» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | | 1999 M3 Swap 09-07-2023 10:10 PM 06-01-2024 03:04 PM 7 Replies, 409,838 Views | | My 318ti build 05-21-2024 04:48 PM 05-28-2024 06:42 PM 1 Replies, 3,627 Views | | OMG!OMG! 05-28-2024 08:53 AM 05-28-2024 08:53 AM 0 Replies, 1,441 Views | | | | | | 12-21-2007, 09:21 PM | #1 | Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NH Posts: 79 | M-tech Body Kit Details As the chance to purchase a 318ti draws ever nearer I'm interested in getting an M-tech body kit for the one I buy, cause there's a pretty good chance it won't have one. Ti's with them run almost $1000 more than those without, I think just cause of perceived value. So! What are all the parts that come with an official kit? How much does it cost? Can I get a pretty complete kit from a non-dealer/non-manufacturer? Andddd, are they that difficult/not a good idea to install yourself? My scheme is buy it cheap, build it up yourself And to clarify: I'm not looking to make the car a sport model, I just want the few M3 exterior components that spruce everything up a bit. | | | 12-21-2007, 09:51 PM | #2 | NOBODY F's with the Jesus Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ventura California Posts: 7,824 | Bad scheme. By the time you locate and purchase all of the parts and have them painted and installed, you'll end up spending the same amount if not more and your car still won't have sport seats, suspension and wheels. Keep looking for a sport if you want a sport. It also helps if you're willing to travel to pick one up. __________________ 4 MORE YEARS BABY!!! | | | 12-21-2007, 10:03 PM | #3 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Long Beach area Posts: 1,189 | Yeah, just wait it out until a sport package pops up. If you were to get a base ti and then put sport parts on it... you'll need the... Front bumper, sideskirts, rear bumper, side moldings, wheels (if you feel like you really need to...), the whole interior, and suspension bits. Keep this in mind... If you're going to get the front and rear bumpers (OEM) from the dealer, you're going to be spending more than $1000 already. -Randy __________________ 97 Jet Black 318ti Sport. Not so stock anymore!.... Now Featuring:318ti.org sticker Now featuring: Hartge exhaust|Blacked out Grilles|Front Clear Corners or Ambers depending on how I feel|325is vented front brakes|Bilstein Sports|H&R Sports|E46 RSMs w/ Z3 reinforcment plates|16" Style 45s|17" E46 M68 rims|18" Authentic Hartge Classics C|OEM M135 ZHP wheels and 99 Titan Silver 323is Dinan S1+few more mods Coming sometime in the future:...SCed 2.1...new (to me) car mod maybe?...all in one car | | | 12-21-2007, 10:04 PM | #4 | aka Stabby Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mead, CO Posts: 5,336 | Quote: Originally Posted by cooljess76 Bad scheme. By the time you locate and purchase all of the parts and have them painted and installed, you'll end up spending the same amount if not more and your car still won't have sport seats, suspension and wheels. Keep looking for a sport if you want a sport. It also helps if you're willing to travel to pick one up. | +1000000 way cheaper to buy it that way. even aftermarket m-tech parts new aren't cheap. getting all the pieces used that you'd need would likely still cost the same and getting it in the same shade as the paint already on the car (factor in sun fade, etc) is unlikely. even getting a sport, there may well be m-tech pieces you'd want to get (m3 mirrors and side skirts for eg). if you're lucky, you'll find a sport where someone has already done one of those (most likely mirrors). take your time and keep looking. __________________ 1996 318ti, California package, 267k miles current mods: bilstein sports, bavauto springs, e30 m3 LCABs, solid metal ball joints, bavauto RSMs w/reinforcements, e30 3.73 LSD & halfshafts, supersprint cat-back exhaust, turner rear sway bar reinforcements, IE poly subframe & RTABs + camber/toe kits, powdercoated e36 32x front calipers, sport mirrors, H&R 28mmF/19mmR sway bars, x-brace, auto solutions SSK w/poly bushing upgrade, BMW CD43 head unit, DICE HD Radio w/iPod integration and "stealth" HD antenna, staggered style 68s, orange electronic TPMS, leather arm rest, JT Designs metal undertray acquired and awaiting install: heated seat kit, cali top switch relo, lumbar support kit, park distance control kit, heated washer nozzle kit, m-coupe rear subframe, trailing arms, differential, and halfshafts, m-coupe front/rear brakes with master cylinder, under hood light kit, mud flaps, rear sun blind, auto-dimming rear view mirror, tilt steering wheel retrofit, apexcone 5000K HIDs with 55W ballasts 2002 X5 4.4 Sport Package, 53.5k miles Current Mods: e46 m3 steering wheel | | | 12-21-2007, 10:04 PM | #5 | Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NH Posts: 79 | Oh I'm not looking for a solid sport, I just wanna tack the bumpers on to whatever I end up getting... kinda ricer-like mntality, but I'll live. Basically I'm looking for front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and I guess anything else that is necessary for those to look right. I found the "how to install m-tech front bumper" in the knowledge base, but I'm still lost on the back one. I can't imagine skirts are too difficult though. Seats and sway bars and all that I can live without. Hence body kit. | | | 12-21-2007, 10:10 PM | #6 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Long Beach area Posts: 1,189 | Good luck finding a rear bumper, from what I've seen, the only ones that are for sale are usually from wrecked cars, or brand new from the dealer. __________________ 97 Jet Black 318ti Sport. Not so stock anymore!.... Now Featuring:318ti.org sticker Now featuring: Hartge exhaust|Blacked out Grilles|Front Clear Corners or Ambers depending on how I feel|325is vented front brakes|Bilstein Sports|H&R Sports|E46 RSMs w/ Z3 reinforcment plates|16" Style 45s|17" E46 M68 rims|18" Authentic Hartge Classics C|OEM M135 ZHP wheels and 99 Titan Silver 323is Dinan S1+few more mods Coming sometime in the future:...SCed 2.1...new (to me) car mod maybe?...all in one car | | | 12-21-2007, 10:12 PM | #7 | aka Stabby Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mead, CO Posts: 5,336 | perhaps you can sculpt some from plywood. those would be way cheaper, lol the factory sports came with m-tech front and rear bumpers, and door moldings. if you're lucky enough to find all those used, in decent condition and use rattle cans of paint matched to your body color code, i guess you could get away for around $4-500. you'd likely have to wait awhile to find deals on them. rear bumper is ti specific and so there are less donors. there are ebayers that sell m3 style mirrors for pretty reasonable prices and you could rattle can those too. __________________ 1996 318ti, California package, 267k miles current mods: bilstein sports, bavauto springs, e30 m3 LCABs, solid metal ball joints, bavauto RSMs w/reinforcements, e30 3.73 LSD & halfshafts, supersprint cat-back exhaust, turner rear sway bar reinforcements, IE poly subframe & RTABs + camber/toe kits, powdercoated e36 32x front calipers, sport mirrors, H&R 28mmF/19mmR sway bars, x-brace, auto solutions SSK w/poly bushing upgrade, BMW CD43 head unit, DICE HD Radio w/iPod integration and "stealth" HD antenna, staggered style 68s, orange electronic TPMS, leather arm rest, JT Designs metal undertray acquired and awaiting install: heated seat kit, cali top switch relo, lumbar support kit, park distance control kit, heated washer nozzle kit, m-coupe rear subframe, trailing arms, differential, and halfshafts, m-coupe front/rear brakes with master cylinder, under hood light kit, mud flaps, rear sun blind, auto-dimming rear view mirror, tilt steering wheel retrofit, apexcone 5000K HIDs with 55W ballasts 2002 X5 4.4 Sport Package, 53.5k miles Current Mods: e46 m3 steering wheel | | | 12-21-2007, 10:17 PM | #8 | Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NH Posts: 79 | Hah yeah, I'm avoiding my local dealer for parts at all costs. I'm not as set on the rear bumper as the front, but maybe I can luck out at a local junk yard. Seeing as I only know of two (running) ti's in my state, I somehow doubt the odds are in my favor. I found some store on ebay selling an M3 bumper + side skirts for just about $120, need paint. This sounds too good to be true, are any flags going up for you guys? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-3...sid=p1638.m146 | | | 12-21-2007, 10:20 PM | #9 | Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NH Posts: 79 | Ah, it looks to me like those things are made out of plastic just about a milimeter thick. That could be a problem. | | | 12-21-2007, 10:26 PM | #10 | NOBODY F's with the Jesus Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ventura California Posts: 7,824 | yuck fiberglass, and $120 + $145s/h = too much for something that won't last. If it snows or ices up where you live, the openings will form ice and as it expands you could kiss that thing goodbye. __________________ 4 MORE YEARS BABY!!! | | | 12-21-2007, 10:28 PM | #11 | aka Stabby Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mead, CO Posts: 5,336 | what the hell is "FRP"? i also wonder how one mounts up such pieces when the bolts are behind the trim on the stock bumper (from what i recall) and are molded into this bumper. note that shipping is $145 so you're now up to $265 and still need paint. i also love this type of bs: Quote: -Feedback will be left after feedback is received -All positive feedback left will receive positive feedback -All neutral feedback left will receive neutral feedback -All negative feedback left will receive negative feedback | so ... if you win, pay right away, then they don't ship the product for 2 months, you have to fight with them, they finally ship it and the product is complete crap such that you give them negative feedback ... they give YOU negative feedback? i'm guessing this is against ebay rules. if not, it damn well should be! the stock bumpers are plastic, but they're nice ... and flexible to a degree. i think many of the aftermarket ones are fiberglass ...no give, they break. __________________ 1996 318ti, California package, 267k miles current mods: bilstein sports, bavauto springs, e30 m3 LCABs, solid metal ball joints, bavauto RSMs w/reinforcements, e30 3.73 LSD & halfshafts, supersprint cat-back exhaust, turner rear sway bar reinforcements, IE poly subframe & RTABs + camber/toe kits, powdercoated e36 32x front calipers, sport mirrors, H&R 28mmF/19mmR sway bars, x-brace, auto solutions SSK w/poly bushing upgrade, BMW CD43 head unit, DICE HD Radio w/iPod integration and "stealth" HD antenna, staggered style 68s, orange electronic TPMS, leather arm rest, JT Designs metal undertray acquired and awaiting install: heated seat kit, cali top switch relo, lumbar support kit, park distance control kit, heated washer nozzle kit, m-coupe rear subframe, trailing arms, differential, and halfshafts, m-coupe front/rear brakes with master cylinder, under hood light kit, mud flaps, rear sun blind, auto-dimming rear view mirror, tilt steering wheel retrofit, apexcone 5000K HIDs with 55W ballasts 2002 X5 4.4 Sport Package, 53.5k miles Current Mods: e46 m3 steering wheel | | | 12-21-2007, 10:36 PM | #12 | NOBODY F's with the Jesus Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ventura California Posts: 7,824 | At the very least get a replica made of ABS. But I still recommend finding a Sport model, buying a cheap one-way bus or plane ticket, flying out to where it is and driving it home. A plane ticket and 2 or 3 tanks of gas will cost much less and net better results. IIRC, I spent $168 for a one way ticket to Michigan and about 200 bucks in gas driving back to California. Also FWIW, there's some really tasteful non-sports that look as good if not better than many of the sport models. Take a look at members "wasabinuki" and "marcus2116" ti's. __________________ 4 MORE YEARS BABY!!! | | | 12-21-2007, 11:11 PM | #13 | Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,224 | | | | 12-21-2007, 11:15 PM | #14 | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Eugene Oregon Posts: 6,182 | thats was a good find zboot! and fair price __________________ -Josh Sold-1995 318ti, Club Sport, Hellrot Sold-1996 318ti, Active Model, Boston Green Current- 1995 318ti, sport model, schwartz | | | 12-21-2007, 11:16 PM | #15 | Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NH Posts: 79 | I was looking at that, but I wasn't sure how I could get the paint for it if I was to do it myself... I guess I have to go to the dealer, huh? | | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |