All,
I bought my 1997 base 850 about 1.5 years ago and have been "relatively" happy with it, but now i'm having a little dilemma about upgrading it or getting rid of it and buying maybe a turbo S70.
A little background. Unfortunately, i bought the car at night so i didn't really notice the ripped weather-stripping on the roof or the scratches in the black paint. Also didn't notice the rusty front driver and passenger seat legs. Not a big deal, carfax didn't have any flood damage on it, but annoying nonetheless. Mechanically, it hasn't been too bad. Apart from dash bulbs burning out, the a/c compressor giving out, and trying to figure out how/why its losing a little too much oil (dealer added dye and will check for leaks in a couple of weeks), the car has been decent. I've put new tires on it, keep it rather clean, and with only 53K miles on it, i figure it should last a while after i fix the stuff the previous owner let slide.
Recently, though, i've been looking on the net for possible enhancements/upgrades i can do to increase the "sluggish" 168hp engine. Not much out there for normally aspirated engines! I don't really need anything too monstrous, but would like to get in the vicinity of 200hp without spending a fortune (fortune >= US$2000.00). I'm a "spirited" driver on highway and city, so i wouldn't mind a little more "kick" when i need to pass.
I've noticed that most ECU upgrades only add around 10hp for NA engines. I'm told adding an exhaust and better air filter seems to add negligible performance. Is there anything else i'm missing that can be done? Is it even worth it? Would it be better to sell and purchase a turbo which, i'm told, start at 190hp? What would you do?

TIA,
-mango