Jake's Epic BMW 135i Build Thread! (5+ Years of Ownership)

[suspenceful]

I made it to the drag strip the other day and want to share the results! I am now one of four manual N54-powered vehicles in the 10s... in the world!

2560 DA
Log: https://datazap.me/u/suspenceful/1090-1369-mph?log=0&data=1-4

Adjustments I made to the car:

• Replaced my blown stock shocks with Competition Engineering drag shocks for a 60s-70s Ford
• Fresh NGK 97506 spark plugs gapped to 0.022"
• Implemented 2-step/antilag (didn't hold RPM consistently)
• Installed a clutch slipping device (didn't work properly)
• Removed back seats and interior trunk panels (~50-100lbs)

Dragy results from the same pass:

[KaiserRolls]

Turn it up!

[suspenceful]

KaiserRolls said:

Turn it up! 

She's got another 2-3psi in her 

[B C]

Only one in the 10's still on stock diff?

Cool to see how accurate Dragy is.  Before smartphones were a thing I nearly bought a G-tech, there is no point now with how good phone apps are

[Rekpoint]

The picture 2nd from bottom looks like its from Forza or some video game. I dig it LOL

[SteelBlue]

Rekpoint said:

The picture 2nd from bottom looks like its from Forza or some video game. I dig it LOL

Saturation, clarity, vibrance:

[GunMetalGrey]

B C said:

Cool to see how accurate Dragy is.

I had always questioned the accuracy of it, but the dragy app compared to the time slip really proves how accurate it is. 
Impressive stuff for sure!

[suspenceful]

B C said:

Only one in the 10's still on stock diff?

Cool to see how accurate Dragy is.  Before smartphones were a thing I nearly bought a G-tech, there is no point now with how good phone apps are

You just made me look it up... yes, only manual in the 10's with stock diff. The other three guys all have an LSD, some with upgraded axles as well.

Rekpoint said:

The picture 2nd from bottom looks like its from Forza or some video game. I dig it LOL

Yeah, Mike Heffner is his name. Super cool guy, glad he shared some pics he took with me.

GunMetalGrey said:

I had always questioned the accuracy of it, but the dragy app compared to the time slip really proves how accurate it is. 
Impressive stuff for sure!

Yeah, it's really an awesome device. Tracks many more things in addition to the 1/4 mile as well!

[Rekpoint]

Just saw Burger Motorsports on FB gave you a shoutout!

[patsbimmer1]

Nice job!  That's pretty impressive man.  Kudos to you.

[wasnt m3]

Congrats, very impressive! Any future plans to get that 60' down?

[YoungCR]

Congrats!

[suspenceful]

patsbimmer1 said:

Nice job!  That's pretty impressive man.  Kudos to you.

Thanks Pat!

wasnt m3 said:

Congrats, very impressive! Any future plans to get that 60' down?

Eventually I'll get an LSD, some bias-ply slicks, etc. More practice will help too.

YoungCR said:

Congrats!

Thanks!

[Jdesign]

Congrats man!!

Keep going, you are very close to being THE fastest. 

[suspenceful]

Jdesign said:

Congrats man!!

Keep going, you are very close to being THE fastest. 

Thanks! I'm aiming for mid 10's next time, which would put me at the fastest manual position!

[suspenceful]

I removed that clutch device and returned the lines back to stock and re-bled the system. Glad I got that thing out.

After running that 10 second pass in my 135i, I was really curious what it weighed. So, I found a local weigh station and put it on the scale. I even brought my stock BMW 335i to find out the difference in weight between the two.

135i weighed 3,300lbs without a driver.

335i weighed 3,600lbs without a driver.

For more details, like the weight reduction I've already done on the 135i and how much gas each car had, check out my video below. I ripped the 135i at the beginning, so it's worth watching anyways.

[REKIII]

You and the GF need some cheeseburgers, lol.  If you ever want your car to loose a 10th in the quarter, have me drive.  hahahaha.

Nice vid.

[suspenceful]

Ghassan Automotive (engine building company) is looking to sponsor their next BMW engine build. As you all know, that's one of the last pieces of the puzzle for this car. To improve my chances of getting sponsored for this build, YOU can help!

Simply just click this link and 'like' my comment: https://www.facebook.com/GhassanAuto/posts/994401244286533?comment_id=994794597580531&comment_tracking={"tn"%3A"R"}

[suspenceful]

As I continue to go down the rabbit hole of weight reduction/track-inspired modifications... bucket seats were next up on the list.

With a budget of $1,000 shipped for a pair of seats and hardware to mount them, I started my search. Ideally, that price would include sliders because other people drive my car and a fixed seat would be inconvenient. I didn’t want fancy, reclining seats because I'm doing this to save weight. I was tempted to go with a pair of cheap NRG seats from eBay, but decided against it. Buying the cheapest possible safety equipment doesn't seem like a good idea.

That's when I stumbled on Corbeau's website and found some attractive, affordable options. I narrowed it down to their FX1 Pro seats for $339 each and E92 (E8X/E9X) brackets with sliders for $119 each. Quality, name brand stuff totaling up to $916, just within my budget!

A few days later and I had a package waiting at home.

Out with the old...

Seat installed on bracket and buckle swapped over...

All done!

I will admit, these seats are pretty comfortable for being a race seat. If I were taking the car on a cross-country road trip, I’d prefer the stock seats… but when will I be taking this car on a cross-country road trip? I’m much happier that my body isn’t flopping around when I’m ripping around the track!

I ordered a pair of 8″ seatbelt extenders so I could snake the belt through the seat. This allows me to buckle up within the seat instead of over the top of the seat.

Surprisingly, the stock seats weigh a massive 59.6 lbs! For comparison, the FX1 Pro and bracket weigh 27.4 lbs. That’s a difference of 32.2 lbs, bringing the total weight loss to 64.4 lbs for the front seats. I’ll take it! I also previously removed the rear seats, which saved about 55 lbs.

Next up; a carbon fiber sunroof delete and carbon fiber door panels!

Oh wait... airbag lights...

I used the ProTool app by BimmerGeeks to get rid of these error codes. Simply connect an Android tablet to your car with a K+DCAN cable and OTG adapter, open up ProTools and go to work!

Under the “Safety” section > MRS – Airbag > Coding > Standard, we must deactivate the following options.

• Seat Mat Sensor (OC3_1)
• Driver Seat Position Sensor (SPSF_1_CD)
• Left-Side Airbag (SIDEBAG_LINKS_1)
• Passenger Seat Position Sensor (SPSBF_1)
• Right-Side Airbag (SIDEBAG_RECHTS_1)

[straight6pwr]

before i spout something I shouldnt, did Corbeau pay you in anyway in exchange for your review?