What got you into turbo/supercharging?

I will start with me...
I was 15, and my cousin offered me a ride in his 92 RX-7 (that was motivated by a twin turbo triple rotor)...
Sitting at 80mph on the freeway, he put it back to 3rd, and dropped the hammer.
The car stepped sideways as it lit up the rear tyres, and we shot off, and the thing didn't stop till he let off at 150mph...
For a 15 year old country boy who had grown up riding in 4x4 diesel trucks that didn't even have 100hp, the sheer force of the acceleration was almost surreal...
I WAS HOO<!>KED

And from then on, it was forced induction for me...


Whats your story?

 

About 6 months ago a friend let me drive his Procharged 72 Nova. Similar experience on the freeway, stomp it at 60 mph and it blew the tires away. I HAD to have some of that! As hkiefus told me in my post after the first test drive. Welcome to the addiction brother.

 

I've always been a follower of the church of hydrocarbons, believing that there is no replacement for displacement. I like 500+ cid engines, always have.

However, in 1993, I bought a FWD continental that had a 3.8L V6. I bought this car because I needed a 4-door, reliable, comfortable transportation since I my career shifted and required extensive traveling. I installed a paxton supercharger and from there, I was "bit" by the forced induction bug. That installation resulted in tons of engine work and appreciation for smaller engines.

A few years later I pondered... big cubes with forced induction? Hmmmmm. That's how the 75 Dodge twin-turbo 451cid truck came to be, as well as my current project - 500cid twin turbo F350 crewcab. I've built other turbo things since 93 as well, though mostly with friends.

There is no such thing as too much displacement, or too much boost.

 

My Expy had a few bolt-ons plus an exhaust. Sounded mean, like a V8 should. But got sick of getting smoked by old ladies in the Taurus one lane over.

When you have a loud truck, everyone wants to race. And when your truck weighs 3 tons and has 235hp, you lose every "race" across the intersection...merging onto the freeway...

So I started reading the forums, how people were putting blowers onto their trucks and making them faster. Then I found a used Procharger for sale, cheap.

There you have it.

I was just so sick of spending money on mods where you "think" you can feel a difference on the 'ol butt dyno. That money would have paid for well over half of the blower...

You put a blower on, and you don't "think" you can feel a difference...it's like night-and-day. The truck is not the same, she turned into a real monster and I love that.

 

It was the summer of '77 (or was it 78) for me. I saw the movie Mad Max.

 

Been there, suffered that, and why I eventually got into building "sleepers". I don't mind people not giving what I'm driving a second look, only to blast by them effortlessly. Built some nifty toys over the years, one of my favorites was shoving a 460 into a 92 4-door Explorer. It can be done. It's a ton of work too.

A buddy of mine has what I consider the best sleeper - a 92 4-door, medium grey Ford Taurus. Why? RWD conversion, 347cid, single turbo, air locker in the rear to act as a spool, C5 vette suspension. You'd never give the car a second look, and probably not even a first look. Until it blasts by you "way" in the triple digits.

FUN car. Incredible workmanship. I just wouldn't sink $50k into a taurus lol.

 

I'm an addict.....oh fyi....the Garrett air to water intercooler is here and waiting installation...also ordering the alcohol/water injection next week from Summit.

SPOOL IT UP... SPRAY IT... AND HANG ON......

 

We think alike.
That Taurus sounds awesome.
I love sleepers.

I'm currently considering putting a big turbo on my GTI. While keeping it completely stock in appearance. (I know, it's a goody little car...it was the only small car that I could possibly see myself in, though, and it runs a 14-flat with just a chip and the removal of a little weight!)

I used to work at an automotive marketing company that was started by a muscle-car pioneer (PM me and I'll tell you who, you'd recognize the name). Among their warehouse of classic/muscle/race cars, they had a few sleepers, one in particular that you'd appreciate:

A mid-80's Buick Regal. White exterior with a landau top. Mini-tubbed in the back, street drag slicks & skinnies up front, but with wire-wheel hubcaps grafted on so it looked like grandmas car. Interior was bone-stock save for a boost gauge...
...because it had a Duttweiler-built 4.3 with a huge turbo. Basically a built Grand National in disguise.
Car ran 10s with me driving, into the 9s with a good driver, and was just a gem. Totally streetable.

Another nice sleeper was a 5-speed manual Lexus Coupe. With a 150-shot of nitrous, that car was good for low 13s, which was quite fast in the mid-90s.

 

A very nice sleeper...
http://www.w2wpowertrain.com/t-novabuild-2.aspx

 

Around these parts a bug is an infection... you get shots and pills for.

I had dreamed of a 4 wd tow vehicle, but I didn't really get into it until I had my 7700 for a while. I thought what kind of performance would a 7700 have if you threw a '99-'04 Lightning motor in it. In the future I'll have a blown 5.4 in a truck that'll function as a 5600# tow vehicle, run on 87 octane, but still lay down 12s in the 1/4. Yeah, I'm dreaming, but I bet I can do it.

-Kerry

 

pronstar
I saw that car when the Power Tour rolled through Columbia about a month ago. It was amazing. The cars got a powerglide and 4.30 gears. And they DROVE it from Florida!

 

There, fixed

 

Nice! I'd love to see the Power Tour!
They never run that through my neck of the woods...

 

Thanks Fred... all better.

-Kerry

 

when i bought my 01 lightning i found the joy of boost. not just for wide open tire frying either. it's great for all around driveability. like when you're cruising on the highway and you come up on a little grade. just hold the gas steady and listen to the boost do the work. holds back on long down grades too.