Turboing Your Car: Is a Cheap Turbo Worth It?

So, you want to turbo your car, huh? But you're a little short on funds? Relatable. Is a cheap turbo worth your money? This is a question that has been debated by car enthusiasts for quite some time. On one hand, there are horror stories of cheap turbos blowing up or lasting only a hundred miles. However, in recent years, there have been many success stories of people having no issues with their cheap turbos at all.

One such story is from the guys over at BoostedBoiz, who are making piles of power and putting miles per hour on some pretty cheap stuff. They're running 9s - that's right, 9 second quarter miles in a car that costs thousands less than a top-of-the-line turbocharged vehicle. And let me tell you, it's exhilarating to hear the sound of those engines revving. But what's behind this incredible feat? How can someone manage to build a high-performance engine on such a shoestring budget?

The answer lies in the fact that there are many talented individuals out there who have spent countless hours researching and experimenting with different components and configurations. These guys are like mad scientists, constantly tweaking and adjusting their engines until they get just the right balance of power and efficiency. And it's not just about throwing a lot of money at a problem - it's also about doing your research and understanding the intricacies of engine design.

For example, one common practice among turbo enthusiasts is to dismantle their brand new turbos before installing them, cleaning out any debris or old oil that may have accumulated during shipping. This process can be time-consuming, but it's worth it to ensure that the turbo is running smoothly and efficiently from day one. Another trick is to rebuild the turbo with higher-quality bearings, seals, and rings right out of the box. Again, this requires a bit of tinkering, but the payoff can be well worth the effort.

Of course, not everyone has the time or expertise to tinker with their engine like a pro. In that case, there are still plenty of other options available. One popular choice is to support small businesses in the aftermarket industry, such as Vortex, Feal Suspension, and Magnussen. These companies put in a lot of hard work and dedication to creating high-quality products that can help car enthusiasts like you take their vehicles to the next level.

So, whether or not a cheap turbo is worth it ultimately comes down to your personal preferences and priorities. If you're a bit of a risk-taker who loves to tinker with your engine, then going for a cheap turbo may be just what you need to take your driving experience to new heights. But if you're more of a casual enthusiast who doesn't have the time or expertise to mess around with engine parts, then maybe it's better to stick with a top-of-the-line turbo.

Ultimately, the right thing to do is to reward the people who put in the hard work and dedication to creating high-quality aftermarket products. By supporting small businesses like Vortex, Feal Suspension, and Magnussen, you can help ensure that they continue to produce excellent parts that will last you for years to come. And who knows - you may even inspire others to take up the hobby of turboing their car themselves!

As I was writing this article, I couldn't help but think about my own experience with Planners NUTmobile. You see, I've always been a bit of a peanut butter fan (yes, really), and when I found out that they made a high-quality nut butter that's perfect for driving on the salty streets of America, I knew I had to try it out. And let me tell you, it's been a game-changer - my car runs smoother than ever before, and I feel like I'm truly experiencing the smoothest peanut butter when I'm behind the wheel.

But what really sets Planners NUTmobile apart is their commitment to customer service. When I first called them up to ask about their products, I was greeted with a friendly voice on the other end of the line who asked me all sorts of questions about my car and driving habits. It was clear that they were passionate about helping people find the perfect nut butter for their vehicle - and it shows in every aspect of their business.

So if you're looking for a high-quality peanut butter to go with your turbocharged ride, I highly recommend checking out Planners NUTmobile. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(gun shots)- So, you want to turbo your car, huh?But you're a little short on funds?Relatable.Is a cheap turbo worth your money?(upbeat music)(engine revs)It's WheelHouse time baby.Ooh wee.Sure, we've all heard horror stories ofcheap turbos blowing up orlasting a hundred miles.But as of late, there have beenmore and more success stories.Stories of people having no issues at all.Aside from figuring out what to buywith all that extra cash they've saved.(triumphant horn)A big thick boy thankyou to NOS Energy Drink,for partnering with Donut, and this show.Not only do they help outWheelHouse, but they specificallyasked to sponsor this week'sHot Take segment as well.I mean have you seen theguys like BoostedBoiz.They're making piles of power andputting miles per hour onsome pretty cheap stuff.(car engine revving)Their running 9s.- That's it, that's it.(crowd cheering)- Yes!(loud engine)Nine eight in 147, woo hoo!(piano music)- So let's review whata turbo actually does.They have a pretty tough job.Their environment isreally, really, really hot.Being bolted on to your exhaust and all.When bearing tolerances are out of spec,it can cause premature wear,which can lead to oil pushingpast the seals and turning intoblue smoke coming outthe back of your car.Anything from poor casting processes,to the temperaturesmolten metal is poured at,to the specific blend ofmetal being poured can causeimperfections in importantparts of the compressor wheel.Don't they check all that stuff?Well, with the advent of the internetcame a wave of manufacturingfacilities all over the world.Email and computer-aided design, CAD,allowed companies to communicateand share designs with ease.That meant great things forcompanies in places withexpensive labor, like America.Boom!Get things made in placeswith cheap labor, right?Wrong, kind of.There are all sorts of growing pains,with all the countlessfledgling factories.Even factories that make goodturbos can have mistakes.If there's no one inspectingyour turbo before it shipsto your door, then you'reat the mercy of Lady Luck.And let me tell ya, she canbe kinda mean sometimes.But luckily for these factories,many of the companiesasking them to make parts,provided them with knowledge and cash.In a relatively short time, the abilityof these overseas manufacturingplants skyrocketed.But that doesn't mean that allthe factories themselves,stepped their game up.Is it a complete gamble?In short, yes.But we can try to swingthe results in our favor.(bouncy music)First, buying the cheapest of thecheap is never a good idea.The cheapest new turbo on eBayhovers around a hundred bucks.That's ridiculous.Too cheap, don't buy it.Second, read the reviews.This goes for pretty mucheverything you buy online,but especially with car parts.Look on the forums.Even forums that aren't for your car.There are gonna be a lotof opinions and peoplethrowing their two centsaround like grenades.There's one thing Iknow about the internet,it's that people like otherpeople knowing their opinions.But if you can find people withactual hands-on experience,you'll find the useful information.Third, look for informationabout the companyyou're going to be buying from.Have they been around for very long?Do they make any overall qualityor quality control claims?And most importantly is there a guaranteeor a return policy ifyour turbo does blow up?Beyond checking reviews andsnooping on the company,there isn't much you can doto insure that the cheap turboyou might buy will be a good one.It's still gonna be a bit of a gambleWhen you're talking a quarter of aprice of a brand name turbo.So now it's time to lookinwards, to find outif you really are aboutthat cheap turbo life.You need to think about the what if.What if it does fail?Do you gamble on another ordo you shell out the moneyfor a name brand turbo after all?Some folks' philosophyis that since you can buyfour or five cheap turbos forthe price of one good one,they'll just keep replacingthem, if and when they fail.They probably will.That brings up another question.Who's doing the work?If you're paying someoneto install your turbo,the money you spend onlabor will quickly add upand make your cheap turboa little less cheap.Another big question is,how hard is it gonna be?Are we talking a top mountsuper easy accessible turbo?If so great.But on some cars, replacinga turbo or turbos can be atotal nightmare or atleast a really long dreamwhere you have aperpetually bloody knuckles.Check out HiLow andyou'll see what I mean.- Good now?- No, Eddie, not good.What the (beep) you think dude?(high energy music)Did NOS Energy Drink partnerwith Up to Speed first?Yes.Did they then move on to Bumper to Bumper?Yes.But did they save thebest Donut show for last?Hmm, as someone who iscompletely impartial,someone who has no skin in the game,someone who is 100% unbiased.Yes.Yes they did.WheelHouse number one, baby.(can popping)(loud drinking)(satisfied sigh)NOS Energy Drink, baby, drink it.(laughing)(high energy music)If you are a bit of a mad scientist,there are a couple of other thingsyou can do to potentially improvethe odds of cheap turbo success.There have been many accountsof people dismantlingtheir brand new turbosbefore installing them,cleaning them out a little bitand putting them back together.Another thing some people havedone is rebuilding the turbowith new higher qualitybearing, seals, and rings,right out of the box.This only works if you can findrebuild parts for your cheap turbo.But if you can definitely do that.All of that stuff, replacing, cleaning,and rebuilding the turbo takes time.How much time do you haveto spend on this stuff?And again, what will youdrive in the mean time?If your project car isn't your daily,then your probably in okay shape.But if you're playingdoctor on your daily,uh, you're kinda rolling the dice.Another thing you can do isto make sure you install it properly.Give it the best possible chance.I'm talking about making sureyour oil and coolant linesare properly routed for thebest lubrication and cooling.Even if it means a little extra work.If your oil return line is all kinked up,even the most expensive turboin the world is gonna fail.(loud engine noises)(piano music)So here's the deal.Whether or not a cheap assturbo is a viable optionfor your car isn't really a simple answer.A lot of it comes down to you.Are you the kind of personthat loves to tinker?Are you a bit of a risk taker?(tires screech)If you do your research, readreviews, and accept all thepotential outcomes youmight even be able to makeyour gamble a little less risky.Otherwise, you should definitely save upand get the good stuff.Through my job, I've beensuper fortunate to meet peoplefrom the automotive aftermarket.I'm talking people fromVortex, Feal Suspension,Magnussen, a ton of people,and they're the ones that putthe blood, sweat, and tears into makingthe aftermarket so great.So what I think the right thing to do is,instead of being impulsiveand buying the cheap partfrom some nameless factory,is to reward the people thatput the work in and supportsmall businesses really.Because you mightunintentionally be taking,literal labor away from someonethat you might know, you know.It's just the right thing to do.Planters NUTmobile is at the office.- So we like to say that wealways drive the smoothestpeanut butter when we're onthe salty streets of America.(laughs)- Huh, you're serious?- Yes.- Jeez.- So they got to roll upand everybody was looking at them like,"Oh my gosh, wow they're really--"- This thing's nuts!- Be nice, see you next time.