951, Question on Turbo Feel
 

I recently drove an '86 Turbo, not chipped, and the boost came on, the gauge rose to 1.5 to 2.0, but little to no turbo whine and the kick in the pants was not dramatic, it was a smooth power application. How did the factory '86 Turbo feel when new? Was it a smooth application or an immediate surge? Would or should you hear a clear and distinct spool up in the '86?

I test drove one in 86 and I also owned an 1985 Audi UR Quattro at the time. The 951 was a very smooth power delivery compared to the Audi which was a neck snapper. Although it's smooth when the boost on a 951 hits, it does keep going "increasing" until you hit the red line.

The increase was there on the '86. So, sounds like it is doing what it should.

I also drove an '87 Turbo, chipped, and the boost was dramatic. It was a serious kick. It also had LSD and the had a couple of tire 'chirps' coming out of first gear in a slight turn.

I was a little concerned about the '86 because of this difference. This makes me wonder if chipping these engines for more boost dramatically shortens engine life.

Sounds like the bypass valve was not working. The 86 should have still felt like the 87.

My first 86 used to suck you back in the seat. It had 40000 miles on it and this was back in 1993 so fairly new car.

When I got my '86 many moons ago, it was bone stock and felt like you describe. Boost was there and it would keep rolling on as speed picked up, but no real kick. First thing I did was put in the original APE stage 2 chips and it totally transformed the feel of the car. The chips (and jetted banjo bolt) made the boost come on all at once and gave a serious shove in the back when boost came on. I doubt any other single mod made such a dramatic difference on my car.

You just reminded me. My banjo bolt was hollow on mine when I bought it.

Later on I chipped it with Alan Johnson chips I bought from MCL Porsche dealership in Vancouver.

Are we significantly shortening engine life with the increased boost?