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I wanted to get rid of 10s, so we did with relative ease. Accomplishing an objective like that is one thing, but doing the work in a 26-year-old classic Honda chassis is yet another. Shawn Hong of LasNevada and Vegas, was able to achieve his goal with time, patience, and good people in his corner.

Finding one in decent condition is no easy task, though many Honda enthusiasts would like to own a timeless Civic E-AT chassis. It seems as though fate was on Shawn’s side as timing proved essentially perfect for him in getting the car the thing is before you. He didn’t buy it recently to develop it and have something old fashioned, he purchased it a lot more than 10 years ago. In fact, it was the very first car he ever owned. I got it with my first paycheck from my first job, Shawn reminisces. Getting that first paycheck must have been a great feeling, as a young man who had just worked at his first job. Do you all keep in mind the first dollar that you earned? Did you are aware what you desired to buy with your newfound income? Or did you just want to input it away and stack it until the right time and item came along? Well, no matter what Shawn might have planned, that first check was about to disappear together with the quickness; he just didn’t know it yet. Understandably, Shawn drove instantly to the bank and deposited his money. But it didn’t continue in there even half of a company day. Literally, the day I put the funds in the bank I saw the car on the side of a street in the gas station having a ‘For Sale’ sign onto it asking for $800. The choice to purchase the car was made in that very instant, so Shawn turned back around to get and go his money. I went back and took all the money out of the bank again. LOL. Finding out the clutch in the vehicle was going out, he offered $500 to the seller, and theon the car. Well, he also isn’t ashamed to admit that it may not have access to been just basic driving that blew it out, as he did race the car as soon as he got it. After getting that fixed and making sure the car ran properly, Shawn had the car painted and readied for his day-to-day commute to school. Although he did use it as a commuter, he also continued with the lead foot of his, which eventually led to a difficulty a lot greater than just the clutch. I beat on the car day in and outing until the timing belt went out on me, he says. This time Shawn optimized on the circumstances and used the mishap as an opportunity to discover how to work on the automobile. I did everything except the machine work, Shawn states proudly. Not too long after that, he decided to swap out the original motor for any B16, and with the help of some friends, knocked out the swap. Unfortunately, the auto never ran quite right, which caused Shawn to find a professional shop, ultimately creating his becoming friends with Dennis of LDL Speed Shop of Las Vegas.

Shawn’s newfound relationship with LDL proved to be providential as proper experience and guidance are invaluable when doing something to a car. Dennis and Marissa are the most honest mechanics/shop owners in Las Vegas. Aside from the work being arguably the very best in Vegas, they learn how to treat their clients and have informed me many times generally if i was wasting my time and money, Shawn states. I made the decision to ‘go big’ and build an LS VTEC turbo setup. I needed to break 10s. So they got down to business and put together an LS block with Arias pistons and Eagle rods. Up top, a B16 head stuffed with a Skunk2 valvetrain and Integra GS-R camshafts was prepped for battle. For induction duties, a Precision T4 ball-bearing turbo was mated into a Neukin equal length manifold. The end results have yielded a rock-solid 464 hp and 341 lb-ft torque on LDL’s Mustang dyno. I told Dennis I needed to break 10s, which we did with relative ease. We ran a 10.7 at 132 mph. Eventually 9s are later onfor this car. Shawn intended to develop a well-rounded vehicle, so after achieving the first goal of running 10s, he took a break and focused on the exterior as well as engine bay. I made a decision to pretty up the car a bit with a bit of body and paint and did a wire tuck. I did all the work myself. Although the car looks great and possesses earned its place within the pages of Honda Tuning, Shawn isn’t satisfied. It looks great in pictures, but I would really love to redo the task again, eventually retune for the higher horsepower needed for our quarter-mile goals, and then find some good new wheels. Good luck on the quest for 9s, Shawn. We enjoy seeing what youturned offin 5So VW of America planned to unleash some modified Bugs in the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas last November, encouraging a number of tuners to have a go.

Without hesitation, VW tuning shops across the nation accepted the task to work in the iconic vehicle. These included fifteen52, FMS Automotive, Galpin Auto Sports, Rotiform, VW Vortex and even european car Magazine. Many of us put the Beetle under the knife in the hope of changing people’s perception concerning theThanks to Irwindale Event Center for the use of the oval track for our photography (irwindalespeedway.com)

Once the projects were completed we all headed to the 2012 SEMA Show to distribute the cars among the two million square-foot of trade exhibition space. The required effect was achieved; the cars winning the admiration and respect of visitors, with VWVortex taking home one of several show’s top honors: the PlayStation Gran Turismo – Best European award.

Yet with the cars widely dispersed, we thought it would be fun to gather them into one space and review everybody’s hard work. Our own Surf Bug was featured last month (EC 4/13), so we’ll brush over it here somewhat, and sadly the Vortex car was receiving work with the East Coast and unavailable for that shoot.

If you’re looking for inspiration for a Beetle project car, we’ve got a pretty diverse bunch for you to enjoy, whether you’re seeking show, go or both, that said.

fifteen52

We’ve all done it. We buy our significant other an automobile, swearing we won’t touch it. But as time passes, you wait for the other half to have over the honeymoon period with the car and swoop in, just adding a set of wheels. Then you just add an intake and exhaust. Finally, you decide to just add air suspension and gut the interior, sending the car for bodywork and paint plus a rare imported body kit. Like we said, we’ve all tried itintended to be hers – after all, she picked it all out at the dealership. But after a few months behind the wheel, Jay possessed a conversation with Matt Crooke at fifteen52 – specialists in wheel design and custom vehicle builds – and couldn’t help himself. He gave his girlfriend a few months with all the car after which began the build process for its debut at SEMA.

First up was the baseball-glove interior. Operating from a home workshop, a local interior guru (simply known as Adrian) helped Jay realize his vision for a stunning interior inspired from the original Audi TT.

After several long nights with Matt, the atmosphere Lift air suspension with AutoPilot v2 management was installed, allowing the car to sit very, really low. And since Matt and Jay return 15 years, they devised an idea to develop unique wheels for the car – producing a show-stopping set of 20 Tarmac TR three-piece wheels with brushed aluminum centers framed with polished lips. Needless to say, the new wheels took home the most notable prizes at SEMA for the bestlast year saw Rhuari McAulay finally drive home the car he’d waited 16 months to come. It would be his first modern, high performance Volkswagen and it was actually a treat to himself after an intense open-heart surgery operation one-year prior.

His 2012 Golf R was one he needed to own and, of course, the history starts with an enthusiast likely to keep it stock and enjoy it. But everyone knowsgatherings, events and shows whenever he is able to.

Living in Vancouver places him in close proximity to one of the best-known VW tuners on earth; HPA Motorsports. Highly regarded for its all-wheel drive and twin-turbo VR6 conversions, HPA fills all the gaps from mild to wild.

So while the Golf R was a departure from its traditional VR6 roots, company owner Marcel Horn realized it absolutely was an important car and sought out one as being a testbed for a few development parts.

Not only was Rhuari fortunate enough to be selected to receive these parts but Marcel had decided to take just four days to put together his car in time for the 2012 european car Tuner GP (EC 2/13).

He called the setup get fast quick , turning a four-door hatch into a genuine track contender. But don’t be fooled: while the kit isn’t excessively technical, it’s not something you could do in your driveway in three hours either, despite Marcel’s assertion it’s a DIY conversion.

Drawing on existing developments by long-time German tuning partner, HGP Turbo, HPA took a Garrett GT30-71/76 turbo and mated it with its own prototype exhaust manifold, high-flow fuel injectors and low-compression head spacer. These were paired with a new high-pressure fuel pump and front-mount intercooler to breathe new life to the 2.-liter four-cylinder.

02 2012 volkswagen golf r BBS CH R titanium wheels

05 2012 volkswagen golf r HPA quad chamber exhaust

06 2012 volkswagen golf r badgeless grille

In fact, during the dyno day at our Tuner GP the car put down 392hp to the wheels at 6700rpm, with 350 lb-ft at 5000rpm. With the boost set at 26.5psi, it had been a whisker shy of your 410hp HPA had predicted but a good increase across the stock 256hp at the crank.

Undoubtedly, a few of that increase was on account of the stainless downpipe and mid-pipe with 100-cell cat employed to keep the device free-flowing. The quad-chamber bypass exhaust is actually a work of art and also the subsequent sound is somewhere within a vicious growl as well as an air compressor purge, based on RPM.

Keeping the power under control is a Stage 3 Spec clutch, transferring drive to a set of gorgeous 19×8.5 BBS CH-R Titanium wheels and the 235/35 Continental ExtremeContact DW tires that were specified for participation in our Tuner GP.

Naturally, the build wouldn’t be complete without addressing how the car rotates into corners, so KW Clubsport coilovers were fitted to provide road manners and track-day prowess.

Inevitably, the Golf R’s Haldex AWD system could benefit from some tweaking, so HPA added a Haldex Gen4 Competition controller. This was designed to transfer more power to the rear wheels, reacting faster and more aggressively compared toline of European big brake kits utilizing Baer calipers. The R involves a halt with six-piston calipers up front, clamping 355mm rotors with factory rear calipers and slotted rotors.

The result of the chassis and engine mods was really a best lap time throughout the Streets of Willow circuit of 1: 32.035 during the Tuner GP. However, it was achieved with some rather worn tires as the result of intensive set-up laps during the morning practice sessions. There’s no doubt they needed a tad bit more time in a vehicle and fresh tires however it represents a valiant attempt for a car that was only completed several days prior.

So, while no area was skipped in the build, HPA laid out a clear path to transforming your R into a badass street car that’s equally at home on the track or maybe in the passing lane.

It’s not a built motor with standalone engine management, either, though no, it’s not a simple weekend project. Rhuari’s car represents a happy medium, and you know he was happy to discover he have got to keep each of the parts except the turbo… but we’re pretty sure HPA has another on its shelf if he decided he can’t live without its Tuner GP spec.

2012 VW Golf R

Rhuari McAulay

Vancouver, Canada

Engine 2.-liter four-cylinder TSI 16v with HPA GT30-71/76 turbo, head spacer, prototype intake manifold, high-flow fuel injectors, high-pressure fuel pump, front-mount intercooler, downpipe, mid-pipe with 100-cell cat, exhaust bypass system

One of the greatest ruses in the American dream is the fact to be a musician you have to be broke and broken, never seeing a profit, never making enough money to even get a new set of strings. Well I’m here to tell you that it is possible to indeed generate profits and it’s not impossible like you’re lead to believe by the man. It’s also not the way you think, though it is possible and it’s not as hard as you think. It used to be you needed to get signed to deal and they’d give you millions and you’d be rich just like that. In fact, which had been never the situation, it’s exactly how it seemed from the outside. But here’s ways to actually earn an income being a musician.

It’s All About the Merch

You really money in ways that maybe your dad’s band never was required to. People still want to spend money on the music that they can like, it’s just that they no longer feel the need to spend money for the actual music itself. If you’re a musician, you can either sit around whining about it and posting to Facebook about how exactly no one buys music anymore, or you can do something about it and think beyond the box, We’re so employed to downloading stuff and getting the actual tunes free of charge that. That’s where creative and interesting merchandise is needed. Sell fun cool things with your logo (like beer koozies). If you want to sell your actual music, hand design the CD cases or market it on vinyl, also. Make it the commodity worth collecting.

Hit the Road

You absolutely have to hit the highway. Gone are the days where you can just hang in your home town playing shows for your friends hoping that someone will discover you. You go out to make the whole dang country your home town, and show the longer term labels that you can generate a market and a fanbase, and then they’ll come knocking down your doors. You’ll need a good car for this adventure so find something nice and cheapcheap and reliable at Nissan Alhambra. They’ll be good on gasoline consumption and won’t let you down. Compare to the cars at Downtown Nissan and ensure to book a ton of shows. 300 per year is good.

Good Cover Song

Record it in your genre, though and whenever all else fails, you should cover a song that is not in your genre. So if you’re a folk artist, have a hip hop song and make it folky. And if you’re inside a rock band, take a pop song and make it a rock song. Create a great little video because of it and off you go as a viral sensation. But that’s where shows and merchandise comes into play. If you make a viral video, you have to at least provide the people something they can buy in case they would like to spend money on you!

Some would argue that the old school automakers did it best. The formula was simple: Build a car that further unifies the bond between man and machineBut believe it, because it’s exactly where this story begins.
Underneath the beefy exterior is where most of the work has actually been performed, even though The Celica’s outward appearance might be its focal point.Equally at home on Japanese drift circuits as it is on rally stages throughout Europe, the rear-drive pocket rocket is a favorite for the racer on a budget, but its popularity means loads of them bought an early ticket to the scrap heap in the sky. It’s made finding a good, factory-spec car nearly impossible.
That’s only half the problem. A starring role in the Initial D series has given the AE86 a cult following, and as a result the last straight survivors are not only hard to find but sought after as show cars, and are rapidly climbing in value. They’re no longer the performance bargain they once were. Christine and glanceWe can all dream, although many of us, unfortunately, will never own one. These Skylines aren’t exactly easy to come by and those who are lucky enough to acquire one aren’t likely to ever let them go. Roy De Guzman, the owner of this ’72 2000 GT, searched tirelessly for his over six years ago.
Not totally impossible, although Finding a Hakosuka Skyline is a bit of a task. A chance of finding one in really good condition, however, is another story. The ones that are usually on sale require some work, because they aren’t in the greatest of conditions.

Why we love it: The unique styling and racing pedigree of this legendary car is enough to put it at the top of our favorite old school chassis.

Full article: Hakosuka 1968-1972 Nissan Skyline