Performance suggestions ?

[M3corey]

im looking for some more power from my 95 325is ... sometimes it just feels sooooooooooooo slow ... other times it feels fast .. all i have done to it is aa cais .. aa chip .. mozart exhaust .. xbrace ... i plan on either an engine swap or a aa stage 2 turbo .. but until then
any ideas for some more hp .. thanks

[The Tick]

The best mod I did was swapping the diff from a 325 auto. I went from 3.15 to 3.91 ratio. I got the diff from a local junkyard for $350. Unfortunately it was not a limited slip, so the tires spun a little easier off the line. But if I punch it with a rolling start, the car felt supercharged. On the highway, the car revs at 3700 at 70 mph with the new diff. It was kinda like losing 5th gear, but it was worth the gain in acceleration. Last week, I traded my diff in for a 3.91 with lsd. I'll let you know the track results.

[psk145]

I feel one of the better engine upgrades is to put on a set of underdrive pulleys. I have them on my 93 325, and they made a very noticable improvement, without any negative side effects. I'm not into swapping gear ratios personally. I did that with my old truck, and the benefits dont really outweigh the negatives (at least in a truck).

[TurboBMW3]

Hey Tick,
Wow 3.91 rear end?? I ran a 3.46 rear end and i thought that was bad.

But if you plan on getting an AA turbo... in the near future... and want to save money... try not to purchase chips, intake systems and etc. Cause when you get the turbo... the kits gonna replace all that anyways... unless you can sell the old take off parts... stick with stuff that will compliment the turbo... ie exhaust, throttle body, larger MAF, larger injectors etc. Good luck

[The Tick]

turbo, I'm not planning on turboing my car at this point. It has 118k and I just made the last payment. It is also out of my budget and I heard it was'nt good to turbo a car with lots of miles. How much does a basic setup cost? I'm sure I'll be itching for more speed soon. Also, is NOS a good option? It's soo much cheaper. Thanks!

[TurboBMW3]

I understand... but i did have 180,000 miles on the car...when it finally died... and i have had the turbo since it was 100,000 miles. Yeah NOS is the "best bang" for your buck. I personally havent ran NOS on my car. But i know someone that has. Maybe your heard of his car... dubbed "the worlds fastest M3" (gene - http://www.advancedgeneration.com/
) And there was another that NOSed his car (i think his name was Aaron) from the "other message board" just look it up in the archives.

The basic setup for a stg 1 OBD I turbo system is $5995

I wish you luck

[The Tick]

Thanks turbo,
I'm thinking nos is my best bet because of the low cost, also i like the idea that it is only used when i want. I also hate the idea of refilling the bottle, but for the price, it's worth it. Thanks!

[VT325iS]

Evo, could you please define what you mean by slow. Compared to what? A Vette? An M-3? A 330Ci? I'm curious because I have a 95 325iS and I have to say my car runs great. For example, a guy on the other forum with a modded 328Ci tested his car from 50-70 in third gear. He got a 4.5 second run stock and then it was reduced to 4.2 seconds when he installed the Dinan software. I tested my car the other day and it pulled 3.7's to 3.9's. My only mods are a Jim C chip and an ERT ud pulley. From other tests I've done it appears I'm somewhere between an M-3 and a 330Ci. Maybe it's the cold weather but I figure I can gain some more power as the temps climb by adding an intake. Be curious to hear what others with 325's think. Thanks.

[QuestMCoupe]

Does anyone know if there are UD Pulleys for 92 325's (non-vanos) because someone at ERT told me that there arent any. I think the pulleys would be a good mod from what I've heard from everyone else. Can someone explain the differences in NOS systems? (Wet/Dry shots) Are cams a good mod?

[Stylin]

Dont worry.. my 97' 328i seems slow sometimes.. Intake, sharked, and exhaust.. u just get used to the car and always want more. Sucks huh.. thats when I just on my bike and put my car to SHAME!

[Walter]

To Quest325is. Yes there are underdrive pulleys for your car. Unorthodox Racing makes a full set for the non-vanos cars. I have them on my 92 and they are well worth the money. I also agree with VT325is. My car compares to the 328 in acceleration. I've gotten a 6.3 0-60 with out too much practice. I think I could do better then this. Gotta borrow that G-tech again. But to reply to the original message, it's always fun to try to go faster.

[QuestMCoupe]

Thanks Walter. How much did you pay for the set and did you install them yourself? What other mods do you have?

[Walter]

Hey Quest, I actually bought the set from Steve Turbo M50 used. I believe a new set runs about $500 but I can't be sure. Try searching Unorthodox Racing and you should find out. As far as other mods, Ansa Sport exhaust, Jim C. chip, Euro snorkel airbox Eibach springs and Bilstien sport shocks, 16" wheels and more stuff I can't remember now. You can install the pulleys yourself. It's not the easiest job but it's not the hardest either. If you decide to go this route, let me know and I'll try to help as much as I can.

[Lopaka]

If you're asking about sluggishness in the car. I've noticed "sluggishness" sometimes. It feels like I'm driving a slower car, it's almost like night and day. The problems I've found for this are: (1) full tank of gas (more weight) (2) hot engine bay (when I first start the car to about 1/4 temp the engine feels strong) (3) ambiant temp. (for obvious reasons) (4) my snorkel was twisted sideways and not pushing air into the intake properly. (easy fix, readjust the snorkel tube)

If you mean that your getting used to the power and want more power, there are many ways, some of those described above. It really depends on your budget and needs/wants. Good Luck