I know these type of threads rarely ever pop up on here as most are technical or decision oriented in their nature, but this is just something I have been needing to get of my chest for some time.
I think my fascination with superchargers began very early on for me with my first viewing of Mad Max at probably around age 9. I could not get over that awesome sound and that rush of power that came with it. When I got my first car at age 17(1995 camaro Z28), I would look at the small Vortech adds in superchevy and wonder, what would that be like on my car. Every summer my high school year I worked as an electrician assistant, but the most I could ever muster was $1600; not even enough for a used unit at the time.
Fast forward to 2007, I was 24 at the time and had all but given up on my personal car goal of having a supercharger. That is until a close friend of mine sold me his vortech kit off his 5.0 mustang for $800. Now I would never lower myself to owning a mustang , but I knew I could double my money back and hopefully acquire a kit for the SS I had been working on. I did just that by putting the kit on ebay. I soon added a little with it and purchased a used G-trim vortech kit from another member here on ls1tech. I knew little about it when I purchased but after reading that I needed to cut the freshly painted hood on my SS, I knew it had to go so that I could hopefully purchase a procharger. I put this kit up on ebay as I had a lot of success with it in the past, and it went quickly. I felt great about it, that is until I got a call for the buyer saying that I had shorted him the crankpulley for the kit. After purchasing it for him, all of my profits were gone from this latest purchase, and my goal of owning a supercharger was farther away then ever.
A few months later I was lucky enough to get a job as a substitute teacher while I finished my last few months in college. I lived upstairs in my parents house and saved every penny I could for that oh so coveted mechanical rush of air. After a few months I saved nearly $4000, and I knew I was close. I was able to save so much due to the fact that I had attained a permanent assignment at the alternative center for education in my hometown. I took over a spot that no teacher wanted(I guess dealing with 30+ gang banger wanna-be kids was more than anyone else wanted to bear for the money).
I quickly located a really nice D1sc(6 rib) kit on ebay. I bought it from the guy for 3300. I then proceeded over the next two months to acquire a lingenfelter Gt2-3 camshaft, springs, upgraded 60lb injectors, fuelpump, and a hot wire kit. Yes, I had done my research and knew exactly what I needed. All I needed at that point was someone to install it for me as I had no way of installing the kit myself. I attainted many quotes from "certain" peformance shops in my area, but most of them were outrageous and unaffordable for me. So I let the kit sit in storage with my car as I moved out with my fiance' into a new apartment and a new life. Before I knew it, trying to live on a substitute teacher's sallary, and put my newly married wife through nursing school proved to be too much financial strain so I gave up the one material possession that I vowed I would never sell, The supercharger kit. I made a good profit on the kit and that really helped us out, but its loss was trajic for me, but I never let my wife know it.
Now I am nearly 26 years old, and have good new job(a COP of all things, ya the guys I used to hate as a teen). I am ready to do this again, and I have a bit saved up for a nice used procharger kit. I wanted to write all of this mainly to get it off my conscience as I move forward in my life. I think any car guy would understand, but most would look at these so-called low points in my life as mere trivialities.
I know this was a long read, but on a lighter note, anyone got a procharger for Sale?