Q: i got a 1992 lexus sc300 with 215k miles on it, still drives smooth and there are no problems with the engine. i need some help, should i turbo the stock engine (turbo kit $1000) or should i do an engine swap for a 2jz twin turbo (2jz $4k total).
A: First off, I dont know what you think you will get for $1000, but whatever it is, it will be a waste of money. Shoot, a good tune after a turbo install alone will run you that by a reputable shop. The cheapest turbo kit for the 2jzge is probably the XS power tubo kit, which is decent for a kid, but why bother with crap when you can have a good turbo like a T67 or a GT35 with quality parts? Bottom line, if you keep the factory motor, invest wisely in parts that will actually last, you will DEFINITELY need a new stronger transmission, that alone will be several thousand dollars, regardless of whether you swap to a GTE motor or not. FIY, a 2JZGTE done right, will cost in access of $10K USD, and easily over 7-8k half assed. People think that all you need for the swap is the motor/trans/ecu set from ebay that costs $2k.....WRONG. You have no idea how many left over parts you will need on top of that. For starters, you will totallly need to redo the entire wiring harness if you still want everything to function, the list goes on and on. Tell you what, sounds like you're ona a budget, the best thing for you to do is buy a 1JZGTE motor. That motor is also TT and came factory on SC300's in Japan. You can buy that for $1000-$1500 all day on ebay for an entire set. Best thing is that it will be like factory, no heavy mods required. The harness will work, the IC piping will all line up, piece of cake. Most guys doing this spend $2500 max, if they decide to replace some parts like water pump, seals and gaskets, etc. That for you is the way to go since you havea high mileage motor. With the 1jz, add a front mount intercooler, bigger downpipe, full exhaust, and a boost controller and you can be making 350-375rwp which is twice the power thhat you curently have. Go to CLUBLEXUS man, they got tons of information there, step by step whiteups, and LOTS of members to help you out.