If Lego isn’t challenging enough, how about building a miniature engine? Stirlingkit sells engine models that look, function, and sound like the real thing. Take this mini inline-six inspired by the Toyota 2JZ, for example.
Recently reviewed by YouTuber JohnnyQ90, this is no ordinary model kit. This “.02JZ” runs on gasoline (95-98 octane, specifically), requires a miniature starter motor to turn over, has its own oil pump, and stays cool with its own tiny radiator—just like a full-size engine. Its soundtrack is like that of a real inline-six, but scaled down to this engine’s 28cc displacement and higher redline.
The 6.6-pound engine can rev to 10,000 rpm, according to the spec sheet, which is much higher than any full-size Toyota JZ-series inline-six can rev in stock form. It also makes 1.6 horsepower, but with little apparent help from the turbo. The reviewer opted to remove it after some testing, as well as use an external water pump after the one that came with the engine failed to circulate coolant. Even tiny engines have problems that need to be sussed out.
A desktop engine build comes with lower chances of back injury, but you also need to have a place to run such a tiny motor. Your office mates probably won’t enjoy the noise and gasoline fumes. The obvious solution to use this engine as the basis for an epic remote-control car build.
Inline SIX 28cc TURBO Review
Turbocharged versions of the real 2JZ also came with a pair of turbos from the factory, but this single-turbo setup reflects a popular modification of the tuner-favorite engine. Its ability to make big power helped turn the A80 Supra into a legend and a collectible, while the engine itself has been swapped into everything from a Volvo V70 to a Lada 2105.
Toyota is still living in the shadow of the 2JZ and its other 1990s engineering achievements. The automaker thought it had found a cost-effective solution by twinning the A90 Supra with the BMW Z4, but fans decried the use of an inline-six that wasn’t homegrown. Japan’s largest automaker has a number of performance car projects in the works, but it’s unlikely that a 2JZ successor is among them.