[Mk2] [NA] Embarking on a modification - need advice

[keith030458]

I recently purchased a '90 mk2 gt (notT-bar) and have a desire to upgrade it slightly, by this I mean that I want to keep the body shape but make a few cosmetic changes i.e lights and lenses but the main mod would be to the performance , I would like to increase the bhp to something in the region of 250 to 300 and I would be grateful if somebody could give me an idea how to achieve this , without using a turbo , and exactly what other upgrades would be necessary to keep the car safe on the road i.e suspension brakes etc.
many thanks for any replies.
Keith

[MR!! wren]

without adding a turbo? supercharge it or buy a different engine

[fearless]

yep turbo or the v6 conversion no chance of 250-300 bhp from an n/a might get around 190-200 after spending a shedload on bits save up and get another engine

[Leon.]

They're right chap.

If its in-line 4 you want then the rev 5 Beams engine is rated around 190/200 bhp, otherwise the Camry V6 conversion should get you about 220 I think, with xxxx loads of low down torque and a great sound! Supercharge that and you'll be having fun

300 on a rev 1/2 turbo isn't that cheap but pretty straight forward on a rev 3+ turbo.

You've got some thinking to do! What's your budget?

[RST]

There's a guy called Glenn in NZ offering BEAMS red top N/A engines for a transplant pushing about 300bhp but you don't want to know the price. Awesome amount of work get's put into them.


.......I really want one LoL.

[MR!! wren]

was gonna say, it's probably possible to do, but the amount of time/effort/money/parts that would go into it, would make it pointless and by the time you'd finished, i doubt it could be called a 3sge engine anyway

[jimGTS]

engine translant, no other options unless you want to spend 10k and have a completely undrivable NA thats only good for the track..........

[Greddy-Matt]

There's a guy called Glenn in NZ offering BEAMS red top N/A engines for a transplant pushing about 300bhp but you don't want to know the price. Awesome amount of work get's put into them.


.......I really want one LoL.

Any more info? Or a link?

[RST]

On a 300bhp n/a you're going to hit peak power 8-9,000rpm. Any other way you're going to need F.I. so you'd be better going for a swap for a 3SGTE.

Having said that I'd still love to see someone in the UK running a tuned N/A.

BTW: the Camry V6 and BEAMS put out about the same BHP I think -both around the 197mark in stock form. Totally different engines if you're considering them -V6 is supposed to be very smooth delivery, BEAMS is very high revving and very lively in comparison with stock 3SGE. But power band up towards 4,500-7,200rpm.

....here's a link to the 300'odd BEAMS -was looking for it since my last post.

http://www.mr2.com/forums/beams/Toyota- ... motor.html

[MR!! wren]

the camry engine would give faster acceleration though i'd have thought?

[Dale_V]

on my NA engine build ive spent around £2500 so far and counting, i know the bhp wont be huge, but im sure it will be fun to drive and a little different

I was going to put my v6 engine in from my camry, but i quite like the camry and dont really have the knowledge to do the v6 transplant in the mr2, the 3.0 v6 is a cracking engine though, even in the camry which is heavy!

[RST]

Not sure -never driven a V6 but I'd have thought low down -Camry, high up BEAMS. From what I've heard you buy either engine for different reasons so they're not really directly comparable, don't think you can drive them in the same manner.

[keith030458]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I would think that the budget is going to be about 2-3000 in a years time because I want to set the rest of the car up first i.e. suspension brakes etc

[RST]

Dale, I thought I had a clean engine bay but how on earth did you manage to get yours to look like that?

[Dale_V]

Dale, I thought I had a clean engine bay but how on earth did you manage to get yours to look like that?

alot of time cleaning/painting and polishing lol

that was my old engine bay, just wait until the new build is complete, most things have been cleaned/sprayed up already and ready to put together, im just waiting on more parts

[MR!! wren]

well if both the camry v6 and beams have the same top end, but the v6 has more bottom and midrange, then = quicker

[RST]

Probably better getting an unbiased input from the likes of Rogue who do all 3 conversions if anyone's considering a transplant. No point putting something in which doesn't suit your driving style. The BEAMS guys I know wouldn't have a V6, and the V6 owners probably the same for the BEAMS -LoL. I can't say I have an unbiased oppinion.

I can't agree that the engines are comparable in driving style from what I've heard and from what folk I've met have said they were looking from the V6 swap. So I personally just don't believe it's as simple as that MR!!Wren.

I have noticed that the BEAMS folk seem more interested in staying N/A at the moment whereas there seems to be allot of interest in F.I. V6's. Horses for courses I guess. I think both engines will put out good bhp but at the end of the day I think it's the driving style again.

It'd be interesting to see both versions on a strip side by side as a comparison.

...anyhow, that's not what this was about. I think you'd have to do a serious amount of custom work and 2nd hand purchases with either option to hit the 300 mark for £2-3k, I think Leeroy's price is much closer the mark but I'd love to see someone do it -I bottled the 200bhp modified N/A engine route and went for a swap.

...and I must admit, I didn't realise there were about 4 or 5 versions of the V6 so some of them are about 220bhp stock.

....MON THE 4 BANGERS!!!!

[MR!! wren]

ok, cheers, i wasn't trying to say one way or the other, just what i was thinking and curious

shouldve probably put a q-mark at the end!

[Leon.]

Ok well £2-3k on an N/A won't get you much, barely 200bhp, if even that.

Your best bet in my opinion is to keep it as is for a year, save up your pennies and then when you have the money, sell up and buy a rev 3 turbo. If you have any money left over you can upgrade the intercooler, add a 3" decat with a 3" bore exhaust and put a boost controller on there to get your 300bhp (about £1,000 worth of mods if you do the work yourself)

A transplant would be an even more expensive option, and you've got the chance of things going wrong = more money.

[RST]

Actually I didn't mean to get into an engine swap debate -sorry.

If you're still looking at N/A stuff (bit more of a positive response maybe to your orig. question), try looking at:

• l/w flywheel
  piper cams (something like their fast road cams)
  decent exhaust down pipe -or do some internal polishing
  have the head ports polished / matched -or try a rev 3 head (needs some modification to fit on rev 2 block I'm told but better gas flow)
  de-cat and s/s exhaust
  can think about a slightly bigger single throttle body and decent induction kit -or itb's
  new ecu

...I'd have thought that's about your budget, but 2n'd hand stuff will save a few quid. That might get you closer the 200bhp mark but not sure starting with a rev 1. Anything above that I'd call really serious tuning and I'm not sure about.

BTW, decent suspension like coil-overs, poly bushes, strut braces, GOOD tyres, brake pads and braided hoses etc. will give free up more "driveability" as well without adding to the bhp.