Best v6 or v8 to buy?

V6? V8? TDI? Discussion and technical advice for engine transplants inc. 5SFE & 5SGTE builds. Not for N/A to Turbo, or Rev1/2 to 3+ conversions.
Project and build threads welcome.

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KarlBristol
Posts: 2962
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 2:08 am
Location: Bristol

Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by KarlBristol »

Well I think I've made up my mind to stick in an mr2 for a hobby car as I can't justify 50k on a cobra ... Not until I win the lottery at least! Lol. Once the house move and wedding are out of the way I think that an engine change might be on the cards...

Now don't get me wrong my current engine is faultless and runs like a dream. It's never failed to start, or ever missed a beat. It's just not meaty enough for me.

Ive looked at the options and most probably I will be looking out for a v6 or v8 (although I'd love a v12 the cost would be ridiculous)

I'm looking at having a garage install it on my behalf (probably woodsport)

What engines are the best to look out for?
And what car do I therefore need to look to buy to strip out. A good friend has told me about the Camry although looking around there don't seem to be many about :-k

Anyone know how much roughly would a conversion cost me?

Thanks :thumleft:
Selling up my highly modified and restored Rev 1 V6 3.0 1MZ-FE VVTi

http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=176156
cosmos
Posts: 594
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:58 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Conversion

Post by cosmos »

Hi Karl,
Bought my tubby from Bristol www.carimportsdirect.com or was it co.uk somewhere near the football ground Winterstoke Road?? ok to deal with Neil Howe.
Conversion... brakes upgrade perhaps as well as v6 etc you have to do the sums on what you can sell yours for now, and or conversion costs to your car, or buy a Lotus Espirit etc etc, plenty of good kit cars around nowadays also.
Plenty to think about.
Race Idiot
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Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:48 pm
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by Race Idiot »

I wouldnt bother with the camry motors, either go with a tubby lump or go with the 2GR-FE swap.

V8s or v12s are pretty unrealistic choices, seeing as there are like 3 v8 mr2s in the whole world. Wheras the 2gr-fe has been done several times

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykq9-1RFrWo

Same motor as the lotus evora but used in a few other toyota/lexus platforms iirc. Make around 300 brake with just exhaust and intake mods :thumleft:
jasongtr
Posts: 4583
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: normally under a car

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by jasongtr »

if you go camry you wont need to upgrade the brakes, they are comparible with a rev1/2 std turbo.

personally if i was doing another conversion and money was no problem i would go 2gr (same engine as the lotus evora) but the conversion will cost almost £10,000 - then its a serious consideration over what other car you can buy for the same outlay. It might be the ultimate NA mr2 with about 320-340hp but at the end of the day its still going to be an mr2 no matter how much we like them.

Spending money over the years on mods etc is more or less acceptable in my eyes but spending that sort of money in one hit could be a deal breaker (for me at least)
ashley
Posts: 7628
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 8:08 pm

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by ashley »

Audi v8 - would be awesome :mrgreen:
Al-sw20
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Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 6:01 am
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by Al-sw20 »

2GR swapped SW20 here in NZ. Runs 12.5 @ 110mph with bolt ons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo41wPq3n5Q

278 rwhp.
vtecpower
Posts: 431
Joined: Tue May 26, 2009 7:55 pm

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by vtecpower »

Al-sw20 wrote:2GR swapped SW20 here in NZ. Runs 12.5 @ 110mph with bolt ons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo41wPq3n5Q

278 rwhp.


2GR kicks ass lol
Marf
Posts: 6728
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:56 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by Marf »

I'd go 2GR :thumleft:



Lee's car is lovely, and sounds fantastic!
raptor95GTS
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Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 7:14 pm
Location: glasgow
Contact:

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by raptor95GTS »

Marf wrote:I'd go 2GR :thumleft:



Lee's car is lovely, and sounds fantastic!

yup, it certainly is and certainly does. It also bloody shifts as well, no lag , just boom and it's gone :thumleft:
uglee
Posts: 934
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:38 pm
Location: Ayrshire

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by uglee »

Ta chaps, it has certainly suprised a few on the Pistonhead runs with how it goes. I just wish I had chance to use it more often :D

I reckon it can be done for way less than £10K. If there is another group buy over on Twobrutal I can easily see it been done for less than 5K if you start with a donor Turbo shell with a pumped engine.

See Chris (Cdwood2010) on Twobrutal if anyone is going to do it for as little as possible Chris is the man to do it :thumleft:
jasongtr
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Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: normally under a car

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by jasongtr »

im sure it can be done for less than £10k but the OP wants a garage to do it so theres £000's in labour - and he has an NA not a turbo

supercharged 2gr :mrgreen: - anyone got one or doing one
KarlBristol
Posts: 2962
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 2:08 am
Location: Bristol

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by KarlBristol »

jasongtr wrote:im sure it can be done for less than £10k but the OP wants a garage to do it so theres £000's in labour - and he has an NA not a turbo

supercharged 2gr :mrgreen: - anyone got one or doing one


I just figured that with all the electrics that will need changing, speedo, engine etc... It's outside of my capabilities and the last thing I want to do is kill my 2! Lol
Selling up my highly modified and restored Rev 1 V6 3.0 1MZ-FE VVTi

http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=176156
jasongtr
Posts: 4583
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: normally under a car

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by jasongtr »

theres plenty of help over on twobrutal as lee has said, lots of home build threads over there - not many will be 2gr though but still muchos help,
uglee
Posts: 934
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 12:38 pm
Location: Ayrshire

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by uglee »

There is 3 homebuilds going on in the UK as far as I'm aware at the moment. I think mine was the 1st homebuild in the UK.

On cars mechanically the most I'd done was change a camshaft in an 84 VW Polo and electrically it was wiring in a car stereo. There is much more 2GR swap information available online than when I did it. And there is plenty of help from others who are more than willing to help out.

People spend too much time avoiding what they are probably more than capable of. Sometimes you've just got to throw yourself in at the deep end :thumleft:

BTW when the car fires up through your own efforts for the 1st time it's one of the best feelings ever 8)
Race Idiot
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Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:48 pm
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by Race Idiot »

Just out of curiosity i'd like to know what you did with the accelerator pedal, seeing as the 2gr is dbw. I remember reading the first thread with the guy, gouky i think? but I forgot what he did to get around the dbw issue.
KarlBristol
Posts: 2962
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 2:08 am
Location: Bristol

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by KarlBristol »

Having done a lot of research I think I will go for a 1mz .. Although I'd love a 2gr they are serious money!! :thumleft:

Time to look at the bank books! Lol
Selling up my highly modified and restored Rev 1 V6 3.0 1MZ-FE VVTi

http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=176156
jasongtr
Posts: 4583
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: normally under a car

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by jasongtr »

good man, go for it
monkeyra
Premium Member
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Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by monkeyra »

I'm doing a 2GR swap at home at the moment :mrgreen:
SW20 Rev1 Supercharged 2GR-FE Powered Trackday Car.
jasongtr
Posts: 4583
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: normally under a car

Re: Best v6 or v8 to buy?

Post by jasongtr »

whats the estmated build cost, got to be a serious consideration if my turbo motor pops, especially like lee said if it can be done for £5k ish
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