i started in the same place. stock y7 motor. im now running a boosted y7/y8 hehe and the 200whp rips the 2300lb chassis pretty damn good. it is a DD tho so i don't think im going to dive into the bottom end. if it was a project car i'd get new pistons/rods and a bigger turbo
but can't afford the down time.
anyways like what was said above don't waste your time going NA on it. it really sucks. for about 1500 you can have a VERY good hmt turbo setup but peicing together and installing your own turbo is not somethin you should do if you have 0 experience. keep reading etc etc and youll gain the know how. if you want to see pics of my setup for parts ideas etc feel free to check it out
www.lukekailburn.com/