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Thread: Cars of Tigersoft: JRobbo's M5 collection

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    Cars of Tigersoft: JRobbo's M5 collection

    Hey all,

    I just realised I had never really introduced myself here. My name is John, and I run a small company called Tigersoft in Cheltenham, Vic. Tigersoft is a proud sponsor of VW Watercooled.

    OK, I'll come clean. I don't own a VW! However if I was looking for another car, VW would be right up the top of the list, I have been so impressed with the quality of the latest VWs

    I do have a couple of BMWs though, so I thought I would post some info about them.

    Here are some pics of my M5's, a 1992 E34 and a 1999 E39

    First, the E34. I bought this car way back in 1998, I had always dreamed about them when they first came here in 1990, back then they were the fastest 4-door sedan on the planet, and I thought they were pretty much perfect. in 1998 they finally came down to a price range where I could afford one, and that's when I picked this car up.

    The car has minimal engine changes, just an EAT chip and Eisenmann muffler, so it would be good for about 245kW (We dynoed it at 192rwkw), but lots of changes underneath, including custom coilovers, 4 pot brakes up front, Camber plates, KMac adjustable sway bars, and a host of smaller changes.

    I blew the engine up at Sandown last year, I was doing 1 track day per month in that car up until then! I stuffed up a downshift, went for 4th, got 2nd, and lot's of bits came out of the engine. As I often say, these engines are bullet proof, but they are not idiot proof

    Big plans for the new engine, that will be the topic of another thread. Here's the pics:




    Next is the E39. I bought this car in Jan 2010, it was completely stock, very straight, and only had 135,000kms on the clock. I had never really been a big fan of the E39, I mean I always liked them, but I always preferred the E34, but I got it for the ridiculous price of $35k, so I couldn't turn it down.

    After a couple of track days, I was quite dissapointed. The power was great, but the brakes were pathetic (just single-piston calipers up front!) and would fade before 2 laps were completed. It also wallowed around like a yacht.

    So, the car has been modified quite a bit now, Bilstein PSS9 coilovers, Brembo 4-pot brakes all round, 355mm front, 345mm rear. It's also running 19" DPE 3-piece forged wheels, with 255 rubber up front and 285 on the back. It also has Eisenmann rear mufflers.

    Last May, we changed every sensor on the engine, reconditioned the VANOS units, and installed new big-end bearings (they are notorious for worn big-end bearings), so the engine was as fresh as it could be without removing it. Then I stuck an ESS VT1-550 supercharger kit, good for 550bhp (standard car is 400bhp, or 294kW), and then I added a Snow Performance methanol injection kit. We did dyno runs on the same dyno before and after. Stock car after the freshen up was producing 232rwkW (there was a guy there that day with a 317kW HSV GTS that produced 206rwkW, he was gobsmacked!). After we fitted the Supercharger kit and ran it in, we put it back on the dyno and it went up to 316rwkW. Then, the biggest surprise of all, after we calibrated the methanol injection system, we reached 350rwkW. I don't know why more people aren't all over methanol injection for all sorts of applications, it's so easy and cheap, and the rewards can be fantastic.

    A number of VW Watercooled members have been for a spin in my car, and will attest to just how exciting 600bhp can be

    Anyway, enough rambling, here are some pics:




    This photo was from an Article in MOTOR magazine in December 2011:


    Also, there are heaps of videos up on my youtube channel (please subscribe if you like them)

    Enjoy!


    JRobbo's YouTube Page (please subscribe) | Tigersoft Performance's Facebook Page (please 'Like')

  2. #2
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  3. #3
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    John - good to see you on this forum - I have been following your thread on the 'other' forum & envious of the work you have put into your E39 & also have the Motor mag where your car featured. Mine is stock with 84,000kms but it still puts a smile on my face - can't afford the track with multiple school fees to pay I can attest to VW quality with the V6 Bora from new and after 180,000kms it fits my requirements as a daily run perfectly - the ratios are better suited for city driving than the E39 as you would expect.

    Your thoughts on the methanol injection without supercharging ?
    2001 Bora 4Motion from new, upgraded Haldex controller, Bilsteins, Milltek

    2014 Golf 90TSi, Comfortline, manual

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Melbourne, Victoria
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    Cheers guys,

    @popeclement, methanol injection gives several tangible benefits:

    1) It increases the octane ratio
    2) It prevents detonation
    3) It cools down the intake charge
    4) It gives a little extra oomph.

    On my car, the supercharger kit that I used does not have an intercooler, and so the meth injection made a huge difference simply because of the cooling effect on the charge.

    When I rebuild the E34 motor, it will be stroked to 4.2 litres, and I will run 12:1 comp ratio pistons (standard is 10:1), all with the stock ECU. The stock ECU doesn't utilise a knock sensor, and running 12:1 pistons without knock sensors would destroy the motor in very short order through detonation, but I will run meth/water injection full time and that will allow me to run 12:1 without fear of detonation.

    On a stock NA car, the benefits would be small, but noticable. The ECU will allow extra timing to be added because of the increased octane rating which will give you a small power increase, and on hot days, the cooling of the intake charge would also produce extra power. I probably wouldn't bother with it on a stock NA car, but for any motor that I plan to extract extra power from, meth injection will be right at the top of the list

    Cheers

    John


    JRobbo's YouTube Page (please subscribe) | Tigersoft Performance's Facebook Page (please 'Like')

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
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    Southbank, Melbourne Vic
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    I Got to to go for a ride in this bad m5...man she goes...cheers John

    Thanks for your help...im still trying to crack the VIM stuff!

    Regards Jas

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