Upgrade: Alky vs Intercooler

[TurboBrett]

The Texas summer is just months away and I'm getting my car back on the road after a long time in storage and with a few upgrades

I'm debating upgrading to alky or getting a larger intercooler...
In your opinion what would give the best bang for the buck with my setup:

Stock block
Ported irons (will have them soon if not by the time I get it running again)
208/208 cam, hyd/flat
T61-1 turbo (not BB)
~3200 stall
3" DP and exhaust
009's
Stock MAF
Stock intercooler
Alum radiator (once I decide on which brand to get)

This car is 100% street, no track use.

Opinions?

 

[Just a Six??]

alchy 100%

 

[Boston GN]

I'll see that 100% and raise you to 110% Alky!!

Basically look at it like this. More boost = more power. With an upgraded IC you may see 2-3psi increase. With alcohol you can still run pump gas and raise your boost, let's say 10psi

 

[vader87]

You would be better running alcohol and NO INTERCOOLER!:biggrin:

 

[Grumpy]

Alky hands down

 

[CL87]

I agree Alky

 

[salvageV6]

Build yourself the DIY alky. setup and you could afford a stretch stock intercooler, or a dutt. neck one and be under the budget of a "kit".

 

[yullose]

Get both.

Seriously though... I'm dead-sold on Alky. It's the single best improvement I've made to my car and the best $500 I've ever spent.

Even with a top of the line intercooler, you are still limited to 17-ish psi on pump gas.
With alky, you are only limited by what your head gaskets will hold.

 

[TurboBrett]

Thanks for the overwhelming response, you guys are great!

Alky it is!

 

[2QUIK6]

Alky is one of the best mods I've done, but I would not forget about that stock IC, you're still leaving some on the table, at least do the Duttweiler mod to make it a free flowing inlet, an IC with bigger inlets and outlets would be best, say a stock location stretch IC..especially with that 61 turbo.
So my vote is do both sooner or later...do the alky now...and the IC the next mod Looks like you have all the other pieces so that low 11s or high 10s would be in your future pretty easily if you ever did hit the track.
so...do the alky and the next logical mod would be the IC.

 

[strikeeagle]

Both. The stock intercooler is a turd, and totally out of character with your build-up. Alky is not a band-aid for poor intercooling. Rather, alky and efficient intercooling are complimentary.

strike

 

[TurboBrett]

I sold my old, inefficient front mount a while back. It wasnt much better than stock and really helped my car heat up here.

 

[2QUIK6]

I sold my old, inefficient front mount a while back. It wasnt much better than stock and really helped my car heat up here.

There's several really nice stock location ones available now. Cotton's, Precision's and a few others that won't heat you up...but if you have a new alum radiator, you shouldn't have a problem with a front mount..but then again, it gets pretty hot in TX..thats why I stuck with a stock location.

 

[Blazer406]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned alky!:biggrin:

Get you a Eric Marshall chip at the same time. It will be the best two items you ever purchased for your car.

 

[TurboBrett]

There's several really nice stock location ones available now. Cotton's, Precision's and a few others that won't heat you up...but if you have a new alum radiator, you shouldn't have a problem with a front mount..but then again, it gets pretty hot in TX..thats why I stuck with a stock location.

Yeah, the next debate will be FM vs SL...
I actually haven't gotten the new alum. radiator; i've been eyeing the PTS stock replacement but can't find any reviews of it, is it too new?

 

[justabuickv6]

If I had to do it all over again, I would just do the big neck and alky.

 

[BRAD_PADGETT]

Razor kit all the way. I am a hot air GN. Brad

 

[Super6]

both

Do the alky first but a better intercooler will help to. the colder the air the mo power Bob

 

[Roc87]

Is it just me, or has the prices of Intercoolers seem to have gone down in the past 2 or 3 years? Wonder if it's because of the lower demand due to alky? When I bought my PTE front mount, I think it was around a grand, now it seems there are plenty of front mounts for under $800, and real nice looking stock locations for under $600. If I had to do it over again, I'd either just stay with a big neck stock ic or a little larger stock location, each with the alky. Seems all my front mount is good for is to have people say, "Look, this one has a front mount ooh, aah.

 

[Dreamcar86]

ALKY all the way!

Take a look at my sig. We are running very similar setup's and the ALKY is awesome. I run 91 octane year round with the ALKY and 22 lbs of boost. Show me another way to run in the 11's on 91 octane.