E46 M3 2003 turbo build-up

[commando150]

as i looked around the forums, i can definetly see that most people get the HPF turbo kits, now, i was wondering, is there any way to buy a turbo set up, but piece by piece? (FMIC, turbo, BOV, etc..) like, still push 700hp and such,but with parts from different places??...i mean, will i end up paying more then 18k if i do so? and if its possible, what are some brands or website i can search to get parts? any suggestions or advice is welcomed..thank u

[NOTORIOUS VR]

you're paying HPF for the complete package... R&D and tuning..

[Impulsed7]

you will probably end up spending more than the HPF kit in the long run, time and money.

[GG///M3]

or contact AA.

[eurotunerwerks]

or contact AA.

like others have said, u will spend more to achieve what the HPF kit does. IMO, i would just do the stage 2 and be done with it. You are paying for a flawless system!

[commando150]

yes, im definelty thinking that its better to get an HPF stage 2...now, am i going to have to replace internals or anything? i mean, i saw that at low boost it reaches like 600hp+...or is there a set of psi that i can max out without screwing anything over?

[spdu4ea]

yes, im definelty thinking that its better to get an HPF stage 2...now, am i going to have to replace internals or anything? i mean, i saw that at low boost it reaches like 600hp+...or is there a set of psi that i can max out without screwing anything over?

Stage 1/2 use stock internals. Stage 2.5, 3, and the yet-to-be completed 4 use built internals with lower compression.

You should be fine with stage 1 or 2 unless you only want to run pump gas, in which case stage 2.5 would be your best bet (same power as stage 2, but on 91+meth rather than 110+meth).

[highboostingm3]

as i looked around the forums, i can definetly see that most people get the HPF turbo kits, now, i was wondering, is there any way to buy a turbo set up, but piece by piece? (FMIC, turbo, BOV, etc..) like, still push 700hp and such,but with parts from different places??...i mean, will i end up paying more then 18k if i do so? and if its possible, what are some brands or website i can search to get parts? any suggestions or advice is welcomed..thank u

If you don't go HPF, you will have some nice parts on your desk to post pics of but your car will not run.

[SiGmA]

If you don't go HPF, you will have some nice parts on your desk to post pics of but your car will not run.

Or maybe in his car, with a holey block, or just lack of running?

HPF is the main, and really only, player in the turbo e46 market right now. This is coming from a DIY guy, save yourself a fuckton of a headache and massive over spending, and get a HPF Stg2/2.5/3 and be done with it

If you get their widebody, you will be blacklisted.

[sausrigging]

hpf kits are only about 8k overpriced..

[highboostingm3]

hpf kits are only about 8k overpriced..

And that conclusion came from from extensive market research, R&D on tuning research and individual naterial cost reasearch I'm sure.

[B.Watts]

hpf kits are only about 8k overpriced..

Sounds like you should split the difference, make a kit for $4K cheaper, and dominate the market.

[E36LUVA]

Its simple man if you wanna play you gotta pay, there is no way around it. Go ahead and try to build it better and cheaper, go ahead...

[highboostingm3]

Sounds like you should split the difference, make a kit for $4K cheaper, and dominate the market.

+1
That would be off the hook yo!

[eurotunerwerks]

hpf kits are only about 8k overpriced..

is this guy serious? well for one thing, who are you going to have to tune this set up?

[toddman35]

Guys I'm all about HPF and I love the engineering behind their kits and the design approach they use, but do you think people were saying this same thing 6-8 years ago when AA (well Mechtech - but that doesn't really count) were the only people doing E36 turbos?

Sure youre going to have to come up with some one off solutions and do some research and thinking, but in the end you can decide your own compromises instead of letting a company choose them for you. In HPFs case, the only real compromise I can see is the price.

I understand that the e46 is a much more complex beast to deal with (tuning and intake manifold), but to generalize that if you don't buy a HPF kit, you'll only end up with parts on your desk and a car that doesn't run is a bold statement to make.

I'm intersted to hear your thoughts on this Cam, you were there when Mechtech and AA were the only real players and look how far we've come since then. People willing to scratch their heads and do a bit of hard work instead of paying for an off the shelf solution are what moves the community forward and helps with the spread of information. 3-4 years from now I'm willing to bet that the e46 turbo community will look remarkably like our e36 one.

Just my .02, for better or worse.

[Brent 930]

hpf kits are only about 8k overpriced..

You mean you're paying 8k in labor for them to install the kit.

I'm willing to bet some you seasoned turbo guys could get your hands on the parts and DIY saving thousands. Oh, and have a working turbo car.

[eurotunerwerks]

Todd: you have to understand people at this point are wanting to piece it together to try and SAVE money when at this point, it WILL NOT work. Until other companies step up to the plate and start offering these kits, the price will stay where it is and they are deserving of the price. If you try and piece one together at this point, you will probably end up having your engine rebuilt or paying more than the HPF kit and still not run as smooth. I mean look at Taz, he had an amazing AA car but spent TONS of money on it. TONS!!!

[toddman35]

Todd: you have to understand people at this point are wanting to piece it together to try and SAVE money when at this point, it WILL NOT work. Until other companies step up to the plate and start offering these kits, the price will stay where it is and they are deserving of the price. If you try and piece one together at this point, you will probably end up having your engine rebuilt or paying more than the HPF kit and still not run as smooth. I mean look at Taz, he had an amazing AA car but spent TONS of money on it. TONS!!!

True, but if you're not willing to spend the 18k or whatever it costs for the HPF kit and you're willing to compromise some power or driveability/reliability (hopefully not those!), you have a solid mechanical background, know how to weld, access to machine shop, etc, and have a desire to learn how these systems work, I say go for it. <- Nice "sentence" huh?

The time invested in a DIY turbo system if you include the research, design, sourcing of parts, part price, fabrication costs, etc most likely will result in a higher cost if you bill it out at whatever one makes/hr. To some, its enjoyable fabbing up a kit and people take pride in accomplishing what no one else has before, or having an individual setup thats custom to their requirements. I feel like you really can't put a price on that. Maybe others consider that time as non-billable, so they only include part prices in their BOM, who knows.

Maybe people have more time than money, maybe they like to look around for good deals on parts and buy them individually, etc as well. These are all things to consider and I just wanted to throw another build "technique" out there vs simply sucking it up and buying a turn key kit. Thats all I'm trying to say and it just don't think its fair to throw out a blanket statement that if you don't buy a HPF kit, your car won't run (sorry again Cam).

I'm not trying to start a pissing match by any means, I just would like to see the community grow. As long as someone knows what they're getting into and takes the time to make an educated decision on whether to build or buy, I feel like it will only help.

[Brent 930]

$18k is for Stage II, LOL.