Jake's Epic BMW 135i Build Thread! (5+ Years of Ownership)
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I finally saved up enough $$$$ and picked up an engine from a local junkyard.
It came out of a 2008 335i 6MT with 91,223 miles. The car was hit pretty hard on the driver's side, so I'm not worried about flood damage or anything like that. It was also modified, so I'm hoping it was taken care of by an enthusiast.
I've noticed all index 11 injectors, an RB PCV valve/cap, and it looks spotless under the oil cap. No sludge, grime, buildup, or discoloration. Hoping this is a sign of frequent oil changes.
Hoping to start tearing the car apart so I can remove the blown motor and swap everything over before the end of the year!
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Exciting stuff!!
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A quick Google search of the VIN that the engine was from brought up some interesting results.
The car was definitely modded...
This is what I thought it looked like:
https://bayauto.com/used-parts/BMW/BMW_335I/BH1363/2008
Looks like it was for sale in Chicago with 82k miles a year or two ago. Whoever crashed it, put it as back to stock as they could before sending it to the scrap yard.
I reached out to a few dealerships that came up in it's service history, asking if they had documentation for the car. Anything is better than nothing, just because I'm a curious guy.
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After more creeping, I found the last owner before the car was junked. He had an outstanding friend request to me on Facebook that I never accepted. Last picture he posted with the car was in February of this year. I just messaged him for more info. I should be a detective.
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This is amusing to me.
I also fear for the condition of the motor slightly lol -
This is amusing to me.
I also fear for the condition of the motor slightly lolYeah, after figuring out it was him, my hope that it had been well taken care of went right out the window.
I think I'm gonna have to compression test this one on the stand before doing anything else... and look up the return policy.
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Obviously I'll keep this thread up-to-date with whatever I end up figuring out.
Why didn't you just pull one of the engines out of the 7 BMW's you sold over the last 3 days? One should have been good
The cars are worth a lot more when they have a good running engine
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That facebook post is certainly scary!
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I sorta know him, I was going to buy his white E92 when I was on the hunt for a 335. He told me his dad owns a truck shop of some kind, I can look up that conversation if you want/need, and that he does all his own work out of that shop. Edit: Just looked, the shop is called Toys for Trucks
I'd be curious to know how long ago that car was junked, because he just recently sold the white one I was going to buy, just before I sold my 330.Good luck finding out more, hopefully the engine is sound. I want to see your car running (and I need your spare parts).
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Wouldn't it be safe to say that any modded n54/n55 has been driven hard? Lol I mean, why add power to not use it
I'd say there's a difference between driven hard and abused. I drive the shit out of my car but I wouldn't say it gets abused. There's a certain level of care that has to go above and beyond what's normal if you're going to drive a car hard.
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Wouldn't it be safe to say that any modded n54/n55 has been driven hard? Lol I mean, why add power to not use it
Yeah, but it's different when the car is actively maintained versus being put away wet. From what I've heard and seen of the previous owner, it isn't someone I'd like to buy a $3000 engine from... especially to rely on at high power levels.
I sorta know him, I was going to buy his white E92 when I was on the hunt for a 335. He told me his dad owns a truck shop of some kind, I can look up that conversation if you want/need, and that he does all his own work out of that shop. Edit: Just looked, the shop is called Toys for Trucks
I'd be curious to know how long ago that car was junked, because he just recently sold the white one I was going to buy, just before I sold my 330.Good luck finding out more, hopefully the engine is sound. I want to see your car running (and I need your spare parts).
Gotcha. The car was wrecked at the very beginning of the year and junked a few months later. I think the scrapyard had it for a month or two now.
I still have full bolt ons for stock turbos for sale, and am contemplating selling my upgraded twin setup in exchange for a single turbo.
I'd say there's a difference between driven hard and abused. I drive the shit out of my car but I wouldn't say it gets abused. There's a certain level of care that has to go above and beyond what's normal if you're going to drive a car hard.
Exactly!
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Started on this the other day. Took the whole front clip off. Drained oil and coolant. Removed intake, intercooler, intake manifold, injector and coil harness, disconnected coolant lines, vacuum lines, electrical clips, etc. Forgot the car has A/C stuff in it still so I quit and pushed it back in the corner.
I honestly haven't had much motivation to work on this car, I don't know why.
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