Here is the mostly finished swap. The engine is a 7MGE 3.0L straight six out of a '89 Toyota Supra. I put in the lower compression 7MGTE pistons from the turbocharged version of this motor as well as adding the factory turbo setup. The original motor was a 2.4L 4Cyl that put out a measly 90Hp at the wheels on a good day. They would run forever, but towing a motorcycle trailer into a headwind was very aggravating. The new turbo motor cranks out 230Hp at the wheels @ about 6psi of boost. I also added a Mile Marker hydraulic winch that is powered off of the power steering pump. I still need to get the truck stuck in the creek so I can test out the winch.

Here is a slightly better view of my custom bumper. I started with a large piece of about .25" thick angle for the winch mount. I then used two more pieces of about 3" heavy angle on each side to mount to the factory bumper location and also the factory tow hook location. I think the frame will fail before the bumper does. I also used some 2" channel to angle back from the winch to the sides then added a plate to the bottom edge of the channel angling back towards the tires. I didn't finish boxing in the drivers side yet because I suspected the single intercooler radiator on the passenger side would not be big enough. I'm going to find another radiator on ebay, then i'll finish up the bumper. I boxed in the passenger side but didn't weld it. I used bolts so I can get access to the intercooler radiator.

This is from about a year and a half ago. I was test fitting my aluminum radiator i ordered from summit. I hope it will provide enough cooling capacity, so far so good. I cut out the core support then added a couple of pieces on to the ends so i could reuse the factory hood latch in the factory location. The whole hood latch piece now is easily removable with a couple of bolts. I also welded tabs on the radiator to mount with the same bolts as the A/C condenser. unfortunately to pull the radiator i have to pull the condenser. But this was the best way I could find to mount it at the time. If you look closely you can see the vice grip that's holding on the winch. I didn't weld it to the mounts till i had the cooling fans and the grill fully assembled. The hydraulic hoses stick out from the back of the winch and i had to make sure i could clear them with the fans. You can see in this picture the factory airflow meter. This was prior to installing the turbo. I had planned to run it without the turbo for a bit but decided to go ahead and get the turbo mounted.


I added some .25" spacers under the tranny/x-fer case mount to keep the rear of the engine off of the firewall. I used the 5MGE motor mounts on the block but i cut them apart and re welded them with the motor dropped about 2 inches to clear the hood but that put the oil pan really close to the axle. So I put on a 2" body lift and put the motor mounts back where I thought they should be. I should have started with a 2" body lift and left the motor mounts alone. Anyway the spacers seem to keep the engine off the firewall. I did have larger spacers installed but they were causing some drive shaft bind. I suppose I could redo the motor mounts with the engine about 1/4-1/2" further forward. It would require modifying the rear tranny mount though. I imagine the drive shafts can absorb that much movement. I may do that some day if I'm feeling adventurous.

I still need to do something about the suspension. I'd like to ride a little smoother with the extra weight up front. I don't really know what to do about it though. I suppose a slightly stiffer spring would keep it off the bumpstops a little better and some longer shackles for a bit of a lift in the front.