I don't know what to do, I am in the middle of a rope being pulled in opposite directions. I have what I consider and most people who see the car to be a clean SC300. My problem is I want it turbo but I don't make a lot of money. I have two options from what I see.

Its a great car and I did a lot of maintenance on the car(timing belt, water pump, full tune up etc) recently b/c I didnt plan on going turbo so soon. Now I almost have to have one or Ill lose my mind. I know its bad when I stay up all night watching videos and reading forums on 2j sc's

Anyway my options are to sell the car for 3500 keep my wheels and spoilers. Go buy a turbo 2j and buy a shell and drop it in and drive for now then upgrade later...or ....Save another grand and buy a motor and keep my car.

I am just torn between the two. My only issue is I dont know if I will find another shell as clean(exterior) and color as mine.

I personally dont want to go with a nat setup, I could, but I feel that a motor is built for or not for a turbo.

Input?

 

just keep saving dude, patience is Talent when it Comes to these builds, i gotta save ANOTHER YEAR, cause i got a DUI. Things Could be Worse; i don't make a lot of money either .i think you shuold fix all the problems on your motor, make sure it is in TIP TOP Shape; that's what i Did recently, Then worry about your N/A Set up. I got ANOTHER Year of Saving To Do, i had 3k saved. then the DUI came Along and ripped away my "Dreams". :'( This is just my input that you asked for. i hope it helps! Good Luck fellow SC owner.

 

Sell it and buy a nice commuter car like a Kia that you won't be tempted to hot rod until you understand/and or can afford what it takes to build a nice little turbo car. Otherwise you're asking for it.

Edit: based on your post above, you don't have a realistic grasp of cost or time involved with completing a project like this in a proper fashion. Don't dig yourself that hole. Just being honest. I tore my daily down almost 4 years ago to do a turbo swap being a complete noob and didn't have a running car for a year til I got smart and bought a focus because I lived on day laborer wages. My swap came with a blown ct15b which I didn't have the foresight to account for financially. At the time there were no options less than a grand to remedy that and I was stuck.

 

Its funny that you say that b/c I I do sell the car I plan on buying a civic from my friend to drive around. Its not that I have to hot rod, I just want a turbo sc. If I wanted to hod rod I'd go and get in my 300 hp AE86 and go to town. I dont plan on going crazy with the sc either. I just want a clean 500hp daily driven car with ac.

 

Im sorry to hear that man, I do appreciate your input. Hope you get your situation figured out soon and start on your project.

 

Wow ..wow..I'm in da same boat..my friend.well keep your car and and buy the motor don't start ripping your car apart instill you have everything in your house.and start saving again..wait and wait instill you are sure you ready for it.thats my plain and my friend don't let the summer drive you crazy or your friends that already have turbo cars.

 

thanks bro. i will; With patience, Comes Great Success. I'm Grateful to be Alive another day and have a stock 1995 sc 5 speed, with 122k miles ^_^ i can say im truly in love.

get a 92-96 Honda prelude Si. :P i got one as my daily Driver; Love my Honda.
Good Luck Bro.

 

I will tell you, that's i've put a few projects together while i was low on money, or not making much...And it was a god damn nightmare. It's ALWAYS, always more work, time, and money than you think it will be. Not to mention, if it's your only mode of transportation it can really put a hurt on you when you cant get it to run for a week etc. I say keep it and enjoy it for what it is for now.

 

Im not sure why your against and na-t setup, Its probably the cheapest and safest route to go in your position.

You already know your engine is in good condition and YOU performed the maintanence on it, Buying a jdm gte isnt always gonna be perfect. You truly dont know how many miles it has or what maintence has been done. same goes for said "shell" your considering.

Right now im about done with my "budget" na-t build. Going GTE ecu with an XS power kit on my daily.

There are tons of used quality kits or even second hand kits that people just never used always on craigslist or the classifieds here.
You can get away with boosting your car for under 2k if going na-t and be just as fast as any swap your looking at.

going na-t means you ONLY have to worry about hooking a turbo kit up, not trouble shooting unknown engine problems, wiring issues or even a/c ****. If your current drivetrain is legit then it will stay the same just with a turbo. GO NA-T!

 

My main concern with the Na-t setup is tuning. I would prefer not to run a piggy back system on a motor I have invested money into. If I were to go with a na-t setup I would probably like to put a GTE head on it first then go from there. I have a built GTE head, bc valvetrain, 272 cams, port and polish, with 3 angle valve job.

What kind of safe numbers can be expected on a NA-T setup. My current Na motor has just under 200k. I have done almost everything to it except a headgasket.

 

As much can be had from any na-t setup as a GTE motor.... there is people with 500+ hp on stock motors na-t with PROPER TUNING. . I plan on starting with a simple 10-12 lb setup on the GTE ecu because i feel the same way about piggybacks on n/a ecus.

If you already have the head then by all means throw it on, but by nobody's standard is it required to make good power. Could definetly be a good refresher for a higher mileage motor. Just perform all the proper tests on your engine and go for the na-t once confirmed its all in proper working order.

these motors ARE built for turbo.... but the ECU is not.... so simply go gte ecu and have a 20X better base to piggyback from or invest in an aftermarket standalone setup

 

there are quite a few shops around georgia that tune 2js and are familiar with 2js, i second the nat since youve already done some maintenance to the car. That is a real nice peace of mind to have

I have a 1j swap in my sc and i really question the maintenance on this motor. no issues so far *knock on wood. i want to do a 100k maintenance soon

 

i just bought my SC last month, and i am saving and waiting. it really does suck waiting though, i know how you feel. i just started saving for my swap, only 5-6k to go

 

I was in the same boat too...I say save. The sc is a good daily. Buy another hot rod project.

 

So what good shops are around here(georgia). Asking cause i know some people but would like to know shops people actually go to.

Back on topic. I am considering buying the gte head with cams, intake manifold and the sensors for a decent price..just still researching seeing how smart that is lol.