3sgte AWD Conversion, Trying it anyway! Options

[Green_MachToy]

I got a shipment in of all the parts I was missing to do the AWD Conversion on my ST. Now I am starting to put everything in with a lot of help from a friend of mine.
Parts List 1
Parts list 2
Parts list 3
Parts list 4
Parts list 5
Parts list 6
Here is a shot while we were taking pics.
Plenty of Go Go Juice
The first thing we pulled the rear out, and placed the new ST205 rear on a jack and started measuring. It seemed like we were measuring for hours...but gotta make sure it is right.
Holding it in place until everything measures out.
There were no bolt holes that we could use to tap and bolt the rear up to, so we had to fab a brace.
New Rear
Then as many know...the trunk had to go. We decided to remove the entire trunk bottom to also allow for the gas tank. The next problem we ran into was the bumper support. We had to cut that in order for the tank to fit and to keep the it up high. We are going to fab a mounting bracket for the bumper but that got moved low on the list.
View from trunk where gas tank will go.
The driveshaft and tunnel needed extra mounting brackets and the exhaust to be relocated. In doing this we almost caught the car on fire from the heat of the welds. Luckily the carpet did catch, but rather than pull it back like we had, we removed it all to ensure it didn't catch fire.
Pic of tunnel
When it came to the fromt, that work went a lot faster. The tranny swap was easy enough to remove the MR2 and replace it with the ST205. Since the only axles that appeared to fit were the ST205, I got them from here (thanks celica3sgte)! Just as we had most everything was coming together, my shifter cable broke. It was actually the plastic piece right near the shifter. Got one off an ST185, and tried to put it in tonight...it doesn't fit!
Side note: The front cross-member is the same as ours. I had ordered it just to be on the safe side, and didn't need it. The super strut system uses the same mounting points.
Front disc and strut
Monster Discs!
Another view of front
Rear discs with 18" rims on 'em.
We also installed a new Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator and 680 injectors...was to help a new T4 turbo. But the T4 shaft and fins appear to have been damaged in the mail. I will now have to send it out to have them replaced and balanced. Anyone know of a good place here in San Diego or Southern California? I was going to send it to Performance Tecniques in San Bernadino, but no one seems to have heard of them.

This post has been edited by Green_MachToy: Feb 4, 2007 - 10:08 PM

[6strngs]

I want!!! so how much has this cost you start to finish, if you don't mind me asking.

[Green_MachToy]

Which parts? The whole project or just the rear?

I want!!! so how much has this cost you start to finish, if you don't mind me asking.

[6strngs]

Which parts? The whole project or just the rear?

I want!!! so how much has this cost you start to finish, if you don't mind me asking.

everything, the whole AWD conversion (not including 3sgte engine). Cost of parts, labor, specialty tools, custom fabrication, etc. everything needed to go from FWD to AWD.

[Green_MachToy]

The parts cost me approx 2k (excluding the tranny, driveshaft, rear diff - I got those with my clip). The hardest part about that was finding a place that would part out a car ship them out to me. I got them from a guy in Europe. It is a junk yard. I would suggest we go through someone on here rather than taking a chance like I did through e-bay. But I got the parts and that price included shipping. Since it was me and a friend of mine doing the work the price on labor is a rough guess. Looking at what we did and the time it took us, I would say that would have probably been about 5k (a lot of time spent figuring it out as we went) if it was done at a shop. I talked to my friend and he said he would probably do the work for anyone on here for around 3-4k. Now some of the parts can be gotten cheaper as a couple people have pointed out on here that the rear is the same on a ST165 and ST185. The arms and hubs also appear to be the same. The difference is those monster calipers and discs. Not to mention the sway bars....I should have gotten them from the guy at the Junk yard as well. By going fuel cell instead of the tank like I did, would probably save a lot of time and money or be a wash between the cost of the cell and fabrication. My guess at this point would be it can all be done if paying someone else for everything for around 5+k.

Which parts? The whole project or just the rear?

I want!!! so how much has this cost you start to finish, if you don't mind me asking.

everything, the whole AWD conversion (not including 3sgte engine). Cost of parts, labor, specialty tools, custom fabrication, etc. everything needed to go from FWD to AWD.

This post has been edited by Green_MachToy: Feb 22, 2007 - 1:24 AM

[CilverSeliST205]

The parts cost me approx 2k (excluding the tranny, driveshaft, rear diff - I got those with my clip). The hardest part about that was finding a place that would part out a car ship them out to me. I got them from a guy in Europe. It is a junk yard. I would suggest we go through someone on here rather than taking a chance like I did through e-bay. But I got the parts and that price included shipping. Since it was me and a friend of mine doing the work the price on labor is a rough guess. Looking at what we did and the time it took us, I would say that would have probably been about 5k (a lot of time spent figuring it out as we went) if it was done at a shop. I talked to my friend and he said he would probably do the work for anyone on here for around 3-4k. Now some of the parts can be gotten cheaper as a couple people have pointed out on here that the rear is the same on a ST165 and ST185. The arms and hubs also appear to be the same. The difference is those monster calipers and discs. Not to mention the sway bars....I should have gotten them from the guy at the Junk yard as well. By going fuel cell instead of the tank like I did, would probably save a lot of time and money or be a wash between the cost of the cell and fabrication. My guess at this point would be it can all be done if paying someone else for everything for around 5+k

I believe that there is some untapped potential for money making I bet that alot of swapped people, including me, would drive any distance within US with to get that conversion done for anything under $7k
Maybe you should open up a shop.