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upgrade?

905 Views 11 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  erioshi
I'm looking to do an upgrade to my 91 n/a but I don't have that much money about $1000 so what is the best thing I can do any ideas one friend told me to change the engine for a 3sgte but I don't have money for that kind of thing so they told me about 3sfe engine but I don't know if I would had to do any kind of modifications, so can any body help me?
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I dont' think $1000 would be enough to get a good clip for a swap, i 'd say spend that money a suspension upgrade for now.
a 3SFE is a downgrade from the 5SFE. a 3SGE is an upgrade.

the best thing to do for $1000 is suspension and brake pads. tokico illuminas, eibach pro-kit, and porterfield R4-S pads will do wonders to your car.

-Mike
You can do major suspension upgrades for $1000 if you do it yourself, springs/dampers and maybe endlinks if needed. I agree with NESW20 that this is the way you'll get the best result with that money. That and I'm a big fan of upgrading suspension and braking before upgrading power.
thank you guys just that I have another little problem the engine that I have right now, when it warms up, in idle is not like a regular car at (7500 rpms) its about (20000 rpms) so I guess the money is going to fix that. That's the reason why I was asking about a different engine.
I dont understand what you mean in your last post?
uribemr2 said:
thank you guys just that I have another little problem the engine that I have right now, when it warms up, in idle is not like a regular car at (7500 rpms) its about (20000 rpms) so I guess the money is going to fix that. That's the reason why I was asking about a different engine.
Too many zeroes :confused:
Did you mean 750 and 2000 rpm
Honestly with just $1000 to spend, I'd make sure your tires, brakes (pads, rotors, lines), struts, drive axles, timing belt, etc. are all in good condition first. Don't go crazy replacing everything, but have someone you know and trust who knows cars walk you through checking all that suff as well as making sure all your fluids and such are in good condition.

If you find the suspension is a bit tired, then this is the perfect time to look at a good set of springs and dampers. If the tires need replacing then look to a good set of performance rubber (snow permitting). If you live in snow country, then a good set of summer (or winter) wheels and tires might be a good idea. As others have said, performance brake pads are also a great investment.

To be blunt, the cost for adding engine performance to a MK-2 NA MR2 just doesn't make sense until you have the budget for a swap. You can spend the cash, but you're not going to see any big increases in power without alot of investment. I'm currently bringing back a '91 NA and it will be living on the stock 2.2 until I find and purchase all the parts I need for a swap.

Another great way to spend a bit of that cash could be to try out a local autocross and/or track day. Learning to really make your car really go as well as getting to drive well above the limits allowable on the street is always a blast!
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I agree with erioshi. There's no need to "mod just to be modding". Save your money maintenance items and improving your driving skills (such as autocrossing).
uribemr2 said:
thank you guys just that I have another little problem the engine that I have right now, when it warms up, in idle is not like a regular car at (7500 rpms) its about (20000 rpms) so I guess the money is going to fix that. That's the reason why I was asking about a different engine.
My new N/A MR2 does the same thing....You don't need to change your engine for this problem. When idling cold they tac up high for a bit....All cars do it, just the N/A seem to do it a bit higher. Your engine honestly doesn't need to be replaced because of this.

Like everyone else is saying, DO YOUR SUSPENSION! One of the most important mods you can do for that price is your suspension, trust me you won't regret it.
yes I know that the engine is not bad enough to change but going back to the idle problem, is that like a said before, when is cold the idling high and its stays high all the time, around 2000 rpms and sorry about last reply if I didn't make that much sence. So they told me that it was the speed sensor but I change it 2 times and still the same problem. so what do you guys think, and yes the car has new susp. and the rims and tires I just got a new set of bushing for the whole susp. and that should cover about everthing on the susp.
I know that if you check mr2oc.com you should be able to search and dig up a good "how to" for dealing the the MR2 NA idle problem. Idle issues seem to be pretty common for the NA cas, and if I remember correctly there are two or three sensors that play into the mix. A dirty throttle body could also potentially be a contributing factor.
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