boost controller necessary?
 

So I am planning to stick some bolt on mods...ECU, intake, downpipe, catback and that's it.

Is it important to have a boost controller and/or fuel pump this early in the game?

You'll only be able to turn the boost UP (from the pressure of the wastegate spring), not down, with a boost controller. The most important thing here is to watch out for boost creep.

In my experience, boost creep will happen if you do 3 of the breathing mods (intake, downpipe, midpipe). When I bought my FD it had a downpipe and Greddy SP1 catback. To err on the side of caution, I did a PFC, fuel pump, and 850 primaries before doing a midpipe. I DID encounter some boost creep, which would've caused the motor to lean out if sufficient fuel was not present.

If I were you, I'd do a fuel pump before those mods just to be cautious. However, it's arguable that you could get away with those breathing mods without causing boost creep. Just keep a sharp eye on your boost gauge to make sure it's not creeping. Another option would be to port the WG so the exhaust gasses may be diverted around the turbo more quickly, thus alleviating boost creep. :icon_tup:

I would say yes, get a boost controller. If you get a PFC (ECU) it has a boost controller that should keep things under control. You should not have to worry about boost creep (boost continuing to rise out of control as rpm's increase) with those mods.

Ah ok, good to know. :) I knew the PFC had a boost controller in it, but did not know that it'd take care of boost creep automagically. Learn something new every day! :D

I have an old school Blitz Dual turbo timer that also functions as a boost gauge. It reads in kg/cm^2 which is annoying, and shows like a digital clock. It seems to be going up to 11-11.5 psi as it is, can anyone attest to the accuracy of these things?

You will not regret getting a boost controller and a fuel pump. But, I know a few people who regret not getting one or the other. The accuracy of boost gauges is debatable, it sounds close.

I'd get a PFC & a decent boost controller. I found the PFC boost controller kinda useless at regulating boost compared to my EVC5 with similar mods to you. A pump & FPR cant hurt, but they're not really needed at that stage (Unless you want to turn the boost up).

I think Arghx has had some luck with the PFC boost controller. And, as always, he's documented it here for our benefit.

The Power FC boost controller works best when the operator has datalogs and a solid understanding of how the controller works. What I like about it is that it has independent control of precontrol and wastegate, and the boost control is synchronized to the turbo transition point.