Sorry guys I am very active over on Bimmerforums and I mention my car and forget that people here might not know it.
My one big project is/was a 1992 525i that I've owned as my first car at age 18 (am now 28). A few years ago I decided to turn it into a sort of street/strip car. More street than strip, though yet. In a nut shell I took the stock 2.5L M50 non vanos engine out and replaced it with another M50NV that I put a M52 crankshaft (2.8L) in, Eagle forged rods, and wiseco pistons 0.020" over w/ 8.5:1 CR. I put 1/2" head studs in the block and head and put a Precision PT76 turbo on it (T4, 76mm, good for 1150 bhp).
I run the car on an aftermarket computer (DTA S80 Pro) and wired, installed, and fabricated everything myself - as well as the tuning. The only thing I didn't do is weld the charge pipes up myself as I did not have an AC TIG at the time. That said, the car made 685 rwhp on a rich and conservative base tune running 93 octane pump gas and water/methanol injection (though it was under-jetted at the time). I tried to introduce more timing while on the dyno but the clutch that was in at the time (ClutchNet 6 puck 228mm) was not up for the task and slipped completely at 4000 RPM or so on the dyno and smacked right up to the rev limiter. So, I had to settle for 685 on a base tune which is ok overall. It should put out about another 200 - 300 hp. Also it's worth mentioning that the cylinder head, other than having been opened up for the 1/2" head studs (stock is 10mm), is 100% stock. That's stock M50NV cams, valves, springs, shims, etc. Nothing was done to the head other than cleaning the valves and lapping them in.
I have another block, bigger pistons (85mm vs 84.5mm in there now), a longer stroke crank (S52 3.2L crank), K1 rods, Supertech valve springs, inconel exhaust valves, nitrided stainless intake valves, and a VANOS head along with M3 S52 camshafts. That should give me a 3.05L engine with 8.5:1 compression, variable intake valve timing, hotter cams, lighter but more durable valves, etc. My current engine is fine but the addition of VANOS and the valvetrain will make for a wider (and taller) powerband.
It now runs direct port methanol injection with proper jetting sizes and I'll be re-introducing nitrous oxide to the motor soon.
Here are some images of that car:
bay3 by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
1680_1050_2 by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
1680_1050_3 by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
I recently rebuilt the front end with all new spherical stuff (E31 front arms, etc.) all Lemfeorder OE arms and aftermarket bushings:
Steering plate assembled by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
Got a UUC Ferrametallic twin-disc clutch in that should prevent the slip on the dyno again:
IMG_2588.jpg by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
enginebayoverhead1 by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
The other car I've been working on is an '87 325E for my mother. She got it as a commuter with 270k on the 2.7L Eta M20. It worked fine for a long while but had some rod knock when cold and developed an issue starting and driving (it was insanely hard to start hot and while driving hot or cold it might spontaneously dump a ton of fuel into the chamber stalling or bucking wildly). I replaced all of the fuel system and ignition system and then said to heck with it and put an M50TU into the car for her. But, because I do my own powder coating and fabrication I couldn't just swap a turd in there.
Did a nice setup for her:
E30 Exhaust by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
E30 calipers rebuilt by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
And so on
The exhaust is tucked up super high and has a turn down and its QUIET. You can't tell anything has been done to the car. My mother loves it and so do I!
So, those are some of my projects. I also have a 1995 525i that is my daily driver. It has some work done to it but not too crazy - Bilstein strust and H&R springs, euro projector headlights with HID, smoked front lenses, smoked rear lenses (just like my turbo E34), stock basketweaves, but I went and put a built 40% LSD in the car in place of the stock open diff. Retained the stock ratio (3.23). My turbo car has a built 60% LSD 3.23, so having a 40% in the daily and a 60% in the turbo car, I appreciate the difference in the two. The '95 has traction control and LSD now (not a combination available from the factory) and it's UNSTOPPABLE in bad weather. Unless I cannot physically roll over an obstacle, I can get through it. Pretty awesome. Of course I had to do that differential project to my ordinary high caliber:
E34 work done by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
Diff Waiting by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
Putting the 40% 3.23LSD in by
Jon Kensy, on Flickr
Oh yeah, that car also has Euro M5 Touring N'Ring package sway bars - what a difference those made, the car tracks so flat on off and on ramps. Even on 205's its very fun.
