Long story short, I'd like to turbocharge my 3800 Series 2 back to sea level while living at 6,400 feet and occasionally driving to 11,000 . Lots of detail on this can be found at:

https://www.gmforum.com/buick-172/wa...p-back-308778/

It appears the Buick forum doesn't attract much forced-induction advice for some reason.

So, all I want is to get back to 205HP. This will keep me from having to harden everything else in my car, will be an interesting project, and will get me back from 159.9HP to 205.

That would be a 28% improvement. According to ford.com , people pay $13,175.00 to step past 288HP 3.5l Tauruses in favor of the 26% more powerful 365HP SHO .

I bet I can do it for much less than that.

Can I set up a turbocharger such that it would not supply any boost at sea level, and supply just enough boost for me to be "at sea level" when I'm higher than sea level? I believe this is possible, simply the same as normal turbocharging with the pressure dialed way down. Right?

So, suggestions for a model of turbo for this?

Then, lots of measuring and head scratching with pipes and such.

Thoughts?

Go buy a wrecked GXP Grand Prix and swap the 5.3 V8 and Trans would cost less then blowing up your engine with a turbo.
Or go to ZZ PERFORMANCE and buy the turbo kit for about $4000.00 then the get the trans built up for another $4000.00 then more $$$ for like updating the ECU water injection no cat header exhaust gauges so on so on.

For the same money you could get a 10 year old Corvette and have a better time!!!

205HP. That'* all I want.

A 3800 Series 2 would have to be in bad shape to blow up putting out 205HP.

Anyone know the answer to:

Can I wastegate a turobcharger such that I get 14.696PSI of pressure (not boost, just total pressure) supplied to the engine at varying altitudes? As if the engine is at sea level all the time?

So go buy zz performance turbo kit. down pipe boost gages and electronic boost controller so you can make all the boost you want or not.
With all that bigger injectors modified ECU and other things should set you back only
$6000.00
And how long before 1 backfire blows up your plastic intake ?
The real serious guys start out with a supercharged car and take out the rotors on the supercharger and use it for a blow threw turbo manifold.
And your car is worth more for a normal transport car go get a supercharged Regal or Grand prix If you want a starting platform.

(deep breath)

Got it. Agree entirely. Don't want to blow it up. I don't want to spend $6,000 on it. Not worth it. Yada yada. Got it.

I've already gotten lots of advice like this: If you turbocharge it it will blow up, why not grab the guts out of a PA Ultra or GTP or SSEI and . . . , go get a V8 drivetrain out of a Impala SS or GXP . . . , nitrous . . . , don't do it . . . , not worth it . . . , not practical to do all that crazy stuff to it, etc. etc.

Is there no middle ground?

What I know is the car runs fine at sea level. Sea level is 14.696PSI. Why can't I have 14.696PSI feed my MAF at other altitudes? Some tubes, some elbow grease, some head scratching, and a turbocharger would be pretty much all that'* needed. No PCM anything, no big injectors, no transmission drama, no integration issues, no $6,000.00 ZZP kit.

Am I wrong somewhere?

My choices are live with it. Done that. $6,000.00 of upgrades that will require another $2,000.00 of transmission work? No thanks, not my taste, not worth it, and may as well put 28" rims on it while I'm dumping $20,000.00 into a $3,000 car. Buy a sportier car? Not my goal or my taste. Swap a L67+4T65E? Everyone has done that, and if the swap goes smoothly there'* still going to be integration and remediation issues unless I find the only L67/4T65E that hasn't been beaten all its life.

I'd think at the very least that folks would be curious about it and say, "Go ahead CathedralCub, let'* see what happens" even if they do snicker to themselves just a bit.

There'* even wide support for guys that find late-70'* early-80'* cars and fix them different ways. Or the guy that wants to put an L67 SC on his '90 Riv 3800 Series 1 . Many consider those cars "why bother" cars. They've mostly received helpful and constructive advice. Glad they have because I have a couple of those lined up.

Anyways enough from me.

There must be an appropriately-sized non-computerized-wastegate turbocharger that I could use for this. Ideas anyone?

Why are we running two identical threads on the same subject matter? Please continue to post in the other one. Closing this thread!!