if you wanna go cheap for a while ill be glad to sell my old non vvti 2jz-ge with stock gte twins 1.500 and i can help you install/tune
Roleplay: A engine Builder and tuner that lives in Japan and Builds cool stuff.
Cars: Corolla Levin coupe Tog/show car
180SX s13 350hp SR20DET 6MT Babe 1
Supra Sz JZA80 2jz-Gte Vvt-i 2000's Hotboi
240sx Vert HOTBOI 2
From the title you can probably already guess what im starting this weeks update off with. Past Wednesday after work i wasnt feeling as tired as normal. Maybe its because of that strong cup of coffee that Eiichi-kun (one of my well-acquainted Nismo mechanics) had offered me at 7p.m. but whatever the reason, i decided to make do of the energy. Called up Daijiro-san again for a chilly evening Dyno appointment. Unfortunately his shop was rather packed that day so the only way would have to be going over at about 10:30 p.m., and he'd stay a bit over time for me. Welp, since its an overdue matter, i decided to take the chance nonetheless.
Fired and warmed the Supra up once again for the week. To go fetch some concrete evidence of just how much thrust she's putting out.
After a 20 minute lovely drive with whirlwinds of turbo sounds and cool near-midnight wind in my head, i arrived at Dai-san's place.
Was a bit worried the car wouldnt clear the ramp to the dyno and i'd have to take the bumper off and shit, but it turns out it cleared it, by just a hair.
Right then, locked and loaded, computer connected to the PowerFC ECU for monitoring, hood popped.
LES GO
In a matter of seconds as Dai-san began to get on the throttle, the rather LOUD yet beautiful sounds of the 1JZ VVTi and the Greddy T78 turbo filled the whole shop, and maybe some of the outside neighborhood too. And its not just, this car likes to shoot quite some flames on decel and those create QUITE SOME SOUND!
AND NOW, THE NUMBERS. cue drumroll.......
621HP, 607 lb-ft !
dunno bout you, but for me thats already MORE THAN ENOUGH! the goal with the build being somewhere around 550hp, im very VERY happy with this power figure (and keep in mind its still on stock pistons!) Marc has done a splendid job on the ECU tune. Gotta treat the mans with some food xD
Most of the 621Hp, or loss-calculated 530WHP through the rear wheels, kick in at above like 4000RPM, with the Rev limit being set at 7300. The spool up time is a bit long as you'd expect with a build like this, but when the turbo does spool up, the KICK IS INSANE!
....ONTO THE EARLY DEPARTURE OF THE AUDI
On my last update i mentioned this car now awaits an Aftermarket FMIC. Well i finally got delivery of a kit and secured it on in 30mins. The kit in question is an Airtec full FMIC bolt-on kit, which replaces the stock one with a traditional higher flowing aluminium FMIC.
And now it comes to explaining that header. If you're not already familiar with it, AJ (RocketBunnyS13) recently sold his daily driver, a 2018 Honda Civic FC1, and there was nothing yet to fill that gap on his collection of cars. And another fact was, he's more of an Audi-loving and knowing guy than i am. And on my side, while the A5 was a GREAT car for daily usage, i kinda had the craving for something spicier, more raw again. Cuz in the end, the daily driver is the car i'll interact with the most throughout the days. So over dinner one day, we came to middle grounds and i offered AJ to buy my car. At first he resisted, but in the end when i explained my sudden craving, he agreed to take the car happily, being the Audi-head that he is. We agreed upon a price of V$ 12,000 due to all the restoration work and mods that has gone into the car. The only thing i retained ownership of was the whole set of the Nismo LMGT1's, which i'd like to utilise on the 200SX in the future. later on i put the car back on the SSR Type-C's and just like that yet another of my cars goes to AJ!
Goodbye then, you've been a great car to drive for the past month and a half.
I'M ALREADY CHASER
(dead asf meme but ok)
Ever just come across a deal thats way too good to pass, regardless of what happens after you make the purchase? yeah, this is one of those cases.
Say hello to the new show-car build, a member of a chassis that i ABSOLUTELY ADORE!
A 1998 Toyota Chaser JZX100 Tourer S!
Starting off with the technical stuff, this is a Tourer S, i.e. automatic, 1JZ-GE powered. Bone-effin-stock. and this one doesnt have the optional aero kit as well. but apart from the engine and transmission, and said aero kit, AFAIK everything on this car is the same as you'd get on the much more sought-after Tourer V models (1JZ-GTE M/T ones)
i already have a handful of builds going on, so why did i buy this car you may ask. Well, like i already said, i got a MAD deal for it in this condition and i simply COULD NOT turn it down. here's the original ad-
YES, THAT IS AN ACTUAL VERIFIED ONLY 37,XXX KILOMETRES. (or 22,XXX miles), for a price of JUST V$2690!
How on earth is it going for that price then? well simple answer, it was owned by an old man since brand new and apparently he didnt have anyone to pass the car forward to, nor did he have use of selling it at about double the price. So here it was, in absolute pristine condition, going for a STEAL of a price, and here i was, lucky enough to scoop it!
The interior is as i said, PRISTINE. Basically everything works and theres sign of basic wear and tear only bc of the cars age.
Exterior wise the paint was in average condition. theres not many swirls here and there and a wash and polish should bring it up back to brand new condition! (that is if i dont wrap/respray it. We'll see xD)
Plans for the car? Well im for sure gonna do a full Tourer V drivetrain swap. 1JZ-GTE, R154, all of it. And then maybe i'll try to achieve a good stance along with overall good looks, for a simple street cruiser that i can take to meets every now and then. Oh and if the E36 is down, i can take it drifting too! But yes, i absolutely LOVE the Toyota X-chassis in general and probably would've gotten one in the future even if this deal didnt exist xD
And also now that the A5 is sold, i can daily drive it for a few days to a week. After that, maybe i'll cover it up and park it for a while to concentrate on other builds? Maybe i'll set the 200SX aside to focus on this one first? idk, we shall see!
Anyways, guess that concludes todays update. As always, thank you for dropping by!
Mitsubshi Lancer Evolution III GSR 'Silver Queen' - Main Daily, Real Tuning/Street class TA car
Nissan Silvia S15 Spec-S (RB26 swap) - Second/Open/possibly Turbo class TA car (WIP)
Nissan Skyline GT Sedan HR34 - Spare Daily #1, grassroot drifter
Daewoo Tico (D16 VTEC swap planned)- Kanjo car (WIP)
Mercedes Sprinter - Parts and trailer van (mainly for S15)
Chevy Silverado CK1500 (LS7 swap) - Spare parts truck, hobby drag car, gift from Side to Side crew
Nissan 240SX MS13 Convertible 'Kaede' - Spare Daily #2, kyusha car
Toyota Mark II JZX110 'Meme Machine' - Missile drift car, currently broken, will be fixed
Ford Mustang Foxbody Hatchback 2.3 (Ford Modular 4.6 swap) - No purpose at the moment, FOR SALE OVER HERE! CLICK ME HARD!
Yes, I own too many cars, thanks for asking. All offers on cars for sale via PM unless announced later
#11000rpm :
621hp out of a 1jz? thats r a d af(although we can output 600hp range without much trouble)
and you bought a chaser!! I highly recommend to visit Aho's garage in Aichi, he'll surely perform an 'magic wand' on it,
not to mention you can see progress of my JZX 2019 project there, Aho said that he's sourced Kami-Sama's special touch on it recently.
like i said, more than happy with that HP number off the 1JZ :')
And HMMMMMMMMMMMMM i actually might need to visit Aho's place with the JZX's for some tiptop maintenance, since he already knows his way around these cars better than i do. Lets see
#RocketBunnyS13 :
621 HP JFC WHAT THE SHIT IS THAT WHEEL HORSE ORRRRR... Anyway GODDAMN I'm totally gonna get smonked now
And ayyy still gotta do a write-up on the A5 next week but regardless, I congratulate you on your fresh JZX100, a perfect blank canvas (which is also a worse daily than the A5 ngl :^))
621 crank, 530 wheel!
we are YET to do a race for PINK SLIBS FAGIT (jk we aint doing that xd)
yaayyy i congratulate myself on a downgrade (whoop)
#Sleepin mOnkey :
if you wanna go cheap for a while ill be glad to sell my old non vvti 2jz-ge with stock gte twins 1.500 and i can help you install/tune
With the current plans for the car, i think i'll just stick with a 1JZ based setup man
however, if u dont mind, i can still take that 2J from you. might come with some use for it in the future xD. I'll pay for the delivery etc. if we're having a deal!
#Shez :
600 horses!?!? das a mf big number holy shit
I really love that bumper exit exhaust and the aero on the Supra, really give the car a mean look
Also I can't wait to see what are you going to do with the Chaser, that thing looks really sweet! nice find man
its indeed a pretty darn big number! Im proud of how far this build has come :')
and thanks my man! Just gonna follow my tastes and hope for the best
#BigSmoke :
YAAAAAAAAAAAS THE SUPRA IS STRONKK
Wangan runs and trackdays here we come!
I'm sure AJ's gonna enjoy the A5 with that much power and effort you've put in it
And CHASER DRIFTER EXTRA YAP
And of course I'm kindly bumping the update here in case anyone doesn't bother looking back one page:
inb4 death by OMEGA SPIN OFF
(jk i hope not)
#Macaron_Moon :
621hp?!?!?!? Mate try not to die driving it xD anyways good job on the MK3, all those hours poured on it did take its sweet award
inb4 death by OMEGA SPIN OFF x2
and indeed man. In the end, its all worth it!
#Soju :
That's a real pretty numbers for the result
And that is also a nice find like BigSmoke's ER34!
indeed it is, and indeed it is!
Really lucky to have stumbled upon that fresh af chaser ngl
Added 45 seconds later:
Sometimes, following your heart is a good thing.
(coming soon)
This post was edited by Niatross (2019-03-10 23:01, ago)
Mitsubshi Lancer Evolution III GSR 'Silver Queen' - Main Daily, Real Tuning/Street class TA car
Nissan Silvia S15 Spec-S (RB26 swap) - Second/Open/possibly Turbo class TA car (WIP)
Nissan Skyline GT Sedan HR34 - Spare Daily #1, grassroot drifter
Daewoo Tico (D16 VTEC swap planned)- Kanjo car (WIP)
Mercedes Sprinter - Parts and trailer van (mainly for S15)
Chevy Silverado CK1500 (LS7 swap) - Spare parts truck, hobby drag car, gift from Side to Side crew
Nissan 240SX MS13 Convertible 'Kaede' - Spare Daily #2, kyusha car
Toyota Mark II JZX110 'Meme Machine' - Missile drift car, currently broken, will be fixed
Ford Mustang Foxbody Hatchback 2.3 (Ford Modular 4.6 swap) - No purpose at the moment, FOR SALE OVER HERE! CLICK ME HARD!
Yes, I own too many cars, thanks for asking. All offers on cars for sale via PM unless announced later
we def can have a deal shippin is 150 will get to you by wendsday
Roleplay: A engine Builder and tuner that lives in Japan and Builds cool stuff.
Cars: Corolla Levin coupe Tog/show car
180SX s13 350hp SR20DET 6MT Babe 1
Supra Sz JZA80 2jz-Gte Vvt-i 2000's Hotboi
240sx Vert HOTBOI 2
Been a while again. a week more than 2 months actually. Well safe to say, life has been busier than ever! A. we got work routine tightening up, B. shenanigans with friendos, and C. ofc car progress. Last 2 months have indeed been quite stressful (but yet very fun) to say the least! But hey, here i am as i finally managed to crank an update out. Lets jump in shall we
SUPRA!
(Circa late-march, 2019)
Exterior wise, it was and still is the same! Aside from the fact that i finally put the number plate back on the trunk
The main changes for this car were small and subtle, yet VERY important to keep it healthy. Interior equipperinos!
Not much to see. We got a Defi gauge set including Boost, Oil pressure and Temperature. just the essentials! I wasnt looking to clog my whole dash with gauges that i wouldnt need with the power level im at they did require a bit of work to fit snug to the dash but, i got it done no problem!
Ive also hooked up the PowerFC controller module. Essentially the wiring goes through that small storage cubby, and the unit itself mounts onto an AC vent. And lastly, this ones probably more for aesthetics but, a Defi BF external Tachometer. Mounted it right behind the wheel where my view point would see the the actual physical rev counter. (dw its not interfering with any of the steering, i made sure of that)
Well that concludes the Supras new stuff. it ran and still runs as healthy as can be! did some "decent" speeds on a Shuto run back in early april, which u may have read about in Franklin's thread. (if not, u're MISSING OUT GO READ IT)
right, moving on
Mika, the E46 M3!
BOY OH BOY DID WE HAVE A VAST CHANGE IN PLANS FOR THIS CAR! back when i finished its "tune-up" a few weeks ago, i drove it over to my favorite Ramen joint in this side of Tokyo for some breakfast. Without further ado, lads and ladettes, MAY I PRESENT
!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah well, i did a BIG OOF and went MAXIMUM STYLE for this thing. Tbh i just enjoyed street driving this car all throughout my ownership of it. Last time u saw this car was when i began to disassemble it. The main tasks at hand were welding rear subframe reinforcement pieces on, and making a sort of custom exhaust setup by myself! both of which i did accomplish, as if you look closer on the exhaust, its got some universal square-tips on there. The full system is mostly a straight pipe but with a decent reasonator on there, so its not raspy. The result surely was VERY SATISFYING! The sound has much more character now and not to mention, free-er flowing for EPIC POWAR (well not a lot of POWAR but ok)
PARTS CHECK!
After the little oopsie we had with a drunk Prius driver a few months ago, i decided to make the move for a CSL front end along with the stock carbon lower lips
It currently sits on a set of 326Power Chakuriki coilovers. seen a few people around the community running these and to say the least, it seems pretty style-oriented (good performer nonetheless though). So yeah, i decided to give them a shot for the first time. Managed to find a full set from a local SuperAutobacs for 1800 V$! even though its basically slammed, the ride isnt THAT harsh. theres some scraping here and there depending on pavement tho for that subtle camber to complete the look, it now has IRP Camber-caster plates up front and IRP adjustable rear control arms too!
Wheels as you can see are R18" Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R wheels, out of AJ (RocketBunnyS13)'s S15 Spec R! Traded my old Advan RG2's for this setup. We plastidipped them to this shade of white at the kami-sama HQ too! Its wrapped around a set of average Toyo Proxes tires with a mild stretch
As for the rear end, you may have already noticed the full clear taillights! Those just took a bit of R&D and some labour in the garage to get the lenses clear. Aaaand down by the exhaust, to match the front lower lips, we have a CSL style carbon rear diffuser
Ive also gone ahead and debadged the hood, and then added some functional race hood pins
Inside, ive switched the comfy, But equally bulky stock seats out for a pair of black Recaro pole positions. They hold u down nice and tight and also look good!
And lastly, if im not missing anything else, the color change is only a wrap done by the VStanced garage guys! same people who wrapped my A70 too. The color is a sort of middle ground between OEM E46 silver grey metallic, and titanium silver metallic. not as deep as the former, not as light as the latter. And ofc if i get tired of it, the Phoenix Yellow metallic will be right under!
NEW ACQUISITION
(circa mid-March, 2019)
Soooo, this is a car ive only posted a teaser of before my sudden disappearance there. But ive ofc been driving it around every now and then and some photos have piled up!
Say hello to my new (to me) 1997 Mazda RX7 Type RS!
Right so, 1997 FD3S. Blaze Red color, 122376 kilometres on the clock, Type RS trim level, "276" Horsepower sequential twin-turbocharged 13B-REW under the hood, and pretty much stock aside from the minor aesthetics. well maintained 1-owner car too!
Said minor aesthetics are a set of Spirit R wheels (genuine ones, dunno where the prev owner sourced a set of those from ngl), and a 1998 kouki model rear wing
Ive always held these cars from 90's Mazda very near and dear to my heart. The high revving, smooth-as-cream rotary, the refined handling, the looks, EVERYTHING! It all added up to what is no short of a JDM tuner-car era ICON. in fact ive wanted one quite badly ever since i was a kid. ive literally been collecting more and more knowledge about the 13B-REW ever since i moved to Japan, and rotaries in general to one day be able to experience one myself. And now, i finally deemed myself worthy, and the bread has been GOTTEN
The inside is quite frankly as good as the outside. All stock, only basic expected wear-and-tear. Nothing to be worried about
Price i paid? the equivalent of V$ 14,500! Pretty fair deal for this model year and trim level to say the least!
oh but theres more
Yeah chiefs the Spirit R wheels werent exactly cutting it for me. They aren't very common and are in good shape so ive stored then in one corner of the garage. Switched em out for 18" Advan TC3 in chrome silver!
super SUPER pumped to finally own an FD3S tp be very honest! even with stock suspension all around it has not disappointed so far AT ALL! (coilovers next mod for this car) everytime i rev it up to redline i get a sweet reminder of what makes these cars special. may get a bitter reminder about why people call rotaries unreliable too tho haha OOF
Anyway, lets not foreshadow saddening things like that. ONLY GOOD HOPES AND GOOD TIMES
Right, that concludes getting you up to date with whats going on with my cars (other cars have gotten some progress too, leaving that for next update!) Now, moving on to
AMERICAAAA, F*CK YEA
As you may have already seen on other threads (Lagano, Soju, Phonexius, BigSmoke, RBS13, Macaron), i took two weeks off of Nismo for a little chill vacation to Oklahoma, US of A with the bois!
And what better (and more shocking) way to start the trip off than what Phonexius and Lagano sneakily did
Right so you probably already know what happened. i was allowed to take Ben's R33 GTR for a spin, (which btw was a BLAST to drive) and by the time i arrived back to the parking lot i set off from, with Lagano riding passenger, Ben had arrived on this Silver BMW E92 335i. Let me sorta explain the story in more detail here
prior to setting off for USA, i had a chat with Ben (Phonexius) about what car im gonna use there. And at the time i planned to lease a BMW 335i. Good power from the TT i6, manual option available, more than enough comfort, good interior features, etc. etc. not to mention i just wanted to taste one of these for a long, long while. AAAANYWAYS, he only said alright i'll keep my eyes out to find a good lease deal for you. MY ASS DIDNT EXPECT GETTNG THE WHOLE CAR AS A GIFT FOR MY BIRTHDAY, AT ALL
back to what happened on the spot. so this cars remote key fob was one of those flip-up type ones. where u push a button and the metal bit of the key flips out. when i met Ben at the parking lot with all the others, he handed me the fob and said aight enjoy the car, and "use the manual key". i asked why, but pressed the key-flip button simultaneously, and tied on to it, stuffed inside the fob, a very small piece of paper which said 'happy birthday'. I was like, "yo, nah"
Ben only smiled and said, Happy birthday man! i noticed at the same time the other guys were all beginning to smile and laugh too
i rushed and opened the door, and tied to the steering wheel was a small red happy birthday balloon.
and im like, "YO, NAAAAAAAAAH NO WAYYYY" at this point all of us are wheezing, and im puzzled asf. Lagano stepped in afterwards and said "its paid for, all cleared for export too. This is your birthday present my dude!" at that point im sorta jumping around looking at the car from all different angles with my hands to my head. And well, that was that! Been driving the car around Oklahoma streets ever since, and so far, i love every bit of it.
Lets move on to the details about the car itself shall we,
2007 BMW 335i E92, Manual, Titanium Silver metallic color, 127000 kilometres on the clock. for mods, it only has a stage 1 retune on it. Added about 30hp, taking the power level up to a healthy 330hp, torque up to 319lb-ft. other than that, all stock, quite clean~
just like the FD3S back in japan, this car too has an interior condition matching the exterior. average wear and tire, alright for a 2007 car really. has an M3 shift knob and, i THINK an M3 steering wheel too
I plan to cherish this car as much as i plan to cherish my newly purchase FD3S. One was a dream car, another has an emotional attachment tied to it. Life is epic nowadays ngl :')
....An unexpected surprise, and an attempt to give back
Following this whole incident about being gifted a 335i, i was quite overwhelmed tbh. i was BEYOND PUMPED, but at the same time, i had this urge to share the happiness where it could be shared. Then my mind veered off to Marc (Macaron_moon). I'm unsure if he stated this in his RP he's been going through some family issues for a while now. which probably is part of the reason why he's here in 'merica with us.
Few days ago at one evening i went off to AJ's bedroom on our hotel suite to discuss the matter. After some talking he fully agreed and also reminded how we didnt rly give him anything significant for his birthday a few months ago. Well a bumper and a hood, but thats it rly. So we hatched a bit of a plan
We've both noticed he has a weird interest in some american cars. May i route your attention back to the background of the first pic of my 335i
And now may i present-
CALL US MADLADS OR NOT, BUT WE DID IT WITHIN A DAY
We took turns testing everything out secretly for the next 2 days before the car was ofc, delivered to Marcs hands at a restaurant meetup!
AJ (RocketBunnyS13) will be covering that part of the story!
TECHNICAL DETAILS TIEM
its a 2013 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT S197A. has just about 50,000 miles or about 80k kilomtres. the only thing it has for mods was this set of Bronze R19" Volk Rays TE37 Sagas!
Interior is in very decent shape for this car! then again, for a 2013 model, i guess thats a given rly.
Overall, the Modular 5.0 V8 is a powerhouse of an engine. and all 3 of us agree this is the best looking modern mustang gen so far. the white color is clean too. THIS WAS PERFECTION! i'll leave AJ to describe the delivery story, and Marc to describe his own reaction xDDDDD
the price for the whole package was listed at 20,000 $. But upon showing interest and telling the prev owner our motives, he was kind enough to drop it down to 18,000$ and no less. Me and AJ split the fee by 9000$ each, and the deal was sealed!
We all love you Marc. stay strong through lifes dramas. Keep this is a token of appreciation and care!
Aaaaaaanyways, that concludes todays long ass update. apologies if its a bit all over the place (got tired as i was typing it through). And as always, thank you for stopping by!
Just kidding, thanks for the support guys, both of you know the shit I'm going through and I can't appreciate you guys more than I do rn. (Though I told you not to spend your money for me, a meal was enough lmao) Seriously thanks guys, I don't know how many times I've repeated these words but for real, I love y'all. <3
You've been there helping my ass since we met and ever since all three of us founded Kami-Sama you've made my life better, dunno how to repay you guys
This post was edited by Macaron_Moon (2019-05-03 22:19, ago)
Wow the E46's gone through some radical changes!! I was very excited to finally see that RX7 you got too. Nice wheels you got for it, now it needs some more low to match it
And that's a sweet birthday present you got for Marc! Better late then never, they say. I see you're already enjoying your present too
The Supra looks fresh as always man
And BOI Mika has went undder a lot of changes! Now it sits in a mix of aggressive and graceful stance.
And even louder BOOOIIII as you've got yourself an FD! Time to pull those kansei drifts on the mountains
And enjoy your birthday gift my man!
Iit's also quite generous of you to gift Marc a Mustang
Mitsubshi Lancer Evolution III GSR 'Silver Queen' - Main Daily, Real Tuning/Street class TA car
Nissan Silvia S15 Spec-S (RB26 swap) - Second/Open/possibly Turbo class TA car (WIP)
Nissan Skyline GT Sedan HR34 - Spare Daily #1, grassroot drifter
Daewoo Tico (D16 VTEC swap planned)- Kanjo car (WIP)
Mercedes Sprinter - Parts and trailer van (mainly for S15)
Chevy Silverado CK1500 (LS7 swap) - Spare parts truck, hobby drag car, gift from Side to Side crew
Nissan 240SX MS13 Convertible 'Kaede' - Spare Daily #2, kyusha car
Toyota Mark II JZX110 'Meme Machine' - Missile drift car, currently broken, will be fixed
Ford Mustang Foxbody Hatchback 2.3 (Ford Modular 4.6 swap) - No purpose at the moment, FOR SALE OVER HERE! CLICK ME HARD!
Yes, I own too many cars, thanks for asking. All offers on cars for sale via PM unless announced later
~Macaron_Moon : Aye man, thats what friends are here for im glad u like the present! We'll always try to be your side through the drama you're facing
~insolivion : Thanks man!! Yap u saw that right xD glad u like the car
~Phonexius : I am VERY MUCH enjoying the E92 my dude! cant thank you and Lagano enough for this car
~Lagano : was only a matter of time before i got an FD3S tbh But hey, im glad i jumped on it and checked another one off my car-ownership bucketlist! And yeah the E46 went thru a GIANT change of plans like i stated, but in the end, the result is sweet and thats all that matters! Thanks again for the E92 btw like i said, i will cherish this car!
~Soju : The mustang really was a strike out of the blue for everyone huh And thanks my man!
~ BigSmoke : Thanks MY DAWG! (epic san andreas moment). The FD3S sure is a blank slate as of now. Cant wait to get back to japan and start tinkering with it
.....WHER MAI INDICATORSE
(a mini update)
Throughout the past week and a half America has been no less of a delight! Its a very big change of pace from the fast, economy biased lifestyle back in japan. Everything feels a like its in 0.5x slow motion around here But well, the goal for the trip was relaxation from lifes struggles, and relaxation is what we're all achieving!
Shifting back to topic here, ive been driving the E92 around as you'd have expected but there was also no denying a fact. aside from a stage 1 chip tune, its STOCK! boaty, wallowy, rather boring-looking. I decided i've had enough and even though the trip is coming to a conclusion soon (or so is the plan), i decided to fix that in 'murican soil.
You're looking at a photo of the new Tein Street Advance-1 coilovers right after i finished installing the last one at one corner of Laganos garage. Marc, BigSmoke and Lagano laid a hand too in order to speed the process up and it took just 20mins to get the coilovers on (thanks guys!) And if u look at the top left, you'll see a small nameless rear spoiler i got off Ebay in the OEM silver (dunno the original brand tho, lemme know if u do?)
And well, after a coilover setup and a rear wing, new Wheels were pretty much a necessity. So, this is what i ended up with!
a set of used (but in good as new condition) 19" BBS LM's with a mild dish, full silver, wrapped around in 235R19 Bridgestone Potenzas with a mild stretch. full setup set me back about V$ 2850 (good lord LM's are expensive). They dont look THAT aggressive, but they're still the iconic wheels you know them as. And it sort of keeps the style simple, yet pleasant to look at!
The rear wing was a bit of a hit or miss purchase to say the least, but so far, i LIKE IT! And at just 300 bucks, it wasnt that expensive either. Required some hole drilling to fit it on to the trunk but hey, worst case scenario if the look grows out of me, i can just switch to a carbon trunk!
Photos u just saw were at a local walmart parking lot like 20 seconds away from the Side-to-side garage. But well right after, i took the car for a spin around the whole block to judge the ride quality and locate faults if there were any.
Safe to say, the ride was dramatically improved! These being street-based coilovers, they deducted almost all the body roll and boaty feels, but the ride is still quite gentle. Bumps and holes are just a bit more sharp-feeling now but still, not the point where they are a bother!
the new wider Potenzas contributed BIG TIME to the way the car tackles turns as well! it sort of made a mutual bond with the coilover setup to make sure the car takes turns like pieces of cake. TASTY, FULFILLING pieces of cake that is
Overall, very much satisfied with how the car looks and feels now. The LM's were quite costly to say the least but in the end, it was all worth it to get this car how i want it to be (Still not finished at all btw! )
QUALITY : UP!!
Up next, this car could REALLY benefit from a new exhaust setup. in stock form its quite muted and opening the sounds up would really contribute a lot to the driving experience! Not sure if i'll do that here or back in japan but we'll see. (it might get more than just an exhaust setup too!)
Anyways, that'll be all for now. As always, thank you for giving it a read!
Roleplay: A engine Builder and tuner that lives in Japan and Builds cool stuff.
Cars: Corolla Levin coupe Tog/show car
180SX s13 350hp SR20DET 6MT Babe 1
Supra Sz JZA80 2jz-Gte Vvt-i 2000's Hotboi
240sx Vert HOTBOI 2
Mitsubshi Lancer Evolution III GSR 'Silver Queen' - Main Daily, Real Tuning/Street class TA car
Nissan Silvia S15 Spec-S (RB26 swap) - Second/Open/possibly Turbo class TA car (WIP)
Nissan Skyline GT Sedan HR34 - Spare Daily #1, grassroot drifter
Daewoo Tico (D16 VTEC swap planned)- Kanjo car (WIP)
Mercedes Sprinter - Parts and trailer van (mainly for S15)
Chevy Silverado CK1500 (LS7 swap) - Spare parts truck, hobby drag car, gift from Side to Side crew
Nissan 240SX MS13 Convertible 'Kaede' - Spare Daily #2, kyusha car
Toyota Mark II JZX110 'Meme Machine' - Missile drift car, currently broken, will be fixed
Ford Mustang Foxbody Hatchback 2.3 (Ford Modular 4.6 swap) - No purpose at the moment, FOR SALE OVER HERE! CLICK ME HARD!
Yes, I own too many cars, thanks for asking. All offers on cars for sale via PM unless announced later
Havent checked in for a while because of the shop opening but all of the sudden my boy rebuilt his e46 into a proper hotboi machine and got himself an FD. Congrats my dude <3
~Sleepin Monkey - Thank you!!
~RocketBunnyS13 - YEEEEEEES thanks! couldnt resist the temptation to YEET em in even when on american soil lmao
~BigSmoke - Ikr, One good reason as to why tuners love this chassis im guessing. and thanks my dud!
~Soju - Thanks chief!!
~Buzzsaw - aye thank you!
~NightKid - I wouldnt say the 46 is a work of art yet, but im glad u think so man!
~Frankilin - OH BOI I CANT WAIT TO TURN THINGS UP ON THIS BUILD
~marcus915 - Glad u like em chief! (why am i out here in the BMW bandwagon help)
~Renaruto - SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKA. jk thanks chief! im glad u like the cars
.....BEEN ON THE DAILY GRIND
WEW haven't updated in a while now! Fast-paced life in Tokyo was taking its toll on me i guess. Work at Nismo, progressing my personal builds, keeping up with friends and so on. I could barely find time to update y'all on things, but i've finally managed some spare time and now here we are! Let's dive in shall we-
ROTARY MOBIL
Not a lot of progress on this thing yet, just the fact that the MONSTER TRUCK ride height is now dealt with
Already starting to look SO MUCH BETTER! it sits on a set of Tein MonoSport coilovers now, which fixed the height issues and eliminated all the body roll. snagged a set from UpGarage for just V$1,500!
and to complete the look, it also has some slight negative camber on all sides. Oh and you may have noticed, the old Kouki wing has been taken off. Not sure what im gonna replace that with, or if im going wingless. we'll have to wait and see
Inside one small change made is a Nardi steering wheel. had one laying around the garage so i decided to plop it on
I've been driving it around every now and then too. So far the 13B has been pretty much top notch! im just careful to always premix sounds a bit muted now tho, maybe an exhaust is due soon??
Oh yeah and one of the brake lights has seemingly blown a fuse, that needs to be dealt with as well lmao. But yeah all in all, progress is coming slow and smooth for this car!
A DEAL I COULDN'T PASS UP
The E36 325i drift build got some progress over time too. As u can see, it had begun to look actually cool again!
Got a set of used AVS Model 5's with mildly stretched michelin pilot sports, a set of 326P Chakuriki coils, and an M3 front bumper!
I also dark tinted the rear indicators so it kinda flows nicer. And i threw together a full straight pipe exhaust!
AAAAAAAND then comes the title of this paragraph. A month or so ago now, I was informed of a local guy offering his car up for trade. He was in search for something rather uncommon but sporty, and possibly not japanese domestic. My E36 came to match all that criteria, and the car he offered was a 1996 Nissan Skyline ECR33 GTS25t! I've been itching REALLY BADLY to build something RB powered ever since i started working at Nismo Omori. Hell, i'm pretty much surrounded by RB's there, ofc im influenced to want one This deal seemed to be the perfect opportunity to calm that itch down, even though i'd have to lose the E36.
I shot Taka-san (the guy trading the R33) a message offering my E36, and thankfully he was interested to have a look! So the next day we pitched a meetup at my favorite local ramen joint.
And here is the car in question!
thing was packing some mods here and there too! has Cusco Street Zero-A coilovers and a Tomei expreme muffler. had wheels too but Taka-san wanted to keep those for future use (They were CE28SL's. makes sense why he wanted to keep em, they aint cheap xd)
Condition wise, the stock silver paint was in overall average condition. Not top notch and shiny asf, but not filled with swirls and such either. overall 7/10 exterior.
Interior wise, only mod so far is an ATC Volanti sportivi steering wheel. Condition is pretty much the same as the body- Not excellent, not bad either.
After i finished checking out the R33 and taking it for a small test drive around the block, we went in for a bowl of steamy Ramen and and some Onigiri's. After that Taka-san thoroughly inspected the E36 and test drove it, just how i inspected the R33. Both cars have no rust issues, a mild amount of mods, decent exterior and interior. We were both pretty content and the trade was going thru! BUT sensibly enough, Taka-san put out the request for some cash to be added since an E36 325i doesnt really match the value of an R33 GTS25t. After some back and forth, we settled at V$2000 his way. Deal finalized, hands shaken!
We both agreed to keep in touch about build progress and such, we bid our old cars goodbye, and Taka-san was on his way in the E36!
....FAST FORWARD NEXT DAY
the first thing that had to be altered on the R33 was the wheels. i simply could not stick to the 5-lug stockies, and luckily enough i had some R18 Nismo LMGT1's laying on one corner of the garage (the same set that was on my Audi A5!)
already ONE MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT THERE
........FAST FORWARD PRESENT DAY
(aaaaand it looks like shit again)
Ofc i couldn't just leave it at wheels and nothing else, so im in the process of adding some more tasteful body mods. Starting off with a somewhat rare Series-II GTS25t optional front lip
The shaken etc. stickers were in the glove box (Taka-san preferred clean windshields more), but i decided to place them back on the windshield along with a silver gradient banner that i printed real quick
But yeah this is pretty much how it sits right now. awaiting some side skirts, maybe rear valances and a different rear wing to complete the front lip's style
While the LMGT1's were indeed a big improvement on full stock body, im not sure if they look as good with the lip on now. Maybe it needs a different set of shoes too? idk only time will tell i guess
Im probably gonna be at Ebisu summer Matsuri with this car soon. its pretty much a perfect grass roots drift recipe as of rn (which was also the purpose of the E36 it replaced). Looking forward to some good times with this boaty boi
KAMI-SAMA EXPANSION???
with the buttload of cars myself, AJ and Marc (not so much) are acquiring and wrenching on these days, Westkyo was getting pretty "claustrophobic" to say the least. Many of the cars had to be parked outside and there was always the hassle of moving cars in and out constantly. Let alone the increasing lack of movement space. SOOOO that had to change, and it did! (sort of)
around last month i started scoping garages up for rent nearby (of which there were many), and came across the perfect first candidate for an expansion. Me and AJ (RocketBunnyS13) went to look at it, place was good enough, deal sealed! the rent we agreed upon with the owner was an acceptable 950 V$ per month.
So far ive only stored some of my own cars here. Well, 4 of them to be precise. And the E46 i drove here to take pics of the place.
the garage is big enough to cram-pack about 7 cars, and outside in the driveway i can park 2 more. but yeah just for some space to breathe, i decided to keep 4 for now. AJ and Marc are also free to store/wrench on their cars here from time to time!
And now if we move towards the other part of the garage where the "working area" is,
'MURICA BOIS HELL YE
NOP i did not forget about these two! they arrived at Japan a while ago now and the E92 has got some progress too!
managed to scope out a full M3 style kit (minus the front fenders) made to suit a non-M body. Fitment is pretty decent all around, same goes for the material, So far so good! paid 2350 V$ for the whole thing from an UpGarage which was an hour drive away!
Oh and yeah i had to take the stock exhaust off in order to fit the bumper on. Doesnt matter since it'd come off a while later anyway
Birthday gift from Franklin which was intended for this car is currently all sitting in a box in the trunk (in case u missed, we got 2 BIG turbos and a lotta parts to accomodate em). Can't wait to get this thing Wangan-ready soon. Yes u read that right, this will be a Shutokou runner just like my Supra! tho maybe with some more power. Should def stand out a bit from the usual cars sprinting throughout the freeways!
And then theres the abomination FD3S (again in case u missed, this thing is LS swapped). No progress for it so far. it got a lot of head turns from the rather weird engine note when i was driving it home from the port im just glad i wasnt stopped and beaten with chopsticks and nunchucks
Tbh im still not even fully decided what i wanna do with it. The LS is coming right off, but what replaces it? i could go with a 1JZ or an SR20 or smth of those likes in order to still keep it piston powered, OR just go ahead and drop a good ole 13B back in. im veering a bit more towards the latter but we'll see!
....LETS MOVE ON TO SOME SAD NEWS NOW
Mika, My E46 M3, has to be one of the best cars i've owned and had the privilege to enjoy in my life so far. Its like the perfect balance between comfort, performance, styling, reliability, and driving feel.
I've driven this car a lot throughout the past year or so of me owning it. Hell, its probably my most driven car out of my whole car collection. And i've loved every bit of it!
But all good things do come to an end, and this is no exception. With the recent change in build plan and the now style-based look, i dont really know what else to do with it anymore. It's pretty much achieved a flatline from me and im out of enthusiasm to build it further; the same thing which led to me selling off my old S14. You may think this is nonsense because the engine is still pretty much pristine and untouched (apart from the exhaust), but tuning these S54's can get pretty expensive, Let alone tuning it in Japan. Forced Induction kits can cost upwards of 8k$! thats without the accomodation needed to keep it running healthy, and same case goes for an N.A. stroker build. Engine tunability is just pretty bottlenecked on these cars unfortunately.
Soooooo, yeah. I think its time for a move on to something possibly better. And im posting Mika for sale very soon. I'll most likely have to take the silver wrap off, but yeah. I probably dont have much time left with it.
Welp, i think that wraps up todays update. hope it wasnt boring to read since its all just car progress and not much driving but yeah as always, thanks for stopping by!
TC3s are such good wheels, they made your RX7 so aggressive even with the complete opposite looking stock zenki body. The other RX7 looks as fine as ever too, that paintjob turned out so well! I'd agree with you about replacing the LS if you were in America but over there you might as well keep it! I can get you parts for it while you get me Nissan stuff Too bad about that E36 though, must be quite a rare sight in Japan. But just as the LS, maintaining it can be a problem so it's good that you got something more domestic. And you improved it immediately with the lip and GT1s!! I hope the E46 will live on as gloriously as in your hands, it was one hell of a beauty. Well, there's still the E92, and i like the idea of a wangan racer build! With basically the 2JZ's German equivalent (no not the new Supra one) it will surely have the power for the highway!
Congratulations on the new place!! And what an EPIC car collection to instantly fill it up with, I am LOVING that R33, maybe throw in a Nismo windshield banner in the future? Haha
And Y U DELET LS ON FD at least give me the LS when you do, I'll find a use for it
Overall solid comeback, hoping to see more from you again real soon!
AAAAAAAAAA YES FIN-MADAFAKING-ALLY THE BOSSMAN IS BAAAAAACK
Glad to see the FD receiving progress and good treatment! I always fancy myself a set of TC3s, too bad they demand quite a hefty amount of money
Welp sad to see the E36 went into the sunset, but as far as I could remember you didn't drive it much ever since anyways. And YAS ECR33 HENLOOOOOO~
Finally you got yourself something to match your office with. You sure you want to bring that thing to Ebisu though? Although I know you're a pro when it comes to sideways stuff as I've experienced in Tsukuba with you, so I guess I shouldn't worry much
Congrats on the garage expansion! If I'm able to get the address I'll try to come by to see what's inside. And YAS DER AUTOBAHN MEISTER IS HERE! Can't wait to see it conquer the highways just like it does in its homeland. Can I have a shotgun ride inside please?
As for the other, 'cursed' FD......If only I've got money for it I can take it and slam it into my Mustang, should be a good drag racing contender (even if drag strips are rare to find in Japan). I'd say do what James Deane (or was it other Falken driver?) did and slam an SR20 for a more varied experience Otherwise, since you got soooo much money.....how about importing a American car and build something to attend, say, Mooneyes meet with the LS?
Aah man gutted that the E46 is going into the sunset as well. But eh, that's kinda the risk of ownig a performance european car here. I'm glad I was able to see it, both on its initial and its final guises
Mitsubshi Lancer Evolution III GSR 'Silver Queen' - Main Daily, Real Tuning/Street class TA car
Nissan Silvia S15 Spec-S (RB26 swap) - Second/Open/possibly Turbo class TA car (WIP)
Nissan Skyline GT Sedan HR34 - Spare Daily #1, grassroot drifter
Daewoo Tico (D16 VTEC swap planned)- Kanjo car (WIP)
Mercedes Sprinter - Parts and trailer van (mainly for S15)
Chevy Silverado CK1500 (LS7 swap) - Spare parts truck, hobby drag car, gift from Side to Side crew
Nissan 240SX MS13 Convertible 'Kaede' - Spare Daily #2, kyusha car
Toyota Mark II JZX110 'Meme Machine' - Missile drift car, currently broken, will be fixed
Ford Mustang Foxbody Hatchback 2.3 (Ford Modular 4.6 swap) - No purpose at the moment, FOR SALE OVER HERE! CLICK ME HARD!
Yes, I own too many cars, thanks for asking. All offers on cars for sale via PM unless announced later
bro that's a hella sick garage but if i were you i would keep the LS since its way more unique here in japan
also i may need to visit you at nismo soon can you find me a day
Roleplay: A engine Builder and tuner that lives in Japan and Builds cool stuff.
Cars: Corolla Levin coupe Tog/show car
180SX s13 350hp SR20DET 6MT Babe 1
Supra Sz JZA80 2jz-Gte Vvt-i 2000's Hotboi
240sx Vert HOTBOI 2
(whoop)
at least give me the LS when you do, I'll find a use for it 
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