[iqraceworks]

When I started looking for a “play” car about a year ago, I was dead set on either a Fox body Mustang, or a 4th Gen LS powered Camaro….because there were plenty out there, and even though most of them are beat to hell…..they could be had at a decent price, and there is lots of aftermarket support for them. Just as I was getting ready to pull the trigger on a notchback Foxbody…..I saw online where someone mentioned the N54 powered 335i’s….until that, I never really knew much about them, and never knew they could make big power so easy…and were cheap!

It didn’t take me long to figure out that for the money…..not only did they have better brakes, handle better, ride better, have a better interior, weight less, get way better fuel mileage, and look better than any beat up Foxbody Mustang or Camaro I could find……for relatively little money, you could get 400hp to the wheels just as easy as an LS….and ten times easier than a late 80’s, early 90’s 302 Ford motor.

I ended up picking up my car for $3,500…….and aside from a water pump, thermostat, some maintenance, and a little TLC..it was in great shape (I might have lucked out on that deal). Any decent condition 4rth Gen Camaro or Fox Mustang I found was going to cost me at least double that, and need lots of work.

That being said…..even though I did a lot of research, I soon came to find out that these N54’s are maintenance whores, and definitely not as forgiving as a naturally aspirated LS or 5.0 Ford. But…I wanted a project/play car…and I got one for way less money. They have their quirks….but all cars do.

Are the N54 powered 335i’s the hot ticket for big power in a cheap package?

I have definitely noticed that a lot of kids are picking them up for cheap now…..upping the boost on them, and then having all kinds of problems with them (because they don’t know what they are doing)….and then selling them off even cheaper (that’s how I got mine).

[tony55343]

I mean I'd say they are a great contender. Until i purchased mine I knew nothing about them nor ever pictured myself owning a BMW . But my Lexus GS300 needed some work, and it was either put money into it, or sell it and buy something knew so i decided to check out the dealerships right by my house . That is where I saw a beautiful alpine white E92 with Coral red leather interior. A manual twin turbo with the perfect colors, I had to take it for a drive. After the drive i was sold and put a deposit on it the same day . This was almost two years ago, and I have loved every day with it. Sure parts are more expensive than previous vehicles and it needs more preventative maintenance . But the driving feel and enjoyment, as well as power and I wish I had known about these much sooner!!

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by iqraceworks

When I started looking for a “play” car about a year ago, I was dead set on either a Fox body Mustang, or a 4th Gen LS powered Camaro….because there were plenty out there, and even though most of them are beat to hell…..they could be had at a decent price, and there is lots of aftermarket support for them. Just as I was getting ready to pull the trigger on a notchback Foxbody…..I saw online where someone mentioned the N54 powered 335i’s….until that, I never really knew much about them, and never knew they could make big power so easy…and were cheap!

It didn’t take me long to figure out that for the money…..not only did they have better brakes, handle better, ride better, have a better interior, weight less, get way better fuel mileage, and look better than any beat up Foxbody Mustang or Camaro I could find……for relatively little money, you could get 400hp to the wheels just as easy as an LS….and ten times easier than a late 80’s, early 90’s 302 Ford motor.

I ended up picking up my car for $3,500…….and aside from a water pump, thermostat, some maintenance, and a little TLC..it was in great shape (I might have lucked out on that deal). Any decent condition 4rth Gen Camaro or Fox Mustang I found was going to cost me at least double that, and need lots of work.

That being said…..even though I did a lot of research, I soon came to find out that these N54’s are maintenance whores, and definitely not as forgiving as a naturally aspirated LS or 5.0 Ford. But…I wanted a project/play car…and I got one for way less money. They have their quirks….but all cars do.

Are the N54 powered 335i’s the hot ticket for big power in a cheap package?

I have definitely noticed that a lot of kids are picking them up for cheap now…..upping the boost on them, and then having all kinds of problems with them (because they don’t know what they are doing)….and then selling them off even cheaper (that’s how I got mine).

Cheap to buy, probably,

But not cheap to run and maintain.

[Smgs1992]

After owning mine for 3 years I can say it depends. Power wise it's an incredible bargain but cost wise it is far from a cheap car. Like you said lots of younger kids are getting them thinking they'll have a really fast fun car and then in a couple months figure out they can't afford it because when something goes wrong it can get expensive fast. It's a shame they sell for as little as they do now(autos, manuals seem to hold value alot better)

[iqraceworks]

Originally Posted by Saif2018

Cheap to buy, probably,

But not cheap to run and maintain.

Yeah....they take some maintenance...but it's not like you are putting all that much into them once you do the plugs, coils, and oil change. Any 10+ year old used performance type car is going to take some maintenance to get it back where it should be. Most people don't maintain them...and then sell them for cheap when they have issues. Not many people want an old, out of warranty BMW..no matter what it is.

That's where guys like us come in

[F80Mmm]

For my needs and balance of looks/luxury/performance I still can’t imagine purchasing another car for the price. I was able to afford my LCI 6MT over 7 years ago (so not some late teen/early 20’s complainer with 2k in my account - oh how the owner demographic has changed) and am not afraid to turn a wrench. Most jobs aren’t even that bad all aside from engine replacement, turbos, clutch and rear inlet. In addition, fcpeuro lifetime warranty is a huge cost saver if you own for 50k+ miles. I’m not selling anytime soon and will keep this as a 2nd car when I decide to upgrade, unless my bro or mechanic buddy can convince me otherwise who have expressed interest.

Take care of her and enjoy!

[iqraceworks]

I was dead set on getting some type of LS powered car for cheap (4th Gen Camaro or GTO).....but for the same price as I paid for my 335i.....I couldn't even touch anything that wasn't completely roached out and abused. And....you definitely don't get the style/class/refinement like you have with a 335i. It's also pretty neat that a lot of people have no idea what kind of powernthese N54's can make......

[Soden82]

I'll chime in. I purchased my e90 N54 6MT last year for 11k with 50k miles on it. I'm in the process of buying a home and getting married so didn't want to commit financial suicide by getting a number of other cars on my radar (e90 M3, c63 amg, older zl1 Camaro to name a few).

Just wanted a fun car that I could throw some parts in as time went on, and still be able to modify without breaking the bank.

I'm also not afraid to turn a wrench and I have some friends with incredible knowledge on N5X cars, which always helps the confidence level.

When I bought the car I did all the maintenance first, as should most people before they add power, especially if like me, you want to keep the car for a long time.

Compared to my friends who own AMGs and audi RS and S models, our cars are cheaper to modify. My friend has spent 10-15k on his c43 amg to get similar power to what we can get with 2k.

[335e92tx]

Ah, im afraid you're about 3-5 yrs too late. Not many n54s in very good shape now after 8 yrs from last production (my 13IS has 47K miles but you wont find many like that). IT wont make power in OEM form - you're gonna have oil control issues in cyls

It will be fun and you can make it reliable, but just dont push the limits. Go with an B58 if you want something you can lean on without codes..

[Smgs1992]

Originally Posted by 335e92tx

Ah, im afraid you're about 3-5 yrs too late. Not many n54s in very good shape now after 8 yrs from last production (my 13IS has 47K miles but you wont find many like that). IT wont make power in OEM form - you're gonna have oil control issues in cyls

It will be fun and you can make it reliable, but just dont push the limits. Go with an B58 if you want something you can lean on without codes..

Last production year for the N54 was 2016 in the Z4-35is

[iqraceworks]

Originally Posted by 335e92tx

Ah, im afraid you're about 3-5 yrs too late. Not many n54s in very good shape now after 8 yrs from last production (my 13IS has 47K miles but you wont find many like that). IT wont make power in OEM form - you're gonna have oil control issues in cyls

It will be fun and you can make it reliable, but just dont push the limits. Go with an B58 if you want something you can lean on without codes..

Are you crazy? Have you looked at the used market? Lots of nice used 355i's out there for cheap!! Picked up my dead stock 07' 335i with 95k miles on it with red coral interior for $3,500. Yeah, it needed a water pump......but I cant think of a nicer car I could have got with as much potential for $3,500.

[335e92tx]

Originally Posted by Smgs1992

Last production year for the N54 was 2016 in the Z4-35is

yes, but very low volume. And I really dont consider z4 to have the looks.. but ok..

[335e92tx]

Originally Posted by iqraceworks

Are you crazy? Have you looked at the used market? Lots of nice used 355i's out there for cheap!! Picked up my dead stock 07' 335i with 95k miles on it with red coral interior for $3,500. Yeah, it needed a water pump......but I cant think of a nicer car I could have got with as much potential for $3,500.

What did you miss about no N54s that havent been beat on and dont use oil?


Thats why I said OEM form.
As you lean on it the WG and oil control wont hold up .. but good luck bro.

[iqraceworks]

Originally Posted by 335e92tx

What did you miss about no N54s that havent been beat on and dont use oil?


Thats why I said OEM form.
As you lean on it the WG and oil control wont hold up .. but good luck bro.

Um....mine was 100% stock when I got it, it hasn't been beat on, and it uses about 1/4 quart of oil every 3,000 miles. You're probably right....I got screwed when I paid $3,500 for it...I should have walked away from it I definitly should have bought a roached out 4rth gen Camaro for double the price.....

If you can't find one at at good price, then you aren't looking hard enough.

If you can find a nicer car for $3,500 with under 100K miles on it.....I would be shocked!

As far as "leaning on it"...I'm running 19psi of boost with the MHD stage 2+ tune (I've done FMIC, catless DP's, intake, etc, etc....since I got it)....and it runs like a champ! No issues bro.

Hell, I can't even buy a nice dirtbike for $3,500!

[langsbr]

I have been trying to tell friends that the 335i is the best performance value out there. What people need to realize is at the power level people want now - you can't have the same mentality as an N/A EG Civic. Even a turbo Honda will have good costs and need some expensive parts.

I have less than $4k total in mods in my car and it traps 128 in the 1/4 and I have gapped new ZL1s and Hellcat Redeyes. But the best part - it is QUIET. It blows their doors off looking like a family sedan, not an obnoxious V8 with a giant cam. It has beautiful driveability, but when you open it up, it is fast as hell. I'm not even running port injection or a HPFP 'mod'.

That being said, i think I have reached the limit of where you can get 'cheap' with these cars. I did get lucky and it had a clutch already done, but even a cheap 550i clutch could probably handle the power I have right now. But to go further, at a minimum I need a stage 3 pump with a hobbs switch, and a shotgun or helix. That's at least another 1200 - $1,500 for how much return? to make another 75 WHP, maaaybe 100whp? Sure, cheap HP for the money, but now I'm probably close to the limit of the stock motor (reliably).

But yeah, I agree - this is probably the best performance platform in the past 15 years (unless you're looking for a cheap 1000whp and then LS all the way, but as the OP said - what vehicle? hell I'd argue E90 there too!)

OP - a set of hybrid turbos and you're cracking 600whp. That's where these cars get FUN.

[iqraceworks]

Yeah....if you are going to mod them, you need to have enough money to spend to do it right. I see all kinds of younger guys on the Facebook forums that go out and buy a cheap stock 335i.....flash an MHD stage 2+ flash to it...and then bitch and complain when they have all kinds of issues and are shocked when they find out how much coils, plugs, and regular "maintenance" is going to cost them just to get it running right ...not to mention the other mods they "should" be running. These cars are cheap...and make good power .....but they are not your average 5.0 mustang or Civic.....they are more complicated than that.

[alexwilcox29]

Yes I would say the n54 has tons of potential and is a bargain for what you're getting.

That being said most of these cars are 8-13 years old now and probably haven't been well maintained, even if adult owned

How long realistically do people except rubber gaskets to last? If it's close to 100k miles you're going to need to replace basically all of them just for the piece of mind and to fix the leaks it most definitely already has 😉

Anytime you try to double the horse power of a car it's not going to go smooth, especially with a system that's under lots of pressure, it's just begging for problems

As long as you stay up to date with maintenance they are pretty damn good cars, I'm pushing 21 psi on my stock turbos and it's pretty insane to think that they are hitting that with 110k miles

And I would agree the are sleeper cars for sure, even the aggressive looking ones still surprise almost everyone, there's not better feeling that beating a $50k+ car in the $3,500 beater 😉

[335e92tx]

Originally Posted by iqraceworks

Um....mine was 100% stock when I got it, it hasn't been beat on, and it uses about 1/4 quart of oil every 3,000 miles. You're probably right....I got screwed when I paid $3,500 for it...I should have walked away from it I definitly should have bought a roached out 4rth gen Camaro for double the price.....

If you can't find one at at good price, then you aren't looking hard enough.

If you can find a nicer car for $3,500 with under 100K miles on it.....I would be shocked!

As far as "leaning on it"...I'm running 19psi of boost with the MHD stage 2+ tune (I've done FMIC, catless DP's, intake, etc, etc....since I got it)....and it runs like a champ! No issues bro.

Hell, I can't even buy a nice dirtbike for $3,500!

Bro,, I sold my first 2007 with 134K miles (in may 2017 - for 3500$) after it just had the second WP fail.. and it went 260+

and it used oil ( a quart every 1500miles - and still does with the current owner at STOCK BOOST) even though I never beat on it..

So yeah.. you got lucky..

Iv owned n54s since april2008. I think I got a pretty good idea how they age..
But you just rock it..

[Socaln54]

I mean 3500 its cheap

[type-dRew]

There is nothing with more potential and better value for the money. Nothing.

Bought my car for $5k, put 30k miles on it, put $1000 in mods on it and runs 11.6. Hasn't had an issue that has left stranded aside from a pot hole that caused wheel damage. It's needed a valve cover, spark plugs, coil packs and shocks.

You can fix any problem on this and still be into the car for so little it absolutely makes no sense not to enjoy it.

It's stable at speed, stupid quick for how little is done and the cheapest car I've ever owned to have fun with.

I enjoy it so much, it was totaled, I bought it back and fixed it just to keep it on the road. I love this thing.

[alpnwss]

A rule from boat racing: be prepared to spend 10% of its value in regular maintainance a year (with rollover).
So if you have a lucky year and all you do is blow a charge pipe, don't count that as a freebie. Save save save and you'll be fine.

[iqraceworks]

Originally Posted by 335e92tx

Bro,, I sold my first 2007 with 134K miles (in may 2017 - for 3500$) after it just had the second WP fail.. and it went 260+

and it used oil ( a quart every 1500miles - and still does with the current owner at STOCK BOOST) even though I never beat on it..

So yeah.. you got lucky..

Iv owned n54s since april2008. I think I got a pretty good idea how they age..
But you just rock it..

What point are you trying to prove? You keep contradicting yourself......

You say you can't find oem non molested ones....then you say you had/have one.

You say they burn oil.....then you say yours didn't.

You say they are maintenance hogs....then you say yours wasn't.

You aren't doing a very good job of getting your point across......whatever that might be.