Boosted Performance or Custom Turbo Build
 

Hey guys, so I just wanted some input from all those that have gone the single Turbo route. I know Boosted Performance has a great looking DIY kit that I would definitely do myself...no installer fee! WOOT! It has a very good price for the high quality parts and work put into it. It also posts very good numbers for stock engines. :yum: To complement Boosted Performance I would purchase the F.I. Exhaust and I would get the Z1 clutch with the ZSpeed HD CSC and Master replacement. I am not sure if I will also get the flywheel or stay stock. For the BP kit I am paying tuning fees unless I jack everything to hell. The exhaust and clutch got quoted for $440 by Knoxville Performance and Dyno Tuning Center. All in all that is not too shabby in price for everything. For those that haven't upgraded the OEM MAFs, have you had any issues with A/F reading? Can the stock support 480 to 550 whp decently?

Now for the custom turbo idea. Through the same place Knoxville Performance, I was quoted $10,000 for a top mounted single. This would include the labor fees for the clutch and exhaust. They told me to hold off on an exhaust until they know what will work best with their turbo idea. They plan to use either Turbonetics or Garrett turbos and not sure which model exactly. Their quoted price would not include my costs for the exhaust and clutch, that would be extra. I would be looking at around $13,000 or $14,000 when all said and done with extras, new tires, etc. :icon14:

I am still working in Afghanistan so none of this will come to fruition anytime soon. Would you guys take a blind leap of faith and go with a custom build from somewhere you don't exactly know if the results will come out the way you wanted? BP already has enough product review I should probably go with that, but going the custom route seems exciting as well.

Just buy the BP kit, it is not worth the hassle of having a shop do a custom build with unknown results. If you consider the custom route look at their history, have they done VQ single turbo builds, tuning experience, and level of confidence in doing it (do they seem iffy when they talk about it).

I have no AFR reading issues. I bounce around 14.7 closed loop and low 11's WOT. My MAFs are maxed out but that shouldn't be a problem for anyone buying a BP kit now as they now come with 3" intake tubes and my version is 2.75". I maxed the MAF at 503whp but some are running slightly more than that. The upgraded 3" intake tubes should eliminate MAF issues on a stock block. Now if you are building a block I would budget for the UpRev MAFs.

Z1's clutch setup is great, I have no issues with it but I would recommend the 6 puck. FI exhaust all the way! :tup:

Join the BP club bro, it's well worth it!!!

:iagree:

That is my number one problem with even considering doing a custom option. I personally don't think they have that much experience with a VQ, but their technical experience might be good enough to pull it off fine. Right now I am definitely sided more towards the BP kit. Proven and a great price.

Okay that is good to see about your MAF readout. I personally don't want to buy Uprev MAF GT when I can see 500 whp at least with the OEM. I am not going to be building a block or anything like that. I will try to keep the engine internals stock. About the Z1 clutch I would have to do more research into the 6 puck vs regular sprung option and how it would affect daily driver ability.

I was actually upset when the dude was like don't buy an exhaust and in my mind I was like awww hell naw! The FI with 18 inch resonators will be mine!

Also, you gotta give major props to Sasha for his kit :tiphat: and creating a product for us awesome Z people and uhhh *cough* *cough* Infiniti bandits. All that piping around the transmission though...I can get over it.

You can reach 500whp no problem without upgrading MAF

Go with non-res exhaust the turbo is a hell of a muffler

I would love a video to hear what that would sound like. I will try to find one on google.


Boom! As always google never fails. Went right to the part of Sasha's thread about the FI Non Resonated.

If your looking for turn-key I would also suggest vsr out of tampa. Top mount turbo kit, been out longer than most other kits and proven as well..

If I remember correctly is that where I would have to send my car to them? I will look around and see if I can find a price for their total fees. I am not keen on shipping out my car, but it would be a nice present for my return home to have a completed car when I get back. I could always have a family member do it for me. Especially since they already like taking my car for a spin without my permission

That's the major draw back to me on the VSR kit that they ONLY do in house installs.

BP kit is nice due to the fact that it is very user friendly installation wide. It's really good complete kit. It includes a good size oil cooler which to my knowledge no other kit includes. The only thing that has me a little worried is the location of the turbo itself. Of course I will try my best to avoid puddles, bumps and all that but sometimes it can't be helped. I really don't think it would be cool to "dip" the snail in rain water. The other big thing is that Shasha is at the end of this rounds v2 build. Nobody knows when he will build the next set so you might be waiting for a little while for one of his kits.

If your going to be dropping the long block, you really don't have any limitations on turbo kits. You can pick whatever one you want or like form the many kits currently available. If I were to go TT, pay someone and install the kit, I would either go FI or AAM. FI is just bad azz and darn good product. They are upfront and tell you what is happening and is going to happen (such they take deposit then you sit and wait for 2 months for CBX). There will be no "what if." IF you do have any, all you have to do is call them. The thing about the AAM kit that I like is that they keep the factory crash bar. IDK but I like that.

I myself went BP because I like to DIY. I really love the simplicity and and effectiveness of Shasha's kit. Plus it's more affordable to me with is a big plus.

YzGyz

BP is is hands down the best turbo kit for the street user that can self install. PERIOD. If I ever got back into a Z I would immediately buy another BP kit for the car, you will not spend a better 7k and get a more complete or quality collection of parts and materials.

No res FI exhaust on the dyno BP kit...I miss that car :(



this is on low boost before a full vince tune, but gets you a good idea of the sound...AHHHH that BOV.

Thanks everyone for the input so far! This board really does have some awesome people! I like the BP kit due to being the cheapest kit and easiest to do. Now my issue is with the mounting of the turbo and thats basically it. In Tennessee we experience a lot of rain and when it rains it pours. I will daily drive my car and I am afraid of what all that water is going to do to the turbo. Has anyone personally developed a custom shield for it that I may be able to replicate? I know that having the turbo underneathe helps with everything being cooler as well. I don't want to block air flow or cause too much heat.

I am looking at VSR as well and will contact them in a couple days after reading input and doing my own research. Because I am in Afghanistan I would need help with arranging the transport if I went this route and going over my total cost since they would need to also install the exhaust and clutch. I know it will be much higher than going BP, but should be less costly than the TT kits. The TT kits at this point are eliminated unless I decide to stay out here longer. I already did 15 months, took a 3 month break, and now 3 months again looking to be 7 or 8 months. Not sure I want to miss going back to school just to TT my car lol. Although, that would be one bad *** Z!

One thing I am curious about is the RPM at which the turbo begins to spool on both BP and VSR. I know that has to due mainly with the turbo housing and the size of the airflow amount...something like that.

Boosted Performance or Custom Turbo Build
 

Don't worry about water. The turbo filter is tucked up nicely above the subframe. In fact I think it sits higher than one of the filters on the GTM TT kit in the nose of the bumper. If you go thru enough moving water to submerge the filter it's going to be enough water to carry your Z away and at that point you will have a lot bigger problems.

In my opinion the turbo in the BP kit is a better turbo than the one in the VSR lit because it's a twin scroll. My boost threshold is 2300-2400 rpms with full boost 3200-3300. The twin scroll damn near acts like a TT setup. Turbo lag is a couple hundred rpms.

Edit - I've driven thru some pretty heavy rain here in Houston and never had an issue

Thanks for the reply back on that! I really wanted that input on the water. The biggest problem in TN is the heavy downpours and the occasional hits in the puddles on the roads. Since that won't affect it then its :tup: and in the end it always comes down to pricing and what I feel comfortable spending. I could use the cash spent on another place for gauges, tires, and other stuffs. I'll try to see if Sasha could possibly have a 2.0 kit available by June/July time frame.

Last check he had V1.5 left

the only thing I regret with the BP kit is not owning the car longer to enjoy it! You will not be disapointed...the boost comes on fast and string and the TQ curve is really close to the gtm tt kits, comes on way sooner than the VSR, I looked at VSR too, but didn't want to send my car, and after seeing the quality and simplicity of the BP kit the right decision was made.

I have not herd of any issues with Sasha's BP kit. The people who have it love it. You call he picks up the phone. If there is a problem it's addressed.

Vortec/SNR/VSR has a bad track record in Tampa. Desperately trying to clean up there rep. New CNC machine, New benders, hired new fabricators, Jiggs for there kit. Starting to get some consistence from them. 1st few kits i was there for tune and was seriously wanting this kit but welds look like 3 year old made them. 4 years later they have gotten much, much better.

If you do VSR kit call Motion Lab and ask what you will need to make it a solid high quality kit. They have some recommendations. They might have a perfected tune they can send you. They have done magic on that kit. VSR did the hard stuff, Motion Lab takes it to next level and fine tunes it.

My 2cents / I live here and see there kits and talk with guy's at shows that have them in 370z & 350z. Most are happy, more than a few are not.

Quality of BP and Sasha's reputation does it for me, he just needs to build an AT Kit for me :driving:

How many times are you planning on posting the same thing over and over regarding vsr? Every turbo kit has things that could be done better or there wouldn't be different versions and that's a good thing. When you compare people who make kits part time and the people who make them full time who do you think will be in for the long haul.. hmm
When Nissan comes out with the next gen z and it is forced induction all of these kits will fade... But hey to each his own...

That post is ridiculous. Is the guy talking about a kit for the next gen Z? No. And you can buy kits for cars that are no longer produced all over the place. Sasha doesnt even own a 370z and he is making kits for them. What makes you think he wont jump on a new platform?

Only time will tell on what sasha may do while making kits on the side of his full time job while living in canada. Lets just hope for his customers sake he doesn't decide to stop.. Again to each his own..
But hey the BP Club sounds really cool....

Actually it does sound cool. Maybe you should join. You could do with one less headache. :icon14:

Look at the title of the post. Do you think this guy cares if bp would stop producing? Hes talking about custom builds so I think it would be ok. Maybe you should learn how to weld manifolds....

Planning on picking up a gtr next year so highly doubtful...

Actually I know how to weld but never have tried cast iron.. Lets keep this on subject ace...:tiphat:

I don't know how Sasha does his pricing but with the U.S. dollar gaining significantly over the Canadian dollar these days maybe it will make the kit even more affordable for you fellas south of the border.

Will do cosmogirl and Im sure the gtr club would love to have you. :ugh2:

Anyways. OP, after having put this kit on once I never had to look at the manual to put it back on and i did it in a weekend.

Ive never heard of anyone installing a different kit easier and cant imagine there would be.

After considering different shops and prices for a custom build, I have decided to go with the BP kit. As far as the price is concerned it is the best price. Even if Sasha decided to stop making kits I doubt he will give up on helping us if we ever run into problems. I'm going to wait for another round of 2.0 kits, but if only 1.5's are available it isn't a problem. I've talked to Alex with Motion Labs and he gave me some insight on some things that could make the kit better. Nothing over the top or costly. I will get the tuner kit so I can go a different direction with the fuel pump and injectors. Gotta ask Sasha if he will leave the spark plugs off the kit so I can get different ones. I also plan to get an electronic boost control so I don't need to use the included manual controller. I will start making my purchases in March/April so that I can have some DIY fun in July.

So far purchased the RJM clutch pedal. Next up is all new clutch stuff and the GTR start/stop button. Then I will get the BP kit and F.I. non resonated exhaust with Gale's A pillar single. I'm looking at Innovate Motorsports all in one wideband, boost, and controller gauge. Any feedback on that gauge or thoughts are appreciated. After buying tires if the budget allows for it I would like some Volk wheels.

I don't think that is necessarily true. There are so many Z owners that it would be impractical to up and leave the current design to focus on upgrades for the next gen Z. Sure some people will trade in their Z for one of the new ones especially if it is indeed twin turbo or turbo at all. I personally like the engine now and those that want forced induction can go that route. I can imagine the costs of trying to go with more power in a 3.0 engine with tiny turbos compared to what we can do now.

for the cost, take the BP kit and spend the extra money on supporting mods.

you've said you will install the kit yourself, there's savings there for you already over the custom build, don't re-invent the wheel, take what's available at a good price for a good setup, and use your money wisely.

if the shop hasn't done VQ single turbo setups previously, I wouldn't bother at all, search the forums for some of the single turbo setups and issues people have had, take something you know that works, and use it.

500rwhp is fine with stock MAF's

if you change anything to do with your clutch, upgrade to the heavy duty CSC at the same time, this is probably one of the most common failures.

Oh and regarding the gtr board, I think do to the fact of not everybody can afford a 100k car, the forum is entirely professional without trolling and politics..

Couldn't agree more.. Be sure to post your install progress...

(if you change anything to do with your clutch, upgrade to the heavy duty CSC at the same time, this is probably one of the most common failures.)

Yeah, I'm buying the Z1 clutch with the ZSpeed HD CSC. I will try to have the clutch already installed before I get home so I can go right into installing the BP kit. I will definitely be posting my install progress as I am sure I will need help somewhere down the line if I get stuck on something.

Buy the 6 puck. After my last round of upgrades I'm beginning to think I didn't buy enough clutch just going with the full face.

Pickup a lighter flywheel and drop the drive train loss a bit more.. I went with a 20lb and you can hardly hear it.. Oh and don't forget to use the motul clutch fluid since it has a much higher flashpoint..

OP. Another benefit is you have guys pushing this kit to new areas. I for one will be seeing what it can do on 15lbs of boost. There will be more and more information as time goes on that you can use regarding the BP kit and its capabilities. You also then have the forum to bounce issues off people. The one off build will not have any of that logged info for you.

You are making the right decision to step into this DIY kit. Looking forward to having you a part of the BP club!

I was thinking of going with ZSpeed steel flywheel, but if I don't get a lighter flywheel, I won't be terribly upset. I do like the the idea of having a 19-20 lb. flywheel. I will see what I get quoted for install cost for clutch, flywheel, and csc. To jwick, I was personally thinking of buying the full face. What problems are you having with the full face? What difference in clutch feel will I have by going 6 puck? I will go do some google research also.

Talking to Z1 is on my to do list. I'm not positive but when I get the car good and hot with some heated runs the clutch seems to slip a little but I'm still experimenting to make sure it's not something else. I only have 400 miles on the upgraded setup.

I would assume the 6 puck can hold more power but will be a little more grabby. If the clutch is gone then I get the Z1 6 puck if it's just a disk swap. If it's pressure plate too I might make the switch to Southbend and get one that holds a lot more power.

In fairness I never expected to be running this level of torque but my setup seems to make a ton of it.

I have the Southbend Stage 3 and I love it. Supposed to hold 600wtq so that should resolve any issues there. I have a lighter flywheel also. It barely chatters, to where you have to listen for it and its just a bit stiffer than stock. Id buy one again if i had to make a choice. But Ive heard nothing but good things from Z1's stuff also.

I have a BP kit and love it. Depending on how much power you are looking for (torque more specifically) you may want to grab a Southbend. I dyno'd at 536whp and 497 wtq and my Z1 6 puck started to fall apart on me. The ceramic on the pucks started to fall off and burn. My pressure plate and flywheel has burn marks on them and are slightly grooved at around 7k miles. Ill probably be going with the OS Giken soon as suggested by Jon Parham. I don't drive my car too often, but when I do, I drive it hard. It could be my driving characteristics that killed it or maybe it was defective, or maybe I simply put too much torque through it. Just throwing that out there!

I am also going with the BP kit. Great decision you seem to have made here. I am very much looking to dive head first into my build.

As for the clutch, I jumped on the Stage 3 Daily from South Bend. It is a full face rated at around 550HP. I will be updating my thoughts on it when I install it over this weekend.

Any questions don't hesitate to ask.