First time owner looking for a project!
 

I just bought my first BMW, a ti with around 50,000 miles on it. I'm very excited, I've been looking around at them for a while (I'll post pictures soon!).

I have some basic car knowledge and tools, but I would like to do a simple upgrade or modification to A) build my confidence in working with cars and B) learn about the inner workings of my new ride. Any ideas???

I was thinking of installing the CD changer, I saw in the trunk where it is pre-wired. How do I go about finding a compatible changer? Is there a store online that has them for reasonable prices? Thanks ahead of time for your input.

Hey bud! congrats on the Ti :)

The only cd changer option is the BMW one really.. as the radio will need to communicate with the changer. Have a look on the sales section here, or Ebay for good priced units.

welcome to the forum, 50k is some low mileage for a 96 :eek:

yup, also, there are two different CD changers, one made by Alpine and on by Pioneer, which will only be compatible with the headunit of the same brand, you can tell them apart by appearance

Alpine headunit:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y26...IMG_0725-1.jpg

Pioneer headunit:
http://i8.ebayimg.com/03/i/001/2f/31/ad3b_1.JPG

as for simple installations, maybe a cold air intake? check cosmoracing.com for some pretty good priced setups

Thanks! So I definitely have the Pioneer. So I need to get the Pioneer changer and the bracket that it mounts in, right?

Yes, 92-96 CD changer from any 3-series will work. The bracket might have to be specific to the TI though.

If you want to begin learning, I would suggest looking at basic maintenance items first instead of Mods. Your car may only have 50k on it, but its 13 years old.

I dunno about that. I've got the Alpine head unit and Pioneer Changer and it seems to work properly.

my dad tried doing that and it didn't work, maybe you got lucky somehow :confused:

Maybe your dad is just .... LOL... just kidding. Is it possible that you have the photos miscaptioned? I'll check when I get back home to make sure that I've got that combo.

Back to the original question. A quick and easy mod is the "double brake light" mod. Search this forum for instructions. You can either solder the connections or use screws, etc. Either way will work, just use whatever materials you have handy. If you solder the connections, like I did, you'll need to rough up the area that you're soldering the wire to so that the solder has something to grip.

if the photos are miscaptioned that would mean two ebay listings were wrong

Well, in that case, I bow to the expertise of E-bay since we all know that E-bay ads NEVER contain incorrect info. heh heh

Back to the original topic....

Another easy mod is the "318ti.org sticker +5HP" mod. :smile:

a neat mod for your interior
 

I'm working on replacing my front ashtray system with a more practical open storage box for my cell phone and sunglasses etc. If you push on the open lid of the ashtray, you'll be able to pull the inner ashtray out. Then you'll see a couple of screws that, once removed, will allow you to pull out the whole ashtray-cigar lighter trim assembly leaving an ugly but much more useful hole in the console (as well as the wires for the ligher and lamp) I've gone that far, and I've aquired a nice chunk of walnut scrap from a wood worker I know. I'm still in the process of working it to fit, but once I do it should have a socket for the lighter and a low wall to keep the phone separate from the glasses etc. Also, when trying to track down a short in my wiring, I discovered that the part of the console that has the cup holders and change dispenser hides a simpler, more open, and in my opinion, more sportscar like set of cupholders and catch-all. As for your change, I've found that if you leave it in your left front pocket it will convieniently stack up on the drivers side rear floor mat!:biggrin: