My Avensis Mk1 GT4

My Avensis Mk1 GT4

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AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Wednesday 24th November 2021
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Hello everyone, this is my 1999 Avensis Mk1, swapped to 3SGTE and swapped to 4wd (4wd almost completed)
Car has a MoTeC M400 Ecu.














deleted the original analog fuel gage and made the fuel gage digital

mersontheperson

706 posts

166 months

Sunday 28th November 2021
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Wow, that’s a lot of work, much respect for taking something like that on, how does it drive? Or shall we wait until the 4WD is sorted?

But secondly, and don’t mean to be surprised, but why an Avensisi?

TommoAE86

2,675 posts

128 months

Monday 29th November 2021
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Nice work, isn't the Netherlands really hard (like Germany) to modify cars?

AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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The reason why.... I bought this car with my dad, and he has passed away 2 years after we bought the car. I was 21 when that happened.
I like the car a lot, only thing that i just hated was the crappy engine it came with. I was looking to trade it in for a Subaru WRX at some point, because i first wanted a Impreza GT555, but my mom thought it was not a good idea to have a car like that with no driving experience. It then became an Avensis with the weakest engine... because safety blablabla.
I took the Avensis to a Japanese car show and saw the blue WRX everywhere i looked. But i was the only one with an Avensis. I like to have something different, and dont mind that it is harder to accomplish.

In 2002 i yanked the engine out and replaced it with something faster. I have driven it with 3sgte and FWD, standard front brakes, upgraded rear brakes, swap from drums to discs of a diesel, and swapped the suspension out with Koni Red sleeve inserts. But it was like Russian Roulette. When it rained it had no grip without LSD. Fading brakes when trying to stop all the time. The car accelarated faster than it could brake.
I then decided to do the 4wd swap too. But this was a quit difficult task.
I have owned several cars through the years, and worked on my Avensis on and off.
Only thing left now is the prop shaft and redo the exhaust from turbo to back. I have had some rough years with my business so the hobby was on hold for a while.

I have covered the A,B and C pillars, rear view mirror, and shift boot in Alcantara. I was working on the doorpanels to have a 2 tone alcantara with the same line that is outside on the car.

I have removed the fuel gauge and watertemp gauge. In its place there will be a dual Digital SPA gauge for boost, oil temp, oil press and water temp.

Last time there were some restrictions of the pictures i could post. I will try to post some more now.


---
Over here you can change the car as long as it is done safe and you have all the invoices of the parts that were bought (and show it are not stolen parts). Everything i did has been done with parts that well exceed what is neccesary.

AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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C Pillar in Alcantara


I closed the hole in the B pillar and upholstered it in Alcantara


A pillar with Alcantara


Making the bottom of the steering wheel forged Carbon. I will do the top soon. Sides of the steering wheel will be Alcantara.


Upholstered the Shift boot with Alcantara


the shape of the 2 tone on the outside of the car is also in the doorpanel. I was not happy with this panel because something went wrong with the glue. The glue was soaked in the foam a little bit and when it is then pushed with a finger on that spot it will stay like that. So has to be done again.


The rearview mirror in Alcantara


Making a Battery holder with Carbon Fibre




It will fit beneath the spare wheel, to have a lowest possible center of gravity


The new gauge for the instrument panel. There will be one on the left and one on the right.


magpie215

4,435 posts

190 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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Nice modified Avensis OP...

I used to own the below car...guessing some of your donor parts are Caldina then.


AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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All lines on the paintjob continue on the inside. Masking up the inside of the gas cap took me 9 hours to do, and was very difficult because of the double layer of metal.


All door jambs are painted.

All door jamb inside covers are painted, the big cover where the seatbelt runs behind on the B pillar is painted in 2 tone as well.


AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
quotequote all
magpie215 said:
Nice modified Avensis OP...

I used to own the below car...guessing some of your donor parts are Caldina then.

Yes i have Caldina parts on my car indeed. When i did the engine swap i did not know about the Caldina. My engine is from a ST185 Carlos Sainz. I found out some years later about the Caldina.

AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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Two tone continues on the inside.

AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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Headlights will get projector lights. The housing is a Caldina Headlight.
The high beam are halogen projectors, the normal lights is Xenon Projector.

magpie215

4,435 posts

190 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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AvensisGT4 said:
Yes i have Caldina parts on my car indeed. When i did the engine swap i did not know about the Caldina. My engine is from a ST185 Carlos Sainz. I found out some years later about the Caldina.
Had a 185 prior to the caldina....Great engine the 3s-gte


The Rotrex Kid

30,418 posts

161 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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Great work. Love the forged carbon steering wheel!

InitialDave

11,978 posts

120 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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Nor keen on the colour, but this is great, reminds me of the old Fensport Corolla they did the same swap in, love it!

mersontheperson

706 posts

166 months

Thursday 2nd December 2021
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Amazing amount of effort and dedication, hope it brings you a lot of joy, good luck fella !

TommoAE86

2,675 posts

128 months

Friday 3rd December 2021
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Brilliant work OP, that's really cool smile I have a Toyota Crown I keep meaning to change the wheels and suspension on, it's RWD 3.5V6 from Japan biggrin

mersontheperson

706 posts

166 months

Friday 3rd December 2021
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TommoAE86 said:
Brilliant work OP, that's really cool smile I have a Toyota Crown I keep meaning to change the wheels and suspension on, it's RWD 3.5V6 from Japan biggrin
Wait a minute Tommo! I don’t think I knew this, got any pics?

AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Friday 3rd December 2021
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Just got a call, my vacuum pump has arrived. I can soon finish the steering wheel.
(It was very difficult without vacuum to have the fiber chops to lay flat).

AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Friday 3rd December 2021
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TommoAE86 said:
Brilliant work OP, that's really cool smile I have a Toyota Crown I keep meaning to change the wheels and suspension on, it's RWD 3.5V6 from Japan biggrin
I love the Crown model!
I have a LS430 Black Cherry Pearl as a daily. (My 5th LS, i don't think i have a problem...)

AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Friday 3rd December 2021
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My daily driver

AvensisGT4

Original Poster:

16 posts

30 months

Friday 3rd December 2021
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Making room for the Frequency filter of the Boston Z6 compos, chopped out the plastic bracket that was in the door before. The filter weighs 1 kilogram.


mounted the filter to the door.


With the doorpanel back on.

The other 2 filters will be in the trunk.

The Center speaker will be a Boston Pro50SE

Edited by AvensisGT4 on Friday 3rd December 14:05