E46 Fanatics Forum banner

*FI Moderator* Technique Tuning Review/Interview

14K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  MaverickM3 
#1 · (Edited)
The few days I was in Florida for the Best of Florida Meet,
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?p=12366637

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Nick Glantzis of Technique Tuning. My first time in Florida and also first time experiencing a turbo m54.

Nick arrived in the sedate looking sedan to pick me up from a local joint; I noticed the front mount intercooler as I step in to introduce myself escaping the humidity. The ZHP cloth and alcantra trimmed steering wheel ..nice an automatic ZHP sedan …..with a technique tuning turbo. With a quick handshake introducing each other, we headed out of the parking lot and we were on our way.



Nick Glantzis with his wife’s 4-door steptronic ZHP turbo









As we pulled into a shop I was introduced to his father, a retired Tech and foreman for BMW. His father has been in the industry since Nick was a wee-lad, and his early childhood memories consist of riding the bicycle to his fathers work on this same block. Nick told me that this shop does not do maintenance, nor exist to install his kits. I found out a few days later from local enthusiasts “it’s a Florida thing”

This shop is his version of the skunk works division. Equipped with a mustang dyno and custom self made harnesses to readout almost every DME I can shout out to him off the top of my head, he explained this was where he spent the months perfecting his kit









Before we even began starting talking about the interview, I got to test drive not just one but three Technique Tuning Cars. Being a fanatic and all, I quickly took the keys and jumped right into the turbo 330i experience.

Now before I go about explaining to you my thoughts, Ill quickly give you a run down of the cars I own and have had pleasure of driving all these years with glee. As many of you might know Forced Induction isn’t new to me and my E46s. First I’ve had a 330ci for 8 years and an ESS stage 2 with a 9.5psi centrifugal kit ASA blower for three years. And currently drive daily an E46 m3 with a ASA blower @ 6psi.
So being pretty familiar with extra power in the e46 chassis, I was literally blown away by my first drive in the first car.
The ZHP sedan with a stage one turbo is a real gem. As I began pulling out of the lot, it drives like every other e46 with a stock low mellow tone from the stock zhp exhaust and firm steering wheel nicely wrapped in alcantra trim. As Nick sat on the passenger seat, I was very surprised at the fact that the air conditioner was going.



A mustang Dyno for fine tuning.

I mean to show off a car to an critic I would have guess the air conditioner off for the maximum performance. From driving my cars, the AC really saps power from the setups and due to my lightened flywheel there are usually a lot of noises and as many of you know the “sluggishness” can be felt within the pedal and if I were to show you my car I would prob have the compressor off. I asked him about this and he replied almost 90% of the times, all the cars he drive have the air conditioner on at all time. And that the DME will I forget the term will slow down/bypass the compressor. I guess with the Florida weather, it’s a wise choice.
As I drove the car out on to the street, the first thing on my mind was, damn this is pretty damn sedate! What a nice daily driver. The boost was set to 6psi for the sake of protecting the stock transmission, I was assured by Nick since this car with this exact setup for two years without problems. I got on a long stretch of road and I punched it. The power comes on very early once you get past the very streetable flat power band the m54 makes it comes alive all the way to the 7k redline. I immediately let off the gas before hitting redline and could hear the awesome sound of the blow-off valve as I reminded myself damn that was fast. Nick right then told me not to let off but just keep punching it. And then I realized why the turbo is perfect for an automatic.

AS I gunned it again into boost and hit redline sinking deep into the sports clothe seats The turbo never let off going from one gear to another in such a linear power curve. The shifts seemed so ever smooth and the power from the turbo did not stop. I hit 110 before I knew it on public street and eased off quickly as the sweet blow-off noise that you can’t ever get sick of. I figured my mom could get in this car and drive extremely fast (extremely) without loss in any of the bow luxury. And this was all on a sedan with an automatic transmission. Quite amazing...

I think Nick made his kit to be synonymous with drivability and perfect linear-ness you expect from a a BMW n55 motor. There are no strange wires poking out the hood or dash apart, or and trace of nor hint of hiccupping /bucking when you get back on the throttle and off throttle during any speed . Unlike some cars that make you learn the way the car is suppose to be, simply you get in and you make it drive fast and brake with only your right foot.







Next I got to drive a customer’s car, I got permission, but didn’t pillage the thing plus it was on some real stretch of tire going out in the back like that stand dance thing folks be doing. Same great power now through a stick.

As I drove it spiritly as I can without rubbing a chunk of tires off the wheel well, I started missing the automatic experience. I’ve been driving only stick all my life and yes dare I say that auto turbo car is slick!

Then I hoped inside Nick’s stage 2. 9.5 psi I thing off the greddy something vec you know the boost controllers that turbo guys use. I’d had already memorized the route we were gonna use and I gunned it. Other than how damn stock the clutch felt, this car zips quite nicely. I’ve been spoiled by high rev on rushing supercharger power, I def have lots of praises for this quick spooling perfect midrange kit. It’s right on early full boost and let off with any frizz, back on the gas, bam! Let off! air squirt, back on GGO!

Pretty insane not to go with this kit if you have a 330 around needing some extra boot. This thing will spoil you. As much krazy and bad a55 putting a turbo on any non turbo car to achieve power un naturally. This is quite a perfect blend of hardcore performance and luxury something I can say a 335i is. You guys know..the standard.

I got to thrash Nicks car for abit. I wanted to see redline, on, off, on off coasting with gear engaged low speed high speed while he explained all sorts of technical details of his turbo kit, what ever he said I was spewing out of his custom made brackets and custom oval shaped clearance pipes and using my right foot to bring the inline 6 to pure bliss. Yup that’s an awesome e46 alright I was thinking then.







The Kit itself is entirely bolt on and bolt off. The turbo chosen for its characteristic and all pieces including the new maf plug, you just install, plug in, the software get written onto the dme and that’s it. No wires coming out the dme box no nothing. The car is completely tuned using the stock dme. Quite a feat. And believe it or not the world only DME only tuned turbo e46. Very impressive.





more to come including the video interview
















:woot:
 

Attachments

See less See more
12
#5 ·
Thanks guys it was really exciting to check out the cars and parts and meet NickG!

Thanks again for welcoming me to Florida Mister Glantzis! Handing me the keys to not one but 3 cars to test out the drivability and performance was a major blessing!

I am seriously thinking about a automatic touring turbo as my next car for next kid thats popping out.
 
#6 · (Edited)
The Maf pipe all fabricated to be plug n' play




a bespoke engine mont for space.


all cstom IC mounts and plug and play Maf sensor.


all custom welded piping for that perfect oem fit


All these parts in sync work flawlessly. Quite a HUGE achievement to have it all tuned.

and yeah bimmerdude! Nicks tune is quite legendary around the floridian commnity!\\

Nicks base tune on Jo0-Li0s monster car is proving to be a wicked one.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
I had too much fun.

I wanted a haircut before the trip, but my wife said, "if you cant get a haircut for your kids 1st bday party, you cant go all the way to florida for a car meet with one"

So I went like shaggy from Scooby do0..


Alot of candid inteviews off the record discussion everything from Fi forums to people of interests, Jim Conforti, the future, the s54 and some really good garlic crabs.

this is a three part review. Interview comin gup soon and also look out for a inside look at AA also with video tour.
 
#17 ·
i am curious how much to remove a super charger

someone i know ask me how much it would be to remove a s/c...i know to put one in is around 1,000 to 1,500.00 but how much is it to remove is it suppose to be the same amount.... i would like to know...can someone tell me....
bob :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
#18 ·
bob!

why would you do such a thing!@

youre not getting that old!
To remove the blower and put everything back to stock spec should be as much if not more than installation.
Sometimes, unless you've kept ALL the little pieces and parts, you have to purchase some stock pieces to put back.

some shops will even package it for you neatly so you can resell the kit.

id say somewhere near 1200-1500 and 700-900 if youre a connected guy
 
#19 ·
i will explain my friend 1sickm3 (tony)



when he parted out he went to the mech my team uses... i was their last week and the mech told me that tony double talk to him and he got the mech
to take out his dinann s/c and put it in another m3 and he paid 500.00 so
i was wondering how much it cost to take out the blower..... after the mech
did it he new he should have charge more but sence alot of my team uses this mech and tony is a smooth talker he talk the mech. to charge 500.00
but after the fact he said he realise that he gave tony a good good deal....
but im not taking out my blower not for a long time im planning in time to get the bigger blower from aa in a few yrs...
bob :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
#20 ·
Nick,

when will you start on a turbo setup for the E46 M3?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top