83 celica gt swap Options

[83gt]

Hey guys, Im a new member and I will be picking up a 83 celica gt in the next couple weeks, and id like to build it into a drift car, similar to a hachiroku. I want to swap in a 1jzgte or 7mgte. I know the main problem with these swaps is that the engine bay for the celica is 4 inches shorter than the old celica supras, but i have a friend that can do the modifications to the firewall so the engine will fit.

I have a couple other questions though.

1. Will the shifter sit farther back than the current one because the engine is longer? If so, will other modifications to the body need to be made because the shifter will sit farther back?

2. I know the chassis for the celica was not built to hold the larger I6 engine, how much fabrication will be needed to mount the engine?

3. I have heard that these engines may throw off the balance of the car, will suspension and strut bars add enough balance and rigidity?

4. I have never dealt with an engine swap before, so what does this mean as far as speedo gauges and such?

5. Has anyone heard of any other reasonable swaps for this car? (sr20? )

6. Lets say i wanted to do a rhd conversion also. Would both of these conversions need to be done at the same time?

Keep in mind that i have another car for my DD. This will be an ongoing project for me and some buddies. Also because this wont be my DD, i will be gutting the interior to make any necessary modifications. Im going to start from scratch basically. Once i get the car im gonna strip it down and clean it up and start from there. Should make for a fun project.

[Valo666]

they are the same wheel base, and almost the same length, the supra's front end does come out further and where the rad support is welded is about another 2 inches further out than a celicas. You can fit 1JZ into celicas, but they do require some minor alterations, like cuttin firewalls, engine mounts, supporting the front frame rails and cross member, cuttin into the tranny tunnel/center console, mounting the fan on the otherside of the rad. It can be done, like any thing, just takes time, and alot of $.