1JZ Swapped Four Door

[Hooffenstein HD]

After having a baby, my partner and I found out pretty quickly that getting an infant carrier in and out of the back of the E36 coupe is too much of a hassle. It's not so bad in the driveway at home but a pain in a car park.

After looking at a few E46 325i manuals we realised they have all the typical BMW issues, so a sensible Toyota is the way to go. When I spotted this, I had to check it out. It's pretty clean for its age, has some good parts on it and was really too cheap to pass up. Never had a 1JZ before so it also ticks that off the bucket list. If we decide it isn't fulfilling our needs, we shouldn't have much trouble getting our money back.



Toyota XE10/Lexus IS200
JZA70 non vvti 1JZGTE swap
R154 box
HKS coil overs
Legana body kit which makes a dramatic improvement to the appearance



A woefully slow Lexus IS200


Oh, whats that? A wild 1JZ appeared.


It's technically my partner's car but I've been enjoying driving it around and have a few basic plans for it.

17x8 +30 ish wheels. Something a little more aggressive than stock but not so much that it will attract police attention.
Possibly a single turbo, or just turn the boost up on the twins.
LSD if it doesn't have one and possibly a stronger diff upgrade.
Tail lights that aren't chrome/rice looking.

[UlrichFennec]

That's wicked.

The flat red taillights on these look so much better than the riceroni chromies. Can't wait to see where this leads.

[Hooffenstein HD]

That's wicked.

The flat red taillights on these look so much better than the riceroni chromies. Can't wait to see where this leads.

Yeah, I was just looking at them on eBay but they're not cheap for genuine ones. As it's my partner's car I have to convince her that spending money on it is a good idea.

I really like the Legana front bumper.

[UlrichFennec]

WHEW. That looks real aggressive. I love it.

[lukeADE335i]

Nice! The Laganza front bar does make a big difference to them - have often thought about getting a IS300 and swapping in a 2JZ-GTE. Should be a fun car (the reviews back in the day suggested the IS200 was a better drive than the e36).

[Hooffenstein HD]

Nice! The Laganza front bar does make a big difference to them - have often thought about getting a IS300 and swapping in a 2JZ-GTE. Should be a fun car (the reviews back in the day suggested the IS200 was a better drive than the e36).

There are pros and cons for sure.

The IS200 feels way more smooth and supple despite being on HKS coilovers. Handles really well and the steering is direct, gives good feel but is also quite light and easy to manoeuvre around a car park. Interior ergonomics and cabin space is lacking compared to an E36 but the actual quality seems to be a step up from BMW. All windows work and door cards are firmly attached which is a big plus.

[Garage30]

Expected a 1J e30 and I took the bait. Nice!

[Hooffenstein HD]

Got both dailies registered now so I can swap between cars. After driving them back to back, I really like the E36 328i. That NA M52 response is great.

1997 328i M Sport
Mora Metallic (individual colour and quite rare to my knowledge. It's far more red purple than Techno Violet)
M50 intake manifold
Fortune Auto 500. 8kg front and 10kg rear
Lemforder E30 control arms
Condor Speed Shop offset FCAB
90mm Motorsports Hardware stud conversion kit
20mm Hub Centric spacers
16x8 +38 ROH Milano 3 piece wheels
205/50/16 Federal 595 Evo

[parkerbink]

Nice!