July 10-Soldier Field, Chicago

Photos: Brad Sillars, Brian Jarocki, Jason Kiang, & Matt Magnino

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Jul 10 Chicago, IL- A new Performance car show debuted this year at Soldier Field, Chicago. The show was organized by the original founder of Hot Import Nights, and the original founder of the NCCA and F4 Challenge. Due to overwhelming support for their judging practices last year at D1GP, they have decided to debut the show here in Chicago instead of the West Coast! With the national show scene in a difficult spot, this was Chicago’s chance to shine and show the Nation, and shine we did!  The car was a grand success with 302 cars registered for the event and hundreds of attendees.

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Matt’s Pics

June 26-27-USAIR in Shawano, WI

Photos: Kevin (Nachtmensch)

Midwest All-Star bash took place at the infamous USA International Raceway Shawano, WI. Two days of rad drifting.

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Squeaky Clean

James Tingley’s 2002 Honda Integra/Acura RSX Type-S

Words: Raymond Wu
Photos: Ginash George

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There are cars that have embedded themselves into history because of many different traits. Some cars are penned into the pages of history due to their speed. Some cars receive the distinction from its looks. But some cars receive the honor because they become the visage of an entire culture and lifestyle. The Honda Integra is one of those cars. In the last 20 years, the Honda Integra is one of the cars that defined the import tuning culture as a whole. The Integra is a car that has represented anyone from track junkies to SoCal trendsetters. James Tingley’s Honda Integra (Acura RSX) is a perfect example of how the car reflects a particular culture. In this case, his car is a perfect example of the tastes and styles of the JDM community.

Owner James is probably better known for his fondness of yellow cars having modified an Eclipse followed by a CRX for the show circuit. Being burnt out from years of building these two show cars, James looked into building a balanced daily driver. Searching around, he found a Nighthawk Black Pearl Honda Integra DC5 in Atlanta with nearly the full Comptech catalog dealer-installed. After driving it back to Chicago, the work began on turning the iconic Integra into the perfect daily driver.

James list of planned mods were quickly fulfilled in four months starting with the wheels. White Advan RCIIs shod in Nitto tires were the first to be installed on the car quickly followed by Powerslot rotors and Spoon Sports monoblock calipers. What followed were Tein Flex coilovers to give the DC5 a proper stance while other supplementary parts such as camber arms, tie rod ends and a front strut bar aids in tuning the suspension to James’ preferences.

In the engine bay the DC5’s already formidable K20 was supplemented by a Jackson Racing supercharger. Air is supplied by a custom carbon pipe feeding an ARC intake box. The aforementioned factory installed Comptech components in the engine bay consists of headers and exhaust. Visually, the engine was then dressed up with carbon fiber valve and plug covers along with various Spoon accessories. Getting the 270HP from the engine to the wheels is an upgraded 6-speed row-your-own transmission with an Exedy lightweight flywheel and ceramic clutch. The LSD from a Type-R DC5 and a modified J’s Racing torque damper were added to aid in traction.

Moving to the car’s exterior, James decided to keep his Integra clean and simple. Aftermarket components include a Chargespeed front bumper cover, side skirts and rear lip. A Seibon carbon fiber hood replaced the stock one. James then swapped in the ’05 Integra headlights for a smoother heads-on look. An authentic DC5 Type-R rear spoiler was added to complete the car’s exterior. The result is surprisingly aggressive without being exuberant. The Integra’s clean lines were kept intact while all the JDM goodies differentiate this Integra from a vanilla one.

But James doesn’t stop there with the JDM goodies. Inside, authentic DC5 Type-R front seats produced by Recaro were sourced and installed. These seats offer better support while weighing less than the normal Integra seats – perfect for the track while still being comfortable for daily use. Another Type-R item found inside is the Momo steering wheel whose smaller size and tactile feedback provide an improved feel. Type-R door sills also found their way inside along with other dress up items including a Skunk2 shift knob and Integra door sills. An Autometer boost gauge allows James to keep tabs on the amount of power his supercharger is putting out.

James has long finished his Integra despite the fact that it has never been repainted yellow. The car hasn’t been touched in the last two years and James is looking into NSXs and Elises for a new project car. Nevertheless, his Integra DC5 represents a particular style of modding and tuning. James attention to detail and his selection of JDM goods create an Integra that offers excellent street performance and an improved clean look while retaining comfort. So while DC5s are relatively commonplace on the streets of the Chi, James took the iconic Integra and turned it into something entirely his and his alone.

-JDM Chicago

Modifications List

Wheels/Tires:

• Advan RCII rims, 18 x 8.5 + 31
• Nitto Neo Gen tires, 215 40 R18
• Volk lug nuts “long”

Brakes:

• Spoon monoblock calipers
• Powerslot rotors with custom dimpling (14”F/12”R)

Suspension:

• Tein Flex coilovers
• T1R inverted tie rod ends
• Mugen front strut bar
• SPC rear camber arms

Engine and Transmission:

• Jackson Racing supercharger (4″ pulley)
• ARC intake box
• Custom made carbon intake tube
• Vision carbon manifold cover (modfied to fit w/supercharger)
• Password JDM plug cover
• Tein hood dampers
• Hondata intake manifold gasket
• Type R valve cover
• Spoon oil / radiator caps and socks
• Comptech “shorty” header
• Comptech cat back exhaust
• “Brando” bracket (belt tensioner)
• J’s Racing torque damper (modified to fit w/supercharger)
• Exedy light weight flywheel
• Exedy 3 puck ceramic clutch
• Type-R LSD

Exterior:

• ‘05 headlight conversion – OEM Honda w/8000k HID
• ChargeSpeed front bumper cover
• ChargeSpeed sides and rear lip
• Seibon carbon hood
• Type-R spoiler
• S2000 marker lights

Interior:

• Type-R Recaro seats
• Vision lowered seat rails (driver side)
• Type R door inserts
• Autometer boost gauge
• Integra door sills
• Type R steering wheel
• Skunk 2 shift knob
• Iphone dock directly linked into the head unit

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Victor’s R35 GTR

Words: Mark Waterman
Photos: Ginash George

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If you gathered a group of Japanese import enthusiasts In the late 1990s, mentioning a handful of cars would spark instant conversation.  Among them would be the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and the almighty Nissan Skyline GT-R.  All three were born out of four-door family sedans and have been performance enhanced from the factory. All three are all-wheel-drive and all three use turbocharged motors.  But most importantly, all three were unavailable in US dealerships.  With the SUV craze in full swing, Japanese sports cars that were available in the US like the Toyota Supra, Nissan 300ZX and the Mazda RX-7 were pulled from the American market.  Fortunately for us, Fuji Heavy Industries saw fit to bless us with the WRX for the 2002 model year followed by the STi for the 2004 model year.  With the success of those cars, Mitsubishi followed suit with the Evolution VIII for the 2003 model year.  But the most coveted of them all, the all mighty Godzilla, was still missing from the US shores.  Finally, in 2008 the GT-R was unleashed onto US shores as arguably one of the most anticipated automotive releases in recent memory.

When the specs for the new GT-R were released, it became immediately obvious that this new generation GT-R, dubbed the R35, was a radical departure from the previous GT-Rs.  First off, the R35 was not merely a factory souped up Skyline which is known as the Infiniti G35/G37 in the US. The R35 is its own model engineered and built from a clean slate.  This car was built to play with the big boys from Stuttgart, Maranello and Sant’Agata Bolognese.  The GT-R quickly proved itself by setting the fastest lap by a production car at the infamous Nordschleife.  It was traits like these that inspired Victor Arellano to purchase his Nissan GT-R in 2009.

What really stood out to Victor was the shape of the GT-R.  It looks exotic like its Italian rivals, but has its own very distinct shape. People either love it or hate it.  Non automotive enthusiasts have a hard time believing that a Japanese company known more for their family sedans could design such a car.  Under the hood of Godzilla is the VR38DETT: a 3.8L twin turbo monster.  Each motor is hand built in a clean room and is rated at around 480 horsepower and 430 ft-lbs of torque.  The potent engine coupled with the newest generation ATTESA E-TS all wheel drive system and a 6-speed semi-automatic transmission allows the car to sprint to 60 MPH in the mid 3-second range and passes the century mark in under 10 seconds.  The ease of acceleration of this beast was what impressed Victor the most on his first drive with the car.

At first his plans for the car consisted of what most performance junkies would tinker with first: wheels, suspension, exhaust, and some carbon body pieces.  However after putting a Pro-Kit suspension on the car, Victor discovered that it took away from the car’s smoothness.  So the stock suspension went back on and Victor recommends that any other R35 owner resist tinkering with Nissan engineers’ already near-perfect design.  The stock wheels were replaced with a set of HRE Performance Comp 90 Series rims.  The spokes are powder coated charcoal with the lips highly polished for a beautiful contrast.  For the carbon fiber goodies, Victor has added bonnet air ducts, a front lip spoiler, front grill, front fender vents, a rear under spoiler, side skirts, a radiator shroud, and engine cover all sourced from Zele.  For the exhaust, Victor has chosen to use an Amuse titanium exhaust coupled with a stainless steel Race Spec Y-pipe.

While the GT-R rolls out of the factory with more than enough power for most, Victor would like to squeeze more from the power plant.  He plans to do this through upgraded turbos and a front mount intercooler.  Then, after getting a new tune to most effectively use the new parts, he’ll assess where he is and decide where to go from there.  Until then he’ll keep on with the weekend cruising and participating in car shows, all while turning heads everywhere he goes.  Special thanks goes out to Victor’s family, Abraham, the general manager of Palm Springs Nissan, Greg from GT Motoring, and Cesar Marungo for introducing him to JDM Chicago.

-JDM Chicago

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JDMC 2010 Kick Off Meet!

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Photos: Ginash George

JDM Chicago held it’s first meet on Sunday May 2nd.  A good variety of cars and overall good vibe. Enjoy the Pics and See you at the next one!

The 36th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, CA

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Photos: Brad Sillars and Jeremy Cliff

Brad and Jeremy attended the 36th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Friday, April 16 through Sunday, April 18. The race takes place on the streets of downtown Long Beach surrounding the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and encompassing the Aquarium of the Pacific and a portion of the Pike at Rainbow Harbor complex. The start/finish line is on Shoreline Drive. The weekend event draws about 175,000 spectators each year, making it one of the largest paid spectator special events in Southern California. The main events were race #4 of the IZOD Indy car series, race #2 of the ALMS series, round #2 of the Formula Drift Team Challenge series, Race #3 of the FIL (Firestone Indy Lights) series, and Race #2 for the World Challenge SCCA Pro Championships.

Race Weekend Schedule

Thursday, April 15
In the evening, Tecate Thursday Thunder on Pine Avenue. Festival includes motorcycle jumping, pit stop demonstrations and the Tecate Miss Toyota Grand Prix Pageant.

Friday, April 16
Practice and qualifying sessions for all races; Team Drifting demonstrations; Tecate Light Fiesta Friday Concert.

Saturday, April 17
Three race events: Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach race and Team Drifting Challenge. Practice and qualifying for IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, World Challenge; Tecate Light Rock-N-Roar Concert.

Sunday, April 18
Four race events: 36th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach IndyCar race, Firestone Indy Lights race, SCCA Pro World Challenge race and Team Drifting Challenge.

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Spring Z

Tanya’s 2010 Update

Words: Ginash George
Photos: Jeremy Cliff

You may remember Tanya’s car from a former feature. Well, she’s back with a new stance and look. Here is a brief update on the hotness. An aggressive transformation that rivals any car that claims to be low.

-JDM Chicago

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Some of Our Local Gems

Words: Ginash George
Photos: A crapload of people

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No doubt Chicago has a variety of well done cars.  Since the winter has pretty much shut down most action in the Midwest, we challenged some of the local photographers to send us some quality pictures of some of their local favorites. With dozens of cars to choose from, these were our top 24- All local to the Chicagoland area. Cars were chosen based on uniqueness, picture quality, and overall variety.

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Kickin’ It Old School

Muhammad Akbar’s 1981 Toyota Starlet

Words: Raymond Wu
Photos: Ginash George

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If you were asked to name a modern hot hatch, it shouldn’t be difficult. Cars such as the Mazdaspeed 3 and the Volkswagen GTI define what modern hot hatches are. But say it was the 1980s and you were asked the same question. How might you answer differently?

Muhammad Akbar’s most likely response would be his beloved Toyota Starlet. For those that aren’t well acquainted with the Starlet, it was a small hatch Toyota manufactured from 1973 to 1999. The car was only imported stateside from 1980 to 1984. It was designed to be a highly efficient and reliable commuter. The Starlet came with a gas-sipping 1.3L engine but was surprisingly nimble thanks to its 1700lb curb weight and short wheelbase. For the penny-pinchers, the EPA estimate of 38 miles to the gallon within the city was impressive. The less stingy consumers will notice the fact that the Starlet came with standard features such as an AM/FM radio and reclining bucket seats – normally found in cars costing much more than the Starlet. All these make the Starlet sound like an amazingly efficient little hatch indeed. But is it a hot hatch?

Here’s a hint: the answer is no. The Starlet is a small reliable and efficient commuter car. It’ll take a bit of work to transform it into a hot hatch. Luckily, owner Muhammad is an old-school JDM man who knows a thing or two about transforming these old commuters into something a bit quicker.

Muhammad was always a fan of old-school JDM. But after seeing the N2 widebody Starlets racing in Japan, he knew he had to have one. Muhammad rescued this particular Starlet about 3 years ago from San Diego. Unlike cars in the Midwest, the California climate doesn’t turn cars into rust buckets. Still all those years had an effect on the Starlet in the form of a blown head gasket. Yet miraculously, the car was able to limp to LA before Muhammad’s friend shipped it to Chicago. Once the car was in Muhammad’s possession work began. The interior has been stripped bare before the whole chassis was repainted in Honda’s distinctive Championship White. Afterwards, an Autopower roll bar was installed to improve structural rigidity and protect Muhammad from mishaps in gymkhana sessions. The end result was a transformation from a worn and faded little hatch to a stiff and clean little hatch.

But a hot hatch isn’t hot without a spicy engine. Now that the car’s chassis was back in shape, the normal question to ask is: What about power? From the get-go, Muhammad knew that he wanted the venerable 4A-GE to be the heart powering his Starlet. He chose to go with the 16-valve 4A-GE paired with custom made 20-valve individual throttle bodies from an AE111 4A-GE. HKS cam gears allow Muhammad to fine tune how the engine felt with stock cams. The entire engine was then secured into the Starlet by a unique set of Ace Engineering engine mounts.

Surprisingly, the suspension hasn’t been modified to an extreme considering that the car is almost 30 years old. TRD adjustable shocks are paired with TRD springs to accentuate the nimble and responsiveness the car naturally displays in stock form. A custom made rear anti-roll roll bar allows the car to easily get sideways that is absolutely necessary for gymkhana. Front roll center adjusters keep the suspension geometry in check.

Moving to the outside of the car, Muhammad’s goal was to keep the car clean. JDM front and rear bumpers along with JDM mounted mirrors were hunted down and installed with minimal modifications. The only non-OEM part that appears on the exterior of the car is a rare Foha front lip. The interior had already been stripped clean, but every car must have essentials. Yet again, rare JDM goodies were sourced and installed. A Tom’s Racing steering wheel and TRD bucket seats with harness found their way into the Starlet.

Muhammad’s meticulous attention to detail has produced an extremely clean and rare gem. Under his supervision, an old commuter Starlet was transformed into an old-school hot hatch. With its short wheelbase and a 4A-GE powering the rear wheels, the Starlet is perfectly adept at tackling gymkhana and autocross courses. And unlike other purpose-built track cars, the Starlet is a little bit more low-key. The simple exterior won’t cause many lookers until the Starlet starts doing its magic around a preset course. Then, all the WRX and Silvia drivers will look in awe and wonder what that diminutive little white monster is slithering around the track. Most probably won’t know. But for Muhammad, that’s part of the allure of the Starlet. No modern hot hatch has the killer combination of simple and fast. It is those defining features that separate this particular Starlet from other hot hatches.

Mod List:

Motor: 16valve 4A-GE; HKS cam gears; 20V AE111 individual throttle-bodies; custom velocity stacks; Ace Engineering motor mounts; custom equal length header Drivetrain T50 transmission; short-throw shifter; custom tranny mount; custom driveshaft; custom harness with OEM Toyota ECU

Suspension: TRD adjustable struts, shocks and springs; custom sway bar

Brakes: OEM with Hawk pads

Wheels/Tires: 13×7″ RS Watanabe R-Type rims; Sumitomo tires 175/50R13

Exterior: JDM side mirrors, JDM S grille and ‘78-79 JDM short bumpers; Foha front lip; shaved front and rear sidemarkers; fog lights

Interior: Bride Tom’s steering wheel; old school TRD race seats and harnesses; Autopower rollbar

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Your Average Scooter

Nick Weir’s 2003 Honda Ruckus

Words: Mark Waterman
Photos: Matt Magnino

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What has two wheels, a seat, a small motor and is something that you won’t be embarrassed to be caught riding? Everyone will have their own unique response, but in this case it would be Nick Weir’s 2003 Honda Ruckus. The first question that may pop up: What exactly is a Ruckus? No – it’s not a lawnmower motor with a seat. Nor is it Honda’s answer for the Smart ForTwo. The Honda Ruckus is actually a motor scooter powered by a single cylinder 4-stroke engine displacing 49cc. Like most forms of transportation Honda builds, there are as many ways to modify this scooter as there are a Civic. Thus, a cornerstone of the Ruckus lifestyle is crafting a unique and personalized look for your scooter.

It is this distinctive lifestyle that attracted Nick to the Ruckus. After wanting a Ruckus for a couple of years, Nick finally got the opportunity to own one in July of this year. To acquire the Ruckus, he traded his 2000 Integra GSR for the scooter. While this may seem like an odd trade, the car was bought as theft recovery car that he intended to fix up. When the opportunity presented itself, the car had been sitting idly for two months. The decision was easy, and soon the scooter replaced the Integra in Nick’s garage.

When he took possession of the scooter, it had already had a few modifications. But Nick felt that they didn’t quite fit his style. The motor had previously been replaced with a GY6 motor that displaces 150cc. The frame had been painted the same Tahitian green from EF Civics. The Ruckus also had a handful of parts from NCY including a rear coilover, lowered seat frame, clutch spring, header, roller weights, and a titanium BMC cover. Controlling the power is a NCY throttle linked to the motor with a blue throttle cable for the GY6. From that base, Nick decided it was time for his own modifications to turn the scooter from a customized Ruckus to Nick’s customized Ruckus. On the lighting side of things, Kijima amber front turn signals, and a rear taillight from a Yamaha R1 were added to the Ruckus. Nick then swapped out the front brake setup with a carbon fiber and titanium kit from NCY. As with most Hondas, the lower the better. So, the front spring was cut to lower the front end. To better the performance, a new velocity stack from Stage 6 was installed. Bits from PWJDM were also installed including a carbon fiber air scoop, carbon fiber gas tank cover, foot pegs, and stem kit. Keeping tabs on the bike is a Koso digital gauge. Contact with the road is accomplished with a Michelin Bopper tire in the front and a Cheng tire in the rear.

Initially, the Ruckus was intended as transportation to and from work for Nick. It also had the distinction of being pit transportation for the Redline time attack team. But after going on a series of cruises with local Ruckus enthusiasts, Nick realized that his Ruckus was far from done. Some of the other Ruckus owners had much quicker scooters. Not wanting to be left behind, Nick decided that a new 180cc big bore motor would be on the slate for the winter. Also to be done this winter is repair frame repair and reinforcement after it cracked on one of the Ruckus cruises. Nick is also planning on lowering the scooter even further. Even though he has only had the scooter for a few months, Nick has already given his own twist on it with the help of Totalruckus.com, the Seen It! Crew, and GT Motoring. If you happen to come across Nick, or any other Ruckus rider, stop them and ask them about their ride. While there may never be two Ruckuses that look the same, they do all share one commonality: Every rider loves their little Honda scooters.

-JDM Chicago

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