WEEKEND WARRIOR

NZ Performance Car: Hi, Ethan. Is this the first AE86 you’ve owned, and what was it about the 86 specifically that made you want to buy it?

Ethan: Hey, NZPC. Yep, this is the first one I’ve owned. Ever since my mate Charlie imported it for himself, I had wanted to own it. I liked the fact it’s a notch and not hatch, and it was bloody tidy. It’s only done 117,000[km] total and is a legitimate AE86, not a converted 85.

You have a bit of a connection with this 86 through your Hi-Power Performance workshop, right?

Yeah; it actually started around four years ago, before I had the shop. We rebuilt the motor in [Charlie’s] shed, then, after I opened up Hi-Power [Performance], it eventually made its way up to me again to be finished off before being sent back down to Wellington. Not long after that, Charlie mentioned possibly selling it, so I was straight in there — jumped on the next plane — and drove it back home.

What has been the focus for the car since you purchased it?

The whole car had more or less been rebuilt front to rear, including the work I had already done on it, so I knew it was solid, but I wanted to make it better in certain areas. I found some old Recaros that suited the stripped interior and updated all the suspension components, then gave the engine bay a decent makeover.

You’ve also got a GT-R build that we saw back in Issue No. 236; what do you plan on using the 86 for primarily?

The 86 is keeping me for the time being until my GT-R short block is finished at Platinum Racing Products, where Herman is sorting me a fresh block, fitting a billet main brace, and all the rest.

What’s next on the to-do list for the 86 then?

More engine-bay tidying, I guess; besides that, just drive it!

It definitely needs to be driven. Cheers, Ethan.