u/TryIntelligent4344

I own a 2003 Lexus IS300 that I'm going to 3UZ-FE + Stock 3UZ ECU 8HP50 swap + Turbolamik TCU. This will be my fun and reliable grocery getter/daily driver, and a 2013 Sion FRS rolling shell with no engine, transmission, driveshaft, axels or ECU that I snagged for $1300.

My question is how feasible would it be to swap my NA 2JZ-GE VVTi engine into the FRS chassis? I have no real intention on boosting the GE, just doing bolt-ons while it's out, headers, COP ignition conversion, harmonic balancer + billet tensioner, and maybe a slight head build to bring the rpm redline up to 8K.

I've seen people swap whole 2JZ-GTEs into the BRX/86/FRS, there's entire harness kits, swap harness, everything you could ever need to keep the gauges, cluster, electronics, and everything in the car working like factory. That's what I want.

My GE engine is already out, and as I'm writing this post my IS300 is waiting on the aluminum driveshaft and the Turbolamik TCU+harness, and then it'll be ready for tuning. I just want to know if my idea here is feasible and not /too/ expensive, especially because I'm not doing a turbo or anything extreme, and I'll probably keep it simple and do an 8HP45 + MaxxECU street to control the engine and transmission together.

I am going through Roadmaster and they are really pushing me toward Werner right out of school. Werner says the starting pay is 0.58 cpm, and if I go with them I may have to do team driving after the five weeks of training. The recruiter said team drivers average 4,000 miles per week, but I am automatically assuming that number is a little optimistic and that real world miles could be closer to 3,000 or less depending on freight, freight lanes, downtime, and all the usual nonsense. They also do not offer personal conveyance, which is a pretty big negative to me.

I live in Houston and I already have my TWIC, so I was originally thinking about intermodal/Regional/Dedicated or even local food service (Not afraid of unloading a truck, my MOS was harder). The recruiter I spoke with said they do not have any intermodal accounts in Houston, which honestly made me laugh, because Houston seems like exactly the kind of place where you would expect that kind of work. Instead, they are only talking team OTR, and I really would like to avoid OTR if I can. Not because I am afraid of it or unwilling to do it, but because I do not want my time wasted sitting for hours at shippers and dealing with all the other BS that comes with OTR. On top of that, the pay does not seem especially impressive for what the job actually demands.

The recruiter is telling me I will be averaging 1,200 to 1,400 per week after training, but I have heard and or read plenty of stories and testimonies from drivers both solo and team saying they were more like 600 to 900 per week depending on the situation. I am not interested in working for peanuts in a dangerous job where everybody on the road seems to be out to get you. At the same time, I am not sitting here expecting some top tier local job $1600/week pay as a brand new driver with zero experience. I know that would be unrealistic, and most companies won't hire due to insurance. I am not sipping the Kool Aid or coming in with unrealistic expectations/believing the recruiter bs.

I am scheduled to start CDL training next week, and I have already been prehired for Werner. I just need to finish training and get my CDL. But I also know there are more options than just jumping straight into OTR, especially team driving, and I would rather make the smartest first move possible instead of just taking the first thing they hand me (especially because Werner owns Roadmaster, so I'm naturally suspicious and not taking what they say at face value).

My VA disability covers my needs because I live well below my means, and I won't have to pay back debt or sign a contract, so I am not coming from a position of desperation. That is why I feel like I actually have the freedom to choose a setup that makes sense instead of taking the first bad deal just because it is the fastest.

So I am asking the people who have actually done this: if you were in my position, what would you go for? Would you take Werner and use it as a stepping stone, or would you try to push for a better local, Dedicated, or regional option after school? What would you do if you had VR&E paying for the CDL, TWIC already in hand, and no need to chase the first paycheck out of desperation?