How to boost for 500$ **Redneck style**
12-01-2014, 05:32 PM
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 58
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How to boost for 500$ **Redneck style**
Warning: Not for fancy people 
Main objective: Have fun for cheap.
Reliability: None.
Here it goes,
I am writing this thread in case anyone would like to boost for cheap! I know people will bash it like crazy because it is a really redneck setup, but I love my setup since it cost me about 1200$ with the car price included
Please note that English is not my native language, so please don’t send me a “horror grammar warning”, I do my best!
Since I have 3 motorcycles to maintain, I wanted to have a winter toy. (The bikes are now stored due to cold weather (Quebec, Canada). So it had to be cheap and fun.
So I bought this sh** box for 700$, and decided to add some power. 312000km on the clock. Just started his life.
Robbed a turbocharger from a SAAB 9-5 2002 or so at the closest scrapyard from my place (50$)
Manifold is made of welded plumber piping, you can buy some at any good hardware store. I kept the flange of the OEM manifold with used gasket. (25$ for piping)
The flange to mate the turbo is just a 1/4" steel plate. Drilled it with a hole saw, 4 holes for the bolts and welded it on the manifold tube.
Looks pretty good for 25$
Downpipe is the saab downpipe, just had to cut the pre-cat and re-weld it with the right angle.
A flexible exhaust pipe connects the downpipe to the stock exhaust line. (20$)
Cat has been removed and replaced by straight pipe. (FREE) easy to find
Intake is made from VW golf intake piping if my memory is good.
Intercooler comes from a Nissan Silvia and piping is an assembly of leftovers from previous projects. (including pieces of pool flexible piping) (no expense for me there but otherwise you could go in a scrapyard and find all those parts for cheap)
Turbo oil supply line come from a Beechcraft Kingair B-100 aircraft brake system, (scrap part that layed in the shed for about 15 years) but fits perfectly on the saab turbo, just had to flare it and buy few AN fittings.
Return hose is a regular oil hose, fitting is a ¾ npt barb taped in the oil pan.
Fuel is managed with a Voodoo box that I bought from a guy on this forum. Works actually really good. (200$)
Diff is the stock 1.6 diff, welded. Just make sure you grease the gears before welding so no welding wire pieces stick to the gears.
(FREE)
Timing has been retarded with the CAS to 4 deg. (FREE)
No BOV, no Wideband. Fitting an air filter is in the priorities.
It obviously runs richer that it should but it’s better than too lean.
So It is obviously not a reliable setup, but probably one of the cheapest you can build pretty quickly and have real cheap fun with!
If you like to get your hands dirty and don’t mind about spending some time instead of money, that can be a good beater project! This was my first MIG welding experience so definitely not the best welding I’ve seen but the car works fine and boost since 2000km now!
More pics to come,
Hope you enjoy!
Main objective: Have fun for cheap.
Reliability: None.
Here it goes,
I am writing this thread in case anyone would like to boost for cheap! I know people will bash it like crazy because it is a really redneck setup, but I love my setup since it cost me about 1200$ with the car price included
Please note that English is not my native language, so please don’t send me a “horror grammar warning”, I do my best!
Since I have 3 motorcycles to maintain, I wanted to have a winter toy. (The bikes are now stored due to cold weather (Quebec, Canada). So it had to be cheap and fun.
So I bought this sh** box for 700$, and decided to add some power. 312000km on the clock. Just started his life.
Robbed a turbocharger from a SAAB 9-5 2002 or so at the closest scrapyard from my place (50$)
Manifold is made of welded plumber piping, you can buy some at any good hardware store. I kept the flange of the OEM manifold with used gasket. (25$ for piping)
The flange to mate the turbo is just a 1/4" steel plate. Drilled it with a hole saw, 4 holes for the bolts and welded it on the manifold tube.
Looks pretty good for 25$
Downpipe is the saab downpipe, just had to cut the pre-cat and re-weld it with the right angle.
A flexible exhaust pipe connects the downpipe to the stock exhaust line. (20$)
Cat has been removed and replaced by straight pipe. (FREE) easy to find
Intake is made from VW golf intake piping if my memory is good.
Intercooler comes from a Nissan Silvia and piping is an assembly of leftovers from previous projects. (including pieces of pool flexible piping) (no expense for me there but otherwise you could go in a scrapyard and find all those parts for cheap)
Turbo oil supply line come from a Beechcraft Kingair B-100 aircraft brake system, (scrap part that layed in the shed for about 15 years) but fits perfectly on the saab turbo, just had to flare it and buy few AN fittings.
Return hose is a regular oil hose, fitting is a ¾ npt barb taped in the oil pan.
Fuel is managed with a Voodoo box that I bought from a guy on this forum. Works actually really good. (200$)
Diff is the stock 1.6 diff, welded. Just make sure you grease the gears before welding so no welding wire pieces stick to the gears.
(FREE)
Timing has been retarded with the CAS to 4 deg. (FREE)
No BOV, no Wideband. Fitting an air filter is in the priorities.
It obviously runs richer that it should but it’s better than too lean.
So It is obviously not a reliable setup, but probably one of the cheapest you can build pretty quickly and have real cheap fun with!
If you like to get your hands dirty and don’t mind about spending some time instead of money, that can be a good beater project! This was my first MIG welding experience so definitely not the best welding I’ve seen but the car works fine and boost since 2000km now!
More pics to come,
Hope you enjoy!
Last edited by Mangezmoer; 12-01-2014 at 09:16 PM.
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12-01-2014, 06:42 PM
#3
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Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 58
Total Cats: 17
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12-01-2014, 07:36 PM
#6
That's really cool stuff man, I like it. How much boost are you running? I'd really want to at least borrow a wideband for a few minutes to see what's going on with the fueling.
I wish there were more of these "builds" on the site. If you're getting enough fuel I really feel like this kind of setup could be reliable-ish. Obviously it's not going to make a ton of power, but should be considerably quicker than a stock miata. Worst case scenario you can always pick up another cheap motor to swap in.
I wish there were more of these "builds" on the site. If you're getting enough fuel I really feel like this kind of setup could be reliable-ish. Obviously it's not going to make a ton of power, but should be considerably quicker than a stock miata. Worst case scenario you can always pick up another cheap motor to swap in.
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12-01-2014, 08:57 PM
#7
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 58
Total Cats: 17
That's really cool stuff man, I like it. How much boost are you running? I'd really want to at least borrow a wideband for a few minutes to see what's going on with the fueling.
I wish there were more of these "builds" on the site. If you're getting enough fuel I really feel like this kind of setup could be reliable-ish. Obviously it's not going to make a ton of power, but should be considerably quicker than a stock miata. Worst case scenario you can always pick up another cheap motor to swap in.
I wish there were more of these "builds" on the site. If you're getting enough fuel I really feel like this kind of setup could be reliable-ish. Obviously it's not going to make a ton of power, but should be considerably quicker than a stock miata. Worst case scenario you can always pick up another cheap motor to swap in.
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12-01-2014, 09:02 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 58
Total Cats: 17
The only hesitation I have is when I boost a little, and then slowly release the throttle. Then around atmospheric pressure the car hesitates a little. Or if I slowly increase the throttle (very little throttle), just before hitting atmospheric pressure (so still in vaccum) same thing happens. Since my voodoo box is ajusted "full rich" I might be too rich when I am out of boost? Also have to change the spark plugs for new/iridium ones, might be something as stupid as that.
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