Doing research for a build.

[John Resmyn Siemsen]

Morning all,
Looking for some suggestions on a build I want to do. I have an 86 t-type that I want to run in the 10's, maybe even high 9's? Engine is stock as far as I know with a precision turbo and an upgraded converter. Im wanting to install a twin turbo setup, but I am finding mixed opinions about keeping the 3.8 or doing a v8 swap. I have about a 10k to spend on the drive train so I cant go crazy. This will be my daily driver. Im new to the turbo regal community so any info will definitely help. Thanks in advance.

 

[williambavila]

Morning all,
Looking for some suggestions on a build I want to do. I have an 86 t-type that I want to run in the 10's, maybe even high 9's? Engine is stock as far as I know with a precision turbo and an upgraded converter. Im wanting to install a twin turbo setup, but I am finding mixed opinions about keeping the 3.8 or doing a v8 swap. I have about a 10k to spend on the drive train so I cant go crazy. This will be my daily driver. Im new to the turbo regal community so any info will definitely help. Thanks in advance.

put 9k in the bank and spend 1000 on learning to tune your car you will thank me later and be in the low 11's if you do it right and only be out 1/10th of what you wanted to spend. Or you can spend 10k on a engine and run slower than the car does right now because your tune is no good.

 

[williambavila]

I wish I listened when I wanted to do this, Now I am out 30k in a car that ran just as good when I bought it. TRUST ME. spending 10k on the engine means 3k on trans 1k on converter,2k on suspension,then trying to figure out why you cant drive it every day without braking stuff will piss you off.

 

[williambavila]

Just read up learn your parts that you have and how they work. I installed a $60 part that made my car feel like a new car. Like I was always told there are no magic parts save your money read www.votexbuick.com and learn. you can take a stock car with minor bolt ons like fuel pressure regulator,hot wire kit,cold air intake and a few other goodies into the mid 11's and that is much faster than you think.

 

[John Resmyn Siemsen]

Thanks, thats definitely the more sensible approach. What do you mean by hot wire kit?

 

[turbodave231]

What is a "Hotwire"?

The stock wiring harness that feeds the fuel pump ( and all rear lights) is aluminum wire....absolute garbage. It will barely work in a stock configuration. Vendors sell a wiring kit that uses a heavier gauge copper wire to supply a good source of current to the fuel pump without the unacceptable voltage drop that happens in the factory harness.

 

[John Resmyn Siemsen]

Wow, thanks a bunch. Definitely might fix the problem im having with my fuel pump at the moment

 

[forcefed3.8's]

$10k won't go far wanting to run 9's. Build the chassis, rear end, fuel system, trans and get the stock engine in the high 10's, then save up another $15k and build a strong engine and get a good converter.

 

[artrenee10]

Your a good 2-3 years away from running 9's....

Learn the car and all its nuances first....

Then research and re-read everything you learned...

Good luck...there is some fun in this btw...

 

[chris kirk]

Here's a build that I am finishing now. This will run in the 9's and should give you a good perspective what kind of parts and money it takes to run in the 9's. T/A aluminum stroker motor, long block built by Nick Mcale, forged crank, Ross pistons, T/A heads, 72mm TB, Champion race intake, 224 hydo roller, 235lb. Moran fuel injectors, Weldon 2035-A external fuel pump, Weldon 14000 fuel pump controller, gas tank with sump, 4 bolt ss T/A headers (ceramic coated), 3 inch ss exhaust, 5 inch RJC down pipe (ceramic coated), PT7675 BB CEA ported H cover .81 A/R, Turbonetics HP Newgen wastegate, Ams 1000 boost controller, Hartline ignition, FAST XFI engine management system, RJC FMIC, T/A radiator, 4L80E stage 4 transmission with trans brake by Jake's trannsmission, PTC 3 disc LU torque convertor by Dusty Bradford, custom drive shaft, 8 1/2 rear with 30 spline Moser axles and differential, T/A rear end girdle, HR rear sway bar, HR upper and lower rear control arms, Ridetech upper and lower front control arms and front sway bar, Ridetech coilovers front and rear, Baer brakes and ss brake lines, full frame restoration and new body bushings, motor tuned by Dale Cherry @ Injection Connection using E85 fuel.

It will cost you roughly $5K in parts and labor to run in the 11's, about $10k to run in the 10's and more the $30k to run in the 9's. The reason for the big jump in cost from going from 10's to 9's is, (in my opinion) you'll have to replace; motor, trans, axles, fuel system, engine management system, ignition, turbo, wastegate. It's three times the cost for parts and labor to do so, which is what most people do not factor in when wanting to go faster. For example, your bottom end, heads, turbo,cam and torque convertor you used to get you in the 10's will not be enough to get you in the 9's. Just as your fuel and engine management system will not be adequate. Transmission, axles and drive shaft too. Then the time it takes in tuning a car correctly with that much hp is very costly as well. And that is very, very important.

 

[turbodaniel]

Yea,what he said

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[coach]

Amen to that...
It's gonna take me quite a while to get my finances back to where they were before this build. I went nuts on a 9 sec build...and then chromed and polished everything...double ouch!!!

Do as advised a few posts before. Invest in your suspension, braces and mounts, fuel system, Scanmaster and powerlogger, axles, tranny...etc.
Get the entire car ready to handle whatever you throw at it. If you go balls out on a killer engine, and don't prep the car first...look up the threads about buckeling quarter panels...it's not cool.

 

[Howling Mad]

And for the love of all that is holy do NOT do a v8 swap.

 

[John Resmyn Siemsen]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Definitely came to my senses and not doing a swap. Hey chris, just wondering, can the stock 3.8 handle e85. Probably a silly question but I cant find an across the board answer.

Fair winds and following seas.

 

[Eticket]

Well, to the OP.. do your research, obviously the more you do yourself, the less this will cost. One of the best things you can do is copy a combination that is running as fast or faster than you want. If cost is an issue, from there, separate the nice to have parts from the "need" to have parts.

There is reasonableness to anything - pluses and tradeoffs to many things. Some of the problem with judging what it's going to take for your goal is so many different combinations out there with varying amounts of money spend and uncorrelated performance.

Did I say do your research? Last, try to keep your advise taking from consistently a very few number of sources if not one, when you finally decide to go a particular route - that person or vendor needs to have real experience in doing what you want to do.

 

[TurboTGuy]

Where are you located?

Lots of smart guys on here from all over, it's always good to have someone who knows these cars close by.

 

[Pronto]

First off a 10 second car is not going to be a good daily driver what ever brand it is. Buy a nice reliable small car that's good on gas for that. Next sell your car. Take that money and add it to what's left over from buying a good daily driver and buy a car that's all ready got all the parts you will need to go low 10s. They pop up here and some are damn nice cars at a steal. You will never build a low 10 second car for what some of these are selling for. Also since you didn't even know what a hot wire kit is you got mucho to learn if you want a 10 second car. Read the vortex buick site inside and out 5 times then read it again.

 

[John Resmyn Siemsen]

Pronto, thanks for the advice, but I already have another car, im not about to sell it because it has 44k original miles. And ive only had the car for a year and 9 months of that I was deployed. So thanks for restating what everyone else said about where to start.

Fair winds and following seas.

 

[blackgn1]

Running in the nines doesn't take $30,000. I can think of 4 street cars there right now. None are anywhere near the amount.

 

[Pronto]

Mark my words, when you have rebuilt the engine, trans, suspension and not driven the car for 2 years you will wish you sold it b/f all the mods and bought something that someone else spent all the time and money and tears on that you can get in and run 10s immediately.