Discussion
So pretty much a whole day of cleaning. Clay bar, megs kit and polished. It came up really well. I'm sure a pro detailer would mock my efforts but the paint is glass smooth and there isn't much in the way of dings anywhere, which is nice.
So it's decision time now. I found an M3 and its pretty much 'the' one spec wise. I still have this nagging doubt that the B1 kit will make this car something special, it's testament to how good it is standard that it's making me second guess an E9x M3.
Sat in the pub pondering what to do. The M3 is fast, is desirable and sounds awesome but, it's £25K. It averages 20mpg and is a big lump of car. It has no hatch. No towbar, everyone will think I'm more of a tosser than normal
I can't see the values going anything other than up now, people are waking up to them, M3's will continue to fall for a while yet..,Fairly tormented.
swanny71 said:
Honestly I prefer the130i to my old M3 as an everyday car. Smaller, more discreet, as fast as it needs to be and infinately cheaper to run. Never really 'fell' for the M3, I have for the 130 though, big time.
The other big thing for me right now is I know that the money could buy any number of fun weekend toys, as per your TVR, never had one but always fancied the idea. Same with the Cayman, 911, maybe another Caterham, used purely at the weekend they make sense and will always feel special. As a daily the M3 will probably start to feel a bit ordinary, not a criticism of the car as it's how it has been designed to feel i.e as comfortable and as a familiar inside as a 'normal' 3 series. It's seems (to me) to sit between two sectors and not really make a case for itself in either. Too refined for a pants on fire fun car and too nutty for a daily.So, onward and upward with the car. I will get it into CPC very soon for the work and will probably swap the subframe bushes for M3 ones now rather than the powerflex, we'll see how much the difference is but as the back of the car is being dropped for the diff etc it makes sense to my man maths.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 11th May 10:29
So to bring this to a close...
I sold the little 130. I nearly didn't, nearly did and everything in between. It was (and is) a great car full of character and I miss it quite badly having relegated myself to an automatic 1.4 Polo, a culture shock for sure. My Aunt died from breast cancer and left me the car, in the meantime a guy offered me way above the asking price so I sold.
My plan was to buy an M3 and I'm going to buy one, good bad or indifferent as life's too short, this has been reaffirmed obviously so I figured why read a ton of internet opinions and not dip your toe in the pool. If I don't get on with it, it can be sold.
To sum up the 130i
A great engine, lacking a bit of fizz at the top connected to a chassis begging for upgrades. Quick enough, practival enough and a great place to be. Buy one and see what you think, the highest compliment I can pay the 130 is that after year of sheds it has woken me up and made me want to drive again. Can't say fairer than that.
Now, if I could only get rid of the spare wheels and M3 camber arms.....
I sold the little 130. I nearly didn't, nearly did and everything in between. It was (and is) a great car full of character and I miss it quite badly having relegated myself to an automatic 1.4 Polo, a culture shock for sure. My Aunt died from breast cancer and left me the car, in the meantime a guy offered me way above the asking price so I sold.
My plan was to buy an M3 and I'm going to buy one, good bad or indifferent as life's too short, this has been reaffirmed obviously so I figured why read a ton of internet opinions and not dip your toe in the pool. If I don't get on with it, it can be sold.
To sum up the 130i
A great engine, lacking a bit of fizz at the top connected to a chassis begging for upgrades. Quick enough, practival enough and a great place to be. Buy one and see what you think, the highest compliment I can pay the 130 is that after year of sheds it has woken me up and made me want to drive again. Can't say fairer than that.
Now, if I could only get rid of the spare wheels and M3 camber arms.....
Even with the M3 I still think it was a great car, honestly I should have kept it and spent the time and effort on the suspension, I think it would have been a very good road car indeed. You won't lose much if you buy one as the prices are now firming up and the lower mileage ones with the right kit (Xenons, heated seats, pro hi-fi, light pack, etc, etc) are rising.
Go for it, you'll certainly not see that many on the road.
Go for it, you'll certainly not see that many on the road.
Well, curiosity has got the better of me so I've bought another 130, in fact I have bought the one I sold back 
Looking forward to continuing the project to its conclusion now. Betting that after the M3, which is crushingly capable the little car will feel even more like a space hopper I had a good chat to Kevin Bird today which confirmed the purchase....anyone fancy an M3?
Looking forward to continuing the project to its conclusion now. Betting that after the M3, which is crushingly capable the little car will feel even more like a space hopper
I had a good chat to Kevin Bird today which confirmed the purchase....anyone fancy an M3? DoubleSix said:
Welcome back Yonex!
We've still got ours as well which says a lot about these as I would normally have moved it on by now, but it delivers too many smiles for so little outlay.
Only issue for me in recent years was a dodgy hydro pump that I had rebuilt.
Don't suppose you still have your winter wheel set up?
Hi, I recall you talking about selling so it does really. I sold the wheels about 6 months ago, good tyres they were. The weather here was never too bad but in even the wet they gave better grip than the whatever's that were fitted. We've still got ours as well which says a lot about these as I would normally have moved it on by now, but it delivers too many smiles for so little outlay.
Only issue for me in recent years was a dodgy hydro pump that I had rebuilt.
Don't suppose you still have your winter wheel set up?
What were the symptoms of the pump, just noisy?
swanny71 said:
I recently replaced front discs, pads all round, replaced the old dampers with Bilstein B4's (OEM standard but better quality) and new bumpstops. Add a set of Michelin PS4's and it feels absolutely fantastic again, better than ever in fact.
Enjoy your new old car.....again
And although not cheap, the similar episode replacing tyres/discs/pads on the 3 series was wallet denting. Enjoy your new old car.....again
JakeT said:
As an owner of the predecessor (a 325ti) I think one of these will be my next. Love the combo of RWD, hatch, straight six, and manual box. Think I would rather have one of these than an E90 M3...
They're so different you can't compare them. The body control of the E90 is amazing, and the S54 past 6K, especially with the 2.5 mod.Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 3rd September 21:17
lewisf182 said:
Good stuff
Any plans for the exhaust? I grew a bit tired of mine so put a 135i backbox and y pipe on there, it now sounds what it should have from stock IMO.
I bought a performance exhaust for it, it's got the T mod currently. Sounds decent, but I reckon the std one is more tuneful.Any plans for the exhaust? I grew a bit tired of mine so put a 135i backbox and y pipe on there, it now sounds what it should have from stock IMO.
Thanks!
So the spending begins. Leather kit and new mats ordered, luckily the carpets underneath are pretty much mint. Need a touch up pen for the odd chip. CDV ordered to modify and get rid of the Devils work, should have done this ages ago. It's a b
h I sold the E90 M3 camber arms, guess I'll order those as well.
Moved it with the spare key and it's showing a battery warning. Can someone tell me when they charge, just when it's running or plugged in. I'm asking because I am wondering if I could leave it in the slot with the trickle charger on?
Front pads look ok, rears are knackered, I think that they are RS29's, but will have to read back through the thread or just whip them out. I can't believe how weedy the stock calipers look (doorstops in the garage), and they bite so much harder than the 3 series.
I'm investing in a pressure washer (help please) and some wheel cleaner, they need a referb but no point before winter. It'd be amusing to fit some narrow steels actually as I sold the winter set months back. I can't wait to order the B1 kit and LSD, but I really want some time driving it standard. Until the other car sells I guess I won't. But then again I might have to, selling cars is a weird thing, no accounting for what the market wants.
Priced up the Alcons as I have them on the Atom and they're absolutely amazing. It's a big spend but if they work under the stock wheels I'm tempted. It has to look standard as much as possible, it's half the appeal. Lastly I'll find a remap. The temptation is to go the whole hog and seek ITB's, but this is probably a pipe dream.
Other than that, updated rear lights, maybe and adding cruise control.
I think that's enough to be going on with for this week
So the spending begins. Leather kit and new mats ordered, luckily the carpets underneath are pretty much mint. Need a touch up pen for the odd chip. CDV ordered to modify and get rid of the Devils work, should have done this ages ago. It's a b
h I sold the E90 M3 camber arms, guess I'll order those as well. Moved it with the spare key and it's showing a battery warning. Can someone tell me when they charge, just when it's running or plugged in. I'm asking because I am wondering if I could leave it in the slot with the trickle charger on?
Front pads look ok, rears are knackered, I think that they are RS29's, but will have to read back through the thread or just whip them out. I can't believe how weedy the stock calipers look (doorstops in the garage), and they bite so much harder than the 3 series.
I'm investing in a pressure washer (help please) and some wheel cleaner, they need a referb but no point before winter. It'd be amusing to fit some narrow steels actually as I sold the winter set months back. I can't wait to order the B1 kit and LSD, but I really want some time driving it standard. Until the other car sells I guess I won't. But then again I might have to, selling cars is a weird thing, no accounting for what the market wants.
Priced up the Alcons as I have them on the Atom and they're absolutely amazing. It's a big spend but if they work under the stock wheels I'm tempted. It has to look standard as much as possible, it's half the appeal. Lastly I'll find a remap. The temptation is to go the whole hog and seek ITB's, but this is probably a pipe dream.
Other than that, updated rear lights, maybe and adding cruise control.
I think that's enough to be going on with for this week
SidewaysSi said:
Great car and very capable but not as raw or involving as the Seven or Elise on road. It is a brilliant "do it all" car and would be a stunning Euro tool to blast around Europe, do a few laps of the ring, go to dinner with the missus and then come home. It could probably be as comfortable as a 5 Series on road yet as quick and capable as an R400 on track.
But it would take bigger balls than I have to make it move underneath me on road in a way that is natural for my other cars, BMW included.
I would love a stripped GT4 with narrower tyres, close ratio straight cut 'box, plexiglass windows and no PAS...or an old 911 of course
.
It sounds pretty awesome I must admit. A guy I know sold his R400 for one, he says the same thing. But it would take bigger balls than I have to make it move underneath me on road in a way that is natural for my other cars, BMW included.
I would love a stripped GT4 with narrower tyres, close ratio straight cut 'box, plexiglass windows and no PAS...or an old 911 of course
.At the weekend there were some lovely 911's..https://flic.kr/s/aHskD3N2Ek Prices have gone crazy in the last few years though so you have to be quite determined to own one. The lower speeds that older cars move around is one of the many reasons I have gone 'backwards' tbh.
SidewaysSi said:
I love being able to push my cars at sane speeds on the road, something not that possible in the Cayman. Fabulous car and stunningly capable though.
However I do want an old 911 - perhaps a modified SC or 964 but I think running costs would kill me! 996 gt3 is a hero of mine too.
But of late I have been having thoughts about a 105 series Alfa with an engine conversion. Something like this or a GT Junior:
http://petrolicious.com/he-built-this-alfa-romeo-b...
Not sure how long I will keep the Cayman as I have realised I like my cars from the 1960s-1990s. Low speed and low grip fun
Yes, I hear that. Really hoping that the 130 lives up to my expectations when finished. Enough power, linear response and suspension tuned for the roads rather than track. However I do want an old 911 - perhaps a modified SC or 964 but I think running costs would kill me! 996 gt3 is a hero of mine too.
But of late I have been having thoughts about a 105 series Alfa with an engine conversion. Something like this or a GT Junior:
http://petrolicious.com/he-built-this-alfa-romeo-b...
Not sure how long I will keep the Cayman as I have realised I like my cars from the 1960s-1990s. Low speed and low grip fun
Love that Alfa, one of the prettiest they made IMO.
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