Most Worthwhile Mods

[540iVTAKyo]

What are some of the best fixes you have done, can do, or should do with your car?

My friend is looking for stuff to do with his E34.

[ESSSupreme]

http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Upgrade/Recipe.htm

[GumbysE34]

Buy a 540i/6 over a 525i/5 :shifty

[5tre5i]

Buy a 535i over a 525i/5 :shifty

fixed :D

[JesterMX6]

haha. agree with this ^^

here's my suggested list: (not necessarily in any order)

Performance:
Vogtlant Springs
Billy Sports
Upgraded Control arms
W.A.R. Chip
Exhaust
Turbo M30

Appearance:
Rims
Tint
Lights if you feel like it

Other:
Steering Wheel
Short Shifter
M5 Shifter surround
Recarros or Vaders (seats)
Stereo

[Stir Fry A Lot]

Clutch stop, delrin inserts, E60 ssk... wait we don't even know anything about the car besides it being an e34.

[JesterMX6]

ooooh derlin subframe inserts. forgot i still need to order a set of those.

[Stir Fry A Lot]

Aftermarket exhausts are nice not just for sound but also offer significant weight loss benefits.

[The Huff]

Mod #0: Do basic maintnance thoroughly.


Fact is, even the youngest of these is 15yrs old and probably neglected at some point.
Go through the Inspection 2 schedule and satisfy yourself all is well FIRST.

Check the thrust arm bushes / replace with poly; check the entire intake system for leaks and ensure the thing really does fire on all 8 at all revs; likewise check the exhaust for leaks (oxy leaks ahead of the cats can cause strange adaptation by the ECU - pull the DME fuse for 15mins to reset); check/change plugs - even BMW service history often ignores them and 80K+ miles on a set is easily done; Check all brake pads/disc for condition; trim out any play in the steering box; check/change all fluids.

Honestly - 'baseline' the car properly and you may find it transformed. And if you *dont* you 'll never *know* whether a mod is worthwhile (many are not!) or merely an expensive way of masking something simple/fundamental/obvious or cheap to fix properly. These are great cars (even) when standard - hence often abused. HTH.

[PorscheH6]

Wheels, drop, nice body kit. The only three things an E34 needs to look STUNNING.

[E34nication]

Need to know what kind of e34.

[87shark]

volvo lip :shifty

[garethashenden]

5 speed swap?

[ShapeShifter]

What huff said.


Manual gearboxes are not for everyone. Way too much hype on this Board. All 2.5's with a manual are still slow and will be slow. Although there's always an exemption.

Maintain it and enjoy.

Cheap easy upgrades:
shadowline
blackout kidneys

Most rewarding:
wheels
drop
tunes

[B10 BITURBO]

If you want to go on the horspowerscale.. buy a car with more power

like 525/535 -->> 540/M5 ,,, it is often the cheapest way

some of these chip modd and so on are worthless in most case IMO..

except you have a oem turbocar,,

modified exhaust is often a quite good modd,,
another suspension,, also

but it depends on your wallet,,,

i have had some E34 cars but always wanted the king of them all

so one day i bought one .. and this is the greatest E34 of them all IMO,,

ALPINA B10 BITURBO.. and that car had all the equipment or modd a human being could wish in one automobile from factory oem

not the fastest to 0-100 km or on track

but midrange and highspeed accleration is in a class of its own

over 180 mph realspeed :redspot ,,, ((beat that :devillook )) in a car from 1989

[sfgearhead]

The Huff is right.

So is B10.

But suspension, 5-speed swap and diff swap would be top of my "bang for the buck" list.

[GazM3]

volvo lip :shifty

What's the deal with the vulva lip

[Evole]

If you want to go on the horspowerscale.. buy a car with more power

like 525/535 -->> 540/M5 ,,, it is often the cheapest way

some of these chip modd and so on are worthless in most case IMO..

except you have a oem turbocar,,

modified exhaust is often a quite good modd,,
another suspension,, also

but it depends on your wallet,,,

i have had some E34 cars but always wanted the king of them all

so one day i bought one .. and this is the greatest E34 of them all IMO,,

ALPINA B10 BITURBO.. and that car had all the equipment or modd a human being could wish in one automobile from factory oem

not the fastest to 0-100 km or on track

but midrange and highspeed accleration is in a class of its own

over 180 mph realspeed :redspot ,,, ((beat that :devillook )) in a car from 1989

Except for that the king is an m5 :)
NA power!!!!!

JK - wish i had an alpina!

[B10 BITURBO]

Except for that the king is an m5 :)
NA power!!!!!

JK - wish i had an alpina!

Ok if the M5 is the king the BT is the LORD :evil2

I had an E34 M5 S38B36 and liked it a lot better as a dailydriver,, vs BT
the steering responce and so on ..

but i have a S38B38 in my E30 cabrio and i like that engine more vs B36

[Evole]

Ok if the M5 is the king the BT is the LORD :evil2

I had an E34 M5 S38B36 and liked it a lot better as a dailydriver,, vs BT
the steering responce and so on ..

but i have a S38B38 in my E30 cabrio and i like that engine more vs B36

Baller!!!

[Schneider]

but i have a S38B38 in my E30 cabrio and i like that engine more vs B36

HA ! How light is the e30 cabrio? Is faster than the B10 right ? :)

[BoldUlysses]

Mod #0: Do basic maintnance thoroughly.

...

Honestly - 'baseline' the car properly and you may find it transformed. And if you *dont* you 'll never *know* whether a mod is worthwhile (many are not!) or merely an expensive way of masking something simple/fundamental/obvious or cheap to fix properly. These are great cars (even) when standard - hence often abused. HTH.

+1

Funny how half the cars you see broken down by the side of the highway are riced-out Civics or Camrys with fart can mufflers, shopping cart wings and racing stripes. The money obviously went somewhere besides basic maintenance...


Manual gearboxes are not for everyone. Way too much hype on this Board.

Not to derail the thread, but...

??? Not for everyone, sure—not for soccer moms or senior citizens, but... What's the point of owning a car with performance inclinations if you can't row your own gears? If I had to get a BMW with a slushbox a manual would be the first mod on my list after getting the car back to 100%.


but i have a S38B38 in my E30 cabrio and i like that engine more vs B36

Pics please! :eyecrazy

-Matt

[PorscheH6]

What's the point of owning a car with performance inclinations

This is a BMW 5-series we're talking about, not an RX8, S2000, or Miata.

Lots of people have badass E34 cruisers with slushboxes.

I will say the autobox supplied with the B40 is an slow hunk of crap, but I can't say that a manual E34 would be for everyone.

[David325e]

Ok if the M5 is the king the BT is the LORD :evil2

I had an E34 M5 S38B36 and liked it a lot better as a dailydriver,, vs BT
the steering responce and so on ..

but i have a S38B38 in my E30 cabrio and i like that engine more vs B36
I think of the BT as the M5's mischievous brother. Not always there, not necessarily evil. But it'll put a whoopee cushion under you and laugh. Then pass you and laugh more.

[ShapeShifter]

Not to derail the thread, but...

??? Not for everyone, sure—not for soccer moms or senior citizens, but... What's the point of owning a car with performance inclinations if you can't row your own gears? If I had to get a BMW with a slushbox a manual would be the first mod on my list after getting the car back to 100%.
-Matt


95% of E34's, sports cars are not..
This is my first automatic in 20+ years. I love it.

I have another manual car for play.

[5tre5i]

I don't see the E34 as a car you'd wanna race in, it's a head turner, not a heart stopper. If I had the option of either making my 535i look good or perform well, I'd rather it look good.

[dblogo]

Mod #0: Do basic maintnance thoroughly.


Fact is, even the youngest of these is 15yrs old and probably neglected at some point.
Go through the Inspection 2 schedule and satisfy yourself all is well FIRST.

Check the thrust arm bushes / replace with poly; check the entire intake system for leaks and ensure the thing really does fire on all 8 at all revs; likewise check the exhaust for leaks (oxy leaks ahead of the cats can cause strange adaptation by the ECU - pull the DME fuse for 15mins to reset); check/change plugs - even BMW service history often ignores them and 80K+ miles on a set is easily done; Check all brake pads/disc for condition; trim out any play in the steering box; check/change all fluids.

Honestly - 'baseline' the car properly and you may find it transformed. And if you *dont* you 'll never *know* whether a mod is worthwhile (many are not!) or merely an expensive way of masking something simple/fundamental/obvious or cheap to fix properly. These are great cars (even) when standard - hence often abused. HTH.

+1 maintenance is key first. You don't need any mod until the car is back to par performance. Trust me, you'll spend plenty of money just doing the basic maintenance. After that, I would get a good suspension and sway bars to make the car handle so much better.

[E34nication]

So we still don't know which model he's talking about?

[JesterMX6]

Funny how half the cars you see broken down by the side of the highway are riced-out Civics or Camrys with fart can mufflers, shopping cart wings and racing stripes. The money obviously went somewhere besides basic maintenance...


hey this was probably the most fun, reliable, easy to maintain, accepting of my abuse and all around trouble free car i've ever owned for an extended period of time :laugh


http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9128/cornerblk640.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/5191/mx6rearwithspoileredit.jpg


http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8404/mirror640.jpg

oh yes. i can be a huge ricer when the time calls for it. that car also went 14.5 though bone stock and only cost me 800 dollars. and that includes all the rice and repairs.

[5tre5i]

hey this was probably the most fun, reliable, easy to maintain, accepting of my abuse and all around trouble free car i've ever owned for an extended period of time :laugh


http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9128/cornerblk640.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/5191/mx6rearwithspoileredit.jpg


http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8404/mirror640.jpg

oh yes. i can be a huge ricer when the time calls for it. that car also went 14.5 though bone stock and only cost me 800 dollars. and that includes all the rice and repairs.

There's so much rice in that pic you could feed an Asian Family of four, for life :stickoutt

My first car was a 1g Eagle Talon, with intake and 3 inch fart cannon (purchased like that), it was fun as hell and a cop magnet...too bad it wasn't the AWD model with the 2.0 turbo 4g63 6 bolt motor...

[B10 BITURBO]

+1

Funny how half the cars you see broken down by the side of the highway are riced-out Civics or Camrys with fart can mufflers, shopping cart wings and racing stripes. The money obviously went somewhere besides basic maintenance...



Not to derail the thread, but...

??? Not for everyone, sure—not for soccer moms or senior citizens, but... What's the point of owning a car with performance inclinations if you can't row your own gears? If I had to get a BMW with a slushbox a manual would be the first mod on my list after getting the car back to 100%.



Pics please! :eyecrazy

-Matt

no problem ,, but i will not spoil this thread,, and can not send pm,, so far

if you have an email ?? that could be a solution

[BigM62]

My favorite mod is this S/C sytem that is going in my car:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/jimmyz2/RMS2-1.jpg

[E34nication]

Is your sc going to mount on that side?

[5tre5i]

My favorite mod is this S/C sytem that is going in my car:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/jimmyz2/RMS2-1.jpg

:drool looks really nice, but may I ask what the s/c system is?

[B10 BITURBO]

My favorite mod is this S/C sytem that is going in my car:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/jimmyz2/RMS2-1.jpg

This is really cool :eyecrazy

[Evole]

I think - start with suspension. Change all the bushings and check the flex disc with center bearing on the drive shaft. Check all cv joints. Thrust arms probably need to be replaced. After that - ground controls.

[whiteghost1]

Mark D. chip or Miller MAF conversion (if applicable), lower gears in the diff + larger swaybars & lowering springs. All these will make the car more fun to drive no matter which engine or tranny you have.

[KyleCleveland]

My favorite mod is this S/C sytem that is going in my car:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/jimmyz2/RMS2-1.jpg

What year is it going to be completed?

[e34 life]

coils, duh

[Mr Project]

Lots of recommendations for springs due to the look, but IMO the M5T swaybars make a huge difference in handling with almost zero negative consequences. Springs are nice but will really require shocks to match and will certainly trade some ride quality for the improved handling. I've done both in the past and would do swaybars first (they're also cheaper and easier) unless the appearance is the main goal.

[Boogieboy]

S52 swap!:alright


Best mod that I have done so far.:devillook

[ClarkWGriswold]

Check engine light mod

[janders211]

Lots of people have badass E34 cruisers with slushboxes.

contradiction.


95% of E34's, sports cars are not..
This is my first automatic in 20+ years. I love it.

I have another manual car for play.

535i 5 speed was much more fun to drive than the supercharged 540i automatic.

Automatic = less driver control over the powerband, less throttle-wheels control, more weight, less power (I'd hate to see what an auto m20 dynos!).....none of those are 'good' things.


As for the OP's question - stiffer-lower springs probably make the biggest impact in how the car feels

[bimmernub]

Mod #0: Do basic maintnance thoroughly.


Fact is, even the youngest of these is 15yrs old and probably neglected at some point.
Go through the Inspection 2 schedule and satisfy yourself all is well FIRST.

Check the thrust arm bushes / replace with poly; check the entire intake system for leaks and ensure the thing really does fire on all 8 at all revs; likewise check the exhaust for leaks (oxy leaks ahead of the cats can cause strange adaptation by the ECU - pull the DME fuse for 15mins to reset); check/change plugs - even BMW service history often ignores them and 80K+ miles on a set is easily done; Check all brake pads/disc for condition; trim out any play in the steering box; check/change all fluids.

Honestly - 'baseline' the car properly and you may find it transformed. And if you *dont* you 'll never *know* whether a mod is worthwhile (many are not!) or merely an expensive way of masking something simple/fundamental/obvious or cheap to fix properly. These are great cars (even) when standard - hence often abused. HTH.


Amen, I couldn't have put it better myself. I bought my e34 11 months ago and have done very little 'maintenance' since, other than oil changes. I have been working hard to RESTORE the car to it's former glory. One day (and i doubt it) I may get a few upgrades, but for now I'm going all OEM (helps my friend is a service advisor for BMW and get me my parts and employee pricing!).

Huff hit on a lot of great things here. I'm finally getting to change my clutch out TOMORROW, took the exhaust off today before work and doing all the tranny ish tomorrow. Had to replace an air boot and scrub the throttle body because of intake leaks. Replaced the clutch slave and master cylinder, upper radiator hose, cabin air filter (was *&^#ing filthy, looked like it might have been the 15y/o original, lol) Replaced the exhaust manifold gaskets. My car may have been kept up with oil changes, and has a engine in good condition, but most of the maintenance was completely ignored. Need to buy spacers for my '06 335i sport edition rims i got for $360 -SET- and the next thing on my list is definitely suspension. Again, previous owner thought the car was awesome, and definitely put it through some abuse. After that, I can finally relax and do some MAINTENANCE! Flush coolant and change front brakes and rotors. *good deep sigh*Aaahhhhh, it will be a good feeling. 12k miles put on it in 11 months, plenty of elbow grease, and it already runs better than when I got it. E34life