Hi All.... wanna turbo my beemer

Raymondsinc

New member
Hi All. new to the forum. my name is Raymond and i have a BMW problem.

Owned a few BM's and had plenty in and out of the family ranging from e30 to e46. currently own a very tidy 318ti (wifes car) and a broken one at home for spares:coolShake: ... in the proces of buying a 318i e36 (seller tried to convince me its an IS, but i called the vin number in and its just a 318i m42). this one is going to get turbo charged. which brings me to why im here...... i figured if im gonna start a project then i should speak to those who may have done it before me, or share my experience for those who would like to do the same. I need to start collecting all the bits and pieces that i need, so please let me know if you have some useful old parts from turbo projects laying around that you are prepared to part with, or even good advice from your experience. the hands on work is going to be done by Greame (BMW technician in pomona).
 

KarshS

///Member
Why do you want to turbo a 318 if i might ask.

If you going for a bolt on setup without an engine rebuild its pointless on low bar.

Turbo parts, brake upgrades and so on will cost you the same as finding a 328 and doing some mild mods. The 328 will be quicker and much more fun.

I might be wrong but lets hear what the others have to say.

If i had a 318 and wanted to mod it, i will remove the engine and fit something better
 

Raymondsinc

New member
Karsh330D said:
Why do you want to turbo a 318 if i might ask.

If you going for a bolt on setup without an engine rebuild its pointless on low bar.

Turbo parts, brake upgrades and so on will cost you the same as finding a 328 and doing some mild mods. The 328 will be quicker and much more fun.

I might be wrong but lets hear what the others have to say.

If i had a 318 and wanted to mod it, i will remove the engine and fit something better

you are not the first person to say that bud.... iv only owned one other turbo car before (a 13b rotary) and there is something very addictive about the surge of power that a turbo delivers ... that said, a nice 6-pot is always going to be a winner. my old man has a 325ci (late model e46 with the led's) which iv spent a bit of time on the road with... it is fast and all that, but just not exciting


"If you going for a bolt on setup without an engine rebuild its pointless on low bar"

im led to believe that the m42 is good for a descent boost with standard internals..... guess time will tell :hammerhead:
 

netercol

New member
welcome..

unfortunately i have to agree with karsh.. turbo'ing the 318 will be a waste of money.. if its done right you will end up with a car on par with a good 330i, having spent a lot more..

the sad truth :sorry:
 

Crash_Nemesis

///Member
e36 328i + Turbo = 450kw easy. MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER.

M52B28 engine.

Go..

Speak to Burgy on the forum. He has turbo charged his e46 M3. I have supercharged mine, but my route is different, he will have more experience about what is needed.
 

Wes

///Member
Look at how much you are prepared to spend on doing a turbo conversion properly.

Call a few companies and get prices for

-turbo
-wastegate
-BOV
-injectors
-gaskets
-an intercooler and all piping
-downpipe
-upgraded fuel pump
-exhaust system
-engine management
-dyno tuning
-and labour on all of the above

That should get you started, but there are other things you can add as well, and all of this is assuming you have a healthy motor to start with.

Also, because it started life as a 318, you need to look at brake and suspension upgrades as well.

It is definitely possible, but to do it properly is going to be costly.
 

netercol

New member
Crash_Nemesis said:
e36 328i + Turbo = 450kw easy. MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER.

M52B28 engine.

Go..

Speak to Burgy on the forum. He has turbo charged his e46 M3. I have supercharged mine, but my route is different, he will have more experience about what is needed.


he said 318 not 328..
 

Crash_Nemesis

///Member
netercol said:
Crash_Nemesis said:
e36 328i + Turbo = 450kw easy. MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER.

M52B28 engine.

Go..

Speak to Burgy on the forum. He has turbo charged his e46 M3. I have supercharged mine, but my route is different, he will have more experience about what is needed.


he said 318 not 328..

Hence why I SAID GO!!!.... 328i... I was saying, he should get a 328i engine. M52B28...
 

Raymondsinc

New member
i find myelf going back and forth with this one....... maybe i should spend a few more bob and get a 6-pot (anything bigger than the 320) then back to wondering how mach i can squeeze out of that renouned little bullet proof m42 motor.... too much of internal termoil going on here lol
 

Crash_Nemesis

///Member
Turbo charging a BMW is not cheap. So depending on your power needs, maybe look around at what other engine might give you some good bang for your buck. Maybe even an S50/S52 swap.

There is an e36 M3 for sale for R30k, bodywork is destroyed. Guy had a domestic dispute but apparently the engine and gearbox are fine.... buy it, take out it's engine and gearbox, install into your other car, and if you have the money, then maybe turbo that.

Otherwise your best bet is a e36 325/328 engine for turbo charging. Bolt on turbo builds require low boost and good management. If you wan't big power, expect a full engine build.

:cartel:
 

netercol

New member
Crash_Nemesis said:
netercol said:
Crash_Nemesis said:
e36 328i + Turbo = 450kw easy. MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER.

M52B28 engine.

Go..

Speak to Burgy on the forum. He has turbo charged his e46 M3. I have supercharged mine, but my route is different, he will have more experience about what is needed.


he said 318 not 328..

Hence why I SAID GO!!!.... 328i... I was saying, he should get a 328i engine. M52B28...

ah.. my bad..
 

Raymondsinc

New member
Crash_Nemesis said:
Turbo charging a BMW is not cheap. So depending on your power needs, maybe look around at what other engine might give you some good bang for your buck. Maybe even an S50/S52 swap.

There is an e36 M3 for sale for R30k, bodywork is destroyed. Guy had a domestic dispute but apparently the engine and gearbox are fine.... buy it, take out it's engine and gearbox, install into your other car, and if you have the money, then maybe turbo that.

Otherwise your best bet is a e36 325/328 engine for turbo charging. Bolt on turbo builds require low boost and good management. If you wan't big power, expect a full engine build.

:cartel:

where can i find this M3 for sale ?
 
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