How come lately so many 3sgte swapped for sale? Options

[tomazws]

I donno why but lately the FS forum is filled with swapped 6gc's for sale. May I ask the owners what's the reason? Is it because even after the swap, it still couldn't fulfill the speed demon in you? Got bored with the car? Think that 6gc's are getting old and can't keep up with the frequent maintenances?

It's funny cuz a lot of people are talking and asking questions about swapping, and at the mean time a lot of people are trying to get rid of their swapped vehicle..

[supra12big]

alot of them say, can't keep up with 2 cars, or gas is a pain in the ass, but its your choice in the first place to swap, and u gotta think ahead for your future sake, my .02 cents

[jgreening]

I can only answer for myself. It was a combination of things. One huge item was sound - you read it right. The drone at cruise was so cumlatively annoying to me that the car had to go at some point. Another thing that drove me batty was the amount of maintenance that car required. I can't tell you how many times I had that car running perfect and then something would go wrong and I would have to spend time and money fixing it. It goes hand in hand with modifying cars (particularly engine modifications) but I didn't realize the extent and the cumulative wear that it would have on my patience.

When its running correctly and you are driving it for fun, a swapped 6gc is a nice ride. If you have a straight through exhaust and you are cruising on the highway, its annoyingly "droney". If its broken down or not running quite right, its very frustrating.

- Jay

[lagos]

I donno why but lately the FS forum is filled with swapped 6gc's for sale. May I ask the owners what's the reason? Is it because even after the swap, it still couldn't fulfill the speed demon in you? Got bored with the car? Think that 6gc's are getting old and can't keep up with the frequent maintenances?

It's funny cuz a lot of people are talking and asking questions about swapping, and at the mean time a lot of people are trying to get rid of their swapped vehicle..

there are a few reasons, i think. its not just one thing. here is what i noticed:

1. people change their minds all the time. most americans want a new car every 2yrs.
2. most guys cheap out on everything during their swap, and it comes back to haunt them. they will try to reuse an old clutch, or ghetto rig something and then get pissed when it fails down the road.
3. a few of the people that had a shop do their swap didn't get the benefit of learning about their cars. then they run to a shop when a single vac line comes loose and think their car is cursed or something, when its really a 5min fix. you cant double the output of your celica without knowing a single thing about whats under the hood.
4. gas prices. you get about 19mpg and it costs around 35-40bucks to fill up. thats pushing the budget for most young guys on here.

ive had my swap running for about 4yrs now and owned the car for 6yrs. i drive it ever single day, and it always puts a smile on my face. but at some point i would like to move on to a bigger awd car with even more potential.

[Kadett]

I'm suprised to see how many swappers had/have problems with there car. Besides changing the radiator/thermostat and regular oil/filters change, my Celica never ever let me down in the past 18 months since its swapped. Only thing that needs to be done is replacing the valve cover gasket, it's sweating a little bit. Common problem on the 3rd gen.

Ok I lied! It let me down once, I forgot to switch the lights off once (turbo timer kept car running so no warning sound) and battery was dead

[tomazws]

I donno why but lately the FS forum is filled with swapped 6gc's for sale. May I ask the owners what's the reason? Is it because even after the swap, it still couldn't fulfill the speed demon in you? Got bored with the car? Think that 6gc's are getting old and can't keep up with the frequent maintenances?

It's funny cuz a lot of people are talking and asking questions about swapping, and at the mean time a lot of people are trying to get rid of their swapped vehicle..

there are a few reasons, i think. its not just one thing. here is what i noticed:

1. people change their minds all the time. most americans want a new car every 2yrs.
2. most guys cheap out on everything during their swap, and it comes back to haunt them. they will try to reuse an old clutch, or ghetto rig something and then get pissed when it fails down the road.
3. a few of the people that had a shop do their swap didn't get the benefit of learning about their cars. then they run to a shop when a single vac line comes loose and think their car is cursed or something, when its really a 5min fix. you cant double the output of your celica without knowing a single thing about whats under the hood.
4. gas prices. you get about 19mpg and it costs around 35-40bucks to fill up. thats pushing the budget for most young guys on here.

ive had my swap running for about 4yrs now and owned the car for 6yrs. i drive it ever single day, and it always puts a smile on my face. but at some point i would like to move on to a bigger awd car with even more potential.

Yea lago your car's prolly one of the longest kept swapped 6th gen on this site

[azian_advanced]

i think those with $$$ can afford to get a swap sooner than most people. and those same people with $$$ will more likely get sick of their swapped car sooner than most other people and decide to get a car that's more $$$ and more potential.

This post has been edited by azian_advanced: Dec 20, 2007 - 4:24 PM

[supra12big]

my swaps been going for a 1 and half now, enjoy every min, if ur not into doing stuff by urself, don't swap or get a swap

[njccmd2002]

a lot are going for the 5 turbo thing. I guess, cause its easier to reverse and less problems. Yeah i have been thinking for saving for a swap, but im cosidering more the turbo, prior to engine reinforcement...

[lagos]

a lot are going for the 5 turbo thing. I guess, cause its easier to reverse and less problems. Yeah i have been thinking for saving for a swap, but im cosidering more the turbo, prior to engine reinforcement...

5sfTe is not less problematic. if anything its more. it all really depends on your budget, research and if you cheap out on things or not.

[Chanh55]

For me it was because speedo wasn't working and it didn't seem to run right... I guess the new owner said one of the pistons were dead.

[presure2]

2. most guys cheap out on everything during their swap, and it comes back to haunt them. they will try to reuse an old clutch, or ghetto rig something and then get pissed when it fails down the road.
3. a few of the people that had a shop do their swap didn't get the benefit of learning about their cars. then they run to a shop when a single vac line comes loose and think their car is cursed or something, when its really a 5min fix. you cant double the output of your celica without knowing a single thing about whats under the hood.

that about covers 95% of the swaps on this site.

[easternpiro1]

while that may be true manny and lagos (my motor mentors ) some guys want a shop to do it so that they can learn once they have the motor in. (my case) I guess some of the shop guys dont have the time or resources to do such a monumental task BUT for those that think their car is cursed because of a vac line and run to a shop... would be much easier to look it up here or ask somebody here

just my 1cent


and YES im embarassed i didnt do it on my own, thats what makes such a journey so fun! putting in your own work.

This post has been edited by easternpiro1: Dec 21, 2007 - 8:34 AM

[frosty]

Eh, I can't really add much to this since everythings pretty well covered.


So what have we learned? Swaps are an investment. DON'T CHEAP OUT! Less problems down the road...

[playr158]

swaps aren't investments

you LOSE money

[frosty]

swaps aren't investments

you LOSE money

BUT YOU GET A SIC RIDE IN RETURN!!!!!

[CelicaSTX02]

It makes me sad everytime I see someone selling their swap.....because my swap isn't even complete. I just want to get my car running, make it reliable, and keep it forever until it has no choice but to blow up or I die.

[nik]

i spent alot on my 7agte because i didnt have the time to do it myself and some of the stuff was over my head like port and boring etc the rest i could have done but i was in unfimiliar waters with hardly anyone doing a built 7agte and after everything was said and done i love my car but im selling it to pay off my debt with school and one credit card so i have over 15 k in my motor with everything being new and a few k in the car exterior and interior + the only books at 5k so if i can get 9k for it i would be happy and someone will get a really great car

[lagos]

swaps aren't investments

you LOSE money

you only loose money if you try to turn around and sell it. if you keep it, it actually IS a good investment, because you end up with a car that has the same level of performance as something that costs 30k, at a fraction of the price. driving a boosted celica for the past 4yrs has been worth every single penny that i put into it.

This post has been edited by lagos: Dec 21, 2007 - 4:03 PM

[LewFX]

i almost gave up my turbo project after so many small things but im sticking with it for now

[95celgt]

For me, I guess im just NEVER satisfied....

I had an RX7 and gave it away, now I want something RWD so I can Drift...

I got the TT Quattro cuz a 197 HP RX8 wasn't enough, but now I'd like a 04 350Z that they are selling...

Camaro is a beast but it doesn't handle AT ALL...

The 3sgte celica is probably the fastest car I've owned, but FF kinda limits the possibilities...I've put WAY too much work on it with my bare hands that it HURTS, but now I have to sell because I wont be able to work for 2 years while im in college, so I need money to pay off the TT...

The 3s celica is my favorite of all time and I drive a wide variety of cars, so I know that when im done with school I will build a new 3sgte celica AND have a 99 SS3 replica with BEAMS daily Driver...

[malecrod]

I want to chip in since I'm a swap owner myself for about 14months and just over 20,000miles now. First, I have to say that a swap celica is very very fun to drive and after 14months or so, it still puts a smile on my face even at 'stockish' boost. I have not thought of selling my swap celica, at least not yet.
But I have to agree with some of what was said above: the sound that comes with the free flow exhaust(I'm over 30y/o and married with a kid), and pretty much aftermaket parts(i.e non OEM parts) and in my case the clutch and downpipes have been the only major problems I had since the swap. That's from my personal experience.
I have driven my swap recently over 3000miles in 4days from MN to RI and back without a single issue except the exhaust noise at highway speed. Its a blast to drive on the highway, nevertheless.
I had my swap done by a shop because quite frankly, I didn't have the knowledge, time or space to. But as was pointed out earlier, you have to be willing to learn and get your hands dirty. I can't stress that enough. The countless number of hours I spent replacing and cleaning things just to make the swap that much more reliable! After the swap, the only thing I have had done by a professional was the clutch replacement. I have done everything else since I now have a garage. And this is big part most people don't think about: You need a space to work on the swap! Quite frankly, I would have sold my swap long ago if I had to take it to a shop for all the leaks, lose hoses, bad sensors, radiator, gaskets etc.
So in short, as an advice if you are considering a swap make sure you have the space, willing to learn and work on it yourself or you are going to be selling it sooner than you want to.
Just my 0.2cents.

This post has been edited by malecrod: Dec 21, 2007 - 5:05 PM

[celicast3sgte]

off topic but im learning there are more swaps done than i thought... haha

[yarik83]

there are more swaps than u thought because......

since about 2001 ish most visitors here wanted it. And most visitors here were finishing up with high school back then and finishing up and or finished with college now so now we can finally afford it.

taking that into account.

when people get a 3sgte they want horsepower. One thing they never think of is a benchmark/goal that they want to accomplish.

There will always be someone out there with a faster car with a more beautiful car with a more modified car.

Many new swappers got their swap too darn fast just because they had the means to. If you notice most people who been around these boards since the beginning still have their 3s while latecomers sell it for reasons like the ones described in above posts.

I dont know where and how people get the idea to sell their swapped cars but as a swap owner myself let me explain why I would never sell mine.

I wanted it for 6 long long long years and went through 5 celicas thus making myself more attached to celicas. I knew exactly what I was going in for before I started so financial woes were expected. I have also kept up with latest trends in cars and car market and went in knowing where my car would stand in terms of performance, usability and competitiveness. I also set a set of very much long term goals that I am taking on 1 step at a time. Yes I can slap all of it in right now because I can afford it but then I would feel empty for years to come because I might be tempted to buy a new project vehicle (hint hint cough cough pointing in some directions) and loose much interest in this baby. Finally I am taking a very conservative approach of testing this car. I do not make it a habbit to outrace every car I see. I make it a habbit to outrace like 3 cars per week thus make it so much more interesting next time I am encountering another 35 grand vehicle revving its engine and expecting to smoke me. Boy are they in for a surprise.

[_mikeE]

OK to whoever said that 5sfte is less problematic---wrong, because the 5s motor weren't actually designed to be turbo thats why people go for the 3s motor because it's been professionally designed and built with turbo
to playr158, swaps are an invest and benefit because ur getting a motor with low km's compared to if u have a 6g from 94-97 you'll most likely be over 200k right about now, and depending how you drive.

to 95celgt, my brother was gonna get a 350Z but i hear that that car has the world's highest fatality/crash rate therefore insurance is like stupid expensive more than some supercars. I guess we can blame the movie Tokyo Drift for that one, just like how when the first fast and furious came out, everybody dove right into NOS thinking their life could not go on without it.