I've had my 87 N/A for about 2 years now, and have been slowly building on it. I am starting to get frustrated that I cannot make it fast no matter what i do... as far as performance enhancements, I got the racing beat header and presilencer, GReddy power extreme catback, bonez intake, removed air conditioning and smog pump, blocked off the AC/CV, installed 9.5lb aluminum flywheel and ACT clutch and also wired the 5th and 6th ports open recently. from what i've read, with all this done, it should be a quick little car. Unfortunatly it hasn't turned out that way. I don't believe its any faster than it was when it was stock. I've done quite a bit of street racing and have been beaten by quite a few stock pile of junk cars. Is there some kind of problem with my car or are the non-turbo rx's just slow no matter what? I'm very disappointed with the car since ive thrown so much money into it, knowing that if I put those thousands into a honda like my friends have I'd actually have something fast. Is there any step that I have forgotten to do in my upgrading which is holding the whole car back? I mean christ, my old lady's station wagon is prolly faster! I'm happy with the car besides the performance though, I've got some nice big chrome wheels on, and lots of brake and suspension work done as well. The car turns every head on the street, just wish I had some power to back it up... any suggestions would be appreciated. Sorry this got so long...

 

prolly some other problems, i got a stock N/A and its fast as ****

 

BTW, how fast u in the 1/4?

 

You've done every thing correct so far,, except wiring the 5th and 6th ports,, stupid mod, you make your torque curve weak in the low end and you gain NOTHING on the top. Also AC doesnt take hardly any power from your engine when its off. You can always add a electric fan for added power. Are you sure your just not getting used to the added power and cant feel it???? You did every thing but add extra fuel to the equation, you could do it 3 ways farly cheap. #1 add turbo injectors in the secondaries. Although it isnt optimal to due this, I seen people do all the mods you have and not gain much in power cause they added air, but no extra fuel. The larger secondaries although a rough way to do it works GREAT!! #2 you could add a rising rate fuel regulator, there adjustable so you can fine tune the curves at which it starts to add more fuel by raising your line pressure. #3 you can get a after market piggy back computer to enrichen your fuel. Best thing to do is get a rich/lean meter and see if your running lean. Also it could be your driving, you bring the engine up to just below 7k on the tach when you shift right?? If your short shifting you'll get no were fast. Furthermore, is your engine in good health?? Hows the compression? And finally if everything you have and have done are proper and you still dont feel like enough power, your going to need to port it (a full rebuild is nessary for this) or get a turbo car. ohh and I forgot, if its a automatic,, forget making it fast unless you convert to a manual 5 speed.

My $.02

 

You'd be surprised how this statement affects its self.

But I doubt that this is your problem.

You have to understand one thing you cant base your statements on a "Butt Dyno"

My car with its current mods (check my sig) feels almsont no different thant what it did Stock, but its abotu 1.5 secodns faster in the 1/4 mile.

I suggest you go to the track ATLEAST 2 different days before you Guess on the performace you have.


BTW good choice of mods, BUT just a lil bit of info, Chrome is HEAVY. That Sometimes Makes a big diff in performace, tied in with the Size of the Wheel.

If you got bigger than 18's on your car, or aslo have a sound system in it, swap the wheels out for stock wheels with a friedn or somethign, and also remove your speakers, if you have any, and I assure you that you will feel a difference.

 

Yeah I have a stock S5 N/a and it is damn fast. And too I havn't driven many fast cars in my life but with my skills, I can stay even with my friend's pa's viper which is a good thing.

 

 

 

Don't get turbo injectors, you'll run too rich. If anything get a S-AFC and lean out the midrange. There's a guy on the board with a 88 vert that has one and leaned it out somewhat and was HAPPY with the results. Ported engine would help out A LOT.

 

Reminds me kinda of the kid riding a bike racing his dad in the altima commercial...

 

 

What cars have you been racing?

You are on the right track with those mods, as stated before a S-afc will help you (you don't need more fuel, you need less in some points). I still think that the AFM is the main factor on why most of us are below the 160hp barrier.

 

Check the compression and make sure its all tuned up properly. All those mods are useless if your engine isin't up to par. Those big chrome wheels could probably weigh twice what the factory wheels weigh and that will affect your acceleration and handling. If the car felt different after you installed the chrome rims don't think that it was an improvement as it probably wasn't.

 

what do you expect? Are you building a fast car or a show car? Chrome rims do not belong on a fast car. Thats way too much reciprocating mass!

 

as joe mentioned i have the S-AFC on my 88 vert which is got all kinds of bolt ons the S-AFC was the best mod in my opinion i leaned it out a little in the upper rpm ranges and it helped out alot but as i found out and as joe can tell you its still slow.since riding with joe i have the TII fever thats why i got a TII and plan on doing the swap in my vert in the winter time when the vert is not in need for much use dont get me wrong there are some fast NA's on the forum but i just like the TII idea and its much easier to get to perform with just a mild streetport and i love that sound of the turbo spooling up.oh yeah by the way joe now you got my dad looking to sell his convertable for a TII i told him to sell the GTU instead but he says hes got to much money in the GTU hes looking at a TII right now.

 

In a nutshell, three choices:

1) Port the engine

2) NOS

3) Forced induction

if you want DRAMATIC increases this is what you will have to do.

Little stuff you can do still would be SAFC, TB MOD, and Weight Reduction

 

I didn't mean to have that kind of influence . I'll keep a lookout for any TIIs if they pop up anywhere local (100mi radius).

 

Totally agree here.

 

Mm.... wiring the 6p open isn't necessarily bad...

What you said is true: You do lose low end, and you don't "gain" top end......compared to normally working 6p's.

However, since he has a header and a catback, there's a good chance that he no longer has enough backpressure to even actuate them... OR, even a line to connect the actuators to! So, wiring them open is really the best he can hope for.

Of course...doing some sort of actuation with the air pump or whatnot wolud be even better....but that seems to be gone.

Actually....you removed your air pump...is your cat still there? If it is, it's TOASTED, and it's a bigass blockage in your exhaust.. Either run BOTH airpump+cat, or just a straight pipe. Be funny if that was the whole cause of your problems.. <G>

-Tesla

 

I just bought an 88gxl NA and I must say that Jeffs post kinda scared me cuz im in the pre-stages of puttin some mods into it. But my stomach still hasent settled yet cuz i mean thats a **** load of upgrades, and you got some ppl saying they got a NA andits fast as **** imean i guess its all in the condition of the engine too. But whats the real story
Anyways i got just one question and i feel like an idiot asking, Can you guys explain what S-AFC is??

 

S-AFC is a fuel controller piggy back computer made by A'PEXI.

 

OK...RayalASS. Forget your 6th ports...Take them out completly and port match the entire intake manifold track with a dremel..should take 10 hours your first time. Do a search on how to..its easy. Then Dyno tune the S-AFC. Should be good for around 10-15 hp in certain ranges as people like ppnos have dynoed. My N/A does NOT get beat by JUNK CARS. I beat alot of cars already that were way higher hp...I can even beat a stock turbo. Im around 14.9 in the 1/4... WIth minimal mods. I dont have the porting yet or s-afc so im sure I can hit 190-200hp on stock port engine... something is wronge with your car. Just get compression check then drive your car till it blows...Then street port it the next rebuild...U dont need to get an 200 doller electric fan and other **** ... it will just waste your money and u wont be happy because if your upset with its performance know an electric fan , pulley exc is not going to make u happy. If your serious about it then just get a used S-AFC and dremel here on the forum , go tune it and beat some turbos.

 

I don't know... It sounds like JeffRX7 has done lots of wrong things to get extra power...

Like the wheels and non working 5th/6th ports each alone is helping kill his 0-40 or 0-60 into econ-box territory.

is there a full list of mods that have been done?

All these things should give him extra power, and with the correct RB presilencer the 5th-6th ports should be fine.

I think there is more to this story, because based on this he should be up 20+ HP or so, putting it in the low 7 second 0-60 range.

 

"Bonez Intake"

If you're not getting cold air to the filter, then a cone filter will actually slow you down.
Cold air = power
Warm air = Minivan speed

 

TO ANYONE THAT STILL HAS THEIR 5th and 6th PORTS:

DO NOT removethem.

Like it was said you loose low end and GAIN NOTHING (unless they didnt open up). Which brigns me to the next point. There is way to make your 5th and 6th ports open like the S5 cars, whith the Air pump.

I removed mne cus I thought I wasnt going to have enought back pressure to open them, and then I came alogn the site that explained how to open them with the air pump. I regret doign it, cus 10-13lbs of not having an airpump, does nto make up for 10ft-lbs of tourque/ power in the low end.