MJHSC400

In my opinion it would be easier and MUCH MUCH cheaper to swap a late 90's ls1 with only custom mounts, driveshaft and some basic wiring needed vs. all the fab/engineering/time that went into your car-- The fuel system may need some converting, and getting the speedo to work may be a bit tricky, but once it's done it's done, and we're not talking about $2500 to get the speedo to work here-- just a little legwork.

$4000 buys a nice used LS1 w/ T56 and uncut harness/ ecu -- Many guys swap LS1's into rx7's with very limited fab required and only simple wiring needed to get it running like it would in it's regular engine compartment- A bit of fabbing is all that stands in your way of making it mount up- Many guys do the mounting part for less than $1000 ..... I just believe it can be done.. Not everyone is going to just pay someone else to build their car. Including me. This VASTLY reduces the costs you speak of incurred... I know an LS1 will fit as it's dimensionally smaller than a 1UZ that resides natively to the SC also....

Limited bang for the buck??? A $250 camshaft, $250 programmer, $500 headers(speculating fitment) and the motor will make 450+ whp....... This combo should be good for mid 12's... Add 150 progressive shot-- mid or low 11's....

I don't see limited bang for the buck in there-- could you help me find it??

Blizzy

iTrader: (-1)

no argument here. I assume the supercharged 1UZ builds to be fact. I have simply intended to present another option.

If all you want is something other than a JZ engine that can kick tail, I would run an FI set up on a 1UZ and be done with it to get the maximum value.

nate579

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for all the input, I forwarded the information to my co-worker, he maybe reading this too. I for one find this very interesting and it would be a very involved project. He wanted to make a weekend/show vehicle and thought that would be unique. We went to a local car show where a young lady had a 90s Jag XJ with LS1 in it and it was sweet. I think thats where he got the idea.

c0wboy

It's been discussed before on SF, and the cost adds up quick. A "for instance" would be the matter of the ECU. We had a hell of a time adapting the Toyota 2uz to the MKIV Supra chassis. A safe budget for ECU and custom harness would be $4500. Higher if you want a Motec, Magneti Marelli, or the V-Pro EMS systems.

Bang for the buck is cool within reason, however many folks forget they drive a Lexus and that modding a Lexus should be kept to a certain high standard. Unfortunately the reality is that SC's are quickly becoming the busted *** 240's of the Toyota world. There are always exceptions of course and there are some that go all the way, but more often than not when talking about modifying an SC the first question that is asked is "How much?". That's usually the make or break.

Eric

MJHSC400

My actual point was stating your very fact-- a 2UZ would be hugely expensive once you actually stroke, bore it, and get pistons, rods, and a standalone ecu for it-- Then all that's left is getting someone that knows how to make it run on the ecu-- That list alone is getting close to $10,000 or thereabouts...

With an LS1, just swap the cam and add a programmer-- plus the initial cost at roughly $4000 with a T56 or the a/t whichever you prefer ( those packages are actually closer to the $2800 range w/ decent miles) you can have the 400whp potential without ever stroking it or touching internals-- pretty easily in fact.. So now you just need to make it fit-- which may not be easy, but I know it can be done, and I wouldn't be scared to buy myself a welder and a lift and tackle the job in my own garage- (if I had a garage)

It all sounds fun--

I think for goin fast I'm just gonna get an SV650 though--

Bean

iTrader: (1)

I think an LS2 would be a better swap than the LS1. It has the extra cubes already and a better set of heads. Then again, the JZ will be more cost effective than the LSX motor.

I think a stroker kit on a 1uz would be a cooler thing. Go NA with a 5.5L on a bored and stroked motor. Run the tundra block with 3uz VVTI heads/cams. Should push 400hp easily. TTC makes stroker kits up to 5.5L on stock 2uz bore. It has a narrower bore than the 3uz IIRC (the VVTI one in the GS400, etc). So boring out to stock 3uz size and using stock 3uz pistons (can be had cheaply enough and running the stroker kit too would make tons of power (more than stock cammed/heads LS1) and sound hella better (DOHC V8 PWNS the pushrod in musical melody)

If you do the work yourself, it will end up being the same or slightly more than an LSx swap. Remember there's R&D needed to swap the motor into the car, and unless you're trying to make a drag car out of it, it will still require a lot of work for it to behave in an OEM-style manner.

c0wboy

That's the key... to make it behave in a stock manner.

Just to put it out there, MVP this week will be releasing stroker kits for the:

1uz > 4.6L and 4.7L (race only)

2uz > 5.4L and 5.65L (race only)

3uz > 4.9L and 5.0L (race only)

Kevin@MVP is even thinking of offering up complete short block assemblies ready to drop in. Be sure to check the group buy section often this week.

Eric

SC400TT

iTrader: (4)

Great job Eric...Glad to see the 1UZ getting more options out there. Unfortunately, as you stated, and as I stated, as soon as you mention "money" and the amount necessary to get these levels of mods done, the talk starts to walk, only the other way...

Every now and then, you find a "walker", and the dream starts to become realized...Nothing against talking, but pretty much all of thes subjects have been hashed over on CL at one time or another.

The 1991-2000 SC400 and the SC300 are wonderful and beautiful cars...It is unfortunate so many of them are now ratted out. I do appreciate the members on the forums that strive to make their SC's unique, and better than new...

Ryan

Bean

iTrader: (1)

Your kits are the ones I had in mind

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

My father-n-law has a mechanic friend who put a small block chevy engine into an SC. I believe he said the car was producing 400 hp. Obviously, I don't know much about it but my dad said he saw the car, even rode in it and it rode well...smooth and fast.

The mechanic friend doesn't have some big business with unlimited resources. He is a shade-tree mechanic.

Bottom line, this can be done.

SC400TT

iTrader: (4)

Anything can be done, with the right knkowhow and resources...Never said different.

Ryan

MJHSC400

I would so much rather stroke a 1UZ or a 3UZ and make it work in the SC --- It's just getting a computer to work with it economically after the fact of getting the extra cubes -- a stock ecu won't feed it right will it? Or can you fool it with bigger injectors that make the maps run close enough to the stock settings that the ecu can accomodate-- Seems like that makes sense-

A piggyback could do the rest concerning wot operation-- I'm just trying to figure out what you'd do for closed loop cruising with a 4.7 1UZ --

Anybody got a good answer for that besides standalone?

Bean

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I'll help you. You're not going to make 450whp camshaft only on an old LS1. Toss in an aftermarket intake, a built valvetrain (stronger springs, rockers, and pushrods are a must), throttle body, flow lid, and a dozen other things and you'll hit around 400whp. 450whp on stock heads is VERY unstreetable on an LS1, I've been in several and it cost ALOT more than what you're saying. Thats about $1500 or more on top of what the motor already cost. If you want to do it RIGHT, you'll use a set of AFR heads and other stuff and the cost begins to go up and up.

MAP ECU 2 has a learn mode that will copy the stock maps when the car runs normally off the stock AFM and will work just fine, it has been used on many different cars. The air-metering system on the V8 doesnt care about the extra cubes, it just measures airflow. If its got enough fuel for it, then it'll be ok. Stock injectors wont work though, but a MAPECU2 could handle it fine I'd imagine.

Blizzy

iTrader: (-1)

I wasn't going to say it; but it needs to be said considering how comprehensive this thread has been. I have been lurking all over the LS1 forums soaking in set ups, and everything Bean said is correct.

Honestly, my goal for my SC is to hang with the prototypical LS1 n/a build of intake/headers/exhaust/cams/gears/tb (<375whp). I have my hands full, but I like my chances at the same time.

I doubt I will be in the market for one of these kits for a few years, but I would love to build a race-ready n/a 5.4L 2UZ that revs with power to 6500 with gobs of torque off idle. Personally, this would be a dream engine.

MJHSC400

Here's a list in a good thread on ls1tech.com -- 420whp with boltons readily--
http://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=755829

My statement was that basically a $3500 LS1 can easily be modded to make big numbers--

That's proven-- LS6 manifold, ecu tune, bigger cam (single instead of the whopping cost of 4-- $350 instead of $12 freakin hundred) exhaust w/ headers, the motor makes big numbers at the crank and is driveable-- it's over 400 hp at the crank and near the 400 whp mark -- pretty consistent with the numbers I said earlier-

I know all this stuff cost money and I didn't mean to make it sound like it was all free, but the mods are actually already there and available-- whereas mods for the XUZ are like a dark art.... very tough to find without spending huge $$ to get it....