N54 120i e87 hatch project.

[martymil]

So i said we are starting a new race car project and we are going to make it real budget conscious, I'm scavenging all the parts left
over from previous builds so it shouldn't cost more than 5k in total and use my 1m engine and manual box until I can source a cheap DCT.

This build is going full steam ahead and its going to be a real sleeper which I will track, like super sprints and roll racing.

Might do some drag racing to just to see what she can do, the whole idea was something light/powerful we can drive to/from the track and not draw any attention on a tight budget.

This is going to be crazy.

 

[aus335iguy]

Was wondering where the 1M engine was going …Nice! Good luck.

 

[martymil]

I was going to sell it but got a few dreamers thinking I would sell it for peanuts LOL.

Rather wear it out racing then give it away, going to limit the power for now.

Will be looking into a samsonas sequential setup or dct in the future but for now I'll be using the 1m box
limiting the power to make it last.

I should have it running by the end of the month, I'll install the motor and box first, wire it all up and get it going then
I sort out the brakes and suspension whilst I get the custom dual 3 inch exhaust done and tail shaft shortened.

Still have to get a m-sport bumper, ducting and undertrays.

 

[CalvinNismo]

I’ll be watching this unfold with great interest. This summer I intend to transfer my N55 135i into a Tahiti Green E87 118i that I picked up just before Christmas. I quite like the thought of keeping the SE bumpers though, with a fog light delete.

 

[aus335iguy]

I was going to sell it but got a few dreamers thinking I would sell it for peanuts LOL.

Rather wear it out racing then give it away, going to limit the power for now.

Will be looking into a samsonas sequential setup or dct in the future but for now I'll be using the 1m box
limiting the power to make it last.

I should have it running by the end of the month, I'll install the motor and box first, wire it all up and get it going then
I sort out the brakes and suspension whilst I get the custom dual 3 inch exhaust done and tail shaft shortened.

Still have to get a m-sport bumper, ducting and undertrays.

Would 1M panels fit ?

 

[martymil]

Would 1M panels fit ?

Yes the front guards and bumper would fit but I'm going for a stealth look.

I’ll be watching this unfold with great interest. This summer I intend to transfer my N55 135i into a Tahiti Green E87 118i that I picked up just before Christmas. I quite like the thought of keeping the SE bumpers though, with a fog light delete.

I hope your ready for some hair pulling, I know my electronics but I'm getting my mate to wire it up for me and code it all as the mechanical is the easy part and nothing to it.



On another note, my original idea was getting and f20 wreck for the electronics and a f80 for the drive line but that would be a 100k exercise
as I know it would turn into another major project and I wouldn't drive it as to much hard sweat and labour went into it for me to play with it.

I love my e series cars and wanted something I can use up all my parts I collected on over the years and race it.

The conversion starts in 2 weeks as I have my mates 135i single turbo to finish, just a small number of things to do like rear brakes and rebuild the tail shaft as my house looks like a BMW workshop at the moment with BMW's, trailers and trucks tying up the whole street and neighbours must love me. LOL.

 

[martymil]

Fixed all the little faults with the car today, updated all the software in all the modules getting ready for the electronics side of things.

Decided to leave all the outside completely stock and going to do custom coolers instead.

Put 19" 335i wheels on and also starting the m3 suspension and diff swap this week.

Trying to source a full black interior this week from a late model e87.

Going to rip the ugly wrap of the roof off later and rewrap it in a nice black or something close to factory color.

 

[CalvinNismo]

I hope your ready for some hair pulling, I know my electronics but I'm getting my mate to wire it up for me and code it all as the mechanical is the easy part and nothing to it.

I am intending to transfer the whole 135i into the E87, basically the same process as a re-shell. That seemed like the most reliable way to minimise my electronic headaches! My E87 is also fairly light on options, so I want as many of those as possible from my E82.

On another note, my original idea was getting and f20 wreck for the electronics and a f80 for the drive line but that would be a 100k exercise
as I know it would turn into another major project and I wouldn't drive it as to much hard sweat and labour went into it for me to play with it.

Do you think an F8X rear end would bolt up fine? They can be had for not much money (relatively) over here in the UK, so I looked into them briefly. I also thought about getting an F1X M5/M6 diff' for the internals as that is a 3.15 ratio instead of the F8X 3.46, would've paired nicely with a Turner rear mount utilising 2 rear bushes. I was worried about driveline heights and prop' shaft angles though, and a DCT M3 rear end popped up in good condition for a reasonable price (more than an F8X rear end) so I jumped on that.

Decided to leave all the outside completely stock and going to do custom coolers instead.

Put 19" 335i wheels on and also starting the m3 suspension and diff swap this week.

Are you going to re-use your MFactory prop'?

Trying to source a full black interior this week from a late model e87.

Your current one looks like a Lemon interior with Sport seats, should be easy to sell on, it's not a common interior colour over here.

 

[martymil]

A re-shell is basically the only way without having someone that really knows BMW electronics.

I"m using a e92 m3 rear end as I had one from my salvaged m3, don't think the F series will work.

Going to do a custom drive shaft, the front half will work but rear will have to be shortened and whole thing balanced.

The seats are in horrible condition and cant be salvaged, I have electric seats in black so all I really need is
door trims and leave the back seat out and tint the rear doors and back window as dark as possible so you cant see in.

Eventually get a half cage welded in to make it a bit stiffer and safer as I'm going to race it on private track days.

 

[martymil]

stock rear end out getting ready for the m3 rear cradle today

 

[martymil]

All suspension and brakes from a 1m/m3 dusted

Need to rebuild the axels and the engine swap is happening next weekend.

Should be done in about 2 weeks as I still have to make a custom drive shaft
and a custom exhaust which will take the longest.

 

[martymil]

Engine out and cleaning and detailing it is almost done.

Dressing the engine and fixing a few oil leaks, refreshed the turbos while we are at it.

 

[martymil]

Baby Frankenstein is coming together tonight and will be rolling, hopefully fully wired up and coded by the end of the weekend.

 

[martymil]

As promised she is in and ready for final assembly and a few custom parts to be made.

Not going to finish her of just yet as lot of custom wiring needs to be made and since
the front end is off and things will be easier to get to.

 

[martymil]

Didn't realize one of the front hubs were bent so I had to replace that.

Whilst I had the suspension apart I replaced the front springs with H&R as it was sitting like a 4wd on the front.

Installed the 1m shifter.

Installed the whole 1m radiator support and both side cooler ducts.

Need new headlight support brackets as they are different.

One of my spare axels was a little notchy so I pulled the cover off to find a broken bearing cage, waiting on a new
axel as m3 bearings are unobtanium.

To my surprise the e87 wheel base looks the same as 1m and everything just bolts up.

Installed the mid pipes to check length and fitment, just have to make a link pipe to the stock muffler and
straight pipe the factory 120i muffler with a 3.5 inch pipe.

Custom drive shaft with the stock front half from a 1m and the rear is a shortened e60 m5 unit which is a lot
beefier, should hold my power needs.

Picked up a m3 booster and master cylinder, abs unit will be pulled from my old 335i race car and coded with the 1m software.

Using the Ikmos ecu, cas, cluster and key from my 1m.

Installed my custom fuel LPFP system.

So much work, most don't realize whats involved to do one of these.

The mechanical is the easy part, next week its going to my mates place to get custom wired, lots of things to ad the 120i never
came with like the ekp, yaw sensor, 1m clock spring and lots of other things.

This is a 40 to 50 hr wiring job as the modules will have to be repined and new wiring run so all the factory stuff talks nicely to each other.

 

[wheela]

Really interesting to watch this come together, and so fast! Thanks for sharing this project!

 

[martymil]

80 hrs into the project and still at least another 50 to go plus wiring.

Lots of finicky stuff to do if one wants it perfect.

Picking up a whole black interior for it sometime this week or have the option to get a 20k mile cream interior as the current is in really poor condition.

The car will need a respray or wrap at some stage.

 

[martymil]

Still waiting on a new rear left axel.

Had to change the rear left wheel bearing as it was toast, what a mission.

Fitted up the down pipes and mid pipes.

Refilled the power steering and rechecked all the fluids.

Order new headlight support brackets as the 120i ones are different to 135i and 1m, I had to source them
of a 125i with halogen lights as xenons are different.

This is a true Frankenstein bin parts special, it has about 5 different models in it. LOL

 

[martymil]

Frankie is running.

20220302_071159.mp4

MP4 File

1drv.ms

 

[martymil]

From start to running in less than 2 weeks. LOL