When it comes to cars, Canadians are experts in only two kinds: winter beaters and Zambonis. At least that's what you'd think. In reality, there's a thriving enthusiast scene up there. Just take a look at British Columbian Duane Stephens' killer 1989 MKIII Supra Turbo.
Stephens is the owner of Carbonfibre F/X Bodywerks Ltd., and a longtime musclecar man. When he totaled his stock 240SX and needed a new beater, his company showpiece was a 12-second '79 Oldsmobile Cutlass.
Perusing the local used-car lots looking for a replacement, he stumbled upon this 1989 Supra. Stephens didn't know much about Supras, but it had good power and he thought it would make a snazzy winter car. The Supra soon limped to Stephens' home, leaking every fluid imaginable.
After a prolonged shop visit, Stephens got the Supra back on the road, but remember it was his beater. With the exception of a few dragstrip runs, Stephens drove the Supra in snow and rain only. Within a short time, however, Stephens found a new respect for the Toyota and decided to give the car a new life.
Performance-wise, the Supra was completely overhauled with some good ol' musclecar tricks combined with the latest in import technology. The 7M-GTE was treated to a 0.020-inch overbore, stuffed with JE forged pistons and shot-peened and polished ARP connecting rods. Keeping the head on the block are ARP head studs and sealing it is an HKS 2mm head gasket. AEM adjustable cam gears time everything correctly and Unorthodox underdrive pulleys spin all of the accessories.
Air enters the engine through a K&N-shod 64.6mm throttle body, is compressed by a GReddy TD-06H 20G Turbo and chilled by a custom intercooler. Stephens also port matched and polished the intake.
Fuel is pumped by a 255 lph Denso fuel pump through an Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator and is mixed with the forced charge through RC Engineering 550cc injectors.
The spent charge exits through a ceramic-coated exhaust manifold and ceramic-coated GReddy 3-inch downpipe and 3-inch sport exhaust. A GReddy Turbo Timer, GReddy Profec-B boost controller and GReddy twin Type-S blow-off valves make sure nothing blows up unexpectedly.
A Fluidyne aluminum radiator, Earls oil cooler with twin filters and a Tru-Cool power-steering cooler make sure Stephens doesn't get stranded. Controlling overall performance is an Electromotive TEC-II stand-alone computer, which enables Stephens to tune the car via laptop at the track.
Under the hood, the Supra has been slathered with more custom chrome parts than we can list, including a valve cover, alternator, timing belt cover, accelerator cable bracket, and every bolt and bracket. Even the intake side of the turbo has gotten the chrome treatment.
Running C-16 race fuel and 18 psi of boost, Stephens says the Supra has posted 362 hp at the rear wheels. And that was without running the NOS Cheater kit, which was converted to a fogger system, and is controlled by custom solenoids.
Backing this stout package is another traditional musclecar appointment, an automatic transmission. Once Stephens finished the engine, the original transmission promptly blew up and was rebuilt for more strength by Bill Bowering. Bill added a custom shift kit with manual valve body and an ATG 3300-rpm stall torque converter, which, paired with a Hurst line-lock, enable Stephens to build at least 10 psi before launching off the line.
Putting the power to the pavement are custom-built rear trailing arms and a strained stock differential. 1994 MKIV Supra Twin-Turbo wheels add style and Michelin Pilots lay big rubber strips on demand. Stock brakes attempt to bring the car to a halt.
Engine and mechanical bits aside, it's the odd mix of visual cues from various decades that initially warrant a closer look at this car. First, Stephens created an aggressive fiberglass front bumper and carbon-fiber/Kevlar intercooler block-off plate to give the MKIII an unique look and direct airflow. But the real attention grabber is the carbon-fiber hood. Look at it closely and you'll see what we're talking about. Hood-mounted gauges, just like dad's '69 GTO. Stephens fit the custom piece with mechanical Autometer fuel and oil pressure gauges, which he says are needed to keep a close watch on the underhood cacophony. Topping off the hood are classic musclecar hood pins.
Inside, the amalgamation of styles from the '60s through the '00s continues. The dashboard is filled with Carbonfibre F/X gauge panels and classic Autometer gauges, monitoring everything from nitrous to boost to transmission temperature. A Lotek pod houses additional meters.
Carbonfibre F/X door sills add a little bit of high tech, but retro smacks you in the face via a six-point, NHRA-approved roll cage. To keep Stephens and his wife safely planted, the stock front seats wear five-point RCI Racing harnesses. The rear seat was tossed for weight's sake. Completing the mixed look is a removable Grant steering wheel, an Optima trunk-mounted battery and a custom starter switch.
The Supra was completed a mere hour or so before Stephens and his wife left for the 2002 Supras Invade Las Vegas VI show, where it won Cleanest MKIII Engine and Best of Show - MKIII Wild. The trip was not without adventure, however, including sleeping in the no-longer reclining seats after failing to nest in the rear-seat well behind the cage.
Stephens and his better half left Sin City with a need for more awards at next year's meet. Since Vega,s he says he's completely redone the suspension with TEIN HA components, added even more chrome, improved the brakes and has put the hefty Supra on a diet with Sparco components. Stephens is also converting to a manual transmission because he's experienced two more transmission failures. He hopes the five-speed will fare better behind the monster engine.
Stephens would like to thank Lowell and Tom at L&R Racing, Cam at Diablo Power Products and Titan Motorsports for helping him create a car that has now relegated his Cutlass to beater status. The biggest kudos go to his crew at Carbonfibre F/X (www.carbonfibrefx.com) and his business partner, who began calling this car the "Test Mule" because not only did Stephens use the car for development of new components, but also it was such a pain in the ass to build.
And this mule kicks serious ass.