I test drove an 02 WRX (same year as my SVT)....I didn't walk away as impressed as I thought I would be...after being in an EVO, the WRX just didn't make me want to go and trade in the SVT...I don't want to spend the money on an EVO or STI...not yet..After my disappointment and telling my wife I'm keeping the SVT, we came up with the idea of supercharging the SVTF..Any pros or cons about the JRSC and/or Vortec??? I know the JRSC isn't as much h.p. and the Vortec seems like it is a lot more difficult to install having to drill the engine block or something???? Any thoughts or ideas appreciated...Tom's turbo is out due to its cost and having to go to NC to have it installed and tuned...
So JRSC or Vortec??
____________________ 02 SVT Focus, CD Silver, No. 2032.
Depends if you prefer Roots or Centrifical style SC. Both have thier advantages and disadvantages.
Personally I think I'd wait a little bit longer to see what other mfg'rs. come up with.
Rumor has it that Kenne Bell is designing a roots style for the Focus (not sure if for SVT though)
Another thing to consider is the SVTF's are no longer being produced (after the '04 run) and the production numbers on the '02's are relativly small so we all have collector items and any mods could decrease the value once they reach maturity in 10 years or so.
(I know folks trade in every few years or so to have the latest vehicles but who knows what the future can bring with these cars).
My 2 pennies on this is that the roots style (JR) is heavier than the centrifical style (Vortec). Logic would say you can feel more power with less weight. Also, I could be mistaken, but I beleve Ford uses Vortec in there production SC vehicles if that tells you anything.
I like the neetness look of the Vortec for the focus. The JR SC has been around for a while with great results and reedback. As for looks I feel the roots style fits perfictly on a rear wheel drive V6 or V8 motor. don't get me wrong, they are both going to give good power increases and are both from well known and proven quality companies. Either way you go I don't think you would loose.
On a personal note I would go Vortec if I bought today. But than again mchedd brings up a good point about waiting to see what other companies are going to do. I know Kenny Bell is another good SC source so maybe you could get ahold of them and see if the rumor is true.
I like the Vortec..it just seems that I would have to drill the engine block or something I read and the installation seems a lot more difficult...I've given up on Kenny Bell since it seems they are always working on something but it never happens...I also thought about just some additional bolt-ons to what I already have and coilovers or something and leave it be..
Any oppinions on Tom's Turbo??
____________________ 02 SVT Focus, CD Silver, No. 2032.
First off Ken Bell has been working on a SC for the focus for the longest time, I doubt if it will ever come out. For the remaining sc, vortec & jrsc, the power#'s on the vortec are alot better than the jrsc. The install times are about the same, 10 hours, now for the turbo question.
I'm going to visit Tom the first week of July to have him install a turbo and cannot wait. I looked at all the aspects of NA and FI and think a turbo set up is the best. Tom's kit is expensive but look at what you get in the $5200 price.
A new air intake---$200-250
New chip------$250
New injectors----$135
New MAFS-----$275
If you were going to up-grade your car you might add these thing anyway.
Also you can just buy the kit and install it yourself, Tom sends you a chip with a base program so you can drive the car with out any worries and take it to him to do the tuning when you have time.
I would also call him and see if the plans on making his stage 1 kit for the svtf. The stage 1 kit is alot cheaper than his full kit, I think it's like $2700.
____________________ Honda's are like assholes, everyone has one.
I had been getting updates on the Kenne Bell, which will be a TRUE Screw Type S/C, different than a "Roots" type, but I havent had any contact from anyone about it in ages.
you would be right Blurry...you have to drill into the block in two places from what I can tell and have read, and you have to relocate your battery for the Vortech supercharger to work. Sounds like an awful pain in the ass to me. On an SVT I think the JRSC would be sufficient, first you can hardly tell it's there (in appearance), and is a fairly simple install, alot simpler than the Vortech. I never trust install time (thats just a load of BS anyways) so I have no faith in the install times being the same. Not when you take into account drilling the block and relocating the battery and then everything else, versus everything else for the JRSC. Plus, moving the battery means you have to find someplace to put the damn thing. Which usually ends up being the trunk, which means you want a sealed battery, and a whole boat load of other drilling comes into play to put that in there.
The Vortec sc kits come with a battery relocation kit. It relocates it to the lower frame rail and includes a battery post if you ever need to jump start your car or someone else's. Drilling a hole into the block is not all that bad, you just find the spot using a template, drill the hole and tap it.
Also I think that ATI procharger is coming out with a sc for the svtf. The ATI kit is similar to the Vortec except the oil is self contained ( so no drilling the block) and insted of an aftercooler it comes with a intercooler.
____________________ Honda's are like assholes, everyone has one.
If I was going to spend my money on an S/C, the money would go towards anything but Jackson lol. I mean, if your going to spend that amount, you might as well just go ahead and get more power.
Then don't just go for the WRX...get into the WRX STI...i have been in one...it makes my car feel like a go cart with hamsters for an engine. I would trade mine in no time if i could afford to for an STI...but yeah the regular WRX really doesn't feel like it has much at all...but none the less still faster..
The STI is a sick ride, but the EVO VIII gets my vote.
The WRX is a decent ride but not that fast, I've smoked quite a few WRX, they just don't seen that fast.
____________________ Honda's are like assholes, everyone has one.
I hate the fact that the Evo looks likes it's unfinished. I mean...they didn't even cover half the piping in the front or the intercooler. LAMO. Fifth Gear did a side by side of both the EVO and the STi and found that the STi was about a tenth of a second faster over the EVO in the course, and was also the more favorable interior/ride as compared to the EVO.
BlackSVTFoci wrote: Then don't just go for the WRX...get into the WRX STI...i have been in one...it makes my car feel like a go cart with hamsters for an engine. I would trade mine in no time if i could afford to for an STI...but yeah the regular WRX really doesn't feel like it has much at all...but none the less still faster..
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
The STI is faster, because of the bigger displacement, but the EVO VIII handles like it's on rails.
I like seeing the intercooler pipes in the front bumper.
____________________ Honda's are like assholes, everyone has one.
zx3_rex wrote: The STI is a sick ride, but the EVO VIII gets my vote.
The WRX is a decent ride but not that fast, I've smoked quite a few WRX, they just don't seen that fast.
i vote EVO IX..hopefully '06. i came across a link to a movie of the unleashing of the IX in japan, but id hafta look to find it again. very nice riding car, smooth, sleek, and quick. however, your finding with the WRX bryant, is very true, the stock turbo needs a lil fine tuning (aka BOV) IMO. as soon as you back of the throttle in the stock setup, its almost like youre stomping on the brakes at the same time.
however, the boxer motor has a purr better than a kitten who found its way back down the tree
it just kinda bums me that all the really fast compacts are four doors these days. i'm not bashing people that have or like four door sedans, but i think we should have a few choices that arent four doors.
when i bought my svt it was that or a srt-4, i would have loved the power that the srt-4 has and if they had i two door version i probably would be driving one right now. but i am 20 years old, i dont have kids, why would i want a four door? car companies need to realize that alot of people dont want a four door and offer some options, ford did with the svt.
i think ford came the closest to making a perfect fwd sport compact with the svt, and thats why i bought it.(perfect would have been turbocharged from the factory, or maybe even a jrsc from the factory) but thats just my
Last edited on Tue Mar 1st, 2005 05:04 pm by andrewsvt03
i'm not bashing people that have or like four door sedans, but i think we should have a few choices that arent four doors.
car companies need to realize that alot of people dont want a four door and offer some options, ford did with the svt. 
