ST engine swap, Which should I do? Options

[My94RedCelica]

I have a 94 ST and my 175000 mile stock engine has seen it's last days. I'm not sure what to do about replacing it. a 3sge or 3sgte is out of the question. I've been considering doing a 4age black top, but it's quite costly. Is it really worth the money to go for the black top or stick with the cheaper silver tops? The 4agze seems to be a little more work than the others so I'm not sure if that's the route that I want to go.

[j0e_p3t]

i'd want a blacktop. but silvertops are cheaper and easier to find. blacktops only have 5 more hp but silvertops supposedly don't have as much hp as toyota claims. so if you think its worth it and you find a good deal on a blacktop... let me know so i can buy it before you do. nah, jk.

[Dr_Tweak]

If you're on a serious budget, silvertop is the way to go.

-Doc

[My94RedCelica]

It's not so much of being on a tight budget. I'm willing to fork out whatever it takes for a black top, but is it really worth spending the extra $500 dollars on it is the question. Are there considerable differences between the two styles or are they just slight differences.

[Dr_Tweak]

There's a big difference. The blacktop feels quite a bit faster.

-Doc

[celica47]

A lot of people will tell you that it depends on what your purposes are for the car. A friend of mine on here (Xpander) has a 4age and says the power of the 4age is really disappointing. But if you did the blacktop as far as i know you would be one of very few people. Another good option you should look into is that 4agze.

[hashmaster52]

can u make the silvertop fast or is it like the 7a with not much aftermarket support?

[Dr_Tweak]

Short of turbocharging it, there's not much you can do that's worth the money.

-Doc

[alltracman78]

If money is not the issue, what is wrong with a 3SGTE?
It will give you more hp than any A series engine, with quite a bit more torque....

[My94RedCelica]

I would like something that drops right into what I have right now and don't want to go through the hassle of changing a lot of things, mainly the reason I'm sticking with the 4a series. Money's not a really big issue with it, but the prices that i've seen for a 3s is a little more than what I'm willing to spend on a swap. I've possibly thought about a 4agze too. Isn't that a matter of just swapping the engine and tranny? Basically what i have going on here is a show car that needs a new engine. I probably won't be doing a lot of racing in it but I want something that 1. Will have more power than my 7afe and 2. Look better for shows. The 4A series seems to be my best bet for this. Since I'm already going to invest around 800 in a silver top, was just looking to see if it's worth to invest a little more into a black top or a 4agze. Is there any reason besides scarcity that people don't do blacktops?

[j0e_p3t]

well first of all, not a lot of people have 4age swaps in the first place. and the silvertop is less rare than the blacktop. plus a lot of people here are obsessed with boost so they either take the 3sgte/5sfte/7afte/4agze (and eventually swapping the supercharger for a turbo) route. if you just want a nice upgrade (like me) go with the 4age silvertop, or blacktop if you got the extra money. the 4agze will cost even more cuz you need get an ic and custom piping and all them other goodies.

[My94RedCelica]

I might just settle with the silver top then. Know of any good places to get them from?

[j0e_p3t]

there are some sites listed in the engine swap sticky. and there's always ebay, but i'd call the other places first.

[netrata]

www.japanmotorimport.com

They got ST, BT, and even 3sgte. This is the place I bought my ST from back in Dec. 05'.

This post has been edited by netrata: Sep 4, 2006 - 9:18 PM

[celicamike]

you could always sell your ST, buy a GT, and then swap in a 3SGTE if you don't want to change your engine mounts. You could even buy a GT that doesn't run and have a bunch of extra money for the swap. Just something to think about.

[netrata]

exactly!!

[celicamike]

I thought so ;)

[soulshadow]

If money is not the issue, what is wrong with a 3SGTE?

I rather pay someone to shove a V8 Lexus engine in my celi if I had the money.