written the advert for my car, on I’m a step closer.
They put the N54 in the best M car ever, so can't be too bad eh? Sounds like the car I was supposed to see this week is behaving again so I just need to find a date / time to see it. This one could be put back under a BMW warranty because it has a full BMW SH. It’s not cheap admittedly but it’s less than a set of injectors or a turbo.
I should be getting sone pics / videos of the E91 335i this weekend too.
I’ve written the advert for my car, on I’m a step closer.
Best of luck with this - I'm super-excited on your behalf. Remember though... CSL reps!
MDifficult said:
They put the N54 in the best M car ever, so can't be too bad eh?
Best of luck with this - I'm super-excited on your behalf. Remember though... CSL reps!
Good point, they don’t seem to be so problematic in the 1M. I wonder if it’s because they’re owned by adults rather than idiots chucking in JB4’s etc?Best of luck with this - I'm super-excited on your behalf. Remember though... CSL reps!
I’m seeing the E92 tomorrow. No fault codes recorded and it was playing ball when the chap drive if for an hour or so this afternoon.
I’ve already been looking at CSL reps!
Done to death I know but they look ace.Court_S said:
Ben Lowden said:
Yikes the injectors are expensive – definitely something that requires some more research then and the potential to stick with the N52 if it's deemed to be more reliable. Cheers!
Yeah they’re savagely expensive especially for all six. ML Performance are selling the index 12 jobbies at £272 each. That’s an expensive day out especially once you factor in installation and coding.So, I saw the pre-LCI E92 335i this afternoon and had a good hour so test drive.
It was nice, really nice. I like the E9x car from a size point of view. It’s bigger and more comfortable than my 1 series but doesn’t feel too big on the local country lanes. The ZF6 didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. I can only assume the extra torque on the 35i compared to the 30i compensates for the relative slowness.
It was certainly a very clean car in the sense that there were minimal marks usage with no wear to the bolsters. Rear seats didn’t look like they’d been used.
I think the decision I need to make is whether I’m brave enough to take on an N54 powered car, be it the one I drove or CB 987’s
It was nice, really nice. I like the E9x car from a size point of view. It’s bigger and more comfortable than my 1 series but doesn’t feel too big on the local country lanes. The ZF6 didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. I can only assume the extra torque on the 35i compared to the 30i compensates for the relative slowness.
It was certainly a very clean car in the sense that there were minimal marks usage with no wear to the bolsters. Rear seats didn’t look like they’d been used.
I think the decision I need to make is whether I’m brave enough to take on an N54 powered car, be it the one I drove or CB 987’s
Court_S said:
So, I saw the pre-LCI E92 335i this afternoon and had a good hour so test drive.
It was nice, really nice. I like the E9x car from a size point of view. It’s bigger and more comfortable than my 1 series but doesn’t feel too big on the local country lanes. The ZF6 didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. I can only assume the extra torque on the 35i compared to the 30i compensates for the relative slowness.
It was certainly a very clean car in the sense that there were minimal marks usage with no wear to the bolsters. Rear seats didn’t look like they’d been used.
I think the decision I need to make is whether I’m brave enough to take on an N54 powered car, be it the one I drove or CB 987’s
Having owned a 130i and a 335i I can certainly see why you might want to make the move, but I can’t see the arrival of a baby being the reason. For the 0-9 months it was just a case of clipping the seat into the base. When you’re strapping them into the upright seats then space and / or rear doors start to become an issue.It was nice, really nice. I like the E9x car from a size point of view. It’s bigger and more comfortable than my 1 series but doesn’t feel too big on the local country lanes. The ZF6 didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. I can only assume the extra torque on the 35i compared to the 30i compensates for the relative slowness.
It was certainly a very clean car in the sense that there were minimal marks usage with no wear to the bolsters. Rear seats didn’t look like they’d been used.
I think the decision I need to make is whether I’m brave enough to take on an N54 powered car, be it the one I drove or CB 987’s
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