Why We Chose a 2JZ for Our Toyota 86 Build
When we announced the JDA shop car, there was one question we left hanging: what engine is going in it?
That decision is now locked in.
The Toyota 86 is getting a 2JZ.
There were plenty of directions we could have taken with the car, from staying closer to the factory configuration to moving to a completely different engine platform.
For what we're building the 86 to do, we chose the 2JZ.
Why a 2JZ?
There's a reason the 2JZ has remained such a popular engine in performance builds for so long.
It's a well-established platform with strong aftermarket support and has been used across drag, drift, circuit and high-performance applications for decades.
For our build, one of the biggest advantages is the room it gives us to develop the car over time.
We're not building the 86 simply to put a different engine in it. The engine choice affects the entire car, including the driveline, fabrication, cooling, fuel system, exhaust, weight distribution and service access.
It also needs to suit what we're building the car for: drag and roll racing.
The 2JZ gives us a strong foundation without requiring us to decide the final specification of every other component at the beginning of the project.
It's much more than an engine swap
Putting a 2JZ into a Toyota 86 isn't a matter of lowering an engine into the bay and connecting everything around it.
The 86 wasn't designed around this engine or driveline, so positioning and packaging need to be worked through carefully.
Engine and gearbox position will affect clearance, driveline angles, fabrication, exhaust routing, cooling and future service access.
Then there are the components around them.
The engine, transmission, tailshaft, differential, mounts, fuel system, exhaust and cooling package ultimately need to work together.
That's why we're working through the mock-up stage before moving into final fabrication.
The driveline work has already started
While the engine announcement is new, work behind the scenes has already begun.
The adapter plate is sorted, and we've now got the gearbox dummy case at the workshop.
The dummy case allows us to physically mock up the driveline and start working through fitment before the final components go into the car.
At this stage we're looking at things such as:
Engine and gearbox position
Driveline angle
Mount design
Transmission tunnel and firewall clearance
Shifter position
Tailshaft path
Exhaust clearance
Heat management
Future access for servicing and maintenance
It's not necessarily the part of a build that gets the most attention, but getting these measurements right now should save unnecessary changes later.
Fabrication starts with getting the layout right
The 2JZ is a very different package to what originally came in the Toyota 86, so the engine bay and driveline layout need to be planned around the conversion.
That means more than simply fabricating mounts.
We need to consider where components will sit, how they'll interact with each other, where heat needs to be managed and whether parts can still be accessed once the car is together.
Having the car in our own workshop means we can physically test fit components, measure clearances and make changes as the build progresses.
The aim isn't simply to make a 2JZ fit into an 86.
It's to make the complete package work properly for the car we're building.
Building it one stage at a time
We're not putting a deadline on the build simply for the sake of getting it finished.
There are still plenty of decisions ahead, including the engine specification, turbo setup, fuel system, cooling, driveline, suspension, braking and safety equipment.
Some of those decisions will depend on what we learn during these early stages.
That's also why we decided to document the build as it happens rather than waiting until the car is finished.
We'll be sharing the mock-up, fabrication and mechanical work, along with some of the decisions and changes that happen along the way.
Building the car while running the workshop
The JDA 86 is going to be a long-term project, and that's intentional.
We're a busy independent workshop, and while we're excited to grow the performance and fabrication side of JDA, the heart of our business remains the day-to-day work we do for our customers and local community.
That means there may be times when a lot is happening with the 86 behind the scenes, and other times when progress is slower. We're not building the car to meet a deadline or rushing through stages simply to have something new to post each week.
We want to take the time to research, test fit and work through the build properly while continuing to look after the customers who rely on us every day.
The 86 is also about more than building one car.
As we work through the conversion, we'll be learning, documenting and refining the process with the longer-term goal of developing repeatable performance solutions and packages for our customers. Whether that's for another Toyota 86 or Subaru BRZ, a 2JZ conversion, or other performance work, we want what we learn from our own car to translate into something useful for the people who bring their cars to JDA.
So this won't be a build that appears finished overnight.
We'll share the milestones as they happen, the work behind them and what we learn along the way.
If you're interested in seeing where the JDA 86 goes from here, follow along. There's plenty more to come.
The engine is decided. Now we make it work.
Choosing the 2JZ sets the direction for the next stage of the JDA Toyota 86 build.
The adapter is here. The gearbox dummy case is here. Mock-up can begin.
From here, it's about working through the driveline layout, fabrication and supporting systems and gradually turning a relatively bare 2015 Toyota 86 into the drag and roll racing car we've planned.
2JZ locked in. Now the build really starts.
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