Me and my friends were talking about if it's a good idea to add a turbo on a Lexus es 300? Good idea or what?? Just what your opinions and im new to this site. Keep in mind im 17 years old and a noob!

 

Welcome to CL.

On the question of adding a turbo to a 2002 ES, I wouldn't. 3.0L V6 engines through the 2002 model year were subject to rapid oil-deterioration from heat and sludge/gel problems (particularly if the oil wasn't changed frequently)...and, though today's turbos run cooler than in the past, would still just add more heat to an already unhealthy situation.

 

Why not get a vehicle (used) that already has a turbo if that's what you want...doesn't sound like a good idea to me......

 

I have an 02 ES. If you put a turbo on it, you will blow the transmission within a few minutes. They are sooooo fragile, even in a stock ES. The 02's specifically were known pretty widely for their weak transmissions.

 

You literally spending money to destroy a car, don’t do it. Not saying it can’t be done but you would spend more than it’s worth just to make it work properly, then I don’t see gaining 50hp on an ES would be any good.

 

Result of one way thinking(more power) Generally if one starts mod'ing his vehicle there is no end to it. Turbo? Intercooler, exhaust system, suspension, different tires,
brakes, xmission mod. ECU mod.... , etc. list goes on and on until you realize buying another vehicle is better choice. I watched over the years when my boy going thru it. Finally he learned lesson getting older. Now he drives Bimmer M3 with only factory authorized mods. In winter he steps down to 328Xi with good set of winter tires.
What is HP rating? What about Torque? At what rpm? Always look at the power band of an engine.

 

NEVER heard that before, or from the later Toyotas that use them...

They have their shifting quirks, but being fragile is not something they are accused of. The immediate prior years, yes. The U151E is very reliable. Now if it can handle much additional power, I have no idea.

 

I feel like adding a turbo and/or a manual swap is something every new car guy goes through in his teenage years.

It's totally natural to want a fun car when you're just learning how to drive and getting your parents' old Lexus is the last thing you want to be driving. I get it, I've been there.
When you get older and get more experience with cars, you'll realize just how unrealistic and gullible that thought was. As explained in previous posts, there is way too much work that's required to pull that off reliably.

Wait until you can afford to switch to a different vehicle of your liking. It's much better and less expensive to start off with solid chassis, than trying to make a slow car fast