Having had a borrowed BMW 135i Coupe for over a year now, we're finally starting to make progress on its transformation. Last month we installed the new BMW Performance front spoiler and side skirts, plus a carbon rear wing and diffuser. We also swapped our 19" wheels for the BMW Performance options.
All these parts are from BMW's exciting new range of aftermarket accessories that are available from your local dealership. They're major benefits are OE quality and OE fit. Additionally, they won't invalidate your warranty and won't adversely affect the performance of your car. Furthermore, you can include the price of the parts in your car loan if you buy them from new, meaning you'll only add a few dollars to your repayments each month.
In this issue, we're going to concentrate on the interior parts we fitted to our 135i. And in the third installment we'll fit and dyno test the BMW Performance exhaust system, fit the short shifter and look at the suspension upgrades. As always, we don't have space for every step of the installation process here, but 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.
Many of the parts we've fitted are a simple DIY proposition. However, as we'll see here, others require specialized tools or knowledge. Therefore, we opted to have our parts fitted by our local dealer, South Bay BMW in Torrance, CA. We wanted to examine the typical dealer process and see the recommended method to install the parts.
Although dealer labor rates are obviously more expensive than an independent specialist, you do get five-star treatment. South Bay BMW even has an on-site caf, gift/parts shop and impressive sales area. Furthermore, the staff was extremely helpful and explained each step of the process.
For our interior work, we were provided with a dedicated technician - Derek Vieira - who walked us through the fitting process. He also showed us his trusty plastic blade, which is an indispensable tool when working on modern cars. Its slim point allows the tool to be inserted without damaging plastic components as a screwdriver might. It can then pry the parts off without damaging the delicate clips that secure them. We strongly recommend you invest in such a tool if you tackle these jobs.
As we said, 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. You then click on the BMW Performance menu on the left side of the page. Then work through the options, which have prices listed. 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 includes painting when necessary.Although these BMW parts may be slightly more expensive than some aftermarket equivalents, you are paying for genuine BMW components of impeccable quality, and your warranty will be intact after fitting, which is usually worth the extra money in our opinion.