ive been trying to find ways to get more power from my '96 z34 and ive been told to swap to an L67 but i just cant do it. i love how the LQ1 revs and i love how tame it can be. so ive made up my mind, i want to save up and turbo it. i know it will be expensive and it will take a long time to save up for everything. here is what i need to know, what are the pros/cons of using a turbo other than the incredible power? what all will i need to turbo my monte? will i need to build up my motor and trans? i dont plan to make tons of boost, i just want MAYBE 300 whp. nothing too powerful but i wanna be able to wipe out some of the fox bodies and camaros around here. and what would be the cost? i was thinking in the range of 4000-5000 to do the turbo/build the engine a lil and maybe swap in a stronger trans. all comments accepted. especially those of you who have had experience with turbochargers. i really need help on this. thanks guys

 

I don't have a lot of advice, but I will say that if you're going to stay with the LQ1, turbo is the only real way to go. I've seen a couple turbo LQ1's put out a bit more then 300whp. The two that come to my mind made 325whp and the other made 331whp. I can't remember who they were though (sorry), but this has been done and is possible. I don't think that you'll have to build the engine, but if I were you I would swap in a 4t65e (after it's been built). Check out the classifieds section on clubgp.com and you might find a good deal on a tranny there. Also don't forget that you will need your PCM reflashed so you will either need a Powertuner or someone who has one and will tune your PCM for you. Lastly, don't get anything smaller then 42.5# injectors. Most of all have fun. The LQ1 is a cool engine and it does have potential.

 

thanks zipper.so i wouldnt have to beef up my engine? ive been reading some fiero forums where they have turbocharged a motor thats out of a 96 z34 with almost the same amount of miles on it and they used a stock block, but they used forged pistons and custom cams. i dont wanna mess with the cams b/c my cousin had a 07 mustang gt and even it was hard to work with lol. i figured i would just pull the motor, tear it apart and see what i need to replace. you know, see what all was damaged or not. and replace my rocker arms and etc etc. just basic tune up. and i know the key to having a strong turbo car is a strong na motor before. could i get by without dropping 1000 on a set of pistons? and i was plannin on gettin a 4t65e built for it. so how much do you see this runnin price wise? and one more question, you got a supercharged 3.8 right? whats it like drivin a nice little sleeper like ur monte? i bet you surprise a few ppl here and there lol

 

With your engine and your power goals, a stock block will be just fine. If I were you I would maybe get the heads redone, new valve guides and a valve job. Then put it all back together with new head bolts, head gaskets, intake gaskets and the whole new timing belt setup. Should be good to go for a turbo. Stock cams would be find for your power goals.

 

I completely agree with mrl390. If you do anything with the engine, just work on the heads. A built 4t65e can cost as much as $4-5k, just for the tranny. However over at clubgp's classifieds section I've seen them go for as cheap as $800. Take your time shopping for a tranny and you will save a lot of money.

As far as my car is concerned, it has a centrifugal supercharger (Paxton Novi 1000) on it which allows me to make more power with less boost. My 325whp was made on about 7psi at the point where we stopped the run short (at 5500rpm). And yes people are very surprised by the Monte, lol. However, my Monte is slow on the road. It sucks when you squeal the tires at 45mph as well as after it shifts into 2nd. Absolutely no traction when floored.

 

this is probably gonna take me about a year of saving to get all the money hopefully less, but since i dont know anyone with a garage ill have to find a way to do everything and there arent any places around to rent garage stalls. but i think ill get it done, even my gf is gonna help me out. she loves cars just as much as me lol. since ive never done anything with turbocharging or supercharging im gonna be posting on here alot lol. so what all am i gonna need? like parts and everything bc i know noone makes a complete kit for my car. and should i buy parts from craigslist or should i buy brand new parts? and also what size turbo should i use? i need as much help as you guys can give me lol.

 

You may want to talk to RedZMonte on 60degreev6.com
http://60degreev6.com/forum/garage_v...vehicle&id=417

 

Your going to need a good initial plan so for a year do a lot of research. Build it on paper, bounce ideas of members and you should have a general idea what your needing to do. To never have done this type of work before is another story. Pay close attention to the smallest details or you could end up popping something and losing your motor, time, money and sanity. Your build with the myriad of parts you will use I would bet will set you back easlily $10,000. Heads reworked, new valves springs, stronger push rods, might as well put in new main / cam bearings cause you probably have a few miles on the OEM ones. New larger exhaust, high flow CAT, Blow off valve, wastegate, gauges, the Turbo (P67) (nice size, fast to spool) Intercooler, Tranny upgrade. The list goes on and then you will still miss something. You need to find someone local as a mentor even if he is 100 miles away, he's still local in the scope of how vast our country is. Go online and find some muscle car clubs in your area and rub elbows with them. When your Monte is done it will have been very worth it given the uniqueness of your build. Keep the fire burning and it will all have been worth it. Also pay attention to buy only Genuine bearings and Turbo not some cheaper knock off's. It sucks to loose a motor due to cheap parts. Best of Luck!!