converting 6th gen celica GT to a GT-4

I will soon be converting my celica GT to a GT-4. It is a 95 GT Convertible w/ a 5sfe (2.2L) engine. The 5sfe doesn't offer as much power as I need. I'm trying to find a 3sgte (2.0L turbo), AWD tranny, and the AWD drivetrain to drop into mine. I know that the 3sgte engine lines up with the existing engine mounts in my car, and so do the transmission mounts. What I do not know is if I can slap the rest of the AWD drivetrain from a GT-4 onto my car and everything fits as perfectly as the factory produced GT-4. I know that anything can be made to fit though. I have run into some problems in doing this, the holes in the firewall for the GT-4 are on the opposite side of the firewall of the GT. This can easily be fixed by replacing the wiring and wiring harnesses with aftermarket harnesses that usually come along with an aftermarket CPU. I have figured up the approximate price to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $4G if i do the work myself. Also, does anyone know anything about dropping the V6 out of a camry into the celica? I know the engine mounts line up on it also. If anyone else knows of any other complications I can run into please let me know...below is a list of things I am looking for and please respond if you see that I have left out anything essential. It may be cheaper to order stuff directly from japan considering i'm in hawaii, but whatever works...but i don't speak japanese :(

-GT-4 front bumper and/or hood(needed asap)

-standalone engine management system w/ wiring harnesses

-3sgte engine even if it has to be rebuilt

-3sgte tranny (preferrably aftermarket)

-3sgte drivetrain

-performance engine parts: --performance rods and pistons --injectors (about 750cc)i heard supra injectors will work --racing cams & camshafts

-header

-and the 3sgte or GT-4 lettering to replace the GT letters on the trunk I feel like I'm forgetting something.

~Jay

Reply to
GT-two
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IIRC the floorpan of the GT is different from the GT4, meaning you'd have to cut out and weld in large custom sections of floorpan around where the prop shaft goes. Theres a guy whos done it on gt4oc.net, a greek guy i *think*, fair play to him it was no small task, basically he started with a cut-up ST205 and his original ST and 'cut and paste' welded floorpans and various chassis parts as they were not a direct swap. The front end is identical, its the rear thats different, missing various channels and stiffeners.

J
Reply to
Coyoteboy

You "need" more power? Assuming you can get past all the DOT and emissions requirements, $4,000 does not sound like enough money. Because the your generation of Celica was not sold as a GT-4 in the U.S., everything will have to be imported and nothing is certified for U.S. street use. A stand alone engine management system is going to be around $1,000; add another $200 to $800 for the harness; add $1,500 for the engine in fair condition (rebuild parts will not be available in the U.S. so a working engine would be smarter); $2,000 to $4,000 for tranny, viscous coupling, and rear drivetrain; $500 for rear suspension parts...

I've never heard of an aftermarket 3SGTE transmission. Since the car is not a large volume seller, I'd bet aftermarket transmission makers might not find it economically feasible to produce one, and if they did, it would be expensive.

To do what you want to do right, I think you're going to have to budget a LOT more $$, even if you do the work yourself.

Reply to
Ray O

Actually, Ray O, i think you are thinking of one of the japanese engines that wasn't used in the US. As far as the GT-4 not being sold in the US, I didn't know that. The engine...I can use one out of a MR2, they aren't that hard to find. The tranny...I,m pretty sure i can find an aftermarket one for the MR2 and make it fit my celly. Someone else already gaveme some bad news by saying that i can't just "plug in" the drivetrain to make it AWD without some major welding...sigh...I'll do that later on down the road...maybe. Since the GT-4 was only made in Japan i would have to do some steering conversions wouldn't I? Where there's a will there's a way, and I've been researching this for months and months and months...it can be done, and I will do it! Thanks for the tips though

Reply to
GT-two

The GT4 (ST205 (94+)) wasnt released in the USA - correct. The ST185 was released in the USA, you could use an engine from that but you're starting on lower power.

Its only gonna be an engine and transmission transplant and not maybe the front suspension setup but thats it TBH, i'd be happy to attempt that, and its perfectly easy to run the stock mr2/gt4 ecu. That said, running a st205 GT4 ECU you'd have to have the chargecooler setup installed (extra rads under bumper etc) unless you want to start routing front mounts around and clocking the turbo for a nice pipe route.Oh and you'd have to fool the ECU into thinking the pump was still there.

What steering mods do you think would be necessary? The GT4 (gen 6)uses the superstrut shock system (rather prone to failure every 40-50K at a cost of a good $1500), does the GT?

Anything can be done, and good on ya for giving it a shot, just dont expect it to be at all easy lol.

Reply to
Coyoteboy

Coyoteboy, thanks for the info on the st205 and the st185, i don't know much about the st codes, st205 is the 3sgte GT-4? and st185 is my 5sfe GT, right?. As far as steering goes, what i meant to say was that since the GT-4 in Japan is RHD (right-hand drive) and I don't believe any LHD's were made for export to the US or any other countries, but this is just me guessing, I never looked up what coutries GT-4's were exported to. If i owned a GT-4 then i would probably know. Anyway, I'm thinking maybe it would cause some complications with dropping an engine in that has only been produced with a RHD celica. Maybe there is something that would get in the way of it, I don't know, I've never done an engine swap with a different engine. And yes, I thought about using the stock GT-4/MR2 ECU but i'd much rather buy a aftermarket one, with the engine mods I am planning on doing to the 3sgte I don't want to go with a stock ECU. There is a possibility that since the engine would be sending out different info to the ECU than it did before it could try to adjust for that, thus killing my mileage...possibly. Ok, ok, thats just an excuse, i'd rather go with an aftermarket one just because...lol

Reply to
GT-two

GT-two wrote: and st185 is my 5sfe

Sorry, ive just added to the confusion. Yours is an ST202 or 203 i think, any ending in X05 are GT4s, the old square shape is the ST16X model, the pop-up lights and rounded model is the gen 5 ST18X and the quad headlight model like yours are the ST20X's. So the GT4s are 4th gen ST165,5th gen ST185, 6th gen ST205 and the lesser models just have lower last digits.

Now im seeing your point. Im not sure whether there were any LHD ST205s either, however as far as im aware the engine bays of the 185s and 205s are almost identical, and the 205 engine is almost identical to the 185 externally - so im guessing it wont be a problem for you.

PMSL - no-one going for a 3sgte is looking for milage (I get 18-20miles per UK gallon at best lol)

Ok,

;) thats better. Should do well!

J
Reply to
Coyoteboy

Toyota did sell an All-Trac Celica Turbo for a while although it was an earlier generation than the one you're working on. As far as the AWD drivetrain, the transaxle also has a center viscous coupling differential to split the power and send it to the rear axle.

As far as LH and RH drive, I don't think it will make that much of a difference.

Reply to
Ray O

Then you do need some work. Mine managed 24-27 using it commuting. On a good run to the "Bubble Inn" charity run last month I managed

32mpg.
Reply to
NeedforSwede2

Coyoteboy, thanks for clearing up the ST codes for me...now i don't have to waste precious time digging through the internet for the info :) ...18 - 20 mpg? u sure you're doing the math right? you guys go by kpg right? i guess i can keep it FWD for the time being...sigh. well, i guess i'll look around for an aftermarket tranny for the 3sgte. let me know if you guys find any links to a 3sgte tranny, maybe for a MR2 since it wouldn't have a center viscous coupling differential to split the power and send it to the 2nd axle. Or you know what, the my existing 5sfe tranny lines up with the 3sgte engine, but it can't handle the power of a 3sgte, even though i have upgraded the clutch and flywheel. So maybe i can find an aftermarket 5sfe tranny. Thanks for the help guys, i'll try to keep you updated.

Reply to
GT-two

I dont need work at all, running 1 bar boost plus supporting mods 18-20 is an average figure and far from the worst ive seen on a good runner (its been covered innumerable times on GT40C). Mine is used for commuting 36 miles a day down a dual carriageway with many lights. On a long motorway run, yes i can get 30-34mpg but only if im driving like my gran at 60-65 without much acceleration. Getting 24-27 is great, but you are an exception, not the rule, and driving technique/environment may contribute to that. Even Mr2 turbo owners rarely get that high a value with half the drivetrain and a lighter car mate.

J
Reply to
Coyoteboy

They did, just not to you guys over the pond, Europe, Japan and i think aus all got the 6th Gen "alltrac" (GTFour) And an awesome car it is too, apart from its superstrut issues.

Seconded.

J
Reply to
Coyoteboy

HEY! You still around?!?!

I just remembered! The '95, '96 and i think '97 RAV 4 was a rebodied Celica GT4.

Perhaps if you can find the drive train from one of these, it may be the answer you're looking for!

Reply to
Hachiroku

The floor pan is different between a GT and a GT4/All-trac.

But, ISTR, when the Gen 7 Celica arrived, didn't Rod Millen build a special hill climber Gen 7 based on a Gen 7 body and an imported Gen 6 pan and running gear?

Reply to
NeedforSwede2

Aha!

Most likely. I remember his cars, but not with THAT much detail!

WRX fan, eh?

Reply to
Hachiroku

A little, but I prefer motorsport to ball sport, so I see articles that stick in memory sometimes.

Reply to
NeedforSwede2

Aha, found it.

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Knew I had seen it somewhere. The nose looks slightly different to a production Celica though.

Reply to
NeedforSwede2

Reply to
Hachiroku

Quite Tasty.

Reply to
NeedforSwede2

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