Born and Bred: Al Ramiscal’s Monumental Toyota Corolla GT-S Kouki

For some, we are raised to eat, sleep and breathe a select manufacture. Usually a father, relative or family friend raise us with this, mashing our heads full of knowledge and breaking down each generation. For Al Ramiscal, it was all about Toyotas from the young age of four when he began to spend time with his uncle who was infected with a love for 72-74 Corollas aka Mangos. From this moment on, Al too would be entranced with the Corolla chassis back in its glory days before its demise to the bland economic sedan it is today.

From day one, Al knew he just had to own a Toyota and over the years would come to own a slew of Corollas until six years ago when he came to purchase a certain Kouki Coupe that would culminate into the beautiful machine you see before. Al came to know of the car from a friend of a friend who was planning on using it for a sound competition car. Luckily for the disowned Corolla and anyone who gets to enjoy the sights and sounds of this mean Toyota, Al saved it which would be the start of a Corolla who was pointed towards dark and gloomy roads being molded into an all-around beast of the streets.

When it came to building his ultimate Kouki, Al knew that he would have quite the hunt for the numerous JDM parts that filled his want-list. He spent any free-time chasing down each piece of his rare puzzle and still to this day has a few items that continue to elude him. With the lengthy list of rarities that adorn this magnificent AE86, some would venture to guess that the car is a garage queen, dusted off just for local car shows. I’m proud to say that not only does Al drive his Kouki regularly but from time to time you’ll catch it diving hard into a banked corner or even sideways if the mood suits him.

Al’s Toyota boasts a mod-list that any AE86 owner would be happy to have in their possession. The chassis sits on a complete reworked suspension featuring K-Sport Coilovers and sport a set of Volk Racing TE37V’s. Under the hood is home to a Blue Top 16V 4AGE with 20V ITB’s with help from an original GT-S LSD to put the power down to the pavement.

With performance more than well in hand, Al turned to the exterior which again is nothing less than impressive. At the nose is a Run Free front bumper and has you head to the rear, you’ll notice the Origin Lab side skirts, rear bumper and roof spoiler which help give this Corolla a menacing look. Other touches like a Fine Line Tuning Rocket Bunny spoiler, Spoon carbon mirrors and D-Maxx FRP vented hood add to the race ready look that Al has created.

To make this a complete build, Al has completely reworked the interior. Corbeau Race Buckets with Takata 4-Point Harnesses were put in place to make sure he was held in tight whether he was cruising the highway or attacking a corner. A Nardi Deep-Dish Wheel and a JGTC Derlin Shift Knob were installed to add a bit of styling to the interior but also add some function. No matter if you look out, under or inside of this wicked AE86, Al has tweaked with every inch of the car.

Complete builds like Al’s, are hard to come by and are an even rarer occurrence that are actually driven and beat on. For Al, his favorite thing isn’t a certain part even though this car has a daunting mod list. Instead, he simply loves to behind the wheel with the foot into the throttle whether it is a normal commute to work or some spirited driving through the mountains. All that matters is that he is being the wheel of a car he is proud of, isn’t that what it’s all supposed to be about?

Al would like to thank: “First my mom and dad for truly understanding why i was always broke lol and letting me do pretty much what ever i wanted when i was building my car in the garage my two sisters for everything they did for me while growing up. Section-D family for sticking by me through my hard times fun times and anything in between. Hachi Outlaws Family for helping with my motor and all the fun times late night runs with Scott Ish (R.I.P Zenki man) Ty for talking mad shit to get me going and fixing my car to be fast lol, Sean at Munky Works for tuning and getting my rims straight from Japan even with the bio hazard sticker on the boxes lol.

Section-D family: Effren and Rem, Jeff and Katt, Ryan and Jackie, Ben aka Mr. Paint, Russell, Mike E., Mikal, Dave

Hachi Outlaws family: Scott and Nikki (Zenki Man), Ty higa, Brandon (Mr. Hachi), Blayne, Wes, Thor”

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