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So I have been going over and over my budget w/ school and work, and I've decided that I can "afford" to spend about 2,000 on the car this summer.

I originally wanted to dump that all into an engine, but I find that there are a number of things that need attention on the car, as nothing was really replaced in its 13 year lifespan. (95 RS)

Here is my list of "improvements" I would like to make, and how much I think they are going to cost. If you guys know of how I can do it cheaper, please let me know!

Protege LX BP engine ($700 imported?) or Junkyard ($250+150in gaskets, + cost of machine shop clearance checks- dont know price, est. about $500)
Wire harness/ecu for BP ($100)
New belts, synthetic oil, fuel filter, cleaning materials, gear oil, drain plug, misc gaskets ($200)
ZX2 struts w/ full assemblies + GC coilovers ($650)
Lots of Bushings (dont know prices yet - $250?)
Whiteline Rear swaybar (hopefully used to save money)
Ball joints?
Wheel bearings
Brakes - need to pull stuff off in the spring to assess this, just like everything else.


What should I attack first? Or add to this list?

Still need tranny, clutch, shafts... all that good stuff and more.
I believe that 2g's might be short. Also seems a bit high for not all that much power. Why not look into a custom turbo set up for the b6? Looking back at some ppls set-ups, it can get you similar hp for as little as $500. JW has proven the abilities of the B6, mind you he's put in some big bucks along the way. Just because the BP is the popular choice, doesn't mean it has to be the choice for you. Set some goals and check out the forced induction threads. There is a vast ammount of info out there.

Best of luck no matter whay you decide.

I would take care of any outstanding maintenance issues the car might have...no point in dumping money into the engine and suspension if the floor decides to fall out two months down the road...

Inside of the car is in good shape. Outside LOOKS terrible, (I need to paint it this summer - but I'm prob going w/ a mooneggs approach ) but there is ABSOLUTELY no rust.

I have a clutch (exedy) waiting to be put in, as I'll be using my tranny bolted up to the BP. I don't want to worry about a tranny yet, as mine is fine with only 142k miles on it, and that will be a project when I decide to turbo the BP down the road.

I'm replacing the engine because mine needs work. The people who had the car before me did nothing to the car that was good for it. When I redid the wiring for the sub/headunit that was installed, I found that the kid didnt ground things well, and ran the ground for the amp all the way back to the battery, installed stupid glotubes under the dash, and some other odd things. Not to mention, I don't think that the oil was changed on the car w/ regular intervals because when I pulled the valve cover off 2 months ago, there was black crud everywhere.

The engine is also leaking oil, and making a bigger mess of the engine bay, my stock intake box is cracked, my HLA's tick like a mofo, and a few other things.

I COULD spend the money and fix up the engine, or I could spend the money and get a bigger, better one...and I'm really interested in swapping the engine anyway.

I'm not going for "power" yet, and I don't have the money for a turbo yet when I NEED to replace some suspension parts because I can visually see the wear I dont NEED to get GC's or SuperPro bushings...but I would love to have them.

I wish the little B6 was better taken car of Turboing it would be alot of fun, but it's not able to handle it in the shape it's in.

RS_OBD'oh_2, you are prob right though in that 2g's will fall short, but I love the car, and need to have it running for the summer, and for the next few years, without pulling it off the road for a season to rebuild the engine that's in it right now. Are the prices for what I have listed accurate? I was going off of what I had read/found online. Thanks for the well wishes!