So I’ve been looking into lip/half-bumper style kits for the LS, because I really want to run the JDM optional HID/LED fogs. Also, it’s because the Mode Parfume aero is helllllllllaaaa expensive.
I’ve been looking at the Junction Produce Sports lip kit:
I think it’s pretty slick, and it’s way less ubiquitous than the Wald. Thoughts?
I was bored today, so I put together this quick photochop of the Wald Bentley Flying Spur.
Here’s my modded version:
Here’s the original:
It has potential, don’t you think?
I’m in love with this car. Found it while browsing old threads on VSC forums.
Also, for good measure, here’s a shot of the Job-Design F50.
And another super hot, stock JDM bodied Y33.
Enjoy!
I was reading Bespoke Venture’s The Real JDM blog the other day, and I came across this. Makes me want a Gallardo Superleggera… It’s on Volk G2, sized 20x9F 20x11R. One of the best looking Gallardo’s I’ve seen, although to really be KOF approved, it might need some spacers =X.
I just got back from a front-end alignment at Island Tire, on Colorado at San Gabriel in Pasadena. Great guys — the alignment tech took almost an hour just to get the caster right. Everytime I come by, though, he shakes his head and asks me what’s the point. Hilarious. They also have a lifetime alignment special, which has saved my broke ass a couple of times. Apparently, if you drive an Evo and are a member of SoCalEvo, you get a discount. Nice. Too bad I never got that 9RS I really wanted back in the day.
The current specs are something like -4* camber front, -7* rear, 18×10 ET5 front, 18×11.5 ET2 rear, 235/40/18 front, 245/40.18 rear, and factory toe front and rear. I’m only able to get this alignment because of allllll the Peak Performance pieces underneath the car (front tension, rear upper control arm, traction rod, toe rod, all for an S14 240SX). There’s a bit more noise now from the front because of the pillowball in the tension rod, but steering feel’s improved a bit and there’s just a tiny bit more feedback, which is always a good thing.
Next for this car… Platinum VIP Phantom Cup suspension? Bold World x Roberuta? Wheel refinish? Less camber? Nankang NSII tires? Who knows? :)
I’ve been thinking about lowering my car some more recently. Here are some photos of how it sits now:
Actually, that was before I got it aligned. That was when the car was rocking about -8.5* camber rear; it’s since been corrected to -7*.
So, the million dollar question: should I lower it more? The only thing really holding me back is if I lower it, it’ll be even more difficult to drive it daily. Hmmm… decisions, decisions.
My father owns a 2007 Audi A8, Black on Amaretto interior, short wheelbase, etc., etc.
It’s a brilliant car. The interior is pretty, functional, detailed (note the cool solid aluminum pieces, like the brake pedal assembly and the housing behind the display), and well-made, while the exterior (I think, at least) is the best of the current luxo-barge crop (S-class, 7-series, Jaguar XJ, etc.).
It’s too bad it’s had so many little issues. Last week, the front passenger’s side door soft-close feature ceased to work. A few months ago, a clip broke off the ashtray as I was trying to take it out. Before that, a really nicely milled solid piece of aluminum fell off the front center armrest.
There are a few design issues too — the biggest one, I think, might be how the dash glares like crazy when the sun is beaming powerful afternoon rays into the car from behind. If they had moved that little quattro badge to the other side of the dash, I’d be able to drive with my eyes open more often.
Also, why does it take so long to get parts for this car? Does Audi not stock any replacement parts for the A8 in their warehouse? Every item that’s broken on this car so far that’s required a replacement has been a special order part. Sigh.
Anyway, I’m just ranting. It’s still a special car, and I hope Audi does better with the next generation here in the US than it did with this current one.
So I’m back from Tokyo and I just managed to get some photos sorted out. Let me apologize in advance for the horrible image quality — I was hoping to pick up a Sigma DP2 or something or other while I was in China, but news about the new Olympus E-P1 have put my camera purchasing plans on hold, so all I had to use was a cheapy Panasonic point-and-shoot, which didn’t handle the weird lighting conditions in the exhibition hall very well.
There were a LOT of donks at the show; I think the LA DUB style is a huge influence over there (kinda like how they took the SoCal import scene and made it into SpoCom. Hmm. I guess there’s more to tuning than JDM, huh?). I met a LOT of cool people, but big thanks to Ted @ Montage, Tetsu at T2DF, and Kazumi and Ray at Speedworx. Thanks also to Dave (I didn’t get the company you worked for, sorry! If you ever read this, we’ll go grab a drink when you’re next in SoCal). EDIT! It was also nice meeting Norihide at Special Cars magazine – thanks for keeping me company and good luck on your Boxster! END EDIT!
Anyway, enjoy the photos!
I’m in Tokyo right now. I missed the last bus from Narita to my hotel, so I got pwnt and had to take a bus to the Tokyo City Air Terminal and then a cab to the hotel. My wallet hurts right now :(.
But today, after breakfast, I went to the Tokyo Special Import Show for the press showing day with my friend, Ted. All I have to say is… damn. The level of detail and theme in some of these cars is insane.
I’ll just channel my inner James Joyce and put some stream-of-consciousness thoughts here: RWB’s Nakai-san had his personal Porsche 930 sitting outside, next to a huge crowd of other track-prepped Porsches. That Idlers Club logo is really cool. Saw the hottest, lowest Lotus Exige I have ever seen. There was a really hot modified Audi S8 there, with excellent fitment. I met the owner of Liberty Walk (OMG *faints*), the Japanese distributor of Giovanna/WTW Corp. stuff, and a guy who apparently races NASCAR. Didn’t get his name, though. *EDIT* His name is Takuma Koga, last active in NASCAR in 2002. *END EDIT* Fortissimo had a really nice current-gen GS on display – Bold World suspension, carbon fiber aerokit (on a black car – the contrast is so hot). There weren’t as many booth girls as photos of other events would suggest, but there were a few. Some were wearing hella weird outfits. I’m in love with the alumite gray finish of the top-of-line Endless brake caliper. Wish I could afford a set. Giovanna edition bicycles? This eclair is really good, haha, and it was only 105 yen!
Anyway, there was a lot of stuff I forgot — I’ll post up photos and more observations when I get back to the US. Yodobashi Camera tomorrow, maybe?
I was flipping through JTuned the other day. Man, what happened to them? They used to have a good amount of original, interesting content and features. It’s now just a blog filled with regurgitated press releases from Falken and Greddy.
That’s understandable, I guess, considering the state of the economy and the fact that I never understood how JTuned made enough money to stay alive (was it a personal pet project of someone’s? School me, please!). What really pissed me off was that I saw they used the phrase “bippu” to describe a current generation Infiniti M35. The word just makes me angry, for some reason — it’s an Americanized bastardization of how the Japanese really describe their VIP cars (i’ve heard they call it “vip”, pronounced like “tip”). I guess it just reminds me of how Americans in general like to bastardize Asian stuff (orange chicken, anyone?).
The other reason it made me mad, other than the fact that the word appeared in print, was that the car doesn’t really fit the VIP mold. Of course, we always see examples of “wild style” VIP tuning from Japan, but this car… If it weren’t for the choice of chassis, we’d be calling it SpoCom. I think the wild paintjob detracts from the car — I don’t want to see color-shifting Maziora (but since we’re in the US, it’s probably HOK or Alsa or something) paint on a stock bodied, non-fender flared/vented/gilled/winged/18×13 ET-30 car. I can recognize the amount of work put in it (color shifting paint is expensive and hard to shoot, apparently) but I think the overall execution is horrible.
Anyway, I’ll be at the Special Import Show in Tokyo this June 19-22 — hopefully I can have some good photos to share with everyone.