[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by tencazzo

Sound good! And really hope there will be no new topic "M235i killer R.I.P" with all N20 tuning you planing.

LOL, I'm not going over the top by any stretch, just adding a little more "thump" to get me around!

[caycep]

How can one compare all the different ECU flash tuners? lol

[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by caycep

How can one compare all the different ECU flash tuners? lol

You can't really compare unless you were to run both tunes back-2-back. Both EnzoPerformance and GSRAutosport are good shops. For me, I like the fact that Enzo is up the road and not across the country should something happen.

Both shops offer similar performance, not sure how you could go wrong!

[OpenAir]

Thought I'd drop a couple of pics of the parts on this thread...pics are always fun for everyone!

Finally on the hoist!

Here is a pic of the mad welding skills of Mike:

A couple of the ER FMIC...massive size gain vs OEM:



Here is the OEM...tiny thing:


Hope to have it back this week!!!

[CalCarNut]

Whoa. Size matters .

Some disassembly required too it seems.....

[MG 228i]

I love the welds on that downpipe!

[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by SoCalDave

Whoa. Size matters .

Some disassembly required too it seems.....

The decision was made to pull the front end to ensure the FMIC was securely attached to the car...The shop goes above and beyond on every detail!!

[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by MG 228i

I love the welds on that downpipe!

You really have to see them in person. Mike has mad skills and is the sole reason I went with the EnzoPerformance downpipe vice an ER unit. Just look at what they did with my AA Signature exhaust:

[dt20011]

Very nice! Enzo is the real deal, so far a great asset to the community!

[OpenAir]

Picking her up tomorrow...I can't wait!

[OpenAir]

Just finished driving from Long Island back to MD...have to say that I wasn't originally very happy. The first initial run had the engine dropping off around 5200 ~ 5500rpm, along with several "harsh" backfires. Had Renato drive it and he thought it was fine, so I took a couple more "brutal" passes and it appears that the ECU had to "re-tune" itself to the new Intercooler, exhaust and DP.

The car does spool up much faster, but you can also now feel the turbo "nose over" around 6k now as it is just too small for that much flow. Enzo came in and we made several runs and he even put on "the box" to check 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. Even with the turbo pooping out at 6k, the car is pretty quick now for a 2.0L. 0-60 times we constantly around 5.3 and stock it was 6.4 or so. 1/4 mile times were in the low 14's @ 105 or so, and pretty consistent after all the thrashing...probably due to the larger FMIC.

Sound is superb, deep and throaty and shifting @ 4k really belches now...love it. It is much louder than I expected, but driving home with the top down @ mid 80's the note was just noticeable. It was perfect with the top up, so all you coupe guys would probably love this setup.

Pics, sound and more times to follow as I have time.

edit: Just had run-in with a Bru WRX (STi status unknown), I edged him twice probably due to my AT being quicker in the shifts from 20mph roll-ons. Then I got the Drivetrain Malfunction indicator...SIGH.

[adema24]

In for some video clips! Is your dp catless?

[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by adema24

In for some video clips! Is your dp catless?

Yes, custom build by EnzoPerformance. Part of their 300 R+ package.

[OpenAir]

Here is a short audio clip of the exhaust note:

https://youtu.be/MRqz0MXGaS4

[OpenAir]

Update:

The project is complete! Several things have changed since the original plan, including several drives up the East Coast to see the crew.

First thing, the Magnificent DP that was built for me had to go, nothing to do with the quality or experience as I'll explain later, but the DP combined with the AA Signature Exhaust was just too much! It was always in your face, and this is a cab so by the 4th day I had already had enough! It saddens me that I have lost that primeval belch that arose from the outlets, but now I have peace of mind when I decide to drop the top, spank some good jazz and just tune out the world. The lesson here is that you can't have both, but I tried.

Secondly, we had to remove the ER FMIC. Master Mechanic Frank discussed the removal of the front lower support brace due to the size of the IC when I picked up the car, but the exhaust note was so intoxicating, I wasn't hearing what he was saying. That brace is there for a reason as it connects/supports the front lower bumper to the skid plate below the engine...couldn't imaging what would happen if you had a front end collision without that brace.

I'm having some issues with the company that I purchased this from and have been handed off to ER for some reason. Here is a pic of the FMIC and you can see that it extends well beyond the bottom support bracket:



Here is how it looked installed and you can see no support brace:



Here is a pic of the OEM unit with the support brace:



Now for the fun stuff, I have the averages of multiple runs before and after the DP & FMIC, and they did make a difference:

DP, FMIC & AA Exhaust:
0-60 ~ 5.4
1/4 Mile ~ 13.9 @ 100mph

ECU and AA Exhaust:
0-60 ~ 5.5
1/4 Mile ~ 14.2 @ 98mph

The car "feels" like it pulls harder with the stock DP & FMIC. Enzo himself thought so also and the turbo nose-over was gone, but the numbers don't lie. Additionally, Enzo couldn't make three attempts with the oem DP & FMIC as the car just kept loosing power during back-2-back-2-back runs. This was not a problem with the Enzo Performance DP and ER FMIC, the car just kept pulling!!!

Final words have to do with Gas mileage. Having made several 400+ mile round trips, with all the goodies on I-95 I averaged 26.4 mpg @ 80mph cruise. Without the DP and FMIC I averaged 28.7 for the same circuit.

That's all I have for now, but I would really like to say thanks to the crew EnzoPerformance, they are the best!

[adema24]

Dang man sounds like you've had an ordeal. Glad you tried it all out and found what you wanted. I wonder if other people have run into the same problem as you in regards to the ER FMIC. I don't recall seeing any posts about it though.

Glad you included your gas mileage. Some people are like "I don't give a **** about gas mileage!!!!" But we know deep down inside they really do. I wonder if it was the catless DP that made the big difference.

[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by adema24

Dang man sounds like you've had an ordeal. Glad you tried it all out and found what you wanted. I wonder if other people have run into the same problem as you in regards to the ER FMIC. I don't recall seeing any posts about it though.

Glad you included your gas mileage. Some people are like "I don't give a **** about gas mileage!!!!" But we know deep down inside they really do. I wonder if it was the catless DP that made the big difference.

I actually saw another 328 up there with an ER FMIC and it didn't have several lower pieces installed. Makes you wonder how many folks really know or look at their car after the fact.

Outside of the additional drive back up to Long Island, I'm glad that I had a chance to touch and feel both sides of the performance curve. It really helped me make the final decisions.

As for the gas mileage, I just made a run to NC today and averaged 30.2 @ 75 for 350 miles on I-95.

[CalCarNut]

So current status/mods are:

AA exhaust and Enzo tune?

[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by SoCalDave

So current status/mods are:

AA exhaust and Enzo tune?

Yep, removed the FMIC due to safety/structural concerns and gave Enzo his DP back as the fumes and loudness were just too much for me. I do miss the extra 20+ HP and the sound under WOT...that was intoxicating!

[CalCarNut]

Nice! so how's it running now with the DP back to stock, etc?

[OpenAir]

Originally Posted by SoCalDave

Nice! so how's it running now with the DP back to stock, etc?

Actually, Enzo and I both thought the car was faster with the stock DP and FMIC. The larger FMIC seemed to cause a slight bit of hesitation from throttle off to throttle on. Probably due to the time it takes to charge the larger FMIC.

On the other hand, the larger cooler allowed the car to run multiple back-2-back 1/4 mile runs, or the combination of the FMIC and DP. If I was tracking or running on the streets I would want both items, but I'm not and the exhaust gave me the sound I wanted.

I haven't gave up on an FMIC totally, just potentially a smaller unit that fits properly. The downpipe is up at the shop ready for me if I should change my mind and want that WOT thrill and aggressive tone again. All in all I couldn't be happier with the current setup for a DD cab.

[MG 228i]

Any vids with the downpipe?