New to turbo Buicks

DNA Strand

New Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
...well new, but I have had my car for 6-8 months and I have read A lot about these cars. What I am looking for here is perspective of what I have. By that I mean how capable this car is with its current mods. A good/average/bad kind of thing.

When I bought the car, I bought it from someone who had bought it a year or so before. He bought if from the owner of a speed shop near Atlanta who had built the motor in this car. I don't know if the car was bought from the shop owner or through the owner, but it sat at his shop for around 4 years. Not sure why. I talked to the owner of the shop briefly and he says he remembers it. It had "electrical problems" he says. It works fine now, but there some mystery wires that worry me. I keep telling myself I need to trace them back and see where they go.

The guy I bought it from put in a turbo tweak alcohol chip, took out the powermaster and put in a vacuum booster system...I think that was all, The car doesn't have alcohol on it now(I bought a new chip too)....I don't know if it did before, but I know it had a scanmaster and the guy took it out before he sold it to me. I got the car with a crapped out transmission too. So I got the car, got my transmission redone. Don't know what kind of converter is iin there, but knowing him it would be stock or stock replacement. He also put in a shift kit in. After that I got the car and put in a 180 degree thermostat with a cheapo f-body radiator. I hooked the transmission lines to the oil cooler in the radiator and I have a substantial stand alone oil cooler in front. I also put an lt1 MAF on with a transistor box. Besides that I have only done little piddly things.

It still needs more work. Next up is the turbo it has Garrett te-60 best I can tell. It seeps oil between the cartridge and the exhaust housing, no I have the car off the road now. I think I will get a rebuild kit and try to do it myself. Assuming that all it needs is seals, if there is wear I guess I have no choice but to send it out....right?

After that I need new mufflers I has ATR pitbulls on now, but sadly they are rusted out. I am looking into dynomax ultraflows. I really want to find a set of stock exhaust manifolds and have them ceramic coated, seems like it would help. Right now the car had hooker headers on it and it has a lot of lag, but I think that's more than just the headers. The car has a ATR wastegate and a old looking small front mount intercooler.

This post probably seems jumbled up and scattered around all at the same time...I guess that's just how my mind works.:confused:

And I'm sure important things were left out.....


Well I told you that to ask you this

Do you think this car is far from being a low 11 sec reliable car? You see 'cause they have a few Supras around here...well anyway here is some info on the car.


internals:
.03 over wiesco pistons
206/206 cam (forget the name)
billet aluminum main caps
port and polish
All ARP fasteners

That's about as much as I know about the internals

Others:

Garrett te-60 (I think)
ATR wastegate with a quality looking downpipe
Hooker headers
42.5 lb injectors
Small nameless front mount I don't think its a cheap ebay one this one looks like its been there for a little while.

...hmm I can't of anything else.


It has a bit of surface rust at the bottom of the doors and it needs a nice paint job. I was happy to find out that the car was white from the factory, its a perl white now, soon to be factory white. Maybe not soon, just whenever I have time. I restore cars so rust and pain is mostly a time issue.

It's funny how a vague, broad question could grow into an introduction thread while its being typed. Well I don't know where this should go...if Its in the wrong area please let me know.
 
getting your parts to work together correctly is the key.others call this combination.i see too many buicks at the track that have alot of parts and are going to slow for what they have.you have some good parts but you also don't know what converter your running,and if you have any leaks pre-turbo etc.you are going to need boost to make power,to make boost safely you need octane from either race gas or alky injection.this is of course after all mechanical things are sorted out,turbo repair,in tank pump etc.then you will need stickey tires to put the power to the ground,and track time to learn your combo.i've never seen supras that are hard to beat on the street(not saying they aren't out there)but a good combo on a buick that dead hooks on the street is tough to beat.
 
I suggest that you DO replace the headers with stock or TA replacement headers in Stainless. The Hooker headers are a great design for engines in the 800 hp range. but they melt off at that power level.;) The turbo is OK for the power level you are seeking. Verify the source of the leak. It might be nothing more than a leaking inlet fitting or a leaking return gasket. Buy a Alky Control alcohol system and keep the turbo tweak chip. Verify that the fuel pump is new and has a hot wire kit used. (might as well just replace it to KNOW it is good) New fuel filter. Good plug wires. CR43TS plugs gapped at a tight .033". Clean the K&N filter.
If you decide to replace the turbo, give Precision a call and order their stock location intercooler, too. Ensure you have a Posi rear end, too. If not, replace the carier with an Eaton unit. M/T Drag radials and the car should run solidly in the 11's
 
Ah, you make sound oh so simple.:biggrin:
 
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