Worth the Risk? 1974 Toyota Century Project

This is one of those cars that just puts all sorts of bad thoughts in your head as it relates to the potential to bring it to life. The Toyota Century is a known quantity in JDM circles, a vehicle that remains high on the list of models worthy of the hassle of importation. A major luxury liner and flagship in the Japanese market, it has begun making the rounds stateside for anyone who loves the idea of a vintage Japanese sedan that presents a compelling alternative to a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Sadly, this one has been stuck in partial project mode owing to an engine swap project that never happened, and now it’s listed here on Facebook Marketplace without an engine or transmission for $4,000.

What is it about clamshell hoods that makes anything look downright exotic? Anyway, the Crown was hand-built to exacting standards when new, designed to suit the tastes of Japanese aristocracy and political dignitaries. As a 1974 model, I believe this is considered part of the VG21 series, and it would have originally come with a 3.4L carbureted V8 engine. The bad news? That engine and the matching transmission are long gone, yanked out with plans for a (what else?) LS swap that never materialized. Our seller purchased the Toyota as a roller and has procured some parts for an engine conversion of his own, which will be included with the sale.

The Century is still produced today, and remains at the top of the heap in terms of Japanese-market luxury cars. It is still considered a “chauffeur-driven” vehicle, in that it would not be inappropriate to buy this car with plans of never actually driving it yourself. Toyota has gently refined the formula over the years but never drastically overhauled the original recipe. The interior of the subject car is in fair shape, but you can tell it’s been passed around as an unwanted project. Sadly, the floors look decent but a previous owner removed the transmission tunnel to fit a larger transmission (which, of course, never happened.)

As far as what to do with this car next, it’s a bit of a blank canvas. I have no idea how difficult it would be to track down an original V8 engine suitable for this era of Crown, or whether the original LS-swap plans made any sense. The seller bought a cross-member and steering rack from a Japanese market Toyota Soarer with the intention of removing and replacing the factory steering. Clearly, there were big plans for this Century that never materialized, and as a vehicle that is still held in high regards overseas, I’m sure it’s breaking a few hearts to see it like this. Is this a worthwhile project? Thanks to Barn Finds reader Chuck Foster for the find.