Whats needed to turbo a 05 rs

[05RSKID]

Ever since I got my car I have wanted to turbo it and going on a snow drive with a few people and I was the only one with out a turbo and that didn't help, just made me want a turbo even more. Lately I have seen a few people on here selling some turbos and some parts. So I was just wondering how hard it would be to turbo it and what I might be looking at for cash? Any help would be great thanks.

 

[brighton]

Ever since I got my car I have wanted to turbo it and going on a snow drive with a few people and I was the only one with out a turbo and that didn't help, just made me want a turbo even more. Lately I have seen a few people on here selling some turbos and some parts. So I was just wondering how hard it would be to turbo it and what I might be looking at for cash? Any help would be great thanks.

Sell your RS and buy a WRX. End thread.

 

[Pedro]

Do what Brighton posted, or upgrade the driver. That will hold you back more than any turbo kit/whatever can make up for.

 

[Mighty Subie]

I have said the same thing as what they said over and over to killerbumblebee and yet he persisted and bought a turbo setup for one anyway. He paid almost $1000 for the kit. It takes a lot of labor to put it on and is a general pita. But if you look, you can find kits. I would not suggest trying to do it piece by piece because you will end up missing a few parts and never be able to figure out what they are. Soooooo.....

Buy a wrx. Upgrading the operator is the best thing. You will see the biggest gains while driving from that. There just won't be anything you can do about straight uphill pulls against higher powered cars. Otherwise, you will be all set.

I mean, look at Pedro. His stupid little miata stomps wrxs auto-Xing all day long.

But forced induction envy is hard to get rid of. And there is few things better that feeling and hearing that thing spool up! Lol

 

[scubiecraig]

Upgrading the operator? I'm confused.

 

[brighton]

Upgrading the operator? I'm confused.

Driving training. AKA team oneils/ school.

People always feel that they need more power to be "fast". This is not the case. Take Chris Duplessis last year at NEFR. He was 90 seconds from the podium. Vs two wrx STI and an Evo. He was driving a 165 HP 2wd Ford fiesta.

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

turbo is a crutch that only partially makes up for lack of high-performance driving skills to match the equipment. this is the single main reason for outrageous insurance costs to younger drivers with turbo cars. if you don't believe me, ask your insurance agent for a quote.

please note, not hacking on you directly. but learning the skills of high-speed driving on loose surfaces involves a bunch of counter-intuitive techniques better learned in a slower car first---MUCh safer both for you and your instructor in the car with you. otherwise, a novice let loose in a turbo AWD car just ends up going that much faster when they crash....and then likely don't know WHY they crashed. "Ah was going like hell, until I wrecked."

and word of friendly advice: forget home-made turbo setups, they are far more trouble than they're worth. ask any number of MS members who have tried this route. typical result: car runs like holy hell for a few days, then gremlins set in and the car ends up sitting for weeks or months while you re-engineer stuff (aka spend 3x the $$ you intended) so that then it will run a few more days before blowing up again.

if you think you can out-engineer the subaru factory,then knock yourself out. otherwise, save your pennies, learn to drive better, then get a WRX.

 

[05RSKID]

IM NOT WORRIED ABOUT MY DRIVING SKILLS, I know how to drive! I owe around 6K on mine car and dont want to get rid of it since I just put a 40k motor in it. I am only looking for a little more power not a lot. Also if I turbo mine I will save a lot on my insurance than if I bought a wrx.

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

it's really really impolite to ask for advice and then yell at the ppl who respond just because you dont hear what you wanna hear...

so go ahead, cobble up some half-assed turbo setup on a car you already owe a lot of money on. then wreck it. this is America, it's a free country.

BTW, if you turbo a car you have insured as a non-turbo you will get exactly zero coverage if there's a problem. do you think insurance investigators and police accident investigators are stupid?!

 

[scubiecraig]

Didn't mean to de-rail this thread.... sorry!

 

[apkarian100]

If you want a little more power, forget the turbo. Go for cams. You'll notice something, nothing like that of a turbo, but you at least notice something. Call up Delta camshaft and and order a regrind. It's like $100 a cam, and you only have 2.

If you want a little more power, forget the turbo. Go for cams. You'll notice something, nothing like that of a turbo, but you at least notice something. Call up Delta camshaft and and order a regrind. It's like $100 a cam, and you only have 2. At least you know you'll be covered by insurance, more than a turbo kit.

 

[scubiecraig]

How much of a gain do you get from just a re-grind? I've seen claims of NEW cams gaining 20-30hp paired w/ a catback... but at over 1 grand, that's not worth it dollar to HP ratio.

 

[CoupedUpSubie]

Putting a turbo setup onto a naturally aspirated car is a huge gamble. The "turbo" kits spoken of probably only do external work. To properly gain power you need to lower the compression then raise it again with the turbo setup. That 40k mile engine could go at 50k. To keep it reliable you can't run much for boost so your power gains will be minimal, then you throw in the possible turbo lag.

As apkarian said, the best thing you can really do safely to the engine is get Delta regrinds. They have 3 stages, research and choose the one you think would be best.

How much of a gain do you get from just a re-grind? I've seen claims of NEW cams gaining 20-30hp paired w/ a catback... but at over 1 grand, that's not worth it dollar to HP ratio.

You might only get 20-30 hp out of a safe turbo setup.

 

[brighton]

IM NOT WORRIED ABOUT MY DRIVING SKILLS, I know how to drive!

There is a difference between confidence and arrogance.

You must not realize who Nigel Prodrive is? Dave has been involved in actually rally racing for years and IS a driving Instructor at TEAM O'NEIL RALLY SCHOOL & CAR CONTROL CENTER. You may not be able to accept it at this point in your life, but you are not always going to be right.....

 

[apkarian100]

Anywhere from 10-20hp. Of course, you need a good flowing system to capture all the gains from the cams, but it's the best bang for buck power adder for NA setups. At least it was for me.

How much of a gain do you get from just a re-grind? I've seen claims of NEW cams gaining 20-30hp paired w/ a catback... but at over 1 grand, that's not worth it dollar to HP ratio.

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

Ever since I got my car I have wanted to turbo it and going on a snow drive with a few people and I was the only one with out a turbo and that didn't help, just made me want a turbo even more. .... Any help would be great thanks.

Two parts to your question:

1) I happen to know who you were driving with on that particular adventure: you didn't get dusted because your car is non-turbo. News bulletin: those guys are better drivers than you, with a lot more experience on low-grip surfaces over bad roads. Not saying you can't drive, but I am saying they're better--which makes WAY more difference than turbo or not.

2) "any help would be great, thanks" well it sure sounds like you're not wanting help you don't happen to like the sound of.

you asked for advice, take it or leave it.

/rant

 

[05RSKID]

Sorry for getting pissy. Its not that I got dusted on the drives I can keep up I was always in the middle and no one caught up to me. I also know how to drive to my limits Im not saying Im a great driver but im also not a bad driver. I do want to take the classes there but I want to save up money and take the longer classes. I was asking for help about turboing my car and advice on that. If you want to try and talk me out of turboing my car I understand but tell me reasons like its not reliable, its a wast of money and time because of the problems it can cause, and reasons for that. that's all im asking for I know my driving skill can be better and that they are better drives but Im not just going to turbo my car and drive it like a idiot. I just want a little more power. Sorry to fustrate of piss anyone off that's not what I was trying to do and I know im not always right. Thanks for the advise for the people that actually talked about turboing my car and not just saying to take driving lesson because I do plan on doing that in the next few years.

 

[05RSKID]

And I am not trying to say its bad advice Im just saying it not the advice I was asking for.

 

[2point5RS_Dan]

Ever since I got my car I have wanted to turbo it and going on a snow drive with a few people and I was the only one with out a turbo and that didn't help, just made me want a turbo even more

I was on the snow drive this december or whenever it was. You weren't outrunning me and I don't have a turbo.

IM NOT WORRIED ABOUT MY DRIVING SKILLS, I know how to drive!

No. You don't.

There is a difference between confidence and arrogance.

You must not realize who Nigel Prodrive is? Dave has been involved in actually rally racing for years and IS a driving Instructor at TEAM O'NEIL RALLY SCHOOL & CAR CONTROL CENTER. You may not be able to accept it at this point in your life, but you are not always going to be right.....

Quoting this because it needs to be said again.

Two parts to your question:

1) I happen to know who you were driving with on that particular adventure: you didn't get dusted because your car is non-turbo. News bulletin: those guys are better drivers than you, with a lot more experience on low-grip surfaces over bad roads. Not saying you can't drive, but I am saying they're better--which makes WAY more difference than turbo or not.

2) "any help would be great, thanks" well it sure sounds like you're not wanting help you don't happen to like the sound of.

you asked for advice, take it or leave it.

/rant

Yup.

It is a tough pill to swallow. I did it years ago. You can get super butthurt over all this and think, "those guys on Mainely Subarus are huge jerks!!!!", or you can make the best of what you got. Seriously dude, you're still paying on that car. Pay it off, buy a skid plate, and become close friends with the Rez Brothers. All other advice is wrong. Period. Do not pass go. Do not collect to hundred dollars.

I've driven the same 2.5L NA turd for years and you don't need a turbo to be fast. Brighton is right referencing Duplessis. Guy POOPS on the big names in G2 cars.

There is a huge pride factor when you poop on wrx's and STi's at autocross or tailgate them in the woods with your NA turd.

As for what you actually asked in the first post.... Sure, you can coble together a turbo system, but you need engine management and a new or notched crossmember, turbo, exhaust work. Buy an ebay turbo, engine management, and notch your crossmember, fab your own exhaust, then run 6psi or so. It won't be cheap if you don't DIY all of that. For all the time and work you do, you can buy a wrecked wrx from cheya brothers for 3k and do a full swap. So you either go with time and skill, or time and money. Either way you're investing on a car you still owe on, and it may not make you any faster

If you want to start doing homework on forced induction on an NA motor, read through this entire thread and report back your findings:

http://www.rs25.com/...2-5-thread.html

You still might get tailgated in the woods even if you do have a turbo'd motor though....

You'd learn more from a 1.8L NA awd car than you would a wrx. And this is coming from someone who went from a 4.11 geared 2.5L NA to a 4.44 2.5L NA. I've gotten lazier with the extra grunt just from gearing alone.

But then again what do I know...................