Turbo kit value.... what do yoy look at?

[brycter]

Here at Turbo Performance have been crunching numbers for a couple years now. We have compared, dissected, weighed, dynoed, installed, experimented, tested, diagramed, added, subtracted, and blew up about everything we can get our hands on.
Motorcycles, utvs, sleds, atvs. We are always dreaming of whats next.

With the release of all the new and improved turbo kits. less cost, less boost, less parts on the parts list, less weight, less oil, less fuel, and less .........???

We want to know. where is the line where less does not equal more? We are seeing this trend everywhere in the turbo world . Whats your opinion

Where do you guys put your value? how does the equation work in your mind when purchasing high performance parts. Like Turbo Kits.

We can ALL release a kit for $3800, $3000, $2500 or keeping with the trend less $$$ . If we start to shave and whittle away at the parts list. Or engineer parts that have less of a running life, or run on cheaper quality.

We understand everyone likes a low price (Walmart) But where is the line of value?

Please help us out with your comments. You just might be effecting the next ten years of turbo manufacturing kits with your comments.

Thanks Brycter

 

[deaner]

I think first and foremost is reliability and consistency. Nobody wants to take something into the backcountry that is going to leave them stranded, or constantly tuning and fixing. From there I think having different levels of kits, or even a "base" kit with add ons available is a good approach. Boost it for example....offers a basic kit or the full water to air kit. The base kit is at a price point that is going to attract more people, and the full on kit is for the people that dont mind spending a little more for the best.

With some things its hard for the average consumer to make an educated decision on. Like the water to air intercoolers. Some kit builders swear they are the key to a consistent running turbo sled, some say they are totally un-necessary. How do I know who to believe? I know my TSS kit with WTA runs unbelievably well, but it would be nice to get rid of the added weight and moving parts. Would it sacrifice performance though?

 

[Turbo11T]

I can tell you one thing I don't care for. Cutting my sled apart. Many kits cost big money and require chopping of the hood plenum or other areas. I understand that in certain situations preexisting designs limit a good working kit. But if you are going to require me to spend north of $6000 and have to put a saw to my sled I'm not interested.

Also with many awesome piggyback and parallel ecus out there I expect for the high price kits this needs to be the kingpin of the kit. It better work, and it doesn't need to be adjustable because it just works, high low, hot cold. If just runs consistent.

Lastly, a clutch kit to get the power to the ground.

For 6k+. There should not be any guessing.

 

[Backcountrypro]

Bryce I think you guys know where to price your kits at. The way I look at it when I go to purchase something like a turbo kit I expect that part of what I am purchasing is more than the tangible parts it is also the testing, tuning and all technical info that I will need to make things work right. I think you guys have done very well at providing that.

As far as the point where the cost of the kits becomes too "cheap" I think you will begin to target a buyer that is not prepared for what a turbo sled needs and is capable of. I am thinking the person that buys the absolute cheapest kit out there is also the same guy that likes to run 87 octane because its cheaper, installs a turbo on a used engine that "maybe" needs new pistons or crank bearings, spark plugs.....you mean you have to change those???

 

[Turbo11T]

I'll argue against the argument that people who want a value kit or can only afford a value kit as being people who aren't ready for a turbo. Yes a value priced kit will sell more and become more affordable to more people. But to say that people who want a value are cheap and incapable of keeping a turbo sled running are words from an ignorant person.

The company I work for invests hundreds if thousands into each new product developed between r&d and tooling. So no lack of testing and quality. In the end they sell the product for south of $3000. And you know what the product works. They sell an amazing amount of each product.

It is the aftermarket's that are having to pay for $30k of resting and development by cranking the price up because they sell 25 kits a year. Now lower the price, design kit to mass produce. Buy in quantiy. Sell 100 kits. Instead of making $3000 profit per kit you make $1500 but you make $150,000 instead of $65000.

It takes someone prepared for an investment. I think that likely only a few company's in the snow turbo game are prepared for such investment. Boondocker, MPI and maybe aerocharger.

I

 

[capulin overdrive]

Good post by Turbo11T!



I'm the guy that looks at the kits, and then wonders how a 1k turbo is getting turned into a 7k kit.


Really we're all just out here trying to pick and choose what over priced things we think we want, need, or can afford.


For all I know, the 1k turbo is over priced!



Don't want a Walmart kit that leaves me stranded, but also don't want to buy from a guy trying to earn a years wages from doing a handful of turbo kits a year.


Value to me = quality stuff at a fair price.

 

[TRUEBLUEMAX]

My only comment would be less is more in certain situations, which in the sledding world is always a good thing. For example on my rear mount four stroke most manufacturers use a pump to move the oil from the turbo back to the engine after going through the turbo. Mine used a chamber that is tied into the natural vacuum of the dry sump system on the engine and when the engine is under boost it uses the boost pressure to push the oil back. Never heard of this system having a problem. Have heard of many failed return pumps that in turn cause turbo seals to fail. While my kit is far from perfect I like the simplicity of certain aspects of it.

I think the key to a good kit and separation from everyone else's stuff is innovation. Simplifying areas that should be simple and making something that works week in and week out is the key. The bonus of simplified and functional is lower cost also.

Just make sure it works. Who wants to be messing with their turbo kit every week?

 

[jcrjet]

I'd like to start by saying thank you for all your R&D to produce good products, and blowing stuff up so the rest of us don't have to experiment with our expensive toys.
I think its been said before...simplicity equals value in my book. If I can find something with a decent price without a whole lot of gee whiz intricacies, parts, hacking, user serviceable and install-able, and most of all reliability, then it's worth the performance and price. Maybe that's too much to wish for IDK..

 

[rmk all the way]

Price is defiantly a big factor. Having a kit that is basic that starts at maybe 3 or 3500 range thats basic no intercooler internal gate self lube turbo or use injection oil to lube. Set at 5 or 7 psi. Then maybe next price range go to external gate then intercooler and so on. I came across someone offering different colorl tubing for the intake and charge tube for there new axes kits. I would consider paying 100 bucks extra for getting tubing that matched the color of the sled. I mean people are paying 2 grand for big bores that maybe get you half the power and you can never go back to stock.

 

[simbatheking]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned support. Tp has the best support out of anyone. I built my own kit and have only bought a few small parts from tp and they always answer their phone and are very helpful even though I haven't bought much off them. That means a lot to me. No matter what. If it's got moving parts, it can fail and when it does you need to know how to fix it bc paying someone for every little adjustment is a lot of $. If I buy a kit from someone when the next chassis come out it will be from tp.