[Flex68]

+1 for fcp euro .... Great prices and shipping and has just about everything very well priced .... Best to buy multiple items to even out the shipping and aud exchange

[b1mmr]

Originally Posted by iliketurtl3s

Just plastidip them matte black

Gloss is much better in my opinion

Great looking car and welcome to the club.

[b1mmr]

Originally Posted by bradsm87

For intercooler, I like AMS because it's 6" thick, which I think is perfect, considering the packaging constraints, the end tanks are really smooth flowing and the core quality looks nice.

Intercooler, downpipes, inlets, DCI and tune and you're laughing. Add low pressure fuel pump if you want to push it over around 280kw at the wheels.

I personally am sticking to stock charge pipe and diverter valves with upgraded turbos and 18psi, unless the charge pipe breaks. I honestly don't think it will break but time will tell. After highly modifying a few cars, I've learnt not to spend money on any mods unless absolutely necessary, because you never get your money back.

Sometimes doing the mod itself is rewarding. We call these things a "labor of love."

[ash335]

Originally Posted by vtl

I prefer FCP euro for replacenent parts

Great find. Much cheaper all round (parts and shipping) than both ECS and Pelican Parts... don't know how I missed FCP in my google searches for parts!

Originally Posted by Ian_N54

Gloss is much better in my opinion

Yes still not sure which one to go with!
Do you think the gloss black will look ok despite the brushed window trim and bright alloy wheels?

[Socket]

Remember to post a build thread to document your mod journey so we can all follow along lel

[bradsm87]

Originally Posted by Ian_N54

Sometimes doing the mod itself is rewarding. We call these things a "labor of love."

I'm referring to the parts themselves. I've always done all my car work myself. I could never afford to be a car enthusiast if I had to pay for labour lol.

[b1mmr]

Originally Posted by bradsm87

I'm referring to the parts themselves. I've always done all my car work myself. I could never afford to be a car enthusiast if I had to pay for labour lol.

It's all the same, people upgrade motorcycles and quads looking to recoupe the prices for a muffler etc.. It's MODDING in it's entirety that is a labor of love.

[b1mmr]

Yeah it will still look good but I also just remembered your car isn't black either.. Matte may work.. I say plasti dip your oem ones and go from there.. Buy gloss if you want it afterwards.

Gl

[R32GOJIRA]

Welcome to N54 land.
You will be in good hands on this forum.
There is an abundance of knowledge and many helpful peoples
As for grilles, i personally like the gloss black with a touch of flair.

[b1mmr]

Originally Posted by R32GOJIRA

Welcome to N54 land.
You will be in good hands on this forum.
There is an abundance of knowledge and many helpful peoples
As for grilles, i personally like the gloss black with a touch of flair.

I thought about adding some red and orange vinyl to them... Dunno yet

[R32GOJIRA]

Originally Posted by Ian_N54

I thought about adding some red and orange vinyl to them... Dunno yet

Well i bought these from a company called JBSpeed who are a trader on here. They are actually painted, not wrapped.
You also have an option of carbon fiber, matte or gloss black, with color or without, solid colors, or in my case metallic colors.

[R32GOJIRA]

Here is the link to their E92 pre lci page.

http://www.jbspeed.com/e92-pre-facelift/

[bradsm87]

Originally Posted by Ian_N54

It's all the same, people upgrade motorcycles and quads looking to recoupe the prices for a muffler etc.. It's MODDING in it's entirety that is a labor of love.

Agreed. I just don't like to mod for nothing. There have been cases of charge pipes breaking but I think the issue has been inflated and spread hugely by forum users and by charge pipe vendors and it's now ended up on people's first mod list. Same goes for factory diverter valves. Factory diverter valves are great. People think plastic is the enemy but if it works, then great.

[b1mmr]

Originally Posted by R32GOJIRA

Here is the link to their E92 pre lci page.

http://www.jbspeed.com/e92-pre-facelift/

I was looking for a German touch is all. My gloss black are jbspeed.com as well. Great guy to deal with.

[Scotty89]

Originally Posted by bradsm87

Agreed. I just don't like to mod for nothing. There have been cases of charge pipes breaking but I think the issue has been inflated and spread hugely by forum users and by charge pipe vendors and it's now ended up on people's first mod list. Same goes for factory diverter valves. Factory diverter valves are great. People think plastic is the enemy but if it works, then great.

I was once in this camp.

"Why should I spend $400 on new valves? The stock ones are still there."

Meanwhile the little TD03 turbos which have already had a terribly hard life were boosting +18psi straight into the atmosphere for months thanks to those plastic valves.

Second hand, charge pipes + valves can go for $300 or so. That's pretty cheap to maintain a good boost charge.

[b1mmr]

Originally Posted by bradsm87

Agreed. I just don't like to mod for nothing. There have been cases of charge pipes breaking but I think the issue has been inflated and spread hugely by forum users and by charge pipe vendors and it's now ended up on people's first mod list. Same goes for factory diverter valves. Factory diverter valves are great. People think plastic is the enemy but if it works, then great.

I completely agree with you on the cp and dv, and everything else. I got my cp and bov for cheap cheap and they perform.. Otherwise I'd have got an fmic before them. Part of my reasoning for unneeded mods at this point was simply to clean up the engine bay.. What a mess it was..

[b1mmr]

Originally Posted by Scotty89

I was once in this camp.

"Why should I spend $400 on new valves? The stock ones are still there."

Meanwhile the little TD03 turbos which have already had a terribly hard life were boosting +18psi straight into the atmosphere for months thanks to those plastic valves.

Second hand, charge pipes + valves can go for $300 or so. That's pretty cheap to maintain a good boost charge.

My cp was 117 bov was 68..its certainly doable.. I get his point if we are only allowed shopping at name brand vendors.. But I live in the land of the (somewhat) free. I feel like we should try to stay on topic for ops sake tho.. Lol

[R32GOJIRA]

Originally Posted by Ian_N54

I was looking for a German touch is all. My gloss black are jbspeed.com as well. Great guy to deal with.

Ah yeah, I get what you are trying to do
+1 for JBSpeed being great to deal with.

[aaron_]

Originally Posted by bradsm87

Agreed. I just don't like to mod for nothing. There have been cases of charge pipes breaking but I think the issue has been inflated and spread hugely by forum users and by charge pipe vendors and it's now ended up on people's first mod list. Same goes for factory diverter valves. Factory diverter valves are great. People think plastic is the enemy but if it works, then great.

Picked up my car in oct 2015 (unmodified n55). Within 2 weeks charge pipe had blown; bought an ER race works one from n54tuning.

Since then jb4 has gone in (will stay until custom dyno tune once fbo), sealed CAI, 7" FMIC. Maybe the stocker would have gone anyway.......but if you plan on modding I'd probably just get one before it leaves you on the side of the road. Just wait for a second hand one here and buy it. When you're desperate, you have no choice but new.

As for jbspeed, I bought a set of gloss black grills off a forum member who bought lci ones instead of pre facelift. Didn't deal with them directly but the product is good!


On a side note. I wouldn't get a jb4 again. Not new anyway. For $500 second hand I might. Not really a fan.......

[vtl]

Yeah the newer charge pipes are a newer design (anything after 2009) that fails catastrophically. People saw this and assumed that they all break. Vendors jumped on this and spread the fear to get sales.

Stock diverters may or may not leak, my stock ones held 16psi just fine before going for turbosmart kompact ones. I know some guys who have had leaking diverters and I was already chasing some issues with the car so I just changed them out.

[bradsm87]

I suspect most DV leaking issues could be fixed with a clean and o-ring replacement.

I like the stock DVs because they are low maintenance and they open nice and early.

[b1mmr]

Originally Posted by vtl

Yeah the newer charge pipes are a newer design (anything after 2009) that fails catastrophically. People saw this and assumed that they all break. Vendors jumped on this and spread the fear to get sales.

Stock diverters may or may not leak, my stock ones held 16psi just fine before going for turbosmart kompact ones. I know some guys who have had leaking diverters and I was already chasing some issues with the car so I just changed them out.

What gets me is how when I disconnected mine for sound.. They were like leaf blowers... Granted they are recirc and the car boosted.. I didn't like this. I know it's acceptable for bov's to be open as boost closes them but with the oem's off I feel like I can find mid boost easier. With oem it was like all or nothing often times.