So ive noticed lately everyones going turbo and don't get me wrong I know you can make a **** ton of power with one but what im wondering is y now I mean imports have been using turbo's since the late 80's early 90's so y is it that just in the past what maybe 5 years there's really been a big boom with them on V8's I mean y did it take so long for them to be used on V8's there not cheap thats for sure to me nitrous im sure is the cheapest power adder out there but it seems like now adays if some ones building a badass motor there gonna go turbo

 

Because bitches love boost

Well ricers need boost otherwise they would be useless.

The high development of technology and the advancement of intellegent tuners is one of the biggest reasons why everyone is going boost now days. Including the large variety of different setups you can do with these LSx blocks has really been stout.

 

Mostly it was a packaging problem. V8s make can good power without forced induction so there wasn't much R&D into turbo set ups. Couple that to the fact that there were supercharger kits available that bolted right on there wasn't a lot of interest in DIY turbos on the domestic v8 side of things. The import guys got a start into turbo charging because several performance oriented models came from the factory with a turbo.

 

Because up until the past few years V8s didn't need no turbos to make more power than everything else around.

Also tighter fuel mileage constraints are making manufacturers lower the displacement on V8s and adding turbos to get the power back and gain efficiency.

Readup on the CAFE laws while you're at it.

 

I'd say with the ease of tuning and available tuning tools that's came out in the past couple years made it much easier for people to start building turbo setups. What was out there before laptop tuners? ECU socketing and chip burning or running emulators? It's more labor intensive than what most people are willing to put in. Let alone the ease of us vs plugging a cable into the OBD ports. That and with the advancement of turbo technology has boomed quite a bit (dual ball bearing turbos, billet wheels, extended tip technology, etc..), there's more produced, cheaper than what they were in the '90s, and are much more efficient. A v8 from factory with a turbo would cost more than what people are willing to spend. You see some V8 turbocharged cars manufactured now but look at the price tags.

I do agree many imports that came with turbo's from the factory were 4 cylinders. They used tiny 30mm sized turbos (easy to manufacture back then and considered more reliable than larger turbos, smaller turbos would also choke up a big v8). A 4 cylinder car NEEDED a turbo basically to be considered a sport compact car. Otherwise they were limited around 130hp. Even fully built NA 4 cylinder cars max out around 300hp. To todays standards that's pretty low in the performance world.

400-500hp is nothing these days. $30k cars come with that from the factory. Eventually you'll find limits with Nitrous and many supercharged applications, I don't really think anyones found limits with turbos. Either move on to a bigger turbo or run more boost. It's easy to swap out springs in wastegates or use boost controllers to crank it up. Many owners with older V8s need ways to keep their cars competitive with newer ones. Bolt on's and NA engine builds can only get you so far, and eventually you get bored with that power.

 

Power when you need it economy when you don't, and its easier on parts than most other power adders. Where is can you get 550+ WHP, 25+ mpg and still be perfectly streetable like OEM.

 

IMO its mainly due to the vast variety of software available to tune efi cars now, Hptuners, EFILive etc and that made it easier for aftermarket shops to build the and use them in cars without having to change out the whole ecm. There are other reasons but that is one of the main ones.

 

LOL. Turbos have been on V8's for as long as they have been on I4s. Just not as many OEM.

Aftermarket turbos on LS based V8s have been around since 1997. In Fox Mustangs aftermarket turbo V8s have been around since 1979-1980. In first gen Camaros turbo V8s have been around since 1967. Etc. I bet the first aftermarket turbo V8 was on a flathead Ford, whatever year that engine was first built, probably in the 1940s.

 

Because all of you guys that were building hondas as teenagers grew up and started driving V8s and are starting to put turbos on em lol.

 

Wait the Grand national and turbo trans ams weren't around in the 80s?

 

Not a V8... It was a V6. But it was faster than any V8 produced at the time period.

 

Sorry misread thought he meant domestics not v8s lol speed read fail.

wait the 301 turbo T/A in 1980- 1981 were v8s according to another forum lol looked into it.. I was like my friends 81 turbo ta sounds nothing like a v6 making 300 hp.

 

yeah that just might have something to do with it LOL!! Everyone's making great points You know it makes you wonder like michaelsuch posted there's realy no limit for turbos yet how fast car's are gonna get like when my little 4 year old boy gets to the age to drive what is it he's gonna want lol!

 

Turbos don't run out of power like nitrous...I know I don't wanna pay for horsepower over and over, I'm def not a fan of the bottle...was gonna race a guy and he said "gotta fill up my bottle first"...lol, well I gotta go rebuild my motor first haha

 

this is the future...

 

Haha...

Tho I have no ambitions to turbocharge my V8. I think I would end up killing myself.

 

This probably has a lot to do with it as well. When I turned 18 I got a factory turbo Eclipse and have been building them ever since. I would love to turbo the V, but right now I'm not in the position to do that lol. Every car is so much more fun with a turbo hanging off the exhaust manifold.

 

Yup my brother has 3 eclipses well ones his wifes but he has a 02 thats his dd and here in the next month or so were gona pull the motor on his 99 gsx to start building it up were not prejudice when it cones to cars LOL! The way we see it is if you can make it fast and got the money to do so ******* go for it!

 

I never thought of turboing my flathead!

 

Thread went crazy quick