Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
pkgb@xtra.co.nz

New member - 1990 E31 850i

Recommended Posts

Hey guys,

I've recently bought a mint 1990 E31 850i, with only 50,000 kms on the clock. It's my 4th BMW. I'm looking to update the stereo system, and change the mufflers. At the moment it sounds like a family sedan, and I want it to sound like a V12. I realise the 850i is extremely rare, but I'm guessing the 750i has a similar exhaust system. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Cheers.

post-17618-1357865851.jpg

post-17618-1357865869.jpg

post-17618-1357865879.jpg

post-17618-1357865886.jpg

post-17618-1357865894.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Beautiful car. Very jealous. Not a huge fan of the wheels though but hey, I wouldn't care if I owned and 850!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

was this the one off trade me that was de-registered?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Very nice score if it has done a genuine 50,000ks!

Ill be interested to hear what you do with the exhaust, the key will be to get the v12 sound out of it, rather than getting V6 or Inline 6 kind of sound I've heard some V12s ending up with when fitted with louder exhausts.

Perhaps it comes down to the header design and the balancing pipe(s) used between the exhaust banks? Hmmm.

This example sounds rather good, has quite a distinctive tone:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

750iL exhaust is quite different. most obvious is that it only exits on one side rather than two like the 850Ci. front half is very similar if not the same.

Very nice score if it has done a genuine 50,000ks!

Ill be interested to hear what you do with the exhaust, the key will be to get the v12 sound out of it, rather than getting V6 or Inline 6 kind of sound I've heard some V12s ending up with when fitted with louder exhausts.

Perhaps it comes down to the header design and the balancing pipe(s) used between the exhaust banks? Hmmm.

This example sounds rather good, has quite a distinctive tone:

ohhhhhhh

Edited by _Ethrty-Andy_

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Very nice score if it has done a genuine 50,000ks!

I'm pretty sure the k's are accurate. It's New Zealand new and in near new condition. The previous owner had it in a private car collection and kept it mint.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Congrats Peter, welcome to the e31 club. It is hard to get a nice one these days and yours would have to be one of the lowest k 8's in the southern hemisphere.

Not sure what type of exhaust system is best for enhancing the soundtrack - mine is factory original.

Calypso red was a popular colour with the E31 and yours looks immaculate.

All the best,

SS

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm thinking of going with a pair of XForce Varex mufflers. Does anyone have any experience with them? Seems like they are very good quality and a great idea. Quiet when you need it, and full volume when you want it at the push of a button! Need to check the legality first.

post-17618-1363315894.jpg

Edited by pkgb

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just so you know exhausts that can be changed like that are illegal. The car won't pass a warrant with it. (As far as I'm aware) EDIT: Noticed you mentioned checking.

Nonetheless, nice car!

Edited by Tristan

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Correction, adjustable mufflers are ok ONLY if the dB rating stays within limits even on the loudest setting.

Those varex mufflers are a gimmick, I have a friend in Australia who had some experience with them, fairly generic quality and the mechanism is bound to fail with such a design after a few years max - they should have used reliable vacuum actuators.

They aren't cheap either.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Correction, adjustable mufflers are ok ONLY if the dB rating stays within limits even on the loudest setting.

Thanks for that.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There must a legal solution for those variable mufflers? 96dB which i think is the legal limit is still reasonably loud. I think the only time you can go over that is if its louder that from the factory, but how many wif officers would know how loud a v12 is. But mine is swapped so that doesnt apply probably

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Dunno about them being illegal as previously mentioned, my GTS Commodore had it factory (bi-modal)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Dunno about them being illegal as previously mentioned, my GTS Commodore had it factory (bi-modal)

They are completely legal as long as the loudest setting stays under the dB limit for the engine specification.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Has the rule changed? i was under the impression they were illegal if they could be adjusted on the fly from the cabin. Couple of mates got around it by having it ECU controlled when they went to Link ECUs.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Beautiful car. Very jealous. Not a huge fan of the wheels though but hey, I wouldn't care if I owned and 850!

Agree, beautiful car but please change those wheels !!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...