Supercharger VS Turbo

[Northwest86]

That depends on the tuner and turbo design. If you didn't know better you could be excused in saying that my turbo kit was a supercharger. Especially with the different turbo sizes available. Not all kits are made equal.

[GSpeed]

OP: Buy this. Read this.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448978119&sr=8-1&keywords=maximum+boost"]Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing and Installing Turbocharger Systems (Engineering and Performance): Corky Bell: 9780837601601: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]

[NotSoJDM]

If you still owe a significant amount of money on the car, your best bet is to use that S/C money to pay down the principal of the car. But if you don't care to do that continue reading.

Turbo vs. Supercharger is a never ending debate, both have their pros/cons. Given your limited knowledge, are you going to have someone else install the kit for you? How about general maintenance? These would be big deciding factors for me, as I would want a kit that is easy to maintain with the smallest amount of failure points possible. If you are not mechanically inclined (which is fine) even small quirks on a forced induction setup could leave you stranded. For example, if your belt breaks on a supercharger and you can't replace it on your own, or have a spare, this could result in the car being undriveable for a few days. Another example is if your intercooler piping blows off on a turbo setup, and the car dies. How will you know what to trouble shoot or fix? These are items that are relatively easy to fix for the average DIYer, but someone who wants to set it and forget it will have a harder time solving these issues if they arise.

[Drifting86]

I have a basic knowledge of engines fuel fire combustion and how to fix something when it breaks diagnosis and problem solving on the other hand Im not to swell at me and a real good friend who has help me build a wiring harness from scratch are planning to do it I'm really not sure where I want extra power the most maybe a little lower in the Rev range hate not hitting my PowerBand until 5k rpms but I think I could also handle losing a little low end power for a stout power band I'm indecisive I know but my main thing is reliability I can work everything else out but I need reliability I can possibly get around the emissions issue if turbos are more reliable which from the sounds of things they are also who are good manufacturers of internals thanks guys I know I'm an idiot but most sites just have propaganda and "reviews" trying to sale there stuff

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by Drifting86

I have a basic knowledge of engines fuel fire combustion and how to fix something when it breaks diagnosis and problem solving on the other hand Im not to swell at me and a real good friend who has help me build a wiring harness from scratch are planning to do it I'm really not sure where I want extra power the most maybe a little lower in the Rev range hate not hitting my PowerBand until 5k rpms but I think I could also handle losing a little low end power for a stout power band I'm indecisive I know but my main thing is reliability I can work everything else out but I need reliability I can possibly get around the emissions issue if turbos are more reliable which from the sounds of things they are also who are good manufacturers of internals thanks guys I know I'm an idiot but most sites just have propaganda and "reviews" trying to sale there stuff

I am going to give you some solid advise. If you are new to this and do not have a very good understanding of FI then I would stay away from it. If you don't know who the "good manufacturers of internals " are then you should not even be thinking about them haha!!

It is not as easy as justing bolting something on and going. You should learn the car before you jump onto the FI bandwagon. If you want reliability or this is your only car leave it stock or only stick to smaller mods.

However with all that said if you want to spend $$$ then you can pay someone to do it all for you, but to me thats not the same as when you build something.

[hmong337]

300-400whp pumpgas = ~$15000
>400whp pumpgas = ~$25000
<300whp pumpgas = $5000-7000

Personally, I'd just get an Edelbrock SC kit, keep it at 260whp and done.

[GsxrMe]

I'm 9k with Turbo and supporting mods. I won't be entirely happy until I spend another 1k. Then I still need to build a motor, that's another 3k doing it myself. I haven't even touched my Prius rims and tires yet.

Someone else on the forums has a 400WHP BRZ/FRS with prius tires and rims and every gear is a spin out. I think it's his weekend around town car too.

[Scracho]

You need to ask what your ideal "end result" is for your car? Track? Daily? Garage Queen?

Modding in general is a slippery slope and as mentioned in a previous comment you can spend thousands just on forced induction and supporting mods before even touching anything else i.e. suspension, wheels, brakes, etc.

Automotive manufacturers spend millions of dollars in research and development to provide an overall good balance between performance, drivability and reliability. NO AFTERMARKET COMPANY will be able to provide the same expectations as OEM... However some companies do pretty good job and spend significantly more time and money on their product than others. Once you're okay with this and realize your vehicle may occasionally not run right, make weird noises, require countless tuning adjustments, modify parts that are supposed to be "bolt-on" and more importantly be ok if everything goes boom and cost you more money to get it running again, then you're ready to roll the dice!

I spent a significant amount of time doing the same sort of research and having owned 40+ cars in various configurations from turbo rotarys, to bolt-on N/A Hondas and a handful of boxer turbos I bought what I thought was a well engineered, reliable kit with good performance results and it was for the most part, but I found many "flaws" areas that where "not practical" and I ultimately got tired of the hassles, hiccups and the worries of "whats next?" to the point I parted out the car and nearly sold it.

My car currently sits stock as far as engine mods go with the exception of suspension, brakes and a good wheel/tire combo and honestly I enjoy the car far more now with the peace of mind knowing it will start everyday... Its amazing how much faster the car feels with other adjustments and more importantly track days working on driver mod first and foremost. Once "I can" personally squeeze everything available out of the car then I'll revisit forced induction again.

My advice: Buy the best quality, best engineered, from the most well known company for the most you can afford... You get what you pay for!

PS. The new Eldelbrock S/C looks well thought out and apparently comes with a engine warranty when installed by a pro... Thats as close to OEM you're going to get.