LS14

FUNCTION CERTIFIED. IT'S NOT AN SC... LOL

2010-11-24T17:38:00.000-06:00

BIG ups to lyron from NY, for sending us some picture and specs about his 92 TOYOTA SOARER. this car is a great example of FUNCTIONAL. he built it all and drifts it despite the fact that it is a REAL JDM SOARER. way to go lyron keep it up... as soon as we get our certified stickers in we will mail it out to you..

VEHICLE:

92 Toyota Soarer (not a Lexus SC)

EXTERIOR:

custom Ford C6 gold paint

full VERTEX body kit

rare rear spoiler

ENGINE:

stock 1jz-gte for right now but plan to upgrade the turbos and computer over the winter

custom intercooler piping

turboxs blow off valve

full apexi 3in exhaust

greddy turbo timer

apexi avfc type r

INTERIOR:

gutted but will be filled with a custom stainless steel dash along with a full roll cage (built to formula d specs).

WHEELS:

fr500

18x9 -1 offset (front)

18x10 +2 offset (rear).

SUSPENSION:

Full cusco g pro coilovers (discontinued)

custom swift springs 18mm kg (front) 20mm kg (rear)

i have a bunch of plans for the winter to prep the car for the 2011 drift season.

future plans: roll cage, cutom stainless steel dash, new daily driver wheels, new adjustable dampening coilovers, custom steering knuckles and apexi fc computer to unleash some more power out of the stock 1jz.

GE8 Fit

2010-11-21T01:24:00.000-06:00

Interior
LED map lights
LED dome light
Weather tech floor liners
OEM Cargo Cover
OEM Cargo mat
OEM center armrest (installed felt in it to make the items inside not make any rattling sounds)
Black leather w/ light gray stitching shift boot from redline goods
Mugen Shift Knob
T1R Short Shifter
20% tint all around
1UP mushroom(adds 20hp)

Electronics
Pioneer f700bt Headunit
Alpine MRP-M500 mono amp
Alpine Type S 6 1/2" speakers x 4
Alpine Type E 10" sub

Exterior
HID kit 6000k
Nokya yellow fog lights
JDP Carbon front Lip
JDP Fiberglass grill painted body color
JDP Radiator cover
JDP Rear carbon diffuser
JDP Rear carbon spoiler
JDP Carbon hood
LED Taillights
LED License plate lights
LED parking lights
Blacked out Headlights
De-badged "FIT"
Yakima Roof Rack for 2 bikes

Tires/wheels
SSR Type-C 17"
Falken Ziex ZE-912 Tires

Brakes
stock

Suspension
Megan coilovers
SPC camber bolts
Progress rear sway bar
C-Pillar Bar
Rear Strut Bar
X-bars

Engine/Exhaust
K&N Filter
T1R B-pipe
Tanabe touring medallion exhaust

Future Plans
Cusco Front strut bar
Gloss black roof (im not sure if i want vinyl or to paint it yet)
D1 Spec (Ver.2.0) Throttle controller

Maybe Plans
T1R chambered intake
FA5 Civic Si Seats

If i had 10'gs laying around plan
K20 swap

and now the pics!!!

__________________

Have you Considered Orange?.

2010-11-20T23:16:00.002-06:00

It is very difficult to understand how there are cars that manage to draw the attention of everyone, even those who do not feel any passion or enthusiasm for this hobby or lifestyle.The Vita CRX is undoubtedly one of these cars. But not only for its color that screams "Look at me, apart from that has the exact details do not go unnoticed even wanting to. Whether it's set of Volk SE37 17 "and not the expected 16" which are used when talking about Hondas. Maybe its panoramic roof, which is extremely rare and hard to find, what you do out of the pile. Or the impeccable interior, simple but complete, let alone the engine bay, you could literally eat there. The point is that is very pleasant encounter with a beauty like this and realize that things have changed for the better in this area, this is one of the best examples. We hope that the photos are to your liking. :)

1970 Firebird Twin Turbo Build

2010-11-16T22:45:00.002-06:00

Kris Horton spent countless hours on the rendering bringing this vision to life. Some of body modifications include a custom chin spoiler, rocker skirts, enlarged functioning hood snorkels, functioning fender vents, recessed roof and trunk lid, integrated spoiler with center indentation, rear valance with diffuser and widened front and rear fenders. For performance, we are started with a custom Pontiac 400 block, punched it to 475 cu in. and are adding hi-flow Kauffman aluminum heads, twin turbos and custom pistons.

The guys at All Speed Performance are working tirelessly on this build and are shooting for an early Oct. completion date. This car will be featured in the Forgiato Wheel booth at SEMA in Nov.

I welcome any thoughts and comments and will keep posting pictures on a weekly basis.

Thanks!

Here are the initial renderings

This is a custom chin spoiler, side skirts, rear wing, recessed roof and recessed trunk lid.

This engine should make a bit over 2,000 hp with high boost. We will likely limit it to around 1,300 hp and about the same torque at the rear tires. This will run on pump gas. Here are some specs on the engine:

Butler Performance AI2 Pontiac 400 block bored to 475 cu. in.
Eagle forged 4340 crankshaft
Eagle H-beam forged connecting rods
Ross custom forged pistons 8.5:1 compression ratio
Comp Cams Hydraulic roller camshaft (All Speed Performance turbo grind)
Comp Cams hydraulic roller lifters
Kaufman KRE 340 CFM aluminum CNC ported cylinder heads
Stainless steel Ferrea valves
Comp cams valve springs and retainers
Comp Cams Chromoly pushrods
T&D shaft mount Rocker arms
Comp Cams billet adjustable timing chain
Melling high volume oil pump
Canton racing high capacity oil pan and pick up
Custom Visner Engines intake with dual fuel rails
Custom Visner Engines dual throttle bodies
FAST injectors - two per cylinder
Billet Specialties accessories drive

Butler AI2 475 cu. in. Performance Block

Here is a comparison of a standard Chevy 4-bolt main and the mains we are using. Need the strength when we apply the boost

Turned crank

Custom pistons and connecting rods

I just left Visner Engine's shop and they were milling the top of the intake out of this chunk of billet. Here is the CAD design of the intake. We are going to build a set of custom throttle bodies with the linkage concealed under the intake so the entire top will be smooth. The CAD shows one fuel rail per side, but we are running two per side as we will have two injectors per cylinder.

Here are a few pictures of an original formula hood we used.

This is the hood as modified to show the enlarged snorkels.

Here is a picture of the driver's side fender. You can see where we stretched the panel, covered the running light openings, closed out the flares and added the side vents.

Here's a few shots of the top of the intake.

This is one of the side rails being milled.

n order to keep the look and milling consistent, Visner made custom risers and valve covers out of a single piece of billet.

We decided on dual fuel rails with two separate stages of injectors to support both a smooth idle and higher fuel demands once we apply boost.

We will powder coat or anodize the intake, throttle bodies and valve covers. The plumbing will be powder coated black as well. The heads will stay aluminum and the block and oil pan will be black. We are making a 9" x 3" raised letter plate that will be inlayed into the center of the valve covers. The letters will be brushed aluminum with a black background.

Any suggestions on what we should put on the name plate?

Dave, here’s to you man – Bad A$$!

The Billet Specialties drive system has been installed to the engine as well as the solid engine plates. We are finalizing the decision on what parts of the engine to coat and what to leave natural. We are planning to coat just the center of the intake and the valve covers and leave the rest natural. The turbo plumbing will be all black. I ordered a Ram dual clutch and flywheel set up and Keisler sponsored an upgraded hydraulic set up for the Tremec we are putting in. Thanks guys!

We are making a plaque for each valve cover that will be recessed into the cover that says “Firebird” and another plaque that will mount just above the hood latch that says “V8”. I wanted an aggressive font, let me know what you think of this. (see attachments)

It’s full speed ahead for the next seven weeks in preparation for SEMA.

ere are some pics of the front valance with the running lights installed.

We are going to drop the engine in tomorrow and start on the plumbing. Final body work also starts tomorrow. Let me know what you think of the body mods!

Here are some more pictures of the body modifications.

We knocked some things out this week. The body is in the final stages and looking great and headed for paint at the end of the week. We installed the engine and drive train and ran into a significant problem with header clearance between the heads and the frame rail. Pontiac heads drop on an aggressive downward angle which leaves very little room to work with. We notched the frame to give ourselves another 2”. We also needed to make custom solid motor mounts so that the engine sits low enough in the bay to give clearance for the intake. The turbos have been mocked up in their position and the plumbing will start tomorrow.

We installed the Wilwood brakes on the front. 14” rotors with their six piston package. I had Wilwood custom paint the calipers in a gunmetal gray that will match the center stripe down the middle. I like the way the brake package came together.

Wheels and tires are to arrive by the end of the week. Only 5 weeks left until SEMA!

We mocked up the interior today and I am glad I did. My original thought was to retro the stock column and make room for the FAST computer and a stereo head unit that included a 5” screen with GPS, NAV etc. I decided to go simple and stock instead. I am going to install an original AM/FM stereo in the stock location that will be hooked to a great sounding system with amps and speakers that are concealed throughout the car. I will have a jump wire for my MP3 player which is all I really care about. As far as GPS, screw it, the point is to get lost and keep driving right?

The challenge was to incorporate the three additional gauges (Boost, Wideband Air/Fuel and Clock) that we needed to include without changing the dash panel and incorporate a true gated shifter. As a solution, the guys as All Speed built this custom box to house the Stack Clubman gauges make enough room for the billet shifter gate. We will also mount the billet power window switches and keyless ignition start button just below the sift gate. I am also going to mount a billet fire extinguisher on the tunnel and that is it. Clean, tight and basic.

We welded the 6” plates in the floor and trunk and started the roll cage. The cage will have removable bars on the back and sides. We also installed the Dynamat and began the wiring for the Vintage Air system and FAST fuel injection system. The Corbeau seats fit great and will be recovered. I had to modify the seats to drop them about ½” to compensate for the recessed area in the roof. The Budnick wheel and tilt column from Ididit fit great as well.

We mounted the turbos and made the custom stainless steel headers. We knotched the frame to make room for the headers to flow forward to the turbos. We also lowered the radiator so that the intake pipes from the intercoolers to the intake will come straight up from the nose and directly to the intake – some trick fabricating going on right now.

The roll cage is in and the body has been primed and blocked. You can see how the exhaust tucks under the rear of the car just ahead of the gas tank. We cut the trunk pan to create a tunnel for the exhaust to come up and drop down on the back side of the tank. We will place heat shield in this entire area.

The center console is complete and we will be smoothing and painting this week. I ordered three individual Stack gauges for the console Boost, Air/Fuel and Exhaust Temp. The car will also be painted on Wed. Rather than just black, I decided to go with a pearl black that includes a subtle flake. With these body lines, it is good opportunity to show them off and the flake will pick up the light necessary to do that. We will paint a metallic gunmetal stripe down the middle that will be cropped with a metallic pearl stripe.

The closeout panels will be made on Tuesday just before paint. The wheels should be in this week as well. Final assembly will start on Friday. We have a few surprises on the interior and engine so stay tuned. . .

Scot, thanks in advance for letting me use your wheels for a few hours to check the gapping, ride height and snap some pics. My wheels should arrive Friday. Can’t wait to meet you in person at SEMA.

The car is primed and in the process of being final-blocked. The hood you see in the pictures is a stock hood, not our modified hood. We get that back on Friday and took the time to make molds of the scoops in case other people want to modify their formula hood to something more aggressive.

We decided to remove the stock hood latch so that the intake pipes can come straight out toward the front and down into the intercoolers. We are installing two flush-mount Aero Catch latches on the hood. The guys at All Speed created custom pockets for the intake plumbing. They created a pocket in the center for a emblem.

Paint has been selected and ordered and we will be spraying on Saturday. I plan to record that!

Thank to everyone for the awesome feedback over the last few months. It has kept us on our toes and identified several issues that we needed to address.

Enjoy!

[IMG]http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad271/tcronkright/Firebird/asp016.jpg[/IMG

The car was sprayed today. The striping will be laid and sprayed tomorrow and then cleared and wet sanded 4 times. The paint is black with a hint of fleck. I included a couple videos from the spray booth.

We sprayed the stripes and started the wet sanding and clearing. Final assembly starts on the main body today. The pictures do not do it justice but let me know what you think of the color. The body really pops with the hint of fleck in the paint. The pearl stripe will tie in the reverse stitching color on the interior fabric.

The Forgiato wheels arrived today and they are unbelievable! Perfect color and fit. Plenty of rubber on the back of these. Rears are 345/25/ZR20 and Fronts are 275/30/ZR19 – Pirelli P-Zero tires.

The intercooler is complete and the plumbing is finished. Interior seats have been recovered and door panels are almost done. Wiring is near completion and they start on the fuel system and exhaust tomorrow. The car gets picked up for Vegas a week from tomorrow. All hands on deck!

We’ve been going non-stop on the final touches and assembly. We added numerous changes under the hood and the interior that should turn some heads in Vegas. Here’s a sneak peak – hood, center column and heat shield on the fuel cell. My next post will be from the SEMA floor. Hope to see some of you there!

Also, here’s the detail on how we attached the front valance to the core support.

The “Bird” has landed in Vegas and is in the Forgiato booth. I couldn’t resist sharing these pictures where were shot just before it was loaded on the truck Thursday. The car had not been detailed but it was still picture worthy. The guys at All Speed killed themselves the last 6 weeks of this build to complete their vision – especially the engine bay where they made numerous last minute changes/modifications. Nice work boys!

Thanks to everyone for the interest and input in this build and I hope you will be reading about this in some upcoming publications. I will be sharing photos and video of the SEMA show and the reaction to the car. A HD digital camera has been installed in the car so we can share some real-time footage of this beast going down the road.

Thanks again to all sponsors that made this happen.

Enjoy!

We arrived at the SEMA show around noon and it was packed. Pirelli convinced Forgiato to put the Firebird in their booth outside of the South Hall just in front of the Optima Challenge car section just before you get to the Monster booth. It is standing tall and it is a great feeling to have this as part of the show. DUBS shot pictures for their magazine and threw some stickers on the glass. Fine by me.

Here are some pics of the car. I hope to meet more Pro-Touring members out here.

Finally recovered from the show. For any of you that have not attended the show, it is truly a “life” event. I had high hopes and this experience surpassed them all. The show was packed and the energy was amazing. The quality of the builds and attention to detail was amazing. The bird got a ton of exposure and countless compliments. It is headed back to Michigan for a couple of weeks to finalize the last few things and get it fired and tuned. We will then ship back to Orange County, CA where it will spend the winter. Several publications expressed interest in featuring the car once it is back in Cali for some good pictures. Here’s a few more shots of the beast at the show and being loaded on the truck for the trek back.

Bisimoto Turbo Hybrid Honda CR-Z

2010-11-12T15:49:00.003-06:00

No one with any passing knowledge of the automotive industry is unaware of the upcoming release of the new Honda CR-Z– and most are very excited about the prospect. If you’re a Honda tuner, the word excited is probably far too “whatevs” to describe your emotional state – especially if you’re particularly fond of that wonder car that Honda released in the mid-1980s. If you’re Bisi Ezerioha, you’ve already gotten beyond all of that. If you’re Bisi, you’ve already built a version of the car that exceeds the power output of Porsche’s 911 GT3 Hybrid – awesome.

As the owner of Bisimoto Engineering, and somewhat of a legend in the Honda community, Bisi is an overachiever when it comes to wringing every last ounce of power from any of the projects he accepts – often with ground-breaking results. MotorMavens crew members Antonio Alvendia, Herb Policarpio and I took a visit to his facility to see his latest masterpiece. We arrived just in time to see him adding the finishing touches to his Norm Reeves Honda purchased, 2011 Honda CR-Z.

As he went about his work, he took the time to explain his vision for this build which was to benchmark the CR-Z hybrid versus the newly released Porsche 911 GT3 hybrid which boasts a hefty 480hp at the crank and to do so while retaining the drivability, reliability, and eco-friendly nature of the original. In his own words: ìto really show them what Bisimoto Engineering could do.î In a matter of six weeks, not only had Bisi met his goal, he had exceeded the Porsche’s horsepower numbers by 53 horses and developed 22 new aftermarket performance parts for the CR-Z. Did I mention he was an overachiever?

Beneath the hood lies Bisi’s innovative hybrid masterpiece – the Bisimoto custom built 1.5L LEA1 engine, which includes a fully redone Bisimoto bottom end and valvetrain, turbo kit, level 2.4 camshaft, and custom 70mm throttle body. No wonder Bisi considers his CRZ to be a Porsche GT3 hunter.

Golden Eagle Intake manifold & sleeved block, Kinsler fuel rail, filter and injectors handle sufficient fuel delivery.

Alas, the most impressive component of the engine bay… the 64mm Turbonetics billet turbocharger.

The down-pipe style Burns 3″ stainless exhaust setup creates an impressive and loud tone, although it’s still not as loud as the BMI racing drift 4 rotor RX8 though. Yikes!!!

Aside from being a highly experienced engine builder, he also tackles lighter duties as shown here, bolting on wheels.

Bisimoto-Savini 18×9 wheels all around with +29 front and +27 rear. 225/40/18 Falken RT615K tire.

Important factors for performance such as braking are handled via Stoptech brakes.

What I found appealing when looking at the CR-Z, was the modified OEM front bumper which is setup to handle the enormous Griffin radiator. That’s cool… Literally.

Gatorwrap laminated body wrap; Type 2 graphics, Bisimoto-VIS custom carbon fiber hatch and wing add flair per Bisi’s personal style.

This Bisimoto custom parachute makes the CR-Z slow down after guaranteed record setting passes.

This last shot shows you the clean OEM interior which had its fair share of weight reduction in the back. I not only enjoyed the fresh new car smell during the shoot but also the nice Buddy Club racing bucket seats which will secure Bisi as he takes flight. The Bisimoto spec Steen 6-point roll cage will definitely ensure safety as well. Overall, the day was awesome and the time spent learning more about this project allowed me to realize something quite clear about Bisi’s approach to building: His knowledge truly creates power.

Smoky The Bandit

2010-11-12T15:02:00.002-06:00

Top Secret's crown jewel from its hidden collection of classics.

ith his nickname derived from his jones for enormous burnouts, Smoky Nagata is best known for two things. As founder and owner of Top Secret Performance Engineering Service, his mega-horsepower creations have graced the covers of countless tuner mags the world over, decked out in his resplendent trademark gold. Legend has it that before establishing his own shop, Nagata worked for another tuner but surreptitiously concocted his own projects during his off hours. Hence the name.

As an utter and complete nut, Nagata has a nasty habit of conducting top speed trials of his speed machines on the public roads of foreign nations. Few have the cojones (or the skills or equipment) to attempt an all-out 200mph dash on our home turf. Now imagine going to a wholly unfamiliar republic, replete with its own laws and traffic system, where you don't speak a whiff of the native tongue and trying the same thing.

Such was the lunacy and sheer awesomeness that ensued when Smoky went to the newly-constructed A1(M) motorway in the UK in 1999. The local constabulary did not find this quite so awesome. In fact, they arrested Nagata-san and impounded his camera-laden A80 Toyota Supra and its 1003-hp Nissan Skyline RB26 for doing 130mph near the quiet hamlet of Peterborough. Actually, he had broken 194mph on another run just prior to his arrest as corroborated by video tape evidence later discovered.

British cop:	Where's the videotape?
Smoky:	...
British cop:	Videotape. Where?
Smoky:	Uh, what? What?
British cop:	Where. Is. The. Videotape.
Smoky:	Vee-dee-oh? Uhh, I speak, uh, English. Uh... No speak English.
British cop:	You're under arrest.
British cop #2:	Do you speak English?
Smoky:	No, I speak, uhh, Japanese. I, uhh-
British cop #2 (abruptly):	DO YOU THINK THIS IS A BLOODY PLAYGROUND?
Smoky:	Uh, what? What?
British cop #2:	Do you THINK this is a PLAYGROUND?
Smoky:	Uh, no understand.
British cop #2:	I'm sure you don't.

Miraculously, the magistrate fined him only £155 plus £35 in court costs and banned him from setting tyre on the Queen's roads for 28 days. This, despite further videotape evidence of a dead stop on the expressway for the purposes of a towering mid-highway inferno burnout. Similar maximum velocity trials have taken place in New Zealand with a 3S-GTE-powered Supra and in what likely stands as Mr. Nagata's sole legal speed experiment, a 341-kph fly-by on the German Autobahn in a V35 Nissan Skyline propelled by a VK45 Cima V8. For us Americans, that translates to a 212mph in an Infiniti G35 with a V8 engine from an Infiniti Q45.

Top Secret's latest affront to suburban grandmothers everywhere is a Supra motivated by a JDM Toyota Century V12. Nagata aspires to reach 400kph with this, or Bugatti Veyron territory. Exactly which good nation's legal mandates this will violate has yet to be determined.

Top Secret's headquarters in Chiba City houses a vast five-bay garage that would turn any home greasemonkey greener than a sack of peas with envy. Although not easily accessible by train, the entire premises teems with enough Western tourists and journalists (ourselves included) that they should really consider offering shuttle service from nearby Narita International Airport. Within the cavernous shop, a small platoon of mad scientists transform even the beastliest of vehicles into Godzilla-sized hellions. All manner of vehicles, from diminutive Nissan March subcompacts to roid-raging Supras are Frankensteined into rolling arrest warrants. On the day of our photo shoot, workers were putting the final touches on a beautiful R31 Skyline and a $170,000 R34 Skyline GT-R about to be shipped off to an unnamed owner in South Africa.

Few know, however, that behind the ballsy superhero bravura of Smoky the monster-maker hides Kazuhiko Nagata, a mild-mannered gentleman with a penchant for vintage Japanese steel. Downstairs and around back, out of sight from the massive centerpiece garage and warehouse lies a small covered parking area that houses some of his prized possessions. The path leading to the stairs of this alcove have classics in varying stages of restoration, neglect and hidden potential scattered about as well. Overshadowed by their horsepower-heavy modern descendants that made Top Secret famous, the nostalgics in Nagata-san's collection include a C10 Skyline sedan, a Datsun 410 Bluebird, a pair of Mitsubishi Galant GTOs and of course, the subject of this Profile, a 1975 Toyota Celica 2000GT liftback.

Found in a junkyard as a rusty heap, this RA25 Celica underwent an intensive six-month restoration process that would make Boyd Coddington weep. Upon retrieval from its deathbed, Nagata immediately whisked the well-oxidized body and frame off to Top Secret II: The Body Shop to reverse the severe weathering that had occurred over the years. Many of the original bits were too far gone, giving the Top Secret crew the perfect opportunity to replace them with trick custom touches.

While the car may appear stock, aside from its mean crouch and bestickered body, numerous clever yet subtle nuances endow this resto-modded Celica with the amenities of your typical daily driver. For instance, Bellof Spec Le Mans GT HID throw more lumens from the quad headlights than 1975 could have ever dreamed of. Likewise, one-off LED taillights have been matched perfecly to the zenki five-bar rear treatment.

For a squad with enough talent to jam a V12 into the bay of a straight-six, an epic swap would have been pound cake, but beneath the custom fiberglass hood lies a chassis-correct twin-cam 18RG engine. Never one to leave well enough alone, Nagata and his crew have installed fuel-injection with an HKS F-CON V Pro management system fed by four individual throttle bodies with custom machined velocity stacks. The rest of the drivetrain remains stock, albeit rebuilt, save for an ORC single-plate clutch.

The pugnacious stance comes courtesy of Top Secret's own Super Dampers. Brilliant white 15-inch Rays Gram Light 57Cs wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE-01s harmonize flawlessly with the equally bright white paint job. Inside, an LED dome light reflects yet another unobtrusive modern upgrade. BRIDE racing seats hold asses in place while the driver grips a Top Secret steering wheel, but those matching rear cushions were custom-made by the company for Nagata's nostalgic ride. You can be sure Nagata gripped the Top Secret steering wheel tightly when he went on a recent 210-kph blast on Japan's renowned Wangan. In the English system, that's the same speed that got him arrested in the land that originated the measurement standard.

At its debut in this year's Tokyo Auto Salon, Top Secret gave this Celica top billing at its booth in the annual Japanese tunerfest, a space usually reserved for the sort of high-performance rigs the shop built its name on. It may be the first nostalgic called in for duty to represent Top Secret, but Nagata, in his humble demeanor utterly devoid of the brash arrogance one would expect of a speed demon felon, indicates that it won't be the last. We can only hope, Smoky.

1961 Mercedes 190SL

2010-11-12T14:44:00.001-06:00

One of the most talked-about cars at SEMA 2010 was this ultra custom '61 Mercedes in the D-BASF booth. Built by Hot Rods and Custom Stuff for a very special client, this is not your regular old school '60s left over. This infact is a custom built 1 off '61 190SL that has been cleverly altered to fit a 2004 SL600 chassis. A total of 6" inches were widened in the rear and a extreme 9" inches in the front. Everything you see is hand formed metal-work. The brilled started life as a hunk of billet aluminum then CNC into a 1-piece work of art. Even the vents on top of the hood was CNC in billet for that ultimate perfect look. Under the hood is a full Renntech powered twin turbo V12 motor pushing over 600 horsepower. The Wheels are truly unique. Not because the 20" inch billet wheels were designed after the original hub caps, but the center Benzo logo actually has weights on the bottom that allows the logo to stand upright at all times. The interior is scream old and new with the oem navigation and shifter nicely built into the center console while the classic steering and dash reminds you of the good old days. Plush and perfect red leather wraps the rest of the interior for that ultimate sport and luxury appeal. The trunk even displayed matching lugages also finished in the same fine red leather.

By far one of the most unique builds at SEMA 2010. Looks for this at next years Goodguys Del Mar events.

Top Secret Visit

2010-11-12T14:33:00.001-06:00

Japan is an amazing country. I’ve been lucky enough to travel there a couple different times in the last few years. We all read the blogs and watch the videos; the mystique that surrounds the country’s culture and automotive tuning scenes is something everyone would like to see for themselves one day. The only way to truly scratch the surface of an industry far richer than our own, is to experience it firsthand. For me the quintessential Japanese tuning shop will always be Top Secret. I remember watching Smokey Nagata, on YouTube, back before anyone knew what YouTube was. I found tons of videos featuring Smokey doing top speed runs in all kinds of amazing cars. It was some of my first exposure to what the JZA80 Supra and R34 GT-R were capable of. I became a big fan of the shop and from then on, I knew I had to make the pilgrimage one way or another.

In June 2007, I took my second trip to Japan. I never went to Japan with the intention of doing anything car-related. I planned to stay in Tokyo and check out all the city had to offer. Upon our arrival, I was connected with a good friend of mine from school. He was spending the summer in Japan visiting his family and offered to show us around the city. Well, one thing led to another, some phone calls were made and before I knew it, we were in his car heading to Ginza where Top Secret’s headquarters are located.

It’s really hard to talk about visiting Top Secret without sounding like a fan boy. Anyone I’ve known who’s been to Japan and seen the same kind of thing shares a mutual giddiness when the topic comes up in conversation. There’s really nothing like it in the United States. We’re slowly getting there with shops like AMS and SP Engineering, but Top Secret is on a completely different level. It was hard to get me to do anything but stare in amazement upon arriving. But we headed for the showroom to meet with the shop’s manager. Japan is a society based on respect and politeness. Our first order of business was to thank the manager for allowing us to come and visit the shop. We had no intentions of spending any money there, so it was very nice of them to let us come and take pictures and have a look around. Through some broken English to Japanese and a little translation from my friend, we were able to speak with the manager and gather a bit more information on Top Secret. We asked if we could meet Smokey and take a picture (I know, fan boys), but he was too busy tuning customer cars.

The showroom at Top Secret is surprisingly small, but they’ve managed to fit a dizzying amount of parts and memorabilia into the space. The company’s showroom is a homage to all things Top Secret and JDM. Option Magazines and DVD’s are scattered throughout the room, as well as a long list of original parts from the company.

One of the first things I noticed were all the awards and achievements this shop has earned over the years. It’s a testament to how the Japanese do things. It’s a “go big or go home” mentality that plays a role in all aspects of their lives. It’s this philosophy that Top Secret and most other Japanese tuning shops operate by. You quickly notice how these guys are on a completely different level than anything going on in our own country.

A neglected SR20 that was once the heart of Top Secret project, now serves as an ornament on the showroom floor.

As a brand, the company has found endless ways to market themselves. From R/C cars to their own line of engine fluids, they seem to have all the bases covered.

All sorts of aero pieces hung from the walls and ceiling. I remember seeing this GT-R carbon diffuser for the first time; the quality was something else. The main idea behind having a showroom is to allow customers the opportunity to see the parts that could eventually adorn their cars. It’s a place to meet with an advisor and discuss the technicalities of the build. Clients are made to feel right at home with drinks, snacks and cigarettes. I noticed about 3 or 4 meeting tables that were setup throughout the showroom. Modifying cars is a serious business in Japan and it’s not just for young people. Enthusiasts of all ages participate in this past time and it’s not taken lightly.

Interested in a custom manifold? Well making the decision is just as easy as walking over to this display and seeing all the shop’s offerings firsthand. In this country we pick and choose parts from a huge variety of vendors. We may order an an exhaust from Shop A and have it installed and the car tuned at Shop B. In Japan it’s about the complete car. Shop loyalty is big and once you pick a shop, you stay with that shop. As a result, everything from turbo upgrades to interior reupholstering is done at or through that particular shop. It’s a completely different level of service in Japan and it’s about the whole experience, not just the end result. Checking out the parts and memorabilia was like being a kid in a candy store. But the reason you come to Top Secret is for the cars and there was plenty to see outside.

Let’s be honest, the only reason any of us really want to visit Japanese tuning shops is for the cars. After watching them on DVD and seeing them in magazines, the cars develop a mystique. So seeing them in person is a pretty surreal experience. I couldn’t help but keep thinking to myself, “I’m in Japan, thousands of miles from home, looking at cars I never thought I’d see in the flesh.” It’s a similar feeling to the one you get when you see a professional athlete or a celebrity in person; there they are, right in front of you.

In order to get to Top Secret’s showroom, you have to walk through a small alleyway along the side of the shop. The only thing that separates the cars from the gas station next door is a thin cement wall. The alley acts as an overflow lot for cars that can’t be parked in the shop or out front. There was a scattering of old cars like the R34 GT-R and Z33 above.

Parked along the right wall of the shop were more cars like this D1 Street Legal 180SX and the R32 GT-R just behind it. The alleyway acts as both storage and additional parking for the shop’s employees.

Aside from customer cars, there was this familiar sight, Top Secret’s D1 S15. I still can’t believe a beast like this was just sitting on the side of the shop, like it was no big deal.

The S15 was still in immaculate condition. The paint looked as if it had been polished within days previous. Although Top Secret had retired the car from competition to make way for their Z33, it was nice to see it being well-maintained. It’s a car I had seen many times on OptionDVD’s and in the magazines, but to see it in person was something else. There are so many characteristics to a car that photos can never show you. Being able to walk around the bodywork and see it firsthand is a much different experience. I’m also someone who believes that every car looks better in person. Photos don’t do most cars justice and the D1 S15 was no exception.

Just outside the showroom, parked next to the S15 was this; one of Top Secret’s R34 GT-R’s. Being a Skyline fanatic, I was even more excited to see this car than the S15. It’s really an amazing machine. The car was built from the ground up to be a top speed monster. The carbon rear diffuser I spotted inside the showroom earlier was fitted to the car as well as a slew of Top Secret’s other original parts. One of the things that surprised me about this car was just how big it is in person. The R34 is not a small car, it’s probably as long as my WRX sedan. It’s also a very imposing car. The Top Secret gold bling gives the GT-R a lot of presence and commands your attention. It looks fast even when it’s parked; it’s hard to get the image of it barreling down the freeway out of your mind.

That’s me mugging next to the car. I didn’t want to use this picture because looking back on myself 3-years-ago, I have no business being in it. I honestly couldn’t stop smiling while we were there. It’s one of those days where you go to bed that night and think “today was a good day” and you remember it for the rest of your life. I’d really like to visit Top Secret again, next time I’m in Japan. Enough reminiscing for now though.

Any JDM fanatic could easily spend an entire afternoon checking out all the cool things to see at Top Secret. Besides being one of the most famous tuning shops in Japan, Top Secret is also one of the largest. It’s the main reason why I wanted to break my visit into 3 separate posts, because there’s just that much to talk about. I’ve saved what is in my opinion, the best for last. If you’ve ever looked at Japanese car magazines then you’re probably all too familiar with the entrance to Top Secret’s shop. The light blue sliding doors, the black and gold sign and that small driveway packed with some of the fastest domestic cars in Japan. Since we decided to visit Top Secret on a weekday, the shop was buzzing with activity. It being the middle of June, meant the front doors were open to reveal all the cool stuff happening inside the shop. When we pulled into the parking lot, this was the first car that caught my eye.

Top Secret isn’t typically known for working on classics but they should definitely do more of them. The pristine RA25 Celica 2000GT looks and sounds every bit as good as the shop’s more high-profile builds. I had known about the 2000GT build before visiting the shop, but I didn’t expect to see it in person. It was quite a nice surprise as we pulled into the parking lot.

An interesting sight at Japan’s premier Nissan and Toyota tuner, an FC RX7. The midnight purple was similar to the shade typically seen on GT-R’s. However, the color looked right at home on the RX7.

A look into the shop’s primary workspace. Unfortunately we weren’t permitted to walk around inside the actual shop. Due to the fact that they were so busy and all of the liabilities that could result from us being overly excited in the first place. All the famous faces were present including Youichi Imamura’s ORC/Top Secret Z33 D1 car in the foreground. I was amazed at how focused all of the mechanics were. It’s probably not everyday that a couple of Americans show up to have a look around, but typical of Japanese culture, the task at hand is of the upmost importance.

Lurking behind the shop’s door is one of Smokey’s more interesting creations, the VQ35-powered R32 Skyline. Many of you are probably familiar with the car’s bright orange individual throttle bodies, a setup that’s been tuned around 355hp. This has always been one of my favorite Top Secret cars. It’s eye-popping graphics, exquisite attention to detail and unique power plant embody everything that makes Top Secret stand out from the rest.

Out of all the cars that day, this was the most exciting one to see firsthand. It’s Smokey’s final incarnation of the JZA80 Supra with a custom-built V12 twin-turbo. During the time of our visit, this was the shop’s crowning achievement and had just debuted at Tokyo Auto Salon earlier that year. I’ll admit, I was never fond of this cars looks, until I saw it in person. It’s presence is undeniable and parked there, the car looked every bit as fast as it is on the track.

Well that about wraps up my posts on Top Secret. It was a truly amazing and inspirational experience and I still have to reassure myself it wasn’t all a dream. If you’ve got the time and the money, I would highly suggest putting down the magazines, turning off the computer and seeing these places for yourself. Apart from all the car stuff, Japan is an amazing country with so much to offer. If anything, the tuning culture is a bonus to the rest of it all. I hope to get back there very soon because there are many more shop visits on my list. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

TWINS TURBO MOTORSPORTS DODGE VIPER

2010-11-11T20:45:00.001-06:00

If you had to think of one word to describe this 1997 Dodge Viper you see above, what would it be? Beastly? Monstrous? Frightening? Aggressive? Intimidating? I wouldn't be able to think of any word for the simple fact that this car makes me speechless. I mean, look at it!

If Bruce Wayne and his alter ego was a gearhead that wanted to frightening the living bejesus out of his enemies then this is the car he's build.

The rest of the car is pretty much dwarfed by this. What you're looking at is a stroked 510 CI Viper V10 featuring two Bullseye Power Borg Warner T-4 80mm turbos with a MoTeC M800 Engine Management System that was calibrated by Shane Tecklenburg. The result? Roughly 2000 horse power at 12 psi. No biggie.

The intake is the visually dominating piece of the engine bay (apart from the two giant turbos), its a CNC manifold that was designed by Marc "Koz" Kozeluh of Twins Turbo and Steve Hall of Hall Engineering and Design.

An engine producing so much power also produces so much heat. The engine was lined with gold in select spots as well as with the inside of the engine cover.

The interior is as spartan and utilitarian as you can get. It's border-line race car, but still has heat shielding and carpet! Remember boys and girls, this fire breathing dragon is still a street car.

Though, what sort of streets this car was designed for, I want to know.

Fabrication done by Twins Turbo Motorsports and Andrew "Serge" McClelland. This is a car that you have to see in person to truly appreciate. the quality of the welds is one thing, but the creativity that was employed on certain aspects of the car is another.

For example, right under the exhaust sits a panel that can be easily removed with a few screws. That panel gives easy access to the pedals, their adjustment and their respective master cylinders. Most people wouldn't even think about that!

I'm not quite sure which look I prefer more, the car with the hood on, or the car with the hood off. Either option makes the car look extremely intimidating.

The body was painted by the now defunct West Coast Choppers.

An amazing set of red ghost flames adorn the whole car.

This was a real challenge to photograph as the red flames and the dark red hue of the car went completely black when not directly lit.

Back in September, the car was in attendance at the Mojave Mile event. It was easily the fastest car out by doing a pass of 222.7 MPH! You can see a video of the run here. The Mojave Mile was the first of many events this car will be going to. It's got its sights on the Texas Mile next.

Low & Fast

2010-11-10T21:37:00.001-06:00

Coming to you straight out of Stockton, CA, this Acura Integra is capable of running down the quarter mile in the low 11 second range, and that is damn impressive if you ask us. It’s sitting on Mugen M7′s in 16×8.5 & 16×9.5′s with 205/40 & 215/40 tires. The suspension is fully built from dampers to control arms to bushings and much more! No airbags here guys, this clean Integra is equipped with Ground Control coilovers. Nothing better than a slammed import that’s capable of leaving many muscle cars in the dust, and that’s coming from a guy who drives a 12 second modern muscle ride.

Forever Fresh.

2010-11-10T21:32:00.001-06:00

Pretty crazy how a car that’s almost 2 decades old can look so “fresh”. This clean Acura NSX is sitting on 19X8 & 20X10.5 Work Meister S1′s and is apparently pushing over 450HP! It’s also equipped with Koni Adjustable shocks with coilover sleeves and Dali sway bars. Great mixture of form and function!

Anis's Turbo Charged Lexus LS 430

2010-11-09T00:06:00.003-06:00

Anis's LS430-T

LS 400 Daily driven, Slammed and fully scrapin'

2010-11-08T23:05:00.001-06:00

2JZ install into a DeLorean

2010-11-08T20:35:00.003-06:00

the engine i just took out:

my car

The engine when i first finished it

when i first pulled the motor way back when

OK, pics!!

This is the flywheel fresh from the machine shop. Still needs work done to it.

Engine standing on its nose.

Bellhousings i'll be welding together.

These are pics of the clutch, flywheel and auto 2JZ bellhousing milled down.

Clutch is sitting just below the level of the milled bellhousing that stands 1.8" height. I'm guessing the belhousing will be no more than 2.25" total. The stock DeLorean bellhousing is 4.25" tall.

The flywheel was a bitch because i had to make every piece. I even made the dowels from round rod. I cut them to the length i needed, super heated them red hot and dumped them in water. Now they are hardened.

pics of the bellhousing comming together....

Ok here are some pics of the engine in the car. I still have to do the mounts, but it fits! It sits 1/2 inch away from the rear frame i had to cut to slide the motor in. Nothing has been done to the motor so don't think it's going to look like this when it's done.

The drive train is complete. I had to machine the main shaft on the transmission to work, but it's perfect. The engine and tranny went together with no effort what so ever. Everything turns very easily and smooth.

ok, i installed the flywheel and clutch and it worked perfect. These are pics of the block and tranny installed in the car. All the shift linkages are working perfect now, shifts smoothly.

powder coated tranny mounts

Ok, I installed new Toyota water pump, idler, timing belt and front main seal. I also got the shims adjusted for my USDM cams i installed. Here are some pics of what she looks like now....

Oh, I need a stock USDM water pump pulley. If you have one, let me know.

AN-3 oil feed with DeLorean oil sender mounted on back port of the block. front port is plugged

Stainless fuel line

A few angle shots of manifold bolted to the head. Turbo/wastegate pics later.

well i got back from Korea today and decided to bolt the turbo on. It's a 62-1

ok guy, downpipe is 95% done. It just needs a 3" v-band flange welded on and then ceramic coated. dump tube came out great and it 100% done.

here are some pics of how i did my pulley setup

there is a 11mm spacer between my 1/2" bracket and the bearing on the pulley. For anyone needing to know. you need to machine a little off the PS bracket so mine fits flat.

Looks surprisingly good.. here's the comparison of an '81 DMC-12 vs V160 6-speed Supra for gear ratios:

V160:
1st 3.83:1
2nd 2.36:1
3rd 1.68:1
4th 1.31:1
5th 1.00:1
6th 0.79:1
final drive: 3.133:1

DMC12:
1st 3.36:1
2nd 2.06:1
3rd 1.38:1
4th 1.06:1
5th 0.82:1
final drive: 3.44:1

The resulting outputs of the V160/6-speed diff vs DMC12 shows the DMC12 with slightly taller final gearing.. shouldn't be a problem to stay within the power curve as long as the DMC12's trans+diff can handle the torque.. nice that they're so close - far more than I had expected given the difference in speed for the stock cars. I'm surprised the DMC12 didn't have shorter gearing to increase acceleration.. it was what.. 9.5s 0-60 at best back in '81?
V160+6-speed diff || DMC12:
1st: 12.00 || 11.56
2nd: 7.39 || 7.09
3rd: 5.26 || 4.75
4th: 4.10 || 3.65
5th: 3.13 || 2.82
6th: 2.48 || x

new coolant piping i made up tonight.

and my radiator fan switch i installed on the side of the head.

Here are a few pics of the charge piping done. The fascia will be fitted this week and then go to the fiberglass shop to be finished up.

OK here she is. It's fast as hell!!

Here are some pics of the underside and exhaust system.

Here is a pic of the AEM installed.

I hope to have the new FPR and fuel line install soon. I'm waiting on the fuel rail adaptor to be done.

The synapse regulator turned out to be a POS. It never held fuel pressure and was very slow to respond. It also got stuck open on me once when i was getting off the gas and i had 10psi of fuel pressure.

so i replaced the regulator and added a new line to it. The engine bay is not clean FYI.

Ok, here are the dyno results. 395 WHP 376 torque at 15psi. It was lower than i was expecting but fast enough for me.

1996 Honda Civic J32A

2010-11-07T23:00:00.001-06:00

In the world of modifying automobiles, especially with imports, and this is even more true in Honda tuners, in the blink of an eye your car, and the style in which you’ve modified it, can be considered old news and “played out”. What is is considered popular and the “right” way to build a car by the general tuner population changes as often as the wind. In the mid to late 90’s it was about throwing an intake/exhaust/header on as far as performance and calling it day. This transformed into more extensive builds and people swapping various B and H series engines into their cars. Both turbo and high compression N/A builds had their heydays, and then K series swaps were considered “new and exciting”. Nowadays, a popular setup that is gaining momentum in the “scene” is swapping J series (6 cylinder engines that come from the factory in Honda Accords and various Acura models) engines into other applications (Civics, Integras, etc…).

The majority of the time, when you see these swaps, the engines are protruding through a cut out in the hood that is necessary due to the obvious increase in height of the engine in comparison to smaller four cylinder options. When Jim Sumner decided to swap this engine into his 1996 Honda civic hatchback, he wanted a more OEM look. Jim turned to Square 1 Motorsports to help him achieve this and with help from one of Square 1’s fabricators, Gene Yee, was able to acquire the results he was looking for.

The engine in Jim’s car is a J32A out of a 2004 Acura TL Type-S that has been mated to a 6 speed transmission out of a 2003 Acura CL Type-S and is running off of a stock TL Type-s ECU with the immobilizer eliminated. Quick tuning of the setup is handled by a Apex-i V-AFC with plans to upgrade with a Greddy E-Manage unit in due time. Square 1 really took care of every detail on this car for it to retain all of the car’s factory features, including fabricating custom circuitry so that the speedometer and tachometer signals from the engine could flow seamlessly into the factory Civic instrument cluster. Power steering and A/C were also retained. Before the engine was dropped into the car, the EGR and drive by wire were eliminated, the heads and intake manifold were both ported and polished, and the secondary runners were eliminated. A custom set of stainless steel headers that mate directly to the factory Civic exhaust were also built and installed. The linchpin for retaining the OEM look were the custom mounts built by Square 1 that maintain a safe amount of ground clearance while at the same time allowing the entire hood of the car to remain intact and uncut. Custom Drive Shaft Shop Stage 3 axles were also made to work with the one off mounts. The best part about about the mounts is that they are removable if Jim ever decides to go back to stock. An Injen cold air intake and Apex-i GT stainless steel cat back exhaust were added to help the engine breath a little better and a Spec stage 3 clutch was installed to help get the power to the ground.

The work into this car is not limited to its power plant and drive train modification. Aiding in the handling of Jim’s Civic is a K-Sport PRO full air bag suspension, complete Energy Suspension bushing kit, Square 1 Motorsports 3 point upper and lower front brace, and a Type-R rear sway bar. The front brakes have been upgraded from the OEM units to NSX calipers with ATE rotors, Hawk Racing HP Plus pads, and Russell stainless steel brake lines. The rear brakes have also received an upgrade in the way of an Integra disc brake conversion, as well as ATE rotors, Hawk Racing HP pads, and Russell stainless brake lines.The exterior of Jim’s Civic has also received some subtle modification. Si-R front and rear bumpers were added to the car as well as an Si-R front lip and CTR rear lip. JDM thin side moldings and power folding mirrors were added as well as a carbon fiber rar duck bill spoiler. The car has been resprayed in a fresh coat of Championship white as well. Depending on where you see this car, whether it be a meet, show, or at the track, it could have one of three different sets of wheels mounted to it. For the every day grind, Jim runs 15×7 35mm offset Tracklite Circuits and adds a set of 225/50/15 BF Goodrich drag radials on a set of the same wheels for track events. For shows, he chose 15×8 20mm offset Axis OG Old School wheels.

The interior of this car has remained mostly stock for an “incognito” look but has had its doors upgraded to those off of an EX model Civic to gain power windows and locks. Unfortunalty for this feature, due to imclimate weather all week, we were not able to arrange a fresh shoot for this car. There will be one soon and all of the photos will be updated. The pictures you see are of the car in its current state but we like to have fresh media for all of our features so stay tuned!

LS400 doin’ Work

2010-11-07T22:25:00.001-06:00

“I guess you could say I lean towards form over function for the most part”, says the owner of this super clean 1991 Lexus LS400. I’d say that just about sums up this simple, but well executed LS.

The owner is Isaiah Roberts from Bellevue, Washington and he is very active into the PNW automotive scene; he attends lots of drift events throughout the year and is a moderator over at northwestnissans. Back in Middle School, his brother would bring home Import Tuner and Super Street magazines. “I just remember enjoying flipping through the pages and reading about cars even if I didn’t know what a turbo was at the time.” Ever since then, he’s been hooked on everything about cars. “My past few part time jobs have all been car related, and I don’t think I could really see myself doing anything else for pay that doesn’t involve a car.”

So what made Isaiah get into the whole stance scene?

“I would have to say being around the drift scene and having friends with drift cars that are “stanced out” has kinda opened my eyes to the scene. Theres something about seeing a car with good fitment that makes me appreciate the time the owner has put into his setup more than anything.”

He’s owned this fresh LS400 for over a year now, he picked it up after selling off his 280z project. It came bone stock with 140k on the clock. He first bought a set of coils, and eventually bought some proper wheels for the car. They’re Work Emitz, 18×9 front and 18×10 rear.

“I was inspired by some of the people’s builds on Clublexus and VSC but the one particular person that comes into mind is a dude from Texas named BLKonBLK98. He owns the lowest static first gen Ls400 that I’ve seen and has Work Carving Head 40s which are similar to my Work Emitz but at the same time slightly different. After seeing his car I knew that I wanted wheels similar to his; thus part of my reason for buying the wheels I did.”

Isaiah plans on lowering it some more, having a skid plate fabricated, doing some exhaust work, and body work to fix some of the damage. “Maybe a Junction Produce kit after that happens.”

“My good friend Levon has put a lot of wrench time in on this chassis. He’s helped me with a lot of stuff since I purchased it and whenever I need advice as to what I should get next he’s usually a good source of knowledge. ” nw-built looks forward to what Isaiah has in store for the future!

Exterior

Red Clear Red Tailights (RCR)
Clear Corners

Wheel & Tires

Work Emitz 18×9 18×10
Nankang NS-2 215/35 and 225/35

Suspension

JIC Magic SF-1s (old school)

Interior

Junction Produce Neckpads

THE TIGER SHARK

2010-11-07T22:23:00.001-06:00

No, this isn't the Tiger Shark you'd find out in the ocean or in an aquarium. This is, however, a beast. This 2002 C5 Z06 is everything you'd expect it's name to carry. Sporting a Lingenfelter engineered and tuned block topped by a Magnuson super charger, this Corvette roars through the streets in pure racing fashion.

This Corvette is a little out of the norm for the cars I usually shoot. I met the owner, Todd, while covering the STi featured last week. Even without extensive knowledge of Corvettes I knew that this one was special. When Todd first revved it up it was like being in the pits next to a stock car, very loud and very exhilarating. Coming from the Dub world I'm no stranger to the beauty of a Magna-flo exhaust, but 'symphony' is the only word that comes to mind when describing the sound of this Z06's X-pipe.

What I loved most about this car, was it's looks. Outfitted with a complete Tiger Shark body kit, a rarity among Corvettes I was told, this Z06 had the curves of an Italian sports car but the intimidating look you'd expect from an American powerhouse. Nothing was spared when it came to detail, even down to the custom Katskinz interior.

All in all this has been one of my favorite shoots so far. It was a nice change of pace to show some love for the engineering and aesthetic beauty of an American muscle car. Until next time, Enjoy.

The Backroad Warrior

2010-11-07T22:21:00.001-06:00

Mazda's RX-7 is one of those cars that catches your eye regardless of the brand you are loyal to. Since being discontinued in 2002 it has become more and more rare to see a clean and well put together RX-7. The first ever mass produced sequential twin-turbo car to be exported from Japan, the rear wheel drive RX-7 is the pure essence of a driver's car. Needless to say when I saw this Competition Yellow Mica R-1, 1 of 350 ever imported to the United States, it had my full attention.

Full story after the jump.

After Introducing myself to the Owner, Justin M, and expressing interest in shooting the car I started to learn that there was a lot more to this RX-7 than what met the eye. Just shy of a decade old this yellow beauty had been through quite a lot since leaving it's Japanese homeland. Passing through several owners hands, this car went from daily driver to fully built drag car and everything in between. Eventually ending up in the hands of RX-7 dealer in Virginia, it's current owner was faced with a complete break down and rebuild of the non street legal track car.

After scraping the blown motor and transmission as well as replacing most of the interior, Justin began to piece together a car meant to do one thing, drive. Now fitted with a Koni/Eibach sport suspension as well as brembo rotors the Mazda flies effortlessly through the winding backroads of Virginia.

As the owner himself put it, the RX-7 really has a timeless look to it. With the front bumper, tail lights, spoiler and front lip all converted over to the JDM parts not offered in America, the car stands out as an ode to the incredible capabilities of Japanese design and engineering.