400kW Bagged 2JZ Hilux

Photos by Chris Sorgsepp

 The world of mini-trucking is filled with unfinished first projects, with many would-be tray-scrapers having their ambition bled from them after discovering the work that goes into a well sorted bagged beauty. When our very own Travis Dean set out to build his ‘Lux though, he was determined to get it finished and what came out the other side would have to be amongst the toughest trucks in the country!

 “I bought the HiLux and it was gutless so I convinced myself that I wanted a Supra,” says Trav. “I ended up just mixing the two although initially, it was just meant to have a stock 1J. You know how it is though, things just kind of snowballed.” Travis well and truly jumped into the deep end with this one as his previous whip was an AE82 Corolla with a bigger carby!

“I picked up a 1J fairly cheap so that was the plan,” he continues. “It sat at the mechanics for a year because he didn’t have time to get stuck into an engine conversion. I thought while I was waiting, I might as well get it bagged.”

Trav was good friends with the boys at Living Low Customs in Narellan so he sent the HiLux to them for the necessary chassis modifications including shock absorber relocation in the front to allow room for the air bags and a notched rear end with a triangulated four-link setup and bags over the diff.

If the Living Low Customs name rings a bell it’s probably because you are familiar with this ridiculous Landcruiser featured a little while back in Bagged with Edge Models’ gorgeous Hayley. Believe it or not these two cars were actually built in tandem, with the Landcruiser rocking a HiLux chassis underneath that is almost identical to Trav’s.

With the HiLux now able to lay rail on command, Travis turned his focus back to getting the truck moving under its own power. “I found a 2JZ bare block for $900 and planned to just slap that together,” says Trav. “If I was buying parts to bolt on I thought I might as well buy the good stuff so it just kind of snowballed.”

“I had to go with a single turbo to fit it in the engine bay so that ended up being a custom trim T04Z built by GCG Turbos. It also needed an intake manifold and injectors so I managed to get a forward facing plenum with a 100mm throttle body and some SARD 800cc injectors.” Laughing he adds, “It makes just under 400kW at the wheels so yeah, it didn’t exactly end up stock.”

That is one wild engine combo by anyone’s standards but the fact that it has been on the road and registered for the past 6-years makes it a pretty impressive ute. At the time Trav’s ‘Lux was the only one in the world to be bagged and powered by a 2J, a fact that he’s understandably proud of.

“There were a couple getting around with 2Js but not on bags,” says Trav. “We even beat the Americans!” 

Back in those days, Trav’s truck was actually his daily driver and performed those duties for 2-years straight without a complaint.

 Itching to change it up a bit he got his friend Nathan from Kolorful Kaos to add the airbrushing to the lower half and although it no longer performs the daily duties, Trav has driven it regularly ever since.

  Name a Mini Truck Show on the east coast in the past 5-years and chances are that Trav has been there.

 Hell he’s even travelled to the Sinister Minitrucks & Customs’ Island Fever show in Hobart, Tasmania... twice! 

Trav has been on quite a journey with this crazy truck but now it is time for him to move on to a bigger and better project that will surely smash the mould yet again. He is playing his cards pretty close to his chest at this stage but you can bet that as soon as Trav is ready to reveal what he’s working on, Performance Garage will be the place to see it.

 To make way for Trav’s new project the HiLux is up for sale so if you think you can handle the quickest minitruck in the country, feel free to get in touch with him – [email protected]