RB, Vargas or Dinan Turbos. Why I picked what I did

EVL1 · 02-16-2015, 12:09 PM

So I've been doing a lot of research on turbo swaps and it seems like there is definitely a few options out there. So here is my take and why I picked what I did. I have a spare set of used OEM turbos with 8k miles on them, which at the time seemed like the right thing to do to keep my car as daily as possible. But after a lot of research i kinda convince myself to do some sort of upgrade, why not right? So that rules OEM out. So now I will have a spare set after its all set and done.
I don't want to do single turbos as that is just too much money for right now and I don't really want want to daily 600whp+. It would be great, don't get me wrong, but the lack of traction on the streets would get me in trouble....like a lot

So No single turbo conversion for me, not to mention, very expensive.
That leaves me with Dinan, Vargas and RB Turbos. So talking to Dinan and doing some research on them, it doesn't seem like the way to go for me. For the price of them, I'm better off buying Stage 1 Vargas Turbos which would show me better results.
So now between Vargas and RB Turbos, Both seem to be great and for the price. Where RB has their set at and what it provides is not bad at all price wise. Same goes with Vargas Stage 2 But then when you put the price of an install kit (which is highly recommended because why not treat your engine and turbos with fresh equipment. You're already spending a lot for the turbos), the shipping and PCV Valves, it comes out to a pretty hefty number, just under $4k. Not to mention the install for these bad boys. If I had a lift and all the tools, believe me I would do it myself and use that money for Stage 2s or RB Turbos. If I wait another month or 2, I could save up enough money to make up for the price difference between Stage 1 and 2 but having a 500+whp 135i is not really needed, in my mind anyways. I want it but I don't need it. 90% of the cars out there that I've encountered, can't even keep up as I currently sit.
So that leaves me with 1 option, The Vargas Stage 1 Turbos. You can't beat the price, it's a mild upgrade compared to the stock and it seems like a small upgrade to the Dinan turbos. Install kit and everything, the price is right. And I get a cool keychain, shirt and sticker. But one of the main reasons I went with them was, the fact that I was able to communicate with them via email. Because I had a lot of question and I mean a lot. They always replied very quickly. I didn't get much back from RB. So Vargas was the the choice after many many days of research. This is not very informative, but it's just what I had to go through to make up my mind.

Thanks to Tony@Vargas for all the help. I will keep this updated when I do the install and I have new Dyno Numbers

So I included two dyno sheets in this. One Is a Custom Dyno Tune on Pump Gas 93 octane (higher horsepower sheet) and the other is Cobb E30 race map with 30% E85 mixed with 93 octane (Lower horsepower sheet) note, that the lower HP one is on a heartbreak dyno aswell so add 13% to get actual results

Both are taken on a my Full Bolt On 2009 135i

-Custom Dyno tune: 414 whp 460 Torque
-COBB E30 Race Map: 355 whp 360 torque (Corrected it is 401 whp and 407 torque

I don't have the Cobb Stage 2+ aggressive
dyno sheet or the custom E35 dyno tune sheets but here were the results

-COBB Stage 2+ Aggressive: 378 whp and 410 torque
-E35 Custom Dyno Tune: 445 whp and 484 Torque

Now let's see what the upgraded turbos will get me. Hopefully the turbos will get here soon and the install will be done shortly after. I will be adding just a little bit more e85 to the mix. Not much more.

Vargas Stage 1 93 Octane: ?????
Vargas Stage 1 E40 Custom Dyno Tune: ????

EM58NDS 135i · 02-16-2015, 12:27 PM

Did you consider the Turbo Dynamics Stage 1 kit? Regarded as one of the best turbo builders in Europe. Excellent repuation and reliability.

http://www.turbodynamics.co.uk/shop/...nt-p-2767.html

Like you, I have a spare set of turbo chargers aswell, so i can send them off to be rebuilt while i keep my daily on the road. Then sell the oem set afterwards to recoup some money :-) I will also be using a custom Cobb tune, on 99 pump gas. Keep us updated on how it works out for you.

MuNkY6913 · 02-16-2015, 02:55 PM

So what is the price and what do you get with that price and how long until you get it from placing an order?

EVL1 · 02-16-2015, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EM58NDS 135i

Did you consider the Turbo Dynamics Stage 1 kit? Regarded as one of the best turbo builders in Europe. Excellent repuation and reliability.

http://www.turbodynamics.co.uk/shop/...nt-p-2767.html

Like you, I have a spare set of turbo chargers aswell, so i can send them off to be rebuilt while i keep my daily on the road. Then sell the oem set afterwards to recoup some money :-) I will also be using a custom Cobb tune, on 99 pump gas. Keep us updated on how it works out for you.

Honestly, they never came up on any of my searches but it does seem like a good setup. I'll have to keep those in mind if anyone ever ask me about them. And I'll try and keep everyone posted as soon as something new comes up

EM58NDS 135i · 02-16-2015, 03:02 PM

I don't know about the others but Turbo Dynamics only take 2-3 days. Which i think is outstanding service.

EVL1 · 02-16-2015, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuNkY6913

So what is the price and what do you get with that price and how long until you get it from placing an order?

I should probably add that. Thanks.

So shipped to me it was $2550. This includes the turbos, install kit, upgraded PCV valves and shipping and a $100 discount oh and the $600 charge which I will be receiving back once they get my old turbos. So overall price is $1950 once I get my core exchange refund. Since there is a few order in for those turbos, I am queued so it should take up to 2 weeks to get mine where it would normally take 2-3 days.

ShocknAwe · 02-16-2015, 03:09 PM

Look into larger inlets to take some more stress off those VTT units.

EVL1 · 02-16-2015, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Look into larger inlets to take some more stress off those VTT units.

Thanks. I'll definitely look into it. I still have a little bit of time to get any other pieces that I would need before the work starts happening

one30five · 02-16-2015, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Look into larger inlets to take some more stress off those VTT units.

Check out Trueformtech.com trust me. see what Brian is doing with his inlet kits. He is local and tuning me. but his company does much more. his inlet kits are like mod-porn

EM58NDS 135i · 02-17-2015, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by one30five

Check out Trueformtech.com trust me. see what Brian is doing with his inlet kits. He is local and tuning me. but his company does much more. his inlet kits are like mod-porn

How do you go about ordering the TFT inlet kits? Information on the site is vague and there is no options to purchase.

EDIT: Found it

http://www.trueformtech.com/?product...relocation-kit

project jayden · 02-17-2015, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by one30five

Check out Trueformtech.com trust me. see what Brian is doing with his inlet kits. He is local and tuning me. but his company does much more. his inlet kits are like mod-porn

one30five Has anyone confirmed that they fit the 135i? I tried asking him a few weeks ago and he hadn't tested it yet although he was almost certain they would with a little modification.

Freon · 02-17-2015, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by one30five

Check out Trueformtech.com trust me. see what Brian is doing with his inlet kits. He is local and tuning me. but his company does much more. his inlet kits are like mod-porn

It's a hot air intake (putting the intakes on the hot side of the engine) and the guy is showing a car with the cowl removed and those janky HVAC filter replacement minifilter, another bonehead mod that someone supposedly selling aerodynamic parts should know is a bad move.

No thanks.

project jayden · 02-17-2015, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freon

It's a hot air intake (putting the intakes on the hot side of the engine) and the guy is showing a car with the cowl removed and those janky HVAC filter replacement minifilter, another bonehead mod that someone supposedly selling aerodynamic parts should know is a bad move.

No thanks.

Freon what do you think about the dyno results though? Seems to me that they really do make a difference.

Boosted_N54 · 02-17-2015, 09:49 PM

you can't buy the TFT inlets separate from the rest you have to buy the charge pipe also and the rest.. i am also deciding on which inlets to get TFT or VTT

cky751 · 04-03-2015, 08:02 PM

Does anybody know if there is a gain from the oem spec vargas turbos over stock?

EVL1 · 04-06-2015, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cky751

Does anybody know if there is a gain from the oem spec vargas turbos over stock?

Not really too sure on that. But I'm sure if you shoot Tony an email, he can give you all the info that you need

EVL1 · 04-06-2015, 04:32 PM

Latest Update. Just got an email saying my turbos are shipping out this week. It's taken a lot more time than what I was willing to wait. So hopefully it's worth the wait. Hoping to update you guys with the results by the end of next week.

ShocknAwe · 04-06-2015, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver_Snow

Latest Update. Just got an email saying my turbos are shipping out this week. It's taken a lot more time than what I was willing to wait. So hopefully it's worth the wait. Hoping to update you guys with the results by the end of next week.

Sorry to hear that happened. Very typical of VTT. Hope you get good results with them!

EVL1 · 04-06-2015, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver_Snow

Latest Update. Just got an email saying my turbos are shipping out this week. It's taken a lot more time than what I was willing to wait. So hopefully it's worth the wait. Hoping to update you guys with the results by the end of next week.

Sorry to hear that happened. Very typical of VTT. Hope you get good results with them!

Thanks. It does suck i had to wait that long but I wouldn't have been able to enjoy them anyways. The car has been stuck in the garage with all the previous snow storms going on over here. Doing some body work now and when that's done, hopefully its turbos and clutch install time. Hoping the wait was worth it.

EVL1 · 04-28-2015, 06:50 PM

For anyone following this, I did get my turbos in not too long ago. The turbos are currently in the process of getting swapped. Should be done by tomorrow so I will be posting some results on the feel of them. I should be good to go for a new custom Dyno tune shortly. Hoping on Friday, if I can get into the shop for the tune.

iconone · 04-29-2015, 09:46 AM

Subscribed.

EVL1 · 05-12-2015, 10:24 AM

So I've had the turbos installed for about a week and a half now. So far they are great. You can just hear them spool all the time. Sounds amazing. And with my straight pipe exhaust, all you hear is turbo from the rear. Amazing. So much louder than the stocks ones. As for performance, I'm still waiting on my tuner guy to open up. He's literally booked until the 19th so I've been taking it easy on the turbos and the car for now. But with my current e85 mix dyno tune, It still pulls waaayyy harder than before. I've only done that a couple times just cause I was curious. Don't want to mess anything up so I've been driving the car like a normal person should. But it did hold all of the boost all the way through redline. I was impressed. I'll give updates as soon as I get the car dyno tuned again. I'm excited to see the new numbers.

02-16-2015, 12:09 PM	#1
EVL1 Second Lieutenant 20 Rep 273 Posts Drives: Project 1k 135i Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canterbury, CT iTrader: (0)	So I've been doing a lot of research on turbo swaps and it seems like there is definitely a few options out there. So here is my take and why I picked what I did. I have a spare set of used OEM turbos with 8k miles on them, which at the time seemed like the right thing to do to keep my car as daily as possible. But after a lot of research i kinda convince myself to do some sort of upgrade, why not right? So that rules OEM out. So now I will have a spare set after its all set and done. I don't want to do single turbos as that is just too much money for right now and I don't really want want to daily 600whp+. It would be great, don't get me wrong, but the lack of traction on the streets would get me in trouble....like a lot So No single turbo conversion for me, not to mention, very expensive. That leaves me with Dinan, Vargas and RB Turbos. So talking to Dinan and doing some research on them, it doesn't seem like the way to go for me. For the price of them, I'm better off buying Stage 1 Vargas Turbos which would show me better results. So now between Vargas and RB Turbos, Both seem to be great and for the price. Where RB has their set at and what it provides is not bad at all price wise. Same goes with Vargas Stage 2 But then when you put the price of an install kit (which is highly recommended because why not treat your engine and turbos with fresh equipment. You're already spending a lot for the turbos), the shipping and PCV Valves, it comes out to a pretty hefty number, just under $4k. Not to mention the install for these bad boys. If I had a lift and all the tools, believe me I would do it myself and use that money for Stage 2s or RB Turbos. If I wait another month or 2, I could save up enough money to make up for the price difference between Stage 1 and 2 but having a 500+whp 135i is not really needed, in my mind anyways. I want it but I don't need it. 90% of the cars out there that I've encountered, can't even keep up as I currently sit. So that leaves me with 1 option, The Vargas Stage 1 Turbos. You can't beat the price, it's a mild upgrade compared to the stock and it seems like a small upgrade to the Dinan turbos. Install kit and everything, the price is right. And I get a cool keychain, shirt and sticker. But one of the main reasons I went with them was, the fact that I was able to communicate with them via email. Because I had a lot of question and I mean a lot. They always replied very quickly. I didn't get much back from RB. So Vargas was the the choice after many many days of research. This is not very informative, but it's just what I had to go through to make up my mind. Thanks to Tony@Vargas for all the help. I will keep this updated when I do the install and I have new Dyno Numbers So I included two dyno sheets in this. One Is a Custom Dyno Tune on Pump Gas 93 octane (higher horsepower sheet) and the other is Cobb E30 race map with 30% E85 mixed with 93 octane (Lower horsepower sheet) note, that the lower HP one is on a heartbreak dyno aswell so add 13% to get actual results Both are taken on a my Full Bolt On 2009 135i -Custom Dyno tune: 414 whp 460 Torque -COBB E30 Race Map: 355 whp 360 torque (Corrected it is 401 whp and 407 torque I don't have the Cobb Stage 2+ aggressive dyno sheet or the custom E35 dyno tune sheets but here were the results -COBB Stage 2+ Aggressive: 378 whp and 410 torque -E35 Custom Dyno Tune: 445 whp and 484 Torque Now let's see what the upgraded turbos will get me. Hopefully the turbos will get here soon and the install will be done shortly after. I will be adding just a little bit more e85 to the mix. Not much more. Vargas Stage 1 93 Octane: ????? Vargas Stage 1 E40 Custom Dyno Tune: ???? Attached Images Last edited by EVL1; 02-16-2015 at 12:18 PM..
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02-16-2015, 12:27 PM	#2
EM58NDS 135i Private First Class 21 Rep 169 Posts Drives: 2012 M135i Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Did you consider the Turbo Dynamics Stage 1 kit? Regarded as one of the best turbo builders in Europe. Excellent repuation and reliability. http://www.turbodynamics.co.uk/shop/...nt-p-2767.html Like you, I have a spare set of turbo chargers aswell, so i can send them off to be rebuilt while i keep my daily on the road. Then sell the oem set afterwards to recoup some money :-) I will also be using a custom Cobb tune, on 99 pump gas. Keep us updated on how it works out for you.
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02-16-2015, 02:55 PM	#3
MuNkY6913 The Crowing 111 Rep 2,005 Posts Drives: BMW 135i Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: State College, PA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2009 135i [8.00]	So what is the price and what do you get with that price and how long until you get it from placing an order? __________________ 2009 135i : BMS JB4 G5 ISO,CXRacing FMIC Kit,Injen Cold Air Intake,Evolution Raceworks Charge Pipe,Walboro Inline Fuel Pump, E85 BMS Backend Flash w/ 60% E85,BMS Meth injection (trunkmount),BMS dual meth nozzles,Spec stage 2+ clutch w/ steel SWFW,BMS Catless Downpipes,Berk Tech Race Axleback
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02-16-2015, 03:02 PM	#5
EM58NDS 135i Private First Class 21 Rep 169 Posts Drives: 2012 M135i Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	I don't know about the others but Turbo Dynamics only take 2-3 days. Which i think is outstanding service.
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02-16-2015, 03:09 PM	#7
ShocknAwe 1Addict 3234 Rep 7,894 Posts Drives: E82 Mutt, M57 Truck Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Charleston iTrader: (22)	Look into larger inlets to take some more stress off those VTT units. __________________ 2010 135i 6MT Jet Black N54/3 FE82 Mutt \| BUILD THREAD \| GARAGE SALE
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02-17-2015, 09:49 PM	#14
Boosted_N54 Major 180 Rep 1,310 Posts Drives: 135i N54 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	you can't buy the TFT inlets separate from the rest you have to buy the charge pipe also and the rest.. i am also deciding on which inlets to get TFT or VTT __________________ MHD Custom Flash (E85) [Jake@MOTIV] / Vargas Stage 2 Turbos / Fuel it LPFP Stage 3+/ Moitiv Port Injection/ MMP Turbo Inlets/ 3.5 Tmap Sensor / ER FMIC /ER Chargepipe HKS-BOV / AA Downpipes / Agency Power Race mid pipes / Berk Technology race exhaust / BMW SSK / BC Forged Whees Toyo R888 tires / KW Club sport coilovers+KW Camber Plates / Spec stg2+Spec SMSFW/ APR Wing GTC200
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04-03-2015, 08:02 PM	#15
cky751 Private 5 Rep 67 Posts Drives: '09 135i Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: SF Bay Area iTrader: (0)	Does anybody know if there is a gain from the oem spec vargas turbos over stock? __________________ '09 135i 6MT w/ M Package: JB4 g5 iso\|MHD BMS BEF\| BMS DCI\|Wagner rep. FMIC\| N54 Performance 3" DP's\|BMS Chargepipe \| BMS Inlets \| BMS Short Shifter \|Powerflex bushings \| Eldor Coils \|CDV Delete\|NGK\|RB PCV valve and cap\| Stage 2 LPFP
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04-06-2015, 04:32 PM	#17
EVL1 Second Lieutenant 20 Rep 273 Posts Drives: Project 1k 135i Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canterbury, CT iTrader: (0)	Latest Update. Just got an email saying my turbos are shipping out this week. It's taken a lot more time than what I was willing to wait. So hopefully it's worth the wait. Hoping to update you guys with the results by the end of next week.
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04-28-2015, 06:50 PM	#20
EVL1 Second Lieutenant 20 Rep 273 Posts Drives: Project 1k 135i Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canterbury, CT iTrader: (0)	For anyone following this, I did get my turbos in not too long ago. The turbos are currently in the process of getting swapped. Should be done by tomorrow so I will be posting some results on the feel of them. I should be good to go for a new custom Dyno tune shortly. Hoping on Friday, if I can get into the shop for the tune. Attached Images
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04-29-2015, 09:46 AM	#21
iconone Private First Class 20 Rep 172 Posts Drives: 207 swapped Wrx Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Houston iTrader: (2)	Subscribed.
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05-12-2015, 10:24 AM	#22
EVL1 Second Lieutenant 20 Rep 273 Posts Drives: Project 1k 135i Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canterbury, CT iTrader: (0)	So I've had the turbos installed for about a week and a half now. So far they are great. You can just hear them spool all the time. Sounds amazing. And with my straight pipe exhaust, all you hear is turbo from the rear. Amazing. So much louder than the stocks ones. As for performance, I'm still waiting on my tuner guy to open up. He's literally booked until the 19th so I've been taking it easy on the turbos and the car for now. But with my current e85 mix dyno tune, It still pulls waaayyy harder than before. I've only done that a couple times just cause I was curious. Don't want to mess anything up so I've been driving the car like a normal person should. But it did hold all of the boost all the way through redline. I was impressed. I'll give updates as soon as I get the car dyno tuned again. I'm excited to see the new numbers.
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