Discussion
Ace car, really miss mine it was such a good all rounder!
I had the 135i backbox mod and sounded sooo much better than standard without beIng too much.
Loooove that brown leather interior one above, what a nice spec!
Will keep an eye out for you in sheffield whenever i’m visitin my parents
I had the 135i backbox mod and sounded sooo much better than standard without beIng too much.
Loooove that brown leather interior one above, what a nice spec!
Will keep an eye out for you in sheffield whenever i’m visitin my parents
Can't believe it's almost a year since I updated this thread - it's long overdue!
Life with the car continues to be fun and pain-free. It's now on 64k miles, so I've driven it more in 14 months than the previous owner did in nearly five years
The only issue I've had with the car is the good old ABS pump, which gave up the ghost before Christmas. I had intermittent warning lights and then eventually the warning flashed up every time I started the car. The unit was refurbished for the second time in its life by ECU testing (previous owner had it done in 2011 looking at the service history), but I do now have a lifetime warranty with it if it decides to break again. A week and £630 later, we were back on the road.
Rear washers continue to be the bane of my life. Having unblocked the pipe and non-return valve, they do work, but I think I may have destroyed the valve in the process, so fluid dribbles out of the nozzle every time you drive up a hill
I'm still trying to get hold of a new one to fix this.
Mods-wise, I now have an N55 135i backbox fitted. It's the perfect exhaust mod for me - a nice increase in sound but you don't lose any of the refinement when off-throttle. You also get some hilarious pops and bangs on the overrun
I've also had some M3 lower control arms fitted. For anyone who's thinking about this mod, DO IT! They transform the car, and if you don't want to shell out for a suspension overhaul it's a great affordable upgrade on the standard setup.
Visually, the car now has darker alloys, black mirrors and black grills - yes I know it's cliched but I think they contrast nicely with the white paint. Also had all the parking dings removed so I'm now extremely fussy about where I leave the thing.
As for fuel economy, my long-term average is 27.5mpg, which includes 30 miles a day commuting on B-roads plus a bit of town driving - very pleased with that. I also like the fact that this sort of figure is achievable on long journeys if you can control your right foot:
Heading to cars in the park at Newby Hall on Sunday so you may see it there
Life with the car continues to be fun and pain-free. It's now on 64k miles, so I've driven it more in 14 months than the previous owner did in nearly five years
The only issue I've had with the car is the good old ABS pump, which gave up the ghost before Christmas. I had intermittent warning lights and then eventually the warning flashed up every time I started the car. The unit was refurbished for the second time in its life by ECU testing (previous owner had it done in 2011 looking at the service history), but I do now have a lifetime warranty with it if it decides to break again. A week and £630 later, we were back on the road.
Rear washers continue to be the bane of my life. Having unblocked the pipe and non-return valve, they do work, but I think I may have destroyed the valve in the process, so fluid dribbles out of the nozzle every time you drive up a hill
I'm still trying to get hold of a new one to fix this.Mods-wise, I now have an N55 135i backbox fitted. It's the perfect exhaust mod for me - a nice increase in sound but you don't lose any of the refinement when off-throttle. You also get some hilarious pops and bangs on the overrun
I've also had some M3 lower control arms fitted. For anyone who's thinking about this mod, DO IT! They transform the car, and if you don't want to shell out for a suspension overhaul it's a great affordable upgrade on the standard setup.
Visually, the car now has darker alloys, black mirrors and black grills - yes I know it's cliched but I think they contrast nicely with the white paint. Also had all the parking dings removed so I'm now extremely fussy about where I leave the thing.
As for fuel economy, my long-term average is 27.5mpg, which includes 30 miles a day commuting on B-roads plus a bit of town driving - very pleased with that. I also like the fact that this sort of figure is achievable on long journeys if you can control your right foot:
Heading to cars in the park at Newby Hall on Sunday so you may see it there
Edited by chriscoates on Wednesday 1st May 16:49
Thx for the update!
Can you perhaps throw up a link for the M3 lower control arms?
Would also be interested in your comments on how you the car actually feels/ has benefitted after this mod.
I remember reading something about this mod needing a new rod for Xenon levelling or something, assuming your car has them.
Can you perhaps throw up a link for the M3 lower control arms?
Would also be interested in your comments on how you the car actually feels/ has benefitted after this mod.
I remember reading something about this mod needing a new rod for Xenon levelling or something, assuming your car has them.
Edited by DoubleSix on Wednesday 1st May 17:10
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CGMRM7O/ ... _lig_dp_it
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CGMRLS4/ ... _lig_dp_it
These are the ones I bought, very reasonably priced at the moment.
As soon as you throw the car into a bend you'll notice a big difference. Turn-in is sharper and you have to be really provoking it to get understeer now. The fact you can carry more speed into bends does expose the fact that the car is a bit floaty at the rear on standard springs, but I believe some rear subframe inserts can help with that.
You'll need the regulating rod if you have xenons, but mine has halogens.
Another thing to bear in mind is that once the arms are fitted, you must have the alignment done straight away because the car is virtually undriveable. I took mine to a place which had an on-site alignment machine and got them to do the whole job to avoid that problem.
While you're at it, make sure you drill out the camber pins to allow adjustability of the camber once the arms are on. You're looking for as close to - 1 as possible.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CGMRLS4/ ... _lig_dp_it
These are the ones I bought, very reasonably priced at the moment.
As soon as you throw the car into a bend you'll notice a big difference. Turn-in is sharper and you have to be really provoking it to get understeer now. The fact you can carry more speed into bends does expose the fact that the car is a bit floaty at the rear on standard springs, but I believe some rear subframe inserts can help with that.
You'll need the regulating rod if you have xenons, but mine has halogens.
Another thing to bear in mind is that once the arms are fitted, you must have the alignment done straight away because the car is virtually undriveable. I took mine to a place which had an on-site alignment machine and got them to do the whole job to avoid that problem.
While you're at it, make sure you drill out the camber pins to allow adjustability of the camber once the arms are on. You're looking for as close to - 1 as possible.
HSV_V8 said:
Mr Tidy said:
I sold my E46 325ti Sport Compact, and had hoped to replace it with a 130i just 6 miles away as it seemed the obvious replacement, but I missed it.
I ended up with an E91 325i, but I can see a 130i in my life at some point!
Only owning a BMW would that happen without OEM washer fluid! I ended up with an E91 325i, but I can see a 130i in my life at some point!
Great little cars, under the radar mile eaters that get you there in comfort and speed.
shalmaneser said:
How much and where did you go to get the parking dings sorted? My current car is covered with them i believe due to a rather elderly previous owner and would be interested to find out how much it would cost to sort!
I used a guy local to me in Sheffield and he charged £140. He came out to the office which is in the middle of nowhere so that may have bumped the price up a bit. I just opened the car and left him to it - he took three dents out of the passenger door and one from the driver's door in about 90 minutes. He did a great job - you'd never know where the dents were now.chriscoates said:
shalmaneser said:
How much and where did you go to get the parking dings sorted? My current car is covered with them i believe due to a rather elderly previous owner and would be interested to find out how much it would cost to sort!
I used a guy local to me in Sheffield and he charged £140. He came out to the office which is in the middle of nowhere so that may have bumped the price up a bit. I just opened the car and left him to it - he took three dents out of the passenger door and one from the driver's door in about 90 minutes. He did a great job - you'd never know where the dents were now.Seems to be a lot of love for the 130i around these parts. After hunting for a while I've just picked up this 130i LE to use as a daily driver. Absolutely loving it so far.
Will be following this thread with interest.
Excuse the crappy picture.
Will be following this thread with interest.
Excuse the crappy picture.
Edited by ParanoidAndroid on Thursday 2nd May 20:31
That’s a cracking little car. I love these but good ones get snapped up quickly now that they have a cult following.
I wanted be but got bored waiting so ended up with an E90 330 instead; the N52 was a great engine and it’s a car that I really miss.
Personally I really like the black grilles, especially on a white car.
I wanted be but got bored waiting so ended up with an E90 330 instead; the N52 was a great engine and it’s a car that I really miss.
Personally I really like the black grilles, especially on a white car.
[quote=Court_S]That’s a cracking little car. I love these but good ones get snapped up quickly now that they have a cult following.
I wanted be but got bored waiting so ended up with an E90 330 instead; the N52 was a great engine and it’s a car that I really miss.
/quote]
Yes, they seem to be getting expensive! Most of the recent adverts I've seen seem to value them close to my Z4 Coupe - and they aren't that special!
Still I got an E90 330i for about half the money as a daily last month.
I wanted be but got bored waiting so ended up with an E90 330 instead; the N52 was a great engine and it’s a car that I really miss.
/quote]
Yes, they seem to be getting expensive! Most of the recent adverts I've seen seem to value them close to my Z4 Coupe - and they aren't that special!
Still I got an E90 330i for about half the money as a daily last month.
As it's almost a year since I last posted on this thread, it's about time I brought it up to date!
The 130i is now on 75k, and as such I've had one or two little niggles to deal with. Nothing that has put me off owning the car, in fact I'd like to think I've future-proofed it for at least the next year or so.
Last summer I went out for a blast around the Peak District with another 130i owner and his immaculate LE:
Was great fun but highlighted the need for a bit of investment on the suspension - more on that later
Used it for a trip down to London on the scorching August bank holiday weekend. 35 degree heat was easily dealt with by the air con - not convinced it has ever been re-gassed but still performs well.
A rare beast and a Lamborghini
At the end of last summer I decided that having completed the exterior look to my taste (see earlier post), it was time to freshen up the interior.
A few bits arrived:
Fitted:
Sadly the new air vents have also been discoloured by the sun just like the original ones did, but I bought some Carpro which has improved them enough to satisfy me. I also fitted a clubsport gearknob which is a big improvement on the original - just need to source an alcantara gaiter to match the handbrake.
The next little mod was a Mishimoto intake pipe:
Not entirely sure if it actually does anything but at least it looks nice in the engine bay
Parked with some Pork at work (apologies for terrible photo) - one of a small list of cars I'd happily swap the 130i for without hesitation
The car ploughed on through the winter without complaint - this is about as bad as I let it get before a wash. Not enough to qualify for the dirty cars thread
Also went on a run out just after Christmas with a group of babybmw members - I was the only first-gen 1 series representative! Here we all are at the Carding Shed (if you're local to South/West Yorkshire it's a must-visit)
The first bill came with a replacement rear wheel bearing which had been bugging me for a while. I think I must have become subconsciously immune to it but as soon as I had a passenger in the car who had not been in it for a while, they picked up on the noise straight away. That was sorted out by my local indy and I couldn't get over how refined the car was afterwards.
A few weeks later, I set off for work one morning and within half a mile of leaving home, I lost a cylinder. Although it now sounded like an Audi Quattro which was quite entertaining, I sensed trouble. Luckily the engine still had enough grunt to be able to get it to my indy, who diagnosed a faulty ignition coil. The offending coil was replaced and the car has run sweet ever since, but I have bought five more coils so if it happens again I can replace them - it's an easy job.
I also managed to scrape the nearside corner on a wall
That was soon sorted out by a brilliant smart repairer:
That brings us to last month, when we were put into lockdown just after I had a Bilstein B12 Pro Kit delivered. I intended to take it somewhere to be fitted, but with so much free time on my hands, I thought I may as well have a go at fitting it myself, with the help of my long-suffering dad, who in all honesty did most of the work
The B12 kit is a set of four Bilstein shocks and Eibach springs and is a cheaper option than the Birds B1 kit - I paid £460 from Autodoc. I also ordered new front top mounts and rear shock mounts which aren't essential but recommended when the car gets to this age, so it cost me about £575 all in. We did the work over two days, and as usual with older cars it was a battle at times to get things where we wanted them to go.
The top mounts still looked okay, but the old shocks and bump stops were well past their best:
Comparison of old and new parts:
And here's the rear spring and shock fitted (apologies for poor photo)
Also fixed a broken rear wiper, repainted the mirrors, replaced the old weak bonnet struts, fitted some new wheel centres and gave the car the biggest interior and exterior detail it's had in my ownership. Here are the results:
Absolutely delighted with how the car looks now. The B12 kit supposedly drops the M Sport models by about 15mm, but as the old suspension was tired, it looks as though it has actually lowered it by about 10mm. The ride is also no worse than before, again probably because the old shocks were knackered. On the couple of essential trips I've done since fitting the kit, the car feels so much tauter and doesn't clunk over bumps like it used to. I can't wait to drive it properly to see what difference it's made when pressing on.
That turned into a long post! Thanks for looking
The 130i is now on 75k, and as such I've had one or two little niggles to deal with. Nothing that has put me off owning the car, in fact I'd like to think I've future-proofed it for at least the next year or so.
Last summer I went out for a blast around the Peak District with another 130i owner and his immaculate LE:
Was great fun but highlighted the need for a bit of investment on the suspension - more on that later
Used it for a trip down to London on the scorching August bank holiday weekend. 35 degree heat was easily dealt with by the air con - not convinced it has ever been re-gassed but still performs well.
A rare beast and a Lamborghini
At the end of last summer I decided that having completed the exterior look to my taste (see earlier post), it was time to freshen up the interior.
A few bits arrived:
Fitted:
Sadly the new air vents have also been discoloured by the sun just like the original ones did, but I bought some Carpro which has improved them enough to satisfy me. I also fitted a clubsport gearknob which is a big improvement on the original - just need to source an alcantara gaiter to match the handbrake.
The next little mod was a Mishimoto intake pipe:
Not entirely sure if it actually does anything but at least it looks nice in the engine bay
Parked with some Pork at work (apologies for terrible photo) - one of a small list of cars I'd happily swap the 130i for without hesitation
The car ploughed on through the winter without complaint - this is about as bad as I let it get before a wash. Not enough to qualify for the dirty cars thread
Also went on a run out just after Christmas with a group of babybmw members - I was the only first-gen 1 series representative! Here we all are at the Carding Shed (if you're local to South/West Yorkshire it's a must-visit)
The first bill came with a replacement rear wheel bearing which had been bugging me for a while. I think I must have become subconsciously immune to it but as soon as I had a passenger in the car who had not been in it for a while, they picked up on the noise straight away. That was sorted out by my local indy and I couldn't get over how refined the car was afterwards.
A few weeks later, I set off for work one morning and within half a mile of leaving home, I lost a cylinder. Although it now sounded like an Audi Quattro which was quite entertaining, I sensed trouble. Luckily the engine still had enough grunt to be able to get it to my indy, who diagnosed a faulty ignition coil. The offending coil was replaced and the car has run sweet ever since, but I have bought five more coils so if it happens again I can replace them - it's an easy job.
I also managed to scrape the nearside corner on a wall
That was soon sorted out by a brilliant smart repairer:
That brings us to last month, when we were put into lockdown just after I had a Bilstein B12 Pro Kit delivered. I intended to take it somewhere to be fitted, but with so much free time on my hands, I thought I may as well have a go at fitting it myself, with the help of my long-suffering dad, who in all honesty did most of the work
The B12 kit is a set of four Bilstein shocks and Eibach springs and is a cheaper option than the Birds B1 kit - I paid £460 from Autodoc. I also ordered new front top mounts and rear shock mounts which aren't essential but recommended when the car gets to this age, so it cost me about £575 all in. We did the work over two days, and as usual with older cars it was a battle at times to get things where we wanted them to go.
The top mounts still looked okay, but the old shocks and bump stops were well past their best:
Comparison of old and new parts:
And here's the rear spring and shock fitted (apologies for poor photo)
Also fixed a broken rear wiper, repainted the mirrors, replaced the old weak bonnet struts, fitted some new wheel centres and gave the car the biggest interior and exterior detail it's had in my ownership. Here are the results:
Absolutely delighted with how the car looks now. The B12 kit supposedly drops the M Sport models by about 15mm, but as the old suspension was tired, it looks as though it has actually lowered it by about 10mm. The ride is also no worse than before, again probably because the old shocks were knackered. On the couple of essential trips I've done since fitting the kit, the car feels so much tauter and doesn't clunk over bumps like it used to. I can't wait to drive it properly to see what difference it's made when pressing on.
That turned into a long post! Thanks for looking
Looks fantastic Chris, immaculate.
I have a 130i LE myself and honestly don't think you can find a better car for the money.
Mine needs some similar TLC and got a few bits waiting to go on. Frustratingly a local car wash took some bonnet lacquer off so that'll be a full bonnet respray I gather.
I have a 130i LE myself and honestly don't think you can find a better car for the money.
Mine needs some similar TLC and got a few bits waiting to go on. Frustratingly a local car wash took some bonnet lacquer off so that'll be a full bonnet respray I gather.
ParanoidAndroid said:
Looking good. Out of interest where did you find the handbrake gaiter and cover? Been looking for a while to get one to match my BMW Performance gearstick/gaiter on mine.
I've just looked on the website I got mine from (ML Performance) and it looks like they've discontinued it 
there are some knocking about online but they are quite a bit more than what I paid (£80 IIRC). I'm having the same trouble finding an alcantara gaiter! Saw your photos on the 130i Facebook group - the car looks great in white and I understand it is pretty rare in that colour!
I bought my LCI 130i M Sport off a fellow forum member. It's done over 150k and cosmetically it could do with a lot of attention! However, it is mechanically sound and has some choice mods in terms of a modded 135i backbox and the M3 LCAs. Since buying the car I've treated it to the 4 pot Brembo calipers off the Fx generation along with a fair amount of general maintenance.
I'd like to address the suspension, which I find is really, really soft in comparison to my previous car (a Renault Sport Megane 265 Cup) so would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on the B12 Pro Kit. Does it make turn in more immediate and reduce roll whilst retaining some suppleness?
I bought my LCI 130i M Sport off a fellow forum member. It's done over 150k and cosmetically it could do with a lot of attention! However, it is mechanically sound and has some choice mods in terms of a modded 135i backbox and the M3 LCAs. Since buying the car I've treated it to the 4 pot Brembo calipers off the Fx generation along with a fair amount of general maintenance.
I'd like to address the suspension, which I find is really, really soft in comparison to my previous car (a Renault Sport Megane 265 Cup) so would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on the B12 Pro Kit. Does it make turn in more immediate and reduce roll whilst retaining some suppleness?
roadie said:
Saw your photos on the 130i Facebook group - the car looks great in white and I understand it is pretty rare in that colour!
I bought my LCI 130i M Sport off a fellow forum member. It's done over 150k and cosmetically it could do with a lot of attention! However, it is mechanically sound and has some choice mods in terms of a modded 135i backbox and the M3 LCAs. Since buying the car I've treated it to the 4 pot Brembo calipers off the Fx generation along with a fair amount of general maintenance.
I'd like to address the suspension, which I find is really, really soft in comparison to my previous car (a Renault Sport Megane 265 Cup) so would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on the B12 Pro Kit. Does it make turn in more immediate and reduce roll whilst retaining some suppleness?
B12 is great on perfectly finished tarmac roads but is not supple enough to deal with anything else. Have a read of the Tyrant's 130i suspension thread on BabyBMW.I bought my LCI 130i M Sport off a fellow forum member. It's done over 150k and cosmetically it could do with a lot of attention! However, it is mechanically sound and has some choice mods in terms of a modded 135i backbox and the M3 LCAs. Since buying the car I've treated it to the 4 pot Brembo calipers off the Fx generation along with a fair amount of general maintenance.
I'd like to address the suspension, which I find is really, really soft in comparison to my previous car (a Renault Sport Megane 265 Cup) so would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on the B12 Pro Kit. Does it make turn in more immediate and reduce roll whilst retaining some suppleness?
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