Today the JDM 1996+ Soarer VVT-i side mount intercooler shroud showed up

And a new TT pressure tank thanks to Dmitry! (97-SC300)

 

This has got to be the most elaborate/documented build I've ever encountered.

 

lol, thanks? By necessity for better or worse.

 

I understand where you're coming from via my own experience. Now I'm **** retentive as hell.

 

^^ Well thank you. I'm curious to know what project cars you worked on previously. The overkill documentation here is to help anyone else attempting even part of this crazy USDM swap route but also to put the details in a unified place outside of my mind. There are just too many parts and individual stages to keep track of without a few lists and this thread to allow me to focus on other things while I inch closer and closer. This is the first swap I've attempted but I figure any JDM swap or even an NA-T build must be easier.

Before 2013 I was seriously looking into doing a much easier drop-in 1JZ VVT-i swap and calling it a day. They supposedly even burn cleaner for tailpipe emissions compared to the original 2JZ-GE if you leave them stock. Alas, that's not possible in Cali without looking over your shoulder.

Thank you for the kind words, Maximo018!

 

Man, it's been getting serious here in CA. The cops are throwing together a dedicated street racing unit in several jurisdictions now because of the recent deaths caused by several street races that have occurred. And now they are talking about trying to pass legislation that will allow them to impound a vehicle immediately based on any emissions altering-related modifications.

LAPD hosts meeting to discuss combating illegal street racing

This is such a downer for those of us who just like to cruise and keep the high speed fun at the track..

 

InLyneTrbo, thank you for the article link. I wish I'd heard about that meeting in time to attend. I'd have liked to have been a part of the discussion.

I saw video of the recent Chatsworth street racing crashes. And before that, some report of a street race with a Ferrari. Thing is... a lot of what I've heard about recently has to do with people in very new, barely modified $25k-$40k-exotic cars, not 23+ year old antiques that cost a good deal of money to set up right out of the box. Then again, maybe I just don't live where all the 240SX's and Civic Si's go out to play at night.

I don't street race, nor do I have the patience for people who bother with it. I just drive my car and enjoy it. Being lumped in with actual punks who would drive into oncoming traffic to keep a race going (I have seen this done with my own eyes once in FL) is insulting and irksome to me.

Even with a BAR sticker I'm 99% certain that, apart from a stock 2JZ-GE, most LAPD officers won't know how to tell the difference between a 1JZGTE or 2JZGTE or a JDM 2JZGTE with no EGR and a USDM 2JZGTE with functioning EGR.

So that bothers me. Because when you pass sweeping legislation that is broadly nonspecific and pulling the old "emissions modification" strings (especially when cleaner tailpipe numbers don't matter if you still fail Visual at inspection time), you might possibly start creating another incentive to simply target cars for monetary gain simply BECAUSE they are modified at all. That's very different from actually targeting the dangerous practice of street racing itself, which I have no problem with.

I have not yet seen any proposed Cali bills pop up on SemaSAN's alert page. We'll see.

My motivation to be 100% legal/catted/EGR'd USDM GTE came squarely from the 2013 changes to smog testing rules for shop owners and how the STAR program has tightened how they can operate. I'd heard horror stories of being pulled over as well but somehow I think Civic's and 240's are more prone to that attention.

My experience has been very nonexistent and boring in regards to police interest in an SC300/400. Driving like a tool might produce different results.

If a measure passes that still ignores all the modified classic cars that park at Bob's Big Boy on weekends but makes owners of stock STI's and Evo's uneasy with constant harassment then worst case I'll take my car back to Florida, garage it there and buy something here that is old and pre-75 exempt with a big V8. And I'll even throw my own universal cat on that because I feel like it.

Or I'll make my SC or another old chassis a high powered electric which has no emissions system to be affected.

You think I'm joking:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2qTQhKXw8E

 

^^Pretty impressive M3. Can't imagine how the torque load feels on your internal organs from a launch..

But now that you mention it, I've driven cars with open downpipe setups, screamer pipes, and cutout exhaust setups, and driven or cruised right next to cops on the freeway/streets. I've never been pulled over once by a cop because of my car's height, looks, or how loud it was. Just for the smaller things like expired tags, speeding (only once), and changing lanes without using my turn signal (once as well when I was young).
I think that for the most part, cops have been forgiving to me even when noticing or eye balling a large FMIC or hearing a BOV.

I would be okay with something like this or a unit like this as long as they profiled more of the types of vehicles more/most common with associated street racing incidents (like Mustang GTs, Honda Civics, Integras, etc).
If they begin profiling all cars based on anything remotely modified regardless of common street racing vehicles, then it will be difficult for me to want to even drive my SC out on the streets/roads/mountains.

Basically, if I'm going the speed limit, have current tags, and use my turn signals and I'm not driving a lowered honda civic that has a windshield sticker that says JDM as ******, then there should be no reason to pull me over.

 

It definitely has a kick. More than that, however, was that they went through quite a few transmissions before settling on a 2-speed Powerglide to handle the immediate and massive torque. Most of the impressive EV's I've seen use twin Warp 9 or 11 motors against similarly hard to break drag racing transmissions. I've asked Michael Bream (of EV West) if they have any low rpm torque limitation software or other way of stepping down the initial torque at 1 RPM and he's replied to me "Yes... modulating the gas pedal."

If I could only believe people would get flagged out here for not using their turn signals...

But you're right. While not plentiful I do see cars with obvious FMICs and loud exhausts every so often just cruising along. If the driver is not bothering anyone else's space I'd hope they're left alone. Vigman recently got his USDM swapped SC passed with a front mount so clearly there's nothing inherently wrong with minor things like that.


I agree. Hopefully that's all they're doing. I feel that SC's are low key for the most part but if there were ever constant harassment problems I'd have to figure out a drastic course of action. A widespread harassment program would be about the fine money and seizure potential rather than safety.

Same here. I totally agree And apparently you're doing that with a relatively inexpensive Aristo engine no less. I'm doing it wrong :P

 

Small update:

More parts. I picked up a new OEM 1JZ R154 flywheel for future use (I'm on a brand new one currently). Also a USDM GTE Wastegate VSV and USDM GTE IACV VSV are now on order. I now have used and new examples of all the critical engine VSVs in case of future failures... with the exception of the one TT EVAP VSV and two used EGR VSVs I've stockpiled since the latter type is (frustratingly) discontinued by Toyota worldwide.

This has narrowed me down to still needing:

Lots of hoses and little clamps for the VSVs
GTE water pump
GTE 100 amp alternator
MKIV/TT engine mounts
1x common GTE intake TPS sensor
ARP head bolts
Cometic or Tomei 2.0mm or 2.4mm head gasket
O2 sensors, spark plugs and ignition coil packs
SouthBend Stage 2 R154 clutch kit

And finally, the custom GTE engine harness, rebuilt TT Auto diff with the 3.77 R&P, GTE cylinder head rebuild and rebuilt turbos unless I can find some interim USDM turbos in good condition to start out with. Oh, and getting the GTE valve covers blasted and repainted.

Every now and then when the ECU decides it's less than 70 degrees out and decides to pull timing on a hot day I think to myself seriously about buying the cheapest 1JZ engine I can find and swapping that in just to have more horsepower and torque until this swap is done... :P

Also, now that I have taken a good look at it, I'm not so happy with the state of the fins on my 47K mile MKIV TT stock intercooler but between that and my Soarer stock IC I don't think I need to worry about an alternative for the moment. I do think I'll be investing in a Garage Whifbitz SMIC or Chris Wilson SMIC in the future, no question.

I will finally update the parts listing on the main page soon to better reflect where I am at with some cleaner categories. I just haven't had time to go back and double check everything yet before reposting the list.

 

You have been very patient collecting all those parts my friend just to be odb2 compliant . Kudos to you !

 

Thank you, gerrb! Just OBD1 compliance, actually 1993 Cali-spec chassis going to 93.5-95 OBD1 50-State TT emissions spec. Getting a lot of the wear items (like sensors, etc) as new backups is just me wishing to have as few surprises and as many immediate fixes as possible when the car is finally converted. I could save quite a bit by not buying all these replacement parts right now but I'd rather do that than find out Toyota has discontinued more parts a couple of years from now. I'm going to assemble the engine with all the used electronics I have as long as they check out.

Do the USDM MAFs ever wear out? Maybe I should find another one of those too, lol.

 

When I had the stock USDM twins setup ..never had problem with my MAF. I don't think they were really problematic ...never read or heard .

 

Tiny update:

It's proved impossible to find any used listings for a replacement passenger side A/C vent assembly (next to the door) so I ordered one of those to replace my original one which has disintegrated plastic mounting points. That mostly finishes off the interior.

A second (for a backup) new TT intake tube (to the MAF) came in the other day along with the new USDM TT Wastegate VSV. Just waiting on the new IACV VSV from Japan now.

I also found out that the MKIV TRD drop-in air filters are not discontinued as I was previously told, so I ordered one of those, too. It apparently cross-references to a 3.4L V6 Tacoma (TRD Part #PTR05-89960-02).
Edit: I was apparently wrong about this. It is discontinued, confirmed by Carson Toyota today. Instead, I ordered an HKS drop-in filter (70017-AT004) which is supposed to be the next best one available. It was also $30 cheaper.

....

As far as I can tell, I've now covered all the rarities and specific parts you wonder if you'll be able to order in 6-12 months. Then again, this is how I think about these things: leave nothing to chance that you're dedicated to. It's a relief, even though I still can't do anything with all these parts.

The more I've thought about it I just want to find some low mileage USDM turbos without any shaft play (that's a tall order...) to drop in. I'll keep my 150k turbos to rebuild for the future, possibly as GT28 Hybrids.

I still have the small parts list in post #130 to finish up but now it's time to start saving for (in this order) the engine harness and then the cylinder head rebuild.

Slow as she goes...

 

Kahn, does your contact in Australia have more of the side mount shrouds? I am in the process of gathering parts for a VERY similar build. USDM 2jz-gte with virtually all stock components. I'll be starting a build thread once i get a little closer to starting.
-Jim