It is no secret that my dream build is a Previa or Estima of the 90’s body style in full blown bippu/vanning style. Seriously, no secret. I have loved Previas since I was a kid and my folks had Cadet Blue ’93 Previa that was our family battle tank. TANK! She went for 337,072 miles in her tenure with us and did it with grace. TANK!
Anyway, I was thinking about my dream build (as many of us do, a lot) and decided to go on the hunt for a Previa to post today, and I found one! Well it wasn’t very hard. If you type in purple previa in Google, this is the first hit as well as the next thirty hits.
I am sure you have seen this Previa in some facet posted up somewhere on the interwebs because you cannot go far in life without admiring true Vanning beauty. Ground-pounding and pantie-dropping.
A giant sex machine rolling on a set of staggered Work Meister S1’s and doing a damn good job of it!
How do I even begin to introduce today’s post? I have no idea… Should I talk about something interesting or funny that happened to me today? Should I say something witty? I have no idea.
I think I’ll just post up what I have and then you can…
Just.
Look.
Yeah, sooooooooooo, this exists.
This my friends is just an amazing craigslist find. A really amazing craigslist find…
“UNIQUE” is an understatement. Quite the understatement.
This used to be a regular old Previa. I have no clue what would go through someone’s head when they decided to dream up this cloud of beauty.
“I have a pretty fantastic Previa that will last forever and do anything I want it to do. What should I do to make it even better?! I know! I’ll chop the back off it and make it in to a van/ute/sexmachine/truck. F**k yeah! There is one helluva plan!”
“I’m going to get so much tang because of this. Soooooooooooo much tang!”
That must be what happened in the head of the owner. Seems like a proper chain of thought.
The seller’s ad:
This used to be a mini van, but I decided to make it something bold and make it a unique vehicle with everything custom. It is a one of a kind truck. It is a 96 Toyota Previa with 119000 miles. It’s an automatic with leather seats, power windows, working heat and a/c. Body is in good condition and was painted blue last summer. It has a new battery along with the oil changed on time. There is a crack on the windshield and does need lower ball joints, but otherwise in great condition and fully drivable. The title is clean. I am selling because I need a bigger vehicle for my family. Offers can be made, but no trades.
Had a bigger vehicle and made it in to a smaller vehicle, but needs a bigger vehicle. That about covers that.
Why not turn one of the greatest vans to ever exist in to a rolling lady magnet? I mean, come on. Who could resist hopping in to the… bed… of this rolling thunder pumper? WHO?!
Sound plan here. Sound plan.
Yeah, check it out. Blue and gray…
Throw a tonneau cover on that bitch too. Make it a mother f**king Transformer!
You could make the case that the craftsmanship is okay and it isn’t that bad, but no.
No.
Worst part is that it is still a Previa. So this thing will last forever.
Come one! Come all! Witness the beauty and awe that is, THE TOFU DRIFT PREVIA!
What’s that?! You have never heard of such a thing? A wild man drifting the massive mother ship that is a Toyota Previa? Well you sir or madame, are in luck! For we have today Paco and his madness.
BEHOLD!
Your eyes do not deceive you. That is indeed a massive Toyota Previa letting its ass slide all around and showing off for the crowds. I have for today an interview with the man behind this giant and maddening endeavor.
Paco and I did a little (read: Inappropriate) interview. Enjoy it, bitches, this man is doing big thangs!
OMG Pancakes –Tell us a little about yourself?
Paco – Hi, my name is Paco and this is Drifting a Minivan 1.0 I’m a Spanish/Mexican immigrant (100% legal, lol) born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. Been living here the US for 7 years. I’m an Industrial Designer focused mainly on Automotive Design but currently working as a Civil Engineer at a construction firm in Phoenix, Arizona. My love for cars come from my dad who used taught me how to do basic mechanic work and since I was a little kid we used to work on our own cars instead of taking them to the shop.
When it comes to cars I’m usually looking for the rarest and unconventional vehicles, some of the best I had were my 1989 Buick Reatta (the one with the factory touchscreen) and my 1992 Subaru SVX with manual transmission swap which I love to death and I’ll get buried in that car when I’m gone.
OMGP – How did you and the Tofu Drift Previa come to be?
Paco –Well, I was looking to build an all purpose drift car instead of beating up my weekend driver and I wanted to buy a cheap car and start from the very bottom but I didn’t want the typical 240sx, RX-7s were starting to become popular and BMWs are a pain in the arse to work on, so I decided to buy the most unlikely car you’ll see at the track. One of my options originally was a Volvo Wagon or an old Chevette but I saw an ad on craigslist for a manual transmission Previa with 328,000 miles for $1000 which I ended up getting for $900…… not bad huh?
OMGP – What is the story behind your wacky relationship with the Tofu Drift Previa?
Paco –So far it’s been a love story with its usual bumps, I wanted to run 24hr of Lemons (where you race a crappy $500 car and gets all beaten up) and since everybody gets the weirdest wackiest cars to race that I was like “I gotta do a minivan” and since they are RWD or AWD and manual transmission was an option it would be perfect. They are also mid engine so to me it was like an oversized NSX… well, more like an oversized MR2, but since the cars get all beaten up I thought the mid engine configuration would help to keep the engine safe from damage during the race…. I never really made it to Lemons, but the idea got stuck in my head that I wanted to race a minivan at the track.
OMGP –Who would you Fuck, Kill, and Marry: Hillary Clinton, Will Farrel, and Kate Upton
Paco –Fuck Farrel, Marry Hillary and who is Kate Upton??
OMGP –WHO IS KATE UPTON? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!
Paco –Why? Because Farrel is funny and has money, Hillary is responsible and has money and who is this Kate Upton again??
OMGP – Why the Previa?
Paco – Why not?? Lol.
If there was more RWD Manual minivans available in the market I would have tried something with a bigger engine, but the Previa is popular for being reliable, cheap and oddly shaped like an egg… have you ever seen an egg go sideways??
OMGP –Were you a drifter previously?
Paco –My first drifting event 6 years ago was on my 1978 Datsun 280Z, but then I decided I was going to restore it so I started drifting with my 2000 Corvette LS1 6 speed and it was fun but the car is made to hug the turns, so it was hard for a noob like me to figure it out, plus I wasn’t very constant and I was causing a lot of damage to the car.. s I decided to get a 100% drift only car instead…. so I sold the Corvette and upgraded to the high life of a Previa Minivan 😀
OMGP – Other motorsports experience?
Paco –Yes, drag racing in Mexico in my 16 second 280Z and a 1978 Camaro… but I grew bored out of it really quick. I also have SEVERAL hours of Gran Turismo since the very first one and right now I have a racing rig simulator at home which I’m setting up for off season drifting practice…. lol. Oh and I have a PhD on Midnight Wangan Maximum Tune… What?? What do you mean those last two are not real racing???
Paco’s hydraulic brake setup.
OMGP – Dude, what is your favorite tween/teen girl movie?
Paco –Meet Joe Black for a lot of reasons
OMGP –Any other projects?
Paco –My 78 280Z which I want to do a right hand drive conversion and RB26 swap, my 92 SVX which Im working on an STI inspired front bumper right now, my daily driver an 04 Pontiac Aztek AWD with mud tires, spacers and working on lifting it a couple inches, my roomate’s 93 FD RX-7 twin turbo which we are about to rebuild the engine and I’ve been dreaming on buying a 2nd gen MR2 and swapping in an electric motor to make it my daily driver… We’ll see how it goes.
OMGP – Any extra nipples?
Paco –Between me and my roomate that’s alreay 4 nipples….
OMGP –What have you done to the the Tofu Drift Previa to make her driftable?
Paco – The very first day I bought the van I stripped down the interiors, also It was originally a rear drum brakes van so the first real mod was buying a disc brake axle ($80 at salvage yard), lock welded the differential and swap it in. After removing all the weight the van’s suspension got jacked up high like a 4×4, so I had to cut the rear springs from 1″ down to only 4.5″ and then “installed” a pair of footballs inside the coils for a little better ride (they blew up after the first event, lol). I also ordered a set of used Cusco front coilovers and adjustable camber plates from Japan and right now they are sitting at the lowest setup… but I still need to go lower. I also installed a hydraulic rear hand brake, got rid of the exhaust muffler and did a silly quad tip setups instead, got crappy ass racing seats to start with and added a quick release steering since the driving position is so bad it really helps to get in and out. Other than that I’m still running the old tired 2TZ 2.4 liter 4 banger. I’m also running on 17″ x 7″ Motegi LC5 wheels and Federal EVO595 tires (those tires are the bang for the buck). OMGP –Future plans for the Tofu Drift Previa?
Paco –Yes. Right now I have the rear half of an S14 240sx which Im going to transplant into the van’s rear to make it Rear Independent Suspension and this way I can just buy upgrades made for 240s instead of hunting for used crap made for Previas and paying ultra high shipping prices (what we know as… overnite parts from Japan). I also bought a 1UZ-FE 4.0lt V8 engine out of an SC400 which Im going to cram behind the front seats to make it an even more mid engine setup… its going to be like the Lexus LFA of the minivans. Obviously roll cage and reinforcing everything and lowering it a loooot more.
OMGP – Could we see a the Tofu Drift Previa in Formula D or something of the sort some day?
Paco –This weekend I had formula D driver Corey Hosford ride with me a couple times and he drove the van another couple times to give me an insight on what needs to be done and tweaked on the van, some drifting tips and tricks and he told me I should try XDC (Xtreme Drift Circuit) once I do the engine and suspension swap. Honestly that was like a lot of encouragement to do things right and get serious in the not so serious looking van. So I’ll be trying out on XDC’s next season as soon as I finish the swap and learn how to drift properly at our local events.
Now… Formula D?? I don’t know, that’s a huge commitment and it costs a LOT of money and the bar is set so high (+800HP just to stay competitive) that it would have to become my main job, besides I am just a noob who dreams of going sideways, I shouldn’t be dreaming about becoming be the next DK…. lol
Cusco coils
OMGP –Why do you have an erection right now?
Paco – Duuuhhh… Because of Corey Hosford’s sexy mustache…
OMGP –Are you a van/wagon guy or is the Previa just a fluke?
Paco –I love all kinds of cars but I sure have a thing for wagons. My panties get wet when I see an SRT-8 Magnum and I totally get off when I saw the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon…. OMG that thing is soooo damn sexy. But I always liked the european wagons like the Jaguar XJS Shooting Brake, Ferrari 456 Venice Wagon, and the new Mercedes CLS AMG wagon also makes my spider sense tingle. But pretty much I just like rare/weird unique cars.
OMGP –Your perfect date?
Paco – Lucy Liu… that lesbian hag drives me nuts
OMGP – Future projects?
Paco –I want to find a way to bring a Toyota Sera to the states and I want to restart working on my beloved 280Z…. it’s been sitting for so many years 😦
Well, I hope this begins a long and sexy journey that Paco, OMG Pancakes, the Tofu Drift Previa, and George Clooney will all embark on.
Peep some more of Paco’s super sexiness and I guess the Previa is there too.
So, how ya doin’? It’s been a while, eh? Yeah, my bad.
So as you can obviously see, I haven’t updated zee brog in quite some time. Apologies, but life got in the way. I just returned from pretty much living in a cabin on a lake for six months. Needless to say, I Internet was hard to come by. But I hath returned and we are getting back to normal here. HUZZAH!!!
So, while I really work at getting everything up and running again, enjoy this sexy, sexy Black Estima.
I suppose this week is filled with the posts that made OMGP a household name for all six people that own houses and read OMGP. Don’t ask me why, but I feel like posting the things that made me lust after vans and wagons in the first place, so, that is exactly what I am doing.
I found these pics of two very, very, very sexy Estimas from Japan but was unable to find out a lick of info otherwise. I suppose we are just going to have to soak in all they have to offer without hesitation. You heard correctly. I expect you to lust after these Estimas blindly. Do it. All the cool kids are doing it. Don’t you want to be cool?
Hubba-freaking-hubba.
These two can do no wrong. So beautiful.
The Estima/Previa is the original seed that was planted into my vanning oriented mind. My folks had one when I was growing up and I fell deeply in love with everything about these vehicles. Everything except for how difficult it is to work on them. Since they last for four thousand years and Toyota never thought people would have to do anything except routine maintenance, they are a bitch to work on. But I still love them. Someday I hope to get one again. Someday…
So much dopesauce in one photo is quite dangerous. But it looks so good!
Like the title? It could mean many things, many sexual things. I knew you would like . . . freaks. Anyway, the wrist still hurts like a bitch so you’ll have to make things work with the mild sexual innuendos and this third-gen Estima.
I have not posted one of these in a very long while. Enjoy it.
Nothing to see here guys, let’s move along here. Let’s rebound from the insanity of yesterday, shall we. But how? Don’t worry, Brown Spiderman is here!
YAY!! Brown Spiderman saves the day again!!!!
Okay, now that we are all safe and sound, thanks to the efforts of Brown Spiderman we can move on to bigger and better things! Like this sick nasty Estima.
Yeah, hot dayumn!
Hot dayumn!! I can’t find anymore info on this or who the tuners are, which sucks ass. I really want to see a shot for the rear because it looks insane. I don’t know if that’s a good insane or a terrible insane. If I ever find a pic, we shall see.
Started my internship yesterday so I am plenty busy at the moment. So to remind myself and everyone to keep things simple is the simple and very utilitarian 2nd gen Estima.
BBS LM’s, a simple kit, and a cargo top. Sounds like the makings for a great plan.
Okay ladies and germs, I am departing for the week. I will be going to camp for the week! No, not one of the VH1 rehab camps with Dr. Drew. I am going to be a camp counselor for the week for fifth graders (get your minds out of the gutters). It is an amazing experience. I’ve done it before and it is a freaking blast! The kids there are absolutely insane, which means that I fit right in, haha. I am about to drill a hole in my head with the amount of work I have been doing and still have to do and I still have to figure out a way to study for one more final. We’ll see how things go with this shit, but I know I Can;t leave you cats hanging so I have a couple posts that will go live during the week. I still got love for you ladies!
I give you this uber sexy and super clean Estima.
One of my favourite parts of the Estima/Previa/Lucida is the black line that divides the top from the bottom. I don’t know why but that little black partition has always added so much more character to the Previa, in my eyes. I love how on this Estima it is brown, matches so very well.
OMG Pancakes 