Honda Civic- From Grocery Getter to Tuner Canvis

   The history of the Honda Civic goes without saying. Its a gas saver, parts are inexpensive, labor and service is easy, resale value is still high, and its CHEAP!!! That right there is the selling point to the civic. Now instead of wanting to know why and how its popular to the everyday average Joe and Jane lets jump to the point of it being a performance giant. Do not get me wrong, i am a huge Nissan and Toyota fan, but i have to give credit where its due.
   The Honda Civic is very easy to tune and modify without any restriction of age or chassis classification. Any generation of Civic is sought after for either Car Shows, Track, or just the everyday driver. From Body kits to Performance parts, even engines are easily accessible to the everyday tuner depending on what your looking for. Sad to say that for every 2JZ motor or Sr20det is bought, three high performance Honda motors are bought. ITS A FACT. The money spent for one engine can buy two for your Honda. Did i already mention the parts are cheap. What is more fascinating and frustrating at the same time is the third party aftermarket production of parts for the Civic outweighs the general parts for any other make and model car out there. More performance, suspension, computers, everything down to air fresheners are clearly high in number for Hondas, rivaling Volkswagen's aftermarket prowless. The never ending combination of engine parts between one another in the Honda library is also mind blowing, because they are interchangeable. What you need in your Civic you can take from an Integra, ( the American subsidiary to Honda ) and install in your car its that easy. Even the parts from other Hondas such as the Prelude, Accord, S2000,and Passport ( before the Pilot ) can be used on your Civic. The Tuning Capabilities are astounding from Naturally aspirated to Force Induction, with horsepower numbers reaching beyond 500hp and more. All from a small four cylinder engine. Its crazy in know, and its all that bang for your buck.
    From the other side of the fence its considered cheating and playing dirty. Some thinks its a conspiracy to help Honda destroy the competition. Lets get real here!!! To me its still all about the driver, never the car remember that. If you built it, and you can drive it, you can win. If you spend all that money and don't know how to drive the car, you wasted your money and the mechanics' time. This blog is not saying that because of the essential backing that some companies are providing for this little car that it is unbeatable, NO!! I'm making it far apparent to everyone why this car is popular to the tuner world. They are easy to come by, you can pick them up ( literally ) for dirt cheap, you can work on it yourself in your garage, that's how easy it is. Now would i buy one? NO... because i want to venture more with other cars, but it would be exciting to build a 4 cylinder again and run 9s at the local track and show it off to my friends on how fast it is. And to make a long story short it THE perfect beginners car to start with.

     The Honda Civic bottom line is a popular figure in the Automotive community, with its love/hate comparison, it lives up to its test of time legend and will continue to impress, innovate, and inspire young and old drivers alike.

  The Road is yours......

Dart off target, all turbo everything for BMW, honda to finally intro A turbocharged engine, THE FR-S

    Low and behold the auto industry could be getting some things moving but first the Dodge Dart has made a comeback but it wasn't what i expected. Aimed as a economy car to square up against the Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus, the Dart was built on the Alfa romeo platform due to Daimler Chrysler dealing with the trendy Italian Manufacturer, the Dart has been Dodges' econo combo back in the day. Great Gas mileage with sporty handling but that was false advertisement if i ever heard it, due to the fact that the dart back then was shadowed after the Chrysler Omni. The sad ordeal of this was the GLH omni was intended to be the GLH dart, but Chrysler preferred the omni rather than the dart. For sakes and purposes i am referring to the later 70s and 80s models of the Dodge Dart, in no comparison to the Dart from the 60s that ran rampant with the 426 under the hood, but because of the gas embargo of the flower age, the dart was transformed into a slow and frugal grocery getter. The intention of the new Dart is unclear seeming that Dodge already has a 4 door saloon line up from the Avenger to the Charger and only one coupe to the market that we call the Challenger, I'm guessing the dart is in no way shape or form aimed at the youth market, we may never know, but what  i can say is that the styling is pretty and it looks mean, but how does it drive?
   BMW on the other hand has everything under control, boost control that is. The new 3 series will be fitted with a 4 cylinder turbocharged engine producing a whopping 240hp. And the good thing about this lineup is that it comes in the entry level 328i. The inline turbo six cylinder will still be an option for the car and no word on the M3 even though its rumored that it will go back to housing a V-8, but with turbo which seems to be a little excessive but whatever. Its boost or bust.
  Honda has announced  that a 1.4 liter and a 1.8 liter turbocharged engine for the CR-Z and possibly Civic SI which could see more Honda Enthusiasts in the showroom, the 1.4 is intended for the CR-Z but the 1.8 is unclear for the 2 liter and 2.4 liter are the strongest engines they have for the vehicles, but lets go with the flow.
       Now on to bigger news, the Scion FR-S was test driven and given great reviews. If you don't know what the FR-S is then you must get the best sleep of your life under that rock of yours. The FR-S and soon to be BRZ is the flagship sports car result of the joint build of both Subaru and Toyota. We thought it would carry the Toyota Badge but it was given to Scion to build up its inventory which means the TC may not be the only affordable two door sport compact to be sold by Toyota. I just can't wait for the Aftermarket support it will receive. Toyota styling but outfitted with the flat four Boxer engine, it will push out 200 hp at 7000 RPMs making it a lively little car. more bang for your buck, i wanna test drive this car so bad, more later on this vehicle...... Drive Right, Drive Safe..

BMW 335i - Best performance BMW Ever without the M?

Now clearly speaking from a bias regime, i only speak for the 5 and 7 series of BMWs' lineup fleet of vehicles, but the 335i has grown on me significantly since its creation. Built with either a Rear wheel and All wheel drive platform, the 335i is a continuation from its early 325i counterpart years ago, from a four to six cylinder twin turbo engine, the 3 series evolves more and more. Excluding the M3 from this blog is sound because the M3 is in a class of its own, the BEST sports car money could buy in my opinion if you didn't have the budget for an NSX. Now the 335i gives you that robust feeling in your gut, the same when you drove and E30, E36, E46 and what not for the first time. ( For the noobs thats the M3 generation tags from The first generation to the third )
  The Last time i came across a turbocharged BMW was a 1989 BMW 730IL that was only sold in Europe. The year may be wrong but thats what i remember, after that experience its been aftermarket turbos on 325i's and M3 which was very rare but outstandingly fast. Handling wise, BMWs has never failed when it came to handling and suspension, that why they call it " A Driving Experience to remember ". I favor this car not only becasuse i love turbocharged vehicles ( cause i do!! ) the drive in this car blew my mind. Not the most comfortable for someone my size but wildy responsive to the drivers' needs. HMMM!!!! more on this later i just got a crazy idea.

The Big 5 Jap Juggernauts! FINALE: THE NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R

  Now we just went through the ringer of cars that rang out in the Japanese and American Market, japan decided to keep a car to themselves and i don't blame them. Nissan developed a lot of cars to be driven daily and raced on the track from the Sentra Se-R, 180sx, our 240sx, The 300zx and that's about it. Then  Nissan decided they wanted more. After acquiring the rights from British Car Maker Prince Motors, they started tinkering with there smallest Production car called the Skyline. Named for its class and stylish exterior, the Skyline was originally sold as a luxury sedan. Then after the Prince Motors Went out of business, Nissan got their hands on the car and had no idea what was created then has turned into the Icon it is now. I don't want to get into the whole history right now because its far too much, but we will get into that later.

     Lets start with the car that started raising terror on the race track. The Skyline GT-R32, dubbed   GODZILLA!!!!!! Its roaring turbo, quick handling, and superior power, this Skyline was largely comforted by the reviews of drivers that decided to tame this massive beast. Originally Equipped with a 2.0 liter 6 measuring 198 horsepower, Nissan developed a range of sub models for the car, GS, GT, GTS, GTS-T, and the GT-R. This trend would continue throughout the remaining history of the skyline.

  The next models were the R33 and the ever so popular R34 which both models were introduced in The Fast    and Furious franchise. Yet many have not spoken of the R33, the R34 is and always will be the model to have. Built with Electronic  controlled boost, suspension, differential, and stabilizers, this car had pretty much more high end equipment and cost less than a Mercedes or BMW, outside of the U.S.A of course. With strict emission laws on our shores, the States were not allowed to sell this monster in dealerships, only those who had the resources, capital, and connections could obtain this automobile. I myself have only worked on one in my lifetime. From my point of view, nothing comes close to a better driving experience then pushing this vehicle to the limit. The Skyline has proven time and time why it is the King of all cars, and a nightmare to the now monstrous Bugatti Veyron, the Skyline continued its onslaught after the R insignia was retired and the next brand new skylines came in the form of what we see as Infinitis' G series lineup. Shortly After five years of the G series carrying the skyline emblem and a naturally aspirated V-6 was planted under its bonnet, Nissan created a concept version of a new GT-R. Enthusiasts expected it would never come into fruition, but some years later it was born, not carrying the skyline name, but as the GT-R alone. I saw this car in person and drooled over its styling, sleekness and overall bad assness. It's not the most comfortable car to sit in if your as tall as me but just sitting in it, playing with all the controlled features on the on-board computer gave me the sense of wonder that this car is the real deal and will hold up the name of the Skyline. A complete circle of dominance in my opinion that rivals the now powerful Lexus LF-A, and knocking on the door of Bugatti, what is it that the Skyline cannot accomplish, I WANT TO FIND OUT, but until then, ALL HAIL THE KING!!!

The Big 5 Jap Juggernauts! Part 4- The Toyota Supra

 This is down to the wire of the juggernauts, you can speak of Japanese muscle without the mention of the Toyota Supra. Introduced in 1979 as a Celica Supra. A larger sportier version of the Toyota Celica being sold at the time. It would be 7 years until the Supra became a known name by itself, when the MA70 chassis from 1986-1992 was released, Toyota shadowed the market with this two door coupe rivaling the Mustang 5.0, and Chevrolets' Camaro IROC-Z, and Buicks' GN-X. Of course these cars were more powerful than the Supra, it still stood tall above its adversaries and roared into our hearts. The Sporty long snout car which had similar accents close to the Z31 300zx ( Elongated Hood, Flip Up Lights ), it had one sizable notch against its cross town rival, a Dual Overhead Inline Six that produced a good 202hp 225 torque to the wheels, but with a mounted turbo it pounces at 232hp. The 7M-GTE engine was introduction to the world of inline turbocharging in my eyes, but at certain points and from a mechanics point of view, this engine just wouldn't do to quench our need for speed.( Cheesy... i know ) It was what Toyota developed across seas that had our attention, and would stain in the back of then and now Toyota Enthusiasts, the 1JZgte. A aluminum block, 9:1 compression ration, 344 hp animal that had everyone wanting more. A motor that gave any supra owner an edge of beating the 300zx's, and anything else that came to the line. This was the crowning achievement to Toyotas' impressive library of vehicles, and engines. True power couldn't have been built for none other than the Supra......but it gets better.

      In 1992 while the MA70 was still being sold, Toyota created a new Sleeked designed Supra that would take our hearts forever. Introduced in 93, the JZA80 styled Supra was more beautiful than any other car sold in that period, but sharing the same sticker price as the 92 300zx at 30,000 dollars. Now considered a sports car, this model supra was declared ugly but functional, and returned with  TURBO underneath the hood and a detuned 1JZ sharing its living quarters. Later on in the year a new fad was created to rival its single turbo engine, as i stated before, the 3000gt VR-4 arrived at dealers with a twin turbo V6, as well as the 300zx. Toyota probably said to themselves " Hey, lets jump on the twin turbo band wagon and see what our car can do ". Low and behold, The twin turbo supra as born, the 2JZTE under the hood was force to be reckoned with producing 276hp and 330 pounds of torque to the wheels. This model car and engine would be sought after. With time and patients and some wallet prying, this car would see close or over 1000 hp and become an  unseen force on the street or the track, even-though 1000hp on the streets is just silly, but FUN! In a matter of time the supra would become an icon or unicorn to those who wanted but couldn't tame it at the time. A uniformed prowess of power, style and overall BAD ASSNESS. We can't forget how it made its way into the silver screen in The Fast and The Furious as the Heros' car of choice, that started off as a crippled hunk of junk to a side by side duel rival of the Dodge Charger in the film. As all good things must come to an end sadly, we have seen this before when the manufacturer must stop production on a good car. Maybe because they were not being purchased anymore, price is to high, people see the car is boring now, or they found something better. Nevertheless, the Supra has stained its Rear wheel drive, loud turbo spooling, sexy styling body into our heads. If you want one now the MKIII is easy to acquire for 1000 to 5000 dollars used by an owner, while the MIV version is still astronomically overpriced even after it went into a ditch, this one car has  become worth the hype and if you haven't seen this car in action or never heard of it,  you seriously need to get your head examined.

to be continued.......... the last car is ready!

The Big 5 Japanese Juggernauts: Nissan 300zx

1983 Z31 300zx

  With two down, we couldn't leave out the most obvious of the five which is the seductive low rise killer i call the 300zx. Turbo, Twin turbo, or All Motor, the 300 has been a roadster of its own class underneath the Acura NSX ( another juggernaut i neglected to leave out but for another time ) its power to weight ratio balanced and overall comfort for its time of production was favorable not only to tuners but Enthusiasts alone. Here is my take on this wonderful but complexed vehicle.
     In the early 80's The 300XZ turbo powerful, stylish, quick, and menacing. The long nose bonnet and flip up headlights disguised  it as any other car that had flips in that time period, but when it roared passed you, the taillights illuminated the name of the car.

Z32 Nissan 300ZX

     Now about the engines, which is what you were waiting for. The VG30DE if I'm not mistaken was a naturally aspirated 222 Horsepower engine was a strong output platform. The real deal was the twin turbo 300hp VG30DETT. Now i remember when i drove this car i was overwhelmed about its power. 300hp doesn't seem a lot, but back then it rose eyebrows. The power it produced would literally propel you to 100 mph like nothing pushing into the seat thanks to the G's it was letting off when you had the audacity to press the pedal to the floor. There was no rival to this vehicle at the time until 1993. The then MA70 chassis Supra was only producing 240 horsepower out of its Dual Overhead Turbo engine, it didn't have the power or balance to keep up with the Z32, but that's another topic for later. The car was just incredible!
     Now for the downside of this well known giant was the price for its time and the maintenance. When the car initially went on sale it was priced around 30,000 dollars and ballooned to 50,000 dollars in its final years of production. Being Considered a twoseater roadster, it followed the like of the Mercedes- Benz SLK models, Lotus Espirit, Porsche 911s. Unlike its original predecessor and its younger brother the 240sx, the price tag caught the eye of wealthy businessmen who didn't have the just's to own anything high end and settled for something more practical but can still have tons of fun with. The one that PISSED me off about the car was the extremely confined and claustrophobic engine space it had due to the size of the engine, it didn't allow much elbow room to work with especially with the dread of removing the engine to service the turbos which i myself was never happy of accomplishing. The Wiring sucked, minimal trunk space, and road noise, you got what you paid for, AN ABSOLUTE RACE CAR when you wanted it to be.

ALL HAIL THE Z32, NISSANS' Undefeated Middle Heavy Weight.

The Big 5 Jap Juggernauts! Mitsubishi 3000gt VR-4

    Now moving along with this post, the next really doesn't need much of an introduction, but im going to introduce it anyway for sheer nostalgia even though this wasn't one of my favorite cars', but its presence alone was never taken lightly. The Mitsubishi 3000gt or GTO to JDM heads was an unbearable eyesore when it was first released in 1990 if i'm mistaken, it was introduced as a front wheel drive coupe using a SOHC V-6, the SL platform carried a DOHC, and the ever impressive VR-4 model was paired with the DOHC twin-turbo V-6 spitting out a whopping 280 horsepower to the wheels. What made the VR-4 stand out much more was the marriage of the racing tunes getrag transmission and an all wheel drive setup. Which made this car a formidable opponent to other driver. The question was how did heavy car perform the way it did in races? This car was a lot more complex-ed than anyone perceived it to be. Utilizing a style and usage of many electronic sensors and gadgets, the 3000gt was created for much more than looking pretty. It was made to become mitsubishis' crowning achievement to the automotive world. Now, what did you know was equipped with Computer controlled Suspension, Electronic Exhaust Control ( sport or casual mode ) and adaptive front and rear spoiler that was controlled by the ECU due for better Aerodynamics and handling, what car came stock with all these little goodies from the factory at no extra cost. OH....how about 4 wheel steering.
           What i remember about this car was the fact that the VR-4 was hard to find, and whoever owned the car were more feared that any Porsche and BMW driver when i was growing up. The sight of this vehicle launching off the line with such power i always thought it was gonna fly away. The exhaust sounded ominous, but it sat up like a debutante, until she was pushed and turned into a crazy B%$!#. I also remembered it was a high maintenance automobile, the engine bay was cramped, it drank gas up and the transfer cases always cracked under pressure. It was a money pit from my understanding. You could never find parts for it unless you found its counterpart the dodge Stealth R/T laying in a junkyard somewhere. The car was a gift and a curse, but whoever fixed and tuned these cars knew they had more than a rocket, they something untouchable. Properly tuned and maintained, you had one of the fastest street cars in your neighborhood

    Since its following the 3000gt has had its fair share of problems such as bad transmissions, turbo failure, and what not, the car is still popular and up there with the big boys, when sales were ceased in late 2000, Mitsubishi started concentrating more on its rally based street car, the LANCER EVOLUTION, calmly called the EVO.  Finally releasing the EVO 8 to the states, the 3000gt's legacy hasn't died, even though we prefer the 4 cylinder turbocharged all-wheel drive sport compact, we still loved to brutish style and grace of one of Mits' prized vehicles. Live on in our memories GTO, but our wallets never forgave you......to be continued