Back in 2010 or 11 I sold the favorite car I've ever owned. For some people that wouldn't seem like a very bold statement, I however have had something along the lines of 40ish cars in the 35 years i've been around. I used to go through a car every few months and my VF supercharged Arctic silver 95 m3 was no exception. I had it like 4 or 5 months, put some ast coilovers on, went through a couple sets of wheels, and tried to just leave it alone. At the time the car only had 85K on it and was still in amazing condition. I assumed that i'd sell and get something better just like every other car I've owned. I failed though...every day since then I thought of how much I enjoyed driving that m3.
I held out hope of finding a 4 door technoviolet 5 speed car in mint condition. I looked for a couple years. A few came along but never at the right time for me to make a move, or I was just too slow. I finally started really looking for something this spring. I broke it down to purple, green, or an individual color and must have a sunroof and 5 speed. Hellrot was not even in my realm of thinking, I couldn't stand red cars...or so I thought.
I saw a black car with a cloth interior in florida and it ticked almost every box, but was a slick top. A couple days later a gentlemen in Jersey posted up another cloth car this time a Hellrot with a sunroof. There was just something about it, it photographed splendidly. He had laid some ground work for a car that should be pretty nice by the time I'm done. Car is a 10/95 build Hellrot over Grey Cloth car. It has 131K on it but appears to be pretty well taken care of. Seats are in fantastic shape. The P.O. did a cooling system, belts, some KW coilovers, cleaned the interior along with a new steering wheel, shift boot, and a bunch of other stuff. Upon buying the car I replaced the gutter trim, a bunch of window seals along with some poly rtab's and tranny mounts. I went with some smoked lights and a set of BBS RC300's although I did a terrible choice picking color as they needed a refinish and now need another one.
Before even picking the car up I had purchased a like new stromung exhaust and an AFE intake. I figured that I'd be able to tide myself over with an exhaust and intake. I however failed miserably. A week after buying the car I bought another VF charger set up, without a tune. I then started adding up what it would cost me to do what I envisioned. A VF charger with a 10 psi pulley and water/meth with 42lb injectors. By the time I added everything up it seemed I might as well go turbo and have some real actual power. So before ever receiving the charger in the mail I had made a deal with a guy to buy the charger and I started planning my turbo out.
I found a used SPA T3 manifold and scooped it up. And so it began.
Along the line of research I kept changing my mind on what turbo I should go with. I first figured why not just go with the tried and tested GT35. I then considered an EFR setup...then a precision...then I came across these Garrett GTW turbo's. I randomly sent a message to a man they call Butters and it all went fast forward from there...well kinda slow forward as money is always tight.
He and I discussed turbo options and we decided on the GTW3684R which is basically a precision 6262. I initially was going to leave the engine stock and just run low boost. Upon discussing this in depth I decided to just do the copper spacer with cut ring and make sure the engine was up to the power I am hoping to make.
So this is where I'm at and here is my planned set up
Spa T3
Garrett GTW3684R .82....2.5" v-band outlet, 2.5" hot side outlet and a 4" inlet
Tial MVS
Tial BOV
Copper spacer
Cut ring
ARP studs
Treadstone 1235
2.5" hot side
3" cold side
Rally Road motor mount
CES poly mount bushing
3" turbo back with a dynomax VT muffler..fully v banded (changed muffler to a regular dynomax)
aeroquip socketless for turbo water lines and turbo drain line
-4 oil line from vanos bolt
aeromotive 340 with a rally road mount
some ngk 4554 plugs
here is what has been added since I started
clutch masters 725 twin disc
poly bushings for shifter/short shift
ecs poly diff mounts
ronal sx 18x8.5 et50 front with 15mm spacer, 18x9.5 rear et27.
federal rs-r 225/40/18 front, 245/35/18 rear
60mm wheel studs to fit rear wheel center caps
aem failsafe boost/wideband
RK tunes 60lb tune
catch can
Breeze stainless liner worm gear clamps
regular dynomax muffler
vibrant resonator
4" slant cut polished tip
new slave cylinder
new front spoiler
respray front bumper
ground control race camber plates
front reinforcement plates
relay for fuel pump
along with the turbo set up i'm going to attempt to run a F1 clutch with an upgraded throw out bearing. (went with clutch master twin disc)
Some new beisan seals for the vanos
i also have a whole ton of replacement parts for the engine while it's apart. trying to be proactive on all the seals and such.
I don't mention a tune as of yet...as that is the last piece of the puzzle for me. I believe I know who I am going with but I have to save up some money.
so onto the pictures as everyone loves pictures
Day after I picked it up
Thanks UPS
Last edited by vr6dubny; 07-10-2017 at 12:43 AM. Reason: more pics
Your going to a great reliable build and nail your goals dead on !!
Can't wait for results.
1996 332IS
Built 3.2
CES/Steed TS Precision 6466, spraying a "$π!℅" load of meth.
Technique Tuning 80# tune.
1/4 mile 10.84 @ 136.72
Your 1 and only stop for all your BMW performance needs
WWW.CESMOTORSPORT.COM
You have been an invaluable fountain of knowledge so far. I can't thank you enough for all the questions I have inundated you with.
We will find out soon how this GTW works out.
That interior...
Love the car, good luck with the build. Looking forward to results.
Stock wheels look better.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"It's not the people who vote that count, it's the people who count the votes."
-DNC
I agree, that color I chose to coat them does nothing for the wheels. They are gonna get refinished and get bigger tires.
So this has been going a little slower than I had anticipated. Got cams installed last week and it sat until today still opened up. Took the time to time it twice and install the vanos 3 or 4 times. Then got the valve cover back on as well as thermostat housing.
In retrospect I really wish I had installed the exhaust manifold studs while head was off the car. I think it may take me a few days to get them and the spa manifold installed. I was told it's not a job you want to do twice. I now know why.
So I skipped to installing the rally road motor mount arm and ces poly motor bushing.
I also got a slim spal pusher installed last week and test fit the intercooler.
The list for this this week consists of:
finish exhaust stud install
install spa manifold
sort/install turbo water lines
install vacuum fittings into intake manifold/install manifold
finish intercooler install
install/clock turbo
install oil feed/drain
start fabbing intercooler piping
start fabbing downpipe/exhaust/wastegate routing
also trying to decide if Clutch needs to be done before final turbo install
not very exciting pictures
IMG_1483.JPG
IMG_1507.JPG
Good luck with the build!
Update?
?? There is hardly any room there.
Did you get n54 studs? Those have a etorx head and are infinitely easier to install ..
You really ahould have installed the manifold too... putting the head on with a little extra weight is more than worth saving hours of frustration with no space..
Last edited by rajicase; 09-12-2016 at 10:09 PM.
so back from the dead...7 months later. I have made virtually no progress since my last post. Winter was not kind to me and my tiny 1 car garage didn't help at all.
So here's where we stand:
Got in on the MS PNP Group Buy
Ordered/got my injectors (80lb deka), catch can, fittings for intake manifold vacuum/boost, lava shield to go on the firewall/tunnel, and gauge pod for the steering column.
also upgraded to a FX750 clutch...I only want to do it once
I sold the RC300's and picked up a set of Ronal SX in 18x8.5 and 18x9.5
I also ordered a quick jack 5000slx which will hopefully make everything much easier. I am over trying to finish this car on my back with the car on jack stands, the extra 8-10" should be a big help in getting this thing done
my only purchases left to make are an AEM failsafe boost/afr and a w/m kit after the car is running.
only reason for going with the failsafe is that it is a combo gauge which will help in keeping clutter in my interior to a minimum...I do not plan on running the "failsafe" portion of the gauge...I have looked at the other options out there and I feel I like the AEM the best.
early this week I moved the M3 back into the driveway and did a minor clean up of the garage to give me a work space. tonight I installed the fittings in the intake manifold and installed new gaskets.
also to answer previous questions that I don't think I ever saw.
yes went with the n54 studs
the studs are just a pain to get to especially from your back, if I had installed atleast the studs while head was off I could have made sure they were all straight and retapped the holes that gave me difficulty...more easily. Also I agree that I might try installing with the turbo manifold on as well.
Even more so I may just pull the engine out if I do it again, that way it provides easier access to swapping clutch and running all the other lines that need to be run.
Finally got out to the garage at 11:30pm. A little progress. got my injectors in the mail today, got them installed in the manifold along with all new seals for the mani. Also got to work on my coolant lines for the turbo along with deleting the charcoal canister, whatever that valve was in the air box and the TB coolant lines.
Going to run the coolant line for turbo along side the oil feed line, then run the return into the side of the block. If anyone sees any issues with how I have this run, please let me know.
plan for tomorrow is to get some vacuum caps and get the intake mani as well as the wiring harness and the whole top side of the engine put back together, pull the turbo off the manifold and tap for the waste gate, get the electric slim fan mounted and make some cardboard cutouts of what I want my intercooler brackets to look like. If that all goes smoothly I'll work on teaching myself to weld...just need to practice.
also i'm not sure what everyone uses to cut the socketless hose but I found these pex cutters work fantastic
I got the slim fan mounted, intercooler brackets made just need them welded up, intake manifold complete.
I realized I can not weld for anything...thinking I need real lessons.
also had to drill out the spot welds for the horn. Went to remove the bolt and the entire bracket that is welded to the frame rail twisted.
Hopefully the brackets are welded up tonight and my front bumper support is cut down as well.
Last edited by vr6dubny; 05-01-2017 at 07:37 PM.
got the intercooler mounted, rest of the harness and cowl installed, bumper and support beam cut for intercooler, and my vacuum line partly ran.
still on the list:
tap turbo housing
tighten all bolts on exhaust manifold
remount turbo onto manifold
run oil return/coolant return
install new heat shield onto firewall
clutch install
fuel pump install
intercooler piping
exhaust piping
install boost gauge/afr gauge
tires for ronals. thinking 235/35/18 and 265/35/18 federal rs-rr...may need to run smaller in rear as they supposedly run wide
get front end resprayed
255 federals won't fit in the rear without extensive fender work. 265s won't eve be close.
Those federals run real wide. If you are on stock fenders 235 federals would be more feasible.
Hmm, maybe I go 215/35/18 up front 245/35/18 in the rear then. Wheels are 8.5 et35 up front 9.5 et37 out back. My fenders are rolled/pulled pretty well as those rc300's were 8.5 et15
Sounds like you need a better wheel setup
17X9 is ideal with stock fenders. Then just get some sticky tires and your all set.
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