Stafford GT-S Kit Nearing Production Readiness

[RADR1732]

I just picked up my car from SF tonight and wow it is one of the best Christmas gift I've ever gotten. The torque is unbelievable. Even with my huge 19" wheels, the car still moves. The car is now running 8 psi w/ alcohol injection. For now it is setup so that the alcohol will kick in automatically at 7 psi. You can really feel when the alcohol starts spraying. It's a close resemblance to hitting lift. Well kind of.... The amazing thing is that the 8 psi is reached at right above 3500 rpm. There is hardly any lag. I can be in 6th gear, floor the pedal, and it will reach 8 psi very quickly.

The new SF Billet Aluminum Fuel Rail was also installed further insuring the safety of this kit. I know I'm going to be asked about dynos so I will try to dyno tomorrow. I WILL POST DYNO FIGURES TOMORROW! Hehe... at least I'm gonna try to get in there tomorrow cause I'm very excited to see the numbers. I will also post a short video of the session. For now here is a picture of the new alcohol injection nozzels.



Richard

[Mike00]

Can't wait. I hope production on these is moving smoothly come spring and it might convince me to go with this over an XS kit.

Well assuming the dynos come out nice anyway. Can't wait for the results.

[cmiguel32]

Any word on when the GT kits are going to be shipped out?
It would make a nice little christmas treat.

[RADR1732]

Not sure... thought it was already done. I will find out and hit ya up. Thanks.

Richard

[cmiguel32]

nope haven't gotten mine.
and his nextel mailbox is full so every time i try to call him
it's impossible to reach him let alone leave a message.

[RADR1732]

I promise to take care of it for ya. Thanks for your patience.

Richard

[aerospike2002]

cmiguel32,
Don't worry about Mike. He will definitely take care of you. Right now, he's out of town at a family emergency. Everything, turbo-wise, has taken a little stall. This includes my "secret" project and everyone else's. As soon as Mike gets back, he'll take care of you.

Richard, awesome news. That's exactly what I was hoping to hear from you. Isn't that billet fuel rail absolutely *****in'?!?! When I saw it in person, I was so impressed. I can't wait to see how it perfoms on my "secret" project. Mike does absolutely incredible work and I am still in disbelief as to how he accomplishes all that he does in that little garage! Can't wait to see some dynos for your kit.

[Masayver]

Sounds great, Richard. Looking forward to seeing how much power your car is putting down. Are you running 8 psi all the time, or do you have the dual stage boost controller?

[RADR1732]

It is set at 8 psi all the time because they didn't have time to get the dual stage put in since I'm hounded them about getting the car back. I don't have another way to get to work other than that car for now so i needed it back. My work is about a mile a way from me so its not bad but I still need to get there.

Oh and for those wondering about what the stock 2ZZ can do as far as max boost without the alcohol, Mike told me that it will start to detonate at close to 8 psi. But the knock sensor will pull timing and the detonation will go away. So the alcohol is there as a safety net to make sure that it does not detonate at all.

Richard

[00 scrub]

Any oil cooling for all this extra power?

[cool2miketlu]

awsome, how big is the alcohol tank? How long does that tank last? How much is the refill? What type of alcohol do you fill it with?

[RADR1732]

Originally posted by cool2miketlu
awsome, how big is the alcohol tank? How long does that tank last? How much is the refill? What type of alcohol do you fill it with?

The alcohol is currently held in the windshield washer reservoir which holds about 3/4 gallons. Refills are from Rite Aid drug store...hehe. It's rubbing alcohol. I'm using the 91% alcohol that they sell. And I don't know how long it lasts.

Richard

[celica001]

tats ****in cool! alcohol injenction...totally awesome

[cool2miketlu]

Originally posted by RADR1732
The alcohol is currently held in the windshield washer reservoir which holds about 3/4 gallons. Refills are from Rite Aid drug store...hehe. It's rubbing alcohol. I'm using the 91% alcohol that they sell. And I don't know how long it lasts.

Richard

But how do you know you are low? Did Mike add a warning meter or something? Or do you watch your EGT gauge if it gets too hot the alcohol is gone...

[RADR1732]

Well normally the alcohol isn't always spraying because its not at 8 psi all the time. My car is set to 8 psi all the time because they haven't installed a dual stage boost controller yet. So normally you would just add the alcohol in the tank when you know you'll be using the high boost setting. As for checking the level... I don't know how you would be able to tell. Mike is in Montana right now so I will find out right now. I'm sure everything will be very user friendly by the time the kit is set for release. I don't drive my car that much and when I do I don't push it hard enough to get me to 7 psi so the alcohol isn't always spraying.

I also tried to do the dyno today but Le-Toy was closed for the Christmas and didn't get to. I also tried to film me driving down the road but with all the power its making I couldn't drive with one hand the film with the other because of all the torque steer. On top of that I had to shift. But I will have everything documented and I will share.

Richard

[SF GT]

congrats; looking forward to the video

[Smaay]

well richard it sounds like u are king of the hill right now. my manifold totally broke in half tonight... i cant drive my car at all. the hell with XS..NO BODY GET THEIR KIT. i hate to flame them but i am so unhappy with all the run around they have been giving me.

[RADR1732]

Hey... why don't you do what aerospike did and try to get as much for your kit and switch over to Stafford. I'm just glad I went with him to begin with.

Richard

[Masayver]

Originally posted by Smaay
well richard it sounds like u are king of the hill right now. my manifold totally broke in half tonight... i cant drive my car at all. the hell with XS..NO BODY GET THEIR KIT. i hate to flame them but i am so unhappy with all the run around they have been giving me.

Aw, that sucks. Sorry to hear that, bro. Does their kit have any type of warranty?

[Tikked Again]

Originally posted by 00 scrub
Any oil cooling for all this extra power?

Alcohol/water injection is effectively a cooling aid.

I'm surprised that the alcohol injection kit is not progressive to the amount of boost. I guess the system is just cheaper that way.

[faultline]

Originally posted by Tikked Again
Alcohol/water injection is effectively a cooling aid.

I'm surprised that the alcohol injection kit is not progressive to the amount of boost. I guess the system is just cheaper that way.

I thought he said it comes on after 7psi..

[faultline]

Originally posted by Smaay
well richard it sounds like u are king of the hill right now. my manifold totally broke in half tonight... i cant drive my car at all. the hell with XS..NO BODY GET THEIR KIT. i hate to flame them but i am so unhappy with all the run around they have been giving me.

what is the deal with these guys and their manifold?...their "cast iron manifold"?....didn't they replace it before? or did they just repair it?....maybe they forgot about the part , where you might be driving your car hard!...and "oh no!" ..even in the desert! LOL

[Keyshawn]

It sounds like Smaay has the older welded-steel prototype of the manifold. Hopefully everything gets sorted out with that. On another note, SF's setup looks great. Looking forward to seeing the dynos w/ and w/o the alcohol injection to see those performance benefits. Props.

[Tikked Again]

Originally posted by faultline
I thought he said it comes on after 7psi..

By progressive I mean that the amount of water/alcohol being injected into the intake tract increases with boost, not just coming on when he hits 8 psi.

[aerospike2002]

Originally posted by RADR1732
Hey... why don't you do what aerospike did and try to get as much for your kit and switch over to Stafford. I'm just glad I went with him to begin with.

Richard

Yeah, I'm starting to think more and more that this was the best decision I've ever made regarding my car. I'm glad nothing was damaged with the XS kit. Not to say that happens with everyone, as Keyshawn has not really exhibited any symptoms. Don't get me wrong, I still think the XS is a great kit - I mean, it took 3 years to develop. I just think it's far overpriced.

Although the price is not the MAIN reason I switched to SF!!!

[mtskibum16]

RADR1732- Why and where is Mike in Montana? I'm just cureous because I live in Montana and I'm very interested in the kit. If he is near by I would love to get the chance to talk to him. Any info that you have would be great. Thanks.

[exotic performance]

i have a question? do you have a mixture of alcohol and water or just straight alcohol? if you run staight alchol doesnt that cause carbon build up?

[marc]

I want some Dynos.

[faultline]

Originally posted by Keyshawn
It sounds like Smaay has the older welded-steel prototype of the manifold. Hopefully everything gets sorted out with that. On another note, SF's setup looks great. Looking forward to seeing the dynos w/ and w/o the alcohol injection to see those performance benefits. Props.

I finally saw that on another thread. I got the "cast iron" from the xs page...I guess that is the one they will use going into production..and on a more serious note, I hope they will give smaay a new one.

I usually try to be good and not flame anybodys kit, but the xs kit has been tauted for quite awhile on this board as its components look impressive...when Jersey Jay had trouble with the TP kit's manifold, their name was dragged thru the mud..but this has not been the case w/ the xs kit so much...and when smaays kit made 228hp at the dyno shoot against the satfford gt kit's 251hp, no one even questioned the suggested 257hp the xs was suppose to put down....and I realize the manifold was cracked, but that should not have made less power, it just should have taken longer to spool up the turbo if I understand things correctly.....Ok, ok,...i forgot again, this aint the " trash the xs kit" thread.....I actually think its is very cool for anyone to venture F/i, it certanly isn't for the " faint of heart" folk....anyways I am glad to see this SF kit has become a reality for the 2zz...and what looks like will be a great price as well as a great kit!

[RADR1732]

Originally posted by faultline
I finally saw that on another thread. I got the "cast iron" from the xs page...I guess that is the one they will use going into production..and on a more serious note, I hope they will give smaay a new one.

I usually try to be good and not flame anybodys kit, but the xs kit has been tauted for quite awhile on this board as its components look impressive...when Jersey Jay had trouble with the TP kit's manifold, their name was dragged thru the mud..but this has not been the case w/ the xs kit so much...and when smaays kit made 228hp at the dyno shoot against the satfford gt kit's 251hp, no one even questioned the suggested 257hp the xs was suppose to put down....and I realize the manifold was cracked, but that should not have made less power, it just should have taken longer to spool up the turbo if I understand things correctly.....Ok, ok,...i forgot again, this aint the " trash the xs kit" thread.....I actually think its is very cool for anyone to venture F/i, it certanly isn't for the " faint of heart" folk....anyways I am glad to see this SF kit has become a reality for the 2zz...and what looks like will be a great price as well as a great kit!

Man I wondered the same thing about people not questioning it.

Richard

[Masayver]

Wasn't Smaay's kit "de-tuned" for 91 octane gas, though? He was having some problems with pinging, and I believe XS changed the PFC program for Cali 91 octane...correct me if I'm wrong.

[TRD2000GTS]

very nice....cant wait to see the numbers

[SF GT]

video?

[cool2miketlu]

Originally posted by faultline
I finally saw that on another thread. I got the "cast iron" from the xs page...I guess that is the one they will use going into production..and on a more serious note, I hope they will give smaay a new one.

I usually try to be good and not flame anybodys kit, but the xs kit has been tauted for quite awhile on this board as its components look impressive...when Jersey Jay had trouble with the TP kit's manifold, their name was dragged thru the mud..but this has not been the case w/ the xs kit so much...and when smaays kit made 228hp at the dyno shoot against the satfford gt kit's 251hp, no one even questioned the suggested 257hp the xs was suppose to put down....and I realize the manifold was cracked, but that should not have made less power, it just should have taken longer to spool up the turbo if I understand things correctly.....Ok, ok,...i forgot again, this aint the " trash the xs kit" thread.....I actually think its is very cool for anyone to venture F/i, it certanly isn't for the " faint of heart" folk....anyways I am glad to see this SF kit has become a reality for the 2zz...and what looks like will be a great price as well as a great kit!

Cracked manifold is nothing new, it may be the cause of bad manufacturing on prototyping kits. TP is different, many people had problems with that kit and how they do business.
People trust XS kit is because they were the first to do 2ZZ and had been testing their kits for a long time, ontop of that all quality parts is included with their kit. As I recall XS has a few kits out there already and Smaay is the only one that has problem with the kit, which may be isloated problem. The problem why Smaay dyno was lower than than what he had originally dynoed is because of his leaky manifold which Smaay explained earlier so again they were not lying on their HP.

[SFpower]

you don't lose horsepower from a leaky manifold unless it was so bad that it wouldn't make boost and that is not the case.smaay was happy with the car and said nothing of losiing power before or after the dyno and you would defenitly notice a thirty hp loss.i'm not not agiants xs but i am agianst false hp# .

[faultline]

Originally posted by cool2miketlu
Cracked manifold is nothing new, it may be the cause of bad manufacturing on prototyping kits. TP is different, many people had problems with that kit and how they do business.
People trust XS kit is because they were the first to do 2ZZ and had been testing their kits for a long time, ontop of that all quality parts is included with their kit. As I recall XS has a few kits out there already and Smaay is the only one that has problem with the kit, which may be isloated problem. The problem why Smaay dyno was lower than than what he had originally dynoed is because of his leaky manifold which Smaay explained earlier so again they were not lying on their HP.

I dunno Mike, I am not saying they treated Jay right, but TP has been around for a long time since the carburetion days.they came out to the desert last year to LACR , and I went to meet up with them to talk to them before I went to Stafford.they had a couple of hondas that day running in the 9's, and its just that if you first heard of them 1st on this board, you would conlude that they are the village idiots in the turbo performance community(pun intended).tp was referenced as a reputable, and reliable shop in a book called Turbocharging that was written in the 1980's that I read before Stafford did my car.after talking to TP I concluded that their kit was never intended as a platform to go for higher boost, but was simply intended for the 5psi they offered it at. After talking to TP and picking their brains about F/I, I came away more impressed with SF, and is one reason I went with SF.

I am not saying that XS is crap because of the manifold , or because they blew an xrs motor in testing. Keyshawns tranny let go because of the power of their kit.Is any one blaming them?I dont think they should, but sometimes I am wondering if criticism for all these kits are on an even playing field.

[RADR1732]

Originally posted by faultline
...sometimes I am wondering if criticism for all these kits are on an even playing field.

[Catalyst]

criticism is never on a level playing field.

[Cash Money]

Hmm... Where can i find all the specs and parts included with the kit??? I tried a search, but came up with a bunch of nothing... Is there a website??? Thx...

[RADR1732]

email.... staffordfabrication@yahoo.com

They will be able to reply with all the information that you need

Richard

[Keyshawn]

Originally posted by faultline
I am not saying that XS is crap because of the manifold , or because they blew an xrs motor in testing. Keyshawns tranny let go because of the power of their kit.Is any one blaming them?I dont think they should, but sometimes I am wondering if criticism for all these kits are on an even playing field.

Just to clarify, the XRS motor (Sport Compact's Project Matrix) wasn't tuned by XS. It was tuned by Shiv Pathak at http://www.vishnutuning.com/welcome.htm (a well-known tuner in WRX and EVO circles) using a TEC II, and was blown when loaned out to peeps for some car shows (http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/pr...scc_promatrix/).

People didn't blame XS for my tranny breaking, just like they aren't blaming SF for Masayver's tranny letting go during testing there (http://www.newcelica.org/forums/show...hreadid=114108).
What's not even about that?

[Ntence99]

im so confused on who to go with for fi...im leaning towards scrapping the celica for a 240 and an engine swap..i just love the way the celi looks and handles though

[marc]

Originally posted by Ntence99
im so confused on who to go with for fi...im leaning towards scrapping the celica for a 240 and an engine swap..i just love the way the celi looks and handles though

Yeh it's ****ing confusing, and nobody's putting out numbers except XS, not to mention our transmission will go to **** anyways.

That's why I'm thinkin older 3000gt (heavy but luxurious)/supra/rx7/corvette.

[cool2miketlu]

Originally posted by faultline
I dunno Mike, I am not saying they treated Jay right, but TP has been around for a long time since the carburetion days.they came out to the desert last year to LACR , and I went to meet up with them to talk to them before I went to Stafford.they had a couple of hondas that day running in the 9's, and its just that if you first heard of them 1st on this board, you would conlude that they are the village idiots in the turbo performance community(pun intended).tp was referenced as a reputable, and reliable shop in a book called Turbocharging that was written in the 1980's that I read before Stafford did my car.after talking to TP I concluded that their kit was never intended as a platform to go for higher boost, but was simply intended for the 5psi they offered it at. After talking to TP and picking their brains about F/I, I came away more impressed with SF, and is one reason I went with SF.

I am not saying that XS is crap because of the manifold , or because they blew an xrs motor in testing. Keyshawns tranny let go because of the power of their kit.Is any one blaming them?I dont think they should, but sometimes I am wondering if criticism for all these kits are on an even playing field.

I believe TP kit was good for pre 90's cars, where there is lots of room in the engine compartment and engine does not run as hard or hot. Nowadays engine runs hard and hot, and that would warp manifolds. The good old days you do not have to do much to the engines to get them to do 9's especially on American made muscle machines, back then its mostly mechanical now its mostly electrical tuning. I would not go to TP because how they treated me a perspective customer, and when I was ready to purchase a kit and want them to install it they gave me the run around especially when I told them I want higher boosts. Also for many other things I will not post up here but you can read it in my other posts in regards to turbo performance.

Yes you hear more bad things than good things, because people who is angry is most likely to post up big long post stating how awful the thing is. But I truely believe TP sucks big time, not just from hearing about it but actually experienced it.
I do truely believe SF, XS, and possibly DD kit is good. Reason I said possibly on DD kit is because I do not see this kit running around yet but again there is alot of research that went into it thus the possibly. Consumers may have problem once in awhile, it may or may not be the kit manufacturer's fault but if you treat your customer right they will not blame you for it.

[faultline]

Originally posted by Keyshawn
Just to clarify, the XRS motor (Sport Compact's Project Matrix) wasn't tuned by XS. It was tuned by Shiv Pathak at http://www.vishnutuning.com/welcome.htm (a well-known tuner in WRX and EVO circles) using a TEC II, and was blown when loaned out to peeps for some car shows (http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/pr...scc_promatrix/).

People didn't blame XS for my tranny breaking, just like they aren't blaming SF for Masayver's tranny letting go during testing there (http://www.newcelica.org/forums/show...hreadid=114108).
What's not even about that?

Ok, oops ..I feel idiotic...I was thinking that it was xs kit that did the sport compact car...I even did a search thinking that I thought they blew a motor in testing, and I couldnt find it, so they have my apologies for my inference.

Mica celi is the one who said in the ot section something along the lines of " I am sick and tired of hearing that Stafford broke my tranny , but you should but their kit"...

[cool2miketlu]

Originally posted by RADR1732
email.... staffordfabrication@yahoo.com

They will be able to reply with all the information that you need

Richard

Any info on dyno?

[RADR1732]

I have been way too busy with work and Mike has been too busy to come to Bakersfield. We have setup a tenative date of Wednesday/Thursday, but we will make the dyno appointment on Monday when we know exactly what we're doing.

Richard

[Cash Money]

thx for the info... they'll be mailed soon...