RWD Celica, Swapping Supra drivetrain into Celica Options

[AndyST4]

i guess it just depends on how much work you want to put into it, but couldn't you build the alltrac tranny to handle the power, and save yourself a lot more headache, because almost everything would just bolt up
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If you don't know how it's done... don't bring it up. Converting an AWD tranny to RWD is not easy and requires a completely custom differential when dealing with transaxles. Might as well build a new tranny while you're at it.

Also... don't even say "bolt up". Bolting up is EASY... getting things to work is HARD. Sh!t... a 3SGTE "bolts up"... but only a VERY small percentage of Celica owners have done the swap. The 4AGE 20V "bolts up"... but only 2 people in the United States has ever swapped the motor into a 6th gen Celica.

I say again... if you don't know what you're talking about... don't bother trying to pass advice from wherever you heard it or read it from.
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of course you would have something negative to say, I've never seen a positive post from you. If you hate these topics some much why do you keep reading them. I have a 3sgte from and st205 in my celica and everything did bolt up with no problems, as long as you have all the right parts it is easy. I've done a lot of research on putting the st205 drivetrain in a us celica, I have been seriously considering converting mine to awd for quite a while. Yhe only thing i wasn't sure about was how to convert an awd tranny to rear wheel drive, but I'm sure its a whole lot easier than engineering an entire drivetrain into a car it doesn't belong in
And if you don't think this would be the easiest way to build a rear wheel drive celica, what would?

[97sccelica]

And if you don't think this would be the easiest way to build a rear wheel drive celica, what would?

tubular frame built around a RWD setup 3sgte(from an altezza, it would be a PITA to convert a horizontaly mounte 3sgte into a RWD 3sgte) with fiberglass/CF body panels making the car look like a 6gc.

thats definately the easiest way, certainly not the cheapest, but never-the-less the easiest.

imo, the only way to go about the rear end/rear suspension is to get an ST205 rear clip

any other setup would require way more custom work, and just plain my not be possible with out rebuilding the whole rear end of the car(like those guys with RWD hondas did)

as for the AWD vs RWD, i like being able to use every drop of power i have at any time, go ahead and list off every advantage that RWD has over AWD, then list the disadvantages of AWD and i will still prefer AWD. i have friends with high power RWD cars, and they cant use any of there power until they are at speeds where i like to end races(~90mph)

thats why i would rather do an st205 conversion than rwd. yea, there may be more parts, but atleast they arent custom parts(or as many custom parts as a rwd conversion) the handling characteristics will be more predictable too. who knows what a RWD converted celica will want to do when you take it on the road. the suspension would need a lot, and i mean a lot, of tuning.

and building a high power muscle car is nothing at all like this project. every single part you can think of is made for a chevelle, in either bolt on or weld on configuration

this project is re-engineering the car entirely, not spending money and getting parts with instructions. be prepared to spend a lot of time, money, thought, and hard work into this project. and count on not driving your car for a few years.

[Kwanza26]

of course you would have something negative to say, I've never seen a positive post from you.  If you hate these topics some much why do you keep reading them.  I have a 3sgte from and st205 in my celica and everything did bolt up with no problems, as long as you have all the right parts it is easy.  I've done a lot of research on putting the st205 drivetrain in a us celica, I have been seriously considering converting mine to awd for quite a while.  Yhe only thing i wasn't sure about was how to convert an awd tranny to rear wheel drive, but I'm sure its a whole lot easier than engineering an entire drivetrain into a car it doesn't belong in
And if you don't think this would be the easiest way to build a rear wheel drive celica, what would?
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I keep reading them because I'm curious about experimental ideas... but there's a fine line between experimental ideas, and pure dreaming. Good for you that you have an ST205 3sgte... but in my mind... you've still not yet shown your worth in terms of mechanical knowledge.

Here's some info for you. The AWD tranny is a transaxle design, meaning there is one specially designed AWD diff on a transversely designed tranny. This diff distributes power to both from wheels, and to a driveshaft. To make this ONLY distribute power to the driveshaft... you'll have to build a custom differential. If you know ANYTHING about transaxle differentials, they are very expensive to work on, let alone have a custom built one... because there isn't a real way to lock up that diff. It's harder than installing a getrag 6 speed... which requires some body/chassis work, but I personally think the getrag is overkill anyway.

Now... as for me being negative... if you care to notice, everyone with good mechanical ability and respect around this community has been reluctant say this is an easy "bolt on" job. You can call it negative... I'll call it realistic. The kind of realism that can only be gained from experience with cars. Like I said before... there is no easy way with these projects. Anything mentioned here, including my information, is merely speculation because this sort of project has NEVER been done. In other words, our opinions are pretty much worthless to a really serious person.

In all honesty now... if anyone were to complete a project like this, I'd least expect it to be done by a relatively new person. I know if I were to do anything like this, I'd just one day post pictures once everything is said and done.

[playr158]

word ok so steering can be relocated thats cool
what are your plans for the drive shaft since it has to be custom?
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I wont spend the extra cash to make a C/F driveshaft since they aren't worth it. I will probably just get a standard steel or aluminum cast. I got some buddies at a driveline shop in the next town that can do it.
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aite cool good connections you have i forget lol

as for tranny why don't you stick to the ALTEZZA tranny?
its RWD and can handle the power and will require less crap then the getrag>?

[darksecret]

I haven't told anyone about the power levels I am planning to run at. Im not going to do all this work for a mere 200 or 300 horsepower. Im wanting to push the limits of the 3S and work for 800hp and at least 700 lbs.ft.
I don't have a connection to anyone with a MKIV Supra but my uncle (the welder) has owned both the MKII and MKIII Supras and knows a little about them. He looked at a few pics of the Getrag went under the car and shown me how much room we had to work with. I opened up the center dash and noticed some wiring, the amp, and another box next to the firewall that would need to be moved, other than that there is nothing in the way. He said he could have the new plate welded in about an hour. The welding isn't bad just a tight space to work with, but we have all the tools and experirence to do it.

[playr158]

nice!

keep us updated

[AndyST4]

of course you would have something negative to say, I've never seen a positive post from you.  If you hate these topics some much why do you keep reading them.  I have a 3sgte from and st205 in my celica and everything did bolt up with no problems, as long as you have all the right parts it is easy.  I've done a lot of research on putting the st205 drivetrain in a us celica, I have been seriously considering converting mine to awd for quite a while.  Yhe only thing i wasn't sure about was how to convert an awd tranny to rear wheel drive, but I'm sure its a whole lot easier than engineering an entire drivetrain into a car it doesn't belong in
And if you don't think this would be the easiest way to build a rear wheel drive celica, what would?
[right][snapback]259757[/snapback][/right]

I keep reading them because I'm curious about experimental ideas... but there's a fine line between experimental ideas, and pure dreaming. Good for you that you have an ST205 3sgte... but in my mind... you've still not yet shown your worth in terms of mechanical knowledge.

Here's some info for you. The AWD tranny is a transaxle design, meaning there is one specially designed AWD diff on a transversely designed tranny. This diff distributes power to both from wheels, and to a driveshaft. To make this ONLY distribute power to the driveshaft... you'll have to build a custom differential. If you know ANYTHING about transaxle differentials, they are very expensive to work on, let alone have a custom built one... because there isn't a real way to lock up that diff. It's harder than installing a getrag 6 speed... which requires some body/chassis work, but I personally think the getrag is overkill anyway.

Now... as for me being negative... if you care to notice, everyone with good mechanical ability and respect around this community has been reluctant say this is an easy "bolt on" job. You can call it negative... I'll call it realistic. The kind of realism that can only be gained from experience with cars. Like I said before... there is no easy way with these projects. Anything mentioned here, including my information, is merely speculation because this sort of project has NEVER been done. In other words, our opinions are pretty much worthless to a really serious person.

In all honesty now... if anyone were to complete a project like this, I'd least expect it to be done by a relatively new person. I know if I were to do anything like this, I'd just one day post pictures once everything is said and done.
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Converting a awd transaxle to rwd isn't dreaming a lot of people have done it, it's not something i just came up with out of nowhere. I just like the idea of using all parts that where meant to be on the car, but I never said anything about this being a bolt on job. I'm very aware that there would be a lot of customization and problem solving. What I meant was that a lot of the main components would bolt on with out major modification. If I thought this was an easy bolt on job I would have done it a long time ago. Dreaming to me is the idea of building a tubular frame around the rear end and get c/f body panels molded to look like a celica. Reality is finding a jdm gt4, having it cut in half, bring the front on one boat and the back on another, and transfering the gt4 drivetrain to my car. And if dragging the transaxle to a shop that could convert it is expensive so be it. At least I would have a car which was almost completely engineered by toyota. In the long run I think it would be worth it, even I f it did cost a little more.

[darksecret]

Ok for everyone fighting about RWD vs. AWD I have a new thread in the General Discussion forum. I am doing RWD and nothing is going to change that. Plus why use the GT-Four transmission when by the time I build to the power level I want and get the thing set for RWD and all the parts I will need to make it work I will have spent enough to buy the Getrag with all the parts I need and still have more room for higher power. Yeah it's big but it's worth it. Besides if I can stuff the Getrag in the Celica I can say im great at stuffing big things in tight places and I don't have to slap XXX on the video when it's all over lol.

[sphinx]

All i have to say is that you better drift that f#$ker if you make it work...a drifting celica would be the hottest thing next to the olsen twins pre drug abuse days
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I just started reading this thread, and i'm still not done, but this is the funiest !@#$ i've heard in a while. That just made my day.

Thanks

This post has been edited by sphinx: Mar 21, 2005 - 7:26 PM