the ms3 is a very neat controller but it was designed with v8 engines in mind. there's no advantage to using 8 channels when you only have 4 cylinders and you end up paying more for things you won't use. the sd card slot is okay for logging logging data but you still have to use a computer to change anything on the controller so that's just fluff.
the ms2 kit with the jbperf 4 channel board will come in at about half the cost of the ms3 and is a proven platform for the g13 twincam.
the ms2 ver 3 kit will come with all the components, you just don't need to populate the board with all of them when you build it when you use the 4 channel driver board. it doesn't really save you any money but it does save you some time building the main controller board. the ms2 is an ms1 kit with the upgraded processor on a daughter board that plugs into the processor socket. the big difference is that the better processor allows for bigger maps, 16 x 16 instead of the ms1's 12 x 12.
when you load the msextra firmware it allows you to set up for sequential operation which allows better control of the injection process. i found it essential for getting a usable idle out of big injectors that were capable of properly fueling on the big end. batch fire mode ended up being way too fat at idle.
you won't be running boost but you'll find that using the megasquirt lets you tune the engine, something that is harder to do using the oem engine management. one thing to keep in mind is that you'll want the tuner studio software. it's freeware but paying the small licensing fee opens up neat things like fuel trim and auto tune.
another thing to keep in mind is that you'll want to set up with a good afr unit. i like the innovate mx unit which uses a bosch 6 wire wide band o2 sensor and has all of its electronics built into the display gauge. it is on the list for megasquirt so all you have to do is to use the check box for it in the firmware and connect the 0-5 vdc wire from the wide band to the ms2.
the controller, wide band unit, and wiring will run maybe $1000 tops. you'll need a laptop as a supervisory computer to flash your tune .msq files and as a virtual gauge display. i use a little acer 7" netbook running windows 7 ultimate and a solid state hard drive. that whole rig was a couple hundred bucks but is well worth the money to have a dedicated supervisory computer for my megasquirt files. you don't have to leave a computer plugged in to run the megasquirt but i like having 7 additional virtual gauges, the ability to change my tuning files at the push of a few keys, and the logging ability. the auto tune function is really nice because it can change the tuning, correcting gross tuning errors, faster than you can do it manually. after auto tune changes things i can log a short run and then look to see the tuning differences on 3d maps.
for instance, i set up my ignition mapping based on ignition load over an rpm range. i initially gave it 40 degrees of advance for a total ignition load of 80%. after running auto tune the computer took it down to a total of 37 degrees of advance at 6500 rpm which tightened things up. it would have taken a couple of dyno runs for me to get there manually but tuner studio is such a fantastic piece of code that it saved me a couple hundred bucks in dyno charges.
