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05-14-2013, 01:56 PM | #1 |
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Time to Mod
Ok. So.
I finally made it to my first meet, BMW Welt 4.0. And as much as I love my car, she's almost two years old now and her only mod is the CDV delete. It's time for more. Here's what I'm thinking, but I need help on the order. Or the "Don't fucking do that, do this instead" comments. Catless downpipes (AR?) Exhaust (maddog?) Charge pipe (ER?) JB4 ISO FMIC (VRSF?) Air Intake (BMS?) What else? What first? What last? Please help!! (Oh, and who should I order from?? Finally, for you Stuttgarters, I'm NOT a mechanic so I'm relying on you to help with the installs...) |
05-14-2013, 02:08 PM | #2 |
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I can't shake the feeling that you attending to this meet was a bad idea for your bank account
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05-14-2013, 02:14 PM | #3 |
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Exhaust: berk race loud as hell, yet refined, just don't drive on the autobahn. Love it in the twisties here though. Chip tune to 360 and call it a day. My 2 cents
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05-14-2013, 02:20 PM | #4 |
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Get a BMW Performance Exhaust(PE). I think it has the best sound. And its easy to install.
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05-14-2013, 02:26 PM | #5 | |
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Do you mean Maddad exhaust? I've been contemplating that one as well, but I keep spending the money on other mods... I would wait on the exhaust till after you hear the stock exhaust with the DP. It's pretty aggressive all on it's own. I ordered a BMS DP, ER charge pipe, BMS intake and JB4 all at once from Terry and he gave me a "bulk" discount. Not a lot, but it was a nice gesture and helped with the shipping. I ordered a 5" core VRSF FMIC on Monday. I would upgrade the brakes: Pads, SS lines, titanium shims, super blue fluid, and F30 heat shields make for a great upgrade for not a lot of cash.
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05-14-2013, 02:42 PM | #6 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
I guess my goal here is engine enhancements, and making sure I upgrade the necessary parts before adding the tune. I'd also like to put in gloss black kidney grills, but cosmetics are second to performance in my mind (sleeper car, anyone?). |
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05-14-2013, 02:58 PM | #7 |
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Black grills won't make any difference to your sleeper look, they're cheap, and they look really good if you already have the shadowline trim.
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05-14-2013, 03:20 PM | #8 |
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Definitely black grilles.
Also, like said, id wait on the exhaust and just do the DP. You can usually find each item on your list being sold on here and if you just tell the seller to look up the military option (ie. the slow option) then shipping isnt bad at all. But yeah, JB4 ISO - BMS intake - AR DP - ER CP is what I have and couldnt be happier.
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05-14-2013, 03:50 PM | #9 |
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Well there are lots of different directions to go, what are your goals? Are you going to go all out or are you just looking for a small performance boost, do you want to look good or just go fast.
- As others have said, skip the exhaust and get a down pipe (catted or uncatted). N55's sound great with stock exhaust and an upgraded DP. Plus the DP is the part of the exhaust that is going to make a difference as far as upgrading performance. - As far exterior goes I think it's the small, subtle, not too flashy things that go a long way in upgrading the character of a 135i. Grills and a "BMW performance" style spoiler always look good. - You should consider doing some suspension mods early. With all of the great roads here in Germany you will probably use and enjoy this the most. A good set of tires, and maybe an M3 swaybar are some easy starters. I'd start with some of the easy look good mods like a set of grills. This will help itch the mod bug while you decide on your power mods.
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05-14-2013, 04:06 PM | #10 | |
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On the braking part, It's a toss up with BMW drilled/slotted rotors. They work great but on the track I prefer slotted rotors. Either Cool Carbon pads or Ferodo DS2500 are great. Ferodos are much better on the track though. Also some Ate or Motul or Ferodo brake fluid will change he feel. Don't forget the Steel braided brake lines. I feel that the curent calipers on the car do an excellent job. Then you can dive in the engine and get the power going...... If you need any help or questions just let me know. Oh, I don't do wraps anymore.
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05-14-2013, 05:18 PM | #11 | |
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Ok, let's start off by saying, YES! Mods are great! Next, If you check over my list of mods, I couldn't be happier where I am, and making a lot of power for an N55. With that said, it all depends on how you want to sound. You heard my car, and josh135's car. I run AR Catless DP, and he runs Berk Catless DP. I run MadDad muffler delete straight pipe, he runs MadDad Whisper... You heard both, and now you know what we both run. Don't go Berk Race, it's toooooo..... yeah. Just go MadDad euro street sport if anything. Next, VRSF is unbeatable if you ask me when it comes to FMIC's. Price, quality, and service. All great, answer is solved. ER Charge pipe. N55 Charge pipes have a reputation of cracking, BMS or ER offer great deals. Tune = I LOVE my JB4, but some prefer COBB. Neither offer a speed delimit, but one costs wayyyyy more. I like my JB, it's up to you though. Air Intake should be your last worry. The only real intake that makes a big difference is the Gruppe-M, and thats a couple grand. Injen's looks the coolest, but BMS will suck in more air. Just make sure you get scoops to go with it. Lastly, get and Oil Catch Can. Cheap, easy, and you won't regret it. Start there, and we will go from there later on.
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05-14-2013, 05:22 PM | #12 |
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And you will get a shitload of attention
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05-15-2013, 03:35 AM | #13 |
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Mine is a maddad whisper + maddad mids + AR DP's. I love my exhaust! It's not loud and it has zero drone.
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Ohlins R&T 1m setup, m3 rear links, M3 arms, bushings, AR Downpipes, ARK DTS exhaust, SPEC S3+/Mfactory, Stett CP, Stett CAI, ETS FMIC, RB EVO Stealths, Motiv PI, VTT Inlets.
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05-15-2013, 04:17 AM | #14 |
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Intake scoops are a cosmetic mod. They don't provide any improvement for an intake, stock or aftermarket.
There's also some debate on if aftermarket intakes increase power at all, but I like the sound and a filter that will last for years.
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05-15-2013, 07:24 AM | #15 |
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Never once said they add performance value in any way.... they just look aggressive and are a quick easy cosmetic mod with the grills if you have the means.
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05-15-2013, 08:42 AM | #16 |
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Thank you all for the feedback so far. Great ideas and I'm trying to learn as much as I can by reading other threads. As I've started to price things out, this gets expensive fast!
Based on some of the comments, I think I'll hold off on the exhaust for the time being. I'm still thinking: JB4 Stage 2 (is ISO just a mod I do to that myself? Also, what about flex fuel wires?) DPs (thoughts on AR vs BMS? BMS looks a lot less expensive) ER Charge Pipe BMS Intake. I know the intake isn't critical, but I love the turbo sound. I may also do the kidney grills, as that's cheap and extremely easy. Other comments have got me looking at suspension and brake upgrades, but I need to spend some more time researching all that before I come up with an actual list. I'll have to price that stuff out, though, and maybe hold off on the JB4 until I've done some upgrades in those areas. Do you guys generally buy from other people on here? I've heard that Terry at BMS and Mike at N54tuning are good to buy from. Oh, and finally, a hood wrap, right Nick?? |
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05-15-2013, 08:51 AM | #17 |
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ISO is a mod you do.
You open up the box and snip one connector of a diode, then flash the ISO firmware. Super easy to do. Flex fuel wires are cheap and "future proof" it so you can run E85 if you want to. Kleach18 on here has said that with the wires and a 50/50 mix his butt dyno was reading great. I think they are 20 bucks, so might as well imo. I love my AR, but also understand the cost is higher than any others. This is why I went used on that. Just be patient and hawk the classifieds every day and jump on one barely used for about 300-400usd. The rest, yeah. I bought my stuff mostly through the classified section on this site and didnt have any issues there.
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05-15-2013, 08:58 AM | #18 |
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AR's DPs are a work of art. I bought the BMS because they're 99.9% as good and a lot cheaper.
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05-15-2013, 09:22 AM | #19 |
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BMS is a 3.5, AR is a 4". Might not sound like a lot, but does have proof in numbers. There is also a CP-E 5" lol, if you want to sound like a dump truck.
ISO is a simple mod that makes the JB4 stage 2 a lot more stable and more consistent in the boost numbers. Flex fuel is a must if you plan on running E85. Cheap for sure, but a pain in the ass to install. I bought all my stuff through Terry, Mike, or private sellers on the forums. That's it and never had one single problem. Quick tip, always check the user iTrader comments. It's helpful.
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05-15-2013, 03:02 PM | #20 |
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Well, just to get things started, I ordered the BMW Performance Gloss Black Kidney Grills.
It's a start, right? |
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05-15-2013, 03:07 PM | #21 |
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Yessir!
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Sold 2011 BMW 135i - COBB V2 AP / VMR 710's / 4" AR Catless DP / BMS Intake w/ Air Scoops / Eibach Pro Kit / MadDad Street Series Axle Back / ER Charge Pipe / BMS OCC / Vorshlag Camber Plates / Sammich Sticker
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05-15-2013, 03:13 PM | #22 |
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That's how it starts all right...
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