Hi All,

A quick backstory of me, I've owned an 85 12a for about 4 years now. When I first bought it, I came on posting "I'm doing a 20b swap because I want the best". As with most of us, reality and life set in. Most importantly, so did maturity. Fast forward to now, I have a wife and a daughter, and priorities have been in order. We're all happy and in a place where I can comfortably splurge a bit on the car.


So to it, the car is fun to drive! I live in GA, so I get to drive on lots of hills and turns. I've always had this urge for more power. I love torque and the force when accelerating. I am ready to pursue a swap, but only if it meets what I want out of it. My mother recently bought a 2018 q50 2.0 turbo. It was the first turbo I've ever driven and I kept telling myself "I'd be happy as hell if the rx7 was this quick". Fyi, the car is 208 hp/228t. My question to the board, would a turbo ii swap accomplish the same feeling in my fb? I think the turbo ii is 180 hp/180t, but the car is much lighter.


My goal is to keep the car fun for daily driving. I don't care to build something for the track or to go drag racing, so going for a twin turbo motor isn't necessary unless that's the only way to get the outcome I want.


Thanks!

 

Also, the motor is strong. Philly Onl I have is the oil cooler recently busted. For the same amount of money used to swap, how much more fun can I make the 12a?

 

You should just do these mods and be satisfied, should net you about 50 more HP.

1. RacingBeat SP exhaust system (headers, mid pipe and muffler) best bang for the buck and will last longer than the car.
2. Rats nest delete.
3. DLIDFIS ignition.
4. Electric fan
5. Hogged out Nikki and after market fuel pump and regulator.
6. Relays on headlights, ignition, fuel pump, and electric fans.
7. 82 fly wheel or a RB light steel flywheel

Some of these things don't add HP directly but make it either a more reliable runner or more fun. Number 1 costs real money but the rest are mostly your time and materials.

 

Yeah a 12a will move a FB pretty good. You don't get a lot of torque out of a 12a tho.

A 13b T is probably like a $2000-3000 ordeal minimum. For comparison, I'm into my whole FB with a built 12A and hogged out nikki and Racing Beat intake/exhaust for under $3000. I mean, I was a little scrappy about finding the parts I needed, but on the other hand a FB doesn't have many off-the-shelf options anymore.

 

the best and cheapest route will be turbo 2 swap im 2500 in my 12a and I still don't pass 180 and that's exhaust carb header ignition on a aggressive stretport

 

turbo 12a = fun ..... you say u hav some money to throw around..... try building up what u hav....if your interested i hav years of experience keeping these lil engines happy......

 

I say, go 13B (turbo block) and run it NA. If it satisfies you, keep it as such. If you get bored with it over time, then just add the turbo (and whatever support it needs). Keeping in mind you have a family, this affords you the option of keeping things simple - at least, until you feel like, or can afford, complicating it.

 

I think that driving a slow car fast is more fun than driving a fast car slow. I used to have a mustang GT and it was fun to let the ponies gallop but the moment you do you're in lose-license territory if you're not lucky.

The 12A can be a lot of fun. The racing beat intake and exhaust with a fuel pump and fpr is good for like +50% power without even porting it. But you can still wind out gears to the buzzer and fly under the radar.

 

13b are awesome but when u make more torque at lower rpm's ...and third gen's are scratching their heads...........