Latest News

Jan 29, 2011

More 2012 Nissan GT-R Up Close Pictures

We had a chance to check out a pre-production 2012 Nissan GT-R again up close, prior to the release here in the US. It was sporting the cold weather package Dunlop tires, no center caps, and was in a bit of a need of a wash.  Very normal for what you will see for a development car.

New wheels, and new vents in rear lower trim are visible from this shot
390 mm brake rotors

Jan 26, 2011

Nismolism 2011 : Cal State Fullerton




Nismolism 2011 is trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest Nissan/Infiniti gathering in the world.  The event is going to be held February 20, 2011 at Cal State Fullerton from 10 am to 3 pm in Lot A. 

View Larger Map


Source: NAGTROC

Jan 25, 2011

Father of the Nissan Skyline Dies at 81


If you are reading this blog, you are probably familiar with the Nissan Skyline. You may not know all the history of the car, you may not know it as any more than the car on the video game. Dr. Sakurai was known as the Father of the Skyline in Japan. Behind every car, there is a person or people, a driving force that contributes to its existence. Below is a posting from the GT-R.co.uk forum.

Dr Shinichiro SAKURAI - known as "Skyline no Chichi" ( 'Father Of The Skyline' ) in Japan - passed away aged 81 years. Cause of death was given as heart failure.

Dr SAKURAI joined what became the Prince Motor Co. ( itself formed from the ashes of the Nakajima and Tachikawa aircraft companies, through Fuji Sangyo and Fuji Precision Machine ) in 1952, and was the chief project manager on the ALSID-1 model, the first Skyline.

Dr SAKURAI was deeply involved with race related activities at Prince, especially in record breaking and sports car racing, and headed the team which gained notoriety for taking on - and hounding - a Porsche 904 GTS with a gaggle of hot-rodded S54 Skylines in the 1964 Japan GP. Even though the 'fox' got away that time, SAKURAI resolved to build cars that could take it on again, and win.

When Prince was forcibly merged with Nissan in 1966, SAKURAI's team at Murayama kept some degree of autonomy and continued with their race-related activities. The first truly new Skyline model to be launched after the merger with Nissan was the C10 'Hakosuka', with Dr SAKURAI and his team making sure that a special homologation model - the PGC10 'Skyline GT-R', its S20 twin cam engine derived from the DNA of the Prince GR8 race unit - was produced, and went racing. The 'Skyline GT-R' legend had been born.....

Working under Dr SAKURAI at that time were many of the people who would go on to work on the later generations of GT-R. One of these was a young Shurei ITOH, chassis designer on the C10 Skyline and later Project Chief on the R32 Skyline GT-R. Kozo WATANABE - Chief Designer on the R33 GT-R project - was another SAKURAI protege.

Dr SAKURAI went on to become head of Nissan's offshoot AUTECH, and was inducted into the Japanese Auto Industry Hall of Fame several years ago. He was always happy to give interviews, and appeared in many Japanese publications over the years. However he never overshadowed his team members, and was held in high regard by many who worked with him - especially his engineers and race drivers. He will be missed.

Source: GTR.CO.UK and Japanese Nostalgic Car

Jan 23, 2011

RB26 Oiling : Oil Pumps : Oil Restrictors : Oil Pan Modifications

The oil pump is the engines heart. Oil is its blood.  Carrying good stuff to all the parts in the engine, taking bad stuff away.  If the heart fails, the engine fails.  In the case of an RB26, when something goes wrong, you normally have a rod exit the block. When that happens, you end up with a lot of scrap metal. To avoid large, expensive pieces of scrap metal, you should read though a few of the items I have posted below.

This is what happens when you spin a rod bearing at 8,000 rpm on the road course
That same rod, which is usually #2 due to oil, also took out the oil pan. Trash, everything
  • Oil pump
  • Spline drive oil pump gears
  • Oil restrictor
  • Oil pan baffle plates
  • Oil pan modifications
  • Oil pickups
  • Oil drain back
  • Accusump
  • Cam Cover
  • Catchcan
  • Dry Sump - Street car 

Jan 22, 2011

Gran Turismo 5 : R35 GT-R SpecV : The Real Car

Nissan and Polyphony Digital/Gran Turismo have an intertwined relationship on the R35 GT-R.  The Nissan Skyline GT-R, and the Nissan GT-R have been featured prominently in the Gran Turismo series, and contribute to the world wide fan base in places where the cars were never even originally available. Polphony Digital designed the MFD(multi function display) that shows engine parameters in the R35 GT-R.  7tune posted these pictures of the real car that was used as the basis of the toy R35 GT-R given away in some of the collectors editions of Gran Turismo 5.

GTR35-1-587x389

This car was on display at an endurance race of top Japanese tuners at Fuji Speedway.  We will be looking for some footage of the six hour race, as about 10% of the seventy cars competing were R35 GT-Rs’.  Head over to 7tune for more photos and coverage from Tokyo Auto Salon.

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Jan 19, 2011

Hellaflush Pwns Joo

MotoIQ - Function vs Form

MotoIQ posted this xtranormal video of the Hellafunctional vs Hellaflush crowd.

http://www.motoiq.com/magazine_articles/articletype/articleview/articleid/1821/video-hellaflush-pwns-joo.aspx

Sickest R34 Nissan Skyline Ever

Sick as in the head. Yes. This car is not quiet right. It was a stunt car built for the Fast and Furious 4.

Yes its VW powered. It is an R34 body, put onto a VW chassis. It ran and drove ok, a little strange.  Movies do some odd things, this is one of those odd things. 

Jan 18, 2011

Southern California importer of off-highway vehicles ordered to pay $250,000 judgment

 

 

Southern California importer of off-highway vehicles ordered to
pay $250,000 judgment


Importer illegally sold uncertified vehicles to statewide dealership

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EL MONTE, CA -
An investigation by the Air Resources Board led to a $250,000 judgment issued in October 2010 by the San Bernardino County Court against Montclair, Calif. based NST, Inc. for the illegal sales of uncertified off-highway vehicles. ARB investigators found NST, Inc., also known as New Star, owned by John Cheng, illegally sold at least 52 off-highway recreational vehicles such as ATVs, dirt bikes and go-karts to California dealerships starting around May 2006. Investigators discovered the illegal sales while conducting routine dealer inspections.


“California has clean air laws in place to protect residents from these recreational vehicles that can pollute up to 100 times more than a passenger car," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols.
"Businesses that sell equipment and vehicles illegally will pay penalties, especially businesses that are repeat offenders.” NST was issued a Notice of Violation for selling ARB
non-certified vehicles. Because a settlement could not be reached, the case was referred to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office for prosecution. A judgment was
ultimately entered in the amount of $250,000 for Health and Safety Code and Business and Professions Code violations. In 2006 NST settled with ARB for $80,000 for the importation,
sale and delivery of non-certified pocket bikes and scooters. Because the owner of the company was a repeat violator, ARB officials sought the highest financial penalty in the 2010 case.
Additionally, dealerships and distributors throughout California that bought from NST and subsequently sold the illegal vehicles to consumers were also cited.

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Vehicles that do not meet California's tough emission requirements pose a real danger to residents. They create higher amounts of smog-forming pollutants, which can then exacerbate
respiratory ailments and negatively affect other health conditions such as shortness of breath, headaches, birth defects, cancer or damage to internal organs. Smog is a combination of
smoke and other particulates, ozone, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and other chemically reactive compounds which, under certain conditions of weather and sunlight, may result in a murky
brown haze. The primary source of smog in California is motor vehicles.


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.

Jan 15, 2011

Left Hand Drive 2012 Black Edition Nissan GT-R

It’s a blue black edition. Would that make it a bruise edition?  MC posted a couple pics from the Montreal Auto show,   A North American Deep Blue Pearl R35 GT-R with Black edition(also SpecV wheels) and interior.  Although I had some reservations on the red/black interior trim with the blue exterior, I think it is growing on me.  Head over to the forums for all the pictures.

salon-auto-mtl-2011_059

2011_montreal_showi_pw-060-262

SEMA Action Network Registration and Title Requirements for the 50 States

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SEMA Action Network has provided this online guide to registering and titling your hobby car in all 50 states. The great part about it, is that it is all consolidated into a single document. This makes referencing back and forth much easier, and you don’t need to have 4 or 5 websites open to figure out what needs to be done.  For instance the California document is 58 pages long, and covers everything from emissions, to specialty constructed vehicles, and historic vehicles.  Head on over to the site, and support the SAN.

 

As a whole, each document provides a great jumping off point for enthusiasts looking to get an overview of the registration and titling process in their state, as well as an informative reference for those in the middle of the process who are in need of clarification on the finer points of their state’s laws.

This site was created to serve as a useful supplement in the in the registration and titling of your hobby car. The information contained herein is current as of December 31, 2010. Please be advised that these state laws and regulations are subject to change. Please consult the current statutes and regulations for your state of interest to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this volume.

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Source: SEMA

Jan 13, 2011

NISMO Nissan GT-R RC Now Available

NISMO has released their racing version of the R35 GT-R known as the NISMO GT-R RC.  The car is being shown for the first time at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon from January 14th-16th. This car has been in development for several years, and some variations of the car have run in several events in Japan.

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The NISSAN NISMO GT-R RC is the latest entry to the RC (Racing Competition) line of high performance, production model race cars developed and outfitted by NISMO. It's built up from the world renowned, top performance NISSAN GT-R (R35) road car. The body has been lightened, fitted for slick tires and equipped with safety equipment to ready it for competition use. During the car's development, it was entered in the 2010 SUPER TAIKYU Round 4 at Fuji, where it confirmed its high performance, reliability and durability.

contact

The RC is made to order at a suggested retail price of 20,790,000 yen ~$250,000 USD . The only thing they say about horsepower is that it exceeds 485 ps and 60 kg/m of torque.  Typical Japanese understatement.  Considering the 2012 GT-R is 530 hp, this car should make a little more horsepower than that car.

spec

■[ NISSAN NISMO GT-R RC ] Specifications
Length 4,650mm
Width 1,895mm
Height 1,370mm
Wheelbase 2,780mm
Front track 1,640mm
Rear Track 1,640mm
Weight 1,520kg
Engine Model VR38DETT DOHC V6
Cylinder Bore 95.5 mm X Stroke 88.4 mm
Displacement 3,799 cc
Power over 357 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm (485ps/6,400rpm)
Torque over 588 N▪m @ 5,200 rpm (60kgm/5,200rpm)
Fuel Feed System NISSAN EGI, electronic concentrated control fuel injection system
Front Suspension Double Wishbone
Rear Suspension Multi-link
Shock absorbers Specially developed by NISMO for high performance driving (height adjustable)
Front brakes Ventilated Disc Brake (rotor ø410 mm)
Rear Brakes Ventilated Disc Brake (rotor ø380 mmj
Transmission GR6 Dual Clutch Transmission
Drivetrain System All-wheel Drive
Wheels (Fr / Rr) specialized for 10.5J X 20 +25mm size wheels
Tires (Fr / Rrj ADVAN 290/710 R20 slick tire, standard for all RC models
01L

04L

05L

07L

08L

09L

11L

Fly By Comparison

Chris sent me these two video comparisons from one section of track at Spa Francorchamps.  The first video shows an open track day. Lots of street cars, track cars.  Watch about 30 seconds of the video. You don’t need to watch the whole thing.

FIRST watch about 30 seconds of this video

Then here comes the 2nd part. Watch this after.

Jan 12, 2011

Steve Stanford Customized Chevrolet Volt


One of my friends did this Chevrolet Volt rendering. Steve mixed a bit of old school Chevy with the new Hybrid volt.  I thought it was pretty cool, for a Volt.  Steve is really well known in the hot rod world, for his awesome renderings.

A real Volt.

Some details
More front detail

Steves signature


Lightning bolt volt


So who is going to build one?

Cartown - '69 Nissan GT-R in STILLEN Livery



Cartown. If you haven't heard of it, it is a game on Facebook, that is automotive based and allows you to virtually collect and customize cars.

Join your friends on a road trip in their ice cream truck or blow the doors off your friend's custom sports car in a drag race. There is even more to do while you aren't behind the wheel. Hire your friends and put them to work for you. Make them do everything from wash your cars or install car stereos and ejection seats. Customize your place by painting the walls, buying fun furniture, personalizing your avatars, and of course filling it with awesome cars! 

In this forum post, a member customized a 1969 Nissan GT-R with the STILLEN R35 Nissan GT-R livery from the Targa Newfoundland event. 




Source: CarTown Forums

Jan 11, 2011

R34 N1 at Streets of Willow Springs.

The sound of an RB26 in the morning, inline 6 is goodder.    Igor’s R34 GT-R at Streets of Willow Springs, right after he purchased the car in 2005.  Steves R32 GT-R is on track at the same time.  Its been too long since I was at the track with a GT-R.  Last year it was all Scion, all the time.

R34 GT-R at Streets of Willow Springs

Jan 10, 2011

RB20 Powered 1977 Ford Mustang

Do you know what a 1977 Ford Mustang looks like.  When I saw the title, I will be honest, I couldn’t really think of what one looks like.  Over the last few years, I shipped a lot of 64-70 Mustangs to Australia.  Way back when, I worked on a RB26 powered Mustang that was in Fast and Furious 3. 
RB20DET powered Ford Mustang
This next one is not an RB, but its an inline 6, and a Ford Mustang. 9.96@140 mph. Not too bad. The engine is from a Australian market Ford , a 4.0 liter.  The car is located in Australia, and notice it is right hand drive.
Turbo 1965 Mustang. Right hand drive

Jan 9, 2011

1987 Buick Grand National vs 2011 Buick Regal Turbo

1987_buick_regal_group_ct_1119101_276

I like G-bodies. If you don't know what a G-body is, Google it. For a few years I owned a 1986 Buick Grand National. 1987 was the final year of the GN, the 1986 was almost exactly the same as the 87 with some minor differences, if you want to know all the differences, yeah Google is your friend. Most people, would have a hard time telling them apart. 3.8 liter, turbo, SFI.

I got my GN with a few issues. It needed some paint, the interior was pretty thrashed. T-top and door rubbers were all really bad. Slowly it got fixed, and I drove it for a while when I worked at Motorex. Driving a GN is a little bit of a hassle for me, as I believe them to be an easy car to steal. Plastic steering column, no frames on the windows. I was always a little afraid it park it anywhere I couldn’t see it. It’s a popular car, and a popular car with guys that like to steal cars.  I got it impounded once, by Torrance PD, they checked it out, and found out it wasn’t stolen, and I got it back.  After that impound, it got parked for a while, and then it ended up getting sold to fund one of our businesses.

 

Head over to Inside Line for the full story on old vs new.

S15 Silvia seats - Orange

S15 Silvia seats - Orange $695.00

S15 Silvia Orange seat, few minor cigerette burn, see picture. Shipping is $150. Pick up is welcome. Fit S13 and S14 240sx direct bolt on.

VR Motoring

15020 Proctor Ave City Of Industry CA 91746

Main 626 968-8828 626 968-8820 Fax 626 968-8836

We have hundreds of sets of used JDM wheels in stock. Check our eBay listings or our webstore for more JDM rims. Refinishing service available-curb rash, bends , painting, powdercoating, chroming, redrilling. , please email us for pricing.www.vrmotoring.com Videos

Jan 8, 2011

Super Street : Update on Kaizo



Hey its Super Street, not Time Magazine, but I would expect them to do a little better job of covering news within the automotive industry. I would also expect them to side a little closer to the side of the enthusiast, and not that of the ignorant tree hugger journalists.

As of today, Daryl Alison has entered a plea on "removing a label", but he has not yet been sentenced . He could, face up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.     It does say that Daryl allegedly did the things they mention in the beginning of the article. It just seems like it was edited poorly.  If you want to read the LA Times story from the beginning of Novermber its here.  Some more information on Kaizo.

As of now, owners of Kaizo chassis are up in the air.  A few vehicles were seized and being held. A few owners got letters that they had 60 days to export or surrender back in August 2009. A few more owners got visited by ICE agents.  This investigation started about a year and a half ago, and so far, about eight cars have been taken off the road.  Eight cars, that were probably barely ever driven, most were registered, taxes paid, owned by enthusiasts, that did not believe they were doing anything wrong.  I wonder how much money has been spent by ICE, chasing these cars.  FBI , ICE, DOT, EPA, CARB all on the chase of about 50 chassis that were sold over the last three years.  In that same amount of time, about 30,000,000 cars were sold new in the US. I feel safer already.



Group A Nissan Skyline GT-R Advertisement

GroupASkyline
Nissan offered the Group A Nissan Skyline GT-R for 55,000,000 yen(~$400,000 at 130 yen to dollar in the 1990’s).  The specs on the car put it at over 550 hp, and 50 kg/m(361 ft/lb).
Obviously not that many cars were sold at that price.

Jan 6, 2011

Sir Mix-A-Lot - Carz

Sir Mix-A-Lot - Carz

Someone in rap, that actually likes, and has some car knowledge.  Mix-A-Lot has been rapping about cars since he was on broadway in an AMG, and rolling in a Testarossa.  Put Em on the Glass wasn’t bad either.

Sir Mix A Lot likes his cars.