Please bare with us while we are carrying out some much needed maintenance to the forum. New look coming soon!
So lets start with a small bit of info on the Altezza. The Altezza RS200’s best attribute is the way it drives even with the standard suspension set up, I think most that own one will agree with that. Thanks to its healthy torque curve the engine provides adequate around-town power, and cruising power, but to extract the utmost from the Altezza, the 3S-GE needs to be revved. At around 7.5 seconds from standstill to 100kph it’s quick, not fast, but what it lacks in straight-line grunt, it more than makes up for in the handling stakes.
SPEC
1999 RS200 Z Edition
Millennium Silver
J160 6MT running Redline MT-90 75w90
4.100:1 Torsen LSD running Castrol SAF-XA 80w140
NGK Iridium spark plugs
Earth Upgrade Kit
TOM'S SuperRam II air filter
TRD N type radiator cap
Greddy alloy radiator pipe
Xero air diversion plate
Kakimoto Racing Regu.92-Z exhaust
De-cat
KYB Climb Gear short stroke struts
Tanabe CVS springs
TRD short shifter
TRD gear knob
EBC green stuff front pads
HKS Kansai front Strut brace
HKS Kansai rear strut brace
Cusco rear sway bar
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric tyres
AVS 5 star alarm
Alpine CDA-9886
Alpine MRV-F450
PICS
QUESTIONS
What made you pick an Altezza as your car?
I guess I'm a Toyota boy at heart (this is my 6th after all). I had looked at other brands for something different like a Mazda 3 SP23, Focus ST170 & DC5 ITR but rear wheel drive & the grown up/luxury feel about the car won me over in the end.
Did you know much about Altezza’s before you got one?
No, not really. I knew the power to weight ratio was a bit of an issue but the 3SGE was the pick of the engines to have. Was just luck I ended up with a Z Edition.
Where did you get your altezza ?
I bought it from a car yard in a small town in the Bay of Plenty. I'm the first NZ owner.
How long have you had your altezza?
3 years this month, It’s been a good relationship.
How much you have spent on the car?
About NZ$2200 on mods & $15990 purchase price
Did you buy your altezza modified or is it your own work?
When i bought it it had been lowered on Tanabe CVS springs & KYB short stroke climb gear struts. It had a Kakimoto Racing Regu.92-Z cat back exhaust system fitted & a genuine toyota/lexus elegant sports kit with jdm tail lamp covers.
I've installed the Alpine stereo & amp, NGK Iridium spark plugs, earthing kit, TOM'S air filter, TRD radiator cap, Greddy radiator pipe, xero air diversion plate, TRD short shifter & gear knob, EBC green stuff pads, HKS Kansai front & rear strut braces & Cusco rear sway bar.
I've still got some Rainbow speakers & dynamat to go in which has been sitting around at home for a while now. I’ll get them fitted at some stage.
If its your own work, where do you get your ideas?
Most mods I did are from previous experience with other cars & reading lots of magazines over the years, any others I researched on here Tezzaworld & Other Altezza Club’s before laying my money down.
Why did you modify the car?
To make it handle & perform better as well as for aesthetics reasons.
What’s your favourite thing about the car?
The way it handles & looks
Is there anything you don’t like on the car?
The lack of power below 5K is the main one.
What part of the car would you like to modify next?
I'd like to modify the engine next. Something along the lines of a Apexi power FC, ITB's & mild cams would be my ideal set up. Not sure if I'll ever get around to it though. Thinking about it, a new clutch would probably be first on the cards. The OE one is still fine but I'd like a JUN or TRD flywheel & sports clutch kit.
Where do you get your parts?
Nick, the Altezza Club forum, our local version of eBay called TradeMe & my work (Ford & Mazda dealership) for servicing bits like oil & spark plugs.
Does price or quality make a difference when choosing parts for the altezza ,like if its cheaper to get the same part from japan or usa than here would you buy it?
Quality is a big selling point for me. I did look at getting a Tanabe rear sway bay from the states but as soon as I saw Nick was selling Cusco it was a no brainer to get it from him.
Also when it comes to oil I'll spend more on synthetic oil over mineral/blends as the extra protection it offers is worth the extra coin IMO. No doubt everyone is sick of me going on about how great redline MT-90 is for the manual gearbox , I’m a big believer in quality.
Have you ever got your car dyno'd? if so where did you get it done and what was the result?
Unfortunately not, but one day I will as I'd like to see what it’s putting out.
Have you ever had your altezza on a track ? If so where and what kind of times did you
have ?
Again, unfortunately not. But I'd like to take it for a spin on the track some time soon.
Does your other half know how much money you have spent on the car ?
I think I did tell her once as I was giving her grief about the amount she'd spent on repairs on her Subaru Outback which was getting close to the amount I'd spent on mods. Thankfully she now owns a Toyota Carib.
What is the worst mod you have seen on an Altezza ?
A yellow Altezza with a back body kit, huge GT wing & stick on LED lights everywhere. I'm a fan of subtle mods these days.
What is your fav modified car?
So many... There's quite a few "hell flush" IS' in the USA that float my boat along with a black 2JZGTE powered IS built for drag racing in Oz. There's quite a few on here & altezza club I have a lot of respect for as well.
What cars have you had before the altezza?
My first car was a AE92 Corolla FX-GT which I wrote off. That was replaced by an AE101 Levin GT Apex. I then got my hands on my first proper car, AE86 Levin GT. It had too much rust in it so I sold it & went back to an AE101 Trueno GT Apex. I wanted FR again so I swapped it for an S14 Silvia Q which I didn't like. Then a well modified AE111 Levin BZ-G came up for sale so I grabbed that. I had that for 5 years but it was getting a bit tired & I wanted something a little more practical & grown up so an Altezza was the natural progression I guess.
Big Thanks to Carl for doing the feature AND taking the pictures.
What that oil again for the gearbox 
