SP Rides: Sold on the Sienna
By Michael Kitchens
Name: Sean Hong
Age: 29
Hobbies: Playing golf, working on cars, spending time with family
Year/Make/Model: 2011 Toyota Sienna
Color: Predawn Gray Mica
Exterior: Sienna SE front and rear conversion, Lexon Exclusive front lip, LED rear reflectors, custom exhaust mufflers, custom painted black headlight housings with custom made led halo lights, 5k hid headlights, 3k hid foglights, Switchback corner led lights, LED daytime running lights, Shorty antenna
Interior: Custom soldered pink and blue dash lights, all interior lights 6k LED, weather tech floor mats, custom made carbon fiber dash trim I.C.E.: Pioneer double din DVD, 2 12-inch Kenwood subwoofers, Rockford Fosgate door speakers
Suspension: Accuair Air suspension over Megan coil overs. e-Level, iLevel, 2 Viair pumps, 5-gallon air tank
Wheels and Tires: 20-inch Weds Mavericks 405S, Kumho Ecsta 245/40ZR20s
It’s not often you see a Toyota Sienna that’s dropped and slammed. The majority of the time, this van is being used as a taxi for Hawaii’s tourism industry or as an everyday grocery getter. But in this 2011 version owned by Sean Hong, you get a sleek and well-designed model that’s both.
Sean has owned modified rides before — the Infiniti G35, the IS250, and even the 240SX among them — but he chose the Sienna following the birth of his daughter. In many ways, it was love at first sight. The practicality of the van’s sliding doors, the sheer amount of comfort and the automobile’s overall good looks convinced him he had to have this particular ride.
“It reminded me of the vans from Japan,” says Sean. “I purchased it knowing I wanted to be different.”
Although the van is an LE, Sean loved its SE trim, which comes with a revised design that added much to the overall look of the car. Sean started his initial modifications with a front and rear SE conversion. In addition, the Sienna features the first-ever front lip spoiler designed and installed by the Takemi Takasago of Lexon Exclusive Japan. HID headlights are mated to custom painted black headlight housings with LED Halo lights that Sean fabricated himself. Although there are no major engine modifications, a little bit of chrome growl has been added with custom mufflers from a 2005 Infiniti G35.
Sean is an absolute Japanese wheel aficionado. His wheels of choice are the enormous and polished 20-inch Mavericks 405S introduced last year by the extremely popular Japanese-based wheel company Weds. Purchased from Samson at Revision Audio, these wheels are fitted with Kumho Ecsta 245/40ZR20s.
It doesn’t take much more than a glance to know that this van is slammed. It features an air suspension that’s custom-fitted over Megan coilovers by Richie from DMC Fabrications. This isn’t your standard setup, as it features the height-based e-Level system with an incredibly high-tech iLevel touchpad for easy control.
The suspension install is on full display in combination with Sean’s wicked sound setup in the rear of the van. Two Viair pumps are mated to a 5-gallon air tank amid two 12-inch Kenwood subwoofers installed by Revision Audio in a custom enclosure with color-changing LEDs. The rest of the car’s sounds have been retrofitted with Rockford Fosgate speakers.
The interior features more than 50 custom-soldered pink and blue dash lights that Sean installed in what can only be described as an obsessive-compulsive moment. A custom carbon fiber dash trim adds some panache as a Pioneer double-din DVD powers the sounds. The requisite Junction Produce pretzel hangs on the mirror, while headrest cushions have been added for comfort.
“Just because you’re a daddy, doesn’t mean you have to give up modifying your cars,” notes Sean. As for the future of this van, the owner wants to finish off the interior with black leather as well as complete the dye-job on the interior panels. For now though, he’s very content to be unique in this one-of-a-kind van.
