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19 January 2018

This 1JZ HiAce is for when you have five kids, but still live the tuner life

By Tom WhiteTom White
Yes, the intercooler is perhaps a dead giveaway that this isn't your run-of-the-mill HiAce.

We've been converted. Tuner vans are officially amazing.

If you weren't sold on our last tuner van story - the track-specced E51 Nissan Elgrand - maybe this Toyota-flavoured daily driver will be more your thing.

It's an H100 series HiAce that's had its standard 1KZ 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine swapped out for the owner's favourite engine - the 1JZ-GTE out of such JDM favourites as the Toyota Chaser, Crown and Supra.

The VVTi label on the engine suggests it's a '96+ unit putting out at least 206kW/379Nm, although the owner makes note of the fact that he's employed a Link ECU so the real numbers may be higher. Skip to 1:45 to see the hilarious Japanese host get shocked by how un-HiAcey this thing goes.

We're surprised with how tidy the packaging is, and how the owner has managed to maintain a more-or-less 100% original look on the inside. Tidy. It sounds amazing, too.

Looks like it was almost meant to fit there. Looks like it was almost meant to fit there.

Located in Malaysia, the owner reckons it's not the only 1JZ HiAce in town, noting he's seen maybe two or three others. Not surprising when you consider there's apparently a huge HiAce tuning scene in Malaysia.

Should there be an Auzzie HiAce tuning scene, or is this a waste of a legend engine? Tell us what you think in the comments.