Hey all, I found a guy whos selling an ST205 3sgte front clip.(and no, i'm not going to give you his contact information >> ) It's a 5-speed with a little over 40,000 miles on it. I'm really, really interested in it, so I told him I'd give him 2 grand for it.(I thought I'd start a little low, so that we could negotiate). He e-mailed me back and told me that was WAYYYYYY to low.

So my question is, is an ST205 really worth THAT much more than a ST185? Or is this guy asking way too much? Thanks for the help. Please let me know ASAP.

I would say the average price is about $3000-$3500 plus shipping for a good front clip with the engine bay complete and no body panels. If you can get a complete hood and bumper or other pieces (like rear differential, driveshaft, GT4 brakes, JDM tails, GT4 wing and blocks, etc) the clip would be worth more.

That much, huh? Why does it seem I can pick one up on Jarco or Venus for less? What about without shipping cost, cause he's in California, and I'm in Oregon, so I'd probably go pick it up.

3rd gen 3sgte clips usually go for right about what j said, around 3k

Okay, I guess in that case, my next question is, should I actually buy it for 3 grand? I'm definitely not rolling in the cash, but I could probably penny pinch and buy it. Or should I just get an ST185 and save almost $1000? Why exactly is the ST205 so much better besides about 20 more hp?

Newer. . . lower mileage. . .

And places like Jarco are junk, don't buy from them.

You need to SEARCH.

the clip is only half of the cost, you're gonna need like 5-8K total for this . . . with 225hp you're gonna want upgraded or at least better braking system, IC lines if you're gonna go FMIC (or buy gt4 hood), and tons more.

Dr.

Well depending on what clip you go with, There is one of the best toyota shops in the nation located in portland, and have done Doge's swap and mine coming up and they regular do other swaps on other toyota's PM me if you want to come down and kick it at the shop.

DTE

If the front bumper and hood are included in good condition then you could either sell them to make back some money (~$1500) or just put them on your car.

now why is Jarco junk?
they're prices are a bit up there, but they do things right.

if you do get a 6gc w/ 3rd gen motor, make sure you get all the body panels, and TRY to get the projector headlights.

the 3rd gen is a better motor out of the box but if you have to penny pinch it to get the 3rd gen clip then just buy a 2nd gen. you should have an extra grand for buying things like new clutch, misc tune up parts, and anything unexpected that may come up.

This post has been edited by lagos: Aug 14, 2005 - 1:50 AM

-drnovascotia+Aug 13, 2005 - 10:17 PM

I disagree with alot in this post. First, Jarco is not junk. I am not sure where you recommend getting the clip. Second, there are ALOT of reasons to buy a ST205 clip rather than a ST185 clip. The most obvious are:

1. Newer, lower milage engine (like you said)
2. ct20b turbo rather than ct26
3. a/w intercooler
4. 540 injectors rather than 440's
5. no AFM
6. better head / cams

If you are shooting anywhere under 330whp, the 3rd gen is the better choice, hands down. The only downside is parts availability in the states and that really isn't too bad if you know where to look.

Third, the GT brakes are not that bad and if you don't drive like a maniac, they will be fine until you upgrade.

This post has been edited by jgreening: Aug 14, 2005 - 11:19 PM

Okay guys, thanks for all the info. I offered him $2700. I know that's still low, but I want him to make a counter offer. So I'll let you know what happens and keep you updated. >>

Okay, so he said that he's not going to go below $3500 for it, so I'm not willing to pay that much. But he says he's also got an ST185 RC edition for sale too. I've never even heard of this, can anyone tell me about it, and how it compares? Thanks

its a 2nd gen motor with a water to air intercooler.