The Chronicles of a TV Celebrity (Turbo E36 M3)

[stupenduzzman]

Before I begin I'll explain the title. I acquired this car bone stock 1.5 years ago from a gentleman in San Francisco. Here is a picture of what it looked like when I got it:



I was watching Top Gear USA one day (S01E07) and noticed Rutledge pulling up next to a Silver M3 coupe in the CRZ he was testing. It took a few moments for me to realize something looked familiar about the M3. First I noticed the awful chrome LTWs:



then when the camera switched to show the Non-M front seats:



and finally when Rutledge attempted to race the M3 I noticed the missing fender trim piece. I couldn't believe it, it was my M3 with the previous owner driving it in SF! More on this later...

I haven't taken too many pictures of the actual build so far(which I regret). Most of the pictures are from exterior modifications but I'll post what I have so far and make an effort to get the not so visible stuff from now on.
Shortly after buying it I put on some Ground Control S/A track coilovers and some 17x9.5 et38 Enkei RPF1s. I had the fenders flared to fit them because they required a 15mm adapter for a final offset of 23 and then promptly went to my first track day with it!





All was going good until halfway through the third session my radiator inlet cracked at the top spewing coolant on the front wheels and sending me off track in the fastest corner of Thunderhill!



Here is the video, break down is at the very end. (Not very fast yet I'll admit. First time grip racing Thunderhill and the car)

[ame]http://youtu.be/BueovF3FiMw[/ame]

I then replaced the radiator with a Mishimoto aluminium version upgraded to a set of Ground Control D/A Advanced Design Race coilovers I got used and hit up another track day! This time at Streets of Willow. During the driver's meeting we were informed that Top Gear USA would be on track with us later to film one of their episodes. Would my car be on the show twice??!! I waited until the episode aired 6 months later and sure enough it was, like 6 or 7 times! Here are a few pics:





and here's the video of that day(the car felt great and I started getting pretty comfortable)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crAj5-U0sag&hd=1[/ame]

2 months later I noticed this....



I do not recommend these radiators at all. The price is very tempting but I went through 2 regular Mishimotos aluminums and finally 1 X-Line super fat Mishimoto aluminum before throwing in the towel. Every single one would crack where the core tubes meet the end tanks after less than 2 months. The cracks were tiny and almost not visible but you could hear hissing and see bubbles. I threw them out and instead redid my entire cooling system with an OEM Behr S54 radiator, low temp thermostat, Stewart High performance water pump and SPAL 16" electric conversion.

I had done a few drift events in my DD M3 sedan which had a bone stock motor and this was difficult on tracks like Thunderhill where I was floored in 3rd almost everywhere. I knew for this M3 I wanted more power so over winter I turbo'd it using an old Active Autowerkes Stage 1 kit.



I also replaced the RPF1s because unfortunately the adapters are not cut out for this type of driving...



A few of my friends had this similar problem with the bolts snapping off so I tossed them ASAP and acquired some new APEX Arc-8s in 17x9.5:



At this point I was having lots of issues with reliability from the turbo kit. First, I blew the valve cover gasket after plumbing the crank case ventilation all wrong to where it was boosting the crankcase. I ended up venting everything to atmosphere and plugging the cycle oil separator on both sides. My oem clutch couldn't hold the power anymore so I replaced it with a F1 spec 10.5 lb flywheel and 490 wtq clutch kit. While this was all going on I focused on some exterior mods as well and acquired an LTW style rep for cheap:



then had it painted and threw it on:



The rest of the year up until now has been slow on progress since I am a full time ME student and work part time. I started racing on a 24hours of lemons team too so my spare time was limited. I acquired some parts(Meth kit, oil cooler, boost gauge+controller and AFR gauge) to make the turbo more reliable which are going on shortly. I also got some street wheels and tires to roll around on:



I just got the car back tonight after a month at the cage shop so here's where I'm at now:



Current Mod list:
Active autowerke's stage 1.5 turbo (current dyno at 288 whp/310wtq)
Ground Control + Advanced Design dual adjustable coilovers
10.5 lb flywheel
500 WTQ clutch
LTW rep rear wing
Reiger gt front lip in carbon fiber
NRG quick release hub with NRG wheel
apex 18x10 et 25 with 235/40 street wheels
17x9.5 et 35 + 12mm spacers with 255/40 RS3 track setup
Gutted interior + welded 8 point
Custom glovebox and center console(pics coming soon)
UUC front sway bar
rear sway bar delete
s54 radiator, stewart high performance water pump
spal 16 electric fan conversion
straight pipe exhaust from turbo back
bride vios low max seats
zhp shift knob
z4 shifter lever
aem truboost
aem AFR
Autometer oil temp, oil pressure, water temp

Here's my youtube account where I upload all my videos and like I said from, now on I'll make an effort to document more of the process of installing and creating the modifications!

[onasled]

....ummmm.... who's welding that cage? Maybe it's just the pics, but that's scary.

[stupenduzzman]

It's not welded in that picture yet, just tacked together.

[Colby Colbs]

I would love more info on the wing. Perhaps a link to purchase...
Very cool to see your car on top gear!

[rpm620]

what size tires do you have on those apex wheels. also have you tracked that setup yet ... Any rubbing?

[stupenduzzman]

I would love more info on the wing. Perhaps a link to purchase...
Very cool to see your car on top gear!

Unfortunately I have no idea who made it, I bought it used for $80! From the research I've done it's similar to the ones found on the Cecotto Racecar. It's actually really good quality. Fit is perfect and there's no sag.

what size tires do you have on those apex wheels. also have you tracked that setup yet ... Any rubbing?

The silver ones are 17x9.5 et 35 +12 mm spacers all around and 255/40 Hankook RS-3s
The red ones are 18x10 et 25 no spacers with 235/40 Federal 595SS
-3.5 degrees front camber -2.7 rear.
No rubbing with either setup

[M3Rob95]

Just found this thread! Great story and awesome how it was on Top Gear!

Enjoy!!!

[GG///M3]

Awesome. Which tuning are you running.

[S14]

Sweet house, and cool build! Do you have a link to the f1 flywheel? Any reason you chose that over the jb one?

[stupenduzzman]

Should have some updates this week, been busy with school and preparing the Lemons car for the next race.

Awesome. Which tuning are you running.

Active Autowerkes tuning. The kit is one of the ancient turbo kits from the early 2000s.

Sweet house, and cool build! Do you have a link to the f1 flywheel? Any reason you chose that over the jb one?

I got it off ebay, $510 shipped for their 10.5 lb flywheel(looks basically like a UUC 8.5lber) and their sprung 6 puck disc and pressure plate. Supposedly holds 490wtq, though I can't confirm this. I read mixed reviews but decided for the money I'd give it a shot. I've been told by someone that used to work for the company that their pressure plates are actually stock ones just painted blue. I have around 10k miles of hard driving with clutch dumps and drifting on it so far and it's been great. The pedal stiffness is not much different than stock. Engagement is much harder than stock obviously but reasonable. Definitely not an on-off switch, still possible to slip it a little starting in first. The chatter is not bad at all either. Only reason I went with it over JB or UUC is the price.

[GG///M3]

Should have some updates this week, been busy with school and preparing the Lemons car for the next race.



Active Autowerkes tuning. The kit is one of the ancient turbo kits from the early 2000s.



I got it off ebay, $510 shipped for their 10.5 lb flywheel(looks basically like a UUC 8.5lber) and their sprung 6 puck disc and pressure plate. Supposedly holds 490wtq, though I can't confirm this. I read mixed reviews but decided for the money I'd give it a shot. I've been told by someone that used to work for the company that their pressure plates are actually stock ones just painted blue. I have around 10k miles of hard driving with clutch dumps and drifting on it so far and it's been great. The pedal stiffness is not much different than stock. Engagement is much harder than stock obviously but reasonable. Definitely not an on-off switch, still possible to slip it a little starting in first. The chatter is not bad at all either. Only reason I went with it over JB or UUC is the price.

Seems like it is performing well, and thats what counts.

[stupenduzzman]

Minor update: cage is now fully welded. Will post some pics when I paint it.
Swapped suspensions back to my old Ground Control + S/A Koni setup (525F/650R) and I put my UUC rear sway bar in on full soft. Also installed an AEM methanol/water injection kit in preparation for it's first outing since the turbo install. Lastly, I replaced all my brake calipers with rebuilt ones, new blank OEM rotors all around, Hawk HT10 pads and SS lines. Will get pictures of this stuff when I have some free time away from work and school. The car feels pretty good with the cage. Very noticeable difference. The car settles much faster after bumps and rumble strips. I am getting a lot of understeer overall though. It's manageable at constant throttle but gets very bad on throttle. At higher speeds I think it's my lack of front end downforce with the LTW spoiler in the rear. At low speeds I attribute it to the rear squatting too much and lifting traction off the front. Next outing I'll try stiffening up the rear bar and if that still doesn't help I'll throw in my 800 lb springs. My only worry is that the Koni yellows can't keep up with an 800 lb spring, anyone have experience with this?

Here's some video from my day at Thunderhill:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVwUiJJ8P8U[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLr7H4v18JE[/ame]

[camdinans3]

288whp/310wtq? seems....really low no?

[stupenduzzman]

288whp/310wtq? seems....really low no?

How did you figure this? The kit new was rated at 340bhp at 8.5 psi.
288whp x 1.18(drivetrain loss) = 339 bhp and that was at ~8psi.

Since the dyno I've replaced the s52 intake manifold with the far superior m50 one which supposedly nets up to 30whp on a force induction motor. I've also added a Methanol kit and boost controller so I'm guessing at 10psi I should be at or above 350whp now. The problem I'm running into now is that my small 30lb injectors are maxing out if the ambient temps are below 50 degrees.

[camdinans3]

No offense meant, I mean it makes sense but just seemed low for a turbo

My dinan supercharged s50 (stock internally) at 9psi made 320whp and 300wtq.

But good work none the less

[stupenduzzman]

Long overdue update:

Took the car to Buttonwillow for the Bimmerchallenge last month, had a ton of fun and set a laptime which I was pretty happy with.


After this it came time to do some more modifications in preparation for Mfest.
Started with some much needed reinforcements. First came the RTAB pockets.
As you can see one mount on each side had already broken completely and the other ones were showing stress cracks!


Cleaned up and AKG reinforcement plates tack welded in


Fully welded and painted


Next came the front end. During a nightmare clutch job the shop installed my disc backwards and subsequently got the transmission jammed. As a result of trying to get it off they shattered my oil pan and welded it up. The welds did not seal correctly so it was time for a new oil pan. While this was put the oil pump nut was tack welded.


Also, a previous owner stripped one of the subframe bolts and just left it loose [IMG]file:///C:\Users\pabloma\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\0 1\clip_image002.gif[/IMG]This was fixed with a helicoil and new subframe bolts. While this was happening the subframe was reinforced with more AKG parts.


I just completed the AKG 75D FCABs last night too. The Xbrace I put in recently is visible here too.


Here's a pic of the old FCABs. They didn't look too bad... still had to go.


This is what I used to do the bushings. The MIS tool works awesome for getting the bushings in and out of the lollipop. To get the actual lollipop off the control arm I used a simple gear puller. To put them back on it just tapped them with a hammer and they slid right on. Greased up the inside grooves with high temp wheel bearing grease.


Installed an AEM methanol kit in the trunk. This thing is amazing. The car runs so much smoother under boost and the intake no longer gets any heatsoak every after 20 minutes on track.


In preparation for summer I also added a much needed oil cooler. I did a DIY setup. For the cap I used the Ireland engineering one, install was a breeze. For the lines I bought some AN fittings and braided hose off Summit racing. For the oil cooler I was also going to buy the Ireland "19 row" but realized the same exact one was on ebay for half the cost. Fabbed up a mount and put it all together. I'll get a picture of the mount when I paint it. Had to rush it last minute before the Buttonwillow date so it's still raw steel and slightly rusted.



Lastly, here's what I'm working on right now:


Nearly finished painting it, just need to touch up a few areas tonight. I used Rustoleum oil based house paint. It matches the finish of my red wheels PERFECTLY. I chose to paint it on rather than spray it. I started with a regular brush but this finish was garbage and it was not applying well. I tried a 2 inch roller as well but this just made a mess as it constantly dripped off the sides. Lastly, I switched to a small foam brush. This worked great for about 15 minutes, until it broke off the handle. I resorted to just holding it with my hands which worked surprisingly well. The whole job was a huge PITA as I had to paint everything with 3-4 coats before it covered well. Finish is pretty good though.


This week I'm doing the RTABs with AKG 75d and putting my interior back in. I should be set for the trackday at Mfest this Saturday then.

After Mfest my new TRM stage 2 turbo kit goes in.

[sh1ftgear]

Great build, I have full akg 75d bushings on my car as well, but I am have problems with the front fcab squeaking in hot weather. I used green grease the marine stuff. do you have any problems?

[stupenduzzman]

Great build, I have full akg 75d bushings on my car as well, but I am have problems with the front fcab squeaking in hot weather. I used green grease the marine stuff. do you have any problems?

Thanks!

I used high-temp lube on mine but to be honest I can't tell if they are squeaking or not. The car makes too many other noises with the straight pipe, clanking rear springs and lose interior bits.

[Okemom333]

Awesome story, pics are great, car looks sweet...

[stupenduzzman]

Awesome story, pics are great, car looks sweet...

Thanks! I have a huge update coming soon. In the meantime here's a teaser of the interior progress.

[Frank@AchillesMotorsports]

Nice build! Pretty cool your car made it onto the show twice lol

[stupenduzzman]

Been a while since I updated this. I've done quite a bit of stuff since the last update and ran my first competitive event.
I put on a new turbo setup: TRM stage 2 with a GT35r, had my motor built by David at FourB into a cookie cutter setup. 8.5:1 Supertech coated pistons, Eagle rods, O-ringed block + stock HG, new oil pump, baffled oil pan.
Next I acquired a Voltex 1600mm type 5 wing. This thing is amazing. My old wheel and tire setup would barely rub under full compression if I hit a bump... I did a quick triple digit pull with the wing on and the tires were rubbing nonstop which means the rear was squatting pretty hard due to all the downforce.

I drove it around on the street for a while like this:




To put the power down I mounted some 285 R6 Hoosiers on my Red Arc-8s and cut my fenders in preparation for flares. Unfortunately they did not arrive in time for my first event so I had ran the time attack event with cut fenders. Looked like hell but I still managed to win my class coming within .2 seconds of the class lap record. Sadly the turbo blew after only 5 laps and my fastest lap occurred while I was still feeling out the new setup and I had to deal with traffic since I missed the first session. Anyway, the car felt insanely fast and there is huge potential to go faster still. Here is a picture from the event and the video of my fast lap:





I had to put everything on hold for a while after blowing the turbo because I was finishing up my last semester in school and then started my job search. Happily everything worked out great and I now have time and money to focus on the car again. I replaced the center section on the GT35R with a new one and mounted my flares and some other small aero bits. Here is what it looks like now:




Next up is painting body work and hopefully a color change as well as some problem free (hopefully) events!

[jeremy5000]

I love you and this car so much!

[RayAnd]

Nice car! I`m builing a E36 M3 trackcar with the same flars, but with a S54. What type of wing are you using? I see that it`s a Voltex-wing, but wich model and how high is the risers?

One more thing; do you have more pictures of the rear difuser? Made it yourself, or bought? And the same with the flaps in front on the bumper, homemade or bought?

[GG///M3]

Endless win, and I love that its turbo'd. Is the car on a stock motor still?