By: Tommy Parry
Images: Al Butler
The Toyota Crown never came to the States, but in Japan, it’s one of the odder choices for a hot rod platform. Think a comfortable sedan the size of a Dodge Dart or an AMC Hornet, but with much less in the way of potential. Well, in the same way you could swap a 351 Windsor into a Lincoln Continental and give it some oomph while keeping it in the family, this young Australian took Toyota’s venerable 2JZ-GTE motor, strapped on a watermelon-sized turbo, and made this ancient sedan into a wild, straight-line monster.
Though the 2JZ gets most of its fame from tuned examples which power a version of the iconic Supra, this particular motor was sourced from a Toyota Aristo, or a Lexus GS300 in America. The stock automatic and the inline-six fit comfortably in the Crown’s engine bay, and builder Al left enough room for a home-built manifold and the massive turbocharger.
The snail of choice, a GT4082, came out of a Scania big rig and looked large enough to suck leaves off the pavement as it drove by. While it might not offer the most in drivability, a .99 GT37 housing should make it somewhat usable on the street. What it can unquestionably do, is provide that incomparable top-end thrust that the 2JZ is known for.
Cooled by an aluminum radiator out of a Nissan S15 Silvia, Subaru WRX fans, a television-sized intercooler with custom outlets, the 2JZ looked at home in the cramped bay, and might appear stock to the untrained eye. Though once it turned over, nobody would be left thinking the old Crown could be factory-spec; the custom three-inch exhaust could rattle windows half a mile away!
As this car is intended to go quickly in a straight line, the transmission was given a thorough working-over. Al employed a Hurst Promatic shifter to control a shift-kitted and 3500-stalled A341 automatic transmission, which ought to handle the 900+ horsepower on tap.
Plenty of wiring tucked away, a quick polish, and an insulating blanket wrapped around the turbo’s hot side, and the engine bay was clean enough to eat off of:
Then, he added a red air filter to accent the minimalist engine bay:
Now, with all this power on hand, Al wisely opted for a boosted four-wheel disc brake setup. Sourcing the parts from an ‘81 Toyota Crown, and getting healthy assistance to keep the car semi-plush, Al made sure to plate the firewall, add a Legacy’s booster, and modify the pedal box to match up.
Stripping the paint and cutting the rust out of the rear quarters took time and energy, and in the Australian spring, could have helped him lose a few pounds through perspiration. The right rear quarter panel had been smashed, and so one was pulled from a donor Crown and then welded on masterfully.
Al took out the crusty, old, factory tank and fitted it with a pump bracket flange from a Subaru WRX fuel tank, and then converted it to an in-tank pump to simplify the fuel system. The final touch was a Walbro fuel pump, which should keep the thirsty motor sated, but the ever-present whine might alert occupants to the true nature of this monster.
Al applied a coat of paint over the primered body, and then plugged the motor went back in the bay. Surely, Al must’ve been salivating when he took a gander at this incredible creation of his.
With a light grey metallic shining away, the car turns heads.
With simple lines, a gorgeous presentation, and a motor that can ripple the asphalt when the loud pedal is prodded, there’s plenty to like. Even if vintage Toyota sedans aren’t your cup of tea, there’s an undeniable level of thought that’s gone into this build that anyone should appreciate. It should convert the naysayers into fans of that homebrewed sort of insanity that seems to manifest down under. We wait excitedly to see Al’s beautiful creation finalized.
