If you absolutely need a brand new turbo, a z3 is just fine, especially if you aren't shooting for the moon.

As far as worrying about making too much power for the trans, that's an odd way to look at it. The beauty of a turbo kit is how easy it is to change power levels. If the setup at full tilt makes 425 whp and you don't want that much, just turn the boost **** down. Then when you get bored later you can turn it up a little more instead of having to swap pulleys and such like on a supercharged setup.

 

I'm aware of the issue with blowing it up, I'm only just starting to save up money for this, I am definently still in the planning phase. And if I was doing this with financial sense I would be selling the car . I love the car and want to get it in good shape and make some power out of it. I'm still deciding on the turbo or supercharge route and the E85 or meth injection route.

And I don't really need a new turbo, I just wasn't aware there are any used kits out there since I don't hear of people doing it that often, especially now adays. And my view on the transmission is I only need one capable of handling 330 WHP if I stay supercharged. If I turbo I don't really see a point in turning the boost **** down so I would have to invest more in the transmission.

 

I understand that modding in general doesn't make any financial sense. I was just more concerned by your comment about pulling the plug on the car if you had a major failure. Given its age, high mileage, and how much you want to mod it, a major failure is a notable possibility. I'd just hate to see you throw $5k in the trash if you're seriously considering getting rid of it at the first failure.

 

What I meant by that was if it has a failure that's gonna cost me over 3 or 4k early in my mods. I don't think its super likely because the only thing I can think of that would do that is the transmission, unless I get some fluke engine failure with a connecting rod or something. If I have already bought a TEP tranny and most or all of the mods then I will fix whatever failed unless its reallyyy bad. If I have only just started the mods and something fails then I will have to consider stopping before I spend any more and selling the car. That is why I am hesitant to buy the tranny as my next mod because then I kind of seals me into fixing the car no matter what since I spent 3k on it already, but unfortunately I probably have to do it first before I add any more power. I wish I could intercool and maybe port the blower and get a N* TB before doing the TEP tranny because then if something (besides the tranny) blows up then I'm only out like $1600 instead of $4600.

Its a very valid concern, but unless something really really bad happens after all the modding then since I have a new tranny it should run for many more miles and I will fix whatever breaks. I'm not gonna spend $5k on mods and then dump the car when I have a relatively minor repair, I'd only dump it at that point if something really sucky happens.

 

That makes sense to me now.

I think a big driving factor to the order you mod it is if you have a daily driver / beater. Reason I ask is because if you dont, the trans should probably be one of the next mods. You'd hate to dump a bunch money into power mods and have it break and then you're out of a car for a month (or whatever their going lead time is at that point).

​​If you've got a DD and blow the trans up, it won't really matter how long it sits as long as the damage doesn't take out a bunch of hard parts / the case.

 

Yeah that is my big problem. I need the car this semester to get to band practice in time but I could technically plan next semester around riding the bus in the event the transmission blows up. Luckily for me Lawrence has bus routes that go pretty much everywhere in town and on campus. Although, after living a week without my car when I broke a flexplate was pretty rough so I would really like to avoid it. I could definitely make it work between buses and roommates but the far more responsible option is get the transmission first and be somewhat locked into keeping the car through any other repairs it might need. Regardless on what I decide to do I am going to be saving up for a while before I actually purchase anything, especially if I decide on the transmission, so I have plenty of time to mull it over. Whatever I end up doing I'll be sure to post updates, I'm going to eventually start a build thread. I also want to do body work, probably a MPD hood and Razzi body kit, I just haven't decided how that is going to fit into everything else. From what I hear the guys at MPD are phasing out the hood so I may have to make that my first purchase before I can't get them anymore.