Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Performance Here's a good start to a turbo kit.....

Gude Kit on Ebay

Just need some custom install work, turbo header, engine management, and some tuning.
For $500 its a major step closer to a turbo Zetec Contour.

But it's Gude.

Looks like a good deal, except I bet the exhaust mounting plate would have to be changed since ours are 4 bolt not three.

Also the piping might not work for our engine layouts vs an Escort's layout. Also it has no intercooler and the MAF might not work on our setups also. BUT...if you can get it for under a grand including shipping, spend another couple hundred for a decent intercooler, a couple hundred on piping and hoses, couple hundred modifying the downpipe, a couple hundred hooking it up to our exhaust, and a grand or so on tuning, you could get a decent kit pushing 200whp for around $3k or so.

Seawolf, dang bro where the heck do you shop? I would never spend a couple hundred on the piping, the downpipe modification or a grand on tuning. Heck I would probably spend a couple hundred on the piping, downpipe, and the other odds and ends together. Tuning is free as I would do it myself as should anyone considering installing this kit or they shouldn't even consider installing it period. Kits like this are for people who know what they are doing or at least learning, if your gonna pay to have everything done by someone else you might as well buy a WRX.

Those were all, worse-case scenario figures. A 90* mandrel bent pipe can cost up to $50 for an aluminum piece. A 90* elbow, like on the throttle body, can also cost up to $50. A single silicone hose piece can cost up to $30. IF you can't weld it yourself, or get somebody to do it free, it will cost you a pretty penny. Tuning can cost up to $1000 for the SCT pro-racer with dyno time.

How are you doing the tuning free? Are you a chip tuner with your own shop, dyno or a portable wideband? Even if you have an older ECU with a return fuel line, I wouldn't use just a rising rate FPR, and timing boost retard box on these engines. Properly sized injectors, bigger MAF, and a chip or ECU reflash is the prefered method.

$3000 for 200whp is about as cheap as it gets for these engines. If you know what you're doing, and you can weld, have your own mandrel bender, and portable wideband or dyno, then you might drop that price down to $2000, maybe less, but all that other stuff will cost you a mint.

Seawolf, I have done my own custom kit on my 96 neon, as far as tuning, a chip is preferred by some and not by others. I used an apexi SAFC for the tuning on my neon and not a rising rate fuel pressure regulator. Rising rate regulators are rough, erradic and not reliable IMO. Having even a cheap welder is required if your gonna attempt to do this. I have a really cheap wire feed $200 and it does the job.

Well, dodge is dodge and ford is ford. You can't compare the two. NOBODY, who tunes the Zetec, recommends the AFC or a piggy back unit. NOBODY. If you're trying to push twice the stock HP, which the Zetec can easily do under boost, you have to use either a standalone system like the Pectel, or get a custom dyno-tuned chip. If you get the tuning wrong though, then the rods will easily shatter.

I've been turbo'd for over 2 years and I've been reading about this topic for longer than that and I've learned that the easy and hard way. I recommend you go to focaljet.com to the forced induction section to do some research on Zetec turbo's. It's the place where most of the good info is stored, but some you'll have to look for. Or you could go here: Turbo FAQ

It's the google cache of the Cougar turbo faq I wrote a while back. It's only in the cache right now since the forum went down and when it came back up all the sticky posts were deleted and I havn't had a chance to rebuild it. It's a must read.

An AFC is just as dangerious as a FMU. Do you have any idea what it does to your ignition timing? Heck, even the DSM and Honda boy's dont want to use an AFC. A custom ECU program with larger injectors and air flow meter is the way to go.