New car or engine swap?

Discussion and technical advice the SW20 MR2. 3S-GTE, 3S-GE, 3S-FE etc
Anything and everything to do with maintenance, modifications and electrical is in here for the Mk2.

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VGB
Posts: 373
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:55 pm

New car or engine swap?

Post by VGB »

I am having a dilemma.
I have a Rev 5 na with around 55k on the clock. Sills in good condition, moonroof version with fabric trim and in white.
I've always wanted a turbo. I just find the na a bit slow and under whelming.
I don't go racing around but like to know the power is there when it comes to overtakes.
I had a Civic vti and Octavia vrs. Both were great for daily drive and excellent for pick up for overtakes. With the weight and power of the na I feel that should be a lot more perky.
So I've spent a long time looking for a turbo that I could get as a forever car. I just can't find what I'm looking for. It would need to be Rev 3 onwards. Tintop and I'd prefer grey, yellow of white.
I've seen a beams Rev 5 in mica gold which is a tintop for sale at 5k. I like the colour, had a couple of cars before a similar colour.
So my question is, would it be worth getting the beams? Is the extra power enough and does the vvt act in the same way as Honda's vti's? Or would I be better holding out for a turbo? Or would I be better off sticking to the Rev 5 I've got and looking at a V6 conversion at some point?

Views would be appreciated. I've only ever driven the na' s and not the turbo.
Rob
Posts: 1407
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 6:48 pm
Location: Baydon, Wiltshire

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by Rob »

I converted the Rev2 NA that I had owned for 5 years to a Rev3 Turbo for exactly the same reasons as you.

10 years later and I still absolutely love the car, the power delivery and general driving experience is a theatrical event that never gets boring.
Dale_V
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Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:27 pm
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Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by Dale_V »

Youd be wasting your money getting the beams, its not really much different to what you have now, go for a turbo transplant.

Like rob, I put a rev3 turbo engine in my rev2 Na, then i forged it etc etc etc and now have over 450bhp :eye:

overtakes arn't an issue :clown:
VGB
Posts: 373
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:55 pm

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by VGB »

Yes I should imagine 450bhp would just about get you past the odd car.
Rob
Posts: 1407
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 6:48 pm
Location: Baydon, Wiltshire

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by Rob »

Mines still fairly standard at around 280 but it's immense fun and usable as well as damned quick still
craig
Posts: 43936
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:44 am

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by craig »

If the car is in good nick, I'd opt for a turbo conversion. Better the devil you know and all that!

I'd rather have a mint turbo converted na over a genuine rusty turbo

As above, I wouldn't bother with a Beams. Chuck a GTE in there :mrgreen:
pbmr2
Posts: 929
Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:49 pm

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by pbmr2 »

you said v6 conversion, the new popular mod is the 2gr-fe engine, there is even a supercharged version. The main sticking point is the cost of the engine but otherwise it's similar to other swaps.

300+hp and a shedload of torque, it's a lovely modern engine that brings the chassis to life.

it's well worth a think about if you want to do a swap. :thumleft:


Beams is a great engine but it's hardly more powerful than the stock 3sge, not worth the cost of the investment.
VGB
Posts: 373
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:55 pm

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by VGB »

What sort price do the 2gr-fe go For?
pbmr2
Posts: 929
Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:49 pm

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by pbmr2 »

Don't know really, seen them cheap but then they were not in the UK so would need shipping over at cost.

It's in a number of cars
Toyota Tacoma
Lexus GS 350
Lexus RX 350
Toyota Highlander
Toyota Sienna
Toyota Camry

Plus the Lotus Evora and Evora S with the supercharger.

Seem thin on the ground in the UK and the Lotus ones are not cheap. From what I've seen these engines are worth every penny. Oh and they sound outstanding too!
monkeyra
Premium Member
Posts: 1193
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:56 pm
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by monkeyra »

£5k (very roughly) for a 2gr, if you install yourself, using Goukys swap kit bits and find an engine. Add a few k on top if you pay someone to do it.
Supercharger, if you find one, is another 2k to 3k on top, plus another fitting kit from gouky. I got mine from enquiring on UK Lotus Forums. They are out there, you just need to search and ask, don't rely o Ebay as they don't appear on there.
But boy does it go, it's like a train. Tons of shove all through the rev range, no lag.
Mine is my "forever car", I love it. :thumleft:
SW20 Rev1 Supercharged 2GR-FE Powered Trackday Car.
VGB
Posts: 373
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:55 pm

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by VGB »

Sounds interesting.
So standard format how does it compare to the turbo also in standard?
pbmr2
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Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:49 pm

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by pbmr2 »

it's around 300hp and 250lb/ft from a 3.5L NA V6. More torque from low revs and big thump all the way up the revs. it's about 10kg lighter than a turbo setup too.

the supercharged one is 345hp, 295lb/ft with higher rpm limit of 7k.

the later 2gr-fse is slightly more powerful but with 30lb/ft more torque

all of them are vvti
gavsdavs
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:31 pm
Location: saahfeeeeastlaandun

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by gavsdavs »

VGB wrote:Sounds interesting.
So standard format how does it compare to the turbo also in standard?

Without wanting to be contentious.

A 'stock' 2GR is faster than a 'stock' 3s-gte by a bit, not a massive amount, but that misses the main difference, the experience.

However.....
There are not many 'stock' 3s-gtes on the road - everyone has tuned theirs a little bit and many are up at 280-300bhp.

The drive itself - being a passenger or a driver in a 2gr car versus a turbo - is very different. You would call the 2gr 'lazy' and you'd call the 3s-gte 'busy'. The torque benefit of the v6 is always and immediately noticeable.

I drive my 2gr probably 2000 further down the rev range than most turbos are driven for the same forward progress. I'm at 2000-4000rpm, when a turbo will be at 4000-6000rpm.

You change gears less. You don't need to bounce it off the limiter. it's a more relaxed way of making the same progress.

With Goukys headers and (with or without his fiddled ECU), UK MR2 n/a 2grs are around 290-300bhp with 270-295ft/lb torque. I haven't put mine on a dyno since i got the fiddled ECU so there maybe be a few more bhp up at the top but I don't really care, I drive it for it's torque.
VGB
Posts: 373
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:55 pm

Re: New car or engine swap?

Post by VGB »

I do like the sound of the v6. I've enjoyed diesels for the extra torque and slightly lazy driving style.
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