"The 1980s American Turbo Revolution"-Info and pic

[jetsetter]

This is something I put together to highlight the numerous turbocharged US vehicles of the late 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Turbocharging let American auto companies to get a high amount of power from vehicles made to compete against the smaller and more efficent Japanese vehicles. Even if these turbocharged vehicles didn't meet their goal they are an interesting chapter in US automotive history.
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The 2.2 is one of the most reliable four-cylinder engines ever made, and in all its forms, from under 84 hp to 224 hp, was a long-lasting sturdy piece of equipment (if you were willing to pay for the occassional head gasket). Its ability to withstand the Turbo III setup is certainly testament to a fine design. The high torque of the 2.2 turbos sets it apart from many competing engines; certainly, a 150 hp 2.2 turbo is more powerful overall than a 160 hp Civic engine!

Turbocharged versions always had multiple-port fuel injection in the US, though we've heard of throttle-body versions in Mexico from two different sources.

There were four distinct turbo setups, and though Mopar fans usually refer to them in this manner, they are generally listed in reference guides as the turbo (I), intercooled turbo (II), DOHC or 16 valve turbo (III), and VNT turbo (IV).

The later 2.4 turbos do not have such a system - there are two versions, intercooled and not intercooled, producting around 225 and 180 horsepower respectively.

One interesting tidbit is that the 2.2 was never designed for a turbo, according to Chrysler engineer Pete Hagenbuch; but its durability must have made engineers happy when they chose to force the air in.

No, the 2.2 was not designed for a turbo. Turbos are for racing. Too much heat for normal driving. We should have gone with that Eaton Rootes-type supercharger. I begged for a test cell and six months to produce something that would counter the high friction and make decent economy. Nope, they were fixated on the turbo. After all, it was good enough for Formula 1.

We learned a lot about turbocharging and, yes, the 2.2 responded to everything we did. The 1988 version with the longer branch tuned intake manifold was the best. I was driving an 88 Daytona when I retired. The Turbo II, with Garrett's switch-the-pitch turbine, was a bear, but I understand the thing froze up with a little carbon buildup.

The best turbo was the 1987 Indy Pace Car. My right-hand-man, Dick Winkles, had a ball at Indy. All the drivers wanted a drive in it. And they loved it..! Of course it wasn't sellable. Oh, yeah, it was a LeBaron convertible.

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/22t.html

Dodge, Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Maserati, and Shelby

Daytona and Laser

The Daytona first debuted from Dodge in 1984 along with its look alike, the Chrysler Laser. Design was based mostly on the K-cars (Reliant and Aries), and retained the fuel efficient 2.2 liter 4 cylinder engine. The Daytona was mounted on an extended K-frame and had front wheel drive. The Daytona has always been a 3 door 4 seater, but the rear seats are very small and it should really be considered a 2 seater for all practical purposes, with its small 97" wheel base. These cars are known as 'G' cars because they were covered with the 'AG' body style.

These cars lasted for almost ten years, 1984 to 1993. They we used in racing, I.R.O.C, and were some of the highest performing autos of their time.

Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon

The Omni/Horizon was designed by Chrysler Europe (a merger of Simca and Rootes Group). It had unibody construction, with an independent iso-strut front suspension using coil springs. The rear suspension was "semi-independent," using trailing arms and coil springs.

While the Omni/Horizon started out with European engines - some designed by Chrysler Europe, but officially called "Peugeot" because Peugeot bought Chrysler Europe; others designed and sold by Volkswagen, which ended up buying the Omni/Horizon molds and selling the cars in South America as Volkswagens - most were eventually equipped with the standard corporate 2.2. With fuel injection, the base 2.2 generated (depending on the year) about 93 horsepower with peak torque of 122 lb-ft at only 3,200 rpm. The Volkswagen engines, at 1.7 liters, were modified versions of the Golf/Rabbit/Jetta powerplant. Fortunately, the three sets of engines - VW, “Peugeot,” and Chrysler - all had different displacements. The largest, by far, was the Chrysler 2.2, used from the third year to the end.

Also in 1984, a new model called the Omni GLH arrived. Appropriately named "Goes-Like-Hell", this Dodge Omni was created with the right-hand man known as Carroll Shelby. The '84 GLH was not turbocharged and was available only with a 110-bhp naturally aspirated engine. It did, however, have a special camshaft, milled block (.020) to bring up the compression for major power gains, and a chrome engine dress-up valve cover. No ground effects came from the factory on the 1984 GLHs. Chrysler's "direct-connection" designed an after-market ground effects kit for the Omni's that eventually became the production versions found on the 1985s and '86s.

The 1985 and 1986 Omni GLHs were available with either the 110-bhp high-output engine or a 146-bhp turbo 2.2-liter engine, which created a power rocket waiting to fly off the road. Alloy wheels, unique tape decor and ground effects rounded out the package.

The Omni GLHS started in 1986 based on a 4-door model and had a modified Garrett Turbo I engine, a long-runner tuned intake (2 piece) manifold, and of course an intercooler. This engine sounds like the Shelby Turbo II, but it isn't because it does not have any of the forged internal parts (crank, rods, pistons, etc.). GLH-S production was only 500 in 1986. Color was only black with a grey interior. Options included an oil cooler, and roll-bar.

Carroll Shelby bought only 1,000 of the already limited-production GLH models and upgraded them with Koni adjustable shocks and struts, 15" Goodyear Gatorback tires, and modified the engine to reach Turbo II specs of 175 hp! These cars are known as the 1987 GLH-S, and look much like an upgraded '83 Shelby Charger, with again the tape decor, and this time major performance modifications. It was a 2-door coupe only in black with grey interior.

Dodge Lancer and Chrysler LeBaron GTS

The power plant was Chrysler's 2.2 four cylinder with the throttle body fuel injection. The turbocharged 2.2 was also available. Both the Lancer and LeBaron GTS were available in two trim levels; the Lancer and Lancer ES; and the LeBaron GTS highline and GTS Premium. GTS models did not have badging to indicate which trim level. Almost all models had front bucket seats with a center console. There was an option of a center cushion and deletion of the console to make a bench type front seat and make the car a six passenger vehicle, but very few were ordered with it.

The H-body was sold from 1985 through 1989. All models were built at the Sterling Heights Assembly plant. In 1986, the 2.5 became available as a second engine option, and continued through the 89s. In 1988, Lancer added a hi-performance Shelby model with the intercooled Turbo II motor. This model had a rear, roof-mounted spoiler, and ground effects along with the increased performance.

For the final year, the LeBaron version became simply "LeBaron" now that the K-based LeBaron four door was gone from Chrysler's stable. What was the GTS premium, became the LeBaron GTS. Lancer Shelby continued into the 89 model year with the 2.2 Turbo II. The 'plain' 2.2 Turbo motor was replaced in 89 by a new 2.5 Turbo motor. Unlike a lot of the other front wheel drive Chrysler products of the 1980's the H-body was never available with any Mitsubishi sourced powertrain.

Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan



From 1989 to 1990 the Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan could be ordered with the 2.5 liter I4 turbocharged engine making 150 hp.

Buick Regal: T-Type, Grand National and GNX

A downsized Regal appeared for 1978 with a new turbocharged version of Buick's venerable 231 in³ (3.8L) V6, a combination that lasted 9 years and helped give the Regal an unexpected reputation for performance. Despite the model's newfound performance, it was still hampered (from a performance perspective) by a soft suspension, small wheels and tires and the unavailability of a manual transmission, largely because the intermediate personal luxury market was the Regal's intended target, not the sports car segment.

A facelift in 1981 gave the Regal a much more aerodynamic profile, helping make it possible for the car to compete on the NASCAR racing circuit, where it enjoyed several decent seasons. V8s for street use were still available, but had shrunk to 265 in³ (4.3L), and the V6 was rapidly gaining popularity. In 1982, a new Century appeared on a front wheel drive chassis, but the former rear wheel drive Century sedan and wagon were not discontinued. These models were simply rebadged as Regals, and for the first time the name appeared on a full model lineup.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Regal

T-Type Regal coupes, aimed at the performance market, appeared at this time, but the real news came in 1982, when the Regal Grand National appeared. Named for the NASCAR Grand National racing series, this car incorporated a much-improved 200 hp (150 kW) version of the turbocharged V6 and cost US$18,000. This powerplant would continue to be refined and strengthened, and in 1986 reached 235 hp (175 kW), then 245 hp (182 kW) for 1987.

1987 also offered a lightweight WE4 (Turbo T) option which is extremely rare today. Only 1,547 of this variant were produced. The only differences between a WE4 and the base Grand National were interior trim package, rims, exterior badging, and aluminum bumper mounts. The rear spoiler was only available as a dealer installed option.

By 1985, the Grand National was acquiring a reputation as modern muscle car, but the days of the G-body were numbered. For the final year, 1987, Buick introduced the GNX at a US$11,000 premium. Produced by McLaren/ASC, Buick boasted 275 hp and a very substantial 360 lbf-ft (488 N·m) of torque. Changes made included a special Garrett ceramic-impeller turbocharger connected by a ceramic-coated pipe to a better intercooler. A special computer chip, low-restriction exhaust, and reprogrammed Turbo Hydramatic 200-4R transmission with a custom torque converter and transmission fluid cooler completed the drivetrain modifications. Exterior styling changes include vents located on each front fender, 16 in black mesh style wheels with VR speed rated tires, and deletion of the hood and fender emblems. The interior changes of the GNX included a serial number on the dash plaque and a revised instrument cluster providing analog Stewart-Warner gages including an analog turbo boost gauge.

The acceleration performance of the GNX outpaced the factory's power claims: 0-60 mph (97 km/h) took just 5.5 s with a 13.4 s/104 mph (167 km/h) quarter-mile. According to contemporary sources, these numbers made the GNX the fastest production sedan ever built. This claim is somewhat controversial—the car had two doors but its interior volume and structure made it a sedan rather than a coupé, and just 547 examples were built. GNX #001 is currently owned by Buick and sometimes makes appearances at car shows around the US. Although many quicker cars have been built, including a number of quicker modern sedans, its performance was truly impressive for the time. A contemporary Porsche 930 hit 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 13.6, roughly equivalent to the GNX, which cost much less and could out-accelerate the naturally-aspirated 911 of the day. The muscle cars of the 1960s had the power to beat the GNX, but the tires of the time could not transform this into speed. The GNX never made much of a road-track competitor to cars like the 911, but it could certainly hold its own on a drag strip.

Famously painted in all black, the Grand National and GNX were ferocious drag strip competitors and are highly collectible today. The sinister, stealthy appearance coupled with the fact that the Grand National was initially released during the height of Star Wars fever earned it the title Darth Vader Car. The Grand National returned briefly to the headlines in 2003, when actor Sean Penn's was stolen with several guns inside.

1989 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am

Originally conceived by Bill Owen of Pontiac, the 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am project was outsourced to PAS, Inc., an engineering firm led by Jeff Beitzel. Beitzel and his team did most of the TTA development work. The V6 turbo engines were built by PAS at their 40,000 square foot City of Industry, CA plant. From there, they went to GM's plant in Van Nuys, CA to be installed into GTAs on the F-Body assembly line. The cars were then shipped back to PAS for final assembly, testing, and quality control. Incidentally, the GTA chassis were selected at random, thus there is no correlation between VIN number and production sequence number. The actual number of cars to be produced had ranged from 500 to 2,500 until GM finally settled on 1,500. In all, a total of 1,555 Turbo TAs were manufactured.

The 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am was offered as a complete package. Each was white with saddle (tan) interior, with T-tops and leather interior the only available options. Although other TAs were available with a CD player, the Turbo TA was available only with a Delco ETR AM/FM cassette with graphic EQ and redundant steering wheel controls.

Externally, the TTA closely resembles a GTA. The primary visual clues are Indy "Winged Tire" emblems on the ground effects panel just aft of the front wheel wells, and dual twin stainless-steel exhaust tips. Closer inspection reveals "Turbo" emblems on the front fenders, "20th Anniversary" emblems on the nose and B-pillar, and a "Turbo" insignia between the taillights. Inside, a turbo boost gauge is incorporated into the tachometer face, and there is a "20th Anniversary" logo on the leather map pocket. Special Indy Pace Car stickers were supplied for the windshield and doors. The cars were delivered without the stickers attached - it was up to the individual owner to apply them if desired.

Original Turbo TA owners were sent a special box containing the door and windshield stickers, a Turbo TA keychain, cassette tape, letter of congratulations and a leather owners manual cover. There is a unique owners manual supplement that came with the car. As with most GM vehicles, the Firebird service manual and TTA supplement can be ordered from Helm (publisher of GM service manuals).

Technical Highlights
What makes the 20th Anniversary Turbo TA so special is that it is a complete mechanical package, and not just some tape stripes. Starting with the engine, Pontiac borrowed Buick's 3.8 liter (231cid) V6 turbo powerplant from the fabled 1986-87 Grand National. Some difference exist between the TTA motor and the GN version. Different heads were necessary in order to squeeze the motor between the strut towers. These heads, adapted from the transverse FWD version of the 3.8 liter motor, have the added benefit of improved exhaust flow and combustion chamber design. Subsequently, different pistons were required in order to maintain combustion chamber volume. Other changes to the TTA motor are a cross-drilled crank, larger 12 fin/inch GNX-style intercooler in place of the GN's 10 fin/inch design, specially-designed stainless-steel headers, higher-pressure Bosch 237 fuel pressure regulator, and a recalibrated engine control module.

Mark Grable, writing in the March 1989 Motor Trend, noted the Turbo Trans Am's "250 horses...seem much stronger than run-of-the-mill horses." The reason is simple. Although Pontiac officially rated the engine at 250 HP, in reality it developed an honest 301 HP on the GM dyno.

The Turbo TA came with the rare 1LE racing brake package, which upgrades the front discs to 12 inch police rotors, Corvette twin piston aluminum calipers and semi-metallic pads. These brakes are virtually fade proof, and were installed to legalize the 1LE package for Firehawk endurance racing. The rear discs were also increased to 12 inches in 1989 and use Corvette single piston calipers. All of the brakes on the car are of a quick change design, and pads can actually be changed in 30 seconds.

The only mid-year change made to the Turbo TA during the entire production run was a redesigned turbo inlet tube. The redesigned plastic tube was more durable, and had a clamping rib on either end to keep the hoses attached more securely. Other production changes in 1989 affected the Turbo TA and F-bodies in general. As an example, in March 1989 GM switched from glass to Lexan T-tops in order to save weight. However, the Lexan tops had severe problems with scratching and cracking, and GM had to replace most of them under warranty. During the 1990 production run GM switched back to glass T-tops after having so many problems with the Lexan ones.
http://www.89tta.com/ttahist.htm

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I know this is far from a complete list and I am not finished. If anyone has any more autos they can think of then post them here.

[matt_shaw]

I must admit that American cars don't really tickle my fancy, but I've always liked the Grand National.

[zenkidori]

Where's the Ford Probe GT?

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Merkur XR4Ti > All of those.

[jetsetter]

Keep posting guys. I am trying to put together a list.

[jetsetter]

So far we have:

Merkur XR4Ti 2.3 liter I4
Ford Probe GT Turbo 2.2 liter I4 145 hp (108 kW) 203 ft·lbf (275 N·m)
Ford Mustang SVO 2.3 liter I4 175 hp (130 kW) for 1984 and 205 hp (152 kW) for 1985 and 1986.
Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 2.3 liter I4 190 horsepower (142 kW)
Ford Thunderbird SC 3.6 liter V6(supercharged) 210 hp and 315 ft.lbf
GMC Typhoon 4.3 liter V6 280 hp (209 kW) and 360 ft·lbf (488 N·m)
GMC Syclone 4.3 liter V6 280 hp (209 kW) and 360 ft·lbf (488 N·m)

[Mischief007]

Grand Prix Supercharged
Buick Regal Supercharged

Both have the 3.8 Gen II Supercharged

[Danny Tran]

I love pho!

[jetsetter]

I love pho!

Say what?

[No Boss]

We had one of these, without the turbo... I know the turbo wouldn't help matters.



Most of these look like the most boring cars in the world to turbo...except the Grand Nat'l. and Trans AM of course.

[Danny Tran]

I love pho!

Say what?

viet soup

[Hazardous]

Was there not an older body Firebird(or Trans-Am) with a turbocharger in early eighties? I recall reading a road test of one, but can't remember any details.

[Mischief007]

Was there not an older body Firebird(or Trans-Am) with a turbocharger in early eighties? I recall reading a road test of one, but can't remember any details.

He posted it already and it is that twin turbo V6 Trans Am .

[jetsetter]

Was there not an older body Firebird(or Trans-Am) with a turbocharger in early eighties? I recall reading a road test of one, but can't remember any details.

He posted it already and it is that twin turbo V6 Trans Am .

Actually he is talking about a different Trans Am. It had a turbo V8 and was a piece of shit. It had a 4.9 Liter (301 ci) V8 turbo engine.

YEAR MODEL 1/4 time 1/4 speed 0-60 SOURCE DATE
1980 Turbo Trans Am 16.5 8.0 Motor Trend 11/79
1980 Turbo Trans Am 16.30 86.78 Hot Rod 3/80
1980 Turbo Trans Am 17.5 80.0 Road & Track 4/80
1980 Turbo Trans Am 16.64 84.11 Popular Hot Rodding 6/80
1980 Turbo Trans Am 17.02 82.10 9.05 Motor Trend 6/80

1980 Trans Am w/ 301 NA 17.05 80.28 Popular Hot Rodding 6/80

[jayhawk]

A friend of mine, his father has #47 Grand National GN-X. Guys, you cannot fathom how fast this car really is, as I was a passenger in it several times. Its "I'm pinned in my seat and cant move" fast.

[Mischief007]

Never heard of the Turbo V8. I knew of the twin turbo V6 which was quick for its time.

[jayhawk]

Never heard of the Turbo V8. I knew of the twin turbo V6 which was quick for its time.

Oh, it was a piece of garbage. The turbo and intake were all one assembly, and the 301 V8 was nicknamed "three oh none" for a good reason. It was just a bad idea from the get go. I think the engine made a whole 200 HP, if that.

[klutch]

The Caravan turbo's are awesome...what a sleeper! With all the parts available for it courtesy of the engine being in a host of other Chryslers, lots of guys were getting their trash-haulers into the 13-12 second range...this is from a minivan!

Another car to add is the Spirit/Shadow Turbo - same engine as in the Turbo Z.

[Jacobfox]

yeah, carroll shelby loves that daytonai. He has one of them and his is a shelby tuned to 700+hp. a k-car with 700 hp, who would've thunk it? I bet you could do the same with the caravan. a 700hp mommy wagon. That would be the ultimate sleeper .
then you'd come to a curve and die.

[thedguy]

I've got a few friends into those cars. One of 'em had/has an Omni 2.2 that cost him total (cars + mods/repairs)) $800. When the tranny doesn't blow it runs mid 12's.

Not sure if this was mentioned in the 1st article but the Shelby Omni GLHS beats the Shelby Mustang Gt350 in everyway but looks.

Oh and you missed the first PRODUCTION turbocharged engine, produced by GM back in 1962 the Oldsmobile Jetfire F85, and the Chevy Corvair Corsa Turbo. The f85 was a Rover v8 (before it was bought by rover obviously) with a carbed turbo setup and 10.25:1 compression and alcohol/water injection. The Corvair was a single carbed turbo version of it's Air-cooled Flat-6.

Jetfire Engine
In 1961, the F-85 had a 155 HP version of the 215 ci. engine, and the Cutlass had a 185 HP version. The 1961 versions of the motor were rated at 155 hp, but later years saw increases - up to 200 hp normally aspirated for the Buick version and 215 hp in turbocharged form from Olds (the 62-63 Jetfire).

In 1962, Olds, along with AiResearch, introduced a 'turbocharged' (called Fluid Injection) version of this engine, which put "Turbo Rocket Fluid" (½ distilled water, ½ methyl alcohol) into the carb. Along with a 10.25:1 compression ratio, yielded 0-60 in 8.5 seconds (with the manual tranny). The turbo was a Garrett TO-3 with an integral wastegate, the first. Unfortunately, due to the 10:1 compression ratio, boost was limited to only 5 psi, not the best use of a turbo.

The induction setup itself is fairly sophisticated (especially for 1962), with something like 54 separate connections to the intake system. The turbo has an integral wastegate, being the first mass production turbo application to use a wastegate. The turbo has a large oil line running directly from the oil pump to keep oil present to the bearings. If they get hot (running hard) they must not be shut down without a cool down period. This was arguably the most complex induction system build to that time, with something like 50 different hose connections in the intake system (pressure sensors, wastegate, fluid injection, fuel, etc).

Olds attempted to get around the boost lag problem by using a high compression ratio (10:1!), which limited boost to only 5 psi. Fluid injection (Turbo Rocket Fluid) was used (a water/alcohol mix) to suppress detonation. Properly running cars will not go into boost if the "Turbo Rocket Fluid" resevoire is empty. There is an automatic shutoff for this. Parts for this injection system are even harder to get than the turbo parts.

The carb is a rare single barrel Rochester side-draft unit, whose only other application was on the Corvair Turbo. While they resemble the Corvair carb, they are much larger. They share some parts with an ordinary 2-barrel V-8 Rochester such as floats, needles & seats, etc.

The Olds' turbocharged Jetfire was supposedly quicker than the 4V version, but it had maintenance problems due to its complex mechanics for that era. It attained the magic goal of 1 HP per CID. A power boost on the order of 40% was claimed. The automatic Cutlass with 10.75:1 compression gave 195 HP @ 4800 and 235 lb/ft @ 3200. The Jetfire's 10.25:1 compression gave 215 HP @ 4800 and 300 lb/ft @ 3200.

Top speed for a 4V was just over 100 mph, but 0-60 took almost 11 seconds with automatic, although the stick did better. The biggest problem with the Special/F-85 was the 3-speed "slushbox" transmission. Which, according to a Motor Trend road test, "seemed to take forever for the Hydra-Matic to get a good, firm lockup into the next gear, and the engine lost 2,000 rpm on each shift."

Oldsmobile scrapped this system in 1964 due to reliability problems. The 'performance Olds' then became the 442 in '64.

The Ford probe is arguable on the list, as it's using a Mazda turbo engine from the 626 GT.

There was the Suzuki Swift based Chevy Sprint (and pontiac firefly I think it was called in Canada) with a 3 cylinder Turbo engine. Again being a japanese motor car with a US badge it's arguable if it should be on the list.

There was a (93-95 I think)Geo Storm based on an Isuzu Impulse that had a 1.6 turbo engine, I think the same one available in the front wheel drive Elan of the early 90's. Edit: Only the Isuzu Impulse RS got the turbo motor.

The 80/81 or 81/82 Chevy Monte Carlo's were available with a carbed v6 turbo from the Buicks.

Mclaren helped build a Turbo Pontiac Grand Prix in 1990 as well.

Some mid 80's Pontiac Sunbird's had a 1.8 turbo engine.

Edit: Almost forgot the car my friend had. 1990-1994 Mercury Capri XR2. These cars were direct competitors with the miata, but front wheel drive. They used Mazda's 323 turbo motor in 1.6litre form. Made 132hp and 134 lb ft of torque If I rcall correctly. Looked quite a bit like the 1990's Lotus Elan. Aparently it's a Ford of Australia product rebadged as a Mercury.

Unfortunately I can't recall 99% of the specs on these cars and their drivetrains as most of them were either rather rare, or I just didn't care enough about them to remember. A 1litre 3cylinder turbo car just doesn't get my attention. Same goes for most other cars I listed as they are wrong wheel drive (front). Though I have an interest in the obscure cars, so keep 'em coming people.

As I dig up more info on these cars I will make more posts with info.