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Street Racing Illustrated | “For the Love”

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For the Love

A generationally owned MK3 Supra that is more than just eye – candy

Story | Phillip Pratt

Photos | Phillip Pratt / Gerald Burke

 

Daryl’s 1989 MKIII Supra

 

Getting bit by the “car bug” as a young adult is a hallowed time. A fresh license and a newfound sense of freedom. Nothing like it. Still, there is something to be said by having it ingrained into your upbringing. It’s more than just an adopted culture or learned habit. It’s a lifestyle. It’s your breath, your every thought and only real concern. Nowadays with social media feeding us new ideas and inspirations every minute of the day, video games, and cinema; it’s even more encompassing. It allows perspective tuners to immerse themselves in the lifestyle while they are still deciding whether they want to reach the pedals or see over the steering wheel while playing in their parent’s parked car. Daryl Seepersad is such a person and his 1JZ – swapped MKIII Supra is all the better for it.

 

Daryl’s 1989 MKIII Supra

 

The 1989 base model Toyota in question originally belonged to his father, the proprietor of Lincoln Auto Body Creations (also known as ‘LAB Creations’). The family – owned operation helped incubate Daryl’s passion, while dreams of driving the Supra and making it his own, lit his imagination aflame. Growing up in what many would incorrectly consider being the “millennial age”, Daryl, like most of us, embraced simulator games such as “Need for Speed” as well as movies, namely the “The Fast and the Furious” franchise. While some may scoff at such a thing, don’t be so short – sighted.

 

Daryl’s 1989 MKIII Supra

 

Being able to constantly reconfigure hyper-realistic digital models helped do what many of us couldn’t; avoid the pitfalls of ‘trial and error’. It was on these games that Daryl, with the help of the good people at LAB Creations, created and laid on thick coats of custom paint he named “Japanese Sunrise” on his Toyota. If you came to the conclusion that the spicy orange he painted the Supra originated from his exposure to the original ‘Fast and Furious’ movie, you’d be right. Daryl has a deep admiration and appreciation of what the movie series did for the tuner culture, especially Paul Walker

“[he] was my idol…” Daryl remembers. “I wanted to be just like him.”

 

Daryl’s 1989 MKIII Supra

 

His journey from dreamer to owner wasn’t without its difficulties, however. He junked his first car (a PT Cruiser) while boosting 24psi. It was at that point where he probably chose to take things a bit more seriously. After acquiring the not – to – stock MKIII from his father, he decided on the now vaunted 2500cc 1JZ VVTi motor. Seeing as the engine was only native to Japan and Australia at the time of sourcing, there was little to no aftermarket or even OEM support stateside. Thanks to some custom manufacturing and ordering some key parts from Japan, by way of Texas, Daryl and his mechanic Andrew Gibbs, were able to give the Supra a second life.

 

1JZ swapped 1989 MKIII Supra

 

The fully built ARP block is stuffed with CP 9:1 compression pistons among other pieces. The head sports a set of Brian Crower titanium springs and retainers. The ports are gasket matched on both the intake and exhaust sides and hold a custom made exhaust manifold. A Borgwarner S366 turbo makes the power for the Supra, as a Tial wastegate and BOV expel excess pressure from the system keeping it safe and under control. Fuel is adequately delivered the 1JZ with a Sard fuel rail and Injector Dynamics ID1300cc stainless injectors and controlled with an Aeromotive regulator.

 

Engine management is taken care of by a Professional EFI Systems Pro128 unit that offers everything from ignition timing to two-step launch control. Making sure all the power finds its way to the floor is a R1 54 tranny built by drivetrain experts, Marlin Crawler, while a Competition Stage – 5 clutch, Weir differential and aluminum flywheel with ARP fasteners, help with the transfer of power.

 

Daryl’s 1989 MKIII Supra

 

Daryl’s Supra sits on a classic set of staggered 18” Volk GTC wheels, w rapped in Achilles ATR Sport 2 tires. For racing duty, Daryl switches the rubber to MT Slicks. Tucked behind those legendary rims are Brembo brakes, which reliably accept the vehicles’ stopping duties. With the rolling stock taken care of, Daryl chose a se t of Megan Trak Pro coilovers to keep his MKIII securely floating over the pavement, while a combination of ST and Cusco braces sure – up the chassis. Adding that extra bit of strength and security to the suspension are Battle Version cambers and toe arms.

 

Daryl’s 1989 MKIII Supra

 

Getting back to that “Japanese Sunrise” paint we spoke of earlier, I believe it’s safe to say these photos don’t do it any justice. From afar the paint can appear to be red, especially out of direct light. It’s not until you get a bit closer is it obvious that the Supra sports that fantastic pearlescent orange. Underneath the oceans of color is a custom made hood and handcrafted, metal, wide – body that gives the Toyota a much beefier look than you would find in its stock form. Again, all done in-house by LAB Creations.

 

1989 MIII Toyota Supra

 

From the dreams of a video game playing, movie watching, kid, to the envy of any who see it, this vision of an MKIII Toyota Supra is more than a project to Daryl. It is a hallmark of creativity, ingenuity and a reminder of how far he and his family have come. Like he acquired it from his father, Daryl plans to pass the Supra down to his son or daughter in kind, but don’t worry, he’s not rushing things “Until that happens I plan to enjoy it!”

 

Daryl’s 1989 MKIII Supra

 

Instagram: @disisntdaryl

 

Street Racing Illustrated | “Jill of All Trades”

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Jill of all Trades

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

Story | Phillip Pratt

Photos | Ralph Gabaldon

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

We’ve all seen the decal “Built not Bought” pasted on windows at every show, meet or parking lot we’ve been to in the last five or so years. In reality (where most of us live), very few can say they performed all the work on their car. And by “work”, I don’t mean installing a new intake, or even painstakingly swapping out the spark plugs on a Subaru. It’s the reason why shops exist and professional technicians can charge upwards of $50 an hour in labor. While we are all enthusiasts, most of us don’t have the expertise, confidence, or patience to acquire the knowledge necessary to build our dreams into reality. Now that we’ve outlined that small minority of enthusiasts, take that image and turn it into a woman. Crazy, right? Ok, just for kicks, let’s name her Aisha Christian and imagine she built, with her own two hands, one of the most awe-inspiring complete, turbocharged B-series, Honda Civic hatchbacks you’ve ever seen. Got it? Great, now start subtly nodding your head in respect, because every word you just read is true.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

Honda Civics are a plentiful breed in the tuning ecosystem. They are so plentiful, in fact, it is hard to find standouts among the throngs of coupes, sedans, and hatchbacks. It really isn’t hard to make a Civic look good (funny though, spend enough time in Pep Boys, it’s easy to make an ugly one). What makes Aisha’s 1997 hatchback special has more to do with its builder than its bolts. Many moons ago, the alternator of her first car, a 1990′ Civic, did what alternators normally do when you don’t have the money to deal with it. It died. After shelling out what she believed to be too much for a simple repair job, Aisha purchased a Honda repair manual and never looked back.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

“They charged me $250, not including the cost of the alternator,” she remembers. “I was so upset that I had to pay someone that much money to do something so simple. Something that I was capable of doing myself.” If you’re not aware of what’s inside that book of spells, it covers everything from basic maintenance, to a complete engine tear down; obviously, a chapter Aisha didn’t skip a single page of. She’s responsible for everything on her car, short of machining and bodywork.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

Like everything else with the Honda breed, deciding on the power plant can be one of the most daunting of tasks. These days, many builders choose the newer, larger displacement, K-series motors. In Aisha’s case, she decided to be more of a traditionalist. She went with the tried and true B-series for her hatch, and not just something sourced from another car. Under the hood, you’ll find a B16 head married to a B18C1 (GSR) block; a classic set-up among Honda enthusiasts, especially those that have forced induction on the mind. In preparation for the snail, the lower half of the engine was expertly fitted with a set of Supertech 9.0:1 pistons with Eagle rods, crank, and a Golden Eagle block guard. Legendary names like Skunk2 and AEM join in on the fun supplying the EJ with an intake manifold, fuel rail, and pressure regulator as well as cam gears that Aisha always seems to keep spotless. Fastened to a Blackworks manifold is a Borg Warner S200SX-E T4 turbo, mated to a T3 turbine housing. A Tial blow-off valve and wastegate handle the expulsion of excess pressure from the system, whilst a Treadstone intercooler brings the charged air to lower temps. A Competition Stage 5 clutch and X pressure plate help transfer all this power the floor, and there are a handful of ego-thrashed natives of the West Palm Beach International Raceway that can attest to this fact.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

If you look at Aisha’s hatch and it reminds you of something else, it should, if your V-Dub fan, anyway. The eye-catching spicy hue is named Magma Orange, sourced from a Fahrenheit Edition 07′ VW GTI. The 97′ front end underwent surgery and was upgraded to that of a 99′-00′, EDM power adjustable headlights, and sports a JBlood bumper with a gorgeous, one of its kind Kevlar lip. Adding a couple angles to the car’s particularly rounded rear is a Bomex wing. The Civic is equipped with a set of 15×7 Work Emotion CR Kai wheels, wrapped in Hankook Ventus R-S3 rubber, proving that Aisha wanted nothing less than the best for her ride. Stopping duties are handled by Wilwood DynaPro series 4-pot brakes. Allowing the hatch to hover securely above the pavement are a set of Function& Form Type 1 coil-overs, enhanced with FRP Eibach springs. To better manage body roll Aisha installed an ASR subframe brace, Beaks tie bar with front and rear cambers and a traction bar provided by Hard Race.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

The interior of the EJ is no less impressive than anywhere else. The dash and trim look as new as they did rolling off the showroom floor. Her gauges aren’t squeezed into every crevasse possible, but tastefully and functionally placed in the most appropriate of places. Ensuring she’s securely planted inside while pulling Gs, Aisha installed a lovely pair of Recaro seats, and color matched the inserts of the doors with the same sexy red. Her ‘racecar meets street-dream’ approach is completed with an NRG quick release hub and a Momo steering wheel combo.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

By no stretch of the imagination is Aisha’s Civic a secret in the South Florida scene. She’s pulled down awards from Wekfest, Clean Culture, and Honda Fest, while still managing to snatch wins in front of thousands at SRMS track events. But she’s not satisfied, nor does she plan to slow down. Aisha harbors aspirations to install a roll cage, lighten the body, and get into Circuit Racing. Like I’ve heard from so many before her, Aisha doesn’t do it for the accolades or recognition. “My biggest achievement is ‘self- achievement’, it’s such a good feeling knowing to myself that when I look at my car, I did that.” It’s a sense of accomplishment, setting out to do something and completing it. Even though I consider my car as still ‘under-construction’. It’s a never-ending project. I always want to do more…”

Amen, sister. Amen.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

Instagram: @aisha_ladybuilt