im in the planning phase. i want to do this atleast semi right. want it to last for a while. the purpose of the build is to make reasonable power while maintaining some semblance of reliability and simplicity. so basically a peppy grocery getter that makes fun choo choo noises. not gonna do any drag racing. not gonna do any autocross. pure daily fun. probably second gear pulls up to the speed limit and cruise in 5th kinda **** to get that sweet sweet MPG if you catch my drift. or lack of drift. there will be no drifting.
i want to run this on a stock d17 motor. my power goals are around 180-200whp max so nothing insane. since the motor is. well. stock. and from my understanding this is something that the stock d17 should be able to handle. set up so far is as follows. and my thought process as to why.

-cast iron manifold. cheaper than fancy tubular designs. almost literally bulletproof and generally stronger.

-garrett gt2554. want a good quality turbo. something that spools quickly and with a 270hp limit has some room to grow if i so choose.

-mishemoto intercooler. i just like the brand.

-stand alone ECU. still undecided. ive heard the 7th gen ECUs are notoriously hard to tune which is why im considering going standalone. any suggestion would be appreciated.

-piping would likely just be c-clamp custom made at a local exhaust shop. car already has a nice yonaka cat back so it wouldnt be a very intensive fab work. intake piping would be universal kit and some elbow grease to take the time to fit everything together.

- and just cus i didnt mention gauges, oil lines, air filter, etc. doesnt mean they arent gonna be included just didnt feel as important as the big stuff to mention individually.

-as far as boost control i was thinking about just using the internal OEM wastegate that comes with the turbo. its simple. factory. probably more reliable than most aftermarket controllers. but how much boost are they generally set to? 6lbs? 8lbs? 12lbs? every time i look up a new factory gt25 it never lists the wastegate settings. just says "internally wastegated" with no other information. its infuriating.

- how would the stock injectors and fuel pump hold up? i have no idea. please advise.

my budget is something lik 3-4k all in for the turbo set up and tune. not including a clutch replacement which will likely be needed and maybe some new tires since the low rolling resistance fuel economy ones on there will just spin for days. **** it maybe ill keep those and have fun making a smoke cloud at every stop sign by just tapping the giggle pad. anyway. any thoughts? advice? and please respect the fact that i want to build the d17 motor dont be that guy that goes "JUST K SWAP IT BRO" i get it. its a better engine. great engine. ive considered it and its not the route i want to go down. though i appreciate your enthusiasm.

thank you for looking at my post. stay safe out there.