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The GTi produces 100HP (74KW at 6600 RPM) which propels the 750 Kg car to 100 KPH in 9.0seconds. The quarter mile is reached in 16.2 -16.55 seconds (Wheels Nov. 1986).
Quick for a little 1.3L, beating many much larger capacity cars.
To keep up with quicker cars, the power must be increased. One method is to improve the breathing and exhaust and put in a set of hot cams. One of the cheaper ways is to use motor bike carbies and scrap the EFI system .
Also, reliability can become an issue as the 75.5mm stroke means that the piston reaches the 4000 ft/min critical speed at about 8000 RPM. After this speed, the reliability of most forged crankshafts and forged rods decreases and their life is severely shortened. This is a general rule, but many people have gone this way and have been more than happy . From reading the forums, a max of 8500 RPM seems safe, but not 9000. Keep in mind that cracks can develop which may fail the parts weeks later. At 8500, the moving engine parts experience 32% more stress than at 7400.
Another factor to consider is drivability. On the track or at the drags, the engine can be kept at high speeds all the time, making the most of the higher up powerband, but on the road, this is often not the case. Low down torque is often lost when raising the powerband.
Since I wanted more of a street machine than a racer, I decided that the above method was not for me. Turbocharging seemed ideal. The tough little 1.3 engine has been turbocharged many times by others with great success so I knew it could be done. There is no need to overstress the engine with revs and the torque increases by the bucketload.
The Plan
This what I wanted to achieve
Inexpensive--mostly DIY
40 to 50% more power
Quick boost at low to midrange
No decompression of engine
I am not a mechanic nor boilermaker, I work in an office most of the time, so this was quite a challenge for me. I have read countless tech books on cars so I knew what needed to be done, but had little experience. Suzuki forums on the web such as redlinegti and teamswift helped me a lot, with practical suzuki information.
So armed with some tools and an arc welder I started…..
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