Just bought a 2012 135i

[Palmer.T]

I am 16 and saved up my money for 2 years by working at a restaurant doing dishes for my first car. After a continued look I stumbled across an 84,000 mile 135i that had its water pump and clutch done within the last 9,000 miles. I couldn't pass up on it and it was being sold for a good price. Anyways I bought it and plan to do some mods but I'm on a tight budget and new to the whole modding scene. Essentially I want to eventually get a MHD stage 2 tune and have it be the ultimate daily driver. I just want to know the best mods bang for the buck and with Christmas coming up what some good cheap interior/exterior mods would be with my car being a black on black convertible. Thanks for all the help sorry for the dumb questions.

[________]

Congrats!

And welcome!

Best mod on a tight budget is savings for maintenance to keep it on the road.
It’s already the ultimate daily driver. You just bought it, enjoy it.

[Esteban]

That's a lot of car for a 16yo. I'd say get used to it stock before you do any modding. When you're ready do some suspension mods 'cause the car needs it. Research here, you will find much info. Also, don't know if it's still on runflats but change those ASAP.

[Palmer.T]

Originally Posted by Esteban

That's a lot of car for a 16yo. I'd say get used to it stock before you do any modding. When you're ready do some suspension mods 'cause the car needs it. Research here, you will find much info. Also, don't know if it's still on runflats but change those ASAP.

Thank you dude and I'll check the tires fs and see if it's still on the run flats. What would you recommend if I need to change em?

[Palmer.T]

Originally Posted by Onesie

Congrats!

And welcome!

Best mod on a tight budget is savings for maintenance to keep it on the road.
It's already the ultimate daily driver. You just bought it, enjoy it.

Thank ya I think I've been going down a rabbit hole for the last few months debating on everything between catless down pipes to interior trim pieces (bc I always knew I wanted a n55 platform 135i or 335i). It's good to remember that I should still enjoy the nice car I just bought and just have a blast with how it is thank ya again

[blue135]

And note that it is a manual! Good for you!
Like was said, start with tires - depending where you are since you are DD, you may need all season, but summer tires will be more fun.

[brake-fade]

Congratulations, and good for you for working hard and being disciplined enough to save up for such a nice car. Personally, I agree with Esteban and Onesie. I think the car has plenty of power, so I'd spend the money on preventative maintenance and suspension mods. There are lots of improvements to be made on the suspension. You may also want to think about buying a good scan tool to read codes. Enjoy it as is for a while, but most importantly, respect physics.

[jwolf]

Really exciting feeling I imagine. My first car was an 1968 Spitfire. Times have changed. I know it will be hard, but just sit on your hands and enjoy the car stock for a while. Personally, these cars need no mods, just shortens the life. But, get a handle on all the fluids and deferred maintenance. As a 16-year old, you have a lot to learn about cars. Just the basic upkeep of one of these is enough to break the bank. Restraint is your goal. Suspension mods on these are really the stage 1!

[Palmer.T]

Originally Posted by blue135

And note that it is a manual! Good for you!
Like was said, start with tires - depending where you are since you are DD, you may need all season, but summer tires will be more fun.

Yeah Texas just gets weirdly icy and cold at times so I have to stick to the all season 😢

[Palmer.T]

Originally Posted by brake-fade

Congratulations, and good for you for working hard and being disciplined enough to save up for such a nice car. Personally, I agree with Esteban and Onesie. I think the car has plenty of power, so I'd spend the money on preventative maintenance and suspension mods. There are lots of improvements to be made on the suspension. You may also want to think about buying a good scan tool to read codes. Enjoy it as is for a while, but most importantly, respect physics.

Will do how much free cash should I have laying around for maintenance? right now I have about a grand. And thanks for the compliment means a lot (all that hard work is finally paying off yk).

[Palmer.T]

Originally Posted by jwolf

Really exciting feeling I imagine. My first car was an 1968 Spitfire. Times have changed. I know it will be hard, but just sit on your hands and enjoy the car stock for a while. Personally, these cars need no mods, just shortens the life. But, get a handle on all the fluids and deferred maintenance. As a 16-year old, you have a lot to learn about cars. Just the basic upkeep of one of these is enough to break the bank. Restraint is your goal. Suspension mods on these are really the stage 1!

Yessir I hear ya. It'll be hard but I think y'all are right about saving up for the maintenance I think I might have been getting a little ahead of myself.

[brake-fade]

Originally Posted by Palmer.T

Will do how much free cash should I have laying around for maintenance? right now I have about a grand. And thanks for the compliment means a lot (all that hard work is finally paying off yk).

I'd recommend oil filter housing gasket, belt and idler pulley first, as a belt failure can potentially be catastrophic to the engine. After that, check for oil leaks at valve cover and oil pan gasket. I'm not sure what the belt, pulley and housing gasket would cost to have done because I do my own repairs, but I'm guessing for parts only, you're looking at under $250.

[Palmer.T]

Originally Posted by brake-fade

I'd recommend oil filter housing gasket, belt and idler pulley first, as a belt failure can potentially be catastrophic to the engine. After that, check for oil leaks at valve cover and oil pan gasket. I'm not sure what the belt, pulley and housing gasket would cost to have done because I do my own repairs, but I'm guessing for parts only, you're looking at under $250.

What all would I need to diy that kind of stuff?

[e91n52power]

Originally Posted by brake-fade

I'd recommend oil filter housing gasket, belt and idler pulley first, as a belt failure can potentially be catastrophic to the engine. After that, check for oil leaks at valve cover and oil pan gasket. I'm not sure what the belt, pulley and housing gasket would cost to have done because I do my own repairs, but I'm guessing for parts only, you're looking at under $250.

I would recommend check fcp euro for good parts price, especially now during Black Friday weekend.

[jdt10768]

cheap and effective mod:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ubframe-kdt918

IF they have not been replaced, which I doubt

[white.nasty135i]

Originally Posted by jdt10768

cheap and effective mod:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ubframe-kdt918

IF they have not been replaced, which I doubt

Second that^ just did those white line inserts and been happy with how it improved rear for the price

[Geologic]

Originally Posted by Palmer.T

Will do how much free cash should I have laying around for maintenance? right now I have about a grand. And thanks for the compliment means a lot (all that hard work is finally paying off yk).

Congrats and well done to find a manual M-Sport N55 for a good price.

Having been in fairly similar shoes to yourself at 16, this is going to sound like the least exciting advice you could get but I'd keep saving. It will never bring you the excitement of paying for and installing the mod you wanted, but I'm guessing this is your one vehicle that you will rely on to get to your job, school, etc. A $4k repair estimate can feel like the end of the world when you have $1k set aside and are just starting to build credit.

There are some great maintenance guides on here, so my first suggestion would be to create a maintenance schedule for your vehicle for the next few years. If you have a rough idea of the maintenance plan you'd like to follow and how much it's going to cost you, it's easier to plan for financially and by making sure you budget for regular maintenance, you'll be less likely to run into costly surprises.

[fast1eddy]

I'll echo what everyone else is saying here. Save you money for maintenance. The one thing speed mods don't change is the speed limit on the street. My car is full bolt on MHD stage 2+ and I can't drive any faster on the street than I did stock. In some ways it's less fun because I can't rev the car out without risking losing my license.
Suspension mods are much better route but even then I'd do maintenance first.

[ejm3]

That's a nice car for a 16 year old but I'm one more vote for "you're going to need plenty of money just to maintain it".

[e91n52power]

Originally Posted by ejm3

That's a nice car for a 16 year old but I'm one more vote for "you're going to need plenty of money just to maintain it".

Always better to keep some extra savings for future maintenance, especially when you are 16yo.

[Palmer.T]

Originally Posted by Geologic

Congrats and well done to find a manual M-Sport N55 for a good price.

Having been in fairly similar shoes to yourself at 16, this is going to sound like the least exciting advice you could get but I'd keep saving. It will never bring you the excitement of paying for and installing the mod you wanted, but I'm guessing this is your one vehicle that you will rely on to get to your job, school, etc. A $4k repair estimate can feel like the end of the world when you have $1k set aside and are just starting to build credit.

There are some great maintenance guides on here, so my first suggestion would be to create a maintenance schedule for your vehicle for the next few years. If you have a rough idea of the maintenance plan you'd like to follow and how much it's going to cost you, it's easier to plan for financially and by making sure you budget for regular maintenance, you'll be less likely to run into costly surprises.

Yeah that would be smart I’ll work on a list for sure. Thanks for taking your time to respond.

[bobowar135]

These things are pretty potent straight out of the box. Change the oil more often than recommended by BMW, 20000kms wtf? (personally every 5000kms). If you notice any oil leak, fix it, it can easily become an issue. If the rear end squirms around under acceleration with a bit of steering lock on, don't worry, that's what it does. If in doubt, put your question out there, the 1Addicts are a pretty chill bunch. We are all here for the same reason, our freaking awesome cars!