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Thread: Who has spent at least $200 bucks on Mods for no Gain

  1. #1
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    Who has spent at least $200 bucks on Mods for no Gain

    Just want to know, who has spent money on a m3 and saw no real gain, but kept it because it sounded good, or because it was lighter. Maybe simply the part just looks cool. I want to see what the big issue with Gizmo is. We all know that some have spent a couple hundred bucks on Pullies, for about 5 to 6 HP. Or how about software on a OBD2 car, and having the car adapt hours or days later. Many have seen little to no gain of software, pullies and exhausts. Thats why we see people putting down in the 220's to the wheels with these minor mods, even though the cars put down 200 to 210 stock.

  2. #2
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    Yeah, I have to say, even though I acted impressed initially, my UUC pulleys and AA software upgrade did absolutely nothing. That's an impressive amount of money down the shitter. I'd love to hear AA's explanation as to why their $350 software did nothing noticeable but raise the redline. I mean... that's just inexcusable to charge that much for something that has little to no effect.

    Arg.

  3. #3
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    Haha, don't get me started on this......almost everyone who has modded their M3 has spent too much for very little on one thing or another. That's why I thought the gizmo was worth a try. I'm going to dyno the car next weekend hopefully and see what the car does with and without the gizmo.
    Justin Power

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  4. #4
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    I bought an AA track pipe, dynoed and gained 1 rwhp and lost tq . Money wasted and a exhaust fume headache added.
    Sean

  5. #5
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    haha, the intake and exhaust made it seem like i was goin faster but i highly doubt it.. if anything, probably robbed all my low-end torque
    1997 Cosmos M3/2
    2002 Blue R6

  6. #6
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    200 bucks? I got that beat. 1,000 bucks for headers, 400 or so for pullies. Two of the worst bang for the buck mods ever. Headers lost power over most of the rpm band, pullies were imperceptible on the dyno.
    In the slow lane

  7. #7
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    ooh yay, i just loved to burn 350 bucks on a d*** chip that didn't do anything. i'm just gonna save my money and not buy any more bolt-ons.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by timsev
    ooh yay, i just loved to burn 350 bucks on a d*** chip that didn't do anything. i'm just gonna save my money and not buy any more bolt-ons.
    Wow, this is depressing me a lot. I just got my 97 sedan and am looking to do some mods but judging form these posts i don't even know what to buy anymore. My original plans were a benfer used CAI for 150 shipped, UCI crank pulley (supposidly dynos 8+ rwhp?) and then the M50 obd1 intake mani.

  9. #9
    Def's Avatar
    Def is offline Lead Disagreement Eng PE
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    I've spent a total of about $350 on "go-fast" mods and feel they have made a huge improvement. You've just got to know what to buy and research stuff.

    My list if anybody is interested, in order of most gain to least:
    1. URI crank pulley
    2. S50/M50 intake manifold
    3. PAR intake <--used, but cheap intakes are easy to find

    I'm still running on stock software and the car is noticeably faster. Really fast? Nope, just not going to happen with an NA E36 M3 or even a centrifugal SC IMO.

    I hope that some more reasonable avenues for updating software will be available in the future. The only thing I think the car needs is a 7000RPM redline, and if I can gain any power with software(doubtful that it will be noticeable), I'll be content... for a while that is.

  10. #10
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    See, so lets bash the gizmo some more

    If one would spend 80 bucks on a gizmo, and nothing happened. Who really cares. People spend a lot more for nothing. You just have to put it into perspective.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Def
    I've spent a total of about $350 on "go-fast" mods and feel they have made a huge improvement. You've just got to know what to buy and research stuff.

    My list if anybody is interested, in order of most gain to least:
    1. URI crank pulley
    2. S50/M50 intake manifold
    3. PAR intake <--used, but cheap intakes are easy to find

    I'm still running on stock software and the car is noticeably faster. Really fast? Nope, just not going to happen with an NA E36 M3 or even a centrifugal SC IMO.

    I hope that some more reasonable avenues for updating software will be available in the future. The only thing I think the car needs is a 7000RPM redline, and if I can gain any power with software(doubtful that it will be noticeable), I'll be content... for a while that is.
    Phew, that's a relief to hear...good thing i was going to do the same 3 mods except for a benfer CAI instead of PAR. BTW how much was the crank pulley and have you noticed any ill side effects?

  12. #12
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    i don't know what u guys are talking about, every mod does something, you may loose hp somewhere in the rpm band but gain somewhere in a different point, like headers for example, as far as chips or software i think the most important thing is not to gain power but rather to get a better air to fuel mixture after putting on intake, and most of all removing the top speed limiter, those were the only two reasons i got mine. i know that my mods did in fact help since i ran better times on 8th mile drag. dyno doesnt always prove much since that day on the dyno you can be using cheap ass gas or your car isn't running at its best, so you cant exactly go by dyno results.. some of it also has to do with your mind, i bet if i went into your garage at night and took out your chip or intake or whatever, or added it to your car if you didnt have one, next day when u drove the car, most likely you wouldnt even be able to tell.. the only noticable gains you get is from either the turner cam, intake manifold,etc kit, or FI..

  13. #13
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    I spent $5k on a supercharger and it made a big difference. Pullies on top of that make a big difference. Crack pipe on top of that makes a big difference. S03's made a big difference. Octane booster addative made a difference. Without the s/c, the rest would not have been so great. I guess it was less noticeable when NA.
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  14. #14
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    I guess most of the obd2 guys dont see much gain from thier mods
    ///Andres
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by DDIZZY
    If one would spend 80 bucks on a gizmo, and nothing happened. Who really cares. People spend a lot more for nothing. You just have to put it into perspective.
    Yeah look at our govt. They spend lots of money(our money) on nothing. :

  16. #16
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    I spent a couple hundred on clear corners... I wuz expectin' like at leat 10 hp on the butt dyno, but I couldn't see nuttin'.





    ///Max

  17. #17
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    For everyone that says they can't feel their mods, or this or that doesn't do anything. Go out and beat the shit out of your car, and then take those mods off, and go beat the shit out of it again. You'll notice their absence more then their presence. I ordered the Gizmo last week, and while I may not feel anything, but the idea behind it is sound.

    There are some things that do not do anything for you, and I think headers may be one of them, and that's why I am not forking out the $1k for them. Also, TP's do not seem to do anything other then loose weight. TP's have never made more then a handful of HP on ANY car over high flow cats, and there is no reason to pull the cats off of a street car. NONE!

    And S/W on OBD-II cars does work, and there are many dyno's that are running around that are proof of that.

    The reason the bashing exists is that the Gizmo is not seen or heard. An exhaust that does almost nothing is seen and heard. The clear tails are seen. But the gizmo is not.

  18. #18
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    Here is my list...

    Unichip
    Euro HFM
    95 Mani
    RE UDP's
    HIOP headers
    GREEN GIZMO
    Schrick cams
    Crack Pipe
    B&B Exhaust
    Conforti Euro CAI

    All of that did NOTHING for me either!

    Oh wait, I dynoed at 264 to the wheels....maybe it all did do something!
    edit: All tuning was done on the same Mustang dyno. My stock WHP was 189 (for reference).

    I cant understand why all of you are complaining so much.....

    Most of you guys have OBD II....gains/losses on OBD II are not cut and dry due to adaptation. When you bolt something on and then dyno it, you aint gonna see much of anything, at least using the DME as your tuning engine. I am gonna just stop now. this has been covered so many fricken times that it aint worth saying again. You have to understand how the DME works in order to understand what you see on the dyno.

    If you dont believe me, thats cool. Sell your mods to somebody else! Bottom line, OBD II has adaptation.....that is why you dont see them gains most of the time. You wont see them after you just bolt something on.....the DME neds to adapt to the new mod. For those of you that say you drove the car for days, weeks, months after the mod, then dyno'ed, I say to you, you still have adpatation messing with you. It depends HOW you have driven the car and other factors as to how it has adpated. Oh yeah, I was gonna shut up. Bottom line....Conforti explained this so many fricken times in the past, he got tired of saying it over and over again to those you just dont get it. If you like, do a search on adaptation and read some of the older (1997ish) matterial and you will begin to understand how it all works, and can figure out ways around it if you are a smart read. Or....just sell them mods and go back to square one while I fly past your ass. Lates, Tim
    Last edited by ArcticFox; 04-02-2004 at 11:37 AM.

    1995 M3 (sold)
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  19. #19
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    Well said Tim.
    Steve

  20. #20
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    It has been a bad day for me, so I kinda vented. Sorry if I offened anybody, but I expressed my beliefs and knowledge on the subject the best I could.

    just sick of hearing the same crap all the time....mostly from people that have no clue about what exactly they are dealing with. Know what I mean. I should of not even said anything and let the ignorance continue. No skin off my chin you know. :-)

    1995 M3 (sold)
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  21. #21
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    Ah

    Tim you are the man, exactly what I have wanted to say for months. You know I am a vendor, so if I say it, I am hostile, because people don't believe in a part. Hope to see you at the track soon. It's all about suspension, wings and sticky tires. They don't adapt We know who rules in the suspension department

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by DDIZZY
    We know who rules in the suspension department
    Intrax? :

  23. #23
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    LOL...Intrax....NOT!

    JK, to each his own...see you at the track :-)

    Yeah Dale, well, like I said....bad day...got lots stressing me out..stressed wife + sick kid + Hawaii trip tomorrow aint mixing well! LOL. I think I need to take the woman to the track to help relieve her stress! hehe

    Hopefully I will see you out there sometime soon.....

    So when are you hitting the track again? I wanna run with ya again so i can show you how superior GC's kit is to Motons! LOL Tim

    1995 M3 (sold)
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    2008 E90 M3 on order -- week 23 build -- DCT and 19's!

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by DDIZZY
    If one would spend 80 bucks on a gizmo, and nothing happened. Who really cares. People spend a lot more for nothing. You just have to put it into perspective.
    Hey everyone, let's send 80 bucks to GC for nothin' ...
    Estoril/Modena '97 M3...sold for the second time.
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  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by DDIZZY
    If one would spend 80 bucks on a gizmo, and nothing happened. Who really cares. People spend a lot more for nothing. You just have to put it into perspective.
    WHAT KIND OF BS STATEMENT IS THIS??!!! :

    I'm appalled that a supporting vendor would have the guts (or stupidity) to post such a selfish comment.

    So you're admitting that vendors just offer products for the SOLE PURPOSE of making a buck? So they really don't give a rat's ass if the part works or not...just as long as they suck consumers into THINKING that there is a POTENTIAL for a performance gain??? Is that what you're implying?

    I had an uncomfortable suspicion of your intentions with this thread as soon as I read it...but your statement above just proves that you're trying to manipulate us into believing that it's OK to hand over $80 for your part (which it now seems that you're admitting does nothing) since we're probably spending alot more on other (equally unproven, according to your comments above) parts.

    I don't like this reasoning at all. If this IS the case, how about you guys refund my $80 (plus shipping) for a part that I bought with the understanding that it does provide a performance advantage?

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