Upgrades, Tools, and Projects Less Than $1,400
If you haven’t heard, many of us will receive yet another round of stimulus checks here in the United States to the tune of $1,400. That means those of you who are irresponsible like me will likely look at what you can do to your BMW with that money. Naturally, since that’s what I’ll be doing with the extra cash, I’d like to offer some helpful suggestions as to what you can do with yours. This week, we’re looking at projects you can tackle with $1,400 or less here in this edition of Turner Motorsport Weekly.
Ok, so, I lied: I’m not completely irresponsible. Much of this stimulus money will go to maintenance parts and tools I’ve had my eye on for a while. It’s my suggestion that you do the same and use your extra income to handle any neglected services or shop tools that you haven’t been able to justify without unexpected cashflow.
Here’s what I suggest: | 
| Full Cooling System Refresh
Normally, I choose to do the bare minimum with my cooling system refresh. A thermostat, coolant, and possibly expansion tank cap is about all I’ll do unless I know my water pump is due for a replacement. However, with the notoriously weak cooling systems for which older BMWs are famous, this extra cash should persuade you to go the extra mile and replace the whole system. A new water pump, thermostat, hoses, radiator, expansion tank, cap, and coolant will have your aging BMW ready to handle summer heat and hard-driving without any hiccups. | | | 
| Coolant Purge/Refill Tool
If you’re lucky enough to have an air compressor at home, a must-have tool that any accomplished DIYer should have is the Schwaben Coolant Purge/Refill tool. This is especially handy if you’re doing a cooling system refresh with your stimulus check. The purge tool can pull all your old coolant from the system in a hassle-free and mess-free way, which is nice, but the real benefit is with refilling. The tool creates a vacuum in your cooling system and then replaces that vacuum with coolant, not air. This means you will spend little to no time bleeding your engine, won’t end up with coolant dripping all down the front of your engine and onto your shop floor, and you’ll save yourself at least a half-hour of manual bleeding that could be better spent enjoying your car. | | | 
| APEX Wheels
I’m always looking for another set of wheels. It’s honestly a problem. Because I haven’t gone 5-lug, I’ve been hesitant to pick up a set of APEX ARC-8 wheels, even though I’ve wanted them for years. The beefy, classic BMW-inspired style and lightweight construction make them excellent for a daily driven BMW or one that sees moderate track time. Now, I don’t have much of an excuse to avoid picking up a set. APEX makes wheels with specific BMW fitment in mind and has an incredible fitment guide to help you pick the exact wheel specs you need for your desired look and feel. Coming in just under the $1,400 stimulus check, these are a no-brainer for anyone trying to find the right wheels to replace their stock shoes or if you need a dedicated set of track wheels. | | | 
| Turner Motorsport Sway Bar Upgrades
As we talked about last week, sway bars, end links, and roll center correction is a must for any lowered BMW to bring your suspension geometry back in check and ensure your sway bars are doing their jobs effectively. Our adjustable sway bars are bigger than the OEM units they replace, which means you can expect reduced body roll and better handling while offering the adjustable settings you need to fine-tune your handling characteristics. Additionally, roll center correction is also critical as we’ve covered before. With lowered cars, your roll center drops, and your control arms are located as if they were mid-turn even on flat, level ground. This means they don’t articulate within their intended range and your handling suffers. Our roll center correction kits bring the angle of your control arms back in spec and allow your suspension geometry to sit within its proper ranges for the best handling characteristics possible. All this can be had for about the $1,400 budget you’ll work with thanks to old Uncle Sam. | | | | | | | | | 
| Turner Motorsport Valved Exhaust Systems
While not available for every BMW (yet), our Turner Motorsport Valved Exhaust Systems are gorgeous, offer versatility with volume control, and offer a lightweight, low-restriction system for better performance. These systems are coveted, but often hard to justify if you don’t have extra cash lying around. With the $1,400 stimulus, a full valved exhaust system is within reach! You can replace your crusty, quiet, old exhaust and start to really hear, feel, and enjoy your BMW every time you press the throttle. It’s a little gimmicky, sure, but one of the best upgrades for your BMW is certainly a high-quality full exhaust system like our valved exhausts. | | | Wrapping Up
Ok, I could honestly write for days and carry on for pages and pages about projects you can knock out with a $1,400 budget. However, these are my top picks based on my current wish list and what I plan to do with my stimulus check. Wheels, exhaust, suspension upgrades, and critical (yet expensive) services are all right around that budget as well as items we might not ordinarily spring for due to the higher cost. So why not grab some of those wish list wants thanks to the stimulus checks? You’re worth it and so is your BMW. As always, let us know what you’re working on or how you ended up spending your stimulus check. Reach out to [email protected] and you may find yourself in a future edition of Turner Motorsport Weekly. | | | | | | |
