Discussion
Picked this up last week and I absolutely love it! It's a 2005 BMW 130i Manual with grey leather and on 75k miles. My last 8 cars (I go through them quickly) have all been turbo'd and I wish I'd gone for a big NA sooner. It's so responsive and the sound above 6k rpm is fantastic. Seems like a brilliant all rounder so far and it's even economical, getting 35mpg going to work and back.
Spec is as follows:
Bilstein B12 + Eibach springs
M3 lower control arms front and rear
Eibach anti-roll bars front and rear
Quaife LSD
BMW big brake kit + braided lines
BMW Performance Exhaust
BMW Carbon trim
Z4 wheels with Michelin PS4
135i front bumper
Plans are to tidy it up externally, keep on top of maintenance and just use it. Needs a bonnet and front bumper respray, I'm changing the drop links at the weekend to try and get rid of a little knock from the front and theres a whine from the rear which needs sorting. Hopefully just a wheel bearing.
Not the most beautiful but when it drives and sounds this good I don't care.
Spec is as follows:
Bilstein B12 + Eibach springs
M3 lower control arms front and rear
Eibach anti-roll bars front and rear
Quaife LSD
BMW big brake kit + braided lines
BMW Performance Exhaust
BMW Carbon trim
Z4 wheels with Michelin PS4
135i front bumper
Plans are to tidy it up externally, keep on top of maintenance and just use it. Needs a bonnet and front bumper respray, I'm changing the drop links at the weekend to try and get rid of a little knock from the front and theres a whine from the rear which needs sorting. Hopefully just a wheel bearing.
Not the most beautiful but when it drives and sounds this good I don't care.
Nice car....I think it might have had a remap of some form as well as I know one of its previous owners who had it as a second car. It certainly had some "go" when I knew it & I understand the person who I know who owned it previously had the front possibly repainted (due to stone chips just before he sold it) & also had it regularly detailed by a professional.
MrC986 said:
Nice car....I think it might have had a remap of some form as well as I know one of its previous owners who had it as a second car. It certainly had some "go" when I knew it & I understand the person who I know who owned it previously had the front possibly repainted (due to stone chips just before he sold it) & also had it regularly detailed by a professional.
Yeah the front end was painted when the 135i front bumper was fitted as far as I'm aware. Doesn't look like it was done very well though as the clear coat has started peeling on both. I'll get it on a rolling road at some point to see if it has been remapped.
ManaghGB said:
Yeah the front end was painted when the 135i front bumper was fitted as far as I'm aware. Doesn't look like it was done very well though as the clear coat has started peeling on both.
I'll get it on a rolling road at some point to see if it has been remapped.
I think the car might have passed through someone in the trade as the owner who had the paintwork done is normally very meticulous (a serial M Power owner & active with BMW Car Club), hence having it detailed - if someone's turned a steam cleaner on it with fresh paint it wouldn't have helped. Nonetheless, it's a really well spec'd 130i & to give you an idea as to how much it was loved, l know in the past it's also had a full suspension corner weighting & optimisation (it was a few years ago mind) with a well known Midlands specialist. The bumper was on it previously by the way.I'll get it on a rolling road at some point to see if it has been remapped.
Edited by MrC986 on Wednesday 31st May 18:02
MrC986 said:
I think the car might have passed through someone in the trade as the owner who had the paintwork done is normally very meticulous (a serial M Power owner & active with BMW Car Club), hence having it detailed - if someone's turned a steam cleaner on it with fresh paint it wouldn't have helped. Nonetheless, it's a really well spec'd 130i & to give you an idea as to how much it was loved, l know in the past it's also had a full suspension corner weighting & optimisation (it was a few years ago mind) with a well known Midlands specialist. The bumper was on it previously by the way.
I don't suppose you've got any contact information for the owner who had all the work done? I think it's been through a few owners since and it's hard to tell exactly what's been done. Edited by MrC986 on Wednesday 31st May 18:02
Great choice of car OP. 
That's probably what I will be looking for when my E46 325ti Compact daily needs replacing, although it might be a bit too similar to my Z4 Coupe with the same engine!
That's probably what I will be looking for when my E46 325ti Compact daily needs replacing, although it might be a bit too similar to my Z4 Coupe with the same engine!
Mike335i said:
Awesome motor! My brother in law had a Z4 coupe with that N53 engine and even stock its a peach. Love these.
Actually the Z4Coupes and 130is all have the N52 engine - the N53 only seems to have replaced the N52 in the E9* 330i models some time in 2007.ManaghGB said:
The engine is so smooth, surprisingly torquey as well.
I love the 130i and love it as a package especially with the mods yours has, I'm surprised you find the engine torquey being used to turbo's previously though, I find the N52 engine really poor regards torque. Love it's smoothness and willingness to rev though for sure.
Mr Tidy said:
Great choice of car OP.
That's probably what I will be looking for when my E46 325ti Compact daily needs replacing, although it might be a bit too similar to my Z4 Coupe with the same engine!
Thanks very much! That's probably what I will be looking for when my E46 325ti Compact daily needs replacing, although it might be a bit too similar to my Z4 Coupe with the same engine!
Mike335i said:
Awesome motor! My brother in law had a Z4 coupe with that N53 engine and even stock its a peach. Love these.
Actually the Z4Coupes and 130is all have the N52 engine - the N53 only seems to have replaced the N52 in the E9* 330i models some time in 2007.I looked at Focus ST's and Golf GTi ED30 but as soon as I drove this it felt so much nicer. I'm not going to say it feels special but there's something about it that means it doesn't feel like a mundane hatchback.
Edited by ManaghGB on Wednesday 31st May 21:54
cerb4.5lee said:
I love the 130i and love it as a package especially with the mods yours has, I'm surprised you find the engine torquey being used to turbo's previously though, I find the N52 engine really poor regards torque.
Love it's smoothness and willingness to rev though for sure.
I wouldn't say it felt more torquey than a turbo car but it certainly feels stronger than I thought it would. Maybe the responsiveness adds to that feeling. Love it's smoothness and willingness to rev though for sure.
Still feels wrong taking it to 7k rpm though...it just sounds so good!
Just sold mine last week after 3.5 years. Such a hard car to beat at their current price point.
Absolutely reliable too, not a thing went wrong with mine just normal servicing.
The engine is gorgeous, I had the 135i backbox fitted with resonator delete and it sounded incredible, the engine is massively torquey I basically drove everywhere in 5th/6th made for such a lazy drive.
Miss mine dearly.
I'd recommend the facelift rear lights it makes it look much newer from behind
Absolutely reliable too, not a thing went wrong with mine just normal servicing.
The engine is gorgeous, I had the 135i backbox fitted with resonator delete and it sounded incredible, the engine is massively torquey I basically drove everywhere in 5th/6th made for such a lazy drive.
Miss mine dearly.
I'd recommend the facelift rear lights it makes it look much newer from behind
ManaghGB said:
Picked this up last week and I absolutely love it! It's a 2005 BMW 130i Manual with grey leather and on 75k miles. My last 8 cars (I go through them quickly) have all been turbo'd and I wish I'd gone for a big NA sooner. It's so responsive and the sound above 6k rpm is fantastic. Seems like a brilliant all rounder so far and it's even economical, getting 35mpg going to work and back.
Spec is as follows:
Bilstein B12 + Eibach springs
M3 lower control arms front and rear
Eibach anti-roll bars front and rear
Quaife LSD
BMW big brake kit + braided lines
BMW Performance Exhaust
BMW Carbon trim
Z4 wheels with Michelin PS4
135i front bumper
Plans are to tidy it up externally, keep on top of maintenance and just use it. Needs a bonnet and front bumper respray, I'm changing the drop links at the weekend to try and get rid of a little knock from the front and theres a whine from the rear which needs sorting. Hopefully just a wheel bearing.
Not the most beautiful but when it drives and sounds this good I don't care.
I happened to see a friend last night who knows the car....it's got a 3 series Coupe front bumper for increased airflow to the front rad and LED lights mounted where the front fog lights would be. I think the wheels were fully refurbished within the year as well. Spec is as follows:
Bilstein B12 + Eibach springs
M3 lower control arms front and rear
Eibach anti-roll bars front and rear
Quaife LSD
BMW big brake kit + braided lines
BMW Performance Exhaust
BMW Carbon trim
Z4 wheels with Michelin PS4
135i front bumper
Plans are to tidy it up externally, keep on top of maintenance and just use it. Needs a bonnet and front bumper respray, I'm changing the drop links at the weekend to try and get rid of a little knock from the front and theres a whine from the rear which needs sorting. Hopefully just a wheel bearing.
Not the most beautiful but when it drives and sounds this good I don't care.
Mike1990 said:
Love that Tom, some tasty spec indeed!
You'll have to let me know next time you go for a run in to Wales and I'll come along!lewisf182 said:
Just sold mine last week after 3.5 years. Such a hard car to beat at their current price point.
Absolutely reliable too, not a thing went wrong with mine just normal servicing.
The engine is gorgeous, I had the 135i backbox fitted with resonator delete and it sounded incredible, the engine is massively torquey I basically drove everywhere in 5th/6th made for such a lazy drive.
Miss mine dearly.
I'd recommend the facelift rear lights it makes it look much newer from behind
The reputation for reliability was another plus point for me. In an ideal world I wanted an E46 M3 but unfortunately I couldn't afford the running costs of one. This gives me a large percentage of the experience with out the costs...hopefully.Absolutely reliable too, not a thing went wrong with mine just normal servicing.
The engine is gorgeous, I had the 135i backbox fitted with resonator delete and it sounded incredible, the engine is massively torquey I basically drove everywhere in 5th/6th made for such a lazy drive.
Miss mine dearly.
I'd recommend the facelift rear lights it makes it look much newer from behind
LED facelift rear lights are on the cards, preferably the darkline versions. I also want to remove the rear window tints as well as they're far too drug dealer for me.
MrC986 said:
I happened to see a friend last night who knows the car....it's got a 3 series Coupe front bumper for increased airflow to the front rad and LED lights mounted where the front fog lights would be. I think the wheels were fully refurbished within the year as well.
The bumper is off a 135i coupe and yes it has the LED lights in place of the foglights. These will be removed when the bumper is painted as I really don't like the look of them. I've got a load of receipts from BMW including the fitting of the front bumper with all new trims and cooling channels which cost ~£750
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