After years of wanting a BMW 135i to add to my stable, the right one finally came along via Carvana. Enjoy as this marks the beginning of some fun driving time as well as more content. Music credit: Sunset n Beachz - Ofshane
Great car. True, one of the last true “analog” BMWs, and great to see it in manual. BMW lost that magic after 2013. M2 or M4, fast, sure, but not the same feel. And to be honest, the E82 even looks more like a proper BMW than the latest designs. I would recommend strongly replacing front/rear control arms with E92 M3/1M (FCP Euro or ECS), getting B8 or coil-overs, change rear sub-frame/Diff bushings to M3 and lose the run-flat rubber (if still fitted). Finally, swap in an LSD and you don’t even need to touch the engine, you will have a 90% 1M in your 135i. All the best from fellow 135i owner from Sydney!
Thank you Lukasz. You just listed pretty much the exact plan that I have for this car! I have bookmarked all of those parts already on each of those sites. Will lean towards B8 instead of coilovers for now. But definitely need to update the control arms and get some camber in the front so I can fit some wide tires. I just got some 200tw tires that will go on a set of 17in style 68 wheels that will be used for autox and track days. It came with run flat tires so that was certainly holding the car back. Really looking forward to feeling the improvements of this car as I upgrade the parts. Will be leaving engine alone for a long time besides maintenance. Enjoy your 135i Down Under!!
Nice car. I have a 2011 135i and owned it from new. I truly enjoy this car. I have kept up with the maintenance and have made some minor modifications over the years. The mods were limited to M3 front control arms, Supersprint back box, Active Autowerkes down pipe, and BMW power tune. Oddly enough, my spouse enjoyed driving my car during my absences so much that we purchased a 2008 135i for her a few years back, she loves driving this car. I attempted a number of times over the years to persuade her sell her 135i and get something more practical, but she refuses to hear anything I have to say that touches on selling her car, LoL. I hope you enjoy your ride. It takes a little maintenance to keep things going, but taking care of this car properly will reward for years with great driving adventures.
Sounds like you have a keeper for life there in the 135i as well as the wife!!! Great taste in your choice of car, mods and spouse. I am slowly adding stuff but prioritizing the maintenance. Thanks for the comment, stayed tuned for a 1 year ownership video coming soon 💪💪
dude, just picked this exact car but with brown wood trim a month ago. Previous owner did all the upgrades (mhd 2+ tune , burger intake and charge pipe, vrsf intercooler and down pipe, colder spark plugs, all silicone hoses) and it's a rocket. Has about 430whp. Terrifies my wife. I couldn't be happier with this weekend toy.
Thanks Alexander! Sorry to hear about your bearings, I have heard that can happen. Will be prioritizing service over mods and hope to prevent any failures. Enjoy your new engine and S2+!
2011 135 owner here. I highly recommend upgrading all of the turbo piping to metal, along with a bigger intercooler. Then when you want more power, all you'll have to do is put on a downpipe and do MHD 2+
Appreciate the advice fellow 1er. Will follow that plan when I’m ready to take the power to the next level. Have you happen to run any 1/4 mile times with that setup?
from what ive seen this with a turbo/swap/upgrade...and upgrades to fuel application/management....are the most ideal mods if you want to "DAILY" drive or have a streetable 135....while also having ideal track viability/longevity. On the stock setup...youll push the cooling system/turbos pretty hard...and it ends up doing all sorts of damage/degradation across the powertrain. But springs leaks, causes other things to affect tune etc and so on. Possibly to do a few laps/benchmark some mods/tunes sure....but a large track session will eventually eat into your engine/cooling system/turbos. Leading to you having to do these mods/upgrades regardless.
I finally sold my 2009 135i 6 speed manual a couple of years ago. The car had 204k miles on it. It did need new turbos but it was a great car. Bought an M235i to replace it.
Wow sounds like your 135i gave you a nice life. The M235i is a proper "replacement". I am a fan and thought pretty hard between that and the 135i when I was in search of a new car. Having owned both, how does it compare? Which do you like more?
@@Shaws_Garage I loved my 135i but the M235i is a well suited replacement. I had the N54 engine in my 135i and the N55 in the M235i is a welcomed replacement. The increase in horsepower and torque is incredible. I’m going to do an MHD stage 1 tune later this year.
...awesome. I just traded my 2013 128i w/M Sport package for an M235i (with Carvana, no less). My 128i was very, very hard to part with - I really loved the look, but the M235i is a huge upgrade on about every level.
I bought a 128i i did not want to deal with turbos and the little odd and ends of the n54 n55 .Great purchase BMW does not make them like this anymore 😪 enjoy cruising in that beautiful car.
@@Shaws_Garage hi I just purchased same ext and int color spec as yours. Can you tell me if you ever had window tint on the car? I’m liking the clear windows on this space gray color.
Stage 1+ mhd will change your car. You can install it from the phone app easy. It changes everything. upgrade the chargepipe immediately. enjoy. N55 is for us folks that want the more reliable straight six turbo e82 & nothing over 400. it also sounds better than anything else
The car came with the Performance Power Kit so that extra 20hp will hold me over for a little while. But I appreciate the input for when I am ready to take it to the next level. Chargepipe already crapped on me within 2 weeks of ownership. So that was replaced with a VRSF one. Will have footage for some next videos. Thanks for watching and hope you like the channel. I am going to keep this car pretty pure, so reliability is key. And I agree on the sound!
I could probably guess! Glad you still kept the E88. Sometimes the lack of features is the greatest feature of all. Thanks for the comment. Enjoy your 1 series
damn either this heavily modified with cooling/turbo/downpipe/exhaust, chassis mounted sway bars and an approved cage with some carbon parts like a trunk/hood/fenders/bumper....and you wouldnt ever really need "MORE" of a car...proper power to weight ratio. Though thats a bit more pricey yet equally ideal for a would be endgame build. Ive been looking at gr86...but then always circle back to the 1 series...its either one of these or a 128i with some mods to power and M parts like suspension, and the 3.64 dif. If im really anxious to get into a 1 series before i save up for a 335i and all the necessary mods to make it Long term liveable/trackable. I have an I3 as my daily...and after a year im already looking at "sports" cars or something for when i dont want to drive the EV or a nice fun weekend car. These have always had my attention they dropped around when i was getting out of highschool working for the first time back then the 1 series was such a hot car...given the weight/chassis/platform and genuine "intent" behind who/what it was intended to be on the road. A gr86 may drive nice out of the box or BRZ which body rolls more ideal as a daily. But the build quality/leather etc of a BMW is hard to pass on when considering "smol" sport coupes or a smaller sport coupe with ideally 300+ HP if not near. 2:20 my thoughts exactly...as the years passed cars got heavier....more "AIDS" which just wind up getting turned off in the name of speed/usable speed mid corner...and more "sophisticated" engine "dynamics" and the piping/engine bay space to work...that comes with it too SMDH NEW BMW are fly by wire 300 FT pounds of torque at 1500rpm for casuals that have no say/ability to determine how "intuitive" a car should be/feel...driving 4300 pound "toys" with more invested in driver aids to make them "FEEL" like a good driver than needs to remotely be engineered/installed on a car.
Sounds like we’re on the same page brother. Don’t hesitate, get yourself a 135i. Don’t mess with the 86. Good cars but not as much fun as the 135i. It has the perfect power to weight. Turbo fun. Easy to make suspension stiffer. Can add power whenever you want. It’s the modern day tuner dream. DO IT!
Don't plan on ever selling either! I agree it needs some upgrades to make it more complete, and I think that is part of the fun with owning a 135i. It has the capability to compete with M cars if the owner wants to take it there. And I intend to. Thanks for watching and enjoy your 135i!
Gday mate from the the land down under in Newcastle Australia 🇦🇺 more 135i videos one of the big reasons I bought this is because of parts as I own a Holden ssv redline commodore with a 6.0lite v8 but the price of fuel at around $2 a litre here I had to go the 6 but I lost to cylinders and gain two turbos but the fuel economy is 1/4 of the v8 plus Holden closing made parts expensive for the commodore
Gday mate! The 135i is a great balance for fuel economy as well as power when you need it. And if you really wanted you could make it as fast or faster than the Holden! I wish we got the Commodore over here in the US. Such cool cars. Enjoy them both!
Sounds like they have good taste over in your country! I like the M235i, but really like the more raw driver experience that the 135i offers. Hold out for a 135i if you can. Prices should dip slightly within the next months so keep looking for that perfect spec. You wont regret it!
great video i have a bmw e 82 135 , le mans blue uk spec . had for nearly 3 years now ,its an amazing car , 306 bhp 300 lb/ft torque , from 1500 rpm all the way to 5000 rpm , truly amazing mid range grunt or pull. like to know wat its worth 59 plate , 12 years i guess / 77000 miles , fbmw history not selling i guess your looking now at between 17000 to 20 grand , as only 600 leftor registered in uk . best car ive ever had / just had michelin pilot sports fiitted / yes 6 speed manuel , tight gearbob . hyd steering. embarresed many a porsche in this car , 30 to 70 through the gears 5 secs highly recomened buying one defo investment /
Love the Le Mans Blue! Was going to get the color but changed my mind for the Space Grey. My 3000GT is blue so didn’t want to have too many blue cars 😄 Around 20k sounds about right for that spec/miles especially if we’ll maintained like yours sounds. Can’t beat the formula. 6 cylinder Turbo 6 speed manual Hydraulic steering RWD (Just missing the LSD) I continue to outpace other “more capable” cars on the Autocross tracks. This car is sneaky fast and very well balanced. It has some under steer but is very capable with proper tires and minor modifications. Front sway bar is on my horizon soon to help out. Definitely an investment car. Never sell yours!
Google knows all You won’t have any regerts with the N55 135i Almost a year now and still running strong. Update video coming soon. Good luck on your search and don’t compromise. Find your exact spec 💪
@@Shaws_Garage Hey im looking to buy a 128i 2013, and the seller is very trust worthy. It has 126k KM on it, brand new breaks, battery and winter tires never been in an accident and only 1 person ever owned it. Also red leather. Family friend will give it to me for 13.5k CAD. Im 22 and it would be my first car. Is it a good car for gas and how reliable is it?
@Shedled Hey dude thanks for the comment! Nice choice in cars by the sound of it. So to convert to US numbers thats about $10.5k USD and 76k miles. I know 135i value a bit better than 128i, but based off that info it seems like a fair price. Gas mileage in my 135i is 17mpg city and over 24 mpg highway if I keep I keep the right foot light (rarely). The 128i should get a little better mpg than that. Like any car as the miles go up (60k+) you'll need to replace items. Water pump, oil gaskets (valve cover, oil pan, oil filter housing), crank seal...basically anything rubber is bound to go bad with the age. If its on stock suspension the shocks/struts are likely worn out. If the seller has all the previous maintenance history is would help to know what to expect to replace soon. Good luck and dont be afraid of replacing some of these items. There are plenty of videos and DIYs on forums that will help you in the journey. My only advice would be to really determine if you want a 128i or a 135i. The added power in the 135i is very very fun and is plenty to keep you happy for a long time. It will cost more up front but if you get a low mileage car it will help last.
@@Shaws_Garage I like the 128I and, I might go with it. Just worry about maintenance cost. But new breaks and battery is helpful. Being winter tires too cuz I'm in Canada lol. 13.5k seems fair. I'm more into if it will last and how it runs, I hear BMW last a while. Thanks
Keep up with the maintenance and you should be solid. A lot of the parts that BMW uses are actually from other manufacturers (TRW, Lemforder, etc) so you don't always have to purchase parts listed as Genuine BMW. For example on ECS Tuning Strut Mounts from Genuine BMW $77 each while Lemforder is $29 each. Thats less than half the price. Do as much research on the N52 engine as you can and learn to do as much work on your own as possible. RU-vid is a GREAT source to find tutorials on just about anything. There is a known flaw with a Head Bolt that is aluminum and can shear off. Every BMW engine seems to have some kind of 'quirk' so best to know as much as possible before purchasing any car.
Interested in your thoughts on upgrades. I have the EXACT year, make and color accept a DCT. Doing the exhaust, software tune, inter-cooler, charge pipe and oil cooler for around 4oohp/torque. Came with a Dinan Stage 1 tune. Not sure if all of the above will be worth the bang/buck but I can't resist going for it. I am told to keep it at this hp/torque or I will need to upgrade trans (sbc stage 2 clutch, etc.)
Great choice brother! I think first thing you should do is replace the charge pipe with a VRSF or similar brand. And then take a look at the MHD for the software tune. I have limited knowledge of the DCT, but read that MHD will give you ability to tune the transmission to keep up VRSF also has Downpipe and exhaust parts. My car came with the BMW Performance Kit, so came with 320hp. That’s enough to hold me over for a bit. I’m going to address the wheels, tires, suspension and maybe LSD before I add any more power. I want to keep this cars balance intact and be able to put the down power. Enjoy your 135i and follow me along for my journey! Instagram: @shawtime22
I recently purchased a 2010 BMW Z4 35I my first BMW and I absolutely love the N54 twin turbo. I'm so in love with my Z4 I want to Buy a 2016 model also because thats the last year of the hard top. Also bought mine from Carvana and was impressed with the documentation that came with the car on it's maintenance.
@@Shaws_Garage Yep the 7 speed dual clutch stock no mods 56k on the odometer one owner.I think my 35I is rated at 333 HP and 300 ft lb of torque. Its friggin fast as hell. and corners like it's on rails. I see alot of negative comments on N54's but EVERYTHING Ive learned about the engine is they are Very strong and reliable when properly maintained and kept stock.
You won’t regret the move from the Z to the 135i. Great out the box and easy to mod. I love JDM but newer cars are hard to compete with this generation of BMWs
@@Shaws_Garage yeah I agree had a 2011 335i 10 years ago and I definitely miss it. In my opinion bmw from 2006-2013 was the best of bmw as far as performance that wasn’t “numb” feeling bc of too much technology.
Sorry dude, I guess they like the 135i twice as much where you live! Try and make it happen if you can. the 335i is great but the overall handling of the car is noticeably different. Be patient and you'll find the one.
I recently got an excellent e82 n54 135i with better turbos (pure turbos), quaife lsd, ic, b16 pss10 coil-overs, remap and much more but although it is amazing it has been converted to DCT (with dodson discs) ... It feels great but I'm thinking about it turn it into manual again ... what do you think? Would you be okay with a good dct or would you try to change it?
First off, congrats on acquiring your 135i! Sounds like it is making some big power. It is quite interesting that the previous owner swapped out the manual for an auto. But you're telling me that they put in the 7 speed DCT? If so, I believe your car would be quite rare. The N54 was only paired with the DCT for the 335is. This may elevate the value of your car, as the 135i only offered the DCT with the N55. For me personally I would not have bought a car that was not already Manual. It sounds like you'll need to put in another 2-3k to swap it back. And then hope that with all the power mods from previous owner that you don't have any issues that carried over. If you realllly want the manual, I would suggest selling your car and then looking for a low mileage manual with as minimal mods as possible. That way you know exactly what kind of history the car has. You might be able to get some good $$ if you sell, as I am sure there are lots of people that would have loved the DCT with the N54. Keep driving the DCT for a couple weeks and then youll have a good idea on whether you want that 3rd pedal!
@@Shaws_Garage Thank you so much for your thorough response! Yes it is a 7speed.. I really wanted a low millage 135i but they are super rare in my country (Greece) and this was a really good deal.... I will follow your suggestion and I will make decisions after some time that I will have a better picture.. Also congrats for your nice 135i and great vids! Cheers!
Thank you brother!! 🙏🙏 If I were to ever own a car that is automatic. I would choose the 7 speed DCT that you have. In my opinion it’s the best auto out there. No question. Report back end of April and let me know what you decide! Thanks for the support. 💪👍👌
Hi @sswany! The car has been reliable! Like any car it’s best to research what are common/known issues with specific cars/ engines. My chargepipe broke, but that’s normal. Replacing oil gaskets, and had to tighten a sway bar end link. Minimal issues within 6 months. Carvana may be “more” than a private seller, but you’ll get all the info and history you need to decide if it’s worth it. Which I think it is worth it If something is wrong they have warranty services to help cover, but expect multiple rounds of inspections/quotes to settle anything. Just be persistent and you’ll be solid. Don’t be afraid of Carvana I highly recommend it! PS: If you see a car you like on Carvana reserve it ASAP. That’s the only way I was able to acquire this spec BMW 135i. I saw it first and made it mine 🤜👍
@@Shaws_Garage - agree completely on Carvana. A bit above I mentioned I just (in Feb) traded in my 2013 128i w/M Sport package for an M235i through Carvana. My second trade with them in the past 4 months, haha. Outstanding way to buy a car.
It may be frustrating, but take your time to find the perfect one. Any extra money paid for low mileage will balance out with any cheaper high mileage car. Be patient young padawan….
i have a 2011 135i DCT 104000 plus miles Race Chip tune CSF large aluminum radiator,larger intercooler,change oil every 3000 miles dont try and pull big power out of the N55 it will cause tuning problems sooner or later Bmw spends alot of time putting these cars together big power equals big headaches.
Don’t be afraid to act fast to reserve a good one that pops up. Only takes $100 and it’s refundable. I reserved this one before pics were even available and it paid off. Gotta look everyday and early. Good luck on your hunt and don’t settle on a car that doesn’t meet every spec you want.
@@Shaws_Garage just circling back. I got one today! Black color and Red interior n55 delivery next week from Carvana. Thank you so much for the Video bro it motivated me to go for it lol
Hell yeah congrats dude!! I am so happy for you, and grateful to hear that my video helped motivate you. Its comments like this that will keep me making videos. I know you will enjoy your beauty and please share some pics with me when you receive delivery. My instagram is @shawtime22. Looking forward to following your journey as a 1 addict! Thanks for watching and I really appreciate you commenting. New video will be out this weekend and it should help you in purchasing the 1st mod you MUST do for your 135i. Also take the car to your local shop for a full inspection immediately and if there is anything wrong report it to Carvana. Good luck @Conoce a Carmine!
Congrats on your blue 135i! I was considering Le Mans Blue for a very long time before switching to the Space Grey. Once I saw the car posted on Carvana I immediately reserved it. As I am sure you have found out most of the good 135i get reserved quick so gotta act fast! Thanks for watching!
