Auto Otaku: Mike G's Blog

Friday Night Nostalgic Theatre

So it's Friday night at 9:30 on the West Coast right now, most people are probably out partying or drinking with friends. Not me, I'm sitting here browsing the Internet, waiting for my wife to get home from work. What can I say, I live life in the fast lane. Luckily I don't have say it's time wasted because I found a couple videos and websites that are worth a look.

I came across the Office Tomitaku website where this fully restored Orange S30Z is presented along with several other vintage cars. 

The car is powered by this. At first glance it looks similar to the famous Nissan S20 twin cam engine from the early GTR's and Z432's, but it's not. It's actually a standard L Series engine fitted with an ultra-rare TC24-B1 four valve twin cam head produced by OS Giken in the early '80s. Besides the six cylinder L-series version there was also an OS Giken twin cam head made for the four cylinder L-Series in the Datsun 510/Nissan Bluebird.

Check out the video. It has some great vintage from both outside and inside the car as it is driven like it was meant to be. Speaking of videos, Tomitaku's site has a great video section. Be sure to watch the one with the all-KGC10 Skyline race from 1985.

Lastly, I came across this video of a Team S20 KPGC10 GTR running flat out at in a field of car including a TS Cup KP61 Starlet and others. Make sure you have the sound turned up.

Let the good times roll

With October's Tokyo Motor Show approaching quick, the net has been abuzz with rumors, teaser photos, and speculation about upcoming models. Whichever way you look at it, 2008 will be a monumental year for Japanese performance cars. Within the span of a few months we will have an all new Lancer Evolution, Impreza STI, and of course the long-anticipated revival of the Nissan GTR.

Besides the reintroductions of these turbocharged, all wheel drive icons there is speculation that Mazda will show a new rotary powered coupe as well as improvements to the Renesis engine at the show. From Toyota we have the upcoming LF-A supercar as well the AMG and BMW M fighting IS-F. From Honda, besides the brilliant Civic Type R there is the upcoming NSX and S2000 replacements that should be every bit as great as their predecessors. Lastly there are the constant rumors of the return of the Nissan Silvia and a new FR Toyota coupe that will be like a modern AE86.

The early 2000's were not a bright time for Japanese performance cars, with the loss of the Supra, RX7, Silvia, and Skyline GTR. While there have been a few significant models since then (350Z,S2000), many people wondered if the heart of the Japanese performance car was still beating. Now, as we are closing out on first decade of the 21st century it appears that the soul of the Japanese performance car is on it's way back and will be better than ever. I can't wait to see what Japan's tuners and racers will make out of these already amazing machines.

Butter Dogs Racing

In Japan there are several well-known Honda tuners/race teams and their cars often have distinct, recognizable paint/graphics schemes. I'm sure you are familiar with Spoon's blue and yellow fleet of race cars as well as the yellow machines of J's Racing, but I recently came across a Integra with a far more attention-grabbing livery.

I'll let the photo speak for itself-

This DC2 Integra Type R is campaigned by Butter Dogs Racing in various Sunday Race events all over Japan. These events are grassroots, low-budget affairs. No 500hp GTR's or Carbon-bodied S2000's here. The events are dominated by older model Integras, Civics, Roadsters, NA Silvias, and AE86's among others. The racing teams are all close friends or family.

I thought some people might get a laugh from the Butter Dogs team logo. Personally, I think it's f*cking excellent!!

Happy Birthday, Skyline!

In 1957 the first Prince Skyline rolled off the assembly line, and as the years went on it would go on to become arguably, the most iconic Japanese car of all time. Through those years the car would go through many phases, from the the now classic KGC10 and 110 models, to the 90's era supercar-beating GTR's to the current world class luxury sports sedan.

Nissan of Japan has put together a nice page  documenting the evolution of the car through the 12 different models of the past 50 years.  The highlight is a collection of stunning photographs of fully restored, original versions of all 12 models from the '57 Prince Skyline to the current V36 Skyline Sedan. The photos are all available in desktop wallpaper sizes. 

To commemorate this milestone, the city of Musashimurayama in Tokyo is throwing a birthday party of sorts.  On October 27th and 28th Skyline enthusiasts and fans will gather at the site of former Nissan/Prince Murayama Factory to celebrate 50 years of Skyline. The event will bring various models of Skylines to the park at the former site of the factory. Hopefully there will be some photos available after the event.

To the Japanese the Skyline represents the heart and soul of the auto industry and the past 50 years the car has gained recognition all over the world. Happy birthday, Skyline! Here's to another 50 years of  action on the streets and racing circuits of the world!

Vintage Auto Racing at Buttonwillow

Yesterday I headed for Buttonwillow to check out the Vintage Auto Racing Association's (VARA) "Oktoberfest" event. The weather was great with highs in the mid 80s, making it a great day to take in some classic auto racing. As you can see in the picture above, there was a big variety of vintage cars at the track. This event had a special race for German cars, so there was a large number of Porsche 911's, BMW 2002's and even some BMW 3.0CSi's. Besides the German cars, there was a gathering of English -built Ginetta sports cars. I did not know much about these cars before yesterday, but they are amazing cars.  They were available in both front and mid engine, powered by several different engines.

The orange one is the mid-engined G12. I'm not sure if you can see in the picture but these cars are LOW. The top of the roofline was pretty much even with my hip. 

In this photo you can see just how small these things are. I'm not quite sure my 6'2" frame would fit in one of these cars.

This is the front-engined roadster version. I think it's a great looking car.

There were plenty of non-European machines in attendance as well.

It was great to see (and hear) this high dollar Shelby GT350 Mustang out there.

Of course I didn't forget about the vintage Japanese machinery. There were plenty of Datsun 510's present to battle the rival BMW 2002. There was also a Datsun B110 1200, a Fairlady Roadster, and a lone S30Z.

This 510 looks like it was built in tribute to the John Morton BRE cars of the early 70's.

Another one of the many 510's on the track.

Although they were overshadowed in popularity by the 510, the smaller Datsun 1200 powered by the A series engine still had a following among racers. These cars were especially popular in Japan where they were sold as the Nissan Sunny.

I expected to see several S30Z's at Buttonwillow, but this blue & silver car was the only one present.

Here are a couple more photos-

Check out the full album of photos here . VARA holds event all over California and Nevada, so if you want to see vintage machinery being pushed hard on the track, I suggest checking them out. It may not quite be the Monterey Historics, but it's the next best thing.

Fashionable Vintage Japanese Cars?

The other day I was flipping through a copy of People Magazine (don't ask why) when I came across this ad for JC Penney. The first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful red early '70s (TE27/KE25?) Corolla in the background. I always look out for interesting cars in ads and commercials but this one was unexpected. Usually the cars in ads and commercials are old American or European cars. This is one of the first examples I have seen of a vintage Japanese car appearing "fashionable" in a mainstream non-car enthusiast sense.

A couple days later I found another example from across the Pacific. During a Japanese music countdown TV show, they showed a clip from a video by a J-Rock band named FoZZtone. One of the characters in the music video or "PV" ,as they are known in Japan drives a red KGC10 Skyline sedan. The car looks to be lowered and has Watanabe wheels.  Here are a couple frames I grabbed from the video.

The name of the song is taira na sekai. I tried to find the video on YouTube, but it was not there. There is a link to a streaming version here (Japanese Only). It's a good song and a good PV.

Vintage Japanese cars are rising in popularity and "coolness" both in the west and in Japan. It's interesting to see them get more mainstream exposure.

Speed Tribes

"In the chaos, two hot-rodders spun taunting 360s around a cop. A couple of bikers feigned surrender, then high-tailed it over the grassy embankment and onto the highway, leaving the cops standing there with their batons and ticket books."

I'm not sure how many of you read books often, but this past spring I was browsing through my local Barnes & Noble when I came across a book with an interesting title. It's called Speed Tribes by Karl Taro Greenfield and after I bought it, I found it to be quite an interesting read.

It's not really about cars or racing, but it is about the so-called "outsiders" of Japan that are not often covered in typical foreign works on the country. The book consists of a number of chapters, each following a different member of Japanese counter-culture. They include car and bike crazed bosozoku , a motorcycle thief, a porn star, low level yakuza, and a rock band, among others.

If you get the chance, I suggest picking it up. It tells a lot about Japan that you won't hear in typical books about Japanese "culture".

Tuning Powers 07' and Other Stuff

Tuning Powers is a aftermarket industry tuning gathering held every summer in Tokyo, and while not as glitzy or as heavily covered as Tokyo Auto Salon, it features a number of high level cars. The emphasis of the show is more on engineering and mechanical tech than cosmetics. I found a few photos from the show on my friend's blog. He is the owner of the wicked flat black S15 Silvia that was featured in Turbo Magazine recently. Here are a few photos he took, you can see more on his page.

The show has a mixture of classic and modern cars as well as a few imported cars like the RWB Porsches.

There were a number of full race cars as well, such as this BNR34 with the engine relocated to a front-midship configuration.

This drag-tuned S30Z is a US-spec LHD model, and is powered by a naturally aspirated L-series engine making over 300ps. Impressive.

In other news, I added some links to some of my favorite blogs and other spots on the web. Take a look if you haven't seen them yet. I will update it as I find more good suff.

Lastly I just wanted to share this HCR32 Skyline out of Canada that was posted on Ziptied. The ride height, wheel fitment, GT wing, and paint are perfect.

 

Igniton's Monster Hakosuka

At first glance this, KGC10 Skyline 2000GT looks much like many other hakosuka Skylines that can be found within Japan's classic car scene. These cars typically have a mildly tuned L-series engine under the hood and subtle exterior modifications. The only things that give hint to the monster machine that this car is are the large, extra wide wheels and tires and accompanying fender flares.

Osaka-based tuning shop Ignition specializes in all things fast and cool including classic cars, modern sports cars, and motorcycles. This particular car is the owner's pride and joy. It has been built up over the past several years into one of the most heavily modified KGC10's I have ever seen.

First, take a look under the bonnet: 

The car is powered by a GTR-sourced RB26 engine, and although there are other RB-swapped KGC10's around, few are as extreme as this one.

The modifications done to this car include:

-Single Turbo Conversion w/ Massive T78 Turbine

-720CC Injectors/Upgraded Fuel System

-3 Core Radiator

-2 Core Front Mount Intercooler

-Power FC

-One off exhaust system

-Full suspension from an R31 Skyline w/Swift Springs (8K/12K)

-R33 Skyline Transmission w/ Twin Plate Clutch

-ARC Stabilizer Bars

-6 Point Roll Cage

-R33 Skyline Brake Calipers

-FRP Hood, Trunk, Fenders

-Carbon Bucket Seat

-Full Defi Gauges

-The exterior is painted in the famous "Bayside Blue" from the BNR34 Skyline.

Check out Ignition's web page for the full build-up of the car. I love the way this car is done. It has tough, all buisness look to it. It is not a show car, but something made to be driven hard. When I travel to Osaka I can't wait to get a good look at this thing up close, and maybe see what it feels like to ride in a fully tuned monster kyu-sha!

Keep on Truckin' err... Driftin'

Cheap?....Check

FR drivetrain ?....Check

Plentiful?....Check

Light weight?....Check

Simple and reliable?....Check

Variety of engine swap choices?....Check

All of the above are characteristics of an ideal drift car, except in this case I'm not talking about cars at all. In the 80's and 90's Japanese auto companies sold thousands upon thousands of mini-trucks in the US (and all over the world) and when you look at it, they offer a ton of potential as drift machines. The popularity of drifting in the US has lead to sky-high prices for traditional drifting platforms like the 240SX and the AE86. Besides the high prices, one look at your local Craigslist will show the large number of molested, poorly modified examples of these cars. While a pick-up truck may not seem like the best choice for drifting, the July issue of Drift Tengoku showed a couple Nissan mini-trucks that have been transformed into full fledged drift machines, and manage to look damn cool while doing it.

Built by Garage Miniz , on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, these two pickups have been tuned in the same style usually reserved for Silvias and Chasers.

The Red truck is a '92 D21 long bed (Hardbody in the US) and is powered by an SR20DET with an AXB60 turbine. It is has massive suspension/chassis work as well, including a narrowed rear end, and S13 Silvia steering components. The ultra-low ride height and 18x9J and 10J Work Meisters complete give it an aggressive look on the outside.

The white truck, an '85 Datsun/Nissan 720 is even more extreme. It is powered by an RB26DETT from a Skyline GTR, and as if that wasn't enough the turbine is a single RX6. The factory live axle+leaf spring rear suspension was ditched for that of an S13 and the brakes are from a Lancer Evolution. The radiator is mounted in the bed, along with a fuel cell and roll bar. The wheels are Work Emotion CR Kai. I won't go too far into the technical stuff, but if you want to learn more try to get a hold of the July issue of dori-ten.

Even though these examples are from Japan, mini-trucks were not big sellers there, as people generally prefer tiny kei-trucks or vans.  The US however, is full of used mini-trucks that can be picked up for next to nothing, so I wonder if more people will consider these pickups as potential drift machines.  Although they do not have the aftermarket support of something like an S13, they do have their advantages including the ability to carry a ton of tires to the track, low price and high availability, and if you can find a diesel model you will not have to worry about smog testing in California. I know there was one guy drifting an orange Mitsubishi pickup in the US, but other than that I don't recall seeing anything else.
Who knows, maybe someday when all the AE86's and S13's are either wrecked or have become collector's items, drift events will be filled with SR and RB powered Hardbodies and 1JZ powered Toyota trucks. If anyone is in need inspiration,the Garage Miniz shows just how cool drift trucks can be.