Panici's '87 325is E30 - Boosted In Bronze

[LukeJ]

I can't get over how clean everything is. Job well done. Love the constant search for perfection, but progress over perfection this speaks too.

I'll second this.

Yep, been meaning to stop in and comment on this excellent thread and the quality of your work for a while now. Well done Sir.

[Panici]

been meaning to stop in and comment on this excellent thread and the quality of your work for a while now. Well done Sir.

Thanks Luke! 🙂
Stay tuned, I'm not done yet!

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Finally picked up the car from the bodyshop on Tuesday. They cut & buffed the clearcoat and got most of the runs out.
It's still not perfect, but it's a big improvement. Wanted to get the car back home as we are getting close to freezing overnight, and the road salt isn't far away.

New OEM roundels felt nice to finally install. Original trunk roundel is still in great shape, with only a slight yellowing of the white portions (pictured), so I put it on the E28!

Spent some time on the weekend optimizing the garage space. Motorcycle lift is up against the wall, tool cabinets are all near the fridge, spare miata engine is tucked nicely below the spare M52B28 and the engine hoist is disassembled and stored in the basement.
Hoping the extra space motivates me to keep working on the car during the cold winter months.

In addition to the rear subframe upgrade bits I have planned, I am trying to source some used parts for the car. A working sunroof motor/assembly, interior front tweeter pods with original tweeters, outside door Handles w/screws, and a set of cracked early-model taillights (to make into startec reps).

[Panici]

Winter Plan 2022-2023


Typically in the late fall/early winter I don't get much wrenching done.
I did discover what appears to be a spot of burned-through clearcoat from the bodyshop, which I'm obviously not pleased about.

Removed the driver's side hofmeister kink trim as the lower section wasn't sitting tight to the body. Found painter's tape where the clip should have been. Ordered replacement mounting hardware.

Installed a set of exterior door handles (thanks Brutus for the parts!).


I've been collecting a small mass of parts, here are my plans for the next four months.

• Drop the rear subframe & differential.
  • Replace the (leaking) diff input shaft seal.
  • Weld-in reinforcements for Rear Sway Bar, Differential Mount Point, Rear Shocks, Trailing Arm (Wing & Tube)
  • Garagistic Secondary Diff Mount
  • RaceGerman HD Differential Stud Kit
  • Upgrade bushings from OEM rubber (installed in 2016) to Revshift 80A Polyurethane.
    • Differential
    • Subframe
    • Trailing Arms
• Weld up hole in top of passenger side rear wheel well.
• Uprated Swaybars Front & Rear 22mm/19mm by ST Suspensions
• Replace sunroof motor.
• Replace driver's side hofmeister kink trim clips.
• Re-work exhaust to add a cat, additional hanger, and floor clearance.
• Change wastegate boost reference from compressor housing to right before throttle body.
• Lengthen shifter DSSR to move knob closer to dash.
• Install colourmatched Kamei rear valance
• Reinstall E28 535is Pfeba Heckspoiler
• Reinstall colourmatched diving board trim
• Reinstall 325is front airdam
• Install uprated Morimoto 50w HID kit.
• Install replacement throttle cable.
• Install ChaseBays windshield washer fluid res/pump.

[ome30]

That colour looks more amazing every time I see it! The perfect closer for this body would be euro bumpers because they'd look amazing IMO, but impossible to come by and insanely expensive. Whenever you do weld up that passenger wheel well hole, I'd love to get some tips because I've got a nice little hole in my driver side wheel well. Excited to see all the progress!

[Panici]

That colour looks more amazing every time I see it! The perfect closer for this body would be euro bumpers because they'd look amazing IMO, but impossible to come by and insanely expensive. Whenever you do weld up that passenger wheel well hole, I'd love to get some tips because I've got a nice little hole in my driver side wheel well. Excited to see all the progress!

Thank you!
I personally love the diving boards so they will be staying.
Hoping the colourmatched surrounds tie them in to the body a bit better then the original black.

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Tuning For Boost


Looking back on this thread for 2022, and realized I only skimmed over the tuning fun post-turbocharger!

Before first startup, I used the "ID1050x - Megasquirt Characterization Table" spreadsheet to calculate dead time & small pulsewidths using my base fuel pressure.
These ended up being almost perfect, with my off-boost table areas within a few AFR points of the tune I make last year with the original OEM injectors.

I had been playing with my eBay turbo Miata all summer, which I tuned from scratch. That car is running a low-cost Speeduino ecu but uses the same tuning software as the MS3X. Have a dash-mounted tablet running tunerstudio (not concerned with a non-original interior look in that car obviously)
I actually ported over the TS dashboard to have a consistent gauge setup across both vehicles.

With both AFR protection and knock sensors on the MS3X it's pretty luxurious compared to a budget speeduino.


I was having a little trouble with misfiring up top, so I got a hold of the coil dwell numbers for the original M52B28 ECU.
Ended up bumping up my coil dwell time from 1.5ms to 3ms (@14v) and adjusting the multiplier table based on the original ECU.
That said, I am going a little easier on the coils compared to the OEM ECU when system voltage drops below 14v.

The car currently has 4psi springs in the TiAL wastegates, with boost dropping to ~3.6psi at higher revs due to the cold side/intercooler restriction.
Moving my gate reference from the compressor housing to the charge pipe right before the throttlebody should fix this issue.


Clicked off just over 1000km before the end of the season, and have a decent but very conservative tune (for both fuel and ignition) going for all the areas I've touched below 4psi.

Also realized looking at these screenshots that my VE and ignition tables aren't binned the same way. Will need to change that before further tuning.


Started the testing with the 3.73 rear end, and the car would light up the tires in 1st and 2nd, and quickly pull to the 7000rpm limiter in 5th gear. Gearing was way too short for even the conservative power it's making now. Had to be ready for some oversteer when rolling onto the throttle in 2nd gear mid-corner .

Since I swapped in a 2.93 rear end things are less spicy, but it will still break the tires free in 1st when boost hits. I foresee traction being an ongoing issue as the car is turned up, which is always fun!

Screenshot of the TunerStudio Dashboard from my youtube video.

[ForcedFirebird]

That's still a conservative tune ;) if you think it's rowdy now....

[Panici]

That's still a conservative tune ;) if you think it's rowdy now....

If I ever feel like I want more traction, the early model rear arches will take some meaty tires (and all four were rolled before paint as well).
But personally I love oversteer-on-demand.


Definitely will be some track time next summer after I get PPF on the front end.

I will never turn the car into a track toy, but need to stretch it's legs properly. 😇

[Panici]

Subframe Upgrades - Day 1


Made more progress today then I anticipated! Dropped the entire subframe assembly from the car.
Used a set of Racegerman "Deluxe Jack Stand Pads" for the first time, and they seem to work well.

I refreshed the subframe in 2016 (link to post 114), and have only put on 20k KM on it since then.
Everything came apart easily, nice to not be working with rusty and destroyed parts for once.

Almost had to drop the entire driveshaft to get the subframe out (and will have to drop it when everything is ready to go back in). Driveshaft doesn't have enough range to collapse. Is this a known issue with 24v swap/ZF320/328i shaft?


Any pro tips to remove fresh OEM rubber bushings from the subframe/trailing arms/diff?
I do at least have a shop press this time, in 2016 I used a BFH and bench vise for everything.

[ForcedFirebird]

TA bushes are easier with threaded rod than a press, but honestly I still burn them out - don't light the rubber on fire, just heat the metal tube for a bit and they will push out with almost no effort.

[Holland]

Just read the whole thread, and it's been addicting. Also stealing your washer res location/idea.

[Northern]

I love the washer res location, I'll probably steal it whenever I get sick of not having a washer reservoir, I just wish I could support someone other than Chase Bays. Would also be cool if someone figured out a res that fits in the void behind the wheelwell, like E9x or newer cars.

Love the tuning content.
With MS41, BKR7E plugs gapped to 0.21" and stock Bremi coils, stock dwell tables, I think I get spark blowout at around 12PSI. I say I *think* because I've chased it and I don't think there's anything else it could be. I'm going to up the dwell until it goes away/reduce gap, or if it persists I'll swap to B58 coils.

You won't have to bump boost up much to break loose in 2nd/3rd again with the 2.93 haha.

[Panici]

TA bushes are easier with threaded rod than a press, but honestly I still burn them out - don't light the rubber on fire, just heat the metal tube for a bit and they will push out with almost no effort.

When you say metal tube, you're referring to the outer or inner metal of the rubber bushing?

Just read the whole thread, and it's been addicting. Also stealing your washer res location/idea.

Thanks for the read! I've tried to capture the whole experience as best I can.
Glad you found the washer fluid res useful. It's not stealing in the slightest, I'm happy to contribute to the community wherever I can.
To be honest I never did plumb it up to the washer squirters even when it was installed and wired. But it's on the eventual to-do list as I do want to take the car on some roadtrips.

I just wish I could support someone other than Chase Bays
...
Love the tuning content.
With MS41, BKR7E plugs gapped to 0.021" and stock Bremi coils, stock dwell tables, I think I get spark blowout at around 12PSI. I say I *think* because I've chased it and I don't think there's anything else it could be. I'm going to up the dwell until it goes away/reduce gap, or if it persists I'll swap to B58 coils.

Chase bays no good? I've used their stuff before without issue.

Can't decide what I like doing more, wrenching, driving, or tuning! Glad other folks like the nerdy tuning bits too.
My BKR7E are at 0.027" now just for reference.
Curious as to why you've stuck with an OEM ECU for your build. Does sound like it's cracked wide open if you can even adjust dwell tables. Can the ECU be tuned on-the-fly like a standalone?

[ForcedFirebird]

Heat the actual control arm tube and the outer edge of the bushing will melt and lube itself right out - same with the sub frame bushes.

[Northern]

About Chase bays - it's mostly the single channel brake master conversion they sold, and the hard to soft brake line conversion kits.

With MS41, most of the ECU is known/mapped now. 241 tables are defined for the M3 flash, probably a little less for the 328i version.
A little annoying to get everything installed/running properly, but way better than it used to be. There's a portal app that one click installs all the cable drivers, java, romraider/logger, newest ECU definitions, and everything you need other than the flashing tool.

Biggest issue is that you can't live edit like on a standalone, and Logging is limited to 12Hz and will drop lower if you log certain things (but usually those aren't useful things to log anyway).
Also the ECU can only read airflow and load up to certain values, then they overflow. Stock software basically forces you to fake your MAF scalar to create headroom, but one of the big things that Shake did with the MS41.3 modded firmware is to fix that.
You also need to buy a MAF of some sort that will work in Blow-thru and have more range than stock, but there are scads of options that range from running resistors, junkyard Nissan MAFs, to something like a PMAS HPX that comes with a tool to generate your scalar for any size tube you install it in.

Knock control is set up well from the factory and there's a ton of work already done, so that helps a lot.

[varg]

I was having a little trouble with misfiring up top, so I got a hold of the coil dwell numbers for the original M52B28 ECU.
Ended up bumping up my coil dwell time from 1.5ms to 3ms (@14v) and adjusting the multiplier table based on the original ECU.
That said, I am going a little easier on the coils compared to the OEM ECU when system voltage drops below 14v.

Do you mind sharing the OEM ECU dwell compensation? I'm curious as I don't know whether I'll encounter issues with misfires when I get my turbo M50 on the road and I will probably just duplicate OE settings if possible.