Who would have thought that a guy aged 30+ young would replace his stolen car, which was a Honda Civic Type R with a wagon! A vehicle that is usually associated with soccer mom or ‘pasar malam’ traders who needs the extra cargo space to ferry their wares.
| Specification | |
| Make / Model | Toyota Caldina GT4 N Spec |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | Trust air filter, HKS SSQV blow off valve, Samco hoses, Greddy oil filler cap, Greddy radiator cap, X-Power Ignition Tuning and Guang Dao volt Stabilizer, Greddy E-Manage piggyback, Blitz SBC boost controller |
| Transmission | Works Engineering ATF cooler |
| Exhaust | custom downpipe, 2.5-inch pipe, Ganador muffler |
| Suspension | Tein S-Tech |
| Brakes | Project Mu brake pads, Dixcel brake disc |
| Rims & Tyres | 18-inch Volk Racing rims, Dunlop Direzza 225/40R18 tires |
| Garage | N/A |
Recommended Readings
For me personally, this article is a ‘memorable’ one, as it is written during the first day of Ramadan, or fasting month. At the time of writing this, I’m hungry, sleepy and tired, but then, these are not excuses for me not to finish this article on time. Although my eyelids are beginning to droop and at times the words just seems to be a blur, I would like to assure you guys that this article is not done in haste just to meet my date-line. Read on and you be the judge!
Looking at the photos of this MRS does conjures up an image of a plump, juicy orange, great for extracting juices that would be perfect as a thirst quencher for my “buka puasa”. Ok! Enough thoughts about food… concentrate man! OK, back to the story of this hot looking MRS that is owned by a certified MR2 / MRS junkie, Mickey, who has a garage full of MR2 / MRS and has a specially modified MR2 for autokhana – which he is a serious competitor.
This featured MRS is used primarily as a show car with no stones left unturned in turning it for this sole purpose. The small stature of this car is beefed-up with the installation of a custom built Monocraft GT300 widebody kit. This bodykit is inspired from the Japan GT MRS and further enhancement was made to make this little roadster look even better than a freshly rolled popiah. After this, the front and rear lights were replaced with DAMD light clusters and the stock soft top was replaced with a TRD hard top unit, which in my opinion is more practical in our hot humid climate. The tonneau cover which once held the rag top of this car was also replaced with a DAMD cover. As for the very interesting looking rear spoilers, it too is from DAMN, and I must say really does complement the new rear light cluster
Specification
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Engine Mods & Upgrade
| Holley NOS 50 shot wet kit, A’pexi Air Intake Kit, Racecraft carbon fibre engine cover
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E.C.U
| HKS F-Con SZ ECU
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Transmission
| TRD 1.5 way LSD, Ogura Clutch + Flywheel
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Exhaust
| Fujitsubo Exhaust system
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Suspension
| Cusco Anti-Roll Bars, Kei Office coil over suspension set, TRD Front Strut Bar, TRD Rear Strut Bar, TRD Chassis Underbody Bracing
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Brakes
| NA
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Rims & Tyres
| Ray Engineering VOLK racing Limited Edition TE37 17x7.5, 17X8.5 Offset 0, Ray Engineering Aluminum Lug Nuts, Goodyear Eagle 245/40/17, Advan Neova 215/40/17
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Garage
| NA
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Recommended Readings
In my line of work I am given the opportunity to get close and personal with many makes and models of modded cars. Even at times when they are from the same make and model, you can rest assured that after their tuning program, be it for body styling or performance, more often than not, the outcome of no two cars are alike. And this is one of the reasons that make my job interesting.
Even then, once in a while this interest of mine is push a notch up, like this very moment, coming face to face with a car that is seldom seen plying on our Malaysian roads, the Toyota Ist, and as an added bonus this featured unit is one that is heavily modded.
The owner of this featured Toyota Ist is a petrolhead by nature, whose previous rides had consisted of highly tune modified cars before deciding to settle down (or so he thought) and had thus bought this Toyota Ist as a daily commute. But like most performance car enthusiasts, this ‘settling down’ phase did not last, and his pang of hunger for speed was in dire need of feeding, and thus the journey begins …
| Specification | |
| Engine Mods & Upgrade | Holley NOS 50 shot wet kit, A’pexi Air Intake Kit, Racecraft carbon fibre engine cover
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| E.C.U | HKS F-Con SZ ECU |
| Transmission | TRD 1.5 way LSD, Ogura Clutch + Flywheel
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| Exhaust | Fujitsubo Exhaust system
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| Suspension | Cusco Anti-Roll Bars, Kei Office coil over suspension set, TRD Front Strut Bar, TRD Rear Strut Bar, TRD Chassis Underbody Bracing
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| Brakes | NA
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| Rims & Tyres | Ray Engineering VOLK racing Limited Edition TE37 17x7.5, 17X8.5 Offset 0, Ray Engineering Aluminum Lug Nuts, Goodyear Eagle 245/40/17, Advan Neova 215/40/17
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| Garage | NA
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Recommended Readings
Under the bonnet of the ‘biru-bas-kilang’ AE86, is a four-throttle 1.6L, 16 valve, 4 cylinders 4AGE rev happy engine, which produces an estimated 160 bhp @ 7400 rpm. Although it may be enough for others, it definitely isn’t for the owner of the ‘blue bus’ as the power needed while drifting on a dry track is really demanding. As such, the whole engine internals was dismantled to ensure reliability is taken to the next level, which is near to perfection. Before being resembled, worn bearings and seals were replaced.
Specification
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Engine Mods & Upgrade
| 4AGE Four Throttle Conversion, Standalone Ignition, Fully Rebuilt, Custom Intake Trumpet, Enlargen Throttle Body, Nitrous Oxide System
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E.C.U
| NA
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Transmission
| 5-Speed Manual, Super Single Clutch, LSD Rear Axle
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Exhaust
| 4 to 1, Straigh Flow, Sports Muffler (Jasma)
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Suspension
| Titan Adjustable
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Brakes
| AE86 All Round Disc
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Rims & Tyres
| 15-inch Volks Racing TE37 Wheels, Yokohama Advan Tyres
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Garage
| NA
|
Recommended Readings
Toyota is one of the pioneer in the Japanese car industry that was bold enough to produce sports car in an era when European sports car rule supreme. Their first big break to the mainstream is when the Toyota GT2000 were first introduce to the world in the 1960’s James Bond movie, “You Only Live Twice” starring the best Bond of all time, Sean Connery.
From then onwards, Toyota had continued building sports cars and this had spawn into several different models to suit the demands and taste of consumers. Among them are the entry level Celica, the legendary Levin / Trueno and the big daddy of them all – the Supra. However, it’s the small mid engine sports car that truly gave Toyota its place among sports car legend – the MR2.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 1ZZ-FED 1.8 litre VVT-I |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | Trial turbokit, TD04 turbine, ARC intercooler with water spray, SARD 360cc injectors, Arospeed fuel regulator, Walbro fuel pump |
| Transmission | Stock 6 speed manual with TRD clutch |
| Exhaust | Trial ceramic coated manifold, 5Zigen muffler |
| Suspension | Tein Type Flex with EDFC, 4 point strut bar |
| Brake | Stock disc with Endless brake pads |
| Rims & Tyres | Volk Racing CE28 15” rims, Bridgestone Potenza 195/55 tyres |
| Exterior | TRD front bumper, C-One carbon hood, SARD rear spoiler |
| Interior | Defi meters, Pivot shift light, A’PEXi turbo timer |
Recommended Readings
This featured Toyota Celica is another fine example that showcased the creativity of our very own performance car enthusiasts, starting on a project with an end result that is out of the norm. Darren, the owner loves being different, and this is clearly shown from the car that he drives.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 2.0L |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | 1JZ-GTE Conversion, Custom Intercooler Piping, Walbro 255lp/h Fuel Pump.
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| Transmission | 4-Speed Automatic, Supra Rear Axle
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| Exhaust | Custom Stainless 3 ½” Piping, SuperSprint Exhaust |
| Suspension | PRS Sport Adjustable Suspension Kit, PRS Pillow Ball Mount |
| Brake | 4 Pot Front, 2 Pot Rear |
| Rims & Tyres | Two-Piece 17”, Yokohama |
| Garage | PPA Auto Puchong, Dera Mike Subang, Ah Kong (Tuner) |
Recommended Readings
The MRS, and its predecessor, the MR2 proved to the world that Japan could build a near perfect mid-engine roadster without the huge price tag usually associated with this type of cars. Instead of putting a huge V8 engine in its bay, Toyota decided that their entire mid-engine car needed was a small high revving engine with 50:50 weight distributions, which translate to a joyous drive without the high cost of a supercar. The first generation MR2 is powered by the popular 4AGE and 4AGZE engine which found fame with the Levin family of cars. Later model introduced the 3S-GTE engine which makes the MR2 a very powerful mid-engine sports car. The last of its breed, the MRS used a rather sedate 1ZZ-FED 1.8 liter engine, taming the car a little but nonetheless, retains its good handling characteristics.
| Specification | |
| Engine | 1ZZ-FED 1.8 litre VVT-i |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | NIL
|
| Transmission | Stock 5 speed automatic with sequential shift gearbox
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| Exhaust | Custom manifold, custom muffler with quad tips |
| Suspension | TRD absorbers and springs |
| Brake | Stock |
| Rims & Tyres | Estatus Eastmax VS-Style 18”, Falken ZE912 215/35/18 |
| Garage | NIL |
Recommended Readings
It’s 2007 and the most anticipated movie of all time to hit the cinema for a kid who grew up in the 1980’s was the Transformers, an action movie that was a dream come true, watching their beloved animated characters come to live. Although die-hard fans of the animation series criticized the movie as not being true to its origins, it did deter millions of fans from flocking to the cinema to watch this blockbuster.
David is one of the millions of Transformers fans who had watched the movie and fell in love with it. Although most kids (or kids at heart) dreamt of being Optimus Prime or Bumblebee, David prefers to be one of the bad guys!
| Specification | |
| Engine | 3S-GTE |
| ENGINE MODS & COMPONENTS UPGRADE | Garret turbine, Top Gun plug cables, ZerOne silicone hose |
| Transmission | Stock 5 speed manual |
| Exhaust | Custom 3” pipe with HKS Hiper Drager muffler |
| Suspension | Tein adjustable shock absorbers, Tein adjustable pillow mounts |
| Brake | Stock |
| Rims & Tyres | RSR 17” / Falken 215/45/17 |
| Exterior | Carlos Sainz special edition front hood, “Barricade” colour scheme |
| Interior | Elevo steering wheel, aluminum gear knob, PRO boost meter, A’PEXi turbo timer |
Recommended Readings
