JZX100 – A Perfect Car For Distance (Part 2)

Now Philip knew that the motor was up to the task, he figured there was no better time to feed a little more power through the 1JZ through both a little headwork and set of angrier Tomei cams, as well as an upgrade in the turbo department to a Tomei ARMS M8280 direct bolt-on unit. “Tomei seemed the obvious choice to me,” he explains. “They have an excellent research and development team who release their findings to the public, so it meant I could guarantee the turbo and camshaft combo would tick the boxes and perform exactly how I wanted it to – just under 500hp [373kW] at the engine. The turbo kit came with everything to make it a bolt-on affair with the stock cast manifold. It keeps the turbo hidden away under the standard heat shield, too, which is a bonus. Aside from all that, Tomei’s pricing was far more affordable than similar bolt-on kits from companies like HKS and Trust, which were three or four times the price. At the end of the day, money talks!” With a fuel system upgrade, a decent exhaust, and a swap to a tried and trusted A’PEXi PowerFC L-Jetro computer, the JZX was bolted to the dyno at Auckland’s ST Hitec, where it spun up 306 very usable kilowatts (partly thanks to the retention of the VVTi variable valve system) at the rear wheels on 20psi.

The flow-on effect then continued from the motor and turbo to the rest of the car: “I wanted the handling to match the new engine set-up as well. The car is used for regular daily commuting and the occasional track day, so I wanted an all-round suspension set-up that would ride nicely for both the road and spirited driving around the track,” Philip says. The answer came in the form of solid BC BR-type coilovers which, like many parts on the car, were sourced with help from the boys at North Shore Toyota. Along with Hardrace extended tie rods, Cusco camber upper arms, KTS front and rear sway bars, and a front strut brace, the coilovers transform the car from a lumbering family vehicle into a surprisingly nimble, direct, and completely enjoyable daily driver and occasional weekend warrior.

However Philip has given up nothing for his quest for speed and the car still features all the creature comforts one might expect from a high-end sedan like the Chaser – AC, a good stereo system, comfortable interior, and an easy around-town drive, but challenge it and the Toyota comes alive. “The car has been around Pukekohe a few times in the past and most recently attended a Hampton Downs track day. It leaves stock R35 GTRs for dust on the straights and enjoys a healthy dosage of opposite lock through the corners. Surprisingly, it drives really well; I haven’t had any problems so far on the track, and it enjoys the winding roads of the Coromandel despite its size and weight. Everything has been done with function in mind – it can still drive over speed bumps and navigate into driveways without ripping off bumpers or flattening chassis rails.”

With a few subtle exterior mods to carefully enhance the classic good looks that Toyota already gave it, the JZX is a great example of balance – it’s rapid, but it’s not unusable. It’s comfortable enough to drive every day, but it’s no lazy couch on wheels. Mind you, considering Philip’s track record when it comes to modifying cars, will this finely tuned balance remain?

“This isn’t the end result,” he admits. “If you know me, then you’ll know it’s probably far from it. There is always something to improve, change, or muck about with. I am happy with the current set-up for now, but the pursuit of perfection is a long and dangerous game!” Though we don’t want to see this brilliant all-rounder tipped in one direction or the other, we’re an understanding bunch – what if a forged 3.0-litre 2JZ block comes up for cheap? You’re not going to just not buy it …