Need help on engine choice

[yashin]

Ok, before I ask this question, I do know that this is the CA forum, so the answer is bound to be a little biased, but try to help me out as best you can.

I have a friend who runs a shop, he can get me engines at cost price. Essentially he offered me a CA18DET for 550 CDN (400USD), or an SR Redtop for ~1400 CDN (1000USD).

Both those engines are complete motorsets with uncut harness etc. etc.

So the question is, should I go with the CA? It's a difference of around $900 CDN. What could I get out of the CA with 900 CDN, ie. sr t25, FC 550cc's, SAFC (or eprom burning) etc. etc.

I like the CA, but am kind of concerned with the lack of torque, for the guys that have modded CA's, how does it feel? I like the torquey feeling of the KA, and it's not something I want to completley give up.

Thanks for the help.

[f s t caz]

if it makes you feel any better, with stock exhaust, stock intercooler, stock fuel, cone filter and a GTiR t28 pushing 12psi, i kept dead locked with a red top sr20 powered S14 with a big(HUGE) GReddy FMIC + full free flowing intercooler piping, full exhaust and a stock t25 @ 10psi. so if i took the extra money that i "saved" by not going w/ an SR, i could have had atleast a free flowing exhaust, maybe injectors/safc or a custom intercooler and pulled away. but since i'm on a budget, i never "saved" any money, just purchased what i could afford. just food for thought though...

[fanta]

If you don't want the CA for that price, someone else sure will :oface

[LoserbabyS13]

If I were to do it all over again considering what I have spent I would have re-built my ka24e with forgies and boosted it.

[yashin]

If you don't want the CA for that price, someone else sure will :oface

naw, that price is only for me (the shop owner is a personal friend)

It's not that I don't recognize the strenghts of the CA, I realize what a great engine it is, I just thinking about what will be better/faster/more reliable/cheaper(if possible) in the long run.

Can nobody answer my question on torque?

[LoserbabyS13]

My statment was kinda answering your question. If you want tourqe boost the ka it will be LOADS of fun maybe not as fast as a sr or ca built but way more fun to drive on the streets. It will give you that OH **** in the seat of your pants kinda thing. Not saying you cant do that with the other engines but I think rebuiling a KA and boosting it would be more fun for the price.

[SeVa-S13]

Rebuilding and then piecing together a turbo kit for the KA will far exceed $400, especially with forged pistons which will cost that much alone.

[r34 gtr]

my ca put down 150.97whp and 164lb/ft of torque at 3600rpm. just to give you an idea, i had it at 9-10psi on stock everything except an intake and exhaust and raced a friend. her - 2001 svt cobra w/ 1 person and 1/4 tank of gas. me - 1989 240 w/ ca18, 2 people and a full tank. from a roll i walked the cobra by several carlengths. i raised the boost with a cheap bleeder valve, it was free. my ca has enough torque to pull away from a stoplight in 3rd. its not an engine to sneeze at by any means. (and i would love to see someone run a sr out of oil 3 times, rev it to 9k rpm and run it for an hour without coolant and have it show no signs of wear on the bottom end)

- tim

[Dattebayo]

are you serious about those prices?!?I would WALK to toronto to get a CA or SR that cheap. I cant believe it. NO. NEVER im flabbergasted...

[91rs13]

Hey Yashin,

Whatever happened with the PDM style FRP Front Lips you were selling off of another forum?

Seemed like there were a lot of people interested in them.

[Trigger]

if i was you i would buy the CA and spend the money saved on upgrade parts...if your worried about the size of it then use the money saved and bore it out and you will be right up there with the SR on everything.

Tim

[yashin]

Yes the prices are real. My friend runs a serious shop. He gets engines from the supplier for dirt dirt cheap. People don't realize how cheap engines are in japan.

My friend gets them from a supplier who sells engine.

He gets s13 sr's for ~1400cdn, and ca's for ~550.

Plus engines are a little cheaper here.

The going price for a redtop ecu, mafs, uncut harness etc. etc. is 2500 cdn.

I think I will stick with the CA. Thanks for the help.

91rs13, I had molds made, but the pdm lip is twisted, it isn't straight, this made making the mold very very difficult, because as the mold settled it would lose it's shape. I'm still trying to get it done, but am not sure if I can.

[rico05]

The CA is an awesome engine. About your torque question, use a little common sense. 1.8L is not going to make a lot of torque, but the motors perpensity to revv and respond well to boost makes this really a moot point except in off boost, low revv cruising. The CA is a more advanced motor internally than the SR and is beefy/ier as well.

I have open DP, IC sprayer, and K&N filter and with my SR T25G at 9psi, I walked slightly on a Redtop through 4th gear on the highway. He was at 9psi (Profec b) as well, w/ GReddy VSPL FMIC, Trust 3" DP, J30 VLSD, and URAS RS catback. He did have a chick in the car with him tho;)