efrain

Hi everybody I am from Puerto Rico and its a pleasure for me to be able to discuss my doubts in this site. Like a month ago I bought a 1981 280 zx. The car is in really good conditions. It's a N/A. It has headers, exhaust, MSD and K&N. I was thinking in buying a T3/T4 turbo

Do you think it's a goos idea?
If I buy the turbo kit, would i need to invest too much money instaling it?
I've got like $800 bucks, would that be enough?
It's smarter to invest in a nice audio system?

Captain caveman

from what I know It's pretty difficult to turbo the n/a engine. A guy from another forum blew up his engine doing so because the car was running to lean. I think the prob has to do with the fuel injection system. Maybe you can do a carb conversion and do a blowthrough setup. You would have to do other things to prevent knocking if you turbo the n/a engine like retard your timing and maybe reduce your compression ratio. I don't know about the compression though since there are newer modern cars that run with turbos at a higher compression.

Also you'll have to have a custom exhaust manifold to be fabricated if you want to turbo the car with the stock head

juggalo280ZX

here bleach, I'll do it for ya. "how do I turbo a non-torbo engine?" you don't.

ZedZilla

Actually, its more like, you can do it if you really had no other option. Anything is possible but would it be reliable is the question. Ofcourse the compression, ignition, fuel, timing etc are issues that can all be painstakingly worked out, again if you really had no other options. Might get expensive in replacement part costs though since trial and error is the only way. No cut and dry on this changeover yet otherwise there would be no N/A's left. Just ask Skully. He is in the middle of it right now.

If however you have the option of obtaining a Turbo engine and the required hardware such as the Dizzy, the AFM, the ECU, the turbo oil cooler, the turbo fuel pump etc. That would be the ideal, less headachy and more economical way to go.

Skully

yes you do now dont reply with crap like that because im doing the settup and there are many also doing the same setup....
running both high and low compression...

now Efrain...everyone will tell you to get a turbo engine and swap it..but if you are in situation where you cant find one then you wanna turbo your NA....this is my setup for my NA ...

im lowering the compression by putting in dished pistons instead of flat...
also im putting in a thicker headgasket since my head and my block had to be shaved..
for rigidity Head gasket is going to be metal and my block o-ringed...
i have 440cc injectors with a 255 lph fuel pump and aeromotive a 1000-6 pressure regulator
for computer i got megasquirt to controll my fuel and spark...i also got a turbo dizzy with built in Crank Angle Sensor...
i got turbo conn rods, and im puttin in ARP head bolts, main and rod bolts...

you will need lots of work to get it turboed, but if its the route you wanna go you will need more than 800 if you wanna run a safe setup...sorry to say...

i would say hold out on the turboing since 800 might just pay for the turbo and thats it....either save up more money or if you arent gonna be able to...just spend it on something you desire to do with the car then....

hope it helps

juggalo280ZX

As Bleach has stated and explained many times, it is more logical to do the whole engine swap. I didn't say it can't or shouldn't be done, it's just not the logical, cheaper, or more reliable way to go. No offense was intended skully, I just beat bleach to it that's all, I bet you wouldn't have snapped on him. too be continued, my ride is here...

Skully

yes i would have because he know as i have told him many times..sometimes you CANT find a engine localy and buying out out of country is way too much...thats not the issue here...dont go for the swap if you only have 800, my final statement...

s/cL3.0

It is doable but I dont think for 800.00, unless you retain the stock turbo {which is not fun} I was in the same situation and came across a complete L28et and built it up outside of the car it is alot easier..

ZedZilla

Hey dudes....dont be going on and gettin all outs shape like someone's asking for your daughters' hand in marraige. You guys know what the other meant. and that was not to be offensive. Both, in your own right, are correct. Why take offence to something that was obviously taken in the wrong way? The point was to give our new friend a perspective on turboing or not.

Now I think both of you should edit your earlier responses and just fill all the offensive words with "smileys".

felix69

id say leave her the way she is and put a nice system in. thats just me though im sure im getting to stiff with age and being a single father with a 4 yr. old in a coupe, i already have a bad habit of losing my temper with kids in supped up 4 bangers messing with me. i went with a system over power. with no offense to any racers out there, i like my 81 the way she is stock and clean.

EatmyDust

Now that is what I like to hear. felix has the best point of all. Thes cars are already such great cars stock, and a lot of people bucher them in the sacke of power. There are better ways, like the other guys were saying the whole engine swop. But if you want more power I would just buy specific performance parts for made for that car.