Turboing Daily Driver 420A - Viable?

[Fryguy]

Ok, let me first start off by saying that I don't do my own work on cars, I don't have the tools, time, patience, knowledge, or skill to do so. So this would be a hand-off to a mechanic.

With that said, I own a 97 RS with the following mods so far:

plugs/wires
intake
exhaust (not catback, just muffler)
springs
shocks
rims/tires

I estimate I'm at around 155-160hp after these basic mods, with incredible handling. I now want to take the next step, my goal is to break the 200hp barrier and not have reliability problems. This is my only car, and I need it every day to get to work/school etc, so extended periods of time in the shop because things break isn't cool.

Going either turbo or nitrous is going to be a lot more efficient for my needs/power than doing the huge laundry list of NT mods and still not breaking 200hp. I don't take my car to the track, I just want a fast street car.

NX express is like $520 + the cost of spark plugs and having to run at least some form of premium gas (true? or can I continue to run plain gas on a wet kit). Advantages are price, disadvantages are the cheater reputation, the cost of refilling a bottle (how much does a 10lb bottle refill cost, roughly), and a probability to blow up the car if used improperly.

Or I could get a hahn stage1 with basic supporting mods/gauges and run hopefully around 5psi daily. Like I said, I have no knowledge/skill, so rebuilding internals on my 420a isn't really an option. If I can "just bolt it on" with gauges to monitor stuff, and deal with a couple of minor problems (I wouldn't mind dropping upwards of a couple hundred every few months to fix "minor things"). The big thing is that I want a usable speed increase. Like I said, it'd mostly just be street driving/racing, no track at all, so I don't want/need to spend a lot of time tuning it and paying attention to it. I enjoy just hopping in my car now and ripping on it, not having to worry about a billion little things that could go wrong.

Another point is that my engine currently has 95k, and at the minimum has to last another 2-3 years (at about 10k a year). This is definetely doable under normal circumstances, will I be able to make a turbo last this long?

Another huge thing is price. Since I don't have the ability to do a turbo myself, I'm going to have to pay out the ass on labor. figuring 2200 for the base kit, plus upwards of 750 on basic supporting mods (3" catback, various gauges, turbo timer, blow off valve), and labor, it might be upwards of 4000, something I dont' think I'm ready to do on a car that has mileage already this high and that I only plan on keeping for another couple of years (I plan on buying an sti or similar when I get out of college). Not to mention that by the time I have fully saved up my turbo fund, I may already be getting rid of the car.

So would nitrous possibly be a more viable option for me, since I don't have 4000+ to throw down on a turbo, and by the time I do it may be too late? Figure $600 for a nitrous kit + new plugs, maybe another couple hundred on various gauges and purge kits (purge instead of BOV, wee). But running the correct plugs, and making sure the engine is in good running shape before the nitrous, how reliable will the engine remain, and how often/how aggressively could I use the nitrous kit on a daily/weekly basis?

Sorry this is a long post, but it's tough to make up my mind between "whoosh" and purge.

 

[DSM-ZERO]

Nitrous is cheaper yes, BUT you have to be very careful when using it and don't be careless or else boom. it dose have its draw backs like filling the bottle if you use it alot I ran a 14.2 in Texas with a 75 shot on street tires CAI,wires plugs,headder and exhaust. I had it for a while and just did not like it, so I sold all my parts and whent turbo. the preformance is soooo much better and it is always there when you need it. You don't want to be using it all the time because it put's alot of strees on the motor. think about it. A turbo systems come it to boost with a good fuel curve to back it up. A nitrous system is used at WOT when all of the 50 or 75 shot is sprayed into your motor all at once it is like a jolt of 50-75 hp all at once. A stressful thing for your motor to do alot of times SO don't use it alot. You could save your money until you have enough for the turbo system. Don't be in such a rush take you time and do things right the first time and save your money don't buy thing's you wont like and end up selling them later on like me. Learn from peoples mistakes so you don't make them. GOOD LUCK

 

[Fryguy]

The thing is that if I save enough money for a turbo, I'll be ready to get rid of the car by then and get a car that I REALLY want (like a subaru sti). As soon as I get out of college and get a decent job, I'm buying a new car. So I think that budgeting a turbo is out of the question. I've heard that correctly installing nitrous makes it still be very reliable on the car, and since I can do it rather easily under $1000, I think it's the route that I may take.

 

[1997RS]

hmmm i dont know Fryguy, DSM-ZERO is right about stress on your engine if not knowing what your doing everything can go wrong and boom, But if you are getting an STI why even bother with your car when you can save your money and later after getting your ride have some mods done to it with the money saved but it is only my 2cents here mind me, Just be careful about doing the same thing everyone else do learn from others mistakes and keep the wheel rolling dont re-invent it It has kept me from breaking down I have way more mods than you and my HP are not as high, I do Auto Cross in State and plan after gettin Turbo going to States nearby so HERE I COME WOO WOOOOOO krrr krrr sorry to happy here I love to drive.

-George

 

[Fryguy]

well like I said, I'm getting STI or whatever when I get out of college, in the meantime I want to have a bit more fun than I'm having now. After looking into nitrous some more, and talking to some of the people on the nitrous forum and doing some reading, I think that it is the better option for me, my car, my money, and my needs.