I reported the 335i curb weight wrong here, sorry. The convertible is 3957 but the sedan is 3616 and the coupe is 3582. That narrows the weight advantage on the C-Class down to only 100 lbs. Not much there to work with. Gonna need more power. Maybe take out the spare tire and back seats. I wonder if you can get a rear seat delete kit like the new CLK Black series has? That might be kinda cool.

 

Are you planning on doing a baseline dyno? I'm awfully curious to see the gains at the rear wheels. I've tried searching, but I have yet to see any dyno numbers for a C350.

I'm still undecided on engine mods vs. warranty. I'll likely go ahead and do a baseline dyno on a dynojet and have the numbers SAE corrected. I had a few custom dyno tunes done for my old cobra and was suprised how much difference they made over a canned tune. Of course MB's tolerances are likely tighter than Ford's.

I would like to see a tune that also improves throttle response, makes quicker shifts on the 7G, and lets the 7G hold the selected gear in manual mode - gleefully bouncing off of the rev limiter if the driver so desires. I think a tenth or more could be gained from making a true sport mode for the tranny.

Good luck,

Rich

 

I haven't seen dyno numbers on the C350 anywhere but there are some time slips up on Drag Times. Not great ones, all stock stuff. Close to what MotorTrend and Road & Track report. Mostly 14.0 to 14.1 at 99 to 100. I have put this through my horsepower calculator I made online a long time ago. For my car at 3498 curb weight (call it 3800 with my 200 lbs. and gas) it shows the following figures. Basically by the numbers the car should be making 300 hp at the crank if it weighs 3800 lbs on the street and can run a 14.0 at 100. So it may be grossly underrated (or I may have failed both math and my Java class). Either way, I say the car is underrated at 268hp.

WEIGHT 3800 pounds
TRAP SPEED 100 mph
E/T 14.0 seconds

Total Horsepower 303 bhp
Horsepower Used 273 bhp
Best E/T 13.53 seconds

Specific Fuel Consumption 151.57 pounds/hour
Fuel Pump Capacity 90.94 liters/hour
Optimal Fuel Pump Capacity 109.13 liters/hour
Injector Flow Rate 21.79 lb/hr Injectors

I have found a tuner here in Northern Virginia who will do the dyno work for me. Funktion Auto in Dulles. I have spoken with them a couple of times but right now, their dyno time would cost more than the mods themselves! So sadly I am likely not going to have a before and after dyno for any bragging rights (or the lack there of). This one will be seat-of-the-pants only and my a$$ is not always accurate. Sorry.

I put up a thread about getting the AMG SpeedShift code onto a non-AMG 7G-Tronic. That doesn't seem possible but I learned Kleeman makes a 7G-Tronic tranny reprogramming. I bet that would really fix up what is lacking in the stock code. The JLevi guys SI code will up the rev limit a little which should be good for making a little more area under the power curve available to the RWs. And they will up the VMAX to 155 or none (actually some unobtainable number like 180 effectively making no VMAX), not sure which.

Cobra? Cool. I am a big 'Stang guy. I built 2 cars that I ran for a couple of years at Maryland International Raceway. An '87 5.0L LX hatch and a '94 5.0L GT. Mostly MoCo stuff but lots of it. Some trick CPU work too.

 

three or so pulls ought to run between $100 and $200 depending on whether or not you monitor air/fuel. Try using http://www.dynojet.com/dyno_centers/...ive/index.aspx to find a dynojet in your area.

I've also got a sneaky susricion that the 3.5 is underrated. Unfortunately, those pesky 335i's seem to be underrated too.

Rich

 

It's pretty bad around here in Northern Virginia. When I talked to the Funktion Auto guys they were pretty high on the price spectrum. For instance, I inquired about an ECU flash. They sell the Kleeman code. They were talking about $4K to $5K. The SI flash is $700 and it takes no more than 10 minutes to install/re-install with NO TOOLS. And when I pressed them about what it involves they were pretty honest and siad they just pull your ECU and mail it to Kleeman. It just seemed crazy!. Their hourly rates were astronomical I think.

 

Delays, delays, delays. The SuperSprint guys wrote to say the exhaust is on back order until maybe September. WTF?!? They are looking into other options. If not, I may try some other brand. And the JLevi team wrote to say they didn't get the ECU done today so no "same day turn-around". I should have it on Monday morning instead of tomorrow. Waiting sucks.

 

The more I think about it the more I want to stick with the SuperSprint pipes. And I guess I'm more than happy to wait an extra day for the SI tuning IF IT'S GOOD. Just bored.

 

More delays. JLevi/SI guys wrote to say the reprogrammed ECU won't ship out until today. I was hoping for their "one day turnaround" which would have put it here Saturday. Now I have to wait until Tuesday. 6 days without a car instead of 3. Bummer.

 

this tells you jlevi sucks.... why? because jlevi's in NorCal and SI is down here in SoCal.

 

Well, the JLevi team has been very helpful, open and communicative. If their ECU works then I am still going to have a good opinion of them. So far I like them, they've just missed their deadlines.

On the other hand, now I need some help. The BMP Design guys cannot get me a SuperSprint silencer, neither the C320 or the C32 model, until some "unspecified date in September". So now I've got 800 bones burning a hoe in my pocket. What to do? I found a Carlsson on Ebay for $1200. I am not sure I like the Eisenmann piece. What else is out there? Maybe the Remus but I don't like the twin "square" tailpipes on the Remus. I wish they had a single oval. Any help?

 

tips are easy. you can get any muffler and just cut off the tips and weld on a single one if that's what you like.

Carlsson's car made by Supersprint just so you know. Remus also has different tips available.

 

We do have Single Oval mufflers, here :
http://www.remusexhaustshop.com/sing...re-p-1312.html

There might be issues with fitment though, as the specific exhaust is smaller than the universal.

 

I have ordered the SuperSprint pipes through a UK distributor. Amazingly, it's $150 less over there even with $50 shipping. I am going to have it delivered to my office in Bracknell. UK and have them drop ship it here. If not, I think I am going to look seriously at the rectangular Remus part. I like the Remus sound!

 

I got the SI ECU from the JLevi team today. Simple re-install in the C350. 5 minutes, no tools either. I took it out once for a "learning" cruise. No report on ultimate power yet but first impressions (from my seat-o-pants meter) is that (1) part throttle response is noticeably improved and (2) lower end torque seems slightly improved. It seems to launch harder and jump out on kick-down stronger. It still won't vaporize the tires from a straight, dead stop on hot pavement (it was 106 today) but with the RPMs up it will do massive "J" slides at will no matter how sticky the road is. General, around town peddle response is quick to come on and I like it. I haven't really had a chance to wind it out more than once or twice. The new red line, about 200 extra RPM (6400 RPM shifts) are nice as the engine is still pulling strong. But you can break every speed limit in this country in 2nd gear so I still haven't had a chance to really wring it out. I am also going to try taking out the spare and running a can of octane booster so see if that is even better (for race day, planning a blast at MIR this Fall). So far, so good though. I like the new feel. It's subtle, no turbo or anything, but more fun and that's what I want.

 

uh oh - i might have to get my check book out and keep up!

 

Yeah, and I gotta get me some of those 19" Bremmas from EuroTeck Motorsports you are running. Maybe with those Pilot PS2s. Sweet!

 

That is great news! Well done. Many of us derive a certain smug pleasure from investing in proper modifications.

After all, isn’t that what modding is all about? What are you thinking about next?

 

Hey! Im also looking for an exhaust/muffler for the 2005 c230 kompressor ss. The Super Sprint looks like a good choice! What made you go with Super Sprint? Are they VERY loud like an Eisenmann or modest but throaty like a Remus? Also, what part # is the super sprint and where did you order it from?

 

glad that you like the new ecu I especially like driving after rush hour and passing all the cars in the fast lane feeling the car kicking from 65 to 100

 

I just saw this thread. my question is, why get the supersprint exhaust with the stock looking tip? I'd get it with some better looking tips, b/c like Drex said, the exhaust won't give you anything without tuning and (for me) when you're buying an exhaust it's mainly sound and looks (performance is a great plus too)... no matter what, I bet it'll sound great, the stock C350 sounds great as it is.

as for the M3 numbers... yeah, it depends on who you ask. Motortrend has gotten the M3 VERT from 0-60 in 5.02
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...es_comparison/

Car and Driver has gotten the coupe at 4.8. BMW states in their brochure that it goes 0-60 in 4.9, all the times are the same for 6-speed and SMG. The M3 also has something that the w203 doesn't have--an LSD.

I wouldn't say that we're such easy targets for the modded 350's... Although I do wish the 350's were out in 2005

Plus, modded v. un-modded is always subjective and really isn't that fair of a fight... fyi, if you want to shave the weight on an M3, it's much easier than on the w203. For the M3, if you change the exhaust that equals (for most of them) a reduction of 25lbs (some will even reduce it by 37lbs), change the sway bars = a reduction of about 25 lbs, put in the oem "CSL battery" which is the oem battery that the Mini-Coopers use = save another 14 or so lbs, it all adds up quick...

 

I think next will be either the MKB headers or the H&R lowering springs. The MKB kit is rated at 330hp on the 3.5L but with a cam change I'd have to redo the ECU which would be a waste. The headers alone would put it over 300hp though and that ought to put the C350 on par with the 335i and with 200 lbs. less weight to propel forwards, it ought to make for a very different game. I bet that could get under 5 seconds 0-60. I have read some good things about SuperSprint. They are made in Italy and used on a lot of very high end cars. I hear they have a great rep over in Europe. I understand they are not too loud, more like the Remus than the Eisenmann Race systems. The Part Number I am trying to get is 022 843 305, that's from BMP Desgin who I think is one of the only US distributors.What I want most is a better sound. I use the tiptronic mode of my 7G-Tronic about 90% of the time and I want to know when to shift without looking at the tach. Gratned if you hold it past the detent on the floor, even in tiptronic mode it will up shift at the red line. But it will bark second gear if you shift early and get on the throttle as it's shifting. And I really want to keep it stock looking, a little bit of a sleeper. And the biggest issue is the rear bumper is cut for an oval tip and I just don't see how twin circles or a rectangle will look good in the stock diffuser. And I agree, the M3 and the 335i do usually run at or under 5.0 0-60. I am definitely not there yet but I don't think it should be too hard (expensive) to get a 3.5L MB to run there too. If it runs 5.5 out of the factory and you shed 200 lbs and add 30hp it should at least be close. With some decent shorty equal length stainless headers it could be making over 300hp which would be a very big difference. That's kind of my plan.

 

Holy schit! Coming home from work today I was leaving one of my favorite toll booths and it was like the car woke up from a nap or something. I was holding it in third and exiting the booth and I jumped on it. It kicked down into second with a vengeance and really leaped out of the starting gate. It felt like it was breaking traction halfway through second gear. Straight out, flat, hot (it's like 100+ here), dry road. I don't know but if this keeps up--and it keeps learning and improving--I am going to have to give the Jlevi/SI guys a big thumbs up on their ECU. I had a schit-eating-grin all the way home.

 

I remember having that same type of reaction!

 

I wouldn't be surprised if MKB kit could get 330hp, but I'm positive the numbers are at the crank. So, in essence, it's around a 70hp increase from the stock ratings on the 350, correct (or somewhere in that range - can't remember the stock power ratings on the 350)? And that would be 30 more than what the 335i is rated at. Not bad, but what's the cost on that?

 

Cool, but it wears off over time doesn't it. That's why we keep feeding it new mods.The MKB stuff is ultra-expensive. The ECU alone, when I converted from Euros, was $3K. I don't want to know what the cam kit is. But even if the headers are $2500 I am seriously considering doing them this winter. I think that's the price range. If that only nets me 25 horses, that would still bring me in over 300 at the crank. That combined with the weight advantage would make it very close. They way I figure it (this is me rationalizing it now so take this with a grain of salt), the car cost me $35K OTD and with the headers, muffler and chip I'm out another $3500. So I'm into it for under $39K and it might be making 310 or 315 hp. The 335i around here will cost you $50K loaded up with similar goodies like NAV. I could not find any under $48K period. So my approach is go with the smooth mega-lux ride of the MB but get all of the grunt of the Beamer. H*ll, the C-Class sports are pulling more latteral g's than the 335i in the magazines yet the ride is much more comfortable as an everyday commuter car. Is that win-win?