Which lexus do I want for 2jz donor

For cheapness, ease of swap wiring, ability to use everything from donor, tuneability, and challenge friendly pricing, which lexuses(lexi?) should i be keeping an eye out for at the auctions?

i know the rice rod engine is from an sc300 and apparently it’s easy to get all your money back from one of those, but what about ls300, es300?  I found a $950 sc300 locally that has been turbocharged and the head is in the trunk and “it just needs pistons” to go back together.  I do not want this.  Will be looking to buy mid summer when things are winding down on Darth Nader™ and i can start looking to future challenge builds. I’ve got one very narrow chassis that’s not going to take well to a v8, and I have a love for straight sixes.  I’ll need a full car to pirate the wiring and stuff from and to help get budget back because this one will be cutting it close.  

Es300 is a v6. 2jz is in the 1998+ gs300, all is300 and all sc300s. I don’t know about ease of wiring but do think you’d have no problem selling parts off of any of those cars. Gs300 I’d target the mirrors, tail lights, door computers, cluster, stereo, and you’re at about $500 recovered. I can look through what I sold off my part out gs400 later but I’m pretty sure I was close to $800 and still had a drivable car when I was done! Well no doors but it ran steered and stopped. Drove onto the trailer to go be stripped more for a drivetrain donor. 

GS300 also. 

Avoid the fwd of the ES(Camry) 

Nothing offered a manual trans other than the SC300

I'll keep a look out. 

Yes I know you said lexus, but have you considered the  gmt360 4.2l inline six?

I don't think the ES300 got the 2JZ.  You are looking for an IS, SC or GS300.  The GS and SC will likely be the more gently used options.

John Welsh said:

GS300 also. 

Avoid the fwd of the ES(Camry) 

Nothing offered a manual trans other than the SC300

I'll keep a look out. 

IS300 came with manual trans, but they are low numbers and have an enthusiast premium.

You can also look for Toyota Supras.

There was also the early (91-97) GS300 with the 2JZ engine.   From what I've seen, the typical asking price for those is well under challenge money.   These were available turbocharged too, just not in the US.   

What about a trailblazer with an Atlas 4.2 they are like 275hp stock, and should be easy to find.

pimpm3 said:

What about a trailblazer with an Atlas 4.2 they are like 275hp stock, and should be easy to find.

i am a fan of the Atlas 4.2 but the only manual trans available that I'm aware of are from the 4 and 5 cylinder colorado's/canyon's, but those trans are not known for there strength and behind the 6 i'd have an even shorter lifespan.

pimpm3 said:

What about a trailblazer with an Atlas 4.2 they are like 275hp stock, and should be easy to find.

I’ve had one on the stand before.  It’s huuuuuge.  Tall mostly.  I’m thinking one of the japanese sixes might be a better option.  I know i can use my existing hptuners setup to do a 4.2 reflash, but would have to find a 2wd trans, did they even make a 2wd trailblazer (non SS)?  Once in a while the list of craig has a rusty lexus for $600.  I don’t think i have ever seen a 2wd trailblazer.  I know i could get a junk 4l60e and strip it down for the tailshaft and housing, but that’s a huge ordeal requiring me to not berk up.  Would prefer to drive a donor around the block and pull the entire assembly out knowing it works.  Looking to build a car to do top third in drags and win autocross and concours in a few years.  

The 2JZ is still definitely a tall motor. Way taller than any V8 but pretty narrow and easy to route intake/exhaust.

For donors, here's your list in order of most likely to find for Challenge money based on my searching experience:

SC300 91-97

"SC400" (.seen so many 2JZ cars mislabeled this way)

SC300 98-00 (VVT and coils)

GS300 any year

"welded diff"

getting struck by lightning

SC300 5-speed

IS300

Sometimes you find a 2jz-GTE or 1JZ swap project that has stalled out, so you can get a great deal if you have a trailer. 

Yes there are plenty of 2wd Trailblazers and Envoys with the 4.2L. Most seem to be 4x4 but the 2wd's are definitely out there. I considered the Atlas motor for my 2018 but you're right it's a huge a engine. They go for cheap, but not sure how well they part out.

Don't forget that Volvo used a straight 6, even with turbos. Don't know about a rwd tranny, however...

If it's a straight six you're interested in, why not BMW?

FuzzWuzzy said:

If it's a straight six you're interested in, why not BMW?

Because he wants to make enough power to finish near the top of the drags. With BMW sixes that means one of the ones built for a turbo, which are all newish and go for more than challenge money (an N54 long block without the turbos is usually well over $1000, dismantlers will often separate the long block from the turbos since junkyard N54 turbo/manifold assemblies can go for a few hundred each)

I have a Supra 5mge that i bought for the transmission. I also have the distributor you would need to run it with a carb or carbs somewhere. Probably not the kind of hp you are looking for, but there are some 5/7mge hybrids out there for some reason and the parts might be useful if you get down that rabbit hole.

On the Atlas 6 you only need the bell housing from the Colorado, the transmission you would want is the Solstice one that will bolt up to it.

oldopelguy said:

I have a Supra 5mge that i bought for the transmission. I also have the distributor you would need to run it with a carb or carbs somewhere. Probably not the kind of hp you are looking for, but there are some 5/7mge hybrids out there for some reason and the parts might be useful if you get down that rabbit hole.

On the Atlas 6 you only need the bell housing from the Colorado, the transmission you would want is the Solstice one that will bolt up to it.

So I take it this mash up will survive......275hp with a Solstice tranny????? just wonderin'

Considering that the Solstice GXP made at least that much hp, and the same transmission is in Troopers behind a 3.5l v6 of similar hp as well, it should be fine.

New ideas...

 Mercedes M104 + w201 190 16v getreg tranny + MS3 + treadstone turbo manifold. 

The m104 seems very similar to the 2jz.

Or the om606 + big turbo + injector pump work. 500hp and more torque!

i would just get a 2 sway-zee from a sc300. There’s three things to consider. 1) either the sc300 has been pampered or 2) it’s been beat to death and there is no carbon build up. And finally 3) it’s a 2 sway-zee man. It’s invincible. 

What trans are you wanting to use? 

Very few SC300's came with 5 speeds, and around here are minimum of $5k for a running car.

I really don't know how machinebau found his for $1k. 

At that, general consensus is the W58 they came with don't handle thrashing well.  

There are a couple other trans available, but they seem to sell at or 3 times challenge budget depending on 5-6 speeds. 

Aside from that, the NA VVT-i motors are only good to about 300whp due to lightened connecting rods. So keep that in mind.

At that, general consensus is the W58 they came with don't handle thrashing well

Bologna. I flog my w58 like a 16yr old student driver. 

Trackmouse, this is more likely 

W58 or auto really won’t matter at first, whatever is cheapest when found.  I would likely take my time and try to find a manual before auto, but really don’t care, price is key. If i want to bang gears i have my wrx

In reply to drdisque :

I wouldn’t say that. MASSIVE power is possible on a stock bottom end M52 or M50. Or m30b35, for that matter.  Strong enough manual transmissions are relatively cheap and easy to find.

Crackers said:

I really don't know how machinebau found his for $1k. 

 

I didn't find a 5-speed Lexus for $1k, I found a 5-speed Lexus for the cost of a B-body wagon Challenge Car, which happened to only cost me $1k. But the seller didn't know that