QSW: NA or Turbo? plus other ?'s....

["Wm. Josiah Erikson" <werikson@hampshire.edu>]

I have an '87 QSW (Quantum Syncro Wagon... mechanically almost identical
to the 4KQ of the same year, I believe).
2226cc NA 10v I-5, hydraulic head.
Is this a JT code motor? If not, what's the engine code?
Is this an interference engine? (In other words, should I change my
timing belt NOW?) Should I change the water pump at the same time? Yes,
right?

OK... thinking ahead to upgrading this engine. I want about 170-180bhp.
I'd love more, but I HATE turbo lag. My gf's Saab 900 16v T, for
instance, drives me nuts. I love the power, when it finally comes, but
the lag drives me nuts. Same with my friend's Volvo 262C Bertone that I
helped him put a B21-FT in. I just can't stand the lag. OTOH, I've
driven turbo cars that were fine- almost no lag. A 1995 Mitsubishi
Eclipse GS-T, for instance, was fine. How are Audi turbos? Do they have
a lot of lag? I've never driven one. I'm kindof assuming that they have
about as much lag as the other two cars I've mentioned, just because
they are, I believe, the same, or similar turbo unit, no? (Garrett K-26
or something like that, I dunno).
    Could I get 180bhp out of my NA I-5 without getting into incredibly
expensive engine work? If I shave the head down to like 10:1, get a good
exhaust (no mid-muffler, 2.5" pipe and a good-flowing rear muffler is
what I'm thinking) and do a few other minor tweaks here and there, what
could I expect? What about a 2.3L motor? Would it be worth upgrading?
The qualities I'm looking for from this engine are:

1. Acceptable low-end torque (NO peaky engines for me, thanks)
2. Good power up high (I like engines that can rev up to 6500rpm without
running out of breath)
3. smooth, even, linear power with good throttle response

No, I don't think that 1 and 2 are mutually exclusive, since I'm not
asking for the extremes of either (I think that the engine, as it is,
has this quality right now. I just want more power everywhere... doesn't
everybody).

I'd consider an MC motor if they didn't have much turbo lag, but I don't
know. Oh yeah and if I did do a turbo motor, is it worth it to go out of
my way to get the later-style water-cooled unit? (late '86 and up, is
it?)

Any and all experiences, opinions, ramblings, comments, thoughts, etc,
will be much appreciated.

    Thanks much,
    -Josiah
    '84 GTI
    '87 QSW