Wildfire (Orange AE86): Billy’s AE86 can be best described as a wildfire, not just for its exotic orange paint, but also because of its whopping 542 horsepower. This is a vehicle that can really burn up the streets.
The stock engine has been swapped with the legendary 2JZ-GTE and a PT6776 ball bearing Precision turbocharger to give the car even more power. A Ross Racing fuel rail, 1,200 cc fuel injectors, Bosch 044 fuel pump and an Aeromotive fuel press regulator ensure the thirsty engine stays well hydrated, while the Treadstone intercooler keeps things cool. When dealing with this much power under the hood, a proper exhaust system is just as important. That’s probably why Billy went custom, with a kit made at his NTO Motorsports shop. That is paired with a Drewgo turbo manifold and Megan Racing muffler.
To keep himself safe, Billy added a number of suspension upgrades, such as Tokico front struts, QA1 springs and coil-overs, and custom sub-frame connectors to keep the body sturdy. As far as the exterior goes, the eye-catching hot lava paint job perfectly matches the wild fire that’s waiting to erupt underneath the hood. The design and color scheme of the J Line wheels compliment the paint as well as the Wilwood four-piston brake kit, which do more than their job of bringing 542 horses to a halt.
When you open the doors, you’re greeted to a sight similar to Walter’s AE86. A Nardi steering wheel is prominently featured, along with Sparco racing seats.
A big difference between the two interiors however, is the Kenwood head unit, JL Audio amps and Infinity Kappa speakers that Billy installed. Of the three AE86s in this feature, Billy’s is the most powerful and is a great reflection of how incredibly versatile the platform can be as for tuning.
Photography by Kevin Choi
ESSENTIALS
Model: 1986 Toyota Corolla GTS (AE86)
Built by: Billy Escoto
Location: Beltsville, MD
Engine: 3.0L 2JZ-GTE
Horsepower: 542 hp
ENGINE / PERFORMANCE
- Racing Engine Valve valve train kit
- Precision PT6776 ball bearing turbocharger
- K&N air filter
- Ross Racing fuel rail
- Aeromotive fuel press regulator
- Bosch 044 fuel pump
- Kelford cams
- Fidanza cam gears
- Treadstone intercooler
- Tial (50 mm blow-off valve, 44 mm waste gate)
- 1,200 cc fuel injectors
- MSD custom ignition wires
- LS2 truck coils
- ARP bolts
EXHAUST
- NTO Motorsports custom (stainless steel down pipe, 3-in. aluminum exhaust)
- Drewgo turbo manifold
- Megan Racing muffler
DRIVETRAIN
- GM TH350 automatic transmission
- Detroit TruTrac LSD
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION
- Tokico front struts
- QA1 (front springs, rear coil-overs and springs)
- Custom sub-frame connectors
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
- J Line wheels – 18x8 (f), 18x10 (r)
- BFGoodrich g-Force T/A tires – 205/40 R18 (f), 255/35 R18 (r)
- Wilwood (four-piston brake calipers (f/r)
- 2-pc. slotted and drilled rotors (f/r)
- Stainless braided brake lines
EXTERIOR
- MIPA (hot lava paint, CC6 high solid clear)
- Levin (grill, fenders, headlights)
INTERIOR
- Nardi deep dish steering wheel
- Sparco racing seats
AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA
- Kenwood head unit
- JL Audio (mid bass amps, mid range amps, high frequency amps, 12-in. subwoofers (2))
- Infinity Kappa components (mid bass, mid range, tweeters)
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