1983 Toyota Celica Supra – Solid Ground

CARPHOTO-4042

A lot of us spend years searching for what our true calling is. Sometimes we simply drift along as the current of life takes us in various directions until the right set of circumstances aligns themselves and the bigger picture is available in to focus.

When Javier Paramo was just 16, his father gave him an ’85 Sentra. Javier drove the car until he somehow were able to damage the cylinder head. Since he had no money to get it fixed by someone else, he did the position himself. So, he went out and bought a Chilton manual and jumped right in. He was able to successfully repair the car, and the rest, as they say, is history. He hasn’t stopped messing with cars since, and he currently has a good number of very intriguing projects/chassis within his possession, ranging from ’30s Fords, to a ’94 MKIV Turbo Supra, a ’97 RHD Kouki S14, and even a ’59 NSU Prinz. Don’t understand what that is? Look it up; it’s a damn cool little car. Around we enjoy seeing what Javier does with those cars, let’s focus on the ’83 Toyota Celica Supra the thing is before you and just how it came to be.

Javier has a significant history with this particular vehicle; it has been in his family for many years. Javier got the vehicle that you see before you from his uncle, with whom he traded the ’85 Sentra. What were the first mods that you just did for your car whenever you got it? Many of us started out as high school kids checking out what others at school drove, wanting to have the same general look. It would appear that the two most common mods were a drop and a collection of wheels. Javier was anxious to begin messing around with his new chassis, and he began from the same place that a lot of us did. “The very first thing I did to the vehicle was cut the springs to lessen it. I then went to the junkyard to look for some mesh wheels,” he says. “At that time mesh wheels were abundant in just about any junkyard.” Before going judging the guy for cutting the springs to achieve a drop, remember what kind of car we are discussing here so when this was happening. It’s not exactly the most common chassis on the planet, consequently aftermarket support was notWhich had been in 1989-24 years ago. That’s how long they have had this car. But he didn’t really focus on seriously modifying it till around 2003. Given each of the other chassis he owns, we can see why. But the car was never pushed too far to the back of his mind; he was simply biding his time. Although he wasn’t doing any actual modifications to this particular vehicle over those years, he was gathering inspiration and ideas from numerous places, formulating his vision for the purpose the car would look like. The planet-renowned Option videos and numerous Japanese magazines including Hyper Rev and Nostalgic Hero turned out to be invaluable sources of inspiration. Over the years, Javier developed quite a love for drifting, subsequently he also perused Drift Tengoku magazine. For people unfamiliar with that publication, it was actually the first automobile magazine devoted to drifting and the art of driving sideways, along with a sister publication to the famous Option and Option2 publications. Javier’s passion for drifting was strong that he or she decided to compete as a drifter using a Hachiroku that he had, but grew tired of that chassis and decided to drift the Celica Supra. Wanting and needing a certain amount of power, Javier turned to his buddy, normally the one-and-only Michael Urbano (RIP) to help you him swap a 2JZ into the old MA60 chassis, unheard of in those days in the States. With Urbano’s help, the auto fired up and was good to go; Javier drifted the vehicle to his heart’s content. In Japan, Drift Tengoku caught wind of how serious U.S. drifters were getting, so they decided to come to the United sanction and States an invite-only drift competition. Javier had the privilege of competing against some of the biggest names in drifting today, and this was years ago. “Some of the participants included Alex Pfeiffer, Calvin Wan, Ken Gushi, Andy Yen, Benson Hsu, Taka Aono, Hiro Sumida, yet others,” Javier says. “I came in Second Place with all the 2JZ-GTE Celica Supra, Andy Yen arrived First, and Pfeiffer arrived in Third.”

With that sort of passion and the like a prestigious accomplishment under his belt, Javier kept up with drifting but eventually decided to take a rest. “My car was not properly setup for high-speed drifts. Suspension was not available-and still isn’t-for the car, making it impossible to control. I had some offers on the table for sponsorships, but I knew drifting wasn’t going to pay the bills. I decided to take a break from drifting and acquire a profession.” On the following years Javier sort of drifted through life (pun intended). He worked like a graphic mechanic, designer and welder and salesman-careers as diverse as the chassis he owns. But through all this he found his calling and locked down a career. In 2003 Javier was reunited with his secondary school sweetheart, who became a deputy sheriff shortly after they became reacquainted. “That’s what motivated me to pursue police force,” he says. Javier has been working as a police officer since 2008.

With all the stability of any established career, Javier surely could focus on building the MKII. “I now had the money to restore the Celica Supra. The 2JZ that was in a vehicle had experienced some crank walk, so Javier devote a 1JZ motor which he had purchased years ago. When it came a chance to wire the swap up, Javier called on Aaron from Driftmotion in Upland, CA, and then he expertly took care of it. With the heart situated, Javier focused on the exterior of the vehicle. In Japan, there is no Celica Supra, it is known as the “Celica XX.” So Javier purchased the XX badges after which designed and made the decals that you see on the side of the doors to tie from the old-school look and the white paint, accenting beautifully from the rare Hayashi Racing Epsilon mesh wheels that the vehicle rests on.

“I am now a father of three and still own every one of those projects and hope to one day complete them,” he says. Together with his rich automotive background and long-lasting love for things automotive, we look forward to seeing what Javier is able to create with those projects alsoLaw Enforcement

Build Time.

9 years

Feedback.

jpimagingstudio@yahoo.com

Hobbies.

Shifter carts, car building, playing sports, car collecting

Motivaton.

“This car and i also have been through too much together. We’ve been together since 1989.”

1983 toyota celica supra 1JZ GTE engine

1983 toyota celica supra javier

1983 toyota celica supra XX hood badge

1983 Toyota Celica Supra

Engine ’91 Supra 1JZ-GTE; Driftmotion motor mounts, intercooler; ARC blow-off valve; Gates timing belt; homemade intake, intercooler piping; Bosch fuel pump from a Mercedes-Benz; A’pexi Dunk exhaust; NGK Platinum spark plugs; MKIII Supra aluminum radiator; silicone radiator hoses

Drivetrain W58 LSD transmission from ’95 Supra; 6-puck clutch

Suspension Homemade front coilovers with 10kg springs and TRD SW20 struts; 8kg ST springs with 8-way adjustable TRD rear struts; Cusco front camber plate, front strut bar, rear strut bar; Energy Suspension endlinks

Wheels/Tires Hayashi Racing Epsilon (16×10 front, 16×11 rear); Falken Ziex tires (205/45-16 front, 205/55-16 rear)

Brakes Brembo slotted/drilled front and rear rotors; PBR ceramic front and rear brake pads

Exterior Erebuni Shogun body kit; homemade graphics; front over-fenders custom fit to rear quarter-panel

Interior Recaro front seats; homemade seat brackets, interior rewrapping; white indiglo gauge cluster; Tom’s steering wheel; AE86 hub; Dos Equis beer tap shift knob

Audio Eclipse AVN5500 head unit; Pioneer front and rear speakers; Sony Xplod subwoofers; Lanzar Optidrive amplifiers; Alpine 3331 EQ

Gratitude “Aaron and staff at Driftmotion for every one of theparts and time, and help.”

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