The Car Thread

[SD45T-2]

[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eeplOPqdyA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eeplOPqdyA[/YOUTUBE]

 

[A window to the soul]

Awesome. Somehow, I didn't envision that being the kind of music you'd like.

Always loved the sound of that engine.

[MENTION=8543]Nerd Girl[/MENTION], you're so talented with your mechanical inclination.

Thank you, thank you very much!

 

[nanook]

this thread made me regress into my childhood and 'google' for some of my favorite matchbox cars.

 

[Lexicon]

this thread made me regress into my childhood and 'google' for some of my favorite matchbox cars.

Matchbox?

Micro Machines were far superior.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Who else is excited for the BRZ/FRS/GT86?

I think the list price is going to be about 24k.

It'll be awesome to finally have a (relatively) inexpensive rear wheel drive enthusiasts car again.

It's like the rebirth of the 240sx but better.

I can't wait until used versions start coming on the market.

 

[A window to the soul]

Whew, funnies!

-4 lunch?-

 

[Speed Gavroche]

 

[KDude]

Definitely one of my dream cars. These type of threads depress me though. People who own these cars are boring old farts.

Top of my list are convertible stingrays..

I have a thing for old eldorados too.

 

[Eric B]

308 bhp
cruising range: 154 mi fully electric and after that electric and combustion up to 400 mi
torque: 3,319 lbf·ft
0 - 60 mph in 4.8 seconds
combined consumption: 105 mpg

Just missed this one at the auto show a few weeks ago:

I got to ride in the Nissan Leaf last year, however!

(I've always been a big fan of electric. My dream car as a teen was an electric DeLaurean, though I don't think an electric one was ever made; but electric replacing noxious, flammable gas, and stainless steel replacing paint!)

 

[A window to the soul]

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Yikes.

If you're car looks fast with out actually being fast, you might be an idiot.

That being said, I'm a fan of well tuned Japanese cars.

 

[A window to the soul]

I prefer American made.

I haven't payed much attention to the Jap cars. The Nissans I've seen are pretty plain looking.

I guess you're talking about performance though. Even then, the stock 5.0 Mustang will be hard to beat. The poor jap cars will need a performance tune.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

This 408 hp R32 GT-R comes to mind.

From Speedhunters:

In my editorial I wrote about some of the friendships I've forged through meets and car communities. One of the people I crossed paths with years ago was Justin Fox, an Australian graphic designer with a strong passion for cars. He seemed like the perfect fit for our March theme, as not only does he organise monthly meets in Australia, but he also owns an R32 GT-R - perfect for our Skyline festival!

The number of cars that have passed through Justin's hands is truly incredible. Each time I saw him he seemed to be behind the wheel of a new ride. He said he grew bored of them quickly, and in many ways it seemed like he was having 'affairs' with these cars…

But one car has stayed in his garage. His gunmetal grey R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R. Over the years that I've known Justin, there have been moments when he's been in love with the R32, but also times when it would be neglected in his garage, covered in a layer of dust. I remember one phone conversation in particular when he was toying with the idea of selling it. In my eyes I thought he shouldn't; a car like this, a car that you've invested so much into emotionally and physically, is something you should hold on to. Everyone I know – myself included – that has sold the one car they 'love' has lived to regret it.

Six years ago, while Justin was pounding around his local race track, the GT-R sprung an oil leak which required the engine to be removed. This is when his GT-R's build took a more serious turn, with the car evolving dramatically over the years.

Justin's GT-R certainly blurs the line between street car and track car. Although its exterior is minimalist, beneath it is another story all together. If you look up this GT-R's skirt you'll find Ikeya Formula adjustable arms, Section tension rods, Tein RA coilovers, Cusco swaybars and HKS Kansai braces. The propshaft has also been swapped out for an ACPT carbon fibre unit.

Justin's managed to shave 100kg (220lbs) off his GT-R's weight, by removing everything deemed unnecessary. The HICAS for example, was unceremoniously shown the bin.

In the passenger footwell is a Carbing foot rest (the driver gets a Carbing dead pedal). There's also no need for a radio when you have the sound of an RB26 coming on boost!

Justin wasn't a fan of the original steering wheel – 'I found it too big, and the 330 Personal that I had was too small' – eventually finding the Nardi Deep Corn to be perfect for his needs. Behind the wheel you'll spot a Nismo 320km/h gauge cluster and R34 GT-R pedals.

The original seats were replaced with Bride Zeta IIIs with 3-inch Willans harnesses. I love how Justin painted the Cusco 7-point cage for a more stealth appearance.

Justin spent a lot of time squatting in the back of his R32, chipping away at the sound deadening before painting it in the factory gunmetal. You'll also spot the Do-Luck floor brace and a carbon trunk partition.

The Odyssey battery has been relocated to the trunk and is held in place with a custom mount that was fabricated by Westside.

The biggest overhaul came under the hood. The RB26DETT was pulled apart by IS Motor Racing, and rebuilt with HKS pistons and rods. Justin didn't want the compromise of a large single turbo conversion, and after much deliberation opted for a pair HKS GT-SS turbos. The fuel system features an HKS pump, Nismo FPR and Nismo 555cc injectors, with a Power FC used to tune the combination. The power output is a useable 408hp at four wheels.

The head features Tomei Poncam Type-B camshafts, Tomei metal head gasket and adjustable cam gears. That hint of blue at the top of the photo are the Splitfire coil packs.

Exposed air filters are a big no-no with the Australian authorities, so Justin has his A'PEXi pods shrouded in a carbon fibre box.

Justin paid a lot of attention to the smaller details, such as these carbon radiator stays. Nestled behind the front bar is a PWR intercooler, PWR radiator and GReddy oil cooler.

Justin's GT-R used to roll on Nismo LMGT4s but these were replaced with 18×10.5 (+18) RAYS CE28Ns and Toyo R888 semi-slicks. Behind the rims resides a serious brake setup, comprising of AP Racing 6-pot fronts and 4-pot rears. The cost was a rather scary $12,000.

At one point Justin toyed with the idea of making it a more dedicated track weapon, with dry carbon doors and Voltex rear wing. After a lot of thought, he instead decided to make it more street friendly, allowing him to enjoy his creation on a more regular basis. I haven't seen it recently as I now live in Vancouver, but I believe he's toned it down a little more by swapping the exhaust and removing the cage.

This is certainly one of my favourite R32 GT-Rs outside of Japan and is the perfect blend of form and functionality. I hope you'll agree that it's a great inclusion for our R32 day!

- Charles Kha

 

[A window to the soul]

That is a sharp looking ride. Neat story.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Thanks, as long as you keep em clean and mean, they can be very handsome.

 

[A window to the soul]

Thanks, as long as you keep em clean and mean, they can be very handsome.

Yes, sir.

Also, it's tough not to admire the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into custom building a machine like that.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I'm hoping to build an e36 m3 to close to the spec of that car.

Maybe a little bit more horsepower, but the everything else would be the same.

It would look a little something like this, but with different colors for sure (and certainly not the LS V8 swap).

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I'm also a huge sucker for old GT 350's.

I would one day like to make a pro touring version of one of these.

I of course won't be able to afford a real shelby, and if I did I would not want to do anything to it, because that would be like painting over the mona lisa.

But I'm sure I can find a 60's mustang shell, that I would then turn into a naturally aspirated track beast.

 

[swordpath]

My next vehicle:

Jeep Patriot

 

[The Great One]

[MENTION=6724]DiscoBiscuit[/MENTION]

I'm sorry you live in Jacksonville, Florida because that's where I live as well.