Prime Cut: How To Build The Ultimate Trueno – A-Z Eventz

If you wish to construct the last word mid-’80s rear-wheel drive Toyota, it seems you don’t want to start out with an AE86.

As it sits in the present day, this 1987 Toyota Sprinter Trueno SR is about as far faraway from the base-model AE85 econobox it rolled off Toyota’s manufacturing line as, as you may get, and proprietor Eiji Daito of Hiroshima-based tuning store Total Create E.Prime wouldn’t have it another method.

This wide-fendered Trueno is painted in Solar Orange, an unique color used on restricted version Toyota 86s. It’s a becoming hue actually, contemplating the it’s distinctive to a automotive that’s itself a rebirth of an ’80s legend. Daito-san too, has given new life to a really fundamental three-door hatchback.

Considering the quantity of chopping up, slicing out, grinding and spot seam-welding that has gone on with this Trueno, the truth that the construct began with a (comparatively) cheap base mannequin AE85 makes complete sense. Because in case you didn’t know, as with all different fashionable Japanese efficiency vehicles from the ’80s and ’90s, real AE86s are price a fairly penny today.

Like the AE86, the AE85 hit the streets of Japan again in 1983. It shared the identical chassis and fundamental physique work of its sports-grade sibling, however as a substitute of a 4A-GE below the hood the AE85 was fitted with a vanilla 1.5L 3A-U SOHC engine that returned nice gas economic system – excellent for retirees and cash-conscious college students on the time.

Despite its humble underpinnings, does the chassis quantity make Daito-san’s creation any much less of a race-ready, show-stopper? Absolutely not. Forget concerning the numbers and prefixes; what Daito-san has constructed is his model of final rear-wheel drive AE-chassis Toyota.

And like most of Daito-san’s AE-chassis builds, this one is ready up for grip. Inside and out, it’s fantastically easy.

While chatting to Daito-san about his love for the Toyota platform, he advised me firmly that he hates factory-standard vehicles. Understandably then, he’s used an ultra-wide Pandem entrance bumper, over-fenders, aspect skirts, rear below spoiler and duck tail, together with J Blood carbon door panels, rear hatch, bonnet and rear bumper spoilers to beef up the Trueno’s manufacturing facility traces.

There’s additionally a Work Shop Takumi dry carbon roof and wiper cowl, plus HPI aspect and rear acrylic window, and Craft Square carbon door mirrors.

To fill these super-wide FRP arches, Daito-san is working a set of RAYS Volk Racing TE37V SL 2021 Limited wheels in a 15×10-inch (-25 offset) fitment, which coupled with 225/50R15 Yokohama Advan A050 semi-slicks interprets to grip for days.

A light-weight and completely balanced rear-wheel drive chassis made the AE86 a favorite amongst beginner drifters and professional racing groups again in ’80s, and 40-odd years later it’s nonetheless appreciated, solely now as a basic. The different factor that folks have at all times liked concerning the Hachiroku is the high-revving, 1.6L twin cam 16-valve 4A-GE energy plant up entrance. So let’s pop that hood and see what Daito-san has put in in his dream machine…

Obviously it’s not a 4A-GE, however Daito-san has stayed true to the Toyota lineage by becoming a 3S-GE BEAMS Dual VVT-i engine from an SXE10 Altezza RS200. Just just like the 4A-GE, this engine had its cylinder head developed by Yamaha.

Fitting the two.0L motor within the Trueno’s now wire-tucked and detailed bay was made an entire lot simpler because of JSP Fab billet engine mounts and an SQ Engineering slimline rear housing for further firewall clearance.

In inventory type the Altezza engine made 200hp, however thanks to some choose modifications, Daito-san’s is unquestionably making just a few extra ponies now. On the consumption aspect, the engine contains a Weldspeed billet consumption manifold with Bosch Motorsport digital throttle physique, and a JSP Fab billet gas rail.

On the exhaust aspect you’ll discover a one-off, and really lovely, E.Prime 4-2-1 chrome steel header. The un-silenced stainless exhaust system exits below the passenger aspect door with a neat flat-bottom outlet.

Other upgrades embrace a Ross Performance harmonic damper, flat-mounted GReddy aluminium radiator and a Link G4+ plug ‘n’ play Altezza engine administration system.

What goes properly with a 3S-GE BEAMS engine? The corresponding J160 6-speed handbook gearbox in fact. As with the engine, JSP Fab’s billet transmission mount – together with their 3S-GE-to-AE86 shifter relocation package – made becoming the gearbox a simple affair. An ATS carbon clutch transfers the ability.

Ultimately, Daito-san want to match an Altezza RS200 rear finish in his Trueno, however for now a kouki T-series strong axle suffices with a TRD restricted slip differential.

As effectively as constructing vehicles like this, E.Prime additionally has a line of Levin/Trueno tuning elements. The coilover set fitted to Daito-san’s Trueno is an efficient instance of a lifetime’s price of R&R distilled into elements that bolt proper in. As for the brakes, the entrance finish now advantages from a pair of Endless 4-pot monoblock callipers and 270mm Mazda FC3S RX-7 rotors, and the rear a 258mm setup.

There’s no mistaking the Trueno’s objective while you open a door. Creature comforts have given approach to a full race inside that includes a welded and gusseted E.Prime 14-point chromoly roll cage, customized carbon fibre dashboard, a Buddyclub bucket seat, Nardi steering wheel, TRD shift knob and a Link MXS 1.2 Strata Race Edition digital show. A Nissan accelerator pedal for the digital throttle physique can also be used.

Coincidently, the cabin is painted in the identical Subaru Legacy blue as the outside of Daito-san’s turbocharged AE86 Levin 2-door coupe that we featured on 86 Day earlier within the month.

It’s superb what you are able to do with a fundamental Toyota ’80s shell and 20 years of trade know-how. The match and end is great, the paintwork flawless, the fabrication world class, and the sound this factor makes is rowdy. Have a hear for your self.

In order to maintain his enterprise booming, sadly Daito-san doesn’t simply solely construct Levins and Truenos (his blue S13 Silvia pictured above is a standout), however given the selection, I feel that’s precisely what he would do. Daito-san’s definitely received sufficient of them peppered throughout his property, so I’m positive this gained’t be the final AE demo automotive creation we see from E.Prime.