2JZ Soarer Drift Build Burns It Up
Tom Rekoms combined the best of both worlds by throwing the legendary 2JZ-GTE into a sleek and stylish Toyota Soarer.
Driftin' and Swappin'
Tom Rekoms picked up his Toyota Soarer about two and a half years ago and near immediately got started drifting it. After learning the ropes, Rekoms decided he wanted more power and that he ought to properly fix up the Soarer. Rekoms settled on an 800 hp goal. So he had to choose between fully rebuilding the stock 1JZ or swapping in something a bit more manageable. Rekoms opted for the latter and picked up a 2JZ-GTE.
Photo: CBS Racing
Out With the Old
Rekoms opted to retain the 1JZ oil pan, power steering pump, and engine mounts. But much of the engine bay needed removing for Rekoms' purposes. Out the door went the AC, interior heat valve, unnecessary vacuum lines, EVAP canister, ABS system, cruise control, and more.
Photo: CBS Racing
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Fueling for the Fire
The entire fuel system was upgraded due to rotted lines. Rekoms shared that they went with AN-8 Lines and adapted them to work with the OEM fuel tank. The team also added a Nuke inline fuel filter, 6 800cc SARD side-feed injectors, and an AEM 320LPH fuel pump. Rekoms plans to eventually swap out the fuel tank for a fuel cell.
Photo: CBS Racing
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The Replacements
Along with the fuel system, Rekoms swapped out the entire brake system as well. Lines were replaced with stainless steel Teflon AN-3 lines and fittings. Additionally, Rekoms added 90k Superpro diff bushings.
Photo: CBS Racing
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3 Pedals FTW
The Soarer was manual swapped by the previous owner, but Rekoms shares how it certainly wasn't what you would call a clean job. The owner had used an MK3 Supra pedal which doesn't fit very well in the footwell. The master cylinder was also brought in from a MK3. Ultimately, brake fluid found its way into the cabin and made things far messier. So Rekoms pulled the parts and added in genuine Soarer replacements to fix the setup.
Photo: CBS Racing
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Big Boost on Stock Turbos
Rekoms' Soarer now pushes 426 hp and 412 lb-ft of torque on 17 psi of boost and 98 octane pump gas. Boost is made via the stock 2JZ-GTE Japanese-spec twin turbos. The 2J's integrity is ensured via a system of limiters and knock control.
Photo: CBS Racing
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Wiring Work
For computing needs, Rekoms ripped out the original electronics. He opted for a MAXXECU RACE Standalone ECU for the brain and a custom harness to relay the messages.
Photo: CBS Racing
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More to Come
To keep tabs on all those sweet upgrades, Rekoms has a custom MAXXECU MDash run via an Android Tablet. It allows Rekoms to control everything including boost levels, nitrous purge, rev limiter, and more. Future plans include a six-speed transmission, a large single turbo, and much, much, more.
Photo: CBS Racing
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