GN 1 Performance?

[snydely87]

Hello,
New member w/ an '87'. I have owned this car for a few years and ready for some upgrades. Bought GN1 performance "KB" headers and thinking about their kit that includes: 3" Down Pipe with a 46mm Wastegate, a Tubonetics Boost controller, and a custom 66 turbo featuring a .63A/R exhaust, 4" inlet and a p trim wheel. Seems reasonable in price.
I guess I am posting because I could not find anything in the forum saying anything about this company, good or bad. Anyone have any experience with GN1 performance or their parts?
The car already has the standard upgrades to give it plenty of gas, and plenty of air, plus a chip. I am trying to do it right the first time, but cannot say that money is no object. I am not trying to make this a race car, just want a drivable car that runs low 12, high 11's. And yes I know I need to hook up to do that.
Thanks for any advice.

 

[TurboTnZ06]

I think you have to cut the inner fender some to clear. I opted to go for an RJC internal gated downpipe to be more stealthy and trimmed the stock turbo cover to fit easily. Get slicks, alky and turn up the boost before a turbo, unless its worn out. A 66mm turbo is overkill for high 11's and will require more converter. Get some ported Champion iron heads instead for your money.

 

[gnloyalty877]

I think you have to cut the inner fender some to clear. I opted to go for an RJC internal gated downpipe to be more stealthy and trimmed the stock turbo cover to fit easily. Get slicks, alky and turn up the boost before a turbo, unless its worn out. A 66mm turbo is overkill for high 11's and will require more converter. Get some ported Champion iron heads instead for your money.

I agree totally. Get a heads and cam combo as well as razor's alky kit

 

[snydely87]

I bought the headers because the original was cracked near 3/4 the way around, I was told it was welded once already and it appears cracked outside of that weld. Don't want to fool around with those old things. The new headers said that they would fit with stock down pipe, but I believe now that I may have aftermarket or possibly home made, the rest of the exhaust is "custom". In other words, they don't fit with my down pipe.
I have always believed to stick with a combo of parts from one company, they test them together, and would think they would make the best combo. This is one of their basic kits, says no turbo lag.

Is overkill with a 66 turbo that big of a deal on a stock engine like "over camming" would be? If you know what I mean.

The car has 87,000 old guy miles on it. Had few mods like exhaust, adjustable actuator, and shiftkit. I have put walbro pump with hot wire, KB ram air, adjustable fuel regulator, poston adjustable chip (possibly my first mistake), scanmaster. Plan on front mount intercooler, different exhaust kit, plus down pipe, turbo, controller kit already talked about. All bought from GN1 as a kit. Supposedly this stuff is of Kenne bell design. Kenne bell told me to call them.
I plan on rebuilding the engine eventually , but basically stock. I will balance it,add rocker arms, double roller timing chain, oiling mods, and maybe girdle. That's today's plan anyway.
I am replacing some of this stuff just because it looks cool (external waste gate,turbo) and the fact of the miles on the old turbo, although the car runs real good.
I have been a GM car guy all my life but this is my first turbo.

 

[snydely87]

Oh yeah, and green striped injectors, what ever those are.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

KB style headers will definetly NOT work with a stock downpipe. The crossover pipe comes up into the motor compartment where the stock downpipe would normally sit. They (GN1) are not on here due to differences with management on the board. I am a distributor of their parts as well as another vendor on here though.

Throw that chip away and go with a Turbo Tweak chip with some 60 lb injectors.

 

[bob86gn]

I will be able to add some comments shortly. I ordered the headers from Mike Licht Sunday night and already have the downpipe and exhaust. Downpipe looks to be good quality. Posters above are correct a 66 is a lot of turbo for a relatively stock car. I would look for a TE-44/TE-51 or equivalent because it will be very hard to spool without a loose converter. The TE-54 I have in my 86 is lazy around town which is not what I think you are looking for.

Dump that chip and go with some 60lbs is also great advice

 

[SGRIM]

Please buy from our BOARD SUPPORTING VENDORS Helps keep all this info at our fingertips...

 

[Mr.Spool]

for low 12's/high 11's the 44/49 is all that was needed,and awesome on the street setup correctly with alky.the 66/p is a 10sec turbo and requires more converter,heads and cam to really wake it up.my old ta49,410 geared,pump gas alky combo left my buddies 66p/aluminum heads/cam car on the street every time whether it was from a light or from a roll.

 

[gn4u2c]

just buy a te-44 or a ta-49 from a vendor, I have had good luck with gbody parts but there other good guys as well. Get a TT Prom tune it in and see what you got before moving on. Many people whave been in the 11's for years and years on those little turbos and a stock to-2800 12 inch converter, and very happy on the street.

 

[Pronto]

Dump the KB ram air too. The canister is a restriction.

 

[snydely87]

Dump the KB ram air too. The canister is a restriction.

So what you are saying is the turbo sucks more air in then the ram air can create with pressure. That is a real bummer. I will pick up a cold air kit and test that theory, or just remove the canister at the track.

 

[snydely87]

Please buy from our BOARD SUPPORTING VENDORS Helps keep all this info at our fingertips...

Next time I will join the forum first, before I go buying crap. Thanks for all the excellent info. Yes I do believe in supporting my community , hope I didn't step on any ones toes bringing up GN1.

 

[snydely87]

I will be able to add some comments shortly. I ordered the headers from Mike Licht Sunday night and already have the downpipe and exhaust. Downpipe looks to be good quality. Posters above are correct a 66 is a lot of turbo for a relatively stock car. I would look for a TE-44/TE-51 or equivalent because it will be very hard to spool without a loose converter. The TE-54 I have in my 86 is lazy around town which is not what I think you are looking for.

Dump that chip and go with some 60lbs is also great advice

The headers are nice quality, and reasonable. Luckily, I like the look of raw stainless. Right at this moment I am thinking the te44 or ta49, tt chip and 60 injectors combo , gn1 down pipe.
Probably should go with a 3" dp?

I am sticking with ext. waste gate though, sounds more reliable and consistent to me.
38 or 46mm waste gate?

I want to try to do every thing so it get the 1/4 mile time that I want, as safely on the engine as possible. I don't want to have to push it to the limits to get there, I would rather just know I have "more" if I did.

 

[snydely87]

KB style headers will definetly NOT work with a stock downpipe. The crossover pipe comes up into the motor compartment where the stock downpipe would normally sit. They (GN1) are not on here due to differences with management on the board. I am a distributor of their parts as well as another vendor on here though.

Throw that chip away and go with a Turbo Tweak chip with some 60 lb injectors.

I will be calling you by the end of the week, if you don't mind.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

I will be calling you by the end of the week, if you don't mind.

Email me anytime at mhueffman@snet.net

 

[Pronto]

So what you are saying is the turbo sucks more air in then the ram air can create with pressure. That is a real bummer. I will pick up a cold air kit and test that theory, or just remove the canister at the track.

The can that raps around the filter is a restriction. If you want a CAI, Mark has the Big Mouth setup or you can us a filter on the end of a hard pipe and leave the ram air tube leading up to the filter area. It would just be outside are being pushed near the filter. Mark can help you out with that.

 

[TurboTnZ06]

Get the 38 wastegate if you have to get external for the bling factor.

 

[TurboTnZ06]

I want to try to do every thing so it get the 1/4 mile time that I want, as safely on the engine as possible. I don't want to have to push it to the limits to get there, I would rather just know I have "more" if I did.

I had Don Cruz build me a monster stroker engine, The first time at the track I ran 11.6 @ 112 at 10 psi boost, taking it easy. I don't think I even hit 4500 rpm. If you want to play it safe, heads, cam and more boost/alky is the way to go, not bigger headers and turbo, if you just want to go 12.0's the stock stuff can get you there otherwise.

 

[ghall]

I ordered a set of gn1-perf. headers and was so dis-pleased with the quality when i received them, that i sold them w/o using them. Header flange was small, v-bands were very bad quality---never keep them sealed,welds were horrible.
Anyway, i am sure everyone has opinions, but i would definately put a set of stockers on my car before these.