e36 M3 Turbo Decision

[rajicase]

If you cannot afford a turbo car or turbo system all at once, you can buy new/used parts and put together a system over time, but I recommend that only if you have a plan and know what you are buying.

This is the way I did it and am happy. I bought bits and pieces over a span of months and ended up with a fairly affordable set up. Keep a close eye on the classifieds and jump on deals..

[lbennyboobool]

This is the way I did it and am happy. I bought bits and pieces over a span of months and ended up with a fairly affordable set up. Keep a close eye on the classifieds and jump on deals..

what manifold are you running? That's where I always get hung up on when I think about planning out a kit

[rajicase]

what manifold are you running? That's where I always get hung up on when I think about planning out a kit

Boostlogic t4 bottom mount

[lbennyboobool]

Boostlogic t4 bottom mount

have any issues with it or any complaints?

[rajicase]

have any issues with it or any complaints?

No I love it, tubular, perfect boost control, fits big turbos, etc.. But they are discontinued so only way to find one is used.

[lbennyboobool]

No I love it, tubular, perfect boost control, fits big turbos, etc.. But they are discontinued so only way to find one is used.

lol of course hahahaa

I really want top mount but from my research it's not really worth the extra work and wanting to keep a/c

[rajicase]

lol of course hahahaa

I really want top mount but from my research it's not really worth the extra work and wanting to keep a/c

I like bottom mount. Only downside is when you park at car meets with your hood up everyone walks right by without noticing only to drool all over the civic with a massive ebay turbo sticking out of the hood lol..

[lbennyboobool]

I like bottom mount. Only downside is when you park at car meets with your hood up everyone walks right by without noticing only to drool all over the civic with a massive ebay turbo sticking out of the hood lol..

Exactly!! There's something about being able to pop the hood and see the turbo staring at you

[someguy2800]

I like bottom mount. Only downside is when you park at car meets with your hood up everyone walks right by without noticing only to drool all over the civic with a massive ebay turbo sticking out of the hood lol..

I always thought it was funny when people look at my car at the track and say "awwwh, what a cute little turbo!". Typically right after they just lost there mind looking at a fox body with an S480 that runs 11's.

[mboor]

I went bottom mount for sleeper status. I love that you can't see the turbo with the hood open. Can't wait to use the old "It's just a lightly modded S52, wanna do some pulls?"

[lbennyboobool]

does the intercooler in the front not give it away? otherwise I would say total sleeper!

[pbonsalb]

My intercooler is anodized black. I like the sleeper look and have a bottom mount. But if you like the bling, top mount is the way to go. One does not perform better than the other, neither is easier to install, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Think about things like gravity drain or scavenge pump, open or twinscroll, above subframe or under subframe hotside piping, room for a proper intake, room to maintain the AC with reasonable hotside piping, engine bay heat, etc.

[lbennyboobool]

what size of down pipe are most people running with a top mount? 3" or 3.5"?

is there a noticeable difference between open and twinscroll?

[cragg56]

I have watched a few builds spiral out of control and never get done, some take too long and never get done, and some go through so many changes the original plan was not cost effective. I agree with figuring out what you want to do and how you want to do it before starting. Make a plan, stick to it, know what you are buying, and follow through. If its a 2 year plan, don't bother. Just wait until you can do it at once. If it is a year or less plan, go for it.

Guilty

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[Turbohugh]

That first car sounds dope .. I want to build my e36/328 Vert into a turbo car


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[chikinhed]

Once people start installing their new Steedspeed manifolds there will be some really good turbos and manifolds up for sale.

[mboor]

does the intercooler in the front not give it away? otherwise I would say total sleeper!

You won't see the intercooler, just the rear bumper, hopefully. I've been thinking of ways to make the intercooler less conspicuous, painting it black seems to be the best / cheapest / only idea. i'm on the fence on painting it.... There's only so much one can do to maintain sleeper status without going to great lengths. I'll do as much as i can that's within reason (bottom mount,WG recirc pipe, limited gauges and gauge placement, "quiet" exhaust), but something can't be hidden without going thru great lengths. It's hard to hid a 3.5" exhaust and a big honking intercooler.

[chikinhed]

My intercooler is also black. My exhaust is 3.5" goes into a muffler with dual 2.5" tips that match a stock muffler. One of the tips is blocked off until I get to 6 psi of boost then a wastegate actuator opens a butterfly valve. It's pretty quiet when cruising, not so much when at WOT. It's stealthy.

[Mklock]

I'll be painting my intercooler black but just the solid bars not the through fins.

[lbennyboobool]

You won't see the intercooler, just the rear bumper, hopefully. I've been thinking of ways to make the intercooler less conspicuous, painting it black seems to be the best / cheapest / only idea. i'm on the fence on painting it.... There's only so much one can do to maintain sleeper status without going to great lengths. I'll do as much as i can that's within reason (bottom mount,WG recirc pipe, limited gauges and gauge placement, "quiet" exhaust), but something can't be hidden without going thru great lengths. It's hard to hid a 3.5" exhaust and a big honking intercooler.

would color matching the intercooler to the car color make it blend in or is black the best choice?

- - - Updated - - -

My intercooler is also black. My exhaust is 3.5" goes into a muffler with dual 2.5" tips that match a stock muffler. One of the tips is blocked off until I get to 6 psi of boost then a wastegate actuator opens a butterfly valve. It's pretty quiet when cruising, not so much when at WOT. It's stealthy.

was that hard to set that up? Sounds super cool though

[chikinhed]

I use flat black BBQ paint spray bomb on my intercooler as it covers well and goes on really thin.

For the muffler, I run a line from the compressor housing to a VW wastegate actuator. It opens and closes the valve almost instantaneously, unlike an electric cut out.

[lbennyboobool]

For the muffler, I run a line from the compressor housing to a VW wastegate actuator. It opens and closes the valve almost instantaneously, unlike an electric cut out.

I like that allot! Unique and very clean! Do you like that muffler? That's the one I've thought about using on my street car which I'm sure would be louder then yours since a turbo muffles allot of noise, but curious on how you like it.

[mboor]

I like that muffler set up a lot too! If i wasn't running dual 3.5" single in/out mufflers, i'd probably do something similar.

[chikinhed]

I don't have the need to have a loud car and have spent a lot of time trying to do what I can to have it as quiet as possible without having back pressure. This muffler is really quiet when cruising, I hear tire and engine noise over the exhaust. At WOT, it's a good tone and not too loud but at the track, due to the pitch of the sound, it exceeds the noise limits. I needed to find a solution so I have a straight through 3.5" muffler that is much louder but the tone is deeper and passes the dB test. I put a V-band at the mufflers inlet so it only takes a couple of minutes to swap them.

[E36Mylo]

I have watched a few builds spiral out of control and never get done, some take too long and never get done, and some go through so many changes the original plan was not cost effective. I agree with figuring out what you want to do and how you want to do it before starting. Make a plan, stick to it, know what you are buying, and follow through. If its a 2 year plan, don't bother. Just wait until you can do it at once. If it is a year or less plan, go for it.

This x1000000. Before even approaching butters and speaking to Greg I set a goal for my car and knew what I wanted and how I wanted it done. I had the major components already bought and just needed some guidance from butters on a few things like bov, fpr and stuff like that. If you don't have specific goals set you're going to want to chase what other people are doing and upgrading to and never finish.