Tag: Guides

BMW 130I E81/7 GUIDE: PERFORMANCE BARGAIN

Quick, fun and extremely affordable, the BMW 130i is an awesome all-rounder and a brilliant bargain buy if you’re after one car that can do it all on a budget. Here’s our guide to buying and modifying one.

First appeared in Performance BMW. Words: Elizabeth de Latour. Photos: BMW, ESS.

Nowadays just about every hot hatch has at least 300hp so something with less than that might seem a little light on firepower, but back in 2005 the thought of stuffing a 3.0-litre straight-six with 265hp into a hatchback was pretty wild, and the resulting car was a serious little firecracker.

A brief history

The BMW 130i arrived in 2005 and was available in SE and M Sport trim levels in five-door form, with the SE being dropped after 18 months. Power came courtesy of the 3.0-litre N52 straight-six, which delivered 265hp at 6650rpm along with 223lb ft of torque at 2750rpm, and that meant a 0-62 time of just 6.1 seconds along with a limited 155mph top speed. In 2007 the facelift arrived and with it came the three-door body style while EfficientDynamics features were introduced, which lowered emissions and improved fuel economy. The facelift model received revised rear lights with light bars, and the car now came with electric power steering in place of the earlier model’s hydraulic setup. The LCI also brought with it a few minor interior tweaks such as a higher quality dash and door cards. 2007 is also when BMW launched the Limited Edition model, of which only 160 were made; all cars were finished in Carbon black with Lemon leather, featured Style 216 multi-spoke 18s and came equipped with sat nav and electric front seats among other things, but only four seats rather than five. The E81 1 Series is a three-door hatchback, while the E87 is a five-door hatchback.

BMW 130i E81/7 common problems

Noisy hydraulic valve adjusters are one of the main issues you will read about. This affected N52 engine produced before October 2008, and the problem appears as a ticking noise when the engine is first started from cold. The noise is the sound of the valvetrain operating as oil has not yet made its way to the lifters after having drained away when the car is parked. It’s more prevalent on cars that do a lot of short journeys and often clears up after a longer drive. The general consensus is that it’s a characteristic of the engine and there don’t seem to be any reports of it actually causing any damage. Electric water pumps fail and it’s a case of when, not if, it will go wrong. A major potential issue is the camshaft bearing ledge problem; it’s not common but it is very expensive to fix. What happens is that the rings that are in the cam bearing ledges, which house the cams, wear down and allow play, which leads to a groove developing on the ledge and allows fluctuations in oil pressure. The old rings have to be replaced with new Teflon items and if the bearing ledges are grooved the exhaust bearing ledge will have to be replaced (about £400 for the part), but the intake cam bearing is cast into the head and that means you might need a new cylinder head in a worst-case scenario.

The standard-fit run-flats can actually do the suspension some harm so if the previous owner hasn’t removed them check for worn shocks and bushings. Worn inner track rod joints can cause the steering to feel vague and anti-roll bar drop-links will cause a rattle or clonk when they are up for replacement.

The 1 Series is known for numerous interior creaks and rattles, with the front and rear door seals especially notorious for creaking. The seats creak, which can be cured by fitting new seat runners or replacing the backrest, as does the interior light housing, the centre armrest and the centre dash vents. Also, check the dash skin around the area where the passenger airbag is located. The biggest concerns are to do with the steering lock and the DSC system. A yellow or red steering wheel symbol on the dash will point to steering column failure. If a reset doesn’t work, try a CAS module software update and if you still have no joy, then the steering column will need replacing.

Water can collect at the rear of the car and come up into the cabin, resulting in damp rear seats as well as numerous electrical problems. If you can get under the car, there are two plugs that can be removed to allow the water to drain away. If the DSC/DTC warning light is permanently illuminated then that will mean either a failed DSC control unit or ABS pump module, the latter throwing up fault code 5E20; both can suffer from water ingress and you’ll need to replace the faulty item. Numerous warning lights and a PDC error means your PDC unit is wet, so you’ll need to get to it and hopefully will be able to dry it out.

Modifying a BMW 130i

A remap won’t give you a massive increase in power and torque but it will make the engine feel a lot more lively and responsive across the entire rev range and owners who’ve had it done say it’s worth it. An exhaust will sound good and Supersprint and Eisenmann both offer rear silencers, priced around the £700-800 mark. BMW’s M Performance silencer is also worth a look, though it’s no longer available new so you’d have to track down a used example. If you want serious power gains then the latest ESS G1 supercharger kit is the way forward; this non-intercooled setup uses an E-Charger G1 supercharger unit running 6-6.5 psi along with larger Bosch injectors and it increases power by 80-100hp, which will transform your 130i into a serious performance machine. The kit costs around £4300 plus 4-6 hours of fitting.

The BMW 130i handles well out of the box but the stock combo of run-flats and overly stiff suspension on the M Sport model doesn’t do it any favours and there are plenty of chassis upgrades that are worth doing. If you just want a quick fix then a set of lowering springs and some dampers would be a good place to start and for £600 that would make a significant difference to how the car feels, or if you’ve got a bit more cash to spend you can grab a set of BC Racing coilovers for around £900. UK BMW specialist, Birds Auto, spent a lot of time developing a number of chassis upgrades for the 130i and while they’re not cheap if you’re after the best possible handling upgrades, they’re definitely worth a look. The B-Series Sport Suspension kit uses specially valved Bilstein dampers and matched Eibach springs to offer the perfect combination of a good ride and exceptional handling, and it costs £1102.80. You can also buy the B-Series uprated anti-roll bar kit for £480, which features a 90% thicker rear anti-roll bar and a 10% thicker front item, which combine to remove understeer from the handling equation. A Quaife ATB LSD is also a very worthwhile investment as it really helps the 130i put its power down, and is an essential purchase if you supercharge the car – the LSD costs £1102.80. You can also buy the suspension kit, ARBs and LSD together as the B1 Dynamics Package for £2347.20, saving yourself a bit of money and giving you an awesome handling upgrade in one go.

In terms of wheels, if a previous owner hasn’t already got rid of the run-flat tyres then that should be at the top of your to-do list and in terms of wheel size, 19s go on no problem and for many they offer the perfect blend of looks and performance, filling out the 130i’s arches nicely without ruining the handling. An 8×19″ ET40 and 9×19″ ET46 setup with 225/35 and 255/30 tyres will fit, as a guide. If you want to upgrade your brakes you could fit the E8x 135i’s six-pot front calipers – they’re a direct fit and only require the backing plates to be trimmed, or you could get a K-Sport six-pot BBK for around £900 or an eight-pot setup for under £1000, which is a lot of stopping power for
your money.

As for styling, a quick glance at the MStyle website will show you that there is a lot to choose from out there – probably the best-looking styling options are the 1M-look items such as the bonnet, front bumper and front wings, and the M2-look front bumper is also pretty cool. There are numerous roof spoiler and diffuser options available as well, so you can really give your 130i that personal styling touch and really make it stand out from the crowd.

Performance BMW’s pick

Your choices come down to whether you want three or five doors, whether you want the SE or the M Sport and whether you want a manual or an auto. Obviously, it’s all about personal preference and how practical and comfortable you want your 130i to be, but for us, a manual three-door M Sport would be the one we’d want sitting outside our house. The three-door is still very practical but looks better and while the M Sport does have a very stiff suspension setup (more on that later), the more aggressive styling and additional equipment are worth it.

BMW 130i prices

The BMW 130i price range starts from under £4000 and stretches to £7500. The cheapest example was a 125k-mile manual Le Mans blue five-door M Sport car, while for £4500 we found a five-door auto with 74k on the clock. SEs don’t have the M Sport appeal which means you can pick up low-mileage examples for not a whole lot of money – we spotted a well-specced auto with just over 58,000 miles for £5400 and one with just 42k on the clock for £5500. For the same money, you could also get yourself a three-door auto M Sport with 115k miles, while £6250 could get you into a 65,000-mile auto five-door M Sport. If you fancy an LE, the cheapest one we found was up for £6750 with 81k miles.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a fun, affordable and practical all-rounder with some strong modding potential then the 130i is an excellent choice. There are a few potential problems to be aware of but none of the common issues are major ones, and you shouldn’t need to have too much cash set aside to keep your 130i happy and healthy. When it comes to modding there are a lot of options out there, whether you’re just looking for some simple handling and styling upgrades, or whether you want a supercharged, 1M-look monster. For the money, the 130i is great value and an excellent and affordable used purchase and it’s a machine you’ll have a lot of fun with.

BMW 130i tech specs

Engine: 2996cc
Power: 261bhp
Top speed: 155 mph
0-60mph: 5.9 secs
Consumption: 34 mpg
Gearbox: 6sp man
Length: 4239 mm
Width: 1934 mm
Weight: 1385 kg

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May 4, 2021
SUBARU IMPREZA GC8 TUNING GUIDE

The classic Subaru Impreza has often been heralded as the best of all Imprezas and naturally has a huge aftermarket following. Here’s our quick-fire Subaru Impreza GC8 tuning guide.

Engine

We don’t have to tell you that the 2-litre Boxer unit found in the Subaru Impreza GC8 is a little on the legendary side for tuning, so much so that there can’t be many standard ones left by now! It’s mostly because these engines respond so well to bolt-on tuning mods like exhausts, induction kits and front mount intercoolers, although it’s worth bearing in mind that they need to be suitably mapped to make the most of any additions. Very often you can actually lose power until you get everything dialled-in nicely, so it’s always worth investing in a good ECU like a Link G4+ and having it tweaked to perfection by a proper Subaru specialist. These four mods alone can see around 320bhp on an STI, and around 300 on a WRX.

The ‘further’ tuning world is your oyster too, there’s everything from turbo upgrades and bigger injectors, to all the parts you can ever desire for a full-on build – top gear like forged internals, stroker kits and closed-deck blocks. That said, we’d always start with basic stuff like making sure you look after it properly. Pay particular attention to your oil, most common engine failures are caused by starvation, so don’t just make sure it’s the good stuff you’re putting in (the high performance range from Royal Purple comes highly recommended for the Classic Scoob), but think about fitting a high-flow oil pump too.

Drivetrain

The standard gearbox on all the classic Subarus, including the STi models, are always cause for debate. Some say they’re excellent and solid enough for plenty of upgrades, others say they’re absolute garbage and liable to break at any given moment – we think “made from 3-day-old cheese and pickle sandwiches” was our favourite quote from a well-known Subaru forum. Still, what we do know is that they’re a bugger to replace, not getting hold of one (Quaife can do a you a whole load of uprated kit and there’s about a billion second-hand ‘boxes out there), we’re talking about actually doing the job… it’s certainly not like whipping out a clutch on a Civic.

Speaking of clutches too, it’s dead easy to eat yours if you’re running a lot more than stock power and have a weakness for mashing the throttle. It’s little wonder that an uprated clutch is one of the most popular upgrades on all Subaru Imprezas, let alone the older ones.

Exterior

It’s called a ‘Classic’ for a reason and the days of mentalist fibreglass body kits and lurid graphics are all but gone. Nowadays most Classic owners are motoring connoisseurs rather than out-and-out turbo nutters don’tcha know? Especially the ones luckily enough to own a 2-door!

Still, unless you’re going for a hardcore motorsport-style, which is a very cool and a vastly different thing to any sort of daily-driver, most people opt to add a few carbon fibre details and possibly follow the OEM+ route of upgrading earlier cars with the crystal headlights and grilles from a post-facelift model. That said, there’s still lots out there for all these cars, but for once though, we’d say keep it subtle with a few simple tweaks like a front lip, a spoiler-swap and a few choice trinkets.

Wheels & Brakes

17 or, at a push, 18-inch wheels are generally accepted to be the best on the Subaru Impreza GC8, we wouldn’t go any bigger than that. Don’t forget too that the AWD system likes to keep the same rolling radius on each axle, so running staggered widths is an easy way of messing up your underpinnings. The good news is that there’s not many wheels that don’t suit the Classics, especially those firmly in the motorsport-style camp. So you won’t have trouble finding the right set.

For the most part the stock brakes are decent, if a little underwhelming. At the very least we’d go for some upgraded discs and pads from EBC. But, if you’re looking for the ultimate in stopping power, there’s plenty of BBKs out there that will fit under a set of wide 17s. Again, there’s probably too many out there to count.

Chassis

All the usual Subaru Impreza rules apply here. Before you do anything check there’s no knocking from the front end, ARB bushes are particularly susceptible to degrading and the other bushes could be hard-used and need replacing by now. Obviously polyurethane items are the way to go if you’re trying to tighten up the handling, we’d speak to SuperPro about their range.

As for suspension, there’s loads out there for every application. Ask yourself what you want from your Impreza GC8. Will it be going on track or do you need a comfortable daily driver? Pedders Suspension make a whole range, from uprated shock and spring kits to full-on ‘XA’ coilovers. These guys come highly recommended from those in the know.

Interior

There’s two main interior mods that have stood the test of time here – decent seats and lots and lots of engine gauges. To be fair there’s not much more you need. STI seats are always popular of course, and the guys at Jap Performance Parts should be able to sort you out a second-hand set. There’s also no shortage of aftermarket perches to choose from, everything from motorsport buckets to uber-luxury recliners.

Cars built before 1997 have a different dash, so some like to upgrade theirs to one from a later model and, if you won’t be using the rear seats (or doors) anyway, a role cage is a good way of getting the ultimate in chassis stiffness, not to mention some rather racy looks.

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April 22, 2021
AUDI TT MK1 BUYING GUIDE

A style icon when launched, the Audi TT makes for an interesting modern classic coupe today and one that’s accompanied by a booming aftermarket scene. Here’s what you need to know when buying the Audi TT Mk1.

On paper the Audi TT was a brilliant idea. Launch a sporting coupe based on the VW Golf, with echoes of Beetle and Porsche 550. Badge it as an Audi – an up and coming premium brand. Sell to anyone who could afford it for as much as they were willing to pay. And the concept worked. Styled by Peter Schreyer, it evoked the 550 Spider and the 356 as much as Hebmuller Beetles and historic racing Auto Unions – an undeniably German shape that managed to be retro and contemporary at the same time.

Launched initially as a coupe, a cabriolet model followed for 1999 utilising the same choice of two 1.8-litre turbocharged four cylinder engines, developing 180bhp and 225bhp respectively. The range would expand again in 2003, with the addition of a 3.2-litre V6 and an entry level, front wheel drive 150bhp 1.8T.

When production ended in 2006, some 275,000 TTs had been built. And this popularity has endured, with MK1 TTs making very desirable modern classic choices today.

Engines

Primarily, the Mk1 Audi TT used engines from two engine families. The majority of TTs used a derivative of the VAG 1.8-litre turbocharged four cylinder, while the most upmarket models used a 3.2-litre V6 shared with the VW Golf R32.

The 1.8-litre turbocharged unit was available in three basic states of tune – a 150bhp variant with front wheel drive, a 180bhp Quattro and a 225bhp Quattro. It was also available as a 237bhp Sport model – while the 150 and 180 models were upgraded later in production to 163bhp and 190bhp respectively.

Check all turbocharged models for white smoke and power loss under acceleration, which could indicate a blown turbo. This won’t be a quick or cheap fix. Oil leaks are relatively common – as is coil failure, which will manifest itself as a misfire and hesitant acceleration. We’d always replace the MAF sensor after coil issues, as a failing MAF sensor can cause the issues to persist after replacement of a faulty coil.

Audi recommended a timing belt replacement at 80,000 miles, but they’ve been known to fail early. We’d want to see a receipt for a recent change, and we’d certainly be looking to change at around the 55,000-mile mark to be safe. It’s worth doing the water pump and tensioner while the belt’s off, too. Failure could result in the need for a £2500 engine rebuild.

The V6 uses timing chains rather than a belt, so listen carefully for any issues caused by stretching. Rattles are bad news, and can begin from just 40,000 miles. Chain replacement isn’t a cheap undertaking – bank on £1000 for a specialist to do the job. Ask about the oil used – it should be Castrol 5W30, and changes must occur every ten thousand miles or sooner.

Suspension, steering and brakes

Make sure that any early examples are fitted with the spoiler, ESP system and revised suspension as per the recall. Original cars were prone to issues whereby they could snap at high speed, and following a class action lawsuit, the Audi TT Mk1 was recalled. The mechanical changed were fitted to all recall cars, the spoiler was optional but standardised on cars sold following the recall. We’d be wary of a car without the spoiler, as it risks not having been recalled.

Anti-roll bar collars are made of plastic and can fracture, letting in water. Metal replacements are available – many have been upgraded, and it’s worth checking that any car you view has been. While checking, check for clonks and bangs – a TT isn’t a light car, and suspension can suffer wear when (as is likely) cars have been driven hard.

Standard brakes wear quickly; they’re sourced from contemporary Volkswagens and have single-pot calipers. Upgrades are both available and common – and will increase the value of any car you view. The standard brakes aren’t also too brilliant – serious drivers would upgrade them anyway.

There’s little to go wrong with the steering barring the usual play in the joints, so don’t spend too long checking the system over for faults which may not exist.

Body and trim

Panel gaps on Audi TTs are usually good, but a lot of these cars will have been involved in accidents caused by over-exuberant driving. Make sure they’re still as uniform as they should be. Also check for wear in the door shuts, it may indicate the doors have needed realignment after a prang.

Coupe roof rails can corrode – this was due to a manufacturing issue, and shouldn’t be expensive to sort. More concerning would be rust to the sills or the lower bodywork, indicating that perhaps the car’s not as solid as you might have hoped. Alloy wheel and rear bumper damage can be caused by poor visibility for parking – make sure you check thoroughly and negotiate accordingly.

Cabriolet hoods can wear across the folds – so check thoroughly for any signs of damage of wear. Likewise check for wear on the bolsters of the seats – usually a relatively hardwearing leather, but the earliest cars are now 20 years old and it’s inevitable that there will be some minor issues to rectify. Some cars had baseball style seat stitching, it’s rare and so don’t expect to find spares down the scrapyard if this is damaged. Inspect thoroughly for wear to the leather or stitching.

Electrics

Check that the hood operates correctly on Cabriolet models. There are several motors and several yards of wiring here, so issues would be hard to trace. While you do so, check the interior for damp – it could be blocked drainage channels within the roof mechanism and shouldn’t be left. If the car smells damp, walk away.

Other toys should also work, from electric windows to the optional heated seats. In the latter case, the elements can break inside the seat. People can and do rewire them, but this can be a fire hazard if not done properly so make sure you’re happy with the work that’s been done. Gauges and dial packs can fail – the subject of another class action lawsuit in litigation-heaven America – so check that everything works properly when you view the car.

Conclusion

The Audi TT Mk1 did retro design almost before we knew it was cool, and has prompted a new and successful line for Audi. The TT is arguably the brand’s most iconic model since the Quattro, and there’s never been a better time to buy one. With scores still being broken and secondhand spares readily available, it needn’t even cost the earth to keep a TT in fine fettle. There’s a TT for everyone – from penny pinching 150bhp to bahnstorming 3.2 V6.

Our money would go on the one in the middle, the 225 – better economy than the V6 with more power than the lower specced 1.8Ts. Servicing costs will be reasonable too – and as the engine is by and large shared with most medium sized VAG models, parts will be easy to source for several years to come. Manuals will always be worth more than automatics, though the DSG in the V6 is seen by some as desirable. Leather trim and air con are essential too, though the majority of cars came with both. Cabriolets are more valuable, but the stiffer Coupe is more fun to drive. As ever, it’s imperative to put condition first – better to buy a good 180 than a rough V6. Plus if you do pick a lower-spec engine model, there’s plenty of aftermarket brands ready to help you extract more from it.

Audi TT Mk1 prices

At the time of writing, we found 150bhp, 180bhp and 225bhp models both in coupe and roadster format for sale around the £1000-£2000 mark with around 100-150k miles on the clock and varying degrees of history. Mk1 TT prices seem to be at a real low so now might be the time to buy before prices increase. Cars with under 80k miles on the clock will come in at around the £2000 to £2500 mark depending on condition, with cars under 50,000 miles going for anything from £3000 upwards.

If you fancy the full-fat V6 you’ll need around £2500+, with the lowest mileage cars commanding over £6000. For that lower price you’ll be getting an automatic coupe, with manual roadsters commanding around £4000+.

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April 19, 2021