Hate to Love It: 2JZ-Swapped Lawn Tractor on 30-Inch Tires
I mean, why not? Actually, don’t answer that.
There's a laundry list of engine swaps that have gotten stale over time—the Chevy LS, Honda K-Series, and Toyota 2JZ come to mind. That's not to say they're bad or any less worthy of powering high-output builds, but it takes creativity to make them into something special. Transplanting one into a lawn tractor should do the trick, then.
When the YouTuber crew at Grind Hard Plumbing Co. isn't fabricating custom parts for 85-mile-per-hour Barbie cars, they're working on something like this 2JZ Simplicity mower. It's still in the works right now with the latest update featuring an intricate wiring job in preparation for a Haltech Elite 2500 ECU.
If you're looking to get up to speed, they've documented the entire process from teardown and fabrication to actually rebuilding the engine, which required a second 2JZ to complete. Now, just to be clear, this is a 2JZ-GE—the non-turbocharged version that makes as much as 227 horsepower in stock form. I still wouldn't put it past these guys to boost it down the road, though, and it's still impressive as it sits.
The Simplicity rides on independent suspension and 30-inch tires, so expect it to be less of a turn-fast toy and more of a rowdy off-roader like some of Grind Hard's previous builds. Given all the work that's gone into the chassis, steering, and so on, it's really a custom rig with little more than tractor bodywork. Such is to be expected, of course.
One part I'm curious about is the curb weight of this...thing. It's certainly heavier than before with those chunky tires, and the 3.0-liter 2JZ GTE tips the scales at a little more than 500 pounds on its own. Hopefully, there's a roll cage coming, too, because no one wants to end up underneath this without some sort of protection.
It's almost like a Flatfender Willys, except with way more power. And IRS. And only one seat that's in the middle. Alright, so maybe they don't have much in common, but they'd both be great to wheel around Moab.
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