Tbh, I've not started it yet, only got the sti v4 heads ATM.
I was advised to go this route due to costs and reliability with along with esl.

I'm only looking in the region of 400-450hp. After that the money gets silly.

If there's better options then I'm all ears, and no I haven't done this engine swap malarkey before, only modding so yes I'm new.

This is to go in a 95 jdm WRX car FYI.

 

Yeah I saw your thread you've Maz's old classic. Was a bargain that! With that in mind you don't wanna be pouring stupid money into it do you. I think you've got it sussed mate, v8 bottom end, keep the v4sti heads. Turbo to suit, esl a good stuff, more than up to the job and great value. 400-450bhp on sensible budget is achievable. I just sold a complete JDM 6speed setup for £1200 which would have been ideal for you, cheap at that too.
Give thought to fueling, fuel pump injectors etc that's a very important aspect. I think clutch choice is important too. You don't want something undriveable.
Were still building mine up but there's so much stuff to consider and usually an ever changing spec. I found listing parts down helpful, then looking over the list to what will work together etc.

Joe

 

Yes that's correct joe, exactly, I'm not wanting to pour silly money into it, just want good reliable power.
The box I will sort later (until I break the 5 speed ) have just put a 290 pump in there, looking/researching injectors, may have to convert it.
The clutch I will probably buy new.
I've got a gt3071r good for upto 450.

Tbh all the bits like clutch, injectors, belts, service etc I class as mod gear as you would put them bits on when upping power.
Just wanted to make sure I've made the right choice on the engine department, but as usual listening to other clowns seem to know better but it made me think of my choice.
I've done as much research as I can and for me and the budget I'm going for this car is suitable.

You and me both know tim ran this same set up albeit bigger turbo (rotated) and more extra mods and was running north of 500 before he sold it and is still running to this day.

 

I think cheap reliable power is relatively easy to obtain. I've gone down the route of a forged 2.5 but that's because I got it at a price I couldn't say no to. If it holds out, great stuff. if it doesnt i know where theres a 2.2 block ready for a 2.35 build with my name on it. Unfortunately my build has run away with its self costing way to much.
If I was to do it all agin, would I do it like that, NO! I'd exactly what I put in that last post and keep it real, that's the key!

 

"Clowns" that have found out first hand should be the people you listen to.
Take the budget you've come up with and double it.

 

Lol, once you start..........you just see things that tempt you and get your wallet out and then you make things suitable for what you've just bought and before you know it, your set up is totally different to how it was.

 

You're running a WRX engine right? And didn't you say earlier you don't know how long it will last?
P.s I've seen your previous projects and the billy bodget way of doing it.

So you're say my engine is going to cost around £4k? Well it probably will when you add all the parts up like turbo, injectors, ecu, cam belt, service etc all the parts which are required anyway when upgrading and refreshing.

 

Yeah but ultimately it's about being fun. At one stage I got fed up with it and left it for a month or whatever. When I felt like it I came straight back to it full of enthusiasm.

 

I can't be bothered to argue. I'll watch your project with anticipation. As I remember you criticised me throughout.
I predict your engine to cost upwards of £2k depending on how much you do yourself.

 

Ok, so the way I see it at the moment I have 3 options.

Break it, should make a damn good chunk of my money back with the mods I have even at second hand prices.

Stick an sti lump in, my only concern is finding one that will be reliable, don't want to buy a block just for it to be dodgy and end up in this boat again, also will I have to mess about with loom/Ecu etc.. Add 6 speed, decent brakes/suspension and build the car I eventually wanted anyway, albeit sooner than planned and at expense..

Or try and source a cheap, fairly standard block, remove mods and sell and try to return the car to standard and run it for a while, making the car fairly reasonably priced and hopefully pretty reliable, albeit still with the concern of potentially getting a dodgy block...

 

Yes, very good! Trying to search for this..

 

^^ in the for sale section, his user name is Motors S GT

 

Your cheapest option is going to be a long engine of known provenance. Any option that involves bottom end and heads means £400 for gasket set plus machining and someone to build it up for you if you can't DIY.

The other point to be considered is do you just bolt it all together and hope for the best, or do you do the sensible thing and have the heads refreshed @ circa £400 and fresh shells and a crank polish while it's all in bits and out of the car, add to that things like a new oil modine, cambelt kit, oil pump, water pump and you can see how the costs quickly escalate, and that is Before you pay someone labour to do everything involved in this scenario.

It's all well and good folks saying just this just that which is fine if you have the *****, tools and time for research along with some mechanical experience to take the job on, but if you don't then the smart thing to do is "go the whole Hog" so that you only end up paying the once and that is going to cost A LOT full stop, no way around it.

Other option, sell the parts and buy one already done, because trust me your not going to see ANY change from £8k+ all in by the time your done with this car, that's including what you've already spent but NO 6 SPEED.

 

Something like this can be had for ish £9k, the lad has £30k worth of receipts just to give you an idea of the true costs involved in similar spec that your headed in the direction of if you want to end up with a sorted classic.

https://www.scoobynet.com/scoobynet-...bhp-price.html

 

https://www.scoobynet.com/subaru-par...ort-motor.html

 

I was In a similar position with my RA recently. Unfortunately it spun a bearing so it was either rebuild that motor or go a different route. Some may remember the thread I put up asking for suggestions.

Well, I purchased a good low mile STI 8 bottom end from a respectable member on here for £700.
I then gave Tim Farmer my heads for him to skim and fully refresh with all manner of fancy bits.
I purchased all new gaskets, seals, belts and cometic head gaskets from ICP for roughly £300. I pretty much changed every gasket and seal on the engine and even went as far to replace the block dowels. You may as well change everything you can while the motor is out as it'll be a pain once fitted.
Tim then came to mine with my fresh heads and we fitted them to the short motor and then fully assembled it with new cam belt. I also replaced the toothed cam belt pulleys just to be safe. Him and I then refitted the built engine to the car.
His bill was just £500.

So all in I now have a strong low mile newage STI short motor with fresh STI RA heads, all new belts and gaskets etc and in total it cost me approx £1600.
But I did do some of the work myself like removing the engine and stripping it down.

I could of spent more and replaced the water pump, oil pump etc etc but I didn't need to as mine appeared fine.
£2000 is a fair budget as long as you can do some of the work yourself.

 

There's a jdm long block on here (sti 7) at 1500. Can arrange fitting for 300. Looks like a decent deal to go at then? I take it that will keep me safe upto 400hp for the time being and just hope my 5 speed holds out while I save

 

So I wasn't wrong in my estimation of £2k depending on DIY.
How does it seem Matty?

 

Safe to 450bhp at least, a few on here have run 500+ on them and some still do, so more than strong enough for your needs.

 

Cool, only done 50odd k miles, recent gaskets already and taken out of a project that can't be finished, people have posted on the thread saying he is a trusted seller as well which helps, looks like a goer.. Should be no firseeable ecu issues either with any luck, and won't need running in

 

Thinking a nice set of brembo's and bc's for now, hope my box holds. For a year or so of saving for six speed (run de-tuned for a bit) decent clutch now as it'll transfer over, anything else I'll be likely to NEED for that sort of power?

 

That power in a classic? I'd say disposable pants lol.

 

Excellent!

 

My quote wasn't firm, it was a rough gestimation on heads and block and the rest of the stuff will get done when assembling and fitting so to me the other bits is standard procedure as I can't see anyone just bolting it all together. (I'm not thinking of the 'bits and bob' prices if that makes sense)

And 1 'abundance' has come along to show you it's not a rare option. It's in fact a popular/easier choice in a classic as no one wants to faf around with avcs, newage loom and ecu swap.
This way it saves a lot of hasstle and ables to use current ecu with piggy back and same loom. The only difference is, is which heads is chosen v3/4 sti heads are more aggressive and gives more of a redline that v1/2 heads.

Feel free to have a pop at me, I don't mind if it's revenge you're after but I have thick skin

 

Yea 2K is a fair shout when you factor in all the little bits and bobs and labour if you cant do it all yourself. No doubt it can be done for less and in all honesty I probably didn't need to replace every gasket and seal but it seemed a false economy not to. Also, my heads may well of been fine to just bolt on but while they were off it was a no brainer to have them re-freshed.
And on the other hand, you could spend an awful lot more if you want to replace the pumps and clutch while it's all out.

As for "how does it seem", in all honesty I don't really know mate Haven't driven it properly yet.... I've been round the block in it a couple of times and all seemed fine and it sits and idles with no problems. Sounds sweet as nut to be fair.
Just finishing off a few more things and then I can get it MOT'ed, taxed, mapped and the geo done.
Shouldn't be too long now, I'll stick a project thread up when it's all finished.

 

I wouldn't criticise, I know just how hard it is to do all the work yourself. Only those who have never done it ever said anything negative to me, and in truth it drives you on more than any compliment.
I have no reason to doubt the newage engine, far from it. But there's 100 threads on here with people saying "whack a newage bottom end to earlier heads" and of those 100 very few actually do it (probably as they realise it's not just £1k).

I'm sending you a PM of a few examples of how the budget prices creep up. Unless you've done it before it's hard to budget for things that simply do not enter your mind.

 

That's what project creep is about really, I may as well spend a little more and do x and before you know it you've gone over budget.
I look forward to reading your thread mate.

 

I think all Kwik was getting at is that costs do mount up, especially if you are very thorough with the build and can't do much of the work yourself.

Since I've just completed what you're about to undertake I can give you one essential bit of advice.
Only use genuine gaskets and seals. I learnt the hard way and thought I'd save a few quid by buying non genuine items from ICP and advanced automotive. I soon discovered that non genuine items are utter sh1te and then had to re-buy everything.
Don't cut any corners and keep a few quid aside incase something crops up

 

That's the point I was making. I'd also say use OEM valve seals, super tech are ****e.

 

Oh I'll be buying geniune don't worry, I learned buying a exhaust gasket for the waggon when I was modding it (upgraded one apparently lol) blew to shreads.
I hoping to give Alyn a call for the 'bits n bobs' if he's got them all?
Fancy doing me a 'bits n bobs' list
I'm getting a clutch or a near new one if ok as I see a few come up for sale, fresh timing belt kit and pump etc etc.
I'll slowly collect bits inc mod bits and then get it built when all is ready, no rush tbh.
I've already spent probably north of £2k on crap that's not needed yet lol.