I was introduced to this forum by texas2201, from whom I bought a rubber intake pipe from Ebay... Thanks mate! Anyways, that damn tuning bug is biting me hard again (Already have a 420 bhp RX-7 and 200 bhp N/A AE86 Corolla built from scratch) and I'm losing my resistance to tuning the BMW :m: Right now I just have a low mileage & tidy but fairly standard E30 2.3 M3.. So I'm thinking... To start with I'd like an Alpha N ECU and Carbon Airbox. I see there have been some group buys going on here recently, but not sure if I'm too late to jump aboard, seeing as we're now into March... Can anybody advise please Also, as I guess some of you will have fitted your own, what are your experiences of these parts and how easy was it to set up & map the Alpha N. I'm fairly proficient at anything mechanical and have played a fair bit with carbs, etc. in the past but this would be the first ECU I'd set up myself... Is this a good idea? I see there's some sharing of Maps, so this could be a way to get base settings, then I can complete the rest using a wideband, here in Japan - I guess. We have 100 RON fuel at all pumps, so I figure I can advance the ignition just that little extra, perhaps. Then it may be onto cams, although maybe significant power gains won't come without increasing compression...I ain't planning on rebuilding the engine! I really MUST keep this one sensible, as It'll remain a regular use car Any help or advice appreciated
Nice looking M3!! I am in Tokyo too.. I have an 90` M3 We should get together sometime! :33: Cheers, Neil
EDOM3, sounds good! Have you done any tuning to your's? As I used to be a GT-R owner (5 years ago!) I sometimes meet up with some GT-R owner gaijin friends at Daikoku on Wednesday evenings, so perhaps we could meet up then, sometime. 2 of these cars are perhaps the best street GT-R's in Japan. John, do visit Japan sometime. It's a car lover's Mecca and you won't believe the driving you can get away with here... There aren't many nice E30's left in Japan, unfortunately, but occasionally we see some. I see perhaps 2-3 a month, on the roads - Funny enough often near race tracks! We see perhaps more E36's and E46's M3's..not yet tempted to go for an E46 M3... Have always loved the classic shape of the E30 M3 and it's engineering and finally found a mint example. Having built a full (Mechanical) race spec. AE86 in the last 2 years, I realise that many of the things fitted to that car are fitted as standard to the E30 M3, such as close ratio box, throttle bodies, etc - all of good quality too. Shame it's so expensive to tune the M3, in Japan - but I'm looking into accessible ways to do this, now!
Welcome Would it suit you maybe to change out your cams to a Schrick or KK upgrade, install an airbox and alternative management system that deletes the stock afm ? Or else you could maybe just clean everything and leave it as is ? i.e. mint stock condition car ? OR....do you have a race track there that you can get stuck into ?
I was originally planning to just keep it standard, but have been having a few niggles recently. First I got high emissions at Japanese Shaken (passed by introducing an air leak to the intake plenum through a small hole in the rubber bung... Naughty, I know, but I didn't have the time to waste going to and from the test centre! ). I suspected the AFM so I bought a used one, but that seems to have made it worse... (Maybe the used AFM's not good). I'm just waiting on a 2 pronged temp sensor, to replace that. Have checked for air leaks using a trusty can of brake cleaner, but it ain't that. Going to change the fuel filter as I have a new one waiting to go on anyways... but my money's on the temp sensor, right now... But the real gist of where I am is, I'd usually rather spend money on upgrading and repairing, than fixing something existing. So after some research, I may go with a Maxx Alpha N and carbon intake plenum, etc. as this seems to be what E30 M3 owners seem to rate best I should probably read up if Shrick cams actually significantly increase power significantly with standard pistons (upgraded injectors would be fitted with the Alpha N, I presume) in, or if higher compression is necessary. Do people usually change the exhaust? Mine's still all original... I must use the search button, lol. As for race tracks, I'm not thinking of tracking this car, TBH. Just making a good road-use car better. If I track it, knowing my incestant tinkering it'll start getting too modified to be a decent regular use car, I suspect....
Hello to Japan! If you have a nice clean rustfree M3, LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!! It will be worth a fortune in a few years time, good examples are harder and harder to find. If you start to modify it, it will not end. I once had a nice roadgoing M3 which I enjoyed very much. Was even used for driving holidays with 3000 km round trips through Europe. Not a problem at all. Then I went on a track day......... To cut a long story short, now it is all polybushed, has uprated (-->harsh) suspension and will have a cage welded in as I type this with bucket seats and 6 point harness. Engine upgraded to 2.5 (NOTHING was wrong with the 2.3 in there) 290/290 KK cams, MAXX Alpha-N, carbon Airbox, loud exhaust. Will sound beautiful inside. And to make sure I will not miss anything off that, the sound deadening is COMPLETLY removed (might not take it for holiday trips anymore and girfriend refuses to passenger for more than 30mins....) Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy to own this car, but sometimes I wish I would have never touched it. Sure it's not the quickest out there anymore, but it's a 20 year old classic! Think about it TWICE :9: just a comment to your MAXX plans, you can't modify ignition advance with the MAXX AN. It's just a piggy back to simulate a AFM to the stock ECU. If you can setup a carb, you can tune a MAXX AN! Very easy to use.
Thanks UWE M3... I appreciate what you're saying I'm not one to sell cars or machines I like, so I hope to keep this M3 a long, long time.. You're probably right... I just can't keep my eyes off those carbon airboxes, though...!! Temptation is just too great. Sounds like the Maxx AN is easy to play with, so that's good. No expensive setting up, etc I went a similar route as your car with my AE86 (200 bhp: 304 Cams, full race engine, TRD gearbox, suspension, cage, etc, etc, etc), but it's so much fun on the circuit, I definitely don't intend to make another track car, so the BMW's safe ! I know this is an M3 forum, but I'm an AE86 whore too, lol. Below's a few pics of it.
How did you manage to get three parking spaces in Tokyo? When I was there last my friends were on waiting lists to get just one! Anyway - welcome along, nice car you have there. Cheers Rob
NewEra, I will be sure to make it out there sometime soon.. I`m not exactly sure where Daikoku is.. Is it off the C-1?? I live along the Chuo highway [4] about 15min from the C-1.. Let me know how to get there.. Do you ever go to Odaiba off of the Rainbow Bridge? that seems like a good meet up spot.. There is also one off the [1] I see people at often.. No M3s though...
I live in Urayasu, which is near Tokyo Disneyland, as a landmark.. Daikoku rest area is on the Wangan Expressway, just befoire Yokohama. If you go across the rainbow bridge, towards Odaiba, turn left towards Yokohama, you'll be on the Wangan (Long straight highway famous for late night top speed runs in GT-R's, etc). After passing through Haneda, then Kawasaki, you'll eventually cross the bay bridge... On the left will be signs for Daikoku rest area and Daikoku Futo.... Follow the road as it spirals downwards, the entrance to Daikoku rest area is clearly shown. Around 25 minute's drive from Odaiba. It's fairly busy on Friday nights, if you ever want to go there for a drive - but we meet with the Japanese GT-R O.C. on Wednesdays sometimes. We used to meet on the C1, but the Police nowadays close off the C1 rest areas on Saturday nights, to discourage street racers... There's more happening at Daikoku, with occasional street drifting, sound off's American Hydro suspension cars, etc. But they close that off too on Satuirdays now. The scene on the C1 isn't as good as it used to be 4 years ago, or so sadly - But as you probably know, you can still do a lot of touge driving in the mountains I know of some good trackday regular events I can introduce you to, as well if interested.
Welcome Hy Newera Welcome to the board. Nice M3......but I love these "Hachirokus" like crazy. Thanks for sharing pics. 15 Years ago I had this ´81 Corolla GT/2TG. wish I had id back, but I´ve let it die the "rust-dead". The engine runs today in a Celica, has 385000km and was never open! Daniel
Thanks mdrüü Over today, I've been looking at info on this forum and I just wanna say, there's awesome information on here! Also great to see so many people tuning their E30 M3's - Glad to have been led here
