Joined
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6 Posts
Hey all, new here.
Dean Castillo from NJ
1985 Toyota Supra 7M-GTE
A little backstory- This was my dads car. As a kid I was always mesmerized by the amount of time and effort he put into the car. The dedication and innovation to make things work was admirable. I loved the car but more so the master mind behind it all.
In August of 2012, my dad planned a fishing trip. He woke me up in the morning to come with him. I woke up to that rich smell of gas and a bunch of fishing gear in the car. We took the Supra to his favorite fishing spots. I remember we were on the way to the beach and it was hot. I asked him if we can turn the ac on. He replied with “AC? Sure” and rolled the windows down
it was the best day ever with him. Truly felt at peace- the true definition of happiness was with him
Unfortunately, that day we lost him due to a severe lightning storm. The storm came over us in a blink of an eye. One second it was sunny and the next the clouds turned grey. Just felt unsettling.
It‘s upsetting because the best day of my life also was the worst day of my life. Since then I took over from where he left off.
Before I go any further I would like to give thanks to Joseph Shantz, Damon Saul, and Charlie Yang. Joseph can tell you about how much I picked his brain. He is truly the nicest guy I’ve met. He is a humble person that never once hesitated to help me. Lots of inspiration came from his build. I got the chance to meet Damon. He helped me pick a machine shop and let me test out one of his clutches. I am now running one in my car. Charlie helped with all the tech stuff. Other alternatives to problems. All of them are genuine people that I know my dad would’ve shared a Corona with. They are probably not frequent on the forums but I wanted to say this even if they don’t get a chance to see it.
In 2020 I pulled the engine out. I rebuilt it throughout 2020-the beginning of 2022. It was all done in my garage. Backyard built! It was a learning experience for sure. Lots of breaks and hiatuses. My mental health was pretty bad the start of 2021 so I took a break from everything in life. But I’m back, still learning more about myself and learning to love myself more. Lots of sleepless nights. Lots of hours spent reading the manual and old threads (sucks the pics are gone!). Lots of trial and error. Lots of people I’ve met along the way. Lots of smiles. Lots of frowns. Lots of oil everywhere lol! It’s back on the road as of April 2022.
This whole process taught me about the 7M, and mk2s, and other cars in general. It taught me I’m capable of learning about something if I put the time, effort, and dedication. But it also taught me why my dad chose to spend his free time working on his car. I understand the passion now.
Im 21 now. My heart still hurts about what happened. I wish he was here to see his project back better than ever. I never got the chance to say a lot of things. But I know he’s watching down and hears that 7M from up above.
Ive nicknamed the car “SEB 7M”. My dads name is Sebastian. So I think it fits!
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About the car:
Black 85
Mk3 dash and seats
Bc coils
XXR wheels 16x8
Q45 BBK conversion
About the engine:
7M-GTE
Eagle Rods
Wiseco 83.5mm pistons
Clevite mains and rod bearings
ARP hardware
William B crossover pipe
Cometic 1.3mm MHG
ARP head studs
Stock head
New gaskets and seals
Shimmed oil pump (3mm)
Mk3 rad
Ford contour efans
eBay intercooler
Transmission:
R-154
4 puck f clutch (courtesy of Damon & Joseph)
eBay Chromoly flywheel
Stock Pressure Plate
RR clutch line
I think that’s about it. I have a bunch of pics/ videos of my progress. I have a couple YT vids edited but it’s just me saying “um” 100x. So they’re not public but I might make them public. Thanks for viewing!
Dean Castillo from NJ
1985 Toyota Supra 7M-GTE
A little backstory- This was my dads car. As a kid I was always mesmerized by the amount of time and effort he put into the car. The dedication and innovation to make things work was admirable. I loved the car but more so the master mind behind it all.
In August of 2012, my dad planned a fishing trip. He woke me up in the morning to come with him. I woke up to that rich smell of gas and a bunch of fishing gear in the car. We took the Supra to his favorite fishing spots. I remember we were on the way to the beach and it was hot. I asked him if we can turn the ac on. He replied with “AC? Sure” and rolled the windows down
it was the best day ever with him. Truly felt at peace- the true definition of happiness was with himUnfortunately, that day we lost him due to a severe lightning storm. The storm came over us in a blink of an eye. One second it was sunny and the next the clouds turned grey. Just felt unsettling.
It‘s upsetting because the best day of my life also was the worst day of my life. Since then I took over from where he left off.
Before I go any further I would like to give thanks to Joseph Shantz, Damon Saul, and Charlie Yang. Joseph can tell you about how much I picked his brain. He is truly the nicest guy I’ve met. He is a humble person that never once hesitated to help me. Lots of inspiration came from his build. I got the chance to meet Damon. He helped me pick a machine shop and let me test out one of his clutches. I am now running one in my car. Charlie helped with all the tech stuff. Other alternatives to problems. All of them are genuine people that I know my dad would’ve shared a Corona with. They are probably not frequent on the forums but I wanted to say this even if they don’t get a chance to see it.
In 2020 I pulled the engine out. I rebuilt it throughout 2020-the beginning of 2022. It was all done in my garage. Backyard built! It was a learning experience for sure. Lots of breaks and hiatuses. My mental health was pretty bad the start of 2021 so I took a break from everything in life. But I’m back, still learning more about myself and learning to love myself more. Lots of sleepless nights. Lots of hours spent reading the manual and old threads (sucks the pics are gone!). Lots of trial and error. Lots of people I’ve met along the way. Lots of smiles. Lots of frowns. Lots of oil everywhere lol! It’s back on the road as of April 2022.
This whole process taught me about the 7M, and mk2s, and other cars in general. It taught me I’m capable of learning about something if I put the time, effort, and dedication. But it also taught me why my dad chose to spend his free time working on his car. I understand the passion now.
Im 21 now. My heart still hurts about what happened. I wish he was here to see his project back better than ever. I never got the chance to say a lot of things. But I know he’s watching down and hears that 7M from up above.
Ive nicknamed the car “SEB 7M”. My dads name is Sebastian. So I think it fits!
About the car:
Black 85
Mk3 dash and seats
Bc coils
XXR wheels 16x8
Q45 BBK conversion
About the engine:
7M-GTE
Eagle Rods
Wiseco 83.5mm pistons
Clevite mains and rod bearings
ARP hardware
William B crossover pipe
Cometic 1.3mm MHG
ARP head studs
Stock head
New gaskets and seals
Shimmed oil pump (3mm)
Mk3 rad
Ford contour efans
eBay intercooler
Transmission:
R-154
4 puck f clutch (courtesy of Damon & Joseph)
eBay Chromoly flywheel
Stock Pressure Plate
RR clutch line
I think that’s about it. I have a bunch of pics/ videos of my progress. I have a couple YT vids edited but it’s just me saying “um” 100x. So they’re not public but I might make them public. Thanks for viewing!
