Doesn’t it seem like 1998 was not that long ago, when in fact it’s been over 10 years already? Back before the formation of D1GP, drag racing was still all the rage in Japan. Drifting was on juuust the verge of bursting out from its underground roots but until then, the tuning giants were throwing down at the drag strip.
For example, beneath the scooped hood of this MarkII wagon is a mod list that reads like a tuning house buffet menu: HKS 2mm head gasket, Trust TD06 turbo kit, OS Giken pistons, Blitz ECU and cams, just to name a few. It caught our eye for obvious reasons, but while the US got 6-cylinder 5M-powered Cressidas, its JDM twin came with smaller-displacement G-series. Still, with the help of those mods, this one’s 1G-GT (a 2.2L turbo) puts out 350hp!
This picture comes from a 1998 issue of Japan’s Carboy magazine (courtesy of Antonio Alvendia of MotorMavens and Speedhunters fame), but typical of the times, the 80s dream machine is the focus while a poor hakosuka Skyline is more or less ignored!
I find it so odd that drag racing is kind of not cool right now.
I guess since the skill in that is the build not the driving?
Check out the Soarer vol.1 issue of HyperRev if you wanna see 5M development. It’s got a nice article on the race to hit 300km/h with a sweet image of the twin-turbo 5M Toyota ran. Too bad I can’t read Japanese. I’d love to know what it says.
That’s a tough MKII. I’m fully keen for some more nostalgia scans of older mags if you guys get the chance. BTW unless it’s been stroked out I think you’ll find the 1GGTE is a 2L 6 banger.
Im almost 100% sure that the 1G is a 6 cyl. the 1G-GTE ans 1G-GZE are popular swaps into first generation celicas in austrailia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_G_engine
Quite right y’all are!
Can we expect a make-over for the JNC wagon 🙂
Great looking wagon! Damn shame Toyota stopped delivering the Cressida to Europe after the X6…
Too bad we dont have them coming to guyana with 5M only with the 22R/20R. But we do 1/2JZ swaps into them especially the saloon with the independent rear suspension.Handling is Great!!!