Ok the time has arrived for me to start planning out my turbo for my civic. i have a new job and im pulling BaNk . So the question is. Should i peice the kit togeather part by part or just spend it all on a drag 3/revhard kit? i would like to peice it togeather because i could buy a part, and wait a little to buy another. kinda like a ghetto layaway. i know the drag manifold is crap and so is the tial wastegate but to fabricate my own turbo kit, what kind of work am i looking at?
any sites or suggestions would be welcome
Joe TIA

 

check out http://www.importturbos.com 16g mitsubishi turbo hybrid setup. and Nice manifold too. Make your own its a lot of fun.

 

I just went throught the ordeal of putting together a custom turbo kit. I'll tell you what, If you have the dough go ahead and buy the kit. Correct me if i'm wrong guys, but you cannot buy the charge pipes or the down pipe anywhere (they have to be custom made), or maybe i'm just calling the wrong places. Also the kits include all fittings, hoses, lines, hardware, etc...Which makes everything alot easier. Just to comment on the Drag manifold, everyone I know uses the Drag manifold and they are recommended by everyone that I have spoken too before putting my kit together. I'll admit it could use a port job but other than that they are supposed to be very durable. The advantage of putting together a custom kit is that you choose everything that goes on you car if you don't like some of the components of a particular kit.

 

I vote Kit.

There are so many little things to piece together otherwise. Lets say you buy your turbo. It comes with no oil flanges, so you buy those, and a gasket for the flange, and then you have to find the bolts to bolt the flange to the turbo, then the hose, then hose clamps, etc and you're only done with the oil drain. Then you have to figure out a way to do a decent downpipe, etc. There are so many little things that you have to buy bolts for, gaskets for, flanges for, etc. Then you have to find a place to weld stuff for you. It seems like a hassel. You may save a little dough in the end, but it isn't worth the headache in my opinion. You buy a kit, and all of those little things are in neat little baggies ready for you to bolt on. It also depends on the car and the kit you're looking at as well as how much work you like to do. Some people want the satisfaction of knowing they built their own kit. I admit, that's something to be proud of, but I'll stick with the prebuilt kit.





[Modified by therealciviczc, 10:25 PM 3/12/2002]

 

I say bring it to a good shop thats been doing custom kits. That way you can get all the parts that you want and not what companies throw at you. Get yourself a custom manifold, pipes etc. You get hand pick all the parts you want!

 

it all depends on your resources, if u like to wrech, piece a kit together, youll learn a lot.,!
if you know jack about cars, and have the dough buy a kit!

it all comes down to the person. !

 

i know a decent amount about cars (did my own swap, etc etc etc.) but its the little misc **** that worries me, like the gaskets or the bolts. i would love to do my own setup but i may wind up going with a drag kit. maybe a diffrent manifold (the guy in scottsdale that does them. yea.)
anyone else with stories/suggestions?
thanks again
Joe

 

I know that AZ is a big state, but Geoff is there during the school year. Im sure he can help you out.

I forgot his e-mail, but Im sure someone around this board knows it.

Good luck with the build.

 

i am building a custom kit right now with the max-rev manifold and DP.

I have learned each and every part that I need, and why I need it. I figure this is only for the best, because i know my setup pretty darn well. I like building it up piece by piece, its kinda fun even though its costing me a grip.

 

you should just buy the kit. i remember tryin to piece together my own kit and it sucked tryin to go that route. it was harder tryin to find piping that would fit the setup i was doing. go with the drag3 kit and just upgrade some parts of it. its not that hard. saves you time and drama. the drag manifold is a good manifold. buy a kit from ben (importparts.com). he backs up the manifold 100%!

 

Piecing your own kit can be a pain in the butt, however every component you chose will be quality. Also it'll probably cost more, but you'll be getting better parts. Fittings and such will eat at your wallet though as a warning. I finishing up the max rev "kit" and have blown about 600 just in the misc stuff (gauges, silicon couplings, ic piping, fittings).

 

THATS why i want to do my own kit. But i guess ill get a drag and just upgrade some stuff from it.
thanks again