I'm sure everyone's expecting a turbo Ranger but wow this is not what you're expecting.
I've wanted a turbo project for a long time and now its finally starting. Initially I looked at turbo'ng the Cobra but I really don't want to tear it apart. It's such a nice car and not to mention the turbo kits run around $7k ~ $10k+.
So then I decided maybe an older Mustang or Camaro or some other V8 but it wasn't in the budget and I already have a boosted V8. Something else was in order. I wanted something cheap I could blow up and rebuild at minimal cost and learn about turbos and have fun without breaking the bank.
That's when I decided to start looking into small light compact 4 cylinder cars. Something exciting about a high revving 4 cylinder turbo car. Wow should I get a focus? how about a cavalier? nah not really strong motors and won't take much boost.
My next focus was the Neon SRT4. Those come with turbos from the factory and seemed like a really good starting point. I searched around and found that even though those cars sold for $20k brand new back in 04/05 they were around $8k ~ $12k now days with a lot of miles and abused. Get past the turbo and the motor and it's still a Neon lol. Everything falling apart and still just a pile of junk. I got on some Neon forums and found the problems and repairs on those cars endless.
I then ran across a guy on one of our fun cruise nights a few weeks ago that let me drive his SRT4 and that settled it for me right away, I didn't want one of those. It was a clunker.
Another thing in the back of mind the whole time was I really wanted to take a naturally aspirated car and turbo it. The SRT4 was factory turbo'd and took half the fun out of it.
So that's when I started looking into Hondas and found the Civics to be very attractive. The 1990 ~ 2000 models specifically. The 90-95 is one generation (odbi) and the 96-00 is another (odbii). Both generations run the D series motors (SOHC) with some minor exceptions such as the 99-00 SI model that had the B series DOHC motor. 2001 and up are the K series motors and boosting them gets to expensive and wasn't the kind of project I was looking for.
I got on some Honda forums and found the turbo parts to be in absolute abundance and was very impressed at how these cars hold up to boost and how much power they make.
I'm starting out with a 98 D series 5 speed. I have the EX model which made 127 hp and 107 ft/lb from the factory. The LX and DX models made less. Boosted with stock internals these cars make 200+ hp to the wheels all day long and been that they are so light they are like little rockets.
Forged lower compression pistons, forged rods, main + rod bearings = $499
Blower cam = $130
Few other misc parts and guys are running 400+ to the tires in these things for not much money.
They ares are light too. The 90-95 models are lighter but I couldn't find a good shape one for a price I was willing to pay but still my 98 I weighed with a full tank of gas. 2440 lbs. Wow my Cobra with a half tank was 3640 lbs.
I'm still piecing together (planning) the exact parts that will make up my turbo kit and I'll be ordering soon. I plan on tuning it myself too. Let the games begin!
Here's a pic of the car all stock as I got it.
Notice pin stripe on one side only lol. other one has to go.
New wheels and tires
The car needed new rubber badly
My new Turbo project
Moderator: MalcolmV8
- MalcolmV8
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 2597
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:50 pm
- SM: Yes
- Location: Kansas City, MO
My new Turbo project
92 302 Ranger - sold
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85
Tuned by MD Racing
https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85
Tuned by MD Racing
https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
Re: My new Turbo project
I have an HX-35 that has the divider milled out to prevent over spool, has the 9cm housing and 7 blade turbine if interested.
87 Ranger: Coast High Performance 331 kit 28oz balance, Comp XE264HR14 cam, 64cc 185 AFR heads, 1.7 roller rockers, Full manual reverse VB c4
- Dave
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 1524
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:36 pm
- SM: No
- Location: Central Wisconsin
Re: My new Turbo project
There are a couple of cool guys around here with Honda that run like "stink". The motors are build good and strong. One guy at work is helping a buddy back half one, yep, making it rear wheel drive. See if he can send me some pictures, forget why they said it's "The Thing" to do.
Dave
Dave
'66'Ranchero 302/5 speed
2015 Stage 3 Roush - rated at 670 hp
2000 Ext Cab/4 door swap project
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Summer beater
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Winter beater
1969 Fairlane Cobra in Barn, just waiting
2015 Stage 3 Roush - rated at 670 hp
2000 Ext Cab/4 door swap project
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Summer beater
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Winter beater
1969 Fairlane Cobra in Barn, just waiting
- MalcolmV8
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 2597
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:50 pm
- SM: Yes
- Location: Kansas City, MO
Re: My new Turbo project
That's a little to big for me. Rated for 5 to 6.5 liter motors. I have a 1.6Soul wrote:I have an HX-35 that has the divider milled out to prevent over spool, has the 9cm housing and 7 blade turbine if interested.
92 302 Ranger - sold
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85
Tuned by MD Racing
https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85
Tuned by MD Racing
https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
- MalcolmV8
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 2597
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:50 pm
- SM: Yes
- Location: Kansas City, MO
Re: My new Turbo project
Yes I ran a few of them on our cruise night a few weeks ago. My Cobra's putting down around 500 some hp and 510 ft/lb to the tires and there were a couple of those little suckers hanging right there with me on 40 to 120 mph roll races. Impressive little things.Dave wrote:There are a couple of cool guys around here with Honda that run like "stink". The motors are build good and strong.
92 302 Ranger - sold
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85
Tuned by MD Racing
https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85
Tuned by MD Racing
https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
- Dave
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 1524
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:36 pm
- SM: No
- Location: Central Wisconsin
Re: My new Turbo project
Funny you mention that! Had a little EVO (looked completly stock, not riced out at all) I believe, pull me pretty good at 70 mph when the Stang was new and I don't really know how to drive it or what it could do. Now I know I can just drop down to third and really have a go at it. 90 mph in third is only about 4000 rpm and got quite bit left. Another nice guy, he'd pass me on the way to work, smile and wave.
Dave
Dave
'66'Ranchero 302/5 speed
2015 Stage 3 Roush - rated at 670 hp
2000 Ext Cab/4 door swap project
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Summer beater
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Winter beater
1969 Fairlane Cobra in Barn, just waiting
2015 Stage 3 Roush - rated at 670 hp
2000 Ext Cab/4 door swap project
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Summer beater
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Winter beater
1969 Fairlane Cobra in Barn, just waiting
- MalcolmV8
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 2597
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:50 pm
- SM: Yes
- Location: Kansas City, MO
Re: My new Turbo project
A few updates. Ran the car at the track completely stock to get a baseline. Fastest time of the night 16.731 @ 81.07 mph lol. That's actually faster than I was even expecting stock. Not bad. Don't laugh at the reaction time, I know I know. I had others with super fast reaction time but this was the quickest et.
I got the stock Honda running on video too. I was racing my buddy in his Malibu with a 205 hp 3.5 v6 and he spun off the line so I beat him. I had to rub it in and enjoy it lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGFVLwPdaeM
Turbo kit is ordered and ships monday. Can't wait!!
In the mean time I noticed this tranny would jump out of second every so often. Occasional first gear grind too. Tore the tranny open and found some bearings just shot to hell. So I'm going to rebuild the tranny as soon as the rebuild kit arrives. New syncros, bearings, seals etc. I'm upgrading to carbon fiber syncros instead of stock brass syncros since they grab much harder at higher rpms and allow for very high rpm shifting. I've seen some guys with carbon fiber syncros are shifting at 11k rpms and the syncros are holding up.
I'm also installing a limited slip diff in there while I have it open. That just sounds funny on a fwd car but I guess they work from the research I've done so I'll see how that goes.
I also found the 3rd/4th shift fork was worn below factory spec so I filled it with weld and grinded it back into spec.
Some pics
The worn shift fork
Welded up
Grinded down
Cluster shaft
Main shaft
Both shafts taken apart for inspection
I got the stock Honda running on video too. I was racing my buddy in his Malibu with a 205 hp 3.5 v6 and he spun off the line so I beat him. I had to rub it in and enjoy it lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGFVLwPdaeM
Turbo kit is ordered and ships monday. Can't wait!!
In the mean time I noticed this tranny would jump out of second every so often. Occasional first gear grind too. Tore the tranny open and found some bearings just shot to hell. So I'm going to rebuild the tranny as soon as the rebuild kit arrives. New syncros, bearings, seals etc. I'm upgrading to carbon fiber syncros instead of stock brass syncros since they grab much harder at higher rpms and allow for very high rpm shifting. I've seen some guys with carbon fiber syncros are shifting at 11k rpms and the syncros are holding up.
I'm also installing a limited slip diff in there while I have it open. That just sounds funny on a fwd car but I guess they work from the research I've done so I'll see how that goes.
I also found the 3rd/4th shift fork was worn below factory spec so I filled it with weld and grinded it back into spec.
Some pics
The worn shift fork
Welded up
Grinded down
Cluster shaft
Main shaft
Both shafts taken apart for inspection
92 302 Ranger - sold
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85
Tuned by MD Racing
https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85
Tuned by MD Racing
https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8