|
||||
|
“Mini” is somewhat of a running joke because these meets are always well attended. JDMC started these events with around 30-40 cars, but has now grown to several hundred cars at these “mini” events. Here are some pics and a vid from last week’s mini-meet by Mike from Unscene Media. JDMC Mini-Meet @ 5 Guys Burgers 7.14.11 JDM Chicago Mini-Meet (7.15.2011) from Unscene Media on Vimeo.
Simple PhysicsRaymond Leung’s 2008 Mitsubishi Evo X Words: Mark Waterman Discuss this car on the forums by clicking here!
Force = Mass x Acceleration, or F=m*a. It’s the most basic formula in physics, and with a little rearranging, you can determine the acceleration of an object by dividing applied forces by the object’s mass, resulting in a=F/m. So in order to increase the acceleration of an object, such as an automobile, you need to either increase the force from the motor or reduce its mass or you can select to do both. Automotive companies usually use weight reduction in addition increasing power to go racing. However, as seen in cars of the 1960s it works just as well to take a small car and shove the biggest motor available under the hood, and boom! You have a performance model. The Pontiac GTO is a prime example of this. Nearly all automotive makers have done this at some point, but few have had garnered the world wide love and devotion of Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution. In the current generation, a base Lancer makes 148hp from a 2.0L motor. The fire breathing cousin that is the Evolution X however, eats the road with 291hp and 300 lb*ft of torque to all four wheels.
The first goal with the new Evo was to pay it off as soon as possible, and with most of his extra income going towards that, it left little for modifications. Once the car was paid off, what little money he had left was spent on an aftermarket exhaust system. With the desire to gain some extra power and small increase in sound, an HKS Hi Power catback exhaust system was installed. Unfortunately, instead of a slight noise increase, Ray got what sounded like a full race exhaust bombing down the street. While he admits he got compliments for sounding badass, it wasn’t what Ray desired. Ray realized that if he were to do this right, the car has to be tame yet exciting and visually impactful for the community of X drivers that he was now situated in. With such a new Evo platform (CZ4A) chassis and a new all aluminum block engine, (4B11T) new parts are being developed at a snail’s pace. But Ray wanted to be the first on top of everything that’ll showcase the possibilities with the X. To start out his modding bug, he went in search of the EvolutionM forum to find a vendor that’ll help replace his loud exhaust with something more subtle. While searching the EvolutionM forum, Ray found a local company that had a Greddy Spectrum Elite exhaust in stock and for the best price. The trip to pick the part up the shop was one that would entirely alter his plans for the Evo. Giving the car its aggressive look and ability to slice corners with surgical precision are Stance GR+ 2-way coilovers, and Cusco front and rear strut bars. A roll center alignment kit from Whiteline keeps Ray’s steering geometry leveled with the slammed height. All of this rides on a set of 19”x 10.5” Advan RG-Ds with a +25 offset shod on Hankook 275/30/19 V12 Evo tires. The wheels are painted gold giving the classic JDM white and gold color combination. Ray decided to go with a lipped wheel to make his car stand out even more from more conventionally modded Evolutions. With the +25 offset, the front wheels were just a touch sunk in for Ray’s liking, so some Ichiba 5mm spacers were installed to give the flush look that was desired. To finish with the fresh styling cue is a splash of JDM style pin striping and your typical fare of subtly placed automotive vinyl.
With the outside of the car looking like it is ready to turn hot laps, and some extra power to back up those looks, the inside was updated to keep with the track theme. To keep tabs on the engine vitals a boost gauge, oil pressure gauge, and water temperature gauge from Apexi were installed on the center dash. Watching the critical air and fuel ratio is an Innovate LC-1 connected to a Greddy Informeter Touch display. Keeping Ray’s butt in a stable position in the curves is a pair of Recaro Pole Position seats that weigh in at a mere 15.4 lbs which sit on Buddy Club rails. Takata 4-point harnesses ensure that Ray’s butt doesn’t involuntarily leave the seats. The stock steering wheel has been dumped in favor of a 350mm Nardi Personal Trophy wheel connected to a NRG quick release and Works Bell short hub. Being that this Evo is equipped with a clutch, the shifting has been upgraded for nicer, cleaner shifts. Heal-toeing is upgraded with a set of Ralliart Titanium pedals with grip padding on the surface. A TWM Performance short shifter allows Ray to row his own and a Varis SPL 2010 Maziora phase shift knob made of, you guessed it, carbon fiber that has been painted allow the shifting to be done comfortably and stylish. A shift boot from Bride brings the shifter assembly all together. Like most projects, this Evo is far from complete. Satisfaction comes a long way as Ray has went through his 3rd intake system, 2nd Upper Intercooler pipe, 3rd exhaust system, 2nd set of rims, 2nd set of coilovers, 5th shift knob, 3 blowoff valves, 2nd spoiler, and the list continues on and on as the car is being modded. Currently the car mostly does road and show duties, but Ray is looking to get some track time under his belt by next year. He certainly has the parts for it. Being added to the car are a set of 18×10 Advan T7 wheels in dark metallic silver, and a set of Bride Stradia carbon fiber-Kevlar seats. Other carbon fiber goodies that are ready to be installed are a set of hood vents, fender vents, and bumper garnishes, all from the Touge Factory. In the future he hopes to acquire an Esprit 052 GT wing and Varis rear diffuser for aerodynamics, a FP Red turbo setup for some extra power, and some Bride interior trim to match the seats and shift boot. Ray admits that all the work transforming his car to its current track-ready state could not have been done without the help and support of Grip Union, Jason from Bulletproof Automotive, Morris taking care of the graphics, Proper+ shop and Mike and Dave from the Touge Factory who put him on the path that Ray follows today. With the application of high-quality, lightweight parts, and the extra power from the breathing mods, Ray has been able to successfully apply the F=m*a formula for extra speed in a way that would make Sir Isaac Newton proud. -JDMChicago Mod List: Advan RG-D 19×10.5 +25 with Hankook 275/30 V12 tires Parts that are still coming in awaiting install: Future Parts: High Res Gallery: Canibeat x Wekfest PREMEET @ FIZZ AUTOSPORTS! Date: FRIDAY JULY 15TH!
OUTSTANDINGGene’s 2009 370Z 6MT with Sport Package Words: Larry Kenney
The menacing look of the car is brought about by utilizing a Nismo front lip, side skirts, and rear valance. Stance GR+ coilovers and SPC rear camber arms, alongside a stunning set of Venaci Mesh wheels measuring in at 20×9.5 +11 and 20×10.5 -2, round out the posture. Subtle yet effective accents such as the JDM rear foglight, blacked out emblems, and the custom blacked out headlights with LEDs complete the package. Inside the car, an HKS Camp2 Engine Monitoring System, including boost and oil pressure sensors, is used to make sure the engine stays healthy. In-car entertainment starts with a Kenwood DNX7160 head unit, runs to a JL Audio 900/5 amp, and finally exits to your ears via JL Audio R650-CSi components and a JL Audio 13TW5 subwoofer. The subwoofer is enclosed in a Wicked CAS sub enclosure that fits in the spare tire well. Making sure Gene is connected to the car is the much vaunted Tommy Kiara “Hebi Bebi” shift knob. Improving upon the aesthetics of the Nissan engine compartment, Gene opted for Password: JDM dry carbon engine compartment covers, cooling plate, and a new engine cover. Custom hood dampers get rid of the pesky stock hood prop and make working on the car a snap. Speaking of working on the car, perhaps the most impressive part of the car is the fact that all of the work so far has been done in Gene’s garage. According to Gene, “I started to realize, it’s just a car, it’s not rocket science. If something breaks, figure it out and fix it. While you may end up with a busted knuckle here and there, it’s a rewarding experience knowing that “I did this.” I’ve actually learned a lot about cars over the past couple years and would do it all over again in a heartbeat.” In Gene’s own words, he built the car “to drive the hell out of it.” With plenty of power to do just that, future plans include tightening up the suspension with sways and under bracing, further work to the interior, and possibly a full aero kit. Gene would like to thank Fizz Autosports and all the Z owners he has met over the years on ChicagoZ.com and The370Z.com. Outstanding. A simple word full of meaning, and the essence of Gene’s build. Modifications: High Res Gallery:
The Original Friday Night Lights Meet!
So we started this monthly Friday meet several years ago. It’s always been a good event but the main issue was lack of space. Last year for example our last event had well over 700 cars in attendance. Due to the sheer numbers, we’ve always had issues finding a proper location. This year we held our first FNL @ AL’s Beef and Nancy’s Pizza in Park Ridge IL. This was probably our most legit event ever. From police offers helping with traffic, to Al’s taking orders and delivering food on the spot-we really have come a long way! Here are some pics taken by Greg Szoda (aka MrGlock). Click for High Res:
|
||||
|
jdmchicago© Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa |
Most people who are interested in a manufacturer’s souped up model care less about how much power the car makes when it comes off the show room floor, but rather how much potential the motor has. Today’s lesson in physics is provided to us by Raymond Leung, the owner of this 2008 Wicked White X. The Evo became an object of forbidden desire for Ray after seeing the movie Legend of Speed in the late 90’s where an Evo 5 was the highlight of the movie. But as with most automotive enthusiasts, he had to wait for three grueling generations before Mitsubishi saw fit to bless the United States with the Evolution’s presence. Sadly, along with the different performance changes, the styling changed as well and the Evo VIII was not to Ray’s liking. In 2007, while trying to decide what car to purchase after graduating college, he briefly toyed with the idea of jumping from the Mitsubishi camp to the new WRX STi, but again the styling was off putting. They say that good things come to those who wait and with the introduction of the tenth variation of the Evolution, Ray found the car he had been dreaming about. Within a month of graduating in May 2008 he was the proud owner of his showroom fresh dream.
On the power adding side of things, an AMS polished intake matched with an Apexi filter draw the air into the stock turbo’s compressor housing. Getting the burned gasses away from the turbo on the exhaust side are an Ichiba test pipe mated to the Touge Factory’s super lightweight twin tip cat-back exhaust system that weighs in at a feather light 14.6 pounds. Allowing the ECU to make the best of these breather mods is a Cobb Access Port stage 2 tune. If this combination of parts were put on a dyno, they should generate in the neighborhood of 300 to 315 WHP. Since this car is not a high horsepower dyno queen, the power is more than adequate for Ray’s desires. Under the hood, some dress-up items were applied to enhance its appearance. More carbon fiber goodies are found including a Titek radiator shroud, Rexspeed exhaust heat shield and a YR-Advance intake scoop. Some titanium upper intercooler piping sourced from Togue Factory,and a red engine cover from Coltspeed finish the engine bay eye candy.
At the heart of this Z34 lies a GTM Supercharger kit, utilizing a C38 Rotrex supercharger, making a neck snapping 400 wheel horsepower and 340 foot pounds of torque at a mere 8 pounds of boost. Cooling duties for the supercharger as well as the block are handled by a pair of Setrab oil coolers. The perfect exhaust note is brought to you courtesy of Fast Intentions Resonated Test pipes and a Tanabe Medallion Y-pipe and exhaust.
