For the majority of our readers who are in Canada the analogy of “season opener” makes total sense. However, for you fair weather readers let me explain. Up north here in Canada its gets cold, real cold. We get snow and ice covered roads which is combated by throwing salt, gravel and sand on the roads. As you can guess this wreaks havoc on our beloved cars so many people make the choice to only drive their cars half the year and keep them stored away safely for the winter months. This inevitably leads to boredom and more money being spend on parts (damn you winter!). However the biggest advantage to this is once spring finally rolls around everyone is usually super excited to get their cars out on the roads and attending various events to showoff what they’ve been wrenching on all winter.
Now onto this particular season opener event. Our good friends over at Stretch & Poke put on multiple events throughout the year, this one being their season opener Fitted Showcase event. They cater to the fitted scene but as you can see in the pictures below their events bring out a large variety of cars that everyone can enjoy. The quality of cars at this event were top notch! So here comes an overload of pics….
Thanks again to Galen for keeping tabs on the car scene out in Toronto and we look forward to continue showcasing what Toronto has to offer. And be sure to check back tomorrow for even more coverage from Fitted Showcase 2012.
This line, taken from Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness”, popularized by The Throne’s hit “Otis”, is something we can all understand and learn to apply to our daily lives. If we lived our lives without trying, how would our lives play out? One can most certainly assume and expect a life where everybody is repetitive and doing the same thing. Visualize this, and implement it to how things are done in the car game. If nobody took risks on how cars were modified by their owners, what do we end up with? Cars that look as plain as they did when they were purchased off the lot, and everybody looking the same.
No stranger to taking risks and always trying something new is illmotion’s own Jason Hoang and his 2011 Subaru WRX STI Sedan. Jason, who felt it was time to take things a step further from his J’s Racing inspired 8th Generation Honda Civic, continues to change the game with his current Subaru platform, with plenty of support from the aftermarket world. Since acquiring the STI Sedan just last year, the first order of business for Jason was to get this car lower. Up to the task are a set of BC Racing BR Coilovers, and while the suspension was being swapped out, a pair Cusco lateral links in the rear were added as well.
When it came to the wheels, Jason knew he wasn’t just gonna throw a random set of wheels and call it a day. A custom colored “Burple” set of Emotion XT7s were the initial rollers on Jason’s STI. If Jason’s intention was to snap some necks on a daily basis while driving this sedan, then he was definitely on the right track.
From what seemed to be “all for now”, Jason’s onslaught of parts continued as an Invidia catless down pipe, Invidia Q300 Titanium Exhaust, HKS SSQV4 Blow-Off Valve, and a minor tune were enlisted to bring some enhanced breathability to this STI’s performance. With the STI sounding much more menacing than before, Jason felt like something more needed to be done with the exterior appearance of his Sedan. Inspired by track-ready built sedans in Japan, Jason looked to Voltex and sought after their Type 5 GT Carbon Wing as his next modification.
Fully aware of what was to come from critics on the internet, Jason’s build was not compromised and it was only going to get better and faster by next season. With a little track time last summer, Jason was able to enjoy the STI Sedan until he had to store it away for the winter. Over the cold winter months, Jason had nothing but time to figure out what he needed to make his Subaru step away from the norm and further enhance the aesthetic appeal and performance of his STI.
To complete the aggressive appeal of the Voltex Type 5 Carbon GT Wing, Jason decided it was time to upgrade the look of his STI with a Varis full front bumper (complete with Carbon Lip) and Varis Sideskirts (with FRP underboards). An aggressive set of white Volk TE-37s were also acquired, giving Jason’s STI Sedan the moniker of “Snow White”. For a proper tune, “Snow White” was taken to none other than Airboy Tuning to get the car running perfectly and ready for this season.
Not being afraid to try and take risks, this is how Jason’s STI Sedan currently sits. A little can go a long a way, and such a statement is evident when looking at his Subaru STI Sedan. “All You’ve Got To Do Is Try”, and as long as you are happy with the outcome and not paying attention to the critics, then nothing will ever stop you from achieving what you envision. Just ask Jason.
Exterior
Varis full front bumper with carbon lip
Varis sideskirts with FRP underboards
Voltex Type 5 GT carbon wing
JDM R205 fender badges
JDM Rear fog light
With stance and wheel fitment being the biggest craze in the car scene right now, coming across cars built with performance being the main focus is pretty hard to come by these days. This is rightfully so, as cars with pretty impressive power can be bought from a car dealership leaving the owner with nothing left to modify except the suspension and wheels if he/she wishes to do so. No matter what people do to their own vehicles, modding them can turn into quite the addiction.
In Duncan Yu’s case with his 1995 Honda Civic DX, power and speed were the key elements spawning his car addiction. Originally purchased in 2003, Duncan worked with what the car already had and turbo charged the stock D15 motor. After a dyno and run at the track, the turbo D15 made 150hp at the wheels and ran a respectable 14.8 seconds at 96mph. Jump to two years later, Duncan swapped the turbo D15 and opted for a Turbo LS swap pulling off 12.7 seconds at 110mph, and 280hp at the wheels. With amazing power coming out his Civic, it’s no wonder he was dubbed the “STI killer” on the local forum, Beyond.ca.
In 2007, Duncan felt it was time to part ways with the car, and sold it with the stock GSR motor. The story does not end here however.
In 2010, Duncan found himself reunited with the “STI Killer” and decided to buy it back in the same condition it was in when he sold it. Forward to the present, Duncan blew the stock GSR motor and what came back to haunt him was the pursuit of speed and power that he initially craved for. With the assistance of his friend Jessy R., Duncan swapped the blown GSR motor for a turbo charged B18C1. With dyno tuning performed by Toma K., the built B18C1 motor put down 400hp at the wheels and even got to see some quarter mile action running a very impressive 12.2 seconds at 123mph.
Due to the recent loss of Race City in Calgary, Duncan has not been able to see what his Civic can pull off on the quarter mile as he recently put in a new clutch and is now sitting at a whopping 472hp at the wheels. That’s right, 472whp coming from a 1995 Honda Civic DX; no typos here.
With what is probably one of the most unassuming vehicles roaming the streets of Calgary, calling Duncan’s Honda Civic a “Sleeper” is definitely an understatement. In a current state where it seems like it’s all about wheels and fitment, Duncan breaks this mold and literally leaves everyone else in the dust with his boosted B18C1 Honda Civic build. Try and keep up.
Exterior
Mugen style front lip
Vision amber corners
EK side skirts
Interior
K’s Meter Works JDM SIR gauge cluster
Momo Competition steering wheel
NRG short hub/quick release
Custom mount Stewart Warner boost gauge
USDM ITR front seats
Redline Goods shift boot/armrest cover
Alpine CDA-117 deck
Alpine SPX-17REF speakers
Alpine PDX 150.4 amplifier
JL 10W3v3 subwoofer
Suspension
Tein S-Tech springs
KYB AGX shocks
ITR front/rear swaybar
Progress camber kit
Function 7 Lower Control Arms
Another car season in full swing can only mean one thing: the return of the 403 Honda/Beyond.ca weekly Wednesday meets! Quite a diverse bunch of cars showed up, and nice to see what was new with all the rides, and new rides in general. Didn’t get that many pictures, but as it starts to get busier every week, we will try to get more and more photos and keep things diverse.
If you feel like attending, these are held every Wednesday if the weather is decent at the top rear parkade of Chinook Centre/Mall.
June 2010, illmotion was introduced to the car show scene at the Olympic Oval for Driven, making an impact that would change the way people viewed Calgary car life and culture. Forward to the present, Driven is making it’s return to the Olympic Oval on June 9th, 2012.
With the absence of the Driven Car Show Series in Calgary last year, there is no doubt in our minds that everyone who is participating this year is as excited as we are, to unveil current projects and new builds for everyone to see!
Driven 2012 is exactly one month away so as the countdown begins, we would like to take this time to reveal two very special guests who will be joining illmotion this year: our beautiful friends, Naomi Sayo & Stephanie Ly!
You will definitely want to be there on June 9th, 2012 at the Olympic Oval as Stephanie Ly, Naomi Sayo & The illmotion crew are ready to shake things up once again. With such an eclectic array of vehicles on display this year in the illmotion booth, this is one show you will not want to miss!
This past Sunday May the 6th we had the opportunity to enjoy some Euro culture at Fifth Ave VW. Every year all types of VWs old and new come together to show what they have done to their cars over the last year. With a great showing every year from old school VWs to the iconic VW Bus this little show and shine is packed with entertainment and value. This time around we were only to visit for a short period but we managed to snap some pics of those who showed up and showed off, and as usual it was a treat to see the variety.
The long awaited Season Opener has come and gone. Regardless of what we went through to get to the meet it was a a great trip and was awesome to see some familiar faces after a long winter.
As we woke up the morning of, text messages were flying back and forth between all of us deciding if it was safe to go. The snow was falling heavily in Calgary with no signs of sun peaking through and giving us a break. The few of us who were waiting for this day for months decided that we must go and we set out as planned.
When we got to our meeting spot it was cold and the snow was falling but none of us were worried because the roads were just wet and the snow wasn’t settling.
So we set out towards Edmonton. The further we got from home the worse it got, the snow was coming down in huge snow flakes and everything was covered…but we braved on!
Finally about 45 minutes into our trip the snow slowed and eventually turned to light rain. To shake off the scary drive through all that snow we took a pit stop in Red Deer.
Almost in Edmonton with dry roads and the sun peaking.
Arriving quite early into Edmonton we had decided to head over to IHOP to enjoy some pancakes and breakfast items for lunch seeing as we don’t have one in Calgary!
We all loaded up on food for the day and made our way over to SpeedTech’s shop as we were told they were holding a BBQ event. Upon arriving we saw no one in the front…turns out everyone was in the back.
So we ended up going to our last destination before the Season Opener meet which was a shop/detail bay provided so generously by our good friends Isaac & Daniel.
Lined up ready to wash up.
Washing the remnants of snow off.
What’s a clean car without a photoshoot!
Our brand new Multisparkle Decals!
And off we go to meet, all cleaned up.
Once we arrived to the meet the cars started rolling in one after another. About an hour later and every parking spot in and around United Cycle was filled!
Good ol’ Ruckus
Nice low Miata.
Golf R on BBS’s
Two sick G35’s
Project Mu brakes and HRE’s. Love that set up
Such a sick set up! If only you could do that with a bucket seat.
Nice Evo X on RG-D’s
Some American muscle
This thing was beastly. Even at idle, it sounded menacing.
He left a bit early and we all “knew” he was gonna do something…
There you have it. haha still sick
Nice purple RPF1’s on a STI sedan. Perfect color and job on it.
Merc on air
Good to see a Fit there. I think this was the only one there and it looked pretty good.
Sick Vdub on air. That Tim’s cup was crushed when he raised the rears. hahaha
This had to easily be the best car there and we all agreed on it. Tastefully done and executed perfectly. Right down to the wheels and brakes. You might remember a video done on it by Isaac and Daniel Varty we had on it a long while ago… Good job sir!
Had a soft spot for this Volvo. Had a handful of stickers all over his window and many of them being the special edition illmotion stickers – breast cancer and movember ones!
Due to the huge turnout and the large number of pics, you can see the rest by clicking HERE
It’s been a while since we’ve done an iM Likes This post, and what better way to re-introduce iM Likes This than with this video of Caleb’s unmistakeable JDM converted Civic Type-R
A little back story on this vehicle, it originally started out as a Civic Si and everything you see on this car now are all legit JDM Civic Type-R conversion parts. With such a detailed conversion brought to perfection, it’s no wonder the title of this video is “Crown The King”.
Shouts out to Caleb, the LEVEL ONE Crew and Backstage for showcasing this amazing video!
With Driven 2012 coming up quickly, we thought it’d be a good idea to look back and see what everyone had to offer in 2010 and what we can look forward to for this year. Since Driven was skipped for us in 2011 – there has been a significant amount of time for everybody to get their whips refreshed. From new cars, to new parts, complete overhauls or tweaks to an already existing minty car, we think this will be the best Driven yet. We have a handful of fresh new faces joining us this year and it’s only a matter of time before we all gather at the Olympic Oval once again.
Looking back – many cars are now gone and have been passed on to new owners and some remain alive and well and will be joining us once again. Let’s take a look…
Dal’s K20 Type R – this was a long-time build for Dal and it was pristine. Reggie now has possession of it and stripped it apart with new plans. From what I’ve seen, he’s doing a great job and going from the ground up with new parts left right and center. It should be at the show this year, so look forward to that!
Alan’s JDM conversion CSX Type-S. So clean and one of the first (and probably still only) to do the conversion with legit OEM parts and tastefully IMO. This is out of his possession now.
Jackie’s infamous S2000. Jackie has some plans for the upcoming year and he won’t be showing in Driven, but he’ll be coming out for our show & shine with new toys to boot.
Hoang’s K20 Civic. One of the most unique and cleanest builds I got to see in 2010. Everything from the J’s wing to the custom splitter and canards and his I.C.E. set up. Not to mention the K20 under the hood.
Steve Poyntz’s 2JZ swap Cressida on 350Z wheels. Super simple and clean build with a whole lotta power.
Chris’s Triumph TR7. Funny story with Chris and his placement in our booth. We had just finished setting everyone up and cleaning our cars and we were just about to leave the place when we were told that there was one more guy in our group. None of us knew of anyone extra and we had placed everyone on our list. We agreed to see the car and the first thing we said was “fuck yeah, we’ll take it”. Chris and his triumph are one of his kind – nothing you’d ever really see on the streets and it’s powered by an SR20. Definitely a keeper.
JC’s Corolla. This is also going through a nice change for 2012 and I’m looking forward to see it. It’s gone from simple and conservative to… well… you’ll have to see.
Jamie’s S2000 – this thing is beat on the track like no tomorrow. Jamie drives it hard and rightfully so. He had got his wheels powdercoated that day or the day before the show too so they were clean as hell.
Punit’s Integra. I remember this was the year that he did the K24 swap and it took weeks on end to get it done. One problem would come up after another and the show came up super quick. Luckily he got it running and entered. Wait till you guys see what he has in store this year.
Gopesh’s GTI – this is also going through a nice overhaul for this year as well.
Terence Wah’s S2000. Another S2000 that saw the track often and built with function in mind. Also another that is no longer in Terence’s possession. He now has a new toy…
Derrek Poyntz’s recently finished Integra RS. This was finished hours before roll-in and ready to go. All the graffiti on this was done by hand! The Calgary skyline is also on the valve cover.
Terence Ng’s Merc. More plans for this later on as well…
iM Event Coverage
