Altezza FAQ

calvin.wonggggg

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Would daily driving the tezza be practical? Heard from most that it is reliable, just worried about parts in the future since its a good 20 years old haha
 

Izso

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Would daily driving the tezza be practical? Heard from most that it is reliable, just worried about parts in the future since its a good 20 years old haha
Body parts you can get halfcut everywhere. Engine and GB parts there are multiple different Toyotas that use the same or similar engine and GB. It's easy to daily as long as it's not crazy modified making it hard to drive. Stock Tezzas have pretty decent FC and just need the occasional hard rev to clear out those carbons.
 

calvin.wonggggg

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Feb 25, 2019
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Body parts you can get halfcut everywhere. Engine and GB parts there are multiple different Toyotas that use the same or similar engine and GB. It's easy to daily as long as it's not crazy modified making it hard to drive. Stock Tezzas have pretty decent FC and just need the occasional hard rev to clear out those carbons.
Izso do you personally own a tezza? Any things to look out for when hunting for one? I really appreciate everyones help in helping answer my queries!
 

Izso

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Izso do you personally own a tezza? Any things to look out for when hunting for one? I really appreciate everyones help in helping answer my queries!
At one point of time I was looking for one. So I did a lot of research and went through a lot of Tezzas in the market. If you're looking for one just make sure the interior is in good condition. Interior parts are damn hard to come by.

Also look for the newer Gx engines if possible, I forgot if it's G1 and G3 are manual or auto. G2 and G4 are auto? Anyway either way. The newer the engine the better cuz older ones unless very well taken care can be finicky as it has a lot of plastic parts like the VVTI solenoid. Check the engine for oil leaks, if there are leaks bargain the price. Gaskets and oil seals are plentiful but take time and money to replace.

Look for a workshop that specializes in Tezzas. Again there are a few out there, one famous one is in Sg Besi and their shop is usually full of Tezzas. Use those workshops all the time. Don't think the Tezza is a generic Toyota because it's not.

The inline-6 1GFE are older but smoother engines. Personally I'd go for the 3GSE ones because newer. The difference between the 1GFE and 3GSE is very obvious when you go for a test drive. Always do a test drive and listen for weird belt noises, rattles and rev it hard. The power band for the 3GSE is pretty high up like VTEC whereas the 1GFE has no power whatsoever in any rev range but is very smooth running.

Personally I feel the autos are a weak lot - the manuals are better and there are two types. 5 speed and 6 speed. Those 6 speeds almost never come up for sale but the 5 speeds are pretty nice too. When test driving make sure all gears are easy to engage and the clutch is smooth and the clutch engagement is not too high or too low.

Check all the window rubber seals, windscreen rubber seals and all those perishables. Those are not cheap to replace.

Lastly if you come across those 1JZ cars, you need to make double triple sure they were built properly. Find out which shop did the conversion or if it came as standard (which is very very rare but possible). For the JZ cars, check for tell-tale coolant sprays indicating past overheating as JZ engines run really hot. Also if you know how JZs work check the circulating heater/coolant hoses go through all 6 cylinders and not blocked off at the back. People remove the heater core but never recirculate the water so end up the rear 5 and 6 cylinders get no coolant flowing through them and get very very hot which is bad.

Anyway easiest way to do this is get a trusted mechanic who knows Tezzas to view the car. Ask the seller to meet you at a workshop to have the mech do a check including a diagnostic check with a scan tool. This might cost you about 100 bucks but it's peace of mind
 

calvin.wonggggg

Junior Member
Feb 25, 2019
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26
At one point of time I was looking for one. So I did a lot of research and went through a lot of Tezzas in the market. If you're looking for one just make sure the interior is in good condition. Interior parts are damn hard to come by.

Also look for the newer Gx engines if possible, I forgot if it's G1 and G3 are manual or auto. G2 and G4 are auto? Anyway either way. The newer the engine the better cuz older ones unless very well taken care can be finicky as it has a lot of plastic parts like the VVTI solenoid. Check the engine for oil leaks, if there are leaks bargain the price. Gaskets and oil seals are plentiful but take time and money to replace.

Look for a workshop that specializes in Tezzas. Again there are a few out there, one famous one is in Sg Besi and their shop is usually full of Tezzas. Use those workshops all the time. Don't think the Tezza is a generic Toyota because it's not.

The inline-6 1GFE are older but smoother engines. Personally I'd go for the 3GSE ones because newer. The difference between the 1GFE and 3GSE is very obvious when you go for a test drive. Always do a test drive and listen for weird belt noises, rattles and rev it hard. The power band for the 3GSE is pretty high up like VTEC whereas the 1GFE has no power whatsoever in any rev range but is very smooth running.

Personally I feel the autos are a weak lot - the manuals are better and there are two types. 5 speed and 6 speed. Those 6 speeds almost never come up for sale but the 5 speeds are pretty nice too. When test driving make sure all gears are easy to engage and the clutch is smooth and the clutch engagement is not too high or too low.

Check all the window rubber seals, windscreen rubber seals and all those perishables. Those are not cheap to replace.

Lastly if you come across those 1JZ cars, you need to make double triple sure they were built properly. Find out which shop did the conversion or if it came as standard (which is very very rare but possible). For the JZ cars, check for tell-tale coolant sprays indicating past overheating as JZ engines run really hot. Also if you know how JZs work check the circulating heater/coolant hoses go through all 6 cylinders and not blocked off at the back. People remove the heater core but never recirculate the water so end up the rear 5 and 6 cylinders get no coolant flowing through them and get very very hot which is bad.

Anyway easiest way to do this is get a trusted mechanic who knows Tezzas to view the car. Ask the seller to meet you at a workshop to have the mech do a check including a diagnostic check with a scan tool. This might cost you about 100 bucks but it's peace of mind

Thanks bro for all the info, you didnt get a tezza in the end? I am aiming for a 6spd 3SGE tezza, hopefuply by next year will have the funds. The shop in sungai besi is it called Trial? I sat once in a tezza and fell in love haha, also looking for a FR manual 4 door sedan is not exactly easy. Tezza fit all the criteria so have been obsessing over one for a few years now.
 
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Izso

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Thanks bro for all the info, you didnt get a tezza in the end? I am aiming for a 6spd 3SGE tezza, hopefuply by next year will have the funds. The shop in sungai besi is it called Trial? I sat once in a tezza and fell in love haha, also looking for a FR manual 4 door sedan is not exactly easy. Tezza fit all the criteria so have been obsessing over one for a few years now.
yeah, didn't get one in the end. The pricing was too broad. Cheapest 3SGE one I saw was RM40k and that was automatic. Then there was one pristine stock manual I saw going for 60k. Then a modified one for 55k and a 1jz one for almost 70k. I obsessed for a while then came across another option that I totally fell for - the E90 330i and 335i and diesels. My god those are good cars.
 

calvin.wonggggg

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Feb 25, 2019
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yeah, didn't get one in the end. The pricing was too broad. Cheapest 3SGE one I saw was RM40k and that was automatic. Then there was one pristine stock manual I saw going for 60k. Then a modified one for 55k and a 1jz one for almost 70k. I obsessed for a while then came across another option that I totally fell for - the E90 330i and 335i and diesels. My god those are good

Now price range still quite broad, auto 1jz can be found for 40k, manuals 40-55 also. Recently a manual 1Jz just posted for sale for around 55k. I have seen as low as 35k for manuals but G1 engine. Any reason you picked the E90 330i over tezzas? I am looking for FR, MT 4 door japanese cars any suggestions that wont burn a hole in my pocket? :laugh:
 

duhill

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yeah, didn't get one in the end. The pricing was too broad. Cheapest 3SGE one I saw was RM40k and that was automatic. Then there was one pristine stock manual I saw going for 60k. Then a modified one for 55k and a 1jz one for almost 70k. I obsessed for a while then came across another option that I totally fell for - the E90 330i and 335i and diesels. My god those are good cars.
Agreed that the price is broad but mainly depends on the condition of the car. The price you are saying here probably a few years back? Right now an automatic is about RM30-40k. Manual 5 speed G5 is RM40-50+k, 1jz automatic about 40+k, 1jz manual in Altezza is very rare too but RM70k?
 
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duhill

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Thanks bro for all the info, you didnt get a tezza in the end? I am aiming for a 6spd 3SGE tezza, hopefuply by next year will have the funds. The shop in sungai besi is it called Trial? I sat once in a tezza and fell in love haha, also looking for a FR manual 4 door sedan is not exactly easy. Tezza fit all the criteria so have been obsessing over one for a few years now.
Due to Ringgit keep dropping, next year will be more expensive for JDMs... JDMs car price are sky high now esp AE86, Silvias, Skyline....etc. Right now I see Altezza is the one reliable JDM option around RM40+k.
 

Izso

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Agreed that the price is broad but mainly depends on the condition of the car. The price you are saying here probably a few years back? Right now an automatic is about RM30-40k. Manual 5 speed G5 is RM40-50+k, 1jz automatic about 40+k, 1jz manual in Altezza is very rare too but RM70k?
The prices dropped that much? I went shopping for Altezzas about a year ago. That was the kinda price I came across. I think the 1jz Manual Tezza at the most is 70k, usually 50-60k ish.

Anyway yeah. You're right - my observed prices are quite outdated
 

duhill

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The prices dropped that much? I went shopping for Altezzas about a year ago. That was the kinda price I came across. I think the 1jz Manual Tezza at the most is 70k, usually 50-60k ish.

Anyway yeah. You're right - my observed prices are quite outdated
Yeah bro. It's around 40-50+k nowadays, guess it's at the bottom, won't drop much and also won't rise much like other JDMs since it's a 4 door sedan. Check this out https://www.mudah.my/1999+Toyota+ALTEZZA+2+5+RS200+M+1JZ+VVti-78123358.htm A friend of mine is in the midst of buying this. He keeps asking whether it is worth or not. 1jz with R154 manual transmission. What do you say then? Here are a few 6 speed manual from 40-55k. https://www.mudah.my/malaysia/cars-for-sale?lst=0&fs=1&q=altezza.
 

Izso

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Yeah bro. It's around 40-50+k nowadays, guess it's at the bottom, won't drop much and also won't rise much like other JDMs since it's a 4 door sedan. Check this out https://www.mudah.my/1999+Toyota+ALTEZZA+2+5+RS200+M+1JZ+VVti-78123358.htm A friend of mine is in the midst of buying this. He keeps asking whether it is worth or not. 1jz with R154 manual transmission. What do you say then? Here are a few 6 speed manual from 40-55k. https://www.mudah.my/malaysia/cars-for-sale?lst=0&fs=1&q=altezza.
That 1jz looks interesting. VVTI probably means it was transplanted. Ask the car to be inspected by a mech especially the subframe. See if there are any welding marks for the engine mounts - if yes then walk away. Check how the conversion was done. And check that the heater element was bypassed properly, meaning there's a water hose going to the back (cylinder 5 and 6) of the engine. Also if the engine bay has been detailed, try to look underneath for coolant stains and indicators of overheating. Lastly go for a test drive and make sure the engine is warm and boost as much as possible. The boost should be linear and not violent as it looks like it retained the original twin turbo setup. If it jerks then prepare for a major repair job. I can't tell if it's using the stock ECU or not, if stock ECU find out which one - if this is an original Tezza 1JZ then stock ECU should work in keeping everything working like aircon, fan, traction control, etc. If aftermarket ECU then find out what brand. If it's a Haltech Sprint put aside some money to have that swapped out asap, if it's some unknown brand then the same thing - prepare cash to swap it out. Altezzas are old so the bushings on the undercarriage will most likely be compromised to some extent so your friend has to prepare some money to fix all that. Lastly make sure the R154 shifts smoothly and clutch bite isn't too high. A clutch job requires the whole GB to come out and again will cost money so check for slippage. Check the dashboard and tell me what that top meter is showing. Oil press, boost, water temp, oil temp, etc. The newest one shows oil pressure if I'm not mistaken. Anyway that top most meter just make sure it's working too.

That price though... daaaaaamn.
 
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calvin.wonggggg

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Feb 25, 2019
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Yeah bro. It's around 40-50+k nowadays, guess it's at the bottom, won't drop much and also won't rise much like other JDMs since it's a 4 door sedan. Check this out https://www.mudah.my/1999+Toyota+ALTEZZA+2+5+RS200+M+1JZ+VVti-78123358.htm A friend of mine is in the midst of buying this. He keeps asking whether it is worth or not. 1jz with R154 manual transmission. What do you say then? Here are a few 6 speed manual from 40-55k. https://www.mudah.my/malaysia/cars-for-sale?lst=0&fs=1&q=altezza.
Wonder if i can find a 6spd manual for 30+k next year after saving up the cash for it. Last year saw a few for 35-40k but now prices seem to hover around 40-50k:bawling:
 

calvin.wonggggg

Junior Member
Feb 25, 2019
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What are you guys think between a tezza and civic FD? In terms of handling and performance? More inclined towards the tezza cause of the FR layout.
 

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