So I'm at the point with my savings for the car that I can choose to begin going down the road of FI, or finish going down the N/A route - as there is no point in getting a header/intake/AFC right now if I'm going FI at all. I'm just not sure of which way I'd like to go. With the mods I plan to do with either direction I go, the total investment is almost the same, so I'd like to figure it out now, and get the ball rolling.

My main reason for being hung up and undecided on FI is trackability. I've never driven an S with a turbo, but am working on that via a friend of a friend But I am interested in tracking my car, but I really only have up to 3-4 opportunities per year to hit up a weekend HPDE. I've only attended one track day so far, but I do plan on more - though working 7 days a week makes it hard. I don't plan to participate in any autocross events, only track days or even getting in on the 30-minute hotlap sessions at our local track, so low-speed handling isn't what I'm concerned with.

I'd like to go with a turbo set-up that would yield between 300-350whp, and I'm really not wanting to get over 360-380whp. I'm not interested in drag racing, I've never taken any of my cars out to the 1/4 mi, I'm no dyno fiend nor am I trying to make the biggest/best numbers. The car is my daily driver for now, and I think that is more than enough power to keep me happy. I'm just concerned that when I hit the twisty backroads, or take the local clover-leaf ramps at higher speeds that the FI setup would make the car handle less ideally. I already have my car's suspension sorted, with corner balancing and a custom alignment, and I really like the way the car is currently, and for track use: I really don't need the extra speed. I can learn to modulate my gas pedal to continue having fun tossing it through turns, I just want to make sure that ~300whp isn't too much for retaining the easy handling qualities of the car.

I'd like to hear the experiences of turbo'd S2000 owners, and figured the FI forum would be a better place for this than a HPDE forum (who would suggest more handling/trackday investments and not power - though I'd only be able to track less than 1 out of 90 days) as you guys would have more experience in the handling characteristics of your turbo'd cars. I'd appreciate as much input as possible on this, so thanks in advance.

 

you might be better off with a centrifical SC ( sos, votech, etc ). Those run cooler on the track and keep the feel of the car fairly stock until 6k and up when it really kicks in. Turbo will yield more midrange and low end torque but will make the car more likely to be less tractable.

 

you might need major cooling mods to track a turbo'd car. Just go with Vortec (One of the IE guys tracks that setup)

 

Yeah, that's the thing - I'm pretty much considering turbo or N/A. I love the Rotrex kit, if I were going the SC route, but I could easily build the turbo set up of my dreams with tuning and ceramic coating and everything for the same price as simply purchasing the Rotrex get-up >_< I really have no interest in investing quite that much into my power mods (as I'd still want color coding & ceramic coating etc). My main gripe is that I can buy all my turbo bits over time, rather than dump a LARGE sum of funds at one time like purchasing the Rotrex. I know that Vortec is ok, but I've been a Rotrex fan since they first came out in the tuning scene.

I figured the turbo would be more enjoyable around town and that the supercharger would really be better on the track (due to the current powerband of the car having a good bit of influence on how it will go through & pull out of the turns). But I was looking at it more from the point of view of what I'll enjoy more, which is going to be daily driving, with very few track events (though I wish there could be more @_@) in between. Also, I was running with the idea that while the turbo would change the driving characteristics of the car while making track laps, that I could change my driving style accordingly - just not if the changed powerband would have yield a decline in the car's actual track ability.

I'd be working with a tuner shop that I trust, and that has experience with numerous turbo K & F powered cars, and was really relying on the idea of buying a kit, and changing out parts and maximizing the tuning to when/where I wanted the power to come on. That being said, I was also wishing (as I've yet to take an N/A car to FI before) that I could have a street tune & a track tune, which would further my fun running around town & tone it down properly to maximize track fun and minimize traction loss. But, since I'm not familiar with piggyback & standalone turbo tuning, I dont know if said pre-sets are doable. Given that my interest in supercharging the car has waned in lieu of turbo, or mildly powered N/A (and possibly ITB's much later) I'd really like to know the experiences of those who have hit the track with their turbo setup, and if they felt the car performed less desirably than when it was N/A.

You guys do bring up good points about proper cooling of the car that I'd not considered when making the N/A car turbo, and semi-blocking the radiator. I'm not against taking the proper investment in protecting the car as needed with the change's brought on by the turbo kit, and already have the most basic/minimal mods along those lines: Mugen fan switch & thermostat. I'm sure an upgraded radiator and proper ducting would be a sound idea, but I'd hafta make sure I would be safe to hit the track and be rev happy while making the rounds before making my next track appearance.

(Sorry if I sound hardheaded - I do know that supercharging would be more optimal for pure track purposes if I wasn't staying N/A. It's just not something I'm aiming for anymore. I am in no way biased to turbo cars, and am just looking to be swayed to yea or nae on if turbo would spoil my handling & cornering fun.)

 

as for Rotrex, it is a really good option , for the hight boost kit they offer, it's 5% over spinning the blower, so for track use, i don't think it's a very good option..
maybe u can try the low boost kit or detune it down to 9 psi.

someone correct me if i am wrong.

 

^^Over spinnig the blower voids its warranty, right?

If you plan on slowly gathering turbo parts, and are dead set on turbo, as I am, after completing the turbo kit, ems, clutch save enough to go V-mount. Also have the hot parts coated to keep under hood temps down.

 

kraftwerks will honor rotrex warrentys on their own kits. I'd track my KW kit w/o any worries what so ever.

 

^ Can thaat be found in writting on KW website? If so

 

Well yeah, if I wind up going turbo I plan on getting all hot-side components coated by HPC, and make sure that even if I bought a kit that I wind up with the turbo, wastegate, etc that I want even if it takes upgrading outside the kit. Also, since my car is fairly high mileage, I was planning on replacing my valves, springs, and retainers, not to mention possibly a headjob to make sure everything was in perfect order before adding on more power and strain without knowing the condition and quality of my valvetrain. Even if I bought a kit in the next week, it would take me all Summer long (at least) to get everything ready before install.

I'm just worried that if I wind up not going the turbo route, that eventually I'll continue upgrading N/A power until I wind up with an ITB set up, and still sink the same amount of money and effort into it all but yielding a more finicky (read: less daily drivable) and less powerful end point. I know better than to expect near-turbo gains from N/A upgradeability. But when doing all the math, and thinking about the daily reliability of each set-up, I have been leaning towards "why not go turbo?" Coming from a much more torque-driven AWD car is the root of all this