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VOL. 21 NO. 11 SUPERSTREETONLINE.COM THE BEST TUNER MAG EVER!

OH, HI!

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FIGHT CANCER One of life’s biggest blows pushes Fredrick Tissera to build the car of his dreams. Full feature on P. 50. Photo: V

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CONTENTS FEATURES

EVENTS

14 20 30 36 44 50 54 74 76

26 FINAL BOUT SPECIAL STAGE 42 GRIDLIFE MIDWEST

18 FORGOTTEN NISSAN FEATURES JARETT AND ELIOT EWALD’S ’90 AND ’91 NISSAN 240SXS BUTCH DUMSRI’S ’98 NISSAN SILVIA SPEC-S WIZ CUSTOM BUILDER’S ’90 NISSAN SUNNY DOMINIC LE’S ’74 DATSUN 260Z FREDRICK TISSERA’S ’90 NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R CHRIS CU’S ’14 INFINITI Q50 RICK ISHITANI’S ’71 NISSAN SKYLINE 2000 GT-X SHINE MOTOR’S ’80 NISSAN SKYLINE

DEPARTMENTS 8 10 58 82

HOLE SHOT USUAL SUSPECTS ETC. HAPPY ENDING

PERFORMANCE 62 NISSAN SKYLINE R32 BUYER’S GUIDE 66 PROJECT TOYOTA C-HR: RS-R COILOVERS 70 MODIFIED CIVIC BUILD: INTRO

SUPER STREET (ISSN #1093-071X), NOVEMBER 2017 VOL. 21, NO. 11 Copyright © 2017 by TEN: The Enthusiast Network Magazines, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Published monthly by TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC., 261 Madison Avenue, 6th floor, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates for 1 year (12 issues): U.S., APO, FPO and U.S. Possessions $22.97, Canada $34.97, foreign orders $46.97 (including surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S. funds only. For a change of address, six weeks’ notice is required. E-mail superstreet@emailcustomerservice.com, call 800/456-6426 or 386/447-6385 (Intl) or write to Super Street, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Please include name, address and phone number on any inquiries. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission. Printed in the U.S.A. This book is purchased with the understanding that the information presented is from varied sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the Publisher as to accuracy or completeness. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Super Street, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.

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HOLE SHOT

GETTING SCHOOLED

Editorial Content Director Matt Rodriguez Editor Sam Du Managing Editor Michelle McCarthy Online Editor Bob Hernandez Staff Editor Jofel Tolosa Production Editor Josh Ching Art Direction & Design Art Director Bernice Guevarra Contributors Yuta Akaishi , Andrew Beckford, Aaron Bonk, Chad Burdette, David Ishikawa, Mike Kuhn, Patrick Lauder, Danny Nguyen, Viet Nguyen, Luke Munnell, JC Pepino, Faiz Rahman, Manny Ramirez, Mike Sabounchi, Yasu Shimomukai, Robert Wilkinson, Jonathan Wong

iiWIZ took a rather ordinary Nissan Caravan and transformed it into its rendition of an ambulance with a chopped roof, air ride, and an SR20 mounted behind the seats.

Ask anyone who’s made the journey to Tokyo Auto Salon and they’ll tell you it’s one of the best events they’ve ever been to. I often call it the “SEMA of Japan,” except open to the public, and minus all that other truck and domestic shit you don’t care to see. This year, TAS broke the 300,000-visitor mark for the third year in a row, not to mention cramming the floors of Makuhari Messe with a whopping 850 display vehicles. It’s something every enthusiast should cross off of his or her bucket list, and without a doubt, you’ll get the chance to drool over all the brands you’ve looked up to for years. I’m talking about the likes of Top Secret, RE Amemiya, Star Road, Signal Auto, and more. But...it wasn’t until I stepped foot inside that I realized there were hidden gems that the mainstream media often overlooked—gems like WIZ. My first impression of WIZ was that it was either a car crew or a small shop—several young men dressed in matching coveralls posted up by a ridiculously built project car. Many of them were passing out paper flyers in Japanese that I couldn’t understand. There was no booth, fancy display, or merchandise for sale, and I eventually learned that these guys were in fact students. WIZ wasn’t a club or shop, but a vocational college! Now let’s get one thing straight... This isn’t the type of project car a group of friends get together and build in their parents’ garage on the weekends. No, this is award-winning work, and the level of fabrication and craftsmanship could easily rival some of the Battle of the Builders entries I’ve judged at SEMA, not to mention their originality and out-of-the-box thinking puts them in a league of their own. A Mazda Miata that’s been transformed into a rat rod? A Nissan Caravan repurposed as an ambulance? And this month, a Nissan Sunny truck that’s taken on a new life as a monster truck? Surely, these off-the-wall themes aren’t going to appeal to everyone, but they are living proof that this small college in Japan isn’t afraid to break rules, push the limits of its imagination and, in my opinion, raise the bar for the new generation of enthusiasts out there.

The Super Street Network on the Web www.europeancarweb.com www.superstreetonline.com Advertising General Manager Rudy Rivas Associate General Manager Willie Yee Advertising Operations Manager Monica Hernandez Advertising Coordinator Lorraine McCraw Sales Assistant Yvette Frost WEST Los Angeles: 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245; 310/531-9900 Irvine: 1821 E. Dyer Rd., Ste. #150, Santa Ana, CA 92705; 949/705-3100 EAST New York: 261 Madison Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10016; 212/915-4000 NORTH Detroit: 4327 Delemere Court, Royal Oak, MI 48073 248/594-5999

TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC Chairman Peter Englehart Chief Executive Officer Scott P. Dickey Chief Financial Officer Bill Sutman President, Automotive Scott Bailey EVP/GM, Sports & Entertainment Norb Garrett Chief Commercial Officer Eric Schwab General Manager, Video Programming Bobby Akin Managing Director, Studio TEN Jerry Solomon EVP, Operations Kevin Mullan SVP, Editorial & Advertising Operations Amy Diamond SVP/GM, Performance Aftermarket Matt Boice VP, Financial Planning Mike Cummings SVP, Business Development Mark Poggi SVP, Business Intelligence Dan Bednar SVP, Automotive Digital Geoff DeFrance SVP, Aftermarket Automotive Content David Freiburger SVP, In-Market Automotive Content Ed Loh SVP, Digital Advertising Operations Elisabeth Murray SVP, Marketing Ryan Payne VP, Human Resources David Hope Consumer Marketing, Enthusiast Media Subscription Company, Inc. SVP, Circulation Tom Slater VP, Retention & Operations Fulfillment Donald T. Robinson III

MIDWEST Chicago: 310/531-9896 SOUTHEAST 813/675-3479 SOUTHWEST 626/695-5950

iiWIZ shocked the world in ’14 when it unveiled this hot rod/rat rod–styled Mazda Miata. The roadster featured things like an exposed engine bay, ITBs, deleted fenders, and more.

THE NISSAN ISSUE Oh yes, and before I forget... Welcome back to our annual Nissan issue! On top of WIZ’s badass Sunny monster truck, there’s seven other standout builds that I hope will motivate you to finish that 240 or Datsun collecting dust in your garage. Pay special attention to Dominic Le’s 260Z—a ’16 SEMA Show favorite with a 2JZ that feels right at home in a Datsun. Also, gotta give it up for the Ewalds—a father-son duo with matching S13s. Last but not least, we catch up with Fredrick Tissera—a hardcore Nissan enthusiast who’s currently battling cancer, but his love for the scene and his car are what keep him fighting. Fredrick, we’re fighting for you, too, and wish you a speedy recovery!

Sam Du Editor-in-Chief 8 SUPERSTREETONLINE.COM

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Look for the OPTIMA DIGITAL 1200 AND DIGITAL 400 chargers at a retailer near you. The OPTIMA logo, OPTIMA Batteries, The Ultimate Power Source, Spiralcell Technology, REDTOP, YELLOWTOP, BLUETOP and The Six-Pack Battery Design are trademarks of Johnson Controls, Inc. ©2015

USUAL SUSPECTS

>WHAT WE DID THIS MONTH FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM TO SEE WHAT SHENANIGANS WE’RE UP TO SAM DU Editor-in-Chief, @duspeed

How photo shoots go down in the OC. #strikeapose

Super Street x Tuner Crate exclusive. #fannypacks

When in Montreal, eat poutine! #civictyper

JOFEL TOLOSA Staff Editor, @jofeltolosa

Bring your @osgiken-equipped car to SF, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.

Concrete jungle. #autoconny

How can something so Huang feel so right? @baohausnyc

BOB HERNANDEZ Online Editor, @editorbobdc5

My local Vons supermarket sells Venus Flytraps. o_0

Parking lot at work repaved— WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?!

Sales monkey D. Yee coming through with the FK2 CTR die-cast from Japan.

JOSH CHING Production Editor, @samuraij

Batter’s Box from Howlin’ Ray's.

Nuclear Family 2 by Matt Gondek.

Derp game on point.

WILLIE YEE Associate GM, @wilpwr

Time for some hoops.

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#want #f80m3

Waiting to get on the Blackhawk. #matchingJs

9/15/17 9/15/17 9/15/17 9/15/17 9/15/17 9/15/17 9/15/17 9/15/17 9/16/17 9/16/17 9/17/17 9/17/17 9/17/17 9/17/17 9/17/17 9/18/17 9/18/17 9/18/17 9/19/17 9/19/17 9/20/17 9/20/17 9/21/17 9/21/17 9/21/17 9/21/17 9/22/17

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throwback

HIGHLIGHTING 18 OF THE MOST FORGOTTEN NISSAN FEATURES IN SUPER STREET HISTORY WORDS BY Jofel Tolosa

ROY NISHIMURA ’91 Nissan 300ZX Issue March 1997 Highlights GReddy exhaust; HKS EVC; Veilside Andrew V wheels Why we still like it One of the first Nissans we’ve ever featured. It had more than 400 hp, which—at the time—was insane.

KYLE PUCKETT ’93 Nissan 300ZX

NON FUJITA ’97 Nissan 240SX

Issue October 1998 Highlights Jim Wolf Technology port 500 turbos; NOS dry system; GReddy intercoolers; Racing Hart Tracer wheels; Brembo brakes Why we still like it In the '90s, it was near impossible to import or own a Nissan Skyline on U.S. soil. Kyle Puckett did the next best thing by creating his idea of a Skyline equivalent with this 300ZX.

Issue August 1999 Highlights Blitz intake, exhaust; Tomei strut bars; O.X. Mito wheels; Brembo brakes; Enonvativ type R33 body kit; NISMO seats Why we still like it One of the first Nissans ever to grace the cover! And, Non was rocking fender flares way before you did.

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MARK MAZUROWSKI ’88 Nissan Silvia

TOD KANEKO ’72 Datsun 280ZX

Issue October 2000 Highlights CA18DET motor; Garrett T048 turbo; OS Giken twin-plate clutch; Work wheels Why we still like it Mark gained a reputation as a fast driver in the Okinawa scene with this Silvia. What’s even better is that he did all of the work himself.

Issue August 2001 Highlights HKS GT3540 turbo, intercooler; race-prepped 280ZX gearbox; Eibach springs; Chevlon Sport wheels; Sparco steering wheel Why we still like it Tod stays true to the L-series lineage, though it’s been opened up to 3.1 liters using a diesel crank. This Z would still be badass in the current car scene.

MARK DANIEL LAGUINTO ’91 Nissan 240SX

HIRONAO YOKOMAKU ’90 Nissan Skyline

Issue August 2002 Highlights SR20DET swap; Kaaz LSD; Zeal coilovers; Advan SA3 wheels Why we still like it Both the Advan wheels and the 180SX tails are timeless classics that we’ll never stop loving.

Issue February 2003 Highlights Veilside-built engine; HKS GT3450 turbo; Holinger six-speed sequential transmission; Andrew Racing V wheels Why we still like it This R32 proved that Veilside wasn’t only about looks as this RB26 pushed well over 1,000 hp and was built for the dragstrip.

BENJAMIN ABUTIN JR. ’03 Nissan 350Z

GENE HICKMAN ’97 Nissan 240SX

Issue December 2004 Highlights Power Enterprise twin-turbo kit; TEIN coilovers; Brembo brakes; custom JGTC widebody kit Why we still like it This is proof that history repeats itself. The widebody trend didn’t start with you millennials; it happened when you were still in junior high.

Issue November 2005 Highlights SR20DET swap; GReddy intake manifold; GT30R turbo; JIC coilovers; Top Secret body kit Why we still like it What would you expect from the owner of a Nissan dealership in Maryland? How about a list of top-shelf JDM parts, an S15 conversion, and an SR20DET pushing more than 500 hp!

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throwback

ANDY KIM ’05 Nissan 350Z

KAZUHIRO FUJIOKA ’01 Nissan Silvia

Issue November 2008 Highlights custom HKS GT-RS twin turbo kit; ARC oil catch tank; Project Mu brakes; Ings+ aero kit Why we still like it We love the one-off, custom carbon Ings+ body kit. You could easily mistake his Z33 for an HKS demo car.

Issue June 2009 Highlights Toda Racing pistons; Auto Produce Boss intake; JUN camshafts; NISMO six-speed transmission; GP Sport body kit Why we still like it There’s a reason why Kazuhiro’s company is called Boss Auto Produce, and it has something to do with his 440 hp Silvia.

MOTOHIRO TANIGUCHI ’91 Nissan Silvia

PETER AND THERESA VONG ’95 Nissan 240SX

Issue May 2010 Highlights HKS GT-RS turbo; Tomei cams; NISMO clutch; Work VS-KF wheels; Spirit Rei Odyvia body kit; Bride seats Why we still like it Motohiro, the owner of Spirit Rei, was the man who decided to incorporate Honda RB2 Odyssey headlights into a Silvia body.

Issue August 2011 Highlights 5.7L LS1; Hinson supercharger; D2 Air suspension; SSR Vienna Kreis wheels; C-West front bumper Why we still like it At the time, Peter and Theresa did something most Nissan fanatics would cringe at: an LS swap.

BRETT LEVAN ’93 Nissan 240SX Issue October 2012 Highlights turbocharged KA24DE; SPEC clutch; BC Racing coilovers; Work Meister S1 wheels Why we still like it Brett’s S13 was built with the combined effort of his dad and grandpa. Major props.

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throwback

RICKY KWAN ’09 Nissan GT-R Issue April 2013 Highlights Switzer P800 turbo kit; BenSopra widebody kit; Yokohama Advan RS wheels Why we still like it If you look closely, Ricky's GT-R made it into the closing scene of Fast and Furious 6.

CHRIS MILAN ’96 Nissan 240SX

LLOYD MORALES ’96 Nissan 240SX

Issue October 2014 Highlights 1JZ-GTE swap; right-hand-drive conversion; rebuilt OZ Superleggera II wheels Why we still like it We love Chris’ wild imagination. His S14 isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but we welcome his bold style.

Issue May 2015 Highlights SR20DET swap; Garrett GTX3076R turbo; Blitz intercooler; Zeal coilovers; Work wheels; Vertex aero Why we still like it Lloyd’s S14 is still one of the cleanest in the Bay Area; a perfect example of a complete build, from head to toe.

ROBB FERGUSON ’96 Nissan 240SX

BEN SCHWARTZ ’89 Nissan Skyline GTE

Issue March 2016 Highlights KA24DE; Tomei M8270 turbo; Rocket Bunny Boss kit; Bride Histrix bucket seats Why we still like it Robb stole our hearts with a well-executed Rocket Bunny Boss S14.

Issue April 2017 Highlights RB26DETT swap; GReddy everything Why we still like it It’s the best Nissan Skyline GTE sedan in the world.

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WORDS Aaron Bonk PHOTOS Mike Kuhn Eliot Ewald and son Jarett’s relationship fits the prototypical fatherson mold: Pops introduced kid to things like ’64 Pontiac GTOs and cruise-ins, and kid went on dreaming about things like V-8s and four-barrel carburetors. It made sense, it was the father-son dichotomy you expected, and it’s what led to a role reversal in which Ewald senior started taking cues from junior. Cues that had more to do with things like small-displacement Japanese turbo engines and less to do with things like big-blocks and two-speed transmissions. “It was summertime with the windows down, flooring it, getting on the highway and haulin’ ass with him sitting by my side in his car seat, all smiles,” Eliot says about how that GTO helped show Jarett the way and that, despite the S13 Eliot’s spent the last year building up, he’s still got. Much like Eliot and that GTO, it was the son this time around who

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showed Dad what exactly those Nissan S-platform cars are all about. “[They’re] an awesome platform,” Jarett says, “because there are so many different things you can do to these cars.” Things like the SR20DET swaps he and his dad both made happen to the pair of early ’90s hatchbacks and the Japanese-sourced body bits that couldn’t be any more different than something that came off of a Pontiac. It’s that aero that makes Jarett’s S13 especially unique. “It’s the first and only Spirit Rei Miyabi hatchback in the U.S.,” he wants you to know. And, like just about everything else done to the pair of 240s, those bumpers, side skirts, and fenders were all fitted right in his own garage, where Jarett and dad went on to prep and paint the quarter-century-old sheetmetal themselves. “My body kit took a lot of time as far as final adjustments testfitting, trimming corners, sanding, smoothing everything down evenly, and

ROLES REVERSE AS JUNIOR SHOWS DAD THE WAY OF THE S13

then painting, wet sanding, and buffing it,” Jarett says about the kit that’s so rare it’s almost one-off. And he knew exactly how to do all of this thanks to pops, who’d previously owned an auto-body shop where Jarett would hang out after school and soak up the sort of knowledge that’d unknowingly prepare him for the S13 buildup of his life. “I started off helping him detail customers’ vehicles,” he says, “which led to helping prep cars for paint.” It was the start of a learning curve that made way for things like cam swaps and SR engine overhauls. Just because the two know their way around a couple of S13s and some SR20s, though, don’t think it all went so easy. Eliot says, “Tinting the paint to match parts on the car when respraying since I didn’t have the paint code was the hardest part of his whole build. My son and I performed all the work,” he goes on to say, “except for the interior stitching.” It’s a process he’s

used to, though, and one that dates back to his first car, a ’55 Chevy Bel Air he bought in the ’70s. SR20DETs found their way underneath both hoods, but the similarities end there. For Jarett, more than 400 hp comes by way of Garrett’s GT28 turbo and a pair of Jim Wolf cams while dad’s S13 gets the same upgrades only by way of Tomei. “I’ve owned several SR20DET motors,” Jarett says about the depth of experience he’s got with Nissan’s four-cylinder turbo engine. “[It’s] my favorite motor I’ve owned as well as the [one I’m] most experienced with, considering I’ve [done] several teardowns.” That same sort of familiarity is revealed throughout Nissan’s S13 chassis, a car Jarett’s owned multiple versions of and with a passion for which that ultimately rubbed off on Dad. “Growing up, I loved any car that had pop-up headlights,” Jarett says. “[The S13] was my first car, so it being

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TUNING MENU

’90 NISSAN 240SX

cheap, fast, and RWD was all a big plus for me.” For Eliot, it’s just about the most iconic body style there is. “And with the 180SX Type X kit, can I say more?” He could, but he doesn’t have to. The car’s subtle mods speak for themselves. Subtle mods like its Type X

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conversion, 300ZX brakes, and SSR wheels. “[It’s] definitely a love-and-hate relationship when it comes to fixing them,” Jarett says about the early ’90s Nissan S-chassis cars that, as far as iconic Japanese sport compacts go, share the podium with

OWNER JARETT EWALD HOMETOWN LEWISVILLE, NC OCCUPATION AVIATION POWER 411 hp ENGINE SR20DET swap; NISMO engine and transmission mounts, adjustable fuel pressure regulator; A’PEXi head gasket, N1 exhaust; Circuit Sports rocker arm stoppers; Freddy oil pan; Jim Wolf Technology S4 camshafts; Megan Racing pulleys; HKS air filter; Z32 300ZX MAF sensor; Garrett GT28 turbo; GReddy Type RS blow-off valve, front-mount intercooler, intake manifold, oil catch can; MMI intercooler piping; 680cc JECS injectors; Walbro 255-lph fuel pump; Koyo radiator; GPLUS radiator hoses; Spal cooling fan; custom coolant overflow tank; billet aluminum oil cap; carbon-fiber coil pack and radiator support covers; windshield wiper motor cover DRIVETRAIN B&M short shifter; Clutch Masters stage 2 clutch and lightweight flywheel; custom onepiece aluminum driveshaft FOOTWORK & CHASSIS D-MAX D1 Spec coilovers; Ichiba five-lug front and rear hubs; Moog inner and outer tie rods; ISR rear toe rods and upper control arms BRAKES Wilwood 13” front rotors, four-piston calipers, pads; rear crossdrilled and slotted rotors WHEELS & TIRES 18x10.5” +1 front, 18x12” +4 rear SSR Professor SP1 wheels; 225/40R18 front, 265/35R18 rear Zestino Gredge 07RS tires; 326Power lug nuts with Crown caps EXTERIOR Spirit Rei Miyabi bumpers, side skirts, fenders, Type 2 Kamikaze front and side diffusers; Type X rear wing, Kouki taillights with RPS13 garnish; D-MAX carbonfiber roof spoiler; TC Sportline carbon-fiber mirrors; custom carbonfiber door pillars; Phase 2 running lights; custom LED headlights; Fiji Blue Pearl paint and gloss black roof INTERIOR Bride Cuga seats with custom brackets, floor mats, headrest pillows; Takata harnesses; custom harness bar; Vertex/Fatlace steering wheel; NRG Innovations carbon-fiber quick-release adapter; Boss steering wheel hub; Vertex shift knob; 180SX instrument cluster; LED blue instrument cluster lights; Coverlay dash cover; custom emergency brake button; custom carbon-fiber ashtray, instrument cluster bezel, steering column; Pioneer AVH head unit; Boston Acoustics front speakers; Infinity rear speakers; GReddy Profec B Spec II boost controller; GlowShift boost pressure, air/fuel gauges THANKS YOU my dad because if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today nor would I have a passion for cars; Rajeet Dalal and Wen Huang at Mastermind North America; Pablito Sags for helping order my body kit, tires, and other hard-to-find parts; Mike Kuhn; my best friend, Jordan Parker, for the great moral support

TUNING MENU

’91 NISSAN 240SX

models like Honda’s fourth-generation Civic and Mitsubishi’s DSM trio, “but it’s always satisfying in the end.” And as far as the end goes, save for a few updates like a bit of bodywork for Jarett and bigger injectors and a tune for Eliot, both S13s are considered done. “As of right now, I’m finished with the car,” Jarett says, “but knowing how I constantly think of what I can do next, there may be changes

that I don’t know about.” Changes that, you can bet, this father and son will be handling on their own. “This is basically my first experience with the 240SX,” Eliot says. “My son’s influence has made me fall in love with everything about them.” Windows down, flooring it, and haulin’ ass, just like with that GTO.

iiThe father-son duo of the year! One Spirit Rei Miyabi and one clean Type X conversion.

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OWNER ELIOT EWALD HOMETOWN LEWISVILLE, NC OCCUPATION AVIATION ENGINE SR20DET swap; NISMO engine and transmission mounts; Circuit Sports rocker arm stoppers; Tomei oil pan and Poncam camshafts, 7960 turbo kit, downpipe, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, oil cap, coilpack cover; Megan Racing pulleys, exhaust manifold; K&N air filter; Era1 throttle body; Z32 300ZX MAF sensor; ported intake manifold; TiAL blow-off valve; CX Racing intercooler piping, radiator; ISR exhaust, radiator hose kit; Walbro 255-lph fuel pump; Kazama oil catch can; Stance water neck spacer; aluminum valve cover hardware; windshield wiper motor cover DRIVETRAIN Exedy stage 2 clutch; NISMO lightweight flywheel; Driveshaft Shop onepiece driveshaft; Infiniti J30 rear differential and axles; Z32 300ZX master cylinder FOOTWORK & CHASSIS Ksport coilovers; Z32 300ZX hubs; Moog inner and outer tie rods; ISR rear toe rods and upper control arms; reinforced power brace; Powered by Max tension rods, rear toe arms, rear upper control arms, Pro knuckles; Energy Suspension steering rack bushings; custom differential mount bushings BRAKES Z32 300ZX calipers and emergency brake; drilled and slotted rotors WHEELS & TIRES 18x9” +19 front, 18x10” +16 rear SSR Professor SP1 wheels; 215/35R18 front, 225/40R18 rear Nankang NS-20 tires; Muteki SR48 lug nuts EXTERIOR Type X front bumper, front spoiler, side skirts, rear valance, rear wing, turn signals and taillights with RPS13 garnish; 180SX East Bear mirrors; Phase 2 running lights; clear side marker lights; duckbill tinted roof spoiler; projector headlights; BMW brown pearl paint INTERIOR Bride Low Max seats with custom brackets, floor mats, headrest pillows; Nardi steering wheel; NRG quick-release adapter; Boss steering wheel hub; GReddy shift knob, Profec B Spec II boost controller; LED white instrument cluster lights and dome light; 180SX cupholders; carbon-fiber armrest; carbon-fiber decklid cover; emergency brake button; Alpine CDE head unit; Polk Audio speakers; GlowShift boost pressure and air/fuel gauges; HKS gauge pod; Prosport boost and water temp gauges; AEM wideband air/fuel meter THANKS YOU my amazing wife who has always supported me buying, restoring, and modifying cars; my mom and dad; my son for all his help and who also has the same passion with cars like me; Ian Damato from LKQ, our good friend and paint and body supplier; Jamie Furches from Complete Auto Interiors; George DeBidart and all the guys at Exotics Powder Coating; Steve Newsom for the use of his property; Mark Anderson from Mark’s Used Auto Parts; my other brother from another mother Brad Jessup, who has always helped with mechanical advice; my daughter, who has been very patient as her truck has taken a back seat lately, although we always seem to find time to make it happen

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N W O D O G O T T U BO FOR ONE UNFORGETTABLE 13 TEAMS COME TOGETHER ING AT FINAL BOUT DISPLAY OF TANDEM DRIFT SPECIAL STAGE IN JAPAN

WORDS & PHOTOS David Ishikawa Four years ago, Final Bout brought team drifting to America. When they built up the series enough to expand internationally, the first location they chose for its Special Stage would naturally be the country that started it all—Japan. Chicago-based organizers Ilia Smolov and Simba Nyemba chose Motorland Mikawa as the first international venue. Tucked away in the mountains of Aichi Prefecture, the small racetrack is 90 minutes from Nagoya and checked all the right boxes. The track not only had to support team drifting, but it also provided a beautiful backdrop to make it memorable for drivers and spectators alike. The event featured 13 teams, which included both new style drift teams and legends, some cars and drivers even came out of retirement. Since each team was special in its own right, we’ve decided to highlight each of them individually, as they all united to make history at Final Bout Special Stage.

#1 SEXY KNIGHTS

#2 TEAM49

The Miura brothers of Sexy Knights, led by Tomoya Suzuki and joined by Yuki Sato, last drifted together a decade ago. They were understandably nervous at the start, but it took only a short time for them to get their drift legs back. For Ryo Miura, “It was exciting to run together and brought back the feeling of 10 years ago.”

Team49 Make F.D.R (Rowdy) brought a mix of cars. Their Soarer had a rubber mallet attached to its rear spoiler, positioned just right to hit anyone in the face who was brave enough to stand close to the barrier. Also in their mix was an Aristo GS, Toyota Aristo with Lexus GS front conversion.

#3 MAGICIAN

#4 KETSUKETSU DOHMEI

Building their reputation by drifting the streets of Chiba with their signature pink cars, Magician was another legendary team to join Final Bout. S15 driver Shiyu Toma rarely does team events and said, “I was nervous, but it was great to see all the other teams.”

Ketsuketsu Dohmei was probably the youngest overall team in attendance but had some of the best-looking cars with color-coordinated purple JZX100 Chasers and Mark IIs. By the way, Dohmei means team while Ketsuketsu is slang for two things, ass and drift.

#5 PROPS Props was another big-body sedan team with their Toyota Mark IIs and Crestas. Equipped with 1JZ-GTEs, Props was making plenty of smoke as they piloted their land whales around Motorland Mikawa.

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#6 MOTOR FIX

#7 THEूBREAST

Old-school drift team Motor Fix brought a stable of E70 Toyota Corollas and AE86s. The weathered look of some of their cars hid 20-valve and 3SGE Beams swaps. On the track, they let out that distinctly old-school Toyota sound, forcing everyone to cover their ears.

Kansai’s drift team THeूBReaST showed off their signature passing drift technique, which entails alternating cars passing on the inside line while the others take the outside line. Takashi Mine’s S13 car blew a transmission but thanks to his team, didn’t miss any track time and received runner-up for best team of the day.

#8 REALIZE

#9 ASPIRATION

One of the best cars of the day had to belong to Realize’s Kazuki Shizuka. Sporting candy red and etched roof paint, his R32 definitely stood out among his fellow team members’ cars, which consisted of gunmetal S15s and Chasers and a black C34 Laurel.

Bringing an assortment of drift machines, including a Chaser, a pair of S14s, an FC3S, and an AE86, the Aspiration team proved that you didn’t have to have the best-looking cars to join Final Bout, you just had to have spirit. They’re not as flashy as some but definitely entertaining, and the spectators gave Aspiration plenty of love. iiFF Dori

iiWhile you're busy restoring your garage-queen Hako, this guy is thrashing his on the track.

#10 LEVEL ƙ

#11 LOWBRAIN

Have you ever seen a four-door drift Hakosuka? If you haven’t, jump online and search for Level. Along with their white Soarer and silver X70 Chaser, it was great to see some of the forgotten models holding their own.

Probably the craziest members in attendance, the Lowbrain racing crew had the greatest mix of different cars all sporting their signature red, including an EG Civic. They helped to run the event and could often be seen waving pool noodles and blow-up dolls to motivate the drivers.

iiHideaki is the same badass that took us on a little stroll in our Nango Touge video.

iiSkyline four-door team A~Bo~Moon took home Best Team.

#12 FREEE’S

#13 A-BO-MOON

Flashy would be the word to describe Freee’s’ cars. A Verossa with gas lid exiting exhaust, a crazy cambered C34 Laurel with rear door exiting exhaust, a sparkly 180sx and Chaser, and a clean two-toned C34 Laurel. Without Freee’s, the event may not have happened as they helped coordinate things on the Japan side.

Being their home circuit, it was no issue for A-BO-MOON to roll in at the last moment. The famous all-R32 Skyline team—each car coated with their blue paint (except for the matte brown), pavement-scraping ride height and aggressive style—took the award for Best Team. “An awesome event that was intense and exciting, thanks to the team combat format and great crowd. It was an event that I could taste everything,” Yosihito Miyajima of A-BO-MOON stated.

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I F I A TH ROM F A I V L I S 5 1 S TED U C E R X A E C Y E L I T V C O E M F R E A PE Y TH B D E R I P S N I THAILAND AS THE "MONA LISA" WE KNOW

WORDS Danny Nguyen PHOTOS Chad Burdette Can you believe the Fast and Furious franchise has had eight installments since the first movie came out way back in ’01? From the original flick to the most recent effort, Fate of the Furious, imagine how many people saw their future car for the first time in one of those action-packed films. Butch Dumsri, from Thailand, has always had an affinity for Nissans and fell in love with Tokyo Drift’s “Mona Lisa,” the C-West-kitted S15 Silvia on Volk Racing GT-7 wheels driven by lead character, Han. This mechanical engineer isn’t just a fanboy made by watching a movie, though. He became a genuine car guy who’s owned a variety of cars since then, which includes a Suzuki Swift, Mini Cooper, and even an R30 Skyline GTS sedan. Butch shares his automotive passion with his car club, “Soom Laem Taen,” which was established in ’14 and currently has around 60 loyal members who consider each other family. The squad has an appreciation for all types of cars that include the likes of Japanese models, American muscle, as well as Porsches and Lambos.

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R E T H IG

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Several years ago, Butch bid on and won a ’98 Spec-S Silvia from a local auction. Combining inspiration from the “Mona Lisa” and his own vision for the S15, he set out to build something that was aggressive yet streetable, starting with the Vertex kit. The front bumper and diffuser, side rockers, and rear bumper are mated to Origin Lab fenders that help “buff up” the exterior. Originally blue, the car received a pearl-white color change to give it a whole new look. Timeless Volk Racing CE28 wheels wrapped in Achilles ATR Sport tires sit in front of Project Mu stoppers. The TEIN Flex EDFC suspension kit completes the battle stance that says it’s ready for action. This S15 doesn’t just look pretty; it’s got plenty of go-fast bits under the hood as well, all of which are from the Japanese domestic market. The SR20 puts out 510 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque thanks to upgrades like the GReddy turbo and titanium exhaust. Add to that a list of parts from industry standards like HKS, Blitz, and NISMO—all of which are brands Butch entrusted to complete his overall performance package. Highly motivated, Butch was able to complete this current version of the build in just a year. Like many car enthusiasts, bankrolling the project was the biggest hurdle to overcome, and he admits he was quite fortunate that the car itself never gave him any major issues during the build. He treats himself to seat time in his S15 at least a few times a month when he takes

iiRecaro SPG seats keep Butch snug in

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the cockpit with a Nardi wheel

and NISMO shift knob at his reach .

TUNING MENU

’98 NISSAN SILVIA SPEC-S (S15) OWNER BUTCH DUMSRI HOMETOWN CHONBURI PROVINCE, THAILAND OCCUPATION MECHANICAL ENGINEER POWER 510 hp; 470 lb-ft of torque ENGINE SR20DET; GReddy turbocharger, wastegate, boost controller, turbo timer, header, exhaust, intercooler, radiator, hoses; HKS crankshafts, cams, air filter; Blitz blow-off valve; NISMO fuel regulator; BC Racing valvesprings and retainers; CP pistons; Manley connecting rods; Walboro fuel pump; 720cc injectors DRIVETRAIN ORC twin-disc D1 spec clutch; NISMO LSD ENGINE MANAGEMENT HKS F-Con V Pro system FOOTWORK & CHASSIS TEIN Flex EDFC coilovers; Cusco antiroll bar; Ultra Racing brace BRAKES Project Mu rotors, pads, calipers WHEELS & TIRES 18x9.5” +15 front, 18.10.5” +18 rear Volk Racing CE28 wheels; 235/40R18 front, 265/35R18 rear Achilles ATR Sport tires EXTERIOR Vertex front bumper, rear bumper, side rockers, front diffuser; D-Max hood; RE Amemiya rear diffuser; Voltex wing; Origin Lab +30mm front fenders and rear over-fenders; pearl white paint INTERIOR Recaro SPG seats; Nardi steering wheel; NRG quickrelease; NISMO shift knob THANKS YOU P Mee and Mr. Garage for always taking care of me and helping me with the build

the car to a show or meets up with his Soon Lam Taen family. He plans to see some track time with his squad in the near future to find out what the car can do in a safe and controlled environment. Although most would be satisfied with a build of this caliber, there’s still more to come for this S15, including a six-speed to five-speed conversion to handle additional power and wider fenders. If the S15 was ever sold here in the U.S., I’m sure we would see many builds that would resemble the same track-inspired look Butch has been able to accomplish. The chassis that never made it to the States still has at least seven years to be eligible for the 25-year import rule, so we’ll just have to see what happens in 2024. Of course, you can always try and import one, but you’d be risking up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. Is the juice worth the squeeze? If it were your “Mona Lisa,” maybe…

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JAPANESE STUDENTS WHIP UP AMERICAN MONSTER TRUCK– THEMED SUNNY FOR TOKYO AUTO SALON WORDS Aaron Bonk PHOTOS JC Pepino Your post-high school education was made up of the history of native Icelandic pottery and women’s studies courses. But you never made it to Iceland, and you still aren’t a woman, which means wishing you attended someplace like Japan’s WIZ International Information and Engineering College instead—where seniors studying automotive technology are encouraged to put together their own Tokyo Auto Salon creation—just got a whole lot more real. For more than a decade, WIZ’s automotive school’s dedicated itself to educating aspiring mechanics, auto body techs, and tuners. Here, students learn how to do things like adjust valves, paint a fender, and diagnose a bum clutch before being exposed to the fundamentals of motorsports and high-performance tuning. Most of them move on to careers as dealership technicians but, before all of that, the instructors team up with the school’s top performers for its yearly, student-led TAS debut. “At first, we ask them [to] request [participation], then [we] select [students based on] their grades [and] attitudes in class,” says Hashimoto Kota, WIZ’s auto body technology instructor about how participating students are selected.

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The projects are always student led, but instructor input is vital. It has to be when you do something like jack up a Nissan Sunny pickup on 37-inch tires and stuff a carbureted Chevy V-8 into it. It’s the school’s take on America’s Monster Jam trucks, and it’s like nothing at all you’d ever get to do in pottery class. The whole thing is loosely based off of the truck version of the Sunny, a Japanese sub-compact that’s been around since ’66, which in later years shared ties with what you know as the Sentra. And by loosely, we mean the Sunny pickup’s body lines are there, but little else is. WIZ students, who’ve been trained in the arts of welding and fabrication, developed the one-off tube-frame and suspension that’s based on S14 Silvia bits before sticking the truck panels on top of it and the bro-sized BFGs underneath. “The biggest challenge,” Hashimoto says, “was to manufacture a complete, original frame. Students were doing their best to get as close as possible to [the] American Monster Jam image.” An image that meant a small-block Chevy V-8 had to somehow be associated with it, which was only marginally easier to get into place than constructing that frame. “It was also really hard to put [that] big V-8 engine into [the] Sunny’s small engine room,” Hashimoto says. In this case, hard means the firewall had to be cut out and tossed to make way for a relocated and custom-made bulkhead that lends more space to that second top end and that other set of cylinders that was, like everything else, executed by students. Hard also meant engine and transmission mounts had to be made from scratch, and things like driveshafts, rear differentials, steering columns, and wiring harnesses all had to be rethought. It’s the teachers who choose the car, though, Hashimoto explains, which in past years has ranged from a drag racing Prius to an ambulance-themed Caravan with an SR20DET mounted behind the front seats. “The teachers lead [the students], but we respect their opinions and ideas,” he says about the chain of command. “We give them ideas and suggestions and follow their decisions.” It’s a process that works and is evident when you consider things like the Sunny’s custom welded rollbar out back and the dual shock absorbers at both front corners connected to tubular upper control arms made from scratch. “The hardest one [was the] Monster Sunny,” Hashimoto says about where this TAS buildup ranks against previous projects. Right about now you’re wondering where in the world a bunch of students came up with the money to put together something like WIZ’s Monster Sunny. According to Hashimoto, iiThe whole American Monster Jam theme carries over inside, where the interior’s been gutted and replaced with a pair of Cobra seats, an Auto Meter tach, and custom tin work across the floorpan. A one-off instrument panel with accessory switches sits in between the seats and in front of the shifter.

iiIt’s got a Camaro engine under the hood, a Sunny body, and a one-off frame that’s based off of Silvia parts and with GT-R brakes. The students at WIZ also concocted a unique, dual-shock suspension up front that uses S14 parts that’ve been customized for the Sunny.

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iiUnderneath that Sunny hood, you won’t find much in the way of Nissan. Instead, here lies the early ’90s Camaro’s 350-cubic-inch V-8 that’s been swapped into place with custom, hood-exit headers and carbureted all by the students at WIZ.

U TUNING MEN U S NNY ISSAN ER 0RN ’9NE WIZ CUSTOM BUILD

OW SHIMA, JAPAN HOMETOWN FUKU ICAL COLLEGE TOMOTIVE TECHN OCCUPATION AU mit POWER 370 hp ine transplant; Sum Camaro 350 V-8 eng tom fuel cell ENGINE Chevrolet lley fuel pump; cus Ho s; der hea tom er carburetors; cus suspension, upp ASSIS custom WIZ rear subframes FOOTWORK & CH Silvia S14 front and san Nis ; me fra s, SX wheels; control arm ker See rk Wo -28 17x10” WHEELS & TIRES oodrich tires 37x12.50-R17 BFG rs and discs line GT-R front calipe BRAKES R33 Sky tom rollbar cus ; hts dlig hea EXTERIOR Raybrig tachometer seats; Auto Meter INTERIOR Cobra

iiCurrently, WIZ is made up of 10 teachers and 200 students. In the classroom, kids learn practically everything that goes into working on a car, from basic mechanic skills to bodywork, painting and welding. The best of the best students are invited to work on concept cars which debut at Tokyo Auto Salon, like this Monster Sunny which was put together by seven of the college's top students.

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the cars are typically donated or, in this case, reincarnated from a previous build. In '11, this pickup debuted at TAS as the "Hybrid Bunny" running a complete Toyota Prius drivetrain. “The school allows us a budget and students have to stay within [it],” he says about how they went about getting things like the carburetors and the fuel cell. “Of course, we also get sponsored parts from shops or manufacturers.” “The concept was to revive and evolve a good old car,” Hashimoto says, who as a former WIZ student, led his own custom car team, introducing TAS to the school’s award-winning, chop-top and electric-powered Beetle. “The most important point was to revive the Sunny truck by doing [something] cool and daring by daring students.” And make no mistake—there’s nothing that isn’t daring about pairing a Sunny pickup with an engine from a Camaro, brakes from a Skyline, and tires fit for a Super Duty.

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THE MEANING OF GRIDLIFE WHEN THE CAR SCENE MEETS MUSIC FESTIVALS WORDS Mike Sabounchi PHOTOS Robert Wilkinson It’s hard to explain everything that goes into Gridlife in just two pages, but here goes nothing... Take nearly half of the Formula DRIFT field and transport them across the country to a track in the middle of the Midwest, combine with some of the most stylish drift crews in the country, add a Time Attack field of 150 cars, sprinkle in 10,000 people, and finish it off with live performances from Keys N Krates, Manic Focus, Grandtheft, and more. That sums up Gridlife. Lucky for you, Gridlife repeats itself throughout the year, and you have two opportunities to catch the festival—this one at GingerMan Raceway in southwest Michigan and another one at Road Atlanta. There is legitimately no other event like it in the country, and the momentum just keeps building. This year, Falken Tire brought out its giant motorsports rig and a handful of Formula D pro cars (past and present). At one point, there was a sea of blue and teal attacking the track, weaving through all the amateur drift teams. Speaking of weaving, the boys from Donut Media were shocking just about everyone with their AMG filming rig sandwich. One AMG E-Class would lead as Ryan Tuerck, Chris Forsberg, and Vaughn Gittin Jr. followed. The other Benz would chase and get right on the bumpers of a three-way tandem—a pretty amazing sight! If the lead AMG were to wreck, it would have caused a chain reaction that costs more than anybody

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could afford (mostly because Tuerck’s Ferrari-powered GT4586 was in the mix). We mentioned a few pros, but that doesn’t mean the field was all hot shoes. A few amateur drifters were doing a reverse entry battle into Turn 1 just to prove a point—Ryan Litteral went completely backward more than once! All the attention wasn’t just on drifting, though, with a car show and Time Attack being additional draws of Gridlife. William Au-Yeung brought out his Super Lap Battle record-breaking Civic as a final shakedown before he ships the car to Australia for World Time Attack Challenge. In addition, James Houghton managed to break the front-wheel-drive record at GingerMan in his K-Tuned Integra Type R. Gridlife is one of the greatest things to happen to our industry because it magically captures the best parts of our car culture and amplifies it for three days in the middle of nowhere.

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UNCHARTERED TERRITORY

NEW TO DATSUN’S Z, DOMINIC LE DOLES OUT A 2JZ-SWAPPED CHAMP ANYWAYS

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WORDS Aaron Bonk PHOTOS V On the list of cars you probably shouldn’t modify is the Datsun 260Z. The two-door coupe was sold in the U.S. for only one year, which makes it every bit as unique as it is ambiguous. Give one to a guy who’s never worked on one, have him stuff an engine into it he has no experience with—all in a friend’s front yard—and watch the whole thing prevail at last year’s SEMA show anyways. But that’s what Dominic Le does, who, you might recall, cooked up the Hakotora—the stew you end up with when you mix a Sunny pickup truck and a Hakosuka GT-R together—and before that an SR-swapped 510. You could say he knows his way around a proper build, so long as it isn’t a 260Z or anything that has to do with a 2JZ. About that 2JZ... Never mind the fact that twin-turbo Supra engines aren’t among Dominic’s field of expertise. As far as he was concerned, it was what the Z was calling for. “People ask why I cut it up and stuffed a Toyota motor into it. My answer is simple,” he says. “Why not?” Indeed, why not? There’s nothing particularly wrong with Datsun’s 2.6L L-series engine, it’s just that there’s everything right about Toyota’s inline-six. That and when Dominic got the car, there were already remnants of a 2JZ underneath its hood. “[With] most of my builds, I go out and find a clean chassis. This one came to me from a friend,” he says, going on about how the S30 sat at a shop collecting dust until its owner asked Dominic to take control. “Dumbly enough, I said yes without looking and checking it out first. The car was missing everything and the 2JZ that came with it had nothing on it.”

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iiInside, it’s all business but on a subtle, refined level. Takata harnesses and an AiM Sports dash coexist with a reworked but still factory-like interior.

iiIt’s a combination of the seldom-seen Marugen Shoukai Work front and rear spoilers and fender flares along with the John Player Special–like livery that pays homage to a more sophisticated era of motorsports heritage and makes this 260Z unique. Pair all of that with an appropriate ride height thanks to BC Racing coilovers and some Work Meisters and you’ve got something that earned its spot at SEMA ’16.

As far as project cars go, this one wasn’t ideal, it didn’t make sense, and it was exactly what Dominic decided to turn into a SEMA-worthy Z in just three months’ time. Days and hours were made up of not just turning wrenches and running wires, but combing websites and scouring service manuals. “I like the challenge of doing something [I] haven’t done yet,” Dominic says. “It took me some time to look up and research [everything]. I like to study a car to death before I go into a build.” An information shortage of all things 2JZ-GTE or even S30 chassis there was not. But words of advice when it came to the car’s seldom-seen Marugen Shoukai Work aero and how to get it all to fit just right left even Google speechless. “We used a JDM body kit that had no documents or anything, a motor that I’ve never worked on before, and a chassis that was new to me,” he admits. “Every turn on this build was a lesson learned and it taught me a ton.” Not that Dominic needed any lessons. The Southern California native’s been modifying Japanese cars longer than you, starting with his mom’s Accord. “I had to do everything quickly because that was the only car I had to get around [in],” he says about the fifth-generation model that got him to school and back. “Everything I did had to be done the same day so I could use the car the next day for school or work.” It was no 90-day SEMA crunch but, for Dominic, it’s proof that, for him, deadlines are nothing new. Dominic later found his groove with Nissans, mastering the SR20DET and even taking on all manner of Datsuns. The 260Z, on the other hand, that was his first S30 chassis. “You can say I know my Datsuns [and] Nissans pretty well,” he wants you to know, “but I’m always learning. This is my fourth Datsun build within the last three years.”

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’74 DATSUN 260Z

And yet despite all of his acumen with those SR engines and anything that isn’t an S30, Dominic landed in unfamiliar territory. But conventional engine swaps of the same make and body kits that can be sourced in a day rarely earn anybody the sort of accolades Dominic’s gotten. “We were filming for Velocity TV’s SEMA Battle of the Builders and got a visit from Chip Foose, who couldn’t believe that the car was built on a driveway in three months,” he says. Unlike that Accord, Dominic didn’t put together this Z to drive it to school and back. Today, it sits in a collector car garage on the other side of the country. But it did what it set out to do, which was to turn heads at SEMA and go fast the rest of the time. “The power comes on like a train is hitting you when boost kicks in,” he says about how that 2JZ responds to the Apex Performance turbo it’s fitted with and the Adaptronic ECU that controls it all. It’s nothing you’d expect from a car like Datsun’s classic and limited-run Z, and all coming from a guy you wouldn’t necessarily expect to make it happen.

OWNER DOMINIC LE HOMETOWN SANTA ANA, CA OCCUPATION OWNER OF CHASING JS ENGINE Toyota 2JZ-GTE swap; custom crossmember, solid engine mounts, exhaust manifold, 3” exhaust, fuel cell, surge tank, intercoolers, oil catch can; ported cylinder head; Kelford camshafts; Supertech valves, valvesprings, valve guides, titanium retainers; ARP head studs; Cometic head gasket; Wiseco pistons; Brian Crower HD rods; lightened crankshaft; 90mm Accufab throttle body; Virtual Works intake manifold; Apex Performance turbo; TiAL 50mm blow-off valve; HKS 50mm wastegate; dual Bosch 044 fuel pumps; Nuke Performance fuel pressure regulator, fuel rail, fuel filter; FiveoMotorsport 1,600cc injectors; Rywire/CSF radiator; Chevrolet LS ignition coils; Wiring Specialties engine wiring harness; AN fittings and lines DRIVETRAIN R154 transmission swap; ORC twin-disc clutch; custom axles; Z32 300ZX rear differential with 3.59:1 final drive ENGINE MANAGEMENT Adaptronic M2000 ECU FOOTWORK & CHASSIS custom BC Racing coilovers and Swift springs; custom front and rear control arms BRAKES custom Silver Mine Motors/Wilwood big brake kit; five-lug conversion WHEELS & TIRES 18x11” -38 front, 18x12.5” -31 rear Work Meister M1 3P wheels; 255/35R18 front, 285/35R18 rear Toyo Proxes T1 Sport tires; TredWear tire lettering EXTERIOR JDM Gnose front-end conversion and headlight covers; JDM Marugen Shoukai Work front spoiler, fender flares, rear spoiler INTERIOR custom reworked seats and harness bar; Renown USA steering wheel; Takata Drift II/ASM harnesses; AIM Sports MXL Pista dash; Driftmotion adjustable short shifter THANKS YOU my wife, Cindy, for everything you have done to help me finish this build; my in-laws for coming over to help with the kids; Johnny (Zerorust) for trusting me; Stan from Toyo Tires; JC from Work Wheels; Jim from Apex Performance Turbo; Michael from TredWear; Ryan from Rywire; Shawn from Turbosource/ Adaptronic for the amazing tech support; Yury from Wiring Specialties; Aaron from Driftmotion; Jon Sibal for being so sexy and designing the livery; Vito, Krist (stickyicons), Brendan and Nick for the last-minute help; Ravi from CSF; David from 714Tires; Richard (gt240z); Bride USA; Mark from Takata; Hung from HPS Racing; Scott from Renown; RJ from Meguiar’s; and lastly, this one is for you, Nicholas Le and Lauren Le! Daddy loves you!

iiIt’s not the first time an S30 engine bay’s been taken over by a 2JZ, and it won’t be the last. Here, a previousgeneration Supra’s R154 gearbox mates up to the MKIV engine along with a single-turbo conversion and a standalone ECU by way of Adaptronic. The whole thing’s been beefed up with forged internals, Kelford cams, and a Supertech valvetrain and hangs underneath the hood by customfabricated and solid mounts.

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LIVING THE DREAM THROUGH HIS LOVE FOR CARS, FREDRICK TISSERA HOPES TO TAKE DOWN ONE OF LIFE’S BIGGEST CHALLENGES FOR GOOD

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WORDS Jonathan Wong PHOTOS V The automobile has served a number of purposes since its inception. Transportation for the masses, a vessel for competitive sport, the focal point of hobbyists, and in some cases, inspiration. Fredrick Tissera’s build takes on dual purpose when it comes to the word “inspiration.” As many of us aspire to one day own a Skyline GT-R, you could view his story as a car enthusiast as being inspirational. The flip side to this story is Tissera’s ongoing fight with cancer, one he hopes will inspire others who are facing a similar condition to never give up on their dreams and

use their strength to push forward. As the former owner of a Toyota Yaris, a hand-me-down from his sister during high school, Fredrick longed to add a GT-R to his garage, a dream he’s had since a young age. “Since I was 10 years old, I’ve wanted my own,” he says. “My older brother sold a lot of these types of cars back in the day, and so one day it dawned on me to make a business of my own doing the same thing. I got my dealer license so I could purchase my own.” The GT-R was stock when Tissera first got his hands on it, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long,

and it would be a project that he and his brother would work on together. After Tissera was diagnosed with cancer, a friend of his in Japan reached out to a contact at Tomei to let them know about his passionate story for cars, which eventually led to a sponsorship. “I went through a very rough patch when I was diagnosed, but one of my goals is to raise awareness [for cancer],” he says. “I would hate for anyone else to have to go through it, but for anyone who is, you’re welcome to take a ride anytime. Talking about my build and putting

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’90 NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R OWNER FREDRICK TISSERA HOMETOWN ANAHEIM, CA OCCUPATION VIDEO GAME DEVELOPER/CAR DEALER POWER 620 hp ENGINE Tomei 87mm stroker kit, titanium valvespring retainers, Phosphor bronze valveguide set, Poncam Type-B cams, adjustable cam gears, high-performance oil pump, reinforced head and cam bearing cap studs, oversized valves, metal gasket set and ornament plate, Type-A valve springs, fuel rail, stainless turbo elbow outlet pipes, SUS304 header, test pipe, Expreme Ti titanium exhaust, M8260 turbo; GReddy oil pan and oil cooler kit; HKS timing belt; NISMO radiator cap; Koyo radiator; custom A/N hoses and fittings; HPI timing belt cover; Bee*R front pipe DRIVETRAIN NISMO twin-plate clutch and slave cylinder ENGINE MANAGEMENT HKS F-Con VPro 3.4, EVC 6, Type 1 turbo timer and AFK FOOTWORK & CHASSIS TEIN Flex Z coilovers; ARC strutbar; Cusco control arms front and rear, tension rods, camber kit BRAKES GReddy six-piston big brake upgrade; NISMO brake lines WHEELS & TIRES 18x11” Volk Racing ZE40 wheels; 255/35R18 Toyo R888R tires EXTERIOR Top Secret carbon-fiber front lip, side skirt extensions and rear diffuser; NISMO N1 headlights; custom LED taillights; R34 wing; Mine’s risers; Cusco hoodpins INTERIOR Recaro limited-edition seat; Cusco six-point harness; NISMO carpets, shift knob, 320-km/h cluster and triple meters; custom carbon-fiber triple gauge pod; Defi gauges with control unit; Pioneer double-DIN head unit; Nardi steering wheel; BNR34 Skyline pedals

smiles on others’ faces means a lot to me.” As you can see, the list of Tomei accessories for his RB26 is extensive, but only the best deserve to be on a car with such large stature. Between the engine bay and the titanium exhaust, there’s a host of Tomei’s greatest parts, which, as you can guess, makes driving the GT-R a lot of fun. “The sounds these big turbo cars make is unreal,” Tissera explains. “And with all the gauges and electronics that have been added to the interior, it’s like sitting in a cockpit.” Though it is predominantly driven (minimally) on the street, Tissera is hoping to get some track time soon but admits it will require plenty of practice before he gets comfortable. “Turning is already difficult and heavy without ABS or traction control,” he says. “The car is an absolute beast, but if treated with respect, the reward pays off dividends.” The main goal beyond Tissera’s personal enjoyment of the project is to continue raising awareness for cancer within the car community. “You can’t give up,” he says. “The support of my family and friends is what keeps me going, and their strength continues to push me forward.” For inspiring us to someday own the car of our dreams and to beat a challenging life obstacle, we wish Fredrick all our best.

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AHEAD OF THE CURVE THE ALWAYSEVOLVING INFINITI Q50 THAT’S SETTING THE BAR FOR A NEW GENERATION WORDS Luke Munnell PHOTOS Patrick Lauder There’s a lot to be said for those willing to build a brand-new vehicle. Parts are typically scarce or unavailable, adaptation and fabrication are more often the rule rather than the exception, and for all the hard work and ingenuity invested, there’s no guarantee of success at the end of it all—like any Mitsubishi Diamante or Suzuki SX4 builder can attest. But every once in awhile, something fresh and different pops up on the scene that just works. Chris Cu’s Infiniti Q50 is certainly one that does just that. Born and raised in Sacramento, Chris’ introduction to cars came in the way of a ’09 Nissan Maxima he bought for himself as a commuter about seven years ago. Working within the NorCal import aftermarket, Chris caught the bug early on, but since his car wasn’t the typical Civic or Evo, he had to learn quickly how to be resourceful and creative. His Maxima might’ve been the car Chris used to get a foothold in the scene, but the ’13 Nissan 370Z he bought a few years later was what he became known for. Within a year, that car was hitting the show circuit and holding it down on the streets with air suspension, Varis/Shine Auto lip kit, Bride seats, and “about three or four” (Chris lost count) different sets of Work wheels, each in aggressive fitments. It wasn’t an over-the-top build in terms of money invested or extensive modification, but one marked by high-quality treatment in key areas to set his car apart from the masses. Chris bought his Z the year the Infiniti Q50 debuted as the G37 successor. It was actually what Chris was after from the start (he’s always had a thing for sedans and wanted something newer), so when a good deal came up on a months-old, barely used Q50 later that year, Chris parted out the Z and began ordering parts for the Q before he’d even taken delivery of it. Stillen had a lip kit in production for the Q50 seemingly as soon as it hit the market, which Chris appropriately picked up first. He was also able to draw on his past experience and guesstimate the measurements of some AG wheels that got close to the fitment he was after. But that’s where the easy work ended. An air suspension was adapted to the car very

early on, as was a 370Z-spec Motordyne exhaust that had to be cut and welded in several places to fit (which Chris recently replaced with a Q50 application-specific Motordyne exhaust). A few months later, Chris swapped to a different set of wheels and added some carbon-fiber splitters and Megan Racing control arms and suspension components. Just a few months after that, he ditched the lip kit for a new JDM Blitz alternative and swapped wheels once again to a custom set of Work Meisters. Indecisive? Nah—just persistent in finding and adding the latest and freshest to the all-new model. Less than two years after the car’s release, Chris had his Q50 slammed and sitting flush on Works, with a Blitz kit from Japan, and sounding as good as it looked. For many builders concerned with streetability and maintaining their factory warranty (as well as a positive bank account), this would be enough. But not Chris. Minor modifications continued on the car throughout the months that followed. In the winter of ’15, the car was garaged for its first major round of modifications: changing the previously pieced-together air suspension for a more application-specific Airlift 3H and Becausebags Corsa system, replacing the factory trunk lid with an Outcast Garage carbon-fiber duckbill and hiring Ulterior Motives to fabricate metal rear fender flares for the car. Chris also turned to Elite Autobody to cut and widen the fronts, adding some pretty trick vents in the process. Oh, and he decided once again to change wheels, swapping out the Works for a set of WEDS Vishnus.

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Despite the Infiniti Q50’s worthiness as a successor to the Infiniti G37, much has been stated of its more conservative design. The general public may laud this as understated and unassuming, given its improved performance and luxury, but enthusiasts are always going to want a more aggressive appearance to go with that; Chris’ custom rear flares achieved that goal perfectly. Chris hit the show scene during the summer of ’16 with the car as was (after switching the wheels again, this time to a set of Work VS-XXs), and that winter, he had the flares welded and molded to the car’s body, and the factory front fenders cut and flared to match. The car was also painted its current Ultra Sonic Blue hue (it had previously been factory white), ceramic-coated and clear-bra’d by his friends at Imperial Works, before receiving a set of Akebono calipers and 88Rotors CSR rotors. Oh, and he swapped the wheels again for good measure, this time to custom-barreled Work Meisters. Phew! Chris and his Q50 won Second Place Infiniti honors at the ’16 and ’17 Wekfest Long Beach shows, and most recently won First Place Infiniti at Wekfest San Jose. The awards are testament to Chris’ success in building an all-new car that works, but that doesn’t mean it’s time for the work to stop. He’s got plenty more in mind, beginning with some modification to its (for now) naturally aspirated 3.7L V-6, along with some continued interior additions. Along with a new set of wheels, we imagine. Or 13.

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’14 INFINITI Q50 OWNER CHRIS CU HOMETOWN SACRAMENTO, CA OCCUPATION IT ENGINE Optimus Performance long-tube intakes; Motordyne Engineering custom quad exhaust; ARC radiator caps, oil cap; Outcast Garage carbon-fiber engine cover; painted engine bay and engine covers FOOTWORK & CHASSIS Becausebags Corsa air struts; Airlift 3H management; Megan Racing rear camber arms, rear traction rods, rear toe arms; SPL front camber arms BRAKES 88Rotors CSR brake rotors; Akebono calipers; StopTech pads WHEELS & TIRES 19x10.5” front, 19x11.5” rear Work Meister S1 3P wheels; 235/35R19 front, 255/35R19 rear Toyo T1R tires EXTERIOR Blitz front and rear bumpers, side skirts; Outcast Garage carbon-fiber front lip splitter, duckbill carbon-fiber trunk and trunk trim; Ulterior Motives Shop steel molded rear fender flares; cut and vented front fenders by Elite Autobody; Ultra Sonic Blue 2.0 paint, ceramic coating INTERIOR custom carbon-fiber steering wheel, interior panels THANKS YOU Team PUREVIP, Toyo Tires, Imperial Works, Speedimage USA, Ulterior Motives Shop, 88Rotors, Motordyne Engineering

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AUTOMETER CHRONO SERIES GAUGES The new Chrono Series from AutoMeter includes 2” three-dimensional gauges with highly detailed, beveled dials and more than 320° of pointer movement—unique in the world of instrumentation. The gauges also feature white LED through-dial lighting and a bright anodized, low-rise bezel with a flush-mount window. From $144.95 autometer.com

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H&R knows that serious new Mazda Miata owners demand only the best, hence why the company developed its new Street Performance Coilovers for the ND chassis. The mono-tube shock coilovers consist of 60mm I.D. main and tender springs on the front, and specific full body springs on the rear axle. Comfort and control are what you can rely on right out of the box. $1,580 hrsprings.com

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MAKE IT HERE, SPRING FLING! MAKE IT ANYWHERE SUMOSPEED’S SPRINGFEST TURNS 8 AUTOCON BRINGS WEST COAST FLAVOR TO NEW YORK WORDS & PHOTOS Jofel Tolosa For eight consecutive years, AutoCon has been presenting automotive culture in a very unique way. Besides SEMA, it's the only North American show that features a huge “drive up” stage to highlight the event's top cars and allow the audience to hear each builder's stories. We've enjoyed AutoCon shows from our own backyard in LA to San Francisco, Seattle and Miami; however, new for '17, was their first New York/New Jersey event. It was only natural for us to tag along and check out the East Coast scene for a change. Front and center, our good friend RJ Devera interviewed the builders who were invited on stage. And just like AutoCon LA, we had the honor of giving out an Editor’s Choice Award; this time around Aum San's 2JZ-powered Lexus SC400 featuring a BN Sports widebody and SSR Professor wheels.

PHOTOS Faiz Rahman

Last June, the sharp snap of exhaust blips filled the usually quiet halls of the Virginia Beach Convention Center for the eighth annual Sumospeed Springfest. Highly anticipated every year, the event brings in cars, vendors, and visitors from all over the East Coast and, in recent years, has essentially taken over the convention center’s massive indoor hall. Variety is the name of the game at Springfest, where you can find VIP, stance, race, street, and show cars all combined for an eclectic mix of the best the East has to offer, all under one roof. With 1,000 cars registered and an estimated 7,000 attendees throughout the day, it’s safe to say Sumospeed has found its groove in the organized car show realm.

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GRAN TURSIMO SPORT: ONE YEAR LATER WORDS Andrew Beckford About a year ago, I was at the “GT Explore” studio in Santa Monica sitting directly across from Gran Turismo creator Kazunori “Kaz” Yamauchi, talking to him about the finer points of the then freshly announced Gran Turismo Sport (GT Sport). At the time, the “PS4 Pro” was just a rumor, according Kaz, and GT Sport was slated to release at the end of ’16. A year later, GT Sport is back at the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles, now armed with 4k resolution, a 60-fps frame rate, and an HDR “wide color” gamut. It also has a release window; GT Sport is now slated to debut in fall 2017. Kaz also announced that more than 177 cars would be available at launch, and all of them are in what was referred to as “Super Premium” quality. Essentially, that means the car models were remodeled from the ground up (including those returning from GT6) to add enhanced detail. Car sounds were also revamped to make sure engine sounds were unique to their model. When it comes to driving mechanics and physics, all I can say is: “It’s Gran Turismo.” The GT series is known for having some of the most realistic physics when it comes to console racers, and GT Sport is no exception. Despite accessibility for beginners, seasoned pros will find that there is nothing lost. Call me cautiously optimistic—and I for one don’t mind the setbacks in the name of getting the game just right for fans of the highly regarded series.

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SHOULD YOU BUY AN R32 SKYLINE GT-R? A CHECKLIST TO HELP YOU DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE ORIGINAL GODZILLA IS RIGHT FOR YOU

WORDS & PHOTOS Aaron Bonk Nobody’s got to sell you on why you ought to want Nissan’s Skyline GT-R. What began as a performance-based spinoff of a luxury car made by a manufacturer you’ve never even heard of later culminated into the twin-turbo, all-wheel drive R32 GT-R produced from ’89 to ’94 that boy racer fantasies are made of and that much of today’s import-tuning landscape owes a debt to. It’s a car that dominated the Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC), claimed numerous victories in Australia, and that, some three decades later, you’ve got a shot at owning. Before there was the GT-R, though, there was the Prince Motor Company’s Skyline. It was a luxury car, its overhead-valve engines were barely good for 80 hp, and you couldn’t care less about it. A merger with Nissan, two generations of Skylines later, and Nissan suits who cared about motorsports meant the Hakosuka was born—the original GT-R and the machine that’d lead to the R32, the official reemergence of the GT-R nameplate after a 10-year hiatus and the unofficial birth of Godzilla. But you ordering up an R32 GT-R of your own isn’t as straightforward as the time you bought that Tercel off of your aunt. And, as it turns out, owning one can be even trickier. To help make things more like that experience with your aunt and that Tercel, we hooked up with GT-R expert Sean Morris of Long Beach, California’s Toprank International Vehicle Importers, who’s responsible for delivering more than 150 R32 GT-Rs stateside and whose experience with the icon of a chassis dates back to your days on the merry-go-round.

WHY YOU NEED AN R32 GT-R You already know that the R32 GT-R’s powered by the almighty RB26DETT engine and that it’s got an AWD layout. That is, in part, why you need one. For Nissan, FIA homologation was always a consideration when developing this engine, which means it was built with a purpose—to go racing. Nissan will tell you that the 2.6L, twin-cam, inline-six is good for a maximum of 276 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, but history’s revealed that those figures are nothing short of conservative. The RB26DETT is based off of things like a nearly indestructible cast-iron block, parallel-mounted twin turbos, and individual throttle

bodies. Together, they make up a recipe that stinks of ’90s supercars and that today’s automotive manufacturers with their dinky hybrids and belt-driven transmissions have all but forgotten about. It’s the AWD layout that makes the GT-R a GT-R, though. The longitudinally mounted engine up front bolts up to what you think looks like a regular, old RWD transmission that allows it to behave more like something powered by its hind end until you let things get squirrelly. Nissan does all of this with ATTESA E-TS (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain, Electronic Torque Split), a system based off of that RWD-style gearbox that drives the rear differential through a standard tailshaft. At the end of the transmission sits the AWD transfer case where a short driveshaft travels back to the front wheels through another differential. Inside the transfer case a multi-plate clutch pack distributes torque. Information like G-force, throttle position, and individual wheel speed is fed into the computer. If traction’s lost, the clutches intervene, engaging and splitting torque up evenly. It’s sophisticated, it’s elegant, and you want it.

THE USED R32 GT-R CHECKLIST It sounds like one big party, but Morris is here to tell you where things can go wrong, how to fix them and, better yet, how to avoid any of that in the first place. THE BODY: The GT-R’s got a mix of steel and aluminum body panels of which Morris says you ought to pay attention to. The aluminum hood and fenders up front are prone to corrosion and the steel ones out back can rust, both on their trailing ends near the ground where debris is typically kicked up. Speaking of aluminum panels, be sure those fasteners holding those fenders and that hood into place are still using those plastic washers that Nissan says they should. The plastic runs interference between the aluminum and steel and helps ward off corrosion. [insert image nissan-0003.jpg] When it comes to paint, the VIN plate located on the firewall will tell you what color that GT-R’s supposed to be; look for the three-digit series of numbers, letters, or both that’ll reveal whether or not the one you’re looking at’s been resprayed. For example, “KH2” means you’re looking at what should be Gun Grey Metallic.

iiThe hood and aluminum fenders up front are prone to corrosion and the steel ones out back can rust, both on their trailing ends near the ground where debris is often kicked up. Remove the rear spats to look for potential damage.

iiThe firewall-mounted chassis plate reveals all sorts of important information, including the car’s original color, what interior and drivetrain it’s supposed to have, and whether or not it’s even a GT-R. For example, here, KG1 tells us that this GT-R was originally Jet Silver Metallic, and the BNR32 tells us that it is, indeed, a GT-R. If you suspect this plate’s been tampered with, don’t even consider buying that car.

Don’t let minor body damage or the fear of you not being able to get replacement parts keep you from owning a GT-R, though. Several Nissan dealerships here in the States have access to R32 body parts, Morris tells us, and there are online resources for all of that like never before. THE INTERIOR: Morris says there’s a good chance that instrument cluster will have been swapped out for something else, like a 260 kph NISMO one, perhaps, but not to make a big deal out of it. Instead, pay attention to normal wear-and-tear items like the

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THE GOOD AND THE BAD Why you want one: Even you’ll have a hard time blowing up an RB26DETT. ATTESA E-TS AWD. That is all. It’s twin-turbocharged from the factory. Here, aftermarket support abounds. All your friends will envy you. Why you don’t: While it may be legal to import, it isn’t cheap to do. You’ll need help getting it from Japan to your garage. Pep Boys won’t have that timing belt. Insuring it won’t be easy. Or cheap.

iiIt isn't foolproof, but sometimes that rear-mounted GT-R badge can reveal a paint job. Look closely and you’ll notice that these badges aren’t die-cut, and that there’s a specific one for every color.

iiInstead of trusting the mileage on the instrument cluster, look to wear items like the turn signal indicator, the pedals, or the seat bolsters.

iiMorris says bubbling of the dash isn’t uncommon. Look for signs of it on the passenger side, just in between the air vents along the crease.

pedals or the turn-signal indicator lever to estimate mileage. According to Morris, a bit of bubbling on the passenger-side dashboard is almost inevitable, too. Like body parts, interior parts are just as easy to come by. Morris has got one tip, though: when swapping steering wheels, determine whether or not you’ve got an early style wheel or a later one. Bolt the wrong one into place and you’ve just disabled HICAAS—Nissan’s four-wheel steering system—and cocked your wheel to the side in a silly looking sort of way.

and their plastic connectors can fail; and its oil pump won’t last forever. According to Morris, the rear turbo’s compressor housing is also way too close to the front turbo’s turbine, which’ll lead to some sort of turbo failure sooner or later. And although the idea of those ceramic turbine wheels might sound good, Morris says that detonation can cause them to snap fairly easily. None of this should be the end of you considering a GT-R, though. An aftermarket intake manifold and proper tuning can ward off that detonation, often times those MAF sensors can be fixed with soldering, and parts like ignition coils and oil pumps can all be easily sourced, according to Morris. Finally, RB engines are an interference design, which means preventative maintenance like a timing belt, water pump, and all of the associated pulleys will never be a bad idea and won’t cost you a whole lot more than those ones you just bought for your old Civic. iiIf you plan on swapping steering wheels, Morris wants you to know that there are two different styles, later ones (left), of which their mounting slots are positioned straight up and down, and early ones (right) with mounting slots positioned at an angle. Install the wrong one and you’ll disable HICAAS.

iiIt isn’t uncommon for either of the RB engine’s MAF sensors to fail. According to Morris, you’ll know it when you hit what feels like a 2,500rpm rev limiter. Lucky for you they can be cut open and, with a bit of soldering, made good as new.

iiLike any car going on 30 years, the RB’s ignition coils won’t last forever. Before replacing them, though, Morris says to check their plastic electrical connectors, which can often fail.

THE ENGINE: Despite how bulletproof the RB26DETT is, it isn’t perfect. Morris points out the inline-six engine’s weak links, like its detonation-prone #6 cylinder that can run lean because of the intake manifold’s shape. The factory oil pressure gauge can’t be trusted; its throttle bodies can leak as can its fuel injectors’ lower seals; its MAF sensors as well as its ignition coils

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HOW TO BUY A R32 GT-R

performance

Today, you taking advantage of the R32 GT-R’s age is your best bet at legally importing one. Since it’s more than 25 years old—the federal government’s cutoff—all of a sudden things like crash tests, emissions, and DOT requirements aren’t as important as they once were. There are caveats, though. First, that GT-R had better have its original engine or an EPA-approved equivalent. And second, depending on the state you’ll be registering it in, that GT-R still might not be emissions-compliant even though the feds say it is. You’d be a fool to not contact somebody like Morris, who’s familiar with the ins and outs of the importing process and who, in most cases, knows the details better than the people who wrote the laws. The whole process starts with Morris’ people in Japan who hand-pick cars suitable for sale here in the States. That means the chances of you paying for an R32 GT-R that won’t start are slim. And if you live in California, you’re in luck. International Vehicle Importers has done most of the legwork for you, dealing with the state’s version of the EPA—CARB—and making sure you’re in the clear to drive it just as you would with your aunt’s Tercel. But you better have $25K set aside at the very least.

iiThe RB engine’s camshaft trigger is what tells the car’s ECM information like camshaft position and, therefore, crankshaft position. According to Morris, they don’t typically fail until you start fooling around with it, like when removing the upper timing belt cover to expose the cam gears and not properly spacing the sensor away from the head. iiNot everybody cares about Nissan’s four-wheel steering system, HICAAS, and just because it’s been ditched doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be considering that GT-R. Its components make getting to the oil filter a challenge, which is why remote-mounted setups like these make for a good investment.

THE DRIVETRAIN: It’s the ATTESA E-TS AWD layout that makes you want the GT-R instead of something like the RWD GTS-T but don’t think that its drivetrain’s indestructible. Third gear won’t last forever once you pass the 500hp mark and those fourth-gear synchros won’t always play nicely, Morris advises. Depending on whether or not you’ve got an early style transmission or a later one, Morris says many Z32 300ZX internals are compatible. And when it comes to those synchros, a lot of times, he says, heavy-duty gear oil can make all the difference.

Plan on wearing that clutch out early on, as Morris says, if you don’t load the drivetrain enough when launching, breaking that front differential someday, too, and going through axle boots up front just as you would with any other car. Morris suggests upgrading that front differential before it breaks, though. Here, the differential and the engine block share the same cast-aluminum oil pan; send a spider gear through that pan and you’re on your way to yanking that engine all the way out just to replace things.

iiThe clutch slave cylinder can shed some light on whether or not you’ve got an early style or a later-style transmission. Push-style slave cylinders like these can be found on early style and later-style transmissions, but you’ll only find pull-style slave cylinders on later-style gearboxes.

iiBoth the engine and the front differential share the same oil pan. Send a spider gear out the front of it and you won’t just be replacing that differential, you’ll be plucking that engine out just to swap a pan into place.

iiRemove the restrictor leading to the pressure solenoid and watch boost go from 9 psi to around 14 psi. Morris says that most of the time the restrictor’s been removed and that as long as premium fuel’s used, it’s not an issue. On a similar note, the chances of you finding an unmodified GT-R are almost zero.

iiFailure points are few when it comes to the R32 GT-R’s drivetrain. Aside from the front differential, torn axle boots are about the extent of your worries. Also, notice the brake calipers; according to Morris, aside from larger front rotors, the GT-R’s and the Z32 300ZX’s brake systems are identical.

iiAside from the main shaft, the R32 GT-R’s and Z32 300ZX’s transmission internals are quite similar. When it comes to the R32, however, there are early style and later-style transmissions, which means you sourcing the right replacement parts can get a little hairy. For example, if you’ve got a later-style gearbox, you can get away with replacing a single gear set; if you’ve got an older transmission and you plan on using Z32 parts, you’ll need to replace almost all of its internals.

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THE CHASSIS: Morris says there isn’t too much to be concerned about with the chassis. Keeping the brakes in working order is easy, partly because they’re almost identical to the Z32 300ZX’s and partly because the aftermarket’s got it covered. Morris says that removing HICAAS is common and nothing to worry about. Do it right and you’ll free up space under the hood and make oil changes a whole lot easier. Do it without knowing what you’re doing, though, and you just might be like some of those knuckleheads Morris has come across who’ve inadvertently disabled ATTESA.

CONNECT: Toprank International Vehicle Importers importavehicle.com

buyer's guide

Nissan Buyer’s Guide

RS-R SPORTS*I COILOVERS RS-R LOWERING SPRINGS RS-R, the number one aftermarket spring manufacturer in Japan is proud to bring their technology and know-how to the U.S. Understanding that every mode of car has its own characteristics, RS-R provides more than just the look you desire. Just because they fit, doesn’t mean they were meant for the car. MSRP: $279.00-$339.00 rs-r.com

OS GIKEN TWIN-DISC TR CLUTCH OS Giken is proud to introduce its TwinDisc TR Clutch Kit for the KA24DE engine. Its full-face 8.5” (215mm) race twin disc can handle up to 700lb-ft of torque to the wheels. This twin plate application is roughly 25%-35% lighter than an OEM clutch assembly (flywheel and clutch combo) with a slightly firmer pedal than stock. MSRP: $1,710.00 osgiken.net

RS-R Sports*i Coilovers are designed for the everyday enthusiast. Whether you are looking for a specific drop, want to change the ride quality, or are even looking for increased performance, these coilovers can provide you with what you need. Set up your vehicle the way you want without having to sacrifice the comfort or performance you’re looking for. MSRP: $1,899.00-$1,999.00 rs-r.com

KOYORAD V8 SWAP RADIATOR • Highly efficient crossflow radiator for maximum cooling • Dual pass NFLO coolant path • 53mm thick, high density Hyper core • Fits S14 chassis with little modification • Billet filler neck and drain plug • Inlet/outlet pipe locations ideal for V8, 1JZ, 2JZ engine swaps, and high power KA24 powerplants • Excellent size and shape for other big power universal applications MSRP: $396.00 koyoradracing.com

TRUHART STREETPLUS COILOVERS Streetable coilover system with camber plates/aluminum top mounts and adjustable lower mounts allow for up to 4" of drop without sacrificing shock travel. Nissan/Infiniti applications with OE springs and shocks convert to a true coilover in the rear for greater range of adjustment. MSRP: $590.00-$740.00 truhart.com

SIRUDA PERFORMANCE GASKETS With several decades of professional manufacturing experience, Siruda Performance gaskets provide superior sealing technology for high performance Nissan engines. Head gaskets now available for popular applications such as SR20, RB26, RB25, VQ35, and more! High performance manifold/turbo gaskets also available for select applications. MSRP: $8.00-$220.00 sirudausa.com

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performance

COUPE LOWRIDER WE TAKE OUT THE H IN TOYOTA’S “COUPE HIGH-RIDER” WITH RS-R COILOVERS WORDS & PHOTOS Jofel Tolosa For our '18 Toyota C-HR project, suspension is the first thing we addressed. While the Toyota C-HR has only been out for a few months in North America, Japan has already had the crossover since last year, and we’ve seen everything from a lifted TRD version to a slammed example on air ride from T-Demand. While you can’t deny that air suspension looks sick, Toyota developed the C-HR with a strong focus on handling. I mean, just look at what Gazoo Racing has done with it at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race—a commendable 84th place in overall standings and a third place finish in the SP2T class. So while we won’t be taking our project C-HR to the ’Ring, we will be hitting the back roads of Los Angeles pretty hard, hence why we opted to contact our friends at RS-R to help with our suspension. RS-R was already way ahead of the game and had designed its Sports-I coilovers when the C-HR hit dealers in Japan last year. Ben Chong of RS-R explains, “We wanted to keep these coilovers in line with our beliefs of

FRONT

1

The first thing you’ll need to do is remove the windshield wipers and hood cowl. Also, don’t forget to unclip the ABS sensor wire from the factory shock.

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2

Remove the 22mm nuts from the front knuckle, 17mm nuts from the endlinks, and 12mm nuts from the brake line bracket. Support the hub assembly with a jack placed under the lower control arm. Lastly, remove the three 14mm nuts on the top hat of the factory shock.

3

Once the factory suspension is removed, you can prep the new coilovers. RS-R has a proprietary feature that adds 1.5° of camber if desired. It’s as simple as removing the top hats with an Allen key, flipping the upper mount 180° and reinstalling the top hat.

performance

REAR

4

Before the minor changes RS-R made, you’d normally make the damping adjustment from the top of the shocks, but RS-R realized it would be a hassle since the hood cowl gets in the way. Because of this, the company designed the coilovers with the adjustment dial on the bottom of the coilover.

making suspension for the everyday driver who wants to achieve a certain look and performance without sacrificing ride quality.” Although the North American C-HR is slightly different from its international counterpart, RS-R created a few design options that make their coilovers easier to tune, including being able to adjust dampening settings with ease. All RS-R coilovers use a monotube design and are hand-assembled to strict specifications, with laser-cut upper mounts and hand-welded lower brackets. Each kit also features vehicle-specific valving and 36-way adjustability for fine-tuning compression and rebound to tackle just about any driving condition. The spring rates are 6K both front and rear. A lot of thought went into making the suspension street friendly, and RS-R opted for high-quality urethane bushings to reduce excessive vibrations and inherent noise created by moving suspension components. Furthermore, roller bearings were incorporated to eliminate spring twist and any unwanted noise that might occur while turning the steering wheel. We got our hands on the very first set of RS-R coils for the C-HR, and despite being the U.S. test mule, the install by AutoTuned went down as smooth as Grey Goose. By the time you read this, these coilovers will be available for the North American market with an MSRP of $1,899.

BEFORE

5

Use a jack to raise the hub assembly and remove the two 17mm bolts from the top of the shock and the 22mm nut from the bottom of the shock. To get the spring out, remove the 14mm bolt from the lower arm. Lower the jack to pull out the spring. You’ll need to swap the top hats from the factory shocks to the shiny new RS-R shocks.

AFTER

6

Lastly, install everything in reverse order and adjust ride height and dampening accordingly. It’s important to set up an appointment for a proper alignment right after. For our C-HR, we’ve set the suspension to its softest setting for daily driveability. The ride height is nearly at its maximum lowest point, but the height can be adjusted in minutes from 15 mm to 50 mm. Think it’s time for wheels and tires next!

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CONNECT: AutoTuned facebook.com/autotuned.garage RS-R rs-r.com

performance

THE MODIFIED CIVIC BUILD SAY HELLO TO OUR ’17 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK PROJECT CAR

WORDS & PHOTOS Jofel Tolosa Our roots lie deep with Honda. For those of you who have been with us since day one, you’ll know that our first-ever cover car was in fact a Honda, and every year we put together a Honda-specific issue. The backbone of our entire industry can be traced to Hondas, and it was only a matter of time before we got our hands on another project Civic; this one, however, though short term, is extra, extra special. If you’re unaware of the 10th generation’s brand-new Sport trim, it has a slightly more powerful 1.5L turbocharged engine than the LX and includes a center exhaust, aero kit, and that sixspeed manual we can’t live without. All of that is great, but you know we wouldn’t leave it stock. The name Modified should automatically conjure up thoughts of our old sister magazine of the same name. Kicking around ideas for a video series that could successfully highlight various facets of the import community, we came up with, you guessed it: Modified. The series will be aired through motortrendondemand.com and will take you to various parts of the country for a first-hand look at meets, shows, drifting, and more. During each episode, our Civic build will make brief appearances as we work on power, suspension, and appearance upgrades to show you the potential of Honda’s new turbocharged hatchback.

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A LL- N E W

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performance

STAGE I: HONDATA FLASHPRO Our first stop was World Motorsports in Torrance, California, to get a baseline dyno run on the company’s wind tunnel dyno. In completely stock form, the Sport model produced 168 hp and 169 lb-ft of torque at the wheels—and with a factory-rated 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque, our numbers were pretty much on par. The next step was an easy one as we called Honda tuning guru Doug MacMillan of Hondata to get ahold of the newly released (and fully CARB legal) FlashPro system for 10th-gen Civics. A simple plug was run from the FlashPro unit to the car’s factory OBDII diagnostic port and using Hondata’s user-friendly FlashProManager software, Doug was able to bring the power output up to 176 hp. But much more important was the 205 lb-ft of torque—a significant jump for just a single modification. Along with the improved low-end and midrange grunt comes increased throttle response. In terms of bang for your buck, it’s tough to outmatch Hondata. With our FlashPro upgrade now complete, we’ll be adding a few other bolt-ons to see how they stack up on the youngest generation of the Civic family. Stay tuned!

iiJust a few of the projects Hondata has in their stable, including their 700+hp, 1.5L CR-X (above) that has churned out some record setting landspeed passes at over 230mph.

iiHondata hasn't just been developing FlashPro upgrades for the new turbocharged hatchback, but also for the Type R.

iiThe Studio TEN team and Bowls Films get set for another pull on World Motorsports' wind tunnel dyno.

iiHondata makes things easy with their very popular FlashPro system. One end goes to the car's diagnostic port while the other is connected to a laptop and the tuning begins. The huge bonus with this device is that it's CARB legal!

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iiMost will look for horsepower numbers in order to measure performance, but they're missing an important factor –useable torque. Picking up an additional 36 lb-ft of torque with no other changes is outstanding.

CONNECT: Hondata hondata.com; World Motorsports world-motorsports.com

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LAPD DETECTIVE SERGEANT WITH A PASSION FOR CARS AS DEEP AS HIS RESPECT FOR THE SHIELD

WORDS Danny Nguyen PHOTOS Manny Ramirez

We’ve seen plenty of news headlines involving law enforcement cracking down, ticketing, and even arresting car enthusiasts who endanger the public with antics like street racing, drifting, and other exhibitions of speed. Responding to complaints like unlawful assemblies on private property (commonly a mall parking lot), noise complaints, and even loitering have made the cops “the bad guys.” With certain people in the car scene having this type of reputation, most would think anyone with a badge wouldn’t want anything to do with us; however, for one particular officer with 20 years of service under his belt, that just isn’t the case. Detective Sergeant Rick Ishitani has been part of the LAPD for almost as long as he’s been enjoying cars. Since the late ’80s, Rick has had more than 50 cars pass through his hands, the first of which was a 240Z at the tender age of 16. He’s got quite a diverse collection of project cars, which includes classic JDM, 4x4s, muscle, exotics, and even lowriders. A few of Rick’s all-time favorites include the Datsun 240Z and 510, Ferrari 360, ’64 Chevelle SS, and an FD RX-7. One car currently in his stable that continues to turn many heads is this ’71 Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-X, better known as the Hakosuka. For the last two years, Rick has had the pleasure of owning this stunning piece of JDM heritage. The Japanese nickname Hakosuka roughly translates to “box” (hako) and “skyline” (suka), and it has all the right lines and details that get people to stop and stare. “Once I saw the ad for sale online, I had to buy it,” Rick said. “I have always loved classic JDM cars and I know the Hakosuka is the pinnacle of all JDM classic motoring.” Who knew a police officer could be so cool? Wasting no time, as soon as he acquired the Hako, he reached out to Masaya Nishino of JP USA and Taka Sato from

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Taka’s Kyushu Garage to help locate parts for the 43-year-old icon. Aside from the over-fenders and suspension, the car was practically a blank canvas for Rick to play with. Starting with the engine bay, the stock six-cylinder L20 was rebuilt with a few upgrades that included 40mm triple Mikuni carbs and a Fujitsubo header and exhaust. As if the car wasn’t eye-catching enough, he upgraded the suspension to K-Spec coilovers to keep the Skyline sitting pretty on rebarreled SSR Watanabe RS8 wheels. Redone over-fenders, rare Koito non-shielded headlights, and front chin and rear spoilers complete the updated styling on the Hako. As far as future plans, we can expect to see a rear brake conversion and a pair of Bride Histrix seats installed. Another one of Rick’s goals is to swap out the L20 for a stroked 3.1L. Rick has been a car guy almost all of his life and served with the LAPD for almost half of it. He is one of the rare few who understands both sides of the spectrum. He wasn’t always on the right side of the law and, truth be told, Rick was quite the troublemaker in his adolescent years. That all changed at the age of 20 when he decided to turn his life around by joining the police academy. It’s unfortunate, but the car community isn’t the only one with a bad reputation, because the police aren’t really on the best of terms with the public, either. With his unique perspective from both sides of the law as an enthusiast and an officer, Rick founded Sonkei (respect in Japanese) Blue, an apparel company whose mission is to connect today’s youth culture with local law enforcement. Cops aren’t always as bad as they seem. Car guys see cops breaking up car meets and think that’s what they like to do, but in reality, they’re usually responding to noise and traffic complaints. From what Rick says, cops he works with could really care less about giving fix-it tickets and busting car meets. Rick has seen firsthand the impact well-built cars can have where people put aside differences and focus on similarities, which is why he started his brand. Sonkei Blue has products with a distinct thin blue line in their designs to show blue lives (police lives) matter. Sonkei Blue also donates portions of its proceeds to the Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, which helps the families of fallen officers. There are many other law enforcement officers who are as passionate about cars as we are out there; we just need to keep an open mind and reciprocate sonkei toward one another.

TUNING MENU

’71 NISSAN SKYLINE 2000 GT-X OWNER RICK ISHITANI HOMETOWN LOS ANGELES OCCUPATION DETECTIVE SERGEANT LAPD ENGINE L20; 40mm triple Mikuni carbs, polished velocity stacks; Fujitsubo headers, exhaust; 52mm aluminum radiator; Earl’s stainless mesh radiator hoses, fuel lines, fittings; Holley fuel pump; Magna fuel distribution block with Aeromotive fuel pressure gauge; MSA chrome engine bolts and studs; Ultra plug wires; Wako ignition system with power expander FOOTWORK & CHASSIS K-Spec coilovers; strut tower bar; tension control rods; roll center adjusters BRAKES Sumitomo MK63 GT-R calipers WHEELS 17x9” -10 front, 17x11.5” -30 rear SSR Watanabe RS8 wheels with custom rebarrel TIRES 215/40R17 front, 255/40R17 rear Falken Azenis RT615K EXTERIOR front and rear over-fender kit; Koito headlights; front chin and rear spoilers INTERIOR Nardi 330mm steering wheel; Works Bell quick-release with BOSS hub; OEM floor and trunk mats; JDM dashboard cover THANKS YOU Masaya Nishino from JP USA; Taka Sato; Falken Tires; Purist Group

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SLEEPLESS IN KYOTO

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CREATING SOMETHING UNFORGETTABLE FROM THE SKYLINE THAT NOBODY REMEMBERS WORDS Yuta Akaishi PHOTOS Yasu Shimomukai The C210 Nissan Skyline is arguably the least known of all the generations. Commonly referred to as the Skyline “Japan,” this platform was introduced right between the C110 “Kenmeri” and the R30. This generation also marked the demise of the legendary GT-R trim level, which was replaced by the GT-EX model—the GT-R moniker would not be seen again for three generations until the introduction of the R32. Despite being a sort of “black sheep” in the Skyline lineage, for Tsuyosh i Okada, this car has long held sentimental meaning, being neither the original owner nor the builder of the car. Tsuyoshi’s interest in cars began to manifest itself at a very young age. He’d often purchase plastic models and assemb le them, while adding his own personal touch to each one. He had his first taste of full-scale automotive culture when his older sister purchased a Toyota Crown. And being 10 years older than Tsuyoshi, his sister had the resources at her disposa l to modify the Crown. She attended as many VIP car gatherings and shows as possible, and each time Tsuyoshi would accompany her. Two decades later, Tsuyoshi owns his own shop, Shine Motor, located in Kyoto. Most of his business consists of buying used cars and then restoring and selling them, but he also houses his personal collection there, which consists largely of older Civics and customized ’80s sportbikes. When we visited Shine Motor last January, Japan was in the midst of one of the country ’s coldest winters, complete with record-breaking snowfa ll. Freeways had been shut down and we ended up driving through remote mountain roads to arrive at the rural, and surprisi ngly large, warehouse where this Skyline called home. Tsuyoshi’s first encounter with this Skyline was when his close friend purchased it in near-stock form. Already uncommon to find in Japan, the C210 immediately had Tsuyoshi’s attention and he made it a habit to visit his friend often when there was work to do on the car. Naturally, the car was quickly lowered and wheels were installed, and it was simply driven for enjoym ent despite the mild modifications. When the original engine took its last breath, it triggered a full build. An L28 block was sourced, then bored and stroked to 3.1 liters, incorpo rating high-compression pistons plus custom rods and crank. The head was redone and ported, and every component was replaced to take advantage of the increased displacement and compre ssion.

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A high-lift camshaft, oversize valves, higher rate springs, and lightweight retainers were installed to increase breathing capability through the 44mm Solex side draft carbs. Though the car has never been on a dyno, power is estimated to be in the range of 320 hp. The exterior received plenty of attention as well. Utilizing a combination of modified production parts such as the front spoiler and rear diffuser alongside fabricated components such as the enormous flares and trunk spoiler, the Skyline was transformed into a completely different machine—wider, lower, and just plain ridiculous. The fender flares are a somewhat common style often seen on heavily modified ’70s and ’80s Japanese cars. Known as “works fenders,” they are essentially massive bubble flares that add inches of outward wheel clearance necessary to fit the enormous wheels utilized by these machines—often the width is equal to the diameter. Between the additions to the body and the bold, geometric “Chibaraki” paint scheme derived from graphics seen on race cars from the era when they were being actively campaigned, only the most fundamental lines remain visible. To say that the car garners attention wherever it goes is a gross understatement. Looks of bewilderment, curiosity, and the occasional knowing smile follow in the wake of this car, as if the fumes of raw, unburned fuel emitted from the custom exhaust intoxicates all who are close enough to breathe it in. When the last owner of this “Japan” felt it was time to move on, the first person he contacted was Tsuyoshi. The reason was obvious—Tsuyoshi had been there for every step of the build process, even experiencing the original engine failure, to mocking up the new body panels. Though the car could have likely fetched a substantial sum of money had it gone to auction, the previous owner and Tsuyoshi understood it wasn’t just some showpiece destined to sit dormant in a collector’s warehouse. Tsuyoshi is quick to point out that while the car may appear like a chore to drive, it actually functions as transportation—the car was designed to drive. The built engine provides more than enough propulsion to get the driver where he needs to go, out of trouble just as quickly as he can get in it. The bodywork is aggressive, but not to the point where it’s constantly in a state of being repaired. Even the suspension setup and wheel sizing were chosen to be reasonable, though there’s is no denying

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’80 NISSAN SKYLINE (HGC211) OWN

ER TSUOYSHI OKADA HOMETOWN KAMEOKA, KYOT O, JAPAN OCCUPATION OWNER OF SHIN E MOTOR POWER 320 hp (estimated) ENGINE L28 bored and stroked to 3.1 liters; Solex 44mm side-draft carburetors; custom fuel lines, radiator, camshaft, pistons, rods, valvesprings, retain ers, stainless steel exhaust; porting and polish; Kameari radia tor cap; Ultra 8 spark plug wires; Wakos Super Z Coil ignitor coil DRIVETRAIN reinforced clutch ; upgraded differential FOOTWORK & CHASSIS custo m coilovers; Cusco tower bar WHEELS & TIRES 14x12” front , 14x13” rear SSR MK-II wheels; 195/55R14 front Toyo T1R tires; 245/525/14 rear Liberty Walk LB88 tires EXTERIOR Works fender flares ; custom rear wing, front lip, rear diffuser; Kameari California Style side mirrors; Chibaraki color scheme INTERIOR custom rollbar; Kame ari steering wheel; Alpine head unit; Pioneer TS-X11 rear speak ers THANKS YOU Shine Motor, No Good Racing, Exceed Japan, Mecha-Dock, BattleCraft, The Chron icles

the SSR MKIIs have some of the deepest outer rims we’ve ever seen. Even despite the negative offset, the suspension has been perfectly tuned to match. So well, in fact, that Tsuyoshi’s girlfriend is perfectly content with the ride quality. The previous owner was ready to let it go, but why did Tsuyoshi choose to hold on to it? He explained that now, in his late twenties, everybody around him seemed to be getting out of cars—and although he accepts that there is no way to stop time, he wants to preserve what he can. He loves the fact that your own personality, your own style comes out in the way you build your car. This Skyline was instrumental in molding his personality, developing his own style, and he couldn’t bear to watch it go…yet. There may come a time when Tsuyoshi is ready to part ways, and on that day there will be no telling where the car will end up. But until then, there will be no peace on the . roads of Kyoto.

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happy ending

THANK HEAVEN FOR TURBO LEVIN! Tune in next month for an issue full of boosted cars, including this AE86 from Hiroshima, Japan. Photo: JC Pepino

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2016 SEMA WD of the Year

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30K

MILE LIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY 1 2

60 DAY CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TRIAL2

1 Rear axle of split fitments covered at 15,000 miles. Coverage is within the stated duration from the date of purchase or the first nds 2/32 treadwear, whichever comes first. Restrictions and limitations apply.

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