ROJAK RACING

SPEEDHUNTERS EVENT>>MORE SUNDAY RACER LIFESTYLE FROM GTCC

2012-02-11T23:11:00.000+08:00

Now that we've had an intro to the atmosphere from Sunday's GTCC race at Tsukuba Circuit, I wanted to spend some time showcasing more of the cars from this event, as well as the day's on-track action.

Not only was this Garage FK-supported EF9 Civic fast around the circuit, it was also extremely clean. At a glance you'd think it was a restored show car rather than a track rat.

The Nissan Sunny Truck may have been designed as a small utility vehicle, but there's no reason why it can't be a fun track toy. The Vertex GB122 was deceptively fast, with power provided by a built version of the original A-series engine.

A scene from the opening moments of the day's final race as the group runs through the infield in an orchestra of screaming VTEC.

EK4 Civic and B310 Sunny running side by side down the front straight.

The little EK4 was actually quite interesting...

...in that it's B-series powerplant was fed by a set of FCR sidedraft carburetors. It's not so often you see a VTEC motor with carbs - I imagine the throttle response is amazing.

The Fairlady Z duo rolls out of pitlane for the final open class track session of the day. Just more inspiration for me to get going on my Z project after I get home!

After speaking to the owner of this privateer AP1 for a bit, I learned he bought the car new over a decade ago and has since transformed it into a track monster. The engine has never been opened up, yet every other part of car has been thoroughly upgraded. He even installed a trick launch control system for use on the GTCC's standing starts.

The owner actually was fluent in English, after being employed by Snap On Tools Japan and living in California for a time. Just one of the many cool stories from the GTCC community.

Gritty, fast, and cool - just how we like it.

Another view of the YK Final EF9. When I imagine grassroots circuit Hondas in Japan, this is what comes to mind.

Also running with the YF Final group was this GF8 Impreza Wagon.

This AE111 Levin was looking to bring the fight to its VTEC-powered rivals in the NA Super class. I've always thought these front-drive Levins and Truenos never get the respect they deserve.

I may have gotten my classic car fix at the New Year Meeting, but it was still very exciting to see this 510 Bluebird out there on the track. Just watching, you could sense how much fun the driver was having while throwing the old Nissan around.

The Ozaki Automobile Levin is readied for the race. I love that rear number plate, haha.

M&M Honda's CL7 Accord Euro R, a thoroughly impressive version of Honda's sport sedan.

While making my way around the paddock I came across this mint Celica 1600 GT.

It wasn't taking part in the race, but I had to grab a few photos.

"Crow's Forest - AE86 and KP61 Support Group"

Nearly every car running the GTCC event was of Japanese descent, with just a couple exceptions - like the Nostalgic Garage Renault Megane.

GTCC winners don't expect a big payday, but they do take home a cool trophy and some motor oil - plus the respect (as a certain Paul Walker would say).

Lotus Exige and an AE86 Levin battling it out. It's amazing how two cars with vastly different roots can wind up being so equal on the track.

It might be a simple transportation device during the week, but come the weekend it's a potent racing machine.

Hope you guys have been enjoying this little look at Japan's brilliant amateur racing culture.
More to come from GTCC tomorrow.
-Mike Garrett

SPEEDHUNTERS EVENT>>THE PRIVATEER SPIRIT - GTCC AT TSUKUBA

2012-02-09T11:09:00.000+08:00

As my adventures in Japan continue, I spent the day yesterday at one of my favorite places on the planet - Tsukuba Circuit here in Ibaraki. The course was playing host to the weekend racers from the GTCC series, and I knew this would be the perfect occasion to reacquaint myself with Japan's rich circuit culture.

When it comes to Japanese grassroots racing, it doesn't get much better than GTCC. While you won't find many high horsepower time attack cars or professional race drivers at these events...

...you will see pit crews made up of strictly of friends, some great privateer machines, and people pursuing their automotive hobby to the fullest. To me events like this embody everything that's great about Japanese car culture.

After I contacted GTCC organizer Oguma-san asking for media access for the event, he was ecstatic that I wanted to cover their little race. There was even an announcement posted on the GTCC website announcing that Speedhunters would be covering the event. The announcement also told all the drivers to make sure their cars are washed, and to get haircuts before coming. It also asked that the female drivers wear more makeup than usual.
This just goes to show the the sense of humor and lightheartedness you'll find among GTCC community.

The GTCC has a big following among the area's AE86 racers. You'll find some of Japan's fastest 86s running in all four of the main classes, including the dreamy CBY Trueno running in the top dog NA Expert class.

Anyone who says Hondas aren't big in Japan has never been to an event like GTCC. The paddock was jammed full of tuned VTEC cars ready to battle it out.

GTCC is more than just a track day, it's a legit race series with standing starts and wheel to wheel action. Here we see the "Maruki" DC2 Integra fighting among its competition in the NA Super class.

There's also a free soukoukai class, which included a solid group of vintage cars like the Team Vertex S31 Z.

There was even a separate free run class dedicated solely to the CL7 Honda Accord Euro R. Any four-door family hauler that can double as a track day special deserves a big thumbs up.

All through the paddock, the elements of grassroots circuit racing were in abundance. Whether it was the throttle stacks on this stroked "5AG"...

...or the well-worn racing decals on the hood of this EF9 Civic.

As I tried to speak to the drivers using my broken Japanese, everyone told me they were big fans of Speedhunters and that they read the site everyday. Perhaps it's because I'd been away from Japan for a while, but this was surprising news to me - and something made me extremely happy.

I ended up handing out tons of Speedhunters stickers, all of which were quickly applied to the cars. Within a few minutes all of the top runner 86s and many of the other GTCC cars were proudly sporting the stickers on their windows and body panels.

The girl who drove this cool EG6 was so excited when I said I'd post a photo of her car on Speedhunters. It was all so heartwarming!

While I wasn't trackside taking in the action, I spent a lot of time walking the paddock and looking over the machinery.

The Thrill Junkie - M-Works CRX running in the NA Expert class. It's pure function, yet retains a unique sense of style.

The Satoshi Style Tec-Art's Levin ready for battle. This car would be dueling it out with the CBY Trueno in the NA Expert race.

You can tell by the body damage that this EK4 Civic has seen more than it's fair share of action. Respect.

This G-nose equipped S31 was one of two early Z's running in the open class. Both were running hot rodded L-series motors under the hood.

The vast majority of the cars running in GTCC are naturally aspirated, but will you find a few forced induction entries scattered around, like this EP82 Starlet. Custom wide fenders give the little Toyota a pretty mean look.

Staggered wheels and a big Voltex GT Wing equals textbook Honda track style.

A full-on B310 Sunny race car that was also hanging with the classic car crowd.

The lone S13 that was running in the event.

Not all of the 86s that run GTCC were of the hardcore N2 variety. Here's a tidy two-door Levin street car running in the lower level NA Sport class.

I'll go ahead and stop here for now, but there's tons more to come from the GTCC event at Tsukuba Circuit.
Next time we'll check out some more of the on-track activity.
-Mike Garrett

ROJAK RACING GARAGE (exclusive photo)

2012-02-02T23:24:00.000+08:00

HONDA CIVIC SHUTTLE COLLECTION

2012-01-31T23:06:00.000+08:00

JDM HONDA CIVIC 3RD GEN COLLECTION

2012-01-30T22:01:00.001+08:00

More 'I Heart Honda' pics collection.

2012-01-28T22:53:00.000+08:00

What's wrong if Honda with steel wheels? Pt.3

2012-01-26T18:09:00.000+08:00

What's wrong if Honda with steel wheels? Pt.2

2012-01-20T23:37:00.000+08:00

The 'R' Honda Family

2012-01-19T19:51:00.001+08:00

What's wrong if Honda with steel wheels? Pt.1

2012-01-19T00:20:00.000+08:00

Honda Hellaflush collection (Part 2)

2012-01-18T23:42:00.000+08:00

SPEEDHUNTERS EVENT>>I HEART HONDA PT.3

2012-01-16T23:18:00.000+08:00

I have been quite busy working on new Speedhunters stories and preparing for my trip to this weekend's Motorsport Japan Festival in Odaiba, but before I move on to that stuff, I wanted to take one last look at last Friday's I Heart Honda!! event at Tsukuba Circuit. Judging by the feedback I have been reading on these posts, it appears that you guys are also down to see more of the hundreds of cool Hondas that converged on Tsukuba for the event.
As seen in the opening photo, there was a special session where the participants joined together with the shop demo and race cars to make parade laps around the course. Obviously, the speeds were low, but the sight of all the Honda cars lined up around the course was really something, and it was a great way to close out the day's festivities.

I saw in the comments section that someone wanted to see some EG Civics, so here is a shot of the the EG6 from Tuning Garage Orange Ball speeding into the Dunlop Corner. The black and orange two tone coloring on the car takes some getting used to, but I think it looks pretty cool. There actually weren't too many EG6 demo cars at the event, but the Orange Ball car did a fine job of representing the venerable platform.

Between the cars from Spoon, Tracy Sports, Route KS, and others, there were more badass tuned NSX's than you could shake a stick at. Sure they are expensive, and sure they are old news compared to latest and greatest Japanese supercars like the new GT-R, but the NSX is STILL the original Japanese exotic car. OK, so maybe the Toyota 2000GT takes that title, but you know what I mean. In the ST3 class of the Super Taikyu series, the Tracy Sports NSX goes head-to-head with a number of Nissan Z's as well as an M3 and RX7.

I was walking back to the main paddock when I saw this scene and tripped out. These guys are loading their vintage Honda N360 race car into the BACK of a van. Now it is totally common to see people bring their motorcycles to the track in the back of vans, but this is the first time I have ever seen anyone bring a CAR to the track in one. Racing a tiny car certainly has its advantages!

Just another Spoon-equipped S2000 and an EP3 Civic parked outside the front straight. I suppose that this shot is a good representation of the different forms that Honda's enthusiast vehicles have taken over the years. To be honest, I was a never a big fan of the British-built EP3 Civics (except for the shifter placement which I think is cool), but when modified right they do have a lot of appeal.

The sexy shape of the Route KS "Madonna" NSX resting in one of the pit bays. This was one of the cars running in the Hot Version East Japan vs. West Japan tuner battle. Other cars included the Top Fuel S2000, Tracy Sports NSX, J's Racing K-series Fit, and another swapped new body style Fit. We weren't allowed to shoot that part of the event or publish the results, so If you want to see it, you'll have to check out the DVD to be released in November.

Besides their K-powered time attack beast, J's Racing also brought their recently completed second generation Honda Fit demo car. Although it wasn't anywhere near as fast as the time attack Fit, this one was still laying down some very impressive laps. The Fit is the best selling car in Japan, so it's no surprise that all of the big Honda tuners in Japan are continuing to release loads of new parts for the car.

J's also brought their FD2 Civic Type R demo car which competed against the FD2's from Spoon, Honda Twincam, and others. I was hoping they would also bring their new "street spec" S2000, but I guess they decided to leave that one back in Osaka and stick with their FF weapons for this event.

For a moment I thought I was at a Super GT race when I saw this wicked looking NSX with a full Route KS Zero Force wide body conversion. I already posted my own "seven dream cars" in the comment section of Rod's Porsche post, but now I'm thinking maybe I should have added a KS-equipped NSX to my list...

And lastly I wanted to finish with a couple photos of Spoon's new naturally aspirated NSX race car. Unlike the turbocharged Spoon NSX-R GT, this car is a pure racing machine not designed for street use.

A look into the engine compartment reveals the NA V6 fed by a gleaming set of individual throttles. Turbos are great, but I think an NA build is more in line with the "Spoon tradition" I assume power figures for this set up will be very impressive once everything is dialed in. The way the car was backfiring on downshifts just hinted at the high strung nature of this thing.

Interior is pure race-spec with tons of carbon fiber, a cage, a single bucket sea,t and not much else. Check out gauge cluster! I bet that piece alone is worth more than my Fit...
Well, that does it for I Heart Honda!! event coverage. Another event is already being planned for next year, and if you are a Honda freak I'd say you should do everything in your power to be there

SPEEDHUNTERS EVENT>>I HEART HONDA PT.2

2012-01-15T23:04:00.000+08:00

Time for some more action from the VTEC-drenched spectacle that was I Heart Honda!! 2008 at Tsukuba Circuit. I figured that this shot of a legendary EK9 Civic Type R undergoing some work in the paddock would be good way to open this post. There are few things that symbolize Honda performance machines more than the Championship White paint and red engine valve covers used on all of the R-badged vehicles. Speaking of Championship White, during the I Heart Honda!! event I must have seen more Championship White cars than I have ever seen before.
Now for some more event photos-

Of all the vehicles that Spoon brought to the event, the most interesting had to be this original EA-chassis Civic Group A race car from the '80s. Ichishima-san was happy to show me this car, and when he fired up everyone within earshot had to cover their ears. This car is LOUD! Later on when the car was out on the track taking laps it was even better. Seeing and hearing this nostalgic racing machine blasting down the front straight alongside the newer FD2's was awesome or shibui!

A group of cars rounding the track during the damp morning. It rained a little throughout the day, but fortunately never enough to really soak thing. I'd better get my fill of Tsukuba's green scenery because it will soon be making its yearly transformation to wintertime brown.

More of the shop displays including Ings+1 and Djac Racing Factory who brought their FD2 for the tuner battle, as well as their S2000. I Heart Honda!! was the perfect place for FD2 owners looking for tuning advice. Not only could they view the demo cars up close, but there was even a special track session where people could go for ride-alongs in the different shop demo cars. It would have liked to get rides in some of these cars, but instead I was trackside taking photos of them for you guys...

I have decided that the S2000 is going to be my future car, and all day long I was getting inspiration from and shooting photos of the swarms of badass S2000's at the event. Besides looking really cool, this particular silver AP1 was incredibly fast as well! It was just running away from all of the other cars in its group, late-braking into all of the corners and running a perfect racing line. In other words, being used just an S200 should be...

I think someone asked if there were any DC5 Integras at the event, so here is a shot of Spoon's DC5 passing an FD2 in front of the main grandstand. It was one of tons of DC5's there. It's unsure whether we will ever see the return of the Integra after its demise a couple years ago, but at least the DC5 still has a lot of a big following from tuners and racers in Japan and elsewhere.

The CRX is another one of Honda's most memorable cars. This example has been tuned by Spoon's Type-One tuning shop in Tokyo. I know there have been plenty of "less than cool" examples of the CRX seen over the years, but the car is still one of the most iconic front wheel drive cars ever made. If anyone has doubts about the capabilities of the car, all you need to do is look up the SS Works giant killer CRX from a few years back. By the way, I wonder what ever happened to that car?

Honda's first open sports car, the S600. Along with cars like the Hakosuka GT-R and the Toyota 2000GT, these Honda roadsters are some of the most desired Japanese classics on the planet. Jay Leno even has one of these in his extensive collection along with an original Mazda Cosmo Sports.

Thirty-some years and 1400cc's later, Honda's FR open sports machines continue to inspire enthusiasts.

This DC2 tuned by Seeker was another one of my favorites at the event. I just love aggressively done circuit-tuned FF Hondas like this one. Check the front blister fenders and the huge stagger between the front and rear wheels. Over the past several years, Honda-owners stateside have moved away from aggressive exterior styling, but this DC2 shows how good these cars can be with the right combination of performance and cosmetic modification.

There's Spoon's new NSX project passing the turbocharged S2000 built by Skills. The cars built by Skills all have a heavy American influence, and the S2000 has HRE wheels and a crazy custom audio system in the trunk. As this picture shows, that obviously doesn't mean that the car is not capable of going out there and getting down on the track when the time arises.

And lastly the totally cool classic Honda Vamos microtruck that Spoon brought out. This rare machine served as the official pit vehicle and race queen transporter for the day.

100,000 visitors

2012-01-15T22:54:00.001+08:00

On behalf of the Rojaksters, I like to thank you all the pageviewers for your 'clicks' on our humble website and we appreciated your continuos support. We have just surpassed a milestone today 15/01/2012, RojakRacing all time visitors passed the 100,000 pageviewer mark. Although it is not that numerous but for a small non-profitable community like us, it is an achievement! Again many thanks to other bloggers and websites for sharing the love on Honda.

Last but not least, we promise to you to bring more and more 'Anything about Honda'. And we will proudly presenting the third "Rojak Cannonball Run" franchise primiering this coming summer. A RojakRacing annual event, all Honda cars 300KM convoy from BSB, Brunei to KK, Sabah. So stay tuned....

SPEEDHUNTERS EVENT>>I HEART HONDA PT.1

2012-01-13T23:26:00.000+08:00

I know this is Porsche month, but after spending last Friday at Tsukuba Circuit for the first ever I Heart Honda!! event, I just can't seem to get the sound of screaming VTEC engines out of my head. What is it about Honda? Japan's automotive scene has no shortage of remarkable machines like high-powered GT-R highway racers, time attack Imprezas, four-door Toyota drift cars, or groundbreaking rotary cars, but there is just something special about Honda's performance cars. You can check out my earlier article about Honda's Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi for a little more on Honda's unique history and the brand's lifelong infusion with motorsports around the world.
While Honda's in-house racing programs are nothing short of amazing, the I Heart Honda!! event was not really about Honda's factory racing ventures, but a celebration of Japanese Honda Tuning on a grand scale. If you are familiar with the annual Hyper Meeting and its significance to Evo and Impreza enthusiasts, then you can imagine what this event was like. It is basically the Hyper Meeting for Hondas. I Heart Honda!! was the brainchild of Spoon Sports and its famous founder Tatsuru Ichishima who wanted to have an event dedicated just to the people who enjoy driving and tuning Honda machines of all types.
Japanese tuning shops always seem to have competitive, but friendly relations with each other and just about every major Honda tuner in Japan was present at the event with demo cars, booths, and the Best Motoring/Hot Version film crew was there to shoot features for an upcoming DVD release. In addition there were also special track sessions for classic Hondas and free run groups with over 100 privately and shop-owned Hondas taking to Tsukuba's 20000 course for track time.
I have so much content from this event and it will obviously take multiple posts to cover everything, so let's get started shall we?

Since the paddock inside the track was occupied with tuner shop booths and race cars, the parking lots on the outside of the track were used as the parking areas for the cars running in the "Spirit" free run sessions. There were too many track-tuned Hondas to count and they ranged from tiny Honda City kei cars to fully tuned GT-style NSX's. As you would expect, the Civic and Integra Type R's along with the always popular S2000 were the most commonly seen vehicles in this area.

Know where you come from. In addition to all the modern machines, I Heart Honda!! 2008 also had a special class for historic Hondas including N360's and Z's as well as one of the biggest gatherings of S600 and S800 roadsters I have seen anywhere. The number of classics totalled around 40 cars.The red on black roadster with RS Watanabes has such a timeless look and the white car with the hardtop and Hayashi Street wheels is another fine example of the breed. Of course all of these immaculate vintage Hondas would see plenty of track time at the event.

The paddock at I Heart Honda!! was like a who's who list of the biggest Honda tuner and demo cars in Japan. Here we have a pair of cars from Top Fuel including their S2000 Type-RR turbo which is the current FR time attack record holder at Tsukuba Circuit with a 55.350 lap time that was recorded last winter with NOB Taniguchi behind the wheel. Speaking of Taniguchi, he was at the event along with Manabu Orido, Keiichi Tsuchiya, and other pro drivers for the Hot Version battle and film shoot. In the background you can also see Tracy Sports' NSX race car from the Super Taikyu series.

Just a typical scene during the "Spirit" track sessions with a parade of Hondas running through the Tsukuba 2000 course. I was surprised at the amount of the tuned CL7 Accord Euro-R's (sexier version of the Acura TSX) that were driving in this event. I have always liked the CL7's for combining the heart and soul of a Honda's FF performance machines with the practicality and comfort of a mature sport sedan.

With the introduction of the new FD2 Civic Type R last year, the popularity of Hondas as a tuning platforms in Japan has never been higher. There were several tuned FD2's at the I Heart Honda!! event from shops like Ings+1, Tracy Sports, Spoon, J's Racing, Seeker, Honda Twincam, and more. Here we see the Tracy Sports/Dunlop FD2 along with the Ings+ 1 demo car getting to ready to head out on to the course.

Speaking of tuned FD2's, there's the Feel's Honda Twincam car which I wrote a feature on a few months ago. Since I shot it, the car has had a few extra additions and NO I am not talking about the two campaign gals standing beside it...

Gathered outside the track we have more Type R's including a Phoenix Yellow DC2 Integra tuned by Seeker and a blue FD2 Civic. A lot has changed in the auto industry since the original DC2 Type R debuted back in the mid '90s, but it is nice to see that Honda is still producing affordable driver-focused specialty machines like the most recent Civic Type R. Now if we could only get Honda to send some FD2's to the states...

Here we see an S2000 equipped with a whole catalog's worth of Spoon parts running away from some of its front-drive siblings during another one of the open track sessions. The Spoon aero for the S2000 gives the car quite a dramatic change in appearance and even more importantly you can bet that it is 100% functional much like the rest of Spoon's tuning products.

J's Racing came all the way from Osaka with three cars including two Fits and their latest FD2 Civic demo car. The car in this photo is the J's K-series-powered time attack beast that I wrote about here a while back. I'm thinking this is probably the fastest Fit on the planet at this point. This one was one of the cars running in the Hot Version East Japan vs. West Japan tuning car battle which was recorded at the event.

The track fills with nostalgic machines during the Honda classic free run session. I knew that seeing this many vintage S's running at the same time is an opportunity that doesn't come along too often so I made sure to shoot plenty of photos during this time.

Seeing how Spoon Sports was the main host of the event, they brought a whole handfull of their demo cars to the event, but the "star of the show" had to be Spoon's new NSX-R GT project which is will be running in the November Macau GP race. There were constant crowds around the car all day long, and watching the naturally aspirated beast as it made its shakedown runs around the Tsukuba course was quite the experience. This car sounds unreal!

SPOON SPORTS CIVIC 3rd GEN

2012-01-11T21:11:00.001+08:00

Rojak Cannonball Run 3 2012 Itinery

2012-01-09T16:03:00.000+08:00

Day 1: 29/06/12 (FRI)
Morning: BSB to KK
Afternoon: Check-in Penthouse KK
Evening: Dinner with organizers

Day 2: 30/06/12 (SAT)
Morning: Free-style
Afternoon: Car gathering with KK Honda club
Evening: Dinner with KK Honda Club

Day 3: 01/07/12 (SUN)
Morning: Touge to Kundasang
Afternoon: Arrived in Kundasang, Check-in.....???
Evening: BBQ at Kinabalu Park

Day 4: 02/07/12 (MON)
Morning: Touge back to KK
Afternoon: Arrived in KK, Check in Marina Court Apartment
Evening: Free-style

Day 5: 03/07/12 (TUE)
Morning: Free-style
Afternoon: KK to BSB
Evening: Safely arrived BSB.

NOTE: There will be a video shooting on day 3 & day 4.

Photoshop Tuning

2012-01-05T23:00:00.000+08:00

The Rywire ITR Build…Part 4…

2012-01-05T19:16:00.000+08:00

I know many of you have come on here today to look for Autocon 2011 coverage and I’ll get to that early tomorrow when I finally finish up the photos. This was just too good to pass up today….
It’s been almost three months since the last update, but late last week, I got word that Ryan had gone up to Norcal to finally pick up his ITR chassis. Sunny from Franklin Autobody had been busy trying to finish it up but with SEMA and so many other projects at his shop, it took a little longer than expected. Everything that we have covered on the build up until this point had been without having the chassis down here in Socal so when we heard that the car was ready, we were all pretty excited to finally see it in person for the first time. Ryan had seen it, as well as a couple other of the Norcal homies, but everyone else down here had seen just as much as all of you had, which was only in photos. There’s a lot going on lately and more than enough content to fill up the rest of this month, but Ryan finally having the chassis at the Rywire facilities was huge news that I just couldn’t pass up. With all the coverage that is coming, it would likely get lost in the mix so it’s better to toss this up today during the beginning of the week….
I wasn’t there the day it finally arrived…Ryan had gone up to Norcal and came back down with our buddy Nick Caster and his trailer. The rest of us were over at Autocon 2011 and then the next day I had to head out to Santa Barbara for a bit. While I was up there, Ryan was sending me photos with the car unloaded off the trailer and in the shop but I told him right away to stop doing any work he had planned on doing because I wanted to document it. Today I was originally planning on working on my own car but since it was raining like crazy down here, I decided to just grab my camera shit and go to the shop to see the ITR for myself….The pictures obviously do not do the paint work any justice. The Porsche GT3 orange is a great color that just has to be experienced in the sunlight but with all that is left to do, it’s unlikely to see any sunlight in the next couple months. For now, I’ll try to document as much of the progress as I can and try to bring you the build in full detail. Unlike the Big Mike Prelude build, I’ll actually be present for a majority of this build, which means that I can provide as much information and as many photos as possible. This is going to be an amazing, one-of-a-kind build that you definitely do not want to miss…

It’s still pretty crazy to see this car in person finally…I don’t even think it’s hit Ryan yet. Sunny did an amazing job though from what I see, and it was definitely worth the wait. So far, the chassis is almost as bare as can be with the exception with some suspension pieces already installed by Ryan. He got excited and started mocking up how he wanted everything…

It’s hard to tell since it’s been painted black but the exhaust opening on the rear bumper has been smoothed out and streamlined with the rest of the bumper. Ryan’s exhaust isn’t going to be routed out of the rear anymore so that opening just wouldn’t make sense. Sunny worked his magic and now the rear bumper looks like it should have came that way from the factory…

Mugen Gen. 2 rear wing with center section painted black. The base plates were left a raw aluminum finish since they were in such mint condition and Ryan had intentions on matching it a gloss black but liked the contrast of the aluminum finish…

Color-matched interior that has been completely stripped of everything minus the steering column…when it’s all said and done, a majority of it will still be gutted minus the dashboard, seats, and door panels. There’s no rush to re-install anything in here because Ryan still has to wire up the whole car inside and out…

One of the most interesting aspects of the build so far has to be the custom metal fenders fabricated by Sunny from Franklin Autobody…They came out amazing and still accentuates the OEM lines of the chassis. The fenders were also measured and designed specifically with those Regamaster wheels in mind so there will be no issues with wheel fitment down the line….

If you saw part 3 of this build, you will have seen the massive pile of parts that were sent off to be powdercoated. A large chunk of those parts were suspension pieces and you can see here how the parts look after they’ve been cleaned-up and coated a high gloss black…Everything that will go back on this ITR will either be new or restored components. This is a shot of the rear suspension along with some brand new Skunk2 Pro-C coilovers that might be replaced later on when the car is closer to completion. Ryan hasn’t really made a decision on whether or not to keep these or to run something different like JRZ’s…

Everything up front is new as well…even the hub assembly behind the Wilwood brake rotor will be replaced later on with a new unit. You’ll probably noticed the crusty old tie rod end in the photo, which contrasts with the clean, gloss black suspension pieces. That old tie rod end is attached to a spare steering rack that Ryan re-installed on the chassis just to get the car moving from the bodyshop back to his shop…

No glass has been installed on the ITR body yet, except for the rear hatch window…here you can see parts of the cage through the rear window…the paint looks wet still and the whole car still needs to be cut and buffed. Sunny will come down personally later on down the line to clean everything up before it makes it’s official public debut…

Another glimpse of the cage and interior with the rear hatch up…don’t forget the battery box sitting just behind the passenger seat area…

Here’s what the bay looks like, bare minus the coilovers being mounted, as well as the subframe and the spare steering rack…Speaking of the steering rack, there’s a reason why was using a temporary unit…

While I was there, he was still busy putting his modified rack back together. I would like to explain to you exactly what he was doing to it, but I felt it would be more appropriate for Ryan himself to tell you….

That’s pretty much it for now. He’s slowing doing stuff to it and I’ll update you when he does but there are so many customer projects there at that time that he has to concentrate on finishing up those cars first…check back for more soon…

The Rywire ITR Build…Part 3…

2012-01-02T22:49:00.000+08:00

Welcome back to part 3 of the Rywire Integra Type R build. The chassis is currently still at Franklin Autobody where paint is near completion, so today we will be taking a look at some parts that Ryan has been collecting at the shop. Right now, Ryan is so busy working on various SEMA projects that he really doesn’t have any room for the car anyway…
Some OEM Honda parts that recently came in…K-series ignition coils, steering rack boots w/clamps…

Various ITR chassis components that are set to be cleaned-up and powdercoated…

Two of the Regamaster EVOs that Ryan plans to use. These too will be stripped and re-coated. I believe they are going to be redone in a gloss black finish…

Bisimoto-assembled K24 long block that will go inside Ryan’s R…

The valvetrain and head with the valve cover off…

AFI Turbo intake manifold…

The fuel cell from Fluid Control Solutions (FCS) that Ryan will be running in his Integra…

Wiggins clamps that will be used throughout the build…Ryan actually has a pretty large bag filled with the smaller clamps…
That’s about it for now. Can’t really do much without the car being here. We are all just pretty excited to get the car back because that’s when this build will really take off. There are a bunch of turbo components that have already been collected but we figured it would look better once it was on the motor after it was installed on the car…
Thanks for looking…next update will come when more is available…

Brunei Honda "meet up" DEC 2011 (part 2)

2011-12-28T22:57:00.000+08:00

Compliments to Mr Jerick Lee for the Pictures (www.autoexpertsbrunei.com)

The Rywire ITR Build…Part 2…

2011-12-25T22:27:00.000+08:00

For those of you who missed the initial (2) posts involving the Rywire ITR build, I’ve provided links below… Please feel free to catch up before you read this post so that you guys have a good idea of what’s going on in this build because it’s definitely not something you want to miss out on…The Rywire ITR Build Intro…
The Rywire ITR Build Part 1…
Now that you are caught up, here is part 2, which will be a much smaller update compared to the first one. Today we’re going to be taking a look at a couple shots of the man himself, Bisi Ezerioha from Bisimoto Engineering, working on Ryan Basseri’s K24 motor for his Porsche GT3 RS Orange Integra Type R…
The updates will be more spread apart than say, Big Mike’s build, because the chassis itself still resides up in Nortern California where Sunny Wong from Franklin Autobody is finishing up the paint work on it. Once that is completed, Ryan will make his way up there to transport the chassis down to the Rywire facilities where the car will begin to be put back together along with the motor and all of Ryan’s custom electrical work that will run throughout the car…Whenever that happens, I will be sure to update you on the progress on this build. The updates will trickle in every now and then if he has some new parts or something coming in, but for the most part, it’s basically a waiting game right now. We will continue with regular updates as usual and I will incorporate updates on Ryan’s car when they become available…
Here’s a basic rundown of Ryan’s motor set-up (as far as I know)…again, more info will come as it is provided to me…

-K24 engine
-Stock bore and stroke
-GE sleeves
-Arias pistons
-9.0 compression
-Custom Crower connecting rods
-ARP rod bolts
-Widened crankshaft journals
-Balanced and knife-edged crank
-OEM B-series engine bearings
-Portflow cylinder head w/OEM head gasket
-Bisimoto-spec. valvetrain
-Custom turbo camshafts from Web Cams
-Turbo components I am not 100% sure on, I’ll have to find out more from Ryan later….

Now on with some pics…

Arias pistons…

Bisi doing work…

…and now some photos from a completely different point in time. The shots above were from awhile back actually and the photos below are very current. These are cell phone shots of the chassis at Franklin Autobody. You can get a better look at how the interior looks and how the battery box has been incorporated and painted with the body…

I can imagine how bright and blinding the interior is going to be when Ryan is inside of the car…haha…
That’s all for now…stay tuned for more as the content rolls in…

The Rywire ITR Build…Part 1…

2011-12-23T22:26:00.000+08:00

Welcome to part 1 of the soon-to-be-epic Rywire Integra Type R build. In the introductory posts a couple days back, I unveiled the painted chassis shots and the custom fender work and today in part one, we will actually be taking a couple steps back from that and show you the ITR when it first arrived at Ryan’s doorstep. Basically, Ryan from Rywire never intended to build an ITR. That may be why many of you haven’t heard of this build before. From what I remember telling me, one of the main reasons why he decided to build an R is because he got such a ridiculously good deal on a bare ITR shell. When he told me that it was too good of a deal to pass up, I was pretty excited. I mean, he seemed pretty stoked about it so it must mean that he had gotten a really good deal on an ITR. Looking at the photos now in it’s original state…uhh man…the car was pretty rough around the edges…This is how it looked when Ryan first picked it up…

You can see from this shot that the original owner had the car done in a two-tone red and yellow….definitely not a good look and a look that Ryan did not intend to reuse…

How the bay looked when it arrived…

The bent radiator core support needed to be repaired…

5-lug suspension…

Since the chassis was so empty, Ryan began collecting ITR parts from everywhere…

Stockpile of parts everywhere at his old place in San Jose…Skunk2 vacuum cleaner not included…

Cleaning up the bay and shaving off unnecessary items…

Ryan had a spare K-series block sitting around on display so he used it to mock up how the engine would look and how to mount his turbo set-up…

Display motor sitting in the ITR’s bay…

Shot of the bay with a radiator support that wasn’t bent and damaged…

Turbo manifold mock-up…
The next couple of the bay were shot with his cell phone so the pics are much smaller in size…

Figuring out where all the charge pipes and assorted turbo accessories would go…

Set for primer…

Bay shaved, cleaned-up and primed…

Really crappy shot of Ryan’s pedal set-up from Tilton…

Here’s a shot of the cage and interior. Note the battery box that’s been created and mounted to the floor of the Integra…

That’s about it for today. Coming up in part 2, I’ll give you a quick rundown of the motor set-up he’ll be running as well as some shots of Bisi Ezerioha putting Ryan’s K24 together…thanks for looking…

The Rywire ITR build…Introduction...

2011-12-23T01:16:00.000+08:00

Damn, I love unveiling new shit…One of the great things about having a great network of guys who work within the industry allows me access to a lot of never-before-seen cars/builds. Last year I was the first to unveil the Bisimoto Engineering Honda CR-Z to the world, and a couple years back, I was able to bring you guys Big Mike’s Prelude rebuild. These two cars went on to reach quite a bit of success and being a part of the whole process is something that I will always remember. I’m always on the look-out for new builds and you guys who follow this site closely get to enjoy the perks of being able to see all this top secret stuff. Just a couple weeks ago I brought you a crazy (unfinished) S2000 and while I would like to see that build through to it’s completion, I highly doubt that I will have the opportunity to…Today though, is a great day…As you all know, Ryan from Rywire is a good buddy of mine and he’s had this secret project in the works now for quite a bit of time. You may have seen some snippets of it here and there but no one really has anything solid on what he’s up to. Ryan and I talked probably around the beginning of this year when we discussed whether or not we should cover his entire build on The Chronicles. Knowing what that guy was capable of, I was all for it. The only problem was that he was still living in San Jose at the time and the car, motor, etc. was all there with him. It wasn’t until he decided to move his business down to Socal did it finally become a possibility for us to cover the creation of his latest project. There are so, so many details involved in this build; from the custom exterior to the intricacies of his electronics set-up. As we proceed with the build, I think you guys will really be in for a treat because you get to see the car from it’s raw state until the moment he fires the car up. As the title states, Ryan is building a legit Honda Integra Type R. It came into his hands as a right-hand drive ITR shell, with no motor and not much else besides the complete interior. What you guys won’t see, is the removal process of his interior and the fabrication of his roll cage. That happened when the car was in Norcal and long before we thought to cover the build. I’m sure Ryan took photos of the process though so if he can dig up those photos, then I will post those up for you guys. Currently, the shell is still in Northern California at Franklin Auto Body. The Porsche GT3 orange paint has just been applied and the photos that I will be showing you guys today are of the shell itself right after paint. It hasn’t been color-sanded yet and there is still a bit of work to do before Ryan can begin to transport the car back to Socal where we will begin work on reassembly. The photos are merely to show you guys the color, as well as the custom sheet-metal front fenders, fabricated entirely by Sunny from Franklin Auto Body. Please don’t ask me where to get these fenders from, because you won’t find them anywhere else. With that said, here is the official debut and the first batch of photographs of the Rywire Integra Type R build….Stay tuned for the rest. I promise it’ll be a good one…
Enjoy…

Here’s a shot of the custom front fenders. It resembles the style of a Mitsu Evo 8/9 or Subaru STi fender. When Ryan first mentioned that he was going with a widened front end, I don’t think anyone expected it to come out looking this good…There’s a lot of room now for a much more aggressive wheel without having hacked-up, jagged fenders or extreme camber adjustment…

A shot of the engine bay where a turbo K-series set-up will go…

The cockpit where you can get a first glimpse of the cage….

Ryan originally went with a tealish BMW tone but with so many Hondas these days rocking a similar color, he decided to go a completely different direction and chose the bright orange from a Porsche GT3 RS…

We’re all pretty excited to see the chassis when it finally makes it’s way down to Socal. It’s just a crazy build altogether. Ryan showed me some of the electronics he plans to run in this ITR and the stuff he’s created is just bananas. In the shot above you can see Sunny from Franklin walking into the shot. He’s the man that’s responsible for the body and paint on this car as well as many other great Norcal Honda builds today…

Hope you guys enjoyed this first look at Ryan’s ITR. There’s a lot more to come in the future. The coverage of the build will be very thorough, similar to Big Mike’s. Unlike his though, I will actually be there in person for a big portion of it so I will be documenting everything and doing the photos myself. Stay tuned…

Nardi-Personal S.p.A.

2011-12-20T22:06:00.000+08:00

:: ENRICO NARDI

... a piece of italian genius in the world ... (Roberta Grosso Nardi)

Although Enrico Nardi never achieved the level and fame reached by many great names from the automotive world, he still holds a legendary place in the history of the automobile. His story is quite intriguing and it intertwines with the life of some famous characters. Nardi was an engineer and a man with fine intuitions and a great practical sense. He applied his incredible talent to everything that was, in some way, connected to automobiles which gave him the chance to meet the greatest pioneers of the automotive industry such as Vincenzo Lancia, one of the first men to believe in Nardi's abilities. He wanted him by his side entrusting him with more and more important responsibilities and tasks from test driver to close friend and confidant.

In 1937 Enrico Nardi moved to Modena to become the first Ferrari's test driver and then a business consultant.
In 1946 he founded together with Renato Danese (roman racing car driver) a Company named "ND".
In 1958 he restarted the cooperation with Enzo Ferrari: Mr. Ferrari was used to always pay a great attention to details of his cars. This is why most of Ferrari cars were equipped with Nardi steering wheels.

Nardi's inexhaustible passion for anything on four wheels and great talent drove him towards a career as a businessman with a varied and original production line, which was initially embodied by motor cars and parts production and later by his world-famous steering wheels.

:: Two years after Enrico Nardi's death, Nardi trademark was bought from Personal and, in 1990, Nardi Italia S.p.A. was founded as a completely autonomous company, located in Abbiate Guazzone - Tradate (Varese) - Italy.

The production is based both on sporty steering wheels under the Personal trademark and classic steering wheels with Nardi trademark. These two trademarks, during the years have been chosen as supplier of the most important car manufacturers as Ferrari, Lancia, Audi, Maserati, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Lotus, TVR, McLaren, Volkswagen, Abarth and BMW.

In 2002 this famous company after 70 years' activity confirmed itself as leader in the production of classic & sports steering wheels.

:: THE SECRET OF NARDI STEERING WHEELS: A PERFECT MIX OF TECHNOLOGY AND QUALITY
... When I hold one of my father's steering wheels, I feel like I have a little piece of art in my hands, something that speaks to the heart ... (R. Grosso Nardi)

Wood or leather and aluminium alloy: these are natural and technical ingredients for the most famous steering wheels of the world!

Their creation is a vocation, born by Enrico Nardi's personality; he wanted his cars to have a perfect technique but also a beautiful look. To him it was impossible not to consider the wheel, that part of a car where the ability of a driver is focused on, one of the main supports of will and perfection. The wheel is linked to the hands. Therefore to arms, heart and brain. And so to everything is needed to take decisions, to express ourselves with respect to our personality, our courage and our life-style.

Born on racing cars, Nardi's wheels are then used on Gran Tursim and high level cars, bringing all the typical advantages of the racing cars, like lightness and essentiality.

Today a Nardi steering wheels is:

:: A choice of quality: Nardi steering wheels offer all the pleasure coming from a direct contact with high level materials (natural leather or precious wood finished by hand).

:: A choice of design: The Nardi range allows to choose the steering that suits each own car and personality. Both sporty, classic, ergonomics, always!

:: A choice of comfort: Different for concept, personality, Nardi steering wheels are also different in their "grip" which offers the best comfort. To every driving style corresponds indeed a different functionality for the grip.

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A Nardi steering wheel is a classic, something very close to perfection in this field. Time goes by, but a Nardi steering wheel remains a dream!

:: PERSONAL STEERING WHEELS
... Functionality - Personality of driving - style...

<< PRECIOUS MATERIALS AND SOPHISTICATED DESIGN TO GIVE SHAPE TO A WINNING PRODUCT... >>

Also the Personal trademark has its own tradition, even though more recent than Nardi's, but with an important historical value.

Personal is the steering wheel of great targets!

For the greatest F1 Champions, the feeling of comfortable and secure grip of a Personal wheel was just like holding victory in their hands.

Several world titles from 1980 up to present day have crowned its outstanding sporting nature with one success after the other.

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:: World championships won from 1980 with Personal steering wheels:

1980 ALAN JONES - WILLIAMS FORD

1982 KEKE ROSBERG - WILLIAMS FORD

1984 NIKI LAUDA - MCLAREN PORSCHE

1985 ALAIN PROST - MCLAREN PORSCHE

1986 ALAIN PROST - MCLAREN PORSCHE

1987 NELSON PIQUET - WILLIAMS HONDA

1988 AYRTON SENNA - HONDA MARLBORO - MCLAREN

1989 AYRTON SENNA - HONDA MARLBORO - MCLAREN

1990 AYRTON SENNA - HONDA MARLBORO - MCLAREN

1991 AYRTON SENNA - HONDA MARLBORO - MCLAREN