ENGINE
Stock (for now) – ST205 Celica GT-Four engine being implemented.

ENGINE ACCESSORIES
Custom 3" Cold Air Intake and Heatshield (built by Performance Metalcraft / Hi-Octane Racing), K&N pod filter. Relocated temperature sensor to the bottom of the heatshield. Bonnet struts soon to be fitted.

DRIVELINE
Stock, GT-Four drivetrain coming soon.

SUSPENSION
Front: Koni Adjustable shocks, King springs; Rear: KYB shocks, Jumbo springs.

BRAKE SYSTEM
Front: DBA-690 front discs (DBA Longlife Gold, cross-drilled and slotted), Bendix Performax pads; Rear: stock discs and pads, painted calipers on all four corners.

BODYWORK
EL model Ford XR-6 bonnet vents, S15 Silvia mid-mount bonnet vent, RAV4 (SSV) rear spoiler, as well as brake calipers, wiper-arms and wing mirrors and mounts all painted in Royal Plum (pearl). Opposite Lock kit-out including 2.5" dia. TJM T-16 grille guard (glorified small-ish bullbar), sitting on which are 2 x 170-series LightForce spotties and 2 x 115-series Ion-coated foggies (with 10mm custom tabs TIG-welded to the bar for the foggies), Kingsley side-steps and stainless spare wheel cover (sold).

UNDERCARRIAGE
Purple under-car neon kit under the side-steps, with missile-switch activator.

ROLLING STOCK
ANZ chrome Matrix rims (17" x 7½", +38 offset) with Bridgestone H/P D-680 Dueler (255/50 R17) rubber.

INTERIOR GADGETRY
Isotta Vallelunga steering wheel (D-shape) with custom anodised centre disc, Isotta chrome gearknob, Isotta handbrake kit, SRacing aluminium gear shift frame, with grey leather gearboot.

STEREO COMPONENTS
Stock (for now)

FUTURE MODS
Alpine A/V stereo system upgrade (WAY later)

Lower bodykit to be custom designed and fitted with Royal Plum pearl paint finish. Other parts of the vehicle to get custom paint finish (some Electric Blue, some Royal Plum pearl)

Interior to be finished in white and purple marine vinyl, UV lights to be mounted on roof cornices.

How the AVO turbo looks in a semi-constructed sketch.

This was originally what I was going to have put into my RAV4, and a fair bit of the reason for me buying one, over something inferior to the original Compact 4WD. I could have gone for a CR-V or an HR-V and dumped a VTEC engine into it to give it more ‘bang’, but I wanted to make a project out of a 4WD, and the RAV4 seemed streets ahead in terms of OVERALL modifiability.

The “AVO Turbo” route seemed very feasible until I came across the suggestion of swapping-out the 3S-FE in place of a 3S-GTE from a 4WD Celica GT-Four. The drivetrains were the same, the gearbox stronger, same block design (86mm x 86mm bore and stroke, or 122ci), except this deign had the sportier and wider “GE” head with the turbo as a factory fitting. The choice was made easier when the cost-factor came in… anything between $7500 and $12000 for the complete AVO package (exhaust and suspension optional), or about $3500 for a front-cut from a Celica GT-Four (either ST185 or ST205). Bonus points for running at 14PSI as stock for the 3S-GTE with forged internals, as opposed to the stock internals still being used on the AVO kit, and boost going no higher than 9PSI before they have to be swapped over for forged.