A little over a year ago I found out that I would be a dad for the first time. This was scary in itself. Immediately I started to think how am I going to be able to afford this treasured hobby of mine. I kept on thinking, gone are the days when I would blow my whole pay check on cars parts. I now had to think about taking care of a person now, a little version of me. So I declared to all my friends that I would have to retire from being an enthusiast. It was a sad for me but I knew that it had to be done.  So I sold my two project cars and bought an SUV.   

Working in the industry is an awesome privilege that I have. I get to see all the behind the scenes developments of our product and test it out before we release it to the public. This is where this whole retirement thing gets hard. A couple of months ago I got a call from a customer who was having drivability issues with his turbocharged V8 Mustang. So I started asking Jhame the head of our R&D department questions about our kit. Jhame immediately said why don’t you take our car out for a spin and tell me what you think. I was thinking to myself this can’t be good but for the sake of trying to figure out this issue for my customer I’ll do it. I jumped into the Mustang and the first thing that I notice transmission had really short throws. It reminded me of my 240sx with the B&M short shifter.  The good folks at Tremec were gracious enough to fit our V8 Mustang with their 6-speed TR6060 transmission. With the traction control off I pull into the street and took off. I let the car get up to operating temperature.  I make it to the first stop sign and really give the Mustang some serious throttle. This was a short burst, not even a 1/8 of a mile. Man that short run had my heart was pounding fast and my right leg was trembling. The sound of the BOV blowing off and the sound of the turbo spooling up are addicting. Not to mention that this car is putting down 450hp to the ground. And to be quite frank I’m not even a Mustang guy. But I fell in love with this car after that driving experience. And the Mustang topped my personal best turbo system list (previously OUR Nissan Sentra Spec V had the top honors in my book). At this point I remember how much of a natural high one can get just by driving a turbocharged vehicle. Boost is a highly addictive drug. 

When I got back to the shop my mind started to immediately thinking about how can I be like Michael Jordan and come out of retirement. I even started looking on various websites searching for another project car. The search still continues but I think that I’m going to have to wait until 2010 when the Nissan S16 is released.

I guess I’ll keep my fingers crossed cause being an automotive enthusiast is in your blood forever and there is no retiring.

The Unit… out!

Sport Compact is dead!?!… well, everyone keeps telling me that (all the corporate suits that I run into anyways). I am not so sure that I care to agree with them after attending the Formula D event in Long Beach, CA this past month.

Ten thousand plus enthusiastic fans lined up waiting for over an hour to get in, while standing in the blazing heat told me otherwise as well. The stands were absolutely packed, the crowds were buzzing with excitement, the vendor row was full with manufacturers and the cars were putting on a great show. It was an event that reminded me of days gone by at Battle of the Imports at Los Angeles County Raceway (LACR)…. R.I.P. 

Events that lived and breathed and evolved into their own life forms. Races where the drama and excitement rivaled any daytime Soap or Reality TV program on the digital air waves today. Events when a record could fall on each and every pass… somebody’s crew member hooked up with some girl from another crew… oh my did you hear about… no way and so and so did what…. Back when technology and racing advancements were progressing at each event and people were pushing the boundaries of their vehicles performance every time out. Back when I counted down the days til the next event in anticpiation rather than watch the calendar until I had to leave home again.

So actually, now that I think about it there is something significantly different going on at the drifting events of today compared to the drag events of old. As makers of high performance parts who exactly are we there to see? I saw more SUV’s, Camry’s, and lifted trucks in the parking lots than anything else. Sure there were the awesome standouts like always, cars like EVO’s and hard top S2000’s and GT-R’s with sick widebody kits and VIP’s with insane drops but they were the exceptions not the norm.

It seems like if you aren’t selling T-Shirts that say “My Boyfriend Does It Sideways”, JDM “Elderly Driver” suction cup signs, Zip-Ties, and S13/S14 bumpers, then just who is actually profiting from drifting events. Tire companies? Food vendors? Certainly the organizers and rightly so. Good on them… I am thrilled that Jim and the gang at Formula D have prevailed and taken the title because those that have lived it know what kind of damage multiple sanctioning bodies does to a sport. They deserve it anyways just from pure dedication to what they believe in. But how does a maker of go-fast-goodies actually sell something to a group of people that are only there seemingly to be entertained. Oh great Spirit of Sport Compact, where oh where are the die-hards?

Fast forward two weeks and I am standing in the Newark airport ready to roll down to E-Town to the newly combined NHRA/NDRA drag racing series and what is that sweet note in the air, the unmistakable tune of small dispacement compacts with phat exhaust cans, rocking down the Turnpike so hard they are sure to do kidney damage on their passengers. Sure enough the East side is still rolling strong and representing the lifestyle in good faith, as shown by the sheer number of hard core enthusiasts that I saw at E-Town on the weekend. Hmmm, Westside, what’s up with that!?

But seriously… will Sport Compact continue to act like a snake eating its own tail and prove history correct by not being able to support itself under it’s own weight of fickleness? From a guy that grew up running on the streets of San Fernando and San Gabriel, back in the day when a Bullfrog cam swap was CRAZY! I sure hope not… I guess we will have to wait and see.

If you want to hit me up, I am live all the time at blogs@turboneticsinc.com

Til’ next time, stay in boost.

No, I am not talking about your VW or Audi.  I am talking about go-carts on steroids – KARTS!  Every employee at Turbonetics is a “motor head” and we love to bench race in the office.  After months and months of I-am-faster-than-you and my-car-is-faster debates, it was about time that we settled this on track.  We decided to hit up the indoor MB2 Raceway, not too far away from our company.  Theoretically, all karts are equal.  So, there’s no doubt it rewards the better driver.  Advantage/disadvantage of racer’s weight has been discussed around the office: 

“You only weigh xxx lbs – so you have an advantage of power-to-weight ratio” 
“You weigh xxx lbs more than I do.  You will have better traction around corners”

I personally don’t care either way.  If you want to be light, do some weight reduction in the bathroom. J  Fast forward 3 races - now, we have a group of us that go racing two weeks or so.  This is a great way to mingle and bond with fellow co-workers.  What’s even better?  More trash talking the following day!  Good trash talking cannot be completed without dialogues from The Fast and the Furious movie: 

“Granny shifting, not double-clutching like you should!” 

“I almost had you”

“You almost had me?  You never had your kart (car)!” 

“I need NAAAAWWS” 

“SWAT came to my house!” 

“Let’s go!  Ménage!”“ NOOOOO, Monicaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” 

“Too soon, junior!” 

“I like the dippin’ dots (tuna) here”

“BS, Assh*le nobody likes the dippin’ dots here”

“It’s not how you sit in the kart; it’s how you race the kart.  Ya better learn dat.”

Yes, Ja Rule…. We know.

Woo woo!  The car is lookin’ pretty again.  Thanks to Vertex for an uber-JDM bumper.  This definitely shows off the Spearco intercooler nicely.  Hmm, I might have to put a bigger one on there.

This bumper is low.  I am not even lowered!  When I decide on a nice street/track suspension kit, I will definitely have to drop the car mildly.  I don’t want to replace the bumper on this car again any time soon. Shoot, any other part for that matter.    I’ve never been the guy to have a squeaky-clean car.  I usually don’t even wash my car.  I always prided myself for having a mechanically-sounding car - engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission oil, differential oil, etc. have been replaced more times than I can count.  I guess I kind of have to with the way I drive.  I have a crazy co-worker that dusts and detail-sprays the car after work…EVERYDAY.  I can never be that anal, but this new and undamaged bumper certainly motivates me to keep it clean.  We will see how long this lasts for me.  I am so motivated that I have signed up to attend a free class on detailing at Meguiar’s headquarter.  Yes, I am going with the anal co-worker that was mentioned earlier. 

I just hope they use my car for “before & after”J.  I will start washing and detailing my car right after the class, I swear.

 It seems like I am always waiting for parts.  I was really hoping to change the subject to something a little cleverer and “bling” on the second blog, but here we are again.   The initial wait was for a 14-inch, 6-piston mono-block caliper big brake system; which is now equipped on my mule.  Big thanks to nice folks over at Baer for technical assistance and gorgeous product.

I was ready to hit up track days, ahem, I mean driving school, immediately after the installation.  On September 8^th, I attended SRT Track Day event with my friends.  This brings us to the second portion of “waiting for parts.” 

Maybe it was the long pause since the last track day (back in January), maybe it was my raised confidence with the BBK (that’s big brake kit for you old farts), or maybe it was the added horsepower from my Nismo graphic kit.  Please note that the genuine Nismo lip is still in awesome shape.  I am sure a replica would have disintegrated in pieces.  Buy the genuine stuff folks!  (Refer to my friend, Merritt’s blog on “GT45 Y2004K.”)  After a brief grief period, my friends and I zip-tied everything back together and I was on track again. 

Turbonetics turbocharger was spoolin’ and Spearco intercooler was coolin’.  I love this turbo system because it simply performs and delivers.  M3? Pfft!  S2000? Pffft!  C6 Z06? Ok now, I am crazy.  I wish I could do this everyday.  Just imagine - Slim, the official racer/tester/R&D driver of Turbonetics.  Wink wink. ;) 

I would like to introduce you to the GT45 Y2004K turbocharger.  This not to be confused with a Turbonetics Y2K turbocharger and no this is not a new Turbonetics offering.  It is however 1002 times the Y2K (2000×1002=2,004,000)! I bring it up because this turbocharger is frequently found for sale on a popular internet auction site.  It typically lists with a price tag somewhere between $150 and $250 with $50 for shipping.  Now you might be saying to yourself, “Thanks for pointing that out to me!  What am I doing looking at Turbonetics Turbochargers when I can get me one of those for $300?!”  I am going to tell you why you get what you pay for.

Aside from the normal costs of raw materials, manufacturing and production turbochargers require research, development and quality control.  Engineers spend hours designing and drawing each turbocharger component.  Every dimension is given its tolerance limits to ensure consistent manufacturing and prevent component interference.  During development multiple test units are sent out for abuse at racetracks, tractor pulls, dyno pulls, etc.  After abuse the units are returned, torn down, and inspected.  Then the unit moves into production.  Before assembly every production turbocharger component is checked by quality control against the engineering drawings.  Those parts that pass quality inspection are assembled by technicians following precise procedures.  Finally each unit is balanced by carefully calibrated machines.

 Every step of the process adds to the cost of a product.  Development expenses allow for the best performing design.  Manufacturing expenses allow for tight tolerances and more costly metal allows.  Quality control expenses ensure that parts fit together and perform correctly.  Other expenses allow for the hiring of educated sales and technical service staff.  It is easy to lower expenses when steps like development and quality control are left out.  It is one thing to be competitive in the market, that entails finding the perfect balance of expenses in each area.  However the GT45 Y2004K is offered at a price that significantly undercuts all of its competitors.  That just spells trouble.  Continued consumer support for undercut products drives the quality manufacturers away from the business.

When purchasing a new turbocharger please educate yourself about the procedures of the manufacturing company.  If you call our sales and technical service department at Turbonetics Inc. they can tell you what it takes to get our turbochargers from concept to reality.  They can assist in determining the best unit for your application to ensure efficient operation. They can also tell you about our warranty plan and quality control system.  A turbocharger is a significant investment for performance gain.  Take the time to research your investment and make the best decision.

This is a story of my passion for high performance automobiles and Turbonetics’ clever way of brainwashing me to do a blog every month.  With the launch of our new homepage, I hope you will enjoy Turbonetics’ staff blogs and they will make you want to come back to read some more.  My name is Slim and I work in the sales/tech department of this fast-spoolin’ company.

I am a recent graduate of Virginia Tech; class of 2005 (yes, THAT Virginia Tech).  Hmm… 2005… maybe not so recent, huh.  Somehow, I ended up in California from

Virginia!  How did that happen?  Did I drive?  Did I fly?

2700 miles in my rental truck with trailer.  FTL. 

Since I’ve been here, my brain has been overloaded with endless information on turbochargers and intercoolers. I want to share some “inside information” with the readers – like the best question of the month on the phone.  “Can I put an intercooler on my Civic? I have intake/header/exhaust.” Also, I will post some real-world experiences while using my personal turbocharged 350Z as a test mule. My car gets used and abused on the street and on track. Stick around with me I promise it will be fun.

I want to welcome everyone to the new and improved Turbonetics website.  This is my little corner where I get to express my engineering nerdiness on a regular basis.  As the scientific type I like my information to be presented with factual data to backup any claims.  Therefore I feel it is necessary to introduce myself with some biographical facts before I begin spouting any great claims.

My name is Merritt Johnson and I have been involved in the performance industry in some manner for close to 10 years now.  I began as a young punk teenager playing with Japanese imports.  During my high school years I was greatly influenced by my older brother and his 1993 Mazda Rx-7.  In fact his influence led me to realize I wanted to make a career for myself in the automotive industry. 

I moved from the Washington D.C. area to sunny Los Angeles where I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California (go Trojans!).  When I graduated college I landed my first job working in the R&D department at AEM.  I designed air intakes and related parts.  It was a good way to start out working in the aftermarket industry.  I learned a good deal and moved on to another area of the performance market. 

I am now an engineer at Turbonetics.  I am involved in all things turbocharged.  I have great resources around me, like Bob Keller and Dave Austin, two engineers who have revolutionized the turbocharger aftermarket industry.  Through my occupation and endeavors outside of work I am constantly learning every day.   I will use this space to share my technical observations, explore common technical issues and  new developments and most of all I will share my opinions on popular arguments.

Thanks for reading and I will talk to you all again soon.