Maria Ahvenlampi always knew that her husband Olli’s love for the 1986 Toyota Starlet EP70 ran deep.
Olli Ahvenlampi He was a DJ who loved 80s music and 80s cars. He saw opportunity in these older Japanese machines – especially the Toyotas – and had owned a bunch of Starlets before he started this build.
Back in the fall of 2019, around the same time Olli received his cancer diagnosis, he, Maria, and his friend Niko picked up the EP70 from a nearby town in Finland. It was factory black, original and in excellent condition for its age. In other words, a perfect starting point for a new project.
Olli had an ambitious plan and vision for the car: a ‘2.0’ version as a continuation of the then EP70 project.
The original plan was to have the Starlet ready in time for the 2020 American Car & Tuning Show (ACS) in Helsinki, where Olli already had a display slot. But Olli did not make much of the fact that he would soon have to face the “worst case scenario” of his cancer diagnosis.
Before the disease took control of his daily life, Olli envisioned and shared his plan for what Csillagka would look like. So when Olli exhausted all treatment options in Finland and traveled with Maria to Belgium for a new private cancer drug trial, his friends and family continued to build. The constant updates Olli received from those involved in the project brought joy and happiness during this terrible time.
“In May 2020, the [ACS] The tuning show was canceled due to the epidemic, and we immediately knew that Olli would not be able to live at this time next year, when the event is held again.” Maria recalls. This sparked a serious debate about what would happen to the Star if Olli died. Of course, everyone close to him promised to see the construction through to completion.
In June, Olli was able to get to the garage and witness the development of the project firsthand. Being with his best friends Riku Tujunen, Teemu Rinne and Niko Sulander as well as Ville Hämäläinen was a very important and empowering time in Olli’s last weeks, says Maria. He saw that the atmosphere of the garage made bad thoughts distant.
At this point, all the important body parts were restored and the widened rear wheel arches were welded in place.
Olli passed away peacefully by Maria’s side on July 7, 2020. They were not mentioned by Starlet in Olli’s last days; there was no question that it would end when the time came.
The project was put on hiatus for the rest of 2020 as everyone close to Olli coped with his death. ACS was again canceled for 2021, so there was no need to rush construction, but as the months passed, Starlet slowly began to take its final shape. Maria and Olli’s friends concentrated on the exterior and interior, leaving the 1.3-liter engine kit for now.
The iconic HKS ‘oil splatter’ paintwork perfectly matches the little Starlet, complementing the low, wide bodywork. The Starlet rides on a D2 Racing coilover and touches the ground with vintage Tramont TY2 wheels wrapped in grippy Toyo Proxes TR1 tires.
The front lip spoiler came straight from an AE86, while the Toyota MR2 side skirts were modified to match. Custom rear ducktail spoiler with Speedhunters katakana The logo is taken from Olli’s previous EP70 and is completely in keeping with the theme, as are the fender mirrors.
The interior gets Momo bucket seats and TRS harnesses, a sculpted steering wheel, a stylish shift knob, a much-needed tachometer, and a custom rear strut.
Maria says that every minute of her first real car build – and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it – was totally worth it. He knew Olli would have been proud of him and all his friends for finishing what he started.
Despite the difficulties and twists and turns, the weekend of the 2022 American Car & Tuning Show was an absolutely amazing experience. Maria says that she will remember it forever: the atmosphere, the new friends and the many good memories.
Since then, Maria takes Starlet for a drive whenever she wants to reminisce or clear her head. EP70 has become his little sanctuary, a place where he knows that Olli is with him, sitting in his beloved car with a shotgun in his soul.
Vladimir Lyadov
Instagram: kerekbyvovka
because@wheelsbywovka.com
www.wheelsbywovka.com
