90-94 2.0 DOHC 4G63

Not a bad motor in its own right, the 2.0 non-turbo is overshadowed by its King of the Hill big brother, the 4G63 turbo. The non-turbo motor revs nicely, has a decent-flowing DOHC head, and makes a respectable 130 horsepower, thanks in part to a 9.0:1 compression ratio.

Bolt-on upgrades for the NT 2.0 include headers, intake, high-flow cat and cat-back exhaust, lightweight and/or underdrive pulleys. Total power with every bolt-on may be around 150-160, depending on how far you want to go.

Since the configuration of the motor and head is the same, you COULD bolt on the turbo hardware from the turbo-model DSM. But we wouldn't recommend it. Those high-compression pistons don't allow you to run very much boost without fear of detonation. And the plumbing for the turbo motor -- especially the intercooler and intercooler piping -- is expensive and difficult to aquire and install. Plus, there are plenty of other differences (like a different fuel pump and fuel injectors, for example) that have to be taken care of. Then end result is an expensive and complex conversion that costs more than simply buying a turbo DSM on the used market.

The same holds true for a turbo motor implant. You can do it, it's just a waste of money compared to simply buying an early-model turbo DSM.