Hey guys i recently bought a 1999 e36 M3 drop top, and I feel like that there is no car out there better... well that i can afford lol. but i wanna make some modes on it such as a cold air intake software upgrade and exhaust... but wanna do it slowly and for as cheap as possible. so 2nd hand parts are fine by me... do you guys know anything i can do to make the BEAST beastier? any suggestions?
Forget the cold air intake. None do anything for your car except make more noise. A chip can improve power slightly because it will change the engine operating parameters. It's doubtful an exhaust change will make any more difference than an intake change. BMW engines breathe freely through both systems. To get significant improvements, you need to do expensive and extensive machine work in the head. The most cost-effective thing you can do to make your car faster is spend the first $1000-$1500 on yourself. Take a handful of BMW CCA driver schools so that your skills begin to approach your car's capabilities. Unless you already have some performance driving background, chances are the car is lots better than you are. [The disclaimer I have to reluctantly offer is that most, if not all, BMW CCA chapter driver schools do not allow convertibles on track. You would have to arrange to use another car, hopefully similar to yours - like an M3 coupe. You could probably set up a swap arrangement with a pal who'd like a cabrio some weekend. ]
Ditto. My g/f did exhaust and intake on her car ('97 M3), and then later did software, and she said she felt a performance difference (pulled harder) with the software, but loved the sound of the exhaust/intake setup. Do exhaust only if you want to change the sound, and then you will not be disappointed with the 1hp gain. If you want big performance changes the easist way is forced induction, but that isn't cheap, and can lead to other issues or wear and tear. The driver really is the limiting factors. At many autox events, a well driven "slower" car beats up on "faster" (straight line) cars.
hey guys thanks for all the advice... i actually only need parts... for performan.. ya i want the exhaust for sound... have you guys heard the eisenmann race exhaust for this car? WOW!!!!! its just WOW! and for the driving skills. i have that taken care of. i am a huge enthusiast and learned how to really drive a while back ago and it was worth it... so i definitly have that taken car of... its just i wanna feel more power out of the 240hp engine. i think its bs that the euro version came with 320hp and we got left behind... lol
No one ever has enough driver skill unless you're Michael Schumacher himself. From what I hear using the M50 intake manifold on that car helps it breathe and offers a bit of top end while sacrificing some low end torque. +1 for the gears suggestion.
lol well i agree with u when u say the driving skill isnt enough..lol. but i dont think its bad enough to spend 1500 on
We all say that. Trust me, it ain't true. There's not a single person on the planet who couldn't use a CCA driver's school. (Unless you're a racing driver, in which case you need something more, such as a private track and an F1 car... ) 240hp reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally should be plenty. Probably why I won't spend a darned thing on performance once I get my swap done (at least that's the goal - lol). But, you want performance? I hear superchargers do the job very nicely.
lol. Jay Leno once said on a top gear episode that driving is like sex. all men think they're good at it, but only a few really are...lol. so i agree with u guys, but i think i can us the money else where. i am young and go to college and dont have too much money. I live in central california so i love to go on scenic drives and sometime on a straigh road up hill i wanna feel my spine puch back into the seats
It is the M50 manifold and ITB's would be going wayyyy too overboard unless you were building a dedicated race car. The M50 manifold is really just the intake runners to the engine after the throttle body while getting an ITB conversion would add a single throttle body for each cylinder. ITB's would be overkill not to mention empty your wallet in no time flat. I had a friend like you who wanted to do everything possible to the engine of his M3 because he didn't think it was fast enough. I took him for one ride and let's just say it was more than enough to change his mind. If you really MUST add horsepower go for the M50 swap and maybe a chip. Then buy a set of grippy tires and save the rest of your money for track days/autocrosses.
thanks man thats probably what i was gonna end up doing anyways, its the cheapest thing that adds the most power, other then the software... and really agree with u on the tires, where would i find a m50 manifold, and y a M50 manifold, y would i go off a M3s S50 manifold? didnt the M50 come on the non M model 3 sereies for 1995?
Cars come and go. You only get one chance to live long enough to play with them.* Find your enjoyment with skilled driving. Any well-trained chimpanzee can go fast in a straight line. * This is why I'll be teaching yet another Street Survival school with Milwaukee Region SCCA next Saturday.
thanks man thats a nice one... but i am on a buget, and i know there r cheaper ones out there... but i am trying to convice someone to buy me the eisenmann race exhaust quad tip.... .u guys should hear how it sounds... WOW
OK, so you've made your decision. Sound and appearance is more important to you than actual performance. In that case, those who think like you do will be a lot more impressed with the K&N 'CAI' and a fake carbon fiber front strut brace than with a chip, so get those first. Right after the exhaust tips. You can always claim to have a cam, chip, and headers since no one ever actually looks ...
