# New car time - BMW M135i first wash



## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

well i said a few years (on this very forum) ago how is love one of these eventually and im very pleased to say i finally committed to it.










the M135i's mix of usability, practicality and rear drive performance had me monitoring the used market for a few years now even since reading the review in EVO magazine and youtube videos by Chris Harris. its only recently since BMW launched the M235i that values have begun to reach the level that was affordable to me.

here a few pictures of the car before i collected it




























the car was very well spec'd when ordered new. heres a quick run down of the car and options:

alpine white 5 door sheel
heated red leather interior
harmon kardon sound system
professional navigation 
advanced bluetooth
Msport adaptive dampers
ZF 8 speed gearbox
extended storage
adaptive lights with auto high beam assist

the list goes on. the main items i wanted were the 5 door shell, gearbox and dampers but things like the nav are a great bonus.

the first wash happened about a week after taking delivery. the car had been well cleaned up and protected by bmw but as usual the details had been overlooked

grills and ducts were first rinsed, cleaned with G101 1:10 the valet pro brushes and rinsed





































the wheels were in a good condition apart from the lip on the outside face with on the front is full of brake dust. something i'll tackle when the wheels are removed and properly cleaned before coating with C5




























bilt hamber auto wheel and rinsed off.

mix of W4 & OOC used as a pre wash




























after washing AF lather and using sonax BSD as a drying aid it was obvious from the furry texture of the paint it was in despirate need of decontaminating. tiny black and brown spots covered every inch of the paintwork and as fallout remover and tardis did nothing i can only assume the car was parked near trees etc by its first owner! 

so began evenings claying the car with bilt hamber medium clay

after claying the side windows!!



















it took a long time to make sure i got every last spec off the paintwork and glass but thankfully it did eventually come clean and restored a lot of gloss to the paint. once clayed i wiped the panes down and coated with sonax polymer net-shield and the glass with Gtechniq G1























































the car spent a night outside whist i was detailing another car which made for some great beading from both G1 and PNS as usual





































then back in the garage and more claying! the only clay that was strong enough to remove it was the bh stuff. light clays such as AF and chemical guys didnt touch it.










with the car finally decontaminated and protected i applied C4 to the plastic and rubber trim on the car. dropping all the windows made it easier to coat the rubbers fully.




























sonax wheel sealant was used as a short term solution to protecting the wheels and sonax gel dressing on the tyres










grills and other chrome effect plastics were polished with scholl S3 before protecting




























thats as far as ive gone for now and i can at least rest easy knowing the paint is clean and protected and enjoy driving the car a bit more before machining the paint, engine bay and interior etc

thanks for reading



















as all these pictures so far have been with my phone it doesnt show just how much better the paint looks. i'll be sure to use the DSLR next time :thumb:

Dave


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## SPARTAN (Nov 20, 2014)

Lovely car. I bet you're thrilled to bits to finally get one. :thumb:


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## Prestige car care shop (Mar 29, 2014)

Congrats on the new cars. I really like the new model 1 series its a lot more rounded than the old models. Looks the business


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## Zetec-al (Feb 28, 2011)

I love these cars!! Very nice.


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## JamesE (Mar 2, 2015)

Looks really good bet you're glad you now know it's clean, hope you enjoy it


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## AdamC (Jan 31, 2013)

Congrats, great machines. Looks a great example.


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## Stu Mac (Aug 18, 2014)

Lovely looking motor . It is hard to tell on white cars especially on phones. Cracking job so far though and I ll look forward to seeing the rest of your hard work. What are your plans for your paintwork after S3 ?


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## ibiza55 (Feb 22, 2008)

Lovely jubbly motor


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## spyder (Jun 15, 2010)

brilliant car,looking mint


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

Congratulations on the car, awesome little things.

Nice detail too of course!


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## JwilliamsM (Dec 20, 2011)

Really like these, looks awesome in white. I drive one back last years and was shocked at how quick they were, loved the auto box too. 
If I could get one on a cheap lease deal I would seriously consider! But I'd keep my m3 too


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## bazz (May 15, 2007)

great looking car fella and great job on the clean up


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Great job:thumb:


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## gatman (Jun 13, 2012)

Very nice, is that an old touring car door hanging on the wall??


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

SPARTAN said:


> Lovely car. I bet you're thrilled to bits to finally get one. :thumb:


thanks spartan i really am over the moon with the car


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Prestige car care shop said:


> Congrats on the new cars. I really like the new model 1 series its a lot more rounded than the old models. Looks the business


thank you :thumb:

its a bit of a love or hate car the 1 series but like the look of the msport kitted version a lot more than the regular 116D. discreet and aggressive looking.


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## Kriminal (Jan 11, 2007)

Nice catch. There's something about the Mk2 1 series hatchback that looks ALOT better than the Mk1, imo.

Would love to see some interior pics :argie: :thumb:


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Stu Mac said:


> Lovely looking motor . It is hard to tell on white cars especially on phones. Cracking job so far though and I ll look forward to seeing the rest of your hard work. What are your plans for your paintwork after S3 ?


thanks Stu

apart from the usual swirls the paintwork doesnt look to bad so i think a medium polishing pad with S3 will be enough to correct the majority of the paint before refining with sonax finishing polish.

as for protection i am considering a ceramic coating but tbh sonax PNS does such as good job of keeping the car clean and as i use BSD as a drying aid after washing durability isnt really an issue.

certainly C5 on the wheels as usual :thumb:


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

JwilliamsM said:


> Really like these, looks awesome in white. I drive one back last years and was shocked at how quick they were, loved the auto box too.
> If I could get one on a cheap lease deal I would seriously consider! But I'd keep my m3 too


cheers matey

yeah not quite an M car but still very quick point to point and a heck of a lot of fun!

normally id have gone for the manual but the ZF box is so well suited to the engine i couldnt resist. the ratios are too tall in manual as well.


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

gatman said:


> Very nice, is that an old touring car door hanging on the wall??


haha yes it is gatman. it came of Robs car after the big crash at brans a few years ago now. went down to his unit and he was kind enough to sign it, top gent mr. austin


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Kriminal said:


> Nice catch. There's something about the Mk2 1 series hatchback that looks ALOT better than the Mk1, imo.
> 
> Would love to see some interior pics :argie: :thumb:


thanks. ive given the interior a quick clean and protect but sadly by the time id finished it was to dark for any pics.

soon as it stops raining here i'll get a few snaps :thumb:


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## Wout_RS (Jun 13, 2012)

A massive congratz on the new car!

Enjoy every bit of it!


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## adil_khalifa (Jun 12, 2014)

That looks amazing mate. Great car and colour combo :thumb:


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## moono16v (Oct 12, 2010)

Looks fresh Dave. How does it compare to your Meg?


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## jamie crookston (Aug 30, 2010)

Very nice Dave. I'm sure it will be kept as clean as the Megane was.


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

moono16v said:


> Looks fresh Dave. How does it compare to your Meg?


Thanks mate 

On the road it's a much nicer car to drive and feels a lot quicker being a bit softer and having such a strong engine and quick box. I doubt the on track performance will be as good as the megane regarding actual lap times but as long as it's as much fun on circuit as it is on road I'll be happy.


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

jamie crookston said:


> Very nice Dave. I'm sure it will be kept as clean as the Megane was.


Thanks Jamie I'll certainly be trying!

Dave


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## MAW73 (May 20, 2011)

Lovely new car there Dave, many congrats.

I have one in silver. Had it just coming up to a year now and they really are fantastic cars :thumb:



Ps if you want to upset the neighbours get the m performance exhaust! I have


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## sonny (Feb 26, 2008)

Lovely car, its great to finally buy a car you've been looking at for so long. You did a great job on cleaning and protecting it. 

Happy motoring!


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

MAW73 said:


> Lovely new car there Dave, many congrats.
> 
> I have one in silver. Had it just coming up to a year now and they really are fantastic cars :thumb:
> 
> ...


thanks mate. always great to meet another owner. sliver really suits the car i must say. ive heard a lot of good things about the Msport exhaust but also that there very expensive on an aready very nice sounding motor??

be interested by your thoughts

Dave


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

sonny said:


> Lovely car, its great to finally buy a car you've been looking at for so long. You did a great job on cleaning and protecting it.
> 
> Happy motoring!


thanks Sonny


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

i have the car booked in with BMW later this week for a few bits doing under warranty. firstly i noticed that the thermal tipped exhaust paint had begun to corrode and once i cleaned them up with a polishing cone it was obvious they were in need of replacing. secondly when cleaning the interior for the first time i found one of the passenger side seat ratchets wasnt working due to the spring being missing. both will be replaced under warranty with brand new tips and a complete new seat subframe.

with an afternoon spare over the bank holiday weekend i decided to get the wheels removed and properly cleaned and sealed as well as tackling the dreaded carpet arches 

heres what greeted me once the wheel was removed














































the first area i wanted to sort was the acoustic arch linings which were caked in grass and mud. as they were bone dry i decided to attach an old brush head to my vacuum and see how that fared

before










after










before 









after









i was really impressed with how well the came up. not perfectly clean but this meant i could coat the dry carpet with Gtechniq i1 straight away rather than having to leave it overnight to dry out from cleaning with APC

next i cleaned the calipers with G101 1:10 before covering the brake and cleaning the rest of the plastics and metal areas





































around the damper and plastic there was a lot of tar spots (also on the inside of the wheels) so i imagine the car was taken over some freshly tarmac'ed road not so long ago. AS tardis removed most of this as well as the excess cavity wax










all cleaned up pretty well










the plastic and suspension was protected with bare bones and the carpet soaked with i1 before hand polishing the caliper and sealing with C1














































i was very impressed with how easily everything came clean and the complete lack of any form of rust or corrosion. even on 2 years old cars ive seen components begin to rust so bmw's build quality does impress me!

wheels next. these were cleaned by first soaking with G101 and worked with AF hog hair brushes before rinsing, tardis and finally AS fallout remover. the inside lip is a real much trap for brake dust so this area was then clayed with bilt hamber medium clay



















before clay









after clay









wheel were then dried and given an IPA wipedown before coating with C1, again bmw's factory wheel finish is a lot better than on other OEM brands














































locking wheel nut key and socket taped up to prevent any damage to the wheels










torqued back up



















the rear arches were done using the same method as the fronts



















never the best detailing job in the world, arch cleaning but i think it does make a big difference to the overall look and makes them easy to keep on top off with a pressure washer and brushes when washing weekly. the brake dust bonded to the inside lip on the wheel was annoying me greatly so its good to have got rid without having to resort to referbing the wheels. i'll hopefully get a dry evening to wash the rest of the car before taking it into BMW so i'll get a few interior and full car pictures then (if it ever stops raining)

thanks for taking the time to read through

Dave


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## Tubes (Apr 28, 2013)

You know my thoughts mate on this car! Enough said! 

Arches came up really well!


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## losi_8_boy (Aug 29, 2009)

Great feeling with a new car and detailing it. Seeing what's what and doing a good job to change it

Spot on mate, lovely car


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Tubes said:


> You know my thoughts mate on this car! Enough said!
> 
> Arches came up really well!


thanks mate :thumb:

driving the car has been so addictive so far its often a hard choice to detail rather than drive!


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

losi_8_boy said:


> Great feeling with a new car and detailing it. Seeing what's what and doing a good job to change it
> 
> Spot on mate, lovely car


thanks Glen. it can be a bit annoying originally buying a car thats new (r newer) than what you've just sold but getting it up to standard is very enjoyable too.


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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

Nice car !!!

Proper sleeper if you don't know what it is. Magic fun.

Great work with the arches.
How did you apply Bare Bones - sprayed onto a cloth and wiped?

I sprayed and realised the spray head is a bit crap, and it all dripped onto the tarmac drive.
Christ it was a pain to get rid of


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## Cleggers (Mar 25, 2015)

Did you manage to do the four wheels in one day? I have the same car and need some of this gtechniq stuff.. Cleaning these wheels is becoming a real pain!


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## Crafty (Aug 4, 2007)

Nice work in the wheel arches, never though of hoovering them. :thumb:

Exhaust tips are a common problem, you can buy 435 ones in chrome or brushed effect and they fit straight on.


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## loudchris53 (Apr 14, 2011)

Gosh that looks good! I really do think that BMW do one of the best factory wheel finishes, the paint looks like liquid hence why i am scared to get mine refurbed as they never seem to have the same shine. One cracking car you have there, i am jealous!!


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## Hufty (Apr 27, 2015)

*Night out of the garage*

Sweet ride, looking lovely, noticed you said you left it out of the garage one night, maybe not too often or the real stealers will be after it, anything with an "M" badge is always a temptation.

Remember my mate had a couple of RS2000s in the eighties and they just kept coming for it he reported to sleeping in it but they came one day with a low loader greased his drive and dragged it off after he had protek system installed which locked the brakes on all 4 wheels.


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

James_R said:


> Nice car !!!
> 
> Proper sleeper if you don't know what it is. Magic fun.
> 
> ...


Thanks mate. I sprayed onto a foam applicator pad and wiped on. Then left it until refitting the wheel before wiping off an excess product. Like you say spraying it directly onto the surface it goes everywhere!


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## Scoobr (Jan 9, 2008)

Looks fantastic Dave :thumb:

White is definitely my fave colour on these


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Cleggers said:


> Did you manage to do the four wheels in one day? I have the same car and need some of this gtechniq stuff.. Cleaning these wheels is becoming a real pain!


hi cleggers

it was actually done in an afternoon taking about 5 hours none stop. once you get organised with what you need and work out the best method of cleaning the first arch and wheel the other 3 become a lot quicker.

C1 (or C5 if you like) is superb stuff just make sure you prep the wheels correctly and take your time to make sure all residue has been removed. it make a huge difference and wheels are much easier to maintain afterwards


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Crafty said:


> Nice work in the wheel arches, never though of hoovering them. :thumb:
> 
> Exhaust tips are a common problem, you can buy 435 ones in chrome or brushed effect and they fit straight on.


thanks crafty. i did a quick google but nothing came up. if youve got a link you could post up would be much appreciated :thumb:

hopefully coating the new tips with C5 and regular cleaning will be enough to maintain the finish


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

loudchris53 said:


> Gosh that looks good! I really do think that BMW do one of the best factory wheel finishes, the paint looks like liquid hence why i am scared to get mine refurbed as they never seem to have the same shine. One cracking car you have there, i am jealous!!


thanks very much Chris. i still have to pinch myself before getting in and firing it up having lusted after one for so long!

im used to seeing the inside of factory wheels in a dull grey/silver but these have certainly been done properly. theres a chap in north Yorkshire who uses all OEM BMW paints when powder coating who im sure could do an equal job if i ever needed them doing but tar and fallout certainly came off easier than my renault wheels a few years ago.


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

A dream forfilled, well done fella.


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Hufty said:


> Sweet ride, looking lovely, noticed you said you left it out of the garage one night, maybe not too often or the real stealers will be after it, anything with an "M" badge is always a temptation.
> 
> Remember my mate had a couple of RS2000s in the eighties and they just kept coming for it he reported to sleeping in it but they came one day with a low loader greased his drive and dragged it off after he had protek system installed which locked the brakes on all 4 wheels.


thanks for the heads up Hufty. im certainly always very cautious when its outside as you just done know if people passing by are taking a genuine interest or something more sinister. were fortunate to live in a good area surrounded by bigger and better car but i still had it backed up to the garage door so the M/// was hidden and thankfully its not the most recognizable car otherwise. just looking like a 1 series really but still you never knows whos about :doublesho


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Scoobr said:


> Looks fantastic Dave :thumb:
> 
> White is definitely my fave colour on these


thanks Andy.

white was the colour i originally wanted probably from the chris harris video a few years past. love the estoril blue but it didnt look right with red leather to my eyes.

even better now that WSR use white cars in the BTCC


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Soul boy 68 said:


> A dream forfilled, well done fella.


thanks matey


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## Crafty (Aug 4, 2007)

D.Taylor R26 said:


> thanks crafty. i did a quick google but nothing came up. if youve got a link you could post up would be much appreciated :thumb:
> 
> hopefully coating the new tips with C5 and regular cleaning will be enough to maintain the finish


Here's a thread about 435 tips, not sure on the pink ones though. This shows the brushed ones, but there are chrome ones too. http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=73109

Another one here too http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=72919

Cotswold do they are about £80 I think, they are also doing the MPE for £650 if you feel like going a bit louder..


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## Cleggers (Mar 25, 2015)

D.Taylor R26 said:


> hi cleggers
> 
> it was actually done in an afternoon taking about 5 hours none stop. once you get organised with what you need and work out the best method of cleaning the first arch and wheel the other 3 become a lot quicker.
> 
> C1 (or C5 if you like) is superb stuff just make sure you prep the wheels correctly and take your time to make sure all residue has been removed. it make a huge difference and wheels are much easier to maintain afterwards


I ordered some panel wipe and c5 today  just not sure about removing the wheels. I am watching a torque wrench on some auction site tho. Thanks for the info :thumb:


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

got a few interior pictures today finally after giving the car a quick wash

car was treated to the following last week:

mats removed, vacuumed and striped
interior vacuumed 
autobrite FAB 1:10 on any marks on trim
leather cleaner with zaino leather cleaner
dash and trim protected with C6 interior dressing
leather protected with leather genie wax
glass with IPA/water mix
dr. leahter wipes on steering wheel




































































































im really glad i opted for the red leather interior as i think it makes it feel that bit more special inside. as you'd expect the fit and finish is very good and so too is the quality of the materials. the carpet is a very high quality and comes clean easy as things dont seem to get caught in the fibre as much as the cheaper, shorter pile stuff.

the offending exhaust tips




























thanks for looking

Dave


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## oreA (Nov 25, 2014)

Welcome to the M135i Club D.Taylor R26!

Nice car, nice colour inside & out, but I would say that :lol:









BTW, instead of struggling with those stock tips, get yourself an M Performance Exhaust with shiny tips :thumb:









Sounds great too! And as Maw73 says, might upset the neighbours


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

oreA said:


> Welcome to the M135i Club D.Taylor R26!
> 
> Nice car, nice colour inside & out, but I would say that :lol:
> 
> ...


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## oreA (Nov 25, 2014)

D.Taylor R26 said:


> wow that does sound great! is it just the Y pipe you have? are they expensive??


Rear silencer, I paid £650. Fitted it myself with a friend who also owns an M135i (and M Perf exhaust!), he made this vid of the fitting:


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Thanks mate. I've signed up to babybmw


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## [email protected] (Nov 3, 2011)

When's she going on track fella?


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

[email protected] said:


> When's she going on track fella?


August time I reckon mate


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## bazz (May 15, 2007)

liking e interior very nice


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## carrera2.05 (Jul 7, 2009)

Now that you've lived with it for a while , what's your verdict ?


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## carrera2.05 (Jul 7, 2009)

sounds awesome


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

carrera2.05 said:


> Now that you've lived with it for a while , what's your verdict ?


So far very good. The powertrain is still the main attraction as it's so smooth and keen to rev and sounds amazing whist doing it. Getting used to the balance of the car a bit more too it really does cover ground quickly and the electronic aids are subtle enough not to kill the fun. Even doing 30mph it feels special to me.

I can't wait to do some more miles in it and hopefully a bit of distance driving soon. So far though I'm completely sold on the car as a package

Dave


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## Andy from Sandy (May 6, 2011)

It looks very nice for sure.

I have just picked up a new 1er and have had the wheels off tonight to give them a good clean and a coat of wax. Now on my car there are plastic covers that press in to the ends of the stub axles.

I noticed in one of your pictures the cap was missing and they were missing on my previous car.

Probably they either fall off or the garage chucks them away at the first service.


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## 20vKarlos (Aug 8, 2009)

That car was originally sold about 10 minutes up the road from me!

Broad oak is a fairly wealthy area, so I can see why it's specked quite well


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## Stu Mac (Aug 18, 2014)

Great attention to detail mate & your cars a credit to you. Glad to hear your enjoying it


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## Peugeot (Apr 19, 2014)

Nice colour:thumb: but I see you used a clay bar! already on a 62 plate eek


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## Mate (Nov 4, 2013)

Great looking car, I see you went to York Cooper, I myself have just got a 1 series 116i from there.

How did you find the buying experience and aftercare yourself.


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Andy from Sandy said:


> It looks very nice for sure.
> 
> I have just picked up a new 1er and have had the wheels off tonight to give them a good clean and a coat of wax. Now on my car there are plastic covers that press in to the ends of the stub axles.
> 
> ...


thanks andy

im not sure TBH regarding the stub axle covers but i imagine its something that could easily fall off over time


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

20vKarlos said:


> That car was originally sold about 10 minutes up the road from me!
> 
> Broad oak is a fairly wealthy area, so I can see why it's specked quite well


haha small world broad oak! according to the original dealership the previous owner was a regular customer who previously had an M3 saloon before chopping that in for this M135i F20 and has now got a new M3! always gets his cars well spec'd up apparently

i'll have to get on google maps and see if i can spot it :thumb:


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## oreA (Nov 25, 2014)

Andy from Sandy said:


> Now on my car there are plastic covers that press in to the ends of the stub axles.
> 
> I noticed in one of your pictures the cap was missing and they were missing on my previous car.
> 
> Probably they either fall off or the garage chucks them away at the first service.





D.Taylor R26 said:


> thanks andy
> 
> im not sure TBH regarding the stub axle covers but i imagine its something that could easily fall off over time


I think the stub axle covers are a more recent addition, something to do with preventing water ingress & subsequent rusting

These caps I think? Part 15 in picture - clickety click....


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Stu Mac said:


> Great attention to detail mate & your cars a credit to you. Glad to hear your enjoying it


thanks Stu im glad its proving to be as good to live with as the magazines say

Dave


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Peugeot said:


> Nice colour:thumb: but I see you used a clay bar! already on a 62 plate eek


fallout is present even on a 'new car' im afraid mate collected during transportation shipping or when there left outside after assembly etc etc so its not uncommon. this was particularly heavy though and when claying the water turned brown with all the bonded grime that was coming off!

its not to noticable in pictures but the gloss levels improved a lot after claying


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Mate said:


> Great looking car, I see you went to York Cooper, I myself have just got a 1 series 116i from there.
> 
> How did you find the buying experience and aftercare yourself.


they were pretty good with me really. my only issue was that when the car went in for new exhaust tips and a new seat base under warranty it took 2 trips for them to actually sort problem as the wrong seat base was ordered the 1st time. on the whole though they do look after you


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

few updates for the M135i

firstly the cars been back to cooper bmw york for its exhaust tips replacing and a new passanger seat base under warranty










ive coated the new tips with C1 and im now into the habbit of wiping off any dirt or exhaust soot from the tips with some QD and a MF cloth whenever i pull the car into the garage. hopefully this will help keep them in top conditoin.

i also gave the engine bay a dressing with 303. phone pictures though im afraid



















ive also received these genuine carbon fibre mirror covers from a member on the babybmw forum. there the real deal and fit perfectly and at a fraction of the cost of the main dealer prices



















so i obviously needed a drive out to test the new mirror caps 




























ive some more photos on the way once photobucket wakes up again
thanks for looking

dave


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

shortly after getting the carbon mirror caps i booked the in with bmw for the chrome kidney grills to be replaced with the black 'M performance' items.

id seen an M235i with these factory fitted when i first collected the car and had already inquired on prices and such. sadly it was a bumper off job so not something i wanted to tackle myself. bmw's bodyshop were very professional and did an excellent job as well as being genuinely enthusiastic about the car.

heres a few pictures with the new grills in




























i much prefer these to the chrome items esp against a white car. also works well with the carbon mirrors

thanks for looking

Dave


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## Scoobr (Jan 9, 2008)

Looks really great mate, loving the carbon mirrors and the new grill :thumb:


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## ESS (Apr 27, 2013)

Absolutely lovely mate, great read.
I am sourcing the same in either white / estoril blue.
Love the exhaust mod sound.
E


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

Scoobr said:


> Looks really great mate, loving the carbon mirrors and the new grill :thumb:


Thanks mate. Just a few subtle changes without going over the top.


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

ESS said:


> Absolutely lovely mate, great read.
> I am sourcing the same in either white / estoril blue.
> Love the exhaust mod sound.
> E


thanks very much mate. there a brilliant little car and im sure you'll have a lot of fun in whichever example you find.

ive also managed to get my mitts on a used bmw M performance exhaust system which will be fitted as soon as its been cleaned up a bit

pictures to follow

Dave


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## MAW73 (May 20, 2011)

D.Taylor R26 said:


> thanks very much mate. there a brilliant little car and im sure you'll have a lot of fun in whichever example you find.
> 
> ive also managed to get my mitts on a used bmw M performance exhaust system which will be fitted as soon as its been cleaned up a bit
> 
> ...


Mine has the MPE fitted. A mod worth every penny imo :thumb:

I'm loving the carbon mirrors. But their bloody expensive from the stealers so I've had to resist so far!


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

MAW73 said:


> Mine has the MPE fitted. A mod worth every penny imo :thumb:
> 
> I'm loving the carbon mirrors. But their bloody expensive from the stealers so I've had to resist so far!


Yeah I can't wait to get it fitted.fitted mate. Carbon mirrors came off babybmw site. 90 quid and there's the real deal


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

been away for a while now due to getting married and going away on honeymoon its been a hectic few months!

the M135i has mainly been ferrying people to and from the wedding venue as well as moonlighting as a van transporting all manor of things here and there.

with the seats down the floor is flat which gives a good amount of load space for such trips




























at least the large field behind the venue gave me time to learn to drift a little 

i did manage to get hold of a used M Performance exhaust for the car which i gave a bit of a clean up before fitting










50/50



















firstly cleaned with APC before wirewool and fast cut then finished with final shine on an old flex pad. the tips took a lot of work and had the inside done after fitting with megs polishing cone










the tips look ok from a distance but obviously got zero TLC from the first owner so i may order some new ones from BMW eventually




























im really chuffed with the way the car sounds now. a bit more drama on start up and when lifting off without being to intrusive. i'll post a video when i get 5 mins


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

quick video from instagram if it works..


__
http://instagr.am/p/6DKQt1qMpe/


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## Itsme (Mar 31, 2012)

That's a cracking car there mate


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## oreA (Nov 25, 2014)

Good work on the zorst D.Taylor :thumb:

Do you have removable tips? Some MPEs have fixed tips, some removable depending on age......


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

oreA said:


> Good work on the zorst D.Taylor :thumb:
> 
> Do you have removable tips? Some MPEs have fixed tips, some removable depending on age......


there actually held on by two rivets on the underside mate so im guessing it would be a care of drilling those out to remove the tips thats all. i was a bit stumped before you mentioned it as ive only ever known them to be held on by a grub screw.

Dave


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## D.Taylor R26 (Feb 5, 2012)

heres a few pictures from the cars first trackday last weekend at blyton park






















































































































coming back home in eco pro mode the car did 42mpg rather than the 8.5mpg it acheived in sport + mode on track










the car ran all day without any problems and was great fun on circuit. in sport+ mode theres a bit of slip but not enough to allow you to spin or do anything to silly which when your still on the standard tyres was as far as i dare take it! i imagine with a proper LSD and some cup tyres it would handle even better with all the systems off.

im planing on next improving the brakes with better fluid and lines to give the pedal a bit more feel and then replacing the pads with something more track focused once the current ones are toast (which checking the idrive on the drive home is still about 4,500 miles front and 6,000 rear)

Dave


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## potter88 (Apr 12, 2014)

Absolutely Love these and is my next purchase


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