130i LCI manual - with some upgrades

[Matt 123]

I've been meaning to post here for ages, but finally getting around to it now! After owning a few Audis and VWs I was itching to get back into a BMW, and really wanted to be driving a manual again. I had several E30s when I was younger and wanted something with that kind of small car feel, but more modern, safer, and with 4 doors for getting the kids in and out of their car seats. Pretty quickly I realised the 130i fitted the bill perfectly. Great daily driver on the commute, even better for a weekend back road blast, and with enough room to fit the kids in too (just).

After looking for a short while, I managed to pickup this 2007 LCI, with the all important hydraulic power steering, with 125000km on the clock for $8500. Bargain!! That was back in April 2019, and I pretty much immediately set about with the "improvements." To be honest, I've gone a bit overboard and spent significantly more than the purchase price again, but man what a fun car! Puts a smile on my face every day in a way my old Golf R never really could. The mods done are as follows:

Engine:

• Simota intake
• Supersprint backbox with resonator delete
• MILVs purchased but not yet fitted. To be done soon when I do valve cover gasket, then a tune to follow...

Drivetrain:

• BMW performance short shifter
• CDV delete plus braided clutch hose
• Quaife LSD
• Redline gearbox and diff fluid

Suspension/Chassis

• Birds B1 dynamic kit - Biltstein dampers, Eibach springs and H&R sway bars
• E9X M3 front control arms and radius arms
• Camber pin mod, and max front camber
• Whiteline rear subframe inserts
• E81 rear chassis brace

Brakes

• 135i brake upgrade - 6 piston front and 2 piston rear calipers with dimpled/slotted discs and EBC redstuff pads. Calipers painted brembo red with brembo decals (just 'cause :-p)
• Braided hoses all round

Wheels and Tyres

• BBS RE 847 18 x 8 ET35 Front, and RE 848 18 x 9 ET45 Rear. Lightweight forged BBS Japan goodness!
• Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tyres - 225/40/18 Front, 245/35/18 Rear. These tyres are AWESOME, can't recommend highly enough!

Styling

• Carbon front splitters and carbon mirror caps outside
• BMW Performance shift knob and alcantara shift boot, plus BMW performance alcantara handbrake

Other than that there have been a few maintenance items to do but nothing interesting. It's pretty much perfect now, from my perspective. Just got to get those MILVs fitted plus the tune! Maybe down the track I'll think about headers too, but that's well into the too hard/expensive basket for now.

Here's a couple of pics I took post-wash last weekend. Let me know what you think ?

 

Only letting me upload 3 pics for now, so more soon...

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Matt

[Matt 123]

A few more pics...

[qube 3570]

very nice and tasteful mods. 

[M3AN 4016]

Lovely example, I have intake envy. Did you find somewhere that still has RHD BMWP handbrake boots? I've been looking for ages. I also like the front velocity splitters and have been eyeing them up (in black FRP only though but I've not yet found them with reasonable shipping from China, where did you get yours from?

 

[Matt 123]

3 hours ago, M3AN said:

Lovely example, I have intake envy. Did you find somewhere that still has RHD BMWP handbrake boots? I've been looking for ages. I also like the front velocity splitters and have been eyeing them up (in black FRP only though but I've not yet found them with reasonable shipping from China, where did you get yours from?

 

I got the handbrake boot from hubauer shop...https://www.hubauer-shop.de/en/bmw-performance-handbrake-grip-w-gaiter-34402153754.html  they only deliver in Europe so I used youshop to send it down here from the UK. That was before youshop added on GST though so made it a tad cheaper than it would be now, but still probably more expensive than it really should be. The silver part is kinda cheap plastic too which I don't really like. I'd be tempted to keep the alcantara boot and swap to a Storm handbrake lever or similar, but this one is all one piece so would be a bit of hassle. Maybe could try and remake the stock on in alcantara as a bit of a project one day??

I got the splitters from Ali Express, again back when shipping was a bit cheaper and more reliable than it is now. The fitment was pretty poor though, I had to redrill the mounting holes, and it still doesn't line up perfectly so I'm tempted to try and find another (better) set.

[leichtbau 525]

Those RE's are filth! Looks so good with the big yellows reds behind them. Did you change the pistons when you rebuilt the brakes?

[Matt 123]

5 hours ago, leichtbau said:

Those RE's are filth! Looks so good with the big yellows reds behind them. Did you change the pistons when you rebuilt the brakes?

New seals and dustboots on the fronts but kept the stock pistons as they were still in perfect nick. I replaced the rear pistons with 'Centric' replacement units as one of the rears had a chip on one of the ceramic pistons so just replaced all 4 so they match.

[Jacko 2153]

Kick ass!! Looks great, We are going to have to see if Red or Yellow brakes work better

Curious on the H&R springs with the B1 kit, have they changed from the Eibachs?? (That would make it 3 different B1 versions...)

MILVS, a tune and headers are next on my todo list, so will follow closely. 

 

[Jacko 2153]

9 hours ago, Matt said:

I got the splitters from Ali Express, again back when shipping was a bit cheaper and more reliable than it is now. The fitment was pretty poor though, I had to redrill the mounting holes, and it still doesn't line up perfectly so I'm tempted to try and find another (better) set.

Ive got the same splitters, same deal.. not perfect fitment but they are cheap. You'll soon find that they are are wear item, I'm on my second set (Spirited driving down Old Taupo Road at 2am and they meet the tarmac..)

[Matt 123]

7 hours ago, Jacko said:

Kick ass!! Looks great, We are going to have to see if Red or Yellow brakes work better

Curious on the H&R springs with the B1 kit, have they changed from the Eibachs?? (That would make it 3 different B1 versions...)

MILVS, a tune and headers are next on my todo list, so will follow closely. 

 

Now that you mention it, they will be Eibach springs, I couldn't quite remember haha. I'll edit the first post. Definitely H&R swaybars though!

Yellow brakes have to be better, right? Doesn't that automatically make them carbon ceramics?? ?

[Sammo 2542]

Beautiful car and some pretty impressive mods! 

How does it sound with the supersprint  muffler and resonator delete? 

Just picked up a supersprint muffler fir my E46 330ci and will likely put on woth a res delete too. 

[Matt 123]

12 hours ago, Sammo said:

Beautiful car and some pretty impressive mods! 

How does it sound with the supersprint  muffler and resonator delete? 

Just picked up a supersprint muffler fir my E46 330ci and will likely put on woth a res delete too. 

It sounds great, I really love it! I actually did it in steps as I didn't want it to be too loud, so first I fitted it with the resonator still there. I guess with the powerloop it still "muffles" pretty well because it was barely any louder than stock which was pretty disappointing. Now its much better with the resonator gone, exactly how I wanted it to sound.

[Sammo 2542]

27 minutes ago, Matt said:

It sounds great, I really love it! I actually did it in steps as I didn't want it to be too loud, so first I fitted it with the resonator still there. I guess with the powerloop it still "muffles" pretty well because it was barely any louder than stock which was pretty disappointing. Now its much better with the resonator gone, exactly how I wanted it to sound.

Good plan I think, might do something similar (stages).

Car looks great, it must drive amazing with such well considered mods ?

[Jacko 2153]

On 7/29/2020 at 6:13 AM, Matt said:

Now that you mention it, they will be Eibach springs, I couldn't quite remember haha. I'll edit the first post. Definitely H&R swaybars though!

Yellow brakes have to be better, right? Doesn't that automatically make them carbon ceramics?? ?

Weird, mine are Eibachs.. so there is still 3 B1 versions  What diameter are the bars?

[Bandit 194]

Following with interest here. Have the same drivetrain, albeit a different platform. When you did the resonator delete Matt, did you H pipe it? ie put a joiner between the pipes replacing the resonator. 

Interested too in your updates, particularly relating to the Milvs installation and tune application.

Edited July 30, 2020 by Bandit

[NZ_InFerno 371]

Where's the resonator located for deletion, finally swapped over my supersprint backbox and its not as loud as when it was on my other 130is.

[Jacko 2153]

9 minutes ago, NZ_InFerno said:

Where's the resonator located for deletion, finally swapped over my supersprint backbox and its not as loud as when it was on my other 130is.

Its part of the Y that joins the two exhaust manifolds. 

[qube 3570]

Wont it drone with the res delete? Also any issues with losing power/higher fuel consumption as a result?

[Matt 123]

5 hours ago, Jacko said:

Weird, mine are Eibachs.. so there is still 3 B1 versions  What diameter are the bars?

They H&R 33211-1, so 27mm front and 20mm rear

3 hours ago, Bandit said:

Following with interest here. Have the same drivetrain, albeit a different platform. When you did the resonator delete Matt, did you H pipe it? ie put a joiner between the pipes replacing the resonator. 

Interested too in your updates, particularly relating to the Milvs installation and tune application.

The resonator is double inlet, single outlet, so just replaced this with a Y pipe. 

1 hour ago, qube said:

Wont it drone with the res delete? Also any issues with losing power/higher fuel consumption as a result?

There is a small amount of drone, only really noticeable at 1800-2000 rpm under load, so up a hill around town in 4th gear is the kind of scenario. None on the motorway, and none around town except as described. Easily avoided by changing to 3rd, or leaving it in 5th. Don't get me wrong, it's not totally "drone free" but that to me is minor enough to not bother me at all. Definitely no noticeable change to fuel economy or power either.

[Bandit 194]

Just now, Matt said:

They H&R 33211-1, so 27mm front and 20mm rear

The resonator is double inlet, single outlet, so just replaced this with a Y pipe. 

There is a small amount of drone, only really noticeable at 1800-2000 rpm under load, so up a hill around town in 4th gear is the kind of scenario. None on the motorway, and none around town except as described. Easily avoided by changing to 3rd, or leaving it in 5th. Don't get me wrong, it's not totally "drone free" but that to me is minor enough to not bother me at all. Definitely no noticeable change to fuel economy or power either.

OK thanks, our car is two in, two out. And like you can hardly hear any audible difference. No drone either. Wondered if a H pipe may make some change. Might drop the rear silencer, peel back the top and see whats in there to tinker with.

[Jacko 2153]

Ahh... interesting, so that B1 V1 sized swaybars, mine are 28/16mm. Did you take note of the spring/shock p/n? Be curious if Birds went back to the old setup (lower spring rates, bigger sways) or youve got big sway bars and the higher spring rates of the V2

[Matt 123]

18 minutes ago, Jacko said:

Ahh... interesting, so that B1 V1 sized swaybars, mine are 28/16mm. Did you take note of the spring/shock p/n? Be curious if Birds went back to the old setup (lower spring rates, bigger sways) or youve got big sway bars and the higher spring rates of the V2

I never took note of them unfortunately. I still have the box for the swaybars under the house which is why I knew that but didn't keep anything else. Next time I have it jacked up I'll have a closer look to see what I can spot

[qube 3570]

so the centre part right? remove and put a Y pipe?

[M3AN 4016]

3 hours ago, qube said:

so the centre part right? remove and put a Y pipe?

Yep. See the pics in my 130 thread of my exhaust. 

[M3AN 4016]

4 hours ago, Bandit said:

Might drop the rear silencer, peel back the top and see whats in there to tinker with.

Heaps of people have done that already, check out 1addicts and babybmw forums for all the pics and DIYs. You can make a significant difference by opening up and modifying the back box, you need to be careful where you cut though.