Overview of Staged Upgrades

If your car is stock and you want to increase performance, here is what I would suggest.
  1. A boost controller (not a valve!) limited to .95 - 1.00 bar (short overboost of +.05 bar is acceptable), an air induction system (cool air if possible), and a tuneup using good wires and plugs gapped to .034.  With this setup you will be pushing 350+ SAE horsepower with no detonation.
  2. Larger fuel injectors, higher capacity fuel pump, and the appropriate electronics to compensate for these changes.  This will allow you to run the car at 6000+ RPMs without maxing out the injectors.  It may also allow slightly higher boost pressure levels to be maintained without detonation.
  3. Larger turbos, more efficient intercoolers, complete exhaust system (headers on back).  The turbos and intercoolers will reduce EGTs and allow higher boost pressures to be maintained without detonation.  An exhaust system is finally justified to handle the drastic increase in air flow over stock.
  4. Water injection.  Now you're cooking.  Some WI systems support boost pressures without detonation that would otherwise require 150 octane fuel!  Serious power.

Back to Jim's Stealth Page