This rare Japanese domestic market engine could be perfect for your build.
Among the JDM faithful, the Toyota Century is a unicorn, a thing of legend few outside of Japan have the pleasure of seeing, let alone driving. And while what we have here isn’t the car, it’s the next best thing: the engine. That’s right, a 5.0-liter V12 made by Toyota to transport the one percent in smooth, capable power. The powerplant is available on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $2,510.
Already, we could name off all kinds of cars you could try to wedge this engine into. Choose something already sporty for a nice surprise, like a Toyota Supra, or go with something like a Camry for the perfect sleeper. The possibilities are endlessly amazing.
The 1GZ-FE isn’t the 2JZ, but it’s almost as well-respected and known among tuners. In production from 1997 to 2016. Occasionally they become available for purchase in North America, usually coming from wrecked vehicles in Japan, but the supply is rather slim. Still, these are unknown enough to keep prices from inflating to ridiculous levels.
Dyno pulls have shown this engine makes about 311-horsepower and 355 lb.-ft. of torque, despite Toyota advertising it as making about 276-horsepower. While it’s not a fire-breathing monster, that’s a solid amount of horsepower and a good amount of torque. Even more importantly, at a low 1,200 rpm you’re getting about 295 lb.-ft. of torque, so pretty quick launches are possible using this engine.
You can decide for yourself if the Buy It Now price is a little too steep or just right. The seller says it has between 45,000 and 55,000 miles on it, which might be low for the age, which isn’t listed. The automatic transmission is still bolted up. Finding a transmission which works with this engine would be difficult, so that’s a huge perk. Also included is the ECU. The seller is guaranteeing the engine is in “perfect working condition.”
Check out the eBay listing for yourself.
H/T: Silodrome
