One of the big things I wanted to eventually do with the Camry was to have air suspension done on the car. I had no issues with the current BC coilovers, but I wanted a bit more flexibility in winter and more importantly, I wanted to be able to air out and SLAM the car.
Enter TT Auto and Terence, who was more than happy to revamp the Camry. We discussed some details, such as tank and compressor placement as well as where to put the gauges and switches. I decided to go with an Airtekk system with basic switches and no electronic management. Since I will be winter driving the car, I wanted manual adjustment. It was also significantly cheaper to go with switches vs an electronic controller system. I also opted for dual compressors to mitigate how long the compressors would have to run and to minimize heat.
I was not able to hang around for most of the install due to work, but I did manage to stop by to take a few pictures of the progress. Have a look!
I went for a trunk mounted setup with the 2 compressors and water traps in the spare tire space. I did this to minimize noise and keep the setup clean. I also wanted to make sure I retained as much usable trunk space as possible.
Tank mounted to the top of the trunk so I can still use the trunk and pass through to load up snowboards in winter
My favourite part of the install is the management. Center digital gauge with dual readings (F+R), plus individual switches for front and rear axles. I can close the lid and you wouldn’t be able to tell from the interior that the car runs air suspension. I did have to sacrifice 1 cigarette lighter and an ash tray, but it was 100% worth it.
For reference, the ride height with the BC Racing coilovers.
A few more days and the car was ready to go. Here are some shots of the finished product!
Yes, she’s super low. Definitely deserving of the Slamry moniker now!
Being so excited with how it looked now, I had to take it out and take some photos of the car. It happened to rain however, but it let up in the evening near sunset, so I took the opportunity to take some photos while the ground was still wet.
Love the reflection in this shot!
In search of some more empty parking lots, I headed over to the Windermere shopping area and decided to stop at Cineplex, which was completely empty except for a few Skipthedishes drivers. I guess people can’t get enough of the popcorn?
I love this wide angle shot. I want to focus on some car photography that shows off the surroundings more!
I also managed to make a short video (first time using Adobe Premiere, was always a Sony Vegas guy) showing the air out. Have a look!
At this point, there are a few things I still want to do on the Camry. It feels like there’s a lot more work in progress compared to the Porsche, but I feel like it’s also unavoidable given that the car started off a lot rougher than the 911 plus I do winter drive the car, which puts a ton of wear on it. Some things I still want to do hopefully this season (in no particular order):
Camber bolts front and rear, to give a little more clearance to the fender (and MORE LOW)
Fix the side skirts, as the double sided tape is coming off in multiple areas
Junction Produce interior pieces
LED signals, DRLs, and rear lights
Redo the front PPF (it’s almost 5 years old and the rock chips are plentiful)
Annual Detail and ceramic coat refresh
After all of that, I feel like the car will be “done”. But as it always is, you’re never done. There’s always more to do. Stretch goals would probably also include a roof repaint and a new rear bumper. It’s a never ending money sink.
Until next,
Gary