2011 128i

[Aeternalis]

I learned so much and have so much fun working on my ZHP that I decided to supplement that experience with a clean red E82 I found lurking at a Buick dealership in Killeen.



It came with lots of service history from the BMW dealer nearby in Temple. Zero mechanical issues apparent or noticeable during the test drive and the drive back to Dallas.


The automatic GM 6-speed and standard suspension make it a very comfortable, easy drive. Power or harsh, tight suspension will not be the end goal of this one as my older parents may use it occasionally. But I'm still giving it the treatment it deserves.


I first cleaned up the exterior lighting which is in decent-to-tired shape after 114k miles. The headlights are still genuine and in great condition. I regardless ordered a fresh pair of genuine euro clear corners from ECS. I think they'll be here around June - who knows.














I ordered a full set of salvaged genuine calipers off ebay for the standard brakes, then had them locally rebuilt, powder coated gloss black, and installed. Brake lines were replaced with a set of Bimmerworld stainless lines at the same time. Pads and rotors were not changed as they were quite fresh and genuine - the massive dusting on my wheels the hallmark, lol. The previous owner seemed to have the right frame of mind in taking care of the maintenance. I'll be moving to high-carbon rotors and Akebono pads along with the glut of maintenance that's happening later this week.




The interior is in wonderful shape. The seat cushions are a little dirty and worn, but nothing ridiculous. Unfortunately it came with fake wood trim, which I can't stand. I sourced a full set of satinsilber, with the final piece coming from Latvia.. at some point. The photos of the four pieces you see on ECS for this trim are probably in my car now, which is kind of cool. In the meantime I did the dash and doors.








Satinsilber almost perfectly matches the color I picked for the sway bars, brackets, and springs.






Fresh chrome line door sills from FCP Euro. Liftetime guarantee for these will pay dividends in the future.





Yesterday I installed a BAF Motorsport rear k-brace that my local coater did an incredible job on.


Trim out.


Test fit.


Trim modifications.










Stay tuned. Lots more fun to come. Give Drew a shout at Unit F14 Powder Coating if you're looking for some quality powder or cerakote in the DFW area. https://unitf14.com/

[Vas]

Looks great. Looking forward to more updates

I also have a family member that owns a 128i and I have worked on it occasionally. Great fun car

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using Tapatalk

[Oli77]

Yes, fresh new chassis! Looks like serious maintenance is in the works.
Great work so far

[Aeternalis]

Left it with my shop today for a few days of TLC.




The timing was apparently perfect. I love this place.

[Aeternalis]

I made a goofy mistake and ordered two front left struts. Overnighted a right-side strut from FCP Euro.

One of the new high carbon rear rotors was labeled correctly but had the wrong rotor inside the box. Top shelf Centric QC. Overnighted another from Rock Auto.

The new wheels and tires look incredible.

[ZHPizza]

Awesome thread awesome car! I didn't realize that K brace was still available. How do you like it??

[Aeternalis]

Awesome thread awesome car! I didn't realize that K brace was still available. How do you like it??

I noticed a big difference immediately. Plus it looks incredible! But this car also has the base suspension which didn't come with a rear stabilizer to begin with - so anything that helped the body roll would naturally shine bright. I'm eager to see how it feels with the addition of the 12mm rear stabilizer when I get the car back next week.

If anyone's interested, I ordered mine directly from BAF Motorsport in the UK. They offer an uncoated option for a few dollars less if you have plans for a specific color/powder like I did.

https://www.bafmotorsport.co.uk/prod...ar-strut-brace

[Aeternalis]

A bigger post is coming when I feel like writing it. For now, I'll leave this here.

[Aeternalis]

Supersprint muffler installed. With the rear cats and stock resonator retained, it's quieter than stock but with a "smoother" note. Hard to describe, but it's quite nice.



I'll remove the stock resonator. I've planned on a 15 degree y-merge into a single 2.5" pipe after the rear catalysts into a Vibrant Ultra Quiet resonator to reduce weight and improve flow now that I know the muffler does serious work in managing volume and resonance.

[ZHPizza]

Wow I can't believe it's actually quieter than stock! When I first drove mine home I had to watch the tach to shift as I couldn't hear the engine at all.

I did test drive one with only a muffler delete and it sounded perfect -- like a stock ZHP. I ended up installing an N55 135i muffler assuming I'd be adding headers down the road.