[Xx__xs]

what is the cheapest fmic available for the 335i?

I see most are 800-1,000 bucks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GODSP...#ht_3641wt_972

Then what is this? Bull fmic?

[secretsquirrel]

If I remember correctly, the one you linked to above has bad reviews on this board. Look into the eBay rx7 or the big Tom fmic if you're looking for very inexpensive ic's

[Xx__xs]

big tom fmic looks promising lol. and right in my budget. he sells it here?

[Forcefed3]

You usually get what you pay for. In most cases anyway.

[Xx__xs]

Originally Posted by gbreeE90

You usually get what you pay for. In most cases anyway.

1,000 bucks for fmic man :/

600 would be alright but on the borderline

[Smitty1]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CXRac...Q5fAccessories

This one is cheaper and better. It is a little smaller than the big tom and I think the Helix is a similar size but for the money I think it is the way to go.


It is big and it is a lot better than stock and it is not going to drain you of a cool grand to put it in. More like 300 all said and done.

I totally disagree with you get what you pay for on fmics.

If it is designed for BMW and they sell it as such it adds 800 bucks to the base price, it does not matter if it is just a carpet remnant or some c clap. If put BMW in front of it you can demand a damn premium that is just the way it is.

Big tom is cheap and it is good. Intercoolers all they have to do is cool the damn air, it ain't that complex.

[Shellacked135i]

I thought ETS was the lowest price point will being pretty good?

[BrianMN]

Originally Posted by System Of A...

1,000 bucks for fmic man :/

600 would be alright but on the borderline

600 will get you an ETS unit...very very good quality, and they are a sponsor of this board! It's always nice to support the people/products that support the sport/car

[Xx__xs]

Originally Posted by Smitty1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CXRac...Q5fAccessories

This one is cheaper and better. It is a little smaller than the big tom and I think the Helix is a similar size but for the money I think it is the way to go.


It is big and it is a lot better than stock and it is not going to drain you of a cool grand to put it in. More like 300 all said and done.

I totally disagree with you get what you pay for on fmics.

If it is designed for BMW and they sell it as such it adds 800 bucks to the base price, it does not matter if it is just a carpet remnant or some c clap. If put BMW in front of it you can demand a damn premium that is just the way it is.

Big tom is cheap and it is good. Intercoolers all they have to do is cool the damn air, it ain't that complex.

If this is legit Ill pounce on this like no tomorrow! lol , anyone else confirm?

[Xx__xs]

And if it isnt, I guess ETS is the way to go.

[DimSum]

eBay FMIC is legit! CXRacing or BigTom's from Sweden is great.

Take a look http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=472847

[Bimmer This]

It's all personal preference. I bought mine for the ease of installation and not the price.

[Xx__xs]

no way has anyone installed it here?

[DimSum]

Originally Posted by System Of A...

no way has anyone installed it here?

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=472847

[Smitty1]

System, some one just did an install of that very same FMIC on here.

It is totally legit.

add in another 100 for tubing and self install and you are golden.

This is exactly like the dci argument. turns out 95.00 bucks is all it takes to have a great intake system. You can spend a grand with no trouble on an intake but guess what it is not any better than the one that cost a tenth of the price.

[Shellacked135i]

The ebay intercooler is an inexpensive intercooler that can perform.
It requires a vast amount of cutting and modification to your front bumper and shroud.
It also requires you to scavenge other parts and bits to get it to connect to your car as its not made for it. If that is up your alley, so be it. However, it is not an off the shelf intercooler specifically made to fit for this car.

[Rotorocious]

Originally Posted by System Of A...

If this is legit Ill pounce on this like no tomorrow! lol , anyone else confirm?

I have it. Works great.

Unless you are pretty used to working on cars, I wouldn't recommend it. It can be a pain in the butt to fab up.

[16M4]

Buy a used one.

[Bimmer This]

As long as it doesn't leak boost pressure, I don't see anything wrong with running an eBay IC.

[forza1976]

What he said ^^^

[Bimmer This]

[Tiago@VRSF]

Originally Posted by Rotorocious

I have it. Works great.

Unless you are pretty used to working on cars, I wouldn't recommend it. It can be a pain in the butt to fab up.

Exactly what he stated.

With the cheap kits you'll have to spend $100-150 in extra parts. Now factor in the extra time you have to spend irreversibly hacking away at your car and the amount of custom fabbing that is required to install the FMIC correctly and you've already spent as much as something like a bolt on ETS would cost.

If you take an ebay FMIC to a shop and ask them to install it I guarantee you your labor bill will be 4x that of a bolt on FMIC due to all the modification they have to do to install.

I've gone this route in previous cars before where I've had to hack away and spend 4-5 hours more than I would have with a more expensive product but these days my time is worth well more than what I'd spend saving a hundred bucks or so when it's all said and done.