Long time lurker, finally bought a Ti to build

[myaktine]

Hello!

Just picked up this 98 Ti 5spd after getting my 02 325iT dialed for the winter.

The Ti:
_LND0673 by Matthew Yaktine, on Flickr
_LND0668 by Matthew Yaktine, on Flickr
_LND0679 by Matthew Yaktine, on Flickr

Plans: Track car. Starting from the bottom of the car up, eventually ending with a fully gutted (aiming for 2400lbs curb weight after swap), caged, 5.0/T5 powered Ti with monster brakes and about 350whp. It's got 200k miles. We gotta start by stiffening this little car up almost 10fold what it is currently.

And my loyal daily:
DSC_0031 by Matthew Yaktine, on Flickr
DSC_0428 by Matthew Yaktine, on Flickr
DSC_0418 by Matthew Yaktine, on Flickr

Plans: Drive it to at least 500k miles. No lie. Car is a 2 owner, 120k mile dreamboat. Previous owners serviced every 10k miles without fail at a BMW dealer here in my home town. It'll probably stay bone stock, but say for instance if I find a ZHP or vert E46 salvage car while picking parts for the Ti, I might do some upgraded suspension/brakes.

I'll have a build thread going pretty soon.

Glad to be here.

-Matt

[slade13]

Nice cars. Has anyone attempted to swap in a 5.0/t5 into a e36?

[myaktine]

Originally Posted by slade13

Nice cars. Has anyone attempted to swap in a 5.0/t5 into a e36?

Yep. There's actually a local 5.0 swapped E36 M3. A website called www.e36v8.com sells most of the stuff needed to for the swap.

I live in the bible belt, where 5.0's and LSX's are pennies on the dollar, making this the most cost effective option.

[slade13]

That was pretty interesting. I see that people have also swapped in the BMW v8's too.

[Stealthbeam]

Awesome! The Ti looks great

[Sphinxe]

The Ti looks real nice! welcome to the site.

[myaktine]

Thanks everyone! Should be getting started on the Ti sometime this weekend.

[myaktine]

Well...

Turns out the little Ti project turned into a bigger Ti project. Nothing out of the ordinary though, for a 200k mile car. Cleared the garage out finally and got the car in just in time to get SLAMMED with rain. Like over a foot of rain. In under 72hrs.

Didn't take pics of most of it, as it's all maintenance stuff for the most part. Did the entire front end of suspension components and added an M-Sport swaybar with (unknown, it was used) poly bushings and RevShift Green offset control arm bushings.

Also bought a 4.10 Z3 LSD on a whim but won't be installing it until I get the rest of the rear suspension parts together.

Got it legal and got it on the road. Phase one is complete and this was taken today on it's first legal backroad cruise that got cut short by a low-water bridge.

_LND0739 by Matthew Yaktine, on Flickr

[riddleyo]

Looks great, and I love that wagon!!!