It's been over a year since we took delivery of our borrowed BMW 135i Coupe and almost as long that we've been waiting for BMW's vaunted Performance Parts range to be available.
We previewed the exciting catalog of parts for the 1- and 3-Series in previous issues and have been patiently counting the days until we could take a look at them in person.Why are we so excited about the Performance Parts range? There are several reasons but try these for size: they're OE quality, fit like OE, won't invalidate your warranty and won't be detrimental to the performance of the car. What's more, you can add them to your car loan if you buy them from new, meaning they'll only add a few $$ each month to your repayments.
In this issue, we're going to look at the cosmetic parts we fitted to our 135i. In the next issue we'll examine the interior parts, including some amazing carbon fiber pieces and the much talked about steering wheel with LCD display for g-force, oil temp, lap times and even shift lights.In the third installment we'll fit and dyno test the Performance Parts exhaust system and look at the suspension upgrades. Finally, we're making some real headway with our project car!
Although we don't have space for every step of the installation process here, you can find a more detail version of this story online at www.eurotuner.com And check out BMW's website (accessories.bmwusa.com) for the full list of Performance parts available for your car.
Dealer Fit
As part of the experience, we wanted to examine the typical BMW dealership process. In the past this hasn't always gone smoothly with other manufacturers, but would BMW be different?
We contacted the local South Bay BMW and booked the car in. From the moment we were greeted at the service area to when we left at the end of the day, it was five-star treatment. With its on-site caf, gift/parts shop and impressive sales area, this modern BMW dealership is a wonderful environment. The staff were extremely helpful and explained each step of the process.
And because we were photographing the installations, we were provided with a dedicated technician - Derek Vieira in the workshops for the interior parts, and Robert "Ivan" Dias in the bodyshop. We were also looked after by Robert Armbrust, Esvin Hernandez and Juan Vela, who ensured nothing went wrong.
As you'll see over the coming months, several parts are relatively simple to fit on a DIY basis. However, others require more advanced tools and/or experience, in which case a BMW dealer or BMW specialist would be your best option.
You can view all the BMW Performance Parts at accessories.bmwusa.com When you visit the site it will allow you to select your vehicle, then click on the BMW Performance menu. You can then work through the options, which are listed with prices. There's also the ability to link to your local dealer (since you can't order the parts directly online) where the parts price is listed as well as the fitted price, which will include painting when necessary.
Although the parts can be slightly more expensive than some aftermarket equivalents, you are paying for genuine BMW components of impeccable quality, and your warranty will be intact, which is usually worth the extra money.
Paint
With several parts available in carbon fiber, the only pieces that needed painting were the front spoiler and side skirts. What's more, these parts are delivered already in primer. So all that South Bay had to do was scuff prep them with a fine sandpaper to give the paint a surface to grip. The parts were then thoroughly cleaned to remove oil from skin contact, dust, static, etc. Not doing this can cause the paint to chip and flake later.
A water-borne silver base coats was then applied. It was based on BMW's paint code but was individually tinted to exactly match the car. Finally, a thermal-set polyurethane top-coat was mixed with a flex agent and applied to the plastic parts. This would give the paint a hard but flexible shell to withstand every day knocks.
The South Bay bodyshop uses two spray booths on a full-time basis and has extensive preparation areas. So once our panels were buffed and ready, our 135i was taken into an area set aside and followed the installation process.
Front spoiler
Supplied as a complete front bumper, removal of the stock part was straightforward and only took a few moments. The Performance Parts replacement, once painted, fits quickly, although there are some things you need to check when ordering. For instance, our bumper was supplied with a headlight washer kit as an upgrade for cars without this feature. It was also supplied with the wrong brake ducting, so we no longer have brake cooling until we obtain the correct parts. Hopefully, the dealer will help you order the correct parts depending on whether you have a 128i or 135i with or without lamp washers.
There was also some confusion about the support piece that fits under the car. This is again intended for the 128i, which doesn't get the 135i's M spoilers as stock. However, we ended up using the new piece because it seemed to offer extra support.