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First car!

44K views 285 replies 58 participants last post by  Watchme 
#1 ·
Hello, I am new to this post, as i have just bought my first car. A salvaged 2007 335i. Only thing i could afford because I'm only 16. I have been working on cars full time for the last 3 summers, and on and off before that. I am in the process of putting the engine back into the car and i was wondering, what mods should i maybe think about before putting it back in? Not a huge problem if i have to pull it again, but hey, who wants to have their car in the shop for 2 days? Besides mods that go on the engine what have you guys found worthwhile and easy to live with?
 

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#3 ·
Now THERE's a fixer-upper for you, lol. Take lots of pictures along the way. I'd love to see the finished result. Best of luck.
 
#10 ·
I have 5 days, or about 45 hours into it so far and the frame is perfectly straight as well as the wheels spaced and aligned properly. I will be posting another thread later with all the pics from the beginning.
Great work so far. So was the engine damaged?

We just got our E93 and had to change the pass right front lower A-Arm. I guess they act as a sacrificial part for pot holes and such. I was surprised it broke in the first place. My first time working on a BMW and the a-arm replacement went smoothly.

Good luck with the rebuild. It's cool you're "building" your first BMW at age 16.

Best regards,
Mark
 
#6 ·
Haha I have all the parts, just need to throw them on. And thank you for recognizing just cause I'm young i cant do work. Customers all day complain about how I must not know anything. A little off topic, but i see you have a X5 with a 4.8. My mother was looking into one. Any complaints?
 
#7 ·
None at all. Love it. I used to own a 2001 4.4i and 2006 330xi and found I was driving the X5 almost everywhere. Last October I decided it didn't make sense to own a car which I wasn't driving and decided to trade them both in on a newer X5. I still love the 3-series but X5 seems to be my preference.

How much longer do you expect your repair to take?
 
#8 ·
Yea, I test drive a few every know and then for work, and i must say they are just as nice to drive, or even nicer than the cars. Especially up in Minnesota here where we are never short of snow. What kind of mileage are you getting from that beast? I've found their V8's to be surprisingly efficient, but I've never had time to run a full tank or two through one.

And i am looking at about 2 full days of work (22 hrs) to put the engine back in and straighten the strut housings, as well as mount my skirts, fenders, radiators; coolers etc., and my hood and bumper. Its fairly simple from here on out.
 
#15 ·
Yea, I test drive a few every know and then for work, and i must say they are just as nice to drive, or even nicer than the cars. Especially up in Minnesota here where we are never short of snow. What kind of mileage are you getting from that beast? I've found their V8's to be surprisingly efficient, but I've never had time to run a full tank or two through one.
The computer says I am averaging 14.7 MPG since I bought the vehicle and 23 MPG for a short trip I took which was primarily highway driving. I believe the 14.7 number is fairly accurate but the 23 number is probably a little high and would come down some if that trip were a little longer. I don't really pay much attention to it because it is what it is.

And i am looking at about 2 full days of work (22 hrs) to put the engine back in and straighten the strut housings, as well as mount my skirts, fenders, radiators; coolers etc., and my hood and bumper. Its fairly simple from here on out.
Sounds like you'll be done soon. You'll have to post pictures of the final work. Do you work in a body shop? Or at least have access to one? I would think such a repair wouldn't be cost effective unless you are or know someone who does this type of work. Also was that a telephone pole collision?
 
#9 ·
Some people like the looks of the LCI (facelifted) front end better than the earlier models of the E90. This is possible, since it appears that you must replace the hood, fenders, and bumper on your car. The Angel Eye headlights are also a nice upgrade (if your car doesn't have them).

If you are asking about speed modifications, remember that the 335i is ferociously fast, even in stock form. If you still want more, there are a number of software modifications available for your engine.

I am also impressed that your are putting together a car so badly damaged. Remember you will probably not be able to insure it, since it has a salvage title. Therefore, you may not want to make the car too valuable.

Best of luck with your project.

:drive:
 
#12 ·
Yea, right now there are halogen AA's but I ordered a pair of led's. I liked the e92, and it was a steal. I have redone many salvaged vehicles with help and this is my first complete solo build. I have driven a few m3's and I hear this is a tad slower that the new 4.0's, and I don't necessarily want to be faster, I just wanna run with the big dogs. And Minnesota's insurance laws are luckily almost non existent. And if all else fails well give loyds a call.

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#13 ·
Surprisingly, the block wasn't cracked since it is what stopped the car. The timing chain broke, causing 8 valves to bend and both turbos to crack, but we do those constantly. The worst part was the frame rail on the passenger side was bent and as you can see it is not factory paint and has been replaced. And yes the LCA's do break a bit, but we found if you buy the updated M3 arms or bushings, we don't have the problem ever again. If you ever have to do them again I'd recommend it. And its my first solo build on a salvage car, but I'm finding it to be quite simple. And I've never had the pleasure of doing work on my own car. I really enjoy it. Better than doing timing belt and water pump on Honda's all day. Hope you enjoy your car! I would've loved the hard top convertible!

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#14 ·
Haha thank you! and any E9X is the best in the book if you ask me. What comes after the 3, well is just icing on the cake. And I payed 1/12th the blue book value for this car, and I can't say how lucky and appreciative I am. I don't want to have to drive it to school now cause everyone will key the damn thing!! Haha. But age and owning a BMW , is all relative. I will say I am extremely fortunate but I've spent every summer of the last few years working 55 hour weeks to pay for this. Guess mom was right! Hard work does pay off!

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#16 ·
For all that power though you can't complain about almost 15.. and your exactly right. It is what it is. You can't put a price on fun.

And yes I am. I work as a mechanic and we do not do collision work. Only for personal vehicles and close friends. But its pretty self explanatory. And I picked up the car for 2500 bucks. I don't even know how it happened, because there was a solid 6k worth of parts. And I will finish with very little into it because I don't have to pay a penny for labor or shop space. And it was a palm tree. He set off the secondary charges in the drivers airbag so he was doing over 40.

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#17 ·
For all that power though you can't complain about almost 15.. and your exactly right. It is what it is. You can't put a price on fun.

And yes I am. I work as a mechanic and we do not do collision work. Only for personal vehicles and close friends. But its pretty self explanatory. And I picked up the car for 2500 bucks. I don't even know how it happened, because there was a solid 6k worth of parts. And I will finish with very little into it because I don't have to pay a penny for labor or shop space. And it was a palm tree. He set off the secondary charges in the drivers airbag so he was doing over 40.

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Well, you will have a pretty nice vehicle for 8,500 when all is said and done. Good luck.
 
#19 ·
Haha I would love to but I'll finish my high school and go for a 4 year. I'd like to take over my fathers shop and client list someday. The parts for the car were all actually pretty cheap. Granted we go through worldpac who has OEM products and we get 30% off.

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#21 ·
Yep,
reading Mr. Money's posts, he definitely deserves some Kudos.

I seriously doubt that most of the membership here would willingly jump into a full rebuild like he is doing, whether or not he has a little outside guidance along the way.

Good luck with the project! :thumbup:
 
#24 · (Edited)
I seriously doubt that most of the membership here would willingly jump into a full rebuild like he is doing, whether or not he has a little outside guidance along the way.
I've learned unless you're in the business / have the proper know how / tools to do work like this, or any fixer upper project, the cost savings isn't there. You end up paying almost the same as just buying a non-damaged vehicle / what-have-you and you save yourself a lot of time and headache. And that's assuming everything goes according to plan and you save money. Often, at least in my experience, the costs tend to be more. If I were to undertake a project like this it would be as a hobby and not a money saving move. I don't possess the knowledge, skill, tools, and facilities as the OP does to do it based on cost savings.
 
#40 ·
+1

You are awesome, dude! I love that you are willing to do what it takes to drive the car you want at such a young age. And I don't think it's far-fetched at all for you to have the kind of knowledge you do. You remind me of the Schnabel kid on Gold Rush! You will go far in life with your mindset.
 
#25 ·
Yea I meant the frame rails** and I feel I am in the same boat you were as a kid. I work for my dad and do customers cars all week, and I get to play with personal projects on the weekends. He learned in a similar way, and I hope to keep the tradition alive

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#31 ·
Just getting back from vacation. About to post some progress pics soon. Before I left I had a long list of things to buy, and I got really lucky on a lot of them. The front Turbo was seized up, and I needed new compressor blades. I came across rob beck on e90 post and he sent me out 3 whole center sections, which he thought looked to be the newest of all he had, for 44 bucks a piece. I bought a m-technic front bumper with projector fogs, and a m3 cf hood was GIVEN to me by a customer. I also bought a jb4 which is coming and I pulled apart my rear dif, and out of all things I expected to see on a fluid change, was a wavetrac LSD. I'd say I've been a lucky kid for these last few weeks. Every time a part shows up I get a little bit more excited. Now that I redid my timing chain and ALL of my valves, my head is back on and I'm almost ready to put on my new dp's and drop the motor back in. I also got m3 bushings all around and I'm looking into m series sway bars. Also to all of you thinking, "ohh God a cf hood, just another ricer", i will be painting it first thing Monday. Even for a kid, I'm not that stupid. This build is going very well and I'm having the best time doing it. Glad to be "one of you" now!!
 
#32 ·
Are you considering a career in automotive engineering? The field needs enthusiastic kids like you who are book smart but can twist a wrench, too. Imagine getting into the specialty performance division of a car maker and getting paid big bucks doing what you love to do.
You're going to have to start with engineering school, and then pay your dues in some backwater turn signal design department. After a few years and some experience on your resume you can move into what you really want.
 
#35 ·
A lot of people my age claim they've dreamed of something their whole life, but growing up and watching my dad work endless hours, I really do dream and have always dreamed of working for a automotive manufacturer in the r&d department. I love making things work but I also love going that extra mile and making them work better. To work in the M division of bmw would really be my ultimate goal. Ever since I took my first ride of a 850csi when I was 4, I kinda knew what I've wanted. I'm also looking into Madison and some other colleges for their engineering programs.

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#33 ·
I'd hire him. OP, you're creating a portfolio that should matter to anybody in college admissions. Let me know if you're ever serious about coming up to New England for college. I'll be glad to see if I know somebody who knows somebody.

But only if you post pictures.
 
#36 ·
That's what people have been telling me and it makes ME happy to see I'm doing these things while doing what I want to. I'm not going into college wondering what I want to do, I know. And I'm looking all over the country. Any good schools you would recommend their that won't bankrupt a man? And as soon as I'm back from Florida I'll be posting many pictures.

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#37 ·
Wow. Well done.

I managed to replace a burnt light bulb on my tail while you are able to rebuild the entire car..

That's amazing.
Hahaa at least you didn't have to take it in to have it done like 90% of people. But thanks man. Its great to have people who support me unlike every customer that finds out that's my car and just call me spoiled. When I haven't borrowed 1 cent of my money for this project or used anyone else's time to build this for me, kinda gets me rattled hearing that.

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