VEGASTOY

ok,

i did my part by spending 7 straight hours at SEMA yesterday, looking and talking with all of the different techs at Greddy, Vortech, P.E., ATI, etc....i can now say with all confidence that i am ever MORE confused about with one of them to get than ever....what would be great (in a perfect world) is if the experienced people on this board would breakdown the differences in the S/C kits and explain the pros and cons in each one... what will do all of us no good is if everyone chimes in with their 2 cents about which one they like the best because there brother has one, or they have a cool sticker, or they have a better sales record....

"ma'am only the facts please!!!"

zland

Of course you would be confused after SEMA, it is every salespersons goal to convince you their product is the best thing ever.

Regarding performance: Hopefully, the shoot out/comparison on FI 350Z's SportZ magazine will provide some data on hp/torque, 0-60, track performance for you on many of these products. I am sure they will not address which is a better option be it SC or TT. As you know, any of these products can be boosted thus this comparison is only testing them at kit level performance.

Regarding reliability and service: No one really knows exactly how reliable a product will be until it is released and used by owners. The only measuring device you can use is the history of that company (have other products been problematic or trouble free?). If and when problems did occurs with their products, did the company address and fix those problems? You can look on car forums, places like superchargersonline.com forums etc to read about what people feel that already own products made by these companies.

Just remember, an after market company might be prone to put hp gain over reliability since many purchasers buy based on that issue alone. The company might not back the product if something goes wrong so if you blow up your car, oh well, they got their sale. Be careful, buy wisely IMHO.

Maybe you think I did not say much because I did not say buy this or that product but IMO, I said a lot:

1. Buy only something you know the real performance gains and limitations.
2. Buy only a product that has been released long enough to see if it has problems occuring.
3. Buy a product that if/when it does have a problem, the company will address the problem and not leave you unhappy.
4. Dont listen to one persons opinion only, especially if they have a personal gain from you doing what they suggest (ie salesperson). Take all the information in, then weigh it. No one should be telling you to buy this or that. You need to reach your own conclusions.

Goos luck, Jeff

edubbzzz

Well, for some of us the choice is clear, my Z is 5AT which means i'll be going SC, only because theres NO LAG, now if i had a 6MT i would prolly go TT, but thats my opinion, which brings us to N20, if i wear to go TT i would prolly get my self a 75sht, so i can jump off the line (P.S. if you havnet figured it out im a DRAG RACER), if you want it for everyday driving, there is less upkeep and maintance on SC, TT kits have a bit more to worry about, (more components=more maintance). SC for me i believe will be my path full power,no lag!!! AUTO i have no choice!!!!!

jawbone

Well said zland. You also got to be honest with yourself on what you want to do with the car, i.e. driving style. I like instant hp and torque in the area I drive most (2-5K) so I would opt for a roots style. centrifigals have the top end, if that is your focus. turbos can have both, but always have lag to some degree. plus lots of heat to bake stuff. Each type of FI feels totally different, even if the final hp and tq # are similar. Not helping any, am I
Guess you will have to bum a few rides to see what you like...

VEGASTOY

so am i correct in saying that the major differences between stillen, ati, and vortech are the types of chargers? i'm leaning against stillen only because it seem to be a little overpriced..the basic 5k or so does not include the hood replacement or the intercooler...the vortech system is a ___________ system and the procharger is a _________system..

lets play fill in the blanks...lol

i really like the facts i've heard about both of these, they are both intercooled and they are both about the same price..

WHICH ONE IS PERFECT FOR A DAILY DRIVER THAT WANTS GOOD POWER THROUGHOUT THE POWERBAND??

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP...!!


JOE

SoFl_G

iTrader: (1)

Please don't take this as a flame, but realisticly in the real world you have it backwards. An auto works better with turbos because 1) for an off the line launch you can brake torque and develop boost before ever moving. 2) you have no need to lift off when you shift and therefore no re-spool time. I have owned turbo cars, and no matter how well set up, there is a small time on a stick car when after you shift, the boost builds. My previous car was probably considered the fastest boosting car, TT RX-7 and there was still some noticable time while the turbo(s) came fully back on line after a shift. Ever been to the track and seen a black Buick Grand National run? Partly because those cars are automatice is why they are so damn fast, the auto covers the large turbo and it's attendant spool time. I plan on getting Turbos for my G. As for reliability, Turbos have a undeserved reputation. Change your oil like you are SUPPOSED to and they live long lives. How many over the road trucks use S/C? and how many use Turbos? That says a lot. A properly designed and set up turbo system will live as long as the motor it's attached to.

jawbone

[QUOTE]Originally posted by VEGASTOY
[B]so am i correct in saying that the major differences between stillen, ati, and vortech are the types of chargers? i'm leaning against stillen only because it seem to be a little overpriced..the basic 5k or so does not include the hood replacement or the intercooler...the vortech system is a ___________ system and the procharger is a _________system..

On stillen's website the basic kit is 3795. Both vortech and procharger are centrifigual systems. stillen's is a roots blower.

VEGASTOY

well, superchargeronline just quoted me this for a polished vortech s/c

You requested a price quotation for: Vortech Supercharger Kit w/Air-to-Air Intercooler for 2003 Nissan 350Z / Infinity G35 (8psi - polished) [more info]
Part Number: V4NZ218-018SQ
SuperchargersOnline.com*: $5,099.00
List Price: $5895.95
You Save: $796.95

my question is that if the CARB certification is pending for Vortech, can i still put it on and then when it comes time to get a smog check it will be ok, or will i have to install some kinda new part or???


joe

Forced

We probably won't have the CARB number until early-mid next year. (May-ish?) The supercharger will have a "n/a" stamped on the blower. When we do get the certification, we can mail or fax you a copy to keep in the car.

D'oh

I'm not an expert from experience, but as an engineer and an avid reader, here's what I've deduced:

Vortech/ATI:
These two kits are almost the same. Both are cetrifugal type S/C's, which means that the boost (and therefore torque) will increase with RPM. Both kits seem to use a similar fuel control system (Aux fuel pump with DFMU), although I haven't checked the latest info on the Vortech Thread. Both have front mounted Air/Air intercoolers. Both cost around $5000 retail (not MSRP). Both have similar boost levels (around 7 psi, although now it seems like Vortech is saying 8). Either way, they both are making around 350+ RWHP.

Stillen:
The stillen kit(s) differ most significantly in that they use a roots type blower. This blower compresses air a certain amount, and as the motor increases in speed and requires more air, the compressor increases in speed in the same ratio. This means the boost will stay pretty much constant over the RPM range. Because of this, the torque increase will also be fairly constant over the RPM range. I think stillen uses an additional injector to increase fuel flow, but I'm not positive (I also don't know how they control that injector). This kit will feel different than the Vortech/ATI kits because the full boost will be available anywhere in the RPM range and will therefore feel more powerful at the lower RPM ranges (the Intercooled Stillen Kit is almost as powerful as the others on the top end as well). The downfalls of the Stillen Kit (IMO) are the required Hood, loss of the strut bar, and the fact that the Intercooler is extra. One nice thing is that the Stillen 5lb kit comes with an engine warranty, but the power gains are pretty small.

Dreamworkes:
This kit is similar to the Stillen kit in that is uses a positive displacement S/C (I think roots type but maybe twin screw). It looks to be a very well integrated design, and will have a built-in intercooler and will not require a new hood (don't know about strut bar though). I would expect the boost to be in the 7 lb range as well. I don't remember anything about the fuel management of this kit, unfortunately.

So, if you like drag racing, a positive displacement S/C would be the best choice since the boost is reached at very low RPMs. This would help the launch. For road racing, a centrifugal S/C would be just about as good, and maybe slightly better since they tend to be more efficient than the positive displacement types and therefore can either run slightly higher boost without heating the air as much, or can run similar boost with less parasitic loss on the engine (maybe not enough less to make much of a difference though). Since you are always moving in road racing, you can be in high RPM's pretty much all the time and can use the centrifugal setup without any penalty.

For daily driving, all these kits (except the Stillen 5 lb kit) will provide a significant increase in torque over the stock 350Z. The cetrifugal kits will have more of a "surge" since the torque will increase as RPMs build. The Stillen will come on stronger intially, and will stay there, similar to the stock engine. I think for a daily driver, any of the 7 lb kits will be plenty (at least until you get used to them )

I think a large part of the decision would come down to the fuel management, which seems to be a little open on most of the kits.

Anyhow, that's my understanding of the kits so far. Any corrections or additional info is appreciated.

-D'oh!

scooter109

I just got my Stillen supercharger installed last weekend. I have absolutely no experience with any other supercharger systems, but could not be more pleased with the Stillen product and service. I drove down to the Stillen facility from Utah without advance notice and was treated like a king by their entire staff. I went with Stillen for the warranty and dependability issues. A year 36000 mile warranty is a significant issue as is the pending CARB certification. I cannot imagine any better consumer confidence builder than a warranty. Power is fantastic. Drivability is unchanged from before. I have all the power I want whenever I want it and yet the car is totally drivable every day of the week. I use my car daily and do not regret the purchase at all. I strongly recommend Stillen to anyone who wants dependability, and security with their power. I can hardly wait to upgrade the exhaust!!!