new to this

[happy2bhere]

hi, how is everyone, i own a 535 bmw its a 1990...i actually just saw the first part to the drift bible dvd and it was interesting to here the drift king say that you really didnt need to go power crazy in order to drift...awesome dvd by the way...with that said i was curious to know where i should start...from what it sounded like i guess from the bottom up literally....id like to do some suspension mods....are there any good websites were i can go to find what i need suspension wise and what would be more or less the proper set up?......and i was also wondering...i am going to have a manual 5speed transmission put into the car, it is currently auto, were would be a good place to start to look for a lsd for this car....thank you

[eomund240]

Start stock. I think your car comes with a limited slip right? If not, you may want to invest in that.

#1, stock will get you use to the characteristics of the car. Most changes, suspention etc. will cause the car to handle a bit more radically. If you do anything, I'd recommend picking up a set of decent tires, just to give you a more controlled setup.

#2, money. All this stuff is quite expensive, and I guarantee, you will make mistakes while learning. You don't want to go and bash up 5 grand worth of parts right off the bat do you?

[happy2bhere]

thanks for the info...im not sure about the lsd as of yet. Currently my car is in a shop getting an engine transplant cause its last one blew along with the radiator. Once im done with that have to fix this annoyin exhaust leak and follow that up with a complete tune up and ofcourse the purchase of some tires...lol funy you mention that this stuff is expensive...lol you aint ever lie...it expensive just maintaining the car on a regular basis, i dont even wanna take about on a high performance level...but i will be putting her together piece by piece...i would just like to know more or less what foundation should i set for the set up once i start spending money but your right...driving her stock first and getting used to her responce will be the best way for me to get to know how she will respond and give me an even better idea on how to upgrade the suspension for starters and then my drivetrain....i'll more then likely do a 5 speed manual swap and get the lsd i need and work on the engine last...Know were i can get some good parts?...lol

[eomund240]

A bit of advice. If you're planning to stay into cars, I recommend learning to work on them. Start small, things like basic tune ups, etc at first and work your way into it. Reading is also a big help, I even recommend picking up a factory service manual if you can find one.

As for parts, I recommend checking out some BMW specific forums. I'm a Nissan head myself, and don't know much about the BMers.

[happy2bhere]

already working on that...lol i found a bentley manual for the 5 series unfortunatley i can't print it out. i found it on scribd.com but i have it on my computer so ive been reading it. i gotta get a tool set and i have to get my car back from the shop in the bronx thats doing my motor....i have beeen thinking about it long and hard and at the end of the day when you have a car you are your own best mechanic. it costs to much to send a bmw to a mechanic to get repairs done

[Cavi Mike]

I have to disagree with spending money on tires. Or at least on the rears anyways. You're a beginner, put the cheapest, hardest rubber you can find in the back and put 45psi in them. You're not in FD trying to do 100mph entries, you just need to learn how to control the car properly while it's sideways. Spend some money on front tires though, understeer is the enemy.

I'd start with replacing suspension bushings, especially on something that's almost 20 years old. Then get a decent spring/shock combintation for now, like an H&R/Bilstein combo. Worry about coilovers and such once you've gotten to the point where you can actually tell your current setup is holding you back.

You're not gonna be pro over-night and you can throw as many parts at the car as you want but it's not going to accelerate your learning curve.

[happy2bhere]

ok thanks for the advice..i figured as far as suspension to do the bushings and get a shock spring combo h&r and beilstien arent bad theyve been around for a while....lol actually im over looking a very important peice of info while ive been searching and absorbing info...first thing i must do is make my car stick and yes my car does come with a stock lsd....thank goodness...any help on getting this thing converted from auto to manual would be great thanks...ive been searching for parts and was even refered to a website were i can actually buy a manual tranny conversion kit but its like 2 grand...mayb ill just buy a another 535with the 5 speed still in tact and rip every thing from that one...get the tranny rebuilt if anything.. finding the whole car crashed up with a blown motor would probably be cheaper...then i have to buy a clutch...mayb a fly wheel ...am i missing anything?...any insight please thanks again...