While there are many JDM vehicles roaming the roads of america (I daily-drive one myself), they do not often appear in the large self-service automobile graveyards that I frequent while researching this series. Until now, I’d found a discarded 1979 Nissan Fairlady Z originally brought over by an airman and that is it. Then I got word from a few of my local junkyard tipsters that a final-generation Cresta had appeared at a yard near Denver, and I got over there immediately.
U-Pull-&-Pay’s inventory system doesn’t have entries for vehicles never sold in america, but whichever worker did the data-entry task for this automobile knew enough about JDM Toyotas to list this automobile under the name of its closest U.S.-market relative: the Cressida. The Cressida was sold here through the 1992 model 12 months, and it was based on Cresta-sibling Toyota Mark II.
For many years, Japanese Toyota shoppers could choose from what amounted to a few trim levels of the identical midsize rear-wheel-drive (or all-wheel-drive, late in the sport) sedan: the entry-level Mark II, the hot-rod Chaser and the luxurious Cresta. The ultimate generation for these cars was built for the 1996 through 2001 model years; after that, the Cresta was replaced by the Verossa. These cars may need cannibalized sales from the Lexus LS on our side of the Pacific and Toyota was doubling down on SUVs here anyway, so that they weren’t sold in america.
This one has the G Package, which included a bunch of comfort and convenience upgrades.
This automobile is here since it got crashed, hard. Normally I won’t document a vehicle this unrecognizably bent out of form, but you do not see JDM iron on daily basis in American junkyards.
The airbags worked appropriately and the cabin remained essentially intact, while the body structure did its job of absorbing crash energy. Let’s hope all occupants were wearing their seat belts.
The engine is a 2.5-liter 1JZ straight-six, rated at 197 horsepower.
It seems that this generation of Cresta could possibly be purchased with a manual transmission, but only with the bottom 2.0-liter engine.
Its final owner swapped in some 18″ Lexus wheels with low-profile rubber.
This automobile doesn’t share much with U.S.-market Toyotas and Lexuses, though it’s possible that a couple of of its unmashed mechanical components might bolt onto a Lexus SC or late Cressida. Much of the material interior looks very nice, so perhaps one other local Cresta owner will rescue it.
This generation of Cresta featured prominently in the “Great Teacher Onizuka” anime series of a quarter-century ago.
The Cresta was below the Crown and Celsior within the late-Nineteen Nineties Toyota prestige pyramid, but above the Corona and Camry.
Makes you an unhittable baseball pitcher.
This Article First Appeared At www.autoblog.com
