Tag Archives: Modified Cars

Car Shows

This Stanced Toyota Previa is the Shaggin’ Wagon of the Century!

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Stanced Toyota Previa Minivan First Class Fitment

This thing is badass, I don’t care what anyone may think. It’s just so ’90s in all the right and wrong ways.

Many Previas even came with a supercharged engine, which I’m just going to assume this one has given the fact that someone deemed it worthy of customizing. They were also on a rear wheel drive platform, offering all wheel drive as well.

My dad had a light blue Toyota Previa back in the day. I don’t remember what year, or whether it was supercharged or not, but it is the first car I actually remember him buying when I was a kid. It was the car I began my 13 year ice hockey career in, and it got us to many-a 5 A.M. practice. Because of that, the Toyota Previa will always have a special place in my heart.

Previas are quite interesting, as minivans go, so I’m always glad when I see them getting some love from the enthusiast crowd. We saw this one recently at First Class Fitment.

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

Modified BMW 335xi Spotted on Woodward Ave

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BMW 335xi Modified Woodward Ave

We came across this well-modded BMW 335xi while out cruising Woodward Ave this summer. Fitted with M3 front bodywork, and a carbon fiber splitter, this 335xi is quite a nice-looking car.

I had a nice chat with the owner, and he informed me that the car was making around 430awhp, fitted with the full array of bolt-on modifications. The twin turbo N52 Engine in these things makes quite a bit of power easily, and this car was a great example.

335i’s are quite affordable these days too. For under $30 grand it’s feasible to make one of these into a solid 400hp+ GT carm like what you see here.

Well done!

-Nick

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Bonneville Salt Flats Record Cars at the 2015 Concours of America

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1932 Ford Turquoise//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

I’ve held a fascination with land-speed records for as long as I can remember. When I saw two belly-tank racers sitting on the show field in the Concours of America this summer, I made a beeline for the section and started looking at what was on hand. Back in the early 1930s, salt flat racing in Bonneville became massively popular, having started in 1914–and people are still out there every year attempting to set new records in an ever-evolving form of motorsport. These cars all hail from the prewar era and looked fantastic in period-correct trimmings. From belly-tanker racers to a few old-school hot rods modified for salt, the history was all in plain sight. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Bonneville Salt Flats Record Cars at the 2015 Concours of America →

Cars We've Driven

Frankenstein Volvo, A Hillbilly Hot Rod

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Sometimes fun isn’t pretty, it’s vile and blemished, with a crooked smile.

This hooptie-looking Volvo belongs to my buddy, Matt. He calls it his Frankestien Volvo, and it’s a sort of “Hillbilly Hot Rod.” With approaching a build like that, it’s hard to go wrong.

You see, perception is largely based on our expectations. If you expect a car to be flawless, then any scratch, any imperfection can ruin it. But if you go in expecting a car to be ghetto as hell, then that leaves you open to be pleasantly surprised by any redeeming qualities.

Frankenstein V8 Volvo 1

Matt’s Volvo is clearly a car who’s hair has been let down for the duration.There’s no room for high and mighty expectations to come along for the ride because the back seat has been thrown out. The interior is largely bare, with lots of open metal and wiring. The front seats are the stock volvo pieces, which are comfortable, but a little loose on their mounts. Oh, and there weren’t any seat belts either…

Maybe I was stupid for taking this deathtrap of a car out for a spin… surely from a mother’s perspective I was. But the character of the car, built by Matt (who is a mechanic, among other things), is that of care-free living, and it sort of captivated me in that moment. If it were a Nissan 350Z without seatbelts, I would’ve declined the drive… but not this.   Continue reading Frankenstein Volvo, A Hillbilly Hot Rod →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Autocross and a random car show? Sounds like Sunday.

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Neon 3 Wheelin

Sunday was a long day for me, the 1993 Miata, and my sunburned skin. When it’s 90 degrees outside, the first thing into my mind is to run back inside and cower underneath my air conditioner, unless I’m at the beach. There is no air conditioning in the Miata anymore, and at this NASA/MSNE autocross event up at MetLife Stadium (home of the Jets and the Giants, and probably Jimmy Hoffa), it was hot enough to fry eggs on the street and fry my nose and forehead to a nice, golden brown (red). Shane turned up too, in his silver Miata which makes my car look concours-fresh. Continue reading Autocross and a random car show? Sounds like Sunday. →

Cars We've Seen

1985 Toyota Corolla AE86 Sprinter Trueno spotted in Somerset, NJ

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Initial D Hachi Roku Front 1

Last weekend down the street from my office, AnimeNEXT was in full swing. After a few drinks with a former manager of mine, I headed home, oblivious to the increasing levels of traffic (and the havoc it would create on the local streets of Franklin Township, NJ). As I approached the Crowne Plaza just before the intersection with Easton Avenue, a small hatchback with black wheels and white paint caught my eye. Continue reading 1985 Toyota Corolla AE86 Sprinter Trueno spotted in Somerset, NJ →

Auto Idolatry

Matt Farah Drives an Awesome 500hp Subaru Forester

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Gotta love it when someone takes a car meant cart around dogs and children, and makes it insane. This Subaru Forester is making over 500hp, obviously with some large turbo strapped to it, and Matt Farah got to take it for a rip.

Enjoy!

-Nick

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

2015 Elks Lodge Car Show (Lodge 2414) General Gallery

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2014 Super Snake

This past Saturday, I was in a conundrum. I knew that the local Elks Lodge up the street was putting on a car show, but I wasn’t sure if they’d let me put my Miata in the show. I decided to just drive it over and see what would happen. I was the first guy to show up in an imported car (there was already a Toyota Truck in the show) but they let me in for a few bucks and I gladly obliged, hiding the Miata, in all its scratched-up, four-cylinder glory, in between a few Corvettes. For my efforts, I was rewarded third in class for import cars–which came with a nice $25 gift certificate to the local Italian establishment, Mama Rosina’s.

In all, this was a very well-done show. While the variety of cars was a bit limited, the people made this a very friendly, neighborhood-type show, with people from all over the local area coming out to show off their best cars. We had everything from a 1956 Bel Air (that was all original and awaiting restoration) to a late-model Maserati GranTurismo, C7 Stingray, and a 2014 Super Snake that shook the ground on startup. Enjoy the photos from Riverside Park in Piscataway, New Jersey. Continue reading 2015 Elks Lodge Car Show (Lodge 2414) General Gallery →

Car Shows

A small selection of photos from the NJ Miatas Spring Meet.

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NB Orange Fiber Fender Front

As most of you know, I bought a 1993 Mazda Miata a few months ago for dirt cheap, and I immediately joined a few groups to get into the community and meet other people who own Miatas. The first meet of the season for 2015 was last Sunday, and here’s my five favorite Miatas from the event. Many more cars were featured than those here–but these five absolutely caught my eye. Enjoy the short list–more photos from this event will be coming very soon. Continue reading A small selection of photos from the NJ Miatas Spring Meet. →

Car Shows

Awesome Burnouts and Accelerations at the CF Charities Supercar Show!

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Here is some fun stuff from the CF Charities Supercar Show last year. Naturally, when you hold a car meet on an open airstrip, some shenanigans are going to take place… in fact, the more, the better!

It was a motley crew of cars at the show, everything from everyday tuner cars to a mighty Bugatti Veyron and a straight-piped Porsche Carrera GT.

If you love hearing some engines being thrashed, and you love some tire smoke, then you’ll be glad you gave this video a watch!

-Nick Walker

Auto Idolatry

Watch Jay Leno take a SharkWerks Porsche GT2 Out For A Spin

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On this episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, Jay gets together with Magnus Walker and Alex Ross from SharkWerks and gets behind the wheel of their collaborative Porsche 997 GT2. It is CRAZY!

Enjoy!

-Nick

Opinions

Okay, fine! The Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ Are Mediocre

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Subaru BRZ

Yea that’s right, people, I’m saying it! Toyota and Subaru’s supposed christchild of a sports car is actually pretty meh, and sales are dropping off. Here’s why…

So Much Hype

The GT86 may well be the most over-hyped car in recent memory. In reality, people liked the idea of the car more than the actual car itself. And because they wanted more companies to make cars like it, everyone raved about the GT86.

I really liked the manual FR-S when I drove it, and I hated the automatic. The reason comes down to the fact that all the FR-S really has going for it are its wonderful driving dynamics. In many respects it actually does feel like a Porsche Cayman, and that’s awesome! But when you remove the manual gearbox from the FR-S or BRZ, then you remove most of the driving engagement. That leaves the car’s more mediocre aspects completely exposed, and in my opinion, ruins it entirely.

Continue reading Okay, fine! The Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ Are Mediocre →