2011 320i E90 Turbo Kit

[GAVz96]

Hi fellow BMW Fanatics.

I am new to your posts but have been reading a lot of your guys threads regarding E90’s.

I recently read a thread on wanting to Turbo Charge a 320i E90, now as everyone says 😅 just buy a 335i, but the case is a little more complex, I unfortunately bought my 320i as a first car and have spent waaayyy too much money on it to get rid of it now. +- R100k in repairs 🤦🏻‍♂️

So the question I wanted to ask is, if I had to Turbo Charge a 320i, what am I looking at power wise, not looking to make 335i power but at least make the car more drivable.

I know the cost of doing a Turbo is insane 😅 +- R75k but I mean I’ve already put in R100k so why not just throw another R100k and just make it what it should’ve been.

Looking forward to your replies.

And yes one day I will get my 6 Cylinder monster 😂

 

[KarshS]

Bro.... Dont do it.... You asking for problems.
Use the car for what it is.

Take that 75K.....but an e36 325/328 (Even the 318is motors respond well to a bolt on turbo kit). Even a rough one around 40k mark. Buy a cheap bolt on Turbo package from China for around 25k. Gut the car and have some fun. Will make a fun project to take your mind off how slow the 320 is lol

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

There has been many posts like this. In the end to do it properly and reliably the cost vs the gains is just not worth it. If the car has sentimental value to you, keep it as is and get a 135i for the go faster needs, or do as Karshan suggested.

 

[AshG108]

I think I was one of them who started a thread if I am not mistaken on turbo'ing the 320i. I had the Individual and just could not find a 335i in that spec, after careful consideration, it was going to be a roadtrip of unknowns going down that way, it will possibly work and it has been done before in other countries however it took trial and error.
In the end i traded the car for a 320d and went Stage 2 on it with a DP (no xHP at that time) and that was tons of fun that was missing in the 320i even though not the same spec but it was a bunch of fun.
I would say if you want amore drivable E90, get the 320d or 330d, reliable and tons of power when you play with it and fuel consumption is great.
However if you do decide to go ahead, please do create a thread here and let us know how it goes.

 

[Nukleuz]

I'm here for the tears. 🍿

 

[Spanky]

As a cool side project, with sufficient funds to burn? Maybe.

Risking your daily? Nah dawg.

 

[Riaad]

2jz swap...

 

[GAVz96]

Thanks for the replies guys, yeah I knew it was a long shot 🤣

In all honesty the E90 was actually a dream car of mine, obviously not the 320i.

But yeah have been weighing out my options because I really don’t want to get another 2nd hand car and end up spending as much as I did now off the bat, cause literally after about a year of having the 320i the problems just started rolling in, and yeah one of the last issues I need to still deal with is VSS which I know is a common issue.

And just to put it out there, I did an engine swap in the beginning as my Mechanic was money hungry and advised that it would fix my issue (clearly it didn’t) 😂

But yeah in the long run I’ve read everyone’s comments in other threads stating that visual upgrades are pretty much the limit for an N46 powered BMW 😅

 

[GAVz96]

As a cool side project, with sufficient funds to burn? Maybe.

Risking your daily? Nah dawg.

Was thinking about that, because my partner would like to get 2 Series or Mini Cooper S, and yeah I’ve always wanted a project car at some point in life 😅 I even looked at swapping a N55 motor into the 320i but yeah when I did research on it you could literally just buy a 335i at that price.

So will still keep looking into it, as the place I found that sells the full Turbo Kit says that you can get +- 400hp out of it but I can’t see that happening as that’s about the same power as a 335i if I’m not mistake.

 

[Kyle]

Yup so your issue is you're starting with one of the worst engines fitted to a BMW, just wouldn't make sense to drop that money on a flawed foundation.

The other problem you have is that the 320i isn't worth much to start with, either way though it would make more financial sense to sell it and use the money you would have spend on a turbo setup to buy a 6cyl E90. An engine swop done properly just isn't economically viable IMO.

 

[GAVz96]

Yup so your issue is you're starting with one of the worst engines fitted to a BMW, just wouldn't make sense to drop that money on a flawed foundation.

The other problem you have is that the 320i isn't worth much to start with, either way though it would make more financial sense to sell it and use the money you would have spend on a turbo setup to buy a 6cyl E90. An engine swop done properly just isn't economically viable IMO.

No definitely, I’ve figured that out after a year of ownership 😅 I’ve never experienced issues on a car the way I have on the 320i E90.

I was looking at trading it in now recently but of course the shortfall that comes with financing is ridiculous, so might have to just sit with it a while.

 

[Kyle]

No definitely, I’ve figured that out after a year of ownership 😅 I’ve never experienced issues on a car the way I have on the 320i E90.

I was looking at trading it in now recently but of course the shortfall that comes with financing is ridiculous, so might have to just sit with it a while.

My advice is to just enjoy it for what it is... The E90 is built on a decent chassis and for those 3 hours that the N46 is problem free, it's a good daily cruiser.

The LCI also looks the part, when the time is right upgrade to something with more potential to start with and enjoy yourself.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

Enjoy the car for what it is until you can upgrade. By the sound of it you got it well sorted now.
It is a BMW, it is rear wheel drive and a much better car than a base spec polo vivo you can probably get for the same value.

 

[DRCraig]

Not worth it to be brutally honest. The trade in of the 320i and the cash you have set aside for said modifications can fund a proper E90. Even the 320d will surprise you coming from a 320i E90.

Also, who will want to buy a turbocharged E90 320i from you?

 

[GAVz96]

Just out of curiosity, what is a safe mileage on a used E90 320d, just taking in to consideration that majority of the BMW’s you pick up don’t have a FSH or sometimes a Service Book at all. It always seems to be like going to a Casino, sometimes you’re lucky and sometimes you’re not 😂

 

[TBP88]

There's literally no use in doing what you're planning here. Just sell the 320i (or even better, time travel and don't buy it) and get something better, if you want a turbo, get a 335i.

 

[GAVz96]

There's literally no use in doing what you're planning here. Just sell the 320i (or even better, time travel and don't buy it) and get something better, if you want a turbo, get a 335i.

Bro if I had a Time Machine that is exactly what I would do 😂

 

[FILV]

A 320i to a mapped 320D will be worlds apart. With half the fuel consumption.

 

[GAVz96]

A 320i to a mapped 320D will be worlds apart. With half the fuel consumption.

At least I didn’t waste my money on tuning the 320i 😅

I have a friend that had a 320d he upgraded the Turbo on it and it was nice, unfortunately he’s a Alfa guy now 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

 

[modocrat]

At least I didn’t waste my money on tuning the 320i 😅

I have a friend that had a 320d he upgraded the Turbo on it and it was nice, unfortunately he’s a Alfa guy now 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

How often does he need to take an Uber?