Reliability after swap? Options

[soltrain]

I'm sitting on the fence about purchasing a 94' celica st ($1300 w/no engine) and swapping the 3sgte. I've kinda priced out everything including the 183 clip, 153 tranny, new clutch, new axle, new fuel pump, FMIC and piping, rear brakes perhaps?

All and all + labor (I've got no experience) seems to be around 6-7k total.

As I am a poor college student, how reliable are your 3sgte swaps after they are completed? I haven't read much about anyone having any problems - hopefully everyone's doin fine?

I really enjoy driving, but I probably wont be driving around too much, grocerry shopping and the occasional road trips, so I'm not sure on if this is a good investment or not. Some of my friends have advised me to just buy a stock old school celica for 5k and be done with it.

Any advice from some old hands?

[soltrain]

Oh man. Your beautiful piping?

One more thing I was concerned about was passing smog testing. I'm originally from MD but am now in California, where I hear that they have very strict smog rules.

The mechanic thought that the biggest problem would be the engine's ECU. According to smog, you have to have the same, or newer year ECU as your engine. The JDM ECU that would come with the swap wouldn't work because they can't look it up as a US part.

He mentioned that I would need to find a 94/95 MR2 ECU to put in so it would pass - didn't the MR2's stop in the us by 95?