Performance Shop in San Diego/Santee area

[Jason737]

Hello,

I'm trying to find a legitimate shop to work on my car and one that actually knows how to properly tune and modify turbo kits.

66 mustang - 347 fuel injected stroker motor, twin t3/t4 turbos, AOD, Cobra 4wheel disc brakes.

The engine was only putting down only 450 to the wheels through the AOD at 10lbs of boost. Its currently tuned using a megasquirt ecu. It is using a stock 302 block so 450 to the wheels is well over 500 at the crank and on the old 302's that's probably too high. Anyway it keeps blowing head gaskets, especially after full acceleration and full boost and then if I have to suddenly let off the gas and get on the brakes for a red light.

I'd really like to just replace the 347 stroker with a 363 cu Dart block motor and fix the turbos but I feel like there might be another issue with the turbo kit... Maybe my camshaft is wrong, something was just f'd in the motor from the get-go, the tuning was wrong, etc... I just don't want to spend all the money getting it back on the road and then blowing the headgasket on a new motor.

Anyway I need to find a shop that is familiar with forced induction on muscle cars. Most shops believe that turbos are blasphemy on a classic but the power when it was running was pretty legit, especially on the highway. Thoughts and opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

 

[VP_07SRT8]

Before I make some recommendations, has a san diego area shop already worked or tried on it?

 

[wickedstangs]

Also, who put the turbo's on it? I will @CPRstreetmachines chime in...

 

[Jason737]

Hello,

The majority of the work was done by a shop out of state when I initially bought the car. That shop has since closed down or is no longer accepting projects. Since then I've been working with a shop that's completely familiar with my car since they've torn down the front multiple times to fix various things and they've been trying to unfuck all the things that were never done right on it. I just feel like until I replace the motor then there's so many variables to why the car kept overheating, why it would blow head gaskets quicker than a cheerleader on prom night and other wonderful habits hat the car has. The exhaust on the car is only 2.5" and they're saying it should be a full 3" and that it why I keep blowing head gaskets when I let off the gas. I need to make the car reliable.

The head gaskets were replaced with proper o-ringed gaskets which is what AFR recommends on a FI car, of course the original shop failed to take note of this. I just feel like maybe the Wategates should be replaced or upgraded because it wouldn't go over 9-10 psi when they tried to turn up the boost, that the BOV might not be large enough or maybe another one should be added.

I've Had to upgrade tons of parts on the car just to keep it from overheating. I've had the car for over 5 years and I've maybe been able to really drive it 10-15 times without it overheating. It's way too expensive to ditch the turbos and this point and go to a turbo or NA engine. Plus I've seen the potential with only 10psi. I've replaced the following to try and keep it from overheating: Mezeire water pump, stock pulleys, Ron Davis Radiator/dual electric fan setup, one-off turbonetics Intercooler, turbo blankets, heat wrapped exhaust headers/turbo piping. I'm pretty sure the camshaft wasn't for a forced induction car and the original shop went real cheap on the engine rebuild so who knows what they didn't replace just to save a buck or two.

I wish Dustin@CPRstreetmachines had done the work on it because I know he would have done it right the first time. He told me five years ago years ago that I should have gone with a aftermarket block when I was initially getting the car out of state. He also wasn't fond of the way the guy made my turbo kit and how it was ran on the car and I honestly think he's fed up with the classic mustangs. He does amazing work, especially with a twin set on GT500 and the new coyotes. I was able to track him down a year or so ago after he had relocated to a different shop location. He also had told me to go with an air to water Charge cooler setup on it instead of the massive AA.

I was lucky enough to get a ride in CPRs old 67 mustang(single turbo 347) years ago and wanted a turbo mustang ever since. It's just expensive when not many people are familiar with the way a turbo kit is supposed to be routed or why you position a BOV in a certain direction...

 

[SD_Stang]

Last I spoke with Dustin on FB regarding a Dyno for Data Logging he said he was moving out of State.

 

[SD_Stang]

Speed Force in Santee did a custom Twin Turbo Coyote setup on a 60's Mustang and they have recently come out with a 15-17 Kit. Tim would be the one to speak to there. They do a lot of custom builds and have a Mustang Dyno that they tune off of. I would try them first.