Grassroots Motorsports (SCCA Magazine) did a bunch of bolt-on mods and dyno-tested their "Project E30 M3". All dyno tests were done on a stock 1988-89 M3 with over 120k miles and an Evo exhaust cam gear.

They tested stock chip, Jim C chip, K&N drop-in, Evo lower airbox, Kirban intake, Raven and Supersprint mufflers, and VSR cat--in that order. They got the highest gain in RWHP and torque at the rear wheels over stock w/ cam gear by using:

Jim C chip, K&N drop in, Evo lower airbox, VSR cat and SS muffler.

All other mods either lost power or did not gain as much. With all mods installed, they got 168HP and 153lb-ft after starting from 153HP and 139lb-ft with stock chip and Evo cam gear.

Not too shabby for a 12 year old car and over 120k on the clock! That's approximately 205HP at the crank using an 82% correction factor.

There are guys out there with over 250HP AT THE REAR WHEELS!

James Muskopf
james_535@yahoo.com
88 M3 Henna
88 M5 (Of course it's Black)

Originally posted by JamesM3M5
Grassroots Motorsports (SCCA Magazine) did a bunch of bolt-on mods and dyno-tested their "Project E30 M3". All dyno tests were done on a stock 1988-89 M3 with over 120k miles and an Evo exhaust cam gear.

They tested stock chip, Jim C chip, K&N drop-in, Evo lower airbox, Kirban intake, Raven and Supersprint mufflers, and VSR cat--in that order. They got the highest gain in RWHP and torque at the rear wheels over stock w/ cam gear by using:

Jim C chip, K&N drop in, Evo lower airbox, VSR cat and SS muffler.

All other mods either lost power or did not gain as much. With all mods installed, they got 168HP and 153lb-ft after starting from 153HP and 139lb-ft with stock chip and Evo cam gear.

Not too shabby for a 12 year old car and over 120k on the clock! That's approximately 205HP at the crank using an 82% correction factor.

There are guys out there with over 250HP AT THE REAR WHEELS!

James Muskopf
james_535@yahoo.com
88 M3 Henna
88 M5 (Of course it's Black)

I was looking back through our old posts. I cannot believe how some people are pushing 250 RWHP. That is amazing on a 4 cylinder S14. Of course they do spend a pretty penny on everything!

At the moment I am running a Jim C Chip, Borla, and a K+N drop-in. Do you think a cam gear would be a wise purchase? How much for install also?

Also, do you guys know anywhere around the MD/DC/VA area that's a good place to get my valves adjusted, throttle bodies synched, and base idle and CO set?

Originally posted by Bav ///Man
At the moment I am running a Jim C Chip, Borla, and a K+N drop=in. Do you think a cam gear would be a wise purchase? How much for install also?

Also, do you guys know anywhere around the MD/DC/VA area that's a good place to get my valves adjusted, throttle bodies synched, and base idle and c/o set?

I'm trying to look for a place to get my throttle bodiessynched, base idle, and CO done, but I don't know what would be a good shop around here. I don't even know if my shop does it.

I'll post it on the SIG and see what I can find out.

Originally posted by Bav ///Man
I'll post it on the SIG and see what I can find out.

The SIG knows all :clap:


I love being on that list. I've learned so much over the year. (PS, James, keep your informative posts coming, I love reading your replies in the SIG)

Nice post.
I've have pretty much, that set up, Evo airbox, K&N, SS, except I don't have a cat but I have the Supersprint centre section :D
I haven't chipped the car yet as I'm waiting till the cams get fitted in a little while and it will be custom mapped on a dyno then :)

You can get more than 250 rwhp from an S14. Remember the 2.5Lrace cars were 365 bhp at the crank!

I thought i read something about the early 90's m3's in germany pushing 400hp at the crank. They had a rebuild time of under 1000 miles (basically every other race), but for that performance, damn, they would rebuild it every race probably.

And there are many powerful 4 cylinders out there, NA. s2000's, those JDM 4bangers from japan...no torque, but great HP. Thats why I like my VR6...I got as much trq as hp, and both are over 200 :) (soon to be well over 200 tahnks to some cams and custom chip :buttrock

Just remember its trq that you 'Feel'

Originally posted by 95m3racer
I thought i read something about the early 90's m3's in germany pushing 400hp at the crank. They had a rebuild time of under 1000 miles (basically every other race), but for that performance, damn, they would rebuild it every race probably.


THOSE DTM M3'S HAD PRODUCED 375 HP MAX,but required rebuilds after 2 races.That was pretty good power for a 4 banger....