Should have joined me for Driftwater. Had a blast again and it was a PERFECT day.

 

Work + long-ass drive at the buttcrack of dawn owns me.

 

It is a long day but always a ton of fun. I had to leave the house at 4:30 to get there on time. Worth it though. If enough of a group went I'd be down for just getting a hotel within 30 minutes for the night before. I did that the very first time I ever went.

 

A ride in EJ's car has me thinking about boost.....discuss

 

We've had this discussion before.

Give it 24 hours.

 

I agree with Pete. If you are still considering it after a few days, I'll take you for a ride in the AP2. It does not feel as "stock" as EJ's AP1 or my AP1, but both of these cars are pretty much Stage 1. Keep in mind with Stage 1, a clutch replacement is not usually needed - a big plus.

 

I wouldn't be looking to do anything beyond stage 1 for a while.

Does stage 1 still require new injectors and a fuel pump? Adding the cost of a clutch if required would immediately put it into no way I can budget it and I might as well move on.

I wish more of these kits popped up used.

 

For Stage 1 on your car (06 & up), you do not have to change the fuel pump. New injectors & a re-flashed ECU come with the Stage 1 Kit according to their site.
Flash-Pro is an option, but it is cheaper if purchased with the kit. Keep in mind, if you ever want go up to Stage II or above, you will need the Flash-Pro.
As for the clutch, my AP2 did not start slipping until the car was making around 320-330 hp.
Call SOS and talk to them. They are helpful & do not pressure you.

 

Thanks I just might have to give them a call.

 

I meant to reply to this in EJ's going away thread, but I'll bring the conversation over here. As you guys know, I have the Greddy turbo kit, and as you also know, I've had some problems with it and lessons learned from it. As a general rule, I prefer turbo over supercharger. On our cars, a supercharger tends to enhance the characteristics of the S, while a turbo changes the characteristics. With a supercharger, most of your torque comes later in the powerband just like the S, and it keeps your car a screaming high-rev machine with a lot more power. Many people like this and I understand it. With a turbo, you get a ton of torque down low, almost as if you have a V6 or V8. I find that I almost never redline the car... literally maybe once or twice since I've had the turbo... because it pulls like a sonofabitch from 4K-6K and I shift out of it by 6500rpms. It really makes driving a lot of fun, because on everywhere except highways and backroads, you're probably doing a fair amount of shifting as you flow with traffic or hit lights, and it is rare you have the opportunity to really wind the car out. I liked everything about my 335i that I used to have except the "feel". It felt like a big heavy sedan rather than a sports car. The S feels like a big go-cart which is the reason I came back to one, but I like how it feels more like the 335i in terms of torque and power with the turbo.

Having said all of that, I endorse the Greddy kit despite my problems, but with a few caveats. First, if you buy a used one like I did (and they can be had for a reasonable price) go ahead and factor a turbo rebuild into the price. That is about $400. The guy I bought mine from was an honest guy, but unfortunately the turbo didn't do so well sitting on his shelf for almost a year before he sold it. As such, I need to get it resealed. If I had done this in the beginning, it wouldn't have mattered, but unfortunately I had Cory install the thing and found out I probably should have rebuilt it first. It isn't a huge problem now, but I'm anal and want it to be just right. Secondly, I'd probably invest in an upgraded manifold. The Greddy one is weak. My kit came with an upgrade already, as well as an external wastegate (something else you might want). Last, you want to make triple sure you get a good tuner. This will all depend on your engine management system. I've had some trials with my emanage, but I think I've got the solution now.

So, that's my two cents (more like a $1.50). This is a fun car stock, even more fun with mild mods, and a blast with boost. Because mine is not a daily, and because the only thing I was missing was a little torque, I went ahead and took the plunge. You should too.