“It’s not only a automotive; it’s a narrative.” That is an important lesson I’ve realized by way of years of Speedhunting and immersing myself in automotive tradition.
Nowhere is that this extra evident than in Domenic and Sarah’s 1991 Suzuki Cappuccino. A formidable construct in its personal proper, this kei-class roadster is full of angle, however its significance runs deeper.
Whereas most individuals view vehicles as bizarre objects, folks such as you and I perceive their true potential. We will reshape and rebuild them to our liking, but typically, they carry out the reflections of our lives and the folks we share them with.
When sizing issues up, Suzuki’s tiny Cappuccino hardly weighs a lot. However this featherweight coupe hits with the drive of a heavyweight boxer, incomes its place within the hearts of JDM efficiency automotive lovers.
Weaved into the restoration of this Cappuccino is a story of affection, legacy, and the pursuit of desires -quite quite a bit to pack into simply 725kg!
A Pocket-Sized Dream
Sarah’s journey with the Cappuccino started as a dream she harboured since her teenagers. It was a dream that appeared distant till a good friend, Benny from BCW, determined to promote her this treasure in her time of want.
Tragically, Sarah was preventing an aggressive type of most cancers. This was greater than a easy automotive transaction; it was a profound gesture of kindness, a beacon of hope throughout Sarah’s chemotherapy classes.
Constructing the automotive grew to become a therapeutic outlet for Sarah, permitting her to channel her ardour and creativity amidst her sickness. Every modification sparked full of life dialogue, from choosing the fitting wheels to discovering an exhaust system and becoming a wide-body package that remodeled the little Suzuki’s silhouette.
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Dom tells me that, considerably serendipitously, the construct flowed easily. Apart from the standard wait to get the perfect folks’s fingers concerned, there have been surprisingly few problems. Maybe this was a testomony to the meticulous planning or the devotion of the pair’s expert circle of mates.
A Easy Plan
On the coronary heart of this pint-sized powerhouse lies a 657cc inline-three turbocharged engine – modest in stature however fierce in spirit, very like Sarah.
Below the hood stays largely OEM. The three-pot fun-factory boasts a number of additional kilos of enhance, enhanced by a bigger GFB blow-off valve and enhance controller, and the addition of a full HKS exhaust system ensures the engine has a voice as daring as its character. An Xtreme heavy-duty clutch and Cusco 1.5-way LSD ship the vitality easily to the asphalt.
BC Racing coilovers guarantee every journey is as exhilarating as it’s exact, offering the proper stance and dealing with for spirited mountain drives that Dom enjoys a lot.
A set of 13×6.5-inch RS Watanabe R-Kind wheels acquired bespoke therapy from Mark Hooker at Sydney’s Barrel Brothers, whereas Tyre Options fitted a set of suitably-sized Yokohama Advan A050 semi-slicks.
These enhancements not solely elevate the Cappuccino’s aesthetics but in addition its efficiency, permitting it to grip the tarmac with intent.
Having the keys tossed my method whereas out on the winding roads of the Blue Mountains, I can verify the Suzuki is a blast to drive.
The Cappuccino combines a Toyoshima Craft wide-body and US Racing Sports activities package, enhancing its stance whereas paying homage to the golden period of Japanese motorsports with its Advan livery.
By the way in which, the automotive isn’t black with a purple wrap, it’s painted purple – Toyota Supra Monza Pink – with a black wrap. Don’t fear, it tricked me, too.
Sadly, Sarah handed away in August 2022, however her spirit lives on in each curve and nook of the automotive.
For Dom, squeezing into the Suzuki is all the time a spectacle. A big man in such a small automotive by no means fails to elicit smiles. For him, each drive is a poignant reminder of Sarah’s vibrancy and imaginative and prescient. Regardless of its small measurement, the automotive instructions the mountain passes with the identical zest for all times that Sarah embodied.
Now an emblem of their shared ardour and creativity, the Cappuccino serves as a tangible connection to the previous – a rolling time capsule crammed with recollections. But it surely additionally holds a higher function – the Suzuki was Sarah’s last present to Domenic. Each side of this construct embodies one clear thought: inside the blueprint of this undertaking, Sarah left a strong legacy.
“Be Vibrant. Be Loud. Have Enjoyable. Day by day.”
Matthew Everingham
Instagram: matthew_everingham
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