Toyota's N'at
I'm a first-year automotive apprentice, so my knowledge is limited. I recently bought an '88 Toyota Celica GTS, that I plan to practice rebuilds with; removing the head and crank, replacing bearings and valve seals and so on...I have been told the car's 3SGE engine is as strong as its turbocharged brother, the 3SGTE, and I was wondering if it wouldn't be a complete waste of time for me to look into adding forced induction to it after the fresh, factory-spec rebuild is complete. As a student, money is limited-so no aftermarket big power builds for this one. Just wondering what the limits of the 3SGE are, and if it can be made to handle boost. Or, if I should/can build it to 3SGTE specs instead. Looking for some insight.
-Bryce, via e-mail
Up until 1995, Toyota made even their non-turbo engines fit for a Sherman tank. Your 3S falls into this category, but the compression isn't low enough for big boost with pump gas. The low-buck way to lower your compression is to get yourself an HKS or A'PEXi 3mm head gasket for the 3SGTE-it will effectively lower your compression about 1.2 points. As I recall, the 3SGTE exhaust flange on the head is the same as the 3SGE, so search the junkyards (eBay) for a used OEM Celica All-Trac turbo and exhaust manifold assembly to get started. I love old cars because they're so damn easy to make power with.
Bloodthirsty Noob
I'm new to the tuner scene and recently purchased a '94 Civic Si. I was stoked on buying the car at such a low price ($3,000), but upon driving it to school for the first time, my friends promptly informed me that it couldn't stand up to the performance of their cars-Eclipse GTs, Integras, GTIs, and a 300ZX TT. Is my car really that bad? Please give me some good news; tell me that I can make these punk "friends" of mine eat their words (and my dust) in a few easy steps. I figure the 300ZX is the fastest car out of the group; how do I have to mod my EG to take that thing out?
--Gabriel Kent, via e-mail
The '94 Civic Si with the D16 engine isn't that bad, especially after adding forced induction, but the weak point in the stock engine is the connecting rods. If I remember correctly (it's been a while....), the D-series engine starts breaking connecting rods at about 240 whp, at best. Bolt-on turbo kits from companies like Edelbrock or Full Race aren't usually advertised for high power gains, but with some pistons, rods, and good tuning, you can end up with an easy 300+ whp by bolting one on. That should be plenty to piss off your buddies with the Eclipses and GTIs (...especially the GTIs). Your Civic is the lightest car out of the bunch, so even 240 whp would smoke most of those guys, except the 300ZX. Think of that car as your older brother; he's bigger than you are, and just like in real life, you might not want to f*ck with him.
Diamond Star Drift_R
A friend and I were watching some Options videos the other day, when I noticed a few EVOs, STIs, and GT-Rs drifting against the usual Silvias, Corollas, and RX-7s. I always thought converting all-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive was a complicated, custom process, but apparently these guys are doing it all the time. Generally, what is involved with the conversion in most cases? Would I be able to do it to my first-generation Eclipse? What would I need?
--Anonymous, via e-mail
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