pokeybritches
Member
Beedub said:
That's my kit. Don't try and DIY unless you have a quality shop nearby, and you've installed kits before. The included instructions aren't even for the Z4. Though most of the steps are the same... some are not. And nothing is more frustrating that backtracking and putting things back together after you figure out the instructions guided you down the wrong path. I don't believe the kit includes a bypass valve (I'll have to check mine), because abruptly letting off the throttle causes a noticeable jerk to the car. It can't be good for the engine. Vortech says with 6 psi and below you don't need a bypass valve, but after driving my G-Power kit, I'd disagree. Edit: My non-M's kit is supposed to include a bypass valve, but I don't remember installing one. I'll check into it when I get home this weekend.
The kit makes good power, but there are some kinks that need to be worked out. As far as supercharger kits go, you get what you pay for. Pay for a quality shop to install a G-Power kit and you're out over $10k (USD). Try and DIY with a VF kit and you'll be out about $5k when all is said and done. I didn't have off time for months because I was always messing with the car. Was it worth it? Depends on how much off time you have. I for one do not get much time off, and the last thing I want to do is slave my weekends away in what feels like a sauna - 90 degree F, 99% humidity weather - to get a car running that was perfectly fine before I started messing with it
I increased my mechanical knowledge significantly; there's nothing like saying I installed/built it myself; and it gave me reasonable expectations for future installs at a quality shop. If you've never done this before, you'll learn that it always looks better in the book than on the car. There's quality, cheap, and fast... you only get two.