Time we had pictures of everyones Japanese wagons

[EVOTECH3BELL]

pauloblade said:

Here's my Celica GT. Owned for 6 years now.

Always loved the look of these

[Stu0221]

pauloblade said:

Here's my Celica GT. Owned for 6 years now.

I've always loved the look of these. I remember sitting in a brand new one in around 2002 if I remember rightly. I'm 6'5 and couldn't physically fit without some contortionist skills!

Which engine does it have?

[pauloblade]

Cheers, yeah I think the look has aged pretty well. Still get quite a few comments about it as you don't see many about anymore. It's the 2zz engine 190bhp

[hedges88]

trails said:

TO73074E said:

The version your friend had was likely the Toyota Starlet GT Turbo or known as the EP82. This one below is a facelift and earlier models had square front lights instead of the quad light look.

They had the same engine as the white one above (known as the Starlet Glanza V or EP91) which produced 133bhp standard. The EP82 weighed 830kg to 860kg and the EP91 about 920kg.

My 2nd car was an EP91 Starlet Glanza V and that was lightly modified in Japan. Cat back exhaust, induction kit, TRD springs, strut braces, Enkei wheels and a factory LSD. I went with my friend to buy it and he thought it was fantastic, he called one of his Dad's good friends who did some club level racing and asked if he could take it for a drive on some B roads. He owned an MG ZT and wanted to do a straight swap for the Glanza he loved it so much!

Two friends had these, one had an EP82 with a TD04 running round 220...crazy little thing he wrote off at Cadwell...the other had a built red EP91 that got written off when someone pulled out in front of him. I'll see if I can find any photos I have of them...

It was indeed the older model like in the picture. Wikipedia'ing the Starlet has been amazing. You could get user selectable electronic damper adjustment, in 1989. In a car that is in the Nissan Micra playing league. Iv'e heard many times about their bubble economy and that lots of good cars came from that but my god just how high were the Japanese flying? 1989 we were trying to get a Metro to start in the morning!

[AnhBanhBao]

3 and a half years in now, might be on its way out for something 5-door in the new year, but I’d always wanted one since reading the FT86 concepts in the magazines back in 2010.

[DannyScene]

pauloblade said:

Here's my Celica GT. Owned for 6 years now.

I've had 3 gen 7's now, 2 silver 140s and a thunder grey TSport

I'd like another one at some point underrated cars imo

[hedges88]

I keep meaning to add to the thread and forget but finally here is my literal Japanese wagon, I got her in the summer and what a wonderful machine she has been since

Mitsubishi Galant Estate EA3W 2.4 GDI INVECS-II Transmission. 2003 car on a 52 plate. T08 Trigger Mauve, Sport interior with MOMO wheel. Has done about 96k and has full main dealer service history and an almost obsessive amount of documentation. Incredibly rare, not just here but even back in Japan. I love her to bits and I feel utterly privileged to own her. Mitsubishi engineered these with no compromise. The suspension setup (SLA all round) is about as good as it gets, a cutting edge GDI motor, a technology that would become commonplace and the auto box that operates on clutch to clutch shifting. With the gearbox and the engines balance shaft system it is way more refined than a normal 4 pot, not quite BMW six but on the move it really is almost as smooth. The fuel map has comfort features that work with the trans to provide smooth shifting. All the main bits of a car they just went ape at making sure everything was perfect. Even the body kit is functional. Safety and security took a bit of a backseat for sure, but as I say all the most important bits of a car are spot on! I did not realise that you could get electric folding mirrors on this vintage of a car. Fully integrated navigation and infotainment was available. And this is the lower spec Avance trim not even the Elegance. Yes it's not a VR-4, would I like one, yes but this has the looks and a lot of the experience for realistic running costs.

No mods, previous owner has done the very much needed catch can. ICE has been upgraded and it's wired for subwoofer etc. Someone is in the process of helping me take the 160BHP JDM fuel map with double the lean burn ability (40:1) and to see if we can get the EU catalyst and the 4 speed auto to play ball with it. Euro regulations and sulphur in UK fuel at the time of launch has seen my poor motor strangled down to 142BHP. It's having a master cylinder replacement and while that's being done I am going to try an electro-hydraulic conversion as there is just so much aux stuff being parasitic. I will also be replacing the clock unit with a custom made raspberry pi driven ui but I have to get the Mitsubishi MUT protocol converted to OBD-II which is messy. Will keep me busy over winter.

I cannot help but be impressed every time I drive it, the GDI engine has a very narrow window of correct operation and it's still running like clockwork over two decades later. Same for the transmission, I had no idea that torque converter autos could be configured for performance like that. In Tiptronic it's DSG feeling . I will sound like my grandad, but all I can say is, "They don't make them like that anymore". Iv'e never had a car people love or talk about like they do with this car. An eastern European gentlemen offered me £6k for her, they are sought after back that way apparantley. I could not part with her....

[Axeboy]

Looks great, I've had 3 Vr4's a long time ago, absolutely loved them.

I quite liked the gearbox. The manual, as is tradition, was seen as the sportier more "drivers" choice. So I bought one. And regretted it.

[JustinCredible]

Looks fantastic but I'm bound to say that as a fellow former Legnum VR-4 owner

[em177]

[Om]

Thought I would add another of my 370z as there just aren’t enough pictures being added in here!

[Jim on the hill]

Not sure what classes as a wagon on here but hopefully something below does. A brief history with some much needed pics for the thread.



It all started with a lowly Evo VIII GSR import. I knew nothing about Japanese cars apart from watching the Subaru's and Evos doing battle at the Rally's that my Dad used to watch. Quickly fell in love with the power the grip and how usable it was being a saloon.

Got involved in the Japanese scene and slowly fell for a Fairlady Nismo, found a great one at Torque GT and a deal was made





Enjoyed this one for a while, most people preferred the Fairlady but I missed the grip and power so back to the fold I went. This time with a MR FQ320



The day I collected this one from X-Treme there was a world record attempt at Silverstone to get the most Evos on track at a single time so had to join in



Then came the time to be sensible, get a house and settle down so something a little more fuel efficient was required



Dabbled with a Cooper S works but boring and unreliable. Then opted for a DC2 Integra that I never quite knew what parts it had every time we looked it over we found something new. Ran just shy of 240BHP so clearly had some internals done also. A true joy to drive and probably had some of my best drives ever in that thing, revved well past where a normal one does and the handling was so predictable.

But alas... The power was again calling. I found a stupidly cheap R32 GTR with a 34 GTR block in it. You can probably guess where this is going.



Shortly after picking up the bargain of the century found some custard in the radiator. Took it to the men in the know and yep a cracked block. Many pounds later I had her back and they tightened up a few bits and a couple of issues I'd had with it. Ran 710bhp on the rollers which explained why I thought it was a lot faster than anything I'd been in before. Loved the sound and something interesting about old Jap cars not sure why but I'm hooked.

Then moved to a Monaro for something a little less shouty (Man logic) we then got a dog and the Monaro was not very dog friendly. I wanted something interesting with a dog friendly boot, rare and ground clearance as I'd got quite obsessed with mountains.

Only one thing for it really



Sourced again from Torque and I absolutely loved it. Best car I've had easily, we took it to Italy via the Autobahn and back via the Alps. Completed the NC500 and all other manner of road trips, house moves and camping activities. Seven years I had it but unfortunately due to some electrical gremlins in the door I had to sell. Spent a small fortune trying to fix and multiple garages and auto electricians and no one could do it.

Dabbled with a 335D Msport estate but boring and no ground clearance. Which brings me onto the final motor with the same brief dog friendly, ground clearance, Japanese and unusual.

Enter the FJ Cruiser.



Happy as a pig in you know what with this one, drives really nicely, dog space and ground clearance is certainly not an issue. Looking to add something fun alongside it potentially later this year though.



Dogs love the space also

FIN

Edited by Jim on the hill on Wednesday 10th January 19:33

[NorthernSky]

That fun cruiser looks brilliant. A very rare sight over here!

[Konan]

Jim on the hill said:

Not sure what classes as a wagon on here but hopefully something below does. A brief history with some much needed pics for the thread.

JDM bingo right there. Just need a little Kei runaround.

[Jim on the hill]

Konan said:

Jim on the hill said:

Not sure what classes as a wagon on here but hopefully something below does. A brief history with some much needed pics for the thread.

JDM bingo right there. Just need a little Kei runaround.

Funny you say that, been trying to persuade the wife for years that she wants a cube. She doesn't.

[hedges88]

Axeboy said:

Looks great, I've had 3 Vr4's a long time ago, absolutely loved them.

JustinCredible said:

Looks fantastic but I'm bound to say that as a fellow former Legnum VR-4 owner

I quite liked the gearbox. The manual, as is tradition, was seen as the sportier more "drivers" choice. So I bought one. And regretted it.

Axeboy, you had 3 VR-4s. I think having 3x of a car like that is a huge compliment to them

Galants and Leggies are autobox type cars for sure, more for cruising but capable of a bit of fun now and then. I had to research the INVECS-II to see how they made such a terrific auto box, even purchasing a SAE technical paper after finishing all of Mitsubishi's own documentation. Porsche developed the fundamental concept of release to apply clutch shifting, but props to Mitsubishi for making it accessible and reliable. To explain what it feels like, lets just say it makes a ZF8HP seem unenthusiastic being part of the gear game!


The only bad thing I could ever say about them, is safety. The A and B pillar combined are probably thinner than a modern A pillar. Minimal safety kit. Extremely thin doors, sills and panels. Nothing about any of the structure inspires confidence. They rust through quickly as well, corrosion is expected but lets say the rust doesn't have much of a meal. Euro NCAP at the time recorded 10+ G on the driver during the frontal impact test. I'm not being harsh or expecting too much, I could still put all near and dear to me in an E39 (or E46) or many competitors of that era and feel that they have at least the bare minimum of modern safety essentials

In almost every test and review, the VR-4 always trounced it's rivals, and it's rivals were all decent motors in their own right, some a cut above even. Stageas, Legacy GT B etc. They were cool then and cooler now. Mitsubishi were cutting edge innovators, direct injection and torque vectoring have become mainstream tech and . Not Honda level innovative, but they had their moments. Watching Colt Car Company (Mitsubishi UK) selling off their whole heritage fleet to private buyers was sad, like an old veteran selling his medals. At least we know they will be looked after

Edited by hedges88 on Friday 12th January 08:46

[Alias218]

2007 350Z with the later VQ35HR engine. Mine for 10 years and turning 17 in June!

[hedges88]

Alias218 said:

2007 350Z with the later VQ35HR engine. Mine for 10 years and turning 17 in June!

Most or all criticism I heard most of, was the engine sounding underwhelming and also not feeling all that sporty for it's segment. Not feeling as fast as the on paper figures was another

So I don't spend another night past midnight on the PC, I wont Wikipedia and just ask someone with the best answer, what's the later motor like? Does it address the complaints about the first unit in any way?

I don't like the looks of a 350z though don't get me wrong it's a far superior machine to my motors in many ways but that shape of car just don't do it for me. I like the Infiniti G35 from the back but those buggy headlights are off-putting. Front end from the 350z and the G35 arse seems like an attractive motor.

Are these also the same as those USDM? Skyline coupe jobs as well?

[Salem cat]

Here’s my Infiniti Q60S
I’ve had it just over 4 years now, and I’m still loving it

Edited by Salem cat on Saturday 13th January 14:31

[Jim on the hill]

Salem cat said:

Here’s my Infiniti Q60S
I’ve had it just over 4 years now, and I’m still loving it

Edited by Salem cat on Saturday 13th January 14:31

What are they like inside? Much prefer the idea of an Infinity to a BMW.