As we mentioned, there was more urethane than chrome at this year’s Toyotafest. Still, it’s the strong presence of Aichi classics that anchor this must-see event and separate it from other shows.
Ray Santos is known for his F20C-powered Celica, so we knew his latest project would hold some kind of surprise underhood. Right away you notice a more American flavor to it, with its 15-inch steelies shod with beauty rings. Could they, along with the Mooneyes sticker, offer a clue to where this build is headed?
This time Ray’s gone in a completely different direction: Lexus 1UZ. The quad cammer barely squeezes into the engine bay, but the V8-powaaaah means the overall look makes sense now, doesn’t it?
We’ve always liked this mean green flared Celica. Whether it was the owner’s intention or not, it always reminds of Toyota’s works racers of the 1970s. It’s hard to pull off a vintage look while wearing a coat of modern, multi-stage metallic paint, but this car manages to do it.
Joel Tan‘s TE27 is another example of an excellent period correct mango build. With 13-inch TOSCO TRD wheels and a bright-but-not-retina-searing coat of luscious orange it really captures the Toyotafest spirit.
Next to Joel’s Corolla sat Eugene Garcia‘s 1984 Starlet reppin’ Racetoys. Deriding Toyotas as beige (ie, boring) has become a thing now, which is why we love the fact that Eugene has kept his innocuous little hatchback its factory color. That’s especially true when you realize it’s powered by a GReddy turbocharged 4A-GE making around 300 horses. Beige? Ha!
Stephen Salazar proves that you don’t need to be a Datsun 510 to rock a banzai flag. He is, however, running the original 4K motor with a clean and simple set of Supra alloys. The next day, we saw Stephen and his Starlet on Interstate 10 heading home to Arizona and gave him a big thumbs up.
One of our favorite A20s was back, and seeing Kirk Hubbard‘s blue beauty on the lawn of Queen Mary Park we noticed that it looked smaller and lighter than other Celicas. We stared at it for a long time trying to figure out why that was, and came to the conclusion that its stance on 55-series tires was only part of the equation. More so, it’s lack of a spoiler, fender mirrors, and flares meant that everything was contained within the silhouette of the car, and paired with the airy Scandinavian Sky color, it seemed almost ghostly.
Celicas get all the love, but the rare Toyota Carina deserves some too. Sadly, the Celica’s platform sibling was sold only for two years in the US, 1972-73. A drop on 14-inch Hoshino Impuls is all this car needs to be a head turner.
We love the simplicity of this TE72 Corolla two-door sedan. Sometimes all you need is a drop and a set of meshies. You really don’t need fender mirrors on everything, especially when the factory paint is so nice.
Another TE72, this time a zenki instead of a kouki, four-door instead of a two-door, Ewings rather than SSRs, and slightly different shade of brown. We dig these E70s precisely because they’re clean and not overdone. They’re just solid examples of a car that’s getting harder and harder to find in unmolested condition.
Oscar Cabatuando‘s Starlet takes a different tack, with replica N2 flares and a 4A-GE fed by a bank of old school Mikuni 44s. The wide body kit lets Oscar rock super-aggressive 14×9.5 front and 14×11 rear fitment on his li’l RWD hatch.
Toyotafest is organized by TORC, the Toyota Owners and Restorers Club, and its Prez Joji Luz always has something special in store for the event. This year it was a cherry TE27 Sprinter Trueno.
Though it started life as a USDM mango it’s been converted to a 2T-G twin cam. With more and more genuine TE27s coming across the Pacific we wonder, will there ever be a day when USDM SR-5s will be worth more with the stock 2T-C?
One of Joji’s former cars was this butterscotch 1973 Corona Mark II, one of the few wagon specimens at this year’s show. We wouldn’t touch a single carpet fiber on this thing.
Ben Fernandez‘s E70 Corolla sedan is a regular at shows all over SoCal, but for Toyotafest he went with a quasi-rally look, complete with roof rack carrying a spare set of wheels.
A bank of Hella driving lights line the front, ready to cut through the darkness during nighttime driving theatrics.
You’re probably thinking it rides too low to be a rally car, and you’d be right. A closer inspection of the roof rack shows a set of Hoosier slicks wrapping those TOSCOs.
We remember Joel Lago‘s 3S-GE-powered TE72 from last year, but he’s since added a air dam and Bosch driving lights. The motor is a work of mechanical art, and a glimpse from last year’s coverage is highly recommended if you like engine porn.
A local dealer imported this kujira Crown sedan. In black it’s the ideal conveyance for a 1970s sales executive. That, or a ward-level government staff car. Interestingly, it has wheel covers from a Toyota Century.
Ruston Calisch‘s 1978 Cressida wagon is a stunning example of originality. It has 103,000 miles on the clock, but it’s state of preservation is simply astounding. This car sold for $8,400 in 1978. How much do you suppose it’s worth now?
We close this installment with Lloyd Letherman’s brain-frying 2JZ-powered X30. The awesome butame Cressida of Sparkle Garage fame has been a pioneer of bosozoku-style here in the states.
One model, two paths. We’ll have much more 2013 Toyotafest coverage coming up, but for now, in case you missed it, check out Part 01.
Wow, so very many nice cars. I think Mr. Salazar’s Starlet would be my favourite with the surprisingly awesome effect of the Supra wheels, but there is just so much eye candy that it’s only an anago over unagi choice. All are awesome.
Can someone please help me register for this site. I was registered along time ago, but keep trying to reregister. It keeps telling me that im not answering the robot question correctly. Please help!!!!!!!!!!!! i have a 68 crown wagon. 77 hilux and 70 corona, should be enough to get me into the club,, thank you!!!!
Ugh – I have to move out of Illinois and move to California…….
The red Trueno Sprinter is a clone, And a very nice clone at that. It started life as a US spec SR5. Toyota never made a left hand drive version of this car. Other clues are as follows: * The Trueno did not come with grooved front and rear windshield seals, the groves were for the USDM and the rest of the world Corolla S5, SR, & SR5 for installing Chrome inserts. * the biggest give away that most “JDM clone” vehicles forget to change is the rear license plate bolt holes, the Japanese model have their bolt holes more spread apart due to their larger license plate. * The door panels on the JDM Trueno has a single plastic strip in fake chrome that just goes straight, the non Trueno including the JDM Levin, has this same chrome strip, but it curves up towards the front and sits midway on the inner door panel. The JDM Trueno also has a different front section behind the front grill and headlight bezels that allow for the proper mounting of the Trueno trim, the one shown at Toyotafest has had the front grill modified and several brackets have been added to make the front facia fit. * The Trueno including the JDM Levin came with vented sport seats, the USDM including this car has the non-vented version* If you notice, this car had a fiberglass hood or bonnet, the Trueno had a different hood that the Levin or the USDM SR,S-5,SR-5. Since an original hood is really had to locate even in Japan, they settled for a fiberglass copy. There are many more little subtle differences but those are the most obvious. I still think this car is beautiful, I hung around it longer than any of the other cars there. I just wanted to point out the differences between a JDM Trueno , the JDM Levin, and the Corolla that the rest of the world gets.
-Big Mike Muniz
Thanks for the detailed lesson, Mike. Very educational!
I think that so far all the cars are pretty sweet!
Hope to see more Starlets!
The light blue Corolla on Watanabes.
78′ or 79′ ??
(Greatness).
Joel’s custom blue Corolla (almost like the FJ Cruiser blue) is a 1981 model, it sits on RS Watanabe R-Type 14×9” -19 offset wheels; Falken Ziex 912 195/60R14 tires.
that mean, green flared celica is awesome! and, well, i noticed… is the car’s owner a filipino? because i saw the car wearing philippine license plates
One thing i love about these kind of shows is the variety of paint colors. The automotive paint palette of the early 70’s was, in my opinion, a high point of vibrant and enthusiastic color choices. No time before or since has the industry offered such a dizzying array of gorgeous (and merely interesting) hues.
Hats off to all rocking the crayon colors!
On the 4dr TE72 the wheels are Work Ewing mesh in size 13’s. I don’t think is a common size so it would make this Kinda rare! If you make a web search it’s 15″ & 16″ all day but no 13×7 work ewing mesh…..!
http://www.importtuner.com/wtg/impp_1105_old_school_vintage_wheels/photo_06.html
Arigato, noted!
Hi it’s Antoine from malta Europe can anyone help me to find those chrome trim rings around the headlights for the cressida 1978. Thanks in advance for any help.
hi antoine min int jiena ray pulis .andi 2 corona mk11 mx12 u mx22.jekk inkun naf xi haga nghidlekk.liema cressida ghandek ax ftit kien hawn minnhom.sahha.ray
hi its raypul from malta europe .is that corona mk11 wagon the one that made the movie.all toys are cool.i wish i was there with them with mine