Ok, since i have decided in the long run to keep the Cressy as a daily, i thought i would start a thread for it.
Picked it up originally in 2005 for a pretty good price, but it certainly wasnt cosmetically perfect.
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/3880-1/woo6181.jpg[/IMG]
When i bought it both the front and rear bumpers were peeling from not being primed properly, the tyres were pretty bald on the front, the suspension was shagged, brakes were leaking, auto wouldnt shift out of first when cold, and the drivers seat was buggered.
Decided to start with the tyres, and picked up these off a wrecked R32 GTR that had met a stobie pole:
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/3933-1/IMG_0002.jpg[/IMG]
Soon after i had a slight incident with one of the diagonal braking circuits completely losing power, so on with a brake upgrade:
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/4104-4/DSC00077.JPG[/IMG]
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/5098-2/IMG_0071.jpg[/IMG]
About 6 months later the right front strut collapsed entirely, leaving the entire strut tube and hub covered in shock oil. So with some mates rates i replaced all the suspension. Just stocky Pedders comfort gas, in exchange for a CA18DE short block.
Custom heavy rear springs (4.5kg ish), and Lovells 3.4kg front springs.
And i was the guinea pig for the Fulcrum/Superpro castor rod bushings, which needed SIGNIFICANT modification to fit:
[img]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/5120-2/DSC00228.JPG[/img]
As a bonus they squeak continually as their exposed location means that the grease washes away after a single rainy drive.
To make the interior slightly more comfortable i found this Lotus wheel when at a wreckers:
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/5378-2/IMG_0070_001.JPG[/IMG]
and a set of Bride copies, to replace the stock seats which fat people had lived in so much that they had bent the sliding rails:
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/27032-2/IMG_0385.JPG[/IMG]
Replaced the auto. Added a big trans cooler:
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/5384-2/IMG_0072.JPG[/IMG]
And drove it around like that for a few years, towing stuff, doing long distances with only a couple of issues (related to heater hoses wearing out and fracturing).
The week before my wedding we had a minor heat wave in Adelaide and it started running a little rough, but i kind of ignored it and hoped that it would soldier on to the wedding.
Which it did, and soldiered on for a couple of weeks after we got back from our honeymoon, at which point the rego ran out and we only needed one car, so being concerned that i might have a BHG i did what any sensible Cressida owner does and sourced a 2JZ.
I didnt really want a turbo daily with the hassles of regency, so i simply got a 2JZGE.
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/26984-2/_MG_7064.JPG[/IMG]
After i got the bits together, ECU, loom, front sump, mounts. It was really a bolt in affair.
Only minor notable things such as a W58 and clutch stuff got in the way.
Oh and the engine mounts were slightly different, being adapted VVTi 2JZGTE mounts:
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/27149-1/IMG_0414.JPG[/IMG]
Should hopefully stop the cracking that they experience.
Only other issue was really the exhaust. Which i used as an opportunity to learn to weld pipe, and fabricate exhausts. badly at first, but got better:
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/27263-2/IMG_0457.JPG[/IMG]
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/27272-2/IMG_0472.JPG[/IMG]
Oh yeah, slight issue with the jap water pump having the pulley flange fall off:
[img]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/27332-2/IMG_0500.JPG[/img]
Once that was done it was just finishing it off, which happened over about 6 months as riding bikes and going to Tanzania got in the way.
[IMG]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/27356-2/IMG_0511.JPG[/IMG]
Currently as it sits it makes a pretty good daily, comfortable. The suspension is getting quite annoying though, with it not really being progressive thorugh to oversteer in the corners, likes to bodyroll into oversteer instead.
The front strut tops are dying as well, and the diff is now an open LSD…
So on the list of things to do:
[LIST]
[]Modify subframe for Supra diff
[]Sort out rear suspension bushings
[]Source front suspension bits
[]Decide whether to go with coilovers at the front or not
[/LIST]
Thinking about MA70 supra coilovers for the rear as well, as they pretty much bolt up.
The MA70 supra diff modification is a bit of an unusual one, but theoretically will stop the issue with cracking rear subframes around the diff attachment points as it has two ears on the front of the diff, rather than one.
Im thinking about using MR2 shocks in the front with a 5kg or 6kg Otomoto coilover kit as well as the 4.5kg or 5kg rear MA70 setup.
Still needs the rear bar to be painted though, and some general cosmetic sympathy.