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cheapest turbo?

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New member
I'm looking to add a bit more power to my 2004 grand prix. Right now it's standard 3.8 @200 hp, would like to bump that up to about 300 or so.

Is there a fairly cheap turbo I can purchase that will do this for me? (I know nothing about this stuff, would obviously get a mechanic to install)

It already has 155,000 K on it, so don't want to spend too much money on a car nearing it's shelf life.

I would prefer to have a turbo that kicks in at lower rpms... do not plan to race or anything, just feel that it could use a bit more during daily driving or passing on a highway etc.
 


NO TURBO SETUP IS CHEAP, all of them cost big money up front and require alot of tuning/ general know how to keep it operating correclty.

if you want more power out of your N/A a top swap would be better. this is basicly turning your gp into a GTP. youll see yourself about equal with a lightly modded gtp.

i suggest you read up before doing anything though.

http://www.grandprixforums.net/safely-modding-your-3800-powered-car-17482.html

http://www.grandprixforums.net/header-manifold-thread-25922.html

http://www.grandprixforums.net/top-swap-info-faqs-also-lots-3800-info-7763.html

remember the search button is your friend
 
and 155K isnt near its "shelf life". 192K on my 04 and i plan to run it to 250K+. keep up on ur maintenance and itll last forever
 
true my 97 gtp has 199000 km on it and runs great the bottom ends on these cars are good just refresh the top end and you are good to which a top swap will do for you
 
LOL 200.

More like 160 or so to the wheels...tops.

Also...you can't use "cheap" and "turbo" in the same sentence unless your planning on buying junk.
 


I'm not; just sayin'.

Wikipedia is a good source but can be edited by anyone...at anytime.

Also...GM rates the Series III 3800 @ 200 CRANK HP...figure your typical 20% ish drivetrain loss for a FWD car and you've got your wheel HP figures...which...20% of 200 is 40...soooo 200-40 = 160.
 
SilvaMan61 said:
but he stated 200 hp, not 200 WHP.
Click to expand...

transformers_facepalm.jpg


.......I didn't think I'd have to use that again...
 
Thanks for your comments guys.

Re: shelf life... I bought the car at 122K, and have lost track what I've done to it already; sway bar, 2 wheal bearings, steering column shaft or something like that, emissions sensor (2 times) and a few other items that I can't remember. It stalls 50% of the time on a "hot start" and requires a short jab on the gas to get it going; There is another clunking noise that I'm afraid to get checked out as well as more of a rattle coming from the trunk area, I hear water gurgling around up front when it's cold (heater core?) etc. Not whining, just mentioning that in relation to my worries about the shelf life.

For the positive side though, I mostly like the looks (rear end could use a more traditional spoiler, like say, in the style of the 2006 impala), it's large and comfortable, and drives / handles nice on the road. Exterior / interior is still in excellent condition, and when I bought it 4 years old it had already been under-oiled. I do like the car, just wish the repairs would slow down...

Anyway... what would a "top swap" roughly cost? Labour isn't cheap either, and I would definitely need a mechanic to do anywork on this thing. A turbo from cartuning.ca (I live near Toronto so could drive it in) is $3500, then I would need intercooler yet? Nice thing about this turbo option is that getting more HP out of it is quite easy, so there is "room to grow" if I decide to go in that direction :) As well, I think it's less invasive? Not as much changes to the engine?? A used cartuning turbo would be ideal, but apparently they're a little hard to find.

I'll read up more on the top swap, but will appreciate any other tips or links you can give.
 




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