Imported from Japan: The Plan for the Crown

"Ferrero1911" (Ferrero1911) 06/17/2014 at 15:14 • Filed to: Imported from Japan

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In !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! he promised more information about our 1970 MS51 Toyota Crown. The engine is seized and we've spent a lot of time talking about what to do. Rebuilding the 2M engine would be very difficult and expensive, and could take months. So we've decided to do what many a Japanese car enthusiast would recommend. 2JZ swap!!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The next thing I know I'm ordering an engine over the phone. I ordered it on a Monday and it arrived on Friday. I can't believe it takes less than 5 days to ship something so heavy across the country! We had it shipped hold-for-pick-up at the shipping depot, and loaded it into the Bronco.

Anyone that's seen our garage knows that doing an engine swap there would be extremely difficult. The Bronco doesn't fit, so even getting the engine down there would be a production. We decided we need a shop and found one about 20 minutes from our house.

Last night we started moving into the shop. The first order of business was to get the 2JZ out of the Bronco. We picked up an engine hoist at Harbor Freight, packed up some tools to put it together and headed over to the shop.

If it can hold a swinging Bird, surely it will hold an engine, right?

Once we had the hoist assembled we unloaded the transmission and then the engine. It was actually really easy. One of the few things in this process that has gone to plan so far.

The next step is to move Bird's tools and get the Crown towed to the shop. I promise we'll post more pictures of the Crown when we can get it in some better light. It has a lot of really great details that I'm excited to show you guys.

An update on the MZ20 Soarer Aerocabin – The turbo is back from being rebuilt at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the injectors have been cleaned and flow-tested (and were in really great shape), and the radiator has been flushed. Bird installed a new timing belt and water pump and is almost finished putting everything back together. It should be running again in a few days. I can't wait to take it for a test drive! It drove really great before, so I expect it will be awesome with all the work Bird's done. The seats were re-dyed last week. They looked more like they came out of a 10 year old car rather than a 25 year old car before, but now they look nearly new. This week we'll install new shocks and prep for a road trip – details to come on that.

We are Corinne (me, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . We imported two cars from Japan and are working to set up our import business. We're writing about the experience on Oppositelock. To see all of the updates search the tag !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

For more photos check out Bird's website !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Update! Check out our company's website !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . You can also follow us on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to get the updates on our car builds, car shows, and road trips.

mr_gofast > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 14:22

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http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-LRKJJ…

2jz - before anyone else :)

GL on the rebuild , following the stories :)

YSI-what can brown do for you > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 14:26

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Why not 1JZ?

Roadster Man > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 14:28

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AWESOME! 2JZ swap makes perfect sense. I am pumped to see how this turns out. Any plans to make some power with the 2JZ?

But seriously, I need to hear more about that Soarer....

Ferrero1911 > YSI-what can brown do for you 06/17/2014 at 14:34

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2>1?

1JZ's are much less common in the states, 2JZ's have better parts availability here. Ours is a 2JZ-GE, so no turbos. We have plans to make this a very cool NA swap. Also the engine came out of a Supra, so it's rear sump which will make the swap a little easier. It also came with a W58 5 speed which is perfect for the power levels and build plan we have for this car.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 14:36

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Fair enough, I just like the 1JZ a bit more because of the noise it makes. It is a little sweeter than the 2JZ. The 2JZ is the better engine though!

Brian Silvestro > YSI-what can brown do for you 06/17/2014 at 14:45

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Noise > everything is not a bad way to be an auto enthusiast.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Brian Silvestro 06/17/2014 at 14:53

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Well to be fair, the 1JZ is a powerful engine, just not as powerful as the 2JZ. It is also a little lighter.

Bird > Roadster Man 06/17/2014 at 14:54

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We've got a plan to make it special...but we're not trying to make much more power than stock.

Stock the 2Jz-GE puts out 220hp, and our Crown was about 110hp stock, so without doing anything, we're already doubling the power. If we can bump it up a little from there, it will make our 2900 lb Crown cruise pretty nice.

Bird > YSI-what can brown do for you 06/17/2014 at 14:55

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Oh, this 2J will make noise like no other 2J has before...it's all part of the plan...

Bird > Brian Silvestro 06/17/2014 at 14:56

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The noise this car makes is very important. We've got that covered...details coming soon!

Brian Silvestro > YSI-what can brown do for you 06/17/2014 at 14:56

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I know very little about successful rappers, thank you for informing me.

Also, in almost every situation, I think I'd choose the better sounding engine if given the choice. I've been trying to convince Rusto to buy an '07 Mercy with the manual 20 miles from his house.

Brian Silvestro > Bird 06/17/2014 at 14:58

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Big Bubba Ray > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 15:24

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YOU GUYS ARE SO FUCKING COOL.

Please keep the updates coming!

Ferrero1911 > Big Bubba Ray 06/17/2014 at 15:32

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Thank you! We're trying to figure out a regular post schedule, but everything's so crazy so it's hard. I can't wait until I can get some better pictures of the Crown!

Roadster Man > Bird 06/17/2014 at 16:00

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Sweet! That's the route I'd go... no turbo, but definitely a mild tune and a little power bump. And individual runner throttle bodies.

A 2900lb luxury car! HA!

Big Bubba Ray > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 16:02

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Looking forward to more!

Dsscats > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 16:09

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Were you able to get the fitment right on the Soarer?

Bird > Roadster Man 06/17/2014 at 16:34

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Yeah, the car has a character that we really want to keep.

It's actually the rare Super Deluxe model. So luxury indeed...It has a 'Super Deluxe' badge on the hood even...

Unfortunately we don't have this option, but a trunk mounted refrigerator was available from the factory! We do have the rare 'dual speaker' (one in the front and one in the back) self seeking AM radio.

Bird > Dsscats 06/17/2014 at 16:37

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I haven't finished with it yet. It still rubs a little on the right, but a little out of view trimming will solve that. I've been waiting to get into the shop so I could do it the easy way with air tools.

boo9ie > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 16:56

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always better than one

MaleChimp > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 16:58

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Were there any other engines considered? Given the power that can come out of most modern 4-cyl engines, I've always wanted to try swapping a lighter 4 in place of an older 6 for a retromod project.

sounbwoy > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 17:00

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I like how you wrote this: "We decided we need a shop and found one about 20 minutes from our house." Oh no problem. Need a shop? Go get one. Best of luck

Maxie The Mistress > YSI-what can brown do for you 06/17/2014 at 17:02

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Shee-it, might as well just go with the 3JZ...no?

Ferrero1911 > sounbwoy 06/17/2014 at 17:10

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Haha yeah, we're lucky to live in a place where lots of people are looking to rent out bays in their shops. It was hard to find a place close enough though.

SkarTisu > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 17:17

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What does "expensive" mean in terms of rebuilding the 2M?

Bird > boo9ie 06/17/2014 at 17:18

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This is just a very early rendering of our plan:

Ferrero1911 > SkarTisu 06/17/2014 at 17:20

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Really it's more like unknown because we would have to chase parts.

Ferrero1911 > MaleChimp 06/17/2014 at 17:27

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We considered other engines in the M family of Toyota engines like the 7M and 5M. Ultimately it was a combination of availability, coolness, power, appropriateness for the chassis.

wilderthanthehate > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 17:33

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This might seem like a silly question, but, given the wealth of quirky cars from japan, why did you import one that was sold new in the united states? was it for easier availability of parts for your first import, or another reason? I do love the crown and the soarer though, this has just been sitting at the back of my mind when reading your articles.

Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 17:38

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So we've decided to do what many a Japanese car enthusiast would recommend. 2JZ swap!!!

Ferrero1911 > wilderthanthehate 06/17/2014 at 17:39

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Although the Crown was sold in the US, the MS51 2 door hard top was not available here. Very few were actually made. The parts availability is actually better for the Soarer than the Crown because the Soarer was a shared chassis with the Supra. Many of the Crown parts are NLA.

mrandreww > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 17:40

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2ZZ + boost!

MikeBedlam > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 17:40

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Wait just a damn minute... is that THE White Bronco?

Ferrero1911 > wilderthanthehate 06/17/2014 at 17:41

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Also, many of the quirky cars from Japan are not available to be imported yet because they are not 25 years old. The next couple of years is going to be awesome as they become available.

Morgan ATX > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 17:43

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Man, I drive American V8's...

What is a 2JZ? Can you provide an explanation of the engine and what they came in? what is needed for the swap etc?

just spoutin' j-spec, cough, terms makes the story less interesting for those just following along

Ferrero1911 > MikeBedlam 06/17/2014 at 17:46

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It's got a few more doors than THE Bronco, plus stripes.

SOCdriver > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 17:51

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And you have an Abarth! The drive up from Orange County would be worth it to help you guys out sometime. Just to get a chance to see a classic Crown again. Also I want to pick your brain so I can get a Soarer of my own.

Ferrero1911 > Morgan ATX 06/17/2014 at 17:52

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The 2JZ is basically the LS1 of the Toyota world. People swap it into everything. They're big because they came in the MkIV Supra, but they also came in many other cars. So it makes for cheap horse power just like the LS motors.

Sorry for not explaining it all in the post, but I didn't know this was going to get shared to Jalopnik!

SPNKiX > Brian Silvestro 06/17/2014 at 17:57

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amen.

SPNKiX > YSI-what can brown do for you 06/17/2014 at 17:58

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because two engines are always better than one.

Ferrero1911 > SOCdriver 06/17/2014 at 17:58

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I love my Abarth! It's in the shop right now, so I've got a loaner Jeep. It was actually really helpful to have it to move tools and stuff the past few days. Let us know if you find yourself in the LA area!

Our Soarer isn't going to be able to stay in California. It can't be registered here because of the emissions laws. We've always planned to sell ours, and we have a place to keep it out of state until we sell it.

wilderthanthehate > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 17:58

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I didn't know that they didn't have the 2-door in america, I've never seen a usdm crown of any kind irl.

Ferrero1911 > wilderthanthehate 06/17/2014 at 18:01

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And ours has the JDM front end too. It's cool because it has rectangular headlights instead of the round ones that were required in the US. We will be posting better photos soon. I promise!

feather-throttle-not-hair > YSI-what can brown do for you 06/17/2014 at 18:26

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This is how i feel about the Aston Martin Vantage. I know the V12 sounds glorious in its own right and is better in every way than the V8, but the V8 just sounds more correct and more awesome.

CACressida > YSI-what can brown do for you 06/17/2014 at 18:28

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REALLY? Please prove its lightness. This will need to be handled by the pros at JZXProject.

SOCdriver > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 19:16

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From time to time I have to drive up that way for clients meetings or events so I will have to see when my next on is. As for the Soarer BOOO! I love those cars, when I was in Japan it was one of my favorite to see around. That and the Kei cars but there is no way I would be able to get on street legal here in the US. Now that there are some awesome models available I will have to get a RHD Japanese car.

BigGerryB > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 19:38

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All the best with this resto. I had a MS65 Crown when I was in university and loved every minute of it. That was a great era for Toyotas.

Somethingwittyer likes noisy > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 19:55

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Really, NA? Please tell me it's gonna be a screamer!

Ferrero1911 > BigGerryB 06/17/2014 at 19:55

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Thanks! It really was a great era.

Ferrero1911 > Somethingwittyer likes noisy 06/17/2014 at 20:02

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We didn't think the turbo fit the character of the car. We have a plan to make it very special though.

I hoon, therefore I am > Ferrero1911 06/17/2014 at 23:40

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guys, this is seriously cool. As a guy whose only older 'enthusiast' Japanese vehicle was an 85 Celica GT hatch, I'd like you to know that this makes me strongly consider something Japanese for my next project.

YSI-what can brown do for you > CACressida 06/18/2014 at 00:03

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http://forums.celicasupra.com/archive/index.…

Enjoy.

Roadster Man > Bird 06/18/2014 at 00:33

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Triple Webers!

rubyrhickey > Brian Silvestro 06/18/2014 at 00:50

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beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > Ferrero1911 06/18/2014 at 01:15

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oooooh NA 2JZ-GE swap, I wait with bated breath.

Bird > SOCdriver 06/18/2014 at 03:34

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We get Cappuccino's and Autozam AZ-1's very soon! They'll be street legal in most states (except CA) thanks to the 25 year rule.

We just need to change the rules here in CA. What we need is a type of collector car registration that would make a car like this legal. Even the federal government has come to understand the cultural value of collector cars...it's sad a place like CA has such limiting legislation. California has always been an epicenter of car culture in the US, and I think they're going to lose an entire generation of car enthusiasts.

Eventually I want to try to do something about it. We actually have a way to change it thanks to the ballot measure system . All you have to do is write your law, and get it to pass the voters. How hard could it be? Think we can get about 500,000 CA car guys to sign the petition?

I say we create a simplified registration and smog process for vehicles insured with a collector car policy. You could also make direct requirements. Age is a good start. I think mimicking collector car insurance companies would be the best bet. Make someone have another car, on a normal registration. The intent being, that the collector car is used more sparingly than the 'daily driver'. Then, as a sort-of offset, charge an extra fee that gets put into a fund to help State Park infrastructure (all the best roads are in State Parks, win-win).

Sorry for rambling on so long...I think I'm starting to tell anybody in CA who will listen about my crazy idea for collector car registration in CA...

Ferrero1911 > I hoon, therefore I am 06/18/2014 at 03:48

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Thanks! I'm glad you're considering something Japanese. There are so many good choices for project cars and different types of builds. Let us know when you get one!

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gromy21 > CACressida 06/18/2014 at 08:11

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rekt!

LongbowMkII > Ferrero1911 06/18/2014 at 08:26

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my vote would be a 6M. Ill have to find my own japanese classic then haha.

CACressida > YSI-what can brown do for you 06/18/2014 at 08:33

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No, sweet heart. Both 1JZ and 2JZ long block plus EFI, but w/o flywheel, turbo or accessories are 450lbs. Do proper research and try not to misinform people. The 1JZ and 2JZ are almost exactly alike. .5cc diference doesn't mean instant weight savings. CelicaSupra isn't credible. We got people on JZXProject who have these engines side by side with scales in hand. JZXProject lives and breathes 1JZs and 2JZs. CelicaSupra snorts 5Ms. You can see all those guys throwing around "I think" here and there. Both cast iron, aluminum head units. The engines are so much alike, people slap 1JZ heads on 2JZ blocks because the 1JZ heads flow better. As a matter of fact, both engines stripped, you'd have a hard time telling the difference if you didn't see the 1JZ and 2JZ casted into the side of the block.

Bricks > CACressida 06/18/2014 at 08:52

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I just read the article linked and in the second or third post it states the 2jz and 1jz are the same and very close, I think ysi was looking at the fully dressed weight of the 2jz-gte vs the 1uz-fe v8....either way if we are all supra/cressida/toyota lovers no need to fight...lol

CACressida > Bricks 06/18/2014 at 08:54

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Not fighting, its correcting. Fighting would be ALL CAPS lol

Bricks > CACressida 06/18/2014 at 09:41

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MY MISTAKE......haha

CACressida > Bricks 06/18/2014 at 11:00

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no need to yell, dammit..

SOCdriver > Bird 06/18/2014 at 11:30

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I love it! We could easily get 504,760 signatures in California if we could get the word out. Just think of the all the aftermarket companies here and the base of support they could provide. Heck with luck we can get the right people to hear it and help out. I am sure a collector insurance company may even help write it, all we would have to do is find the right person. Let me think about this more, there is a way to at least get it on the ballot.

I hoon, therefore I am > Ferrero1911 06/18/2014 at 11:57

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To be honest a MkI Celica would be my first choice (although admittedly I'm a huge fan of the Z cars). There's even a liftback near me... Just need to get rid of my old BMW to free up the capital and space to make it work!

thebigbossyboss > Big Bubba Ray 06/18/2014 at 15:02

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Agreed!

thebigbossyboss > Ferrero1911 06/18/2014 at 15:07

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As I said before, you guys are the coolest.

Bird said you were moving out closer to me soon. (I live in eastern canada above Ogdensburg NY)

I look forward to that day.

Bruno Martini > Ferrero1911 06/18/2014 at 15:31

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2JZ is no where as cheap as an LS engine period. You can take a bargain basement LS derivative and junkyard parts and build a 400-450hp engine. The 2jz cost a fortune in comparison to build. It takes cubic dollars to update that ancient powerplant. However if left stock then its comparatively priced at least in the amount of weight per dollar spent, they also have similar weight to an ls1. With 1/2 the HP.

Ferrero1911 > Bruno Martini 06/18/2014 at 17:47

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That's not the comparison I was trying to make. What I meant was the 2JZ and the LS1 are both ubiquitous engines in their respective worlds.