Need Advice on a turbo-mod on my car
06-30-2007, 06:18 PM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Need Advice on a turbo-mod on my car
Hi,
This is not on my Porsches, but on one of my most beloved cars: a 1992 Lexus SC300, 5 speed.
I had this car from new, and Melissa (my daughter) has used it as her daily driver since 2001. She loves the car.
It has an in-line 6 engine mated to a 5-speed manual tranny. We just turned 150k miles and the car runs like a top. Never had to fix anything on the car. Just maintanence and tires. The engine and tranny are basically from the Supra, with header and a few breathing (factory) modifications.
We have found a 1993 Supra MK IV twin turbo engine with transmission (complete with wiring, turbo, the works), for $3k. This is imported form Japan and has less than 30k miles on the
engine. We are so itchy to transplant this engine into the Lexus and make this a project car, of sorts. Eventually, I'll upgrade the suspension (still on OEM shocks), wheels and brakes etc.
Are we crazy to consider this cross-breed transplant? Or if we don't transplant now, would it be a problem to buy and store this engine and transplant it when the car turns say 200k miles? Thanks for your education.
CP
This is not on my Porsches, but on one of my most beloved cars: a 1992 Lexus SC300, 5 speed.
I had this car from new, and Melissa (my daughter) has used it as her daily driver since 2001. She loves the car.
It has an in-line 6 engine mated to a 5-speed manual tranny. We just turned 150k miles and the car runs like a top. Never had to fix anything on the car. Just maintanence and tires. The engine and tranny are basically from the Supra, with header and a few breathing (factory) modifications.
We have found a 1993 Supra MK IV twin turbo engine with transmission (complete with wiring, turbo, the works), for $3k. This is imported form Japan and has less than 30k miles on the
engine. We are so itchy to transplant this engine into the Lexus and make this a project car, of sorts. Eventually, I'll upgrade the suspension (still on OEM shocks), wheels and brakes etc.
Are we crazy to consider this cross-breed transplant? Or if we don't transplant now, would it be a problem to buy and store this engine and transplant it when the car turns say 200k miles? Thanks for your education.
CP
06-30-2007, 07:22 PM
#3
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Try http://www.clublexus.com/forums/index.php and see if they can help. I use the SC430 forum with my wifes car.
06-30-2007, 07:34 PM
#4
Turning it into a JDM Toyota Soarer huh? That is an awesome idea!
A friend of mine here put a Supra 2JZ Twin Turbo motor into her IS300 and it's BEAUTIFUL!
Maybe a little too much power though hahaha.
A friend of mine here put a Supra 2JZ Twin Turbo motor into her IS300 and it's BEAUTIFUL!
Maybe a little too much power though hahaha.
06-30-2007, 07:38 PM
#5
Race Director
Thread Starter
Chris,
That actually is a great question. A few folks who know cars had asked us to sell them the SC 300. We asked them why, they all say that with our 5 speed tranny, they will transplant a Supra TT engine and make it into a great street car.
We (Melissa and I) had always said that we will never sell the car. if the engine (or tanny) dies, we will do the Supra engine ourselves. The cars runs great now, so there is no real urgency to mess with it. Not all mods are smooth and rewarding. The last thing I want to do is to mess up the car, or render it shop-bound for months, just for the mod.
One thing I recently found is that in Japan, older cars cannot pass their VERY stringent inspections, or the cost-to-cure is so high that people just buy a newer car. Thus there is a steady stream of engines coming out of Japan as more cars of similar vintage hits the scrap heap. Of course, as time goes on these engines will eventually disappear, so there is only a certain time-window that this mod is feasible. I have been watching the engine-importer's web site for months and this is the first MK IV tt (yes Steve, this is a Supra 2JZ Twin Turbo motor) engine I have seen, thus my current question.
We will certainly not 'rice' the SC 300. At least no appearance-blinks. However, this engine transplant can actually enhance the car's value beyond the cost, as it is an extremely rare car, and there are buyers going this route. If not for value, at least it will be a formidable machine for the streets.
Sorry for the long-winded answer. May be I'm just itchy to spend money on cars, and I'm happy with my Ruf and Cayman now. So the SC 300 becomes the surrogate mod-car.
I think I need psychiatric help.
CP
That actually is a great question. A few folks who know cars had asked us to sell them the SC 300. We asked them why, they all say that with our 5 speed tranny, they will transplant a Supra TT engine and make it into a great street car.
We (Melissa and I) had always said that we will never sell the car. if the engine (or tanny) dies, we will do the Supra engine ourselves. The cars runs great now, so there is no real urgency to mess with it. Not all mods are smooth and rewarding. The last thing I want to do is to mess up the car, or render it shop-bound for months, just for the mod.
One thing I recently found is that in Japan, older cars cannot pass their VERY stringent inspections, or the cost-to-cure is so high that people just buy a newer car. Thus there is a steady stream of engines coming out of Japan as more cars of similar vintage hits the scrap heap. Of course, as time goes on these engines will eventually disappear, so there is only a certain time-window that this mod is feasible. I have been watching the engine-importer's web site for months and this is the first MK IV tt (yes Steve, this is a Supra 2JZ Twin Turbo motor) engine I have seen, thus my current question.
We will certainly not 'rice' the SC 300. At least no appearance-blinks. However, this engine transplant can actually enhance the car's value beyond the cost, as it is an extremely rare car, and there are buyers going this route. If not for value, at least it will be a formidable machine for the streets.
Sorry for the long-winded answer. May be I'm just itchy to spend money on cars, and I'm happy with my Ruf and Cayman now. So the SC 300 becomes the surrogate mod-car.
I think I need psychiatric help.
CP
06-30-2007, 07:46 PM
#7
Race Director
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by M491
how are you going to smog it? (I assume Calif. has smog checks).
CP
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06-30-2007, 09:27 PM
#8
Race Car
I guess that would be a cool sleeper car. I can see Melissa in a 700 hp Supra TT motored Lexus......yeah that works. That 5 speed is a rare find though isn't it? In a Lexus?