I got a 1.8 DSM what can I do?

[hot93talon]

i just bought a 93 talon with the 1.8 dsm, its actually pretty fast for a stock car. but i was wondering if anyone else had a 1.8 because all i see is people with turbo 2.0s

 

[chaclark83]

I had a 1.8 laser their slow and you cant hardly do anything with them. trust me I tried. Nobody makes anything for them. Try to sell it and buy a turbo car. 1st gens are getting cheap.

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

I agree. It's a good basic source of transportation, but if you want screaming horsepower, let it go. Don't try to hybrid it. Find a turbo car, fwd, or awd, whichever is your choice. Build that up to what you want. However, if you need a dependable source of transportation, keep the 1.8 as it will be more dependable than the fire breathing 2.0

Good Luck

 

[endlessMyk]

yeah, the best bet will be to keep it stock, keep up on the maintenance, and save your $$$ for a nice rst/tsi/gs-t/gsx

 

[speedy13]

the last 2 posts are the best advice you could ever get.

 

[napkinthief]

yeah, the best bet will be to keep it stock, keep up on the maintenance, and save your $$$ for a nice rst/tsi/gs-t/gsx

I love it, us crazy 420a guys are finally getting some recognition!

 

[Byrd]

I see you headed the advice on dsm-racing! Now all you gotta do is search and post in the right forum. But i'll get off your ass and let you listen to what everyone else is saying.....except grey goblin

 

[speedy13]

I love it, us crazy 420a guys are finally getting some recognition!

I think he meant rst as in plymouth laser rs-t,but anyhow, I'd rather have a 420a that you can actually buy a turbo kit for and actually make power then a 4g37 that you boost and end up making 140 hp if that.No offense to the crazy ass people that alreay have boosted the 1.8 mad props to you crazy mofos.Just not cost effective IMO

 

[will90Eclipse]

i would build it up , the sky is the limit homie

Hell if you got like $30 grand sitting around you can build it or spend like $5000 on a really nice 1G GSX

Your choice

 

[endlessMyk]

I love it, us crazy 420a guys are finally getting some recognition!

Nope... no recognition for you. I was talking about the Plymouth Laser RST

Oh, and don't listen to anyone that calls you "homie"

 

[swade]

if your dead set on keeping it there are a few sites that are all about the 1.8...

http://www.dsm1eights.com/

and

http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=47

hope these help alil

takerEz
wade

 

[Galaxy]

I had a 91 laser 1.8 a few years ago and it was fun,I put an intake on it and it honestly made a noticable difference in throttle response.I even ran it without the MAF plugged in for a couple days (experiment at your own risk) because I couldn't find the right coupler and it was real noticable,as was the rate of fuel usage.I also tore the stock exhaust off and had a custom 2 1/4" pressbent exhaust put on with no cat and a stainless magnaflow.Until I put a 20" glasspack where the cat was it sounded like shit and felt like it lost some bottom end power but everything was good after that...it sounded as mean as a 1.8 could probably sound and had more power than it did stock.This did not cost over $500 and made the car very enjoyable to me.

I got all the same "sell it and buy a turbo car" responses to the same question 3-4 years ago....I sold it and bought another NA,2.4 this time.I still see that car driving around town from time to time.

Do what you want with it,its your car.If you want to try to get some more power out of it ,go ahead,theres a little more to be had, but nowhere close to a factory turbo engine in the other DSM's.

 

[fr33b1rth]

I own a 1.8, and i love it. Sure, it isn't the fastest thing around, and sure, there aren't too many parts out there for it, but it still fun. All the 2WD parts fit on the suspention, and there are a few things that you can do for a little increased power.

Look at the old roadsters that were put on the road after WWII. Sure, they weren't the fastest, and they sure weren't the most powerful, but they were fun! Speed isn't a true measure of fun, it's all about blasting through the corners with your foot on the floor slamming through the gears and feeling the car. Our little 1.8 is plenty fast enough for that.

I've put almost 100,000 miles on my 1.8 in the past 3 years, and it has never let me down. it is downright the most reliable car i have ever owned, and i doubt i will let it go until it rusts in hell.

As far as power goes, get an intake. do a good tuneup and replace the O2 sensor.

For the exhaust, there is a little bit of fabbing to do. The stock exhaust manifold is a 2 piece manifold. The upper part of the manifold flows quite well and has fairly large runners. It is a true 4-2-1 exhaust manifold. The restrictive part is the bottom half of the manifold. It's way too small, but there is a glimmer of hope for the upper part.

All you have to do is go get a stock gasket for the bottom half of the manifold (where the two parts of the manifold meed) and get a 1/2" plate of steel and make a flange. the two holes on the upper part of the manifold are actully quite large. go to an exhaust shop with the flange and the gasket and have them make you a new botom half that joins into a 2.25" or 2.5" (your choice) collector. Have them do the rest of the exhaust with a no name glasspack and muffler and you'll have a great upgrade.

Combine the exhaust with the intake and you'll have at least a little "seat of the pants" power built.

If you care to get into modding it more, the stock rods in the 1.8 are actully pretty heavy duty, and can handle low (6PSI-10PSI) ammounts of boost. You can have JE Pistions make you a set of pistons to fit, but you must have them increase the size of the ring seats because that's the weakest part of the 1.8 piston. Eagle rods made a set of rods for a sister engine that fit.

There is one confirmed 1.8T out there, but he doesn't like sharing his secrets too much. He is the one that lead me to the information about the turbo capabilities of the motor.

 

[hot93talon]

i went to carv2 and they said i can put a turbo on my 1.8, but they would basically have to custom make it and beef up the motor. the owner Rudy said when he was done i would be able to run a safe 14 to 16 psi. and the whole deal would cost me about $1500 to $2000. i dont think thats a bad price because around here you cant touch a turbo car for under $4000 or atleast not one thats in any kind of good shape.
www.carv2.com

 

[will90Eclipse]

Dude, thats not a bad price if that includes building the motor and putting a turbo on That thing would be a sleeper from hell, just tell everyone your car broke down when its in the shop getting boosted

 

[hot93talon]

yeah thats the price because carv2 can order everything from overseas and he gets good prices on everything. i told im i wouldnt be able to do it until this summer though. but i am definetley going to do it.

 

[endlessMyk]

Just curious as to two things;

1. How much did you originally pay for your car?

2. Do you have another form of transportation?

 

[kronus]

Look at the old roadsters that were put on the road after WWII. Sure, they weren't the fastest, and they sure weren't the most powerful, but they were fun! Speed isn't a true measure of fun, it's all about blasting through the corners with your foot on the floor slamming through the gears and feeling the car. Our little 1.8 is plenty fast enough for that.

Haha, I dunno about you, but I don't "slam" through all of the gears. I think after 2nd, I could take a nap waiting to hit 5000 rpm.

But fr33b1rth is right, it is a fun little car to drive around... Just as long as you're by yourself and not trying to race any other people.

-Kevin-

 

[hot93talon]

i only paid $1000 for my car and i do not have any other transportation. thats why i have to wait to the summer time to do anything crazy to it. its in good shape and has low miles.

 

[endlessMyk]

So by the time you've spent for the turbo system and the car you'll have 3,000... That could have gotten you an eclipse gst, talon FWD tsi, or a laser rst... You'd have a nice strong start. Plus I just don't know how much I trust the 1.8 engine.... Especially if you have no other form of transportation
But do what you want man.

 

[hot93talon]

I'm undecided what i am going to do