1JZ Engine Swap into '89 Supra

kyosukerob · 10-18-2009, 11:39 PM

Hi, new to the forums, though I've been a fan of Supras for a while now. I've been looking for an affordable and quality Supra for months (both seem to be impossible to achieve) though I may have been able to find a good deal now. I've come across a 89 Supra with a 7MGE for $700 with a blown head gasket and a 1JZGTE engine/ECU/transmission/twin turbo for $850.
Now, I'm wondering how much a swap costs to have done and what I'd have to do to make sure the Supra could handle the power from the engine without getting torn up. I know swaps cost a lot (hopefully selling the stock engine/transmission would help a little) so I may not have the cash left over to fortify my car from damage caused by its own engine. I recently considered a MR2 and found the non-turbos need a good bit of upgrading to handle a turbo engine.

Thanks in advance for your help, if I get the car I'll be talking to everyone here much more often.

CanadianBak'inSupra · 10-19-2009, 12:35 PM

always wanted to put a 1jz into my 85 supra, but there wasnt enough room

i think it would be awsome, but lots of customizing
do they engine mounts match up??
do you have acces to a welder??
lots of work but you would truly love that ride after...

cre · 10-20-2009, 07:49 AM

The least expensive swap you'll find for the MKIII will be the 7M-GTE. The 1JZ requires a LOT of work (trying to scare you here... is it working? j/k, read on)... some people would argue that the 2JZ requires less effort (I think it might be about the same). If you're not doing the swap yourself, I HIGHLY recommend avoiding the 1JZ swap. I've heard a lot of horror stories about hiring performance shops to do that swap for a number of reasons including lack of documentation, the need for a modified wiring harness, a number of different and hard to source (if you don't know where to look) parts and so on... most will charge you out the nose just because it's unfamiliar territory.

Now I do know there are some shops out there who know damned well what all is involved and have actually done such swaps before; But unless you're dealing with one of those shops, stick with something that was available stock in the US.

1JZ's are GREAT engines though and if you're doing the swap yourself and have the place and time and extra recources to cope with any hangups (see: MONEY) then absolutely go for it! In this case I very strongly recommend you wait until you can find a full front clip though... it'll have the harness, subframe (if you need to swap it so the motor mounts are compatible), a beefier transmission (the N/A's auto and manual transmission are not as robust) and ECU. There are a lot of people who have done this swap with great results and they're usually more than happy to help out... but only if you ask.

10-18-2009, 11:39 PM	#1
kyosukerob Stock Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1	1JZ Engine Swap into '89 Supra Hi, new to the forums, though I've been a fan of Supras for a while now. I've been looking for an affordable and quality Supra for months (both seem to be impossible to achieve) though I may have been able to find a good deal now. I've come across a 89 Supra with a 7MGE for $700 with a blown head gasket and a 1JZGTE engine/ECU/transmission/twin turbo for $850. Now, I'm wondering how much a swap costs to have done and what I'd have to do to make sure the Supra could handle the power from the engine without getting torn up. I know swaps cost a lot (hopefully selling the stock engine/transmission would help a little) so I may not have the cash left over to fortify my car from damage caused by its own engine. I recently considered a MR2 and found the non-turbos need a good bit of upgrading to handle a turbo engine. Thanks in advance for your help, if I get the car I'll be talking to everyone here much more often.

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10-19-2009, 12:35 PM	#2
CanadianBak'inSupra Official hall monitor / search nazi - NO SOUP FOR YOU! Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Canada, BC Posts: 837	always wanted to put a 1jz into my 85 supra, but there wasnt enough room i think it would be awsome, but lots of customizing do they engine mounts match up?? do you have acces to a welder?? lots of work but you would truly love that ride after...

10-20-2009, 07:49 AM	#3
cre Toyota Racing Development Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,038	The least expensive swap you'll find for the MKIII will be the 7M-GTE. The 1JZ requires a LOT of work (trying to scare you here... is it working? j/k, read on)... some people would argue that the 2JZ requires less effort (I think it might be about the same). If you're not doing the swap yourself, I HIGHLY recommend avoiding the 1JZ swap. I've heard a lot of horror stories about hiring performance shops to do that swap for a number of reasons including lack of documentation, the need for a modified wiring harness, a number of different and hard to source (if you don't know where to look) parts and so on... most will charge you out the nose just because it's unfamiliar territory. Now I do know there are some shops out there who know damned well what all is involved and have actually done such swaps before; But unless you're dealing with one of those shops, stick with something that was available stock in the US. 1JZ's are GREAT engines though and if you're doing the swap yourself and have the place and time and extra recources to cope with any hangups (see: MONEY) then absolutely go for it! In this case I very strongly recommend you wait until you can find a full front clip though... it'll have the harness, subframe (if you need to swap it so the motor mounts are compatible), a beefier transmission (the N/A's auto and manual transmission are not as robust) and ECU. There are a lot of people who have done this swap with great results and they're usually more than happy to help out... but only if you ask.