3sgte swap question, Worth while with 190k? Options

[Zack]

Hello everyone.

I'm the owner of a 1994 Celica GT, which currently has 190k on the odometer. I like my car very much, and I'm sure that I would enjoy it even more with a 3sgte under the hood. As of now, I have a budget that is a little shy of $7500.

Now, I realize that none of you ladies/gentlemen have actually seen the car, but my question is - in most cases, will the chassis be stable, and is it a good idea to perform this swap at this mileage?

Any input is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

-Zack

[Defgeph]

chassis should be fine. I'm doing the swap with 179,xxx on my clock

[Defgeph]

oh where in NJ are you ?

[jgreening]

Hi Zack. IMO, getting higher milage is a great reason to do an engine swap. Now, there are other wearable parts on the car other than the engine that you need to be concerned with. Most notably, suspension components and tranny. You should budget these and other wearable parts into the equation if they have not been replaced already. As for the chassis and body, I dont think you need to worry about it wearing out. Obviously, rust and other factors can play a role as far as that goes. - Jay

[Zack]

Thanks for your quick responses. I'm actually in Manchester... right around Toms River.

jgreening - You've raised a very good point, and I've thought about this as well. Normally, would the transmission supplied with a rear clip be suitable for the swap, or do you think I'd have to source it elsewhere?

Also, do you think replacing the suspension, motor, and tranny sounds feasable with a $7500 budget?

Thanks again guys.

[Defgeph]

if you do all the labor, its very possible to have it done.

[jgreening]

Thanks for your quick responses. I'm actually in Manchester... right around Toms River.   

jgreening - You've raised a very good point, and I've thought about this as well. Normally, would the transmission supplied with a rear clip be suitable for the swap, or do you think I'd have to source it elsewhere?

Also, do you think replacing the suspension, motor, and tranny sounds feasable with a $7500 budget?

Thanks again guys.
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When you say "rear clip", I assume you mean a rear clip from an MR2T. That is what I did. If you do that, yes, you will get the tranny with the clip. However, be advised that there are good reasons to purchase a ST185 or ST205 front clip instead, especially if you are doing the swap yourself. A celica clip will include almost everything you need to do the swap with almost no fabrication (except new belts, hoses, gaskets, fluids, etc). The MR2T clip does not come with some needed parts such as the alternator bracket. In addition, the tranny mount is different and requires custom work. If you are having the swap done by a knowledgable shop, these are not really big issues and buying a MR2 clip makes some sense. One final point is that using a MR2T tranny is not a bolt-in exercise. Look for a recent thread entitled "axels" with much info on this. Also, look for an older thread entitled "trannies worthy of power" or something like that.

If I had to do it over, I would buy a ST205 clip and a solara V6 tranny, hands down. You get a W2A intercooler, ct20b turbo, 540 injectors, tranny with longer final drive ratio that can take the power and is designed for a FF car not to mention a newer engine with less miles.

Good luck.

[Zack]

Thank you very much, you've been more than helpful =)

[Dr_Tweak]

It's surely worth it. Even if you don't go with the E153 tranny you can still source a low mileage GT tranny. And $7500 is more than enough, the 6th gen ST in my shop right now is having everything (including and auto/manual conversion) done for around $5000-$5500

-Doc

[lipster]

yo zack...ironically i to am from TR and im doing the same thing if u find out any good info about the swap drop me a line on AIM RogainesGood ....ill do the same for u ill send u a PM or something