A Never-Ending Battle against Hawaii's Roads: Joseph's Stance Toyota Corolla

Let’s face it: Hawaii has some of the worst roads out there. From the endless potholes along Kamehameha Highway to the parts of Mapunapuna Street that become rivers after rainstorms, it is a small price to pay for living in paradise.

But that does not stop passionate car enthusiasts to modify their cars: whether it be for street, show, or race.  Or go all out, which is an even smaller fraction of enthusiasts on Oahu. There is no racetrack (yet) and there are only so many roads on the island, but you can still turn heads in different ways. Like for instance: going full ‘Battle Stance’, intentionally setting the wheels to aggressive offsets and levels of camber, ignoring the fact you have just made your tire wear worse.

“I know the roads in Hawaii are not ideal, but I stand behind my setup,” remarks Joseph, the owner of this rather unique Toyota Corolla, and also one of a few car enthusiasts on Oahu who are advocates for stance modification.

Originally purchased this car as his college runabout when he moved to Washington to study, it did not take long for Joseph to consider the possibility of modifying the Corolla. Seeing his friends in Washington and their setups on their cars, from large wings and body kits, and the camber setups they had resonated with Joseph. Slowly but surely, they started giving him ideas on how to modify his Corolla.

And what an impression they left. Passersby are usually drawn to the massive NRG Carbon Fiber Wing with Executioner ‘Endplates’ on the trunk, combined with a front splitter from Ventus Autoworks. There is no point to have that much downforce on something that will never see the racetrack, but remember aesthetics, not lap times are the focus of this build.

After moving back to Oahu, Joseph continued with the mods. Since his return, he is traded up for a set of Style-Up Wheels on Federal 595ss tires, riding on Truhart coilovers. To achieve this ridiculous amount of camber: a 25mm spacer by StanceMagic at the front, with camber bolts and plates (-7 at the front wheels, 10 on the rear).  A set of 326 Power lug-nuts assists with putting an extra sparkle on the wheel’s aesthetics.

While most stance builds use an air suspension setup to achieve a low ride height and raise it when needed,  Joseph is one of the few that rides static’: fixing the ride height at a specific height through a coilover suspension setup,  that is then permanently set at the driver’s discretion. “I have seen a lot of stance builds ride on air, but I’d rather be unique and achieve my stance through coilovers.”

The inside has been given an extensive, abstract treatment as much as the outside: gone is the original steering wheel, and in its place, a ClubStreethate Deadboyz wheel paired to a quick-release NRG setup: hub included. Representation of the Colorado-based brand also extends into the floor mats as well.

The most prevalent feature from the driver's seat has to be the Likewise gear shift knob and extension kit. A trademark feature of Bosozoku car interiors in Japan,  it’s fitting given this car’s extravagant personality: reminding you that it’s not the usual rental car Enterprise gives you.

Even though this build is more focused on exterior aesthetics, there were some modifications done to the running gear of the Toyota. Subtle additions like an HKS HI-Power muffler, K&N air filter, and straight-pipe exhaust, produced one-off for this car, to help announce its presence.

While the latest generations of the Corolla have been receiving a lot of aftermarket attention, Joseph does not mind that he has been ignored, both by the industry and enthusiasts. “I’ve only seen two or more Corollas from my generation with the same or similar setup as mine. But because it’s not a typical stance build based on a ZN6 (GT86/FRS/BRZ) or Subaru Impreza platform as many tend to use, I like how mine is exclusive in its own special way.”

With plans to move back to the mainland and continue the modification journey for his Corolla, Joseph has still more modifications planned to make his build stand out. He is aiming to achieve even greater levels of camber ( -20 all around), with the wheels tucked under the fenders and all.  Also, on the chopping block are 326 Power coilovers and wheels, a pair of body-hugging bucket seats, and even a full exterior color change via a vinyl wrap.

No matter the state of his build, Joseph appreciates all kinds of attention towards it: whether it be complimented, looks of disgust, or questions towards his Corolla. Considering only a dedicated few in Hawaii will endure every pothole or imperfection with their stance builds, Joseph appreciates he represents the minority when it comes to this ‘love it or hate it’ approach towards car customization.

“I love how people react to it: I break necks all the time and it makes me feel good knowing that. I can’t thank my Washington friends, especially my best friend @kev.frs and girlfriend Victoria; for encouraging me to pursue my dream.”

 

Photographer Credits:

• Adrian Ma Photography (@therandomjdmfan97)
• Peter E. (@Level.Rei)

Appendix: Mod List

Engine:

- K&N air filter

- Custom fabricated straight- pipe exhaust

- HKS HI-POWER Muffler Tip (4.5in)

- Resonator Delete

- Cat Delete

 

Wheels and Suspension:

- ‘Style Up’ Wheels,  18x10.5 +22

- Federal 595ss Tires, 225/40 R18

- StanceMagic 25mm spacer (front)

- Truhart Coilovers

- Camber bolts and plates (-7 F, -10 R)

- 326 Power Oretachi Lug nuts size (L) with caps

 

Exterior:

- NRG Carbon-Fiber Wing

- Executioner Endplates

- Ikon Motorsports Front Lip

- Ventus Autoworks Front Splitter

- Password JDM Quick-Release Front Bumper

- Carbon-Fiber Quarter-Panel Window Louvers

- LED Color Chasing Exterior underglow by Xprite

- Front/rear turn signals and reverse lights Amber Delete

- RGB strobe lights (Turn Signals)

 

Interior:

 - Clubstreethate ‘Deadboyz’ Steering Wheel

- NRG Steering Wheel Hub

- NRG Steering Wheel - Quick Release (3.0)

- Likewise Shift-Knob Extension (Suzuka)

- Likewise Shift Knob (Deathgrip)

- Clubstreethate ‘Deadboyz’ Rose Floor Mats

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