| BILL ROBARDS |
| 1997 TOYOTA SUPRA TURBO |
| 6 SPEED |
| ELECTRIC BLUE/PURPLE PEARL/BLACK/WHITE |
| COTO DE CAZA, CA. USA |
 EMAIL BILL |
|
| 12 photos |
| 1067 words |
| October 16th '03 |
|
|
|
|
GENERAL:
When the car was purchased by the original owner in 12/96 it was white. As I understand the history - the car went through its first transformation from oem body panels to a custom all-metal wide body configuration, still with the original white exterior paint. At this point in the car’s evolution, the motor was completely stock. The original owner, Mike Hou, happened to be visiting SPE one day and observed Alex Shen test driving Ken Henderson’s black Supra. It was at this point the original owner decided to comprehensively upgrade the engine and the exterior of the car. The car was painted a metallic grey and the motor was upgraded with big twin turbos, which resulted in the car pumping out nearly 640 rwhp. The car made its first appearance in Turbo magazine in early 2000, generating a dyno-verified 655 rwhp. By early 2001, the exterior of the car had been further modified with a vented Veilside hood and custom venting to the Bomex nose cap. The car was also repainted for the third time, resulting in a stunning electric blue/purple pearl exterior that really enhances the wide body look of the car. It was at this point the vehicle appeared on the cover of Turbo magazine ( and for the second time in that magazine) in March 2001, developing 699 rwhp in the process.
My first "sighting" of the car was at SPE in May of 2002 while I was dropping off my '94 Supra to have a T-78 and associated mods installed. Those of you that have been to SPE may have experienced the same feeling of awe that I did at the number and quality of cars in their shop. As I went through the fantasy of choosing one to take home - the blue wide body was my hands down choice. While I never saw the car again on future trips to SPE - I made up my mind that I would buy it if I ever had the chance.
While checking out Supraforums I saw a thread saying the SPE blue wide body was for sale on Autotrader. I immediately contacted the site and started emailing the owner to express my interest. Through several anxious weeks of emails and phone calls I finally saw the car again and with encouragement from a Supra friend ( thanks Ken )- bought the car on 3/17/03.
Buying a car that had been modified for extreme performance gave me reason for initial concern. After verifying that all the work had been performed by SPE, I knew it was done right. My biggest concern was that the car had not been driven often or recently. As it turned out a small "gremlin" did surface on the drive home. The car would not boost. I was certain, or at least hoping, that a hose or piping blew off but could not spot the problem. A call to SPE was all it took. Jason @ SPE diagnosed the problem as a disconnected intercooler pipe under one of the turbos and repaired it on the spot and sent me back home with a smile on my face. Alex, Jason, Rex, John and the team @ SPE are the best.
In the short time I have had the car, the difference between my '94 Supra T-78 and this '97 Twin GT 2835s has become easily apparent. From the kick of the turbos, the sound of the exhaust, the feel of the suspension to the feel and sound of the clutch these cars each provide a unique experience. The Blitz clutch, in the '94, although much noisier, feels like driving an automatic compared to the stiff action of the HKS triple disc. The Veilside exhaust, although smaller in diameter, is louder at low RPMs and the HKS roars after 3000 rpm. The stock suspension, seats and steering on the '94 cannot match the handling of the wide body with Tein suspension, race seats, MOMO steering wheel and the huge 285/335 rollers on the corners. The kick of the T-78 comes slightly later but hits so hard the 285s cannot maintain grip. The twins spool quicker and are so much smoother delivering power that it is sometimes difficult to comprehend the speed you reach in such a short time. My son is ready to challenge the wide body with the T-78. When the time is right! |
ENGINE:
While the car is awesome I'm sure I will have to add a few mods. |
FUEL:
The single HKS in-line fuel pump may need company. I anticipate adding another fuel pump and having Shawn Wang and Alex Shen @ SPE reprogram the ECUfor the first time to try and push the rwhp a little further. SPE is the exclusive distributor of the Veilside intake manifold which I would like to add, along with 1000 cc injectors, and try and duplicate the performance of a similar setup on a TRD wide body. .
|
ELECTRONICS:
The car is currently set up with the traditional VPC and GCC. I am pleased with the F-Con S in my other Supra and may want to try the F-Con V- Pro in the future. |
BRAKES/CHASSIS:
The front Brembos have all the stopping power I need for now. The Tein suspension may need to be tuned to better handle the weight and size of my wheel/tire combination, and I would like to add the electronic damping force controller. |
WHEELS/TIRES:
The profile of the wide body and the P-Zero 335s on the rear give it a very distinctive appearance and improved traction for street tires which are needed for 699 rwhp. I won't be replacing the Veilside wheels! |
INTERIOR:
The Bride racing seats provide a snug fit and match the custom white inserts in the door panels and rear seat. The Momo steering wheel and carbon fiber dash kit set off the interior. |
EXTERIOR:
The car is unique with a one of a kind custom fabricated sheet metal wide body. The Bomex bumper accents the Greddy intercooler and fog lights. The paint is a custom electric blue with purple pearl which appears to change colors in different lighting. |
PERFORMANCE:
The car posted 699 rwhp when it was dyno'd back in 3/01@ 2 bar. I plan on a trip back to the dyno after I add a second fuel pump, reprogram the ECU and hope to improve on that number. |
PARTS LIST:
|
ENGINE:
HKS GT2835 twin turbo kit
Custom downpipe
HKS Racing BOV
Greddy 3 Row FMIC
HKS 264 Camshafts
HKS Cam gears
HKS Twin Power DLI
GReddy underdrive pulley
NGK Sparkplugs
PWR Radiator
HKS Titanium Exhaust
HKS metal head gasket |
FUEL:
HKS 700 cc injectors
HKS fuel rail
HKS in-tank fuel pump
TRD fuel regulator
Earls lines |
ELECTRONICS:
HKS Vein Pressure Converter
HKS Graphic Control Computer
HKS EVC Pro boost controller
HKS Turbo Timer |
DRIVETRAIN:
HKS Triple-disc clutch
C's short throw shifter
ACPT carbon fiber driveshaft |
BRAKES/CHASSIS:
Tein HA Coilovers
TRD front strut tower brace
Cusco carbon fiber rear strut brace
Brembo Brakes (Front) |
WHEELS/TIRES:
Veilside Andrew Racing F Wheels
18"x11" front - 18"x13" rear
Pirelli P-Zero tires
285/35s front - 335/30s rear |
INTERIOR:
TRD 10,000 RPM Tach
GReddy 3 bar boost gauge
GReddy EGT gauge
GReddy Fuel Pressure gauge
GReddy Air/fuel ratio gauge
GReddy Temperature gauge
SPE Intercooler temperature gauge
Momo Millennium Steering wheel
Veilside Gear knob
Bride Seats
Custom insert for on door panels and rear seat
Carbon Fiber Dash trim package |
EXTERIOR:
Custom-fabricated sheet metal wide-body treatment
Bomex front bumper |
