[afeywen]

Thankfully i am now only a few days away from my stage 1 upgrade and can't wait!
Naturally in these matters I'm already spending the money I don't have on further upgrades.

Any thoughts on whether to upgrade the rear section of the exhaust (from the cat backwards) or to go for lowered springs instead?

 

[mark e]

Alasdair, I can't remeber whether you're doing anythign to the fornt of the exhaust, but the biggets value form an exhaust upgrade on a trubo car is to replace the stock downpipe with a free flowing one. Speedparts of Abbott can supply these for most models.

Anything from the cat back has more of an acoustic benefit that performance.

To get max enjoyemnt out of your power upgrade I would definitely go for the springs- they will provide you with a much more responsive and positive ride, far better matched to the upgraded power than stock springs.

You shoudl be wary however of changing to lower/stiffer springs if your shocks are at all worn.

 

[afeywen]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll have a look at the prices on downpipes - may be worth getting this done at the same time.

 

[aeropilot]

Assuming your Stage 1 is Speedparts or Maptun sourced then to do the downpipe at the sametime means you should have ordered the Stage 3, as the downpipe is part of the package along with the sport cat.....

 

[john]

Originally posted by Mark E:
[qb]Anything from the cat back has more of an acoustic benefit that performance.
[/qb][/b]

My Hirsch cat-back exhaust and JR Airfilter was good for 10bhp as it recorded 210bhp on the rolling road with the original ECU. The car was rated at 200bhp standard - but I never had the car dynoed in standard form - so it remains an assumption.

The downpipe and sport cat makes a bigger difference than the cat-back, in my experience.

 

[Julian]

According to Hirsch, their Stage 1 222bhp upgrade is rated at 229bhp with Hirsch cat-back exhaust.

 

[peter messenger]

buy the downpipe and sport cat if you can. those items make a big difference.

 

[burre]

My Saab sport cat-back exhaust was also about 7 hp increase. Car dynoed at 192 hp on Hirsch's dyno before they tuned the ECU. Car was 185 hp stock. The downpipe indeed seemed to make quite a difference.

If you are going to do springs, I highly advise doing the shocks at the same time to save on the labor costs of pulling it all out again to later put in shocks.

 

[philcrombie]

On a similar theme - has anyone bought the larger downpipe with adaptors and kept the standard cat?

OR full new system but kept standard cat? - i.e. how much of a difference does the sport cat make and would it be short sighted not to get one?

 

[aeropilot]

Depends on which model you have, MY96 & 97's (?) have the combined cat/downpipe so getting the sport cat and downpipe is the only realistic option unless you want to cut up your existing cat/downpipe...

 

[mark e]

Originally posted by faero:
[qb]On a similar theme - has anyone bought the larger downpipe with adaptors and kept the standard cat?[/qb][/b]

Effectively, yes, I have. I had a full Abbott SS system, but wanted the larger dia downpipe, so bought it with an adpator. You need to cut about 2" or so off the downpipe to make it fit and the support bracket isn't quite the right size/location either. Mine had to be re-made.

Sports cats offer significantly less back pressure than standard and thus reduced spool up times. Depending on the age of your car, it may be legal to remove the cat permanently.

 

[philcrombie]

I have is a 1996 Aero - so based on the comments, it wouldn't be short sighted to buy the JT 3" kit without Cat but with the downpipe and adapters (which retails at £340) and use my existing Cat. (saving £200 notes in the process) I assume I'll get about 80% of the benefit?

Potentially stupid question: Is the difference between speedparts stage 1 and 3 only the exhaust (gaining 18bhp) or does it need another re-map with more boost now that the exhaust is improved? (I assume the 2nd)

Sorry to hijack the original question but I have sort of kept to the topic....

 

[philcrombie]

and if I read the previous threads I would notice that I am tied to the combined cat and downpipe as I have the late design.... reckon I'd better get saving then...

 

[Steve-Stage 2]

Originally posted by faero:
[qb]Potentially stupid question:  Is the difference between speedparts stage 1 and 3 only the exhaust (gaining 18bhp) or does it need another re-map with more boost now that the exhaust is improved? (I assume the 2nd)

Sorry to hijack the original question but I have sort of kept to the topic.... [/qb][/b]

The stage 3 requires another remap at a cost of £80.00 plus p+p if you already have a stage 1 or 2

Steve

 

[wrighar]

Potentially stupid question: Is the difference between speedparts stage 1 and 3 only the exhaust (gaining 18bhp) or does it need another re-map with more boost now that the exhaust is improved? (I assume the 2nd)[/b]

I think that:-
stage 1-2 is the same except the cat back exhaust
stage 2-3 is an ecu remap and freeflow downpipe either with a standard cat, sport cat or race cat (or no cat...)

Andrew

 

[imolaräser]

Originally posted by faero:
[qb]On a similar theme - has anyone bought the larger downpipe with adaptors and kept the standard cat?

OR full new system but kept standard cat?   - i.e. how much of a difference does the sport cat make and would it be short sighted not to get one? [/qb][/b]

If you are not going over 270bhp u dont´have to change to a sport-metalic cat.

If you are going to change cat make sure u dont get the cheramic one, it should be the metalic one.

When i decidet to carry on my stupidity!!! over 270 bhp i took it part by part.........

metallic cat
intercooler, abbot
3"rear system
maping
TD04HL18T
511cc spreader
maping

Too get a safe, fast and smoth running car u should map after every hardvarechange.....
.

 

[Stewart]

Too get a safe, fast and smoth running car u should map after every hardvarechange.....
. [/QB][/b]

I'm gonna dumb here, but whats "map after every hardverechange"?
I take it's remaping but whats this "haverechange" bit?

 

[frankem3]

Just put my 3 inch downpipe and cat on today...nice and tight fit.

That will be the last of my externals before getting the Maptune remap.

todate: BBS 17inch 8" wide wheels w/Yokohama tires, solid steel 7/8' roll-bar, aluminum high-flow one-pass intercooler, K&N filter, bigger bypass/diverter, viggen clutch kit, tornado insert on intake from air filter..(spins the intake air into a vortex), and finally the 3 inch downpipe with race-cat today.

Ohh, how she spools up so quickly now. What's turbo lag? No such thing on this car.

Contacting my state-side supplier tomorrow to make arrangements for the stage-3 ECU.

Car's about 3300 pounds or so, and I thought BMW's were supposed to be quick.

DC

 

[Stewart]

Originally posted by DC_SAAB:
[qb]and I thought BMW's were supposed to be quick.

DC [/qb][/b]

They are....Mine kicks out 200hp with nothing done yet.

 

[burre]

Originally posted by Saab1:
[qb] QUOTE

Too get a safe, fast and smoth running car u should map after every hardvarechange.....
. [/qb][/b]

I'm gonna dumb here, but whats "map after every hardverechange"?
I take it's remaping but whats this "haverechange" bit? [/QB][/b][/quote]I would say he means get a mapping done after each hardware change.

In Europe, some people call tuning the ECU a remap or mapping it.

It is not entirely necessary to get the ECU tuned after every hardware change. Although, to take best advantage of the mods you have done, getting the ECU done after everything else, especially if it is a custom job, is the way to go.