“It’s not only a automotive; it’s a narrative.” That is a very powerful lesson I’ve discovered via 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 powerful construct in its personal proper, this kei-class roadster is full of perspective, however its significance runs deeper.
Whereas most individuals view automobiles as bizarre objects, folks such as you and I perceive their true potential. We are able to reshape and rebuild them to our liking, but generally, 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 fanatics.
Weaved into the restoration of this Cappuccino is a story of affection, legacy, and the pursuit of goals -quite rather a lot 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 pal, 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 periods.
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 deciding on the suitable wheels to discovering an exhaust system and becoming a wide-body equipment 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 very best 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 principally OEM. The three-pot fun-factory boasts just a few 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 power easily to the asphalt.
BC Racing coilovers guarantee every experience is as exhilarating as it’s exact, offering the right 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 remedy 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 additionally its efficiency, permitting it to grip the tarmac with intent.
Having the keys tossed my manner whereas out on the winding roads of the Blue Mountains, I can affirm the Suzuki is a blast to drive.
The Cappuccino combines a Toyoshima Craft wide-body and US Racing Sports activities equipment, enhancing its stance whereas paying homage to the golden period of Japanese motorsports with its Advan livery.
By the way in which, the automotive is just not black with a crimson wrap, it’s painted crimson – 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 reminiscences. But it surely additionally holds a better function – the Suzuki was Sarah’s closing present to Domenic. Each side of this construct embodies one clear thought: inside the blueprint of this challenge, Sarah left a strong legacy.
“Be Brilliant. Be Loud. Have Enjoyable. Every day.”
Matthew Everingham
Instagram: matthew_everingham
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