Japan Strikes Back 1991 Soarer, UZZ32

[KwS 2429]

haha, im the opposite, i cant stand anything bigger than a wof sticker at the top of the screen. I generally take all the other servicing/tyres/crap stickers off.

[Michael. 2313]

haha, im the opposite, i cant stand anything bigger than a wof sticker at the top of the screen. I generally take all the other servicing/tyres/crap stickers off.

I often have my sun visors down on both sides so I never actually notice it's there

[Xcel 7]

UFO's confirmed.

[Michael. 2313]

Thanks for that useful contribution.

[polley 916]

I found it mildly amusing

[kiwi535 538]

my dad had a 89 cressida.3 litre straight six auto,i drove it quite a lot but i didnt really appreciate how good a car it was.It would have been every bit as good as a std 535 auto imho,probably better.Bloody boring to look at though,as is your soarer.

[Olaf 3338]

my dad had a 89 cressida.3 litre straight six auto,i drove it quite a lot but i didnt really appreciate how good a car it was.It would have been every bit as good as a std 535 auto imho,probably better.... at least until I approached a corner or wanted the anchors. Bloody boring to look at though,as is your soarer.

there, that's better.

having experienced most japanese and australian saloons of the time, read the un-ending assault of the australian motoring press on things being as good as the benchmarks of the roundel and three pointed star, then drove 300e and e34, I was left wondering what it was the motoring press were smoking in addition to their tyres.

Sorry, lets get back to the Soarer love.

[Michael. 2313]

Ended up going down a path I never thought I would with this car! 

Just finished installing the last generation UZ series V8 engine. It's a 2001 3UZ-FE, 4.3 Litres rather than 4.0 and runs VVT-i, variable intake length, Coil on plug, DBW and various other changes. A considerably better engine with 20% more power and 23% more torque over the standard one. 

Direct bolt in swap with the 5 speed auto too. 

Currently runs but have a few gremlins to sort so I can drive it. 

 

[Olaf 3338]

awesome!  there's nothing like Toyota lego, eh.  Well, apart from BMW Lego and Honda Lego...  but Toyota Lego is the best.

[Michael. 2313]

BMW and Toyota lego is my favorite! 

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Yay now it really IS a pre-facelift SC430!!!

[MD13 495]

Sc430... guy here at work owed one - damn ugly!

Still think you should have put a BMW engine in this Michael - fair's fair after all.

[Michael. 2313]

Sad they dropped the ball with the SC430, absolute pig to look at, and a dog to drive.

I'd like S54 3.0GT soarer, that be fun Michael! 

[kiwi535 538]

On 1/6/2016 at 9:26 AM, Olaf said:

there, that's better.

having experienced most japanese and australian saloons of the time, read the un-ending assault of the australian motoring press on things being as good as the benchmarks of the roundel and three pointed star, then drove 300e and e34, I was left wondering what it was the motoring press were smoking in addition to their tyres.

Sorry, lets get back to the Soarer love.

fair comment,never really drove it out of tauraunga town

[Michael. 2313]

Cars going well, just keeping on top of usual maintenance. 

Finished 6 speed automatic gearbox install, and rewiring ECU plugs to run new type 6 speed ECU. 

This thing goes so much better than before. Over 2 seconds quicker to 100kph than in standard spec with the original 4.0L engine and 4 speed automatic.

Here's a 0-100kph clip of the dash. 

 

[Olaf 3338]

you've changed out from 5 to 6 speed?  very impressive.  and now 6.0sec to 100?  It's sounding really nice, Michael.  Which trans is it?  I take it this is a retrofit from a later model - more Toyota/Lexus Lego?

[Michael. 2313]

Yeah originally it started with the stock, ancient lazy 4 speed that was a dull as you can imagine. So I first went to a 1997 5 speed behind the original 1UZ 4.0L using a custom controller.

After the 3UZ went in, the ecu took over control of that 1997 5 speed, I should have however used a 2001 5 speed as there are some slight tuning differences between the two, so it wasn't quite a perfect match but still worked.

Rather than just going for a 2001-2003 5 speed, I decided to see if I could use my 2001 engine with 2004 parts and just change the wiring, sure enough studying the wiring diagrams said it could be done. So bought the right ecu and gearbox, surprisingly it was hard to find the 6 speed for some reason, the one I got from a wrecker was from a 2005 Lexus GS430 with 135,000kms for $500, they run the same box in a lot of cars with the V8 Motor, Lexus LS430, SC430 and Toyota Crown V8 models plus a few others. These were all replaced with the 8 speed from 2007, and behind the newer gen UR series V8s.

So yeah basically like usual Toyota lego the 6 speed slipped in like a glove, all factory mounting points. Only custom bit was just a 50mm plate to join the gear selector shaft bolts so P, R, N, D worked right. 

Would love to do this 3UZ / 6 speed swap into something like an E46 Touring with M3 suspension and kit work done. Would be easy, (relatively) and cost effective, but while ideas are free, running into a project like that would cost the better part of $20k, so one day. 

 

[Eagle 1669]

Sweet was wondering when you'd have this done. Should be on par to 100 with mine now. 

[Michael. 2313]

Put the Soarer on the dyno last weekend, made a peak figure of 157rwkw which isn't too bad for the 4.3. The stock 4.0 engine would have made approx 127rwkw, and a lot less torque than the 4.3.

Normally these have more but the active suspension pump is an approximate loss of 15rwkw

Next I'll do headers that should bring it up to around 165rwkw, after that some sort of piggy back tune.

 

 

[Michael. 2313]

Bought some 1 5/8th primary headers last week, arrived on Friday. Will get them fitted up in the next week or two!

As you can see the comparison to stock is fairly significant. 

[zero 1162]

Those headers should make a nice improvement.

Any cats to delete?

[Michael. 2313]

Previous owner already deleted them hah

Pity as I could have sold the two old cats for $120 as scrap! 

I thought about putting small high flow cats in to help with the iffy exhaust smell, but they make too much heat around them so means a lot of work to heat  shield the floor of the car etc and not worth it or the expense of them. 

 

[Michael. 2313]

Finished the exhaust, now with ceramic coated 4-21 headers

Mid section, M3 resonator and 745i round mufflers, because every Toyota needs more BMW parts. 

 

 

[zero 1162]

How effective is the ceramic coating?

 

And how expensive is the coating process?

[allan 295]

12 hours ago, Michael. said:

Finished the exhaust, now with ceramic coated 4-21 headers

Mid section, M3 resonator and 745i round mufflers, because every Toyota needs more BMW parts. 

 

 

What Db do you have?

Nathan V8 research