Honda – Gripshiftslide

Vivid Motorsports :: Formula 1 Show And Shine

Grant — Sun, 09 Apr 2017 10:14:04 +0000

When a group of dedicated car nuts get together only good things can arise! Vivid Motorsports have been on our radar for the last six months and are a group we have been meaning to feature for a while.

When the opportunity to see their car show at the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix was offered, I jumped at the chance!

There were many car groups at the Formula 1 Grand Prix, yet Vivid Motorsports really had the greatest mix of cars compared to the car groups in the area. This classic Toyota Corolla KE30 was one car I did not expect to see! It is one of the most uncommonly modified cars in the scene and also the biggest surprise’s of the show.

Taking influences from the drift world there was a host of Subaru’s sporting blast pipes! Dare I say that the humble Subaru is soon taking the place of the Honda Civic for JDM street dominance.

One of the best things about Vivid Motorsports, it’s not just a group full of hard parking shed pony’s! They actually have full blown track and drift cars within the group.

To me, I believe that cars should be driven not just polished and placed on a pedestal. Vivid Motorsports is what a real car enthusiasts group should be about, track days , social events, car shows and special events.

The fitment scene is really starting to gain popularity in Melbourne despite our crazy strict road laws here in Australia.

Pushing the boundary’s, while avoiding unwanted attention is the great cat an mouse game. Although the game continues to increase in difficulty each and every year.

Their are still some people willing to take a chance for the sake of style! The real question is how fast can you convert your car back to stock?

After setting some quick lap times at Winton Raceway, the Saisoku racing s2000 was looking great sitting among its pals on the lawn just next to Albert Park Lake.

I can even imagine how hard it is to set your car up to sit like this. With its tyre’s tucked and rim’s on the outer edge of the wheel arch. I guess that’s why they call it fitment right?

Tyre stencils are all the rage, yet this looked like it was a new type of stick-on lettering that had a factory style appearance.

Matching the colour with the brake calipers really sets this off and you never know this may spawn a fixie style colour craze in the euro and JDM scene.

The Vivid Motorsports show even had a Maserati on display! The paint job alone was worth more than some of the other cars! Although it was great to see such a complete range of individual and unique cars at the show.

The R32 is one Nissan Skyline that everybody love’s! Such a classic especially when you see a great example like this. Mark my word’s these will start to hit Hako pricing levels in the next twenty years!

Aggressive with a touch of style, this Subaru had plenty of dish!

A wagon you should all be familiar with, Jason Ferron has truly made this R31 wagon stand out by putting it on podium many times in VicDrift and DCA drift competitions. There is a rumor that this very wagon will be for sale in the not to distant future!

One serious package, semi slicks with a spoiler bigger than a Hyundai Excel! Among the daily drivers this R33 really made an impression with the F1 fans.

Vivid Motorsports is really making steps to create a movement and bring back all that is good to the car club community. Putting on social events, track days, kebab runs, movie premieres and more! Vivid Motorsports are really growing in numbers, we cannot wait to attend more of their awesome events in the future.
Thanks for reading,
Grant

Fun2Drive :: Type Arrgghh

Grant — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 13:54:32 +0000

During our most recent trip to Japan we spent some time again in the mountains of Hakone which of course meant we ended up driving half of the fleet from Fun2Drive.
After some mixed feelings driving the FD RX-7 we took something a little more familiar for a drive. A Honda Civic Type R.
Having owned and driven various Honda’s in the past I thought this Civic would just be a case of déjà vu. While it had all the qualities I enjoyed of the DC2 Integra Type R, for some reason in the body of the EK Civic it felt very different. Halfway through my first corner I had very big smile on my face…

What’s not to love about a plucky little hatchback that red lines at 8,500rpm? All the roominess you would come to expect from a small economical car with an angry naturally aspirated engine that sounds like it is having the time of it’s life with each press of the accelerator!

Based on the run of the mill 6th generation Honda Civic, the Type R version known by it’s chassis code “EK9” has all the features of the standard Civic with a host of goodies you normally get in Honda’s hotted up road cars. Including the dohc VTEC motor, Recaro seats, Momo steering wheel, upgraded suspension, bigger brakes, reinforced & lightened body.

The engine is a 1.6l B16B engine, the EK9 is the only car to ever be graced with this particular motor. What’s interesting is that it’s actually a destroked 1.8l block of which you would normally find in the more common Integra Type R.

The engine is faultless aside from the low end torque issues from such small motor. The motor comes alive in the higher revs and makes it’s peak power at 8,200 rpm!! There’s nothing subtle about driving a performance Honda like this at full throttle, the noise the engine makes had dogs from the next prefecture barking!

After spending the whole morning darting around the mountains I switched from ‘boy racer’ to responsible adult and decided to do some sensible driving before stopping for a quick lunch break at the local konbini. In the warmth of the hot food section I looked back out at the tiny Civic and had to admire it for it’s balance of fun and practicality. At low speed it was quiet, comfortable with plenty of boot space. At high speed it was a completely different animal!

After lunch I took the Civic along the Hakone Skyline Toll road around Lake Ashi. With the colder weather it looked more like I’d driven to Silent Hill.
Here there was next to no traffic and the corners hard and fast with banking sections and tight hairpins. The Civic really came into it’s own here.

Driving fast you can’t help but feel the rush as you really have to work the lower gears to keep the revs high, engine braking also produces the most wonderful noises as you gear down for the next corner. It really is a rewarding experience.

The development in the chassis is really noticeable on tight twisting roads. Having driven a base model EK Civic over a few years the difference is night and day.

Not only has weight been taken out, the chassis has been strengthened to counteract the weakness from weight loss. Add in the quicker steering ratio and it really is an amazing car to drive.

Even on the damp roads I felt a tremendous amount of grip from the tyres and felt very confident in it’s ability.

After some more spirited driving it was time to make use of a dry break in the weather and take some photos. Looking at the car from various angles it’s certainly not the best looking hatch ever released. However I do think the years have been kind to the shape and it’s aged well.
The Type R additions really make a big difference over the standard car. Equipped with a new grill, lip kit and spoiler as well as deleted bumper moldings on all facelift models it scrubs up well.
So much so nearly all modified EK Civics have had the same parts fitted to spruce up the look without breaking the bank.

With countless ‘mock up’ Type R Civic’s getting around the easiest identifying feature on the real deal is actually the 5 stud wheel setup. All other EK Civic were released with a 4×100 bolt pattern.

The EK Civic is from a simpler time when the Type R badge was a big deal and engineers appeared to have much more freedom when taking production cars under the knife.

All in all it is an amazing little car to drive. If you’ve never driven a Type R Honda I would highly recommend getting behind the wheel of late 90’s variant as it is hands down some of the most fun I’ve had in a road car.

This is a car I could easily drive everyday, it’s not the softest ride but it is certainly more livable than any other fun cars I’ve driven.

If I had the chance to buy one of these I would snap it up, unfortunately having only a dozen or more imported to Australia over the years they don’t come up for sale often and when they do the price tag matches the rarity.
It was another sad moment handing the keys back, knowing what I would be driving next though the sadness quickly faded. More soon.
Thanks again to Yoshi and Chikara from Fun2Drive for their incredible service!
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.

CRX Australia :: Satay & Cars Melbourne Style

Grant — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 04:59:01 +0000

If you’re into modified cars and you know your way around the internet then you’re probably familiar with the term “Cars & Coffee”, These social car meet ups usually take place frightfully early on a weekend and the idea of a hot coffee is used to lure tired souls out into the cold morning air to talk about all things cars… This is Melbourne so things are a little different, the usual club meets and greats take place around some delicious piping hot food and carry on late into the night.
CRX Australia was due for a reboot after some months of hibernation so the always popular and recently re-opened Garage Cafe was the venue of choice, Honda’s, Targa tops, Wedge backs and Satay was on tonight’s menu.

Tucked away on a side street in Carlton lies a factory with no high-vis, no machinery and no workers… Instead inside you’ll find a few car spaces, a pool table, some cozy tables and the aroma of spices.
Garage Cafe have been operating for years but after a short hiatus due to council disputes they’re back open for business with regular car meets all week long.

The occasion of course was for CRX Australia, a club that’s been running since the heydays of Honda’s original boy racer. The CRX.
We arrived long before dozens of noisy Honda’s entered the building to the beautiful sight of two pristine C63 Mercedes parked up next to a very classy BBS coffee table (A favorite of ours from previous visits).

Not long after the CRX’s started to arrive, soon proving that over the years the club has shifted it’s dominance to the newer Del Sol chassis, as prices have come down, the older generations have become rarer and have held their price on the second hand market. Ultimately young drivers have won having Honda’s ever popular DOHC Vtec engine and a removable targa top all in an affordable package.

The popular modifications seem to be wheels and seats, you would be forgiving thinking that they all came with bucket seats as new walking around this group. The factory fitted cloth seats are now as rare as rocking horse poo.

Some had more character than others, however all still maintained a simple approach…

No body kits in sight, just clean factory lines and the addition of front lip. Remember less is more!!

One of the most popular seats in the Honda world, SR3 Recaros removed from a Type R equipped Integra or Civic.

The final numbers finished on 6 x Del Sols & 4 x 2nd generation CRX’s, all in all a nice mix of what is becoming one of the biggest cult cars in the Honda stable.

The 2nd gen’ CRX’s have always been popular in Melbourne with a large amount of owners lucky enough to have the imported SiR version.
Factory fitted with the first run of B16a, suspension tweaks, facelift and some with a moon roof panel from window to window giving the driver a unique experience.

Melbourne has been home to the largest amount of SiR/EF8 CRX’s in Australia with the club seeing as many as 15 at events in recent years.
Some CRX have changed owners in that time and it was great to see an old hero of the club with a fresh lick of paint and a great set of wheels.

This particular car has kept the original B16a power plant with a healthy amount of boost thrown at it thanks to a turbo conversion by Rev Zone, in it’s years with it’s original the car has claimed several trophy’s and awards thanks to close to 200KW at the wheels.

Any colour other than black is quite rare for these imported versions.

Adding a set of BBS wheels the owner has managed to really stand out amongst the sea of black CRX in Melbourne.

Keeping the German theme with the wheels the owner has fitted a sticker from one of the best blogs around, check them out!
https://www.facebook.com/SehrGute

We also spotted a GSS sticker on this rad Del Sol sitting on some Work Equips.

With everyone feeling full from the feast of Satay and Mi Goreng the group decided to venture out into the cool fresh Melbourne air for some photos by the water.

Several J-turns later we arrived together at another iconic Melbourne location for car fans. Underneath the Bolte bridge.

Now with some space to spread out we got to compare all the cars together.

Volk TE37 work on everything, literally!! Post a car in the comments that doesn’t look good on these wheels, we dare you!

It was great to re-visit the old spot now that the Melbourne Star Ferris wheel is finally operational, the light show it puts on as it spins looks great reflected on the dark water.

While the group kept chatting away we moved two of the Del Sols off for a quick snap together. The black one made the trip all the way down from Sydney to join the fun!!

One of the must underrated Honda’s of the 90’s, it’s great to see them finally get their time to shine.

Now pushing the 25 year mark the original boy racer is now thinning in numbers and I hope more owners hang onto their original gen’ 2’s as they’re a pretty special car in the Honda line up.
Well done to CRX Australia and it’s admin team for keeping name alive and bringing these people together.
If you need any help with anything CRX related whether it’s maintaining one or simply finding one jump on the forums or join the facebook group.
http://www.crxaustralia.com/
CRX Australia Facebook Group
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.

Melbourne Car Meets :: Mini meet #8 Docklands

Grant — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 09:27:49 +0000

It’s a Wednesday night and there are two large car meets on. A decision had to be made. The choice was between a relativity new car groups meet or attend the car meet that is further away yet is older with a slightly larger following.

I knew making the decision to attend the Melbourne car meets : mini meet #8 was the right choice. Having been to a few of their events I knew there would be a decent sized crowd.

When it’s dark and raining nobody feels like leaving their house. To my surprise many people had made the effort to drive to Docklands to meet with some of Melbourne’s finest modified cars.

Like the crocodile, pop up headlights are a relic from the past. They are sharp, pointy and look freaking awesome but because of pedestrian protection laws this style of headlamp was taken from us. This makes me sad though we are lucky enough to still catch a glimpse of the humble pop up on our roads today.

A touch of Japan! No this is not a factory option. The owner must really love the JDM scene to do this to his engine bay.

Such a sweet combo! Love the straight pipes and wheel choice. This Corolla was one of the stand out cars for me as there are not many quality modified late model Corollas kicking around Melbourne.

The legendary s2k is truly one of the best NA RWD roadsters period. I cannot believe how affordable they have become recently. With so many young drivers buying these it’s hard to believe that this car was a $70k+ car.

Between the cars you could see groups of people converging through the underground car park. More and more cars started to arrive and soon the whole level was nearly entirely full of modified cars.

The new cars entering the level had to negate the crowds and this made finding a park even more difficult. Some people choose to turn up toward the end of the meet and missed some of the best cars.

Simplicity is often the key and this 86 is the perfect display of style over money. A huge height drop and subtle mods are all that are needed. With so many Toyota 86s on the roads keeping it clean is a better choice than cheap, oversized Commodore style wheels.

Mitsubishi Evo owners are known for being obsessive and meticulous, this example is no different. With a nice set of carbon add ons and many other mods this Mitsubishi is more than meets the eye.

Although the organisers of the meet had asked people not to pump their stereos and rev their engines it’s hard to stop such a thing when there is a big crowd. It adds to the atmosphere but it can also attract unwanted attention. It’s great to see the organisers are aware of this happening and took the preventative step of having a meet in the controlled environment.

I had spotted this little Charade a few weeks ago while I was driving. It was great to finally see it up close. The diversity of cars at this meet is a true testament to the modified community.

Fitment is a big issue in the scene. It’s hard to make it practical while also being functional. Suspension travel can be a real bitch! It’s hard to reach a happy medium with enough travel that your tires don’t get cut up and your spine is not shattering.

The CSL boot lid really makes this BMW stand out. It helps extend the curve of the car and gives it a slight racy feel.

One easy way of identifying the high class modified cars was the 100mm sticker. It is such a simple sticker that symbolises what the owner is inspired by and participates within.

It’s a shock to see a CRX without a bodykit! Keeping one of these standard is hard because there is just so much aftermarket Honda goodies on the market.

The amount of up and coming car groups in Melbourne is growing and over the years we have seen many groups fail and prosper. The one aspect that keeps good groups from falling apart is a loyal following.

This following can often turn into a bubble! When 500+ cars overtake car park the law is never far behind.

Keeping a good group of followers manageable is paramount to the success of a car group. Melbourne Car meets continues to kick goals and this meet was huge!

Even though you had to pay to get in to this meet, with steep ramps hard for lowered cars, this did not mater! Why? Because Melbourne Car meets are starting to set a precedent and it’s one that people are beginning to respect.

With well over 60+ cars on a rainy Wednesday night, and among competition hot on their heels, our friends at Melbourne Car Meets are really doing everything right. There are more car meets, shows, and other events planned by MCM. We will continue to follow their progress over this coming year.
Thank you for reading.
-Grant

Melbourne Car Meets :: Bundoora

Grant — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:59:49 +0000

A new group is on the scene “(MCM) Melbourne Car Meets” Not knowing anything about them I decided to go and check out one of their local events. It was held at Bundoora Park; a place where many hot rod shows and fundraisers are also held. With a wide open grass area and plenty of room to park cars this is one seriously good trouble free spot.

Entry was made easier with the aid of some planks of wood to lessen the dip in the driveway. Although the entrance of this public park is littered with speed humps many very low cars made it in.

If you know your Toyotas you will know what car this interior belongs to. Beige and brown are colours that are set to make a comeback in the not too distant future.

I arrived late to this event yet I was not the only one. Cars continued to roll in for the next two hours. As the area started to fill up the weather set in.

Not your normal street set up with Nitto semi slicks and brake discs larger than a family pizza. This 200sx had obviously seen some track time.

This event was much larger than I had ever expected. With cars from one end of the park to the other there was plenty of variety. Melbourne Car Meets early success indicates exactly how eager the car community are to show off their cars.

The EG Civic is one of the best Civics made. It is small light and rigid. The EG is often used as a good base for FWD time attack / track cars. They also make a fantastic daily especially if they are running a b16a under the hood. Love the JDM look with crystal headlights and amber indicators.

While we are on the subject of great Hondas; how about the S2000? They are everywhere now! Even Mighty Car Mods have one now! This one is looking sharp with its BBS style rims and red highlights.

Mmmmm ..polished lip! With more reflections than the mirror room in Enter The Dragon, these rims are distinctive. Yes that’s right this is the work of Primal Garage! One of the best car stylists from Melbourne.

Like seeing an incredibly beautiful girl you can’t help but stare. The car that put Primal Garage on the map belongs to the one and only Neil Gray. Truly one of the sexiest 180sx’s in Australia!

From behind the fence several wild beasts were pacing up and down while the unsuspecting crowd drooled over cars. A gang of giant evil mutant chickens sat only 20 metres away from the car show just waiting for their chance to strike.

Black on white is always a good combo especially with a set of Work Meisters. Not only do they balance out the large footprint of the FD RX7 but they are also very classy.

The Honda Accord Euro has gone through waves of popularity over the years and it seems it’s making a comeback. With sharp edges just like Global Knives these Euros have the right proportion of straight lines and curved panels.

They look great slightly stanced and dropped. This owner has gone for a balance of black and silver on white which really makes this car stand out. There were a lot of euros in attendance and all of them had their own individual style.

The new Lancers are growing on me, especially Evo styled Lancers. With larger side skirts, Evo bonnet and a nice set of wheels this Lancer was a real head turner.

This Lancer had undergone a huge re-trim with custom captain chairs and interior highlights. This car had entered into show car territory. Even the rear seat had be luxuriously rebuilt with Mercedes like comfort.

Love it or hate it people love to sticker their wheels to show off their offset. Does it ruin the look of the car? I don’t think so. It adds that personal touch to the car.

The Ke70 Corolla has gone up in price in the last few years. However, smart kids know that if you stalk the streets enough you find an old person with one in amazing condition for the right price. With a tucked rear wheel and what looks like chopped springs this little Ke would of been scrubbing and bouncing all the way to the event.

One of the best Honda’s ever build, the NSX is a car you don’t often see but when you do you make sure you have a good look. As the number plates suggests this car is truly unique.

With a custom MH Design Wide Body Kit and a set of shinny Volk GTC wheels this is one beautiful NSX. The customisation does not end there with a crazy professional audio setup by Pac Audio and a custom red leather interior.

Talking about beautiful cars this Nissan Z was spectacular with flares, a great set of wheels and f1 style mirrors.

This was one evil looking Subaru with black on black and some small red highlights and a sinister smile.

There is always a car that rolls in and steals the show and this was it. The two tone S13 was so low it was removing grass as it drove into the park. With Diamond Racing up front and Speed Star MK2s at the back this ride was in its own league.

Once it parked people slowly gravitated towards it like a moth to a flame. There was something intoxicating about this s13; was it the the fact that this car wasn’t bagged? How did the car make it to this event without being stopped by the po po? We will never know but for this reason I think the crowd had mutual respect for this car.

Our friends at Zenki Wear were in attendance with two very nice Toyota 86s siting either side of their stall. If you have never heard of Zenki wear your missing out! If you like Japanese cars and t-shirts then you will love Zenki wear.

This is such a distinctive car. Not only does it look great but this livery design is simple and effective. The sumods boys were at the event
with a great selection of parts that they import and sell. It’s good to see groups like this getting together to make aftermarket parts more available in Australia.

Melbourne needs more car meets and events in general. With this type of response for a new car group it shows how passionate the modified car community really is. A trouble free event with many awesome cars and great people. Melbourne Car Meets are doing everything right and we can’t wait to see what they organise next.
Thanks for reading,
Grant

StreetVision :: Big Ambitions

Grant — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 10:36:59 +0000

Street Vision’s Biggest JDM meet was planned well in advance. The group has been steadily building its fan base over the last six months and it was time to get the fans out and about. I arrived at Port Melbourne to find this amazing R34 GTR just siting in the shade among a variety of cars.

Could it be M power or just nice engine paint work? Either way it looks great! A small crowd gathered as the owner opened the hood and all you could hear was the gasp of air from the crowd as they admired this super clean engine bay.

With its subtle looks this Liberty is the perfect covert ‘go fast’ car and is sure not to attract the attention of the law. With a seriously dark tint and red highlights this is one tidy package.

Not your average 18 year old’s car! Not sure how they acquired this but one thing is for sure they had fun showing it off!

If you know your old Toyotas you will recognize this interior! Yep that’s right it’s the legendary Ta22 Celica. That short dash with sunken dials is so classic!

This Celica was even sporting a paint job that is so close to the original yellow that they were released in. Keeping a classic car is a big job especially if the car is over 30 years old! This is one true JDM car.

Not only were there heaps of cars in attendance but there was also a few Drift RC cars tearing up the bitumen. The smaller scale drift RC cars are really getting popular and these days it is very rare to see the old TT01 Tamiya that was once the most popular drift RC car.

I was very impressed by the wheel choice of this Impreza. It’s not often people get it right but hats off to the owner of this very well presented Subaru. Even though this is not the WRX it does look like one and still complies with the strict power restrictions that Victorian probationary licence holders have to adhere to.

A good variety of cars showed up for the meet and many that were not JDM! This is something that is now becoming a lot more acceptable. Bridging the gap between classes is something we as gripshiftslide tried very early on to promote with our own car shows and it is great to see the wider community continuing this trend.

It is not just stickerbombing that is catching on but also comic/ manga art is starting to make its way onto the scene. Mark my words you will see more of this cool collage work in the future.

This shape never gets old! It is hard to believe that the FD RX7 is now over ten years old and still looks this good. Mazda have plans to produce a successor to the RX7 which is due to hit the roads in 2014. We just hope it is as good and future proof as the FD RX7 was.

A crowd soon formed just to watch the new cars arriving. Many cars left in little groups but were soon replaced by bigger groups of cars.

You do not see many Corolla sportivos around as the popularity of this Corolla has declined. It is a hot hatch that often gets overlooked but one that has plenty of up and go and will chop the odd vtec.

There was a decent collection of Hondas that showed up including this tidy EK Civic. I like the fact this Civic hasn’t been ruined by cheap eBay parts and that its subtle skirts, spoiler and wheels make this Civic street worthy.

The MX5 is making a comeback; so many people are buying them up now it seems like everyone has one for a daily or a track car. This is one sexy MX5 with some seriously nice wheels and double spoiler action!

Here’s one JDM group with a sneaky euro intruder! There were a handful of euro cars scattered in the crowd, silently hiding and trying not to draw attention.

If you know your Hondas you will recognize this interior. Yes it’s the unmistakable S2000 interior! It’s very similar to the NSX interior but just a tad more modern.

It’s amazing that this car has now become affordable when once it was completely out of reach and only reserved for the semi wealthy. The S2000 is one car that looks great for its age and has to be one of the best convertibles made in the last 20 years.

Many cars came and went but not all of them stopped to stay and take part in the meet. A strange phenomenon happens at these car meets when a small crowd of cars develops yet no one waits around till it gets big enough to make waves.

Not much is needed to make a Nissan S15 look fantastic. Wheels, suspension, exhaust and a boost controller are all that is needed to make these cars a head turner. Out of the factory the car looks great but with these little changes the car becomes ultimately more sexy.

From here you can see the many different cars that turned out for the Street Vision meet including a wide variety of Hondas. These are the typical JDM car of choice being zippy, good handling with so many great after market parts. Why wouldn’t you have Honda?!

Here is a small selection of stickers seen on the day. It was great to see our sticker on may cars supporting Street Vision.

The KE70 has always been one of my favorites and a car that has steadily gained popularity over the years. This orange one caught my eye and the owner was nice enough to show me what was under the bonnet. Check out these trumpets hanging off the mean looking carburetors. This was one of my favorite cars of the day with its low and subtle looks.

Another great meet from Steet Vision With 5 times as many cars as their last meet! This huge JDM meet was great and we can see Street Vision becoming a bigger group in the future.
Thanks for reading,
Grant

Vic Rally :: Lardner Park, into the forest and out of the rain

Grant — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 10:10:11 +0000

It has been a year since we last visited a rally and that is too long! I arrived with not much sleep and my gear all a mess then made my first step into the mud.

With only sneakers on I put on my brave face realizing that I would inevitably end up with wet feet for the rest of the day.

From early reports the drivers had been saying that the super special stage was like a swimming pool. Many drivers were preparing themselves for a day full of difficult conditions.

The right tyres and setup can make all the difference in a rally. You do not want your tyres to wear down early into a stage and loose grip. Consequently if the car does not feel right it can weigh heavy on your mind and affect your performance.

This was the second rally for the Race Recall Team in the “Hyundai Getz” and it was time to get serious. Even though their previous car was an Excel they are both very different cars.

The “Getz” is much taller meaning the centre of gravity is completely different and getting used to a new car often takes time. With all this in mind Jonathan was ready to drive the wheels off this little Hyundai. What the car lacked in show it made up with consistent speed and focused driving.

The Renault Sport Rally Team is one to watch! These boys are animals! The R3 Clio does not look like a fast hatchback but wow can these things move! With a young team at the wheel one thing is for sure, the current dominance of Eli Evans in the Honda backed team will not last for long.

Tom Wilde, alongside co-driver Bill Hayes really push the limit! Several times I saw the car nearly up on 3 wheels! Both cars in the Renault Sport Rally Team have a great aggressive driving style that really makes the team stand out among the crowd.

Jazz power! “I mean K20 power” Having such a grunty engine helps when you are trying to dig holes while winning rally stages. The super special stage had its good spots and bad spots. In this flat area there were only hay bales to worry about hitting and this caused everyone to excel in this part of the track.

The BDA Escort of Grant Walker Parts is one very impressive classic rally car. Not only does it look legit it also has an equally impressive sound to match.

Not everyone was lucky enough to have a marquee at the service park yet this Corolla had only just been finished off the night before and this was to be its first run in a long time.

This is an unlikely pair with only about fifty years between these two cars. From a quick observation it looks like modernization brings square lines and added width!

Nothing says secure like a high tension cable and a couple of locks attached to a tree. This N12 Silvia wasn’t risking being stolen before hitting the stage.

Even though the track was still wet it surprised me how much rock spray was coming off some of these cars.

When you hear that anti-lag in the distance you know that a serious rally car is coming your way. Standing on a precarious corner I watched the cars come directly at me then quickly grab grip and power through the corner. This particular WRX was shooting a bit of flame and I think it had suffered a ruptured exhaust because with every gear change it was dropping small clouds just behind the engine.

At the spectator point sat a rather large hairpin where many cars would bogdown and struggle to get the power on to exit. That wasn’t a problem for Tostevin and Adams.

Our very own gripshiftslide sponsored rally team, Wal Lee and David Lethlean, had made some major suspension adjustment for this rally and although their car looks like it’s running chopped springs at the rear it isn’t. The high front and low rear combination was helping to get more grip and weight into the rear end in the wet conditions.

Constant speed is the only way I can describe Eli Evens driving style. His pace through corners is exceptional!

There is nothing like the thrill of rocks being shot at you from a machine gun or be it a 4wd rally car! Even when you you think you have found a safe place the sudden onset of rock spray means you have to take the shot or duck and hide like a little girl…I did both!

There was plenty of action on the Saturday with some decent jumps and better weather. This VH Commodore has not seen this much air since jumping train tracks in the 80’s.

Such a classic rally car! This WRX was flying and not only making good time but also entertaining the crowd.

The unstoppable team of Neil Bates and Taylor were at it again! Winning seems to be in Neil’s DNA.

The sound of this Mitsubishi Evo was truly terrifying! imagine a dragon that has just been attacked by a bunch of savages with swords! The sound was something like that, with added missile like stones being sprayed at the same time.

Polaris and Can-Am is growing force within rally. It is one of the easiest ways to get into rallying, these vehicles are under $30,00 ready to race!

The only thing i do not like about the Polaris is their sound. With a sound that can only be likened to an angry vacuum cleaner! this not the sound i was expecting from these buggy like rally cars.

Rally Victoria always puts on a great show at Lardner park! For the full results of the event< Click here > You can follow up on our official GripShiftSlide sponsored driver (Wal Lee) and the whole DFA rally team via their facebook page. We hope to cover more rally events in 2014 plus driver profiles coming soon! So keep your eyes on the blog.
Thanks for reading,
Grant
Extra Photos courtesy of James Rooke | Mini Finger Productionz (< Check him out on Facebook!)

MMSC :: Haunted Hills Track Day

Grant — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 07:34:28 +0000

Late friday night I came across a photo of a Mitsubishi Evo on a trailer, that car was Victor’s. It was on its way to Haunted Hills, suddenly I realised there was an event being held at my favorite track!

Without a thought I canceled my original plans and soon enough I was on my way there. After 2 hours at a constant 5,500 RPMs in my silly Kei car I arrived at the Haunted Hills Race Track.

Although it was freezing cold and the fact that you could not see more than 50m in front of your face this didn’t discourage the drivers. The Toyota 86 is really gaining in popularity not only on the streets but here on the track. There were three 86’s registered to race and I was surprised to see so many, when normally you are lucky to see one at any given track day!

As soon as I laid eyes on this Honda Jazz I knew I was in for something special. With some nice subtle exterior mods and sensible light weight wheels this package looked the goods!

When there is an open top racer on a track that had a car roll only a month ago you know this guy had to be a bad arse! The Lotus Kit car was painted in an awesome British racing green complete with some gold highlights. My favorite part of this car was its sneaky air intake which was raised out of the normal shape to give it that extra gulp of air for some extra pony’s.

This is the very car that inspired me to make the trip to Haunted Hills for the day. Victor has been hard at work on his car in preparation for this event. Being victors first time at this track he made the decision to run the car with no front bar to avoid any extra damage that may occur if he was to go off the track.

After a short drivers briefing it was time to hit the track, Harley and his JZX Chaser was one of the first in line and quickly took time to talk track with the man who was organizing the dummy grid.

After being called from the dummy grid you get to the real start line and have to then wait for the remaining car on the track to get to the finish line before being allowed to go.

This slight right hand bend in front of the Evo is known as the “OH’Shit” corner, it is one of the most tricky corners on the track, why because you carry so much speed into it. This happens because of the steep incline shortly after the start line and when it is wet and the track is cold one hesitation and you go straight off the corner.

There was quite a mix of cars in attendance, this XR5 really was hitting the track hard and punishing his tyre’s as he struggled for grip in the damp conditions.

As the track slowly dried out lap times started to fall although there was no sunshine the grass was no longer covered in icy frost.

This little Corolla did more than make beautiful sounds, it was fast! Like really fast! Adrian’s KE70 really had people wondering what the hell is under the bonnet of the bronze beast.

The Corolla made it into the top three fastest cars of the day, even though this car is still a work in progress Adrian managed to scrape more and more time off his PB for this track. Not every lap was perfect and sometimes this track car was quickly transformed into a drift car.

This FG XR6 took it really easy during the early morning session but quickly got faster and more confident as the track warmed up. The Ford and Toyota chaser behaved completely different on the track. The Chaser being the larger car you would think it would be slower and more cumbersome to get around the track, Yet it was faster, flatter and and seemed to fly around the track with ease.

With some very consistent times this RX8 had mastered the track, but wasn’t managing to smash his PB by much. The rotary sounded great and you could hear that rumble echoing around the tiny valley surrounding the track.

Flying into the big hairpin at the end of the track was one way to build up a bit of extra oomph for the hill up to the finish line. But there was another way! the Nissan way, a bit of a clutch kick and you were off and up the hill!

Not everyone had a lucky day, mistakes where made and under such tricky conditions it was bound to happen, the lunch break was mainly used by people to repair and ready their cars for the next session.

After lunch a line quickly formed and the Charge Speed’s Evo X was first in line to hit the track. This Mitsubishi Evo 10 looked great and went very, very well! With plenty of exterior mods and engine mods this is one tasty package!!

This supra knocked almost ten seconds of its original time around the track getting its time into low sixties. The track was run in a clockwise configuration and this made the track a bit easier for the drivers to navigate.

Track days are such a good opportunity to practice the things you are not meant to do on the road. For instance drifting! If you have the power and the know how, why not practice a little?

One of the most imposing looking cars of the day was Victors Evo, that big time attack style spoiler and large front mount cooler really make this car sand out. The car not only looks serious it also has plenty of after market parts that help this Evo attack time.

When this Honda jazz would fly past me I kept hearing a weird sound, I thought to myself “that sounds like a supercharger” could it be? I had to take a closer look and sure enough this little jazz was packing a supercharger! The sound that it made was like a screaming angry monkey! It was scary as hell!

This was one great track day! even though it was super cold and most people watched on from the comfort and warmth of their cars, it was full of action and time slashing goodness. If you would like to know more about the (MMSC) make sure you hit these links Melton motor sports inc – MMSC Facebook page
Thanks for looking,
Grant.

Street Vision :: Unofficial JDM Meet

Grant — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 10:19:12 +0000

True JDM meets are few and far between these days. With a massive JDM meet planned for the end of the year, Street-Vision has decided to test their fan base and organised an unofficial meet.
Held near the end of Lorimer street Port Melbourne, this popular spot offers great parking and little attention from the law, so its win win!

The first car to attract my attention was this Liberty wagon. The great thing about these wagons is that you can use many of the early WRX parts and trick them out! Wagons are not so common in the scene but I really like that there are a couple of people who are not afraid to represent.

i’m a big fan of the old school dump exhaust and even though this little Civic is a work in progress, you can really see where it is heading.

Plasti-dip is all the rage at the moment and lots of people are rushing out and doing it to bring life to their old wheels.

This is one fancy looking miniature explosion making machine! The S3 is one seriously underrated car and with a few mods these things boogie. They are one of the fastest hatchbacks available.

The S2000 is one of those cars that just screams quality! The cabin is tight and fitted with everything just at arms reach. It was such a pleasure to see so many of them attending this event.

One of the standout cars was this DC5. Steve has worked hard to get this car looking so good and all his work has definitely paid off.

This is one car I haven’t seen for a while. It was often spotted at many of the big JDMST meets under the bridge last year. Such meets aren’t as regular these days and it is fantastic to see someone trying to bring these JDM meets back.

Soon it was getting hard to find a park and many cars were playing musical chairs trying to get better spots and to mix it up for some cool photo opportunities.

Here we see one of the awesome line ups from the day. The grandad of the Honda world and his loud little brothers.

The legendary Honda NSX – it doesn’t get much better than this! Street-Vision really did bring together some of Melbourne’s best JDM cars in one place.

Its the little things that make some cars stand out. Simple little eyelids and a very nice custom bonnet with mesh cutouts and a nice set of shoes set this car apart.

Then this happened! Yep, that’s right… a Clubman turned up! This is one of the most fun cars to drive and is known as a real track monster.
A lot of these cars are armed with a 4-AGE 20 valve black top, making them such a tough revy little engine.

Even though everyone was behaving themselves, the boys in blue still took down a few number plates and completed a few laps of the area.

With so many cars attending the meet it was hard to focus on just one. This R34 did catch my eye though because with all the Skylines in the Melbourne car scene currently, a standard front bar on an R34 stands out like a sore thumb

It was good to see a modern JDM car among all the great JDM classics from the 90’s.

These boys decided that standing wasn’t for them and enjoyed a bit of down time between cars rolling in. It was a perfect day to take some time to enjoy the sunshine that Melbourne brought out for us.

This photo created quite a stir on our facebook page and many people jumped in on the conversation. We think it is fantastic that a girl is driving a modified car and there should be more of them! It doesn’t matter what type of car you modify, as long as it puts a smile on your face then it is ok with us.

That mighty badge signifies decades of RND and the GTR continues to be a car that not only makes V8 lovers upset but continues to slay giants.

Its mad to see our sticker on quite a few cars at this event and we appreciate everyone who helps us out! Every dollar goes into getting us to events all around Oz.

After a few hours it was time to leave and many people left in a spirited fashion. It only takes one to start everyone off and then it is hard to break the habit. But of course what is a car meet without a little noise and a puff or two of smoke.

This is one of the first events of many for Street-Vision. Heaps of cars turned up and there wasn’t any trouble to be seen. We are all looking forward to more events and especially if they are JDM based. Even though it is winter there are still plenty of cars out and about at great events like this and the scene continues to grow because of the efforts of new groups like Street-Vision.
Thanks for looking,
Grant
More on Street-Vision: https://www.facebook.com/streetvisionteam

PSRA :: Performance Motor Show Melbourne

Grant — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:53:08 +0000

Finally a breath of fresh air has entered Melbourne and brought with it a performance based car show. Not only has the organiser of this event brought together some of the best tuning shops and related business but also a huge range of Australia’s best performance vehicles.

Our friends at Martini Racing Australia had a great selection of cars on display. This amazing GTR was on loan from Charge Speed Australia. ( V-Spec Performance )

Martini had thought of everything, with a full blown race simulator at the head of their stall! Kids were forming lines just to have a go on the Redline Race Simulator. Martini had a great show of Ferrari’s with both old and new on display and they even threw some of them on the live dyno!

I soon found out where all the modern Corvettes have been hiding. You don’t see many on the streets and it seems a lot have been brought over here, modified and then tracked. This is one car that I wish the V8 Supercars would let into their competition. But we all know why they wouldn’t let the z06 Corvette in… remember what happened when they let the “Nissan R32 GTR” have a go!?

Our Friends at Road Track Rally brought down their time attack Mitsubishi Evo along with a few other special cars of theirs, to exhibit the full range of tuning and services they can provide.

This vintage speedway car caught my eye because I have been meaning to go to a speedway event for quite some time. I think it was the inspiration that I need to finally do so.

A true Hot Rod with flames and all! The performance industry covers a massive range of cars big and small, this being one of the more unique types of performance vehicles among today’s ever growing range of performance cars.

There is something about the new Camaro shape that I like, yes I know it carries a Chev badge, but it has such personality and prowess that it simply cannot be ignored.

This 86 was sporting a custom supercharger that tucked into the engine bay like meat into a pie.

The Honda S2000 is one hell of a car and is the choice of many famous tuners! You might find yourself asking why? Because the car held the record for the highest horsepower per liter for any NA piston road production car for 10 straight years. With a full Amuse kit this S2000 looked amazing! It is the first time I have ever seen one fully kitted up like this and I really like it!

Formula 5000 is madness and Jay Bondini is one mad bloke because he owns 2 of them! This is one beautiful Lola T332 and it has had plenty of great owners in its past. I’m so glad to see something like this on display here in Melbourne.

Now onto one of my favourite cars of this year; the 370Z. Blingwork Auto had a wicked display of cars, their 370z, with its sexy kit slowly seduced me every time I walked past.

A large range of engines were on display alongside the many other cars. Plenty of these engines were worked and are in development for upcoming projects.

Our friend Greg from Pirelli was kind enough to let me get up close and personal with their GT3 Z06.R Corvette. It has raced at the Bathurst 12 hour, Australian GT series and Victorian state series.

Up close you can see that this is not a normal road going car! Trofeo Motorsport and Pirelli have put a lot work into this Z06 and the 2013 Australian GT series. Pirelli is the control tyre for this season and everybody knows that it is the best tyre for the job. With some good results this season, Trofeo Motorsport can’t wait to get back on the track and hey will have their chance come July at Sydney Motorsport Park and GSS will be watching the results closely.

This crazy drag Camaro was big in every way, big power, big wheels, big money and it really did stop people in their tracks.

There were so many nice cars on display at this show that it was hard to know which way to look. I did find one way to look though; straight at this super clean M-series BMW!

Is this what brand new cars looked like in the 70’s? If so, I want one! Just to cruise around in and make loud noises!

How do you make one of the prettiest Skyline’s ever created look even more attractive? Wrap it in carbon and put it to work on the track.

When a car is so immaculate underneath, it needs mirrors to display this fact. Is it still a real functioning car? Or a trophy? Don’t get me wrong, I like the EH but this is taking things a little too far.

I dig concave as much as negative offset. When you add fancy colours in the mix, then things get out of control!

As well as engines and cars on display there were large setups of full exhaust systems laid out around the show.

Power and fabrication! This car show had it all! Just look at this engine bay! You can see the countless hours spent getting every detail just right.

Do you like wheels? We do! The range on display blew our minds. This is just a small selection of wheels that where on display at the show.

If you know your European engines, then you should be able to identify this one! I cannot because VW engines scare me…

This is one of two GT3 Audi R8’s on show, both of these cars looked marvelous sitting near one another.

With such a big show, organised in such a little time frame it is truly astonishing to see what can be accomplished when someone sets out to achieve a dream. Australia’s first ever International Performance Motor Show really did impress and our hats are off to the organisers! We hope that in 2014 they invite us or groups like us, so we can display modified street and drift cars to show exactly what the scene is capable of.
Thanks for looking,
Grant