Best bang for buck E36 mods?

While I realize that a 328iC will never be a match for my turbo RX-7, I would like to wake up the lazy dog that is the BMW inline 6. Budget constraints preclude forced induction at this time and I'm looking for mods that would not (unduly) compromise reliability. From what I've read so far, looks like CAI, cat-back, and "shark injector."

Does anyone have some specific recommendations with these items, or other ideas? Goal is simply to add a little thrust to a car that is 100% street-driven.

Thanks!

Intake manifold from a 93-95 (325, 525 or M3) is an awesome high rpm upgrade. It shifts the torque curve up the rev range a bit, but makes a huge increase on the top end. It comes down to how you drive. The reprogram will help with the low end torque loss. Cat back is great for weight loss and sound, but doubt it adds a ton of power.

You could look into 96-99 M3 cams too, but while they are affordable used, they are not "cheap" to install.

That's about it for cheap E36 upgrades. It gets pricey after that!

E36 328 Mods

The BEST bang for the buck acceleration mod for a BMW is a diff. Put a 3:64 LSD in there. Its like a poor man's supercharger.

Next, get a lightweight flywheel and lighter wheels.

Take 300lbs out of the car. (stock seats to Sparco Evos is worth 120 alone!)

Add an intake and exhaust so you can hear the motor rev, get a tune to keep from leaning it out. Being able to hear it makes it much more enjoyable even if the gains aren't more than marginal on the street.

I've heard many adjectives used on the BMW inline six.
Lazy dog has not been one of them...

Early intake, M3 cams and software will really, really wake up the top end.

Good info, I've been wondering how to wake up my lazy dog...

A second vote for a diff, even a 3.15 lsd is a huge improvement.

i bought my car e36 5 years ago. i had an issue with the sunroof and was faced with the option of fixing it and possible having issue re-appear or completely remove the potential for a problem. i chose the later and bought a carbon fiber sunroof panel. this plus a couple other simple weight mods solidified the path i would take with my car. i have put 50000 miles on the car with no issues. i attribute this largely to how light the car is and also having stock ecu. going as extreme as i have is not for everyone but the car is quicker than anyone would have ever imagined. i think the best mods would be a weight reduction and with the money you make back then get a e30 3.73 lsd diff and swap the internals all over into your e36 diff with just getting a new crush washer. (there are diys you can find if you search). if you would like to go the path of weight reduction let me know and id be happy to share some notes.

+1 on the diff. Also, you can probably get a cheap used cat-back off of an M3 if you search bimmerforums.com and other places like that.

HTH

that pretty much sums it all up. a 328 with the 325 intake, M3 cams, exhaust work, and a chip will be right up with the power levels of the E36 M3

The M3 catback isn't really much improvement over the 328 piece, I think it's actually heavier, although it will probably be cheap and sound a little better. The golf tee mod is free though (golf tee in the vacuum line that controls the flapper valve in the stock muffler).

I made a dyno-verified 8hp and 11lb-ft with a simple 3" cone filter and 45 degree silicone elbow off the factory AFM. Total cost was $25 for the elbow, a 3" RV sewer pipe coupler, and a piece of 1/8"x1" aluminum bar stock to make a mounting bracket. I had the filter in the garage already. I plan to turn it into a ghetto CAI with a bit of heat shielding from Home Depot someday, but for the time being I am thrilled with the sound and power for the money I spent.

I second the suggestion of a diff, but if you drive it on the highway for sustained periods you will be hating a 3.64 or 3.73. My 3.23 LSD seems like the perfect compromise - still a stellar highway cruiser, and decent gas mileage, but a good bit more scoot than the stock 2.93.

when googling e36 mods, this thread came up.

also found this blog post:

http://www.bimmerdiy.com/dir/e36

I thought I would bing the two together.

E36 M3's are so cheap now, that I'm certain you will get best bang for the buck by E36 M3canning your 328 and getting the M3. Mine was $5500 and is in pretty nice shape. It came with intake, euro HFM, chipped and 150k miles. The incremental gains you're going to get from the 328 will never catch up to the M3 for each dollar spent.