Heads/Cam or Turbo/Intercooler Upgrade?

[Raven]

Ok, with limited funds I'm asking for your help regarding the buildup of my car.

I can do either of the following: Put on the new heads and install the cam along with a THDP and Dynomax exhaust OR:

Install a new turbo and Intercooler with the DP and Exhaust.

Which do you think I should do first?

Heads will most likely be the Champions, the Turbo will be a 60 series (with appropriate injectors, etc), the I/C yet to be decided.

Opinions?

 

[zam70]

I voted but, it would be nice to have more info...

Times you're running now
chip set etc....

 

[Ryan87GN]

Make sure to buy a good battery before anything, and make sure your fan relays are good...

That way the car will start @ Kil-Kare

Seriously though, I would do a turbo & dp first assuming that you have a good convertor.

HTH,
Ryan

 

[azgn]

fuel, turbo, IC, exhaust and if you want to go 10's, heads, cam

but you need a whole lot of other stuff besides motor

like transmission, converter, tires, suspension upgrades etc

depends on your goals?

 

[Randy Greenoe]

First you need to learn how to do a burnout!! Remember test and tune at Norwalk?

 

[Raven]

Hardey-har-har!

So we've got some guys here with good memories, I see!

Ryan87GN - yep, I've got the battery covered already and the relays were ok. Just a crappy Sears Diehard that died.

Randy Greenoe - now, c'mon man - that first burnout sucked, no doubt! My foot slipped off the brake too soon and so I ended up with a less than John Force style burnout. But - I did get into the flow of things later, right? (Nice meeting you there by the way! I had a blast that day, even though it was so danged hot!)

Here's the list of stuff already on the car or in progress:

Walbro 340 pump, hotwired.
009 injectors, but am going to upgrade to either the 50's or 55's when I order the turbo.
Adjustable F/P regulator.
Adjustable Boost control rod.
A variety of chips for the 009's, both street and race.
9" K&N with MAF Pipe but ordering cold air induction kit with the Turbo.
New Radiator.
Nitto 555R Drag Radials, 275-60-15's.
Centerline Telstars, 15x8 on rears.
The tranny will be done by Jannis in Akron with a ~3000 - 3200 stall converter.
Suspension is currently stock other than Air Shocks.

The car has ran a best of 13.0 @ 105+mph in the current state of tune. That was on a 90*+ day with high humidity on 275 - 50-15 D/R's and totally stock tranny, converter, intercooler, and turbo, using 93 oct unleaded and a Red Armstrong chip set accordingly.

I have other chips including some from Lubrant but will be ordering new ones with the Turbo/injectors set up for both full race (race gas) and street/strip tune (high octane unleaded).

I am leaning towards doing the turbo/intercooler first but wanted some opinions from the experts.

Keep 'em coming!

 

[Raven]

Goal

I want to hit mid/upper-11's on pump gas (without alky if possible) and be fully streetable in that mode.

 

[d0n_3d]

if that is your goal then do the turbo and intercooler...hell with a bone factory stock motor with just a valve spring upgrade i ran 11.52 @ 118 mph with a TE-44 turbo and 50 lb injectors, STOCK intercooler...of course I had everything else to go along with it like full suspension setup, fully rebuilt tranny, etc.

once you want to go faster than mid 11's (you will..we ALL do) then the heads and cam upgrade would really wake up the car with those other mods

hmmm i didn't see the 11's on pure pump gas...that is gonna be tuff with just a turbo and intercooler...you would need a FULL package to be able to do such a thing...93 octane is SH!T these days

 

[ijames]

It's a lot easier to bolt on the turbo and intercooler than it is to swap heads, so do those first. Also, if you are running a stock turbo and intercooler I don't think you will get nearly the gain from heads as you will from the turbo/ic (especially on pump gas). To get high 11's on 93 octane with no alcohol injection you will need the turbo, ic, and ported heads. I run low 12's with a stock longblock, V2 frontmount, PTE54 turbo, and THDP (plus the injectors and fuel pump to support it) on 93 octane with no alcohol. I just upgraded to a GT67/Ptrim turbo (basically a new TE45a) and really didn't see any gain which tells me that I'm at the flow limit of the stock heads. On a 70 deg afternoon I ran 12.26 at 110.2 mph, and on a 60 deg evening I've run 12.02 and 111.0, on drag radials and 93 octane, at 4050 lbs going down the track. If I ever get a set of good heads on the car I expect high 11's and maybe an 11.60 if I get the right tailwind .

 

[Randy Greenoe]

Re: Goal

Originally posted by Raven
I want to hit mid/upper-11's on pump gas (without alky if possible) and be fully streetable in that mode.

Raven, you may want to consider holding on to the 009's,if you only wanna run upper 11's. spend your money on a turbo and innercooler. Have you ever tried the Casper chip with the 009's? For some reason with the 009's a friend made more H.P. on the dyno with Caspers chip and better drivability also!
I was just funnin about the burnout! It was a good time though!

 

[Raven]

Re: Re: Goal

Originally posted by Randy Greenoe
Raven, you may want to consider holding on to the 009's,if you only wanna run upper 11's. spend your money on a turbo and innercooler. Have you ever tried the Casper chip with the 009's? For some reason with the 009's a friend made more H.P. on the dyno with Caspers chip and better drivability also!
I was just funnin about the burnout! It was a good time though!

I've tried the Casper chip and it did great - matching the Armstrong Chip almost identically but with a 13.05 ET. That certainly was most likely due to the driver than anything.

As far as keeping the 009's - I'm definitely hanging on to them. My plan is to mount the Turbo/IC/DP and tune first with the 009's. Then, if the numbers warrant I'll go with either the 50's or even the new High Impedence 60's.

Any idea when we're going to have another T&T at Norwalk?