This New V6 Engine Can Breathe New Life Into Your Old Toyota Pickup Truck

If there's one area where American automakers are indisputably ahead of the import brands, it's in the availability of factory crate engines and long blocks for enthusiasts, restomodders, and restorers. Whether it's Chevrolet, Ford, or Mopar, each of America's major automakers offers an extensive line of engine options, including complete turn-key crate engine packages, that, for a cost, take lots of the guesswork out of doing an engine swap on your project vehicle.

Unfortunately for owners and fans of older Japanese vehicles, true factory-backed engine upgrade options are few and far between. Toyota, despite having a significant number of old models on the road and legions of longtime enthusiasts, has never really offered a crate engine program aimed at owners who want to upgrade or customize their vintage Toyota cars or trucks. 

However, if you own, or dream of owning, an old Toyota pickup or SUV and want a factory-fresh engine setup, an American company called LC Engineering is now offering a complete, improved version of Toyota's beloved 5VZ V6 engine.

Arizona-based LC Engineering is not a newcomer to the scene, it has been working on Toyota engines and upgrade parts for over 40 years, and the company's new Stage 1 5VZ Long Block follows some of the other four-cylinder long block Toyota engines that are already in its catalog. 

The 3.4-liter, naturally aspirated Toyota 5VZ-FE V6 engine originally debuted back in 1995 as the upgrade option for the new first-generation Toyota Tacoma. The 5VZ was also available in the third-generation Toyota 4Runner, where it's considered by many to be the best engine ever used in the 4Runner. 

Though there was nothing particularly exotic about the engine, nor was it ever known as a powerhouse, the Toyota 5VZ has always been desired for its ideal blend of usable power and reliability. Therefore, it's not surprising that there would be a demand for a complete, refreshed and improved version of this popular engine.

As for the upgrades to the Stage 1 5VZ compared to the original version, they come mainly in the form of ported and polished cylinder heads, which LC Engineering says provide a "subtle yet effective" performance improvement. LCE doesn't provide any specific horsepower or torque figures for the engine, but somewhere around 200 horsepower is probably a reasonable guess, considering the V6-powered '96 Tacoma was originally rated at 190 horsepower. 

With those specs in mind, it's safe to say that this engine is aimed more at those with restoration projects or simple restomod goals, rather than those looking for maximum firepower under the hood of their old Toyota. With a retail price of $10,000, the LC Engineering 5VZ engine doesn't come cheap. 

Even then, it's more of a long block rather than a complete engine package, which means you'll still be responsible for providing your own intake, exhaust, and ignition components. On the other hand, with the ever-increasing popularity and subsequent booming value of Toyota trucks and SUVs from the '90s and 2000s, it's not hard to see that there's demand for an engine like this. 

As older Japanese vehicles continue to rise in popularity, it's possible that companies like Toyota may change their tune. While they have started to offer certain restoration parts for some of their older cars, a true Toyota crate engine has yet to join the catalog. In the meantime, though, Toyota truck enthusiasts who want to refresh and improve their rig while sticking with the proven 5VZ engine platform should be happy to have this new option from LC Engineering.