Malaysian Kaido | Custom 1984 Toyota Cressida

Photography by @Zetto.Works

Of all the cool builds at this year’s Art of Speed show in Malaysia, it was this wild Toyota Cressida that caught our eye. Influenced by the style of the Japanese ‘Kaido Racers’, how can you miss that fan of pipes rising up out of the back?! 

Elden’s Cressida was wild enough to win us over and we gave it our Fuel Tank pick of the show. Here’s a brief interview with Elden for a little background information about the project. 

Who are you and what do you do for a living?

Hi, my name is Elden Schrock from Malaysia, Founder of TeamLucky. I study graphic design alongside my work.

Tell us about your first love for cars… right back when you were young. What inspired you?

I remember when I was young I wanted a VW Beetle so bad. The shape of the car is so unique and the engine sounds like no other cars. But, I was young and I couldn’t afford a car. Over time I became interested in more cars until one day I went to a local event called Art of Speed. My mind was blown. I learn something right then in 2013 about car culture. Since that day I’ve had a goal; to one day I take a car to this event and to win an award on the stage. 

What was your first car?

A Daihatsu Charade G200 which I was using as a travel car to go to college. After I sold that Daihatsu I bought an E30 BMW which I’ve had until now. Along the way I’ve had; Daihatsu Hijet van, Datsun 620, VW Beetle, Volvo 122s, Toyota Cressida, Mazda Sa22c.

Are you into Japanese cars specifically?

Not particularly. I just love all of them... I love cars that have been customised. 

What are we looking at here?

1984 Toyota Cressida GL-I GX60.

How did you come to own it?

Initially, the plan was to get a Gx71. The problem was that I’d never seen any Gx71s in the metal in Malaysia. Even if I could get my hands on one, it was going to be expensive. So, I decided to get the Gx60 instead. 

I bought this car in May 2019. A friend of mine who goes by the name of Kingston recommended this car to me after he found out that the previous owner was selling it. He knew that I was looking for a big Japanese sedan so he hit me up straight away. The car was pretty far from my place but since it was a rare opportunity, I just had to pay a visit. 

In what condition was it when you bought it?

The car was in pretty bad shape. The engine wouldn’t start, the body was pretty rusty and the paint was in bad condition. But, I bought it like that anyway. We had to call up the tow truck and have it taken back to my place. I can say that everything was in bad shape, literally. But, with determination and luck, the car was able to run after changing a few parts.

What were your intentions back then? What was your vision?

The plan was always to build a Kaido Racer. Therefore, for the base, I decided to go with the Gx60 body. 

Give us a rundown of modifications that you’ve made.

Body & Paint

Custom shark nose, front lip, fender vent, rear lamp delete, rear bumper delete, Original design livery.

Interior

28cm steering wheel, 7-inch crystal gear knob, chandelier roof light, Japanese aura light decoration, Japanese ac cup holder, velvet fabric covers, Japanese famous singer name 中森明菜 decoration light.

Engine/gearbox

Original 1G-E 6-cylinder engine, stock 5-speed manual gearbox

Wheels/tyres

SSR Mk1: Front 195/65/13 Rear 225/50/13. SSR Mk3: 195/65/14 Rear 195/65/14

Suspension

Springless shocks

Accessories

Music horn, red flashing light under rear wheels, blue flashing light at the rear vent, 2 purple blinkers at the rear. TeamLucky windshield sticker.

Exhaust

Custom peacock style stainless steel exhaust, all fully functional.. and they are loud A.F. 🤣

Why do you like the Kaido Racer/Bosozoku style?

I first found out about Bosozoku around 13 or 14 years ago from an anime called ‘Great Teacher Onizuka’. After that was ‘Shakotan Boogie’ and ‘Shonan Junai Gumi’. Most of the culture I learned from anime and thank god we have Instagram and Google! So when I first started studying the style and culture it was a little blurry because there are many different stories. I’m still learning what Bosozoku really is. But what I’ve done with this car is called Kaido Racer (Highway Racer) in Japan. I don’t do street racing but I love the style so much. 

What’s next?

I may do some upgrades to the suspension, engine and some jobs on the bodywork. I was thinking maybe I want to try a motorcycle build based on a Japanese motorbike in the future. But right now I’m leaning towards an Rx7 project.

Follow Elden: @patina_65