Bringing out your vehicle’s best performance is about more than just aiming at the highest power output. In fact, in most cases, it’s not even about finding the best upgrades in an objective sense. It’s about finding the upgrades that help you fulfill your goals with the car, and that is what you need to keep in mind as you shop for a supercharger.

Find Models That Fit

Not every supercharger kit fits every car. The parts aren’t universal like that. The first step to narrowing the field so you can make a smart choice is to narrow down your search to just the superchargers that are built for your model year. This avoids extra work retrofitting parts for compatibility and helps you get the most out of the parts you eventually choose.

What Kind of Supercharger Do You Want?

These parts are purpose-built, so not every supercharger will suit your needs if you are upgrading your daily vehicle. Many high-end designs are not cleared for street use, and that means you won’t pass a vehicle inspection if you use them on your everyday car. Not every competition supercharger is the same, either. A drag vehicle with a 350 crate engine and upgraded fuel injection is going to benefit from a kit that is built specifically for drag, whereas a show car will want one built around the aesthetics that auto shows promote, and the same goes for track cars and track-optimized superchargers.

Price Considerations

Most people find the list gets pretty short once you have matched your vehicle, engine, and performance class to the available options. Still, there are usually a few cost considerations among the remaining options. It’s important to check out what the rated performance of each is, because even within a class like drag superchargers, you will find that the different price points for a kit that fits your 350 short block often correspond to different levels of performance.

This is the point where competitive drivers usually opt for the highest power output possible within the class, but people upgrading a personal vehicle may wish to moderate that, depending on your current power profile and vehicle handling. Not to mention, the higher performance kits tend to be higher-priced. When you have a speed limit to consider, there are extra incentives to save just a little bit by compromising on your upgrade goals. That’s not true at all for event kits, though. If you’re not on the road, you don’t have to play by DOT rules.

Upgrades To Complement a New Supercharger

Adding power to your engine output requires you to upgrade the way you handle airflow and fuel as well. That means considering components that help feed your upgraded engine. This is true whether you’re swapping in a crate engine kit, adding a supercharger, or performing other upgrades that change your power profile like adding performance plugs. The ability to push more power means the engine needs more air and fuel, and a precise balance between them that changes situationally. Start planning your next upgrade now so you can get the most out of your supercharger purchase.