People who bought front clips, shine some light on me Options

[808celica]

Okay im trying to convince my dad that instead of a rebuild, a 3sgte swap is a better route.

Already contacted RpmGarage and they gave me quotes on shipping and other stuff.

Those who ordered front clips or took part in the process of someone ordering a clip know how long it took? Also their experience with Customs, taxes and fees, getting the clip from point A to point be.

They told me the clip would be in Hawaii in 3-5 weeks (pretty damn fast ) but i would have to battle through Customs and taxes and all that good stuff Then there's getting the clip loaded and driven oh....35 miles to my house where the magic is supposed to happen

Soo...........share with me. Make me feel more confident in getting the clip

Also so i can show this to my pops <--will delete this sentence after

[presure2]

rpm garage sells good stuff, but he is expensive, and his shipping is killer.

if you know what to look for, a nice complete engine set would work perfectly, and would save some $ on shipping in your case since its going to the islands.

i'd look for a nice clean 3rd gen setup, search around to make sure you know exactly everything you will need.
a clip is really the easiest way to ensure you get everything you need, but again, if you know exactly what you need, and know for sure everything is included, its usually cheaper that way, and cheaper to ship.

trust me man, doing the swap is 110% worth it, provided your willing to put in the time, money and effort to do it right the first time.
otherwise, you'll end up spending 2X as much in the long run replacing and fixing things that could and should have been done right the first time.

[azian_advanced]

the freight company will call you once it arrives. then you go there and they will hand you the necessary documents so you can claim it yourself at customs. you then bring the paperwork to your local customs office, show them the papers, and pay your customs fees. they'll give you clearance after that and you go back to the freight company to get it. you either have them load it for you on your truck, or you can have them deliver it to you (and pay the additional delivery charges). expect to pay quite a bit for customs (up to or around ~30% of the total value of the front clip before S&H).

[azian_advanced]

i'd definitely get it from rpmgarage. for the price of that red halfcut on ebay costs just as much as an ordinary engine set. plus you can always sell some of the extras on here and get some of your money back (struts, knuckles, drivetrain, dash, gauge cluster, rad, etc etc)...

This post has been edited by azian_advanced: May 16, 2009 - 9:21 AM

[808celica]

thanks.

P2 the only reason im prone to getting the front clip (red one on ebay) is that match220, a celica club oahu member, will swap it in for me. In return as payment he'll take the rear subframe, axle, awd trans, and anything else im not using for the swap. He's actually waiting to drop his 3s in his convertable too and since he's taking the stuff he'll be the first AWD convert. 6gc

asian advance thanks man, that makes everything alot clearer. Yes i might get that red one on ebay, but i'll go through them directly cuz its oh a couple hundred bucks cheaper. However something's telling me not to get that clip so i'll wait a little while longer.


i think i'll have to pay a truck to get the clip delivered. i dont think i can fit the clip behind a 01 tacoma

anyone got any problems with getting the clip? or is it just the waiting that kills.

[jmeyer]

If you really really really love your celica then the clip is worth getting. You can expect to pay around 4,000 to get the clip to your front door. Plus you have to anticipate problems during the swap so that will only cause the total to go up. If your celica is your baby then these numbers won't mean anything to you but if you plan on buying a new car in the near future you will never get back what you put in. As for Keith with rpmgarage he is your best buddy right until he gets the wire transfer and then he isn't to friendly when it comes to any issues after that. Rpmgarage is just like anyother boneyard the history of the vechile is rarely known and you don't really know what your getting yourself into. There is my two cents for what its worth. I forget to mention I bought a clip from rpm last fall.

[808celica]

are you satisfied with the condition of the clip upon arrival?? If the engine runs and can get me from point a to point b really fast then im good. as for replacement parts........everyone in hawaii has their hooks ups so i should be safe plus i have you guys, my extended family , im sure im safe after that. Thanks for the input. your first car will always be the hardest one to let go

[_Jim_]

HEYYYYY 808, GLAD TO HEAR YOU KEEPING THE CAR!

I have bought both, a clip and a motor set.....and you will NEVER go wrong buying a clip.....Its better because you get the odometer so you know EXACTLY how many miles are on the motor, you get extra parts, and if you are only using it for the motor itself, you can sell all the extra crap associated with the clip like hood, bumper, fenders, AWD items, brakes, RHD setup, steering wheel, etc.......and by the end of it, you get the motor set for just about NOTHING.

Like I said, I have done both....and in my experience, and for your situation were you are SWAPPING to a 3s, get the clip.

[lagos]

P2 the only reason im prone to getting the front clip (red one on ebay) is that match220, a celica club oahu member, will swap it in for me.

you really should do it yourself with the help of your friend. wost thing in the world is a swap owner that doesnt know whats under the hood.

[808celica]

oh yes of course. i will be having my hand in things. im just a grease monkey like that Also i have a certain pride feeling everytime somethings is accomplished with my doing. My friend is the most knowledgable person in the world with this swap and i trust him. Plus i dont think match220 can do it by himself in one day you know us islanders, we dont have much patience

[luka]

and here I was thinking i'd get the swap done first lol...

[808celica]

and here I was thinking i'd get the swap done first lol...

you prolly will. We both can use this as a fall back guideline.