Movin’ On Up

I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some great people in the automotive scene since I first got into it. I still have some pretty strong friendships with some of the first people I’ve met, and I continue to meet new people almost all the time that share the same passion as I do. One of the parts I enjoy is watching people grow and mature in their way of modding a vehicle, or completely changing their platform all together.

Some people I’ve met started out as the ricer type, big flashy rims, bodykits, spoilers- to some of the cleanest, well thought out builds I have seen. Although I don’t think Mel ever got caught up in the ricer phase like some of us did – seeing pictures of his old Chevy S10 , seeing his old MKIV GTI around town (which was featured previously), to now seeing his new 135i cause a bit of commotion at this past SoWo 2013 meet. Mel has always built his cars to his liking, regardless of what the online community has told him. With only a year into getting the car to where its at now, he’s slowly started getting it to where he’s happy with it – which is what modding any type of vehicle should be about.

From the outside the car looks like a nice, simple, comfortable ride that even ones significant other wouldn’t mind stepping into. The air ride suspension provided by BagRider’s new Slayer series provides the comfort for Mel and his passengers. The Falken 452’s that are wrapped around the LM-5’s from CCW grip and hug the road and provide great traction at any corner. But – this is not just a ride that was built for comfort, what kind of enthusiast would Mel be if he didn’t get a little more power out of that turbocharged inline 6?

Mel went to some of the more reputable names when it came to getting a bit more “umph!” out of his 135i. To name drop a few – Burger Motorsports, COBB, and CP-e are some of the choices he went with in his quest for more power. Although the mods to the engine are pretty much the standard for some- these changes alone have allowed this lil “beemer” to get down the 1/4 at a respectable 12.8 on some 19″s with street tires , with more seat time and a set of D/R’s Mel expects the car to be in the low 12s. Next up on the list for getting those numbers down is a Meth kit, and we’re not talking about that sweet blue provided by Heisenberg. With the boltons and mods he has currently along with the meth kit he will be installing, this lil white blur will be into the mid to high 11’s…hey who said you couldn’t have comfort and speed?

Its a great thing to see people you know “move up” onto the bigger type of builds. Mel went from a mini truck, to a slammed and modded VW, to a BMW. After talking about his future plans after the shoot for his 135 over a few tacos at 11pm, there is no doubt in my mind that he’s taken what he’s learned from his previous experiences and builds, to what he will be doing with the 135. Shortly after the shoot the car had some issues with the turbo- but thanks to having factory warranty, a new turbo is currently getting installed and we cannot wait to see it back on the road and we will be eagerly waiting to see him take it to new levels.

Melchor Rodriguez III – 2011 BMW 135i

Performance :
Burger Motorsports, JB4: ISO stage 2 Software w/ Additional Wiring For E85
Injen Cold Air Intake
Burger Motorsports Oil Cooler Thermostat Bypass
COBB Stepped Core Intercooler
CP-e Chargepipe
CP-e 5″ Catless Downpipe
Custom Magnaflow Axleback w/ Resonator Delete

Cosmetics :
OEM LCI Blackline Taillights
OEM Sunroof Wind Deflector
LUX v4 Angel Eye Upgrade

Interior :
Tinted Windshiled || 35% Front / Limo Rears

Rollers :
CCW LM-5 ; Brush Bright Clear Anodized Centers w/ Polished Lips
18×9 (f) 18×10 (r)
Falken 452’s – F -215/40r18 // R -245/35r18

Stiff Stuff :
Airride Suspension Built by BAGRIDERS; New Slayer Series for BMW’s
Front: Modified Airlift Performance Front Stuts, Camber and 30 way Dampening Adjustable
Rear: Airforce Sleeve Bags, w/ Koni Yellow Adjustable Shocks
Air Management: Airlift Autopilot V2, Air Zenith OB2 Compressor (Black), Accuair 5-gal Skinny w/ Exxo Mount

Sounds :
Stock BMW Professional

Special Thanks :
Special shoutout to my Fiance for always putting up with me and my car obsession
All of my EuroMotionCarClub family for helping me along the process of the build
Bagriders for putting the best suspension out there
And the Gear-Trends homies Ricky, and Bobby for giving me the honor to have the car featured and for the amazing photos!

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Photos & Story courtesy of : (Bobby Villarreal)