cali_beemer

{Newbie Alert}

So i inherited this car from my dad. It has 103,762 as of 8/28/11. I used to like the 17" M rims that are on it but they are going out of style and are a little nicked by curb.

Things i want to do or get:
-new exhaust system
-new rear bumber or way to convert it to something similar to dinan(ie. twin exhaust not quad)
-new wheels/ride height
-a way to get more power from the motor cheaply
-ether new tailights or modify existing ones

Now im not saying i cant live without these things. I would for sure drive this car with or with out the modifications. I am just asking if anybody has any ideas about products or threads for DIY. I also am asking you to keep it kind of cheap. I am a senior in high school and do not have a lot of money. Thank you all for your support.

balbs

Dude, that is a sweet car for a high school kid...more power to you

I understand that new stuff is awesome stuff, but over all, how does the car look? How is the paint and body? Was it neglected and need polishing? Are there any dings? While new stuff will make it look nice, why not make an already beautiful car look like new again. There's alot of DIY on detailing which you can start with.

New wheels and a modified suspension may look nice, but personally, it gets cheapened if the new wheels are next to swirled or oxidized paint.

For an 11 year old car, I think restoring it to looking new would be the better and probably cheaper route to start with.

BTW...post pics of the ride man!

balbs

BTW, check out this E39 makeover thread:

https://5series.net/forums/topic/83766-my-project/

PlanB

I went to highschool with this guy that was gifted his dad's 'old' Porsche 356 Cabrio. It was restored to bone stock, and it was so sweet! Super classy yet easily stood out amongst the Camaros, GTIs, etc.

My point is exactly what balbs said, start with getting that thing like showroom new, then work on some subtle mods. You'll find that restoring it to its' old glory is just as pimpy as new wheels

Dunne44

I love the stock wheels on my 01 540 sport the only thing i would change my wheels to are m6 wheels they are awesome. I'm going to install m5 bumpers and mirrors on mine. It's all about what you want.