All Motor vs. Turbo Reliability

[DMIN]

Hey guys, the title says it all, looking for info on what everyone thinks seems to last the best with moderate performance upgrades (250-300hp)

 

I am currently swapping a 1988 CRX engine out for my JDM B20 engine with a GSR head swapped onto it. I am in the process of building the engine, and am not really sure what route I want to go... I cannot stress enough that this car has a TIGHT budget. That in mind, I immediately steered away from a Turbo, as I have done them several times in the past and they always seem to get pricey. I usually work on v6 to v8 swaps and then add a turbo. Or build motorcycle engines for racing, but I seemed to skip the phase in my life where I was a happy-go-lucky teenager building a Honda for fun. So, with all my other projects completed or sold to put money aside to buy a house, I decided that I needed a project that would give me something to do, with a fun finished project on a relatively small budget.

 

My original plan included the B20 VTEC (Which already has a ported head) with a GSR Trans, upgraded clutch, flywheel, short-throw shifter, Larger injectors, Moderate sized cams (streetable, while still being an improvement over stock), Forged Pistons and Rods, possible re-sleeving of the block, ARP Head Studs and Rod Bolts, Adjustable cam gears, a Fuel Mapper/Controller, and of course full exhaust and intake systems. I was also planning a new fuel system, pump, lines, Fuel Pressure Regulator, and Fuel Rail, to run the car on E85, and trailer the car to a proper tuning shop to have it correctly tuned for the mentioned parts.

 

I already have many of these parts on hand and ready to install, so my cost is fairly low as-is, and I also have many connections around town to get parts from friends for relatively no cost to me.

 

My plan was to shoot for around 13:1 Compression, and after all mods and ethanol, be making a very respectable street horsepower. I know some people like to have real numbers, but in all honesty, I havent seen many people do exactly the build that I am shooting for, so I'm not sure where I'll be at. I've seen similar setups reach over 300hp to the wheels in a 5th gen civic, but this was also with a very aggressive cam, a clutch that I wouldn't dare touch the streets with, and what I assume was a 5mpg tune. So I am in no way expecting that number, however, with the right tune, I don't see 250 as being entirely unrealistic...

 

So... Back to my question, obviously if I sacrificed a few things, such as cams, cam gears, and other parts, I likely make up a large portion of the money it would cost me to turbo, but turbos always bring high cost, and although I love everything about a turbo setup, it adds a lot of moving parts which increase the chances of a failure.

 

So... Let's just assume I am shooting for a goal of around 250hp, would the build be more reliable N/A? Or Turbo?

 

Obviously the turbo will have boost pressures to worry about, but if you are just casually driving on the streets, a majority of the time, you will not be making insane amounts of boost, and will therefore not be building as much pressure on the combustion chamber.

 

Alternatively, although the Turbo may create more pressure during the higher rpms in a race, the N/A car with 13:1 compression would be making a higher pressure (13:1) ALL THE TIME, instead of only during the top end of a race...

 

What have you guys experienced? What do you think would be more reliable? Look forward to seeing some strong arguments