This is what I call my first encounter. I have had small run ins for short bursts but nothing of like this. I walk a little on the outside with races and went to a couple this weekend. Got a chance to do a freeway run from 50 with my friends Saab. He has upgraded his turbo, built is motor, and just about everything else. He was running 22lbs of boost. He is crazy for he is still running 93 octane. I didn't move into second like I should of because I really wasn't out there to get involved but the two lane highway was clear and free of crossovers. We gunned it and he pulled about a car on me when we shut down (because he blew his charge pipe off). We went from 50 to about -105. Note: I had a passenger and he did not. I was impressed for his work for he has also converted his car to right hand drive. My car is stock at the moment. He dynoed well beyond what the S would so I was happy with the race. I am sure he will blow another motor with running that kind of boost.
We then got another small jump for a first second gear pull and I was leading till, again his charge pipe blew. I figure in a 1/4 mile I should win but a freeway run is a different story. I am sure his trap speed will be higher.
Just thought I would share.


The other race I saw was a ls w/75shot Civic hatch vs a Integra GSR with small tune and lots of bolt-ons. Of course the Civic won. Later I will post when I get to run the Civic. The civic beat the gsr by 6 cars.

 

any more info on the saab, what year what model, those motors are generally built to handle relatively low boost levels, so 22 psi is a whole shit load. find out some more about it if u can. the motor is probably a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder, but compression wise and piston wise i dunno. and also the factory turbos max out at 15 psi, so if he upgraded, it may be a t3/t4, being that the stock turbo is the equivalent of a t3, or t3 super 60.

 

The 2.0 ecotec is a great engine but 22 psi, wow. Anyways is nice to know that someone heavily modified a Saab cuz at least in my area I havent seen or heard of one. Try to get some pics for us.

 

I will post what I know so far and as I get more info I will post it. Motor is built to handle 30psi and I don't know the internals yet. He has a very large FMIC and the turbo is a T3. Full piping for the intercooler. The t3/t4 he had wasn't making good power for him. Probably the fuel. He is supposed to have around 300hp to the wheels from his last dyno tune. The car is a four door model 9000 (I don't know if they make a two door) converted to right hand drive. The car has a boost controller, fuel, and the assortment of gauges. He is still in primer time but should have the car exterior done later. That is all I know for now but the car is coming along quite well. He has been working on it for some time.

 

hm.. i think that it was a bad move on his part to downgrade to the t3, and the huge fmic will cause a wicked pressure drop. as for the t3/t4 that should have had enough boost for him to use, granted the slightly slower spool up, but regardless the t3/t4 is perfect for a 2.0 block. and if he's running 22 psi on a t3 than that turbo has nothing else to give. t3's generally are rated to between 20-24 psi max, he may just have the stock turbo and internals and only a boost controller and a fuel management unit or a rising rate fpr. at 22 psi that turbo will have a pretty short life.

 

A friend of mine here in KC has an older Saab, don't know the model. He has upgraded the turbo and some other things. He ran a best of 14.1, don't know what speed, I know he was running super high boost. I know he is also on his 3rd motor.

 

Why run such high boost just to kill the motors? I really don't understand the logic unless they must just not mind spending the money on a new motor every 3-6 months. I would think with the build my friend wouldn't go over 18 on pump. I ran 18 with pump on my GSX with a properly tuned management system without any high knock counts. When he was in front of me his car made some crazy knock noises and when the charge pipe blew from the 26psi spike it blew out flams like that other movie. Other than the high boost his car is coming along quite well. I think with some good dyno time he should hit twelves with a little bigger turbo. He ran low fourteens with the set-up before this.

 

hm.. dunno man, 26 psi is alot of boost, and if it spikes at 26 psi, thats some shit, cuz he is prob running on the lean side as it is.

 

22 psi is really high...and he should really be running 100 octane if he is really pushing that much power...I have seen some saabs running around 20-25 psi on a turbo upgrade, and with ~300hp to the wheels, those things should walk all over S2000s, supercharged or not...

 

u dont need 100 octane for high psi, u need to make sure ur timing and the advance is on the money so u dont detonate, that;s all. buddy's vr is running 21 psi on 93 octane all day long, only he has DTA