advice request for fuel effecient/cheap 12a turbo setup
 

Hey all, still am pretty new to this and I want to turbo my 85 GSL on the cheap. What parts do you recommend and what do you not recommend. I would like to increase my MPG and HP. Thanks

turbo, fuel efficient and cheap...uhhh...I'm gonna say pick ONE. Well maybe not...find yourself a JDM 12a complete swap...hard, but not impossible (there is a guy right now that has one). The factory probably did it the best. I believe Cartech had a kit as well back in the day as well. Set a REALISTIC budget if you want your engine to last and I may be outta line on this one...avoid the ebay stuff!!! I have no experience with it, but have read enough threads by enough people who sincerely know what they are doing and they all recomend against it. I too, am anxious to turbo my 81, but its a money game at this point. Good luck with yours and throw up some pics as you go.

Sell yours and buy RX7Malls car. Thing is in pretty nice shape but needs a few things attended to.

Turbo'd GSL-SE!

my budget is around 600 or so

not going to happen for $600

turbo + cheap = blown engine

Starting with a good motor, you could realistically do it for $1200-1500. I am $1000 into my turbo swap, and that includes a megasquirt.

Isaac

Yeah, $600 is a reach. I'm into my project about $1200, and that's a blowthrough using the stock Nikki and an S5 turbo. I'm doing all the work myself except for the exhaust system, which will probably cost me another 200 to have all the components welded up. And say goodbye to cheap gas and fuel economy :D

Not trying to discourage you or anything, but you should know what you're getting into.

thanks everyone

So I'm thinking about taking a step back. The thing that gets me is that its fun to drive but there is so much potential I am missing out on. And the fuel efficiency can't get much worse on this car (around 11 now, no idea how).

Any other pointers on how I can get this up?

A well tuned stock setup will get 23-25mpg depending on driving habits. Even a modded nikki and long tube header will get 18mpg if you keep your foot out of it.

It sounds like you need to start with basic tune up stuff first, cap/rotor/plugs/wires/filters, then move on to a carb rebuild.

Isaac

Yeah, 11 is pretty bad by any standards. I would check/remove the cats if you have them. Does it have any other running problems? Could be time for a carb rebuild. Maybe some new plugs if you haven't changed them.

i spent $ 9k just in my engine :nod: good luck!!!!!

11 seems a little low. I averaged about 19 last summer. We will see through this summer without a rats nest, an e-fan, and some other small mods.

Oil and filter change, plugs, and wires in my future as well. Will also be doing the vacuum lines that weren't redone with the rats nest removal.

damnn im reading this thread and thinking to myself...how much do i get?!
i did the math based on the most km i got on one tank....to the point it wouldnt start (bad i kno)
and im from canada so its km and l
so i just did the math...16.6 gal tank = 63L tank
455km on a tank
tht makes 7km/L which makes 16.5 mpg...
and im slapping on a turbo..full open 2.5" exhaust front to back...
:facepalm: what will tht bring me to? like...7mpg lmaooo
CANT WAIT!!!!

sorry dude if you want to go turbo efficiant and whatever...ur gunna have to pull out the big $$$

good luck

As someone said, cheap, turbo, fuel efficient - you can have any one of those, but not two, assuming you stay with the rotary engine. I think a lot of people will be thinking differently about fuel mileage over the next few years - we may soon be paying as much as the rest of the civilized world for petrol.

I recently installed a motor in my FB that has more than twice the horsepower of the original 12a, and gets 50% better fuel mileage. You cannot do that with a rotary. I have owned about a dozen FBs in the past 30 years, and had some of them tuned by very experienced and expert rotary mechanics. I have never gotten more than 20 mpg, and my driving is predominantly highway miles.