Up until 2003, the clean lines & smooth curves of the Supra had been pretty much left alone; though thoughts of adding a big mouth Bomex front end had been lurking in the back of my mind...after wiping out the stock lower spoiler lip in 1997; which runs ~$175 from the Toyota Parts Counter. Just prior to Vegas2000, I gave in to Toyota, & purchased a new front lip, leaving the Bomex idea for another time [IE, 2003]. In the photo-set from late 2000, the hood vents I created with SoCAL Dean Marcum's assistance can be seen. This mod served two purposes: 1st to cut out an unsightly dent in the hood, & 2nd, to help reduce underhood temps. Although its aesthetics are subject to opinion, both original goals were met, & I've grown to like the way they look. To allay any concerns about water ingress, I have driven in downpours with no ill-effect. It doesn't rain much here in SoCAL anyway!

Overall appearance is altered somewhat by the car's lowered stance & the not-so-new-anymore 17" x 8" American Racing 5-spoke wheels [installed Summer of '98]. The 1st two sets of tires were Yokohama A520s @ 235-45s front & 255-40s out back. The current set are in the same size, but are now the Yokohama AVS ES100 model. As mentioned, the polished OEM 16x7s were replaced by the ARs in Summer '98. They are quite heavy at 52lbs for the rear tire/wheel combo. At three years old, I'd love to start thinking about a set of 18s that weigh less. At any rate, peaking out through the ARs' spokes, are the X-drilled [ceramic painted front/CAD plated rear] rotors- at least they look cool, and work very well...while the debate on their effectiveness rages on.

Removal of both stock grilles was done in favor of going custom-made, thanks to Home Depot [HD] and my own brand of ingenuity. Comprised of diamond-shape holed galvanized steel mesh, the material mounted with Allen screws in the stock mounting points. I had originally used square-shaped poly mesh, which looked OK, but not near as cool as the newer stuff. Though not visible in the photos below, the aluminum Spearco Intercooler is quite visible as a result of the new grilles; as is the Custom Cool Air Induction III setup. All I can say is, that the HD stuff looks the same as I've seen on high-dollar body-kits.

An almost unnoticeable mod to the hood, comes in the form of 'hoods' for the windshield squirters. Yes, they have a ricey flavor, but bear with me. One of the squirters broke while installing new silicone hose, so I called up the local Toyota dealer & discovered they wanted over $22 for the piece. At that point, I looked back on nearly 10 years of ownership & realized that I'd used the squirters maybe twice, so I yanked both of them out. After driving for awhile with the odd-shaped holes peering up, I was browsing a local Japanese-only import accessory shop, & found the nifty little 'squirter hoods' that effectively concealed the unsightly holes. Kind of goofy, but they serve their purpose well & only ran me ~$12. Ha! They've got to be worth at least 10RHP [Rice Horse Power]! Whatever, the holes are covered.

One mod that may not be noticeable at 1st, is the addition of front marker lights from Denmark... distinguishable by the clear corner sections that would otherwise be amber.  Thanks go to my Danish buddy, Niels Vangsoe, for getting those to me.  Lastly in front, a bra has been used on long road trips. It doesn't detract from aesthetics, since the car is black. Once the Bomex bodykit goes on, the bra will have to find a new home.

In the tail-section of the car, the original 'turbo' label was replaced with the 'turbo A' badge, which signified a limited run of Japanese Domestic Market [JDM] competition MkIII Supras. Thanks go to Dean Marcum for that ricey little gem. Also in the rear, the wiper arm & motor were removed, with the access hole plugged by a silicone-sealed stainless steel cap. Like the windshield squirters, I found that I never used the rear wiper anyway, & was completely unnecessary with regular use of Rain-X. Besides, MkIII Supras are too well known for excess weight, so the obvious weight savings was welcome. It definitely gives a much cleaner look. Just toward the end of 2002, a set of rear clear marker lights from SupraSport were installed. Quite frankly, opinions vary widely on clear light use, but *I* like the way they look...so there :-) The last noticeable modification to the rear, is the HKS 85mm Super Drager cat-back exhaust, & its large 130mm stainless steel tip installed in 2000. You can see the former HKS 75mm turbo cat-back in the earlier 1997 photos.

Engine mods have always gotten in the way of looks. In Feb 2003, when I pulled the engine for a bunch of repairs, I realized that I'd let OldSchool down in the looks department. More time spent on how this OldSchool Supra looks is now a priority. To start, Arnout, my Dutch buddy, just sent some foldable euro-mirrors from Holland. They are OEM Toyota there, retaining power adjustment & heating features. They were dark green so I had to paint them black, which I did with a satin-finish spray paint. Heh, those things have saved my hips several times now, folding when I struck them.

The latter half of 2002 saw the cf hood, & YSR headlight vent in service [August '02]. The cf hood was left unpainted, as the carbon fiber complements the black paint quite nicely. The hood required the installation of pins to keep it buttoned down, & I painted the underside with a high-ceramic content silver. The headlight cover, however, was a white gelcoat, along with a few cracks that fiberglass is known for. It spent a very short time on the car, as it is currently at Carbon Fiber F/X in Canada for replication in...carbon fiber. They will also be making a driver's side mate for the cover. So, once all the bodywork is done & prep is complete, a gloss black repaint awaits OldSchool.

OldSchool's Facelift is one component of the multifaceted ModFest 2003 renovation plan currently underway. Already test-fitted is the Bomex full body kit, while cf hood #4, cf intercooler plate, & cf headlight covers from CarbonFibre F/X [CFX] have been paid for- awaiting completion. The engine is currently out of the body for clutch, & turbo repairs and will remain on the garage floor until the paint job is complete, both body, and engine compartment. Given how much is left to do right now [October '03], this project will soon turn into ModFest 2004, LOL. For now, check out the pre-fitment pics for the Bomex kit by following the FaceLift link above. & CF parts pics will be posted as soon they arrive.

   
On the left: SoCalSupras.com "Fun Run," July 29, 2001.
On the right: the Show 'n Shine @ the Vegas '01 Meet.

A look at the pics from 2002 will reveal a new, carbon fiber hood that has taken this hood's place. It's not perfect either, so if I can't get a perfect one, hood holes will once again serve as a means to an ends. We'll see!

     
Fender vents were cut to allow air to exit, after having entered via the foglight cutouts.

Front view of old square mesh grille.
The current grille material is the same found in the hood vents, seen above.

These squirter hoods cover up the holes left behind from removing the OEM windshield squirters.
They weren't left chromed, but were painted satin black. Scratch 10 riceboy HP :-)

   POS Carbon Fiber Hood abortion.....

Click on the images to enlarge.

           
These pics simply don't do justice to how shi++y this hood looks in person.
This hood, made by PerformaGlass in Missouri, was the one available from the main Supras.com page.
Luckily, that link is dead, so no one else will have to suffer from major letdown, like I was treated to.
It used to reside against a hidden part of the fence in my backyard,
but someone did end up wanting it. Robert Pina from the San Diego SoCAL crew,
bought the hood from me for his project SlimFast Supra. I wish him the best of luck!

    Carbon Fiber Hood & Headlight Vent 2002

Click on the images to enlarge.

           
Now this is more like it!

     
The YSR version of the MkIII headlight vent.
The headlight frame [made of fiber-reinforced plastic] must be cut for the benefit of the additional air to be realized.

The Attain headlight cover