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Supercharger vs Turbocharger on a 99 TA LS| Auto Trans

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Old 04-10-2018, 11:05 AM
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Smile Supercharger vs Turbocharger on a 99 TA LS| Auto Trans

I'm looking at putting either a supercharger or turbo on my car, which one would you choose for this description?

Daily Driver
75% Race on a roll, other from a dig
Funner to drive normally(not racing)
500-650Hp
Realiability
Matience
Gas efficiency
Cost

Any help would be appreciated, I would also like to add that there's a shop close by my house that could put in custom turbos and tune the car if that seems like a better bet even if it costs more, I would probably put the supercharger myself.
Old 04-10-2018, 11:17 AM
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Have you done much searching? There is a massive turbo vs. supercharger thread in this section.
Old 04-10-2018, 11:21 AM
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Either one will easily meet your goal, so only you can determine this. What would be the total cost difference all said and done?
Old 04-10-2018, 11:24 AM
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I looked around for 30mins, but I'll look around more later. Right now I'm just trying to find opinions for what to look for.
Old 04-10-2018, 11:54 AM
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If most of your racing will be a from a roll I would choose turbo.
Old 04-10-2018, 12:07 PM
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Originally Posted by necrocannibal
If most of your racing will be a from a roll I would choose turbo.
and I will also note if your wanting to go turbo look at Huron speeds kits there customer service is great, I started building a procharger build but sold out and went with there v3 t6 kit. Jon has answered so many of my little questions it's unreal with that said though read read and read some more to see which one suits your wants and needs better, because ultimately it's your car.
Old 04-10-2018, 12:40 PM
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Originally Posted by King23
and I will also note if your wanting to go turbo look at Huron speeds kits there customer service is great, I started building a procharger build but sold out and went with there v3 t6 kit. Jon has answered so many of my little questions it's unreal with that said though read read and read some more to see which one suits your wants and needs better, because ultimately it's your car.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check them out later. In experience, what do you think is more fun to drive if your just tooling around or cruising- Supercharger or Turbo?
Old 04-10-2018, 12:52 PM
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One thing to consider when choosing one or the other is if you must keep your AC. Since yours is a daily driver most of the time like my setup, AC in hot weather is a must.

Not sure if all turbo systems allow you to keep AC compared to the ATI Procharger which does.

That said search on 'Procharger overheating' when running the AC.

I had to do extensive modification to the AC system so it cools the cabin and still not overheat in the summer when the AC is running.

When researching make sure to compare apples to apples.

For example: some will say they have never had overheating issues with a Procharger, but then say they have removed the AC. It's the AC that causes the overheating.

Or some live where summer temps rarely get over 100 degrees compared to Texas etc where temps over 100 is the norm. It's when the temps get over 100 degrees that the cooling system can't keep up.


Obviously you know that you need deep pockets for modifications to your car to handle an additional 200-300 or more rwhp.

Bob at Brute Speed is one of the best vendors for ProCharger and parts if you decide on a Procharger. Also start with a very good FMIC system. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose the ATI FMIC system rather than scratch building a system like I did.

Good luck.

Last edited by dlandsvZ28; 04-10-2018 at 01:01 PM.
Old 04-10-2018, 12:58 PM
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There are tons of supercharger vs turbo threads here. Most of them get locked instantly because the differences between the two usually come down to personal preference, yet people will argue all day long.

You're not going to get an answer. MAYBE enough information to help you come up with your own answer.
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Old 04-10-2018, 01:18 PM
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My cousin had a supercharged Trans Am and I let him drive my turbocharged Camaro one weekend. He texted me 2 hours after I dropped him off telling me he ordered a turbo kit and the supercharger was coming off.
Old 04-10-2018, 05:39 PM
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Originally Posted by dlandsvZ28
One thing to consider when choosing one or the other is if you must keep your AC. Since yours is a daily driver most of the time like my setup, AC in hot weather is a must.

Not sure if all turbo systems allow you to keep AC compared to the ATI Procharger which does.

That said search on 'Procharger overheating' when running the AC.

I had to do extensive modification to the AC system so it cools the cabin and still not overheat in the summer when the AC is running.

When researching make sure to compare apples to apples.

For example: some will say they have never had overheating issues with a Procharger, but then say they have removed the AC. It's the AC that causes the overheating.

Or some live where summer temps rarely get over 100 degrees compared to Texas etc where temps over 100 is the norm. It's when the temps get over 100 degrees that the cooling system can't keep up.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/183593...57682553468052

Obviously you know that you need deep pockets for modifications to your car to handle an additional 200-300 or more rwhp.

Bob at Brute Speed is one of the best vendors for ProCharger and parts if you decide on a Procharger. Also start with a very good FMIC system. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose the ATI FMIC system rather than scratch building a system like I did.

Good luck.
What did you use to mount the oil cooler? Thanks
Old 04-10-2018, 06:36 PM
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Originally Posted by SRZ
What did you use to mount the oil cooler? Thanks
Some will say that where it is mounted currently affects the efficiency of the FMIC. However, the two 12 inch fans mounted on the AC condenser behind the FMIC create quite a bit of draw to compensate for city driving at slow speeds when there isn't much air coming thru the front bumper cover.

Tranny temps sometime just barely get off the 120 mark on the gauge.

The tranny cooler is a bar and plate as opposed to the tube and fin which are less efficient. It is very light, so I used push thru pins to mount it to the FMIC with cushions spacers between the two.

Braided line is the stock size (6AN I recall). If I had to run lines again would have went with the carbon fiber because it is so much lighter and flexible.

But plan to mount the cooler to the side after making new fmic mounts. They will be the same as how ATI mounts their FMIC. The new mount will allow a fan assisted cooler on the side.

But then will need a 145 amp alt to handle all of the extra fans. It never ends when you start modifying things.

It's a work in progress.

hth
Old 04-10-2018, 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by dlandsvZ28
One thing to consider when choosing one or the other is if you must keep your AC. Since yours is a daily driver most of the time like my setup, AC in hot weather is a must.

Not sure if all turbo systems allow you to keep AC compared to the ATI Procharger which does.

That said search on 'Procharger overheating' when running the AC.

I had to do extensive modification to the AC system so it cools the cabin and still not overheat in the summer when the AC is running.

When researching make sure to compare apples to apples.

For example: some will say they have never had overheating issues with a Procharger, but then say they have removed the AC. It's the AC that causes the overheating.

Or some live where summer temps rarely get over 100 degrees compared to Texas etc where temps over 100 is the norm. It's when the temps get over 100 degrees that the cooling system can't keep up.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/183593...57682553468052

Obviously you know that you need deep pockets for modifications to your car to handle an additional 200-300 or more rwhp.

Bob at Brute Speed is one of the best vendors for ProCharger and parts if you decide on a Procharger. Also start with a very good FMIC system. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose the ATI FMIC system rather than scratch building a system like I did.

Good luck.
Not bashing, but I wouldn't dare put a transmission cooler on my intercooler. That is somewhat diminishing it's effectiveness. Sorry, I didn't read all the way down..... didn't see the rest.
Old 04-10-2018, 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted by necrocannibal
My cousin had a supercharged Trans Am and I let him drive my turbocharged Camaro one weekend. He texted me 2 hours after I dropped him off telling me he ordered a turbo kit and the supercharger was coming off.
Did he say why?
Old 04-11-2018, 06:49 AM
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You really should experience both to come up with your own conclusion. It's totally a personal decision and there are positives and negatives for both.

For me it came down to max power per dollar, complexity involved in changing power levels, and having max boost (power) all in by a certain RPM rather than it building to max power over the RPM band (superchargers deliver a linear powerband). Lastly, I liked how the turbo worked with the converter with the automatic. This is difficult to explain and something you need to experience to understand.
Old 04-11-2018, 07:05 AM
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It's the little things, like when on an on ramp to the freeway, and you feel the stomach turning torque while at part throttle.... Won't get that with a SC. Want to ride around and be able to gas on the car on low boost/gate pressure (saving the motor) ..... but press a few buttons should the need arise to push someone's scalp back? Won't get that with a SC. Want to stay completely stealth, meaning no way to tell if it's boosted or not? Won't get that with a SC. No belts and tension to worry about, turbos won't slip. Last but not least, there's a reason that the majority of fast cars are turbocharged.... it just works.
Old 04-11-2018, 07:37 AM
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Originally Posted by NSFW
Did he say why?
He just said he liked the way the power came on with a turbo over a supercharger. He said with a supercharger the power felt very linear and like it was limited. Wit a turbo he said it felt like it kept pulling very hard and the power never let off on the top.
Old 04-11-2018, 09:03 AM
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After looking around some more and reading on it I think I'm gonna go with a turbo. Thanks for anyone who took time out of their day to help me make a decision.
Old 04-11-2018, 09:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Game ova
It's the little things, like when on an on ramp to the freeway, and you feel the stomach turning torque while at part throttle.... Won't get that with a SC. Want to ride around and be able to gas on the car on low boost/gate pressure (saving the motor) ..... but press a few buttons should the need arise to push someone's scalp back? Won't get that with a SC. Want to stay completely stealth, meaning no way to tell if it's boosted or not? Won't get that with a SC. No belts and tension to worry about, turbos won't slip. Last but not least, there's a reason that the majority of fast cars are turbocharged.... it just works.
-Want to skip dealing with feed/return oiling or having to run a scavenge pump? Turbo can't do that.
- Want to avoid the additional hot side piping under the hood and having to insulate or wrap wiring/PS/brake lines so it doesn't melt stuff? Turbo cant do that.
-Want to be able to do a cam/crank pulley swap without a large compressor sitting in front of the motor? Turbo can't do that.
-Want to mess with people while sitting at a stop light or car show and drawing some attention while idling? Turbo can't do that.

See how that works? lol, there's positives/negatives to both. Just like there are exceptions to some of what you listed and some of what I listed.
Old 04-11-2018, 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by ddnspider
-Want to skip dealing with feed/return oiling or having to run a scavenge pump? Turbo can't do that.
- Want to avoid the additional hot side piping under the hood and having to insulate or wrap wiring/PS/brake lines so it doesn't melt stuff? Turbo cant do that.
-Want to be able to do a cam/crank pulley swap without a large compressor sitting in front of the motor? Turbo can't do that.
-Want to mess with people while sitting at a stop light or car show and drawing some attention while idling? Turbo can't do that.

See how that works? lol, there's positives/negatives to both. Just like there are exceptions to some of what you listed and some of what I listed.

Honestly to me non of the things you listed are a negative. Not saying they are a positive so maybe we can just call them a neutral, lol.



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