First off, stiffer steering - unplugged speed sensor wire going to PS servo, now it's on the minimal assist level permanently. Sweet. Much better feel now IMHO. Pretty heavy though, so it's not for the faint at heart.

Next, ghetto exhaust mod. I pulled off the final pair of mufflers. Gave it a nice healthy bit of sound. Not super loud, but an improvement. I'm considering taking out the pre-axle mufflers, too. We'll see. Ghetto because as of now it's dumping just aft of the axle and my cutouts are empty....as soon as I try the other mufflers removed I'll be installing pipe for whichever I decide. If I take them both off, I'm very much considering just putting up fake tips in the rear valence and putting a spark arrestor & short turn down after the res and letting it dump early. opinions? Is the spark arrestor necessary with turndowns, or are the turndowns necessary with an arrestor, or do I need both?

Aaaand, today I installed an AEM DryFlow performance cone intake. Definitely a nice little improvement. 3.5" inlet, 9" long filter. Neck slips right over the MAF, included screw clamp tightens it up perfectly, sits right where it should. 20 minute install, tops. Very easy and awesome. The stock scoop directs cold air at it, and I plan to fab a heat shield for her too.

So, VIDS & PICS (the important stuff )

VIDEO!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv6FD7b-yuc

 

Nice, but I want to see what your really made of......install a small ice chest in the trunk and run insulating piping and hoses with T valves to shut off the flow of engine coolant through the intercoolers. Run a electric water pump and ice water with maybe even some dry ice for track days to lower the intake charge. Then you can convert back easily for the street.

 

Whoa. I'll tell you right now I'm not made of that yet. Lol. I want to do track days, not build a full on track car.

Sounds kick ***, though. Just far above my level. Even the early dump is way more serious than I need to be on this car.

 

I saw a guy doing that with a mustang 5.0 turbo once brutal.. it was pretty trick

 

Looks like we're haunting the same boards Cerberus. I'm interested in the PS servo wire thing...can you shoot a pic on that so I'm on the right tack?

Thanks,
George

 

you should put in cutouts that dump right after the engine headers before mufflers with the solenoid switch. This is a lot cheaper then an exhaust and best of both worlds. want to have max power and rumble? switch it to dump mode. want to cruise and be quiet? switch it to the mufflers....this is what id do instead of buying an exhaust system

 

George, I'm guessing you're GeorgeG on RF? I'll try to get some pics soon, not sure when I'll have time next though.

BMW, I knew a guy with a turbo M3 that had that. That's actually not a bad idea at all. I'm pretty sure it's illegal here, though....not that that ever stopped me before....lol. I'm liking that idea more and more.

 

yeah its def illegal here in FL too my friends have told me but ive driven their loud, american muscle with them open right past cops and never pulled over. about the only they would tell you to do is fix it and you flip the switch lol if you are out late at night or something its prob a good idea not to have them open. but thats the route id def take, the best of all worlds and its just as cheap if not cheaper then any other option

 

Yeah BMW I had the same thing.. lol I had BSO cops ride right up on my bumper when I was driving with them open... I would flip the switch, they would follow me for another mile scratching their heads trying to figure out where my "major exhaust leak" went lol (I actually had one cop call it that)... then they would drive away. They can only write you a ticket for noise pollution if its currently happening.. once the "noise" goes away I think your golden. Cutouts are great, my only complaint with them is that sometimes I feel like your ECU cant adapt to the decreases and increases in exhaust gas flow fast enough to benefit from them performance wise... but on carbureted cars they are the best way to go.. the sound cannot be beat on either kind (carbureted or fuel injected) they sound mean. [sm=badbadbad.gif]

Do you experience the same condition I do.. where when you open them for just a race, the car runs kinda rough.. but when you leave them open for a day or a few days the car runs great? maybe its just me...

 

White, do you have diagrams on how you did that? Parts list? Est Cost? How exactly did you set it up?

If you or BMW have any info on how you or your friend did it would be great. Thanks.

 

QTP and Badlanz are the most cost effective and easiest to install... You can actually put the Badlanz system on a remote control so you can open them while the car is parked (kind of useless, but still pretty cool).. the install is pretty simple.. you buy the y-pipes and butterflys for whatever size piping you have (the cutouts bolt up to them and the exhaust flows normally when they are closed and dumps right there when they are open).. mount the Ys after the cats and before the resonator, wherever you have room, and run the wiring.. pretty straight forward, youtube has tons of videos on them.. good luck

 

cerbeus, its really easy white seems to have it right. it should also only be around $300-$400. just consists of some Y pipe, the solonoid controls and the butterfly. A simple switch mounts up somewhere nice in the cockpit, ashtray area is a great place.

white: why do you say moutn the Ypipes after the cats? from what ive heard/seen its also just right after the headers at the start of the exhaust. to answer your questions i dont have tons of exp driving them for extended periods of time, opening and closing them. I do imagine youre right abotu the computer not having enough time to adjust. if it was me id prob have them open most of the time in city and just close them up when im gonna cruise out on the highway or want it very quiet lol