The hardest stretch of this build came right after it was finished: the W55 gearbox let go with first, second, and third gears broken, after just 2,500 miles, leaving the car barely able to move. The turbo quit after roughly the same mileage too, clicking and scraping metal-on-metal as it slowed to a stop. The maker's response was practical: source a replacement W55, plan to reinstall the stock engine, and return the car to running condition so it could be sold, with a newly bought Supra taking over and the Lexus parked.
The swap itself moved quickly once rolling. Bought stock in September 2017, the original 2JZ-GE came out in October 2018, and the genuine VVTi 2JZ-GTE went in with its intercooler piping, first test drive by December of that year. March 2019 brought the Enkei SBC RPF1 wheels on Nitto NT555G2 rubber, then May the FIC 1650cc injectors. A Koyo radiator handles cooling, and a Centerforce W55 clutch sits behind the factory five-speed manual gearbox.
Several details stand out. Engine management is an AEM Infinity 506, with a laptop running the AEM tuning software appearing during the build. A PHR triple fuel pump hanger feeds those big injectors. The ABS unit was relocated and the battery now lives in the trunk. Exhaust work consists of a QTP cutout plus a Greddy catback. Outside, there is a front bumper lip and yellow-tinted fog lights over the black paint.
The payoff arrived on track: three passes at Kil-Kare Dragway without breaking anything, the best a 12.7854 at 117.13 mph with first-gear boost set to 8 pounds. What remains open is the gearbox plan. A setup targeting 800 wheel horsepower through a Tremec T56 Magnum was estimated near $10,000, yet it never happened once the Supra decision was made. Given how short the W55's life was, that seems like the one unanswered piece of this build.
Project by Christofo. Watch it on their YouTube channel: