TOYOTA ENGINES

• Japanese Cars and Used Engines
• Used Japanese Toyota Engines
• Rebuilt / Used US Toyota Engines
• Available Long Blocks

Japanese Cars and Used Engines                         

Toysport has been importing Japanese engines since 1980.  There is a wide variety of Japanese High Performance Toyota engines not available in the U.S.  We import all the early and late model high performance and non-US imported engines (usually from accidents with low mileage under 15,000 miles).  Some of the older engines ( 4 - 8 years old have about 30,000 to 50,000 miles. There is no accurate way to certify or determine mileage, however our engines are individually chosen, and our suppliers have been reliable and accurate.  The conditions of our Toyota engines are far better than those from full-line importers, who receive bulk shipments.   We support all parts needed for these Japanese specification engines.

Owning and operating a car in Japan is very expensive- gasoline costs 4 times more; highway tolls, parking permits, registration, and insurance all add to severely limited mileage and/or multi-car ownership.  Mileage per year is usually less than half of what we are used to.  In Japan it is not uncommon to spend $150/day to use a car.  The owner cannot just park a car either, a permit where to park is also required.  An average parking space may cost $700/month, more in urban areas.  Public parking is also very expensive.  Cars are used mostly only on weekends or daily to get to a train station.  Also, cars with any body damage may not be used- the authorities consider this unsafe.  Labor is very expensive and so… many cars with superficial body damage and perfect low-mileage engines are also recycled.

Cars registered in Japan must meet very strict and comprehensive tests, initially after 3 years and then every 2 years.  The cost of complying with these test standards can run as much as 30% of the vehicle value.  There are almost no cars over 6 years old  running!  Cars are recycled early, over 4 years old, the owner has to pay the yard to recycle!  Compound these costs with the Japanese consumers’ propensity to drive only the latest models and the result is a lot of good engines being recycled or retired prematurely. 

These engines are not street-legal.  The Japanese emission standards are tighter than the U.S. but emission controls are totally different.  Japanese engines do not have EGRs.  Usually a Japanese engine can be retrofitted with these U.S. smog devices, but on some engines, a U.S. cylinder head is needed.  The Japanese ECUs are programmed for better fuel (103 octane) with a more aggressive fuel and ignition curve, but they can be used here.  This is why some Japanese spec engines have higher compression and about 10-15% more horsepower, compared to U.S. engines.

These low mileage engines from Japan, however may have been sitting for a couple of months, and the internals are usually dry or rings may be frozen.  We oil the cylinders and turn over the engines when we receive them.  Engines are checked, but there is no way to guarantee against oil consumption or low compression. 

There is absolutely NO WARRANTY on these high-performance engines.  Please read SPORTS PARTS NOTIFICATION.

Although majority of the engines we have sold are used “as-received”, we recommend “refreshing”- putting at least new rings, head gasket, timing belts (specially for the older units) and cleaning the oil pan and pump.  This assures you that the engine you are installing have no maintenance problems.  If you prefer we can do these updates and full inspection, for a nominal charge.  This way you will receive an engine that meets all Toyota service limits.

Customers have been using these Japanese cores to upgrade to newer Toyota model power plants or a base for purpose-built engines.  The low mileage nature assures of minimal machine shop costs and replacement parts.  Savings of 50% to 90% as compared to a full engine overhaul is not usual.  Depending on the condition of your engine, sometimes the savings are even more.  The Japanese type heads (without EGR) work really well with high output set-ups for competition use, the oil remain cleaner longer.

Transmissions are available too.  These usually come with the engines, and they are low mileage units also.  If you have very high miles on your drivetrain, it may be time to get a transmission too.  Some transaxles are available with factory LSD, please inquiry about availability.

Our inventory of engines is constantly changing.  Normally we keep in stock all the turbo models and all variations of the non–U.S. available engines.  Changeover packages and complete front clips are sometimes available.  Pricing is dependent on actual condition and prevailing exchange rates.  Special orders are possible but have no assured delivery date, until the clip is available in Japan.  Please call for your specific need or application, and current pricing. 

Shipping cost per engine to the West Coast, normally run $150 - $200.  To the East Coast, expect to pay $250 - $300.  Add $50 if you need a transmission too. This reflects the 30% – 40% discount for shipping that we pass along to our customers.