Hey everyone, stumbled across this forum while browsing the web and figured since I'm a station wagon lover I should probably join up. My name is Cole Chalmers, I live in British Columbia, Canada. I shoot photos and contribute for a drifting website (www.drifted.com) and do a little drifting myself for fun.I haven't seen a whole lot of import wagons on here so I'm pumped to share my 2 Toyota Cressida Wagons. The first is my my daily that I picked up about 5 or 6 months ago for $800. Nothing too exciting here until I can afford to get some nice shoes for it. It's fairly clean and very little rust. It's got the Stock 5MGE (2.8L inline 6) and still sits on stock suspension and wheels. The auto tranny was on its way out when I bought it and finally popped a month and a bit ago, so I went ahead and did a 5 speed swap. Just waiting on a drive-shaft currently. One of the main reasons I love station wagons, that's my entire life packed into there when I moved to Victoria this summer. Future plans for it, still not 100% on what direction I want to go with, or if I'll even be keeping it, but right now I'm thinking lowered on AJPS Challengers, if it gets paint it'll either go a two tone grey/dark grey or green/dark grey. JDM front bumper and JDM Cresta headlights/taillights. Digital Dash swap. And if it starts to get a little more serious then maybe a 1uz swap and bags.
But the focus of my modding isn't too concentrated on that car unless I come into enough money to do two cars at once. For now most of my attention is on my drift wagon. I originally picked this thing up as a funky daily a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with the car right off the bat. I payed wayyyy too much for it considering its condition and my knowledge of cressidas now, but at the time I just knew that I wanted it and would have payed anything to have it. It was on cut springs, and wheels from a mid 80's toyota supra. The 5mge in it had 350,000kms and the fenders were all hella rusty. It was decided pretty quick that the rake had to go, so the rear springs were cut more. I came into a little money from selling a car and decided that the 5m had done it's duty and started looking into motor swaps. Originally the plan was to go with a 1jz or 2jz (Toyota inline6 turbo) but the combination of my budget and and deal that had come up, I picked up an SR20 (nissan 4 banger turbo) I got a lot of flack from local forums and the toyota community for A) putting a 4cyl in a bay that fits a 6cyl stock and B) putting a nissan motor in a Toyota. But I'm not one to listen to everyone else's opinion, I do things the way I want haha, so the 5m came out. And the Sr20 went in: My buddy Shawn shows there is a lot of room in there. Cut some drop vents in for a little extra cooling. And you gotta get some wheels on there right? Baller on a budget, 15x10 diamond racing steelies. Going to get something more legit in the future and go skinnier in the front so I won't have to worry when I go for more steering angle in the future. The thought with the red was to get a bit of a hot rod/rat rod look out of it. was going to try and find some mooneyes for them too and fake white walls with spray paint but I don't really like the red anymore so that will change soon. Springs got cut all around a little more and the rear shocks were replaced with nissan hardbody front shocks for shorter stroke and more stiffness. But everything suspension is just placeholder for now, Going to go coilovers over winter. and this is how she sits right now: I took it out to one drift event this past weekend to see how it would do with the **** suspension set-up its currently running. it was uncontrollable. But it was fun and I could feel the potential was there, so I'm stoked to get some stuff done and bring it to the next event. Plans for the near future, coilovers all around. swap in 240sx front subframe, steering, custom knuckles, etc and get some more steering angle and power steering. Get a bucket seat and do some cutting to lighten the car up some more, and just doing little things to make the car more unique than it already is. Now that I've shared my life story, I'm stoked to be a part of the wagon community here!
to the wagon train, intran. Those Cressidas are great cars. I'd like to have one myself. Glad you found us and thanks for sharing the pix.
Cole that has got to be one of THE best intros I have read. You sound like your having a great time personalizing your wagon. Excellent! I have never heard of your wagon before but I don't get out much. Anyway I can see why you like it, nice lines. Glad you found your way here and shared your story and pics. Hope you enjoy the forum...oh yeah, your plate is falling off the back.
You certainly have done a lot of work to that cool wagon and I'm loving the fact that you're "drifting" with it. Guess that's become considerably more popular since that movie came out. Looks like it'd be a blast. Welcome and keep up the good work. You've got some talent, for sure.
