6G Celicas Forums

Just think of all of the fun you'll have once it's done though.

So I checked with dd performance research and their quote was about the same a ats for a swap. The big killer is labor and that adds up quickly. I also got a quote from prime which was a really good one but by the time I ship my car there Id be in the same ballpark as having one of the shops here in Texas do it. Doing the beams swap sounds better now as it would be cheaper but I don't know. It be nice to not have to worry about it. I have this fear that of I start to swap it myself it will never run again. I I guess I have a lot of thinking to do.

Just buy a car that's fast from the factory.

I could but I love my celica to death. No other car feels the same way to me. It's been with me since day one and will be with me till the day I die.

This post has been edited by 1994Celica: Dec 1, 2014 - 9:50 PM

+1

I'm not sure if I just have commitment issues or if you have attachment issues. The BEAMS would be a relatively cheap and easy swap to do, especially if you stayed auto.

I'm going manual no matter what. I can't stand the auto. I'm really thinking about doing the beams. The wiring doesn't look terribly hard and it's NA which should mean it's pretty reliable. Parts availablity isn't a huge issue for mean since it's no longer my dd so that solves that small problem. I just don't know how fast a beams would be.

This post has been edited by 1994Celica: Dec 1, 2014 - 10:44 PM

I dunno, maybe find specs for a SS-III? That or ask around here. I'd imagine it should be in the mid 6's to 60 or so. The hardest part will be the manual conversion, a few members have swapped in a BEAMS in a weekend before.

This post has been edited by Box: Dec 1, 2014 - 11:30 PM

Go with a 4th gen 3S-GTE instead of a BEAMS. Send the harness to mr220v and then all you'll need to do is set up a FMIC and drop the engine in the bay. BEAMS is a lot more fun than a 5S or 7A but still slow.

Exactly what Rochee said.. Glad I went 4th gen insanely fun and fairly priced on eBay
Mr220v did my harness and came out amazing. When people see my swap they think it came factory

Maybe. I don't know I feel like doing a turbo engine would be harder. I'm not looking for huge power just enough to be fun. What I really like about the beams is the price and I can find it with an LSD transmission. If it's as fast as say an RX-8 or a little faster than an frs I think I would be happy

This post has been edited by 1994Celica: Dec 2, 2014 - 8:31 AM

A BEAMS is neck and neck with an FRS, maybe marginally faster. It'll do 0-60 in the 7 second-ish range. But it's no faster than a 5S is when you're cruising around town. It pulls hard in the top end but honestly, unless you live on a racetrack, you don't spend enough time at 5,000 rpm or higher to use any of the power. The 4th gen 3S-GTE spools quickly, makes great low end power where you can use it, it's a lot faster than the BEAMS and you'll laugh at anyone in an RX8, it barely costs much more than a BEAMS, and you get more power as easily as turning up a boost controller. The only thing that makes the swap more difficult than a BEAMS is shipping your wiring harness to WireGap and adding the plumbing for a FMIC. Otherwise it drops in exactly the same as a BEAMS does.

I'm not trying to sway your decision one way or another, but almost every BEAMS swapper wants more power and ends up going a different direction. Norberto is replacing his BEAMS with a 2GR-FE right now and I'm going 4th gen 3S-GTE as soon as I can. It's all a matter of personal preference. Some people are happy with a high revving engine that makes all of its power in the top end, but others prefer the V6 swaps for their low-end torque. I'm just stating my reasons for choosing to replace my BEAMS with a 3S-GTE.

The BEAMS is exactly what you said you want- not a lot of power, just enough to be fun. You won't be outrunning any mildly quick cars like S2000's, 350Z's, RX8's, etc. but you won't be far behind them. The BEAMS requires a different driving style to stay in high RPM's to stay in the power band, which is why I'm wanting something with power in lower RPM's. The BEAMS makes a great track engine, where you can keep it in high RPM's all the time.

Thanks for the reply richee. I've thought about it a lot and the beams just appeals more to me. I've never owned a car with a lot of power so a beams will be a nice entry into having more power without being to much for me to control. It will also be a nice way to learn how to swap an engine since it isn't too difficult. I may end up wanting more power down the road but I may be fine with the beams. If I don't like the beams I can always put in a 3sgte and save the beams for my curren.

2 things about the beams.

1. not hard to swap, the hard part is to extend the wiring, and frankly many have not done it, just cut a hole in the firewall.

2. just remember what he said. the beams gets old quick...


Take it from me. I swapped a beams, and I got bored. Richee is on the plans of a 3sgte. Im not by any means throwing down the beams, by far is an excellent engine, but you cannot ever get enough Hp, LOL...... and HP is what keeps the world go round and round.......... round and round round and round.

Yeah true. I may tire of it but I could always use it for my curren later if I wanted to 3sgte swap my car. I feel likes it's the engine that's right for me right now. It will be a nice intro into a car with a bit of power for me. I like rev happy engines with top end power so I assume I'll like the beams. I'll have a nice reliable car with a decent bit of power, and that's what I want right now.

That or look into the 1MZ swap, as you can go outside and swing a dead cat and will hit a few of them. 200 hp and some 214 ft lb of torque is enough to have fun with in a 2,500 pound car. Plus all the parts are at your local parts house. If you can hit the jackpot with a Camry/Solara donor and also get the E153 along with the manual ECU and exhaust manifolds, it'd definitely be worth doing. Something to think about anyway.

This post has been edited by Box: Dec 3, 2014 - 5:41 PM

I'm going BEAMS. I want a car with a bit more power, but mostly I just want a car that REVS!!! The 5S is fine around town but it just dissapoints when you want to rev it out. I also HATE FWD wheel spin, so I'm not keen on turbo levels of torque (Would be nice on highway overtakes and the like though).

Having said that, I don't expect the car to amuse me for years to come. I am already planning to do a 2ZZ swapped MR2 Spyder as my fun car about 18 months after the BEAMS (after I finish uni and have a real job to pay for stuff ). I will keep the Celica as the more practical car to start off... but its days would essentially be numbered from that point forward.

I don't know, If I went through a Beams swap and then got beat by somebody with a 5s and a drop-in cam I'd be pretty Miffed.

The 1mz is a fine engine but I think it would be a bit more of a challenge to do. The beams is easier and wouldn't be too hard for a first timer. If I ever want more power in my car I can save the beams for my curren, and do a 4th gen 3sgte swap on my celica

Then find a BEAMS on eBay and get going.