Before we get to the real potatoes and meat of this story, we wanted to offer you some basic facts (or Cliff’s Notes for those who don’t love to read) about this ’13 Scion FR-S. The complete build came together within two months. It definitely isn’t your typical TRA Kyoto Rocket Bunny FR-S and, aside from paint, this car was built entirely inside of a compact garage in Long Beach, CA, suburbia. While many people will offer up a simple that’s cool, nice job type of response, you really need to have a better grasp of how the Rocket Bunny kit is designed to fully understand the difficulties who go with the install. The over-fenders of the kit aren’t a simple paint and install; it not only requires quite a bit of measuring, it is also needed to cut into and remove sections of the factory fenders/quarter-panels for that kit to operate. These important skills are often found in trained autobody specialists who have experience–not in just two brothers with literally no experience at all.
The willingness to cut into a brand-new car either originates from an absolute disregard for one’s personal belongings. Alternatively, you merely have a big set of the proverbial balls. The owner of this FR-S, Noel Barnum, and his awesomebrother and Hubert, are not your conventional car enthusiasts. They already have more of an outside the box style of thinking, and you view it in the way that they execute their builds. Noel is no stranger to custom car builds; this FR-S just is actually the first car he’s built that actually had any way of measuring aftermarket support. He previously spent the majority of his days tinkering having a supercharged ’05 Toyota Corolla that was everything no one ever expected. When he was up against the opportunity to create something new, the mindsmain aim was to locate a ’03 [Volkswagen] GTI but after searching low and high, I couldn’t locate one. I started exploring the Internet for other cars, and randomly stumbled upon a rendering of your 6666 Customs [TRA Kyoto] Toyota 86/FR-S. Once I saw it I knew I necessary to build one–but with my own flare.
From what Noel tells us, one of the most difficult section of the build wasn’t actually the cutting of your factory panels, it was simply acquiring the Rocket Bunny kit itself. After the kit made the rounds via the Internet as well as other social media outlets, it was highly sought after and everyone with an FR-S with a good slice of extra change tried to get one. Luckily, he had some help from the guys over at Autofashion USA, and they could snag the very last one through the first batch of kits imported to the United States. It proved to be a hefty investment for a 22-year-old student–these kits aren’t exactly cheap. Since he found himself ordering the kit before he even had the car in his possession, noel still had to actually purchase the car. Once the first batch of Rocket Bunny kits hit American soil, it appeared like they were everywhere, particularly out here in the West Coast. Aftermarket tuning companies were also making an investment in the kit to promote their particular products, so it was hard for a privateer builder to completely stand out amongst some who seemed to get an endless volume of financial backing. Noel could either match with the crowd of other Rocket Bunny Scions, or he could reinvent the appearance, even when the look was still relatively new to the rest of the country.
Noel was pretty set on adding the aggressive rearend and wing to his brand-new FR-S, especially after integrating the over-fenders. What he could change was the face area of the TRA Kyoto kit. Modifying the leading would significantly alter the give and look others a new perspective on an über-popular kit. Noel came up with the thought to ditch the front lip and sides altogether. Instead, he would create an amalgamation of styles by incorporating a brand new, less common, front lip and side skirts from Japanese tuning specialist T&E Vertex. The only problem with his new plan was that it would only further delay his build because he needed tothe most significant thing I learned with this build would be to have patience. Things aren’t always going to fit things and right certainly won’t always get here punctually. I just had to be patient in waiting for parts to come in and really assist them to get them to fit, Noel says.
The largest question that remains was why he was willing to cut into his brand-new FR-S. His answer, People really thought I found myself crazy for cutting right into a brand-new car just to fit a body kit, nevertheless i always told myself when I was going to do anything drastic like cutting my brand-new fenders, it might be for a kit I really wanted. It was a very permanent modification as well, therefore i knew I wouldn’t want to change it later on later on. I already had the kit in my possession so, to put it just, it was just necessary to cut.
Fortunately for Noel, he had an older brother who could lend a helping, and steady, hand. This would not simply ensure an increased probability of it being done correctly, but Noel would have someone to blame in the event that it didn’t. The fact that you view it featured in the pages of Import Tuner is proof that the leap of faith worked out in the Barnum brothers’ favor. Everything after that feat came pretty smoothly for his build, including the acquisition of a brand-new set of discontinued Work VS-KF wheels from the specs perfectly suited for the widened body of his Scion coupe. The 18×9.5/11 pair of Work wheels just did actually fall onto his lap and while some have argued that it’s not the proper wheel for his car, Noel thinks otherwise. Everybody gets so caught up in the things i do with my car. The same as the AirRex digital air suspension system I have got; everyone acted like it was really a sin to ‘bag a sports car or something that is, but I didn’t really care what people had to say, Noel says.Even though the FR-S is known as a sports car, Noel has always found more of a link with the style aspect of car modification instead of the pure motorsports side of things. It ought to be plainly obvious to you that his Vertex/Rocket Bunny FR-S screams style, especially in Firestorm Red paint. He hasn’t permit it to hinder him from being able to build a complete car regarding his bare hands, though aesthetics are a problem to him. Everything from the AirRex air suspension, on the custom audio setup within his trunk, and also the Vortech supercharger kit has all been meticulously installed by Noel himself. Just because he caters to particular style doesn’t mean that he isn’t mechanically inclined.
The near future is bright for Noel, a young and knowledgeable enthusiast in your tuning community. His Scion FR-S mash-up has garnered a ton of attention on the Interwebs and steals the collective attention in the masses each and every time he pulls up to a function and lays the car on the floor. He did it his way by his hands and possesses very little care for what his doubters must say. The aim of the build was to have a car that flowed well, he says. From wheels to the widebody kit to the interior, I just wanted everything to have a good feel and flow on it. Nothing was overdone in an effort to please someone else. If you have a concept and you need to push the limits of your scene’s cookie-cutter tendencies, don’t be afraid to choose it. Your build will be your own, so ensure you build it how you will want.
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