TPC turbo
 

I was curious to know if anyone has done one of these kits on a 986. they claim big power and reliability . seems to be popular with the cayman crowd .

i'd go into all that with a grain of salt. i've been looking at what's available from tpc and would note that they are a major sponsor of two other boxster/cayman forums. as such, i've seen people with (a) competing products, and (b) complaints/issues, get stomped by moderators in a very aggressive fashion. so caveat emptor when relying on the internet for representative info on how the product performs.

go to youtube to check out the sound of their product. to my ears it is very 'ricey' but that is subjective. the product does have turbo lag; there is a great video of a guy getting on the gas coming out of a corner and getting pushed off the road when the turbo kicks in. some people have had issue with the tune. there seems to be a recurring oiling issue with the turbos (they may have fixed this by now). if you go with the intercooler then you sacrifice your third radiator; odd, given that you want to be getting as much heat out as possible in this situation. there is no bov or diverter, so you will get surge when you are off the gas (not a big deal in this low pressure situation). you have to read the fine print to believe their hp numbers; you need 94 octane on a 3.4L engine to acheive the numbers they post.

I'm not down on them, but i can't help but get the impression that there is a bit of information control when it comes to their product and you have to dig to get at the juicy bits. I've done a bit of digging and thought i'd share.

fyi, there is also turbowerx, but thery look to be a bit hack (look where they put their intercoolers). and, there is ivan at ima motorsports. he looks to have a cool product. he is using aerodyne variable vane, sealed intercoolers. no need to connect oil lines, no need for bovs or diverters, no need for waste gates, and the variable vanes allow for boost throughout the rpm range, so no lag. he is working on a low-pressure, twin turbo application for the cayman and has already put them in 911s.

I looked into the TPC system. It seems to be a well designed product with a lot of documented use "in the field". However, the system requires that you retrofit 987 headers along with their propriety exhaust . For individuals such as myself who have a lot invested in an aftermarket exhaust, its a stuff decision to have to throw it all away . :(

You could donate all that shiny stuff to another boxster owner in need *COUGH* *COUGH*

We know you are into that whole socialism thing....

Orwell would say .....

"All boxster owners are equal, but some boxster owners are more equal than others " !

A friend of mine has the TPC kit on his '01 S. I drove it, and have many laps riding in it around a track. The boost comes on smoothly, albeit a little late. Not bad, though.
I think it sounds pretty good. The kit has had some problems, but they've been pretty good about making things right with him. IMO service goes a long way. If I were to do a big power mod I'd probably go with a 911 engine instead, but both are a ton of fun.
He dyno'd at 200 whp before the kit and 300 whp with the kit, ceteris paribus.

For the price of the TPC turbo kit, I'd swap a 996 or 997 motor in and be way happier! And albeit more reliable also.

yeah , but turbos make torque !

And they'll also blow up an already weak engine with numerous design flaws, such as the IMS, weak connecting rods, sintered crank, etc.; let alone generate more heat...just what the M96 doesn't need.

Like anything aftermarket, it's never a perfect product. I'd say the only turbo kits that are flawless are ones made for Hondas since there's so many of them out there.

I would bet there are more 3.6/3.8 swaps than TPC turbos out there and there's a reason why.

And turbo cars don't sound as good as NA in general and that's a fact.

You're right on the Honda turbo kit . I have a friend who installed one on his S2000, and its performed flawlessly so far. One of the very few, almost bulletproof applications out there .

Now, now, let's not forget the many solid kits out there for Audi and VW!!

A baby Boxster with the VAG 2.0T would have lots of potential for tuning and reliable power upgrades.

Is a VAG 2.0T something that rides next to you in the passenger seat, cause otherwise I'm not sure that I want one

I wish! Then you would have somewhere to put your drink.