Words: Deven Solanki Photos: Glen McNamara
Yep, you read that right — six Supras. Meet Jason Ham, a full-time financial advisor and part-time Supra junkie from Christchurch. He’s got a killer street machine in his garage, and after cycling through Supras left, right, and centre, he’s finally satisfied his cravings with a build that proves to be the perfect all-rounder. But it wasn’t always this way. It all began with a humble Nissan Lucino and a childhood trip to the States, where he first flipped through a car mag and spotted a 300ZX and an MR2. That was the spark that ignited his obsession with Japanese performance cars.
After finishing uni, Jason dove straight into the car scene, kicking things off with a B20V-swapped Honda CRX Del Sol. He quickly moved through a Levin GT-Z, a few Soarers, and some WRX STIs, but no matter what he was driving, the Supra’s reputation stayed at the back of his mind. “I was more into Soarers back then, but Supras paired with the 2JZ-GTE making big numbers on stock internals — that’s what pulled me in,” he recalls.
After a few Supras under his belt, Jason gave the Honda scene a shot with an EK9 but soon found himself feigning the JZ life once again. That’s when he landed his holy grail — a 1999 Series 2 Supra RZ-S, factory turbo with the sought-after Getrag six-speed. “For me, this is the best of the best when it comes to Supras,” Jason says.
At first, Jason’s plan was simple: keep it stock and restore it. Having already owned two automatic JZA80 Supras as daily drivers, he wanted this one to be the same — stock, something he could enjoy every day, but with a manual gearbox. But we all know how that goes. A few ‘light maintenance mods’ in, and before he knew it, a manifold from Sinco Customs arrived, and his parts collection was growing fast with all the extra supporting mods.
Jason also initially wanted a sleeper look — no aero, stock wheels, just clean and subtle. Yeah, that didn’t last long either. After testing out Work Emotion XC8s and Volk Racing TE37s, he locked in on a set of discontinued forged, lightweight Volk Racing CE28N Genesis wheels, 19×9.5 up front and 19×10.5 in the rear, only 500 sets were made and were used on competition vehicles around the world. They’re wrapped in 235/35 and 275/30 Westlake Sport RS semi-slicks to keep the Supra planted. To finish off the look, Jason added a GReddy Gracer V1-style front lip, Ridox-style skirts, and a Pro Spec forged-carbon exhaust shroud. Simple but effective.
Under the hood, the 2JZ-GTE VVTi is still rocking the stock bottom and top end with a BorgWarner S362SX turbo perched on a Sinco manifold, screaming through a Turbosmart ProGate50 Gen V external wastegate. With a 3.5-inch exhaust system, Walbro 465lph in-tank fuel pump, custom 1000cc injectors, and a Link G4+ Fury ECU, the 2JZ cranks out a solid 432kW and 754Nm at the rears, all on 25psi of boost courtesy of Geoff from Flame Performance working his magic. And the Getrag V161 six-speed is the perfect match for handling serious horsepower — those gearboxes don’t come cheap, either.
The interior is the classic fighter-jet cockpit that wraps snugly around the pilot, with Evo IV Recaros mounted on super-low rails. “It’s like piloting a jet — everything’s right where you need it, and the Recaros hold you in perfectly,” Jason says. He’s got all the info he needs with a Blitz gauge collection right in front of him.
Now the Supra is a reliable road-trip machine. “Even with more than double the stock power, it’s never let me down,” Jason says. “I’ve taken it on multiple long trips through the South Island, and it hasn’t skipped a beat.” While the current setup ticks all the boxes, Jason’s already thinking about future upgrades. “I might swap out the bumpers and skirts, maybe go with something from Varis or TwinZ, or even go for a subtle widebody. Performance-wise, I’m tempted by a bigger turbo for that nostalgic T51R feel, but right now, I’m loving the responsiveness it’s got.” It gets up and moves, too — though when he plants his foot on high boost, the power comes on strong, and even with the semi-slicks, getting traction is a real challenge.
Japanese racing legend Max Orido and his iconic blue Supra on AVS Model 5s in Best Motoring have been a huge inspiration for Jason. He even had the chance to meet Orido in person at 130R Yokohama, a moment that truly solidified his passion for the Supra. Another tradition for Jason is attending the Toyota GR Festival at Highlands every few years, rounding up his fellow Supra enthusiasts. “Driving in a convoy of Supras from Christchurch to Central Otago is always a blast,” he says. The views on the way to Cromwell are unbeatable, and just thinking about the sound of all those 2JZs echoing through the mountains — that’s an experience you can’t top. Living the dream, right?
SPEC LIST
1999 Toyota Supra RZ-S (JZA80)
Heart
ENGINE: 2JZ-GTE VVTi, 3000cc six-cylinder
BLOCK: Factory
HEAD: Factory
INTAKE: K&N four-inch pod filter, Bosch Motorsports 74mm drive-by-wire throttle body, Venom Automotive extended billet throttle body extender and adaptor
EXHAUST: Sinco Customs steampipe top-mount twin-scroll turbo manifold, custom ceramic-coated 3.5-inch stainless-steel down-pipe, custom 3.5-inch stainless-steel exhaust system, AdrenalinR stainless-steel resonator, AdrenalinR seven-inch stainless-steel muffler
TURBO: BorgWarner S362SX-E turbo, 0.91A/R T4 twin-scroll turbine housing
WASTEGATE: Turbosmart ProGate50 Gen V external wastegate
BOV: TiAL Q 50mm blow-off valve
FUEL: Walbro 465lph in-tank fuel pump, custom 1000cc side-feed fuel injectors, modified factory fuel rail, Aeromotive fuel-pressure regulator, braided E85 AN fuel lines
IGNITION: NGK BKR7EIX Iridium IX spark plugs
ECU: Link G4+ Fury ECU, A.I.C plug-and-play wiring harness
COOLING: Fenix aluminium radiator, HKS Type-R thermostatic oil-cooler kit, Blitz front-mount intercooler, custom three-inch aluminium charge-pipes
EXTRA: MAC three-port electronic boost solenoid, Blitz Dual turbo timer, Mishimoto 0.9-litre oil-catch can, Lava Rock turbo beanie, Cusco Neo Magnetic sump plug,
Drive
GEARBOX: Factory six-speed Getrag V161
CLUTCH: Exedy heavy-duty clutch
FLYWHEEL: Exedy lightweight flywheel
DIFF: Factory A03B Torsen LSD
EXTRA: Strange Workshop driveshaft hoop kit
Support
STRUTS: BC Racing BR-Series Gold 32-way adjustable coilovers
BRAKES: Factory four-pot brake callipers, Hawk brake pads, custom brake and clutch master cylinder heat-shields
ARMS/KNUCKLES: Factory
EXTRA: Cusco front strut brace
Shoes
WHEELS: (F) 19×9.5-inch (+22) (R) 19×10.5-inch (+22) Volk Racing Rays Engineering CE28N Genesis
TYRES: (F) 235/35R19 Westlake Sport RS semi-slicks (R) 275/30R19 Westlake Sport RS semi-slick tyres
Exterior
PAINT: Factory Toyota Quick-Silver Metallic Graphite 1B9
ENHANCEMENTS: GReddy Gracer V1-style polyurethane front lip with custom supports, refurbished and clear-coated factory headlights, Ridox-style side skirts, Ridox-style rear spats, factory-optional monsoons, factory-optional roof spoiler, Pro Spec Imports forged-carbon exhaust shroud, Depo clear side markers, StreetFX third brake light overlay
Interior
SEATS: Mitsubishi Evo IV Recaro SR3 reclinable bucket seats, Bride Super Low seat rails
STEERING WHEEL: Factory
INSTRUMENTATION: Blitz Racing Meter SD 60mm boost, oil-temp, oil-pressure, and water-temp gauges
EXTRA: Top Secret aluminium shift knob, custom fully retrimmed interior in dark green leather with stitching, Sony Xplod XAV-AX3200 2-din head unit, Sony Xplod XS-GTF1039 door speakers, Sony Xplod XS-XB1641 6.5-inch rear speakers, Bosch Motorsports accelerator pedal module, Venom Automotive billet accelerator pedal adaptor
Performance
POWER: 432kW at the wheels
TORQUE: 754Nm at the wheels
BOOST: 25psi
FUEL TYPE: BP Ultimate 98
TUNER: Geoff at Flame Performance
Driver Profile:
DRIVER/OWNER: Jason Ham
AGE: 42
LOCATION: Christchurch
OCCUPATION: Financial Adviser
BUILD TIME: Three years
LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: Eight years
THANKS: I’d like to thank my beautiful wife, Hanna, and my kids, Noah and Noel, for supporting my passion. I’d also like to give a big thanks to Benny and the crew at Garage 5 for all their time, help, and hard work put into my cars. Additionally, a big thank you to the MK4House crew from Christchurch for being an amazing group of people and helping create a fantastic community to be a part of.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
This article originally appeared in New Zealand Performance Car issue 312
