I recently purchased a 1988 green gxl out of a junk yard.
I am for sure going to put a turbo motor in it, I know its not going to be easy but I am going to do it. I was wondering which turbo motor I should put in?? Should I get the 86-88 turbo engine or the 89-91 turbo engine? I wanted the 89-91 because it has more power and more boost. Will it have problems fitting into the 1988 engine bay?? I know I am getting a jspec one with the wire harness, but I was wondering if it would be easier to get the 86-88 turbo motor in it??
Thanx for you input..
Does anyone know were I can order a jspec motor from??
I know I need other things also, and I have access to a junk yard for some other parts if needed. I know that I dont have to have the turbo trans and drivetrain, but I can get other parts from it also.

PS
I am making it turbo because I cant afford a normal turbo on insurrance, so I am not going to find a turbo and fix it.........
thx

 

Um, you insurance company isn't going to care if it came with a turbo from the factory or not. It's still a turbo to them.
Get the 89-91 motor, it's much better.

 

his insurance doesnt HAVE to know

 

And when he has to make a claim for an accident, the insurance assessor sees the turbo and says "you lied on your application form, we decline your claim and revoke your insurance." And you'd be lucky to ever get insurance again because insurance companies take this sort of thing very seriously. Lying to insurance companies is about the dumbest thing you can do.

 

I'm not sure if it's the motor that's better between the '88 and '89+ models, but rather the turbo/manifold that's better. When my '88 TII blew a manifold/turbine gasket, I bought an '89 TII turbo/manifold and installed that instead. Complete bolt - in and a considerable difference in hp(especially when I boosted up...no more boost spikes).

Either way, that's a big undertaking...swapping motors...that's also a lot of stuff to buy.

 

the 89-91 engine is good in stock form for the power but the 86-88 turbo engine has a lower compression. You can boost more if you go big turbo!! To4E BABY!!!

- kevin

 

Nah, the turbo's just the tip of the iceberg! Lighter, higher CR rotors with machined (instead of cast) recesses, mods to cooling and oiling passages, stronger rear plate, pluse I can't remember. Not massive changes, but enough to make it package worth getting. Definitely a better base for a highly modded engine.

 

No.. you tell them that you purchased the car in non-running condition (right now), and are getting a new motor to replace the broken one. Then if you have a claim, in the HIGHLY UNLIKELY situation that an insurance adjuster knows what a TurboII motor looks like (you can remove the intercooler if absolutely necessary) and that it's not supposed to be in the thing in the first place, then you can STILL say "I told you I was getting a new motor"

*(#@%*( THIS *#%ING SERVER TOO BUSY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!

 

NZ,
Whaich motor are you talking about? The 88 or the 89+?

 

Yes we're talking about the 88 turbo engine and the 89+ turbo engine.
Which one should I get????

 

89. its better.

 

If your not looking for much more power then the stock drivetrain will be OK for awhile. It still something to be concerned with. The NA clutch will go first. FC3S.org you can buy j-spec motors. 89-92 motors have higher compression and lighter rotors, better turbo setup then the 87-88.

 

Everyone thinks lower compression means you can pile in more boost, but remember the effective CR (what the engine actually gets) is static CR multiplied by boost pressure ratio (absolute manifold pressure divided by atmosperic pressure), so if you decrease CR by 5%, you can only increase boost pressure ratio by 5% before you're right back where you started. For example, when going from a CR of 9.0:1 down to 8.5:1 (S5 to S4), boost can only go from (say) 15psi to about 17psi before effective CR is the same.
Also, that extra boost is only there when the turbo is on boost, the higher CR is always there.
Sorry about all the maths!

 

Maybe it's different in the US, but every insurance form I've filled out has had a seperate question asking "Is the vehicle turbocharged?", and in the clauses it'll say "the insurance company must be informed of any modifications to the vehicle." This pretty much covers the insurance company's ***. Maybe you'd get away with it, but is it worth risking not EVER getting insurance again...? Never lie to insurance companies, they can screw you much better that you think you can screw them!
I just got a "server too busy" message at 10pm NZ time. That's 3am USCT! WTF?!

 

After I put in the engine how much power can I run before I need to switch out my tranny and drivetrain??
I want to keep those as long as I can. What can I do to the engine before I have to switch those two things out????

 

How much does it cost to put in a drivetrain??
And how much does a drivetrain cost??

 

anyone??