The Turbo 2.3 '84 Notch
(The project car) I bought it as just the body. No engine, no trans, no computer, no wires, it didn't even have a fuel line anymore... talk about bare.

There were a few reasons I wanted to build this car over others.

Probably the biggest was because I hate that people think that you have to be rich or have loads of money to have a decently quick car. Sure I could have went with a 302 or 351w base and fabbed a twin turbo kit for it using almost everything from a junkyard and not broke $2000 for the whole thing including the price of the car, but I also wanted to gain something out of this.
I chose the turbo 2.3 because I wanted a daily driver that got great gas mileage and could still put down 400hp without spending a ton of money. And I notice in magazines you read what they call "budget" builds isn't exactly budget to most of us out there. Unfortunately almost all of my projects do require some welding, cutting, or grinding of some form. This wasn't my first turbo car i've messed with, in fact it will be the 6th (5 kits build, only 1 being my own), but the first one where the engine is turbocharged from the factory. All the others i've had to fab myself.

The goal of this project is to get to 400hp without going above $2000 (including the car price aswell).
The '89 GT on page one managed to run an 8.14 in the 1/8th without spending more than $2800 (including car cost)

Just bought the car... looked rough, but fair for $200

The engine! Rather than going the typical 5.0 route I decided on the turbo 2.3 this time. Engine came from an '84 Capri RS (shame the car wasn't in restorable shape, would have been a nice car). I grabbed the auto trans aswell for an extra $100 What's worse than getting beat by an ugly car... getting beat by an ugly 4 cylinder car. :D $200 engine $100 trans
I nabbed the engine wiring harness for no extra charge, but the pc wasn't there.


Engine's in, ready to relocate to the garage


Picked up a turbo 2.3 computer from a fellow stanger for really cheap. (thanks to SmallBlockFloyd from the forums)

New braided oil feed line $15 & $50 transmission (bellhousing & clutch fork bought separately for $35, thanks to mg man 75 from the forums)

Nabbed a bypass valve from a 1st gen dsm at the salvage yard. Guy didn't know what a bypass valve was! $5 Score! 4 Free rims!


I decided it was bad enough for the outside of the car to be a horrid brown so I'd paint the interior black... around $20 worth of $.88 spray paint cans & $4.00 carpet/vinyl dye. I got EVERYTHING in the interior painted & dyed. Even the carpet. Here are a few pieces

The egr block plate I fabbed up (not the prettiest thing) and awesome valve cover

Engine pics!

The 255lph!!! Definetly a HUGE difference.

That's what's under the hood! These summit gauges look pretty cool lit up!

So far here's the total costs: around $705-715

200 car
200 engine
35 computer
35 boost gauge
15 oil feed
50 Trans
35 bell
5 bov
20 paint
10 fuel lines
10 fittings
5 vac hose
10 clutch petal assembly
80 255 lph fuel pump
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Plans:
Tubular header, building myself using thickwall Weld L's.
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Gutted & knife edged square style lower intake with either a gutted, ported, & rotated upper intake or a 3" mandrel bend
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65mm TB-
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Holset Hx35
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Still debating on the intercooler dimensions.
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Volvo head (way later)
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3" exhaust (making myself)
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Megasquirt 2 pc