Need a reliable turbo car, opinions please! [Archive]

pop

24-10-2007, 10:55 PM

I'd like to buy a factory-tuned force inducted car. Although I really do love Honda, I wish they slipped away from N/A for a bit and built a turbo-charged car! I don't want to turbo a Honda.

If you can, please don't flame me for wanting a car other than a Honda! I'd just like to know your opinions on what I should choose (although in the end it comes down to my own personal preference, I know).

The basic thoughts are:

WRX (STi; if affordable)
Skyline R34
200SX S15 (or Silvia)

However, my budget is $20,000 and below. So it will be hard finding one of those cars for my budget.

Please give me some recommendations on a good, reliable turbocharged car!

mrwillz

24-10-2007, 10:59 PM

my00,my99 my98 wrex;s

skyline r33 gts-t

200sx s14

just a thought?

tRipitaka

24-10-2007, 11:03 PM

if you get those cars that u've stated under $20,000.. i doubt that they'd be reliable..

how about the cars mrwillz has stated

pop

24-10-2007, 11:04 PM

Are they reliable though? That is my main concern. I don't know much about any of them.

I think the S14s are kinda ugly (at the rear) and the R33's are too common.

pop

24-10-2007, 11:10 PM

What is it that gives the WRX it's sexy rumble? Surely not the Fujitsubo exhaust?

tRipitaka

24-10-2007, 11:11 PM

boxer engine methinks

Zilli

24-10-2007, 11:12 PM

i think youd be better off going and doing your research on these vehicles in there relative forums...

pop

24-10-2007, 11:12 PM

I knew that much, but not all WRX's I've come across has the deep rumbly note?

I used to think they had 'Boxster' engines...

Spunkymonkey

24-10-2007, 11:17 PM

the irony of reliable and turbo in the same sentence....or should I say oxymoron

JDM.Power

24-10-2007, 11:17 PM

wrx = gearbox problem
gtr = you want to mod it which will lead to turbo, upgrade clutch and heaps more
s15 = vvt problem, you would also want to mod that and go drifting

pop

24-10-2007, 11:19 PM

reliable and turbo don't fit in the same sentence

How I wish this weren't all true!

aaronng

24-10-2007, 11:27 PM

Get a stock WRX, that is owned by an older female owner. They exist, but they are usually the hatch/wagon style.

hondavti25

24-10-2007, 11:34 PM

God dont get a skyline every one has one. Go a WRX there HOT as when you do it right. S15s are hot but not to sure on how reliable they GL with it:)

VT1-R

24-10-2007, 11:39 PM

get a 180SX with a SR20DET with low kms.. preferably under 100k. haha.. with $20k no probs.. can mods some stuff as well..

T-onedc2

24-10-2007, 11:46 PM

I knew that much, but not all WRX's I've come across has the deep rumbly note?

I used to think they had 'Boxster' engines...

An aftermarket exhaust gives a louder than stock rumble, yes it's unique to boxer engines but the unequal length header creates the sound, fit a tuned length header and it'll sound like a turbo Honda.

NightKids

25-10-2007, 12:19 AM

Reliable turbo car?

Reliable = Toyota, so I guess it'll have to be a turbo Toyota...

MR2?

aaronng

25-10-2007, 12:22 AM

Reliable turbo car?

Reliable = Toyota, so I guess it'll have to be a turbo Toyota...

MR2?

So wrong.... Stock turbo MR2 GTs are not as reliable as a stock WRX. They don't get enough cooling.

sretocz

25-10-2007, 12:35 AM

Man those cars you mentioned don't really have that much of an advantage stock over say a stock ITR. Unless you are planning on upgrading the turbo system, gear box and pretty much everything else under the hood. Is there a particular age bracket you are looking at? Or just anything that sucks air? Whats your reason for wanting to go turbo if i may ask?

Id say wait a little bit until the right car comes along, dont go rushing into things specially if you are playing with money. My mate has recently picked up a s15 for 21 thousand and it was in pretty good nick with a couple of engine mods and a full body kit paint and all that.

AsH_

25-10-2007, 12:38 AM

GTi-R ??? i duno bout reliable...

its hard... coz a lot of used turbo cars have been thrashed so much...

and wear and tear... makes problems later...

misteR_bilzz

25-10-2007, 01:15 AM

forester GT.

VT1-R

25-10-2007, 01:41 AM

Mitsubishi Lancer GSR 93-95 or EVO 1,2,3,4.. rare to find a gd condition 1 though.. but $20k should get a reasonably good 1.. but if u gonna get an EVO might as well get a WRX... more to choose from..

Mr_will

25-10-2007, 01:50 AM

Get a stock WRX, that is owned by an older female owner. They exist, but they are usually the hatch/wagon style.

why? almost all of the females i have ever met in my search for a second hand performance car (have looked at s15's, WRX's, r33's etc) have had little/no knowledge of the mechanical aspects of the car leading them to do things like:

redline the engine when it is completely cold
redline the engine right before it is about to be turned off without allowing the turbo time to cool
poor gear selection, mainly attempting to accelerate from 50km or thereabouts in 5th or 6th gear.

I definately wouldnt be looking to buy off an older female.

The best method ive found is to get the owner to drive you in their car first. Sure, they might drive differently to how they usually do, but I have found it very useful.

Vinnie

25-10-2007, 02:23 AM

probably coz older ladies are far less likely to exploit the performance of any given car whereas ur standard male driver is far more likely to flog it. then u can only hope that they have actually looked after it but with a rex its a bit of a gamble there... :)

btw, when i got my accord the 40yo business woman i bought it off redlined it in first from a cold start jus coz she thought ide be most interested in the performance. i have no doubt it led a very conservative life but the way she drove it then was just was undoubtedly different because i was sitting there. the way the owner drives on a test drive with you is not always a good indication of how the car has been treated.

czy_sol87

25-10-2007, 02:47 AM

imo how are car is maintained, no driven, is how realiable it will be in the future
say if one car has been thrashed here and there, but the owner has taken good care off it, ie regular oil changes, and servicing
compared to a car that has been babied all its life but has never once had an oil change...
which would u pick....

also all turbo cars are realiable as long as u take proper care of them...

NightKids

25-10-2007, 03:07 AM

wonderfully said czy_sol, but u haven't given your recommendation....

weeman

25-10-2007, 08:12 AM

my 33t is as reliable as anything ive owned before, even my teg. its got a few mods, just the basics and full suspension. ive taken it down to the track a couple of times and it still runs like when i bought it a few months ago. altho i dont know how often the previous owner changed the oil as it was pretty black. ive owned the car for less than 10,000k's, given it a service and its coming up for another this weekend.

if the car has been well looked after you shouldn't have any problems with reliablity.

as for recomendations, i think with the money your looking at spending you should look at 180's 96-98 you should get for that price, s14's, r33's or even the mk3 supra with a 1j in it preferably, if not the 7m ones go pretty good too but dont get the 1g ones, just no power in them, that way you'll have money left over for insurance, rego etc and maybe a few mods if you like

cristian

25-10-2007, 10:56 AM

some of the cons i've found over the years (i think these may have already been brought up)
R33 Gts-T = Ceramic wheel becomes frail when the motor's been deprived of oil or constantly not given time for warm up and cool down i.e not taken care of
S13/4 = hard to come by in good condition nowadays...although it doesn't cost much to acquire one and do an engine rebuild (easily within ur budget)
WRX = MY99's are known to have a very weak gearbox for the power its delivering...im sure there are mods to strengthen the tranny but im not sure how it would fit with the budget...
the MY99's are also the last rexies that came out before the subies became berzerk on car security...i.e. and is a target for many car thieves...

my suggestion...
an old school jdm MZ21 soarer...7mgte's are relatively cheap nowadays...they just have a tendency to have a sh!thouse head gasket that can be easily replaced by an aftermarket item...

http://autos.goo.ne.jp/autos/img/special/s/tas2006/data/img_l/toyota/i_IMG_1981.jpg

krogoth

25-10-2007, 11:33 AM

cristian

25-10-2007, 11:52 AM

i dont get it, lol, ceramic wheel? something to do with the turbo?

the wheel/blades in the turbo r ceramic...

a mate of mine went through 3 turbos during a span of 2 years coz he's a f^kwit and treats his car like an excel...

krogoth

25-10-2007, 11:56 AM

ahhh, yes the notorios ceramic turbo wheel

theyr pretty reliable as long as u keep boost under 12-13 psi?

cristian

25-10-2007, 12:13 PM

ahhh, yes the notorios ceramic turbo wheel

theyr pretty reliable as long as u keep boost under 12-13 psi?

yeah, i think stock psi on the rb25det is 13psi...

the turbo itself can handle up to 18 i think...not so sure about the motor though

krogoth

25-10-2007, 12:15 PM

from wat ive heard its the engine that can take it, but the turbo that shits itself, lol

nvmee

25-10-2007, 12:19 PM

yay im on the same boat too as this guy

macoman69

25-10-2007, 12:27 PM

How I wish this weren't all true!just keep it stock, or don't go with dodgy parts

AzKik-R

27-10-2007, 09:13 PM

What is it that gives the WRX it's sexy rumble? Surely not the Fujitsubo exhaust?

The "sexy rumble" is caused by the 2 sets of exhaust gases converging, the boxer engine has 2 cylinders exhausting out one side, and 2 cylinders exhausting out the other side, where the 2 combine is where the gurgling noise is generaged, hence the similar sounds can also be found on motor cycles with 2 pistons where the exhausts are merged into one pipe. Or you can also find this same rumble on the holdens where the 2 sets of exhaust gasses are run down the pipes, and nearer to the back of the car you will see a pipe which connects between the 2 pipes, i refer to this pipe as a gurgle pipe. This is why holden v8's make the sound, but the ford v8's dont, the Ford V8's run 2 exhaust pipes down, but they dont have a gurgle pipe.

If you're going to get a WRX, and you are selecting one of the earlier models pre99, make sure you get a STI or an RA version, the early generation models have weak gearbox's, i've changed my mates gearbox 4 times!!! the STI & RA models are a much stronger gear box, some come with VCD.

If you're going for an EVO, stay away from the earlier models, evo 1, 2, 3, 4, They're great cars, and they have strong gearbox's but the AYC came out on the late model evo 4's.

Stay clear of GTi-R's, they have the weakest of all gearbox's, and the breaks are too small for the weight of the car and the speeds that thing is capable of.

Nissan Sylvia, Great to drive, high insurance costs. You may even get into drifting. change exhaust and get a lsd, you'll be laughing.

Skyline, depends on how much money you want to spend, but RB35DET is within a reasonable price, sucks gas(as you would expect with the turbo) r33 or r34 models, look good, and easy power mods. if your loaded get a gtr.

If your loyal to the HoMoCo, maybe you would like a Honda City Turbo II???

If you like small cars, you may even check out a Toyota Starlet GT, they're not as bad as they seam, If youre a tiny person and can fit in one, they're a great car

My last explored option would be a Rx7 series 6 or 7 (or even 4 & 5 if you like that porche 944 look) but the batmobile 6 & 7's are a pretty nice looking car, but that is kinda knocked back by your search criteria requesting something reliable.

hmmmmm, Evo 5? or a WRX STi v 4

ooooh, one other option comes to mind, you could pick up a 180sx type x (not to be confused with a regular 180sx) its a very sexy car the standard body looks awesome, they're rare, but they're out there. and they're fast

Munted

27-10-2007, 09:16 PM

There's more to life than Honda and Japanese cars. How about these:

VW Golf GTi or Passat
The original hot hatch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6_gNhn5sPY), Golf GTis have been loved for decades although it's only more recently that they got turbochargers, they're still brilliant though.

Saab 900 or 9-3
Waaaay back in 1972(!) 2L Saabs were leaving 5L V8 Toranas (http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_0234/article.html) in their dust!

Volvo 850, S70 or S40
Volvo have a long history (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLvGAJsy9K8) of turbo charging and in 1986 a Volvo 240 turbo took out the Australian Touring Car Championship to go with their 1985 European Touring Car Championship crown.

Audi A3 and A4 Quattro
Audi introduced the rally world to the wonders of a turbocharged AWD car back in the early 80s, changing rallying forever with the all conquering Audi Quattro Sport winning the Group B championship in 1985 and 1985. It also did very well at Pikes Peak (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKKfzR7dX-c)

In short if you get a VW it's a cheap way to buy a legend, wonderful handling too. Saab have a reputation for being a bit quirky but were also responsible for bringing turbos to the masses and if you want a drop top, they're very reasonable. Volvos have a reputation for being reliable and safe and it's easy to find one that hasn't been trashed. Audis make nice sporty luxury cars and will hold their value.

Just thought I'd throw it out there!

AzKik-R

27-10-2007, 09:20 PM

oooh, yeah, dont forget the s70 volvo's, and best of all, you'll probably have less hassle from the 5 0 cause its not a 'trouble associated' vehicle
the saab, if you can stand the sight of it.
I'd recommend going with a jap vehicle, simply because the parts are more readily available

Andw0o

28-10-2007, 01:01 AM

what ever u do. DO NOT get a MR2 TURBO! ahahahahah
ive got one in the family! and i swear to god that car is the biggest heap of junk EVER lol! worst in reliability ever!!! krogoth should know! broke down at his house once ahahha good ol days ahaha.

i was about to suggest the audi quattro turbo! nice car, but if u want fast and furious id have to say go with the wrx my00 era, mainly coz u cant afford a s15 with 20k. and as someone else said, skylines are overly done! ahahah, also every1 loves the wrx rumbleee lol

nvmee

28-10-2007, 05:55 PM

u can get a s15 for 20k :/ auto spec s :P

spec r is onli 22k anywais, if ur willing to spend 20 u might as well spend the extra 2k

oh yea honda

28-10-2007, 07:03 PM

i think u should get a b4 should get one for bout 20 grand if ur lucky nice cars go well

jay_vtec

29-10-2007, 08:45 PM

jeffske

29-10-2007, 08:46 PM

honda city

EG30

30-10-2007, 07:02 AM

Mk 4 Golf Gti 1.8 turbo, should be able to source one under $20K pretty easily these days.

blahZ

30-10-2007, 08:50 AM

Rx7??

Jackson15

30-10-2007, 09:22 AM

Ts Astra turbo in Arden Blue ,runs and hides, ...but seriously nice looking car and very much a modern car with nice leather interior....insurance is cheap cheap cheap for a turbo car.

it's an option no one else thought of :)

1996ek1

30-10-2007, 09:28 AM

Rx7??

.....he said RELIABLE

blahZ

30-10-2007, 09:30 AM

.....he said RELIABLE

i thought i should jst lighteb up this thread

AzKik-R

30-10-2007, 06:04 PM

How could i forget the lexus!!! 2JZ Engine pretty much the same engine found in the twin turbo supra. not so good off the line, but brilliant as far as going for top end. hmmm, or maybe that was because it was an auto. If i were to say that engine/tranny/car was reliable, it'd probably be my safest bet.

Mr_will

30-10-2007, 06:11 PM

Mk 4 Golf Gti 1.8 turbo, should be able to source one under $20K pretty easily these days.

another vote for this one.

DreadAngel

30-10-2007, 06:33 PM

EA21R Suzuki Cappuccino lol with a whole 47kW for shits and giggles :p

Whatever Turbocharged car you find, if its dead stock and no history or signs of having running higher than stock boost, it will generally be reliable but as with anything that ages, be prepared to replace turbocharger(s) etc :)

AzKik-R

30-10-2007, 06:34 PM

EA11R Suzuki Cappuccino lol

plus 1 for the cheeno?

DreadAngel

30-10-2007, 06:43 PM

If we had the AZ-1 for SEVS, I'd bring one in, love that car lol :p

JDM80Y

31-10-2007, 02:03 PM

Hey!

Used to own a s14a.. had no troubles with it first and very reliable car.. started modding it.. full exhaust system from hi tech, s15 turbo, nismo injectors, bosh fuel pump, other bolt on mods too, started boosting it to 13psi (stock 7-8) - for daily driving and after a few months of constant driving/trashing.. things started going wrong...

then sold it..

went back to a honda civic coupe (single cam vtec) - very fuel efficient/conservitive car.

Turbo cars are great for quick speed, but you do tend to spend more money down the track modding it.. and also with rising fuel costs, its probably best at this stage to stick away from forced induction.

EG>EK1>EJ8>S14a>EJ8

peace out!

Mr_will

31-10-2007, 02:11 PM

EG>EK1>EJ8>S14a>EJ8

im confused here....

JDM80Y

31-10-2007, 02:15 PM

im confused here....

yeah dude.. have had two ej8's

love them.. would like to put a k20 or something hectic in it one day..

....one day when i have some disposable income =)

Munted

01-11-2007, 12:05 AM

.. and also with rising fuel costs, its probably best at this stage to stick away from forced induction.

The nicest thing about a turbo car is that when driven normally around town they use about the same fuel as it would without a turbo, unlike an engine with a larger displacement with similar performance.

nvmee

01-11-2007, 08:24 AM

The nicest thing about a turbo car is that when driven normally around town they use about the same fuel as it would without a turbo, unlike an engine with a larger displacement with similar performance.

yups thats right

IS250

01-11-2007, 09:31 AM

ive spent alot of times with turbos b4 i made the switch to honda (one ill never regret :) ) however i read in a post b4 that a toyota would be the best way to go i must agree....try a toyota soarer or even better a lexus soarer...classy with the badge but a toyota engine...they only comes as twin turbo or v8 but definatly twin turbo alot more grunt...they are pretty cheap about 10000 and beleive it or not i saw a black veilside bodykitted toyota supra for 11000...definatly look at a supra very very very nice cars with sum serious speed behind them when drivin correctly.....

although on the other hand a nice intergra type R wouldnt go astray now thats a car woooo :honda:

No such thing as a Lexus Soarer, it's a Lexus SC400 and you wouldn't find one in Australia anyways. All Soarers in Australia are Toyota and they also came with a 2JZGE and the later models came with a single turbo vvti.
I'd go for a manual turbo vvti if I was looking for one; performance, luxury and a decent sized boot as well. Very reliable cars, turbochargers are really the only things that go wrong with them.

There's also Chasers and Aristos as well.

turbo convert

01-11-2007, 11:29 AM

03 wrx :thumbsup:
just get one that hasnt been thrashed
i went from old turbo cars (i.e r32 & 180sx) to 03 wrx big diff in reliablity
just dont use up all your launchs, do like me save for a special occasion :p

dc2dc2dc2

01-11-2007, 11:34 AM

turbo and reliable do not go together
like honda and fast.

krogoth

01-11-2007, 11:48 AM

^pfffffffft, lol

aimre

01-11-2007, 07:39 PM

turbo and reliable do not go together
like honda and fast.

haha so true

turbo convert

01-11-2007, 07:46 PM

new turbo cars are soooooooo much more reliable!!! of course cars like 180sx, silvia, skyline,gtir what ever are unreliable because
a) they have all been thrashed
b) there just old.....
c) technology has evolved (i.e turbo timer no longer required)
but agree thats what lead me to honda in search of reliabilty, and i loved it could thrash all day and nothing went wrong:p
But in my search for a 4 door & more power i ended up with 03 wrx and seems pretty reliable although DC2r much more fun to drive:wave:

blahZ

01-11-2007, 08:00 PM

get a GTR!?\

AzKik-R

02-11-2007, 08:29 PM

haha so true

Yeah. Honda are so the slowest cars in the world

When I think of the fastest Holden/Ford in the world or i look at the v8 super cars... I always stop to wonder how many times a f1 Honda would lap it..... hahahaha
no?

Mr_will

02-11-2007, 08:32 PM

AzKik-R

02-11-2007, 08:54 PM

please explain why a turbo timer is no longer required

basically because metal no longer expands when exposed to heat. :P
it was a new law passed in govt just this week?
or more importantly the 2 different types of metals used to create the turbine and the housing expand at different rates hence the reason you should warm the car up in the begining. and also when turning off the engine, you generally let the temperature return to normalized operating temperature, hence the turbo timer to leave the engine running to allow the metals not to abnormally contract and cool down safely.

AzKik-R

02-11-2007, 09:20 PM

get a GTR!?\

how much do you know about gtir?..... not enough?

NAY

02-11-2007, 09:21 PM

This is my GF's account.

I own an r33 gtst. Its reliable as buggery. If you keep them simple and dont go chasing 300rwkw (or even 200rwkw) they are great. I have done 30 000km since i have had mine and only done a set of plugs and a couple of oil changes. Got my 100 000km service done which the mechanics made an arse of, but thats not a fault of the car. I regularly drive 700km in a weekend, some times towing a trailer.

R34 GT-T is definately doable under 20k! I have seen autos for as low as 15k at dealers, so a manual will scrape under some how. Bug eye wrxs despite there ugliness are also a good buy around there.

As for turbo timers, dont they have a function in ensure that oil continues to circulate and doesnt stop in the still extremely hot post flogged turbo. Oil stationary in the core can have a tendancy to burn and become a lovely carbony mess, reducing oil flow through the core and turbo life. Normal driving turbo timers arent a big deal on most water cooled modern turbos.

Mr_will

02-11-2007, 10:02 PM

basically because metal no longer expands when exposed to heat. :P
it was a new law passed in govt just this week?
or more importantly the 2 different types of metals used to create the turbine and the housing expand at different rates hence the reason you should warm the car up in the begining. and also when turning off the engine, you generally let the temperature return to normalized operating temperature, hence the turbo timer to leave the engine running to allow the metals not to abnormally contract and cool down safely.

sounds suspiciously like you have no idea what youre talking about.

since turbo timers have everything to do with the oil getting hot and turning to sludge, and nothing to do with metal expanding, i dont see how anything you said means anyting.

my dad was test driving a cooper S, and the salesman told me that the turbo didnt need to be cooled down, yet had no answer when i asked him what was going to prevent the hot oil around the turbo turning to sludge.

TheFranchise

02-11-2007, 11:23 PM

my dad was test driving a cooper S, and the salesman told me that the turbo didnt need to be cooled down

arent they supercharged?

NAY

02-11-2007, 11:39 PM

The new model is turbocharged, the first lot were supercharged.

TheFranchise

02-11-2007, 11:40 PM

cool cool

AzKik-R

03-11-2007, 05:44 PM

NAY

03-11-2007, 06:23 PM

No what im saying is it keeps the engine running to keep the oil circulating...

A turbo on an engine at idle is a lot cooler than one at full load...

Watercooling is a single great advantage compared to the early early turbos.

xenonkuraz

03-11-2007, 08:12 PM

I would recommend a stock R33 with low KM's if you're looking for affordability :)

turbo convert

04-11-2007, 12:45 PM

sooo, what you're saying is that when the engine turns off the oil keeps circulating? i think not.
or the other possibility you're suggesting is that the grade of oil is significantly different to what we currently have.
what you'll probably find is that the turbines are most likely to be made out of titanium, its lighter & stronger, and the rate it expands and contracts is different to the earlier turbo's

all this has nothing to do with the original question........hence my earlier statement, newer cars are water cooled turbz so its still circulating where as what you mention above.... is old technology
hence y nobody uses turbo timers on new cars like xr6t, new wrx etc...........
mate had 10 sec xr6t no turbo timer..... had no probs.

Civic_Nich

05-11-2007, 03:51 PM

Get an Mr2 there pretty good value for money, and if worked right can go hard. also there not really common like wrx and skyline. i need some post points. somone help me out hahahaha.

DreadAngel

05-11-2007, 04:05 PM

Honda_CRX

05-11-2007, 06:09 PM

bro has S15 - luvs it

NAY

05-11-2007, 08:04 PM

Sif you get pq just by suggesting a car and asking for it :rolleyes:

MR2 GT/GT-S is reliable if kept dead stock, but once you start modding that 3S-GTE, you could get into a lot of problems. The tendency to break something is quite scary with that particular 3S-GTE gen.

The other problem with mr2's is getting someone to work on them. Most your regular mechanics will just about determine the quote based on a fwd equivalent, then double it due to the engine location.
Not really that bad, but they definately charge you more based on engine location and difficulty alone.

The other problem with mr2's is they are getting a little old now, and finding something like a turbo 95 model is near on impossible and will still cost nearly as much as something like an s15.