Single Turbo 1M Conversion Build

nswartz125

Lurker
Nov 7, 2018
14
23
0
Ride
DIY 1m

Hey Guys,

After much lurking on here, I finally decided it was time to make my home here. I come from the mazdaspeed world where, at least back in the day, there was one forum and one forum only. It was easy to find accurate and informative info. Coming over to the n54 world I was a little confused on where to go and who to trust. Seemed like all the forums were dead and using facebook as a "forum" just made/makes me want to slam my head against the wall most of the time... "MHD or JB4" seems to be a daily occurrence still lol. So needless to say, i'm happy I found yall!

Little back story, got my first "sports car" in 2011, a 2008 mazda speed 3. Had so much fun with that car. Went from stock turbo, to bolt on turbo, to gt3076, finally to 6262. oh and a few built motors lol. After blowing the motor for the second time, it felt like it was time to move on but nothing was really tickling my pickle. My good friend Sam Morgan (Brakeboostbill) pushed me in the direction of the 135i but I really thought it was a chick car (it is lol) and I knew how many issues they have (lol). I really lovedddd the 1m but at the price of 50k plus easy, it wasn't going to happen. I have this vivid memory of sitting at a stop light in my 500 dollar mazda tribute beater thinking to myself, how sick would it be to build a rep 1m and single turbo it. I wrote the idea off as unattainable.... but the idea stuck with me. After some time, and a few test drives in e9x m3's I decided that wasn't going to cut it, lets build this freaking 1m.

After a few months of searching I finally landed on the one, a 2008 sparkling graphite metallic 6 speed with 66k on the clock. I drove it around for almost 6 months doing nothing but collecting parts for the 1m swap.
20181107_200531.png


Installing fortune auto 500 coilovers with my buddy who looks homeless aka Audi techs lol
20170519_202259.jpg


After a few shipments from Germany, I had 75 percent of the parts I needed. My 1 bedroom apartment was chalk full of bumpers and misc 1m parts. My one dilemma was the rear quarters. BMW had discontinued the smaller rear quarter that didn't have the C pillar (these were like $550 a side) and they only offered the full replacement that was something like 1500 a side. So 3k in parts alone for the back... not happening. My other big dilemma was that I wasn't a body guy. I was going to have to pay someone to install them... not cheap. I thought the project was a bust and I really didn't want to do the bolt on options (ex. n5tuner). I finally stumbled across a company called Prior Designs. Long story short I waited 6 months for some overpriced (1k) fiber glass fenders from germany, but the wait was worth it. They fit perfect and it was a job I thought I could tackle myself.

About a year into ownership it was finally time to start tearing into the build. **I don't really have any pictures of putting the end together. Nothing to exciting. Just bolts right up**


Measure once, cut twice.... oh wait, other way around.
29216866_10216659583630410_6960938403835674624_n.jpg


29197015_10216659562109872_6292154920028078080_n.png


29216095_10216659602830890_1892303096730615808_n.jpg


29196802_10216659584390429_8958441845398962176_n.jpg


Riveted on
29214045_10216659581750363_3752035575259987968_n.jpg


Sand, sand, sand, sand...
29313021_10216659581070346_3429463074401157120_n.jpg

Driver side did take a little more work to make it fit right. Think it came out pretty good!
29217054_10216659571470106_4003359117048545280_n.png


29215976_10216659583430405_5467034042530529280_n.jpg


All in all, this job was one of the scariest yet most rewarding projects I have ever done to the car. Totally transformed the look of the car.

Right off the bat, I knew I didn't have the $$ to paint the car so I wrapped it. If you have never wrapped a car, it has to be one of the most rewarding/ cost effective projects you can do. The color is Avery light grey. It looks more grey in person. Wheels are Apex FL-5 18x10 +25, nitto nt05 275/35/18 squared on fortune auto 500 coilovers.

IMG_20171119_140555_657.jpg

IMG_20171121_081711_788.jpg


IMG_20171218_085425_353.jpg


IMG_20180317_173223_145.jpg


IMG_20180410_192622_544.jpg



I enjoyed this set up for about 6 months. In that time, I added a vicrez rear diffuser and front lip. I also found some halogen LCI headlights, gutted them and swapped the housings to my Xenon headlights. At this time I really was over the wrap life. I had lots of little imperfections where the wrap was starting to lift because 50 percent of the car was unpainted underneath. It was getting real old walking up to the car and only looking for bubbles to push back down instead of enjoying the car. I knew I wanted to paint it back to oem color so I made it happen. This is the only time I paid someone else to work on my car.

Full respray
20180531_182003.png


Screenshot_20180606-141638.png


You could say I was fully in love at this point lol. Paint shop did an amazing job.
IMG_20180614_172856_909.jpg


IMG_20180611_090136_186.jpg


I picked the car up from paint and immediately went to work on the single turbo aspect of the build. I picked up a doc race kit second hand from Sam Morgan a few months prior.

Mods:
- Doc Race mani
- DBB 6466 with OCD works compressor housing.
- Doc Race intake manifold
- Custom Motive Intercooler made with garret cores (Its huge)
- Motive Boost Box
- MHD (Jake from Motive is currently tuning it)
- Full 3in exhaust with vibrant resonator

At this point with 80k miles, I replaced all gaskets and water pump while I had the car all taken apart.

Before:
IMG_20180616_151922_205.jpg


20180621_222312.jpg

After:
IMG_20180909_212512_985.jpg





Current Day:

Working with Jake at Motive on the tune. Waiting on some NTK o2 sensors so we can turn it up. Looking to make low 500s on stock fueling (one 450 intank). Also just switched up to some ARC8. Same 18x10 spec as FL5. Just installed my 1m battery box so I can put an oem muffler on with carbon tips (this thing is loudddd)



IMG_20180924_142719_958.jpg
IMG_20180923_155416_050.jpg


My friend works at audi so I always go to flex on them lol
IMG_20181001_192947_976.jpg



Future:

Currently working on sourcing parts for rear end. It is totally stock at the moment and I have already found out it is straight up dangerous in its current form. Going to do all diff bushings and subframe bushings. I have sourced a ford 8.8 rear end (off ebay) and I have purchased a bracket from a guy online (being built now). Going to do DSS axles and one piece drive shaft as well. Didnt want to shell out 6k to ADE and wait an eternity lol. I will need help with what LSD to put into the 8.8 and maybe someone local (Georgia) to install/ refresh the diff. Also will be doing PI eventually. My Doc manifold has all the ports drilled for injectors, they are currently capped off with doc's block off plate.


From here who knows! Hope you all enjoyed! I will post updates when I have some. Oh and some actual professional pics when I get to that too!

I have way more pictures on my Instagram: nswartz125









 

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suspenceful

10 Second Club
Aug 1, 2017
559
591
75
Ride
2015 M3, 2008 135i, 2009 335i
Been following for a while. Definitely one of my pipe dreams to do a 1M conversion. Awesome build!
 
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1and1

Specialist
Dec 28, 2016
65
35
0
Tally, FL
Welcome fellow Speed convert- I came from a Speed6, posted as TiGraySpeed6.

Your 1er is looking sweet! Bet it was fun rolling through the Audi shop with the open exhaust...
 
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Torgus

Brigadier General
Nov 6, 2016
2,671
2,194
0
Boston
Ride
ACF 6466 E92 + METH
Sick build! Lots of dedication. Nothing like the T51R mod!

I would go with all solid aluminum bushings diff and subframe. You will get diff whine but with the exhaust and t51r mod who cares. Plenty of other noises!
 
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335is02

Corporal
Mar 10, 2018
113
45
0
Ride
2012 BMW 335is
Hey Guys,

After much lurking on here, I finally decided it was time to make my home here. I come from the mazdaspeed world where, at least back in the day, there was one forum and one forum only. It was easy to find accurate and informative info. Coming over to the n54 world I was a little confused on where to go and who to trust. Seemed like all the forums were dead and using facebook as a "forum" just made/makes me want to slam my head against the wall most of the time... "MHD or JB4" seems to be a daily occurrence still lol. So needless to say, i'm happy I found yall!

Little back story, got my first "sports car" in 2011, a 2008 mazda speed 3. Had so much fun with that car. Went from stock turbo, to bolt on turbo, to gt3076, finally to 6262. oh and a few built motors lol. After blowing the motor for the second time, it felt like it was time to move on but nothing was really tickling my pickle. My good friend Sam Morgan (Brakeboostbill) pushed me in the direction of the 135i but I really thought it was a chick car (it is lol) and I knew how many issues they have (lol). I really lovedddd the 1m but at the price of 50k plus easy, it wasn't going to happen. I have this vivid memory of sitting at a stop light in my 500 dollar mazda tribute beater thinking to myself, how sick would it be to build a rep 1m and single turbo it. I wrote the idea off as unattainable.... but the idea stuck with me. After some time, and a few test drives in e9x m3's I decided that wasn't going to cut it, lets build this freaking 1m.

After a few months of searching I finally landed on the one, a 2008 sparkling graphite metallic 6 speed with 66k on the clock. I drove it around for almost 6 months doing nothing but collecting parts for the 1m swap.
View attachment 17382

Installing fortune auto 500 coilovers with my buddy who looks homeless aka Audi techs lol
View attachment 17821

After a few shipments from Germany, I had 75 percent of the parts I needed. My 1 bedroom apartment was chalk full of bumpers and misc 1m parts. My one dilemma was the rear quarters. BMW had discontinued the smaller rear quarter that didn't have the C pillar (these were like $550 a side) and they only offered the full replacement that was something like 1500 a side. So 3k in parts alone for the back... not happening. My other big dilemma was that I wasn't a body guy. I was going to have to pay someone to install them... not cheap. I thought the project was a bust and I really didn't want to do the bolt on options (ex. n5tuner). I finally stumbled across a company called Prior Designs. Long story short I waited 6 months for some overpriced (1k) fiber glass fenders from germany, but the wait was worth it. They fit perfect and it was a job I thought I could tackle myself.

About a year into ownership it was finally time to start tearing into the build. **I don't really have any pictures of putting the end together. Nothing to exciting. Just bolts right up**


Measure once, cut twice.... oh wait, other way around.
View attachment 17389

View attachment 17384

View attachment 17388

View attachment 17383

Riveted on
View attachment 17385

Sand, sand, sand, sand...
View attachment 17392
Driver side did take a little more work to make it fit right. Think it came out pretty good!
View attachment 17390

View attachment 17387

All in all, this job was one of the scariest yet most rewarding projects I have ever done to the car. Totally transformed the look of the car.

Right off the bat, I knew I didn't have the $$ to paint the car so I wrapped it. If you have never wrapped a car, it has to be one of the most rewarding/ cost effective projects you can do. The color is Avery light grey. It looks more grey in person. Wheels are Apex FL-5 18x10 +25, nitto nt05 275/35/18 squared on fortune auto 500 coilovers.

View attachment 17807
View attachment 17808

View attachment 17809

View attachment 17810

View attachment 17811


I enjoyed this set up for about 6 months. In that time, I added a vicrez rear diffuser and front lip. I also found some halogen LCI headlights, gutted them and swapped the housings to my Xenon headlights. At this time I really was over the wrap life. I had lots of little imperfections where the wrap was starting to lift because 50 percent of the car was unpainted underneath. It was getting real old walking up to the car and only looking for bubbles to push back down instead of enjoying the car. I knew I wanted to paint it back to oem color so I made it happen. This is the only time I paid someone else to work on my car.

Full respray
View attachment 17812

View attachment 17814

You could say I was fully in love at this point lol. Paint shop did an amazing job.
View attachment 17813

View attachment 17815

I picked the car up from paint and immediately went to work on the single turbo aspect of the build. I picked up a doc race kit second hand from Sam Morgan a few months prior.

Mods:
- Doc Race mani
- DBB 6466 with OCD works compressor housing.
- Doc Race intake manifold
- Custom Motive Intercooler made with garret cores (Its huge)
- Motive Boost Box
- MHD (Jake from Motive is currently tuning it)
- Full 3in exhaust with vibrant resonator

At this point with 80k miles, I replaced all gaskets and water pump while I had the car all taken apart.

Before:View attachment 17816

View attachment 17818
After:
View attachment 17822




Current Day:

Working with Jake at Motive on the tune. Waiting on some NTK o2 sensors so we can turn it up. Looking to make low 500s on stock fueling (one 450 intank). Also just switched up to some ARC8. Same 18x10 spec as FL5. Just installed my 1m battery box so I can put an oem muffler on with carbon tips (this thing is loudddd)



View attachment 17824 View attachment 17823

My friend works at audi so I always go to flex on them lol
View attachment 17817


Future:

Currently working on sourcing parts for rear end. It is totally stock at the moment and I have already found out it is straight up dangerous in its current form. Going to do all diff bushings and subframe bushings. I have sourced a ford 8.8 rear end (off ebay) and I have purchased a bracket from a guy online (being built now). Going to do DSS axles and one piece drive shaft as well. Didnt want to shell out 6k to ADE and wait an eternity lol. I will need help with what LSD to put into the 8.8 and maybe someone local (Georgia) to install/ refresh the diff. Also will be doing PI eventually. My Doc manifold has all the ports drilled for injectors, they are currently capped off with doc's block off plate.


From here who knows! Hope you all enjoyed! I will post updates when I have some. Oh and some actual professional pics when I get to that too!

I have way more pictures on my Instagram: nswartz125









Good job car turned out amzing! From experience I know how much work it is.
Can’t wait to see the updates on it good luck.
 
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DCook

Sergeant
May 25, 2018
274
135
0
Ride
08 BMW e92
Looks dope man!

For an 8.8, id do an eaton tru-trac and 3.08 or 3.27s gears. Its nice not having to shift early, and run each gear out longer. I loved my tru-trac diff.
 
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nswartz125

Lurker
Nov 7, 2018
14
23
0
Ride
DIY 1m
@Torgus I had one on my speed 3 but only got to run it for a few hundred miles until my motor popped so i never got enjoy it. So super glad i could run one on this build! and yes i was gonna go full solid. I have ADE motor mounts, so i am already in vibe heaven lol The ADE's did calm down after a few hundred miles.

@DCook Easton looks like a great option. Do you have a easton in a 335 diff?
 
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DCook

Sergeant
May 25, 2018
274
135
0
Ride
08 BMW e92
I had one in my 8.8 in my foxbody. Took all my abuse, and a friends got 2 in his mustangs. 773whp and 900+whp. Never any issues. Also heard if you break a trutrac eaton will take care of you. Suppose to be indestructible.
 

Sshec152

Corporal
Nov 3, 2016
213
118
0
Aston pa
Where are you getting the 8.8 brackets from? I wanted to buy the ad-e kit but it took 6 months just to get shocks from him. I would definitely use an eaton truetrac. I’ve installed many of them in 1000+whp mustangs that see the track regularly with no issues.
 
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JBacon335

Corporal
Nov 7, 2016
227
107
0
40
Toms River, NJ
Ride
07 335i Sedan, 1988 Mustang GT
I would throw an Auburn ECTED in there if I had no budget to worry about. Lock it with the flip of a switch or use throttle position to make it lock
 

langsbr

Captain
Apr 5, 2017
1,266
771
0
Ride
07 335i 6MT e90
Where are you getting the 8.8 brackets from? I wanted to buy the ad-e kit but it took 6 months just to get shocks from him. I would definitely use an eaton truetrac. I’ve installed many of them in 1000+whp mustangs that see the track regularly with no issues.
There's a guy on Facebook that makes them. @Steven@ClarkPerformanceFab knows him. I can't remember his name lol.
 
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nswartz125

Lurker
Nov 7, 2018
14
23
0
Ride
DIY 1m
Where are you getting the 8.8 brackets from? I wanted to buy the ad-e kit but it took 6 months just to get shocks from him. I would definitely use an eaton truetrac. I’ve installed many of them in 1000+whp mustangs that see the track regularly with no issues

His name is Mike Page. i contacted him through IG. His ig user name is: empty_page

I have not received the bracket yet so i will post some pics when i get it.

I would throw an Auburn ECTED in there if I had no budget to worry about. Lock it with the flip of a switch or use throttle position to make it lock

The cost difference between the Eaton and the auburn is only 300 bucks. Im not familiar with how a locker works but it sounds serious lol.

I changed the name of this thread because i was getting messages from people on FB saying they were disappointed this wasn't an actual DIY. DIY was meant to say that i built it myself, not how to actually do it. Someone on FB that didnt get all the answers so they didnt have to do any research on their own was upset... shocker.
 
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