I done did it now... A new toy!
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Welcome to the fold, sir.
although now I have an N55 so I can't call myself part of the N54 crew anymore, technically.
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What I was told is to contact a dealer first and tell them you need the free retrofit and if they are unwilling to assist you then contact BMW NA and they will help you out. An employee at Elmhurst BMW gave me this information.
Only Under warranty or either way?
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Even out of warranty it should be done. Shoot an email to BMW NA and let them know you have a factory sport package early model 07 335i and it did not come with an oil cooler and you are concerned with the oil temps and you are wondering if you are eligible for a free retrofit. From what I have heard this typically takes a few months but is usually resolved favorably.
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The money from selling Lola will go into our savings and either towards fun parts or a k1200rs.
Yes. Yes.
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If you want a supercar you should just turbo your e36 seriously considering its a 328, the hard parts are there. Just big boost and 500whp on stock block and trans all day long. Sounds like more fun than a 335
I'm kidding. Kind of? 335's are cool and all. 9
Or spend $1.5k on bolt ons and a tune for the 335i and sit at a reliable 450whp / 500wtq. Much cheaper than trying to turbo a 328 E36.
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Or spend $1.5k on bolt ons and a tune for the 335i and sit at a reliable 450whp / 500wtq. Much cheaper than trying to turbo a 328 E36.
Bet I could build a turbo kit for less than 1.5K and make over 500whp on a 328
But I understand completely. I'm not much for bolt ons. Totally different type of person
But I would totally own a 1 series.
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I seriously thought about boosting my e36 but a full blown project just wasn't appealing to me. Flat out speed was not what I was looking for when I was looking for a car. I wanted something that I can have for awhile, mod slightly and enjoy. Life is coming at me pretty quick right now and a project car isn't on my radar... yet.
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N-series engines: torque curves flatter than a marble countertop on a calm lake in the middle of kansas
Ive noticed that. With my m52 there was a definite surge in torque at 3500 up and with this it feels steady all the way through!
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Even out of warranty it should be done. Shoot an email to BMW NA and let them know you have a factory sport package early model 07 335i and it did not come with an oil cooler and you are concerned with the oil temps and you are wondering if you are eligible for a free retrofit. From what I have heard this typically takes a few months but is usually resolved favorably.
I called them and got no where. I will try shooting them a email. Thanks
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No problem. From what I was told persistence is key.
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n series is by far the modern day version of the 2jz. There are people running over 700 at the wheels on stock internals. We still haven't found the limit of the N54 yet. It uses cast pistons but the crank and rods are forged with relatively strong bearings. You can reliably run well north of 500 for a longer period of time than you ever will a NA bmw motor with aftermarket boost (unless you rebuild the engine). There's an enormous difference in an engine that was built for turbo with low-mid range torque peaked for 5k rpm straight, and a naturally aspirated motor that you try to apply boost to.
The reliability as a DD is going to be far superior with a modded N54 than a modded NA motor with a turbo - the N54's stock injectors, fuel pump, and turbos can handle upwards of 20 psi + 30% E85 mixtures reliably. The entire turbo system is built for low-mid range power - you can zip around town sub-3k rpm and still get after it when you need to. I've seen complete teardowns on n54s running 500 wtq at 130k miles that had perfect compression, sleeves were still good, etc. There aren't many cars you can buy, add 200+ wtq to and run reliably for 90k miles. When the only thing you end up replacing are some injectors and a fuel pump or two, I consider that a win. The stock clutch is good to 500 as well.
I've had enough experience boosting cars that weren't boosted from the factory, it causes way more headaches than it is worth most of the time - it has to be a labor of love and creativity at that point for troubleshooting and wrenching on your car
Nothing wrong with that, but to me that becomes a project car, not a DD. If you want a sweet BMW DD with power, save yourself the hassle and get something with an N series. -
n series is by far the modern day version of the 2jz. There are people running over 700 at the wheels on stock internals. We still haven't found the limit of the N54 yet. It uses cast pistons but the crank and rods are forged with relatively strong bearings. You can reliably run well north of 500 for a longer period of time than you ever will a NA bmw motor with aftermarket boost (unless you rebuild the engine). There's an enormous difference in an engine that was built for turbo with low-mid range torque peaked for 5k rpm straight, and a naturally aspirated motor that you try to apply boost to.
The reliability as a DD is going to be far superior with a modded N54 than a modded NA motor with a turbo - the N54's stock injectors, fuel pump, and turbos can handle upwards of 20 psi + 30% E85 mixtures reliably. The entire turbo system is built for low-mid range power - you can zip around town sub-3k rpm and still get after it when you need to. I've seen complete teardowns on n54s running 500 wtq at 130k miles that had perfect compression, sleeves were still good, etc. There aren't many cars you can buy, add 200+ wtq to and run reliably for 90k miles. When the only thing you end up replacing are some injectors and a fuel pump or two, I consider that a win. The stock clutch is good to 500 as well.
I've had enough experience boosting cars that weren't boosted from the factory, it causes way more headaches than it is worth most of the time - it has to be a labor of love and creativity at that point for troubleshooting and wrenching on your car
Nothing wrong with that, but to me that becomes a project car, not a DD. If you want a sweet BMW DD with power, save yourself the hassle and get something with an N series.I completely agree with you, except for on one thing. Stock clutch does not hold 500wtq... ask me how I know

The N54 is the best bang for the buck. Literally. $2k gets you an 11 second car that can be daily driven. My car has yet to lose a race against anyone around here. Supercharged Mustangs, modded Challengers and Chargers, APR tuned S4, SRT4's, M5's, even other FBO N54's. The torque is intoxicating and the 1-series makes me smile every single time.
No headaches, part failures, or broken shit since I bought it. 9k miles of abuse and it loves every second of it. Went from stock to 75% E85, 15 degrees advanced timing, and 17lbs of boost with bolt ons. My only car and I daily it. I see pictures of N54's that still have crosshatching in the cylinder walls after 100k modded miles, everything still in great condition. It's such a robust motor. I haven't even had any fuel issues (injectors, fuel pump, etc.)
I wanted to turbo a 328is E36 and went this route instead. Couldn't be happier with my choice.
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Emailed BMW NA about the oil cooler retro fit and this was their response
Although we empathize with your situation, we cannot offer assistance in this case. Should you have specific concerns regarding your vehicle, we suggest contacting the service team at your authorized BMW center. A list of our authorized BMW centers categorized by name, state or ZIP Code can be found on our website at: www.bmwusa.com, under “Dealer Locator.”
Now what
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I completely agree with you, except for on one thing. Stock clutch does not hold 500wtq... ask me how I know

The N54 is the best bang for the buck. Literally. $2k gets you an 11 second car that can be daily driven. My car has yet to lose a race against anyone around here. Supercharged Mustangs, modded Challengers and Chargers, APR tuned S4, SRT4's, M5's, even other FBO N54's. The torque is intoxicating and the 1-series makes me smile every single time.
No headaches, part failures, or broken shit since I bought it. 9k miles of abuse and it loves every second of it. Went from stock to 75% E85, 15 degrees advanced timing, and 17lbs of boost with bolt ons. My only car and I daily it. I see pictures of N54's that still have crosshatching in the cylinder walls after 100k modded miles, everything still in great condition. It's such a robust motor. I haven't even had any fuel issues (injectors, fuel pump, etc.)
I wanted to turbo a 328is E36 and went this route instead. Couldn't be happier with my choice.
This thing has put nothing but smiles on my face so far! I ran a b5 s4 on my way home from picking it up and from 65 to 120 i had him the whole way! My zhp and cf parking brake handle came yesterday and I ordered some 3m di-noc carbon wrap today to cover up the wood trim. Once the turbos are replaced next week I can start planning my engine mods.
My favorite part so far is the lack of complaining my wife does and the little giggles I get from her when I pin the gas!
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Emailed BMW NA about the oil cooler retro fit and this was their response
Although we empathize with your situation, we cannot offer assistance in this case. Should you have specific concerns regarding your vehicle, we suggest contacting the service team at your authorized BMW center. A list of our authorized BMW centers categorized by name, state or ZIP Code can be found on our website at: www.bmwusa.com, under “Dealer Locator.”
Now what
I would ask them if they did any oil cooler retro fits and if they did then why wont they do it for you. Doing a quick search online yields a few success stories so far but you really need to be persistant with them.
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Emailed BMW NA about the oil cooler retro fit and this was their response
Although we empathize with your situation, we cannot offer assistance in this case. Should you have specific concerns regarding your vehicle, we suggest contacting the service team at your authorized BMW center. A list of our authorized BMW centers categorized by name, state or ZIP Code can be found on our website at: www.bmwusa.com, under “Dealer Locator.”
Now what
I would ask them if they did any oil cooler retro fits and if they did then why wont they do it for you. Doing a quick search online yields a few success stories so far but you really need to be persistant with them.
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This thing has put nothing but smiles on my face so far! I ran a b5 s4 on my way home from picking it up and from 65 to 120 i had him the whole way! My zhp and cf parking brake handle came yesterday and I ordered some 3m di-noc carbon wrap today to cover up the wood trim. Once the turbos are replaced next week I can start planning my engine mods.
My favorite part so far is the lack of complaining my wife does and the little giggles I get from her when I pin the gas!
Wait til you add JB4. I'm telling you... JB4 + DCI + downpipes/exhaust + E85 = nuts.
I have a pretty aggressive backend flash that helps too.
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