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The saying Do it right the first time is a tad overused these days. In a perfect scenario, everybody would build the car of their dreams with their first attempt without making any mistakes. That, of course, is unrealistic for many, and the process of building a car often serves as a learning curve so that one can do it right the first time with their next project. Mistakes are the stepping-stones that lead to the right path, and errors are the ingredients that help us appreciate success once we reach it. The beauty of this automotive hobby of ours is that there isn’t a precise right way of doing anything. Like art, true beauty lies within the eyes of the beholder, and mistakes are all relative to the person painting the picture. When it comes to painting the portrait of an Accord, Sheheryar Shahid believes that he’s figured out the formula to create a beauty-he will also be the first one to admit that he’s made a ton of mistakes in the process.

My car was a mess when I first got it, Shahid explains, although I can laugh about it now.Aesthetically, he discovered the new, cleaner look that he wanted, but the mistakes didn’t stop there-he was just getting started.

While I worked on removing all the junk off my car and collecting quality parts, I saw a couple boosted Accords on various Internet forums. I wanted to know what a turbocharged motor felt like, so I purchased and installed a generic turbo kit from eBay. The kit consisted only of a tiny T25 turbo, but I thought it was so awesome to feel boost! That my Accord was automatic, even though i should mention.Xenon side and rear pieces were also added to give the whole body of the Accord a sleek profile before Shahid had the entire chassis resprayed in a custom blue pearl.knowledge and experience along the way.

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One of the greatest ruses in the American dream is that to be a musician you have to be broke and broken, never seeing a profit, never making enough money to even get a new set of strings. Well I’m here to tell you that you can indeed make money and it’s not impossible like you’re lead to believe by the man. You can do it and it’s not as hard as you think, but it’s also not the way you think. It used to be you had to get signed to deal and they’d give you millions and you’d be rich just like that. In fact, that was never the case, it’s just how it seemed from the outside. But here’s how you can actually make a living being a musician.

It’s All About the Merch

You have to make money in ways that maybe your dad’s band never had to. People still want to spend money on the music that they like, it’s just that they no longer feel the need to spend money for the actual music itself. We’re so used to downloading stuff and getting the actual tunes for free that if you’re a musician, you can either sit around whining about it and posting to Facebook about how no one buys music anymore, or you can do something about it and think outside the box. That’s where interesting and creative merchandise comes into play. Sell fun cool things with your logo (like beer koozies). Also, if you want to sell your actual music, hand design the CD cases or sell it on vinyl. Make it a commodity worth collecting.

Hit the Road

You absolutely have to hit the road. Gone are the days where you can just hang in your home town playing shows for your friends hoping that someone will discover you. You go out and make the whole dang country your home town, and show the future labels that you can generate a market and a fanbase, and then they’ll come knocking down your doors. You’ll need a good car for this adventure so find something nice and cheap and reliable at Nissan Alhambra. They’ll be good on gas mileage and won’t let you down. Compare to the cars at Downtown Nissan and be sure to book a ton of shows. 300+ per year is good.

Good Cover Song

And when all else fails, you should cover a song that is not in your genre, but record it in your genre. So if you’re a folk artist, take a hip hop song and make it folky. And if you’re in a rock band, take a pop song and make it a rock song. Make a great little video for it and off you go being a viral sensation. But that’s where shows and merchandise comes into play. If you make a viral video, you have to at least give the people something they can buy in case they want to spend money on you!

During the last four or five years, we’ve been fortunate enough to get a very close look at a number of S2000 and NSX builds by ScienceOfSpeed during our annual Tuner Shootout event, including last year’s Overall and RWD class-winning turbocharged NSX. As a result, we can easily attest to the truth that head honcho Chris Willson and his obsessive-compulsive staff builds thecleanest and meanest, and a lot bulletproof rear-drive Hondas we’ve ever encountered in the wild.which takes their famous OEM-like integration of the highest-quality performance parts on their NSXs and transfers that same approach to this AP2. As being the general manager and SoS founder further explained, “While built to be competitive, the main purpose of this car is for the testing and development of a number of new forthcoming products by ScienceOfSpeed for the Honda S2000. From powerplant to suspension, each product is being developed and place to the test on this rolling test bench in the most demanding environment we can think about, the racetrack.”

In the middle of this prototyping process is SoS’s new TS-MAX twin-scroll ball bearing turbocharger system, a kit that has been in development for any year. “This is the only twin-scroll turbocharger system intended for the S2000 that requires no modification for the engine bay, retains the factory heat shielding, retains the oil filter about the engine, and requires no scavenge pump or modification in the oil pan or girdle, as Chris explained. It uses a Garrett-based turbocharger (GT30-35) that flows enough for 400-500 hp at the engine. In race trim, limited by NASA TT’s weight/power rule, we produced 435 whp at 16 psi on the factory engine running E85 fuel. What is particularly impressive to me is the boost response as a result of twin-scroll turbocharger and manifold design. That response makes the car incredibly simple and easy , drama-free to drive.?, as a driver?The Complete Package

Naturally unless you’re lucky enough to actually drive this pristine white beast, what you’re inevitably confronted with first is its stunning visual presence. To call its J’s Racing Type-GT wide-body aero package “aggressive” would be an understatement akin to calling Red Bull space jumper Felix Baumgartner “kinda ballsy.” As this nine-piece aero package’s name implies, it is very much a GT-inspired design, with functional aerodynamics built into each panel (only the trunk and doors remain unchanged).

2004 honda s2000 fuses

2004 honda s2000 scienceofspeed roll cage

2004 honda s2000 fire bottle safety system

Add SoS’s DTM rear wing, and you’ve got an S2000 competent at making serious downforce to go along with massive amounts of mechanical grip, due to über-sticky Yokohama A005 racing slicks attached to perfectly offset Gram Lights 57Extreme 18-inch wheels (9.5-inch wide up front and 10.5-inch wide out back). Its tires are kept in optimum contact with the tarmac due to a set of JRZ RS Pro double-adjustable racing dampers, along with a number of new ScienceOfSpeed goodies, including roll center adjusters, bumpsteer joints, urethane suspension bushings, and rear noncompliance toe arms.

, even though efficiently converting almost 400 lb-ft of torque into forward motion isn’t just a matter of sticky tires as well as a well-sorted suspension For starters, you need a clutch that will hold that much twist, which SoS has addressed with one of its own billet twin carbon clutch and flywheel kits. You also want a differential with aggressive enough lockup to direct capacity to the tire with the most grip, and for this, SoS has gone having anand also the science of this, is also derived in part by mass, or how fat your ass is. If this just confused you, chances are you suck at physics but may still understand that less weight has real advantages when accelerating, cornering, and braking. To that end, the team at SoS reduced this AP2’s curb weight from the factory rating of 2,835 pounds to 2,635 pounds for as competitive a weight/power ratio as possible. As Chris told us, “The largest part of weight savings came from taking out the interior and seats, taking out the HVAC system, gutting the doors, and simplifying the wiring.”

To that particular end, the retractable soft top is replaced from a lighter and more rigid factory hardtop, and everything although the dash has become removed from the cabin to save weight and then make room for that custom SoS rollcage. What’s left will be all business, together with a Recaro Pro Racer HANS seat, a Sparco 350mm steering wheel, an SoS rapid shift knob, a fire suppression system, and a whole host of Race Technology electronics, such as a DASH2 digital display, a DL1 data logger, and AEM and GoPro interfaces.

If you’ve ever done any racing yourself, you’ll know just how critical braking is always to turning consistently fast lap times, the SoS team always emphasizes balance inside their builds, and. Peer beneath those gorgeous Rays wheels and you’ll notice the StopTech Trophy big brake kit front and rear, featuring full-floating mounting hardware that eliminates pad knock-back and veryIt might be tempting, given its SEMA debut and impossibly clean presentation, to conclude that ScienceOfSpeed’s new Unlimited S2000 project is really a show car disguised as being a race car. But you’d be wrong. Wonderfully, delightfully wrong, as evidenced by SoS’s track test video at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway back in December. Jump on YouTube and search ‘ScienceOfSpeed at Chuckwalla’ for three minutes of tasty HD evidence that its S2K is certainly the total package, capable of delivering blisteringly fast lap times while turning heads using its incredible appearance.

I’ve known the owner on this particular Civic for quite some time. Once I think back to when I first met Teddy, in 2010, I asked him if he wanted to have his EK featured, and i also was a bit surprised if the answer he gave was no . The automobile wasn’t ready in Teddy’s mind, but as a fellow Honda enthusiast (I sold my last build about a year ago, RIP) I did understand where he was coming from. A project like this is never really going to be finished in the eyes of the owner-there’s always something totally new to add or something that is to change up. Thankfully for yourself all, Teddy is finally satisfied with the car to let us feature it, and the car is a seriously sweet example of what a Honda can be if the builder takes the time to performfor several years now, and it’s experienced quite a transformation. This is not his first Honda build either; he’s owned a number of other H badges in his day, including a ’93 del Sol, ’90 Integra and ’95 Integra GS-R. Teddy first fell in love with cars because his dad had been a Mitsubishi mechanic, although it was the classic Hondas through the day that piqued his interest more so in comparison to the DSM mark, when he was actually a younger lad. When the EK first entered Teddy’s life, he was inspired to model his depending on classic builds from throughout the country, and we’re positive that you’re a forum addict, you probably understand specifically which cars they are (think EK Squad). Over the years, Teddy changed up his car a lot based on what his current tastes were, but it really has always been top shelf or nothing in relation to selecting parts.

The surface of this EK is impeccably clean, sporting a fresh coat of Championship White paint, which is really the color for the Type R-style build. Type R head- and taillights set off the lighting department within a subtle but important way, and the personal touches don’t stop there. A Shift Sports vented hood keeps hot air flowing out of the engine bay, Vision TC mirrors look right at home higher than the fenders along with a First Molding front lip adds a bit of down force, or perhaps moreover, a ton of extra pimp juice to Teddy’s mixture. On the back end of the car you’ll look for a Seeker Version 2 wing, a large but not offensive looking spoiler and down low you’ll view a very rare part indeed-a Sergeant RD lower diffuser. But earns a bunch more brownie points from your Honda elite, this diffuser is really cool because it flows perfectly into the bodylines of your factory rear bumper and mimics a Civic Type R rear lip in shape.

Within the cabin, you’re greeted by yet another display of rare and awesome JDM parts, the personal favorite of mine being the Zoom Engineering F1 Monaco rear view mirror. You straight up just don’t see these, not over a late ’90s Honda a minimum of. Another nice touch is the very rare (and incredibly expensive) Spoon Sports gauge cluster. This cluster is cool because it looks much like a Civic Type R cluster, but with green needles and increased k and RPM/ph displays. The steering wheel and hub have been upgraded of course, thanks to Sparco and Works Bell respectively, and Teddy went with a period-correct choice for seats in the form of Recaro SRDs and Takata harnesses. The inside wouldn’t be complete without adding Civic Type R carpet and panels. The ARC Magic shift knob adds a final nice touch, another rare item not usually seen for thisNever Ending Story

Teddy’s car isn’t just about looks though, though it DOES look amazing. The EK is powered by a built ’97-spec B18C5 Integra Type R motor that’s been mated to a newer transmission from your ’00 ITR, which is useful for 221 horsepower at 8600rpm and 151lb-ft at 5,500rpm. A set of KW V3 coilovers with adjustable TEIN upper mounts helps keep all things in line, aided by a lot of supporting bars, other, links and arms suspension pieces, of which you can find too many to list here. Teddy says that they have built the motor to accommodate his style of driving; the greatest goal isn’t high horsepower but rather a usable powerband that he can make use of around town or at the track.

And talking about track time, Teddy says his future plans for your car involve exactly that. He likes the car as is, and wants to begin using the vehicle on track to truly explore the limits of the items he’s got. We have every confidence that Teddy will do that, although many of you know that when you first hop on track, that opens up a new can of worms so far as how to create a car for track versus street/show style. After all, he’s had the vehicle for this long, why would he stop tinkering along with it now? I can’t wait to see what comes next for this car, no matter what it ends up being. It will be awesome, and it has now been officially certified like a staple for anybody looking to build an EK in the future. Good show Teddy!

1999 honda civic sergeant RD lower diffuser

1999 honda civic sprint hart CPR wheels

1999 honda civic EK9 vin tag

Tuning Menu

1999 Honda Civic

Owner Teddy Timoteo

Location North Hollywood, CA

Occupation Manager, FX Auto Design

Engine ’97 1.8L B18C5 Integra Type R; TODA Spec B camshafts; Alaniz Spec valves and customEndless Story

Wheels & Tires 16×8 43mm Sprint Hart CPR wheels; 215/45R16 Falken RT615K tires; Project Kics lug nuts; ARP wheel studs

Exterior First Molding front lip, Civic Type R headlights, taillights, rear bumper w/Sergeant RD lower diffuser; Seeker Version 2 rear wing; Shift Sports vented hood; Vision TC mirrors; Championship White paint and custom rolled fenders by Edson Olguin of Premier Auto Body

Interior Recaro SRD seats; Bride Low Max seat rails; Civic Type R rear seat, dash panel block off plate, door panels, carpet; Takata harnesses; Sparco harness bar, steering wheel; Works Bell hub and quick release; ARC Magic shift knob; Mugen pedals; Zoom Engineering F1 Monaco rear view mirror; Spoon gauge cluster; custom upholstery by Chan Wong of FX Auto Design

Thanks You Kevin Nguyen and Mike Swanson; Edson at Premier Auto Body; Steve at hmotorsonline; Chuck and Rocky at Showstoppers USA; Supertuning Performance crew; everyone at Marks Garage; Ben at Bulletproof Automotive; Matt at ICB Motorsport; Bisi Ezerioha; Eugene at Prostreet Imports; Church Automotive; Robbie at Garage RZ; Joel Gaeta and the old 2nd gen crew; everyone at M’s JDM Motors; Phil and Collin at Inspire USA; all of the Northwest Honda kings (you know what you are about); Dee Duong, DJ Murdok, Salem Garcia, Quan Nguyen, the AS1 familia, Kevin at Whitfield, David Andrade, Ryan Basseri and Ryan Der at RyWire; Joey Lee in the Chronicles; David Timoteo and Jillianne Rabia for your support and love.

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Whereas there has been a lot of talk about how the car you drive reflects your own personality traits, what about the actual personalities of the cars themselves? Well, just think “Disney” for a while and all will become clear, they have been responsible for bringing us such characters as Herbie and Lightning McQueen after all.

Cartoon drawings, special effects and camera trickery aside, recent studies have suggested, well, let’s say confirmed that people do see certain personality traits in different breeds, okay makes and models of motor car.

Film makers and toymakers have long toyed with our brains to make us believe that cars actually have faces (the window to the personality), but according to studies we didn’t actually take very much convincing of that anyhow.
It’s all about facial expressions – these are said to portray such character traits as anger, aggression, sadness or masculinity as well as the opposite traits.
Apparently 90 per cent of cars have a “”face”” which can be associated with either that of a human or that of an animal. It usually goes something like this:
• The headlights are the eyes of the face (no surprises there)
• The grill or the emblems can represent the nose
• Any additional air intake slots could be representations of the mouth
People in the studies were also asked to rate each of the models shown against 19 different character or personality traits like dominance, friendliness, gender etc., and whether they actually liked each car.
Around 96% of the people in the study agreed on whether a particular car was submissive or dominant. This high percentage means that there must be a very consistent message being sent out from the “”faces”” of these cars.
Cars which were felt to have dominant and powerful personality traits had elongated hoods, angular headlights indicative of a frown and lower slung, pronounced bodies. At the other end of this scale the cars which were classified as friendly, submissive, childlike and female had headlights which were closer to the midline of the design plus an upward shift towards the most lateral points of the car. This makes the car look like it is “”smiling”” – rather like The Love Bug himself.

It is not unusual for people to find “”faces”” in many inanimate objects these days. Our brains can pick out features in everything from clouds to trees, from the pattern in a stone wall to the way the shadows fall onto the cliff. The ability to “”read”” faces in this way is deeply rooted, giving us the ability to determine whether we are in danger or whether we can relax in the presence of a friendly face.
The findings of the study suggested however, that more people “”like”” cars which are masculine, mature, arrogant and rather angry as opposed to the friendlier, childlike motors.
This doesn’t necessary mean that drivers are drawn to buy the type of car which appeals to their personality, but it can give pedestrians some idea of the type of person sitting in the driving seat to pedestrians and other road users.
It doesn’t matter whether you are looking to buy new cars or used cars in Ontario, they’ve got a great selection to choose from at Metro Nissan Redlands.
Take a walk around the showroom and see if you can identify the personality of each car, and remember that just because you choose something which can be characterized as tough, mean and aggressive it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a secret warrior . . . although that just might be how the other road users see you.

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The modern-day Honda builder, whether they know it or perhaps not, is immersed in multiple forms of inspiration. Some blatant, others subliminal; life’s “live feed” transcended via the Internet, automotive magazines, and native builds be involved in what we build and the way we build it. Information is shoved down our throats at breakneck speeds, and as a result, build quality has increased by leaps and bounds.

A perfect example of this fast-moving progression is Jon Domingo’s 2003 Ruckus. Sure, people were personalizing these two-wheeled people movers the second they started rolling off of showroom floors; however, comparing builds of history to today’s rolling works of art looks like light-years of separation. Skim through Domingo’s spec list and you’ll find that every portion of his Ruckus is upgraded, modded and improved and in some cases, completely removed if deemed unnecessary. Inspiration was key to bringing his vision to life, since he explains. “Inspiration came from my buddies out West. When I saw anything they had and exactly how well built these people were, I knew I necessary to have one. With the crazy gas prices, I wanted to possess a unique vehicle that I could ride around Chicago to get a daily commute during the summer. The stock Ruckus was good to ride around, but I’m the type of person having to personalize everything I own.”

2003 honda ruckus exospeed wheels

2003 honda ruckus tucked front frame

2003 honda ruckus kics lug nuts

Found and purchased in Wisconsin, this Ruckus didn’t stay stock for very long. Soon a complete tear down occurred, and Domingo began a nine-month journey that included plenty oferror and trial, and real-world R&D. He adds, “We named it Kaiju, which is Japanese for ‘strange beast.’ It’s something you don’t see everyday. The plan was to build something to drive daily, with reliability and the neck-breaker appeal. Being a photographer, I wanted to build an issue that would reflect the things I look for when I’m shooting, which are the details on top of the clean, simple look.” Details abound, including a few firsts from the Ruckus world according to Domingo. “Being original means custom parts, so many of the parts we designed for the bike were sent out to get CNC [machined]. This is the first Ruckus in the world to use six-pot front/four-pot radial rear brakes. It’s also the bike that started the Koso afterburner taillight trend.”

Efficiency was key, and the factory 49cc mill was no part of the equation. A larger 170cc powerplant was swapped and outfitted with a high-lift cam from Taida, a 48mm velocity stack, and Mikuni TM-28 front-face carb. Akrapovic provided its Megaphone Ti exhaust, and Domingo opted for a custom-built, big-bore header to totally overshadow the Ruckus’ original power output. A cleverly used electronic fuel pump ensures the carb is definitely primed and avoids any thoughts of losing pressure during WOT.

Using the powerplant sorted, attention was turned to the aesthetics. Anthony of AAndL Bodyshop expertly sprayed the frame with Bianchi D2 Celeste Green, while Domingo got his on the job a rare Daytona gas tank cover that he had hydro-dipped inside a faux woodgrain finish.

Proper rollers can be a must on any type of project vehicle, whether it’s two or four wheels involved. A call to Exospeed produced a custom three-piece forged drag wheel, which was then wrapped in a Michelin 2CT dual-compound tire-a similar ones utilized by competitive motorcycles. Keeping Domingo on the straight and narrow is undoubtedly an ATR coilover out back, and a Jiso 290mm drag fork in advance.

As a high-level automotive photographer, Jon Domingo has seen his share of quality builds directly, and his mental notepad is chock filled with ideas after countless shoots. Combine by using his window to the world using the Web, and also you start to understand just how important inspiration, both conscious and unconscious, is usually.

Owner Specs

Daily grind

Design engineer and automotive photographer

Favorite sites

TheChive.com, gumship.com, standardfunctions.com, TotalRuckus.com

Scren name

JDMOTO

Building Hondas

15 years

Dream car

KPGC-10 GT-R

Inspiration for this build

Fatphos x Minkus

Future builds

Z-swapped Ruckus, 66cc Metropolitan, 10×10 Ruckus

2003 honda ruckus mikuni carb

2003 honda ruckus koso afterburner taillights

2003 honda ruckus RRGS power king

Bolts & Washers

Propulsion

161QMK-GY6

ATR Fatty GY6 mounts

Custom engine brace bar

Taida T-300 cam

48mm velocity stack

Mikuni TM-28 front-face carb

SeanSean front-facing-carb angle flange

Koso throttle kit

SF custom big-bore header

Akrapovic HP Megaphone Ti exhaust

Mr. Gasket electronic fuel pump

RRGS oil cooler

-6AN lines

NCY Ti dipstick

11-pole stator

Unlimited CDI

Motorio DR2 Variator

Koso Delta Racing clutch

Koso CNC Racing clutch bell

Custom lightened flywheel

Powerlink 842x30x20 belt

RRGS Ti front axle

Suspension

ATR Low Stance rear coilovers

Jiso drag fork with ext. damper

Resistance

Frando Radial 6-pot front

Frando Radial 4-pot rear

LoS 260mm front disc

ATR 200mm rear disc

Ceramic racing pads

Frando dual master cylinder

14mm piston levers

Goodridge stainless racing lines

ATE Super Blue Racing fluid

Wheels & Tires

Front: Billet 8-spoke 12×3.5 9, MG 100/600-12

Rear: Exospeed Star 8 13×7 12.7, Michelin 2CT 140/60-13

ATR rear hub

LoS front hub

LoS front/rear hub spacers

Kics R40 Neo-chrome lugs

Rays Forged valvestems

Exterior

Bianchi Celeste Green paint

Daytona hydro-dip woodgrain gas tank cover

Shaved rear frame

ATR lower seat frame

Tucked handlebar

Tucked front frame

Tucked rear frame

Rucksters extension bar

FLP stem cover

Gojin dress-up kit

Rat Koubou gas cap

Koso afterburner taillights

Rigid Industries 6-inch LED lamp

Kiatco frame caps

Custom Neo-chrome bolts

Electronics

Koso DB-2NR gauge

Push-button start/kill

Integrated headlight/turn signal indicator

Interior

Custom Bride seat

Gojin drag bar

Thompson BMX stem

Password: JDM stem cover

POSH Racing grips

Props

LoS Garage crew, Standard Functions, Frando, Fizz Autosports, A&L Bodyshop, JDM Chicago, JLExospeed and Garage, RC Scooters, D Yogi, Chonicrebellion and Nice Fatphos x Minkus, Kevin C, Christian R, TotalRuckus.

As a kid I fantasized about building a car based upon my liking and imagination. It comes down as not surprising once you can know JM Yang of West Covina, CA, though i have now made my childhood dream into a reality.” Those are subtle yet strong words in the future from any automotive enthusiast.

Once they become adults they simply reminisce and acknowledge their starting in a general fashion, although many enthusiasts say they developed their love affair with cars at a early age. But JM remembers specifically what sparked his passion, and it has saddled with him this time. I’ll give you a few hints: It absolutely was a movie which had wild cars in it, and the title of your movie has two words in it that start with the same letter. Yea, I know, it is an easy one, right? Think you got it? No, it was not Fast & Furious. Before F&F, the film I am referring to came long. “”””I got into cars in an early age, and as I remember Mad Max was the first car-related movie I watched and liked,”””” he says. That’s right, Mad Max. How many of you remember that movie? It wouldn’t be everything surprising if this doesn’t ring a bell. For those of you who don’t realize it, look it and watch it. It’s kind of way out there and doesn’t even really have that much to do with cars, despite the fact that that’s what many people manage to remember it for. For the reason that sense, it is the same as F&F. Anyway, let’s get to the beautiful Evo X you see prior to deciding tois among the most capable cars in the marketplace,” he says. There was some major changes which were made when Mitsubishi went from the famed VII-IX generation to the X-most notably with the introduction of the latest transmission, although “It are prepared forsnow and dirt, and the track and concurrently be a dependable four-door, five-seater sedan for daily driving.” The historical past of the famed Mitsubishi Evo and the accolades contained within need not be enumerated by me. The new transmission is recognized as TC-SST, which stands for Twin-Clutch Sport(ronic) Shift Transmission. This tranny uses dual clutches to modify gears, allowing it to make shifts quicker when compared to a driver could in a conventional manual tranny as well as quicker than an automatic tranny using a torque converter. It does this all while allowing no drop-off in engine power. Oh, and all of this may be operated by magnesium controls paddle shifters. Yea, I want one, too.

So using the decision made, JM went out and got himself an Evo X. He wasted no time and started modifying the car within a week of buying it. “My goal in those days was to carry out the basic upgrades for the X,” he says. Even at this early stage within the car’s development JM addressed multiple areas of the car rather than focusing on merely one, such as aesthetics-the point of interest of many newbies. He placed on a Do-Luck carbon-fiber trunk, got an ARC Super Induction Box as well as a Tomei Ti exhaust, and lowered the car with Eibach springs. For wheels, he selected a set of Gram Lights 57G in Hyper Bronze initially, but ended up being switching them out for a set of Gram Lights 57D in Luminous Yellow. What is considered basic to many may be much more than that to others. They proved to be insufficient for JM after simply a short while, especially after spending time perusing reading and forums and studying automotive media, like magazines and blogs, as well as the major tuning shops from Japan, even though many enthusiasts would be very happy with an Evo X MR with those mods.

2010 mitsubishi X MR CZ4A colt speed engine cover

2010 mitsubishi X MR CZ4A samco hoses

2010 mitsubishi X MR CZ4A colt speed hood prop

“There are a number of people in the business who I look up to, both locally and abroad. Jay of JDMEGO, Bill of JDMphasis, Ben of Bulletproof Automotive, and countless other builds have served as inspiration for me,” JM says. “They have been advocates of innovation over imitation, and that motto I have used as being a cornerstone inside my build philosophy.”

JM clearly does those individual’s names justice in his build. His choice of top-tier parts has created an attractive Evo that may withstand the test of time and make any JDM fanboy damn near lose his mind. For the exterior aero, Varis units were selected in addition to names, likeVoltex and CWEST, and Ganador, all of it flowing smoothly with the one-and-only Volk TE37SL wheels in the Pressed Graphite finish. Sitting behind the wheels is an Alcon big brake kit through the UK FQ400 model X. The red decals in the wheels tie the Bride Cuga seats and Coltspeed engine cover in perfectly. The combination of the parts and colors chosen in this build create a build that is about as close to perfect as possible.

When we asked JM precisely what the goal and purpose of this build was, he explained, “To create a well-rounded car using reliable and quality products.” It is evident by his choice in top-shelf manufacturers that he stayed true not only to his goal but to the spirit of the builds of those who came before him and inspired him, and who provided the credo and inspiration that were the property blocks of his own perspective. Most importantly, the consequence of this type of perspective in a car build is satisfaction and contentment. How many of us in our own build ever get to the point where we have been truly content with the vehicle as it sits, even though that may not sound like much? “For now, it is reliable advice that I am satisfied with my current setup and that there won’t be any major changes happening soon. I want to enjoy it because it is and it will serve as my daily driver.” Congratulations, JM, you have achieved what many seek and do not find. And you get to have fun with this every single day.

There’s no getting away from the fact that accidents do happen . . . which is kind of why they are called accidents . . . however – many “accidents” are actually avoidable which means that they aren’t really accidents at all so we’ll call those accidents “”incidents””. There are a few things you can do which severely cut down on the chances of you being involved in an accident . . . or incident . . . or whatever else you might like to call it.
Remove Distractions
Or at least cut back on them as much as you possibly can. Distracted driving is actually as dangerous as driving while under the influence of alcohol so, in real terms it’s a good idea not to drive while you are drunk, neither is it a good idea to drive while you are distracted. Our high tech world is full of distractions – cell phones, billboards strategically placed at the side of the road, stereo systems, even passengers and children squabbling in the back seat.

So, what can you do about it?
First of all you need to focus on what you’re doing and try not to be distracted at all by billboards (sorry if you’ve paid a large sum to advertise your business, but they really deserve to be ignored). It is also illegal in many states to use a cell phone while driving, which includes speaking and texting so if you need to talk make sure that you have a hands free device in your vehicle.
Remember that roads are dangerous places which deserve your fullest attention.
Don’t Tailgate or Follow Other Vehicles Closely
This is extremely annoying for the driver in front who is being tail gated, and extremely dangerous for everyone else around you. Being tail gated is not only annoying but it also makes you feel very uncomfortable which is one more distraction. It’s also really dangerous if you don’t allow enough of a stopping distance between your vehicle and the one in front.

The way to remember this is by the two second rule, and three seconds when traveling at faster speeds. Make sure that there is at least a two, or three second gap between your vehicle and the one in front at all times.
Obey The Speed Limits
If you are involved in a car accident while speeding then you will be held liable for that accident . . . period. It doesn’t matter if the car pulled out in front of you without looking; the theory is that if you were driving within the speed limits you would have had the chance to stop. If the road conditions are bad due to rain, snow or ice then you should drop your speeds well below the limit. Slow down, stay safe and reduce the chances of being involved in an accident.
Always Fasten Your Seatbelt
Do you know why cars have seatbelts? No, they are not to make you uncomfortable on a long journey or to stop the kids from killing each other on a long road trip . . . they are actually designed to keep everybody in the car as safe as possible. Modern vehicles are designed to crumple on impact and decelerate at a rate which will keep the occupants safe and seatbelts are designed to slow your body down at the same rate as your car.

Many modern cars (like the ones at long beach fiat) are packed with modern safety features but you can still do your part by following these basic rules of the road. Check out the great new models at OC Fiat though, when you get the chance.

Continue. Admit it. You’re surprised to see a Porsche 911 here, aren’t you? Hopefully so, because we want to surprise you from time to time, and hopefully in a positive way. That doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate a fine bit of German engineering, and we suspect you feel much the same way, even though we are, of course, diehard Japanese car lovers and constantly will be. True car enthusiasts tend to appreciate a wide range of machinery, regardless of geographic or brand allegiances, so expect to see more domestic and European brands sprouting up in this once JDM-everything magazine.

Aaron Ochoco, owner on this beautifully massaged ’05 911 Carrera, got his start like lots of us, tinkering with Hot Wheels and R/C cars and also making a yearly trip to the L.A. Auto Show with his car-crazed father. Everything I played with had to be modified. I remember coloring the windows on my Hot Wheels with a Sharpie to tint them. Even my R/C car was completely hooked up with upgraded carbon and motors fiber, so modifying real cars was actually a natural progression. I got to the car scene during high school graduation when The Fast and the Furious first became availableended up being to keep things restrained and clean, deciding on quality parts from Japanese tuning superstars including Volk, Tein, and GReddy. Just before you assume he’s yet another bandwagon jumper who has graduated to Porsches now that he’s in a position to roll a little deeper, you need to consider that Aaron’s first project was really an ’85 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC, which he modified in more of any classic hot rod style.

F&F wasn’t Aaron’s only movie influence, either. He actually credits his interest in Porsche 911s to the opening scene of the modern remake of Gone in one minute, where a 996 Carrera races a Civic on the street. Following that, I always wanted a 911, and a few years later, the 997 became available and I enjoyed a great ability to sell my tuned G35 for near to what I paid for this Porsche, according to Aaron. I went for it and do not looked back.

Given his early project cars and cinematic influences, you have to admit that Aaron’s 911 build actually makes perfect sense, allowing him to fuse his passions for Japanese-style tuning and modified German machinery in one of the world’s most legendary sports cars. And as you’d expect, Aaron’s stayed with his clean and subtle approach to modifications, drawing inspiration from Germany’s top performance divisions and also from Internet blogs and forums like Speedhunters and S2ki.com user Diez along with histo create the car with an ‘OEM Plus’ state of mind. I really like and respect what the ‘M’,’S’, and ‘AMG’ departments do forAudi and BMW, and Mercedes, and so that’s the theme I’ve gone with the recent years. I don’t like cars that are modded to the point that it’s very obvious that they’ve been modified. I love subtle mods that flow with the original design language from the factory and that accent the vehicle rather than completely changing it.

To begin with, Aaron used a healthy quantity of Alcantara around the interior surfaces, and he accented that with carbon fiber, like the DCT Motorsport Alcantara/carbon-fiber controls and Rottec CGT carbon-fiber seats. The steering wheel was custom built to appear similar to a Lamborghini Superleggera’s, and the piano-black console had been a design cue taken from the Aston Martin DBS. Aaron also equipped his 997 with a Porsche factory rollbar finished beautifully in stainless-steel, which should tip you off that he enjoys this car on the canyon roads near Los Angeles and takes it to the occasional track day,too.

The exterior of Aaron’s 997 has seen some high-quality ‘OEM Plus’ treatment, too, in the form of a Porsche GT3 front bumper, GT3 Cup front lip, and Porsche Motorsports carbon-fiber dive planes, along with a Precision Porsche GT3 Euro rear bumper, a ’10 GT3 rear wing, and dry carbon rear ducts. Aaron hasn’t ignored his JDM roots here, opting for an RWB-inspired list of Work Meister S1 three-piece wheels covered with Falken FK453 rubber along with JIC/Cross coilovers to set the ride height and improve road holding.

2005 porsche 911 carrera custom work meister wheel

2005 porsche 911 carrera m96 boxer straight 6 engine

2005 porsche 911 carrera carbon fiber cover

Aaron’s 997 isn’t practically aesthetics and stance, though. He’s done just bout everything easy to his Carrera’s 3.6L M96 Boxer engine to squeeze some additional naturally aspirated jam from it, including Borla headers, IPD’s competition plenum, and a Porsche GT3 82mm throttle-body. Since he tells us, I really loved the purity in the NA engine but wanted to make it sound better and work more efficiently. The exhaust has been completely swapped out, along with the current setup is the fourth iteration and my favorite-sounding version, plus it’s been modified to exit out the core of the GT3 rear bumper. EVOMSit then tuned the ECU to tie in all the mods I made to the engine.

Sure, maybe Aaron could have obtained a 997 GT3 with the money he’s committed to his Carrera, but as he says, Building a completely custom, bespoke vehicle that reflects my personality was worth every penny and hour wrenching on it. My crew, The Encore Collective, has been a big part in pushing the other person to build our cars to the next level, and my best friend, Aaron-Ross, and my brother Ace always produce input over a mod before it goes about the car. I believe now that it’s at the height of its build, it’s time and energy to just take advantage of the car as it is. Is it faster than a GT-R or cooler looking than the usual Rocket Bunny S13? Who cares? This can be Aaron’s 997, and we think his superclean fusion of Japanese and Euro influences makes it one of the mostconsole, dash and headliner shift knob/shift boot and e-brake handle; piano-black center console; carbon-fiber armrest and ignition ring; DCT Motorsport Alcantara/carbon-fiber controls; Porsche Motorsports rollbar; Rottec CGT carbon-fiber seats w/Alcantara center cushions; billet aluminum pedals; rear seat delete; Pioneer avic z110bt nav head unit and 4-channel amp; Apple 160gb iPod; Bose component speakers and subwoofer

Numbers 368 305 and bhp lb-ft at the flywheel

Special Thanks The Encore Collective; Robert at Falken Tire; Mike and Brian at RSS; Matt and Ian at EVOMSit; Jay at Speed Alliance; BMC Filters; AASCO Motorsports; Meguiar’s; my closest friend, Aaron-Ross; my loved ones, girlfriend and friends for their continued support

The bottom end of engine A will continue to work with the top end of engine B, and will make use of using pistons from engine C as well as the intake manifold of engine D. The transmission from engine E can be used to work in conjunction with the A/B/C/D engine combo. And what about the brains behind all this? Well, there are multiple options in that category as well, both OEM and aftermarket. Sure, it sounds a little confusing in those terms, but when you put things into perspective, the many various engine families and parts that have trickled down from Honda engineers over the last 2 decades are like a Godsend to the people who enjoy to build. Furthermore, with the options available, the avenue you decide on is by no means limited. As a result, just about every conceivable swap and Frankenstein creation has been tried and comfortably (sometimes not comfortably) made its way between the fenders of a variety of popular Hondas.

Over the last several years, Son Nguyen has seen his share of engine transplants and wow moments from within the Honda community’s do-it-yourself crowd. With so much knowledge being accumulated and openly shared, he was dead set on building something that would incorporate a multifaceted powerplant, one that would make use of the strong points offered by a variety of Honda mills. The foundation for Son’s build is a ’90 CRX Si that he’d successfully tracked down after combing the net for the best value. His good friend, China Rath, knew Son wanted to build something Honda-related and helped encourage him to complement the early ’90s two-seater. He adds, The household around me inspired me to build this car. It basically started as simply a shell that I’d found on Craigslist for $1,500. When funds started building, I began ordering every little part that I needed. The total cost was around $ten thousand. If you’re asking yourself where he came up with that money, Son reminds us that you can still acquire funds for your hobby the old-fashioned way, by the end of year. I worked for it. And believe me, working 60-plus hours per week is noof the money went toward freshening up the car’s exterior. The first front end was removed and replaced with the more aggressive JDM front cap along with a Password: JDM carbon-fiber lip. A sleeker look was achieved by adding an OEM SiR rear wing and optional window visors, as well as Civic sedan rear door handles that remove the factory keyholes. Lightweight BBR Competition wheels and Falken Azenis rubber add an functional and aggressive feel and look towards the Si, and only behind the previous-school rollers are ’93 Integra front and rear calipers and spindles. While taking care of the braking upgrades, Rath stepped straight into help reroute the brake lines within the hood for a cleaner look.

Although the exterior of Son’s car is classic and clean and certainly draws its share of the spotlight, it’s what resides from the engine bay that garners the most attention. For starters, a 2.3L F-series block complete with K20 Type S pistons along with a polished crank was mated to an H22 head stuffed with Skunk2 Pro 2 cams and Crower valvesprings and retainers. Replacing the original H-series intake manifold is a K20 RBC unit with QSD adapter plate and Blox 70mm throttle body. Looking for better gearing from a factory transmission, a B16 gearbox armed with OEM LSD is used thanks to QSD’s H2B kit. Spearheading the Frankenstein powerplant is a reprogrammed P28 ECU. Take a moment to check back over the past paragraph and you’ll find major parts from a minimum of five separate Honda engine families doing work in conjunction to generateit may be a test of patience. The greatest problem with this car was doing the specific swap. The H2B/G swaps never quite fit right in an ’88-’91 body. Then again, the payoff has seen to completely overshadow any headaches involved with the swap process. The best part in regards to the build is just driving it! It will spin the entire day if you really get into it! Traction problems here, my good friend, lol!

When asked about any future plans for your car, besides enjoying the battle with traction, Son explains, I might get some Speed Choppys, new seats, maybe a steering wheel and ’00 Si cluster. By using a purchase cost of a mere $1,500, Son could put the majority of his project’s funds toward making the auto look, feel and stop and go better than the factory had ever intended some 20-plus years ago. Cheaper than half the price tag on current popular imports, Son’s CRX Si can hold its very own while maintaining the classic Honda hot-hatch appeal that helped spark a generation of import fanatics. Now that’s bargain building done right.