Toyota 2000 GT
In the world of collectable vintage sports cars, well-known names come to mind: Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, and many others originating from the European continent, plus a few American sports cars in the mix, like the Corvette and Cobra, but rarely any cars from the Island of Japan. The 1950s and 1960s were the golden age of sports cars, capturing the imagination of automotive enthusiasts around the world, and especially in the U.S. where most of the world’s sports cars were sold. One such enthusiast was Dan Egan. Born and raised in Southern California, Dan was living in the largest hotbed of automotive activity on the planet in the late 1960s when he first saw the car that would start a life-long love affair. While attending a SCCA regional event at Riverside in 1968, he saw Carroll Shelby’s team ringing out two new cars that he had never seen before. No, not Cobras, and not Mustangs. What are those things he wondered? They were Toyota 2000GTs. 
In the 1960s, Toyota was not the worldwide automotive giant it is today. In the mid ’60s, many people had never seen or heard of a Toyota. Those who did know about Toyotas considered it a producer of cheap, low-line economy cars. Toyota wanted to prove to the world that Japan could build a world-class sports car, so it teamed up with Yamaha to design, engineer and build the 2000GT, first showing it at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965.
The car first became available to the public in 1967, and was produced in limited numbers into 1970. It featured an in-line, 6-cylinder engine block derived from the Toyota Crown, topped off with a special Yamaha designed dual overhead cam hemispherical cylinder head. The 2.0-liter engine produced 150 horsepower and was fed by three Mikuni-Solex 40phh sidedraft carburetors. A 5-speed manual transmission delivered power back to a limited-slip rear end, and Dunlop disc brakes were used all around. The interior was sleek and modern, with Yamaha’s expertise in building fine pianos and violins utilized to create a beautiful dash trimmed in rosewood, varnished to a glossy finish. All of this was wrapped in a low-slung sensuously curvy, handmade body crafted of aluminum. The result was a truly beautifully styled and mechanically sophisticated car that made the world take notice.
Dan Egan certainly took notice that memorable day at Riverside in 1968, and vowed he would own one someday. Rare even when new, Dan would not lay eyes on another 2000GT until two years later. While serving in the Navy, he saw one at a Volvo dealer in Honolulu, rekindling his desire for one of these cars. A couple more years went by before he encountered another 2000GT. While doing a flooring job in Brentwood, California, the owner of the house had one parked in the driveway when he rolled up to the job. The sight of another 2000GT cemented his resolve to own one of these cars. In 1974, he finally got his chance.
Very few 2000GTs were produced, so locating one was not easy. Finally, one came up for sale. It was listed in the classified section of Competition Press, a widely read publication among sports and race car enthusiasts at the time. The car was located in Washington state. Dan purchased the car for $7,000 and drove it back to Southern California. Back then, $7000 was a lot of money, and could have purchased any number of slightly used or new European sports cars for the same price or less. When asked why he was willing to pay so much for such an obscure Japanese car when there were so many other choices available at the time, Dan replied “Because I was a crazy 27-year-old kid! Most people thought I was nuts. A 1967 Toyota? You paid how much? I didn’t care, I wanted that car!”
Dan used the car to commute to and from work for about four years and then sparingly until 1981 when a problem developed with the starter. “I put it up on jack-stands, and started to tinker with it. I had problems finding parts, and before I knew it, years went by,” says Dan. The car was in Dan’s garage up on the stands when the 1994 Northridge Earthquake struck Southern California. The quake caused the car to fall off its jack-stands, resulting in some damage to the rocker panels.
Fortunately, there were some soft items stored under the car at the time, saving it from further damage. The car fell away from the other car in the garage, a Buick Grand National Turbo, parked next to it. The damage to the Toyota’s delicate aluminum body could have been much worse. Dan did get the car running again, and took it to the Toyotafest event held in the parking lot in front of the Queen Mary in Long Beach. It was a great day for both Dan and his car. “I met another 2000GT owner for the first time ever,” Dan explained. “I wanted to restore the car, but I did not know who to take the car to have it worked on that I could trust. I was lucky enough to meet Chuck Wade from TRD (Toyota Racing Development) that day. He referred me to a place in Maine that specialized in 2000GTs.”
Bob Tkacik and Peter Starr from Maine Line Exotics are considered to be the foremost restoration experts on the Toyota 2000GT, and have been restoring them since 1976. Although Dan’s car was still in nice original condition, it was starting to show its age, and was in need of some cosmetic and mechanical attention. The car was sent to Maine Line Exotics in 2006 where it received a full service and had all the mechanical components checked and rebuilt as necessary. The engine, however, has never been apart. The interior needed only a minor repair to the driver’s seat and carpet area. The body was repaired and treated to a new paint job, returning this rare car to its original glory.
Once Dan knew the car was going to be on the road again, he went down to his local DMV to get the registration up to date. Since the car had been off the road for so long, DMV had no record of the car in its system. No problem, all Dan’s paperwork was in order, all he needed to do was surrender his old plates and they would issue nice shinny new reflectorized ones to him, but Dan did not want new plates.
“The blue and gold California plates issued to the car in 1974 need to stay on it. They are part of the history of the car. Part of my history with this car,” protested Dan to the DMV. He went around and around with DMV, agreeing to get DMV’s repro “Legacy Plates” but even that was rejected. Finally, someone at DMV sympathized with him, made a call, got approval, and gave him his new tags to use on his old plates. Dan is passionate about preserving the car’s history, right down to the license plates.
Dan’s car made its post restoration début in 2007 at Laguna Seca for the 40th Anniversary of the Toyota 2000GT, and the 50th year of Toyota in America celebration. This was the largest gathering of 2000GTs ever in North America. In 2014 the car received the Most Significant Car award from the HVA (Historical Vehicle Association) at the Carmel Concours d’Elegance. Dan shows the car from time to time, and enjoys educating others about his rare and interesting car.
Behind the Wheel
Driving a 2000GT will impress whoever drives or rides in one today, and has since it was new. Road & Track tested a 2000GT for its June 1967 issue, stating, “When it comes to ride and handling, nobody in his right mind could need or want more in a road vehicle than the 2000 GT has to offer.” Dan’s car is the 97th car built of approximately 351 cars produced, and one of about 60 left-hand-drive cars imported to the U.S.
Entering the car is surprising easy for a car that is less than 47 inches high due to its wide doors. Once inside, the cabin is comfortable and well appointed. You just have to stare for a moment at all that gorgeous rosewood and chrome-bezeled gauges. The two most important gauges, the tach and speedometer, are right in front and easy to read. The other five gauges to the right are angled toward the driver. After sitting in the car and getting settled, it is clear that the engineers set up the dash for utility as much as beauty.
To start the car the key is turned to the “ON” position for about 30 seconds to allow the electric fuel pump to activate and the ticking sound to become muted, then the engine will fire up. The engine’s seven main bearings on the crankshaft and the two camshafts is smooth at idle and at high rpm. The pedals are positioned nicely, and require the right amount of pressure when depressed. Gear shifting is precise with about a three-inch throw, so finding the next gear is not an issue. Fifth gear is very tall, almost an overdrive, and is rarely used by the car’s owner. When driving the car and going through the gears, the engine can easily live between 5,000 and 6,000 rpm. Don says, “It will pull steadily to 7,000 rpm if asked,” but also cautions, “I’ve owned this car since 1974 and the engine has never been taken apart, so I don’t want to stress it too much.”
When driving this car and approaching a turn, it took some getting used to how fast one could negotiate a curve. With the weight balance close to 50/50 front and rear, combined with a well designed, fully adjustable rear suspension consisting of unequal-length A-arms, coil springs and an anti-roll bar, the car stays neutral and predicable through the turn. You feel the G-forces in your body, but the car goes right where you point it. The overall feel is what you expect from a world class GT car of the era. Road & Track enthusiastically reported in 1967, “Cornering with the 2000 GT is so easy and flat as to make usual vigorous driving on smooth, winding roads almost dull. To get near its limits requires more nerve than most drivers have, and bumpy roads affect it so little as not to matter.”
After driving Dan’s well-preserved example, I had to ask: “These cars have escalated in value in recent years, and now superb examples like yours sell for over a million dollars. Have you ever been tempted to sell it?” Dan told me, “No, not really. I guess years ago there were times when I was not driving it and I could have really used the money, but I never seriously considered it. I just love this car, and I like driving it. Sometimes, even to this day, I see it across a parking lot and get excited all over again. It is such a great looking car. It just does not have a bad angle to look at. Every line on the car is curved. It is a very sensuous looking vehicle. It is beautiful! I will never sell it.”
