Good Price to Swap or Not?

[MilkTheCat]

I am new to the DSM World and now have a 95 Eclipse GS. The reason I do not have the GS-T is because I cannot afford the outrageous insurance payments. I have been saving for a while and was ready to do some basic mods to my car [ catback exhaust, intake...ect.. ] when I checked out a local import shop and brought up the question of going turbo. I have considered it before but the price was crazy for the new engine. He said he could have it swapped out with the turbo engine, and he said it would include all the necessary things to finish the get it running [ something about axles... I should have wrote it down... ] He said the engines he can get generally have 30,000 miles on them and would do the swap and install for around 4,500. Deal or No deal? I just want some input on whether the price is good or not. I'm not looking for responses that suggest that I sell it and buy a GS-T, because I cannot afford it, my insurance is already too high. I thought the Turbo Forum could offer me some expert advice on my situation.

"To Swap, or Not to Swap...That is the Question..."

-Thanks

 

[Violater101]

I don't know about all the drivetrain and the readiness to bolt up a turbo motor in your car, but I know that you can typically buy a used JDM motor and if you lucky with the a Big16G and 510 injectors for around 1200 bucks or so. The rest would be straight labor on there behalf, and any fabrication they would need to do. I'm not sure if your tranny would work, but I am guessing no, so thats maybe another 500 bucks used. If you look really hard, you can find some nice 1g's for around 5 or 6K full of mod's and the car is AWD. Just a thought, unless you like the look of a 2g like me

 

[EvolvingGST]

BTW can u put a AWD JDM engine into a GS-T or any FWD car? i thought i seen it done I just want to know

 

[MilkTheCat]

I like the look of the 2g Eclipse, and I remember him saying I believe the Tranny was included. He said everything necessary to swap it and labor - around 4500 max. If anyone knows them, they are NRG Performance in Tallahassee Florida.

 

[Batboost]

I know it will go in. Theres some wiring youll have to do though. Also im not sure bout the tranny but was also interrested in knowing more about this process of the GS to GST conversion.

If someone knows more info on this PLease post. Im sure many will say get a GST or somethin but what about the people who have done this or know some info we need to know.

TIA

 

[EvolvingGST]

isnt NRG one of the big players ^^; i think they will do a good job

 

[GoFastTSI]

<sigh> Please do some research. This shop is blowing smoke up your colon. The NT uses an entirely different ECU and wiring harness than the 4G63T vehicles. Also, you will need the transmission as well as all the above mentioned wiring/ECU. This is labor intensive due to the splicing involved. Sell your car and buy a turbo DSM. For the record, an AWD motor has no difference from a WWD, the trannies are the differing factor.

And another note, very few JDM engines come with the B16G and 510 injectors.

 

[MuRiX]

More trouble than it is worth unless you just want a project, have the time, and willing to do it yourself.

Best way to go is either to trade it in or build what you already have. The same money can get you a full turbo setup and internals on a 420A if you do a lot of the labor yourself.

 

[Violater101]

A local DSM'er got one (B16G and 510 inj) is why I said that...so I just through it out as a possibility. I agree in that I would just go buy a turbo DSM for the money. Sell your car and the new one become's even cheaper. But if that isn't an option, then its going to require some cash, as evident, by the price to do the swap. You can def find a whole car with mod's for close to that price.

 

[MilkTheCat]

I went back today to NRG and talked to the guy again and wrote some notes down this time.

Motor [ Less than 35,000 Miles on it. ]
Tranny
ECU
Harness
Axles
Mounts
Factory Intercooler
14B Turbo[ stock ]

He said everything needed to make the swap will be included.

takes about 2 weeks to get engine in,and 1 week labor on it.
Runs me between 4500 and 5000.

If anyone has ever done this to a GS, please feel free to enlighten me about the process. Like I said when I first posted, I am not going to sell my car and buy a GST. I already stated that the insurance is too much than I can pay in the long run. about 2400 a year is what I pay now. I would rather pay 4500 for a turbo engine and retain my current insurance payments. Not to mention my car has like 108,000 miles on it.I have already put more money into the car in some repairs than I can ever make back by selling it.I have heard of kits for the 420a engine such as the kit hahn has out, but I thought that I couldn't run that high of boost with it on my engine. If anyone has some experience with either the swap or the hahn kit please share the facts with me, ( people who have actual experience)This is only so I can make the right decision. I really Appreciate the responses.

 

[Violater101]

Well, if you get in an accident, I know you know, but don't expect them to pay for a new JDM engine. They might, but then your rates will most likley go up which is what you are trying to avoid. All in all, I wouldn't say that is that bad of a deal so as they stand behind their work. I know that some turbo kits alone are like 3 grand and your getting a whole motor/tranny etc with this deal plus installation. Good Luck

 

[PressureCooker]

I just had my engine built at NRG and I am having all sorts of problems, not to mention that it took 7 months to do it and they still charged me full price. All this on top of the fact that they promised me that it would be done in 1 1/2 months.

 

[MilkTheCat]

You are about the only person on this board besides me that is from tallahassee. I'm at school at Lincoln,how bout you?

 

[wannabe]

go for it if they say they can do it and it sounds a resonable price i mean hell your getting a fairly new ngine and a turbo charged car for 5k not too shabby you should get another couple years out of it .......... go for it if you have the money but i think you should talk to the insurance company and see what they will cover if you do that , good luck

 

[Hobbes =^.^=]

Why not buy a turbo kit from Hahn?

Is that 4500-5000 for labor?

With all that money, you can rebuild your shortblock and put a very nice turbo kit.

 

[Agent Ezzard]

Not only will wiring the new engine be a pain but living in SoFla I personally would like to keep my AC. All AC components would have to be acquired and would hit you hard in your wallet. I mean if you are the "hardcore" performance head then having no AC might be what you want but I can assure you that if you get the swap you will be sweating like a pig up there in Tally in months time. I would build and turbo the 420a before swapping. But that's me.

 

[hostile]

Originally posted by GoFastTSI
<sigh> Please do some research. This shop is blowing smoke up your colon. The NT uses an entirely different ECU and wiring harness than the 4G63T vehicles. Also, you will need the transmission as well as all the above mentioned wiring/ECU. This is labor intensive due to the splicing involved. Sell your car and buy a turbo DSM. For the record, an AWD motor has no difference from a WWD, the trannies are the differing factor.

And another note, very few JDM engines come with the B16G and 510 injectors.

They have to swap the engine tranny and ecu in along with the axles. Most swaps require this stuff. Thats why when you buy the engine it comes with ecu and tranny.

not to be a dick but I am sure the guy offering to do the swap knows he can do it... or he would have just offered to install a turbo kit.

 

[Hobbes =^.^=]

Why go athrough all that just to be a stock GS-T and run stock GS-T times (15s) When you can put a turbo kit on and be faster for the same price if not cheaper?

 

[MilkTheCat]

Actually I originally posted this like months ago, and quickly found that the better solution would be HRC Stage II for me. But I want to rebuild engine with forged pistons and rods before I do anything. I have talked with alot of people that have done this conversion and it seems to be a better path than engine swap IMO. I'm Hoping by this summer time I will be cruisin around, powered by HRC.

-D

 

[got traction?]

sell your car and buy a 1g awd for 2k

 

[eclipsebabyblue]

well i have a 98 rs and the car goes in next week for a 4g63t motor swap the price is 3,250 for the motor and the swap. he said he can use the same tranny and all hes done it three times so far with dsm's. he does however have to replace the ecu and harness. i see everyone saying buy a turbo dsm but people like me cant afford the insurance. i already pay 267 a month for a nt.

 

[DrZiplok]

Not to burst your bubble, but modifying your car like that is going to raise your insurance premiums anyway.

Unless you lie to your insurance company, in which case you'll discover after your first accident that your coverage is void.

On the purely practical side, you really have two options:

1) Go with the Hahn kit, run it tuned mildly to begin with. Save for build-up on your 420 if you don't get bored with the car.

2) Sell the car and buy something like a 510 or a first-gen Rx-7 that's cheap to hack on and cheaper to insure. It really pisses me off seeing teenagers here driving cars that they really can't afford, and then #@%#@%#@%#@%#@%ing about how expensive it is.

If it's too expensive, BUY SOMETHING CHEAPER. My first engine swap was a 2.0l JDM Mazda motor into a '75 929. It rocked. I had a blast, and still had money to take the girls out for a good time without having to borrow from my parents. You don't have to bleed money to have fun, and it's a lot less stressful if you don't. 8)

 

[mavisky]

They have to swap the engine tranny and ecu in along with the axles. Most swaps require this stuff. Thats why when you buy the engine it comes with ecu and tranny.

not to be a dick but I am sure the guy offering to do the swap knows he can do it... or he would have just offered to install a turbo kit.

first. the ecu it comes with won't match up to any us harness we have. secondly he'll be getting an awd tranny which would need serious mods to even power the front wheels only (although it is possible). third, with the uprising in "Import Shops" i wouldn't be surprised at all to find out that the kid who mentioned this has no idea that this isn't your normal b16 into a civic swap.

well i have a 98 rs and the car goes in next week for a 4g63t motor swap the price is 3,250 for the motor and the swap. he said he can use the same tranny and all hes done it three times so far with dsm's. he does however have to replace the ecu and harness. i see everyone saying buy a turbo dsm but people like me cant afford the insurance. i already pay 267 a month for a nt.

this is exactly the kind of shop i'm talking about. if the owner of it can find a way to make your chrysler tranny (which sits on the driver's side of the engine) to bolt up to your new jdm engine (which will need the tranny on the passenger side) then he's a god amongst men. although even if he could you'd have 5 reverse gears.

i'm going to give the owner the benefit of the doubt and assume he's swapped jdm engines into 1g's or 2g's that were already turboed. i coordinated on a project like this with a kid from another board where they'd promised something similar. once the kid started asking the right questions it soon turned out that the owner of the shop had no idea what he was getting into and backed out of both his timeframe and price quotes. eventually the kid bailed out on the idea altogether as the price and time tables were both astronomical.

 

[Tevenor]

Everyone that wants to put a turbo engine in a non-turbo 2G please do us all this one favor, look at a 2G turbo engine bay and make note of where the engine sits and where the tranny is. Then look at a non-turbo 2G engine bay. Make note of how the engine sits, and how the tranny fits.

 

[mavisky]

Originally posted by Tevenor
Everyone that wants to put a turbo engine in a non-turbo 2G please do us all this one favor, look at a 2G turbo engine bay and make note of where the engine sits and where the tranny is. Then look at a non-turbo 2G engine bay. Make note of how the engine sits, and how the tranny fits.

fantastic idea

here i'll help them....

2g turbo courtesy of boostineklipz

2g nt courtesy of Doug99rs