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Street cars and turbos......

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TRBON8R

Active Member
Joined
May 29, 2001
Messages
1,362
It seems there are various theories on what is the ultimate turbo for a street car. The more I read the more confused I get. I've heard every opinion imaginable; from those advising to keep the TA49 to the opposite extreme advising me to get a ball bearing 70 series turbo that will work both on the street and at the track.

Ok here is the deal. On a street car with ported and polished irons that runs on a regular diet of 111 octane and drag radials, is a turbo larger than a TA49 going to be more of a help or a hinderance? Keep in mind this is a car that will see track duty maybe 3-4 times a year. At what HP level with drag radials does the extra HP of a bigger turbo become unusable on the street? And no before anyone asks, I'm not some guy from the "Riced and the Furious" doing burnouts on the street and weaving through traffic. Like most of you I do engage in some occasional stoplight action though when it can be done safely.... :)

I want to do this right. If it makes sense to upgrade to a bigger turbo I understand the cost implications and need some advice so I don't waste money. I know a bigger turbo would mean a fuel pump and injector upgrade, not to mention the 1k+ price of a new turbo. I'd like some opinions here. Take a look at my signature for my current mods. Thanks. :)
 
Double ball bearing 70. :)

Car flies now. :D

3200 stall and no lag, pulls like a freight train.

Pump gas and alky.

Whoooeeeee!!!!!!!! My butt dyno. is happy.

I don't even have heads and cam and the turbo works great with no surging or problems so far with all the stock stuff hooked up.

P trim wheel and THDP ex. housing.

With the heads and cam and octane you have you need a big turbo to make you happy. :cool:
 
your '49 and heads is good for mid 11's at the track and all you need on the street
 
Some guys don't realize how much power a car can pick up with a good tune. Now, I don't mean just farting around with fuel pressure, but I mean a real max-your-combo-out tune. There are a number of guys running a TA49 on this very site that go low 11s without heads, cam, etc. I remember a guy way back in the day in an issue of GMHTP that went 10.80s with a TA49 in a maxed out combo. I think it was a maroon T.

Anyway, point is, max your current combo out before you spend a big chunk of change on a bigger turbo, heads, intake, etc. You have all the mods for a very low 11 second car if not quicker with a killer tune.
 
Originally posted by salvageV6
Gotta love guys with big turbos telling you to keep the 49 LOL. ;)



Exactly. You will be more happy with a smaller turbo on the street versus a big one and we know it best. Go with the smallest turbo needed to attain your goal. But, hey, it's your money. If you want a big turbo, go for it. But my Stage 4 in the T will go high 10s with the mods you have in your car all day long with a good tune and spool like lightning on the street. The Stage 4 is similar to a TE60 which is hardly considered "big". The engine in my GN is actually going in the T and I plan on running the Stage 4. I love the Stage 4 as a steeet/strip turbo, especially with a car with ported heads, bigger cam and ported intake like my GN mill. It's an easy 11 second car on pump gas through the muffs and a very low 11, high 10 second car in race trim.
 
EXCELLENT POINTS!

Originally posted by turbonatr


Some guys don't realize how much power a car can pick up with a good tune.

Now, I don't mean just farting around with fuel pressure, but I mean a real max-your-combo-out tune.

You have all the mods for a very low 11 second car if not quicker with a killer tune.

Agree 231%! :)
 
turbo-ben

I'd reccomend going with a 66, OR TE45-A all of the manufacturers out there make an excellent unit (turbo) the 66 (same as a 45a but 4" 60-1 comp housing) with a precision or turbonetics(gotta help my man jack out;) ) .63 will spool like a raped ape or an ape being raped...:eek: with 34-3600 stall....keep a lockup converter, we like Bruce's 9-11 lockup or Dynotech/ProTorques 10.4 units, only thing is that with the PT verter they do NOT reccomend lockup with greater than 3000-3200 stall. Wicked setup/combo proven and will only get better with heads/cam....with the heads/cam combo you may even want to go with a lil tighter converter since the turbo will make boost more effectively with more volume being pushed through the motor...OR keep the converter the same and go with an .82 or .85 A/R exhaust housing......also DEFINITELY SAVE your pennies for the Q-trim option!!!

time to call mister balls!;) :D :cool:
 
Originally posted by TRBON8R


I want to do this right.

I know a bigger turbo would mean a fuel pump

and injector upgrade

What's your current injector duty cycle?
 
You have way more performance in your current combo. I have less in my combo (see sig.) but I have better et/mph. Tune, tune, tune. :D
 
Originally posted by Look Quick
You have way more performance in your current combo. I have less in my combo (see sig.) but I have better et/mph. Tune, tune, tune. :D

Exactly my point. I think he has a ton of power in the waiting under his hood with a good tune. Max out your combo and then decide if you want to go bigger.
 
Re: Re: Street cars and turbos......

Originally posted by Two Lane
What's your current injector duty cycle?

Current duty cycle is running around 85%.

I know there is more performance to be had with the current combo. The time I ran in my signature was run at Las Vegas last year with with only 17-18 pounds boost on drag radials. At the time all I had was a stock actuator and it wouldn't give me any more boost. Since then I've switched to an HD actuator. Also that time was run on a low timing 100 octane chip. Now I'm running the Max Effort chip. I've also done suspension work since then with the ATR bar and new LCAs. There's no doubt that the car will run faster now. I haven't had much time to play with the car since it just came back from a six month stint in the paint shop. As soon as I get some new times I'll let you all know. Thanks. :)
 
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