Import a Toyota Chaser GT Twin Turbo

J-Cars Complete Car- GX71 Toyota Chaser GT Twin Turbo Imported from Japan

The 3 brothers, the Chaser, Cresta & Mark II, a symbol of how things have changed from a time when the sedan market was so big 3 variants of the same model were sold. You see it now with vans instead, think Noah, Esquire Voxy or Alphard & Vellfire. Our favourite sedans hail from the 80’s at the end of Japans greatest economic era, Showa. We love the 60, 70 and 80’s series so were on the hunt for a clean example. The preference was a 1G-GE variant but when this Twin Turbo GX71 presented it was so immaculate we couldn’t turn the opportunity down.

J-Cars decided to export it to New Zealand from Japan in its factory form due to how difficult entry compliance is and then modify it after it was road legal. Mostly this is how we do things when dealing with clients in Australia or New Zealand who want to import a vehicle as both countries make importing modified examples very difficult unlike the USA. Following compliance we modified this vehicle in period style, details below.

GALLERY BELOW

The base was an original 1G-GTE twin turbo automatic 1 owner Toyota Chaser in 040 Super White with burgundy interior and a digital dash. A clean history with low mileage, no accidents, rust-free condition, and a non-smoking history, something rare from the Showa era. As a high-grade export, it met the elite standards we prioritize.

After compliance our team carried a full manual transmission swap using a complete conversion sourced from a low km example. The exedy clutch importer came up with a custom combo for us that uses a combination from other Toyota’s that is a direct fit, easy to operate but good for handling 450hp. The reason behind the over engineering was we had sourced a New Old Stock HKS single turbo manifold, air to air intercooler upgrade and had a vision for a T04E based period build. Although a 1G-GTE would not take kindly to 450hp in stock form high 200’s to very low 300’s at a push is still a reliable build if done right.

The Twin Turbo models have a larger G series diff and also larger brakes so the go to 14” period wheels where out and we used 15” SSR Jilba Racing wheels to fit over the front brakes. We lowered it but only on Down Sus springs due to the spindles needing to be welded to any coil over set up for the early GX’s which for New Zealand rules is a absolute hassle. Worse still the rules to certify a car with them is so strict now for camber settings that you can’t lower a car as much as even with a spring before they won’t let you use it on the road do to camber out of spec. With Pegasus IRS rear arms it’s easier just to give up when it comes to New Zealand. We had a spring that allows coils to be cut and still remain captive so we put them in as they were to keep the vehicle marketable to the widest audience and allow the new owner if they chose to snip them how they want to lower it quite a lot which is exactly what the new owner Tom did and it looks fantastic.

Maintenance wise the car was in very good condition however we did refurbish the digital instrument cluster as there is a fault from factory were over time the grease type used will eat the tracks so if you own a 80’s Toyota with digital dash do it now before the damage is irreversible. We also fitted some JDM aftermarket audio, it was not period correct but very cool with fold out screen but when tucked away looks quite classic. Reason for the stereo change was when the car arrived at Lyttleton port the Stevedores ripped out the stereo in it and stole it. They constantly thieve from cars with no recourse and unfortunately when a car leaves Japan all morals go out the window so it is something every importer has to deal with time to time. To make it more fun they took it with the stereo brackets so we had a hard time sourcing them for car that is now almost 40 years old at the time or writing but we came through as usual.

Other rare parts sourced was the rear smoked window visor, prices for them now are insane but we got in when it was only around $1000-$1500 not $4000-$5000. We also sourced a genuine Japan made underwater flower shift knob and a few other small period touches for the car.

We successfully sourced this remarkable vehicle in Japan and facilitated its journey where we sold it as a road legal complete car. The new owner has collected other HKS goodies like piggy back computers and will complete the single turbo conversion in time following through on our vision. We also source and export vehicles from New Zealand and other countries many classic JDM’s now unobtainable in Japan. Our global teams allows you more options and more value. Contact us below to learn more below about the how you can import your dream car with us! If you see a car you want we can reach out to the owners.

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For this vehicle we organized the entire process door to door from Japan including NZ compliance inspection, W.O.F, Registration, Preparation, Servicing and Maintenance and Modifications. All you have to do is place your order and organize payment for a turn key drive away package on a hand picked vehicle direct from Japan. No knowledge or experience is required to work with us.

At J-Cars, we specialize in sourcing, securing, and shipping vehicles from Japan and beyond — bridging the gap between continents and delivering your dream car right to your doorstep.

Whether you're searching for modern marvels or classic treasures, we’ve got you covered. Don’t miss your chance to drive a piece of automotive history! Reach out to our team today and let’s make your dream vehicle a reality!

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