Sweet, thanxs for all the help...i'll take all of your guys' advice...

 

The only parts that can help you both NA and turbo are probably the throttlebody and apparently RRM's NA header also can work as a turbo header (not sure on this tho, just from all reports)... Exhasut size will differ depending on intensity of the turbo kit (cuz NA like a little back pressure, turbo wants none), and the typical NA header will be pointless in a turbo application, as will aggressive NA cams.

 

if you have money and dont care about emissions tests.. get the header along with the turbo... and the mods that are beneficial for both NA and turbo is the throttle body, intake manifold, header, colder spark plugs, exhaust (2.25 NA up to 2.5 turbo)... mods for only turbo guys really are pistons and rods... na would have almost no use for them unless they were planning on doing massive upgrades in compression ratios etc

just remember with the turbo you have to buy other gadgets.... turbo timer, boost controller, SAFC, gauges to monitor A/F ratios and boost (if you want to)

its not always a waste of money if the parts are usable on both ends of the spectrum... ie header, exhaust, spark plug wires, plugs, etc... just dont buy an intake because it will be a waste

 

Also for RRM kit don't get the SAFC as it's a waste. Turbo timers are nice but if you want to wait in the car you don't need one. If this is your first turbo i think you should stay away from the boost controller for a little bit. Gauges are very nice but not needed for RRM kit.

 

Every engine mod works together to get the most performance. Your turbo isn't going to work at it's peak unless you have an aftermarket exhaust to let the air out as fast as possible, and it won't beable to push the air into your engine as fast as it could if you have an aftermarket intake manifold. But for sure before you upgade your hp I would definitly go for increasing your stopping power. you don't want to put your turbo on and then not have the power to stop your car and wreck.

 

if you have turbo in your car, how long will your car last? i mean, if you buy your car for everyday use but you just want/need more power under the hood, is it worth it? i like the feeling that i can kill most cars on the road. i just hate having a slow car. and i live in canada... is it legal? i've been hearing that the headers won't pass emissions... can i even get the kit shipped into canada? i'm really lost.

 

RRM ships to canada... I've put over 30k miles on mine and the last 7k have been at 11psi daily with stock rods... i do have the je's though. On stock pistons 9psi daily is fine and will last. I'm not sure about canadian law but i'd assume the turbo kit itself isn't legal.

 

thanks a lot! but i'm still lost about the whole thing.. (sorry, i'm not much of a... tech person. i do'nt know what psi is). my friend tells me that if i got the turbo kit, it'd be a waste of money and a lot of maintenance. i mean, i don't mind filling it with high octane gas, but what other things do you have to worry about? he's making it seem like i have to go to the shop and make sure it's okay every week! and i understand that we're REALLY abusing our engines. i mean, 120hp to 250+ is a big difference... soo.. i'm just curious how long you guys think it's gonna last... my friend gives it 2-5 years? sorry about all the questions. i'm really interested in purchasing the rrm turbo kit but if i'ts gonna kill everything and just end up being a waste of money, i'd rather not. i'm expecting to keep the car for at least 6 -- 7 years (at least i say that now, lol).

 

psi = pounds per square inch, which is the measure of "boost" that you car is pushing. Without getting too tech, basically what it is, is a measure of how much more air is being foreced down into your engine. As you know, sea level pressure is 14.7 psi, so if you are running 7 psi, theoretically you are forcing 50% more air into your car's combustion chamber. Of course, a turbo is not perfect so it probably is not exactly 50% but you get the idea.

My idea for you is to read up online on turbos and try to educate yoruself before you jump on this venture. No disrespect to you, but you dont seem very turbo savvy and you do not want to slap something on your car that you know very little about. TUrbos are only as much maintenance as you want them to be, if you do things right the first time and dont do anything abusive (like run 15 pounds on stock internals). If done right, turbos and kits can last you a long time. Take DSMs, sure they came stock turbo'ed but yo ustil lsee a lot of 90s and 91s running the streets. And I can show you cars that have been running turbos for years. It all depends on how well you maintain the car.

Dont let what people say determine the route you should take. Educate yourself (check out auto.howstuffworks.com) and then you decide for yourself if turboing is right for you.

 

Turbo maintenance is really no more than what you should be doing anyway. Changing the oil regularly... and checking the level at least once a week. Listening for anything unusual and checking things if you hear something. Also i suggest checking your exhaust system for leaks every oil change or more often if you'd like. I check mine every 500-1000 miles. All i do is let the motor cool down... jack up the car... start the car and have a friend hold a rag in the muffler pipe. Then i use my hand to feel around all the gaskets to see if there are any leaks. If there are then i just tighten down the loose bolts. A few times i've had to replace the gaskets as i went to long and they burnt out. But they are about 2 bucks and a days work to fix. Nothing bad. Everytime i heard the leak but kept putting it off so i basically kicked myself for not tightening the bolts earlier. That is all i do and i've had no issues.