Engine swapping my first car.
 

Ok so, let me start with a bit of history.

Back in 2013, I got an FR-S as my first car. Unfortunately, it was an automatic but because it was a gift, it wouldn't have been right to complain about that. I planned to either manual swap it, or eventually trade it in to get a manual one. From what I saw, the manual swap would have been expensive and annoying and really not worth the time, so I planned to eventually trade it in after graduating from my university.

5 years have passed, and the car has pretty much become like an extension of my own body, and I really can't see myself parting with it. At the same time, I feel like it is under-powered and that transmission still bugs me every now and then.

I will soon be graduating as a Mechanical Engineer and the idea of finally making this car my own has been in my mind more than anything else.

That brings me to the topic at hand.
I need help deciding which engine (along with tranny) to put in my car.
I'm not looking for "just turbo the stock engine", I'm fairly set on swapping the engine/tranny, i'm just looking for advice.

Couple of restrictions here, I would like to keep this in the family. That means SUBARU and TOYOTA engines ONLY. No LS swaps.
I would like for the car to produce around 350-400WHP, though I can be lenient on the power numbers.
6 and 8 cylinder engines are preferred.
Any engine listed that produces less than 350 would be turbocharged.

Thanks for reading my long winded post. This is a very special project for me so I want to be very well informed as to what my options are prior to starting.

Simple.
Sell car. (Optional...I prefer you would)
Buy any year Supra.
Engine swap that.
Problem solved.

What's your budget?

If you want to keep it all in the family then I would do a Pure Automotive 2jz swap with a r154. Basic performance upgrades on a stock 2jz are catback, downpipe, boost controller and boost cut controller and that will usually dyno around 400-425whp. You can turn the setup from sequential to a true twin setup to avoid the boost transition, so the motor feels like it has a single, or you can go with a custom turbo setup.

There are many other options out there, but you may pay more and get less. Pay more in frustration and development costs, and get less in OEM functions and reliability.

EJ swap.

I was strongly considering this option, I saw that they keep all the OEM amenities and I am attempting to do this mostly alone so a plug and play option is appealing to me.

In terms of budget, I have $8k currently saved up but I would say my budget would be around $15k with a max of $20k.

I believe if you research Pure Automotive builds, you will find everything you need to swap out motors and keep everything "in the subaru and Toyota family". If I was going your route, and money is no issue, I would 2JZ swap it.

From personal experience with motor swaps on this platform...20k is a minimum I would consider for a swap like this...and if you are doing all the work yourself. The 20k budget includes all the little things that you absolutely need to make everything work and run correctly. I bought everything new, so I'm sure there are areas where you can save money and keep it under budget.

I'm not trying to scare you away from doing the swap, just giving you the info you were asking for in your original post.

If you want reliable power (why wouldn't you, right?) then a 2jz is the way to go with a ton of overhead for more potential. You could try any number of V6s and V8s in the Toyota lineup, but no other engine has a plug and play solution. If OEM features like traction control, ABS, gauges, HVAC, etc don't matter to you then they may be worth considering. If not, then the Pure Auto solution is going to save you a lot of headaches and money. The other thing to consider is why put any Toyota motor in the car. Sure, it may hit your power goals, but the 2jz is legendary and proven. Your power goals don't necessitate a swap unless you wanted reliability that is more than what a built FA20 would provide. In that case the 2jz is pretty good.

It is expensive, but trying to figure out the wiring harness, the locations to properly mount everything, R+D work, trial and error is all no fun. Maybe as an engineer this sounds fun, but a swap with their plug and play kit is already a big undertaking, so their solution is really worth the money.

I'm not sure if their intake manifold is needed. I know their GM throttle body is needed, but it may bolt up to the OEM manifold. I think it is designed to clean up the bay and help with routing the intake manifold away from the front engine brace, but perhaps a few parts wouldn't be needed.

@Pure Automotive could help

I really appreciate the advice, I have done quite a few engine swaps in the past but never on a platform this new, which is really where my main worries are. If once I've decided I find that even $20k is pushing it, I would probably wait a bit longer to save up until I can raise my budget a bit more.

At the end of the day, I'm just looking for a good way to turn my car into something I can enjoy a bit more. tbh I enjoy working on cars. I have an M3 that I worked on as a project car for a while and never really felt too annoyed by it. On the flip side, I was just fixing a few things on an old Z and wanted to claw my eyes out.

Ha ha, well then, your title is quite deceiving. lol Id say you know exactly what you are getting into then. I think you will love this car even more with the added power once its all finished. These cars are so much fun with 400/500 hp.:thumbup:

EJ swap would meet the needs, but it seems like it wouldn't be worth it in the end. A built and boosted FA20 would be cheaper and have more power potential depending on the build.

The EZ36D is a displacement upgrade, but is heavy and would need a turbo kit to meet his needs, so I'm feeling like all Subaru motors wouldn't be worth it at all.

2GR or 1UZ get my votes. 2JZ builds are too cliche now..

http://www.turbofast.com.au/GT86.html
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94640

But better than wasting money he doesn’t have just to be different. The only thing besides the 2jz for me would be the 1jz, and it could be Pure Auto 2jz swap compatible. I dunno. They would have to chime in.

Is swap would be the best swap in your situation. Makes reliable power, is cost effective and the path has been paved.