More power please, or at least more responsive

Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:19 pm

Hello All
Can anyone help me try and get more responsiveness out of a 1991 325i convertible please. Any suggestions would be great. I have tried a chip but that failed (Ant from Zone shop could not understand why it would not work)
So, all i would like really is info on what people have done to get a little more out of the 325, i think its the M20 but as new to this i am unsure.

Any help on who and where to go would be great

john@espi.net

Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:35 pm

I got a ITG filter (from the zone shop) and its made a difference.

How much u talking about spending have u made any other mods to the car??

Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:39 pm

i dont want to spend a fortune as i have already spent 1500 clams this year on getting the car straight and nice.

what is an ITG? I have a Mongoose exhausdt coming next week, i hope it sounds nice.

Any suggestions will be cool, any. apart from thge chip as that was a disaster

Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:42 pm

6 branch manifold would work nicely with your new exhaust,

Not cheap tho!

Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:45 pm

keep ideas coming please, there seems to be so many things and so many versions of E30, how the hell do you keep up with what you can do!!!!

anyone got any idea on prices they paid for the bits

thanks for help by the way

Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:50 pm

Look on the zone shop or M5Piolt (Sal) will drop in soon enough and state the design etc he knows his stuff when it come to this filter well pleased

Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:55 pm

zone shop has a problem!!! page cant be displayed.

i would also like some Alpina wheels if anyone knows anyone....

Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:56 pm

There's some alpinas on the for sale section the other day have a look there mate u going 17 or 16

Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:04 pm

not sure about size, i saw some too but thought they had gone for 500

anyone know what the deal is with the shop? i have money to burn here!!!!

Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:13 pm

here my cabs engine bay

I thought it might give u some idea's

Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:14 pm

Hang on youve just said that you dont want to spend too much followed by
ive got money to burn.Go for the ITG filter mate,

Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:15 pm

gooner1 wrote:Hang on youve just said that you dont want to spend too much followed by
ive got money to burn.Go for the ITG filter mate,

Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:16 pm

how much was the filter? and where can i get one other than the zone shop which seems to be closed!!

I am off to southern france in 3 weeks and want to do a few bits b4 i go.

Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:18 pm

i dont want to spend too much, but i am not gonna flinch at a couple of hundred quid. it was more like if you spend 2000 quid you can.....

I am just wondering if there are little things that make a big difference. it does seem a very sluggish car for engine size, i am not expecting orbit breaking speed but my old girls vectra 2.5 is right with me and i cant have that!!!!

Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:20 pm

This a link to the guy who run's the shop under the name of xs performance, this is his ebay advert for the 6 branch he sells on the zone contact via ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E30-6-Branch- ... dZViewItem

I thinkt he filter is around 90quid

Website link: www.xsperformance.co.uk
or www.xsperformance.co.uk/e30zone
here a email for the shop sales@xsperformance.co.uk
here is a mobile contact 07725 234 540

hope this helps

Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:26 pm

i cant get onto e30zone whatever i do. the manifold looks lovely, i may have a go at that. does the filter make a nice indction noise? if the car sounds nice its half the job to me! any one heard an e30 with a mongoose on? what is it like

e30zone.. sort it out, i have a card at the ready!!!

Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:30 pm

Mongoose i think a while back at ace's someone had it, i just got a full scorpion system im picking up for mine tonight, cant wait to get that on.

As for the filter u know were the cone is when ur tearing up the road u can really hear it, i havent heard another filter like it.

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:01 pm

Sorry about the Zone Shop - we are having some upgrades done to the database.

The 6 branch manifold is fabulous. Expensive yes but it's worth every penny.

The ITG induction uses one of the best air filters you can buy. Everyone who has had one has noticed a difference in reponse and mid range torque.

Mongoose exhaust - you may have serious problems fitting it. I have fitted one to a customers car and that was the last time! They are very very noisy too.

Ideally, before you do any modifications you need to make sure your car is running properly. Make sure there are no airleaks, no other problems.

If I had Ã‚£2000 to spend it would be the following items:

Big Bore throttle Body
ITG filter with MAF conversion
6 Branch manifold
Standard exhaust system (flows very well) or BTB exhaust system (single pipe with centre silencer).

This lot will see around 185-190 bhp and the car will be super responsive.

If your local to me I have a car with all of the above fitted so you can see for yourself.

If you need any help you can always catch me via the PM system.

Sal

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:02 pm

told ya Sal would drop in soon

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:08 pm

cliffybabe wrote:told ya Sal would drop in soon

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:09 pm

oh dear, i have just bought the mongoose off someone on here who said it would be a straight forward job! i asked and asked if it does not fit he will have it back. Should i have not done this? I am worried now it will be a nightmare, and i dont even have it yet.

when you say loud.... how loud and is it a nice "rasp"? or just annoyingly loud. I wish i hadnt bought it now.

I dont want to spend 2k really, altho i have the money its more than i want to spend as the car keeps costing and i have not done any decent miles yet for money spent.

as for how it runs, i would liek to talk to someone if poss rather that list here. short details are.
hunts on idle or rough idle when cold
when normal driving temp guage shows just under half but get onto a motorway and it will creep up to bar AFTER half way quickly!
I had the thermostat changed as it never read higher that 1st bar on guage but above problem has been since thermo was changed (Gen BMW part)
Car goes well when cold but seems much less responsive when hot

anyone i can picjk brains of can they list cures here

Thanks all by the way

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:15 pm

have u tried cleaning the ICV ?? have you checked the rubber boot coming out of the throttle body to the air box??? make sure there's no splits etc

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:16 pm

Everyone's taste is different, you may like the Mongoose. If it's off a car then it should fit. I had to bend the pipes to get it to fit.

It was very boomy, not raspy at all.

Get it and see if you like it, if you don't then its ebay time.

If you want to stick to a budget then I'd suggest you stick to the BBTB and ITG kit (Manifold if funds allow).

I've sent you my number via PM.

Sal

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:17 pm

not tried anything as unsure of what or where! i will look for info and see what there is to clean !

thanks

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:19 pm

Add a zone chip to your shopping list

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:19 pm

Also check there isn't an ebay resistor fitted to the loom near the ECU to trick the car into putting more fuel in. The car I have here ran really badly with very bad throttle response. Took it out and all is good now!

Sal

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:23 pm

a what.... where!!!!!!!!!!!

resistor!

re the chip, that didnt work at all when it was tried so it went back to std set up

Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:24 pm

M5pilot wrote:Also check there isn't an ebay resistor fitted to the loom near the ECU to trick the car into putting more fuel in. The car I have here ran really badly with very bad throttle response. Took it out and all is good now!

Sal

yes the lovely ebay cheap chips (maplins bits put together to make a cheap)

Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:15 pm

Big Bore throttle Body
ITG filter with MAF conversion
6 Branch manifold
Standard exhaust system (flows very well) or BTB exhaust system (single pipe with centre silencer).

This lot will see around 185-190 bhp and the car will be super responsive.

Wooo hooo..............
Sounds like my touring!!!!!!!

Can't wait to get it back tomorrow and test this lot out!!

Nice one Sal.

Fri Jul 14, 2006 12:59 pm

For 2k, should be able to get motorbike throttle bodies and Megasquirt standalone sorted out if your mechanically minded! That would yield a decent increase and would sound awesome. However, if you have to get somebody else to do the work, it will cost a lot more....

Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:06 pm

miniblob wrote:
Big Bore throttle Body
ITG filter with MAF conversion
6 Branch manifold
Standard exhaust system (flows very well) or BTB exhaust system (single pipe with centre silencer).

This lot will see around 185-190 bhp and the car will be super responsive.
Wooo hooo..............
Sounds like my touring!!!!!!!

Can't wait to get it back tomorrow and test this lot out!!

Nice one Sal.

Miniblob

Stu was saying how mint your touring was the other, ull have to post some pic's mate

Fri Jul 14, 2006 5:25 pm

I would go for the zone chip first, seemed to make the bigest difference on my motor out of all the mods under Ã‚£200 ive done

Fri Jul 14, 2006 5:27 pm

oguz3001 wrote:I would go for the zone chip first, seemed to make the bigest difference on my motor out of all the mods under Ã‚£200 ive done

and oguz 325 is rapid, that sound cleaned up on my pc mate, alot better

Fri Jul 14, 2006 5:31 pm

Agree with Sal's reccomendations, Decent induction kit, and a decent exhaust will help the car rev more easily, bbtb is also a very worthwile mod from what i have been told, will be fitting one when my new inlet manifold goes on.

Fri Jul 14, 2006 5:45 pm

I didnt seem to get the full benifit of the bbtb till i fitted the chip aswell, was impressed with the difference.
Chip, fillter, bbtb and exuast are all good mods and i dont think it really matters what order you do them in really.
Exaust is manly for sound though, dont think there are any gains to be made there as the standard system was exelent as it was.