Argh, if that was the truth, and I can turbo/super the KA for "$1500" I would. But overall, in the end, with all the parts bought, it will be above $3000 minimum. SR.. If I decide to, I can find a really clean SR off the net, and spend about 1600-1900, and get a gasket kit ($150), and fuel pump, and rad, and it will cost about $2500 (or close to the ka-t).[/quote]
Piecing together a turbo kit for a KA can EASILY cost around a grand. You may not have brand new parts, but they will be newer than a turbo on an SR. So a grand for parts and the rest for a good tune, you'll stay under 2k
But the SR appeals to me more since 1. It's weight will fit my applications for what I'd like to do on the track this spring. 2. I'm pretty noobish with engine work, and boosting the KA is out of my comfort zone, and everyone in my province works with SR's so it would be easier to go with the SR. It's definitely less complicated, just plug it in. 3 This has been said millions of times, but I agree, it's already boosted, and if I don't run such insane powers, it should hold up fine, since that's what it was built with.
See I thought it'd be less complicated too, but it can be a lot more complicated than you though. Here I am 6 months later and Im tearing my motor down AGAIN
KA's are pretty reliable, and even more reliable when built. But seriously, I'm not planning on running insane numbers, so an SR should be fine (as with the KA. . but I really like the SR, i've been in a car with one, and thought it was great).
KA's are more than pretty reliable. They are VERY reliable. I beat the living sh** out my first 240. It was my first car and there was a time that I checked the oil dip stick and there was barely anything on it. That car is still being driven today by a guy who needed a cheap car because he ran his other car out of oil and the motor siezed.
In the end, it all depends on the condition of the SR. . . If it's super clean, and everything is in great condition, no point putting in all the extra stuff you mentioned (injector seals, water pump, etc). Plus for now, I don't need a FMIC (even tho they can be had for pretty cheap), the SR's SMIC is more than enough for power goals under 10 PSI.
There is a very good point in putting in all of that extra stuff. Hell, what he named off was a bare minimum. I put about 3500 bucks in extra parts preparing for the swap, and there was still quite a few things I would have liked to have bought for the motor before putting it in. The fact that you don't think that you should replace atleast the water pump astounds me. And if it all depended on the condition of the SR you wouldn't have created this thread asking if you should buy that ratty old beat up SR.
If the engine is like the blacktop in this thread, by all means, I'll definitely go KA-T cause the amount of work fixing the SR would be as complicated as boosting a KA . . But there's still some extremely clean SR's out there that will pop up.
Again, if this was the case, you wouldn't have created this thread. You're trying to spend as little as possible here. It doesn't work like that. This isn't changing your car speakers or replacing wiper blades. Your talking about a whole new engine. That's a major process. The engines are advertised as having 25-40k miles, but if that's the case then why does my S14 SR have bad stem seals? These motors are as old as our cars. They have a lot more mileage than they tell you, I can promise you that. You need to replace as much as you financially can before putting the motor in, or your just creating more problems for yourself in the long run. Trust me. If so many people say the same thing, there must be some truth to it.
