I'm in line for BEGI to use my car as a test mule for the S4 system. I'd get the S4 system, installed, tuned, with xede for a pretty good discount. The bad news is they'll have it for a month or two.

Other bad news is it's a mule! Anyone else done this with them before? What was the experience like. I imagine they'll be installing, uninstalling and reinstalling several times. Several trips to the dyno and lot's of butt dyno testing. How thrashed on will my car be? Worth savings?

I've got everything I need to start my DIY build and then this came up. I can sell off everything I've aquired and it would only cost me an extra $1500-$2000 to have one of the sexier systems out there. Extremely efficient with the tube header, low turbo placement, etc.

Whadda ya think. Worth the time, effort and money or run like the wind cause they'll be thrashing on my '94?

 

Get the S4 on discount. Tell them to keep the XEDE, then make them tune the megasquirt you're going to be installing.

 

What important is.. will they have the car during winter or spring/summer? My car was down most of the summer, boy did that suck.

 

They'd have it Jan and maybe into Feb. Ideal for timing, bad news is it's my daily driver. I've got the hardtop and it's works great.

They want to use the xede since that's what they sell. They're willing to install whatever ECU system I want after they are done, I just liked the idea of having a fully prepped system with plenty of proven dyno maps. Big plus is the price of it for the mule. I can get about the same money out of the FM full replacement link system I was going to use.

 

I know there is at least one other board member that had their car used this way. Anyone remember who it was? Wondering what their experience was like.

How much do I need to worry about all the real and butt dyno time on my 13 year old 95K mile car?

 

if they break it are they fixing it?

do you have a HD clutch? if not are they gonna install one and not charge for the labor?

 

I got first crack on the pick of the littler from your turbo parts if you go with their discount. Keep me in mind.

 

They break stuff, they repair it. They don't want to have a customer's car handed back... "gee, here's your car. Sorry you were expecting the new hotness. What we're returning is old and busted"

I've gotta do the appropriate clutch though. I may haggle with having them do the clutch but they want it broken in for the dyno!

 

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for me... I'd install the xede too, might as well. When you pick it up you'll have a turn key bad *** ride.

 

do it, BEGi is a reputable business, i wouldn't have any problem handing the keys over

 

That's not too bad.

Yes, more than once, always got the car back in stellar condition. Sure, a few people may drive your car around but in the end they are very responsible about it. Your car won't get thrashed. I have been taken care of often and my friendship with Corky grew out of that first test mule session. I really like them.

Well, they will hand you back a fully tuned and sorted car. I picked up my car in TX and drove it back to CA without a tool kit. That's how well sorted it was when I picked it up. (Actually there were a few hiccups but they were addressed before I left town, as the car had a bad injector.) We troubleshot it, Corky replaced it, I drove home for dinner and margaritas at his house before leaving for CA.

LOL, Your car is in safe hands. I would rather leave my car in Corky's hands than anyone elses. Since I am not out there now there is no chance that I will be driving it! :P

Mark

 

Mark,

You are the guy I was remembering. Glad to know you had a great experience. I wish I was closer so I could spend more time around the shop. I'm gonna ship the car down then fly down and drive back. Driving back is a long haul. I guess I should plan on spending a day or two down there if I can. Would be nice to get to know the BEGI crew.

 

I do have a confession to make. I once sent a car home with out a full tank of gas and something else done wrong. I don't remember specifically what it was, but it was honestly one of the best mistakes I made. Hank now works for us, and is one of the best employees we have ever had. And I learned a few lessons too.

As for testing, Tim and I do most of the initial tuning and testing. After Corky has driven the car and given his OK. But, when a car gets run for the first time, we have a wideband sensor in the tailpipe and OBD II monitors with live data hooked up. If something goes wrong we know about it immediately.

I would NEVER return a damaged car. If we damage it, we fix it.

We have the S4 running on one or two 1.8L NA's. We just really want to install one in house to make sure there are no bugs we overlooked. We also need better photos for instructions. All those details! So I don't think there will be much in the way of installing and uninstalling stuff. With the exception of the EGR, it really is pretty much the same as the '99 kit.

We may put a few miles on the car (especially if there is a clutch installed) to make sure everything is reliable and tuned properly.

Several of our development cars have been driven home to California and Connecticut right after the install. I do not imagine that they were driven nicely. Come on, who is gonna get their car back and not get on it all the way home.... One guy made it straight thru to CA. 18 hours on the road non stop. Crazy!!!

You are welcome to hang for a few days. Things might get a little boring, but you are always welcome, none the less.
Stephanie

 

I would definitely do it.

 

Thats a hell of a deal. Getting handed a sorted car with no effort/little cash put out would be tough for anyone to pass up.

 

Steph,

You caught me. Damn. Call me the waffler. "Waffle Man, golden crispy, bad guys are history". Kudo's to the 1st guy that can identify that quote.

Everyone's pretty much telling me to go for it though. Let me know when you want the car and I'll break it to my wife that I'm going to spend some money. She already hates the Miata enough already. She thinks I should be driving a Boxster. I keep telling her I like my little affordable fun car.

 

I would not hesitate to let BEGI use my car as a mule.

 

Boxsters are totally lame. The -S version is OK.

Give the car to BEGi and don't worry about it. In fact, you really want them to beat on it. That's the only way to sort it out.

When I had my car on the dyno, the operator didn't want to take it over 6500. I was like "but I'm going to take it to the limiter as soon as I take it back on the street!"

There's a difference between using a car and abusing a car. And I'd be confident that BEGi knows where that line is drawn.

 

I just wished they needed a '92 1.6 last winter when I turbo'd mine.

I would have gladly driven it from the left coast of Canada to the south coast of US just to have them do my car for the deal you are getting.

 

No worries. It is normal to have concerns or questions. I would seek another opinion before doing something that this.

And be sure to mention all the parts you have now that can be sold.
Stephanie