Hey guys first off I want to say sorry about spelling or grammar I am on my phone so it might be alright but not my strong area... Now here's my ? I am looking at a 89 st that has a decent body and decent interior.... No radio it's a 5 speed with 190k on chassis and 140k on motor, motor says 2000 16valve on top so I asume it's a 3s-fe? It has a rod knock or spun bearing.... Other then that it seems nice... He only want 300 bucks for it... I was wondering about these cars... I'm a big z31 guy so I understand parts are hard to find. But how hard are they for these cars? Also about how much am I looking on average for a motor? And is there any descent swaps that don't cost a arm and a leg? Thanks for any info and sorry again about the crappy grammar
Welcome and where are you ? Your grammer is fine and if it is an 89 model then it should have a 3sge in it which is a better engine all round and the noise your hearing will be explained by the lads and what you need to do to fix it. Anything you need to know is always covered on this site.......... Do a site search as well, there is a ship load of usefull info here :cheers
The guy says its a st with a gts swap? Is that a diffrent motor or is it just him tring to sell me somthing? And does the 300 bucks sound like a good deal? Thanks for the help
Incorrect. Judging by how he's talking, he's in the states and it has a 3sfe in it. First question, how big are the spark plug wire caps on the motor? If they're huge, you have a 3sfe. If not, 3sge. If there are 2 valve covers, 3sge. If it is a solid, single piece it's the 3sfe. Second question, parts are not hard to find if you know where to look. I have 5 different Toyota models crammed into my car and they all work great (soon it'll be 6 models). Third question, depends on what you're looking at. You can pick up a motor from a junkyard for a couple hundred. Another hundred or so in re-sealing the motor and you're on your way. Fourth question, define arm and a leg. Last but not least, I wouldn't touch that car with a 10ft pole. I'd buy it and use it for parts.
well it looks like its a 3s-fe, from the pics on the net and the pics of the motor its a fe. also 4thgenceli, why wouldnt you buy the car? can you explain why you would stay away from the car? i am getting mixed feelings about it from what i am reading..... just want to know if its worth it or if its going to be a total night mare..... thanks for the help guys
3s-fe valve cover says "toyota 2000 16 valve" 3s-ge valve cover says "TOYOTA twin cam 16" ST trim is USDM only. 3S-FE, coupe version, no strut bars, manual everything, 4 bolt, drum rears. check out this ST with a GTE swap! http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/cto/3279183724.html also to the OP: i've bought a full running 89 GT model with no leaks/knocks/problems for $350 that passed emissions, so i would either spend more to get a running one, or wait til you find one in some backyard and leave a note on it.
You said it has 190,000 miles on it, but the motor only has 140,000 miles. So that means the original 3sfe motor was replaced at 50,000 miles? I find that incredibly hard to believe. The 3sfe motor is known to be a workhorse and works even with neglected maintenance cycles. The car must of had the crap driven out of it without an ounce of care for a good portion of it's life. If you'd like, send me the VIN I can run a check against it to see how the car history looks. Also what was said above. My first St162 (89 GT) I picked up for 1200 with a blown head gasket. Noob mistake on my part, I knew shit about cars. My second ST162 (89 GTS) I picked up for $200 with spun rod bearings. The third one (87 GTS) I picked up running, passed emissions and driving for $500 off an old member here. Keep looking you'll find a good deal.
it doesn't say anything about the original motor. it could have been new motor at 50k body/0miles replacement (which is what you thought), 100k body/50k replacement, 150k body/100k replacement and so on. all we know is the motor is 50k less than the body
