Engine modifications within NZ

[samsrsv]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here so I apologise in advance if I have missed a thread that covers this.

I have a nice tidy little '99 yellow MR-S. It already has Buddy Club P1 wheels with nice sticky tyres and adjustable suspension.

My only real issue is I cant afford an Elise! So, I'm trying to look into options for making the little Toyota go a little bit better. I don't want it to be a huge horsepower weapon, just to have a little more go to match the insane handling.

In New Zealand is there anyone that specializes in working on these cars? I haven't been able to find anything yet while trawling the internet.

And when it comes to options, would I be better to simply turbo the 1zz or look further into a 2zz swap?

Thanks for the help in advance!

Sam

[Dell'orto]

2ZZ swap would surely be the first step? Then see Lynn Rogers once that's done

[85AW20v]

Wouldn't you be best to get hold of the 2ZZ, give it to Lynn Rogers and then swap it in?

See ya
Simon

[Dell'orto]

Depends how deep your pockets are!

[samsrsv]

The 2zz swap definitely sounds like a good option. I just wonder if there is a half way option in terms of price?

I'm not ready to give up the corner speed of the MR-S to go for something faster!

[Dell'orto]

In terms of price? Given how cheap 2ZZ's are now, you'd barely get a decent exhaust for what a complete engine would cost.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-par ... 885959.htm - add loom and ECU, you're looking at perhaps 1500? I would suggest you could do the swap for 5k, which would give you a 40kw gain straight away. Something you'd struggle with from a 1ZZ!

[samsrsv]

Oh I would definitely agree that to purchase the 2zz engine itself would be affordable enough. Its the revised wiring loom, engine mounts, headers, airbox and intakefor vvl and the cost to have someone do the swap that is the slight unknown.

The only costing I could seem to find on here was to be budgeting for $7k?

It seems as though at that cost you can get a full exhaust ($2000 max), intake ($500), lightened flywheel ($400). You could probably even get the head ported/polished ($???) and a sportier cam/valve springs ($600/$600) for it.

But would the sum of all of that add up to the performance of a bone stock 2zz running through the standard MR-S 5 speed?

I have no idea! Haha. My only experience in any form of engine tuning is with motorbikes...

[Dell'orto]

Intake/exhaust/flywheel would give you bugger all gain really. Maybe 20hp if you had a decent header made, which would eat 2k easy. A camshaft upgrade would be expensive, the FE motors use a gear to drive the camshafts with one sprocket for the timing belt, so not as straight forward as a conventional twin cam engine.
If they are like other modern japanese cylinder heads, you have to spend quite a lot of time on porting to get any benefit, again probably 2k burnt for very little gain.
So maybe a theoretical 50hp gain, for near enough 5k, still shy of a stock 2ZZ

[JasonFriday13]

Several of the people on here are also mechanics in some form, so we just buy the parts we need and do all the labour ourselves (my current car was built that way). That's part of the reason why we can't give proper estimates for workshops to do the labour.

In my opinion I think it's a waste modifying a non-turbo engine, the money spent on it could have been spent on a turbo setup. I would suggest just swapping a bone stock 2ZZ in first and see what the difference is (from the old engine). If you decide that isn't enough, then you can forge the bottom end and put stronger valve springs in, and add a turbo.

[samsrsv]

Sounds like I need to go the 2zz route then! Hardly something to complain about

Was just trying to put all the options out there so I could get as much advice as possible!

In that case, is it Lynn Rogers at Harris Performance that's the best man for the job? I don't have anywhere near enough mechanical skill to undertake this by myself (though I'm very jealous of the cost saving for those who are!)

Again, thanks for all the awesome info everyone. Hugely appreciated.

Sam

[Dell'orto]

Lynn did all the motors for the TRS series cars, so knows them very well. I think a stock 2ZZ would be enough of a step in performance to keepo you happy for a while though!
As for a workshop to do the engine swap, Strange Workshop in New Lynn do very good work

[JasonFriday13]

I've heard of Strange Workshop as well, they did some work on a Nissan Skyline with a 13B turbo conversion. It was featured in Performance Car Magazine.

[Swampy]

Shit. So making decent NA power is going to cost like $1,000 for each 10hp gained? I've spent ages dreaming of staying NA and foaming over how Ferrari use NA engines but make a lot of high revving power but from reading this thread it seems I will have to either save a ton of money or reluctantly go turbo.

[GDII]

Shit. So making decent NA power is going to cost like $1,000 for each 10hp gained? I've spent ages dreaming of staying NA and foaming over how Ferrari use NA engines but make a lot of high revving power but from reading this thread it seems I will have to either save a ton of money or reluctantly go turbo.

2GR-FE. Done.

But to add to the topic, a 2ZZ-FE is more than capable to produce more power and fun over a 1ZZ. It's odd that Toyota chose to only include the 1ZZ-FE as the engine for the MR-S but it's not too hard to swap over a 2ZZ and even a 6 speed gearbox from a Corolla or Celica if required.

[Alsw20]

Yeah if you want a 12 second MR2 that runs on regular pump gas, fit a 2GR and e153 box.