Just curious how many of you daily drive a forced induction car...whether it be turbo or blower. Also this is on any car, not just the Focus:
My SVTF is my daily driver. I'd like to give it a bit more spunk to make my daily commute a bit more interesting. However I do not want to sacrifice reliability and driveability. Since it is my only car, it is important I am not stranded on the side of the road on my way to work.
My top three choices for forced induction are: Jackson Racing (roots) blower, Procharger, and custom turbo.
The Jackson Racing is the obvious winner for the reliable daily driver, however this option has the least potential for any of my options. The Eaton blower is arguably one of the most reliable units out there. However no one makes an aftercooler for the Focus and most importantly no one plants to make one. So for future plans, the car would most likely be stuck in the low 200 fwhp range unless I were to have someone fab up an aftercooler.
The Procharger is a great unit. The power output is similar to a turbo. Seems like there would be decent future power upgrades as the unit included in the Procharger kit is supposedly good up to 600hp (well over the needs of any Focus owner). Not sure about reliability. Does anyone have any input on how reliable the Procharger units are?
The custom turbo route would be the obvious choice for driveability and even gas mileage. Future upgrades are a no-brainer. However my main concern is driveability. I drive about 30-40 miles a day for work on the shitty Tampa roads. Given that the turbo and its components were built correctly, the car is properly tuned, and given the car will be driven long and hard...is there anything in particular I'd have to worry about? Not really concerned about blowing the motor. I'm more concerned about turbo components (particularly the turbo manifold) breaking under the stress of daily driving. Would this be a set-it-and-forget-it option, or is this more trouble than it is worth on a daily driver?
Appreciate your thoughts and imput.
