I stopped by my local import go fast shop today and talked to a couple guys about what i could do to go faster with my 97 civic ex with cai and headder... the discussion that ensued made my head spin... turbo this supercharger that.... whaddya'll think?
one guy was saying that if i want to run light to light go supercharger, then he said if im looking for highway runs and top speed go turbo.. he went on to say that the super would be cheaper up front due to not having to add all the gauges and stuff that the turbo would require...

so when i asked about blowoff valve usage with a super vs one with a turbo he said, and i quote "well the engine will internalize the boost from a super different from a turbo, so you can go either way, but with a turbo its a must"
um, ok, by the time it gets to the intake manifold, boost is boost isnt it?
and exactly how would an engine internalize it different?
i went in there originally looking for some bushings, $25 bucks on jegs.... they were trying to sell me a different brand for something like $130... common we're just talking about rear swingarm bushings, not a complete kit here....
but my wife would have been proud.. i said thanks for taking time to talk to me, and i left.... quietly, and without starting anything.....

 

https://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_281776/tm.htm

the "supercharger vs. turbo" thread.

 

thanks i missed that one

 

be careful about "go fast shops." sometimes they are wrong, and are always way overpriced. definetly do your research, and talk to people on this site and get all the info you can. good luck.

 

Very true, Thank god I have a friend who I can trust with my car (www.siriusracing.com). The tuner shop I went to I couldnt trust as far as I could throw them.

 

Or, go shopping at a tuner shop, find what you like, then go buy it online

 

Sorry to thread jack but I'm wondering what engines have superchargers available for them.

 

anyways, go to that link, it will help, and SovXiet is the best to ask, hes had both

 

yea thats kinda what i was doing there, asking questions, seeing if they were gonna blow smoke up my tailpipe, or what...
they had a 98 civic in there that they were putting a vtec supercharger and intercooler on.. i dont know how well its gonna work, but it sure looked cool...
I'm not looking for 300HP and stuff, i would like to get to maby 200-250hp and maby 175-200ft-lb tq max... thats more than i'll need to get into trouble... and i dont need it at 100+mph... what i really want is reliability... but i wanna leave the line and get to 80 fast... after that i back off anyway... so i guess im really just interested in 0-80 times... other than that i dont need to go that fast... if im not leaving the line hard, then im just putttttt'n down the highway at around 75-80, just keepn up with traffic... being able to drop a gear and pass is also important... but again, im not looking for top speed...

ok so help me out... my understanding is that the turbo will help me at higher rpm's cause it'll be spooled up... but for lower rpm's the supercharger would do me better?

 

I have had both. The other thing to consider is traction. Most of that low end torque that a SC provides ends up as wheel hop, but I can see what he issaying about redlight to redlight; I woulddef. want my SC.You still need gauges with a SC, and yes, once it passes the TB, boost is boost. What that guy meant about internalizing it was probably the fact that roots style SC are just intake manifold replacements so it goes right into/onto the head without all of the plumbing of a turbo.


If I had to choose, I would stay turbo becauseturbos are much more upgradeable/adjustable and their ceiling is much higher than the SC, butif you think that you won't get boost fever, go with the SC. It's quick, an AutoX monster and a much easier intall with less to worry about than the turbo.

They both make cool noises. You can see my SC vid by clicking on my link in my sig. You can hear the whine. Turbos get the uber-cool bov though. ssssssssss-pssshhhhh. Sweet.