from what i've read, the 3sgte swap is expensive... not only that, not many people have done this (especially in the north east... PA etc)... so I've been thinking about the alternatives, and if I buy an mr2 turbo (the entire car) and work on that, would that be the smarter investment? I know it has greater power potential than the 3sgte in quarter mi. time. what do you think?

im also concerned about emissions, so thats why a US mr2 sounds like a better option.

This post has been edited by powerkor: Nov 21, 2004 - 3:49 PM

Well if you get an Mr2 turbo i can assure you its going to be cheaper and you'll already have the 3sgte to work with installed =P

Sounds like you should go for the mr2. The 3s swap seems unrealisticly expensive to me.

swap is a big project and is a lot of work. if you can buy an mr2 in great shape, then go for it, its a great car.

on the other hand, doing a swap lets you learn a lot about your car, and you have something unique that you can take pride in.

Don't forget you'll be losing 2 seats and gaining RWD. MR2 is a 2 seater right?

yes sir... there was n0 rear seat option in a mr2 there was simply no room lol.

How is a ct26 better for drag. You can only run around 8-10psi on stock internals. You can run far higher on the 3s which would be better for drag

the motors would be the same... the mr2 is lighter, mid engine, and RWD... and you have a ct26 either way

-mikew04+Nov 22, 2004 - 2:03 AM

incorrect, the MR2 is heavier.

really? i just assumed... would it still be heavier than a swapped celi?

EDIT: would it also depend on the year? edmunds has the 94 gt hatch weighing about 80 pounds less than a 94 mr2, but a 98 celi weighing 100 pounds more than a 2 of the same year. and then they have the '95 mr2 200 pounds heavier than the 94... but then again its edmunds so who knows

This post has been edited by mikew04: Nov 22, 2004 - 2:34 AM

MR2 is 2800+ lbs

gee, people say alot of different **** on this site, the integrity of the content (posted by others) is questionable. Is there no knowledgable celi or mr2 owners on this board, for the love of god.

any how, rwd is better for drag if you're good. I love my celica, its just gonna be hard to give it up to an mr2 if that's what I decide.

i def. like the style of the 6gc better than any mr2 i've seen, but facts are facts, quarter mi. times don't lie regardless of what people say. I haven't seen a celica in any big sports mag in a long time. It seems to me the Z people know their ****.

It's really disappointing in the lack of after market support for the 6gc... even if I were to go through with the swap who is to say it will be better than an older car... If i wasn't so emotionally attached I'd get an older 300z and upgrade a few parts, run lower times for a third of the cost....

Well this is true, I love the 4cyl and the fact that its not nissan. The suspension is really great stock... I love my 97ST, I take it on back roads all the time zippin' through turns like its nothing... maybe that's all I am meant to do, but it would sure be nice to have some power under the hood.

This post has been edited by powerkor: Nov 22, 2004 - 6:01 AM

while its true that there are not many 5sfe and 7a aftermarket parts, there is a ton of stuff out for the 3sgte, because of all the mr2 tuners out there.

As long as you stick to Toyota everything will work out!But all that really matters is 3sgte engine!You definately have the power!And personally the mr2 for me is on of the best loking import besides the Supra mk4 and the celica 6th gen.

If your looking to drag the celica you need LSD no buts about it.

-powerkor+Nov 22, 2004 - 11:00 AM

No knowledgable owners? You must be falling into that group as well. If you're impressed with the 6gc's stock suspension, your standards for handling up ricer-high

[quote=powerkor,Nov 22, 2004 - 4:00 AM]
gee, people say alot of different **** on this site, the integrity of the content (posted by others) is questionable. Is there no knowledgable celi or mr2 owners on this board, for the love of god.



I know more about celicas than most people know about cars in general. >> However, there are MANY people on this board alone that know ten times what I know. This is the kind of statement that gets you flamed.

-SlowCelica94+Nov 22, 2004 - 6:44 AM

Huh? the gen I and II 3sgte stock turbo is a CT26...you can run them 15-16psi all day long on stock everything! They run out of umpf at 15-16psi though. You can push 20+ psi on a stock internal 3sgte with water injection,good intercooling, high octane, and upgraded turbo.

-bufferdan+Nov 22, 2004 - 1:15 PM

And a full remap. And I wouldn't risk it on stock internals personally.

But then I'm paranoid.

-bufferdan+Nov 22, 2004 - 1:15 PM

He's talking about a 5sfe turbo'd man.

I dont think the 3sgte celica would be better for drag or autocrossing! The only thing the celica with a 3sgte would be better for is MAYBE racing from a roll because of it being lighter and FWD. Its pretty hard to outlaunch a mid-engine rear-wheel drive car. I can launch so fast its scarey with mine. Its virtually like a AWD car. They are capable of 1.7-1.8 60fts which is awesome. Im running solid 13's with my mr2 turbo with mbc/exhaust. I doubt there are many 3sgte powered celicas able to pull off 13 second times because of the FWD platform. Now for autocrossing it would be easier to drive a FWD car but if you were capable of driving a midengine RWD car well you could put a smack down.

And about the stock celica's handling... Stock suspension 6gc's handle awesome! There arent many cars that will outhandle one of these things in stock form. Sure you can make them better but they are pretty darn good in stock form.

-Supersprynt+Nov 22, 2004 - 7:52 PM

excuse my first post i read it wrong

-bufferdan+Nov 22, 2004 - 9:09 PM

they pull like a mid .80 Gs.....

Isn't the MR2 Turbo only heavier because it has the 3s-gte in it? I'm pretty sure the non-turbo MR2's are lighter than GT/ST Celicas. So a swapped Celica with the 3s-gte should be heavier than an MR2 Turbo.

If you are eager to learn a lot about your car, go with the swap. Also make sure you have plenty of money and time to spare. Otherwise I would go with the MR2 Turbo.

If it was me, I would go with the MR2 because it's cheaper, RWD, a 2-seater, has better handling, and has t-tops >> Of course, it'll never beat the looks of a freshly washed and waxed shiny (preferrably black) 6th gen. >>

best i ever did autoxing in my celica was mid pack, now i havent been out of the top 5 with the MR2, i cant wait to get another celica again to see if its more the power and learning the specific car or if im actually becoming a much better driver in general.

i dont think the weight difference in the motors is >200lbs.... but i have never tested it either. alot of the excess weight on the MR2 is chassis reinforcement for the mid engine and the T-tops, i believe the Hardtop MR2 is significantly lighter, though i dont remember any exact numbers for that.

-SlowCelica94+Nov 22, 2004 - 4:10 PM


Compared to the stock 300z 85' and a beat 240sx 90-something', i guess anything will feel better