JTuned™ Automotive Form | Function Magazine » STATICS.

Navin’s S2K Powered AE86

JTuned Staff — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:37:48 +0000

Owner»Navin Pillai | Snaps»Studio 2.8 Photography | Words»David Rahemi

A few months ago, we decided to hold a contest on our Facebook page to see what our readers were driving. Sometimes when you’re busy building and maintaining websites and businesses, it’s very easy to lose site of who your readers are and what they are into. So we ran a simple contest: post a pic of your car, and we’ll choose a car to use as our default avatar. Well, after a couple dozen submissions in just a few days, we stumbled onto Navin’s Hatchi.

As an avid fan of AE86’s and a previous owner of one, I can appreciate the level of difficulty in building these. For one, it’s near impossible to come across a clean donor. If you do, you’re invariably chasing an old woman through a shopping mall parking lot asking her if you can buy it. This typically doesn’t go over well. She has no idea you want to buy her car. Actually, even when she realizes all you wanted was to by her car and not steal her purse, she’ll still think you’re a crazy person for being so excited about her old Toyota. Women will never understand. Two, parts are rare. Not many tuners in the states stock parts for these cars since they’re so rare, so you’re always waiting on special orders from Japan. And three, if you need OEM replacement parts like a dashboard (since they’re all cracked), get your credit card out and get on eBay. If you’re lucky to find a clean one, get ready for a bidding war.

Ganesh’s R32 GTR V-Spec 2 : Built in Modesty

JTuned Staff — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:00:55 +0000

Statics by Jerry Truong

Not sure when it happened but sometime over the past couple of years, it seems people have forgotten how to tune street cars with simple and modest virtues. It seems we’re back on our way to seeing gaudy, ill-fitting knock off carbon and aero appointments trying to resemble J style. Unfortunately, instead of achieving the look you would see at TAS or in the pages of an Option Rag, you end up with something that belonged in HIN 4-5 years ago…on the East Coast (no offense).

So when we came across Ganesh’s clean R32 GTR V-SPEC 2, we had to get some statics of it and remind ourselves what can be done on the street with a little restraint and modest intentions. Granted, it is a GTR, and most of us don’t have the ability to just go out and get one. But this style could be replicated on just about any street car out there.

On the exterior, you won’t find any aggressive aero kits from the likes of Auto Select or other Super Lap tuners that would only find a proper home at Tsukuba, but a tasteful blend of NISMO pieces such as the N1 air ducts, bonnet lip, skirts, rear mud spats, and N1 headlights. That’s it. The functional OE wing is still intact. The only other modification to the exterior is the pulled fenders which house the old school 17×9 BBS RS mesh wheels.

Edwin’s F22 Powered Starlet

David Rahemi — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:18:25 +0000

While up at Formula Drift Sonoma, we had some extra time so we stopped by Full Function and met up with Junior and rest of the J’s Gathering crew. While there we ran into Edwin and his immaculate Starlet. We’ve seen the car before while it was winning awards at TORC but never had a chance to shoot it. After we got talking, we setup the shoot and Jeff Cabacungan took the snaps.

The chassis originally was prepped by TRS in Culver City with a complete stitch welded chassis. When Edwin picked up the chassis he sourced a F22 from HAP Auto Recycling and had Modified Toys drop it in. According to Edwin, making cross state drives in the Starlet are no problem at all. A true testament to its reliability.

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Charleston’s EVO IX

David Rahemi — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:30:43 +0000

A friend of mine and I had an interesting conversation a few days ago. You don’t see too many heavily tuned cars roaming the streets anymore. Whether it be the crackdown from the local fuzz (cops), stricter emissions laws, or the down turn in available funds, not to many people are pushing the limits of tuning on the roads anymore. Now there are some positives like the increase in driving education at local road courses and auto x’s but there is something to be said about when the crews used to hang out every hour of the night waiting to see who was going to roll up and what new parts they were rocking.

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…there is something to be said about when the crews used to hang out every hour of the night waiting to see who was going to roll up and what new parts they were rockin’

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Thankfully there are hard core guys still roaming the streets like Charleston and his crew in Vegas. Charleston’s EVO IX is first and foremost a daily driver. Most daily drivers nowadays have to roll under the cloak of being a sleeper as to not alert the local authorities of what may lurk under the hood. But what fun is that?

Charleston’s EVO sits low and wide sporting an APR wide body aero kit and 18×9.5 Enkei RPF-01’s wrapped in BFG KDW rubber. APR’s aero kit has a fit and finish not typically seen from American aero manufactures with lines matching up seamlessly.

Under the hood, this Tangelo colored EVO’s powerplant generates over 500whp in no small thanks to the Buschur Racing 3076R turbo kit generating a positive manifold pressure of 27psi. Cosworth 272 bump-sticks orchestrate valve openings while spent gases are propelled out of an HKS titanium exhaust. BRIDE Vios 3 buckets along with Takata harnesses keep passengers strapped in during exhibitions of speed. During the shoot, Jordan and Charleston had a run in with the local authorities. While Charleston, smoothed things over with the fuzz, Jordan set up nearby to snap a couple pics. No police officers were harmed in this shoot.

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… No police officers were harmed in this shoot

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Props to Charleston for keeping to the roots of the scene and rocking the EVO on the streets. Hopefully, we’ll see more fully tuned cars on the street soon. With some of the cars slated to be released it looks like it’s just a matter of time.

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Bryan’s Turbo NSX

David Rahemi — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:30:08 +0000

Photography by Jordan Shiraki

In the last era of automotive excess, the Acura NSX was the last of the 90’s supercars to get the axe. During the 90’s, every major automotive manufacturer was in a race to outdo each other with the integration of aerospace design, turbochargers, and advanced suspension systems into high performance vehicles not seen since the muscle car era in the 70’s. With the Supra, Z32, and FD competing for turbocharged supremacy, the minds at Honda took a different approach. Many considered the Acura NSX as the poor man’s Ferrari (“poor man” being relative with an entrance price tag of over ninety-thousand dollars) with a high output, naturally aspirated V6 , long wheel base, and aluminum aerospace frame.

As with anything, more can always be done to improve even the greatest designs and performance figures. The key is to not throw the balance of the vehicle in the process. This is where most tuners make mistakes by overpowering one particular vehicle system, with the remainder of the vehicle unable to keep up. Balance is key.

Bryan called on FXMD to supply a FX500 turbo kit for the NSX on these pages to produce the power needed to dominate the streets of this NSX’s hometown of Sin City. The FX500 kit has proven itself on racetracks around the country in the FXMD Time Attack NSX also featured on JTuned. The kit utilizes a Garrett GT-40 turbocharger and an HKS FCON V-Pro Engine Management Controller orchestrating engine-firing duties. One of the greatest features of the V-Pro is its ability to operate as a piggy-back or standalone management system making it one of the most flexible ECM’s on the market. FXMD was able to squeeze 552 rear wheel horsepower from this NSX. Most don’t mention torque too often but with 573 ft. lbs. and an extremely flat torque curve, this NSX will leave most cars at a stoplight rather quickly.

To keep all this power planted where it needs to be, on the pavement, KW Variant 3 coilovers were enlisted to maintain traction. The KW V3 dampers are compression and rebound adjustable allowing for low-speed and high-speed adjustability. NSX-R front chassis reinforcement and sway bars are enlisted to reduce roll and flex aiding the dampers in performing correctly. Massive 305 Toyo RA-1’s fitted on Volk CE28N’s keep this NSX planted under boost.

Many rare pieces were sourced to give the NSX the subtlety-menacing look it has. Sorcery Version 2 front fenders matched with Taitec rear fenders give the 305 wide rear rubber room to breathe. Downforce carbon side skirts and rear wing, bLodSign rear diffuser, and JGTC engine induction system round out the exterior upgrades.

News has finally surfaced the new NSX will be competing in the 2010 JGTC GT500 series under a loop hole in the rules that allow “production ready” vehicles to compete. What is Honda stating by bringing the NSX into competition? Is there still hope the new V10 NSX will one day soon grace showrooms? We’ll just have to see.

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Crawford x Skunkworks Time Attack STi

David Rahemi — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:34:48 +0000

Photography by Anthony Mair

When the info leaked a few years ago that Crawford was building a new Sti for Time Attack to replace the Silver sedan they were running at the time, there was quite a bit of interest in how the the new hatch design of the Subie would fare with the competition. With its completely redesigned chassis there were a ton of unknowns and skepticism.

Fast forward through a complete time attack season, and the Crawford STi is one of the most feared cars on circuit especially with Yamada-san piloting it. Finishing the season with a 2nd overall at Super Lap Battle and topping their best track time by 3.38 seconds, Crawford and the Skunkworks team is poised to make some more headlines next season.

Anthony was able grab some great statics of the STi at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this year. We thought it would be nice to share.

For more information on the Crawford x Skunkworks STi, check out Crawford Performance at the link below:
Crawford Performance

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FXMD’s Time Attack NSX

David Rahemi — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:23:59 +0000

Photography by Anthony Mair

News Update: Billy Johnson wins Super Lap RWD Unlimited Championship

As we were just about drop this Static, Billy Johnson in the FX Motorports NSX just grabbed the Super Lap Battle RWD Unlimited category championship. Billy was barely edged out for the overall win by the Sierra Sierra EVO. So what does it take dominate the RWD time attack classes? Lets find out.

The Making Of A Champion

No single secret recipe has been discovered on how to create a championship race car or team. Many have come and go thinking the more money you throw at it, the faster the car will go. Not the case in time attack or touring car. What it does take to create a champion is dedication, hard work, and planning. Having a large budget does help though. A famous racing quote from yestryear is “The fastest way to become a millioniare in racing is to first start as a billioniare.”

The FXMD NSX started life as a very competent flagship supercar from Honda. When initially introduced in the states, it was the first U.S. factory issue vehicle with a powerplant that had variable valve timing and lift control. This was a technology that Honda developed to dominate Formula One in the 80’s. If anyone debates that motorsports doesn’t improve the development of factory vehicles, this is a case in point that it does.

Recipe For Sucess

The FXMD team had one goal in mind when they began developing the NSX. Dominate time attack. First thing’s first, the chassis was stripped down to bare essentials. Once bare, a custom fab’d roll cage was installed as well as a Safecraft Halon system, Sparco safety equipment, Simpson parachute and window nets to complete the safety solution. The number one key to a successful race program is making the sure the driver will walk away from a disaster. Making sure the driver is confident in the vehicle’s safety systems will make him comfortable pushing the car’s limit.

Under the chassis, the NSX recieved a complete solid metal monoball bearing conversion. The bearings replace every rubber connection in the suspension to bring deflection down to nearly zero. This is a very important factor as the result keeps suspension geometry correct even under the highest loads set on the links by the massive slick tires. The most expensive dampers in the world can’t produce a reliable handling vehicle if the links are susceptible to twisting and binding. These bearings are often an overlooked variable in the prep of a car. They make the single largest change in a vehicle’s handling characteristics following the actual rubber gripping the ground. The KW remote reservoir dampers mounted upstream work flawlessly due to them.

Powering The Champ

Inside the C30 mill under the decklid, the Darton MID sleeves were bored to 93mm and stuffed with CP Pistons snd BC rods with a BC forged crackshaft orchestrating the rotation. Up top Portflows’very own, Tom Fujita went to work cleaning up the ports and dropped in Portflow springs, Ti retainers, and SS valves. The crankshaft turns custom designed bumpsticks that FXMD developed for the powerband they desired.

Once the exhaust gases exit the chambers, they’re ushered through FXMD exhaust manifolds and pressured through a Tialsport GT ball bearing turbocharger built to FXMD’s specifications (no they won’t tell us the turbo’s actual profile. I guess they have to keep a few secrets). Once the gases are pushed through the turbo, the air charge flows into the STMPO aftercooler and engine. A MoTeC M48 PRO handles fire and fuel timing duties.

A Car That Looks Like A Champion Typically Is

The exterior of the NSX has been extensively reworked to create the necessary downforce and house the massive 280/18 front and 300/18 rear Yokohama A005 slicks. AutoKonexion created a complete aero kit inspired by the bodywork found on the GT500 NSX found in the JGTC series. A Uehara undertray up front and diffuser in the rear are used to keep the underside slick and maintain negative air pressure creating additonal downforce. Dali Racing’s “Big Ass” touring is used out back to keep the rear wheels planted. Yes, that is the name of the wing. Other notables include the AutoKonexion carbon fixed headlights, Uehara radiator ducting, and front splitter sytstem.

Making The Combination Work

The interesting part of any vehicle build is making it seemlessly work together. With so many moving parts, its difficult to get the “magic” setup. The only way to get the most out of your setup is to test, test, and test some more while always taking notes along the way.

The FXMD team spent countless hours datalogging each change to create the NSX they have today. Through hard work and dedication, they were able to create a car that Billy Johnson can beat the daylights out of the competition in.

Links
FX Motorsports Development Facebook

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Lexus GS350 by TRD

David Rahemi — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:20:15 +0000

It’s no secret that large companies move a little slower than its smaller counterparts just as a heavyweight boxer fighting a lightweight would. The problem is, when they hit, they hit like a freight train. Seeing the performance category mature over the past few years, its no surprise Lexus was slowly watching the enthusiasts that grew up street racing EF’s and EG’s in Slymar almost two decades ago beginning to acquire a finer taste in automobiles. So what happens when the largest automotive manufacturer lands a punch?

Welcome to F-Sport. F-Sport is the newly developed OE factory supported aftermarket program. Lexus has slowly, over the past year began emerging as the new performance luxury brand. With the newly introduced Lexus LFA, it might be time to crown a new champion.

Back To The Car

The TRD built IS-350C is the demo vehicle for Lexus sporting everything the F-Sport catalog offers for the IS lineup. The exterior of the vehicle sports a four piece aero kit designed by Troy Sumitomo of 5 Axis fame along with the matte black F-Sport grill. The 19 inch 10 Spoke F-Sport wheels fit the look of the car perfectly.

One of the parts of the car that we caught our attention the most is the plush Alabaster interior. Just as in the GS350 demo car, F-Sport monogram all-over print was used. The contrast between the bright orange pearl paint and the white interior definately sets it off.

A New Challenger

Between TRD, Nismo, Mugen and the other factory supported aftermarket programs, its nice to see Lexus hitting the market like a heavyweight with F-Sport. Sources inside Lexus tell us we haven’t seen anything yet. It’s looks like BMW and Audi have finally found a formitable challenger from J-Land. Let Round One begin. Fight!

Links
Lexus.com
TRD USA
5 Axis

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David Huang’s Turbo IS300

David Rahemi — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:15:58 +0000

Back when David first picked up this car in 2001, it was a pristine, brand new Silver IS300. David was new to the scene back in those days, but he never stopped learning his craft which he now uses professionally with his company ShowOpt.com. If you haven’t heard of ShowOpt, they are a premiere builder of some the nicest and freshest cars in the scene. From the VIP M35 also featured here on JTuned to a Top Secret wide body 996 Turbo, the ShowOpt team has shown they have what it takes to turn out some of the dopest cars around.

Back In The Day

As I watched the car being unloaded off the Toyota Motorsports rig for the shoot, memories of listening to David debate on whether to purchase Volk Racing wheels or go the more subtle route with L Sportlines ran through my head. This IS, which David refers to as the IS1000, has come a seriously long way from sporting just a set of L Sportlines (He should have purchased the Volks in our opinion!). Today, the IS is sporting some of the rarest parts ever made available from the super limited HKS Kansai aero kit to the Ikeya Formula tubular control arms. we’re not sure if we’ve even seen either in states on any other car.

The Evolutionary Process

Originally, the car was fitted with a now defunct Area 51 supercharger kit which Charles Madrid tuned. After that, the transformation truly took a turn an aggressive turn. The car currently has an HKS stroked 2JZ being fed by an HKS T04Z Turbocharger through a Veilside 100mm intake manifold. Spent gases are directed through a custom 4 inch mandel bent mid pipe dumping out an HKS Ti exhaust. Engine management is controlled by an HKS V-Pro piggyback ECU. The 2JZ is now producing nearly 1000 flywheel horsepower.

The Mazora Midnight Pearl paint was nice touch. The subtleties of the paint and aero kit play off well against the 20 inch chrome anodized Work VS-XX wheels. Inside the VS-XX inner tubs, you’ll find a set of classic blue six pot front / four pot rear Endless calipers floating over 14 inch Endless rotors.

There Is Always A Story

When you see a tuned car, you have to remember that each car and their owner has a story. Every time we see this car, a photo album of memories always pops up. No matter how heavily turned or how many times this car has been redesigned, it will always be the shiny new silver IS300 off the Lexus showroom floor.

Links

ShowOpt Blog

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0-60 Mag’s IS-250c

David Rahemi — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:13:39 +0000

Gordan Ting of 0-60 Magazine and Gary Castillo of Designcraft teamed up to create this IS250-C. The car follows a timeless formula of a pearl white exterior contrasting against a black leather/white deviated stitch interior. The overall look is very reminiscent of European tuning methods and factory offerings from the likes of Porsche. Inside the cabin you’ll find a custom carbon fiber panel built into the dashboard housing a Greddy Infometer and various other Greddy gauges.

For rollers, Gordan chose to utilize ADVAN Racing RS wheels in a matte black finish. The black decal accents along the side and rear of the car compliment the wheels well. Behind the ultra light wheels you’ll find a set of Brembo Motorsport brakes. These are very similar setups to what you’d find on ALMS race cars. Well worth the investment and custom build time if you’re looking to get your car on the race track.

The exterior of the IS250 was treated to mild enhancements such as the match painted Seibon carbon fiber bonnet. The interior of the bonnet’s evacuation ducts were left in raw carbon adding another nice element to the overall look of the car. The INGS+1 aero kit finishes off the exterior nicely. The 0-60 Magazine IS250 looks as if it could be offered as a factory option. Look for more on this IS250-C in 0-60 Magazine.

Links
0-60 Magazine

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JTuned™ Automotive Form | Function Magazine » STATICS.

Navin’s S2K Powered AE86

Owner»Navin Pillai | Snaps»Studio 2.8 Photography | Words»David Rahemi

Next Page

Ganesh’s R32 GTR V-Spec 2 : Built in Modesty

Next Page»

Edwin’s F22 Powered Starlet

Charleston’s EVO IX

…there is something to be said about when the crews used to hang out every hour of the night waiting to see who was going to roll up and what new parts they were rockin’

… No police officers were harmed in this shoot

Bryan’s Turbo NSX

Crawford x Skunkworks Time Attack STi

FXMD’s Time Attack NSX

News Update: Billy Johnson wins Super Lap RWD Unlimited Championship

The Making Of A Champion

Recipe For Sucess

Powering The Champ

A Car That Looks Like A Champion Typically Is

Making The Combination Work

Lexus GS350 by TRD

Back To The Car

A New Challenger

David Huang’s Turbo IS300

Back In The Day

The Evolutionary Process

There Is Always A Story

0-60 Mag’s IS-250c