rb20det or sr20det?

[Ghost of Duluth]

Exactly correct. So build a KA-T and add up the prices. Some guy above has a turbo kit for $3000 even. So add the turbo kit and your KA build and you get $4100 bucks. The Tophat setup is roughly $175 bucks more installed. That's a done deal, running car, out the door. You know who installed it, who did the work and who to go back to if the install is wrong.

As for Warranty, who in their right mind gives 2 years on a performance motor? You are saying they give a 2 year warranty on an engine once it's turbocharged? Doubt it. But i'm not here to argue with you, simply stating my opinion.

[driftex]

i'd say at least try a turbo'd KA. You could throw one together using SR parts pretty cheaply, and if you like it upgrade, and if you dont swap in an SR.

[Leroy0053]

Hey ghost sorry man didnt mean to stir up any mess. i hate these topics cause there are actually pros and cons on this subject. but lots of times there are opinions thrown out and not facts. but hey good thread none the less.

[Ghost of Duluth]

There really are alot of pro's and con's to any swap and it boils down to what the owner wants. Anyone that is planning a swap should put what they want to in, not what everyone else wants to swap in. They should actually know about the engines they are interested in and that includes researching them, not posting on a forum asking a general question. They should hit the internet running and search just like the #2 post on here stated.

Everyone is right and everyone is wrong depending on who you ask.

[Hollywood]

So if you did the KA24(DE) motor(over bored, ported head), from city motor supply the long block is ($1100) with a 1 year warranty. then you add the cost of the greddy turbo kit ($3000). then an intercooler($800), fuel pump($120). thats over $5000, and with out a propper engine management its going to run like crap.
**dose not include labor**

now compare that to $3500 for an SR20det installed, includes parts and labor.

[Ghost of Duluth]

So for $3500 I could roll into your shop, (I'm guessing you have one or how could you quote all of this, if you don't then one can only guess that you have no clue and are not speaking from experience, I don't know) and roll out with a complete SR install? Is this a Redtop into an S13 or a Blacktop in a 14 or is it any combination of motors and vehicles? So $3500 for everything no matter the year of engine or car, broken pieces, rusty bolts or any of the other unknown factors?

Well lets break it down. For me to just go out and get an SR as a regular person (with no shop, friends that cut deals or my own lift) I would look on Ebay, quickest place to look, Red tops are going for around an average price of let's say $1800 bucks with tranny, ecu, ignitor and harness, now most that I saw are without an intercooler so you need an that, $800 by your guesstimate, Then shipping to get it here, say $200 depending on where it comes from, then the labor to get the engine in the car which runs say $1000 for redtop to s13 chassis with wiring. That's $3800 before anything else such as bad water pump, plugs, some random bracket or thing-a-majig that got broken during the palleting, lost pieces, bent tailshaft coming out of the trans because it was put on the pallet with the tail hanging off and got smashed, seals, dented oil pan, bad injector, forgotten ignitor, bad ignitor, motor sitting outside or whatever else decides to rear it's ugly head during removal, crating, transit, offloading, delivery, mad truck driver, road rage, soccer mom cutting off the delivery truck causing a panic stop and your engine slamming into Miss Johnsons new stainless refridgerator and cracking your valve cover and etc etc. So you can expect to drop another $300 to $???? bucks on that stuff not to mention the downtime waiting for all of this.

Then you end up with a motor with 35k to who knows what k mileage on it that you have a start-up warranty from somebody you have never spoken to face to face, no history, nothing. Let's not revisit the multitude of complaints, lost money and no warranties honored that have graced these hallowed pages over the last 2 years. This is worst case scenario of course, someone may luck out and get a deal, get a perfect motor and everything goes in smooth...but anyone that owns a shop or has had an install knows, it rarely works out that way. I would much rather spend more and have something that has zero miles on it, completely fresh ( and with a one year warranty from City Motor Supply ) on it. I know who did it and what was done to the car and who to go to if it's screwed. But once again, that's just me.

And that's just a Redtop, up the price for a Blacktop. But I guess to some people the time and the money means nothing in the great quest to be JDM. Like I said, it's all a personal choice and the owner of the vehicle has to make it. Motor swaps are the final thing that a person should ever have to do to a Drift car anyway, just a waste of money if you haven't learned your car and moved up through suspension mods. But once again, my opinion.

[Hollywood]

I have the clips in stock, all swaps are done using a front clip, that way you do not have to worry about piping and hoses or hardware pieces. thats the best way to go, and its a very quick swap.
I didnt mean for this to turn into an advertisement. but go ahead an email me if you are interested

[Ghost of Duluth]

$3500 sounds like a good deal to me. Nothing wrong with an SR by any stretch and if you don't want to spend the extra money for the KA-T then the SR is the way to go. I just like the KA-T and once again, that's my opinion.

[Leroy0053]

for the guy that originally posted this thread. if you piece together your turbo kit it will be a lot cheaper. the greddy kit is expensive. plus there are other engine management options. like megasquirt and so on. but yeah man go to the sr and ka-t forums and search, dont post, search and you will find good info man.

[krazyroadster]

Ghost your my hero, now I am going to have to buy a top hat crate motor. I never really thought of what you will have to do to a SR when you get it. Good posts you need to post on SEDA more. I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT!