Adoh2010

I have a 2001 Lexus Gs300 that I posted on this forum. It's a cheap high-mileage car that's due for a timing belt and needs a valve cover gasket. I was thinking about replacing the valve springs with performance ones to get a better high-end HP but it seems like from reading all the threads here and on other forums that:

1. a low boost turbo on stock parts is the only way to get cheap HP gains and keep the car quiet to a certain level, but I'd need at least a high flow cat which means louder.

2. Boosting in general is cheaper than NA tuning or supercharging.

3. There's no way you can keep the car as quiet as stock, which is what I want.

I don't want a GS400, I plan on spending money on the car when I graduate. Adding 2 extra stock mufflers, building the internals, GTE head, and getting 500 hp+ with sequential turbos while staying quiet.

Are there any power mods even with pathetic HP gain that I can do now that would keep the car quiet and would be useful when I plan on spending lots of money? Others were asking for 300whp with cheap bolt ons but I'm being realistic, as little as 15 crank hp would be fine with me.

nyc80rick

If i was you i'll just drop a gte motor and go from there. Its nice power stock and is super quiet

702GS

This is what I am doing, not going to dump money into timing belts and other maintenance when I can just grab a GTE swap.

Category5

is a gs300 with the gte faster then a 400 both stock?

NorthStyle

iTrader: (16)

Both stock? They probably won't be too different although the power delivery won't be the same with a v8 vs a i6tt. Also, the Aristo transmissions are 4spd vs the 5spd 1/3UZ so I'd guess top speed would go to the v8, although I doubt you'd ever have a reason to go that fast...

On the other hand, once you start modifying the 2JZ eclipses the 1/3UZ.

mikobangz

iTrader: (1)

Japanese GTE engines have 260hp due to power limitation regulations during that time but the North America GTE has 320hp, according to what I've read. That being said, 320hp twin turbo > NA 300hp. Add elevation to that and the difference will definitely be more noticeable since turbos can compensate for air density that NA engines suffer from, something like that.

marshun

i would think a turbo with a high flow cat wouldnt make much noise at all

99 GS3

iTrader: (14)

The marketed power rating is only lower than the usdm 'on paper', due to the gentleman's agreement in japan at the time, that automakers would not 'advertise' any vehicles horsepower rating to be over 276hp no matter what the car actually makes. For all intensive purposes, they are effectively the same.

Horsepower and turbo/non-turbo make no difference in how loud your car will be. Intake and exhaust system setup determines how it will sound.

A fully OEM GTE Aristo is no louder than a GE GS300, done a few of them. And a 500whp single turbo GS can be the same db as stock as well, as long as the wastegate is recirculated, been there too. Cat or no cat doesn't matter much for sound on a turbo car either, it's the exhaust piping size, routing, and muffler/resonator selections that control/contain tone and sound level. Although the exhaust to contain the db level can also rob considerable power doing so on a high power turbo build.

Turbos are not inherently loud, it's the velocity stacks, dump tubes, and straight pipes people associate with turbo builds that give you that impression.

Adoh2010

Turbos actually quieten the car, it's the way the wastegate is setup and whether you have a stock exhaust system or not.

Looking on ebay, the first thing that pops up when searching for "2jz gte" is an engine/automatic transmission/turbo assembly pulled out from a JDM Aristo turbo that's in NC or SC. It's only $2000! It just needs an exhaust manifold/catalytic converter assmebly which I found for $700 somewhere I forgot, probably lower if you ditch the cat. Then ofcourse you need the intercooler and piping.

I choose to believe the science behind climate change so I'd buy a cat, it also helps with quietness. You think I can get over $1k for my engine/transmission/exhaust manifolds with cats all 100% stock?

A stock TT Supra swap for less than $2k sounds like a dream, I've seen YT vids and they're super quiet in stock and autos are pretty fast shifting and smooth. With the extra Lexus soundproofing it should be as quiet as stock and the GS being less than a 100 kg heavier "more with Turbo" I should see low 5s 0-60 and mid 13s quarter mile, in a car that's as quiet as a 7er from the same year!

nyc80rick

So in your mind you are at $2,700 and your still missing a few pieces which I think will put you at 3k plus and your piecing it together from different places. I spent around 3k for every single thing I needed to do for the stock swap from one place and I got running video of car it came out of and jdm gage cluster to verify mileage. I sold my stock motor/tranny/ecu etc with a fresh timing belt water pump job with 150k mileage for $500 and I had people trying to lowball me. Trying to get 1k for your old motor might be asking a bit much.

Adoh2010

I thought stock catalytic converters were expensive, they don't even sell them at junkyards. Also $500 for all this AND you spent at least $200 "thats parts only" on a timing belt kit, I guess you got lowballed! I have a place where I can store parts and just sell by piece on ebay so I guess I'll just do that...

nyc80rick

Haha i wanted $500 for the motor and thats what I got so no way was I lowballed in that way. I went into doing the swap not trying to get money back out my old motor. I sold it because it was in good condition and didn't want it to go to waist I was just trying to cover the cost of the maintenance/service work that I did. we are in the same region and you are thinking of doing so I was just stating my experience. I do have the means but didn't feel the need to spend the time to break down and sell it piece by piece to get that 1k that you are wanting to get. selling your motor/tranny in one piece like I said it wouldn't be easy putting a price tag like that on it. But if someone did pick it up I would be happy for you would definitely make your swap a bargain

Adoh2010

Man, they should've just used the A3XX transmission like they did with all IV Supras, Hell, they used it even in the 2.4 Cressida! I'd have just turbo'd that GE to a decent 400 whp which it can easily do with no work.

Now I have to either lower my power and quietness standards or spend $$.

Category5

interesting stuff thx for the replys. hopefully I get the opportunity some time to feel both as there pulls I bet feel so SO different haha, love the idea of the GTE though, anyhow word back back on track

SenecaRex

Wow, that's crazy low.