Our flight into LAX leaves in approximately 5 hours from now (6:30am central time) and I have yet to pack. I am excited as well as nervous about making the trip out west to Bimmerfest. Sure, I have been to lots of car events, but not to the scale of bimmerfest, except for SEMA, which is more commercial than a celebration of Bimmers like Bimmerfest.
So, why am i up this late? Well, it is really to write up the last episode of our Journey to Bimmerfest. The only story left to tell is that of POWER. Not about accessories or the aesthetics, but about pure power.
Intake: aFe / Synapse Bov Kit / Macht Schnell Air Scoop
As you all know, we have had the aFe dual cone intake in our car for quite some time. The aFe has worked great for us. We haven't felt heat soak issues or any other potential issues with the intake. Sound is not too aggressive, which we like and the dry filter really is Easy to Clean!
We also have the synapse Blow off valve to relieve some of the excess pressure in the charge pipe. Besides, the sound of that pressure release is menacing!
The intake gets a little bit of help from the Macht Schnell air scoops. the scoops were a breeze to install and the smooth surface without kinks seemed ideal for air flow into those BMW snorkels.
We have gone through 2 different ECU tunes and we were not happy. One was constantly limping and the other was just not smooth, although produced lots of power. Also, the Check Engine light issue without Cats was not an issue that could be taken care of by either of the previous systems.
This time, we got help from our newest Partner: ESS Tuning.
ESS was in town to help tune one of the IND's amazing supercharged cars. And AJ was nice enough to spend a little extra time to diagnose the car and tune it to Stage 3 Power level. ESS Tune is amazing. OEM level of stability and driveability. Smooth with release of abrupt power when you gas it. Transition is smooth and We are ecstatic about this one. (more to come on this later).
Now, the grand finale and the best thing about our new version of "Project 1", the EXHAUST. Before, I begin, I want to thank the following partners/friends/vendors.
- Macht Schnell for the sponsorship on the amazing set of 3" down pipes
- Berk Technology for the sponsorship of the resonated mid section
- 3D Design for rushing us an quad exhaust that will fit the US Cars
Let me start by saying that we are actually honored to partner up with companies like Macht Schnell and Berk Technology. All the products are designed with function in mind and the quality of fit and finish could not be made any better. We have experience with exhaust components from all over the world and I can confidently say that Macht Schnell as well as Berk Technology will parallel all of them in quality.
We first took down our old and worn out, rattling R^2 down pipes. The DP was as hard to take out as it was to put on. I could not wait to get rid of those R^2 parts. On the other hand, the Macht Schnell DP went in without fuss.
In order to make this system a full system, we opted for the Berk Technology mid section. This is a resonated section without the secondary cats. Bends were smooth and fitting was a breeze.
We have always been a fan of the quad tip look on the 1er. Lucky for us, 3D Design has just finished developing a full bolt-on quad system that untilizes the valve technology like the stock exhaust to regulate back pressure.
Most Quad systems were built around the Euro spec cars without the huge chunky vapor canisters that we have in the US. Therefore, modifications were necessary. WSTO co-developed an exhaust with 3D design to suit the US market. The exhaust that we received is the first US prototype.
Before we could even break it in, we had to load the car on the truck to take a ride to Pasadena, CA. the sound is amazing and I am sure that power delivery will be spectacular.
This is it for "2 days to Bimmerfest" Hope you enjoy this read and the pictures. And I hope to see many of you at Bimmerfest at the "WSTO" Booth to see the car in person.
Again, big "thank you" to:
- 3D Design Japan
- Lager Corporation
- Mackin
- Rays Engineering
- Macht Schnell
- Berk Technology
- VS Motorsports
- IND
- Xtreme Graphics
(^ no particular order and sorry if i missed anyone. it isn't intentional).
WSTO could not have done this by our self and lucky to have your support and friendship.
I love this picture:
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