They don't make cars like they used to. "Built to last", "Built tough", slogans for car manufacturers of yester-year. Recent and more stringent regulations and pedestrian-safety laws (I personally feel) have stifled quality and creativity to a certain degree.
Power wasn't restricted to how much carbon monoxide the engine was spewing out and manufacturers made cars to last. Look at Mercedes, Volvo and even Toyota! The 'Tank' E-class Mercs, Toyota SEG, Volvo 760 all can still be seen on the roads today. Built. To. Last.
In the past manufacturers would just change bits and pieces of the original model and then market the "new" car as a new model. That meant body and mechanical parts were interchangeable between models. For car savvy modders, that meant you could buy the lowest spec model, swap a few parts over and hey presto, a complete high spec car for slightly less than new car money!
Such as this model GX100 Toyota Chaser. Swap out the front end, brakes, rear differential and bodykit and voila, a premium spec JZX100! The Toyota Chaser, the choice for many VIP modders. An almost 15ft long car and its straight lines give it the very desirable "yakuza" type look when paired with flush enormous rims and tyres.
The Chaser was one of the last cars to get the infamous JZ brother engines, ie- 1JZ and 2JZ. Both bulletproof and both insanely easy to go insane with (for modding power), meant the Chaser was not a slouch even though it was as large as a small boat. With the insane tax laws in Malaysia, Daniel opted for the "frugal" 2.5L 1JZ instead of the fire-breathing 3.0L 2JZ. Why? Because the difference in road tax costs is in the thousands!
Almost stancing with Tein Flex coilovers, this Chaser is using 10k front and 8k rear spring rates. Somewhat extreme but the ride is surprisingly comfortable. Even with the 18" Rays Gramlights wrapped with low 45 profile tyres, the Chaser glides over pot-hole-ridden Malaysian roads. That gives an indicator on just how well sorted the famous Toyota X-chassis is.
Having owned a Cressida, Daniel was already bitten by the old-skool Toyota bug. Parts were hard to come by, everything had to be custom made or retrofitted from other car models. But it was the thrill of driving the car, the elegance, the sheer presence that excited him - costs not withstanding. When his friend and mechanic offered to swap (plus a little cash) his Cressida for a perfectly working Chaser GX100, he snapped it up. His friend offered Chaser expertise, readily available parts, workshop was relatively near his house and free parts to convert the car into a JZX100. I'd say that was a good deal, considering the history of the Cressida (a certain drunken 'explosion' happened in the back seat).
Apart for some practical mods (an upgraded Greddy intercooler and re-done 3" down-pipe for example), Daniels Chaser is generally in stock form. As a manual 2.5L turbo charged sedan boosting at 1 to 1.2bar, that's plenty of 'stock' fun for an everyday car and even with considerably stiff suspension, it's comfortable enough to ferry around the missus and their young princess without complaints.
I've loved old cars for as long as I remember. I remember dreaming about one day owning a KE30 transplanted with a Toyota Unser 1.8L transaxial engine, then there was that mint drifting Datsun 120Y with a SR20 transplant, and who doesn't love American muscle such as the Camaro ZL1 or the Pontiac GTO with a LS1, 2 or 3 motor? This Chaser although not as old as some of the cars I just mentioned, does qualify for a few categories :
1. The Cool Factor. +10 points
2. Old school. +5 points
3. Agressive looks. +10 points
4. Bullet proof cuz it's a Toyota. +20 points
5. Although old, it could pass for a modern car anyday. +5 points
6. Did I mention it's cool?
The Heart
T1JZ vvti single turbo engine
K&N drop in air filter
NGK power cable
Pivot raizin grounding
Greddy LS intercooler kit
3 inch turbo downpipe to 3 inch JZX100 Blitz NUR spec exhaust
Car boosted to 1bar on low and 1.2 on high
Interior
TRD 320kmh meter cluster
Works black face boost meter
Greddy Profec OLED boost controller
Nardi deep dish steering
TRD short shift kit with TRD leather knob
Custom ICE setup. Bluetooth capable source, HU-less.
Handling
Tein Flex bodyshift 16 stage dampening coilovers
Cusco 3-point front tower strut
Cusco brake stopper
Exterior
Chaser Tourer V bodykit
Rays Gramlight G07EX 18x9 et30 225/45/18 PS3 front, RE003 rear
Clear World front smoked indicators
- Izso
