What kind of modder are you?

[AdironRider]

So in my years of BMW ownership Ive come across many different types of owners. THose who want nothing but pure performance even on a street car, to those who just keep it stock and want reliable daily transportation. Since most of us on this site have done some work to our cars in some shape or form, I figured Id toss the question out there. What kind of modder are you? Why do you mod your car? What are your goals? Yadda Yadda Yadda you get the idea.

I myself have my 318is with 86k miles. Its in mint shape, minus a few hail dents, and purrs like a kitten. THat being said its also my only mode of transportation other than my feet. Ive done 1 autocross in my lifetime, and that was in another car, and given my college budget, its doubtful Ill get on a track or racing anytime soon. Either way my car is in to good of shape for me to relegate it to track duty, so I keep my car in pristine, albeit dd condition.

That being said, I have done some performance mods. I swapped out the no name chip in it for a Mark D. I then took out the cup kit and swapped in H&R OE sports/ Billy HDs. I live in NE, home to some of the worst roads in the country. Since my car daily drives these roads I wanted something that is still somewhat performance oriented, but also liveable on the street, something a lower stance just cannot afford. I also added m3 cabs in the process, a mod that made turn in just a little crisper, but didnt add the harsh ride that THR cabs can. Ive upgraded the brakes to ATE powerslots w/ Axxis Ultimate pads and absolutly love the setup. SS lines would make it perfect and will come sometime down the line when I have to redo the subframe bushings. Ive put a nice stereo in as well. This summer I plan on addind sway bars and possibly euro smilies with HIDs, but other than that not much else. Cosmetically it has full euro trim including grills and rear plate filler which IMO change the car dramatically while still keeping a stock look. I like simple, understated factory looking cars.

So yeah, its the last week of Christmas break for me and Im bored as hell, but humor me with your stories.

[Jand3rson]

My car, as everyone knows is an 86 325es. It's the truth, it is an eta, but I really don't care. I like the engine, and I love the car. It has a JimC chip which makes it substantially quicker, but that's pretty much it. I've had plans for engine swaps and builds, but none of them really held my interest enough to follow through on them. This engine has 226k but the head only has about 70k, and it runs so well that I don't see the point in pulling it. I'd like to start slowly building a 2.8 using all the proper parts for when the engine does go, but in the meantime, I don't have any intentions of doing a swap. This engine makes plenty of power and torque to have fun, and that's all I need. I'm not into huge amounts of power, I just like to drive fast and have fun.

As everyone also knows, I'm almost finished with the full facelift at the front and rear, and that's something that's going to totally transform the look of my car. At that point, I'll pretty much have my dream E30, an early Schwarz car with early tails and arches, and a late-model body. I've also done a ton of work on the inside of the car, and I'm not done yet. It's safe to say that I'm definitely a looks over power modder, but that's not a bad thing. My car is plenty quick enough for me right now.

One of the things I've always focused on with this car is building it for great handling. I've got a VERY good suspension kit (IE Stage III's and Konis), along with a whole slew of new suspension parts including M3 offset CAB's, and possibly a sway bar kit soon. I've also got a very good set of tires coming today, and with that, we'll see what else comes up in the future. I've got one of my favorite sets of wheels by one of my favorite wheel makers, and I'm working on putting together a very decent, minimalist stereo. I want great sound while keeping the weight down, as I plan to start auto-xing this summer, plus I don't believe in putting 500 lbs of subs and amps in the back of the car, I just don't do things that way.

[killa325i]

sleeper...some would argue wheels and a drop defeats the purpose, i am not one of those people. i work around some very fast cars every day, i just want my "old" BMW to give them a run for their money stop light to stop light. so i guess my modding style consists of OEM+ looks, with contemporary performance. that make sense? does to me

[uofom3]

I am a go fast modder by and large.

On my 90 m3, which was bassically my first car, I did not change the exterior at all until probably two years into ownership. Then again, there is not a whole lot to change on the e30 m3 to make it look more "go fast". My exterior mods list/visual mods list is maybe 15 lines long, whereas the go fast mods list is pages (literally) long.

On the e36 however, it's more for show. It's the DD and i really do not want to get crazy on the mods as I don't want to compromise reliability other than maybe a nice sounding intake/exhaust simply because i really like to hear my car. It is a cruiser, and it will just be made to look good.

It just depends on the car.

[backtrail69]

I am many kinds of modder.. On my 325is I am appearance, handling and go fast mods (AKA $$$$$$$$) On my eta reliability, creature comfort and visual mods (it came with a rediculous suspension and nice wheels..so that is a plus.) On my 2002 it is a restoration project in the works. I have a brand new engine (rebuild by yours truly), replacement tranny, rebuild driveshaft, stereo, header, full exhaust and a sidedraft weber. Suspension and exterior/interior are slowly coming..

[euroshark]

I think I fall somewhere in between "unnecessary for the street performance" and "barely practical for a daily driven street car". Well... when I have more money that is...

Right now, my daily driver is my E28 533i. It's a low mileage example, especially for an E28, with only 109,000 miles on the clock. So far my only mods are small interior touches to make it a little nicer on a daily basis. The motor is trouble free and runs perfect, so I have no intention of modifying it much until I can afford something even nicer for a daily driver (I'm thinking E34 or E32). It's got 16x8 BBS, Yokohama AVS ES100 225/50s, Steve Haygood CABs, Dinan valved Bilstein Sports, and getting H&R sport springs soon.

My current project is my '84 325e "335i". For this car I am definitely adhering more to the "kinda silly for the street, but whatevah" idea. Euro 3.5 liter making 218hp in an early eta chassis (read: lightweight), Getrag 265, 3.25LSD. Once spring rolls around (and I get a real job) she will be getting a stripped interior, fixed racing seats, Koni yellows, IE Stage IIIs, M3 CABs, Adjustable sways, Strut braces, At least a half cage, 16x8 Rota slips with 225/45 rubber, and who knows what else. Basically, it's gonna be hardcore. No luxury shit, just speed shit. I plan on trying my hand at some auto-x in it, maybe BMWCCA track days / driving schools, and just having fun on the bitchin roads we have out in Colorado and Utah!

The 335i is really almost a continuation of my Alfa project that I so stupidly sold to buy my Euro 635CSi. The Alfa was a fun car stock, 50/50 weight distribution, DeDion rear suspension (no camber change during cornering = incredible cornering), and a very sexy little 2.5 liter V6 dating back to the 1950's when Alfa was still really big into racing. The 2.5 liter Alfa Milano outhandled the Porsche 944 of the same year, pulling 0.86 Gs on stock tires and suspension (lots of roll)... She had Koni Yellows, ARRicambi springs, and lowered torsion bars in the front, as well as 15x7 Panasport Pro Rally wheels wrapped in 205/50/15 Bridgestone Potenza S03 PPs. Holy shit did that handle! Then I found a 3.0 liter "Verde" engine... Matched with the 4.10LSD, it brought that car to life... And the howling noise that came from the exhaust every time you put your foot down could literally bring tears to your eyes. I should have never sold that car... But I made $3600 on it and bought a rusty piece of shit Euro 6 series with cool Alpina suspension (good thing it cost me only $1500). The motor and tranny made their way into my E30, and the rest of the car is waiting for restoration or parting out... whichever I do first.

But back to the original topic, like uofom3 said, it depends on the car. Though, I can honestly say that looks related modifications always take a back seat to modifications that make the drive more enjoyable, whether it's better handling, more speed, or nicer road manners. I would much rather have a car that is fast and ugly as shit over a beautiful car that is a pig around corners and has a tough time dragging itself away from stoplights.

[wRek]

I'm a huge fan of the "euro" look.

I have an 89' 325i that is currently fairly stock... Euro grills, blacked out kidneys, springs, chip, that's pretty much it. Only had the car for a couple months, and not a lot was gonna happen over the winter.

Hopefully this next year will allow me to start on the changes. Wide wheels, new suspension goodies, euro smilies, HID's, new tails, euro trim... Then will come engine work. I'm having a hard time deciding if I'd rather go turbo, or motor swap... So we'll see in time. The motor work will have to come along next year.

[Mastrcruse]

I am one of those people that don't care how fast my car is just that is looks good modder.

I have a vert....what the hell am I supposed to do. I just want it to be clean and be any eye catcher and well taken care of. Racing in a vert is alright but I would rather just cruise and take it all in.

[StereoInstaller1]

I am a stupid, lazy and broke modder who steals ideas from everyone else and does it halfassed, then gets all pissed off when it does not work well and then blames the originator.

All of my best work comes from a spraycan.

Plus I try and fuck his girlfriend when he takes off for the weekend to help his sick grandma.

Signed,
99% of American males

[James Crivellone]

I'm an originality/OEM modder.

I must have as many as possible OEM parts, and have the car look as real and factory as possible.

I am currently on the finishing lap of an mtechnik-1 frame up restoration, when completed I am striving for one of the nicest E30's in the United States.

For me its not just about power, its not just about handling, its about creating a car that we should of got in the United States.

From the exterior it appears to be a complete 1986 Mtech1 sport package, with all the original oem components, down to the stickers on the sideskirts, the brakeducts, everything.

Interior wise is quite similar, although its been slightly redesigned to fit my personality... 316i center console to remove the pointless OBC, an M3 Instrument cluster to bring me oil temp monitoring, removed AC, and ABS disable circuit to allow me to always threshhold brake.

Things like that..

[Erick]

Hah, where do I start?

Well I've learned a lot about who I am in respect to car modding.... obviously some lessons came from mistakes I've done.

By now it should be pretty obvious that I am a "drifter". I say that I put just as much effort into performance and looks. The whole two tone deal was just a double edged sword from an accident in '05. But this chassis needs a lot of work since I had my moments where I was unsure of myself and thought it'd be FUHRAZE to strip the whole interior. Now I'm slowly trying to piece that together to have a great track car with a decent interior to be able to daily drive it. Since I am not those hardcore "I'm keeping my car forever" guys, I want to have the car in a condition where I can maximize it's resale value.

Performance wise I believe I had a fairly good investment order. I started with good brake pads, then suspension, then better rotors, LSD, then power. In any other project of mine, I would go about it the same way all over again. I am also fairly liberal and I would not hesitate to throw a motor from another car company on mine.... just as long as it's an inline-6 (which I'm a huge fan of).

As for aesthetics I am a fan of the euro/jdm look. I love having non-staggered wide wheels almost poking out of my fenders, with just enough fender rolling to be able to push it at the track without rubbing. But for body panels I like subtle mods.... I like when people can pick out the difference between my cars and others. Parts that stand out should be wheels and wheels alone.

The money I invest in my car is money I'll never see again (for the most part). I am completely aware of that... but that money goes into my own personal enjoyment of building cars (which I like as just much as driving them). So when it's time to let this one go for my next project, I can at least get some of my money back and move on to whatever new project is in my way.... this time the interior will be treated with a lot more care.

[ddavidv]

Boy, have I come full circle over the years. :neutral:
I used to want to 'restore' everything to stock. Then I began the path down mod lane, 'euro-izing' my old Ford Fiesta (remember, I'm 42, so this was a long time ago). I got into autocrossing. Then rallying. Then track days. The cars got more and more modified as time went on, until I reached a point where I couldn't make the (then current) car much faster and it was becoming a PITA to drive on the street. Anymore, I find modified street cars too difficult to live with on a daily basis. So for running around on weekends I drive the basically stock classics, during the week 'normal' cars that don't get a passing glance, and for real thrills we're now going racing. :nice:
At this stage I could almost care less about cosmetics...while I like a clean, attractive car you'll never see me applying Zano to anything, and I no longer feel compelled to clean and repaint every part I remove from the car. Clean, neat, and functional is the criteria now. I delight in having a car that gets stone chips, melted rubber stuck to the rockers, and that I can drill holes into without guilt.
I appreciate those guys who spend hours cleaning and primping their cars, and obviously have pride in them. But having discovered the joys of thrashing them on the track, I actually feel a bit sad when the diaper crowd doesn't enjoy the full potential of their chosen ride.

[King Luis]

i'm going for a reliable DD but with some go fast toys and looking for a updated clean look. new style rims. lowered and little touches for appearance.

[Jand3rson]

I'm an originality/OEM modder.

I must have as many as possible OEM parts, and have the car look as real and factory as possible.

I am currently on the finishing lap of an mtechnik-1 frame up restoration, when completed I am striving for one of the nicest E30's in the United States.

For me its not just about power, its not just about handling, its about creating a car that we should of got in the United States.

From the exterior it appears to be a complete 1986 Mtech1 sport package, with all the original oem components, down to the stickers on the sideskirts, the brakeducts, everything.

Interior wise is quite similar, although its been slightly redesigned to fit my personality... 316i center console to remove the pointless OBC, an M3 Instrument cluster to bring me oil temp monitoring, removed AC, and ABS disable circuit to allow me to always threshhold brake.

Things like that..

I'm very much in the same vein as James when it comes to modding, I've very OEM oriented, but at the same time, I also like to go a bit beyond it. I've also ditched the OBC in favor of a 316i panel, and am in the process of completely removing the AC. I went back to OEM sport seats after installing aftermarket seats and not liking the way they looked, and I've also gone with an M-Tech II steering wheel in place of aftermarket. And one of the cornerstones of my forthcoming stereo install is that I will be retaining the OEM stock tape deck as a head unit.

As most of you know, I decided a long time ago that I wanted an OEM rear apron for my car, even though there are several options out there for the early-model cars. I've always managed to find something about all of the aftermarket ones that I don't like, so going the hard way was what I chose to do. Making the OEM rear apron fit has been an adventure, but I'm going to be one of VERY few people that have ever done it, and I'm confident that mine will be one of the best.

But at the same time in regards to my front end, I chose to go with the Rieger Infinity front lip, mainly because the standard iS lip just wasn't aggressive enough in my opinion, and it's another one of those things that everyone has. Yes, there are people that have the Rieger lip, but not very many, and that's another thing that personifies my style, which is staying close to OEM, but going just that little bit extra where I feel it's appropriate.

[JasonC]

i'm going for a reliable DD but with some go fast toys and looking for a updated clean look. new style rims. lowered and little touches for appearance.

I'm about in the same boat as this guy. But i all ready lowered mine. As for my other cars i like all out performance. Since most of my cars have been muscle cars 62-72. The only car that i've kept stock so far is my 85 Grand National.