SP Rides: The Shakotan Way
By Michael Kitchens
Owner: Dyrell Acosta
Age: 17
Occupation: High school graduate
Hobbies: Cars
Year/Make/Model: 1983 Toyota Corolla
Color: White
Engine: 2.0 3TC swap, MSD Ignition, Port and Polished Head, built internals, Dual 44 Mikuni Side Draft Carburetors
Exterior: JDM Rear Wing Splitter, Fender Mirrors, ’73 Flares, Thrush Muffler, Shakotan style muffler tips,
Interior: Custom upholstery, Bride LowMax Racing Seat, Momo Steering Wheel, Spitfire Tachomter, 2 6×9, 2 amp with 2 Aria 10-Subs
Suspension: GC Coilover sleeves, GC Springs, Cusco Camber Plates
Wheels and Tires: 15×7 front, 15×10 Centerlines with Federal 165/45R 15s front, 195/45R 15s rear
One of Dyrell Acosta’s first memories of the classic Toyota brand was his father throttle-stomping a 1973 Toyota Corolla, and the youngster immediately being sent flying into the backseat of the car! Sure Dyrell was super-scared at the time, but the feeling of acceleration was a rush he would not soon forget.
Today at age 17, Dyrell doesn’t have a ton of life behind him, but the Toyota experience has been a constant fixture in his young life. His first Toyota was a 1984 Celica Convertible, which he soon sold to a friend. Next was a classic 1982 Toyota wagon, which was promptly totaled in an accident. Next up was a 1983 Toyota Corolla, which graces these pages.
Dyrell has only owned this car since February, but in such a short span of time, he’s breathed new life into what was once a gutless paperweight. After purchasing the ride for a cool $300, he enlisted the help of several friends and went to work.
The car has the Shakotan-style look — meaning it has a lowered body and features some choice modifications to help establish that gangsta look. The entire car was body-worked and painted immediately with the help of Dyrell’s cousin Jordan and friend Leo. Dyrell coated the ride in straight white with a smattering of clear coat to provide some polish.
His next move was to install a fully built 3TC that had been raised to 2.0 liters from the original 1.8. Doing so allowed Dyrell to increase the horsepower and torque to 200-plus. The sub-frame from his wagon was then transplanted over to the new ride. The engine has a ported and polished head in addition to the small collection of add-on parts, including MSD Ignition and Dual 44 Mikuni Side Draft Carburetors. The oil cooler is prominently placed on the front of the car for style.
The interior has been gutted, stripped and re-upholstered, and comes with a Bride LoMax racing seat and a Momo steering wheel with an Energy quick-release hub. The dash features a huge Spitfire Tach, and a custom bandana shift boot. The rear seats are missing, but 2 6x9s, 2 amps, and the trunk is equipped with two 10-inch Aria subs.
Exhaust Systems Hawaii provided the Thrush Muffler, which has been fitted with a Y-Pipe sporting crazy muffler tips that are several feet long and is an instant Shakotan give away. To continue the trend, the car sports a custom front splitter, ’74 flares, classic side fender side mirrors, and is slammed flat on Ground Control coilover sleeves and springs featuring Cusco camber plates. The rear is simply dropped on more GC springs. Finally, the wheels are Centerlines-fitted 15×7 with Federal 165/45R 15s in the front and 15×10 195/45R 15s in the rear.
Dyrell isn’t done with his ride as he plans on adding a legit JDM look with a fresh root beer, gold-accented finish. For now, though, he’s more than happy to ride this slammed hachi down the streets of Honolulu, and do it in Shakotan style.
