customdusty

Just picked up a certified pre-owned 2008 550i in Titanium Silver Metallic. LCI Sport package w/19", every option, A/T with paddle shifters, etc. I went in for a 335i that I was going to mod out and came home in the 550i. Definitely gave up the raw speed that the 335i was capable of when modded, but I definitely enjoyed the larger, more luxurious and comfortable sedan, paired with the V8 and sports packaage. A decision I don't regret. I had a few bucks set aside for some mods, so I'm seeking some advice on what's out there, what works and what doesn't, lessons learned kind of stuff.

I definitely would like to up the power a little bit. Was thinking about upgrading the intake and exhaust, and maybe following that with an ECU upgrade. Would like to know what kind of success people have had with certain products, mods, etc. Perhaps recommend a better course of action.

Exterior - The car is Titanium Silver Metallic, I alreardy dumped the front chrome grills and installed Carbon Fiber, which looks great. Would like to know what angel eyes upgrade I should buy. Would like a carbon fiber front lip too, but nothing obtrusive. In general, I want more carbon fiber, the way it goes with silver is killer.

Snow tires - I'll definitely need a set of wheels with snow tires for winter in the Midwest. What size wheels and tires, what brand/model. Recommendations please.

Anything else I'm missing or should consider?

Thanks everyone.

John@Motorcepts

Congrats on ur purchase!

If u want more power, I would recommend you to get the RPi scoop and BMC air filter as well as the RPi exhaust for more power and sound. We carry all those products. DO NOT get an open air intake. It acts as a hot air intake. Following that, you can get the ESS DirectFlash unit to flash your ECU to get a better throttle response as well as HP/TQ gains.


We also carry the HID Angel Eyes as well as HID fogs for your vehicle. Check out our member ghostteck. He has the Ti Silver 550i with a front lip. He also ALMOST has every lighting upgrade possible for the car.


As for snow tires, I recommend picking up some used 18" wheels from any member on the forums or craigslists. They will get beat up anyway. Staggerred 18s will fit and get some Blizzaks. They work wonders!!!


Feel free to call me at 347-644-5363 if you have any questions about your car or need any help.

turboawd

you could do the exhaust, intake, and tune....but in reality you wont get that much more power than you have now. only the turbo motors have room for some noticeable gains.
have you driven in "DS" mode yet?

keep a look out on the forum, ebay, craigslist for winter wheels. they usually pop up once in a while. 18 or 17 inch will fit your car.

customdusty

Good thoughts. Didn't know about the intakes that removed the air box - would never have guessed. How about the Dinan intake? Worth a $1k?

Does the ESS Direct Flash require the ECU to be removed and sent it, or is it a device that I use to reflash the ECU on my own? Is a sprint booster worth it, or is it not as effective with ECU reflashing?

I'm definitely having a hard time finding the Carbon Fiber front lip - would really like to find pictures of some? I seen some for under $300 on ebay that look like they should fit, but I'm not too confident in those.

Not sure about whether or not I've driven in DS mode. I've tinkered with the settings but not really sure what I was doing. Still need to figure things out - it's only been a few weeks.

turboawd

personally, i wouldnt spend 1k on an intake that wont really give you any noticable gains in power. the stock filter box is actually decent. some people remove the charcoal filter in the intake box, for better flow.

the sprint booster doesnt give you more power...it just provides quicker throttle response.

when you put your car in drive, move the gear selector to the left...you are in sport mode which has higher shift points, provides engine braking, and car starts off in first gear instead of second. if you move the shifter up or down while in sport mode, then your trans goes to manual mode and you use the shifter to change gears.

customdusty

Ok, yes I have been driving in the sport mode with manual shifting. I'm now trying to figure out what setting with the DTC/DSC I need so I can try to break the tires loose.

As far as mods go I ended up finding a pretty good deal on a Remus exhaust, so I went that route - brand new for $645. I didn't want anything that screamed "look at me", so it seemed like a good choice. I picked up a new air filter (dry), but not the intake scoops just yet. Ordered the sprint booster since I would really like to get rid of as much throttle lag as possible. Also ordered a replica Hamann style carbon fiber front lip, so we will see how that turns out.

The next group of mods will be the painted front reflectors, angel eyes, intake scoops, and ECU. I'd also like to do the suspension and drop the car a bit, but I think I'd rather wait and see how the ground clearance works during the winter for one season first.

rctmthouse

what is painted front reflectors? can't recall anyone doing this but then again mine is pre-lci.

Ghostteck

Everyone here pretty much sums it up but look around the forums you'll get a lot of inspiration from everyone, I personally dint like Titan. Silver but I grew to love it, all my previous cars 04e60 530 e55AMG and 02 a4 were all blacked out, I'm happy I got silver LOL

nomis_nehc

The LCI's reflector is on the front bumper, right in front of the front tires.

customdusty

Like the ride. You drive it in the winter in NY?