Why We Chose a Toyota 86 for Our JDA Shop Car
Something a little different is starting to take shape at JD Automotive.
We recently introduced our 2015 Toyota 86 shop car, a project we are building in-house at our Moorebank workshop.
This isn't being built as another lightly modified street 86. The plan is much more focused: a purpose-built car for drag and roll racing, and a chance for us to show more of the performance, fabrication and custom work that goes on behind the scenes at JDA.
There's a long way to go, but that's part of the reason we wanted to take on the project.
Why a Toyota 86?
The Toyota 86 gives us a good starting point. It's compact, lightweight and rear-wheel drive, with a strong aftermarket and plenty of options when it comes to building the car around a specific purpose.
For us, that purpose is drag and roll racing.
That means things like driveline strength, grip, power delivery, weight, cooling, safety and packaging all need to be considered as part of the build.
Rather than starting with a platform that doesn't suit what we want to achieve, the 86 gives us a solid base that we can develop in our own direction.
Starting with a relatively clean slate
Another reason this particular 86 made sense was the condition we bought it in.
The car gives us a relatively bare starting point rather than inheriting a long list of modifications from somebody else's build.
That means we can work through the car from the beginning and make decisions based on what this car needs.
We'll be looking at the complete package, including:
That includes decisions around:
Chassis preparation
Engine and driveline layout
Fuel system
Cooling and heat management
Suspension and tyres
Safety equipment
Fabrication
Access for servicing and maintenance
Starting at this stage also means we can plan components together instead of trying to make new parts work around decisions that were made years ago.
The JDA 86 isn't being developed as a street car.
It's being built specifically for drag and roll racing, and that gives us a clear brief when we're making decisions.
For drag racing, we need to consider how the car launches and puts power to the ground. For roll racing, power delivery and stability at speed become important. In both cases, the driveline needs to cope with hard use and the supporting systems need to work with the complete package.
It also needs to be practical to work on. Race cars require maintenance, changes and repairs, so service access needs to be considered during the build rather than after everything has been squeezed into place.
Showing the work behind the finished car
One of the reasons we're building a JDA shop car is to show more than just the finished result.
We'll be documenting the planning, mock-up, fabrication, parts selection and problem-solving as the 86 comes together.
Not everything works perfectly the first time on a custom build. Sometimes something needs to move. A bracket needs to change. A different solution makes more sense once components are actually in the car.
That's part of the process, and it's something we want to share rather than jumping from a bare car straight to the finished product.
The 86 also gives us our own platform to develop ideas and demonstrate more of what JDA can do with performance and custom work.
The next big question is what powers it
Choosing the car was the first decision.
The next one is considerably bigger.
The engine choice will influence the driveline, fuel system, cooling, fabrication, packaging and ultimately how the car performs.
We've had a clear goal for the 86 from the beginning, so the engine combination
needs to suit that goal rather than simply chasing a power figure.
We've made our choice.
And we'll reveal that next.
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