Hi guys, I know there aren’t too many reasons to start threads here anymore as most questions are answered, but I felt I have a unique type of situation, or admittedly foolish predicament I’ve gotten myself into.

Backtrack a year, took a ride in a friend’s Z with a turbo back in Co (where I’m from, but live in CR) and it was exhilarating! I saw a partially assembled custom turbo kit on ebay for probably half of what most go for, and impulsively bought it.

After sending it by boat to CR and finally opening the boxes, I realized the guy wasn’t forthcoming with the state of the pipes, used! Ok, that’s ebay for you. Apart from that at least it has a new Borgwarner K27, Turbosmart BOV and wastegate. Then I went off and spent hundreds more from Z1 and other places getting the intercooler (Treadstone TR8L), oil pan spacers, test pipes, etc etc etc tons of things and come to find out that the plumbing is Turbonetics.

After reading for months about FI and possible problems that might arise, I've had some doubt instilled in my desire to install the kit, so its just been sitting there for over 7 months. That, and I’m just finishing a year long Samurai build with a motor swap that turned out to be insane. Admittedly most of that is due to where I live, you have to have a lot of patience and deal with local time frames here.

The FI scene is pretty big here and there are a few good tuners/installers, which I know is the most important aspect, and I’ve visited 2 shops. Anyway, after contemplating for months I’m stuck, do you think its better to just cut my losses, sell it, and look for a proper kit? Is the Turbonetics plumbing workable, or is it a can of worms? One shop here did say they can make any plumbing that might be needed just as an aside.

FYI, no motor build, low miles, no tracking, just weekend fun. Not unhappy with NA either, something to be said about reliability. If I did sell it, I’d try local, if it didn’t sell here I’d probably ship it back up to the US and list it here maybe. If I did install it, I’d still need the Osiris and injectors, that’s about it.

Any thoughts?

 

FI is a rabbit hole money wise. AT the end you will likely have a fast but unreliable Z worth the same as a stock Z of equal mileage and condition.

I would sell it and get what you can. Maybe a LS transplant if you HAVE to have more power......

Good luck either way

 

Appreciate the advice, and I think I am coming to that consensus. I could use the money to finish off the suspension and exhaust, and get a tune. And to boot, the motor only has 20k documented miles, seems a pity to possibly ruin it. Of course others say "perfect for turbo build!"

 

FI is def a rabbit hole ...

I disagree that FI is unreliable ... FI done wrong is unreliable, FI abused is unreliable.

FI done right, tuned right/conservatively, and not abused/neglected will last a long time. Anything with moving parts will break but that's the nature of any beast.

Ask yourself how bad you want FI...If the plumbing is do'able and you have the cash I'd do it - uprev and injectors isn't too bad. It's fun. I live in Colorado and wish I was at sea level, especially with an FI'd car.

Create a build thread...

 

Hello Colorado! (My family is from Littleton) Definitely agree with your comments, has to be done right and cared for/maintained. I would definitely do an ultra conservative tune with the turbo, as I’m just after "fun", not the last ounce of horsepower. I’m not rich but money isn’t a problem. Just worried about potential headaches and problems, constant trips to the shop.
Admittedly this probably isn’t the best car for CR and crappy streets, wanted an STI, rare here, but I do love the Z.
I did speak with a company that makes high quality turbo plumbing for the Z up in the states, can’t remember the name, goes for $2000. Then I would have no quality issues. I think the TN plumbing might be a lottery, even after inspecting welds etc. In reality it doesn’t *appear* to be of poor quality, but I don’t want problems. There’s not exactly AAA here at your finger tips if you know what I mean. Breaking down hours away from the house can be quite an ordeal. My wife would kill me too. Don’t ask how I know.

 

I have a replica TN kit on my Z and it's fine.

 

I'm out east a bit but used to live in both Littleton and centennial ... its a nice part of Denver for sure.

Can you do any of this work yourself? Have you considered learning to TIG weld? Whatever money you were gonna spend on a plumbing kit buy a basic tig welder and do it yourself...

You can have a brand new fresh off the showroom floor car and it can break down.

 

Yeah out east is growing like crazy (actually the entire state), my mom and sister both have houses out there now. Easy ride to the airport! Dad was a Lttn cop for 40 years, so we always had to be close.

I’d love to tig weld, great idea. Between the house and vehicles I could’ve saved plenty of $ by now. But heck, the plumbing might be just fine as many have shown, and all of the other components are new. I’m going to study the TN plumbing layout a little more to see what I’d be getting into.
I think the turbo, wastegate and BOV are of good quality.

 

Interesting reading you’re build thread!! Honestly, that’s probably exactly what I’m fearing, as far as all the initial fitment issues, leaks etc. You’re still running that set up? I see you did the majority of the install, do you think it was all worth it in the end?

 

Lots of growth all over...things are sorta level'ing out I think.

I had a buddy do my tig welding and he was damn-near raping me on an hourly rate. He was pretty good but crazy expensive and gouging me. Sorta pissed me off ... so the next $1300 I came across, I bought an tig, a few weeks later bought a tank, filler, bought my tungsten and cups off ebay, I'll spent $50 or so scrap aluminum from a metal supplier and went to town. I usually buy 25% more material than I need to get dialed in and have extra material on hand.

Study the TN layout and read what other FI guys have done ... you'll get alot of ideas and probably avoid alot of heartache.

 

The leaks can be fixed easily. Just use graphite gaskets. I originally bought a graphite sheet and made them myself, but you can buy them pre-made

Other than that the kit is worth the price, but I did all the work myself.

 

Yeah you know, I could’ve saved a fortune just in the past couple years if I would’ve bought a tig; railings, security bars, furniture at the house, rock sliders, bumpers, roll cage etc tons of items on the 4x4. I’m going to look into that! Same exact thing happened to me with my buddy and a bumper/tire carrier, thought I was getting a bro deal and it turned out costing me $1500!

Agreed on last point, after reading some things here I’m going to study the plumbing.

 

I’m going to look into those gaskets, did you see a place that sells them pre-made? Just reading your thread last night made me double think things though. Melting hoses, trimming plastics and various parts, refitting and multiple attempts would be frustrating to say the least.
I bet at 350whp the Z is an insanely fun car.

 

Any circular graphite gasket of the same size work. I went to a local AutoZone(parts store here) and looked through hundreds of gaskets and found ones that fit.

 

 

Also I just found this plumbing for sale at Z1, over stock from Momentum kits of yesteryear - $1900 hot side

https://www.z1motorsports.com/forced...de-p-9833.html