98 318ti.... what to do now?

[hitchhike79]

Well i just purchaced a 1998 318ti has it all but the M-tech package, and i am getting ready to move to Italy for a few years. Well i was wondering if it is worth my time to upgrade the suspension and brakes before i go there or wait until i get there? And really looking for any handling upgrades you guys would recommend, the hp/torque is all secondary so i will get to that after i make this a stable platform, but any easy additions for hp/torque may find its way on my new ride so any ideas you have would be great too. well a pre-thank you for your time and recommendations

Thomas

 

[Militant-Grunt]

Hi, Welcome to the board, congrats on your new car, looks nice and clean. I think you should find out where would it be cheaper to buy/install these upgrades. And then decide for yourself from there.

 

[bigdavid1001]

Also, there are not real ways to improve the hp/torque without quite a large investment (ie supercharger). Suspension-wise there are many European made components which you would probably find for a lesser price than here I would assume. All that I can say is that once you put in a new suspension and brakes then your going to handle like your on f*cking rails like me!!!!

 

[RAiMA]

If you're considering wheels, make sure they're lightweight rims

The lighter the rims are, the less harder the suspension has to work

 

[MrElussive]

Welcome to the forum, the car looks great. 318ti is a great car to start with for modding.
If I were you, I'd start with getting more power out of the engine, following the rule of thumb: air intake, exhaust, and ECU chip. Then decide how much more power you want from there and then change the suspension and brakes to match the added power. You don't want to end up with a car in which its power is too much for the brakes and suspension, and if you go way overboard on brakes and suspension it's kind of a waste (keep in mind that you need to be able to get up to speed to take full advantage of the brakes and suspension!!).

If you really wanna start with brakes and suspension, do some mild modifications such as tighter springs and new brake pads (TireRack.com and Bavauto.com are good source for these products) and see how they feel. Then upgrade the engine and see how far you wanna go from there.

 

[Dave8812]

Sway bars are great upgrades. And somewhat cheap too. I use www.bavauto.com
They have a GREAT selection, and somtimes pretty good deals.

 

[Duo Maxwell]

In my limited experience with importing parts, parts resale for less here in the Unites States, mainly because of the huge market for automobiles we have here. Therefore it's not uncommon to find things in abundance, which leads to more competition for the same dollar and lower overall prices (the miracle of capitalism and consumer based economies). The Euro is still really strong against the U.S. dollar, right now. And, unless you're receiving COLA (i.e. you're in the Navy-- are you?), it's going to be a noticeable difference.

Anyway, I am so envious, right now. It's going to be awesome tearing up those Italian country roads in your wheels, man.