Photos: Deven Solanki
NZPC: Hey Mike, first off, what an absolute weapon of a Mark II! How did you get into modifying cars and what are some other cars you have owned in the past?
I guess it all began in high school when the import scene was at its peak in NZ, and I spent a lot of time reading NZPC magazines in form class. I really wanted to be involved once I left school, so I started off with a 1990 Starlet GT Turbo. I suppose that’s what got me started learning about how cars worked and how to modify them.
My friends and I looked up to the Japanese scene and really wanted to base our style of modifications on theirs — aggressive looks with fast engines.
When we saw Japanese drifting on the internet and through early D1NZ, it made me want to try it out. Everyone had Nissans at the time, so trying to be different, we came across a GX61 Mark II. We promptly cut the springs and installed diesel squirters on the rear tyres to make it slide around. I was well and truly hooked on RWD Toyotas after that. We eventually swapped a 1G-GTE into it, along with a TO4E turbo, and made 200rwkW, which was pretty nuts at the time.
I then built an MZ11 Soarer with a 1UZ-FE V8 and S13 BC coilovers and started doing Meremere S-Club manji-practice days. Some good skills and great friends were made at these events. I ended up swapping the 1UZ-FE for a 1JZ-GTE and participating in many more events at tracks such as Hampton Downs, Taupo, and Manfield. Later, I built a JZX90 Mark II with a 1JZ-GTE VVTI, 2-way, coilovers, a big kit, Work wheels etc, which I did a bit more drifting in until it was sold to buy our first house.
Garage Slipway is a name that’s been in the car scene for a long time. Tell us more about the history behind it.
It was our version of the early Japanese drift teams at the time. It kind of made no sense, but it sounded cool and gave the impression that we had a proper garage, lol. We ended up building a variety of cool cars at our flat, including a 2JZ JZX100, 1JZ S13, 2JZ GX61, 1G-GZE GX71, 1UZ Hilux Surf, SR20 R32, Carina TT142, GX51 Cresta, JZX81, GX81 Chaser, Celsior, 1JZ GX81 Mark II, 1UZ supercharged GX71 Mark II, and a 1JZ-powered MZ11 Soarer.”
How long have you owned the Mark II, and what state was it in when you purchased it?
I’ve had it for around three and a half years. When I bought it, it was pretty rough around the edges, but it was fundamentally sound. It had a 2JZ +T and was certified for all the mods, which made my life a lot easier.
What is your favourite part of the Mark II?
I really like the whole car, to be honest. It’s a unique-looking sedan with a nice shape and sits low on cool wheels. The engine is always good; perhaps a bit too powerful for the chassis, but it sounds amazing. And who doesn’t love a JZ with an open wastegate!?
What’s your favourite thing about having a street-legal drift car?
I enjoy the freedom of being able to take the kids out on a weekend drive or pack it full of spare tyres and send it at a track, and also drive home (hopefully) lol.
Why did you choose to build the Mark II over any other car?
I’ve always loved Toyotas and their big luxury sedans. I prefer the X81 shapes over the X90/X100/X110 shapes, and being factory JZ-powered, they’re easy enough to build. They have a strong driveline and a decent suspension system
Explain to us in detail what the Mark II is like when you’re sending it sideways
It’s fairly comfortable, stable, and easy to control, with plenty of power. However, it tends to go through tyres quickly. While not the most nimble car, it’s still a lot of fun to try and control.
You can pick any set of wheels to run on your Mark II, what are you choosing?
For the younger generation just getting into cars, what’s your advice to help them start drifting?
I think starting with an Altezza, or maybe even a BMW, can be okay. Try entering some skidpan sessions to get the hang of it, then work towards something more serious.
Do you have any future plans for the car?
Maybe a full-body kit and livery! We’ll see I guess.
Thanks for having a yarn with us, Mike!
Year/make/model: 1992 Toyota Mark II Grande (JZX81)
Engine: 1.5JZ, (JZX110) 1JZ-GTE VVTI head, HKS 272/264 cams, HKS adjustable cam gear, BC valve springs, titanium retainers, 2JZ-GTE block, 9:1 CP forged pistons, Manley forged rods, billet main caps, ARP hardware, custom high mount SCH10 stainless manifold, Precision 6466 Gen2 turbo, Turbosmart 50mm wastegate, 3.5-inch stainless exhaust, Otaku Garage intake manifold, 90mm throttle-body 1170cc injectors, Walbro 450LPH fuel pump, Turbosmart FPR, -8 feed, AN vacuum lines, Aeroflow 100mm intercooler, Fenix alloy radiator, Fenix oil cooler, Link G4+, OBD2
Driveline: Re-built JZA70 R154 five-speed, Marlin Crawler upgrades, ORC 659 twin-plate clutch, Cusco MZ 2-way LSD, JZA70 Supra diff, modified and strengthened subframe, solid diff and subframe mounts
Interior: Nardi woodgrain 350mm steering wheel, Vertex shift knob, Bride Brix OG recliner, Sony Xplod CD head unit, sub and amp
Exterior: 24S Toning, R32 GT-R front lip, Yamaha rear lip spoiler
Wheels/tyres: Yokohama Advan T7 (F) 18×9-inch (+35), 215/40R18 Toyo T1R (new old stock), (R) 18×10-inch (+45), 255/35R18 Chinese specials, 6mm spacer (F), 15mm spacer (R)
Suspension: BC BR type adjustable coilovers, 12KG/10KG springs, S14 TSD tension rod, Slipway Street knuckle, 25mm extended LCA, LS400 tie rods, MK4 Supra rear Whiteline adjustable swaybar, KFD adjustable rear arm set
Brakes: R32 GT-R calliper, Falcon slotted disc, Project MU pads (F) slotted rotors, Project MU pads, Project MU D1 Spec handbrake shoes
Power: 430kW, 18psi
Fuel type: Gull 98 Octane
Tuner: Garage4age
Name: Michael North
Age: 38
Location: Auckland
Occupation: Plumber
Favourite drift track: Manfeild
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This article originally appeared in New Zealand Performance Car issue 308