Interiors of older cars are becoming increasingly difficult to find in acceptable condition. That's why, apart from the Sparco seating, Nardi wheel and light Pioneer electronics, Bernard elected to keep his Hachi's interior fully intact. His take on exterior styling was a different matter. In Japan, the AE86 Corolla was offered in both coupe and liftback variants, with fixed-type headlights denoting the Corolla Levin, and flip-ups, the Sprinter Trueno. Bernard knew he wanted to swap his car's front end with JDM Levin styling, so the front and rear bumpers, grille and headlights were all replaced with JDM AE86 Levin pieces. A TRD rear wing, zenki Levin front spoiler, and "hella rare"-as Bernard would say-Crystal Body Yokohama (CBY) fender flares were all added, before the car was taken to P.J. Bonifacio's shop in La Puente, CA, for its fresh coats of MK IV Supra Anthracite paint. "I was bored with 4AG engines at that point, and didn't know what I wanted to do with my car," Bernard recalls, "But when I saw P.J.'s personal 3SGTE-powered Levin, I was inspired." A few calls to Danstoy in Sante Fe Springs, CA, and Bernard had a plan. "P.J.'s turbo car was fast and all," he explains, "but I wanted to keep mine naturally aspirated for a more 'traditional' feel."
Bernard's 3S-powered Hachi would be only the fourth such powered car in existence at the time its conversion was to be completed-P.J.'s was the first, and both would be handled by Danstoy from start to finish. Bernard's 3SGE was sourced from the mid-mounted engine bay of a second-generation MR2. "The only front engine/rear-wheel-drive (FR) adaptation of the 3S from the factory was the BEAMS 3S, which is hard to come by in the States," Bernard informs. "The first-generation MR2 engine block's cast-in mounting provisions don't really work for FR mounting, and the third-generation engine's cylinder head actually flows less than the second's. So, the second-generation engine was really our best option." A lot of fabrication would be needed for what Bernard had in mind, and Danstoy preferred to do as much with OEM components as possible. The engine's stock mounts and alternator bracket had to be modified to provide clearance for the engine and sit it upright in the Corolla bay, and a 1S oil pickup and pan were brought into replace the now-useless 3S components (the MR2 3S sits at an angle in its bay, so its oil pickup and pan would be at the wrong angle for engines arranged perpendicular to the ground in FR bays). The individual throttle bodies and a fuel rail from a black-top 20-valve 4AG engine were used, but also had to be modified in several key places. "It was all a lot of work," explains Bernard, "but it saved us money in the long run, and brings OEM reliability." One of the only one-off pieces of hardware in the entire engine bay is coincidentally one of the most-eye-catching: a Danstoy high-rise, equal-length, stainless steel header that connects with an HKS Hiper exhaust. A tucked engine harness was created in house, and a venerable Electromotive TEC-II was brought in to manage the whole deal, because, in Bernard's words, "It just works".
Since the original transmission wouldn't be up to the task of managing the torque of the modified 3S, a W55 five-speed gearbox from a 22R-powered Toyota Pickup was brought in, and mated to the bellhousing of an Australian-market Pickup, originally equipped with the 1S engine. "The 7M-powered MK III Supra's transmission was another option," explains Bernard, "but its gears were just too long for the naturally aspirated four-cylinder." Likewise, a larger Celica Supra rear differential was considered, but with a 3.9:1 final drive ratio, Bernard and co. preferred to keep the kouki AE86's 4.3:1 diff, and upgrade it with a TRD 1.5-way LSD. The Corolla's suspension was also upgraded; given QA1 coilovers at all four corners, Tanabe sway bars front and rear, and Cusco bracing throughout.
By Luke Munnell
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