My Advice (archive)

These cars are plenty fast enough, especially for a young buck like yourself, so there is no need to worry about the 0-60 time. There are plenty of hopped up Civics that will beat you off the line anyway. These cars are not 0-60 cars.

The power of these cars is how they handle. Focus your modifications and upgrades on making the handling the best it can be. First, make sure that your front end is in order. This means tie rods, upper and lower arms, control bushings, etc.
Next, move onto shocks. Buy Bilsteins and be done with it. If you are flush with cash (another $200) get a set of H&R springs. Another $250 will buy you big sway bars.

Check the rear sub frame bushings also if your rear end tends to "wag" through corners.

Then go buy your wheels and tires. I would go 16" as the largest as the ride will be harsh enough with the Bilsteins as it is. 17"s will only make it unbearable.

Finally, if you get this far, go to a driving school and learn how to really drive and appreciate your car. From what I am told, this is where you will get your biggest performance gain. That's my next move.

And this advice from someone who was once 16 and drove like a terror - keep the rubber side down and don't try to impress your friends with your car or your "skill". Its likely you'll kill yourself or someone else.

Tod B
1985 535i

i can only hope the "SEX" in the subject caught your attention...

i'm 17, a bit naive to the whole "car" thing but reasonably educated given my age, and eager to learn... i was incredibly lucky enough for my father to trip across a beautiful 87 535is just before my 16th birthday, and for that i am eternally grateful. but anyway, after reading this forum for the past couple days, i have a few questions of my own that i was hoping somebody could maybe shed some light on:

#1) when starting in fairly cold weather, my engine promptly dies if i don't give it some gas to keep the revs up a bit for 15 seconds or so, is this fairly normal? is there any simple way of fixing this?

#2) after putting up with the Michelin TRX tires for over a year, it's time to get some real wheels and tires. right now what i'm looking at are some new Kosei 17x8s and Pirelli P7000 supersports. any comments on these wheels or tires? and is Tirerack.com a good place to get these?

#3) does anybody actually know the 0-60 time on this car?? the best estimate i have is somewhere under 7.5 according to an original BMW ad promoting the new 535is back in the 80s, where it says "0-60 in under 7.5 seconds..." as part of the blurb. so does that mean 7.49 seconds or what?

#4) i'm sure i'll get all sorts of answers to this one, but can't hurt to ask.... given that i'm on a teenager only working part time, i'm rather strapped for cash.... so what would be the #1 best bang-for-buck upgrade can i make for handling? i have friends who say "sway bars are where it's at" whereas others say just blow all your cash on the tires... they all have valid points, but if i have a few hundred bucks, what should i actually spend it on?

please forgive any naivety or newbieness i'm displaying in regard to the workings of the forum, but i'm very eager to learn everything i can about cars, especially the 535is in particular... i can already say i honestly love my car, i can't imagine a luckier 17 year old guy the world. any help/advice is much much appreciated!

--ethan
87 535is 165k

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