Prospective Owner First Mod Questions

[m3f_huckleberry]

Hello everyone, I am looking into buying a 96-99 M3 (OBDII) and am trying to figure out what mods to do. I have read a ton of the existing posts on what to do and what not to do. Some things appear to be a waste of money while others do give some benefit. I am coming out of a 1992 Toyota MR2 Turbo which I will miss terribly, but I am really excited about the M3.



Things I am considering are:

-M50 Intake (how difficult is this to install, and with the OBDII will the ECU just counteract any gains that I would get?)



-Borla Exhaust (open to other cost solutions, although cost effectiveness is a concern)



-Cold Air Intake (probably will just copy an existing design myself)



-Some sort of chip, I have read what you guys have written on all of the different options for these. One post I read said that any chip will eventually be "overridden by the OBDII and the ECU. Is this true, is a chip just a temporary power gain that wears off? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.



With these mods, will I pick up any power? Are they worth it, or are they all show and no go?



Thanks a ton in advance for your advice.



-Huckleberry

[m3f_///sleeper]

Longmont, eh? I'm in Boulder @ CU, one of my room-mates is from Longmont.



IMO, your first significant mod should be suspension, hands-down.

[m3f_AMPowerJ]

Welcome ... let me try to answer your questions



1. M50 intake is on my list for one of my next mods. You can get a M50 intake from eBay for around $50 - $100 and then get a kit from Eurosport that will allow you to fit the M50 in an OEM fashion. You can also go the less expensive way and purchase all the hoses, etc. that you will need but it is not going to be as clean of an install.



The M50 will provide around 10 RWHP at the upper RPMs based on what I have gathered but you will lose a little bit of low end TQ.



2. An exhaust is not going to do too much in the HP category. Maybe between 5 - 7 HP. However, the sound alone is worth this mod IMO.



3. If you have the know-how to create your own CAI go for it. I have a PAR intake that isn't made anymore that is just that.



4. With OBDII you will have to have the ECU reflashed unlike the chips that are in the OBDI M3 and probably what you are used to with your old MR2. I think the jury is still out on software. From what I have read, software mainly just removed the top speed limiter and raises the rev limiter. Unless you get software specifically for things like the M50 intake with the HFM, many think it is a waste of money.



You need to think about how much $$$ you want to invest and based on that, decide the best possible mods to perform. Someday I would like to go with some sort of FI so I am purposely not putting money into software, etc. that will undoubtly be replaced if/when I get a turbo or SC.

[m3f_SG_M3]

Things I am considering are:

-M50 Intake (how difficult is this to install, and with the OBDII will the ECU just counteract any gains that I would get?)



-Borla Exhaust (open to other cost solutions, although cost effectiveness is a concern)



-Cold Air Intake (probably will just copy an existing design myself)



-Some sort of chip, I have read what you guys have written on all of the different options for these. One post I read said that any chip will eventually be "overridden by the OBDII and the ECU. Is this true, is a chip just a temporary power gain that wears off? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.



With these mods, will I pick up any power? Are they worth it, or are they all show and no go?



Thanks a ton in advance for your advice.



-Huckleberry

M50 is a great mod. I'll comment on the ECU thing last.



All exhaust make the same power. Buy for sound.



Who ever said it will be overwritten is an idiot. OBDII has Long Term Fuel Trims and Short Term Fuel Trims, niether can completely change the written code. There for any mod you add can't be "adapted out" by the computer. The software can't change or be a temporary gains.



IMO, software is a waste until you need it. (3.5" hfm or cams) I'm making 235 rwhp, all the mods above and more on stock software.

[m3f_huckleberry]

Hey, thanks for the advice guys. SG_M3, what other mods do you have to be making 235 rwhp? How hard is the M50 install, and are the ones off ebay as good as getting the whole kit from Eurobahn?



What are the preferred suspension set-ups for you guys?



thanks again....

[m3f_Edgy]

Good question, Huckle and welcome. Good answers AM and SG.



Is this kit below about the most you can do w/o going FI? And this is what you mean by "needing" software, right?





http://www.turnermotorsport.com/htm...ID=jccaischrick

[m3f_huckleberry]

When I said M50 "kit" I guess I meant the one from Eurobahn which does not have a the cams or injectors or anything. They just have the intake and an adapter that makes the whole thing keep its stock look. I am afraid the Turner kit is a little out of my league from the cost standpoint.



My real hope is that I can get the same kind of acceleration as in my MR2 Turbo (220rwhp at 5,000 feet). I am just not sure what mods are necessary to do that. I also haven't decided whether to go with a 1995 or 96-99. I can afford the 96-99, but I am not convinced that that makes sense as it seems like it is easier to get power from the 95.



Thoughts?

[m3f_SG_M3]

I have intake, m50, exhaust, crank pulley.



I did the m50 the DIY way, no kits.

[m3f_huckleberry]

How does it look? Does it look factory still? That is one of my concerns with doing it myself.



And you dynoed at 235 rwhp? that is great with just those mods.



So you don't think that if you did any software that it would up those numbers?



And which exhaust do you have? would you recommend it?

[m3f_SG_M3]

It will look factory if you use the Eurosport kit. The DIY way is still a clean install, but not OEM.



Yup. 235 rwhp/221 rwtq. For reference a cammed 99 puts 245 rwhp on the same dyno.



IMO, no software won't gain enough for the price. My friend has the same mods and put 3 rwhp more. But his midrange tq is better. He has Eurospeed M50 spec. software.



I have an AA gen3 and really like it. I used to have a UUC system U, but it was way too loud for me. They all make the same power, so it doesn't really matter.