First time car owner =)

[allerac]

Hey guys, i just recently bought a 1997 328i
I am still in debate on what to do first to the car, my neighbor who is a bmw/porche enthusiast was telling me get springs, shocks, and sways, get springs, shocks, and sways. but at the same time i am also looking to add power, such as the easy, ecu, intake, exhaust, headers. Quick hp gains. so i have a debate with myself on this. any pointers can and will help me, i have a lot to learn and i am open to suggestions and opinions. thanks!

[c1apton]

First off welcome - re: what to do first is "learn the car" - how it handles in all conditions (wet, dry, etc) and all it's personality traits. They each seem to have their own personalities. Next find out what and if all maintenance has been done - including bushings, struts, cooling system - brakes-trans-diff flushes, before you do any mods. After that slowly add mods (preferably 1 at a time) This will help save you headaches (not to mention your wallet$$$) further down the line. Your neighbor as well intentioned as he/she might be, doesn't have to pay for mods and things that might pop up. As far as mods, after learning what your car is already capable of - then decide what you want first looks, handling, power and where it needs more power then work from there. That's the best advice I can offer.

[Numark318i]

Agreed with C1apton.

also plan out all your mods ahead of time. what do you want to do with the car, otherwise you might end up buying some things twice(IE suspension, depending on what kind of setup you think you want)
and go from there

[RSF5]

Yeah make sure the car is running perfectly mechanically before you start to mod. Then get used to it before any major modifications.