Kenshin's Rice Rocket

[Kenshin X]

Some Background information:
Model: June 2003 (Pre-facelift) Toyota Corolla Sportivo 1.8 VVTL-i, 6 spd man
Colour: 2 tone Focus RS "Ulitimate Green" (paint code: 9GFEZ5A) and Jet Black
ODO (when bought 02/08/09): 73,XXXkm
ODO (as of present time): 97,XXXkm
Condition: Full respray completed.

Mods when bought:

Debadged
Genuine TRD carbon fibre sports grill with black mesh
Genuine corolla sportivo mats
Alpine ampliers (1x4 channel and 1x2 channel bridged)
13inch sub in custom box free rolling in the boot
Genuine Toyota coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid
King Springs Super Lows on standard strutsGONE!
Custom CAI tubing from bendable plastic to fit the original induction boxGONE!
TRD Quick Shifter and solid metal bushingsGONE!
3 inch muffler tip on the original sportivo exhaustGONE!
Falken fronts ZIEX tyres 205/50 r16GONE!
Pioneer HU with infinity front speakers + tweeters and clarion rears + tweetersGONE!
4.3K HIDs for low beamsGONE!
DBA front left disc (changed because left was undersized, left the right front stock rotor on though )GONE!
installed voltmeter to the light switch control (yes very useless until light turns on)GONE!
Ryco oil filter Z432 with Mobil Semi Syn Super 3000 10W-30GONE!
Rice round 4inch tip welded on stock mufflerGONE!

Mods to date:

Interior
Climate control + ciggie light + auto power window button changed to Blue
SEDM 2005 Facelift Corolla T-sport instrument cluster
Custom Glove box white LED light
LED foot wells front and rear Blue
EVO4 Recaros with lumbar support bolted on bride rails
Painted piano black console and plastic trims

Exterior
"ALLEX" custom plates
Painted Calipers Red
Genuine TTE spoiler
Genuine Toyota Corolla Rear Skirt
Aftermarket Eyelids
Goodyear Wiper Blades
TOCAU Stickers
White "2ZZ-GE INSIDE" rear window sticker
Plasti Dip black Toyota Chrome rear emblem
Plasti Dip black ALLEX Chrome boot emblem

Engine/Suspension/Tyres/Brakes:
Injen RD2075P + 3A Racing Pod Filter
Port and Polished Headers @ Head2Head
Cusco Front Strut
Celica Engine Cover
Cusco Rear torsion beam (23mm)
Rays Mazdaspeed MS01-S rims 16x7 +33ET @ 5.9kgs ea powder coated Satin Black
RDA slotted and dimpled rotors front and rear + Remsa 650 degree rated pads
Penrite HPR5 5W40 + Baldwin B37 oil filter
Energy Suspension Front Lower Control Arm Bushings and Rear Axle Bushings
Energy Suspension Motor Mount Inserts + Custom Washers
Solid Mount Bushings for the gear selector cables
Fortune Autos Coilovers 8kg spring rate front and rear
Rear camber with shims under the hub (-2)
Xtreme lightened chromoly flywheel (Part no. FTY0013CL)
Xtreme H/D organic clutch (KTY22004HD)
X-force Varex 2.5'' Straight pipe muffler + full custom 2.5'' cat-back (stainless steel/mandrel bend)

Humble Beginnings - Very first day getting the car...









For pictures of the mods, please scroll through the posts!

[ELEGNT]

looks great mate, has a really nice stance

[King Young]

About time you posted up...

Now go get those console lights for me.

[Kenshin X]

Hey elegnt, your ride looks sweet too. too bad i couldn't make it to the annual to see it in the flesh! :(

@young, what console lights? your gonna flip when u see what i'm modding now haha :D

[stock]

finally found sometime to post it up aye

[1stKill]

Seen this one up close and personal....very tidy and nicely modded.

[zainy]

Looks great man,

would love to see some interior pictures esp the sub

zainy

[Chrono Trigger]

yeh, seriously about time dude...

looks real neat =]

you drove quite alot since last year..

[dyslexik]

@young, what console lights? your gonna flip when u see what i'm modding now haha :D

How's the disco lights coming duy? hehe... "Disco-Disco, Good-Good... Disco-Disco, Good-Good"

[shin0bi]

seeen this in the flesh, looks sexy

[Kenshin X]

thanks folks

@dyslexik - colour changing mod isn't completed but u can see it on the workshop submissions :P

@zainy - pics updated!

[Kenshin X]

Update: 19/01/10

Got some eyelids for my first mod... painted them with paint i got from Olenshaws in sunshine. I recommend these guys as they did a fantastic job matching up the paint colour to my original one

off...

on...

also replaced the wipers with slimline tridon ones 70 bucks for the pair from supercheap auto...

the previous owner had them on but he changed them when he sold me the car

[Kenshin X]

update: 12/02/10

Just bought the whole range of meguiar's products

Paint Cleaner

Polish

Wax

Clay Kit

Nxt Gen Wash

Lambs wool mitt

Terry cloth/towel

hand applicator

Chamios (extra large)

I used the products in this order

Wash > Paint Cleaner > Clay Bar > Scratch X > Polish > Wax

Took me freaken more than 6 hours and was so over it by the end but look at the result...

On the following times I was wiser and did a panel a day LOL

[Kenshin X]

Update: 23/02/10

Changed those boring green casio lights in the center console to blue leds... also inverted the lcd screen as well... at a later dates i also changed the auto light button and the cig light as well

full DIY here > Centre Console Light Mod

[Kenshin X]

Update: 15/03/10

Painted red calipers...

picked a warmish day... jacked up the car, took the wheels off and started degreasing and sanding back the calipers. then brushed 6 coats of red paint on the calipers.

finished product

DIY time: 2 to 3 hours

[Kenshin X]

Update: 28/03/10

JDM light mod...

DIY time: 3 hours (cuz of the damn bits of plastic fallen into the taillight) actual work was only 1-2 hours

[Kenshin X]

Update: 16/04/10

got genuine C-one wing tips from Cyber Century for 130 bucks. Moulded them on and they look like this.

wasn't totally happy about the colour of the paint but i dismissed it as the paint being newer than the 7 yr old paint that was on it.

also upon taking the spoiler off i spotted a few specks of rust under where the spoiler used to be!

got a knife and started to scratch out the rusted bits and touched them up with genuine toyota touch up paint... good as new!

at this moment i'm not considering to get the rear lip (despite pressure from more than a few people )

[Kenshin X]

Random pic after wash and was bored

calipers look nice when clean... now it's caked with brake dust... damn TRD pads

[Kenshin X]

Update: 28/04/10

Time for those junk tyres to GO!!!!!

Got myself these thanks to the guys at Tyres R Us off on munro ave off macintyre rd sunshine

Awesome handling! Awesome Traction! Awesome Cornering! Awesome EVERYTHING!!! :toast: :toast: :clap: :clap:

all for $520 fitted and balanced!

Now have to work on wearing the outer layer off and get ready for Fun day at winton on the 3rd of July!

Now to sort out my brake rotors on the front and pads on the rears

[dyslexik]

Looking awesome dude. The paint is immaculate!! I can see the reflection of the clouds on your bonnet =)

Question: Why did you only have the front left rotor replaced?

I think they should be replaced in pairs so that you will get even wear.

I'm assuming the reason why you had uneven stock rotors was because your friend (prev owner) may have did something similar and either bought a new front right rotor or one from the wreckers, thus resulting to uneven wear with the left front having 4mm diff to the right?

[Kenshin X]

Looking awesome dude. The paint is immaculate!! I can see the reflection of the clouds on your bonnet =)

i just noticed 3 small dents on the left front panel yday night... i'm researching how to do a DIY to remove it, maybe a light tap with hammer and cloth from inside?

Question: Why did you only have the front left rotor replaced?

I think they should be replaced in pairs so that you will get even wear.

I'm assuming the reason why you had uneven stock rotors was because your friend (prev owner) may have did something similar and either bought a new front right rotor or one from the wreckers, thus resulting to uneven wear with the left front having 4mm diff to the right?

yeah this is probably what happened. they probably only changed the left front rotor becuz it was undersized and left the right one on as it was still roadworthy... i dunno why they would leave that as it is as he even had to change the windscreen as it had tiny tiny scratches on it...

but no matter now... its all good and i'm loving the braking when i need it :P

[dyslexik]

imo, have the front right replaced with the dba slotted rotor (DBA 759SR) too and it will also look better and perform better with your left rotor (DBA 759SL).

Btw, looking at my notes now: I had been quoted $185 per rotor ($370 pair) for the street series slotted dba rotors stated above. That was from Bursons in the city. Why did mohammed charge you $250 a piece?

[dyslexik]

BTW Duy, I'm willing to sell you my KYB struts for $450 if you want. Then you can try and bargain install cost with the boys from $150 down to $100 and either give the dude a nice pemium 6 pack of beer or a slab depending on how gracious you are.

K GO!!! tee-hee-hee... $450 yo! bbq for u! WOuld be $400 if you were a pretty nice and friendly looking chick =)

[Kenshin X]

imo, have the front right replaced with the dba slotted rotor (DBA 759SR) too and it will also look better and perform better with your left rotor (DBA 759SL).

Btw, looking at my notes now: I had been quoted $185 per rotor ($370 pair) for the street series slotted dba rotors stated above. That was from Bursons in the city. Why did mohammed charge you $250 a piece?

he included the machining of the rears and changing over pads for the rears as well as changing my drive belt plus buying the belt off him too... i think it was maybe 500 including install for the front DBA slotted and 220 for the rest.

about those KYBs i will consider it then... i just paid bills and topped just over 1k so i'm pretty porr atm <_< also i can LOOK like a friendly chick if i wanted to HAHAHAH :D

[Kenshin X]

oh wait... can my mrs buy them off u?