Something I love about the Autopian community is that all of you are seemingly an expert in something. If you haven’t noticed by now, if you comb through our comments you’ll find lawyers, pilots, automotive technicians, importers, service writers, engineers, custom car builders, journalists, insurance agents, and more. It seems no matter what we write about, there’s someone in the comments who just so happens to be a living encyclopedia on a subject.
Today, we saw another display of our readers’ encyclopedic knowledge on a subject. This morning, Mark published a Shitbox Showdown featuring a 1980 Fiat X1/9 vs a 1985 Dodge Shelby Charger, two cars that he would have wanted as a twelve-year-old.
From the factory, this car had a 2.2-liter Turbo I engine, which made 147 HP and 174 lb-ft torque in stock form. This particular example had its engine swapped for a Turbo II. Mark noted that he knew that a Turbo II made more power, but not the particulars of how it got there. He concluded by saying that a commenter will almost certainly chime in to explain. He was absolutely right. Today, rootwyrm wins COTD for this overly-specific comment:
I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED.
The Turbo I (silver airbox, non-intercooled) produces 147HP and 174ft/lbs in stock trim; this increases to 174HP and 195ft/lbs with the DC/MP LM which increases boost from 7psi to 14psi.
The Turbo II (black 3-way airbox, intercooled) produces 174HP and 174ft/lbs in stock trim; don’t bet on this one having the hard to find MP Stage I LM.The Turbo I to Turbo II conversion is not a small thing. They have very different wiring harnesses, and the transmission matters as well. An ’85 would have shipped with an A525 which cannot take a TII long-term without the impossible to obtain DC hardened gearset. (I know it’s impossible to obtain since 2000. Because I bought all the remaining stock.) Or a very expensive, very hard to come by build.
Seller is including a spare A523 because you’ll need it. They left the A525 in it. This build will grenade the carrier bearings and break the selector shaft at 3rd. The A523 can’t take it either, contrary to popular belief. If it could, the A520 and A555 would not have drastically different internals. And the A520 can’t take it long-term either.The quality of the work is also paramount. A badly installed TII is itself a time bomb. Well executed TII conversions are rare, despite what the ‘Turbo Dodge community’ claims. (If it was well executed, you wouldn’t be popping MLS head gaskets and leaning out, kiddos. It isn’t that damn hard.)
And this one? This one is a typical shadetree hackjob. Wrong radiator. Kinked plumbing at best (look at the throttle body.) I shudder to think what the wiring looks like. Would not surprise me to find a self-tapping screw in the wastegate line and a blown head gasket.
Rootwyrm, how often do you even need to use this knowledge?
For a second nomination, we have a comment about our Daydreaming Designer, the Bishop, and his vision for a car you could buy through Amazon. Technically, there was a time when you could “buy” a whole car on Amazon. In 2013, Nissan and Amazon had a promotion where you could configure a Versa Note on Amazon and seal the transaction at a dealer. Three customers were chosen by Nissan to have their cars delivered to their house in a big Amazon-branded crate.
Anyway, for Sklooner, this wasn’t going to stop those package thieves:
It would probably get stolen off my porch
Thanks for the laughs and have a great evening!
(Top image: Bring a Trailer Seller)
I love that I can read the arguments on the BBS regarding a clean Turbo II swap, in my head, clear as day!
<throws a sheet over the shelf full of bathtub and swirl heads>
<sticks the box of custom and hardened A525 and A555 gearsets behind a cooler>
<hastily flips over the engineering drawings of the GVS24 unibody>
<awkwardly stands in front of the large box of Bosch injectors>
Oh, uh, not very often. Not very often at all.
(Psst! Not now! I’ll do the 15 minute timing belt trick LATER, damnit!)
… AND THE 1986 CALIBRATION HAS A TEMPORARY OVERBOOST MODE OF 12PSI FOR 5 SECONDS AT WOT!
<claps hands back over mouth>
You’re really David Tracy, aren’t you
That’s IT! Rootwyrm is DT’s burner account.
No he is not David…
Dodge != Jeep 🙂
Er, there’s only one problem with that. Well, several. But mostly Jeep == Chrysler.
And, the whole ‘can diag NP242 chain stretch without chassis ears,’ ‘knows how to convert REN to RER,’ ‘can describe NV245 with Eaton eLSD order of operations and fluids from memory’…
Oh gods no. I literally spent years searching for a Saab 9-3 Viggen based on a lack of rust, not a preponderance of it.
This is good, searches for word, ‘topian? Rootwyrms esoteric knowledge of k-car turbo-ology is the type of thing that makes the experience top notch.
“If you haven’t noticed by now, if you comb through our comments you’ll find lawyers, pilots, automotive technicians, importers, service writers, engineers, custom car builders, journalists, insurance agents, and more. It seems no matter what we write about, there’s someone in the comments who just so happens to be a living encyclopedia on a subject.“
I’m convinced by the their comments that rootwyrm is all of the above, or Ziggy from ‘Quantum Leap’.
+1 for Ziggy!
If only there was an effective way to do so here!
(There’s not, as far as I can tell. Is that a perk of Autopian membership?)
No, I was simply quoting what Mercedes wrote in her article. Granted I’m just a Vinyl member and am not privy to all that goes on behind the great chrome gates of Autopian headquarters.
Rootwyrm, you got a good laugh from me at your opening line, then just put down the facts. Enjoy your posts, and appreciate your expertise.
And I didn’t even have to use the summoning spell I looked up! I drew that Pentastar on the floor for nothing.
Not for nothing, Mark!
By the way, you’re out of Fritos, 10mm sockets, and dark beers.
Trying to summon an SRT Demon, were you?
I was summoned; I didn’t get the email. j/k – I lead a online racing crew called SRTDemon.