I really enjoyed mine too Leo but 20v's can end up being a costly conversion...16v's not so much.

Not paying for labour, I think $7k for my conversion is pretty cheap considering other 20v builds I've seen. Everything adds up. Paying for labour I would have spent alot more..

 

If I were to spend some money on the body and paint, my wallet would be taking a similar blow to LittleRed's. Comes down to what the OP is going to be happy with spending $10-15k on and what he wants to do with the car. You can buy an S13 for $2-3k, spend 10 or 12 thousand dollars on it and potentially have something insanely fast or a KE70 that gives V6 commodores a run for their money...

I love my Corolla but there's quicker cars out there...

..if someone says they've done it for under $5k, look at the work and ask to see the receipts!

 

Few people do what I am anal about, keeping a complete list of every dollar that goes into it. Most guys remember buying the motor and big bits but gloss over the many small things you will buy or have done in a workshop.

I disagree, doing a 4age for $5k is very do-able..

 

It's the rest of the car that takes up all the cash. You'll easily spend that much again when you do suspension, brakes, bodywork, wheels, diff upgrade, then decide to do engine work..

But an engine conversion without the upgrades you listed there is kinda pointless. No real point to having the power there and not being able to put it to the ground. Or stop.

 

EDIT: Also, I've seen people do it for alot les than I did but I wanted parts then and there and was willing to pay a little more for a few parts instead of waiting for them to pop up cheaper or pop up at all. If you want things done 5 minutes ago and don't already have the parts laying around, expect to fork out a little more..

Edited October 15, 201213 yr by Willis

Yeah i know what you're saying man, But the price of the 'engine conversion' itself isn't too costly, it's then price of then upgrading the platform to utilize it that gets expensive

You see people do it all the time though. Cummins in a KE70 with heavy duty gear oil in the shocks and bars welded to the springs...

..if someone says they've done it for under $5k, look at the work and ask to see the receipts!

 

Few people do what I am anal about, keeping a complete list of every dollar that goes into it. Most guys remember buying the motor and big bits but gloss over the many small things you will buy or have done in a workshop.

 

Thats why my figures are high, I keep spreadsheets.

I did my old AE71 for under 5k and that was with 45mm webers, hyperpak, all brand new rwd setup including under drive pulleys, manual conversion and gearbox freshen up, wheels, lowered springs and upgraded front brakes,I believe that all that had to be finished when I sold it was mount the fuel pump and fix the exhaust.

 

And this was including buying a near perfect ae71.

i sold my complete running 4agze ae71 racecar, i'd rebuilt the motor, 5 speed, disc rear end, sold it for just over $3000.....

oh and it cost me $300, but cost me $1400 when i sold it, was lucky to find it though