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Feb 26, 2008

Formula DRIFT Expands International

Formula DRIFT Expands International


Long Beach, Calif. – February 26, 2008 – Formula DRIFT will expand international for the first time with (2) exhibition events to take place this year. The first event will be held in Singapore on April 27, 2008 at the Singapore Air Show Grounds and the second event will be held in Mexico at the Autodromo Monterrey, on August 23, 2008.

For the first time in the 5 year history of Formula DRIFT, the series will be holding an international exhibition and drift competition. The Singapore Air Show Grounds plays host to the milestone event and is presented by Binter & Co, as an exclusive alliance with Formula DRIFT Holdings, LLC to expand and build the sport of drifting out of North America. Formula DRIFT Singapore will see 37 Singaporean, Malaysian, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian drifters compete with 3 Formula DRIFT Pros for the Trophy and a drift exhibition with some of Formula DRIFT’s top talent. The ambassadors of Formula DRIFT will be drivers: Ryuji Miki, Daijiro Yoshihara, and Casper Canul. More information can be found at: www.formuladrift.com.sg.

“Taking the Formula DRIFT brand internationally is a huge milestone. Our priority is to continue to build the Series here while growing the sport of drifting as a whole,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “We are very careful in choosing our event partners and take careful consideration of the boundaries of our international affiliates such as Drift Australia, MSC, and Pro Drift.”

The second international event will be in conjunction with GDC/Drifting Mexico and will be held at Autodromo Monterrey on August 23, 2008. The original date of this event has been moved and this is the new confirmed date. More information on this event will be available soon.


For more information contact:
John Pangilinan
The ID Agency
562.491.7503
john@theidagency.com

California has new E85 station open to the public

LOS ANGELES: Today marks another milestone in California's drive
to diversify its energy sources with Brentwood celebrating a new
E85 station funded in part by a $580,000 grant from the Air
Resources Board.

The new station, developed by Santa Barbara's non-profit
Community Environmental Council, is California's second open to
the public and the first of five to be built with the grant
money.

"Ethanol will play a key role in California's clean, renewable
fuels future," said Mary Nichols, Chairman of the Air Resources
Board. "This station will allow the many flexible fuel vehicles
already on the road to take advantage of this renewable fuel."

The $580,000 grant is part of an incentive program created by
Assembly Bill 1811, authored by Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los
Angeles) and passed in 2006. The Alternative Fuels Incentive
Program distributed its $25 million in June, 2007, to encourage
public awareness and adoption of newly available technologies
already reducing pollution and diversifying the state's energy
sources. The program's strategies include:

* Incentives to individuals and fleets promoting alternative
fuel powered vehicles;
* Economic support for the production of alternative fuel in
California;
* Facilitating construction of refueling stations for the
public and private fleets;
* Funding research, development and testing of alternative
fuels and vehicle technology; and,
* Incentives to replace the current state vehicle fleet with
clean, fuel efficient, alternative fuel powered vehicles.

More than 300,000 vehicles already on the road in California are
capable of using E85. These vehicles, known as flexible fuel
vehicles, can use a mixture of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15
percent petroleum. They are not limited to this fuel, as they
can also mix in conventional gasoline with any E85 already in
the tank.

Flexible Fuel Vehicles already on the road include: Ford Taurus
and Explorer; Chrysler Sebring; Dodge Stratus; Mercury
Mountaineer; Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo, Avalanche Suburban
and Tahoe; GMC Yukon; Mercedes Benz C320; and, the Saturn
Relay.

E85 has many benefits compared to petroleum based fuels. It
offers an alternate source of energy which alleviates problems
of scarcity and dependence on foreign trade. It burns cleaner,
resulting in fewer smog forming emissions. And, ethanol is
produced from sources that can be replenished.

Presently, ethanol is primarily made from corn but it can be
produced other ways. One process which has great environmental
promise is cellulosic production. This process derives ethanol
from vegetation waste, such as that from rice farming.
Cellulosic ethanol promises to provide energy with little or no
greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information on the program go to:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/altfuels/incentives/incentives.htm
.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

Feb 23, 2008

ARB to give rebates to clean vehicle buyers

ARB to give rebates to clean vehicle buyers

SACRAMENTO: The Air Resources Board is offering up to $5,000 in
rebates to Californians who purchase alternative fuel and
electric vehicles..

Overall, $1.62 million in funding will be dispensed under the
Fueling Alternatives rebate program administered by the
California Center for Sustainable Energy. The program is part of
$25 million of overall funding that came out of Assembly Bill
1811 -- authored by Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) and
passed in 2007 -- which promotes alternative fuel infrastructure
and vehicles. The rebates are available for qualifying vehicles
that are purchased or leased between May 24, 2007 and March 31,
2009, unless funding runs out first.

Rebates up to $3,000 are available for Honda and BAF
Technologies compressed natural gas vehicles, $1,500 for the
Vectrix zero emission motorcycle, and between $950 and $1,300
for certain models of the GEM neighborhood electric vehicle. Up
to $5,000 is available for full-function zero emission vehicles
once they are added to the list of eligible vehicles

To receive a rebate, vehicles must be ARB-certified (with the
exception of zero emission motorcycles), comply with all federal
motor vehicle safety standards, and meet a minimum manufacturer
warranty. ARB staff are anticipating most of the rebates to be
taken up by consumers who have bought eligible vehicles since
last May, and have been waiting for the state funding to be
allocated before submitting their rebate applications.

For a complete listing of eligible vehicles, go to
www.fuelingalts.energycenter.org.

"Through this program we are helping to create a market for
advanced technology that offsets the higher costs of alternative
fuel vehicles in the interest of bringing production levels up,"
said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "Kudos to the Governor and
Legislature for leveling the playing field in order to bring the
cleanest fleet of vehicles onto California roadways sooner."

ARB estimates that there are currently about 25,000 dedicated
alternative fuel vehicles in California, collectively saving
millions of gallons of gasoline each year while emitting fewer
pollutants than conventional internal combustion engines. To
find the cleanest cars available on the market today, visit
DriveClean.ca.gov.


The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

Feb 21, 2008

R34 Skyline GT-R Black seats

These are about $3500 each new from Nissan. These are pretty rare.

Super Taikyu Nissan Skyline GTR at the 3rd annual Time Attack.

I think I recognize that car

REARWARD-VIEWING CAMERAS AND SENSORS TO BECOME STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON NEW CARS

From SEMA News.

The government protecting us, from ourselves.

"REARWARD-VIEWING CAMERAS AND SENSORS TO BECOME STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON NEW CARS

The U.S. Congress passed legislation designed to protect children from injuries or deaths in non-traffic vehicle incidents. President Bush is expected to sign the bill (HR 1216) into law. The measure directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require new vehicles be equipped with a means of alerting the driver if a child is behind the vehicle when it is being backed-up. The specialty-equipment industry has been at the forefront of offering cameras and sensors to address the issue. "
"It is estimated that at least 1,350 children have died in back-over incidents since 2000. According to the NHTSA, some vehicles, such as SUVs, are particularly vulnerable to blind spots. Under the legislation, the NHTSA is directed to establish performance requirements within Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111 (Rearview Mirrors) to effectively mandate installation of cameras or sensors on new cars. The NHTSA will have three years to establish the requirements and up to four more years to phase-in full compliance on new vehicles.

The bill also directs the NHTSA to consider requiring power windows and panels to automatically reverse direction if there is an obstruction in the path, such as a child’s head or arm. If the agency decides this is impractical or unnecessary, the NHTSA will be required to explain how it came to that conclusion. Additionally, starting in model year 2011, all cars with an automatic transmission will have to have a brake shift interlock to help prevent vehicle roll-away. The driver is then required to apply the brake in order to shift the vehicle out of park."

Evo 6.5 California Registration


Here is an email I received recently :
"I have a 200 EVO 6.5 here in California. I'm trying to transfer the Florida title to California, but the CHP is having a hard time with the Japanese VIN. I have no clue what to do, and they wanted to impound my car. Thankfully, they let me drive home, and now I'm trying to figure out how to prove to them what this car is so I can register it. Can you help at all?"
Its not a legal car for the US. Florida, anything can be registered for money. However you are not in Florida. It is very difficult to register cars in California. People do it, some people get around the rules and regulations though different methods. Thats very ambiguous, but thats about as information filled as I get for free.

Feb 20, 2008

Counterfit Chinese Scooters and Revoked Registration

From Autoblog Green
"One fact which is often overlooked is that Chinese manufacturing companies come and go with some regularity, and the same scooter could be badged with a different manufacturer logo every day of the week."

"The ever-changing Chinese scooter business causes problems when it comes time to register the scooter, as this story very clearly bears out. Randy Bearup purchased a Chinese scooter branded as a Ricardo, and was able to register the scooter for a short period before he was contacted by the DMV, at which time his license plate and registration were requested back. "
"It seems that the scooter, although labeled as California approved, was not in reality ever tested by authorities. Since this particular model of scooter had never been tested, nobody could be sure whether or not it met California's emissions requirements, or any other standards for that matter."

DMV revoking registration. It does happen.

Nissan Motorsports Exhibition 2008


Japanese Nostalgic Car Blog

March 1-2 at the Red Brick Warehouse and Yokohama Marine Disaster Prevention Complex in Japan, Nissan is going to be having their annual Motorsports Exhibition. This years theme is GT-R's. RB Motorsports Pictures from 2003.

Feb 19, 2008

Kart Factory

I like indoor Karting. When I was up in Chicago, I went to a track there with a few friends. I showed them that I spend too much time going to kart tracks. Three of three wins. Yesterday for Ernie Fixmers birthday, a few people went to Kart Factory.I can't beat Ernie in a Kart, but I can get close. Maybe next time.

Feb 16, 2008

RB26s

Four inch Titanium Exhaust for an R33 GT-R


Four inch titanium exhaust for an R33 GT-R. This is setup for a stock type twin turbo aka undermanifold turbos. I like Titanium

Feb 15, 2008

Steering wheel

GTR

R35 Factory Oil cooler



R35 GT-R factory oil cooler with ducting. Showing foam to help channel air through the core. 

Brakes

GTRs in the US

Feb 14, 2008

Jackson-Dawson and Scion Take a First and Second at NASA Season Opener With Debut of Reworked Scion tC Racecar at Willow Springs


Team Also Racks Up Two Firsts in Time Trial Competition in TTC Class

TORRANCE, Calif. — With a new racecar come new challenges, but testing and tuning seemed to pay off for Jackson-Dawson and Scion this past weekend, when the team debuted their all-new Performance Touring C (PTC) racecar. The team took the win on Sunday against good competition from Mazda-backed RX-8s. On Saturday, the team took second, and in Time Trial C (TTC), the team secured wins on both days. The first and second place finishes in PTC mean that the team has accrued 190 points and starts out the season tied for first in the series standings.

The car is a totally new animal, going from a somewhat mild naturally-aspirated tC to a TRD supercharged and intercooled boost-swallowing monster. The forced induction ups the power, but brings challenges along the way, as the entire car gets stressed more.

"It’s never easy fielding a new car, or one that’s radically altered, but we put in a tremendous amount of work in the off-season," said driver and team manager, Dan Gardner. "Ideally you want to go out there and win every race, but that’s unrealistic. There’s going to be some serious competition this year, but it’s going to bring out the best in us."

Up until the day before competition Gardner was unsure if he’d be able to drive. An injured ligament in his right thumb was still on the mend, but athletic tape and Ibuprofen proved enough to allow Gardner to get the job done.


Injury wouldn’t be the only hurdle the team would have to overcome. During a TT session on Saturday, Gardner partially dropped a wheel on the inside of turn 8 at close to 130 mph. The car got loose, pitched sideways, and then flew off the track with enough momentum to find a wall. Gardner would come away unscathed, but he was unsure the extent of the damage to the tC.


He limped the car into the pits and put the tC in the garage. The right front fender had been crushed, the door dented, and the side mirror torn off. The car was in need of an alignment, and a couple remounts of wheels and tires. Fortunately that appeared to be the extent of the damage.


Co-crew chief, Brad Allen got to work, and did a thorough inspection to check for broken or bent suspension bits. The team pounded and pried out the fender, finished the remaining work, and had the car ready to go in an hour.


“It was a huge off,” said Allen. “We got lucky that there wasn’t more damage, but this is just a part of racing. Dan was ok, and the car would be ready in time to race. That’s about all you can hope for.”


On Saturday, Gardner qualified second and held the position to finish second. The event had a huge amount of cars in the small-bore run group that included BMWs, Hondas, Mazdas, and others. It was good experience managing tremendous amounts of traffic as the tC proved fast enough to catch dozens of cars before the race was done.


Sunday began with an inverted grid qualifying race based on finishing position from Saturday. Gardner stepped it up a notch and took the win in the race, running a best lap of 1:34.5. His finishing position would place him on the pole in the final race in PTC. He would also be third on grid overall, with an out-of-class BMW M3 and Mazda RX-8 in the front.


Gardner patiently waited in the second row, and then got a fantastic jump on the green, which rocketing the car to the front of the pack along the inside of turn 1. He passed the RX-8, but two BMWs would pull ahead going into turn 2. The Mazdas appeared to be working together as Gardner feverishly tried to fend them off. He would hold them both off for half the race, before the out-of-class car would get the best of him, driving around the Scion in turn 9.


The JD team almost took the position back again, but a couple key moments in traffic wouldn’t allow it to be so. Still, Gardner was fighting off the PTC RX-8, trying to slice through traffic, and put cars in between. About two-thirds through the race, Gardner would successfully build up a cushion, as the RX-8 didn’t get through traffic quickly enough. In the end, Gardner would finish three seconds ahead of the in-class RX-8 to take the win home for Scion.


The next NASA race is at California Speedway on March 21 and 22, and the team will continue development on the car in the time leading up to race day.

The JD Scion tC team uses



• Scion-supplied OE parts

• TRD-supplied supercharger and intercooler, front big brake kit, and limited-slip diff.

• Nitto 235/45R17 NT-01 tires

• Enkei RPF1 17x8 wheels

• Dezod-supplied AEM standalone engine management, plug and play harness, injectors, fuel pump, end links, and stainless clutch line

• Church Automotive Testing dyno tuning

• Moton Suspension coilover shocks

• Vogtland springs

• Progress Technology rear swaybar

• Motul brake fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, and super coolant

• Racepak IQ3 logger dash

• AEM sensors

• Kaminari carbon fiber roof

• Royalty Auto Body body work

• America’s Tire Co. tire mounting and balancing

• Recaro Pole Position Seats

• Centerforce clutch and low inertia steel flywheel

• AIT carbon fiber hood

• Wild Pony Motorsports-supplied camber/caster plates

• Goodridge stainless brake lines and oil cooler fittings and lines

• Carbotech XP10 and XP8 brake pads

• G-Force 5-point harnesses, racing suit, gloves, and helmet

• DC Sports Header

• Energy Suspension bushings and motor mounts

• HoseTechniques silicone hoses

• M-Workz alignment and corner balancing

• turn3 clothing

• NST shifter bushings


Jackson-Dawson Communications (JD) is a 25-year-old privately held company that provides creative and strategic services to a range of national clients. Core competencies include retail training, event marketing, marketing services, business theater, video and media production services, meeting planning, print graphic and design services, staging service and vehicle management.

With corporate offices in Detroit, MI, Jackson-Dawson also maintains offices in Torrance and Irvine, CA, Manhattan, NY, and Spring Hill, TN. Jackson-Dawson owns and operates several divisions: Peloton Creative Group, BenMar Communications, Drivers Talk Radio and Drivers Talk Testing.

JDM parts galore - Blitz, Mugen , Silvia , Greddy

Parts and parts. Cleaning up the warehouse. Container coming today.

Feb 11, 2008

Cleaning up inside

Move everything out. Well most of everything.

Air Resources Board provides $250,000 for new hydrogen-powered

San Mateo County merges onto Hydrogen Highway

Air Resources Board provides $250,000 for new hydrogen-powered
shuttle


EAST PALO ALTO, Calif.: Saturday's "Ride into the Future"
transportation fair in East Palo Alto featured the area's first
hydrogen powered shuttle, funded in part by the California Air
Resources Board.

A $250,000 grant for the state's Hydrogen Highway program
sponsored the shuttle that will take residents to stops between
the Palo Alto Caltrain Station and East Palo Alto. The new
shuttle, a Ford E-450, is powered by a supercharged 6.8-liter
V-10 engine modified to run exclusively on hydrogen.

"As we continue to wean ourselves off petroleum fuels, we will
see more and more hydrogen powered shuttles like this on our
roadways," said Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air
Resources Board. "This shuttle illustrates the great potential
hydrogen has to power California's vehicles and subsequently its
economy. Kudos to San Mateo County for taking the initiative on
this important cutting-edge project."

Governor Schwarzenegger created the Hydrogen Highway initiative
in 2004 to demonstrate hydrogen as a viable transportation fuel,
promote hydrogen transportation technologies and public
education, and facilitate California's transition to a hydrogen
economy. The program is designed to assure an infrastructure is
in place to refuel hydrogen based technologies as they become
commercially available. Presently 23 hydrogen stations are
available throughout California with more planned.

"Ford is the world's first automaker to deliver commercial
vehicles powered by internal combustion engines that are fueled
exclusively with hydrogen," said Sue Cischke, senior vice
president, Ford Motor Company, Sustainability, Environment and
Safety Engineering. "This bus represents part of our strategy
and commitment to delivering transportation solutions that emit
less CO2 and reduce our dependence on oil. We are honored to
have the opportunity to partner with the California Air
Resources Board and bring this unique bus to San Mateo County
residents." As part of its test fleet, Ford will deliver by
year's end 30 buses to customers across North America.

According to City/County Association of Governments Chair,
Deborah C. Gordon, "This program provides service to the Palo
Alto Caltrain station for the transit dependent community of
East Palo Alto in a manner that also advances the technology for
clean air vehicles."

For more information on shuttle routes go here,
http://www.samtrans.com/ .

For more information on hydrogen and the Hydrogen Highway go
here http://www.hydrogenhighway.ca.gov/ .

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

Feb 10, 2008

Gorilla in the snow

Ohare Oasis over the 294

Panda Express yourself

That says 6 degrees

Its 80 in LA

Biofuels - Worse than oil ?

Discovery News
"Clearing raw land to produce biofuels actually contributes to global warming by emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, researchers have warned.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new croplands carved into rainforests, savannas, wetlands or grasslands would easily surpass the overall amount of CO2 emissions reduced through the use of biofuels, according to a report in the Feb. 8 edition of Science."

"...crops used in the production of biofuels -- creates a "biofuel carbon debt" by releasing 17 to 420 times as much CO2 into the atmosphere as the greenhouse gas reductions which the biofuels provide by displacing fossil fuels."

"The researchers calculated that in Indonesia, where wetlands are being converted to grow palm oil to produce biofuels, it will take 423 years before biofuel CO2 emission savings would repay the carbon debt caused by the land conversion."

Nopi Drift Events 2008

NOPI Drift

April 5/6 - (Miami area) West Palm Beach, FL - Moroso Motorsports Park (Road Course)

April 19/20 - (St Louis area) Madison, IL - Gateway Motorsports Park (Road Course)

May 3/4 - (New York City area) Englishtown, NJ - Old Bridge Township Raceway (Road Course)

May 31/June - (Buffalo/Pittsburgh/Cleveland area) - 1 Lake Erie Speedway, Erie, PA (Oval track/Figure 8)

June 7/8 - Columbus, OH - Columbus Motor Speedway (Oval track/Figure 8)

July 18/19 - (Salt Lake City area) West Valley City - UT Rocky Mountain Raceway (Oval track/Figure 8)

August 23/24 - (New York City area) Englishtown, NJ - Old Bridge Township Raceway (Road Course)

September 20/21 - (Atlanta area) Hampton, GA - Atlanta Motor Speedway (Lot inside Speedway Infield) NOPI and the west coast just don't get along.

Feb 9, 2008

D1 Cancels 2008 Professional Drift Series in the US


From Everything Drift
"...we have received confirmation today (02/08/2008) that D1 Corporation (D’s Club) has cancelled its 2008 Professional U.S. Drifting Series."
No D1 in the US. They have tried, but they really seem to have some management issues.

People have been talking about the series going away since January at Drifting.com

Payday Loans

I am not in Check cashing places much, but here with Brian trying to get his car registered.

Feb 8, 2008

MotoRex plate frame

Still on Brians Yukon

We made it

LA to Chicago

What's all this white stuff on the ground ?

Jacks back

STL

Leaving Springfield

Skyline King - Someone that thinks he knows - but doesn't

I saw a few links from this site to this one.
"True DOT/NHTSA legalization to a Skyline R34 GT-R has never been achieved. The "motorex" R34 vehicles out there did receive a DOT bond release but NOT because the car was legalized.."
Not true. The NHTSA DOT bond released about 12 R34 GT-R's for the US. The same as the other R32,R33 GT-R's under VCP-17. The letter that he is referring to is for some of the last cars that were not released by the NHTSA when the NHTSA was investigating Motorex.
"Everyone with a Bond released R34 GT-R in the USA has that paper. None of them were actually modified in any way to comply with anything."
Not true. There are R34 GT-R's with bond releases.
"However, it is currently impossible to petition the DOT for a bond release for any R34 GT-R Skyline thanks to MotorEx.
Therefore, no more R34 GT-R skylines may be imported.
If you attempt such a foolish act, this may happen to you:"
Again, not true. You can petition the NHTSA if you want. Its not a problem. Just because something is difficult and expensive, does not make it impossible

"I do not deal in "MotorEx" cars, as they are "targets". Their Vin# is registered so that anytime you buy or sell one, you MUST submit your personal name/address/phone to the NHTSA/DOT when you buy it so they can keep track of who owns it and where it is. There are also FRAUDULENT "MotorEx" vehicles on the market, vehicles that claim to be "MotorEx" cars and have seemingly good "paperwork" but were never actually imported by MotorEx.
There are alot more of these than you think there are... and they usually fetch a much higher price... so people use the term "MotorEx" and flash some forged documents around to line their pockets with cash. "
One false misinformed statement after another. You can check the NHTSA for information on a bond released car, but they are not tracking you. You are not a target. If you have a question on a car, get the chassis number and call the NHTSA - 202-366-5291. If there is or was a fraudulent car, you can always ask me. I know most of the US cars.

Feb 7, 2008

Steak and Shake

We are not staying at Steak and Shake in Springfield, Missouri

Getting gas in Texas

Don't Mess With Texas

Breakfast of Champions

Red Bull

Tastes like the leading chocolate sandwich creme cookie

99 cent store cookies rule. On another note,the dash of the Caddy is big enough to prepare food on.

Red booties

Keep my feet warm, and comfortable. We brought with us : 4 spare tires, a spare Dayton, serpentine belt, fan belt(heavy duty cooling). Some basic Metrinch tools(saved me on the TC Cover). Aluminum jack from Autozone. Jump Box/Air compressor. Cans of fix a flat.
Well, that's most of the basics.

Feb 6, 2008

Bedtime in Albuqueque

720 miles on the dash. We had the tire retread problem, but other than that its been smooth. Most people seem to like the Gucci 'Lac

Hit a retread on the highway

Bdubbs blogThe torque converter cover took a hit. The car was making a nice, metallic, follow engine speed noise.

colder

cold

Gas in Ash Fork , Arizona

Arizona..come on raise up

Dairy Queen

Multimedia message

Multimedia message

Leaving RB

R32 GTR's

Loading up at Adams


Feb 5, 2008

Chicagos Temperatures on Sunday


So Brian - why are we driving to Chicago again ?


Check out the Hall of Shame. Brian and myself will be posting pics from the road. As long as none of us get arrested.

Brian in the trunk

Hooking up the sub amp

14" Dayton Wire wheel

GT40's

Old picture from North Hollywood around 1991.

Feb 4, 2008

Road trip - Gucci Cadillac Fleetwood vs US40


View Larger Map

Gucci Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham vs US 40.My friend Brian aka Bdubb, bought this Cadillac, and we are driving it from Los Angeles to Chicago on Wednesday.


Its a little crazy, but I only wanted to help him drive it if it stayed on the 14" Daytons. 14's and 2200 miles could be fun, so we are bringing 4 extra tires, one extra Dayton. Actually, we should be fairly well prepared. I have done a few road trips in my life, and I like to be prepared. We stopped by Costco, Autozone,Home Depot, and the Surplus Store on Sunday for supplies. We have most of everything covered. Brian even brought an ECU to recalibrate the speedo. Here I come Chicago.

Let's Wok

Nissan Skyline GT-R - R34 C-West Demo Car for sale

A friend of mine from Japan is selling his R34 GT-R. Its the original C-West demo R34.

"You are bidding on a one off R34 GT-R V-SPEC, special in three ways: it is of a very rare color. Also it was the original demo car for C-West, successful aero parts maker and racing team in Japan. The demo car has been all over the net for years and is known. Three, there is also a die-cast model of the car (see photo) which goes with the big car.



C-West never drove the car much, always in the showroom or in storage. They put about 8,000km on the car as a demo car but never raced it or drove it hard. Neither did I. I put the Nismo 320k speedometer in brand new when I got the car from them and now it is just over 2000km. So in total the car has about 10k, easy driving. I did have C-West tune the engine from stock after I bought the car from the C-West owner Omoto san about 5 years ago. Also I had them repaint it afterward. Yellow was only produced in 1999 and very limited production. The Japanese don't like yellow much, they like white and black or silver. So yellow was rarely ordered. I've only seen a few R34 GT-R in all my years in yellow. But C-West took the Lightning bolt Nissan yellow which was a bit bland and repainted in the color you see. Now it's on par with Ferrari or Porsche or Lamborghini colors, something Nissan never had sense to do, but it's still the original color... yellow. It does turn heads everywhere I go. Funny, C-West produced the die cast model (limited 500 pieces) in the same color. That was even before they repainted the real car for me. So this big car got the same color the die cast model had. These three points are some of the best selling points for the car. The whole exterior of the car is aero C-West kit. One other sales point is I changed out the whole interior to M-Spec Nur leather heated seats and panels and kouki white stitch. Also I added the kouki bigger rear brakes and calipers. Later upgrades like the rear wing and carbon trunk C-West came out with, I put on this car. I made it racey, but kept it drivable like a good street car, and looking like the original demo car. I think it's about 480 horse power, maybe 500. Since the engine with was tuned from stock with new parts, it has been driven just over 2000 kilometers by me only, and it reads so on the clock, the Nismo 320k speedo I put in at that time new. "



C-West Demo R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R on Ebay

Feb 3, 2008

XS Engineering Clearance Specials

From Erics Blog

"They do have some really cool parts for cheap. Most parts are brand new, but there are some used parts available too for super cheap. Some are so damn cheap that some of you who own shops may even want to purchase some parts.

ACT clutches for Supra TT, Integra, IS300, Eclipse, and Civics - 50%+ discount

Koyo aluminum racing radiators for EVO, FD RX-7, S14/15, Integra, Civics - under $300

ATI E-pod gauge mounts for EVO, FD RX-7, G35, VW Golf - 50%+ discount

Forged pistons and rods for Prelude H, Integra B, EJ20 Subaru, and Nissan KA24DE - cheap!

Dynojet 2wd dynamometer and big ass 350 Amp Lincoln TIG welder - half price!

HKS & Blitz Blow off valves, XS & AVO intercoolers, K&N & HKS air filters - 50%+ discount

Skyline GT-R/EVO/STI, Brembo F40/F50/Lotus PFC brake pads, chassis bars for EVO/STI - 50%+ discount

Bridgestone, Hoosier, Dunlop tires and Volk/Rays wheels - cheap!

HKS GT Turbos, Garrett GT Turbos, Garrett T3/T04s, exhaust manifolds - 50%+ discount!

So with all these kick ass deals, you should be able to build your cars with top quality parts, CHEAP.

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If you need some parts - you want to check them out.

E85 available in Los Angeles

Cool. E85 is available in LA. There has been only one station anywhere close - San Diego. Now there is a station in LA. Westside Today
"Conserv Fuel's first station, which opened in April of last year, is leading the way in the burgeoning alternative fuel movement, offering biofuels that hold the promise of curbing greenhouse gases, reducing the nation's dependence on foreign oil and stimulating the rural economy. The station is only the second in the state to offer a blend of ethanol called E85, which is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, and is currently the only place in Los Angeles where biodiesel (B99), a clean-burning and renewable diesel substitute, is sold. "It's almost an oxymoron to think of a green, socially responsible fueling station," explains Conserv Fuel Founder and CEO Kristopher Moller. "Well, that's what we want to be.""

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