Innholdsfortegnelse for No 251 November 2017 i NZ Performance Car

There I was, lined up at the exit of pit lane at Hampton Downs, ready to actually drive my E36 project out onto the track for the first time. My pockets were bare, the magnetic strip on my credit card worn thin, and the shrapnel from my savings-account explosion could be seen bolted carefully in place all around me. Over the course of the last four years, I had committed almost every sin you can when building a project car, and, to be brutally honest with you, I was second guessing myself and the financial decisions that led to this point. The problem — and it’s one I have battled with since my very early teens — is that I’ve always wanted to build GT3-level machines on a 2K Cup…

Building a car means something different to everyone. For some, it’s as simple as slapping in a set of Makita one-ways and bolting up whatever set of wheels you had sitting in the back shed, just so you can get that track-day fix, while, for others, it means a series of questionable life choices over the better part of a decade that see you left with one big pile of rad. But, whatever a build may mean to you, for one Christchurch local it was all about the vibe of getting amongst it and being able to say, yeah, I turned that pile of nothing into what it is now. You could say that Russell Major has been into his Silvias since day dot. He’s owned one since before he…

Rallying, it seems, can be divided simply into a couple of different categories — Group B, and then everything else. Banned by the FIA, the class rightly holds a reputation bordering on mythical. There’s no doubt that its legendary status was cemented with the introduction of 4WD and turbocharging — from the guttural growl of the Audi Quattro throughout its evolution, through to the banshee scream of the twin-charged Lancia Delta S4. By the final season, the 4WD monsters of rallying were pushing around 450kW and accelerating from a standstill to 100kph in less than three seconds. These cars drew crowds like no other, with a spectacle that embodied the very definition of sensory overload — the smell, the sound, and the danger. But that same danger ensured that the…

Oast issue we began following the extensive process of building an RB34 for Darren Kelly’s Nissan R35 GT-R ahead of the 2018 D1NZ season. The engine is based on an RB30E block with a Pure Performance 3400cc stroker kit and an extensively modified RB26 head. Last issue, we covered the first stages of building the block up, and, in this issue, we’ll see the long block completed. A stroked RB was always the goal for the R35, but time constraints forced the use of an already-built RB30 for its debut season. Having been tuned to take only 450 to 500kW, the RB30 was pushed well beyond its scope with the 550kW it produced, and it finally gave up in spectacular fashion at Mad Mike’s Summer Bash earlier this year. While…

NAME: ROHIT BHATTACHARJEE // AGE: 29 LOCATION: AUCKLAND // OCCUPATION: CLINICAL RESEARCH MANAGER ENGINE: Mitsubishi 4G64, 2400cc, four-cylinder; JUN 272-degree cams, HKS valve springs, Crower titanium retainers, custom coil-on-plug ignition, Manley H-Tuff rods, Wiseco 1400HD pistons, Forced Performance Red turbo, Trust intercooler, TiAL Q blow-off valve, JUN stainless exhaust manifold, three-inch exhaust system, Xspurt 1550cc fuel injectors, AEM 320lph fuel pump, Link G4+ ECU DRIVETRAIN: Mitsubishi five-speed (4.11), Tilton 7.25-inch twin-plate clutch, Quarter Master hydraulic release bearing, transfer-case housing bolt upgrade, Active Yaw Control (AYC) delete, plate-type rear limited-slip differential, Diamond Design sixpot calipers, 330mm two-piece front rotors, Endless MX72 pads INTERIOR: A’PEXi boost gauge, Auto Gauge water-temp and oilpressure gauges, AMS shift knob, E&H Motors boost and launch control dials, MoTeC shift light EXTERIOR: Black vinyl roof wrap, custom…

BALL PROTECTION Protection of your eyeballs, that is. Diamondback Safety Glasses (black frame shade) are constructed with high-impact polycarbonate lenses with a wraparound design to hug ya face. Scratch resistant and 99.9% UV protective, they also feature a non-slip rubber nosepiece and anti-fog coating so you can always see what you’re hitting with the grinder. These Diamondbacks are priced at $28.55 for a pair, and you can pick them up from myautomotive.co.nz by searching ‘Diamondback Safety Glasses’. PACKIN’ HEAT This ain’t no ordinary two-channel amplifier, nope. Zeroflex designed this gamechanger (NZ2150) to be super compact while still delivering proper power. It is capable of delivering 2x150rms at 4ohm to run a set of quality speakers, or 1x400rms at 4ohm to run a sub. It also features a remote bass controller…

NAME: ALEX MILLAR // AGE: 19 LOCATION: CHRISTCHURCH // OCCUPATION: APPRENTICE SPRAY PAINTER ENGINE: Datsun L14, 1400cc, four cylinder, single Niki carb DRIVETRAIN: Datsun 160J SSS fivespeed dogleg INTERIOR: Mr Grip shift knob, woodgrain steering wheel EXTERIOR: VW Golf Mk1 chin lip WHEELS/TYRES: 13x6.5-inch SSR Superstar 01, 165/60R13 SUSPENSION: (F) Reset springs, (R) reset leaf springs, two-inch blocks POWER: “Sweet f*ck all” NZ Performance Car : Hi, Alex. Tell us, how did you get into cars and what was your first? Alex: Hey, guys. I’ve been into cars ever since I can remember — I have photos of me in nappies playing with toy cars, and I started racing go-karts at five. My dad always had some sort of project on the go when I was young, so it was…

I’m usually quite a decisive person. When I say that, though, I don’t mean that I always make the right decision. What I mean is that, when it comes down to pulling the trigger on something, I do it with certainty at that point in time — it’s the constantly changing thoughts that follow a short time after that start to muddle that decisiveness. That may explain why my Holden still doesn’t go — or outright laziness, I forget — with this month marking two and a half years since it last saw the road, the poor bastard. Within that time, and with all my ‘certainty’, I managed to collect piles of parts that could easily form three very different versions of my oncefactory motor — carbys, injection, individual throttle…

SUPPORT STRUTS: BC Gold coilovers BRAKES: (F) R33 GTS25-T calipers and rotors, (R) R33 GTS25-T calipers and rotors EXTRA: Hakon adjustable arms DRIVELINE GEARBOX: RB25DET, five-speed CLUTCH: Tilton triple-plate FLYWHEEL: Custom DIFF: R32 GT-R limited-slip (4.11) EXTERIOR PAINT: Mazda Soul red ENHANCEMENTS: TRA Kyoto Rocket Bunny V2 kit THE S15 ROCKET BUNNY KIT SWALLOWS THE 18X10-INCH (-21) AND 18X12-INCH (-41) WORK MEISTERS WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT. LIKE THE FRONT GUARDS, THE REARS HAVE BEEN TUBBED TO ALLOW FOR THE RIDE HEIGHT What the hell is this?” was the question spurted by the infamous Dom in The Fast and the Furious when Brian Spilner showed up at his workshop with a wreck of a Supra on the back of a tow truck, ready to build that 10-second car. Well, this might…

THE CAR IS KNOWN AS ‘YAZI’ AMONG FRIENDS — THANKS TO A LATE-NIGHT, AND POSSIBLY BEERFUELLED, DISCUSSION OF THE YAS MARINA BLUE COLOUR-WORK AND HOW IT MAY HAVE BEEN PRONOUNCED IN THE CAR’S MOTHERLAND DRIVELINE GEARBOX: Tremec T56, six-speed CLUTCH: RPM Heavy-duty FLYWHEEL: Standard DIFF: Cusco R200 two-way LSD EXTRA: Fuelled Racing drive shaft, Fuelled Racing gearbox mounts SUPPORT STRUTS: Hakon coilovers, Stealth Ride air cups BRAKES: OBP pedal box (F) Nissan four-pot calipers, 296mm rotors; (R) dual Nissan two-pot calipers, 297mm rotors EXTRA: Hakon castor arms; gusseted LCAs; Hakon rear camber, toe, traction, and lower control arms; Parts Shop Max rear drop hubs; eight-point roll cage; front tubs; rear subframe locking collars; D2 air jacks There tends to be a natural order to things, especially when building a car.…

If you’ve ever read anything Japanese, you’ll have noticed that the pages are opened from back to front and read from right to left. A similar rule applies to how you read the date — it is read month/day/year; hence, the annual AE86 drift meeting occurring on August 6 — 08/06. This year, the annual 86 meeting, named ‘86 Day’, was held at Suzuka Twin Circuit, located in the Mie Prefecture of Kansai, Japan. With August 6 landing on a weekend, there was an abundance of AE86s that gathered from all over the country. More than 140 owners of the legendary car were there, some of who made the journey from the northernmost and southernmost islands, travelling in excess of 12 hours just to drive at this event. You may…

NAME: TOM ACOTT // AGE: 31 LOCATION: WELLINGTON // OCCUPATION: DIESEL MECHANIC ENGINE: Toyota 7M-GTE; 3200cc; six-cylinder; bored 2mm over; decked block; polished crank; custom ZQ forged rods; custom Wiseco 86mm pistons; Taiho main, big end, and auxiliary bearings; ARP main studs and rod bolts; ported, polished, and skimmed 5M-GE head; de-shrouded valves; Franklin Cams custom 267-degree camshafts; modified 1JZ vernier cam gears; modified cooling ports; Cometic 1.2mm MLS head gasket; ARP head studs; stainless manifold; 40mm wastegate; XS Power T66 turbo; three-inch exhaust; jumbo hot dog silencer; billet pulley kit; modified intake manifold; Denso 700cc fuel injectors; Aeromotive fuel-pressure regulator; oil cooler; custom water-to-air intercooler; MSD timing controller DRIVETRAIN: Three-speed auto INTERIOR: OEM plush comfort, optional gold-embossed seat belts, Defi multi-display logger EXTERIOR: Two-tone cinnamon brown and gold sunburst…

THE SEASONED RIDER The 2016 Honda CBR500R emerged ready for war — sporting a distinct, aggressive look and armed with new LED lighting, a larger fuel tank, and adjustable front forks, plus a solid bark from the redesigned mass-centralized exhaust. For smoother gear changes, Honda has also tweaked the shift drum. The 471cc double-overhead-camshaft engine — producing 35kW — and steel diamond-tube frame remain unchanged, because when you’ve got a good thing going, you stick with it. To book a test ride, head to hondamotorbikes.co.nz, or give the team a call on 0508 466 326. THE URBAN ATHLETE When you’re still on your blue licence but want some excitement and satisfaction on your rides, look no further than Suzuki’s sport bike heritage. The new GSX250R is a fully faired street…

Nowadays, most people can only wish that their first car was something as rad as a Datsun 1200 coupe, but, for Rikky Dawson, that was the reality back in 2002. He did the typical 15-to-17-year-old thing and threw some 17-inch wheels on it with a touch of lowering from Pedders Suspension. “It looked like a f*cking roller skate,” Rikky said. He was working at an engineering company at the time and tells us that it wasn’t going to be long before the car was cut up. It came off the road in ’05, and Rikky quickly got to work fitting a 12A peripheral-port (PP) and S3 RX-7 five-speed box. “I had huge dreams of this super-low, big-wheeled Datto rolling around with a rotor in it … then it turned into…

RUFCNT REWORK Ryan Dorricott, of Tauranga’s Dynopower, is busy adding the final touches to his reworked FD RX-7 in lieu of his debut D1NZ Pro-Sport season. Having contested a single round last year, Ryan will make the full season leap as one of the only rotaries in the field. But don’t for a second think that he will be at a disadvantage, as ‘RUFCNT’ packs some serious punch from its 13B, having previously made 510kW on 30psi before a raft of off-season changes. “It wasn’t like the car lacked power; we just really wanted to push the limits of this 13B / BorgWarner 9180 combination to show customers what we can do,” explained Ryan. The upgrades include CNC bridgeporting, a CNC ported Cosmo intake, four-inch stainless exhaust, stainless equal-length manifold,…

A racer’s mind is a hectic environment, for, as well as all the normal brain-wave activity, you’ll find it chock full of mathematical equations, scenario simulations, and problem-solving circuits, all of which run around the clock. Even during normal daily tasks, those brain programmes are constantly ticking over, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, aimed at the goal of going faster. This is why a racer’s car is never truly complete; it will remain in a perpetual state of evolution until the day it’s crashed, sold, or shelved to move onto the next project. The E&H Motors S14 has been going through this process for the past nine years. In fact, wind the clock back some 67 issues, and you will find this very car gracing the pages…

In the two decades that the Brisbane Jamboree has been running at Willowbank Raceway, few events have carried the excitement and vigour that the 2017 fixture did. The reason was the international flavour brought by a four-car Puerto Rican (PR) team, a two-car Japanese team, and a handful of Kiwis, who all lined up against the best Australia has to offer. Team Puerto Rico consisted of some of the heavyweights on the world stage — the Rafaelito RX-8 (world’s fastest two-rotor), the Mech-Tech Scion (the world number-three import), the ‘El Humilde’ AE86 (the world’s fastest three-quarter-chassis import), and the ‘Loquito Killer’ 20B RX-8 (the world’s second-fastest rotary). These are cars that many consider to be heroes of the import world, and having them on local soil was an opportunity too…

The Japanese motherland has thrown some amazing scenes in front of my camera, but none of these scenes have evoked a reaction quite like the missiles that slip, slide, and scrape around Ebisu Circuit. The drifting world has become strangely accustomed to the term ‘missile’, and this trending style certainly had its time when battle scars were cool, rather than being a shameful reminder of a lack of talent. Coming face-to-face with some of the most infamous missiles in Japan has taught me that there is always more to these mythical drift weapons than meets the eye. Sadly, there is a huge misconception surrounding missiles. Many view them not as practice tools but as scrap metal with a turbo up front on a one-way trip to total annihilation. So, while…

When you’re thinking of building a turbocharged vehicle or upgrading your existing unit, there are a few external components that you will undoubtedly be thinking about: wastegate location, twin- or single-scroll housing, and how you will control boost. But another area that needs to be considered is controlling oil pressure to the turbo, and this is especially important if you’re running a ball-bearing unit. Your engine oil pressure is likely to be twice the requirements of a turbocharger. According to Turbosmart, this presents a problem that is often corrected using improper methods. Turbosmart has developed a compact turbo oil-feed pressure regulator that will keep your feed’s pressure at 40psi without sacrificing flow, regardless of the oil viscosity that you’re running. But, before we delve deeper into the product itself, let’s…

OCTOBER 28 JERKFEST ’17 BRUCE MCLAREN MOTORSPORT PARK One thing is for certain ‘Circle Jerk Crew’ know how to party, but they also know how to handle their business, and their business is hosting some of the slickest of track days. So, naturally, their annual bash Jerkfest at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park is the biggest on their calendar, and it returns this year with maximum track time and plenty of rowdiness. If you’re down to watch some grass-roots thrashing, then you’re in the right place — spectators get in for free. Gates open at 8am, and spots are sold out so you know its going to be well worth the trip. OCTOBER 21–22 FLAT NATS 2017 MIKE PERO MOTORSPORT PARK Tailored to please the Subaru fanatics, Flat Nats is New…