SRMotorCars.com – The Auto Maintenance and Repair Expert

Most builds are not long term, despite requiring massive amounts of resources such as time, money, labor and energy and, of course, just a little love. Although car purchases, along with the sometimes staggering additional costs associated with project cars, are for many the next most expensive purchase of their lives-with a home purchase being the single most costly. With cost almost always a factor, some choose to keep builds short-term; gain a goal after which move on to another project. Others become short-term due to unforeseen events liketheft and collisions, or financial uncertainty. For Jonathan Tanguay ofTennessee and Knoxville, his 1998 Honda Civic Hatchback CX started off and thankfully, is still a long-term project. The adventure began in 2004 once thisas much as 2009, every time a two-car garage became available and, having amassed a solid collection of high-end and rare parts through the years, he turned it in to a weekend warrior. Parking options at work didn’t provide ample security from theft, so Jonathan decided to find a daily driver, and this proved to be a drastic alternation in driving behavior. Going from daily doses of dopamine derived from high-revving shifts to grocery getting confinement is hell to many, but Jonathan is satisfied with his decision. I am OK with only driving it very little because I have got had the automobile for such a long time. It form of makes me enjoy it more when I drive it.

What’s not to enjoy? A well-rounded build, just about every inch of Jonathan’s Civic has seen some kind of update or upgrade. A slew of OEM EK9 exterior and interior pieces, a variety of J’s Racing and Spoon Sports parts throughout the build, and the list goes on. Like any complete build, the powerplant wasn’t untouched, nor was it gingerly massaged. Not until after the bottom end was fitted with RS Machine pistons and reworked GS-R rods, though instead, an entire B18C1 swap was performed. Up top, a set of Skunk2 Stage II cams sit inside of a ported and polished head, and both ends are held together with ARP hardware.

Many emotions were experienced over nearly 10 years of ownership, including plenty of frustration. For example, following the engine was installed and everything seemed to check out, the auto wouldn’t run properly. The engine was idling rough enough to go out of Jonathan and his friends completely puzzled. They went back over their work, but everything looked at visually. Thankfully, someone suggested checking the transmission ground. Jonathan quickly dove within the chassis and noticed the transmission ground bolt was loose. Closer inspection stated that paint had entered the transmission ground bolthole and was preventing solid contact. He used a wire brush to completely cleanunderwent a great ordeal to own a set. He saw a hatchback with these exact wheels two years prior and fell in love with the mix. Someday those rims could be on his Civic, he thought to himself. Upon initial research, he realized the ten-spoke version had not been offered within a four-lug bolt pattern. No worries, he placed a purchase for a five-lug conversion kit to make this combination work. The CTR five-lug setup was ordered through an importer in Canada. A package arrived simply a week after ordering but contained merely one item. Where was the remainder of the order? The vendor was not responding to repeated attempts of communication and the parcel service was confused. Eventually, he discovered that the seller had shipped the order in four separate pieces to reduce shipping costs, but this was not stated beforehand. After dealing with the 5-lug fiasco, he placed a purchase order for the made-to-order wheels through another shop. It was during this time period that a massive earthquake hit Japan and, as a result, global supply lines saw instant strain. All told, Jonathan waited four months and spent upwards of $5,000 to obtain the wheel and suspension setup he had dreamed about. Regardless of the setbacks as well as the expensive cost, he enjoys the setup and loves the way they complement the overall look and feel. These are the little hang-ups which everybody faces when building a car, and no matter how minor, they always manage to drive us crazy.

All setbacks and tribulations aside, Jonathan’s Civic was built exactly the way he wanted and has recently experienced several changes. The build will continue to progress toward a more track-ready vehicle as plans to get a local autocross track unfold. Although the Civic’s presence is in a constant and gradual state of change, one variable that remains constant is his desire to make it and never let go. There are no plans right now. I need to save as much as get the rest of the [current] parts I want. The never-ending story, and the adventure that goes along with it, continues.

It’s no use complaining about automobile insurance costs…. Okay, so we all need it but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try everything you can to reduce those costs whenever you can.

Here are a few things you should be doing to make sure that your auto insurance premiums are as little as they can possibly be.

Shop Around – car insurance companies are notoriously disloyal. They won’t automatically offer their special rates to their band of loyal and customers, they save those in an attempt to entice new customers away from their competitors. Ever allow your automobile insurance to automatically renew without making sure that you’re getting the hottest deal, it also pays to shop around because prices vary between companies andever and never.

It doesn’t matter whether you look around using one of the numerous price comparison web internet sites or just make a few phone calls to your local insurance brokers . . . just do something.

Check Insurance Costs Before You Buy – okay, so you’ve fallen in love with something fast, shiny and new at Carson Nissan, but you must check out just what the insurance costs is going to be before you sign around the dotted line and drive it home. Different types of car are banded into different insurance brackets and some will definitely cost significantly more than the others. Before you swap your vehicle, be sure that you check this out fully.

Reduce Older Car Coverage – this can be for the people who can’t afford a nice new motor and drive an older vehicle… but don’t be fooled, there are many people around in this category. If the car itself is worth less than around 10 times in the premium, once your car actually starts to depreciate in value you may also need to contemplate dropping comprehensive and / or collision damage into it, particularly. Sometimes a car simply isn’t definitely worth the amount it costs to insure it against some forms of damage.

If they get all of your business, so consider lumping together your home owners and maybe even your health insurance with the same company, Lump Policies Together – some insurance companies will offer you a better deal. This can help you to save a pretty penny on your policies rather than just your vehicle insurance.

Keep a Great Credit Record – you’ll be surprised at what a difference this can make. If you have a fantastic credit record then you will be regarded as being a lower risk to the insurance company than someone who has a bad credit history and record. The best way to accomplish this is to always pay bills in good time, don’t get more credit than you actually need and try to maintain the balance on your own credit cards only you can. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on your credit check and score it from time to time – mistakes can happen and you also need yours to be as accurate as possible.

Low Mileage Discount – is yet another great way to reduce insurance costs. The chances of you having an accident are lower than someone who spends hours driving every day in the event you only drive your car on the park every Sunday and twice a month to the grocery store. Car-pooling can also help to keep your mileage low.

These are just a few of the ways you can help to make sure that the auto insurance you spend is only it can possibly be. Take a look at www.downtownnissan.com when you fancy a change, they’ve got some crackers.

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If you’re at all enthusiastic about rotary-powered Mazdas, and in particular FD RX-7s, then odds are you’ve heard about Phil Sohn. That’s because Phil is actually a prominent figure on the American rotary scene, both as the organizer of the favorite annual rotary gathering, the Deals Gap Rotary Rally, and as one of the founders of rotarycarclub.com. Plus, Phil’s famous Montego Blue FD made the cover on this illustrious magazine many years ago, together with his ultra-rare ’91 Mazda Eunos Cosmo.

Just to give you a sense of the depth of Phil’s rotary obsession, he’s owned 15 rotary-powered Mazdas, including 10 FDs, an RX-8, an FC convertible (his first rotary purchase, back in ’99), a ’72 RX-2, plus a ’73 RX-3. Come to come up with it, the RX-3, which he sold to some friend in the rotary community last year, is going to be featured in sister mag Super Street. And although Phil says the RX-7 the thing is here is his last FD build, he does have a silver one getting a complete makeover with rare Mazda and Mazdaspeed parts, that can no doubt be feature-worthy as wellcreated to be his ultimate expression of rotary passion and FD RX-7 styling, Phil recruited the complete best talent in his home state of Alabama, including Goolsby Customs and MPFab. As Phil told us, “I first heard of Jonathan Goolsby and Goolsby Customs back in early 2000. He was well known in Alabama for his unique custom-built cars and his painting skills. I pitched my 20B FD build to Jonathan in 2009 and again at the ’10 SEMA Show. My goal was to make sure the auto would have superior to OEM fit and finish, unlike many of the kitted cars I’ve seen at shows, which often have huge panel gaps etc. After chatting with sponsor Disc Brakes Australia at the ’11 SEMA Show, I landed a spot within their booth for 2012, and at the same time Goolsby won the coveted Best GM Resto-Mod award. With Jonathan winning the GM award, I found myself concerned he may not carry out my project, but he still agreed to take it on the day after getting home from his big SEMA win. Thus I picked up a red FD shell in New Orleans with my buddy John Lewis.”

Phil’s actually been planning this build for quite a long time, having bought the 20B three-rotor engine for doing it back in 2004 when he first met his wife. “Actually, on our second or third date, I asked her to drive with me to meet my engine builder, Luis Canizales, to see the three-rotor for the first time, since his friend had picked it up for meIntegrated Bama

Talking about Luis Canizales, Phil is really as picky a rotorhead while there is on this planet, so for him to say that Luis is probably the best rotary engine builders in the business, you realize the guy need to have a wealth of experience and a serious passion for spinning triangles. In fact, Luis is building rotaries for more than four decades and has even built their own lapping table to true up the sealing surface of the iron sections, plus he cranks over every motor he builds on a custom engine stand he built, just to be sure each freshly assembled rotary is making good compression.

It’s based on a late-model D-series 20B away from a low-mileage Mazda Eunos Cosmo, and Luis equipped it with fresh OE internals, gave it a mild street port, and balanced the rotating assembly to ensure high-rpm happiness. The engine and rolling chassis were then delivered to Walker Morgan at MPFab for installation. “Walker did the fabrication work with the turbo setup and is also one of the smartest people I’ve met, as outlined by Phil. His fabrication skills and his capability to solve space-oriented issues really impressed me. Walker was the one who put together the bottom-mount turbo setup, and by doing so he solved several problems plus created something which no one did before with a, even though it doesn’t take a genius to appreciate the quality of Walker’s work His custom V-mount intercooler setup using a Bell intercooler core is beautiful enough to hold in a modern art gallery, the sheetmetal work and robot-shaming welds combining to offer lesser fabricators and art lovers alike a significant case of TIG envy. And it is really utterly brilliant the way Walker designed the 321SS bottom-mount manifold to help you see the big Turbonetics GT-K turbocharger peeking out with the main air inlet around the RE-Amemiya N1-02 front bumper, surrounded by custom sheetmetal work and mounting brackets that are best identified as metal porn.

Once Walker had completed the custom fab work, the car was torn to a bare shell and delivered to Jonathan at Goolsby Customs to have an equally impressive body and paint transformation. Goolsby customized it by darkening it just a bit, although phil opted for Mercedes-Benz AMG Imola Grey Metallic paint provided by BASF. But before he could work his magic with the spray gun, Jonathan had to first fine-tune the fitment of the RE-Amemiya and Fujita Engineering (FEED) exterior parts for the beyond-perfect aesthetic expected of any SEMA build. The end result is nothing short of spectacular, the gray and black (and carbon) theme giving this 20-year-old Japanese sports vehicle the look of a modern dayPhil’s the sort of guy to give all the credit to his sponsors and build partners, but a lot of the focus to detail you can see throughout his FD are definitely the direct reaction to Phil’s own creativity, in addition to his ownsweat and blood, and tears. He hand-filed the casting marks off the exterior of the 3-rotor intake manifold, for example, before painting it and then filing the paint off the lettering for a machined look. He did an equally detailed paintjob around the transmission and engine, plus he removed, rebushed and sandblasted, and painted every suspension arm around the car, in addition to stripping out any unnecessary wiring, deleting the HVAC system, and simplifying the AC panel and shifter panel, each of which were painted in a satin finish by Goolsby.

Over a build that includes a ton of extremely desirable and very rare JDM goodies, the unicorn item for you JDM snobs out there has to be the “we’ve never seen one before, we didn’t know it even existed” Defi Super Sport gauge cluster. As Phil told us, “A Japanese rotorhead friend in Kentucky helped me out by translating the wiring diagram for the cluster-thanks, Yuki Sawai! This item has never been sold in the us, and I think an overall of about 400 were made. I believe I had been the first in the united states to acquire one, though I truly do know of a 240SX, a Supra, as well as a Veilside-kitted FD that have since installed one.”

Built in Alabama by some of the finest craftsmen within the South and featuring merely the finest and the majority of sought-after aftermarket parts, Phil Sohn’s last RX-7 build has to be among the finest all-around FDs on the planet. And just like the Barber Motorsports Park backdrop suggests (a location Phil chose because it’s among the finest motorsports venues in the nation and is actually a source of Bama pride), this isn’t simply a SEMA show car. Phil has every intention of driving his boosted 20B beast on the streets and at the racetrack, beginning with the ’14 Deals Gap Rotary Rally.

If you want to see this superstar FD up close and personal, sign up for DGRR so you can chase Phil as well as other amazing brap-brap machines on the Tail from the Dragon.Integrated Bama

1993 mazda rx 7 turbonetics GT K 1050 turbo

1993 mazda rx 7 tial wastegate

1993 mazda rx 7 ganador titanium exhaust

Specs & Details

1993 Mazda RX-7

Engine 2.0L 20B-REW three-rotor

Engine Modifications Shaved bay with satin finish paint by Goolsby Customs, Define Autowork three-rotor engine mounts, Mazdaspeed powerplant frame, complete engine refresh, mild port, and balancing by Luis Canizales; MPFab custom 321SS bottom-mount turbo manifold, custom downpipe, custom V-mount intercooler setup with Bell Intercooler cores and alternator relocation; Mazmart upgraded billet water pump, prototype Xcessive Engineering three-rotor LIM and fuel rails; Injector Dynamics 1000cc injectors, AEM ignition coils, Setrab oil coolers with Mocal thermostat, Tial MVR wastegate and BOV; Turbonetics GT-K 1050 billet wheel turbocharger, Ludwig Motorsport mil-spec engine wiring and engine accessory harnesses; CJ Motorsport fuel pump kit, Radium Auto multi-pump surge tank (2x Walbro E85 pumps), Denso Cosmo in-tank fuel pump, Ganador Titanium cat-back exhaust

Engine Management Haltech PS2000

Drivetrain Exedy Twin carbon clutch kit, carbon-fiber driveshaft

Wheels, Tires & Brakes Rays Engineering Volk TE37SL Black Edition 18×9.5’’ (f) and 18×10.5 (r) wheels and Duralumin lug nuts; Toyo Proxes R888 255/35R18 (f) and 295/30R18 (r) tires, DBA 332mm rotors with custom hats by E&J Auto, Alcon 4-piston calipers (f), RZ calipers (r), Chase Bays manual brake kit with prop valve

Suspension Stance USA Pro III coilovers, Tri-point Engineering adjustable sway bar (f), Widefoot Engineering solid sway bar mounts, Racing Beat sway bar (r), FEED fender braces, Nagisa strut tower to firewall brace, Powerflex bushings, AutoExe underbody bracing, Raceshop rollbar/rear strut tower transmission, bracing and diff brace, AtomicRex manual steering rack

Exterior BASF Glasurit paint in AMG Imola Grey Metallic, paint and body work by Goolsby Customs, RE-Amemiya N1-02 front bumper, N1 carbon undertray, N1 carbon canards, N1 carbon hood, carbon fender mirrors, and carbon diffuser; FEED front fenders, rear fender flares, carbon side skirts, and carbon GT-IIR rear wing; ShineAuto rear carbon lip spoiler, FAL rear hatch window, new front windshield, trim, and door seals; custom vented signal lights, R-Magic HID headlights, custom converted taillights

Interior Defi Super Sport gauge cluster, Bride Exas III seats (f) and fabric-covered JDM seats (r); Raceshop rollbar, Takata Drift III harnesses, Prosport Premium gauges, FEED shift knob and doorsills; Works Bell short hub, QR, and lock; Personal steering wheel, interior conversion from Tan to Black, simplified AC and shifter panel with satin paint by Goolsby Customs

Sponsors Disc Brakes Australia, Exedy Clutch USA, Toyo Tires, Turbonetics Inc., Bell Intercoolers, Xcessive Engineering, Takata, BASF, Carbonetics and Powerflex Tial USA, Stance USA, Assaultech, Full Function Engineering, Ludwig Motorsports, Rays Engineering

Special Thanks My partner for allowing me to pursue this crazy hobby, the Bham area rotary crew for his or her help with this build, Chris Ludwig for amazing wire harnesses and ECU support, Jay Sheah from Evo-R, the crew at Barber Vintage Museum and Mr. Barber for allowing us to shoot at Barber Motorsport Park, and John Lewis, my longtime friend and a fellow rotorhead who helped me transport the vehicle all the way from New Orleans to Birmingham, to Vegas, and to Birmingham.

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It doesn’t get much cooler than this. Or maybe it will but this is definitely the coolest Lexus at the Sema Show. Taking a completely new 2014 Lexus IS sedan and gutting the stock engine to replace it having a Toyota Supra 2JZ GTE turbo engine is crazy enough but to within the displacement from 3.0L to 3.4L is simply insane. There’s also a rather large turbocharger sitting pretty in there leading to quite a powerful setup. To end off the package the Lexus received some Advan TCII wheels, big brakes, and a Sparco interior. This is one car that is a must see!

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Summer is here, meaning that the nights are great for bonfires. Regardless if you are heading out to the beach or the mountains, there are some great things you need to have to help make your summer bonfires among the best ever.

1. A Car That Can Take You Everywhere

One wonderful thing about bonfires is that they can take you off the beaten track to enable you to your friends can enjoy the fires in solitude. Because a bonfire may be over a beach or even in the woods, you want to make sure that you can get to the favorite bonfire spot. With the Nissan XTerra from Ontario Nissan, you will have the ideal vehicle for wherever you need to go. With four wheel drive as well as an interior which is easy to keep clean, you are able to take your bonfire anywhere. Find out more about the XTerra by using metronissanredlands.com.

2. An Excellent Bluetooth Speaker

A high quality portable Bluetooth speaker is a must-have when you are planning out your bonfire. With the ability to play for hours without getting plugged in and great sound, you can bring your music with you in your phone and enjoy the perfect tunes for your party. You won’t regret a purchase when you have the ideal mood music for your bonfire.

3. Acoustic Instruments

Take into consideration getting some acoustic instruments to share with your friends if keeping your bonfire unplugged will be your thing. Draw out your tribal side with drums, other and bells noise making instruments or, if you want something a little more advance, think about getting an acoustic guitar to try out your favorite music. You may make great memories as you and the friends go back to basics and revel in a twist on the old fashioned drum circle.

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As a self-proclaimed Honda fanatic, I find it hard to consider many cars I’d rather own compared to the late and great S2000. Just hear me out for any minute, though i know that’s a bit of a bold statement. It’s got each of the right stuff: rear-wheel-drive layout; it’s nimble and small with quick turn-in response, as well as the naturally aspirated motor is probably the finest 4-cylinders ever built. In order to drive, while some say the S2000 is snappy and difficult to deal with on the edge, others say it’s just a car that you need to be awake. No matter what your opinion from the S2000, you really can’t debate that it’s an incredible platform to develop upon regardless of the your end goals are.

John Gamboa ofFremont and California, feels the same way, as it is evident by his lovely example of what you can do with an AP1. Although, permit me to put this out there now: John did not build this car from your ground up. To get completely fair, he openly admits that he bought this car from your friend in South Florida, largely from the same shape as you see here. ” take a chill pill while keeping an open mind because there’s nothing wrong with buying a built car, now before you shout and go “blasphemy. It’s often cheaper and much lesscoming from a good friend of mine who I now look up to as being an older brother,” John told me. “But, please, don’t have the misconception that I’m someone who got a new car not being totally sure everything that’s on it. We have been in the automotive community [for a long time], with lots of previous builds under my belt. I used to reside in South Florida, and I am still active there, even though I now are living in the Bay Area.”

You see, John owned an AP2 S2000 leading up to the acquisition of this AP1, and the choice to buy an already modified car had not been based on anything other than happy circumstances. The concept of modifying his old S2000 had been floating around in their head for quite a while, and after stumbling across this car online, he began to rethink the entire approach.

Instead of expecting months upon months for rare parts from Japan to get stateside (a scenario we all are familiar with), John found an auto with a unique character which simply spoke to him. The truth that it just so happened to be for sale when he was ready to buy was simply another fortunate coincidence.

This S2K is fairly modest in the performance upgrade department, sporting a collection of Bilstein coilovers, Nitto NT555 tires with Advan RS-D wheels, and uncomplicated engine bolt-ons. The engine, however, is not original. John popped the AP1 motor and replaced it with a low-mileage F22C. It’s a greater portion of a cruising car as opposed to an all-out track monster; John has kept everything civil so he can still enjoy it on a regular basis. Too often, it’s easy to go overboard, and before you know it, the car is a garage queen that’s barely driven.

2000 honda S2000 cusco 6 point roll cage

2000 honda S2000 personal black suede steering wheel

2000 honda S2000 zoom carbon rear view mirror

The exterior has been done up very nicely all the way through, with the most immediately noticeable upgrade being the custom Apex Blue paint. Similar to Laguna Seca Blue, this paint is simply different enough to make you stop and look twice. A Sorcery bumper having a carbon-fiber under plate resides up front. John told me this particular piece is fairly rare from the S2000 community, but oh how proper it looks. The Spoon front fenders flow nicely into the rear ASM rear over fenders, plus a Top Secret diffuser finishes off the back end. The S2000 is a convertible, however it seems so rare to see a modified example without a hardtop of some sort. Mugen may be the weapon associated with preference in this case, painted gloss black for a nice contrast versus the bright blue body. The sum of the aero parts and blue paint gives John’s S2K quite a special look, which isn’t an easy task to achieve currently.

It’s not very often that we see a complete interior swap, but in the case of many Hondas (like the S2000), it’s no irrational idea. The cabins are (largely) the same between generations once stripped down, so the AP2 interior in John’s car looks and fits as if it came straight off the assembly line. A pair of Bride bucket seats holds driver and passenger in place, whilst adding some much-appreciated style points to the mix. Your Own steering wheel with Works Bell quick release is almost looks and expected right in the home with blue stitching to suit the car’s exterior. Because after all, he drives this thing on the regular, john includes a modest stereo in place.

When it’s all said and done, John is incredibly happy with his choice to buy this car, and we can’t blame him. If the car you plan to construct (basically) pops up for a fraction of the purchase price, would you really say no to that opportunity? Hardly. With good looks, functional performance, and the added bonus of not having to pay years in your lifestainless steel lines.

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