Turbo vs. S/C vs. Nitrous

[Z28SSMAN]

Just about everybody (except me) uses one or more of these.

Some people can't compete without at least one.

So, let's hear which you prefer and why it's better than the others...

[MR.hp]

I use NOS because it's there when you need it and you don't have to use it on the slower cars. Then again I never had too much trouble with most people. LOL

[Typhoon]

I guess I just went ahead and assumed that turbos were better than superchargers because it sounds like a lot of people are pulling their superchargers OFF and putting turbos ON.

[waterbug1999]

If I could weld and had all the right tools, I would build me a nice turbo set up and save some money as those "bolt on" kits a very spendy and it seems that the shops disappear after awhile and no more customer service..

Otherwise a nice bolt on F1A mounted to a 402 stroker would still net ~750hp. I still have my spray so if I need more, ill just use that.

[Quadroflux]

my cobra didn't come with a s/c but I think i need one so I can stop gettin beat by those pesky ls1 camaros. A good friend says a turbo is better because he thinks a s/c is just a belt driven turbo.

At least my cobra sounds better than most of those ls1's

[98 cobra s/c]

i use only smoke and mirror's!

[Z28SSMAN]

i use only smoke and mirror's!

mmmkay sure...Mr. cobra man

[Bluetcster]

My Cobra Has the stock charger on it with a smaller pulley and a tune. No need to blow it up like the rest of the other Cobra guys around town.

[Fast One]

You didn't mention the application - street/strip; racing only; street fun-car; all-around street performance car; daily driver; etc. You also didn't mention if we're talking factory turbo/blower or kit.

As a guy with a factory turbo car & factory blower car....for economical street performance & general butt-o-meter feel & fun, I'll take the turbo over the blower. It's often less expensive to add power to a factory turbo car. At least when I compare my GN to my GTP, that's the case. The massive, flat torque band is addicting, and I happen to really enjoy the jet aircraft-like acceleration curve that turbo cars typically have. Matching the induction, exhaust, and the turbo to the application will minimize turbo lag. If you're running an automatic, a higher stall converter will usually take care of any mild turbo lag. Plus, as you get used to your car's personality, you develop a method of dealing with the nuances of turbos.

For a daily driver, I'll take the modern bypass-blower over the turbo. It's hard to beat the bypass-blower's combination of overall reliability, instant response (after removing that annoying factory torque management programming), and great mileage (nearly as good as a turbo). So far, the blower setup has required less maintenance over time. The GN needed a turbo rebuild @ ~100k. So far, the GTP's drive-line has required nothing more than a new MAF. Of course, the GN has ~188k on the clock, while the GTP has only ~109k, so time will tell. I am impressed that a blown ~6-sec 0-60 family car can get well over 30 MPG on trips, if driven conservatively. On cruise-control @ 55-60 MPH, 33-34 MPG between fill-ups is not unusual with my GTP. When I go to Lake of the Woods, I usually average 30-31 MPG on the trip - if I drive normally. If I drive somewhat aggressively, it drops to 27-28 MPG. Here in the cities, I usually average 20-22 MPG over a month or so of 3-season aggressive driving. These are calculated - not dash display numbers. For a ~6 sec 0-60 MPH family car, that's pretty good, I think.

For the strip - well, I have no personal experience with a blower on the track. I only know that I was much more consistent with n/a cars than I was with my GN. But then, I've had more practice in n/a cars. My gut tells me that it should be somewhat easier to be consistent with a blower vs. a turbo - all else being equal. Anyone have track experience with both?

Regarding nitrous: For all-around street performance or for my daily driver - along with short-term acceleration, I'm interested in performance that may require any power-adder to last for minutes. I know that some WWII fighters used nitrous for 5-10 minutes at a time, but their engines were massively overbuilt/heavily underrated from the factory, which allowed them to do that without melting anything. Even so, it dramatically reduced the TBO on the engines if they ran it that long very often. I don't think I'd want to try it on your typical street car engine...

Regarding aftermarket setups, I have no personal experience. For street use, I've been told that turbo setups can be more problematic due to their complicated exhaust plumbing and the under-hood heat issues that may arise.

If I were looking for a quick, cheap go-fast street/strip solution for a factory n/a car, I'd probably look at nitrous. Hard to argue with the numbers some stock-engined rides can lay down with a big shot, a proper tune, and decent traction.

I see it not as which one is best - it's a matter of which one is better for a given application. Kinda like tools in the toolbox. Which is the best tool in the toolbox? It depends upon the task at hand....

Personally, it's about having fun. To me, a quick, fast car feels great - regardless of how the power is made.

[SS427]

Sorry for me it N/A all the way