Inspiration comes in many forms; sometimes the most unexpected and unassuming occurrence can change the course of our lives. Who would have imagined that a trip to the movie theater could have this sort of positive effect on someone’s life? Surely the then 11-year-old Kevin Yeung didn’t expect his entire outlook on life being changed when he first laid eyes on Brian O’Conner and Dominic Toretto racing on the big screen in 2001. Yes, the film The Fast and also the Furious opened Kevin’s eyes to the wonderful world of cars. Say what you will about the movie-how unrealistic it was or the level of negative attention it delivered to the underground automotive community-but once you’re done, take a deep breath, take a step back, and consider what that film has given us automotive enthusiasts today. This film sparked the interest of countless children, who went on to get innovators,writers and fabricators, and builders of amazing cars, such as the ’70 Datsun 240Z before youProbably the most beautiful areas of youth may be the seemingly endless imagination that so often withers away as the years go by. Actual life replaces fantasy, and creativity is all too frequently displaced by survival necessities. Unlike people who saw the aforementioned film being an adult, who likely shrugged it off being a dramatization from the life these were already living, Kevin’s imagination allowed for the wonder and excitement of a car-centered lifestyle to manifest itself within his mind. Upon returning home, Kevin realized little else could bring him the joy that he had experienced while immersed in the world of cars. Being much too young to possess or drive an actual car, he turned to the next ideal thing: video games. While playing games for example Need for Speed, the adolescent realized that what he enjoyed most about cars was the ability to modify them. He understood that all cars leave the factory virtually identical, but there are ways to make one his, to create a artwork while everybody else drove around in blank canvases.

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In senior high school, while most teenage boys were concerning themselves with sports and girls, Kevin was passionate about cars. From reading about them to enjoying them virtually through video games and racing simulators, he could not, nor did he want to, put this passion on hold due to a trivial little detail like the lack of ability to own one. Realizing that thinking or stating that he loved cars was getting him nowhere near owning one, he took action. Kevin discussed his thoughts regarding his parents and together they came up with a strategy. Kevin could start working whilst in high school and save for his own car-with one catch. If his grades suffered at all the deal was off, although his parents would support his passion by helping him buy a car. Absolutely no way was Kevin giving up this chance.

His dream was finally within reach, and a path toward that dream was visible. He understood that this could be no walk in the park; finding a job as a teenager is difficult enough as it is. The odd hours that a secondary school student is offered to work are enough to scare away many potential employers. Luckily, a restaurant gave him a chancea couple of years, Kevin washed dishes and worked his way as much as being a waiter, all the while keeping a close tab on his grades. As he finally accumulated enough cash to consider some cars, his and he parents started shopping. A four-door car was the principle criterion, as a two-door sports vehicle would be financial suicide considering Kevin’s age. Research was done and many cars were seen until they decided on a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX-quite possibly the ideal car when considering the criterion. Kevin enjoyed this car for the next few years, tinkered and tweaked with it while driving it daily. It was actually then, at the age of 19, that Kevin was introduced to the world of Wangan Midnight, the story of a young man, Akio Asakura, and his strange but beautiful relationship with an S30 Z, the Devil Z. Inside the story, Asakura, a highway racing aficionado, finds a wrecked S30 in a junkyard and purchases it only to find out how the previous registered owner’s name is the same as his very own. He restores the car to the original glory, meeting many skilled and interesting characters on the way, but most of the story involves the relationship between man and machine. Kevin was hooked; he watched the animated series, read the graphic novel, and enjoyed the video game. Yet again he found that printed words, moving pictures, and virtual reality were not enough; he needed to feel itlittle bit of information available about the legendary Z car into his brain. Since he studied, he saved. As he had finally saved enough to start searching for the foundation of his new project, he searched. Much time were allocated to eBay and Craigslist until he had his next project narrowed as a result of a red Z located a little over an hour away. Buying a new car can be an incredibly exciting experience, Kevin arranged for a lift to see the car around the outskirts of San Diego, as we have all experienced. Once the car was visible, he spoke to the owner and examined the details, remembering to keep his cool and never do anything impulsive. The interior wasn’t in the best condition, but an L28 sat underhood, breathing through two SU carbs. The body looked straight and the owner assured him that it was rust free. He drove it home that day. Once Kevin had his very own S30 sitting in his garage, he continued to analyze and save. He knew he wanted a turbocharged powerplant and also the allure of Godzilla’s heart, the RB26DETT, was irresistible. Several months passed before Kevin had enough money to start out on the car, deciding to get acquainted with it as much as possible before sourcing a powerplant, he started on the bodywork. The first thing on his to-do list was to strip the car of their paint, which had been fortunate, while he made a heart-breaking discovery on that day. The car had rust-a lot of it. The firewall, floorpan and framerails were rotted.

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Making the best of the situation, Kevin patched in the rust as best because he could and sold the automobile. He saw that he needed some time to consider his next move and vowed to step away from cars for a while. During this hiatus, he took a getaway to Hong Kong to check out family and friends, setting up a deal with his girlfriend that he or she would not do anything car related-a promise that he almost kept. One morning, he found himself awake way too early and, without much else to do, hopped on the computer. Muscle memory took over and eBay.com was typed into the browser, followed by 240Z in the search bar. He wasn’t expecting much, just browsing, cruising along in cyberspace-until the moment his heart stopped. It was actually fate and he knew it immediately. Before him, flanked by the blue glow of his computer monitor, had been a listing to get a pristine pearl white 240Z. The listing was including a full description and detailed photos. He knew that he or she had not been able to create himself to spend his Devil Z fund on whatever else, and it was sitting quietly in his checking account. An email was sent to the seller, which was answered promptly. He was a bodyman by trade; he had restored the automobile at his shop, using the car down to bare metal to inspect for rust (there was none) prior to being straightened out completely and resprayed in a coat of Lexus Starfire Pearl. The only real modification completed to the car was a set of Epsilon Mesh wheels. Kevin knew he had found the main one. There was only one problem: He was scheduled to be out of the country for an additionalthe vendor agreed to accept a PayPal deposit to support the S30 until Kevin could look at it. When Kevin saw the 240Z the first time in person, he already knew everything there is to know about it. The seller had answered all of Kevin’s questions during the past month. It was the perfect chassis with a tired drivetrain-exactly what he wanted. With the profit his bank account, Kevin wasted no time ordering parts. A fiberglass air dam and 432 replica spoiler were purchased from MSA, and 15×9.15×10 and 5.5 Equip 03s were ordered from Work to fill in the ZG flares. Left the body intact underneath, rendering them useless, although the previous owner had installed the flares. Kevin took it upon himself to reinstall the flares properly-post paint, cutting, and welding the pristine body extremely carefully. A set of Techno Toy Tuning coilovers brings the Toyo R888-wrapped Equips within the confines of the wheel arches while providing proper damping and gratification-oriented spring rates, transforming the Z from a boat into a proper sports vehicle. The original drivetrain was old and tired, and with a lack of excitement as mentioned. He knew there seemed to be only one way this car was to become his very own Devil Z, though kevin considered the tried-and-true SR20DET, the insanely powerful and uncommon 2JZ.quite easy: an L28 pulled from the 280ZX, fitted with triple 44mm sidedraft Mikuni carburetors, and a T3/T4 turbo. Having the turbo to give all six intake portsevenly and however, was the key issue. Again Kevin decide to take a page from Asakura’s handbook, and the search was on for any period-correct plenum, though many solutions were considered. Six months time into his search, Kevin finally got in contact with a gentleman building his own turbo L-series S30. In his possession were two HKS surge tanks. Kevin made a deal on one of the rare pieces, and it was on its way-the final part of an amazing engine build. Once the engine was put together, wired up and fired up for the first time, yet another issue arose: tuning the three sidedraft carburetors. Having a stranger put the final touches on his masterpiece felt wrong, though kevin could have, needless to say, simply towed the car to some shop to achieve the carburetors synced and tuned. The then 21-year-old hopped onto his computer and, once again, started researching the dark art of tuning a completely mechanical fuel injection system. He looked up everything he can find, and asked questions to more capable Z owners to attain the answers that weren’t published. Equipped with every bit of information available on the subject, Kevin set off to get his car running the way he wanted. Experimentation is normally said to be the very best teacher, and also this was the only way Kevin was willing to learn. In the spirit of Asakura and the Devil Z, Kevin took the vehicle not to a dyno, but to the open road. Armed with a flat head screwdriver, he made adjustments until the air/fuel ratio would be to his liking and the car ran just like a dream.

Very often, cars are judged at face value. Few individuals look into perhaps what is the most important aspect of a car build: why the car was built and why it became the beautiful piece of art that it is. The reasons why a male devotes his life into a craft could be much more intriguing than seeing his creation, as the creation is simply a by-product of the passion inside.

The Honda Fit isn’t exactly sporty, was never an enormous tuning phenomenon here in the united states and most people we know who own one probably imagine it’s cute. But all over the world, the Fit has a different perception. It’s a best-selling car in Japan and other people of most ages and genders drive it. The Fit’s been used in a handful of racing scenarios too-JDM tuners for example J’s Spoon and Racing have built time attack cars while within the States, Honda has supported B-spec racing. They’re very practical and affordable for everyday use,. That is while the number of people modifying Honda Fits is small, the sweetness behind these cars.featuring its third-generation Fit and we had the opportunity to take one out for a day in San Diego County. They’ve been telling us it’s the world’s best functional compact-we’d have to agree as it’s easy to drive around town and the cargo space and legroom alone within this tiny car is remarkable. The number of features that come standard might also surprise you. We don’t expect so that it is groundbreaking, but prepare to be surprised as Honda has some top tuners bringing modified Fits to SEMA this year, so far as tuning-wise. Word on the street is Bisimoto will be building one-expect a great deal of horsepower! However if you’re honestly thinking about gettin’ Fit, we’ve outlined seven important main reasons why this car might Fit your everyday lifestyle:

2015 honda fit steering wheelcan you pick up for your price that’s as functional, reliable and cool simply because this?

2. Fuel Economy. Most Honda Fit buyers worry about fuel economy over power. The new Fit has better numbers than the previous gen thanks to a redesigned head with larger valves. The ECU is also modified to retard timing at low speeds and a lot morefeatures of the Fit. The height of the car is the same as the outgoing model and it’s only .3 wider. Cabin storage and legroom are bigger. Should pack a surfboard? No trouble!

4. Design. It’s actually a tad smaller, though when we first saw the latest Fit, it almost looked bigger than the older model. A more edgy elements and design like the front-grille and headlights make your car look bigger and wider than it actually is.

5. Powertrain. Nothing to throw a party about however the new Honda Fit is up 13hp and 8 lb-ft of torque from the outgoing model as a result of larger diameter valves, raised compression and much more. It’s peppy around town and never completely gutless on the highway. People tell me I drive similar to a madman sometimes, although i needed no problem passing cars.

6. Shift. The new CVT tranny in the Fit is improved and can be fun to get. It’s responsive and accelerates linearly. We don’t mind the optional paddle shifters, either. To the manual, a six-speed is now available instead of a five from your outgoing model.

7. Interior. We drove many of its competitors-the Honda Fit doesn’t feel as cheap. The auto is still relatively quiet and contains a higher build quality than the rest. We dig the design of the dash, speedo and tach. Feature-wise, the typical rearview and optional lane-watch cameras are extremely helpful. Also standard is a 5 monitor on the base model while higher trim levels obtain a 7 one. Don’t want to spend on the nav? Honda’s made it super easy to connect your iPhone to itscomes with an aggressive body kit, carbon rearexhaust and wing, upgraded brake pads and bucket seats. Pretty sick, nevertheless it ain’t cheap. Especially in order to get a hold of the parts here!

Having to be a grown-up can be depressing. We have spent our entire youth building up the skills and experience necessary to have a real job, an adult car and a real home. Just because you are grown up now doesn’t mean that you have to give up everything fun. Try these three things when your age is getting your down.

1. Retro Gaming System

While a lot of people have the latest gaming consoles, retro gaming consoles are making a comeback and are worth quite a lot of money now in their own right. There are entire stores that only sell those throwback games and consoles such as the NES or the Sega Genesis. For less than a modern console, you can get that system that you mastered as a kid, along with all of the games that your mom wouldn’t buy you.

2. A Car That Represents Your Personality

Your grown up car doesn’t have to be one with no fun or style. With the Fiat 500 Abarth, sold by fiat long beach, you can have a sporty car that will really make the neighbors and your friends jealous. This car boasts great gas mileage and a budget-friendly price tag, meaning that you can really being to enjoy your commute without emptying your wallet. Find out how you can schedule a test drive at www.ocfiat.com.

3. A Grown-Up, Yet Fun Hobby

Being a grown up doesn’t mean that you have to give up fun hobbies. Don’t settle for just golf, find something that really speaks to you, such as learning how to home brew beer or cook. Bring out your creative side by finding that hobby that you always wanted to explore. Remember that you don’t have to get anyone’s permission to do fun things, so find what speaks to you.

It’s difficult to imagine an automotive landscape without a BMW 2002 to kick-start the compact sports-sedan movement. BMW’s New Class (or Neue Klasse, in the event you sprechen sie Deutsch) arrived after a decade of expensive cars nobody bought (just like the 507 sports vehicle) and microcars that offered little profit margin (like the licensed Isetta). The New Class was BMW’s best a solution to survival; it arrived in 1962 being a 1,500cc sedan with unit-body construction, fully independent suspension featuring MacPherson struts in front plus a semi-trailing-arm arrangement in the rear, front disc brakes along with a SOHC inline Four. It had been proof that you may have fun without having to sacrifice passenger room or quality. (Fuel injection arrived as being an option in 1972, a complete decade before most car companies thought about getting out of carburetors altogether.) Put it all together and therefore sounds like a rather modern specification, but remember, BMW did this when TVs were white and black, Kennedy was still president and WWII was only a little more distant for them than 9/11 is designed for us.upgrades and models followed slowly as BMW climbed out from its financial hole on the success of the brand new Class. Various two-doors followed, as did a 1,990cc variant of BMW’s M10 engine; the 2002 model, launched in 1966, sold nearly 850,000 copies alone worldwide over the following decade, out of more than 1.2 million New Class BMWs. The 2002 put BMW on the map and instantly had become the world prototype for a small, quality-built, technologically-advanced small sedan. For example the ’73 Turbo, (Datsun’s 510 sedan is an excellent case in point.) 2002s were even available with turbocharged two-liter Fours before. It was Europe’s first turbocharged production car (beating even Saab and Porsche to the punch), good for 170hp from its KKK turbo. So, seeing a blown Four under the hood of a BMW 2002 isn’t unusual. Visiting a Honda engine under that reverse-opening hood, however, is surely anwith the turn in the millennium, Honda gave us the F20C: all-aluminum construction, 11.7: 1 compression, 51-degree valve angle, heat-treated and surface-carburized forged alloy crank and connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons with short skirts, the engine’s five main bearings incorporated into one particular girdle for strength, an 8,300rpm peak along with ainto a car that’s some 700 pounds lighter, as a 2002 is when compared to Honda; suddenly that power gets a lot snappier. Mount a turbo onto the hard-working F20C and suddenly you’re in another stratosphere. With ten pounds of boost, stock internals, stock compression, a stock Honda 6-speed trans and simply a handful of tweaks, like larger throttle bodies, fuel rails, injectors as well as an AEM computer, owner Max Polishchuk (who also owns CAtuned Motorsports, a BMW-friendly shop in Sacramento, CA), claims 404 horsepower at the wheels. And we’re not done, he informs us. Do the math: that’s near enough to five pounds per horsepower for our liking.

But…why a Honda F20C? BMW makes a good amount of good engines; witness the late-’80s M3’s S14 inline Four, or better yet the S65 V8 seen in the last generation of M3s. The answer is straightforward enough: We have loved BMWs for some time, Max informs us. Even as kids. But we have now built Hondas and have had many S2000s. We joked for years about stuffing one into a classic car. The BMW S14 is a great classic racing motor but a second hand motor needing a rebuild is right around $3,000. Rebuild parts are very expensive, and a typical rebuild consumes about 40 hours. Mount up the parts and labor and it also comes out beingout of your S2000 makes 404whp!

Curiously, the holdup is with the rear, which is currently a stock 3.91-open-geared early ’80s BMW 320i rear that bolts right into the 2002. We’ve had it up to 500 horsepower, Max says, but the differential was gone after 10 passes. We are along the way of machining out the internal case diameter to accept heavy-duty internals in the E30 [the 1982-1994 generation of 3-series BMW]. That should handle well above 650hp.

Have sold a greater number abroad, to Canada, the UK and Germany, although it’s such an interesting idea that CAtuned sells a conversion kit with custom-fabricated mounts; they’ve performed three of these operations in-house, including theirs. Fitting the six-speed Honda ‘box required a newly-fabricated transmission tunnel. And any time you’re going to start cutting up a unit-body floor, a lot more than tripling the horsepower it absolutely was designed to harness, it’s always a good idea to reinforce things here and there. The subframes were solid, but we did add some support in several spots. There’s a custom strut bar done like a race cage from the trunk; batteryreally a minimalist creation. The front brakes have 11-inch rotors and Wilwood four-piston calipers now, because there’s absolutely no way the stock rotors could handle that type of power in a panic, but the rear brakes remain drums to the moment. The interior has improved steering and seating (and shifting, obviously, thanks to the new transmission), nevertheless the stereo is a straightforward Pioneer in-dash CD player with Kicker speakers. Those American park-bench bumpers happen to be brought even closer to the body compared to the thin stock chrome Euro bumpers ever were, nevertheless the red paint is deliberately unfinished; the wheels look massive, yet are only 15 inches in diameter (stock wheels and tires on US-spec 2002s were 13-inchers! ). Coilovers and sway bars on the stock chassis architecture will be the basis for the suspension. Using the hood down, the slammed stance and larger rolling stock are the only indications that it isn’t grandpa’s Bimmer.