NUB 3sgte concern PLEASE HELP!! Options

[Bradley]

Hey guys...

This is my first post on 6gc.net so I hope I get everything right (after reading some stickies about the 3sgte swap I realized that people are often too vauge with their questions so Ill try to stay in detail (keep with me))

For the past year and a half (or so) I have been browsing daily on these forums trying to decide what to do. First off I have no experience or very little experience with cars other than being around the 6th gen celica for the past 10 years of my life and little things like oil changes, radiator flushes stereo installations. For the past 3 years at college i have picked up the passion for jdm and dsm cars and have been constantly researching them to find out what I want to do. Over my winter break I am volunteering at a local customizing shop working full days everyday for the learning experience (i really want to know how to do this and do it right) After college im thinking about going to corporate toyota/nissan(nismo) basically being on the marketing side of cars (im a marketing major if you couldnt guess) but I want to get comfortable with the mechanic aspect of a car before I become another salesman without a damn clue of what he is talking about.

I have owned a 95 celica gt coupe for about a year and a half now with what I would consider minor mods. This car is approaching 190k and running strong as ever in my opinion.

These mods include
-stock exhaust with aftermarket (I guess stock to 3" opening muffler)
-koyo aftermarket radiator (came with the car worried about clearance with the 3sgte swap and headers)
-clearly modified (blue) spark plugs
-Cold air intake changed to a short ram ( I live in the mountains where it rains a lot and didnt want to suck up water into the engine
- stage 1 excedy clutch
-trd? short shifter
-new slave and master cylinders for the transmission (not sure if this is considered a mod or just taking care of the car)
- and all the cosmetic up grades (came with the car i refuse to be a ricer lol) ps2/7"screen component speakers 2 12's 17" rims body kit vis racing(unpainted right now) gumetal paint job on the car and probably other stuff that isnt really important

I want a car that has potential and I know that the 3sgte has incredible power and many ways to release all of it but here are my concerns from what I learned in celica forums

-Of course legality but more importantly my state (MD) emissions-(this is my daily driver and only registered car)

-Torque Steer- (If im spending 7k and up i'd like it to not be wrapped around a tree)

-Cost of replacement parts (again dd)

-Longevity of the engine

-Reliability of the engine (My job requires me to drive pretty much all day so I put some hardcore mileage on the car (only during the summer the car does not move much while im in college)

-What I will need to do to the rest of the car ( i know this is based on whats done and the condition of the car but I just need a general answer)

- Is it really worth it to have a fwd with a non domestic turbo engine car when I could buy a tsi, gsx, or old sti for around the same price I plan on putting into my celica

-I know its a pain in the ass If I ask about the difficulty of the swap but I will phrase it like this. Givin that I have very little mechanical experience in the field Am I going to end up drinking myself retarted over stressing about this and how much of a chance does a person like this have of ruining a perfectly good running car.

I have many other questions but I will let you guys read my first book ^^^^^^ then I will hit you with more
Im going to post this in a couple places because Im not sure where the most appropriate place is so dont get annoyed lol

thanks guys

[presure2]

bradley, welcome to the site.
there are quite a few guys here with the swap who will help you along with any questions you may have.
as far as the "is it worth it" question, best thing i can reccomend you do is try and find someone local to you that has the swap, and ask them to meet up for a ride.
its 100% worth it if you can do the mechanical work yourself.
the 3sgte engine can be a rock solid motor, SUPER reliable, as long as its properly taken care of, and things are done properly as far as mantinence ect before you install it.
as far as the work involved, having a GT makes things a bit easier.
its a pretty straight forward swap, the only PITA imo is the wireing, which can be done by dr tweek here on the forum for ~400 IIRC.
like i said, search out some members local to you, head out to meets, and get rides in peoples cars. that will give you the idea of the potential available.

please dont post the same question in more than one forum.
if you need somthing moved, just PM a mod, and we will move it for you.
good luck!

[Bradley]

Just so you guys can see .... hes a little dirty but that will get cleaned up as soon as I can get off the couch

[lagos]

-Of course legality but more importantly my state (MD) emissions-(this is my daily driver and only registered car)

-Torque Steer- (If im spending 7k and up i'd like it to not be wrapped around a tree)

-Cost of replacement parts (again dd)

-Longevity of the engine

-Reliability of the engine (My job requires me to drive pretty much all day so I put some hardcore mileage on the car (only during the summer the car does not move much while im in college)

from your description, it seems like a bone stock daily driver is more a long the lines of what you are looking for.

- Is it really worth it to have a fwd with a non domestic turbo engine car when I could buy a tsi, gsx, or old sti for around the same price I plan on putting into my celica

F-yeah. best reason for it is that its NOT just another tsi, gsx, or sti. you get a lot of respect from the local guys for having something that is faster, and more unique then the hundreds of subarus around here.

-I know its a pain in the ass If I ask about the difficulty of the swap but I will phrase it like this. Givin that I have very little mechanical experience in the field Am I going to end up drinking myself retarted over stressing about this and how much of a chance does a person like this have of ruining a perfectly good running car.

its not hard, but it IS a lot of HARD WORK. thats what you have to be ready for. most of us did the swap without ever doing any major work on a car before. you just need to do your research, dont be cheap, and dont cut any corners.

type in "3sgte" into the search feature. you will learn a lot more then we can think of telling you in one thread.

[Bradley]

if i were to go with the 3sgte route I would most likely get another dd car (suv or pickup truck to be specific celicas cant fit anything anywhere lol)

basically im looking to get into this and I was originally going to use my celica as my every day car then buy like a 300zx chasis and drop the twin turbo in it or get a hobby car. It would probably be cheaper that way and by cheaper i mean cheaper to not cut corners, but as you said a celica is original plus since i was a kid my parents owned celicas so it would be a little more meaningful to work on one you know.

So where do I start... I want to do this in steps

my first Idea is to start with suspension mods. I know that its a waste of time to try to beef up the 5fse, instead I am slowly (as I can afford them) parts like a walboro fuel pump, 3" exhaust system, stage 4 clutch (im trusting in you guys that the stock trans will work with the 3sgte plate? and an upgraded clutch) and im trying to get the car into shape by replacing the slave and master cylinders on the transmission.

by the way I really appreciate the help I should have asked a lot soone

Edit sorry i didnt see the end of the post about typing 3sgte into the search bar.... i have done that and thats what led me to my decision to do the swap im just curious what would you start with if you had to purchase things in steps with a budget in mind

This post has been edited by Bradley: Oct 27, 2007 - 5:33 PM

[jcaron9gt4]

The first step in this process is to decide what gen you want....do you want a 2nd gen, or 3rd engine? Your next step (besides researching info constantly) would be to look for a decently priced clip. It will save you alot of headaches if you just spend the little bit extra to buy one, instead of just getting the engine. Search, search, search. Dont go and buy the first clip you see that you "think" is a good deal. Just make sure you know what your buying, and be able to compare a few. Goodluck man, and we'll be here to answer any questions you got.