Hi all, as the 86 forum I usually use is dead I thought you people might know something I don't
I'm planning to turbocharge my 86 but am having some troubles in terms of legality. To the best of my knowledge no turbo kit will pass emissions testing due to the removal of the primary catalytic converter. My issue isn't with police attention because I don't drive like an idiot and live less than 500m from one and have never had any issues. My issue is when it comes to insurance. The last thing I want is to be denied a claim (touch wood). I've seen that RACV still cover the car as long as its roadworthy, but emissions testing isn't part of roadworthy, so would it still be covered under insurance.
On another note the kit I've chosen when fitted looks completely stock the naked eye and you can't even tell it's been modified
Thanks in advance :)
Getting Turbo 86 Legal
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They aren't a powerful or quick car and lack torque. This is "fine" for on the track if you can maintain corner speed but around the suburbs a Golf GTI or Camry V6 will smoke you.
Power/weight is around 120kw/tonne and the torque peaks quite high in the rev range. Just doing intake and exhaust won't gain much. Different cams just move the powerband to a different point of the rev range.
A car club mate of mine did a turbo 86 a few years back. He is Boosted Media on YouTube. His car was engineered and insured. I'm sure he could give you some tips.
Out of curiosity, would he do it again?
I believe he enjoyed the experience and it helped kick off his YouTube and FB channels. It was a good car and he built it right with a lot of people criticising his choices.
With YouTube, it's all about a constant flow of content, so he then bought an old MX5 and did a series on that and then bought a new BMW something and did number plate frames on that ;-p. His channel also has gaming stuff and tech stuff plus I think he still has a day job. I also believe the car helped him get a marketing job within the auto industry for a while.
I keep saying "believe" as he was part of an internet car club i helped run that has pretty much died except for a small FB presence. He drops in to the group occasionally and says hi. :-)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq1vJmvliZQOM4Ntv4I_f…
Yes I'm sure it would attract the keyboard critics! Everyone's an expert.
A good buddy had one of these early on as a weekender, great fun little go kart, but it did lack balls - I loved driving it, but it was a bloody stiff ride.
Good P plater car. They look horn IMO.He considered making it faster but opted for a HSV instead for an all rounder feeling.
I feel the 86 was a great package though a low psi charger from the factory would have made it a lot better.
Let's just say the slightly worked HSV doesn't give Camries as much chance as the 86 did ;)Cheers
I have an 86 with a turbo, and you NEED to be engineered to qualify for insurance. By modifying your cars power output and engine, your car is no longer road worthy as its not been approved and test by the manufacturer. It's a lot of hassle, best of getting a modern WRX, or i30n, or even a new type R civic (if you can handle the looks). I love the 86 hence why i modified it, but it is not a 'budget' sports car anymore if your spending 10K+ on mods to make it as fast as other cars which you can get for cheaper.
PM me and I'd be happy to answer any of your questions.
best approach is get some good headers, and a flex fuel kit. You'll make another 30kw for about $2.5k including tune and install. if you want more power, sell the car and buy something faster.
If you want something faster but still lightweight and RWD you have a few options but most will be 15+ years old or very expensive. Are you willing to jump to an older car and put money/time into maintenance? What's your budget?
To compare, and hopefully make you feel satisfied with your car, here are my specs (living in Japan)
Car: Suzuki WagonR, 2002, value (paid) $600
Registration and Insurance: $600 every 2 years.
Engine: 660cc
Top speed: about 80km / hour, with the foot to the floor. Engine makes a painful, struggling sound, so usually try to maintain it around/less than 3000rpm, and not go faster than 60km. Roads here are max 50km/h.
Fuel consumption: $50 gets me 300km, approximately 1 months' travel. This is high, something is wrong and the mechanic doesnt care to fix it, and suggests we feel the same. Paying $2.10 per litre.
Torque: NoneI feel your pain. My daily Car (Holden Astra) springs an oil leak if I rev over 3000rpm, so I daily drive it at 2500 RPM because, well, it still works fine otherwise.
You've mastered the asset
sell the 86 and get a Abarth 124, a turbocharges coupe… saves u all the trouble and it's sounds really good with the monza exhaust system.
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Why bother - does your car not go fast enough on public roads or do you plan to take it regularly to a race track?