tDR

Forged rebuilt engines are typically hassle IMO - so many end up needing built again for various reasons and many are noisy when built - piston slap etc. Toyota put a hell of a lot of R&D into the stock engine to make it very strong and reliable whilst being unbelieveably smooth and quiet. I think I'd replace a stock engine with a new stock engine in future given it's so good and is capable of very decent power with the right turbo / fuelling / management setup. I might go different cams depending on the turbo but that wouldn't be my priority either - the stock cams spool up a T67 or similar nice and quick, you just shift the power band up the RPM scale typically with lairier cams. Just need to avoid a raised RPM limit mostly to keep the stock engine together so long as it's well mapped with the right management setup.

Yeah just thinking aloud really - I would import directly myself for my next Supra as I have done in the past but the strength of the yen vs. the pound still makes that prohibitive cost wise. Personally I'd like as new as possible a VVTi manual, ideally with low miles and perfect bodywork / underneath. Mods unimportant as I just want a decent new base car to start from as my hobby to build something I'm happy with again - this time with fast road & track days in mind.

20k + agents fees + shipping fees + marine insurance + import duty + VAT on all the above + conversion / other prep / transportation fees = more like 30k IMO. Nice car, other than the 'must have gauges and devices everywhere' mess that is the atypical JDM performance car interior + ricer exterior. I'd replace that lot with a well placed race dash and appropriate sensors, go Syvecs and plumb some of it into that + remap, and for the exterior go stock wing + remove graphics + nicer wheels. So that's closer to £35k then. R35's are around that now and a BPU one is likely to be less hassle than a heavily tuned Supra whilst being not much slower in the real world. Not to mention all the other fast out of the box cars you could get around that price. Therein lies the issue now I reckon and is why owners struggle to sell their big single Supras for anything like what they think they're worth and end up breaking them.

Stock MAP sensor is a consideration also - doesn't have the resolution to 'see' past ~ 1.1 bar, hence the ECU opens the taps on the injectors 100% at the voltage the FCD is set to clamp the signal at. FCD adjustment should be set to clamp at 4.3 volts IIRC (feeds stock ECU that signal at boost levels / voltages above that to stop the fuel cut safety) so whatever setting equates to this on your model FCD, lower clamp settings would mean the stock ECU is fuelling for lower boost levels and could give some more fuel if adjusted. Please check my values above out - it's been a while since I messed around with this stuff. Personally I'd just wind the boost back as it just gets super heated above 1.2 bar ish anyways and the power gain is severely diminished, best setup is stock ceramics before going single - hybrids are just plain shit IMO as the gains are minimal especially when you factor in the stuff to do it right as Wez has detailed and are at the expense of lag.... then they invariably self-destruct.

Hi and welcome Mikey In Bathgate myself. Cheers, Brian.

Which module were those results with?

None of the remappers have gotten back to me for whatever reason - Pendle were the only ones to respond to my enquiry, asking for more info on which model I have, then went radio silent also. Looks like a DTUK fuel and boost pressure tuning box module is my only real option so far.

Give me some credit, I did do a little homework I know it's a TT. I'd read about the injector recalls saying many were replaced under warranty - something to do with glue on seals leading to leakage. Sounds like I can gun for 250 CDI levels of power / torque with a remap, though the injectors in either model may be a limitation with going higher? I did see DTUK have a tuning box module that also does boost pressure rather than just fuel pressure - any feedback here? They reckon E220 to 210 BHP / 361 lb/ft with this module and also claim the E250 will go to 240 BHP / 433 lb/ft. If the hardware is the same between the models of E-Class it makes me wonder could the E220 not go to these higher figures? DTUK also offer a new 'revolutionary' pedal box module - basically fudges drive by wire throttle signals to ramp up acceleration levels for a given pedal position, to me seems a bit of a gimmick as is effectively the same as having a short travel accelerator pedal as far as I can figure out?!? Pendle Performance is recommended on MB World forum for Merc remaps, though don't list this car and probable gains on their website - have enquired with them and DMS who were the same story. Will check out e-maps. Cheers, Brian.

Just ordered up one of these as my new daily driver, have gone for the Estate in Executive SE trim with maximum family oriented practicality in mind for Scuba diving trips and cross Europe trips Skiing etc. Hoping it'll do the job well with lots of comfort and shouldn't leave me wanting on the gadget front as comes with decent standard kit. One potential frustration though, it's replacing my Alfa 159 Ti which has a 210 BHP / 320 lb/ft torque 2.4 litre 5-cylinder turbo diesel lump. The Merc has a 170 BHP / 295 lb/ft torque 4-cylinder 2.1 litre twin-turbo diesel lump, so a chunk down on power though only slightly down on torque thanks to the twin-turbo's. I noticed when ordering that the E250 CDI looks to have the exact same engine hardware and that it may be just different ECU mapping that sees them put out 201 BHP / 369 lb/ft torque, which would likely feel faster than my Alfa with the extra torque. Does anyone have any experience of remapping these (best place to go, likely gain etc.) or knowledge of the potential hardware differences between the E220 and E250 CDI that could be a limitation? There are a number of off the shelf diesel tuning 'boxes' around that plug into the engine loom in line with the fuel rail and basically up the fuel pressure to see gains - I tried one on my Alfa and didn't like how crude it was, yes it felt more powerful but it took away the creamy smoothness the car had standard so I junked it as it made it have what felt like some gaping holes in the power band which in turn made it feel more laggy and not so nice to drive. Would rather have a proper remap or at least a more elegant solution than whacking the fuel pressure up to 11 spinal tap style, though worried about traceability by Mercedes when in for servicing and resultant warranty implications. Thoughts on a postcard! Cheers, Brian.

Congrats guys!

Coming on well Scott! I use a small independent garage called 'Fast Fit' (01501 763186) in Addiewell (close to Livingston) for welding stuff - pretty sure they'll weld anything to anything, but only on certain evenings when they clear the workshop out of cars to do so. Have had them plate and weld sills up, weld in new stainless flex sections into stainless 3" exhausts etc. The guy that runs it is called Josie, seems a top bloke and doesn't charge much - always fair with the pricing, I've always paid him cash in hand. A bit of a trek for you but gives you an option at least. Cheers, Brian.

GWS mate!

£9k cash waiting

Yeah '98 CBR600F (when the F was the only blade). £588 for recovery inc. delivery back to West Calder and the bloody Police get a £150 kick back for calling the recovery company on the positive side, I have fracture cover on a life insurance policy which pays out £600 for a broken collar bone so balances out nicely and also get £250 for spending a night in an NHS hospital through my private medical cover. Painful way to be up money wise though! Likely going to sell the good bits from the Bike on ebay or similar, get some money back from what the Bike was worth.

Great pics guys - looks like a nice time was had by all, hopefully I'll be back at the next one. My not so glamorous pic from the weekend:

Thanks folks - got home yesterday Tea time. Drugged up to the max and a dull pain from the broken collar bone. Other than that, I had severe concussion and have various cuts and bruises. Got off lightly on the whole though. Looks like a good meet was had by all - see you at the next one! Cheers, Brian.

Not gonna make this one after all guys it would appear I've had a wee whoopsie on the Bike - currently lying on a bed at RAH with a busted collar bone and various bruises an scratches

If you're talking a JDM Supra TT then you have ceramic turbos and IMO they will not be up to the abuse, you're talking combustion in the exhaust manifold which I don't like the idea of personally.

A8 3.0 TDi if you're being sensible or S8 if you just want big, fast and fun (5.2 L v10) Or as an alternative suggestion - Maserati Quattroporte - always loved the look of these, especially the facelift styling.

Heyyy we've done this dance before! They are classed as 2-way, though aren't aggresive like Kaaz etc. so are actually quite civilised when parking etc. Cheers, Brian.

Hi and welcome Your Red one is a great example of what a gorgeous car a stock Supra is. Just with what looks like lower suspension and a nice exhaust system? Cheers, Brian.

Nice example Had a few MR2's over the years - loved all but especially the rev3+ import tubbys, with BPU mods and a boost controller they feel pretty brutal!

Gonna need a built engine for that in an S13 - the CA18DET is notorious for having chocolate big ends, even stock they seem to let go if you check the tach works all the way round :O A stock S13 with the CA18DET 1.8 Turbo has around 180bhp, with the standard T25 Turbo you won't see over ~230bhp with BPU plus a chip, the easy swap is the T28 Turbo from the S14 but that needs a FMIC and a stage 2 chip to see ~270bhp if the big ends bearings haven't already introduced the crank to the rods. 400bhp is major engine surgery plus much bigger (and laggier!) Turbo as well as all the other expensive fuelling and ECU mods. The advantage they have is weight as they come in around 1200KG vs the JZA80 at around 1500KG but even so the power delivery is pretty shit when they're modded and the chassis struggles to get the power to the ground. 200SX's are just plain hassle when modded and I do speak from experience - most spend ~90% of their time off the road and ultimately rot themselves into a grave as well. To get a real world perspective, look at quarter mile times - 200SX's struggle to get into the 13's where a BPU Supra can do an 11.5 As for standard or BPU.... JZA80 Supra TT's are creamy smooth when standard, very very fast but the delivery is almost dull it's so smooth, you just gather a lot of speed with minimal fuss. Going BPU is like upsetting a reformed serial killer - the rage comes flooding out and the power delivery takes on an altogether vicious edge. It'd be rude not to IMO but then I like to feel like the car I'm driving has the potential to kill me should I drive it wrong. Cheers, Brian.

Gotta be the advans - BBS look old fashioned IMO, suit Jag E-Types and the like!

No, it has the pretty legendary FJ20ET - known for being very strong and tuneable with a much more robust design than the cost conscious CA's: http://www.turbocreations.com/fj20/history.html Putting that engine in an S13 or S14 would be a great move IMO - with modern engine management and injectors it'd be ripe for more power more reliably than the CA18DET or SR20DET and without all the emissions rubbish. Love these old school Skylines - bet this'd be a hoot to drive and a great drifter! Cheers, Brian.