dean23

i've serched. a lot. but theres really been nothing to peruade me to go in any direction. basicly all i want to do is go turbo, but i have 4 options.

1. Rebuild my engine, gather parts
2. TII swap
3. Cosmo swap
4. 13btt swap


i really really want the 13btt, but im not sure if its a project i could fund. i like the idea of rebuilding my engine, but then gathering the parts for a turbo setup can be pricey.

so what do u guys think?? whats gonna cost the least? or better yet what is the best thing for me to do?

My car is a stock 80' btw.

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

No opinions until you have a budget in mind, along with your skill level, tool access, work space and outside local resources. You can add a 13B NA to the list too.

At this point, if you have to ask, then I would say no to the Cosmo and REW. TII, maybe.

dean23

well budget is not a huge concern. im not going to start the project for another year. maybe longer. i just want something i can, for once, stay concrete with and work towards it. right now im lookin at rebuiling and porting my engine. that i could do myself. then maybe a boost-prepped sterling carb and a blowthrough turbo setup.. i have no idea what that would cost in total though. im guess around 3k or so. but then a TII swap isnt much over that. im just stuck on stupid things like that.

steve84GS TII

A 200-250HP TII swap can be done for half that if you do it right and can handle the work yourself.
Other than neededing a complete TII car to pillage parts from,theres very little to it.There are a couple custom fab items youll have to adress,like the front cover,left side wiring and fuel system,but for the most part its just turning wrenches.
The one thing that is vital to a TII swap is a full understanding of the EFI system.You need to study and understand everything before diving in.The factory fuel injection might seem cluttered an complicated,but once you have it all down youll be grateful that you didnt go with a carbed setup......and your wallet will be grateful you didnt go with a standalone.
Of course,there are downsides too.The stock EFI can be cantankerous after 20 years,so its imperitive to spend a little money on injector cleaning,vacuum hoses and seals/gaskets.And the max HP is only around 250-275......still plenty quick in a 1st gen.
The TII is the ultimate "simple" and "reliable" way to turbo a 1st gen.Its factory tuned and built to handle boost,so theres less/little worry about parts holding up.And the metered air EFI,while more complex,is better able to handle mods than the speed density EFI of the FD engine.The Cosmo 13B is a good combination of the two,but the twins add an element of complexity,and the fact that its a non-US engine makes that swap more troublesome in some aspects.

FirebirdSlayer666

iTrader: (3)

I say tear down, port, rebuild and custom turbo the 12A with an S5 turbo. Can be done in $1k or less depending on how much boost you wanna run

MattG

iTrader: (2)

I went through the same problem as you. I didnt know which route I wanted to take. So many options.

First pick your car: Mine a 84 GSL-SE, would have liked white, but I couldnt pass up the deal I got.

What I did, was set an HP goal. Mine is 225-275. It may not sound like alot, but I am still green behind the wheel <5 years.

I dont want to have to do a ton of tuning, as I am new to the Turbo Rotarys. I am going to keep the stock ECU, and just run RTEK 2.0, rather than having to worry about a Standalone.

My goal to for cost is 2.5K, so I knew the knew that the 13b-REW was kinda out of the question, with the amount of custom work it would take.

Then I considered parts, if something where to happen, would I be able to find parts. Well this knocked the cosmo out of the picture in my mind, becuase it was never released in the states.

My final push towards the T2 swap, was the amount of people who have done this swap, and my bestfriend Cameron(hondahater) with his Second Gen Turbo II in town (which will be pushing out close to 500hp!! By winter time hopefully lol) So I would have lots of help, if I need it.

Then it came down to S4 or an S5, well since I want to run the RTEK chip, it was a simple choice S4, becuase they havent made one for an S5 yet.

So you just got to ask yourself, what are my HP goals, my budget, Can I find parts, Easy to find help if you need it.

Oh and Joey I have to call BS on the statment above!

Hope this helps, Matt

FirebirdSlayer666

iTrader: (3)

Hey I did say depending on how much boost you wanna run!! LOL 8psi on stock WG springs with stock internals, new fuel pump, and boost prepped carb, easy done under $1k

MattG

iTrader: (2)

I think you left out a part!

FirebirdSlayer666

iTrader: (3)

And yes it can be done if you're a smart shopper and how much boost you wanna run LOL

Directfreak

iTrader: (2)

S4/S5 13BT all the way.

Naegleria_Fowleri

This is why I bought two FB's. I was torn between two majorly different routes. I wanted an all motor 12a, but at the same time I wanted a TII swap. The all motor 12a is nearing its completion. Motor is almost ready to be thrown back in, and then it is just an upgraded fuel pump. Then its to my other car, which will be my TII swap.