JLarson's build thread

[JLarson]

Originally Posted by NecioVato

@OP
Great writeup and while I hear that the BP kit is something that one can install etc - I'm thinking if I go this route (probably any route) that I might be forced to go with a shop. I'm still on the fence bc the more I read about going FI - the more I realize that you can take the advice of people on this forum and realize that it isn't just the cost of the kit - but there are a lot of hidden costs and that doesn't guarantee something can't go wrong.

That being said - I'm wondering (if you don't mind sharing) - about how much did the supporting mods and the the cost of the kit run you? Also to anyone reading this - typically what can install range roughly and what should one look for when looking for a shop to do an install like this (granted it is different in different areas).

It's interesting bc right now -bc of cost as well as supposedly ease of install I'm leaning toward either the BP kit or the TopGunz supercharger kit and that is what kinda got me reading into your build - seeing the thought of going supercharger (thinking FI LTHs as well) and then going with the BP kit. I might have missed it - but was there a reason why you decided to go BP over the Topgunz supercharger kit - I believe the costs are similar and since you were already with the LTHs, I am just wondering what changed your mind.

Thanks in advance

I'm going to start with your last question first - why a turbo vs sc. The answer is "a lot of reasons".

-As a complete n00b to forced induction, I'd initially planned to go the SC route, but as an obsessive researcher, I did a metric assload of reading first. I see a lot of supercharger kits for sale and supercharged Z's being sold off in general. When I'd talk with a lot of the guys selling them, they liked the car well enough, but even with the added power they still wanted more, and didn't have the low end torquey feel they wanted. That led me to look at torque curves on a turbo vs a supercharger. SC is very linear, drives like an NA car only "more so". With the BP Turbo, torque ramps up very abruptly, with power early in the power band. I hit 400wtq around 3k rpms. To me that seemed like more fun, especially with my commute (my Z is a dd). I can't run out to 7500 rpms most of the time, but I can certainly get to 4500.

-The turbo is also quite fuel efficient, considering what it is. Tooling around I still get over 20 mpg. That didn't sell me on it, but it certainly helped convince my wife free, exhaust driven power vs parasitic power.

-The Comp 6467 turbo is 900 hp capable. I know myself. I know eventually, 506 whp won't be enough, I'll want 550. Or 600. Or 700. It gives me room to keep growing.

-Madwi had a good experience. This is a huge selling point. I know Madwi from Zdayz, we shoot the **** on a regular basis, and he's picky about his car. He knows what he likes, what he doesn't like, and he has very similar taste to my own, right down to car color. His very real enjoyment of the kit sold me more than just about anything else. At that point the only other real contender was FI, and I didn't want to pay the extra money, or have to drop the motor for the install. BP was within reach.

-Supporting mods... ok this gets a bit convoluted. The kit itself comes with everything you'll need, sort of. You'll want a bunch of other small stuff, like the omni map 4 bar sensor, a lot of heat wrap, sleeving for the waste gate lines, but depending on your intended application, your entry level cost could be about $9k if you do the work. (Around here, RT Tuning is selling the kits + install for $13k. They've always done a good job for me, so I'll pimp them here.
https://www.rttuning.com/boosted-per...r-nissan-370z/)

However what you can get away with vs what you'll want to really push the car are two separate things. As you know if you've read through this whole thread, I did a a bit more than just the basics, including Poly Trans Mount, Poly Diff Bushings, upgraded diff cover, fast intentions exhaust, ported z1 upper mani, stage 3 clutch, etc. Nothing was impulse, every mod had a purpose. Most of it I managed to get used. As I've found local partouts, I've bought and resold parts for a profit, which helps to offset my cost. For me, all in, I'm around $10,500, which is pretty awesomely low. If I'd bought everything new or full price though, it'd have cost me easily $20,000, and it'd have been a LOT more if I paid a shop to install it all.

Feel free to PM me if you have other questions or if I missed something. I've driven about 1500 miles so far, and have thoroughly enjoyed the kit.