Finished off our Tokyo Auto Salon coverage a couple weeks back but I wanted to save one last post for all the wild, weird and crazy stuff that was on display at the show.
Lots of vans, lambo doors, crazy paint and diamond stitched interiors.
More wild TAS pictures can be found on our Flickr page HERE
Without a doubt one of the most popular cars modified by car enthusiasts all over the world. What probably makes the Civic so popular is it’s appeal to the youth and it’s functionality, but more importantly it’s reliability.
As the Civic gained more and more popularity over the years, the more and more the aftermarket paid attention. Long story short, the Civic had so much aftermarket support that it started getting some negative attention with some of the parts that were applied by their owners.
Non-functional parts became the cancer for many modified Civics out there. It became such a ridiculous phase that some vehicles looked like they were not made from this planet and some even looked like they were ready to blast off into the atmosphere.
Forward to the present, and yes such Civics still exist. But thanks to an era where cleanliness matters, one Civic rises above all the ridicule and comes out getting the last laugh…
Enter Hoang Nguyen’s 2000 Honda Civic SiR.
Inside and out, Hoang’s SiR displays nothing but cleanliness and functionality. With Carbon Fiber flowing throughout the exterior of the car, authentic Mugen MF10s giving the car an aggressive stance, and a J’s Racing carbon wing, the rest of this SiR just has you wanting more.
Ask and you shall receive as under the hood, Hoang’s Civic ditches the stock SiR engine and is currently rocking a K20Z motor. Attention to detail follows as Mugen bolts and Baller Bolts are showcased throughout the engine bay.
Continuing on with attention to detail, Hoang’s SiR keeps it going “HAM” with suspension upgrades that make any other Civic feel completely irrelevant. Rocking Tein Flex coilovers with EDFC and chassis bars for days, this is one SIR that is strictly business when it comes to handling and balance.
The interior of Hoang’s Civic is just as crazy as the rest of the car with a pair of Bride Vios seats, and EK9 Type-R interior pieces that are in the most immaculate condition. The In Car Electronics and Audio are enough to make you wanna go on a permanent road trip.
With such a pristine Civic jam packed with functional mods and upgrades, we gotta give it up to people like Hoang who know exactly what this scene is all about.
Through all the phases and generations of the Civic, Hoang takes the best of every era and his SiR Coupe showcases that. In an era where functionality and cleanliness is everything nowadays, Hoang’s SiR steps up to the plate, and raises the bar for us all.
|OWNER:Hoang Nguyen |CAR: 2000 Honda Civic SiR
|ENGINE
06 K20Z
Hasport engine mounts
Js racing valve cover
Js racing oil catch can
Js racing oil cap
J’s racing throttle body
J’s racing baffled oil pan
Tabata radiator
Tabata radiator cap
Exedy hyper single clutch/flywheel
Quaf LSD
DC race header
T1R 63mm cat back
H-Racing Cold air intake
RBC Intake manifold
Hondata K-pro
AEM fuel rail
AEM fuel pressure regulator
Tein hood dampers
Carbing cooling plate
Spoon carbon spark plug cover
Spoon radiator stays
Mugen bolts
Baller bolts titanium bolts
|SUSPENSION.AND.WHEELS
Tein Flex coilovers with EDFC
Js racing front strut bar
Spoon rear strut bar
Spoon front tie bar
Spoon rear tie bar
Alex c-pillar bar
H-Racing Rear truck bars
Function 7 LCA
DC2 front sub frame
DC2-R front sway bar
DC2-R rear sway bar
EK9 type R 5 lug conversion
Mugen MF10 16×7 42
Toyo T1R 205/45/16
T1R titanium lug nuts
|EXTERIOR
VIS carbon hood
VIS carbon truck
VIS carbon lip
VIS carbon splitters
VIS carbon canards
Spoon carbon mirrors
J’s Racing carbon GT wing
J’s Racing front and rear tow hook
Spoon wiper blades
OEM optional rear lip
OEM optional fog lights
Ek9 type R headlights
EK9 type R grill
JDM EK9 window visor
6000K HID
|INTERIOR
Bride vios 3 bucket
Bride brix 2 recliner
Bride rails
Bride fabric door panels
Bride fabric rear seat
Takata harness
Takata shoulder pads
EK9 type R cluster
EK9 type R console
EK9 type R boot
EK9 type R red carpet
Ek9 type R floor mats
Momo tuner steering wheel
Momo steering hub
T1R quick release
Spoon titanium shift knob
|I.C.E
Clarion double din DVD player
Alpine RCA wires
Alpine V12 F550 4ch amp
Alpine V12 MR501 mono amp
Alpine 12inch type R sub
Alpine 7 inch monitor (in trunk)
Alpine type R speakers
Tsunami capacitor
This past weekend (Feb 17-19, 2012) was the 46th annual World of Wheels show which is one of the first car shows in Calgary for the new year. Having been to the show the previous year and spending a large amount of time there we decided that we would make a quick visit this year. However it turned out that the show had grown and added a bunch of different things so we ended up staying for longer then we had planned.
Exploring the floor we found a lot of new muscle mixed in with vintage classics. There was a vast variety of everything at the show including everything from rat rods, to classic delivery vans, to motorcycle from every era. It was a great show and the place was packed due to a celebrity appearance by Chip Foose, a monster truck/bike show by BigFoot and some stuntmen, the SAIT engine build competition, and many local businesses showing off their hard work.
So take a look and if you missed out be sure to visit the next year as it looks like it’ll be a lot bigger and better. Don’t miss the videos at the bottom!
SAIT Engine Build Competition – Our homies Steve and Errol took home first place! Congrats to them.
A term that is eerily familiar to those among us with car projects/builds that are either just beginning or have been going on for quite some time, only to see the light of day during the spring/summer season. Although these “Money Pits” only live to see two seasons during the year, it’s best to believe that the time spent on the “Money Pit” whether it be at the track, cruising, or a trip to the local convenience store, is worth every penny.
It isn’t all joy and happiness, however. Like any other hobby or pastime, accidents can certainly happen, no matter how much one can try to avoid them. What goes through the mind of an owner at the time of an accident though? Does one give up entirely on the project? OR (to quote a Daft Punk song) does one make it harder, better, faster, and stronger?
Some of you may remember Terence Wah’s S2000 that we featured here on illmotion in our debut year, for those who do not, Terence’s S2K was built solely for driving pleasure on the track.
Since this S2000’s last feature, Terence changed wheels and is now rocking a new set of Volk RE30s with a Magnesium Blue finish. For better braking performance, Terence upgraded to Spoon stainless steel brake lines, slotted rotors and Spoon 4-Pot monoblock calipers on the front. Suspension and Chassis seem to play an important role on this S2000 as it performs with HKS Hipermax Sport III coilovers, a Spoon front X-Brace and a Spoon Rear Cross Beam Bar. For enhanced breathability on the track, this S2000 roars with a full Spoon N1 Exhaust System.
Without a doubt, every single modification to Terence’s S2000 had to serve a purpose on the track, and that it did.
One day (out of numerous occasions) at the track however, Terence had a minor incident that led to his car going off course and off the track. Suffering a few minor damages to his S2000, the only question that remained was, ‘What was Terence going to do?’.
Long story short, Terence did not see this as a set back and went in the route of the previously mentioned Daft Punk reference, and kept his “Money Pit” going harder, better, faster, stronger.
For the rebirth this S2000’s Aero and Appearance, it now sits sporting brand new 3-Stage Pearl Yellow paint, an AP1 rear bumper, Shine ASM Front Fenders, some carbon goodies from J’s Racing (Hood, GT Wing), and a CF Trunk.
With a newly refreshed exterior, CF aero pieces and a minor incident at the track taken as a learning experience, we commend people like Terence and the commitment he has for his “Money Pit”. With patience and time dedicated to his track toy, the end result of his “Money Pit” still proves to be worth it.
|OWNER: Terence Wah |VEHICLE: Honda S2000
|SUSPENSION/HANDLING
Bridgestone Potenza RE11 – F: 255/40/17 R:255/40/17 (Track)
HKS Hipermax Sport III Coilovers
RAYS Black Short Lug Nuts (Anodized)
Volk RE30 (Mag Blue): 17×9 +54 x4
Volk Mag Blue Centercaps
|CHASSIS
Spoon Front X-Brace
Spoon Rear Cross Beam Bar
|BRAKING
Hawk HP+ Brake Pads – Front and Rear
PowerSlot Slotted Rotor – Front and Rear
Spoon 4-Pot Monoblock Front Calipers
Spoon SS Brake Lines
|EXHAUST & INTAKE
Spoon N1 Dual Full Exhaust System
|AERO/EXTERIOR
AP1 Rear Bumper
APR Front Air Dam Lip
Seibon CF Trunk
J’s Racing (Voltex) Type-1 GT Wing
J’s Racing Type-V CFRP Front Hood
Pearl Yellow Tri-Stage Paint
Shine ASM Front Fenders w/ CF Insert and Bumper Extensions
|INTERIOR & NON-PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS
Bride Vios III Racing Seat – driver
Compustar Alarm System
Pioneer Deck – USB + iPOD Integration
T1R Suede Shift Boot
Spoon Reclinable Seat – passenger
T1R Ti Shiftknob
Going back through some old pictures from Toronto’s ImportFest and this RSX caught my eye again. It’s been posted around the net more that once and it seems like its on a different sets of wheels each time. My favorite look is definitely this one, rocking the concave TE’s.
As some of you may have noticed, a recurring debate of “doing it right” versus “doing it wrong” has been a very heated topic amongst car enthusiasts as of late, especially on the internet. These days, it seems as though the influence of peers on forums, blogs and various social media outlets have affected the way cars are modified by their owners. Such an impact has brought both positive and negative aspects to this present day automotive lifestyle.
There are however a few out there who break this mold and do something based entirely on their own discretion, without the influence of peers on the web. A perfect example of this select few is Jason Close, and his Supercharged BMW M3. Although Jason’s M3 is posted online, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it remained his build, as his peers took a seat and enjoyed the show.
Jason, like many of us in the beginning, started off with basic mods like an exhaust (with cat deletes), lowering springs and a new set of rollers for the summer. What differs Jason from other BMW M owners is he spent a lot of his time on the track during the summer, gaining a better feel for the car and better knowledge of what needed to be modified to perform better on the road course.
Jason’s biggest goal for his E90 was without a doubt to get the car going faster on the track. Operation complete with a Supercharger system from ESS Tuning. Along with the intercooled supercharger install, Jason also had a few more goodies underway for his “TRAKRAT”. Performance Friction PFC-01 Race Pads were added to bring the beast to a sudden halt if need be. The TRAKRAT’s suspension was also upgraded to KW Clubsport Coilovers and his wheels and tires were upgraded to Diamond Black BBS LM-Rs wrapped in Yokohama Advan AD08 tires, giving the TRAKRAT some “form” with that “function”.
Because the BMW M3 is notorious for it’s weight, Jason decided it was time to put his E90 on an Aero diet, with a legit Carbon roof and Carbon CSL style trunk via Vorsteiner. In addition, Jason updated the taillights courtesy of LCI. If the Aero additions and the new taillights weren’t enough to aesthetically change the appearance of his TRAKRAT, his M3 also underwent a refreshed exterior paint job.
With a few minor tweaks here and there, this is how the BMW M3 TRAKRAT currently sits. And with that, it’s safe to say that this was all done without the influence of others on the internet, but more so by the influence of Jason himself, and the patience he had to get this M3 to perform and look how you see it today.
In a current state where the automotive society is on one side of the fence or the other, why not break that barrier and do something based entirely on your own decisions? …Are one’s opinions on the internet really going to make or break your plans? What are you waiting for? Release your inner “TRAKRAT”.
A few weeks back we released our iM Era Hoody and were blown away at the number of orders that flooded in. Even though we had so many orders we still get messages everyday asking when we are getting more or when they will arrive.
Well the time has come! We will be holding a second pre-order and this time it’s the last one. Starting tonight (Wednesday) around 9:30PM we will open the gates for the second round of orders for ALL FIVE of the original colors.
Pre-order will run until Sunday February 12th 11:59PM MST so don’t wait it out this time.
Here is some background and detail about the hoody in case you missed it the first time:
Because the illmotion era is continuing to grow with no signs of stopping, we’ve come up with a design that we felt best represents the “iM Era” movement.
The screen-printed design is featured on the chest of the hooded sweat shirt, with the ‘iM’ crown embroidered on the hood. Available in Blue, Red, Purple, Grey or Black and ranging from sizes XS to 2XL.
Hoodies are $40.00CDN pre-order and will not be for general sale.
It’s a new year, so let’s keep the iM Era going even harder with these fresh and new “iM Era” hoodies!
Those of you in warmer climates are lucky. You get to drive your vehicles all year round, without having to switch them over to winter mode, or put them away all together. We here are not so lucky. Snow and ice all over the ground and constant freezing temperatures both either depress us, or put us in bad moods. People fight, people argue, people disagree… people are just people, can’t do much about it.
Which is why I can’t wait for the spring/summer again. We need to start having fun again, need to start shooting again, need to start hanging out again.
Our followers here are very aware of the pics of all the cars that we put up, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication behind the scenes to bring you guys what we do with every post. We try to keep on schedule, but things always get in the way. But isn’t that how life is? But we get it done, and its all for you.
So here’s to the good days. We will continue to put in work, get shoots done, put up content, and continue to showcase the local car scene for our viewers and fans, whether you like it or not.
Whenever I see pictures inside Super Autobacs it always reminds of those ghetto shops that are sometimes in malls around here and all they sell it altezza taillights and model cars but replaced with every baller JDM brand you can imagine. Walls of rare wheels, limited edition Recaro seats and everything in between.
Did someone say wheels?
Wall o’ Nardi wheels
Need any small accessories?
No, how about a carbon J’s intake.
And everyone favorite rack…. altezza’s on altezza’s on altezza’s.
More Super Autobacs pictures can be found on our Flickr page HERE
And that’s a wrap as far as our Tokyo Auto Salon/JDM shop coverage goes. We’d like to throw a huge thanks out to Galen Wan for the amazing stuff he’s been able to provide us with over the last month or so. Also to our friends over at Stretch & Poke! be sure to check out their site when you have minute for their take on all this crazy JDM stuff.
We’ll be back in the coming days/weeks with a couple more local features & videos that we’ve saved up from the summer months which I’m sure you guys will enjoy.
Today we’re going to be sharing some pictures from Galen’s stop at one of my personal favorite JDM Honda Tuners, Backyard Special. I remember reading a story in Honda Tuning a while back about Hatsuo Suzuki the CEO of Backyard Special and his love for Honda’s from the very beginning. The way the story was written I got the feeling that he just loves what he does and I think it really shows in the products they continue to produce.
He opened this shop back in 1983 and has been tuning Honda’s in the same location since then.
As usual for all the JDM shops space is not plentiful. Also peep the S600, Hatsuo’s favorite Honda.
There was also a couple other Honda’s parked outside on display.
And then at the end of his visit Mr. Suzuki gave Galen a ‘spirited’ drive back to the train station in the company CRZ.
More Backyard Special pictures can be found on our Flickr page HERE