Hi Everyone,
First off, it's good to be here. I just acquired my very first BMW, which happens to be a '13 335is. I've had all sorts of rides in my driving career, but have mostly been a Nissan guy (most notably a '78 280z, '95 300ZXtt, and recently a '10 G37s).
Here are a couple obligatory, albeit crappy cell phone pics:
This thread is intended to be about prepping the car for the track, which I intend to do in stages. The first stage is what I consider to be the bare minimum for steady-state trackability... which basically means thermal management.
I know the N54 is a hot mama, even with the 'is upgraded cooling capacity. So I want to address that with an oil cooler option (and maybe radiator, if recommended) that will future proof me against power adders, which I'm not doing right away. I put a 34-row Setrab on my G37 with a Mocal thermostatic plate adapter and it allowed me to romp until the gas gauge read 'E' without worry. What do I need for the N54 to accomplish the same, without completely breaking the bank?
Second, and I know this isn't exactly the right section, is brakes. I'm assuming the calipers are "good enough" thermally and that quality two-piece rotors with track-specific pads, and hi-temp racing fluid should probably be enough to survive, right? I'm leaning towards Racingbrake two-piece jobbies which I ran and ran well on my G. Nice thing there is I can upgrade to their racing calipers at a later date as a staged upgrade.
That said, I have a question about the pedal feel. Even when stock, the Akebono setup on my G was much firmer in the pedal and had far better initial bite than the BMW. I plan on doing the usual SS lines, but I'm not convinced that will cure the excessive amount of mush I feel in the pedal. Is this normal? Do you think I have a lot of air in the system? I will get around to bleeding the brake system with RBF600, but I'm curious about what to expect. Better pads with lower compressibility should also help, but again, I'm not convinced it will be enough to get where I want.
Advice and ideas are appreciated! Nice to meet you all.
-Ash