Plan for first car - BMW 318is

[Macleod1873]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 15 December 2011 at 21:34

[Egg Chaser]

Is this going to be your daily driver? If so, do you not think welding up the diff is a bit of silly idea? And stickerbombing looks absolutely ridiculous, but I suppose that's just my opinion.

[James Dean]

Macleod1873 said:

Spray the wing mirrors. Hopefully not white like the picture
Get coilovers, weld the rear diff. Rather find one with the factory fitted LSD
Find some suitable alloys, BBS? or OEM Wheels.
Fit an 325i Manifold and full stainless exhaust system. Not sure how you will do this as the 318i is only a 4 cylinder and the 325i is a 6 cylinder
Strip the rear of the car but keep the carpet in place and fit a roll cage.
Front bucket seats
OMP Dished steering wheel with BOSS.Why
325i brake conversion (at some point)
Front Splitter stickerbombedJust don't
Front N/s Wing stickerbombes along with other bits and pieces.Just don't

Then go and enjoy it!

[wackojacko]

Good plan, having a big car as your first car is great fun, I suppose alot safer if you do have an accident compared to a French tin box.


A mate of mine has a 318is all stripped out etc, I welded the diff for him and that is mega fun. Teaching him to slide it was also very amusing and took bloody ages (he has no car control what so ever !!!)

Hope it all goes well

[ambuletz]

you're an apprentice mechanic. keep it as standard and focus on making it mechanically mint, run it into high miles. If anyone wants proof of your ability, that car will be it.

[300bhp/ton]

Egg Chaser said:

Is this going to be your daily driver? If so, do you not think welding up the diff is a bit of silly idea? And stickerbombing looks absolutely ridiculous, but I suppose that's just my opinion.

[300bhp/ton]

Macleod1873 said:

I'm 18 and have many plans for my first car, I work and an apprentice mechanic at a local garage. Enough of me, the plan is :

Buy one of these for sub £1000

Check for rust. It's worth spending a bit more for a more solid car if need be.

And have you checked insurance on these?

Macleod1873 said:

Get coilovers

Total waste of money for 99% of the people who buy them.

The car handles fine as is. If you want more spend less on a shock and spring upgrade. The only point in getting coil overs is for the adjustability. But to make use of that you firstly need to know what you are doing, and secondly be using the car for something where different setups are required. Few road cars need this.

Macleod1873 said:

weld the rear diff.

Stupid and dangerous idea for a road car.

Macleod1873 said:

Strip the rear of the car

Why and for what point? If you want a 2 seater buy one there's no shortage of 2 seater sports cars.

Macleod1873 said:

fit a roll cage.

Again why?

Do you need it?

Mostly they look shockingly stupid on non performance cars. Even more so if it's a barried up chav mobil made to look and handle worse than stock.

Macleod1873 said:

Front bucket seats

Are you going to keep the car and do a V8 or M3 engine conversion on it? If not I wouldn't waste your money. A 318IS is an ok economy motor. But it's pretty pointless spending money on tat that won't help it's resale value and will cost you a lot of money.

Macleod1873 said:

OMP Dished steering wheel with BOSS.

You what

Macleod1873 said:

Front Splitter stickerbombed
Front N/s Wing stickerbombes along with other bits and pieces.[quote]
Not even sure what stickerbombed/s is. But I'm 100% certain it'd look shockingly ste.

Unless your aim is to make the car a laughing stock and rank somewhere lower than diesel Nissan Micra on the motoring social ladder - don't do stuff like this to a perfectly acceptable car.

Macleod1873 said:

Then go and enjoy it!

Or rather have a noisy, slow, uncomfortable car. That'll ride like crap, won't handle for toffee. Ultimately be slower than a stock 318IS point to point and will only serve to make others laugh at it or roll their eyes in pity.


I'm all for modding cars BTW. Just not like this or in this way.

[jackmontandon]

300bhp/ton said:

Or rather have a noisy, slow, uncomfortable car. That'll ride like crap, won't handle for toffee. Ultimately be slower than a stock 318IS point to point and will only serve to make others laugh at it or roll their eyes in pity.


I'm all for modding cars BTW. Just not like this or in this way.

Wow your misserable.....

I say go for it if thats what you want to do, love the haters

[JonnyFive]

If its your first car, I'm afraid but insurance will not insure you at all for the stuff you've said you'll do.

Rollcage?
Buckets?

[300bhp/ton]

jackmontandon said:

Wow your misserable.....

I say go for it if thats what you want to do, love the haters

Not at all.

Different wheels, exhaust, better suspension and more HP I can all agree with. Even better seats if the standard ones aren't any good.

But a slammed bouncy ride that makes it handle worse, stupid styling and a stripped interior for a normal road car that should be able to seat 5 seems somewhat silly. If it's going to be a competition car, then maybe.

[Dave_ITR]

ambuletz said:

you're an apprentice mechanic. keep it as standard and focus on making it mechanically mint, run it into high miles. If anyone wants proof of your ability, that car will be it.

This.

[snotrag]

Gotta agree.
Especically if your an apprentice mechanic!

Most of that stuff you listed (not all, granted) is bascially just copying all the other kids and the stuff they do to make their cars into cool 'drift' faux trackday wagons, that actually just drive them to college and back.

Sticker bombing looks crap.

How about -

Buy the best 318is you can afford.

Then -

Fit new Bilsteins and springs.
Learn about suspension geometry and learn what difference the adjustments (if any available) make to the handling.

Learn to weld and paint, borrow a gun and compressor and touch in all the marks, any rust etc, get it polished up.

Learn about the engine, learn its traits. Service it, diagnose any faults.
Compression test it. Learn to solder and build an AFR display - then learn how the ecu behaves and try to improve power/economy by interrupting the signals (do-able).
Maybe buy a 2nd hand cylinder head, or even a complete engine - rebuild, do some blue printing, research what gains can be made and do a port and polish, maybe a head skim.
Restore all the suspension components, imagine the underside spotlessly clean with fresh powdercoated wishbones etc and new bushes all round.

Learn about cars, properly. Welding a diff is actually more than likely to increase initial turn in understeer, and then wear your tyres out/make you crash, than anything else.
Dont weld one up. Buy a 2nd hand one, split it, strip it, clean it all up, fit new bearings and seals, paint it, and refit. Much better.

Way more impressive. That is the work of a real quality mechanic.

Use it as a learning experience. As above also - what better C.V. than your own car, perfectly maintained, restored and loved?

Edited by snotrag on Wednesday 8th June 10:36

[JonnyFive]

As above.. Nothing more needs to be said.

[NotKenBlock]

snotrag said:

Gotta agree.
Especically if your an apprentice mechanic!

Most of that stuff you listed (not all, granted) is bascially just copying all the other kids and the stuff they do to make their cars into cool 'drift' faux trackday wagons, that actually just drive them to college and back.

Sticker bombing looks crap.

How about -

Buy the best 318is you can afford.

Then -

Fit new Bilsteins and springs.
Learn about suspension geometry and learn what difference the adjustments (if any available) make to the handling.

Learn to weld and paint, borrow a gun and compressor and touch in all the marks, any rust etc, get it polished up.

Learn about the engine, learn its traits. Service it, diagnose any faults.
Compression test it. Learn to solder and build an AFR display - then learn how the ecu behaves and try to improve power/economy by interrupting the signals (do-able).
Maybe buy a 2nd hand cylinder head, or even a complete engine - rebuild, do some blue printing, research what gains can be made and do a port and polish, maybe a head skim.
Restore all the suspension components, imagine the underside spotlessly clean with fresh powdercoated wishbones etc and new bushes all round.

Learn about cars, properly. Welding a diff is actually more than likely to increase initial turn in understeer, and then wear your tyres out/make you crash, than anything else.
Dont weld one up. Buy a 2nd hand one, split it, strip it, clean it all up, fit new bearings and seals, paint it, and refit. Much better.

Way more impressive. That is the work of a real quality mechanic.

Use it as a learning experience. As above also - what better C.V. than your own car, perfectly maintained, restored and loved?

Edited by snotrag on Wednesday 8th June 10:36

This please

[red_rover]

Buy it, mod it, SCRAP IT, then buy something that won't insult the decency of other road users.

[jannthaman]

red_rover said:

Buy it, mod it, SCRAP IT, then buy something that won't insult the decency of other road users.

You drive a Rover GTFO.

It was all going well until I read "Welded Diff" and "325 Manifold"
How is that going to work...?

[CosworthV8]

jannthaman said:

red_rover said:

Buy it, mod it, SCRAP IT, then buy something that won't insult the decency of other road users.

You drive a Rover GTFO.

It was all going well until I read "Welded Diff" and "325 Manifold"
How is that going to work...?

Grow up!

[jackmontandon]

300bhp/ton said:

Not at all.

Different wheels, exhaust, better suspension and more HP I can all agree with. Even better seats if the standard ones aren't any good.

But a slammed bouncy ride that makes it handle worse, stupid styling and a stripped interior for a normal road car that should be able to seat 5 seems somewhat silly. If it's going to be a competition car, then maybe.

understandable if it was your car, and to be honest I would do the same, but if the OP wants to do this then surely its better giving him advice on how to do what he wants to do rather than slatting him?

[bakerstreet]

I only know two mechanics personally.

One has a beaten up Astra which is tatty inside and outside, but is spot mechanically. Same for the other chap, but he has a Ford Galaxy!

Lets hope this chap can manage perfect for both, but based on the post I'm not hopeful. Modified cars are hard work to resell. As others have said, make it your CV but keeping it standard and in top top condition

I've just googled 'stickerbomb' and it really isn't a good look!

[300bhp/ton]

jackmontandon said:

surely its better giving him advice on how to do what he wants to do rather than slatting him?

I thought I did?