OK, the latest project kinda came up inconclusive.

Looking to break 15 seconds for less than $1000.

I found a 96 RS with 164k on it and a slipped timing belt. Fixed the belt (and a few bent valves) and put her back together, Comp around 120 across the board :eek. Rings gone but I thought I would struggle through anyway (if I did the rings that would be like rebuilding the engine. Had to try to keep it as a "used" engine). Keep in mind that the rest of the car was stock. No lowering, stock original suspension, stock original clutch, stock original motor mounts etc.

Item list;

Header $100
Hi flow cat $40
60mm Jeep TB $100 (?)
Used Crower 2's $250
MSnS $400 (complete. Or $200 if you put her together)

Total $900ish

Now, many NA's may already have some of these parts on them, but anyway.

Tuned and got her to the track. The rings were doing me no good. I set up a catch can just to catch all the blow-by cause she was huffing lot's of oil. Just tryin to get some runs in.

Got one run in. Didn't launch too bad considering the stock clutch and suspension set-up. Had to slip her out nicely and then pop her. Got a 2.304 launch (respectable with a slipping clutch). 1st to 2nd shift I could hear the clutch slipping (but that cut down on the wheel hop :P ). I also slipped on the 2nd to 3rd shift. By the 1/8 I was at an even 70.00 mph. Because I did no porting, I was shifting around 6700. The power band was much lower. Unfortunately, third gear was not good to me. When I went into third she did pull a tiny bit (after the clutch caught up). But then she started popping and falling on her face. She couldn't go faster (No matter how much I pushed on the steering wheel ;-) ). I ended up trapping at 87.11 with a 15.650 quarter mile time.

In retrospect, I should have grabbed another bottom end (or did the rings on the old one). But I was so sure that this would work, that I felt even with the handicaps, I would break 15.

Do I think I could pull the .650 with a relatively good clutch and a more solid engine? Absolutely, no doubt in my mind. Have I proven it? Haha, obviously not. But this is what happens sometimes with experimentation. Sometimes the answer is maybe.

Food for thought.

interesting project for the budget minded. Always tryin to give confidence to the NA's. :) Too bad the test was inconclusive, but like you said you were running on a fairly poor motor/clutch, probably worse than what the average joe's car would have been in. I'm gonna have you drive my car down the track for some good times :)

That a lot better than the Honduh's that come out here and run 20.2's.

Originally posted by cs82685
interesting project for the budget minded.........I'm gonna have you drive my car down the track for some good times :)

My drive in trying this experiment was for those that did not have the money or confidence in going all the way into the engine or modding up the turbo route. I thought that the mods I did were pretty much "bolt-on" mods. Yeah, the cams might be considered a bit less "bolt-on". But I figured it was just a step away from the timing belt - and you're not cracking the engine or unhooking all those nasty and confusing wires :P . Those things that can scare a lot of noo......um, new guys. I almost tried this without the Crowers first, but just didn't have the time to do both.

As for running your car, Corey, I'll see you at the SO :order
Hehe!

Funny thing about the Honduh's I usually see at the track. I either see the riced out, fart can, floppy body kit, 16 second runners. Or a whole team of guys pushing a shiney beer can up to the line, while torching on the 55 gallon drum sized tank of spray, in the back. Then they burn down the track at a scorching 13.5 :thumbsup . (Heh heh, all right just a little poke at my Honduh buddys).

Originally posted by bullettdsm
As for running your car, Corey, I'll see you at the SO :order Hehe!

September 22nd Mitsubishi/Evo Day at E-town :D

Guess they changed it from mitsu/turbo dodge day. Too many skittles last year :lol

Originally posted by cs82685
September 22nd Mitsubishi/Evo Day at E-town :D

You know I'll be there.

Hey, for fun I just did a comp check on the 96 (all cold just to lower the number more). Check it out;

cyl1 before oil = 60, after oil = 90;
cyl2 before oil = 30, after oil = 30 (hmm?)
cyl3 before oil = 60, after oil = 120
cyl4 before oil = 10(!), after oil = 60


Hehe, well, let that be a lesson to you folks. Gotta start out with a good base engine, whether going NA or Turbo.

Hmm, let's see what I got laying around for the new daily? Oh here's a 10.5 bottom end.......

Now, if I had a budget NA list, it would look like this: (NOTE: cost of alcohol used to bribe/pay friends for work not included!)


Cold air intake (used, for $50-100 or whatever you can get for it)

Turbo GS-T/GSX muffler ($50 or so used, if you can even find one) or punch out your stock muffler hey it's for the track so who cares, or anything cheap you can get welded on)

Hi flow cat ($50-100 without flanges, maybe $40 or so to get it welded on, or a case of beer to a friend who can weld)

Underdrive pulley ($160 new I think with belts, or less if you find a used one. it's just a chunk of aluminum so go used if you can, maybe $100 used?)

Ported intake manifold (free if you have a dremmel with a flex extension and plenty of time)

Exhaust manifold Ported (see intake manifold, I would not get a header as I never noticed a 1/4 mile improvement with one; besides I just ran my best time on the unported stock manifold)

Megasquirt (as stated previously, $200 if you do it yourself, $400 assembled, plus time of install and maybe a case of beer to a friend who can figure out how to program it if you are a computer knucklehead like me :) ) NOTE: my latest best run was on the stock computer! So a megasquirt tune would be very helpful indeed!

Or as a really cheap alternative a used SAFC, maybe get one for $50-100 or whatever, not as good as a meagsquirt but should help knock off a tenth or so

Used cams (go for mid stage or better, stage 2 crower, crane 16s, maybe $250 or so as stated previously, just a guess for used cams)

I'm sure head/valve work will help, but it MIGHT be possible on a stock top end. (that is just speculation.) However, uunless you want to take a chance with a higher rev limiter from your megasquirt you should look at springs/retainers/rocker arms. Hey you might get some 8000rpm passes on a stock valve train before something happens, but you skip work to save money at your own risk. I'll assume you are taking a chance and will skip everything but the cams.

TB 60mm (used $100 or so? as stated previously)

New drag radials, essential for low 60' and better 1/4mile times if you remember to warm them up and launch them very hard so you don't bog, justs keep the weight and size reasonable (my preference is nitto 555R, the 205/55R14 so they are as light as possible, slap 'em on the stock 14s, you can swap for the trip to the track or drive around with them in the summer I do all the time, who cares if it looks a little silly it's all about the racing, maybe $135 a tire for that size: I'm not sure it has been a while since I bought them. If you can find used tires in good shape, go for it. If you can find a decent 16 inch size, like a 205 or more likely a 225 and you find it's not too heavy, then give it a shot. I'll assume new 205/55R14 in this case.)

Sorry, just guessing with some prices. Total (assuming lowest price possible, new drag radials, use of megasquirt not SAFC, lots of free time for porting your self, and not including alcohol :beer ):

$1070 bare minimum, probably 50% or so greater for most people, so this would still be about $1500. Possibly could go up to $2000 but I think the resourceful people here can keep the price around $1500 or so.



I'm still a tiny bit away from 15.0 but I haven't got the megasquirt tuned yet, so it should make a difference. That combined with drag radials and the other mods should help alot.