Not everybody can be a checkbook customizer. You know the type. While you and your friends are staring at a wall of wheels you guys can't afford, these kinds of ballers pull out their wallets and say, "Give me everything, and let's have it installed today. By the way, would you mind grabbing me an orange mocha frappuccino?" It's nice to have money and all, but this business is all about being different and doing what you can with what you have. But every now and then we see a car that's owner-built and can really turn heads.
Sisavanh Kongpaseuth (try saying that five times fast without someone else saying gesundheit) is one of those hands-on, do-it-yourself-type of guys who wants his car to be a reflection of his personality. Having owned several other Japanese imports in the past (Accord, CRX, and Supra), Sisavanh has a pretty good idea of what it takes to make a car go fast and look good. His latest is this '93 Toyota MR2 Turbo. He knew he had some work ahead of him, but the desire to get creative was overwhelming. The outside is where you see the most changes. The front bumper was imported directly through Border in Japan; there are only a handful of these in the States. The sides were given the street sweeper look with a set of Gracer side skirts. And last but not least, bringing up the rear to smooth out the exiting airflow is a rear valance from a Ferrari F355. Sisavanh grafted all the parts and pieces to the body, and then modified them to fit where necessary with the help of Midway Auto. Multiple coats of Dodge Viper Red were applied for a little extra head-turning insurance. The rear trunk area shows off the Bomex air scoops and carbon-fiber engine lid, which were designed to help extract any heat created from within the engine bay. A Kaminari Wing helps round out the aerodynamics package. H&R springs lower the car to a more road kill-producing height and help bring the fenderwells down around the 17- and 18-inch Velox hoops wrapped in Kumho rubber.
Because power is such a big deal in this sport, Sisavanh decided to step up his game by swapping in a Japan-spec 3S-GTE motor. With this setup, few modifications were needed since it's pretty stout from the factory. By using an HKS metal head gasket, the overall compression was lowered to withstand higher boost levels. A GReddy TD05H turbo was installed in place of the factory unit, and an HKS internal wastegate was added to regulate and maintain high levels of boost pressure. Relieving the turbo system of compressed air and preventing compressor surge is a HKS Super Sequential blow-off valve, which has been mated to the OEM piping, while a GReddy boost controller is on hand to monitor boost settings. The power is then translated into burning rubber through a TRD Quickshifter, which works in conjunction with an ACT clutch and an aftermarket LSD.
The interior of the MR2 is pretty cramped, not to mention difficult to customize. With that in mind, an Alpine CD head unit was thrown in place and hooked up to a pair of Sony amps, pushing out a total of 720 watts of power into the separates and the two 8-inch Bazooka bass tubes. That's enough to knock anybody out of those Sparco Torino seats and leave them laying on the ground holding the MOMO steering wheel in their hands.
There aren't a lot of these MR2s around on the scene, and that's one reason why Sisavanh chose this ride as a blank canvas. He also saved money by doing the grunt work himself. With the way this car turned out, we'd be surprised if he didn't open his own shop someday. But a strong word of advice: you might want to learn how to say his name before walking up to him with a checkbook in hand and asking him to build one for you.
Fast FactsOwner Sisavanh KongpaseuthRide '93 Toyota MR2 TurboHometown San Diego
Daily Grind Electronic technician