hitechgs3t

i agree with KVA...i understand what he going cuz i'm married too

KVA

LOL...tell me if I am wrong, but everything you have EVER heard about marriage is true! Just contemplate that when your walking down the aisle... (...and also thinking...no more mods, no more partying, increased responsibilities, no more risk taking, etc...) hahahaha! Hopefully most can be as lucky as I am and get a wife in which only half of all those things you have ever heard about are true...and BTW keep a separate checking account for modding and fun (lessons learned)

APLUS

Hmm! So what you guys are telling me is that I should get the S/C first and then the ring for my girlfriend. I was going to buy it on her birthday which is in a year. I guess I will get the S/C first. .

jmecbr900

Remember fellas, as I stated before, this is not a project that you can half start and finish later. You have to be sure and KNOW that not only do you have a big nut when you buy the kit, but you also have another nut to deal with later. Labor to install, additional parts, tuning, re-tuning, etc...all cost money. Money that the manufacturer DOES NOT mention anywhere. Money that you HAVE TO have ready to spend. If you don't you'll have a car that runs like crap after you spent $5k on it.

I love my S/C. I'm very glad that I decided to do the project. I don't regret, yet, doing the project. It makes my car very very unique among a sea of ricers out here. I KNEW, from my other car which has a very elaborate direct port nitrous system, that additional "things" always come up that are needed to do the project right.

I honestly don't want to push anyone towards NOT doing the project. The more the merrier really. I just know that everyone's pockets are different depths. I had to learn the hard way in my first project car that most big projects are really NEVER done. You always keep going and going. Sometimes because you have to, sometimes because you want to. Either way you have to be commited to the fact that its going to take more than just the initial entry fee to ride.

I really don't want to discourage anyone, just wanna save you guys some heartache.

bluelex

i was heading in this direction hard a couple months ago but i couldn't figure out 4 myself if i wanted 2 do f/i 2 the gs3 or get a gs4 and try later on that one, i'm still up in the air about..i guess it depends on what u really want or feel u need.. i don't think i need 450-500rwhp or even 400 4 that matter..if i could get the gs3 2 about 300-350 rwhp i'd b more than happy.. me and "D" did lots of research on this b4 we both purchased the gs4's.. i wanted 2 do the gs4 f/i like jmecbr900 or ttpimp but than changed my mind 2 just do the black v.i.p. and do the F/I on the blue 4 show and fun driveing...i'll wait 2 what turns out of all this 2 c ...

as far as being married and trying 2 do this..i couldn't agree with u all more..she already got the rock and wedding she always wanted , and i got her a house so i figure we're even so any xtra money will go 2 the blue gs3 F/I fund / gs4 mod fund unless kids pop up unexpectedly keep me tuned in guys please.. i want 2 c

Lexis11

I think this a great point you make. I think you should be applauded for the time you have taken to help us "think abouters" out. I mean who knows if I will ever do this mod but if I do you have greatly helped. Thanks and happy holidays!

jmecbr900

I'll help anyone who needs help. I wish someone would have talked to me straight instead of "selling" me on stuff when I was doing my projects before. Before I start any big project now, I research for months sometimes to be sure and look at different angles to it. It's easy to get caught up in the moment and look at the light at the end of the tunnel first. You have to remember that before the light at the end of the tunnel, there's a big dark void. That dark void is where I don't want anyone to fall into w/o being prepared.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll stay tuned for any more questions.

Richie

jmecbr900, for the GS3, would you recommend a turbo or SC setup?

LXOGOOD

Richie, here are some of the basics. I'll let "jmecbr900" get more in depth. Basically both setups have it's pros and cons. Normally with turbo's, you can put out more HP but it usually doesnt come into play until around 3000 RPM's which causes a little lag. Super Chargers offer instant boost starting around 1500 RPM's but usually peak out around 4500 RPM's. Turbo's you can dial up the PSi (boost controller) to offer more boost. With S.C.'s you have to change out the pulley (smaller) to get more boost. I've been told that S.C.'s put more wear and tear on the motor than Turbo's.

Now back to your question... It really comes down to how you drive your car. S.C.'s offer a better daily driver car IMO. You don't have to stomp on the gas to get boost. It's already there. If you plan on racing your car or taking it to the track, a turbo would be the better option to go with. Another important factor is "the repair shop". You need a place near by incase anything goes wrong. If you have many turbo shops in your area, it would be wiser to get a turbo. Finally, the $$$ to Hp factor is also important.

jmecbr900

My opinion is a little different than LXOGOOD, but he does make some valid points.

For a GS300, you're lucky because you have both options. What you really need to look at to start heading in one direction or another is what you are planning on doing with the car. In other words, Is the car your daily driver? Are you gonna race it? Are you plannig on going way up in HP or just sensible? $? Availability of tuning shops and parts?

Richie, you being overseas, its hard to know exactly how readily available some things are to you since I've never been there. I will make certain assumptions and you correct me if I'm wrong.

Based on the stuff I was saying above, IMO for total amount of HP possible you will probably be best suited by going with a turbo. Reason: The turbo can be custom made or tuned to put out more total HP than a S/C because it's more efficient. The turbo is more efficient for a variety of reasons, but main one is the fact that it's exhaust gas driven vs belt driven. If you choose the correct size for both the turbo and the housing, you can achieve very little "lag" and good output. The biggest advantages: Availability of parts (you can use a lot of Supra parts due to their likeness to the GS300 drivetrain), efficiency, and overall power. Main drawback: Cost, tuning difficulties, "spiky" power curve, and being sensible with the application.

If you are trying to stay low maintainance or simpler (comparatively): The S/C setup will be better suited. The S/C is easier (comparatively) to install. It is also best suited for modest amounts of boost (in our cars with the types of chargers available) which makes most units maintainance free. Main advantage: power is more linear, cost, tuning is relatively easy, and driveability (at low boost levels). Main disadvantages: Less overall power capabilities (compared to a turbo), less efficient (i.e. parasitic loss due to belt), only way to up/down the boost is by changing pulleys (depending on the application this may/may not be a big issue).

All of the above is strictly IMO and in a very small nutshell. Both ways have their advantages and dissadvantages. We could go on and on debating the merits of each system. So I'm can only accurately tell you why I chose mine. I chose to go with a S/C because it was more sensible ($10k vs $30k), availability (no turbo kit available for our cars that can be shipped yet everything is done "in-house"), driveability (it alters nothing in everyday driving), uniqueness (there's only a handful of S/C'd 400's in the country), and reliability of the overall system.

Even with all that said if I had a GS300 I would probably go turbo. That's actually the route I was initially going when I bought my car in Jan. of this year. I was looking for a 300 to eventually turbo it and go nuts. I ran across my 400 and fell in love. I still wanted F/I because I'm a nut that way. I live by the motto: "too much is never enough". Anyway, the only real alternative for me was S/C. That's what I got and why. As I said before, I love my setup. It's clean, it's functional, it puts out good clean linear power that I can use everyday if I want, it looks factory (except for the big intercooler), it's low maintainance, and was easy to tune. BUT, if I could wave a magic wand and get anything already done without having the headache that comes with it as well as the big financial hit.........I would have a GS300 with a big turbo and all Supra drivetrain putting down about 500-600HP.

Richie

Thanks LXOGOOD & jmecbr900 for taking the time to give me your opinions on this matter.
I would like to go with FI befor the end of the 2004 summer but am still not sure what system to choose.

There are some turbo experts relatively close by but no peope with SC experience that I know of.
I'm just going to see what other people are doing and what their results are, then make up my mind.

Thanks again guys

LexFather

Hot damn, I am not mad I asked PLP these very questions in an e-mail 10 min ago. Thanks.(I love Clublexus)...

Richie

Mike, did you allready get a replacement for the GS4?

TTurboPimp

iTrader: (12)

I couldnt agree with Jamie more...I without doubt would go with a turbo application over the SC...and this is coming from a guy with a SC. Although, I am all about pushing the limits to get as much HP out of a car that I can, your visions may be different than mine. For those of you who think you will be happy with 300 to 350hp...we all think that until we have it, then we want more, and more, and more!! I have thought many times about selling the GS4 to go with a GS3 and turbo it, which can be done for a fairly decent price compared to FI on the GS4. Im way too deep in my 4 to go there now, but if I didnt already have FI I would serioiusly consider it. COming from a guy who had a 800hp Supra before the GS, there is nothing like a single turbo when it hits!

LexFather

Not yet But this info could help toward the future.