Souping-Up The S2000Dear Turbo:I'm looking for performance parts for my S2000 and I haven't had any luck. Is it still too early to be looking or am I looking in the wrong places? I'm after for such things as an intake, exhaust, turbo or supercharger and so on. If you could help me, I would appreciate it. John C.Via Internet
John, it is going to be harder to find parts for the S2000 because the car is so new. But there are products out there already available for the vehicle. One such company is DC Sports. At the last SEMA show, the company had a complete line of bolt-on products for the S2000. Also, many of the Japan-based companies doing business in the U.S. market should already carry products for the vehicle. Try giving 5Zigen, Spoon and A'PEXi a call. DC Sports (909) 734-2030, Spoon Sports and 5Zigen (310) 523-3922 and A'PEXi (949) 224-1680.
MR2 non-turbo, turbo?Dear Turbo: I have been searching far and wide for a turbo kit for my '92 Toyota MR2 non-turbo and have had little success. I did, however, find a turbo kit from TRD Northwest but it doesn't have a production package ready yet; it will be a while before the kit is available. Quite frankly, I want a kit designed for the MR2 and not the Camry. Do you know of any other kits and if there are any supercharger kits for the Mister 2?Leonardo TapiaVia Internet
Leo, the MR2 is a great platform to build upon; however, there are very few performance products available for naturally aspirated models. The Camry and the non-turbo MR2 share similar powerplants but the MR2's mid-engine design makes it impossible to use parts designed for a Camry. We're sure TRD Northwest will be designing a kit to fit the MR2. I do not know of anyone currently carrying a supercharger kit for the MR2, but you might want to give Toyomoto a call. The company might carry a turbo application for your vehicle. Toyomoto (305) 599-3050.
Supercharge my 1.6Dear Turbo:Where are the superchargers from Paxton, Powerdyne and Vortech for my 1.6-liter Civic? I'm sick of hearing about turbos. Money, maintenance, whatever. No shop in town will do a full set-up for under $5,000. That sucks! The performance/dollar ratio is horrible, considering $20K Mustangs and Camaros can eat you for lunch (even auto trans) even if you have the turbo. I want a supercharger for $2K. Give and we'll buy!Uncivilized Civic OwnerVia Internet
We don't know the likelihood of a supercharger kit for retailing for $2K but there are a couple companies that produce an application for your car. Jackson Racing has long been developing supercharger kits for Honda powerplants. Its kits are also 50-state legal. At the 1999 SEMA show, Vortech released a supercharger kit for the DOHC Civic Si. At the time the kit was not available for the public, but we are pretty sure it is available now. Jackson Racing (888) 888-4079, Vortech (805) 529-9330.
Taming a miata's rideDear Turbo:I have been a subscriber to your magazine since 1989. I have always counted on Turbo for all the information that I have ever needed. I own a '99 Miata and I just love it. The one thing seriously making me consider replacing the Miata is its ride. I knew the car, because of its wheelbase, was not going to have a comfortable ride but I cannot take it any longer. I'm wondering if there is anything I might do (replace shocks, springs, etc.) to get my car to ride more comfortably? Even if there is, will it be a substantial improvement?Alex R.Via Internet
Alex, we drove a 1999 10th Anniversary model and found the car rode rather nicely. The factory usually sets up the suspension for the most comfortable ride. Before you start upgrading the suspension of your Mazda, we would recommend taking it back to the dealer for a check-up. If there is nothing wrong with the vehicle, we doubt you will be able to substantially improve the ride with aftermarket products.
Injecting A 12.7 CivicDear Turbo:I have a turbocharged Civic Si. I am running 12.7 seconds in the quarter mile with the current combination. I am planning to get larger fuel injectors, but am having a problem deciding which ones. I was thinking of 550cc ,but what do you recommend?DannyVia Internet
Danny, first of all we need to know whether you are running a pump and regulator set-up for fuel management or an aftermarket fuel computer for enrichment. If you are running a pump and regulator set-up, adding 550cc injectors will not be the way to go. The factory injectors are only 240cc; if you add 550cc injectors, the engine will be running extremely rich at idle which will likely destroy your piston rings. Try giving RC Engineering a call; the company can help point you in the right direction on which injector size to purchase. RC Engineering (310) 320-3277.
240sx Le Bolt On Turbo KitDear Turbo:I would like to know if you have published an article about a turbo system for the Nissan 240SX LE (1998 model); any suggestions will be welcomed. I'm interested in a turbo (or supercharger) kit for the KA24E engine; basically I am in search of a bolt-on kit that can increase power output by 40-50 hp without major modifications to the original engine. Do you know of something available? Thank you in advance for your answer.Jose Manuel AldanaVia Internet
Jose, to the best of our recollection the 1998 240SX was equipped with the KA24DE engine and not the KA24E. The KA24DE was DOHC and the KA24E was SOHC. Try giving XS Engineering and Jim Wolf a call; both companies make a bolt-on turbo kits that do not require any modifications to the engine. XS Engineering (714) 992-4133 and Jim Wolf (619) 442-0680.