The year 2003 had such a variety of feature vehicles in early PASMAG, and you guys really seemed to enjoy the previous 5 Vehicles from PASMAG in 2003, so we wanted to double up on our appreciation for that year with another look back at five additional feature vehicles that once graced our printed pages. Fair warning, while we may look down on some style eras with hindsight, it's important to remember that many of these modifications and styles we consider to be extreme or "too much" paved the way for a lot of the aftermarket automotive world we know and love today.
This is an ongoing series. We wanted to take some opportunities to dig into the PASMAG archives - all 25 years of it - as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, and isolate certain eras to appreciate, evaluate, or even reminisce. Enjoy an extra five vehicles from 2003 while we dwell on this iconic era.
1. Signal Auto Twin S13.5 Builds
You're not seeing double - these are two nearly identical Signal Auto built S13.5s, at one time referred to as "Strawberry face" or "Strawberry facelift" 180sx. Born and built in Japan by Signal Auto employees, these cars used to reside in Signal Auto’s shop in Torrance, California and are mechanically identical, with the exception of some under-the-hood part placement and in-cabin electronics, each tailored to their owners' preferences.
The twin built SR20DET powerplants both put down just below 400 horsepower, which is still considered more than adequate power for a drifting SR20 today.
2. SVE Imageworks 2003 Toyota Matrix XR
The color scheme. The Nitrous bottle (visibly not hooked up) next to the air tank. The offset molded hood vent. Even the chassis choice. This is among one of the most iconic representations of 2003 tuning culture, back when anything could work, as long as you did it right. This Matrix was owned by Dan Fournier, the Director of Business Development for SVE Imageworks. He chose this vehicle because it represented an entirely new segment in the industry, and decided to bless the chassis with a four-piece body kit and trunk wing to give it some style.
3. Phoenix Gold Mazda Protege5
Garnet Schmitz, the proprietor of Advanced Territory Management, represents the Phoenix Gold line of car audio products, and at some point he decided to turn his Mazda Protege5 that he owned from 2001 into a rolling example of Phoenix Gold's technology. One look inside and you can see they didn't skip a beat, no pun intended. They threw the whole PG catalogue at it. This is one build you would definitely hear coming before you saw it.
4. Bill Stephen's Stillen Supercharged 350Z
This 350Z was one of the very first seriously built of its kind shortly after the 350Z left its mark on the world at Tokyo Auto Salon the year prior. This particular Z was owned by Bill Stephen from Toronto, who happened to own and operate two Nissan dealerships alongside his father. With all of the connections at their disposal, this 350Z was given the full treatment. RAYS TE37s, a Stillen supercharger system, and a subtle yet stylish graphics package propelled this Z to local stardom and beyond, earning a PASMAG cover feature - one of the most popular of 2003.
5. American Products Company's Subaru WRX
This American Products Company sponsored WRX was one of the most popular Bugeye Subarus of its time. These guys were doing orange Subarus before Team Orange took it to the next level! With an array of sponsors, this WRX was kitted with all sorts of goodies inside and out. Color-matched interior reupholstery, chrome wheels, and a full audio system were among the most viewed modifications on this old school Subie.
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