1981 KP61 Starlet 2JZGTE build

suicide kp61

OMFG Im a NOOB!!!
Dec 23, 2009
75
0
0
wv
I realize this car isnt Supra but some of the guys over in the 2j discussion forum said I should post up a build thread. If this is out of place...Sorry Mods.

Ok so here's the story, I used to see this car every day at Wendys around lunch time for about the last 5 years. It belonged to a little old lady who bought it new in 1981. I always begged for her to sell it to me as I thought it would be a great "OMFG mad tyte jdm old school yo". One day I realized I had not seen it for a while and later found out the woman had died.

About a year later I was at my machinist shop picking up a customers motor and I see this starlet chilling out in the weeds behind his shop. I immediately asked him what the deal was. He replied "some old woman left it in her will to the kid that cut her grass and he traded it to me for some machine work". Come to find out it was a 200.00 machine bill and he said he would take that for the car.

At first I couldnt believe I had a 1981 starlet with 81k miles and the owners manual and window sticker in the glove box. I was totally stoked....until I put it on a lift. Rust had taken its toll on this antique far beyond the point of a restoration.

I let it sit for a while and one day thought "what do I have to lose, Im putting a 2j in it".

It was been an ongoing project for about the last month and I hope to have it done this summer. I made a set of steel wide fenders out of the original fenders and still have to do the back. I will driving this car on the street so I need a wheel size that will not only hook to the road but also facilitate big brakes. These are not the wheels Im running but are just for visual reference.
I have recessed the firewall 4 inches to keep a proper weight balance and radiator clearance. Here are a few pics to get started. I will update the thread as progress occurs. Thanks for looking.


Bumper has since been deleted for a custom steel valence to facilitate an FMIC
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suicide kp61

OMFG Im a NOOB!!!
Dec 23, 2009
75
0
0
wv
Thanks man, Its going to be a nightmare in some aspects. I am going to run a narrowed ford 8.8 with rear discs and Im researching machining some new hubs and caliper brackets to run larger vented rotors int he front instead of these solid 8 inch turds on there now.
 

suicide kp61

OMFG Im a NOOB!!!
Dec 23, 2009
75
0
0
wv
As it stands now the wide fenders allow lock to lock turning on an 18x8 but I will be running 17x8/17x10 staggers. Cant make the rear quarters until the wheels and rear end are here.
 

mkiii racer x

New Member
Dec 22, 2009
61
0
0
st louis
Man that brings me back to 8th grade that was my 1st car bought it. B4 i had my permit it was silver with the black stripe down the side had 2 8inch subs in the back that thing would beat like ike on tina can't wait to see the finished product
 

suicide kp61

OMFG Im a NOOB!!!
Dec 23, 2009
75
0
0
wv
Thanks for the support. I really dig the Japanese nostaglic forums but I dont have 15 inch 2 million dollar wheels that are the last remaining set in the world, so I dont fit in. I build Subaru engines and run an overall Subaru performance shop for a living and this is a fun distraction. Funny thing is I have my 06 STI torn apart and somehow I look more forward to getting this 200.00 car done than I do the STI LOL. I guess Im just a closet Toyota fan. One thing is true, In my opinion the best 4 and 6 cylinder engines EVER made were Toyota products. 4a's 3s's 1j's 2j's 22r's I mean you really cant beat em.
 

suicide kp61

OMFG Im a NOOB!!!
Dec 23, 2009
75
0
0
wv
Ok so I started on the rear quarters to widen them to fit the 10 inch wide wheels. I need some input. Should I carry the shape over the gas door and suicide it or just leave it recessed like other widebodies do? Anyway let me know what you think. Here are some pics of it all tacked together.

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Boost Lee

Bee Doo Bee Doo Bee Doo
Staff member
Sep 13, 2006
2,750
0
0
Indianapolis, IN
I'd never have thought in a million years I'd be "Subscribing" to a build thread on a 1981 Starlet......... Guess there's a first for everything. ;)

I look forward to seeing where this build goes.
I started off in the auto world as a body man, so I'm loving the "widebody" work so far.
Although I think extending the body to the gas door would look better,
Once you've got it all together, squatted, and sprayed, it will look great as it is.

Good luck! Keep us up to date,

Jeff
 

suicide kp61

OMFG Im a NOOB!!!
Dec 23, 2009
75
0
0
wv
1703 lbs in stock trim, thats a fact. Now as for the rest of this...pure speculation. I know the factory 1300cc is a cast iron block so Im assuming its in the 250lb range. I guess a 2j is what,350-400? I should still be under 2k and I know I can make 600hp on stock internals, right? I would say that a Garrett 3582 or a 4242 with a tubular manifold should weight less than the cast iron manifold and twins. If Im wrong please correct me
 

suicide kp61

OMFG Im a NOOB!!!
Dec 23, 2009
75
0
0
wv
I just have one more quarter to do then I can build my sideskirts that are going to double as subframe connectors. I am going to hide 2x2 box steel inside of them and weld them to the rocker to prevent door jam crush as well as connect them to the rear lower link bars and "mini" frame rails in the front. This in conjunction with the reinforcement to be placed under the car should prevent any warpage or collapse. This is a very light car so the stress will be considerably less than say a 3400 lb car. This will add about 75lbs to the car but I will be glad its there when I run the car hard.
 

crisp

existentialincrementalist
May 25, 2007
1,785
2
38
Ohio
Great build! Looking forward to it...


...er... on a paternal side... won't you be playing with a thin line between FUN and FRACTURED with that kind of power in such a small package!!!???:aigo:


What's the distance you will see from yoke-to-yoke on your driveshaft?:biglaugh:


I'm thinking at 400whp this thing is already a borderline unmanageable drive!:1zhelp:

Will you be making it a "street driven" car, or more for the quarter and show? Regardless, can't wait to see a straight six motivating your classic KP like Godzilla mated to The Fly!:naughty:



subscribed!


-crisp
 

suicide kp61

OMFG Im a NOOB!!!
Dec 23, 2009
75
0
0
wv
lewis15498;1481757 said:
Pretty cool dude, nice fender work. Putting a roll cage in this thing would definitely be a good life choice. You said rust was bad, hows the underbody. Subscribed, keep the pics coming!
Very surprisingly the rust was in the most unlikely spots. The lady that had this thing never washed it so the rot was all in the immediate areas behind the wheels i.e. the rear apron and the bottoms of the fenders/kick panel area. Anywhere a roostertail of mud would be, there was rust. The underside and all structure still has the dealership installed undercoating. I saw the undercoating on the window sticker and it was 130 bucks!!!!! 130 bucks in 81 was HIGH! Im glad she opted for it though.