Sol’s JZX100 Chaser Build… Introduction
Welcome back! I would have mentioned in the last post that I have some new content coming up for you guys & today we’ll be taking a look at the first in this series. No stranger to the site, I bring you guys a new project from within Sol’s garage.
Currently, there is quite a bit of activity going on within his garage in relation to project progression both from the performance & also from the maintenance side. Over the next few months I’ll be bringing you guys a more in-depth look at the progress being made.
Already having a few projects underway, its never too soon to begin a fresh new build. We take a first look at a car he’s had in his possession for quite some time but was actively taking his time on the direction in which he wanted to take it. Often known for being carried away with his builds in the years past, Sol has started to take a more subtle & purposeful approach towards car building in recent times. Straying away from his all out builds, he’s now at a stage where he has a new found appreciation for these machines & the way they perform. With a new found focus in mind, some of his builds will be adjusted to better suit this philosophy while adding a few personal touches.
To start off this new style of building, lets kick it off with his Toyota Chaser JZX100 Tourer V. What better option other than a famed 90’s Japanese classic. These cars have been stirring up quite a buzz in recent years & are rapidly becoming a sought after cult car. Believe it or not, the main idea behind acquiring the car was based around his Mark IV Supra.
Those who have been following the site for quite some time would be aware of the build & would have seen the transformation. The Supra transitioned from being a lightly modified street car to an extreme level build. Resulting in a stroker motor, fully built head, big turbo & ethanol fed beast of a car. The change in direction sacrificed some of the streetability & light enjoyment to be gained from the driving experience. For some time Sol has been back & forth as to what should the next move be; detune the Supra or be on the hunt for a substitute. The option of detuning the car was a strange direction to go in as he still very much enjoyed the thrill of the high horsepower beast in which he built; although it wasn’t as practical as he would like. What was left then was to get another Supra but that it itself seemed kinda of a challenge. The issue was finding a clean example, suitable enough to his likings as he didn’t want to have to tear the car completely apart. With this not being an easy task Sol was on the fence as to what to do.
The idea of a more practical option began to creep into his mind, why not be on the hunt for a 4 door Supra. This is what JZX100s are often referred to when not using their chassis code. In having 4 doors & a more luxurious interior this would check all the boxes of what he was looking for. With a chassis in mind & having a few more examples locally than that of the Supra, the odds should be more in his favor. Sol began his search & it wasn’t long before he was able to find the perfect specimen that matches what he wanted to build from. After a few details were ironed out he was the proud owner of a JZX100 Tourer V.
In this post we’ll be taking a look at the base for the new project & some of the goodies that it came with. In addition to this, a preview of the plans Sol has in store for one of the most sought after JDM cars.
For those of you who would have missed out on his Mark IV Supra build, I have provided the link below:-
Now that you have been all caught up, let’s move forward with today’s post…
The specific car Sol decided to purchase was one of, if not the cleanest example here on the island. Not only was this Chaser well maintained but it was also mostly stock which would provide a great base to work from…
A shot of the car when Shael, the previous owner, was in the process of tastefully making some changes to car…
Following maintenance & a few light modifications, he was ready to take things to another level & imported a full Vertex body kit. With the paintwork not perfect, Shael opted to give the entire car a respray to eliminate any discrepancies in colour between the new kit & the body. While he was at it a few more changes were made to the front end; the OEM orange corners were swapped out for some crystal units which gave it a classier appeal. Another addition was the change from the factory grille to the TRD replacement…
Upon receiving the car in his possession, Sol decided to remove the Vertex body kit for the much more subtle OEM bumper option. However, the factory bumpers were in need of a respray & were dropped off by the paint shop…
Back when Shael purchased the car, it was completely stock & still had the side mount intercooler in place. He made the decision to have it swapped out for a more efficient front mount intercooler setup…
A view of the engine bay…
Where he swapped out the stock air box for a sports filter & maintained the air flow meter as the car was still running off the factory ECU…
The stock turbo still remained but with a few mild upgrades; the cat was deleted for a full down pipe & he also performed a J pipe delete…
A Blitz BOV was the last of the modifications as far as the engine went…
Having one of the more sought after JDM legends a few era specific suspension upgrades were made…
Starting with a Cusco strut tower brace along with some Cusco adjustable upper control arms…
Closing out with a set of Tein Flex Z coilovers to make the necessary adjustments in ride height when needed…
As for interior, Shael kept this mostly stock with a few subtle upgrades…
A look at the factory carbon fibre trim still very much intact…
A TRD shift knob was added along with a drift button for the handbrake…
A Nardi steering wheel which saw some better days as the car was sitting for quite some time as Sol began to gather parts…
Another highlight of the interior to add to the luxurious feel was the sunroof which still worked perfectly…
The last & final modification which Shael purchased for the car was a set of JNC wheels in a 18×9.5 +15 sizing wrapped in 225/40 rubber…
Now that we have been through a list of what was previously done to the car, lets get into what plans Sol has moving forward. Initially the plan was to have a car that he can take up & comfortably drive around & not have to worry about the type of fuel required to run it. To add to this, it must also be powerful enough to not just light up the wheels but being capable of delivering the occasional spirited drive…
So what this really means is the stock turbo will definitely need to go & be replaced with something that will produce more power while maintaining a significant amount of response. With a power goal of anywhere around 450-500hp Sol began to put together a parts list that would allow the Chaser to hit this target as efficiently as possible…
First on the list before any power mods can be done, the clutch needed replacing. With that in mind, Sol wanted to go with something that will not only replace the current worn out unit but capable of taking the power without any problems. He selected a XClutch unit for the job which also came with a flywheel to match…
Now for the real performance side of the build to begin…
As for the turbo, there are so many different options available these day with the way turbo technology has developed over the years. Having studied the purpose for the build & taking a look at the newer Garrett turbos he was sold. The unit which he landed on was a G25 660 which should have no issues in delivering the power needed to hit his target…
With a new turbo the manifold & down pipe would have to change as well. Sol went ahead & selected the Odyssey Fab kit for this task, the idea behind it was to make things as simple as possible to avoid extended amounts of down time…
The manifold in question is a top mounted unit with v-band mounting specifically for a Garrett turbo, moving away from the classic 4 bolt flange. It also features a TurboSmart 45mm wastegate flange…
The kit had the option of a screamer pipe which will eliminate the time required to fabricate one…
It also included a 3″ down pipe with v-bands on both ends to also improve the ease of installation…
A few more shots of this work of art from Odyssey Fab…
The guys patiently awaited the arrival of the kit & upon unboxing it, began to work on the Chaser immediately…
A look at the factory 1JZ turbo removed…
A quick before & after with Odyssey Fab manifold fitted to the motor…
Having the manifold fitted in place, I couldn’t finish this post without including a photo of the Garrett turbo mounted. On that note, thanks for taking a look at Sol’s JZX100 Chaser build & be sure to stay tuned for much more to come in this series.
TDSAutoMag 