The 5E has very high cylinder pressures due to its FE head and therefore lots of exhaust energy, more so than most 1500cc engines. The turbo of choice was the td04L off a WRX, but I told him not to bother using that on the 5E because it would be too small. Unlike me, he opted not to pull the engine down before installation. The owner was anxious to get it on the road, but since he got it in parts and sans drivetrain he bought an already prepped 5E engine and gearbox. The car has actually been running for a while now, until last week. I might even dare say the 500 range.įrom my experience there are three reasons why you'd use the 5E 1)You want over 300whp, 2)You already have a 5E, and 3)You have no engine and that's what is available to you. There is more than enough evidence that if pushed a properly built 5E can make 400whp+. The bottom-line though is that if you want to make more than 300whp the increase in displacement can support it. Its not just a matter of throwing stuff together. Over my experience I've come to understand the engine and just like anything new or different you have to know what you're doing. Its known to be an unreliable engine that easily destroys con-rod bearings and pistons. Much like i discovered the 5E has a bad reputation here in Jamaica. The deck height is taller than the 4E to give the 5E its extra displacement, and the ACIS heads have slightly more aggressive camshafts.

The 5E is a combination of the older 3E and the 4E. There are two 5Es, a FE, and a later FHE, and even within those are several variants, ranging from ACIS equipped models, to coil-pack engine. All I have on the 5E is again on, but I'll give you a quick rundown. However I recognized the potential something I passed on to Noel Rhone, our local Starlet Guru. My experience with the 5E was not initially a great one, as I went through several motors learning how it worked because there was not a lot of knowledge outside of Japan. Since I couldn't find a Glanza engine I opted for a 5E bottom half. I went to the 5E when I lost my EP91 4E-FTE. I was initially one of the first people in Jamaica to go 5E. I'll try to answer all the relevant questions I can while providing insight into Jamaican tuning. As I did over on my home site wheelsjamaica with the AE111 Levin/Trueno I will document the build up to make it a definitive 5E thread.

The truth of the matter is that 300whp from a stock 5E in Jamaica is so simple most people don't bother to even document it.

Recently there have been questions about the ability of the stock motor to achieve such figures on this site. The goal is simple, 300whp, a feat easily achievable on the stock engine internals. Left with no choice, it had to be rebuilt, at which point I was drafted into the project. It was eventually rescued by the current owner sans engine, gearbox, and in pieces. As the owner upgraded to an Evolution the car was sold to another friend, who eventually began to scrap it for a Motorsports project. It went on to win our local 14-second drag class.

It was converted to a high compression 5E-FHTE when his original engine died. The car was initially owned by my friend Colin Morris, who brought in the car from Japan. To give you one example, the common turbocharger was the Garrett as these were cheap from any junkyard, but as the Impreza moved stateside and secondhand Mitsubishi turbochargers off eBay are now more common. Power had to be made with what was available. Back then there were no off the shelf pistons and rods. On this site EPs are new entity, in Jamaica, Starlet tuning has evolved without a lot of the niceties you UK guys enjoy. I've been associated with this car from its previous owners. Most Starlets have fallen into the hands of performance faithfuls and this is where my story sort of began. However, in more recent times as their popularity has dropped, the information flow has been more relaxed. As I've said on my own personal site,, it became a very factionalized situation with tuners hiding information from each other on grounds of ego and profit. The Starlet community is a small one in Jamaica. Hardcore owners have been able to exploit the 5E combination to make impressive horsepower numbers and quarter-mile times. With basic modifications the average Starlet can generate 200whp. Over the past year or two there has been a resurgence in demand for the GT Turbo due to its low cost and high levels of performance potential. Right now its a known quantity allowing for anyone with a budget to buy and make a high horsepower Starlet. Back in the mid-2000s Starlet tuning hit its peak in terms of power output, tuning development and popularity. This means the last legal EP82 to enter our shores was in 1999 and the last EP91 would be 2003. Unlike Europe where there is a constant flow of Starlets here there is a three year import restriction. The GT Turbo is a dying breed in Jamaica.

Starlet gt turbo for sale in jamaica