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E81 130i Space Grey

3K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  BMWBrad 
#1 ·
I got my first E81 130i in 2009 but it was stolen after 6 months and always felt like unfinished business. I never thought I would see one quite like this again so had to buy it. Had it for 18 months now and just love it more all the time, its a Dec 08, on 37k. As its a later car it is in Space Grey instead of the sparkling Graphite of my first. Other small differences were the factory LED number plate lights and the revised cylinder head that rectified the HVA issues on earlier N52's.

My first car was well specced but this has everything and some that I thought I would never be able to get, keyless entry, HK Logic 7 stereo, fixed screen CIC pro nav, sunroof, folding mirrors, main beam assist.(Full spec in the signature). I think from 08 if you were having a spec like this you were going for a 135i, then not long after the 130i was dropped in the UK.



I thought the first thing I would do would be to fit a set of 208 wheels but I liked the 264 so much in the flesh that I bought a matching set for winters as per pic below.(On Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4, 225/40/18 square).



I fitted full lumbar to the electric memory seats as this was pretty much all it didn't have from the factory.

These are the lumbar parts I took from a donor seat.



And them fitted.



Can't not tinker for too long ! so over time its had BMWP front grille, shark fin antenna in factory paint from a E91. A dash cam, Mtec LED halo's, a genuine BMW interior LED kit, genuine Osram D1S Xenarc CBI's.

The dash cam. (next to mirror / main beam assist pod, power feed is totally hidden).



Another pic on the summer wheels.

 
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#8 ·
Cheers everyone for the comments.

Graearea said:
Oh wow. How did you do the camera power?
The camera power comes from the vanity lamp above the passenger sun visor, there is a permanent 12v feed to one side of the lamp. This powers the 12v to 5v adaptor. Instead of powering the camera from its normal usb connector, I opened the camera up and ran wires out of the side that sits flush with the mirror cowling.
 
#10 ·
Fantastic car, how was retrofitting the lumbar support? I've though about doing this and the heating elements for heated seats in my LE.

How do you find the CBI bulbs? Looked at these as well. Noticeable improvement in light output?
 
#11 ·
Lovely looking motor in best colour (im biased of course :)) ive only ever seen one hatch space grey before as there is one local to me and it does look nice, all be it the local one is a dirty diesel of some sort :lol2:

Like them wheels as well just gives it that "somethings different" look :D if you ever fancy selling a set let me know i would like some on my 135 :)

Ian
 
#12 ·
0l0dom0l0 said:
Fantastic car, how was retrofitting the lumbar support? I've though about doing this and the heating elements for heated seats in my LE.

How do you find the CBI bulbs? Looked at these as well. Noticeable improvement in light output?
Cheers to all again for the comments.

The lumbar only is very easy to fit, the way I did it requires no seat removal or modification to the original loom / connectors. Just use the 12v feed inside the seat from the side lumbar to power the stand alone back lumbar system, the bag is easily inserted and the four way switch added. This has heating already, adding that would be more involved due to dash button, wiring, FRM, coding, element insertion etc.

I changed the Xenon lamps so they would better match the LED halo's but did notice a definite improvement in output over the factory fitted lamps, probably helped by new lamp vs old as well.
 
#13 ·
lowfinger said:
0l0dom0l0 said:
Fantastic car, how was retrofitting the lumbar support? I've though about doing this and the heating elements for heated seats in my LE.

How do you find the CBI bulbs? Looked at these as well. Noticeable improvement in light output?
Cheers to all again for the comments.

The lumbar only is very easy to fit, the way I did it requires no seat removal or modification to the original loom / connectors. Just use the 12v feed inside the seat from the side lumbar to power the stand alone back lumbar system, the bag is easily inserted and the four way switch added. This has heating already, adding that would be more involved due to dash button, wiring, FRM, coding, element insertion etc.

I changed the Xenon lamps so they would better match the LED halo's but did notice a definite improvement in output over the factory fitted lamps, probably helped by new lamp vs old as well.
Thanks for the response, I'm very tempted by the lumbar retrofit now I know it is that easy.

Seat heating is okay to retorfit if you have electric seats as it only requires new underseat modules, elements and coding. On a non electric seat car it is a nightmare though.
 
#14 ·
That's a lovely car the wheels really suit it wish I had a bought a set when I had the opportunity, also that's got to be one of the rarest 130i's out there with that colour and spec :D
 
#16 ·
marctwoo said:
Those Lumbar supports make such a difference, hard to understand why it wasn't spec'd originally if everything else was.

Lovely colour and alloys lowfinger.

Marc
Cheers, yes go figure, it has a rear seat ski hatch and bag though ????? This would have been the only car I ever owned without lower back lumbar adjustment ?!
 
#17 ·
Interim oil change (between CBS at dealer). Was curious to see how much the dealer put in / what the electronic dipstick shows. 6.5L came out... as expected (this was warm, jacked up on one side then dropped level during drain). Quite topical, I did this about a week before dom was asking about capacities !



Box arrived, looks lovely, very nice quality, good even weave, very light (postie was convinced I had been sent an empty box). Open minded if it will stay on the car as could be a bit OTT for me. Bought to help me decide if and how much I would be prepared to spend on a used BMWP one, if one ever crops up !

That said the two main things that generally turn people off the BMWP one (apart from being ~£££1400) is the contrasting silver mesh, that this doesn't have, and the BMWP one sticks out at the top, this one is flush at the top.

 
#19 ·
BMWBrad said:
Lovely car,
Look forward to seeing the diffuser fitted, been considering this for a while now
Cheers Brad, here's a couple of pics. Have to say I am very pleased with the look, doesnt really stand out in the flesh, just looks kind of right (imho !)



 
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