Build on what I have, or buy another car?
 

First, if there is some sticky that answers this please give me a link and I'll go away :)

So, I have a 2000 base with 115k miles. I am going to build a turbo car, and I'm told the 99-00 are the best models to boost as far as NB's go. So, questions.

1. The car will have 150k on before I get the turbo kit on it. I want to build for 250-280rwhp using a FMII full kit. Is this even a viable option at this mileage? I'm assuming a full rebuild will be needed for a reliable car with any type of longevity.

2. Should I just buy another car to build on, and look for a lower mileage vehicle?

3. Was I told wrong about the 99-00's being the best models for FI? Why is this true, or alternatively, why is it BS?

4. Assuming I end up building on a 2000 model, is a 6-speed NB2 trans transplant a must? Is it a plug and play situation or will there be some fabrication necessary?


Thanks all.

1. 280whp is straining any stock engine. The rods will go, eventually. Maybe in 10,000 miles, maybe in 30,000, but they'll go. Maybe in 400.

2. Lower milage won't help your power goal.

3. They have a good flowing head and lower compression than later models. The VVT head is the best for power, especially on the street. You don't have that. You can put it on, though.

4. Not a must. Be careful not to shock load what you have and it should last a while. Plug and play.

280rwhp wouldn't be a viable goal on stock pistons and connecting rods if the car was still sitting in the showroom. So if you're serious about that, it doesn't matter what the mileage is now. The engine will have already been rebuilt before you get anywhere near that number.

Now, if you wouldn't mind starting with a more reasonable power goal (in the low 200s, for instance), then there's nothing wrong at all with 150,000 miles. Do a compression test. If it's anywhere near factory spec, you're fine.



That depends- are you willing to sell your car to me for $2,000 and pay for shipping to Carlsbad, CA? If so, then buying another car is definitely the right way to go.

Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with it at all. You already have an ideal platform.


The '99-'05 engines have far better heads than the earlier cars, and the '99-'00 engines are unique from the '01 and later engines in that they lack VVT. Until very recently, no good solutions existed for controlling VVT with an aftermarket ECU, so people were afraid of those heads. Nowadays this problem has been solved, but the stigma still lingers.


If you wind up destroying your stock 5 speed transmission, then yes it was. If your tranny holds up, then no, it is not.

Totally plug-n-play. Ideally, you'd want a 3.9 or 3.63 rear-end to go with it, as the 6-speed's sixth gear is actually shorter than the 5-speed's fifth. (I shit you not. 5-speed 5'th is .814, 6-speed 6'th is .843)

People have told you and are correct in saying that much power is not sustainable on the stock internals for long... but that really depends.

You probably won't drive around flooring it out of every stoplight foot buried to the firewall pushing redline every gear until you run out of road every time you drive it.

Here's an idea... how much power do you need just driving around town? Most guys would say 200whp is plenty to get you where you're going and have some fun. When you get your whole kit installed, be sure to run a manual boost controller... set your MBC for whatever boost it takes to reach 200whp on the dyno.

AND run the electronic boost controller function built into your aftermarket ECU. Run the signal for the EBC through a simple switch mounted on your dash. Switch off=200whp= happy long-lasting engine.

Every once-in-awhile when you need to spank something or the onramp is just too tempting... toggle and blast. You can tune the EBC to give you just a few more or double the amount of boost your normally run through your MBC.

In the end, you'll find yourself "toggling" probably more than you thought you would, but when your motor finally lets go, it's somewhere between $2000-$3000 for new rods/pistons/rebuild that will handle all the power a GT2560 FMII kit will dish out.

Excellent info, thanks for the replies. I will take the advice offered here and aim for modesty in the short term. I've got a bit of saving to do before I can really start the build anyway, I'll spend the interim doing my homework :)

People part-out cars all the time... there are some huge part-outs going on right now in the classifieds. Just about any day of the week, you can assemble an entire setup buying used.

Be sure and be realistic about the costs. It's typically not the big pieces of hardware that break a budget... it's the little things. A box of clips, a new hose, a new tool, some goop, an extra this, a blue one of those... the little things add up quick.

You'll need to tap the oil-pan at some time. A drill/tap is needed... and do you have a drill that will do it? I was lucky not to have A/C or P/S, so mine was easy... but may I suggest a cordless right-angle drill to make it dead simple. You can get a Craftsman one for $40 on sale. Now you have a new tool. I never count tools into the costs though. But it's little things like that which will make it tough to stay in any budget you set. Just account for it.

And put your location in your profile... it's always good to know the locals in your area.