Toyota is keeping ahead of the curve in predicting future classic vehicles as it has announced a factory restoration program for the first-generation Toyota 86.

The Japanese brand has dubbed this program the “86 Re: PROJECT,” which covers models sold from 2012 to 2021.

While this isn’t like what other brands such as Nissan and Mazda have done with their respective out-of-production sports cars, the 86 program is more of a tune-up for the Japanese market to keep fans of the nameplate happy.

It is a strange move as the Toyota 86 nameplate is barely 11 years old, and parts for the sports car are still plentiful. 

Why the restoration program?

Toyota has stated that this restoration program is to help owners of these vehicles meet Japan’s strict inspections. These inspections are so rigorous that a car could quickly fail if it exhibited signs of carbon build-up, has torn bushings, and other things that we would consider minor in the Philippines. 

The Japanese automaker has also released a video that shows how its technicians recondition these vehicles as part of the restoration program.

The engines of the Toyota 86s are carbon cleaned, and engine flushed to ensure that they are in top condition. The vehicles are also test-driven, with engine flushing done before and after each test. 

The video also briefly covers topics such as bushing health, but unfortunately, there are no English subtitles available to grasp better what was said. 

It also appears that the Toyota technicians do some skid pad testing with the vehicles undergoing restoration to evaluate their condition better. 

It shows that Toyota cares for its customers and wants them to have the best experience possible with its vehicles for as long as possible.

With the new program in place, we can see support for the Toyota 86 in terms of parts available for several more years. 

Do you think Toyota was smart with its move to make a restoration program for the Toyota 86?