01 lexus IS300 4g63 swap/track car build

[installer88]

I will start from the beginning. My name is Jusitn, and I own an IS300 that is currently getting a 4g63 engine. I am performing 99% of the work since I am the head technician at a performance shop in Atlanta GA (Batlground Motorsports). The engine setup is an evo 8 block mated to a 2g dsm head. The engine is getting a 100mm crank, eagle rods, and ross 9:1 pistons. The head is getting evo 8 valves, and BC valves and retainers. The cams have not been purchased yet. Turbo is a garrett 35r, and the car will be powered on e85 via an AEM EMS. The transmission is a t56 out of an ls1 GTO. The bellhousing will be made by bill hincher, but he has not released one for the evo block yet. The car will be used 80% on track, but it will remain tagged and insured, for weekend drives. The body kit is a wald with 1" flares. I will be going wider. I am going to do some track testing with a friends ls1 IS300 to see if wider will be needed. Currently it fits 18x9.5 +25 on all corners, with 265 series tires. After this event I will know if I want to go wider or not. Brakes and suspension will be done after all the fabrication work for making the engine work is completed. Also the entire car will be painted during this ordeal. Here are the pics:

Back when she was stockish

Doing the flares

old beat up bodykit

pulling the 2jz

She had a twin, the white one now has an ls1

 

[installer88]

Engine bay got emptied

mounted abs and electronic powersteering pump

started stitch welding

random parts i have for the build

cut the end tanks off so I can make more v-mount friendly ones

test fitted a bad evo block

I didnt like how far forward it sat, so I did some more cutting (more to come, I want the entire engine at least 1" behind the stock front subframe)

 

[NWHTanK]

Kewl build

 

[installer88]

Interior, or lack there of

Did some more cutting

more parts, including a new body kit, minus flares, plus drysump parts

my car's twin, but running

(yes it is getting real headers/exhaust)

 

[installer88]

Started making the dry sump pan. It is approx 1/4" thick aluminum.

this section took a few hours to get the curves just right to match the curves of the front cover

I am not the worlds best welder, by a long shot, but not too bad.

The slope is to catch the oil as the crankshaft naturally slings it that way. There will be 2 big fittings on the larger side that go into the dry sump pump, as well as 1 more pickup on the valve cover.

The flat part is for clearance against the steering rack, that is an example of how far back I pan on putting the engine

Finished welding the outside.

yes, it is only 2.5" at it's highest point

and the inside, but not welded yet

Feel free to tell me what you guys think, the good and bad. As well as what you guys think I should do, I do not know everything, and am up to suggestions.

 

[Pipnorcali]

I like it so far

 

[installer88]

The mock up bellhousing came in, this will be replaced by a full one once it gets made.

I cut some more out of the firewall

engine is 100% behind front sub frame

Since the engine will be completely behind the front subframe, I have to fabricate something for the engine to mount to. The idea is to get 3" angle iron, cut and weld it to the chassis. Then I can make the mounts that bolt to the engine, bolt to my tabs that I welded onto the car. So far I have the brackets welded onto the car, with a little support brace so they should not bend.

Material cut out, the perimeter of the holes will get welded to the chassis.

Close up of chassis side engine mount

Chassis side engine mounts finished, except drilling the holes where the block side will mount at.

So there is a 4g63 in my engine bay supported by my engine mounts. This is the final resting place for it.

]The list of what is done is less than a tenth of the to do list, and I already can't count how many hours I have spent on this car.

Anyways, I put on a spare head and cut some more. The firewall is almost completely removed for now.

 

[installer88]

I took a stock 1g dsm intake manifold, and cut it in half. The runners will work fine, but the oem plenum was just too small.

I made the runners look better, then I started cutting out a piece to weld the plenum to.

cut out the ports, and started welding on the inside. The plenum material is 6" outer diameter, and overall volume goal is approx 313 cubic inches, thanks to ams for the research.

Here is with 3.5" cut out of the bottom so I can weld it together.

Going to cut along the lines.

]I started making the velocity stacks. I need to add more material in some areas to make it even. But here is a pic.

The theory is to get equal amount of air to each cyl, you need to make the air speed up into thje last cylinder. I did so by cutting 2 wedhes out of the middle, spinning them around on the bottom, and welding everything back together.

I finished welding the plenum to the runners, made the end plate, and started on the throttle body portion.

The intake manifold looks smaller once bolted to the engine.

attached a transmission and the intake manifold in hopes to remake the firewall soon

 

[TSimage]

Wow! You guys don't fk around!

 

[installer88]

Wow! You guys don't fk around!

Thanks, we try not to.my build might seem like a lot, but I started the build october 2010. Finding time to work on it can be challenging, but I enjoy it a lot.

 

[Lofty]

This is coming from a Cressida enthusiast....

Why didn't you just stick with 2j!
I mean I love 4g63s but 2j's can make just as much power as a 4g (I almost sometimes feel they are a superior engine)

This car is conflicting to me. I love both J series and 4g63s......

BY NO MEANS AM I BASHING

Don't take it as that way, as this car is AMAZING. I just.... 2j.... 3.0......


I'm so confused. I don't know how I feel. Your car turned me into a woman. The hell...

Actually, I believe I messaged you about a JZX81 front clip......small world...huh?

 

[installer88]

^^ I understand the question, I actually get it a lot.
Here are my reasons:
1- weight, the 2jz is a lot heavier than a 4g63 (I think approx 200lbs from the research I found online)
2- weight distribution, I am able to shove the entire 4g63 behind the front shock towers (the spot where cyl 4 was origonally)
3- 2jz's are becomming played out, they are almost as common as a chevy 350 swap,
4- why not? I had a bunch of 4g63 parts, so it sortof made sense


We did have a few cressida clips for sale a few months ago. Lol

 

[skippyman87]

I can say with having owned a couple dsms and now that I own a is 300 you have my attention. I would love my car boosted but the work you are doing is a lot more than I have time for right now. Very cool idea and you have to be proud of yourself for figuring this out and the work put into it. Thx for doing something different. Subscribed!

 

[installer88]

I can say with having owned a couple dsms and now that I own a is 300 you have my attention. I would love my car boosted but the work you are doing is a lot more than I have time for right now. Very cool idea and you have to be proud of yourself for figuring this out and the work put into it. Thx for doing something different. Subscribed!

Boosted is300's are fun. I have a few friends with simplier turbo setups on them. I figued that if I waited until I had plenty of time, I would be retired. So I started as soon as I felt I had a little extra time. But that was over a year ago, . Thank you for the support.

 

[____Kurt____]

Wow this build is amazing! since the front of the engine is sitting behind the center of the front wheels it is actually considered a mid engine car now. (front-mid) impressive work!

 

[rockit11]

Excellent. You know in Japan Altezzas were available with 4cyl engines.

 

[RWD4G63]

Wow this is pretty cool! I'm doing a somewhat similar build in my 240SX.

I love the front-mid engine position, I would probably do something like that if I wasn't trying to fit into some racing classes.

One question:

Are you going to run a remote shifter, or shift from the back seat?

 

[installer88]

Wow this build is amazing! since the front of the engine is sitting behind the center of the front wheels it is actually considered a mid engine car now. (front-mid) impressive work!

I never thought of it as mid engine, . Ther still will be some stuff in front of the front axle.

Excellent. You know in Japan Altezzas were available with 4cyl engines.

The altezza beams 3sge is one of the reasons I started this project. I bought 2 of them (1 auto, and 1 6speed) to realize that they are really expensive to modify, at least in the states, and that the transmissions do not hold power. I was ok with the costs till I realized a gearset is 9g's. So I sold the 6speed, and am trying to sell the auto.

Wow this is pretty cool! I'm doing a somewhat similar build in my 240SX.

I love the front-mid engine position, I would probably do something like that if I wasn't trying to fit into some racing classes.

One question:

Are you going to run a remote shifter, or shift from the back seat?

The t56 has a center plate that you can get a center mount shifter for it. From my measurements, the shifter will be at the back of the factory shifter hole, I might need to trim it for 2,4,6.

As far as classes, I am building the car for NASA events, and the classes are mainly determined by power to weight. If I am ok even if I get bumped to the unlimited class. The only racing where my car will not be alowed is drifting I think, but I am unsure about any others.




Q45 throttle body arrived. It makes the intake manifold not look so odd.

Today I started on the firewall. Making the new one is already taken longer than cutting the old one.

On a side note, how do you guys think I should have the turbo face? I am torn between a top mount in front of the shock tower, and side mount in front of the engine. Here are 2 examples. The turbo manifold is my next project.

 

[acdrew]

I cant wait to see the finished outcome of this build what size turbo are you going with on this car.

 

[RWD4G63]

The t56 has a center plate that you can get a center mount shifter for it. From my measurements, the shifter will be at the back of the factory shifter hole, I might need to trim it for 2,4,6.

On a side note, how do you guys think I should have the turbo face? I am torn between a top mount in front of the shock tower, and side mount in front of the engine. Here are 2 examples. The turbo manifold is my next project.
]

Woah, I had no idea about the transmission. That makes me want to build a car like this, haha.

Are you still routing the exhaust down and under the car? If so, there's no real point in having the turbo sideways, I'm sure a straight exit from the turbine housing is more efficient.

I like the idea of a long-runner intake like that, I think I'm going to test a sheet metal and a cut-and-welded stocker to see which I like better.

 

[installer88]

I thought I mentioned earlier, but I have a gt 35R. I am thinking of sending it to FP to get turned into an HTA. But that will most likely be later.

Here is a pic of the shifter. The square with the 4 bolts twords the top of the pic is where the center shifter goes. It is approx. 12" forward from the location on a camaro.

The dyno will not lie, hopefully all this hard work turns out with good numbers. I like when people try new things.

The exhaust must exit "behind and away from driver" so I guess it will be "normal" just aluminum instead of steel.

 

[canada4g63]

Now you can pop the hood and say 4g63 no shit. What rearend are you going to use? Also what kinda snail you going to run?

 

[installer88]

I should paint "4g63 no shit" on the valve cover. Thanks for the idea, it is getting a garrett 35R, t3 .82 AR. Rearend is a MKIII supra clutch type lsd, but now I am adding a weir performance clutch disck and spring upgrade. Possibly swaping final drive ratio with a weir performance ring and pinion kit. Camaro's come stock with a 3.41, I currently have a 3.91, and a 3.73. The 3.73 will go in, and I will see from there.

 

[99gst_racer]

Cool build. Kudos for doing something unique.
You're probably the only guy in history that has ever pulled a 2JZ out of something to replace it with a 4G.

I hope that manifold works out OK for you. I know Bushur tried that a couple years ago, and it didn't work well at all. Interesting idea nonetheless.

What is your reason for setting the engine so far back? It seems that you have plenty space to have the engine sitting forward and away from the firewall.

 

[installer88]

My reasoning for shoving the engine so far back is so the car will have the best weight distribution as possible. If the manifold does not work out, I will just remake one.


Got more work done on the firewall.

I am going to have a removable section to access the rear CAS as well as the thermostat housing.