'88 325i build - plaid and an ITB 2.9L

[sert57]

I gotta say, this is probably my favorite visual upgrade to the exterior of the car. I LOVE how it looks. the increased width + offset makes the wheels sit out the right amount, and the wheels are just gorgeous.

Looking back, I should've gotten a photo or two with the hood popped and the socks off, but I'll get that soon enough.

[mike.bmw]

A few months ago before all this started I noticed the price of these new had gotten fairly reasonable ( and it still is). Excited to get them on the car!

Excellent choice of wheels! :)

[moziller]

Huge fan of this car, great work on the plaid! sub'd for Ronal LS and more dyno graphs

[sert57]

I haven't started down that rabbit trail yet, but its next on the list. When I went to get it tuned the first time I didn't realize how long it would take and had to get the car back that day, so they didn't have time to really dial it in well. The timing map didn't change at all from the stock MS one for instance, and there were still a few issues with oil leaks, etc. Since then I taught mysellf how to tune it and have been tuning it myself but have stayed conservative on timing. Hopefully in the next year I'll get to a dyno and get the timing dialed in.

When I assembled the engine i did use a dial indicator to get the cam centered again. When I find time the next step will be to adjust the cam whilst checking valve clearance, but that's going to take a little bit of figuring out. I do plan on using it in the future, just haven't gotten there yet.

An airbox is next on the list and I was planning on ordering one in the coming months. I'll say this, right now it feels like it pulls just as strong as 4k as it does at 6.2k, then the power drops off, so anecdotally it doesn't feel as.... old chrysler hemi v8 - ey, as the dyno chart would make it seem

[AWDBOB]

Did you ever figure out your power issue? Is your cam a reground 272? You can’t get much lift out of a regrind, and a stroker really needs lift to do well.

I would swap out for an IE billet 284/280 or a schrick 284/272 and put on an OEM cam gear. If you keep your adjustable cam gear, fully degree in your cam or don’t use it IMO.

a stock healthy b25 with ITBs will almost make more power than that.

also the RHD air box would likely make a huge difference.

[sert57]

A few months ago before all this started I noticed the price of these new had gotten fairly reasonable ( and it still is). Excited to get them on the car!

[JonTheHero22]

Thank you so much. That's great to know because that was the exact machine that I was looking to purchase and I was concerned that the machine would not hold up. Thanks again sir.

[sert57]

I ended up just getting the generic "heavy duty" singer (4411) on amazon. Internals of the machine held up fine (needles were replaced frequently), I just went slow. I had to learn how to time it and do some simple/generic repairs but that was it. For reference - the leather I had was very thick - maybe 1/16 or 3/32 - and I went over two layers many times with it.

[JonTheHero22]

Damn your car is awesome and all the work you've put into it is amazing af. I'm also in GA so maybe I'll see you around some time. I was also thinking of trying to take a run at doing my own interior but I've been delayed because idk what sewing machine I should try to get. Do you mind sharing what sewing machine you used on your interior?

[dadsbmw]

Yowza, that looks sweet!!

[sert57]

Alright, yearly update, I've been doing some Vintage prep.

First of all, the more I looked at the old tune over the past year, the more I'm convinced it isn't the best - weird VE values, weird bounds on tables, etc. So I'll blame the dyno results on that for now...

Figured out how to make a decently looking custom badge. The trick is to do a chrome vinyl wrap on the 3d printed part - gives it a pretty good looking finish IMHO. You only see the blemishes when your within about 6 inches.



Also, this happened:

Still getting the tune finalized but it seems to be running fairly well - I think I'm 90 % of the way there. Also still running socks, as they're an order of magnitude cheaper than the airbox. Maybe the end of this year I'll get a proper airbox. I decided to go with the 42mm kit, in case I ever want to go bigger on a cam and do a "proper" head build with porting and polishing. maybe in 2-3 years...

[sert57]

I didn't get too many more than whats on page 4 unfortunately.

And yeah, it definitely all adds up. I got my alternator rebuilt at a local shop, and re-used my 1 year old starter. rebuilt the PS pump as well.

But then again, mechanically my car is basically brand new now.

I had a weird issue with my megasquirt that I finally figured out, so I'm hoping to get it idling nicely again and then get another dyno tune done on it. I'm suspicious the dyno wasn't calibrated correctly as it stops at 6k when in reality they ran the engine up to 7. With that rpm adjustment it makes somewhere in the 170s whp, which would be "about right" for a mustang dyno.

[zaq123]

got any pics of new motor? new starter/alternator? I'm putting mine back together and thinking about installing new (refurb) ones while I'm in there.

It's funny how it all adds up quickly $$$.

[vtechnik]

I dig the interior. Sub'd for more updates on the m20.

[e30sh]

If it makes you feel better, Mustang dynos do tend to read a little lower than Dynojet. I wouldn't get too caught up in the # but the rpm where your HP peak occurred. 4400 is a lot low unless you are Chrysler in 1969 rating the Hemi for insurance purposes. Sidebar. They rated it at 425 @ 5100 which was correct but it made 500 HP at ~6000.

Check the simple stuff first. Throttle fully opening / valve adjustment / cam timing / AFR's and spark timing in the upper revs. Any chance the converter is stopped up?