Aftermarket BAE Turbocharger?
Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 5:15 pm
I saw an old ad for a 530i for sale that had this turbocharger installed. Anybody know anything about them?...installation difficulty....power increase...etc.
I know the car you mean at GR Auto Gallery. BAE used to do them for many imports (e.g. Porsche 924). Kormann, H&B and Miller & Norburn used to also do kits. The Miller & Norburn kit was engineered by Reeves Callaway before he moved onto Vettes in the '80s.
They were clever bolt on kits. You didn't removed the head, they worked with 5-6 psi boost, which was fine for the 8:1 CR of the day. They were available on M10 and M30 powered cars, and added around 50 hp with the M30. Enrichment was handled by a screw in fuel pressure switch (intake manifold), taking fuel from the fuel distributor head. Callaway used a vapor separator cannister and banjo fitting between the turbo and oil pan.
William Gau added the Miller & Norman kit to his Bavaria, and a 3.5 / L-jet, 20 years ago.
Gau Turbo Madness
If you can imagine a 225 hp e12 in the early '80s, that was quite a beast. Allen Hardy of H&B said the e12 528is with 'em were 50 state legal. With a sub 7 second 0-60 mph time, that's as good as an e28 S38 M5.