New owner of '97 GTS - suggestions? Options

[m_yct]

Hey all,

So I'm a relatively new owner of a 6th gen 1997 Celica GTS in Canada. Had it for just a tad over a month now and got a sweet, sweet deal on it which is a long story so I won't ramble on about it. So far, everything under the hood is stock. I've just been throwing some money on minute exterior upgrades as listed in my profile which I think are pretty necessary (not the HIDs though haha). Pics to follow soon but as it's mostly stock, it's really nothing new lol.

Anyway, I've got a few dollars saved up and was wondering which of the following you all would suggest (hope I'm not posting in the wrong place but ...)

Basically want to keep it an N/A engine as, from what I've researched, 5SFE and forced induction is pretty much a no go. My 2 options for now are:

1) Some form of an intake and exhaust system - for this, would cold air intake or short ram intake be better? Also, from what I've found, aftermarket parts for the 5SFE are somewhat rare so could any of you point me in the right direction?

2) Engine kit rebuild as found on www.importperformanceparts.net - I know, this would be much more labour intensive and costly, but would I be more satisfied in the long run in terms of performance? Also, how reliable are these kits in general?

So that's that. Appreciate all feedback.

Thanks.

[95CelicaST]

The 5S isn't a bad motor to turbo. The bottom end is just as stout as a 3SGTE. Just don't cheap out on it.

First, understand that bolt on mods like an intake and exhaust are going to yield very little performance gains. Such is the way of Toyotas.


1. Get a cold air intake of eBay. A short ram will be sucking up warm air from next to the motor, which will hurt performance. For exhaust, check the stickies in the Engine/transmission forum. Basically buy a muffler you like and take it to an exhaust shop and have them fabricate the catback. You can buy an aftermarket header on eBay as well.

2. How many miles are on your motor now?