Cape T/A

I am wondering what you all would do. I have a 2002 low milage Trans Am that is completly stock except for nitrous. Im considering going forced induction (which i don't know much about) so naturally i want it all (ease of install, most power, cheap price) but i know i won't get it all. So my main concern is i absoultly dont want to cut my car up and drill a bunch of holes, next would be price because i'm trying to buy a house and i need to keep the cost down as much as i can. I am willing to upgrade the fuel system to make everything work so that isnt an issue, and the nitrous will be coming off too if boost goes on.

So here are some questions i have:
-STS turbo kit (cost and HP on a stock F-body)
-Prochager (cost and HP on a stock F-body)
-Vortech (cost and HP on a stock F-body)

I'm not trying to start a big debate, just trying to see what you all would do if you were in my shoes.

Thanks,
-Nathan-

DanWS6

iTrader: (5)

If I were in your shoes I'd leave the car alone until after you purchase the house. Forced Induction is not cheap: unexpected things happen, parts get broken, plans change and more power is desired. The cycle doesn't end until after you sell the car.

Cape T/A

I won't do it until after I get the house, i am just trying to do my homework now and figure out my total cost and all of my options.

67Firebird455

iTrader: (27)

Just figure you'll have a minimum of 5 grand tied up in an STS/Blower setup, assuming no failures. Fail system upgrade, your clutch if you're running m6, a stall if you're running auto, obviously the stock transmissions can only hold so much, so take into consideration that you're heavily taxing the stock components, and failures will eventually happen.

87silverbullet

iTrader: (11)

Well the price of a supercharger is just as expensive as a turbo setup these days. To keep the car totally the way it is and put in a turbo kit I would recomment a kit nfrom APS or turbotechnologyinc.com. IMO I would rather a turbo instead of a supercharger because of the efficiency of a turbo and that I can regulate the boost with a boost controller from 2 to 30 lbs with a supercharger I have to keep swapping pulleys. Another thing is that lets say you end up going with a 408 stroker down the way, your turbo kit will bolt right back on and if you choose a kit with a t76 setup it will feed that 408 unlike a supercharger you will most likely have to change the headunit out to a bigger one

GT67METHV

to be on the safe side.
assume 7-10g. for a "good" system.(parts list gets lonnnnng)
and due to the fact you're bone stock i would go with a turbo,
as with s/c you need a set of good headers, which will add to
the systems cost and labor time.(ie: cost) unless you are
wrenching this job on your back, in the driveway...

Cape T/A

I will be doing all of the work myself, so labor won't be an issue.

RooRnZ28

iTrader: (14)

if you can afford 10-12k on top of a house, then maybe consider going FI. Dont find out the hard way like i did!!

Cape T/A

Any ideas on the Horsepower a boosted setup would make on a stock engine?

DanWS6

iTrader: (5)

I made 540rwhp (corrected) on my stock block with a D1SC.

Then I blew up the ringlands on the #7 piston.

Sideways240sx

iTrader: (22)

Well with a boosted setup you add more boost till you make the power you want. To a certain degree till your turbo runs out, or blower is to small.

Anyways most people say around 500 hp is semi safe with a good tune on a stock motor.

Most people will suggest replacing push rods, and valve springs.

I would go atleast ls6 valve springs, or the patriot doubles. Get some hardened push rods, and i would have to vote turbo.

Either way like everyone says its not cheap.

Good luck, Chris

Moz

iTrader: (8)

If you go Procharger,MAKE SURE TO PIN THE CRANK!My 01' WS6 made 540'sh RWHP w/ 8lbs of boost.You can plan to spend over 10K to do things right.

Urban Legend

iTrader: (5)

You should be able to get 500 rwhp at less than 10 pounds of boost. The power is easy to get. Its the bs that comes afterwards that costs thousands like, dead trannies, broken diffs, blown engines, brake upgrades, plus whatever else goes wrong (because things will go wrong in a hurry).

Get the house first. Just closing on the house burns a few grand. House first, fun later.

Schantin

iTrader: (6)

On a bone stock car I'd personally lean towards the Vortech, then the Procharger. I had a STS on my car for over 2 years.....and you will end out drilling/cutting/ and modding quite a few things to fix the bugs in the system. It'll make great power, but not out of the box.

A stock Procharger has 2x intercoolers that sit under the radiator, but experience tuning friends cars showed that they're marginal at best in controlling intake temps and a FMIC works much better....which then requires cutting, etc. I mention the Vortech cause it uses an air to water cooler and is a complete kit per se for a stock LSI. I don't think it looks as nice installed and requires drilling a hole in the oil pan, so that's the downside of that kit.

You'll probably find the Procharger is the winner for suggestions followed by the front mount turbo setup.

Anyhow, good luck in the choice you make.

GT67METHV

you'll be doing some of the work untill you
get hung up. i'm not doubting your wrench skills
at all... but FI is all about the very fine details,
and dyno/street scan tunes will be needed,(at 500 a pop) and i wish i could say it will be one and done, that's if you have a talented tuner, you may end up at several shops b4 it gets dialed in correctly...and if it's anything but
correct...kaboooom!

buy the house...get a go cart, and blow doughnuts in the driveway
and save yourself some money to buy a bad *** home entertainment
theater,... with a drive simulator and a pro tree.

my .02

Cape T/A

lol ^, I'm excelent at the fine details and Redline from St. Louis would be doing the tuning and they are nothing but top notch. Thanks everyone for all of the input, i've heard that push rods were highly recomended, but i didnt know about the valve springs.

67Firebird455

iTrader: (27)

Get a set of patriot duals, they're an inexpensive set, and cheap insurance. Nothing worse than valve float due to boost on stock springs. I'd keep the tune conservative, rather than getting greedy, because it'll only be a matter of time before the top of #7 comes off if you constantly beat on it, I also know that from experience. Turbo setups are fun, and way cool if you can fab it yourself like I did, if I had to do it all over again, I would've fabbed a front mount. I only had like $3500 invested in the complete system with fuel and injectors and everything, intercooled. Not THAT bad I guess, considering the wastegate and BOV were like $900.

CHRISPY

I'd do a D1SC kit. EPP sells a complete package that includes the Stage 2 8 rib D1SC, injectors, pump and tune.

I'd look at headers and valvesprings/pushrods at the same time. (Patriot true dual spring kit)

That'll be a reliable 500RWHP setup at 8#s boost.

When you decide to upgrade the motor etc later on you'll be able to make alot more power with the D1SC versus the V2 vortech.

MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

If you stay mild you can keep things cheaper..42 pound injectors can be found for cheap. A racetronix pump kit is cheap as well. You have to tune it so hptuners or pay somebody for the tune.Think sts comes with predator for tuning?

The new improved sts kit looks a lot better. Have been in two sts cars and both were great..lt1 and ls1. The guy with older ls1 kit has minimal problems with it aside from ground clearance worries.The new upgraded kit looks to have addressed that.

Ati is great but they are still very pricey. They were a lot cheaper a few years back and just seem to have gone thru the roof. I got my twin turbo kit on special opening deal for 5500 shipped complete with intercooler, and every nut and bolt. No fuel system or tuning though and it needed a different kmember and had to get a different ypipe so that was some more money.

Somethines you can find a used ati or vortech or turbo kit. That might be best way to go. And yeah you usually need at least a new clutch possilby new auto trans and stall.
Rear end if you track it with stick car can get by with stock rearend on auto maybe.

Since I have three turbo cars now think would go ati or possibly twin screw or magnacharger type blower on my 96z at some point in the future. Just to have a different power adder.

67Firebird455

iTrader: (27)

lol you make too much money! *wink8