Sup peeps!

I'm FINALLY getting to a point where I do some major upgrades to my GS in the form of performance and I'm looking for the best bang for buck because I only have one shot at this.
I have the stock 2jge w/ 187K miles on it and I want some real performance from my car. I've checked out A LOT of CL build threads as well as Lextreme and general internet searching. I'm not a mechanic and I'm not going to race the car, but I have a "spirited" drive style.

From what I've read, 500-ish hp on my current motor traditionally requires turbo w/ supporting mods to include upgraded rods, fuel, ecu tuning, and eventually a transmission. From what I've seen, 2JZ parts must be made of gold cause they're hella expensive.

I've had a GS430 and I really like the low end torque that the V8 provides, moreover the v8 seems to make power lower in the RPM range than the 2J. I've had an admiration for v8's for a while and I like DOHC.

Anyway; I'm tore between options, and I'm aware that each option presents it's own unique complications. I'm considering swapping in a bigger motor and I'm considering the following:
- Perfomance 1UZ from XAT Racing w/ turbo
- GM LQ4
- Ford 5.4 Triton

The UZ is expensive to modify and doesn't have the biggest aftermarket support, but it was originally offered in this chassis, so fit and finish will be on par w/ OEM.
The LS is a proven platform, only needs a cam for 500hp
The Triton is prone to timing chain issues, but I found a place online that "bulletproofs" them to address the most common failures.

My budget as of this writing is $7K, but I'm not in a hurry so I can continue saving until I get the amount that I need. I also plan to keep the automatic trans.

Many will ask why I don't build a NA-T setup with my current motor. The biggest reason is that the 2J seems to perform best in higher RPM range and since this is my DD, I'm not gonna spend the majority of my time above 4K.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm getting into uncharted territory and I really need your expertise for some direction to take this project in an effort to stay as close to my initial $7K. Cheers

 

None of these options are going to give you 500hp under 7k by the time you're done.

LS swap is somewhat charted territory, there's a build thread of a guy putting a 4.8 in a GS. But you're not going to get 500hp out of an LQ4 with just a cam.

I don't even know why you would consider a Ford 5.4. It's cheap, that's about it. Definitely uncharted territory, because it doesn't make sense both in terms of compatibility with the GS and for making 500hp.

1UZ is not going to give you a safe 500hp on the stock bottom end, that's a whole can of worms you'd be opening, at that amount of power. And there is not a lot of room for turbocharging a 1UZ in a GS. It can and has been done, supercharging is far less problematic (and is also charted territory). Typical outcomes for an unopened 1UZ are around 400whp. If you had a GS400 to start with it would be feasible to do this at or near you budget. But since you also have to account for swapping motors, your cost in parts and labour is higher.

2JZ NA-T is the obvious choice for this power level for so many reasons, that's why people do it instead of the other three. If you choose not to do it, it's not a rational choice. And despite being the cheapest, it will also cost more than 7k to make a safe and reliable 500hp (crank), especially on a stock bottom end. This is also extremely charted territory.

You also haven't said what you plan to use for a transmission.

I think you need to revisit your actual needs. You say you have a spirited driving style, but don't want to spend time above 4,000RPM. You like DOHC, but two out of three options are OHV. You're not a mechanic, but you're choosing the most labour intensive and least documented solutions.

 

$7k is not going to go far unless you have $0 in labor costs for all of this and anything over 500whp is going to need a tune so thats $1000 right here. I think you should reconsider unless you have a lot of time, experience, and a garage to do all of this work in.

 

This is the feedback that I was looking for. I know it's difficult to folks to recall all the bits and pieces that factor into their build budgets.
I'm aware that the bottom end of my 2J will need reinforcement which is what sparked the idea of a swap. It appears that the cost to support the proposed power on the 2J is similar to the costs for a swap.(Big Single, 600cc injectors, OEM GTE rods, intercooler w/ piping, MegaSquirt, etc)
I know of a few guys running aftermarket turbos on their vehicles. I just don't want a lot of headaches when it comes to drivability/reliability. Obviously there will be some concessions w/ ANY modified vehicle, I'm just hoping to have the least possible.

I don't have a garage or experience, but I have plenty of time. After a little more research, it seems like $15K is a more appropriate budget expectation to accommodate for my lack of the former.

The tuner community in my area is limited, so most of my information is coming from what I can find on the web. I'm saving pretty vigorously, but it looks like I'll need to revisit this closer to the Summer.
I appreciate the feedback. CL has always been a good resource for me.

Maybe my best bet is to start from scratch on a different platform all together.

 

If you do pistons, rods, injectors, cams, head studs, and the right turbo you can be up at about 600-650 crank. From what I've heard the stock cranks are good to about 700-900 with modern tuning and blocks to about 1000-1200 before distortion starts to become a problem. $15k is a good starting point but don't be surprised if it goes beyond that. That is likely not even considering the trans which will basically die right away at those power levels.