2jz-gte Soarer

[Hank Scorpio]

I'm selling the auto R34 so that I can trade up to something a little more manual. Now I have always liked Soarers and everyone knows that the 2JZ-GTE is an awesome engine. So I got to thinking why not put one in a Soarer? Obviously it has been done before but what I wanna know is just how easy/practical it would be.

The Soarer came out with both a 1JZ-GTE and a 2JZ-GE, what would be a better base to start with? A manual 1JZ (the only engine that came with a manual box) or an auto 2JZ?

With the price of Soarers very low these days one would think that within a reasonable budget you could get a decent priced Soarer, a 2JZ-GTE engine and build a pretty cool street machine.

What do you guys think? How much would you budget to do the conversion and what model would you start with?

Or with the 1JZ being a good, tough engine anyway perhaps sinking the extra cash into building that up would be a better use of the money.

Thoughts SAU?

[VB-]

join supraforums/soarercentral lol

its not overly complicated, it should all bolt up. you may be better off just buying a 2jz short motor and putting that in. then you can retain most of the stuff thats already there, ie loom/computer etc. also i believe you can put the 1jz pistons on the 2jz rods, so you can actually just get a 2jz-ge shortblock (worht nothing. should work out cheaper this way, give it new rings and bearings while its out.

just be aware, if you buy a complete motor, most of the cheap 2jz's floating around now are from aristo's, for most part they are the same motor, but have a hydraulic fan/water pump arangement and a couple of other little things.

start out with a 1jz because the boxes are reasonably tough, and buying a manual 2jz halfcut is near impossible, or hidesouly expensive at best. if you start out with an auto soarer and want to do a manual conversion with soarer gear, it will set you back 3.5k for the manual conversiona anyway, better spending a couple of grand extra straight up, will cost the same each way but will save you alot of work.

get a custom pipe made up feeding off the standard 1jz manifolds, bolt up an XR6T GT35, decent cooler, open exhaust , throw in a computer and enjoy 300kw all day long. that will be maxing the injectors right out though, thrown in a bigger set if you feel the need to

[StealthX]

my mates just finished putting a 1J into a cressida where an auto 7M was. it was an absolute headf**k. Toyota design them motors VERY strange i.e. turbo assembly, water pump, clutch fan and oil filter under the intake manifold business...

But having said that, i rekon a 1j to 2j conversion would be easier. save up a bit of extra coin and try to get your hands on a later model VVT-i model, preferably in a jza80 front cut

or stick with a 1j!? ther already f**k off good motors...

good luck man!

[STATUS]

haha like bolts in to a soarass, done 10000000's of times. Using a supra setup is easier than an aristo setup wiring wise.

Oh and start with a manual soarass, by the time you convert an auto soarass you will be broke

We ahve done a few 2jz convo's and have used the cheap w58 (non turbo 5spd) but they are a bit fragile over 250rwkw

Edited November 15, 2009 by URAS

[Birds]

Find a factory manual 1JZ Soarer that hasn't been thrashed to the shit. Difficult to find locally, so you might need to import. The R154 gearbox that came with these is basically a truck box...very strong and will handle lots of usable power in a street car. I don't understand the point of the 2JZ conversions unless you don't know how to change down a gear, or you're chasing seriously large dyno-queen numbers...which for most part will be unusable on the street / an absolute cop to drive in manual guise. The cost of the 2JZ engine - spend it on modifying a 1JZ and you will yield all the power you need from a Soarer.

On a side note, the automatic transmission in Soarers is one of the best transmission-engine combinations I have seen...you never seem to run out of torque with their ratios and the factory automatics are slightly faster than the factory manuals off the line. They aren't as strong as the manual gearboxes though.

[STATUS]

Find a factory manual 1JZ Soarer that hasn't been thrashed to the shit. Difficult to find locally, so you might need to import. The R154 gearbox that came with these is basically a truck box...very strong and will handle lots of usable power in a street car. I don't understand the point of the 2JZ conversions unless you don't know how to change down a gear, or you're chasing seriously large dyno-queen numbers...which for most part will be unusable on the street / an absolute cop to drive in manual guise. The cost of the 2JZ engine - spend it on modifying a 1JZ and you will yield all the power you need from a Soarer.

On a side note, the automatic transmission in Soarers is one of the best transmission-engine combinations I have seen...you never seem to run out of torque with their ratios and the factory automatics are slightly faster than the factory manuals off the line. They aren't as strong as the manual gearboxes though.

2jz over a 1jz everyday, as for the autos we just did a 400kw + std 1jz with 3500stall pretty cooll car.

[Birds]

Sure if the choice is there, I'd choose 2JZ myself but not everyone has a spare several thousand dollars to spend on the conversion and modifications to make it worthwhile. Some of the boys over at Soarer central have done tranny upgrades at an earlier stage out of necessity...it's always a piece of string, i.e. how you drive the car, but I would be interested to know how long it lasts bolted up to 400kw.

[STATUS]

Sure if the choice is there, I'd choose 2JZ myself but not everyone has a spare several thousand dollars to spend on the conversion and modifications to make it worthwhile. Some of the boys over at Soarer central have done tranny upgrades at an earlier stage out of necessity...it's always a piece of string, i.e. how you drive the car, but I would be interested to know how long it lasts bolted up to 400kw.

full mv built trans.

[Birds]

Oh I thought you said it had a standard automatic transmission, my bad.

[Mr Eps]

i think that for easiness and what have you - get a manual soarer - there's a guy in NSW selling an affordable manual black on black, looks immacualte

he's on here - get in touch!

google "skylinesaustralia black soarer"

as for engine conversions - why the frikk?? 1J is a very fast and very good motor to have...

BUT the only complaint about them is the parallel twinturbo setup, so - if you want to convert, just source a VVTI single turbo?? and build up from there?

[Birds]

Nothing wrong with the twins IMO...they are weak ceramic wheels but you can get them highflowed and make some really good power. People tend to convert to single for serious power...plus it can be cheaper than highflowing both turbos. I ran 14psi on my standard turbos without a problem. These engines love a small boost increase with no need for supporting mods.

[VB-]

the ceramic turbos in soarers are alot better than the nissans, there are quite a few peolple running around on 18+psi daily without issues

[Mr Eps]

yeah - realistically if you have a 1Jz with breathing mods ie filter / intercooler / exhaust...

if you still want to convert to larger engine it really just depends on how fast you want to wrap your torso around a tree really...

i mean a 1JZ with basic power mods will have you seeing a swirling time vortex in front of your eyes as you hurl down the quarter mile which is real handy when you're late for work and you expect time to rewind and you get there on time

i mean if that's not fast enought hen yeah why not get a 2jz - it's like SO necessary right now

[Birds]

2JZ conversions for most part have been popularised by FATF...I'm pretty sure most people only do them so they can say "2JZ no shit" when someone pops their bonnet

[DLOOOK]

+1 instead of dropping a 2J , get a 1J Manual Soarer they range from 10k and up. Get dumps ,front pipes and a cat back, with a FCD 15psi boost, FMIC and a fuel controller ie SAFC II or AFC Neo and you'll net 230rwkw. Then you can go for steel wheel turbos and ECU for more power.

Except they are a heavy car weighing 1600kg+, having owned a few SR20 s13's, a Soarer and a 33 GTR. Handling wise the GTR>s13>Soarer.

[Mr Eps]

bear in mind the soarer was designed by toyota's california deisgin team in the late 80's early 90's

this explains it's size, amount of doors and inspiration. it's not a race car - it's a 2 door saloon aimed at the lexus market

so of course it won't handle like silvia or a GTR - it was never intended to be driven like one!

[STATUS]

2JZ conversions for most part have been popularised by FATF...I'm pretty sure most people only do them so they can say "2JZ no shit" when someone pops their bonnet

having owned most s and r seires nissans and a plethora of toyotas i would love to fit a multithrottle 2jz into a GTR, much better engine.

im amazed its not been done as a 34 box would work witha bellhousing mod and the sump should not be too hard.

Edited November 16, 2009 by URAS

[VB-]

having owned most s and r seires nissans and a plethora of toyotas i would love to fit a multithrottle 2jz into a GTR, much better engine.

im amazed its not been done as a 34 box would work witha bellhousing mod and the sump should not be too hard.

apparently its easier to adapt the transfer case to the supra box. (so said the russians that built the 4wd supra)

what did the thai's use when they put the 2jz in the r32 gtr?

[Hank Scorpio]

Hmmm interesting stuff.

Seems that for what I would want and my budget the 1JZ would be the smarter go.

After looking into it a bit more though the Soarer seems to be slightly porky and won't quite have the handling characteristics of other vehicles for similar money. Not to mention every man and his dog seems to have an SC400 (if they don't have an R33 that is )

It would be a cool project but not for now it seems, thanks for the help guys! But hey, keep the convo going, 'tis a good read!

[Juan]

get a 2JZ bottom end and put the 1JZ head