new to the bmw world...

[huckaboo]

so i just picked up my first bmw its a 318ti. i am a very big honda enthusiast but i needed a car and this was the first thing i found in good shape and in my price range. the car seams to be in great running condition even for 206*** on it. a lady owned it from day one treated it like a baby and was just ready for something else i got it for $1700 which i guess is a good deal. all in all im looking to go into this new world iv found my self in and am wondering what the big things people do to these cars. i dont plan on doing much to this car other than lowering it maby intake and exhaust and some new wheels. anyone have any suggestions?

[tiFreak]

welcome, sounds like a good deal, intake and exhaust don't add any real power, cheapest way to get power is an engine swap out of a 6-cyl. 3-series or an M3

H&Rs and Bilsteins are a tried and true suspension setup

[huckaboo]

How much does that usually cost

[tiFreak]

you might be able to find a complete donor car for around $1k for a non-M to $3k for an M3 if you find one that's been rear ended, t-boned, etc. and if you feel confident in doing the swap yourself you'll have everything needed for the conversion except for parts that are broken/worn. paying a shop to do it adds a lot more to the budget, depending on the shops labor rate and how long it takes them

[huckaboo]

im sure i could do it my self im very mechanical i know this is a whole new world but hey how hard can it be. and what do you mean by a donor car? im looking for performance im not so big into the looks and body of a car i like have a very well running and powerful car. nothing crazy but just faster than it is now maby between 150 - 250 wheel.... more if its in my budget but i dont think it will be..

[Dumpy]

The donor car is used for things that you would need for the swap. Like the key, EWS, DME, a wire you don't have. And to sell left over things you don't want.

[huckaboo]

so wait its easier to buy a wrecked car for a swap instead of buying all the parts needed.... does anyone have a build thread on swaps?

[roadrash]

Originally Posted by huckaboo

does anyone have a build thread on swaps?

Have you looked in the ENGINE SWAP sub-forum? There might be a thread there.

[huckaboo]

yeah actually i did and there wasnt much there that i could find that actually helped me...

[Dumpy]

For major electrical components, yes having a donor car is the smartest (as from working in a BMW dealer), you don't want a dealer have to program EVERYTHING unless you really need it. Some parts however are better new.

[MPWR]

First thing is to rebuild the cooling system. There are several plastic components which need to be replaced. If they fail (and at 12+ years and 200k+, they are ready to fail at any moment), you will very likely overheat the engine and blow the head gasket.

Next, it's time to change the shocks. If they are original (and they more than likely are), they are well past worn out and ready for replacement. Swap them out with some Bilsteins, and consider replacing the springs with HRs.

[huckaboo]

ok cool thank you very much! ill start checking that out

[huckaboo]

where would be a good place to find a good set of springs and struts and or cheap coilovers i have about $1000 also is a 318i the same as a 318ti.... i found bilstein struts with h&r springs but it says its for a 318i soo.... whats the deal here?

[MPWR]

If you will not be using the car primarily for track driving, don't bother with coil overs. Adjustable height may sound cool, until you realize that you have to pay for an alignment every time you mess with it. A conventional setup will give you everything you need for a street car, for much less cost and complication than coil overs.

The 318ti shares the same front end suspension with all other E36s. The rear suspension came out of the earlier E30- so E36 rear suspension components will not work.

Bilstein Sports are a great option for lowering a ti, but you of course need to make sure you're ordering ti-specific rear shocks. They can be had at Bavauto, among other places. Bav also sells a full set of shocks with their own lowering springs for the ti for less than $700- a pretty good deal. You'll love it, twisty roads and on/off ramps are a real blast.

When you replace the rear shocks, make sure you add reinforcement plates for the top shock mounts. BMW makes OEM re-enforcers for the Z3 that work perfectly in the ti for about $20.

[huckaboo]

whats the reinforcement plate used for and where does it go?