88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

i found one locally pretty cheap, and im thinking of picking it up while i tear my laser apart since the trans is on its way out anyway and i have to drive over an hour to school soon. I was wondering what experience if any you guys might have had with this thing and if the motor is strong at all

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

if its just a beater car, why do you care what the internals are like?

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

because i like buying cars with a little potential for fun ;) anyway i think i found a cheap 90 civic hatch :-*

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

what motor is in it? i have never even heard of a turbo sunbird. is that a pontiac? i have heard of a pontiac sunbird, but never a turbo sunbird. ???

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

Yea they made a pontiac turbo sunterd.

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

2.8 V6, right? Or is that the 3.1 V6? I've heard of some Grand Prix's that used to come 3.1 turbo stock.. Never of sunbirds, thats pretty cool

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

yea i never gave any thought to it really, but my friend used to have one that kept up with my hatch kinda. they have like 160 hp stock

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

i think it would be worth it. how much are you payin for it?

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

they are asking 500 but i dont think its worth that accoring to whatever site i checked online ??? the thing is that my friends sister is selling her ef hatch (bad 2nd gear) for 700...

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

Get the EF ;)

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

the only thing is that my dad hates me having two cars (i had waay too many cars back when i was in high school), and the reason i need a backup car is because my laser's trans is on the way out. it would be hard to explain that im buying another car with a fucked transmission :-\ unless i found one real cheap and swapped it without him knowing ;)

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

my "intake and carb went out" on my SBC, and a "edelbrock one was just as cheap at a swap meet" back in high school...

and there were "chrome valve covers and headers thrown in with the deal to!"


i did so much ---- to my parents back in the day. found out 4 years later they werent so dumb......

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

Sounds like a plan ;D

LOL sscaeg, That's downright friggin hilarious.

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

thats how everything works...my motor smokes so now it needs a full buildup, or my clutch slips a little so its time for an act one, my exhaust manifold is cracked so i need a new one (but that means a new turbo too, and then an intercooler) ;)

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

The sunbirds a 4cyl 2.0l with a t-3 if memory serves me corectly.

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

here you are ghetto. i was a little courious on this car, so i did a little re-search for myself...

http://www.carsurvey.org/review_25212.html

a few pictures for those of you who didnt know what this thing looks like...(such as myself) BTW, it doesnt look intercooled...
http://www.microsoft-repairman.com/car/car.html

sunfire forum
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/f54/


i couldnt really find anything on what the internals were like/upgradeable parts, so that kinda sucked, but theres what I found.

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

i think im leaning towards the EF, but i just checked it out and its dpfi/4spd (well 3 since 2nd doesnt really work)...im wondering if i feel like doing wiring to make this car decent

Re:88 sunbird turbo beater?
 

I've always heard the sunbirds had T-2 turbos that are of course insanly small ( the only way they knew how to deal with turbo lag back then ).

I beat 200whp isn't total outta reach with the sunturd...

It would be a mad sleeper if you gutted it like crazy and upgraded the turbo and added an IC..

The one in the PIcs above was an automatic, which means "launch with boost", so get some drag radials too !!

If you just want a daily beater, then I bet its a cool "conversation peice", but you'd be much happier with the honda, as I'm sure the turbo sunturd isn't even in the same class vs the honda in the reliablity world....

If you get the EF, the 4-speed "standard" trannies can be had for free in most cases.... $5 tops....