Amanda & the KP: the Interview

Hey Amanda, tell us how you first got into boxy old Toyotas? I was taken to rallies by my dad when I was really young. I fell in love with the "old twin cams" because they were the cars that could slide around corners and usually be the ones to clip off hedges haha! My aunt also raced stock cars and had a few EP Starlets for that.

I got into rallying more as a teenager – Maurice Moffett in his KP starlet being one of my hero's. I then discovered drifting which added more fuel to my old-school RWD Toyota love. I developed a slight obsession with AE86s and KP61s to say the least and when I got my licence at 17 I set a wee goal to get myself the two of them.

I eventually got a black UK spec AE86 – which I adored. Like so many, It was pretty scruffy so I took it off the road to restore it, which ended up being a really slow process. In the mean time I had severe RWD Toyota withdrawal symptoms. My mate John had got a wee red KP61 traded in against another car he had for sale.

I took it for a test drive and fell in love. It was mine the next day!

So tell us more about your KP, it's more than just a paint job and a set Hayashi Streets right? This sounds really naff but, my KP is now exactly how I had visioned it when I first bought it. I guess I'm lucky that the car was such a solid base to work with – never needed welding or filling.

This is how it looked when I first got it...

I got started straight away putting my own touches on it. First was a nice coat of midnight purple and I threw a set of zero dished 14" Hayashi Streets on it. I still think it looks like a little monster truck here...

I then tried some 13" SSR MKII's but, I felt they never really suited it.

Finally I got my hands on the perfect set of 13" Hayashi Streets – 13x8.5 on the rear and 13x7.5 up front. Next to be sorted was the ride height and lack of stance. A pair KP coilovers didn't quite cut it so I made the switch to AE86 suspension with Tokico HTS adjustable short stroke shocks, Cusco NCRAs and T3 top mounts. I'm really happy with the way it sits now – a girl can never have too much camber right!? The rear for now has TRD KP61 rear springs and short stroke shocks.

Under the bonnet is a 4K-U engine. I toyed around with putting a 4AGE in it for months but, eventually decided on keeping the 4K and tweeking it up a wee bit. The head was ported and polished, the bottom end lightened and balanced oh, and it has a high lift cam and a Martelius four branch manifold.

I added a set of twin Mikuni carbs too, the sound is infectious! It also has a full bolt in cage.

They are some great shots of you hooning about on track, are you grip or drift kinda girl? I actually can't decide between grip and drift, I love them both equally. I do intend to do more grippy stuff in the KP next year. It only has an open diff at the mo, hopefully not for much longer, though as you probably know TRD 2-ways are like rocking horse poo and I refuse to weld it. I have a welded diff in my Sierra and I think one is enough! So unless it rains there wont be much sidewaysness! Haha!

What other cars do you own? I still have the AE86 and Sierra I mentioned, and a wee EP70 starlet for a daily.

And finally, what's your old school dream car?

A Black Limited Trueno. That's the stuff of dreams!