Fabel’s Miata is probably one of the lowest static cars I’ve ever seen in person. More on this car in the future. Photo by JDMC Photog, Matt Magnino.
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Limited Edition JDMC Hoodies- Available for Pre-Order NOW! Multiple color options and styles are available. Check out the JDMC forums for ordering info by clicking here. Remember these are limited, so get them before it’s too late!
Words & Photography: Ginash George (Synth19 Photos) Click here to discuss the pics/feature on the forums! The thing that sucks about living in Chicago is that everything pretty much dies in the winter. I’m not just talking about cars, but life just seems to slow down. I mean,can you you blame us? With snow and freezing temps, all you want to do is stay indoors. Just when I thought I was done with most of my shoots for the year, Tan hit me up on JDMC. I spoke to Tan months ago when he first picked up this lovely set of Work Meister S1′s from my friend Jason. Unfortunately, he wasn’t really able to enjoy the wheels for too long due to an unfortunate “pot hole incident.” After speaking to several wheel repair shops who said they could not fix the wheel, Tan decided to send the wheels to the good guys at Rotiform. They stepped up to the plate and ordered a new rim and refinished the set. Originally fitted on an Acura TL, the 19×9-19×10 Work Meister S1′s were redrilled,and back pads shaved down for et:27(f) and 32(r). Rotiform also refinished the lips to a brilliant chrome with a matte silver center.
As you can see from the above diptych, fitment is on point! Obviously this is achieved with a air bag suspension system. Tan went through various suspension setups, but settled on a full Airlift air ride system.
Here’s a nice side profile of Tan’s B6 S4 which highlights the amazing stance. Tan has had his S4 for a few years now, but it took him about three months to locate this beauty in Nebraska. You’ll notice some very subtle mods, which is not by chance. Tan has a very clean “modding style.” As a car that needs literally nothing, Tan went with that theme and chose modifications that only enhanced the original lines of the car.
Thanks Tan again for the opportunity to shoot you S4. Hopefully we’ll have another opportunity to shoot this car in the future and focus on the interior/motor/etc. See below for more high res pics. We’ll close out this small feature with a quick mod list: Exterior: Interior: Suspension/Wheels/Brakes: Go Parts: -jdmchicago Gallery (click for high res images):
Words & Photography: Ginash George (Synth19 Photos) Click here to discuss the pics/feature on the forums! Introduced by Toyota in 1966,the Corolla has become a household name with millions of sales to date. With various models and trims in its vast repertoire, one particular model stands out- the AE86. Many enthusiasts covet the fifth generation Corolla due to its RWD configuration and light-weight body. Perhaps the last Corolla with “soul,” the production was short-lived and lasted from 1983-1987. It’s down to diehard fans such as Luis Colon that still revere this car and keep its tradition alive. As a youth,Luis became a connoisseur of the Corolla. I was shocked to hear that he started with a 1.8 3TC Corolla at the age of 13! He eventually moved on to several other Corolla models before obtaining the “Holy Grail” of Corollas in 2003. Luis was lucky in finding this particular AE86 in almost perfect condition. Having another project in the works,Luis did not rush the Hachi build.
In Japan,the AE86 was offered as the Corolla Levin (fixed light) or Sprinter Trueno (pop-ups). Luis converted his North American Corolla GT-S to as close as possible to its Japanese counterpart. You’ll notice the Trueno aero,as well as other small details that give this Corolla the proper JDM aesthetics.
As much as Luis wanted to keep the car original,he knew that the car could use a bit more pep. The original engine was replaced with the 4A-GE 20 valve motor imported from a 1992 Toyota Trueno. This “Silvertop”motor is a good choice. It has a reputation for being a solid engine with well designed individual throttle bodies. However,the original 42mm throttle bodies were swapped out for the 45mm variant from the “Blacktop”4A-GE.
The front hood and rear hatch were replaced by light weight carbon fiber pieces. Wheels choice was the aggressive 15″SSR MK II’s wrapped in Falken tires,with its stance achieved by Techno Toy Coilovers. Other notable modifications include a Supra LSD and an upgraded ACT extreme clutch.
Although Luis is fairly happy with his build,he plans on a few more things down the road. In the future,he plans on upgrading his brakes,suspension,and motor. That’s right- he is considering anther motor swap. The Altezza 3SGE Beams engine has been on his radar for a few years now. Coincidentally, Nobuaki Katayama (chief engineer behind the Toyota Alteeza),has roots with the AE86. We’d like to thank Luis for the opportunity to showcase our first AE86! Luis really would like to thank his family and friends for supporting his Corolla obsession. He knows that building a classic can be frustrating at times,but offers some advice to his Toyota brothers- ”Don’t ever give up with your passion. It’s easy to build a newer car,but if you stay patient and believe in yourself,you too can achieve your goals.” -jdmchicago Gallery (click for high res images): Words: Ginash George Click here to discuss the pics/feature on the forums! Last weekend we met up with Ming from Fizz Autosports to shoot his Infiniti M35x. If you guys remember, Ming’s Nissan S15 was one of our first shoots back in 2009 when we first started this site/blog. It’s only fitting that one of our last shoots of 2011 is this spectacular Fuga conversion. Ming has had this car for several years now and it’s probably one of the nicest VIP builds in Chicago. Stripped of its original Infiniti tags, this Y50 Fuga turned dozens of heads as we drove around the city for this shoot.
This rear shot by Nick shows off some recent pin striping work, a nice VIP detail. You’ll also notice some 5-Zigen cans which give the subtle Junction Produce kit an aggressive finish. Fuga and Junction Produce badges add a touch of personalization.
Can Ming really drive this low? Yep! We drove around the city at this ride height, only needing to raise the car when confronted by pot holes, speed bumps, and other obstructions. This adjustability is possible compliments of Air Runner, arguably the finest plug and play air ride systems on the market. Weds Vishunu 20×10 +12 all around are tucked under perfectly pulled front/rear fenders.
I really like the shot above because you can really see the aggressiveness of the front camber. The Nissan front grill is a necessary add-on to complete the Fuga conversion. The front fog lamps are supplied by Junction Produce.
The finish on the wheels flow nicely with the Junction Produce stainless pillars. If you’re noticing a theme here, you’re right! I think every possible product from Junction Produce was purchased for this car. See below for the mod list if you don’t believe me.
One item neglected by many of the VIP builds are the brakes. Ming did some fancy work by exchanging the factory brakes with the Brembo kit from an Evo X. Overall, this build is simple and clean. Nothing really over the top, but planned carefully from the get-go. Ming doesn’t have too many future plans but you may see some new wheels as well as custom interior and audio work for 2012. Thanks for checking out this post and be sure to scroll down for more pics! Mod List: Gallery:             Our good friends Mike and Brad collaborated on a pretty rad photoshoot and video. Although I have yet to meet the owner of this fine machine, it has definitely been on my radar. We love supporting two dudes who have been great collaborators to JDMC, so it was a no-brainer to post this here and give them some love. Check out the new fresh vid below, and also don’t forget to check out the new Photomotive site re-launch for a write-up of the car, and tons of great pics! UMG x Photomotive:‘Project X’370Z from Unscene Media on Vimeo. Pics & Words: Ginash George (Synth19 photo) About a month ago or so I was contacted by Zack from Wisconsin who wanted me to shoot his car before he stored it for the winter. It seems like everyone is a photographer these days, so I don’t take it for granted when people ask me to shoot their cars. One cool thing about automotive photography is learning about the owner, and also about why the particular platform and mods were chosen. After all, we are auto enthusiasts first.
Here’s a rear shot that really demonstrates how clean Zack’s car is. I tried to really get some nice light on the wheels here- TC105N 17×9” +25 wheel from WedSport. An OEM A-Spec kit flows perfectly with this Type- S, stanced with Buddy Club N+ Coilovers.
I called this pic “Run from the Sun” on my FLICKR. Thought the lighting came out cool as Zack entered a viaduct on 290. It’s the small details that makes a good build, a GREAT one- JDM Type R badges, a PasswordJDM front tow hook, pulled fenders, as well as a Top One splitter with connecting rods. You may also notice a Noribilt Aftercooler Core sheepishly hidden between the JDM Type-R Yellow Fog Lights.
Zack has had his 2005 DC5 for only three years. In the short time he’s had the car, he’s modded it like no tomorrow. An unfortunate incident resulted in the death of the original K20Z1. With his back against a corner, Zack looked at the positive side of things and knew that this would be a good opportunity to upgrade. A 2005 K24A2 was chosen to replace the original motor, and later a Jackson Racing Supercharger was installed. Unfortunately an improper tune resulting in yet another motor replacement. This time Zack went with a 2007 K24A2 as pictured above. The torque on this beast is something amazing- She makes 243 ft-lbs at 2700 rpms.
A side profile shot,simply clean!
Zack decided to go with a full ITR interior with the red Recaros, doors, carpet, center console, and pedals. He also has a rare AUDM Type-S cluster only found in Australia. After two years of searching and waiting, he finally got his hands on one. The interior is also fitted with a harness bar, Cusco B pillars, C-pillar, mid bar, and a rear strut bar. I literally had to crawl through the trunk and fit myself between the rear harness bar to take this shot. Good thing I’m flexible.
One last shot for you to preview,more in the gallery below. Thanks again for checking out this feature and thanks again to Zack for the opportunity! Gallery (click for high res images):              ![\](http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6095/6275121102_386cb6bf66_s.jpg "\")
Photos & Words: Ginash George (Synth19 Photo) Click here to discuss this car on the forums! Any Honda/Acura NSX enthusiast has seen Jeff’s car in one form or another. With over 170,000 views on his original build thread on NSXPRIME, the attention Jeff has received on the forum is equivalent to a viral YouTube video. Fans of innovation,read on… Jeff purchased his NSX in 2005. Having always been a “German car guy,” the NSX was immediately appreciated from a random test drive. Jeff knew then and there that he had to have an NSX. Within three months, Jeff found a perfect ’91 with only 55k miles. The purchase reaffirmed the reason he started his search in the first place: acquiring a vehicle with perfect balance and exotic looks. Within no time, a vision carefully crafted by his imagination slowly came into play. One thing I learned about Jeff is that his M.O. is doing things differently in order to harness his creativity. The fab work on his original rear bumper turned quite a few heads in the mid-2000′s. Inspired by the Novitec F430, Jeff skillfully created a one-off mold that went into production for his own car. Fast-forward 5 years later- Jeff decided to re-do his original rear bumper, which is now more JGTC inspired. I think he really nailed the look here. It looks super aggressive and flows so well with the rest of the kit.
So here we have your standard rolling shot. Cool NSX right? Standard Sorcery Widebody right? NOPE! Look closely and you’ll notice some impressive customization that literally rocked my world the first time I saw Jeff’s version 2.1 build. Not only did Jeff rebuild the rear bumper and diffuser, but he removed the outer B-pillar and turned it into a 6 window coupe with an aggressive sloped belt line. Usually this kind of idea ends horribly. But not in this case.
Above is another rear shot to give you guys additional appreciation of the customization to the rear. Jeff changed the geometry of the roof to make it look longer and aggressive. The factory hatch/glass was replaced with polycarbonate,a lightweight alternative to glass. Jeff is still researching some options for the motor, but more then likely, will go with an ITB setup with a functional roof intake and plenum.
Jeff’s car was originally red, but the white you see here is a temporary vinyl wrap. He is still debating on a final color choice, but once that is done the small details such as the hood,and door jams will be painted accordingly. Take a look at the fender liner on the right. Seriously? Carbon/Kevlar liners?! Who does that?! A true BOSS.
A side profile shot. The body is a combination of production parts (Front Fenders:Sorcery, Hood:Route KS, Rockers:Sorcery, Rear Quarters:Sorcery) and the custom pieces made by Jeff himself.
The interior is a hybrid of the original styling covered in modern Alcantara and soft leather. Seats are from Downforce and utilize OEM power sliders. The electronics are something that is truly a marvel. All pieces are factory Acura components (sourced from an RDX) and are fully integrated into the car. This includes all the hands free BlueTooth, navigation, rear-view camera, and audio. The late model Civic steering wheel has been modified with the RDX controls for the BlueTooth and audio functions. The goal was to cover all the modern amenities and make it look like they are all supposed to be there. Well done sir, well done!
Advan RS’s are wrapped with a set of Continental Sports. The innovation of the body and interior didn’t just end there- you’ll also notice a set of Brembo front and rear brakes retrofitted from a 2005 VW Touareg. These are the same as the brakes used on the Porsche Cayanne.
Hard to capture here, but the work done on the Route KS hood includes some pretty nice custom ducts as well as additional customization to map the airflow.
That Sorcery center exit exhaust sounds incredible. Especially when VTEC kicks in, yo! Thanks again for checking out this feature and I cannot wait to see more stuff from Jeff. Be on the lookout for future updates as this build continues! -jdmchicago Mod list: Wheels Rear Advan RS 19″x 10″ Brakes Front Rear Brakes Gallery (click for high res images):               
Gallery (click for high res):               So here we conclude our Black 2 Coverage. Chicago wants to thank the Liberty crew for providing such a great show, and making us feel @ home. We’ll be sure to be back next year, and hope to even bring a few more homies from Chi to join us. Here are a few more pics and of course, yet another gallery at the end of this post!
Thanks again for checking out our Black 2 Coverage! Gallery (Ray’s Pics):                                                   |           | ||||
Touge Factory’s Four-Six Customs Rocket Bunny widebody s13 had it’s coming out party at Wekfest/Chicago. Arguably the highlight of the show, the buzz is still apparent even months after its debut. Local Photog, 
Plenty of nice wheels on display at Black 2. Here is the popular Kranze Bazreia from Weds/
First Gen Infiniti Q45/G50 rocking a set of negative 1 million Work Equips.
GS430 with Luxury Abstract three piece forged wheels
