You Can Get Your Hands On A “Brand New” 2JZ-GTE For Just $2k – But Is It Too Good To Be True?

These days, a genuine used (holy grail) Toyota 2JZ-GTE engine (from the MKIV Supra) will cost you at least $6,000. Given its rarity, paired with the usual JDM scene tax, these ever-increasing prices are unlikely to slow down anytime soon, either.

With MKIV Supra prices also soaring, it’s understandable that many of us would jump at the chance to get a “new” 2JZ at a fraction of the price.

How does just $2,000 sound? No, we’re not kidding.

While it seems unthinkable that you could possibly get a “new” 2J for this money, that’s exactly what the guys from Donut did to save us all from having to find out ourselves whether it’s a scam.

All they had to do was head over to Alibaba (yes, the questionable Chinese company you’re hesitant to give your money to), drop $2,000 on a brand-new 2JZ-GTE… Aaaaaand pray.

Before today, we’d (naturally) ignored any Alibaba listings for anything even slightly valuable. When we searched for “2jz-gte” on the platform, it was shocking to see that there are hundreds of engine blocks for sale.

Some are also listed from countries like Thailand and Malaysia, and I’ve witnessed firsthand that there are garages stacked floor-to-ceiling with 2J’s in these countries. However, those are used, unlike the one they’ve ordered, which is supposedly new. This changes everything.

If China has found a way to produce the legendary 2JZ with the same quality that it left the Toyota factories with, it could be a genuine game-changer for the drifting world.

Let’s say the market were suddenly flooded with an influx of high-quality, brand-new $2k 2J’s, they’d become even lower when purchased wholesale.

But… You know what they say. If it seems too good to be true…

Thankfully, the Donut team answers the many questions we have by putting the mysterious Chinese “2JC” engine through precision testing to find out whether it’s the bargain of the century or an expensive (and rather large) paperweight.

This is an ideal time to place your bets on how it went, and you can likely guess which way the odds are leaning!

Spoilers from here on – Check out the video if you don’t want to know how it went just yet!

It might come as no surprise that right out of the shipping crate, warning signs began to flash. The powder coating appeared to have been applied seconds before shipping, complete with tape marks.

Next, despite being advertised as VVTi and turbo-ready, this turned out to be the most basic 2JZ variant possible – the much less desirable, naturally aspirated 2JZ-GE.

The team’s excitement quickly turned to concern as they noticed pitting and what appeared to be cracks in the cylinder head. You know, the kind of wear patterns you definitely don’t expect to see on a “new” engine.

Despite this, they continue testing four critical measurements: Valve lash, deck flatness, rod clearances, and cylinder dimensions.

Some results were surprisingly decent – the deck flatness actually earned an A+. Others were… less encouraging.

… Then came the oil pan removal.

Let’s just say the discovery inside (if it wasn’t already obvious enough) made it crystal clear that this engine’s advertised “new” status was a blatant lie.

Metal shavings. Everywhere. The oil pan appeared to have been beaten with a hammer, and then there was seemingly an attempt to conceal the damage with spray paint. 

Four out of six cylinders were completely out of spec, too. They were both tapered and oval instead of perfectly round – obviously a huge issue. The bearing clearances were also a full thousandth over Toyota’s specifications.

The final verdict? A resounding F-minus.

It quickly became clear that it wasn’t a new engine, as stated in the description, at all. It was a poorly remanufactured 2JZ-GE being sold as new, complete with numerous internal damages, a sign of inadequate maintenance given its reputation for bulletproof reliability. It’d likely seen pretty high mileage before they opted to give it a lick of paint and try to pass it off as new.

Thankfully, the Donut team took the hit on this, so the rest of us don’t have to.

Instead of sulking over their losses, they’re opting to have fun with the “2JC” and plan to install the engine in a car for further testing. We’ll be following along to see how it goes.

We hope to see a Chinese turbo thrown into the mix! What could possibly go wrong?!