Putting the Power Down: The E153 Gearbox and a Cusco-Braced Chassis
Making power is half the job. The other half is getting it to the wheels and onto the road without breaking or wasting it. In Yusuf’s words, that was the hard part — and it was learned by doing.
Before 1,000 km
Once the reinforced engine and the supercharger were in, an axle broke before the car had covered even 1,000 km. There’s no clearer proof of what a strong engine asks of a drivetrain.
The first plan made sense: order a handmade axle from America, rated for 500 hp. Just before the order went in, the company gave an important tip: an axle alone wasn’t the answer — the original “C” series gearbox wouldn’t hold up.
E153: a Celica GT4 inheritance
Their idea was the legendary E153 Celica GT4 gearbox — a box made to carry turbo torque. It went in, and the ratios were shortened straight away. As Yusuf puts it: the first gears as short as the C60’s, and the last one long, for comfort on long roads.
The rest of the drivetrain was renewed along with it:
- Cusco Type RS LSD: a limited-slip differential that makes both rear wheels pull together — a must for drifting.
- Cusco Japan Stage 4 clutch pressure plate: to transmit the extra torque without slipping.
- MWR Ultra Lightweight flywheel: so the engine revs up and down faster.
- New special axles.
A body to take the power
More power needs a stronger body. Otherwise the chassis flexes, the suspension stops working as designed, and the car becomes unpredictable. In Yusuf’s words, the chassis would have stayed weak against this power. The final reinforcements came from Cusco Japan:
- Cusco upper and lower front braces
- Cusco lower centre braces
- Cusco rear lower chassis braces
All of it backed up by BC Racing’s world-class ER series coilovers, which let the ride height and damping be adjusted.
On track
All this work pays off on track. Tazzmobil has been photographed in the pits of driftNEU, the North Cyprus Drift Championship, wearing number 21, and on the night track as number 102, blue halo headlights and underglow blazing. It has taken its place at Cyprus Midnight Club meets, too.
To see the result from the cockpit, watch the 60–160 km/h run on the car page. Earlier in the series: the MR2 story and rebuilding the heart.
For what’s next, follow @tazzmobil on Instagram and @tazzmobile on TikTok.
Source: Yusuf’s own build write-up on r/GarajTurkiye.