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240SX

iM Feature: Eric Zapata’s 1989 Nissan 240SX

Driven with a purpose.

The car scene certainly has a sort of hilarity to it. If we sit back and think about it, we are all guilty of buying what is considered “baller parts” and we floss the shit out of them to our peers in the community and even our friends, but for what? To simply hard park and have our cars look good on our driveways, inside our garages, and sit pretty the local car meet or even at the grocery store? Sure, there are many of us who have taken our cars to the track and have even built our cars purely for the circuit, but how many of us can really say that we’ve pushed our cars to their absolute limits and have REALLY driven them? One look at HOTBOYZ ambassador Eric Zapata and his drift machine Sahara Tan Nissan 240SX, and you might want to rethink your answer.

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A basic overview of Eric’s 240 and what is immediately noticed is the battle damage that this car has endured throughout it’s many trials and endeavors in the drift circuit. Sporting zip ties to piece together what’s left of the BN Sports Type II aero kit on the front and rear, it’s these exact battle scars that are found throughout the car, that truly give Eric’s 240SX so much character. While the rest of us are so damn busy trying to keep our cars painstakingly clean and free from any damage whatsoever, here’s Eric putting his car to work day in, day out, driven by the passion he has for the art that is drifting.

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With the exterior being elegantly “used and abused” if you will, the belly of the beast has an even greater story to tell. Pop the hood of Eric’s drifter and low and behold sits Toyota’s 1JZ power plant, paired with a Borg Warnger s200sx Turbo. Complimenting the hybrid swap is a 3″ straight pipe and a custom down pipe; getting this 240 sideways is no problem at all for Eric. Whether he’s rolling on his daily Work Ryvers or drifting with his SSR Gartmaier/Rays Gramlight drift spares, “beautiful” is the an understatement when Eric’s 240 is in motion, on the street or track.

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The interior is nothing short of a drifter’s dream as Eric sits comfortably in a Bride Vios 3 seat (also found in the passenger seat) with a CNC Hydraulic e-brake by his side, while the chassis is suspended by a Cusco 6-point roll cage. Ease of steering is complimented by a Sparco R215 350mm steering wheel. A long story short, everything inside the car is in the car for good reason, and serves great purpose when Eric is out there doing his thing.

To get his 240 to achieve that perfect balance on the drift course, the suspension components powered by MAX Ruca, and Max Comp coilovers ultimately enable Eric to maintain contact with the road ahead of him. Also found in the suspension department are Suspension Techniques front and rear sway bars, Limit Factory Max angle knuckles, Kazama front tension rods and ISIS rear toe rods. Being in the sport that he’s in, it’s only right that Eric uses the parts that he feels are up to the task.

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Sporting nothing but quality parts for his build and utilizing every single part to perform it’s drifting duties, we gotta hand it to Eric for keeping that passion for doing what he loves to do, and showcasing it all on his Nissan 240SX. There is no doubt in our minds that every single scar and battle damage found on his 240 has a story of it’s own to tell, and it’s for this very reason that Eric’s Nissan is truly one of those vehicles that is driven, with a purpose.

So next time you get that little door ding or minor dent on the hood of your precious hard parker, just think about what drifters like Eric have put their cars through, and the damage they receive putting themselves and their cars constantly at risk on the track, all for the love of driving.

…HOTBOYZ!!!

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Engine.Bay
Toyota 1JZ
Borg Warnger s200sx Turbo
Driftmotion t4 twinscroll manifold
Tial MVR 44mm wastegate
JDM 2JZ 440cc Injectors
Custom Downpipe
3″ straight pipe
Apexi neoSAFC
Chase Bays Powersteering Reservoir
Chase Bays Coolant overflow
Mishimoto Radiator
Mishimoto Intercooler

Suspension
Max Comp Coilovers
Limit Factory Max angle knuckles
Kazama Front tension rods
Suspension Techniques front and rear sway bars
Powered by Max RUCA
ISIS rear toe rods

Exterior
Sahara Tan Paint
BN Sports Type II Aero
Dmax 20mm front over fender
Unknown 30mm rear over fender
326 Power Manriki Wing
Kouki s13 Tail lights

Interior
Bride Vios3 Red Driver and Passenger
Cusco 6 Point Roll cage
Weld in Driver door bar
Sparco R215 350mm wheel
Greddy Grex shift knob
CNC Hydraulic Ebrake
Schroth Racing Harness
AEM Truboost
AEM Uego

Wheels
Daily Rollers// Work Ryver
-Front: 18×9 +8
-Rear:18×10 +3

Drift Spares//
SSR Gartmaier
18×10 -12
Rays Gramlight
18×9 -20

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For more pictures of Eric’s 1JZ Powered 240SX check out our flickr page HERE

iM Film

Varty Films x illmotion

Last year I met with some guys from the illmotion crew after sending them my video “Curtis’s Evo X” to post on the illmotion blog. We did some chatting and talked about the idea of me heading down to Calgary to shoot a video of their crew. Well, we finally made that idea come to life!

My brother Daniel and I made the trip to Calgary on September 29th. We only had about a 3 hour window in Calgary before we had to head-back to Edmonton. So we made do with little time we had! I’ve never shot more than two cars at a time before, so this made for a bit of challenge. We decided to take all the individual shots of the cars first, group shots second, then with whatever time we had left we would drive and do my favorite part.. ROLLERS!

The shooting was great, and my brother Daniel and I had a lot of fun hanging out with all the guys from illmotion. Hope you enjoy this video, and we plan to do more videos next summer with illmotion!

– Isaac Varty

The illmotion crew would like to send a special thank-you to the Varty Brothers for making their way down to Calgary and spending some time with and creating this awesome video!

iM Updates

iM: Red Cross Relief Pack

With natural disasters being ever so evident this season, there’s no doubt in our minds that the Red Cross will be busy assisting those affected. Every year, millions are affected by disasters caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. leaving many people devastated and left with nothing but pieces of their lives, that they hope to put back together.

When disaster strikes, the International Disaster Relief Fund (IDRF) allows the Red Cross to respond to emergencies efficiently, even before money is received from supporters. The Red Cross Disaster Relief fund provides much needed supplies and personnel essential to saving lives and minimizing the impact to vulnerable communities from such disasters. It also allows the IDRF to implement disaster preparation programs to create stronger and more resilient communities from natural disasters.

In light of the recent hurricane that has struck the east, the Red Cross will be out providing their services to the communities affected and the crew here at illmotion feel it’s only right to support the IDRF and their efforts. Effective for the month of November, 50% of all sales from the iM store will go to the Red Cross International Relief Fund. We are also proud to release a special illmotion “Red Cross Relief Pack” featuring the Red Cross’s signature red and white colors.

The Red Cross Relief Pack will be available for you all throughout the month of November so be sure to grab a set in support of the Red Cross and their International Disaster Relief efforts.

To donate to the Red Cross and the IDRF, you can also do so HERE.

Natural Disasters happen all over the world every year, and with everyone’s support we can definitely make a difference in providing assistance to the millions affected from Mother Nature’s “tantrums”.

Thank you guys for your time and your support!

-the illmotion crew

iM Film

iM Film: Jason Hoang’s 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI…

Back in May, we featured what is without a doubt one of the most well executed Subarus on this side of Canada; Jason Hoang’s Varis/Voltex STI Sedan. For those who may not have seen the feature you can check it out HERE. Since the feature, Jason has pretty much enjoyed his build for the entire summer, and even went on to take Best In-Class Subaru at this year’s Driven show right here in Calgary. With the winter season upon us, Jason has now put this little gem away for storage, with big plans for the new season. Before the end of the season however, illmotion’s own Corey and Ryan got a chance to get together with Jason to work on another iM Film, featuring his 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Sedan. With Corey working non-stop on videos since Driven, we are proud to showcase yet another one of his amazing pieces of work!

So sit back, relax, press play and enjoy the sounds of The Throne’s “Otis” combined with the visuals of Jason Hoang’s Varis/Voltex Subaru STI Sedan, sitting on all time classic Volk TE37s.

iM Highlight

iM Highlight: Tate Subia’s 2011 Ralliart Lancer

When Mitsubishi unveiled their latest generation Lancer in 2008, everyone took notice. The car was completely redesigned from the last generation, with a cutting edge design, and new motor options, it was sure to be a hit with the import crowd. And the biggest announcement of all, the new Lancer Evolution would be sold in Canadian dealerships for the first time. Once again, we up here in the North got the shaft, while the Lancer Evo 8 and 9 were sold in the US prior to the Evo 10 (X).

But what about the Lancer Ralliart? The last generation Ralliart was a bit sportier version of the normal Lancer. With bigger wheels, a body kit, and a slightly bigger motor among other extras, it was not as popular to the import tuning crowd as the Civic or Integra platform was, but it was a start nonetheless.

But for this latest generation, Mitsubishi stepped it up. To compete with their main rival Subaru, Mitsu dumped in an AWD system, a variant of the Evo motor and transmission, along with a turbocharger into the new Ralliart, as to keep the playground even with the Subaru STI’s little brother, the WRX.

The Wicked White Ralliart you see here is owned by Tate Subia. It is a good example of a car that is a work in progress with some small details added here and there to help accentuate the look of a car and to separate it from the crowd, while keeping it clean and simple.

As you look at the car, you will notice a few subtle changes, such as red sticker overlays on the Mitsubishi diamond emblems to tie into the red painted brakes, along with the red emblems on the Rally Armor mudflaps. The chrome strip around the grille was painted black to mimic the look of the Evo’s grille, a DIY front lip was added, and the headlights were replaced with Evo style projector units with a set of 4300K HID’s to finish off the front. Yellow foglight bulbs replaced the clear factory ones, and set of OEM window visors are also attached to the car.

The biggest change from a factory Ralliart is the way the car sits on the ground. It is a bit lower and stiffer thanks to the H&R sport springs, and is sitting on a set of Rota Grid (or IKR) sized at an 18 inch diameter, and 8.5 inches wide. It gave the Ralliart an more aggressive look, without really having to really worry about sitting too low to the ground, and also wheel offset issues.

The rear of the car did not go untouched. A carbon fibre RexSpeed lip spoiler were put on the trunk, as was an Ultimate Racing cat-back exhaust. To finish everything off, most of the normal bulbs in the turn signals and brake lights were replaced with LED units.


Tate says this car is always gonna evolve. In fact, since these pictures were taken, a few other things have changed, one of them being a slight tint to the headlights and taillights to give the car a more aggressive look, and yellow tint on the foglight lenses. For now, his the plan is to enjoy this car, and have fun in the winter with the AWD system. But I know for a fact that this car isn’t done. In fact, since I work with him, I will make sure it isn’t. Maybe next year another set of pics will be taken of this car, and it will look nothing like this. 😉

These and more pictures of the car can be found on our Flickr page: HERE

Fit

iM x S&P! Feature: Gawa’s Honda Fit

For those of you who frequent our site you may recognize the name ‘Gawa’, as Galen Wan has been a long time contributor to illmotion. He has graciously sent pictures our way of all the major events out of eastern Canada, the most well done cars from his car family (and one of the hottest car crews out there), Level One, and even hooked us up with Tokyo Auto Salon 2012 coverage from his trip to Japan. Since Galen’s been running around snapping all these pictures and providing nothing but quality content, it makes you wonder what Galen himself drives.

Being exposed to the craziest builds that this automotive culture has ever seen, Galen undeniably has taken the best of the best that the aftermarket world has to offer, and showcases it all on what we find is one of the most underrated platforms out there, the Honda Fit. Galen has owned his Honda Fit for several years and just as expected from anyone who’s owned a modified vehicle for a long period of time, it has been through many stages. The Fit as featured, is Galen’s latest and without a doubt, the best his sub compact Honda has ever looked.

Immediately after purchasing the car, Galen felt the need for more power as the stock 1.5L just wasn’t cutting it. His resolution, enter a Greddy turbo kit to provide that much needed boost that Galen was looking for. Exhaust gasses are sent through a J’s Racing test pipe and mid-pipe before exiting the car, via a Greddy axle back exhaust.

With the Engine and Exhaust modifications ultimately under control, Galen’s next step was the interior of his Fit. By combining VIP elements found in the rear bench, and race spec bucket seats up front (uber rare Zeal buckets by the way), this is one Honda Fit that takes two different tuning styles, and puts itself on a level all on it’s own, just the way Galen wanted it. He is also able to keep a close eye on his engine vitals care of DEFI and the triple gauge cluster nested in the dash. Rounding out the interior is a Vertex King steering wheel, custom in car entertainment and a plethora of JDM Honda Fit parts.

The exterior of Galen’s Fit is complimented with a Kenstyle kit (lips, skirts and wing) which came off the Tjin Edition Honda Fit demo car, a fully vinyl wrapped body (including a crocodile skin vinyl roof) and a J’s Racing grille. The car’s stance is achieved by T1R and KW V2 coilovers in the front and rear respectively, J’s Racing chassis bars all over the car and 17″ SSR Competition rollers with Yokohama tires. Peaking out from behind the SSR wheels is the always coveted Endless 4 pot big brake kit.

As mentioned earlier, Galen has managed to combine the styles of VIP Tuning and functional performance, and pieces it all together nicely on what’s truly, a one of a kind Honda Fit. In a society where styles are segregated, and cars are deemed to only be “one thing or the other”, it’s people like Galen who come out and break this mold, that bring some much needed innovation and ingenuity to this car culture that we all live for. Believe us when we say that this indeed is not an easy task, yet Galen makes it look so effortless.

As we’ve done in the past on our collaborative posts, be sure to check out our friends at S&P! for their take on Galen’s Fit (with more pictures for your viewing pleasure) HERE.

Thanks again to Galen for everything he’s shared with us, alongside our friends at Stretch and Poke! Onto the feature…

Exterior
Kenstyle front lip (molded onto OEM bumper)
Kenstyle side skirts
Kenstyle rear lip (molded onto OEM bumper)
Kenstyle rear wing
J’s Racing front grill
Hexis Lapis Blue vinyl wrap
Gator/Croc skin black roof
ASM short antenna
JDM Honda clear-red LED tail lights
6000k H4 HID
6000k H11 HID

Interior
Vertex shift knob
Vertex King 330mm steering wheel
J’s Racing quick release
Daikei hub
Baller Bolts titanium steering wheel bolts
Garage Defend shift extender
Endless Zeal bucket seats
Bride RO seat rail + side mounts (driver)
Nagisa auto super low rail (passenger)
Clazzio quilting type seat covers (white w/ red stitch)
Defi Control Unit II
Defi BF white oil temp gauge
Defi BF white oil pressure gauge
Defi BF white water temp gauge
Blitz boost gauge
AEM UEGO a/f gauge
Spoon convex rear view mirror
SRP Racing aluminum pedals
T1R leather/suede e-brake boot (red stitch)
OEM Honda Civic SI shift boot
JDM Honda passenger side sunvisor
JDM Honda hazard switch
JDM Honda rear head rests
Pioneer AVH-P4000DVD headunit
MTX amp
Kenwood 10” sub
Beech wood flooring in trunk
Wrapped headliner

Suspension & Wheels
T1R basic coilovers / KW V2 coilovers
T1R stainless steel brake lines
J’s Racing front strut bar
J’s Racing front lower arm bar
J’s Racing rear strut bar
J’s Racing c pillar bar
Endless 4 pot BBK
Endless 282mm rotors
Endless CC-X pads
Endless valve stem caps
Ingalls camber bolts
Project Mu Super Lock Nut 7 wheel nuts
SSR Competitions 17×7.5 +42
Yokohama S.Drive 205/40R17

Engine
Greddy turbo kit
Greddy Emanage Ultimate
Turbo XS BOV
Greddy Evo2 axle back
J’s Racing mid pipe
J’s Racing test pipe
J’s Racing oil cap
J’s Racing rad cap
T1R short shifter
Strut King shifter hard mount bushings
Spoon magnetic oil drain plug
Spoon magnetic transmission drain plug
Spoon reservoir cover

Euro

iM Feature: Alex’s VR5 MKII

Half of you are probably thinking that this is another old MKII GTI, and that I should just cut to the chase and get onto the photos. While the other half of you may have jumped to the conclusion that the ‘VR5’ in the title is a typo and I really meant ‘VR6’. To make a long story short, this is one MKII GTI that packs a punch, which is something you rarely see in any MKIIs that are still out there, alive and well.

Alex is like most of you, strives to continue to modify and perfect his own car over the years of ownership. While many work hard to afford modifications for their cars, this beautiful GTI was home built, on a budget. Prior to the initial build, Alex found himself practically on the verge of losing his job. While that can be very devastating to some, Alex took it another way, and found himself inspired to take the time to build his car.

The next 83 days soon after, Alex found himself outside in the back of his house working in a car tent non-stop, night and day. On a random craigslist find, Alex stumbled upon a 2.3L VR5 engine imported from Europe. From there, Alex’s deep interest in the VR5 led to hours upon hours of research, just to see if it was possible to swap into a MKII chassis. While finding no information at all, Alex took the plunge and bought the engine anyway, with no real knowledge of how difficult the task would be to perform the swap. After running into constant issues, Alex finally smoothed everything out and found himself to be at peace, and complete with his MKII GTI VR5 project.

This VR5 MKII is said to be the only VR5 MKII in North America. The only other known VR5 on this continent, is supposedly a 20 Valve VR5 as opposed to Alex’s 10 Valve VR5. It is also said that this is the only VR5 MKII that is turbocharged in the world.

To date, Alex’s VR5 MKII has been primarily untouched over the last few years, other than a few minor aesthetic changes such as the wheels and seats. With the completion of this MKII project, Alex has already found inspiration for his next project car. While I do not want to ruin the surprise, rumor has it that there is an E30 drivetrain sitting somewhere in his garage.

In the mean time, let’s focus on what Alex has already accomplished…

Engine
Shaved Engine Bay
2.3L VR5
Custom Built T04BE/.48 AR T3 Turbo
Kinetic FMIC
1.8t Diverter Valve
38mm Wastegate
Custom Built Turbo Manifold
O2A Hydro Clutch
Mk3 Rad Fans

Footwork
FK Silverline Coileys
11″ Corrado Front Brake Conversion
Rear Disc Conversion
G60 Sway Bar
Prothane Bushings
VR6 Upper Strut Mounts

Wheels
ARE Wheels
Two Piece
16×7

Exterior
G60 Flairs
Stubby Antenna
Smoked Aero Ecodes
Shaved Banana’s
Audi Door Handles
Rear Wiper Delete

Interior
Trophy Recaro’s
Mk1 Golf ball Shift Knob
Momo Corse Wheel
Stewart Warner Boost Gauge
Autometer EGT Gauge
Cobalt AFR Gauge
260 Speedometer

Corolla

iM Feature: JC Tenchavez’s 2009 Toyota Corolla XRS

Since the Toyota Corolla’s inception in 1966, it has always been known for its reliability, dependability, and most importantly for its incredible gas mileage. What it is not known for however (Aside from the AE86), is being a formidable player in the automotive scene, nor is it a car that exactly gets heads turning.

That leaves us dying to ask this burning question, what was illmotion’s own JC Tenchavez thinking upon the purchase of his 2009 Toyota Corolla? While the answer may not be clear to JC himself, perhaps a look at his 10th Generation Corolla XRS can provide somewhat of a resolution.

From the time of JC’s acquisition in late 2008, his Corolla had gone through its phases, all of which have been conservative. With the XRS marketed as the “sportier” trim level, it was only fitting that his Corolla was modified in the same tune. Fast forward to the present, and JC finally decided it was time for the Corolla to steer away from its consistent, conservative and “safe” looks, and go in a completely different direction, that of which was inspired by the way that Corollas (known as the Altis) in Asia were modified. With VIP tuning being all the craze in places such as Thailand and Malaysia, the Altis believe it or not, is a platform that is considered quite popular to use among enthusiasts overseas (Along with its big brother, the Toyota Camry).

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With very little support from the aftermarket in North America, JC did his research and looked to forums based out of Thailand to get an idea of the direction that he wanted his XRS to go in. While the language barrier was certainly there, the images that JC managed to find did help him a lot during his search. The most notable pieces that can be found on his Corolla are the OEM Altis LED Taillights, and the OEM Altis radiator grille, which he managed to acquire with assistance from his family abroad.

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The next step for JC was to remove the Tein S.Tech springs and OEM shocks combo, which he originally installed not even a week after he first bought the vehicle. The replacement, a set of BC Racing BR Type Coilovers to get his Corolla even closer to the ground. Continuing in the suspension department, a TRD Rear Sway Bar was also added to stiffen the lack luster performance of the rear torsion beam found on 10th Generation Corollas. For breathability, JC modified the OEM air intake box and also installed an A’PEXi World Sport 2 Exhaust, complete with custom welding and piping.

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A quick glance at the interior of JC’s Corolla and what is almost immediately noticed is the SRR 300mm Bubble Shift Knob, along with some interior accessories from Junction Produce.

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To complete the “Miniature VIP” direction that this Corolla was going in, the most important feature was down to the wheels. With help from Bobby & Mark from Tunerworks Calgary, JC acquired what is considered a ‘Luxury Sports’ wheel, an 18″ set of Work’s ever so popular 3 Piece Modular wheel, the VS-XX in Gold finish. As this Corolla was pretty much new to the scene of wheel fitment, getting these wheels to cooperate with the rear torsion beam suspension set up did require quite a few trials of rolling, cutting, and pulling of the rear quarters to get them to fit nicely. After a little patience and time on the rear quarters, this is how it finally sits.

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The saying goes, ‘a car is an extension of one’s personality’, and with that in mind there is no denying the impeccable taste that JC has when it comes to modifying his economical compact car. Being that this is also the vehicle he drives during the winter and summer seasons (as these are really only two seasons that Calgary gets), the constant maintenance involved for JC to keep this daily driver in tip-top shape through every season is definitely something we can really appreciate.

While JC’s daily driver may not appeal to everybody out there, the styling and direction that his Corolla has gone in definitely maintains Toyota’s sense of subtlety, while at the same time showcasing a modest sense of style, simplicity and finesse that is prominently found in luxury/VIP cars. By doing so, JC managed to take one of the automotive scene’s most often overlooked, ordinary and economical cars, and turn it into quite a head turner. For a vehicle with hardly any aftermarket support, it’s the little things that JC has done that truly make his Corolla stand out from the crowd.

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Engine.&.Drivetrain
Modified OEM Air Intake Box
A’PEXi World Sport 2 Exhaust with custom piping
TRD Performance Air Filter
TRD Radiator Cap
TRD Engine Oil Filler Cap

Interior
Junction Produce Kintuna
Junction Produce “Missions” Neck Pads
Super Road Race 300mm Clear Bubble Shift Knob
T1-R LED Dome Light
Eurolite LED Vanity Interior Lights
Boo The Dog Plush Toy =p

Exterior
OEM Toyota Corolla Altis Radiator Grille
OEM Toyota Corolla Altis LED Taillights
OEM Toyota Window Visors
GT HID 4300K HID Kit
Nokya 2500k “JDM Yellow” Fog Lights
Euroline 3000k DRLs
Eurolite LED License Plate Lights
“Iron” Vinyl Wrapped Headlamps, Tailights & Foglamps
Matte Black Front & Rear Emblems

Wheels.&.Suspension
BC Racing BR Type Coilovers
TRD Rear Sway Bar
SPC Rear Camber Shim Kit
18″ Work VS-XX 18×8.5 +26 in Gold (GLD) Finish
215/40R18 Falken Ziex ZE-912

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For more pics, check out our Flickr page here: JC Tenchavez’s 2009 Toyota Corolla XRS

iM Highlight

iM Highlight: TJ’s Volkswagen R32

The Volkswagen R32.

Introduced to the North American market in 2004, the R32 came out as the “it car” that every Volkswagen enthusiast wanted to own. Based off the Mark IV Golf platform, the R32 packed a 3.2L VR6 engine, a 6-Speed manual transmission, independent rear suspension and exclusively offered the Haldex based 4motion system. Including all of Volkswagen’s standard “luxury options”, the R32 was more than your average Golf, appealing to consumers who desired style, performance, and functionality.

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What more could one do to the R32 without sacrificing the already impressive package from the factory? A look at TJ’s Deep Blue Pearl R32 and the answer is obvious: build upon its performance.

Although the R32 already comes with the impressive 3.2L VR6 out of the box, TJ’s main focus is found mainly in the engine and drivetrain, as TJ added a turbo and a Stage 2 tune, putting down 387 horsepower and an amazing 438 torque on all fours wheels, at 19 psi.

As the exterior (and interior) of TJ’s Volkswagen remains true to the R32’s factory styling, TJ sets his R32 apart by combining a set of KW V3 Coilovers and 18″ BBS RC 303s powder coated in white. TJ also added a Neuspeed Rear Sway Bar and Subframe tie bar, a Defcon 2 control arm bushing kit, and a TST rear stress brace to stiffen the chassis and ultimately provide some support to the power that his R32 puts down.

Because the MK IV R32 is a rarity in North America especially in Canada, hearing about what TJ had done to his R32 was something we just had to see to believe. By preserving the R32’s exterior and exterior and building upon the R32’s performance, we can’t help but call TJ’s R32 a true “subtle sleeper”. Just have a look for yourself, and you’ll see exactly what we mean…

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Engine.&.Drivetrain
– Overbored 3.2 liter VR6
– 8.5:1 Low compression JE pistons – file fit
– Integrated Engineering connecting rods
– Balanced/polished crank
– Raceware head bolts
– Deleted Secondary Air injection
– Integrated Engineering SAI block off plate
– VF Engineering motor mounts
– VF Engineering Dog Bone mount
– Precision 6262 Ball bearing Turbo
– Spa Exhaust manifold
– HGP replica Short Runner intake manifold
– Kinetic Front mount intercooler
– 4 inch kinetic MAF
– 3 inch downpipe to 3 inch test pipe
– United Motorsports Stage 2 software
– 550cc Injectors
– Bosch 044 Fuel pump
– Tial Wastegate
– Neuspeed short shifter
– Clutchmasters FX400 clutch with lightened single mass steel flywheel
– Haldex Blue controller

Wheels.&.Suspension
– KW V3 coilovers
– Defcon 2 control arm bushing kit
– Neuspeed rear sway bar
– TST Rear stress brace
– Neuspeed Subframe tie bar
– 18×8.5 BBS RC 303 powdercoated white with red/gold OEM BBS centercaps

Interior
– AEM boost guage/controller hidden in glovebox
– Exhaust flapper switch mounted under dash

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More pictures can be found on our Flickr page here: TJ’s Volkswagen R32

Civic

iM Feature: Gabes EF Hatch

A blast from the past, here is the very first car I featured for Illmotion a few years ago, and ever since then I have wanted to re-shoot, and re-write a feature article as the car has progressed. Gabes build quality is truly extraordinary, and the best part is 95% of the build took place in his own shop. Known to many Nanaimoites as the man to go to for work on their cars. Gabe has progressed not only with his car over the last 5 years of ownership, but also with the tools, shop, and resources to build/work on some amazing cars. While Gabes phasing out of this beautiful EF hatch, he plans to put it on the market in the next few weeks. It leaves myself and others to imagine what he has in store for us next.

While the exterior of the car has not changed since the last feature, the motor has been the primary subject of change. Previous the car featured a log manifold with a Garret T3 turbo, 38mm Tial Wastegate, and a stock valve train. Gabe has taken the time to build the head with mainly Crower parts, mean while he also upgraded the turbo manifold to a Blueridge Motor Sport Top-mount to accommodate the new Precision 6262 turbo.

Engine
B18b
9.0:1 Forged CP pistons 81.5mm
Eagle rods
Acl rod bearings
Acl main bearings
Mahle rings
Supertech block guard
Arp head studs
Oem Honda water pump
Oem Honda oil pump
Greddy timing belt
Crower stage 2 boost cams
Crower stainless valves std size
Crower double valve springs
Crower titanium retainers and keepers
Cometic head gasket
Fadanza billet cam gears
Hondata intake manifold heat shield gasket an throttle body gasket
Skunk2 cam seal
Billet under drive crank pulley
Skunk2 pro series intake manifold
Blox 68mm throttle body
AEM fuel rail
Aeromotive fpr
Blueridge Motorsport custom B series Ef top mount
Blueridge Motorsport 3″ down pipe
46mm precision Waste-gate
-4an oil feed line
-8an return line
Fluidyne aluminum half rad
2 12″ electric fans
Innovative billet engine mounts
Innovative B series shift linkage with poly bushings.
8 lb fidanza flywheel
Act 4 puck riveted hub clutch disc
Act high pressure pressure plate
Autoworks front mount
Autoworks intercooler piping
Hks bov
Blox vacuum manifold
2 Autoworks catch cans
Rear block breather -12 lines to breather
Valve cover breather -10 lines to breather
Hondata s300
Hondata map sensor
Obd0 to obd1 jumper harness
RC 750cc injectors
Walbro 255 fuel pump
AEM wide band
AEM oil pressure gauge
AEM true boost gauge and controller
Innovative turbo timer
3″ exhaust turbo back
3″ Megan stainless turbo muffler N1 style

Suspension
Password jdm rear strut brace
Skunk2 pro c
Blox gold rear lower control arms
Skunk2 rear upper control arms
Etd front traction bar kit
Integra rear disc swap
Russel stainless brake lines
Power slot rotors

Wheels
Stance Emotions 15×8 25mm offset
195/50/15 Toyo Proxy R1Rs

Interior
Bride Zeta II seats
Personal black suede steering wheel
NRG quick release hub
Harness bar with 4 point harnesses
Auto meter 4″ tach
Carbon fiber fuel sender cover
Skunk2 short shifter and shift knob
Broadway mirror
NRG floor mats

8000k hids
3000 high beams halogen

Exterior
Jdm Sir front lip
Jdm Ef side markers
Amber corners
Benen toe hook
VIS carbon fiber hood
Password jdm hood spacers