# I'm clueless. Help me see the light



## 97sentragxe (Jun 20, 2002)

Hey,
I've got a stock 97 Sentra GXE with a 1.6 liter and a five speed. There's about 68,000 miles on it as of today. I'm considering a turbo. How much will this run me total, and where do I get a kit from? I need a total price, including any other parts I'd need that are separte. Also, what kind of performance gains can I expect from a turbo? Thanks,
Jason


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2002)

www.hotshot.com

costs 3k

doint know what the labor etc would cost...


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## DOHCslide (Aug 18, 2002)

you would almost be better off swapping in a bb det. for the cost of the hotshot kit you can get a motor ($1800) and still have money to buy an ecu,se-r wiring harness, power steering lines etc,and all nessary hardware for the swap. hotshot sells a FMIC and downpipe kit for doing the swap for around $700 i think, and you would be way happier with the performance and reliability in the long run.
shawn
"buy my sentra"


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2002)

you could always go for tha GTi-R SR20DET if ya got the extra cash to blow costs more but its aprox 50+ more HP than the BlueBird SR20DET... once again  its gonna cost ya...


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## DOHCslide (Aug 18, 2002)

in stock form the gti-r motor is only rated at 20hp over the bluebird. dont get me wrong though, the pulsar motor has WAY more potental for the extra $500 over the bluebird motor. 
shawn


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## omega (Jun 27, 2002)

all the money put into a engine swap, correct me if I'm wrong but I'd rather save it and just put it toward a turbo. It seems to me once you have the new engine in, whether it sr20de, or sr20det or so on and so forth your gonna want to add this and that and it will get to more money and more money, to me it just seems more practical well fiscally to stick with a turbo on a GA? i don't know


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## DOHCslide (Aug 18, 2002)

omega said:


> *to me it just seems more practical well fiscally to stick with a turbo on a GA? i don't know *


it depends onwhat kind of performance youre looking to get out of your car. personaly the fastest GA ive ever seen only ran 15's,and it was turboed. why spend the money on that when you could get so much more from the sr20?
shawn


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## omega (Jun 27, 2002)

well that is a good point, I suppose it's all in want you want. If your only interested in faster then most then by all means get the turbo, if you want supreme ultra non-inhibited fast then swap then go from there, I've never been a speed guy, I just never got the know how, I turned and went toward sound and show, so to me the turbo might be sufficient, but then agian everyone talks so much about this damn swap I might just go into debt over it


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## DOHCslide (Aug 18, 2002)

you can do the swap for less than the cost of the hotshot turbo kit. you will need an sr20 (jdm N/A motors are only $510 shipped to your door from soshin motors, and the SR20DET is like $1200-1500) ecu and harness, tranny, axles, downpipe or header, and power steering junk. there are lots of people running low 14's on a stock BB DET @ 7psi and using the factory top mounted intercooler. once you get the swap done you can start with the turbo upgrades front mount intercooler upgraded fuel system and have a reliable 12 sec car. most of the factory stuff you need you can get through people parting out cars or from junk yards. hot shot sells DET instalation kits with FMIC kits and downpipes for real cheap, and jwt does wonders with turbo programs for your ecu. hope this helps
shawn
stock t25 turbo
[email protected] and 14psi


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## DOHCslide (Aug 18, 2002)

oops i already wrote all that...my bad.
shawn


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## trace (Sep 5, 2002)

The swap isnt that cheap fellas. you can get a BB det for anywhere from 1250 to 1700 dollars. The top mount intercooler is useless from what I have read , and it is a "a ticking time bomb". So you will need a new intercooler. The hotshot kit is 1100 dollars+shipping and tax. You could also buy a universal core for a lot cheaper and have some piping fabricated or do it yourself (what I am doing). I am pretty sure you are going to need to get a JWT ecu for this also. 500-800$. you will want to change all the seals (axle, front and rear main). Water pump, coolant temp sensor, and motor mounts are all reccommeded there is another couple hundred. Dont get me wrong, the BB det is an EXCELLENT swap, all I am saying is dont expect to have a BB det in your car for a whole lot less than the hotshot kit.


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## omega (Jun 27, 2002)

your still looking at 3 to 5 gs for parts and labor aren't you?


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## hagasan (Aug 5, 2002)

...97sentraGXE...The total would come up to just about $5000...

You pay $3100 for the kit, $600 for the ECU + about $1000 for the install...

You most likely should at least get a aftermarket exhaust..it will help your turbo spool up and help you make more power...which is about $500 + install...not sure how much...
...also, eventually...you'll need a clutch...that's about $300 for a good one + install...not sure how much...

All in all I think...the kit should give you 50+ HP...at 8psi...on a stock engine and exhaust...

I know the NPM boys got 70WHP but they have a full exhaust system, pulleys.... ...and they were talking abour cams before... but I'm not sure they were ever installed. Kind of strange...if you ask me...
...personally...I'm not sure how accurate these figures are but you get the basic idea...

I think considering your engine is low milage...I wouldn't go with a swap...especially considering that a PROPERLY installed swap will cost you about $7000. And that's just the basics...and you STILL get a used engine...coming from God know who and God where...

I've been resarching this allot since I've gotten my SENTRA...and I think the turbo kit is a better option...
...you can take the turbo off and no one will ever know...sell the car on Autotrader...and sell the kit here on BBS...
...while with the swap...you're chopping your car up nicely...

...my 2 cents...


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## DOHCslide (Aug 18, 2002)

hagasan said:


> *...97sentraGXE...The total would come up to just about $5000...
> 
> You pay $3100 for the kit, $600 for the ECU + about $1000 for the install...
> 
> *


why would you pay someone to install the kit? with patience anyone can do this kind of work... there is enough support here on the board and various lists that any monkey wiht a wrench should be able to pull it off. its not rocket science...thats for damn sure.
shawn
self-proclaimed "master monkey in the field of wrench slinging"


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## hagasan (Aug 5, 2002)

> I need a total price...



He asked...I give...

You might have the patience...but not all of us have the luxury of an garage...


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