[Zasquatch]

Originally Posted by gbreeE90

Why pay the extra money for aFe?

I hate the look of the intake manifold. AFE is the only option that covers it up like the oem airbox.

[I335]

Originally Posted by Annino

I hate the look of the intake manifold. AFE is the only option that covers it up like the oem airbox.

Actually there are a couple others as well, but they're very expensive - Dinan ($1100), Simota ($540), another AFE model that costs 1K, and I think Groupp M also makes one ($2K+), but I'm not sure about that last one....

[Zasquatch]

Originally Posted by I335

Actually there are a couple others as well, but they're very expensive - Dinan ($1100), Simota ($540), another AFE model that costs 1K, and I think Groupp M also makes one ($2K+), but I'm not sure about that last one....

Very true... I meant as far as somewhat affordable intakes it's the only option lol

[I335]

Originally Posted by Annino

Very true... I meant as far as somewhat affordable intakes it's the only option lol

Good point and from that perspective you're right on the money...

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by Annino

I hate the look of the intake manifold. AFE is the only option that covers it up like the oem airbox.

+1

And I also have the same experience with a smoother idle. In addition I have a noticeably faster throttle response below ~2500 rpm with the aFe over the stock airbox.

[joed1]

Slightly off topic, but if you had to do it over, which would be your first mod? I am waiting for spring to start and figured planning now would be a wise thing to do.

[I335]

Originally Posted by joed1

Slightly off topic, but if you had to do it over, which would be your first mod? I am waiting for spring to start and figured planning now would be a wise thing to do.

I would do them in this order if I did them over again:
1. M3 Steering wheel
2. UUC Short Shifter and short shift knob
3. CDV
4. Performance mods

[joed1]

Originally Posted by I335

I would do them in this order if I did them over again:
1. M3 Steering wheel
2. UUC Short Shifter and short shift knob
3. CDV
4. Performance mods

How about the performance mods themselves? Which order would you do them in?

One of mine will be a GIAC stage 1.

Thanks for responding so quickly.

[Penn999]

Originally Posted by joed1

How about the performance mods themselves? Which order would you do them in?

One of mine will be a GIAC stage 1.

Thanks for responding so quickly.

I would do wheels and NON RFT(one of the most overlooked mods IMO), tune, intake, Fmic and OCC at the same time, chargepipe with (BOV or DV your preference), downpipes, exhaust, 2nd oil cooler(if you run your car hard). If i could go back, thats the order I would have done it in.

[joed1]

Originally Posted by Penn999

I would do wheels and NON RFT(one of the most overlooked mods IMO), tune, intake, Fmic and OCC at the same time, chargepipe with (BOV or DV your preference), downpipes, exhaust, 2nd oil cooler(if you run your car hard). If i could go back, thats the order I would have done it in.

Agreed on the RFTs. In the time I have owned my car I have had two rims cracked and one bubbled sidewall. I do believe BMW has made themselves a great market in replacement OEM wheels.

My wife has two sets of seasonal regular tires and I have winters with purchase pending for summers.

[Penn999]

Originally Posted by joed1

Agreed on the RFTs. In the time I have owned my car I have had two rims cracked and one bubbled sidewall. I do believe BMW has made themselves a great market in replacement OEM wheels.

My wife has two sets of seasonal regular tires and I have winters with purchase pending for summers.

I have a set of stock 189's for sale with some tread left on the OEM tires on them(including TPMS) if anyone you know needs um.

[I335]

Originally Posted by joed1

How about the performance mods themselves? Which order would you do them in?

One of mine will be a GIAC stage 1.

Thanks for responding so quickly.

For performance mods, if you are planning to go with GIAC anyway I would definitely get that first since you can run it without any mods and still see significant and OEM-like smooth power gains from that alone. After that I'd go w/exhaust, FMIC, and downpipes. If you don't plan on going beyond stage 1 then you probably don't need an intake at all.

And BTW - my personal recommendations for these parts are:
AE Performance - Exhaust (super high quality, decent gains, excellent sound i.e. very nice burble & gurgle, and perhaps thee best vendor on earth - Nick)

CP-E - FMIC (I like this one in particular because it performs as well as all the others and comes with an integrated supplemental oil cooler as well - a very nice bonus for about the same price as other quality ICs)

AR Design - Downpipes (maybe not the cheapest, but likely the highest quality. I think they're even better than SuperSprints which are over $2K! And Andrew is another cream of the crop vendor as well and can also help you with the CP-E stuff)

For the steering wheel, make sure you touch base with Alex@Helix (here on the forum) - great prices and probably more options (even customization) than anyone else on the forum. Alex is also right up there with Nick and Andrew as far as great, friendly, and helpful vendors go.

Hope this helps...

[Bakeme521]

I just switched from simota to this intake last night, Don't notice any difference but I had to b/c the new chargepipe and synapse won't fit with the simota. I like it though, sounds great with catless DPs, you can really hear the turbos spool. I'm with you guys, I don't like BMS DCI b/c the intake manifold is not pretty, this intake is much more attractive when you open the hood.

[I335]

Originally Posted by Bakeme521

I just switched from simota to this intake last night, Don't notice any difference but I had to b/c the new chargepipe and synapse won't fit with the simota. I like it though, sounds great with catless DPs, you can really hear the turbos spool. I'm with you guys, I don't like BMS DCI b/c the intake manifold is not pretty, this intake is much more attractive when you open the hood.

That's interesting. I can just barely hear my turbos. Not that it's a bad thing because I don't want to hear them but I'm wondering if it's because my downpipes have HFCs in them. Are you interested in selling the Simota? I may entertain that if it's in good shape...

[joed1]

Originally Posted by I335

For performance mods, if you are planning to go with GIAC anyway I would definitely get that first since you can run it without any mods and still see significant and OEM-like smooth power gains from that alone. After that I'd go w/exhaust, FMIC, and downpipes. If you don't plan on going beyond stage 1 then you probably don't need an intake at all.

And BTW - my personal recommendations for these parts are:
AE Performance - Exhaust (super high quality, decent gains, excellent sound i.e. very nice burble & gurgle, and perhaps thee best vendor on earth - Nick)

CP-E - FMIC (I like this one in particular because it performs as well as all the others and comes with an integrated supplemental oil cooler as well - a very nice bonus for about the same price as other quality ICs)

AR Design - Downpipes (maybe not the cheapest, but likely the highest quality. I think they're even better than SuperSprints which are over $2K! And Andrew is another cream of the crop vendor as well and can also help you with the CP-E stuff)

For the steering wheel, make sure you touch base with Alex@Helix (here on the forum) - great prices and probably more options (even customization) than anyone else on the forum. Alex is also right up there with Nick and Andrew as far as great, friendly, and helpful vendors go.

Hope this helps...

Heard nothing but good about these vendors.

Thanks.

[I335]

Originally Posted by joed1

Heard nothing but good about these vendors.

Thanks.

Sure thing - enjoy your modding!

[Bakeme521]

Originally Posted by I335

That's interesting. I can just barely hear my turbos. Not that it's a bad thing because I don't want to hear them but I'm wondering if it's because my downpipes have HFCs in them. Are you interested in selling the Simota? I may entertain that if it's in good shape...

It is prob bc my DPs are catless, that's when I noticed the sound the most. I would sell it but I just traded my friend straight up for his are.

[Penn999]

Originally Posted by Bakeme521

It is prob bc my DPs are catless, that's when I noticed the sound the most. I would sell it but I just traded my friend straight up for his are.

Correct, catless dp's add a lot of spool sound, I too noticed this while running dci's and catless dp's. I like it tho. Only thing to consider is lower air volume bc its pretty much like OEM. Are there any data logs with IAT's and Dyno's with the simota?

[Bakeme521]

Originally Posted by Penn999

Correct, catless dp's add a lot of spool sound, I too noticed this while running dci's and catless dp's. I like it tho. Only thing to consider is lower air volume bc its pretty much like OEM. Are there any data logs with IAT's and Dyno's with the simota?

I LOVE the way it sounds, when the car is warm and you take off slow it sounds like a diesel truck.

[CaliE90]

I actually felt a power loss when i switched from the bms dci to the afe dci with a jb3 2.0 and catless exhaust. I have since switched back to the bms dci with the new procede V5 and it is much better. The afe looks better but it didn't perform nor sound as good as the bms dci. and for the huge price difference, I didn't think afe was worth it at all.

[Penn999]

Originally Posted by Jz

I actually felt a power loss when i switched from the bms dci to the afe dci with a jb3 2.0 and catless exhaust. I have since switched back to the bms dci with the new procede V5 and it is much better. The afe looks better but it didn't perform nor sound as good as the bms dci. and for the huge price difference, I didn't think afe was worth it at all.

I too run Vishnu/bms dci. Its simply theory until I test it but I think the only advantage dci has vs. afe is straighter angles of airflow.

[MF80]

Originally Posted by Bakeme521

I just switched from simota to this intake last night, Don't notice any difference but I had to b/c the new chargepipe and synapse won't fit with the simota.

What chargepipe are you using?