Wekfest Japan: Two Toyotas & A Nissan

How do you like your AE86s? Are you a purist who prefers to focus on function and keep things simple? Or do you value presentation as much as performance, and like to mix both for best results?

If it’s the latter, then you’ll likely have plenty of time for the Hachirokus built by Ikeda-san at Inazuma Worx.

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Last year at Wekfest Japan, Ikeda-san impressed us with his race-ready 1UZ-swapped AE86. For 2022 he’s impressed again, but this time around with a further evolution of his own Trueno.

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It’s been a few years since I’ve seen this car, and it’s only gotten better with time. The super-clean 4A-GE 20V swap is the stuff of AE86 dreams, and the detailed motor sits beautifully in the shaved and wire-tucked engine bay.

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I noticed that Ikeda-san has done away with a polished look for the cam covers and gone back to a glossy black finish. He’s now also running longer velocity stacks, a new octopus-style header and an upgraded ignition system.

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Ikeda-san really has an eye for it. He take the details that made the AE86 so unique and special, and then boosts them up a few notches.

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Take the custom wheels for example. These have been built around AE86 OEM wheel centers which were modified and bolted onto a wider rim. They’re aggressive, but still retain a factory-like look.

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Like the exterior, the interior remains mostly stock. In here, modifications are limited to a Nardi steering wheel, Recaro seat, and a Haltech iC-7 LCD data-logger/digital dash mounted in a custom panel. This connects directly to the Haltech Elite engine management system controlling the engine.

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Could this be the most perfect restomodded 86 ever?

An N/A R30 Dropped To The Ground

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Do you like slammed, boxy ’80s goodness?

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If so, then much like myself, you won’t be able to keep your eyes off this R30. It’s not that it’s just an old Nissan Skyline with an aggressive stance, but the complete package.

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One look in the engine bay and you’ll understand what I mean. There wasn’t much info on this car and I desperately tried to find someone to talk to about it, but alas we can only draw conclusions from what can be seen. The FJ20ET motor, with its electronic quad throttle bodies, open velocity stacks, coil-on-plug ignition and a set of very nice headers appears to be a well-refined setup.

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Looks-wise, the body has been left original, save for the addition of a chin spoiler and some gentle reworking of the rear fenders to accommodate what we might as well call ‘polite onikyan’.

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The interior has mismatched race seats, a bolt-in cage and a Stack dash.

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What do you think?

How To Correct Bump-Steer

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The second Toyota of this post is a KE74 Corolla wagon owned by one of the Lowbrain crew.

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Aside from the fact that these wagons make for my favorite type of drift cars, this one has pushed things a few steps further. One look through its rear hatch and all is revealed.

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Basically, the owner was getting annoyed at the amount of bump-steer that the car was getting when drifting at tracks like Nikko. Handy with CAD, he went and redesigned the entire rear suspension layout basing it around an S13 subframe. Due to the lack of space, he positioned the dampers in the trunk where they’re actuated through a long pushrod connected to the lower arms.

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It’s totally nuts, but in the best possible way.

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This is one build I’m sure you will all appreciate. But it’s not my last from Wekfest Japan 2022, so stay tuned for more.

Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
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