hey guys. This site is awesome. Ok I was just wondering, I've read all about super chargers and turbo chargers etc but what other legal modifications can be made to the Tc to up the hp. What kind of potential will this car have? is it possible to get it up to 300hp or more? If so what kind of figures are we talking money wise. what is the safest route to go if you want low maintanace, safety and reliabilty? Is 50/55hp the most that it can be bumped up to? would it need a new engine? These questions are aimed at the members that know thier stuff and all info will be much appreciated. thanks! :) :) :)

Anything is possible with money. If you had a gazillion dollars I'm sure you'd be able to ram a 300hp 1UZ-FE V8 motor (been done on a Corolla), put in twin turbos, nitrous, and a jet engine welded to the back. . . hahaha sorry it's been a long day. . . I have no idea man. It's really a broad question. I would think that adding more than 30-40% more power to engine would jeapordize long term wear, especially without internal upgrades. But again with enough money, you could literally get it up to 1000hp, talkin a lot of money. There are a lot of possibilities for motor swaps, but most people never do them, and if you are serious it might be better to consult a shop. If you can fit a 2.4L camry motor in there, I'm sure a turbo MR2 engine will fit nicely too. . . again money.

I don't understand why people buy cheap cars then spend thousands trying to get a few extra horsepoer out of them. Why not just spend the money on a better/faster car in the firstplace? Go get yourself a nice V6 or something.

or a WRX or EVO or Neon SRT-4 or used Camaro or used Corvette(can be had for CHEAP)
for the most part all cheaper than car + mods for end result

Insurance

heheh true. . . but then again. . .
motorcycle :twisted:

heheh true. . . but then again. . .
motorcycle :twisted: I anways hear that motorcyle insureance is high....its not? I dunno I've never really looked into it.

it's ultra ultra ultra low

I don't understand why people buy cheap cars then spend thousands trying to get a few extra horsepoer out of them. Why not just spend the money on a better/faster car in the firstplace? Go get yourself a nice V6 or something.

I'm a mechanical engineer major so I enjoy making machines better and more efficient. ok maybe 300hp is a bit drastic but it would be fun. I'm all about what's under the hood. Thanks guys for the replies anymore ideas? is a sc/tc the only option.

It depends on how much the after market warms up to the tC. . .
I'm sure you could port and polish her. . .
put in stronger rods and pistons
if you are handy with engines, a single turbo setup won't be too hard. . . I've seen tubo setups for Lexus LS400 engines and they have no room in there!
Intercooler
the usual exhaust, intake, headers
at this point you should strongly consider a stronger transmission, if one exists (this will probably be where the power bottle neck will be. . . FWD transmission able to take all that power? Mabye a racing Celica transmission, MAYBE
Afc
Direct Port Nitrous (even 200 shot if you got enough $$$)
or just run on Nitro-methane?
Remove everything from the car, to save weight, except essentials
how much money you got?
Everything I listed, isn't too far off from putting a rocket on the back, soo. . .
Without a doubt, there will be a few tC's running on the drag strips, running 1000+ hp in a few years.
Basically if you want a race car, you can build it or pick another car, but if you are looking for an extra 50hp, that shouldn't be a problem. . . expect to spend about $3k and that's a guesstimate.

thanks mate awesome suggestions. I'm trying to stay away from nitrous I want hard wired horse power. I just really like all I've seen of the Tc so far its stance and its front reminds me of the nissan skyline. And the glass roof... awesome. only thing I fear is that at 6'3 I might be a little cramped unlike DuMa I don't ride with the seats reclined. any more performance suggestions peeps? :D

I bet that most people are trying to finance a motorcycle... and that is why they say that insurance is higher...

full coverage on a 20 year old on a crotch rocket can run up to $6k / year.... but liability might only be $30 /month for a person with the bike as a second vehicle with liabiliy only ....

Your best bet for pure acceleration would be a single turbo.
If you want more usability out of your power band and no turbo lag, go with a super charger.
AFM would be nice too, and possibly an intercooler.
Anything else isn't going to significantly increase power. You can play with intakes/exhuast, but you may only gain 20hp max, possibly another 10 if you have forced induction. Other than that, you'd be looking at handling/braking/cosmetic upgrades.

thanks Djct, thanks guys, for the info. I can't wait to test drive one hope it handles nicely the only cosmetic upgrade will be switching the stock 17"rims (wich imo are an eyesore) with these www.ndii.org/picturebin/925.gif (or something similar), that and some tint :D besides that, my goal is to add as much power as possible with out wearing down or straining the chasis or replacing the stock engine. what performance mods do you guys have planned for your tc's if any? and does any one know how much ground clearance it has standard? will lowering it anyfurther enhance or hinder the cars performance?what do you guys think?

It sounds like 300hp is more then possible, it is already on the way.
"Toyota's high-performance arm is already working on a 300-horsepower package of parts for the lunatic fringe."

http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?Vehicle=2005_Scion_tC&ReviewID=1566

gnarly dude :D :D :D

well the biggest complaint on the Neon from last year (230hp) was the lack of a limited slip differential... so they added it this year and bumped the power... so that will probably be the first thing to look at before breaking that 215hp barrier... it will come down to tire selection and driving style...

lowering a car will almost always help performance, cornering will drastically be increased due to the lower center of gravity... braking can be helped, because the lower CG keeps the weight transfer lower, so more weight (and therefore more stopping power) will be over the rear wheels... acceleration on FWD will be helped but not to the degree that a RWD will benefit - lowering a RWD car helps close the "wedge" - which is the balance between forward acceleration and the desire of the car to "lift" the front wheels...

Ground clearance on the tC is 5.2 inches. If you haven't seen this car in person yet, you will love it when you do. Sweet ride, nice stance, very roomy even though it's a 2-door hatch. There is a lot of potential for this car. Hope to see everyone look into this, and hopefully purchase this thing.

awesome thanks for all the info guys. :) :) :) do you think it should need to be lowered any further? and will strut replacement be neccessary or will some racing springs do it? I have seen talk of some suspension pack is that a dealership option? I don't think the wheel fender gap is tooo big but what do you guys think?

awesome thanks for all the info guys. :) :) :) do you think it should need to be lowered any further? and will strut replacement be neccessary or will some racing springs do it? I have seen talk of some suspension pack is that a dealership option? I don't think the wheel fender gap is tooo big but what do you guys think?

the TRD springs lower about 3/4", which isn't much, but strut replacement isn't necessary... but if you go further I am betting that it will be a necessity...

turbocharger with an innercooler could do the trick if you want 215.

I'm shooting for 230 WHP with my turbo set up for starters. However I should be able to reach 275 or even 300 if I get really crazy. However my goal is to have 230WHP for less than the price of a RSX-S.

total turbo setup should be less than $4000... and the LSD should be about $1000... not sure about the CV joints, are people having success with the Camry / Solara CVs?? figure a few hundred for the head work, might run ya a grand... it'll be close...

you are talking 300 wheel hp?? good luck... bring a tool chest with you... :)

turbocharger with an innercooler could do the trick if you want 215.

I'm shooting for 230 WHP with my turbo set up for starters. However I should be able to reach 275 or even 300 if I get really crazy. However my goal is to have 230WHP for less than the price of a RSX-S.

Yea mine is to push atleast 250whp want it to atleaste be able to compete with a g35 for alot less money. :lol:

turbocharger with an innercooler could do the trick if you want 215.

I'm shooting for 230 WHP with my turbo set up for starters. However I should be able to reach 275 or even 300 if I get really crazy. However my goal is to have 230WHP for less than the price of a RSX-S.

Yea mine is to push atleast 250whp want it to atleaste be able to compete with a g35 for alot less money. :lol:

why would you need 250whp to compete with a G35?? the G35 at 280hp with 15% losses would make about 240whp... but that car weighs 3400lbs... so you would need about 85% of the power... so tops to be competitive you'd need 210 or so...

if you guys are really looking for a contender you should start with a car that is designed for performance FIRST... not economy or low price... Neon SRT4 or Cobalt SS would be a better foundation...

(but of course I don't need to explain that hp has so little to do with the performance that you guys are shooting for, I'm sure that you totally are aware that torque is the numbers you are really looking at)

I think the scion tc is awesome I like the body style and the skyline looking front end so It has to be that car. :)

Lets take a look at the engine. That is where the heart and soul lies. We are starting off with a 2.4L DOHC pushing 160HP. This engine a lot more potential than most people are going to expect. For the size, it is pushing out a very minimal amount of horsepower. My B16 in my 00' SI was a 1.6L pushing 160 HP stock. If you has this toyota engine pushing that much, it would be at 240 HP. Granted, it maybe only be a 4 cylinder, but it is still huge. Considering how restricted it is, this engine, once opened up, is going to be impressive. It isn't going to be too hard to get this car into the high 14s. Do the basic things first, like intake, headers, exhaust. I'm expecting a huge aftermarket crowd. There are going to be plenty of products. Advancing the timing, after putting the basic bolt-ons will allow you to squeeze even more horsepower out of it. I'm guess with about $1000 of bolt-on parts you can get this car up to 200 HP.

thats with out even putting on the super charger right? :)

Ok so I've seen several different things about this but can you have an intake and supercharger? Sorry but I have no knowledge about s/c's.

Lets take a look at the engine. That is where the heart and soul lies. We are starting off with a 2.4L DOHC pushing 160HP. This engine a lot more potential than most people are going to expect. For the size, it is pushing out a very minimal amount of horsepower. My B16 in my 00' SI was a 1.6L pushing 160 HP stock. If you has this toyota engine pushing that much, it would be at 240 HP. Granted, it maybe only be a 4 cylinder, but it is still huge. Considering how restricted it is, this engine, once opened up, is going to be impressive. It isn't going to be too hard to get this car into the high 14s. Do the basic things first, like intake, headers, exhaust. I'm expecting a huge aftermarket crowd. There are going to be plenty of products. Advancing the timing, after putting the basic bolt-ons will allow you to squeeze even more horsepower out of it. I'm guess with about $1000 of bolt-on parts you can get this car up to 200 HP.

your talking apples to oranges, displacement is only one factor that determines how much horsepower an engine makes... for one thing compression, your SI motor was probably set for closer to 11 to 1 compression, where this engine is set for 9.6 (if I remember right) so without a whole bunch of head work or a new crank or new connecting rods, you're not gonna see that much power... if $1000 separated this car from 200hp, why wouldn't Toyota make that jump??

second, your SI was making what 130 ft-lbs of torque... the only reason that it would make more horsepower is because RPM is a contributor to HP... so a balanced Indy engine can spin about 19,000 rpm and make about 900hp... but it still only makes 150 ft-lb of torque... so you're gonna bolt on something that makes the engine more balanced so it can spin faster??

you're not gonna see 25% horsepower gains from bolt on equipment on this engine... period...

so whats the solution genius? In english how much will it cost me to get it up to 250? :twisted:

250hp would be pretty sweet. :D

even with 250hp the car is heavy as hell... at 2925 lbs your gonna need a lot more then 250hp to even break 14's....
and with a 0-60 time of 7.8seconds....would put you around a 16.4 in the quarter....thats just sad

thats the only downside to me... the tC's weight...