The soccer mom’s van has been changed totally!
The Toyota Estima was launched in 1990, establishing the potential of the minivan and a new history for family cars, and although it was discontinued in 2019, it remains a popular model among families today due to its ease of use. Mr. NOB transformed the Estima into an off-road vehicle by raising it.
Deleted the front from the bumping.
The base model is a GSR55W Toyota Estima 4WD. Initially, it was used for shopping, driving, and traveling with the kids. He drove the car in stock form for a while, but there is a steep slope in front of his house and unless he drives carefully, he would bump the spoiler. To avoid this, he searched online to see if he could raise the ride height and found an Espelier’s Upsus.
He also changed the tires to off-road tires to raise the ride height. When he set it up, it became very cool, and the driving position was higher and easier to drive. The spoiler also stopped bumping.
He was very happy with how comfortable it had become, but when he went on searching to see what other minivans could be lifted, he wanted to do some more customizing.
He has always had an inquisitive mind, so he did a lot of research on the Internet. He then came up with a plan to create the Estima to his taste.
Mr. NOB planned to combine the style of an all-terrain overlander with that of a pre-runner. The vehicle was designed to be off-road and to be able to fit a roof tent with a set of racks etc.
The suspension has been completely overhauled. The current specification combines lifted suspension with struts for a 3rd generation Alphard at the front. This could not be fitted as a bolt-on, so special modifications were made, and one-off special spacers were made and fitted. The rear suspension also underwent extensive modifications. An extension bracket for the shocks was made and the suspension was raised with one-off spacers.
By setting up this Alphard suspension, the lift was achieved that would not have been possible with a normal kit. A set of Dunlop Open Country R/T (235/65-16) tires and Weds Adventure (7J x 16) wheels were also fitted. In total, the height was lifted by 20cm. The result was a wild, off-road Estima.
Inspired by many friends on SNS
With the lifting completed, the next step was to dress it up. To make it even wilder, Nob cut out the front bumper, which he had been thinking about for a long. A front end cover was added, and a pipe bumper was made by DIY to where under lights were fitted.
The side steps were removed. At the rear, a Dually marker light was placed on the spoiler, the rear bumper was cut out like the front one, and the bare panels were treated with “sticker bombs”.
The initial motivation was to make it easier to climb a slope. But in just one year the car has become so unique. Now he can go to an off-road track and play with it on rough roads.
When building this car, friends on social networking sites gave advice. The owner says: “With the help of my friends, I have finished a car that I am happy with. My friends’ cars are also evolving. They inspire me and I can’t stop customizing”.
