Should I turbo my M20?

[Hoffbrohaus]

maybe some people don't only keep these cars for their collectible value

Right I made that decision, not a garage queen, I'm gonna enjoy it

I am surprised by the number of people who do not perform the work themselves.

I'm doing it myself, did my '98 200SX with an SR20DE a long time ago and loved it. But I get why some people don't. Family, work, health, who knows what can get in the way. I think I'm at a sweet spot where I can take my time now and do it right.

The real question is what is the outcome you want? Since most e30s are second vehicles these days, does turboing the car and reducing certain aspects reduce or enhance the enjoyment of it for you? What happens when you blow a headgasket, get more speeding tickets, get worse fuel economy, or realize you could have bought a car with 250 horsepower for the same price as going to the effort to turbo it?

Completely enhance. Yea probably get more speeding tickets and will get worse fuel mileage but the day I drove my 1st turbo 20 years ago I was hooked and I need my boost fix.

This thread is where I started back in 2010 and a turbo install back then is priced at $5,000 http://e30techarchive.com/showthread...mp;t=74816.htm

Thanks for the link, very thorough and helpful. I'll keep you guys updated with a build thread once I get going. I'm thinking I'll start with the MSPNP, Injectors, Oil Cooler, & head studs. Get that running smooth and then fork out the cash for everything else.

[varg]

In today’s market, almost all E30s have at least some collectible value. Adding a turbocharger would not, in my opinion, add to that value.

Irrelevant. Not only is a well done turbo installation, as I pointed out before, completely reversible, but we generally aren't collectors here. Collectors who keep their cars in bubbles and trailer them to cars and coffee for other collectors to gawk at a couple of times per year don't come to r3v and talk about turbo conversion

[ghrays]

Irrelevant. Not only is a well done turbo installation, as I pointed out before, completely reversible, but we generally aren't collectors here. Collectors who keep their cars in bubbles and trailer them to cars and coffee for other collectors to gawk at a couple of times per year don't come to r3v and talk about turbo conversion

The OP posed the question Should I turbo my M20? and then gave a cost estimate and questioned whether doing so would

somehow trash the car in some way

.

I gave my opinion, you have yours.

[82eye]

This was my concern. I feel like my car has a good pedigree and is a collector car at this point.

therein lies the issue. if it is collectible as an original car, a turbo will ensure it is never no more. i don't care if it is totally reversible. an-ex turbo car is just one that's been hooned to the nth of it's life. not a great sales proposition to anyone afterwards. buying an ex turbo car is only good if you want a project. which is exactly how anyone not looking for a hoon car will look at it. it all depends on what you want out of it, there's nothing wrong with building what you want, it just may not be what the market wants when you are done with it.

[Hoffbrohaus]

Thanks all. I think my original post wasn't really clear enough, I probably didn't even know what I was asking. What you helped me get to is this: I have an e46 M3 w/120k miles and an e30 w/150k miles, I want boost ,so do I supercharge the M3 or turbo the E30? I am going down the road of turboing the e30. It's not my DD, it will cost less to do, and I'm not keeping it to make money, I enjoy it and drive it. It's not even close to completely stock anyway. The M3 needs subframe reinforcement, vanos rebuild, and euro headers in addition to an expensive SC kit.

btw, I didn't know what "hooned" meant 82eye. Found this:
"A hoon is an Australian term describing a person who deliberately drives a vehicle in a reckless or dangerous manner, generally in order to provoke a reaction from onlookers."

Ordered my MSPNP, GM IAT, and a straight pipe to take out the AFM for now. ForcedFirebird I'll probably be hitting you up eventually for a remote tune and various other questions :)

[dd313370]

This debate on the value of forced induction is pretty funny.
The car is a tool, and if it is a tool for your enjoyment then enjoy it. If it is intended for other uses, commuting, that is fine too. If it is a financial tool you hope will sky rocket in value, you are terrible at investing.

I would buy a second m20, freshen it up and do the turbo build out on that motor. The value of the car should be fine, you could sell it to anyone who wants a turbocharged e30, or revert it. You do not have to disclose that it was turbocharged. You could trade the car in, then when it has been auctioned three times to different used car lots, they wouldn’t know what if anything has been done.

[decay]

btw, I didn't know what "hooned" meant 82eye. Found this:
"A hoon is an Australian term describing a person who deliberately drives a vehicle in a reckless or dangerous manner, generally in order to provoke a reaction from onlookers."

going off-topic because i don't think i have advice on which project you should be blowing your paychecks on.

but dude. have you not seen ken block's antics over the past decade or so? go type "hoonigan" into youtube.

[Hoffbrohaus]

but dude. have you not seen ken block's antics over the past decade or so? go type "hoonigan" into youtube.

Oh for sure! Didn't process Hooned = Hoonigan with a root of Hoon

[decay]

Oh for sure! Didn't process Hooned = Hoonigan with a root of Hoon

that's fair mahdood. it is a portmanteau of "hoon" and "hooligan".

[moatilliatta]

You want an open element temp sensor, sometimes closed sensors show up for I don’t know why..

[82eye]

I enjoy it and drive it. It's not even close to completely stock anyway.

those are the reasons to turbo.



.

I feel like my car has a good pedigree and is a collector car at this point

that sounded like a different car. that's the only point i had. given the choices i would turbo as well.

[ForcedFirebird]

ForcedFirebird I'll probably be hitting you up eventually for a remote tune and various other questions :)

Sure thing!