THE UK’S NO.1 MEGA MX-5 BUYING GUIDE JAPANESE EVERY MAZDA ROADSTER EVER! TUNING MAG JAPANESE CARS
BANZAI RARITY VALUE
WORLD’S FIRST ROCKET BUNNY VARIETTA TURBO + ULTIMATE CLUTCH TECH AND… 350Z TUNING GUIDE
TOP TURBO’D DROP-TOPS n Time Attack Toyota MR-S n 450bhp F22 Honda S2K n Chopped 570bhp Datsun 260Z 第203号 AUGUST 2018 ›››555BHP SUBARU ›››HONDA S660 ROAD TEST Issue 203 £4.99
WELCOME ISSUE 203 August 2018
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CONTACT THE TEAM: [email protected] TOP CONTRIBUTORS... Adam Rous Patrik Karlsson Chris Nicholls Ben Hosking Dan Bevis Chris Presley NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: Friday 3rd August 2018 CAN’T FIND THE MAG? ummer is here people, it’s miraculous as the guys in Japan perfected the idea with the Locate your nearest stockist on I know. In fact, I’m still in disbelief. MX-5 - for want of a better phrase - we soon found http://seymour.magzene.com But no, I poked my head out of the the joy of the twisty stuff. The sort of fun you’re just workshop this afternoon and there it not going to get in a 4-seater Audi or a FWD Tigra. was, a big ball of fire in the sky! And They sold a couple of those little Mazdas too, and not a cloud in sight either. Lovely. Japan hasn’t produced a bad drop-top ever since. Kelsey Media, Cudham Tithe Barn, SStill, I know things can change pretty quickly here In fact, I can’t think of anyone that does fun-to- Berrys Hill,Cudham, Kent, TN16 3AG in the UK, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for drive convertibles better. People bang on about Part of the Fast Car Entertainment us. Thanks to the magical world of how a magazine Porsche and Ferrari but, unless you have a particular Family www.fastcar.co.uk works, it’ll be a good couple of weeks before you penchant for looking a plum sitting outside Old get to read what I’m writing right now in June, for Trafford, why would you pay all that for a badge? the August issue… er, which hits the shelves in July This issue is dedicated to proper street convertibles (don’t ask me, I don’t get it either). But the point is, and we have everything from an ultra rare Varietta I’m hoping the summer weather keeps up because (made even rarer with some far-from-subtle Rocket SUBSCRIBE TO we’ve got one hell of a packed show-schedule on the Bunny enhancements), to a carbon MR-S Time way… and I promise that we’ll cram as many as we Attack monster, and a bagged S2000 rocking a can into the upcoming issues of Banzai. USDM F22 lump. They’re all modified in completely Anyway, in a roundabout way, the summertime different ways too… well, apart from the addition of a is what this issue is all about. Or more specifically blower on each one. This is a tuning mag after all! AND SAVE blasting down those B-roads and feeling the wind As you’d expect there’s plenty of other stuff too, GO TO PAGE 76 THE UK’S 24-pages of NO.1 essential info JAPANESE MEGA MX-5 BUYING GUIDE 148 GUIDE EVERY MAZDA ROADSTER EVER! on your face. Sun goes up, roof comes down, that’s you can get our top tips on modding your 350Z PAGE FREE TUNING MAG SPECIAL JAPANESE CARS the saying, right? I’m not talking about posing either, Roadster, or maybe bag yourself an MX-5 with a JAPANESE CARS BANZAI
BANZAI God knows there’s far too much of that going on in buying guide that covers every generation. Then KING RARITY OF THE VALUE WORLD’S FIRST the UK with Mr A4 Cab and chums. What I mean is again, if you can’t find the convertible you want, you WORLD ROCKET BUNNY 1030BHP SUPRA VARIETTA TURBO THE FASTEST the unique driving enjoyment that only a properly- could always make your own like ON THE PLANET ULTIMATE+ +MEGA SUBARU CLUTCH focused roadster can provide. It’s true that us British the absolute nutter who owns BUYING TECH GUIDE AND… 350Z AND… SUZUKI TUNING GUIDE SWIFT SPORT pretty much invented the rear-drive drop-top, and the car in the Wildcard slot! ROAD TEST 第TOP202号 TURBO’D JULY 2018 Issue 202 DROP-TOPS£4.99 HANDLING n Insane Nissan S15 n Carbon Toyota MR-S even though many of them were a bit crap, as soon Until next time, enjoy the issue… TWEAKS n Slammed Honda S2K 33 &TIPS n Chopped Datsun 260Z ››› ›››HONDA CIVIC ›››INFINITI G35 555BHP SUBARU ›› 第203号 ›››NISSAN PS13 ›HONDA S660 ROAD TEST AUGUST 2018 ›››MAZDA RX-2 Issue 203 £4.99 001 BNZ091829/05/2018 Cover AUG.final.indd07:34 1
001 BNZ0818 Cover JUL18v3.indd 1 25/06/2018 10:08 MIDGE - EDITOR SHELL - ART EDITOR SAM - CONTRIBUTOR MARTIN - ADS BLOKE “So, let me get this straight, no “I wouldn’t know, my hairdresser “Personally, I can’t think of “Cappuccino? No, not the car, roof means it’s a hairdressers drives a Boxster… but I’ll have to any Japanese hairdressers I’m just getting the coffees in.” car? What are these divs on?” let him off, he’s got mad skills.” cars, not one, ever. ” (About bloody time! - Midge)
It only took Midge 15-years Michelle not only does an Sammy P esquire writes more He may flog advertising space doing every job in the car amazing job on the ‘look’ of the features than anyone else, but for a living, but he drives a EP3 magazine business to finally mag, but she’s one of the very still will do absolutely anything Type R so we’ll let him off. He’s get the one he wanted. Loves few that can keep the boys in to get out of work and out on also an MMA champion, so tuning, hates trying to spell. line too. Well, most of the time. the track. Fair play we say. we’re not going to argue.
Auguat 2018 005 CONTENTS
TURBO DROP-TOPS 026 008 ON THE COVER: NISSAN VARIETTA The standard Varietta is about as easy to find a hen’s tooth in a pile of rocking horse poop, so try finding a turbo one… and then fitting a Rocket Bunny kit! Madness. 026 WTAC SPECIAL: TOYOTA MR-S It’s not how much you get knocked down in life - it’s how you get back up again. Here’s some of the best bouncing-back ever! 036 TURBO TERROR: HONDA S2000 There’s no ‘ordinary’ F20 sitting under the hood of this S2K, this one is rocking the fabled USDM F22… oh, and a blower. 090 ED’S WILDCARD: DATSUN 260Z The 260Z is a motoring icon, the love of many a classic car purist. There’s just one thing to do then… let’s cut the roof off!
HOME-BUILT HERO 064 SUBARU IMPREZA STI This home-brew Scooby was conceived on a drive and, quite literally, born in a barn. It’s also pushing a whopping 555bhp. Yummy! REGULARS 021 016 016 ROAD TEST: Honda S660 Hot stuff or a Japanese hairdresser’s delight? We send Sammy to find out. 021 Banzai Legends You might call these two the best of British… only with a Japanese twist. 032 New Products Time to get your credit card out! 097 Skidmarks Pub ammo and a whole load of 042 randomness from the team.
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006 www.banzaimagazine.com ISSUE 203 AUGUST 2018
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE CASH Check out our 079 OUT THERE latest subscription deals on pg76 022 AUTOCON L.A. You may think the shows are very different in the USA… but, in reality, they’re exactly the same!
KNOWLEDGE 042 TECH TALK: Clutches It’s all plates, pucks and finger springs this month. 047 Swap Shop PCD Guide Your essential resource for fitting the right hoops. 054 Quick-fire Tuning 036 It’s our second favourite Nissan drop- top this time… and it’s coupe brother. 057 DETAILING: Grime to Shine We get ourselves up to Meguiar’s UK to see if their products can save a rather dirty Mitsubishi Evo. BANZAI BUILDS 068 Staff Builds Proof that we practice what we preach… or at least that we try to. 074 Your Builds What’s going on out there on the streets? This is the place to find out. 079 MX-5 Buying Guide This month we tackle every generation of perhaps the most famous Japanese roadster of all. Let’s bring on the fun with everyone’s favourite little Mazda. 088 Classifieds 064 057 Always looking for that next project? Well, you could find it right here. Fingers crossed like.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE MAG? Give the team a shout on [email protected]
August 2018 007 NISSAN VARIETTA
HOThile the cult of the S-body wheelsabout hunting for the badges to see what is it still possible to own one and properly Nissan is all-pervading they’re looking at - although their popularity is stand out? Why yes, yes it is… and what you in the UK drift scene increasing and they’re being imported to the need to do that is a genuine Varietta. (and the stance scene, UK in ever-bigger numbers. It makes sense, What’s that, we hear you cry? Well, you’re and the show scene), it’s as the fabled SR20DET was housed here in looking at it. The Silvia Varietta is an S15 with fair to say that the S15 arguably the prettiest shape of all the Silvias, a retractable hard-top; these cars were built generationW is still something of a unicorn. as well as being boosted to a fresh-from-the- by Autech, a subsidiary of Nissan whose Or at least, it was, until quite recently… factory 250bhp in the Spec-R version thanks focus is to modify and tune factory models the S15 was never officially sold over here, to a new ball-bearing turbo. and sell them through Nissan dealers, and which means that a lot of people are still a So with the UK scene growing gradually they were based on the Spec-S – the lower- little baffled when they see them and set accustomed to these previously obscure cars, spec S15 with the N/A engine, 5-speed
008 www.banzaimagazine.com The S15 Varietta is a pretty rare model, and EP Racing boss-man Leon has made a unique show-stopper by turning his into what is effectively a life-size toy car… Words: Dan Bevis Photos: Adam Rous
’box and open diff. It’s safe to say that the “I bought the Varietta three years ago, after This was all fuel to the fire of Leon’s passions, Varietta we have here today, however, is some selling my R34 GT-R,” he explains. “I’d had and with the R34 sold in late 2014 he set distance removed from that modest spec. the Skyline for five years and I wanted to build about figuring a way to make that long-held For starters, this one has been converted something new. I knew about the convertible dream come true. His search spanned the UK to Spec-R standards, meaning that it has the S15’s existence since 2004 when I saw one and all over Japan, trying to find an example full-fat SR20DET motor, the superior 6-speed featured in a magazine – I think it was Max of this obscure and unusual model that he gearbox and the slippy diff. But that really is Power or somthing. Since then I always really could call his own, until one day fate played just the tip of the iceberg. It’s the brainchild of wanted one, but being so rare it’s hard to a favourable hand and revealed that there Leon Chan from revered aftermarket heroes ever see one in the UK… until 2010, when a was an import company in Sussex which was EP Racing, so let’s allow him to take us right very jammy friend of mine got his hands on a offering a Varietta up for sale. back to the start… Varietta and was forever teasing me with it!” “It was a grade 3.5 car,” he recalls, “but it
August 2018 009 NISSAN VARIETTA
had had all the drivetrain conversion done in Japan, which was exactly what I wanted. I was after a turbo 6-speed Varietta with factory LSD, but obviously Nissan never built one from factory. To have a turbo Varietta done correctly you really need to kill off an S15 Spec-R; the wiring loom, ECU and many other electrical components are completely different to the earlier S14A, so it’s a lot more hassle to get things to work if you use the S14A items such as the speedo - and the hardtop won’t work properly unless you use S15 items!” Feeling reasonably confident that the car had been converted with all the correct Spec-R bits, Leon took a mate down to view it, and the results were… well, let’s just say they were mixed. The car was fundamentally sound, but far from perfect. The paint condition wasn’t up to scratch, the brakes and suspension had seen better days, and the drivetrain conversion wasn’t totally up to Leon’s own exacting standards either; nevertheless, it was a turbo Varietta, it was already in the country, and the price was reasonable. The car wasn’t perfect, but it was certainly good enough, so the time was right to end those years of wondering and make that enduring dream come true. ‘Dream’ is often a contentious term, of that particularly piqued his interest was course. “I set out from Sussex to drive the car the recent emergence of the Rocket Bunny back my unit in Leicester,” he deadpans. “It widebody kit for the S15. A worldwide image didn’t even make it to the M1 before the turbo search yielded very, very few examples blew up.” of wide-arch Variettas and, in the certain The ensuing grinding noises and lack of boost knowledge that there wasn’t a single Rocket were enough to see the Varietta completing Bunny Varietta in existence anywhere in its maiden voyage in Leon’s possession on the world, the elements of the plan started a trailer, which helped to cement in his mind slotting neatly into place. what he secretly knew all along: this was to “I decided to take the plunge, and bought be an involved project, a proper job. the genuine Rocket Bunny S15 kit from With the S15 finally back in the workshop, Japan, which cost me just over £4,000,” says it was immediately stripped down to assess Leon. “It took six months for the kit to arrive, just what the scale of the rebirth would be. and during that time I was collecting the “The first thing to do was to get the car various other parts for the upgrade, such as a working 100%,” says Leon, “so we ordered brand new Nismo speedo, D1 Spec coilovers, a new Garrett 2860 ball-bearing turbo from an air cup kit from Stanceparts, D1 Spec Owen Developments, a Japspeed RS exhaust 6-pot brakes, Ultra Racing strut brace and manifold and downpipe, and a new set of anti-roll bars, and so on and so forth. Japan Racing JR12 wheels, as well as sorting “At first when the car was built I kept it a blue out all the dodgy wiring and rubbish stuff colour,” he continues, “but a different blue that was on the car, so that it was actually to Nissan - it was actually Fiat Prestige Blue working and driveable. And once it was up that was used - but I had so many friends and running, I was able to put some serious and customers asking me why I didn’t paint thought into what I wanted to turn it into.” it yellow, as that’s the colour of most of EP Leon’s roving eye had again wandered to the Racing demo cars… so I decided to repaint JDM Silvia modding scene, and something it last year to the 3-stage pearl Liquid Yellow AIR CUPS
“Drive low, lift when you need it.” That sounds like a description of air-ride, right? It’s actually the tagline used by Stanceparts for their innovative air cup system. It’s essentially a setup that combines the benefits of both coilovers and air-ride, allowing you to retain the ride quality and performance of coilovers (in the case of Leon’s car here, he’s running top-notch D1 Spec Street Pro coilovers) with the ability to cross speedbumps or ramps at the press of a button if you need to – sort of like the OEM nose-lift feature you find on Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but with the option of having it at both ends of the car. It’s a universal system that works with around 90% of coilovers, and is basically just an air cylinder attached to the top of each coilover which you can pressurise to raise the car by up to 50mm. There really isn’t a downside, and with a full front-and-rear system There wasn’t a single Rocket coming in at under £900 at current Bunny Varietta in existence exchange rates, it’s a viable option for people who are happy with their anywhere in the world coilovers and don’t fancy the expense and complexity of a full air-ride system.
August 2018 011 NISSAN VARIETTA
from Renault. It was painted by a good friend of mine, Joe at Finesse Refinishing Ltd.” The fun part for Leon comes with the custom fabrication. Sure, the idea of a Rocket Bunny Varietta is unique, and he’s created something that you’re not going to see anywhere else, but that didn’t tick all of his creative boxes in terms of complexity or unusualness. After all, the Rocket Bunny kit was, by definition, designed specifically for the S15, so it was relatively straightforward to fit. What this enthusiast craved was some really eye-catching details that couldn’t be bought off the shelf, ideas and executions that would truly make the build his own. The rear spoiler is a keen example of this: having tried every aftermarket spoiler they had in stock in the shop to see what might work, he wasn’t happy with any of them, so Leon set about taking a 176mm GT blade and custom- fabricating his own low-mount spoiler for the bootlid. Looks supremely menacing, right? He also made the brave choice to chop the Rocket Bunny front splitter in half to turn it into a two-piece item that makes the front end a little more aggressive. The rear diffuser is actually from a Mitsubishi Evo X, while the sideskirts are Honda S2000 items which have been expertly reworked to fit. All of the various exterior parts are held on with titanium M6 bolts – eighty of them in fact! You’ll also spot a DMax carbon fibre bonnet, which neatly leads you down a bit of a carbon rabbit hole; as well as the aforementioned spoiler, skirts, diffuser and so on, it’s worth noting that EP Racing boast a few bespoke carbon fibre parts of their own. Check out the glossy cooling panel, the speedo surround and the gear surround. You’ll also find that the doorcards are carbon, as is the gearknob, and the backs of the Bride Stradia II buckets, it’s an all-out assault of lightweight weaves. “The suspension I use is the D1 Spec Street Pro coilover setup with custom spring settings, so that even when it’s low the car isn’t hard-riding,” says Leon. “I also fitted Stanceparts air cups so I can go over bumps or dips if I need that little bit of clearance - as It also hardly needs pointing out that the the car is only about 1.5-inches off the floor!” Varietta’s not running those stopgap Japan Racing wheels any more. Nope, Leon’s gone for a set of staggered 20-inch WORK VS-XX splits – 10.5-inches wide up front, and a whopping 13-inches out back – which really help to accentuate the vastness of the Rocket Bunny kit and give the car a real Hot Wheels profile. The fact that it’s deep, deep yellow, cartoonishly wide, offensively low and rocking those massive rims truly does make it look like a toy, and this is presumably just the effect Leon was going for. While this build is as serious as hell when it comes to the quality of parts and fitment, there’s nothing to be gained from taking yourself too seriously… The car’s been gradually developing over the course of the last three years, and Leon’s really got it in the sweet spot now. That’s not to say it isn’t still evolving though: “I’m currently having a custom harness and lower central brace being made for the car, which will be in place in time for Japfest Donington,” he tells us. Onward to even bigger and better things, then – this cartoonish oversized toy has fulfilled a perennial dream for Leon, and now he’s got it the way he wants it he just can’t stop coming up with new ideas. That’s the whole point of toys though, isn’t it? They’re there to be played with. 012 www.banzaimagazine.com All the various exterior parts are held on with titanium bolts, eighty of them in fact
TECHSPEC Engine: SR20DET (from S15 Spec-R), 6-speed gearbox (from S15 Spec-R), Spec-R LSD, Garrett 2860 ball-bearing turbo, K&N induction, Splitfire coil packs, A’PEXi front- mount intercooler, Japspeed RS exhaust manifold, Japspeed turbo elbow, Japspeed downpipe, Nismo cat-back exhaust system, HKS SSQV 4 blow-off valve, Cusco oil catch tanks, D1 Spec radiator cap, D1 Spec oil cap
Chassis: 10.5x20-inch (front) and 13x20- inch (rear) WORK VS-XX wheels, D1 Spec Street Pro coilovers with Stanceparts air cups, D1 Spec 6-pot front calipers with 330mm discs, Ultra Racing strut brace, Ultra Racing front and rear anti-roll bars
Interior: EP Racing carbon fibre speedo surround, EP Racing carbon fibre gear surround, D1 Spec carbon fibre gearknob, carbon fibre doorcards, Bride Stradia II carbon fibre bucket seats, TRS Magnum 4-point FIA race harnesses in custom yellow, C’s Racing short-shift, Blitz boost controller, D1 Spec boost gauge, Nismo speedo
Exterior: Renault Liquid Yellow pearl paint, Rocket Bunny S15 widebody kit, DMax carbon fibre bonnet, EP Racing carbon fibre cooling panel, EP Racing custom carbon fibre GT low-mount spoiler, custom carbon fibre sideskirt add-ons from Honda S2000, custom carbon fibre Mitsubishi Evo X rear diffuser, carbon fibre Vortex rear diffuser add-on, 80x titanium M6 fixing bolts, DMax LED taillights
Thanks: Ep Racing – www.epracing.co.uk
August 2018 013
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SUNDAY 29 JULY 2018
A great day out for all enthusiasts of Japanese motoring! ALL JAPANESE MARQUES WELCOME PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD Entry includes all Beaulieu attractions: National Motor Museum Palace House & Gardens Beaulieu Abbey World of Top Gear
Tickets & Information: Participant Advance Tickets* beaulieuevents.co.uk Adults £10 Children £5 Call 01590 612888 Trade 01590 614614 £1 handling charge on non-online purchases *T&Cs apply, see website for details ROAD TEST HONDA S660
It’s mid-engined and turbocharged, but it’s definitely not the NSX. Welcome to Honda’s hilariously quirky, JDM-only S660 kei car that offers up more smiles-per-mile Honda s660 than most other machines out there… [‘15-Present] Words: Sam Preston
emember the Honda Beat? That rather strange little soft-top sports car that Honda released back in the Nineties to Japanese Rcustomers only, made immortal from its appearance in the Gran Turismo games? Even if you’ve never seen one in the flesh, you’ll probably be aware of just how infamously fun this miniature little ripper was to both look at and drive. Well, the good news is that Honda’s now released something of a successor in the form of this curious S660 model you see here. And the bad news? It remains strictly JDM-only for now. Still, forget the official channels, with a handful of examples imported over to the UK since its birth in 2015, there’s still a chance you could get your hands on one of these tiny slices of Japanese culture. And after driving one around ourselves for a few days, we would highly recommend you going out and doing just that!
016 www.banzaimagazine.com FACTS FACTS n The S660 was actually conceived from a design competition between 400 in-house engineers at one of Honda’s Japanese factories to come up with exciting new models for the firm. At just 22, winning designer Ryo Mukumoto became the youngest lead engineer in history as he headed-up the S660 project.
n There is virtually zero luggage space anywhere inside the S660. All you get is one measly cup holder in- between the two seats!
n The S660 has a sports car- esque 45/55 front/rear weight distribution.
n Honda has a history of naming its sports cars with an ‘S’ designation, followed by the engine capacity of the car. Just look at the S2000 for proof.
The Car uninspiring on paper, Honda has gone to kei car can be an absolute joy to drive if Built around Japan’s ‘kei car’ regulations, some lengths to make the car as fun as some seriously clever thought goes into the that allow owners to pay less for their tax physically possible. It’s why you’ll find the design process. With a removable roof and a and insurance, this dinky two-seater takes proper six-speed manual gearbox seen genuinely luxurious cabin, too, Honda clearly a lot of its DNA from the company’s much in much larger models sitting pretty here, knows that kei car owners are actually less attractive N-Box minivan - if you’re as well as tweaks to the turbo to make normal people, just like everybody else. not familiar with this machine, think of your acceleration from the 63bhp engine much There’s a problem, though. With such city- fridge freezer turned on its side with as set more ferocious. focused specs, kei cars are rarely imported of wheels added to it, and you’re really not The chassis, too, features a bespoke outside of Japan, seen as not fit for the too far off! aluminium-clad subframe that ensures freer-flowing British roads we’re used to. As its name suggests, then, the S660 the 830kg, mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive There are talks of the model being bolstered shares the same turbocharged 660cc engine package is actually an absolute blast to with a slightly larger engine and sold to as the N-Box, as well as fitting inside the hammer around the twisty stuff. export markets in the near future, but so far dainty regulations set around by kei car The result is proof that, even with a list of they’ve yet to come into fruition. We’re still law. While this spec might sound fairly fun-sapping restrictions thrown at it, a little keeping our fingers crossed though…
August 2018 017 ROAD TEST HONDA S660
Get Yours From £16K FACT FILE As we may have mentioned once or twice PERFORMANCE: earlier, a few examples of the S660 have 63bhp and 77lb ft of torque trickled into the UK, but they’re still an extremely rare sight on British roads (have ENGINE: 0.66-litre SO7A three-cylinder you ever seen an example in the wild?) That DOHC 12V turbocharged engine, six-speed said, there seems to be a plentiful supply on manual gearbox sale at most times, ranging from £16,000 to £22,000 depending on the age and mileage. CHASSIS: 15-inch alloy wheels, bespoke Whether it makes a worthy alternative to aluminium/steel chassis, disc brakes something like Mazda’s MX-5? Well, we’ll leave for you to decide. EXTERIOR: Manual soft-top convertible roof
The S660 may be a rare car on our streets but that doesn’t mean that, if you do manage to get your POTENTIAL hands on one, you shouldn’t get busy with the modding. Here’s but a few top tweaks...
››› WHEELS ››› SUSPENSION ››› FILTER ››› EXHAUST A great place to start when Dynamically, it’s got a lot Let’s face it: without an engine Okay, most of the mainstream modifying your S660 is helping to shout about, so why not swap, there’s no way you’re exhaust manufacturers don’t to make that modern, angular add to that winning formula ever going to squeeze out make an off-the-shelf kit for exterior look even more with some tasty coilovers? hundreds of extra horses the little Honda (yet). But that futuristic with your choice of TEIN is one of the firms to from that teeny engine. With doesn’t mean you can’t give alloys. Japan Racing is a good already offer up a kit for this a decent panel filter, though, it a nice burble with a custom place to start your search – very application, which we’re you’ll definitely breathe easier, item. Go see any Powerflow their JDM-inspired hoops are sure makes the whole thing and get a little more growl centre, and they’ll make you sure to be in-keeping with the even more of a blast to chuck when you’ve got the hammer one any way you like it, all rest of the car. around every corner. down. Talk to K&N. from scratch. www.tarmacsportz.co.uk www.tein.co.uk www.knfilters.co.uk www.powerflowexhausts.co.uk
018 www.banzaimagazine.com No stress.
Pair of Discs Assembled Replacement Product Make Model Year Size Complete Pair RRP Disc Ring Type with Bell (Inc. VAT) (single) (Inc. VAT) Honda Civic Type R (FK2) 2015-2017 350x32 2-piece conversion SG2FC2028 £888.00 £280.80 Honda Civic Type R (FK8) 2017- 350x32 2-piece conversion SG2FC2028 £888.00 £280.80 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 2008-2016 350x32 OE replacement SG2F001 £768.00 £280.80 Nissan GT-R (R35) 2011- 390x34 OE replacement SG2F002 £1026.00 £378.00
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Discs are priced per fully assembled pair and available via two purchase routes; as a direct replacement for performance vehicles where a 2-piece disc is fitted as OE, or as a 2-piece floating disc conversion for vehicles where a 1-piece disc is fitted as standard (2-piece floating conversions require no modifications to the vehicle and are totally interchangeable with the original brake disc).
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ENGINE: F20 VTEC (Honda S2000) CAR: 1976 Escort Mk2 OWNER: Nick Rooney
efore mainstream Japanese imports classics in the Ford community is to keep were a common sight on our roads, the value with the ‘correct’ period mods and suddenly we had Nissan dealers and engines. Especially with the most loved Bas far as the eye could see. Even models like the Mk2 Escort here. So, we love before the guys at Honda thought to buy that fact that Nick Rooney is having none up an old aircraft factory in Swindon, UK of that with his project, you’ve just got to modifiers had Ford, the American brand admire that sort the bravery. You see, instead that’s perhaps seen as the most British of all. of plopping in an asthmatic Pinto, or even To be fair, old Fords command ludicrous looking at some of Ford’s later offerings, prices nowadays, the sort of money that Nick has planted himself firmly on the dark seems to make even the most sought- side with a fully-tweaked 230bhp Honda F20 after ‘70s and ‘80s Japanese motors (all VTEC. It’s enough to make the Ford purists those cars that are clearly better than their puke, and that’s good enough for us! European counterparts), seem like the bargain of the century. How’s over 100-grand for an old Sierra Cossie grab you? It doesn’t TUNING mean they’re the most amazing motors of course, just that there’s a connection with the 46mm Jenvey throttle bodies, Omex British public that’s almost mythical. ECU, stainless exhaust and manifold
Photos: Jon Davies Still, apparently, the thing to do with ››ALL TIME GREATS... DAIHATSU COMPAGNO BERLINA 800 1970, with over 120,000 models produced, ››It may JAPFESTnot look like much to the most DONNINGTON our 2-door ‘Berlina’ variant here (despite all seasoned of petrolheads, but the Daihatsu its Deluxe trim, 41 horsepower and 66mph DoningtonCompagno Berlina Park here isCircuit definitely Saturday one of top speed),30 June didn’t exactly sell like hot cakes. the most important classics, chiefly because In fact, they only sold half a dozen… and it was the first Japanese car to ever be we mean that literally too - they only shifted officially sold in the UK. It may have gone six cars in the whole of the UK! The nail in largely unnoticed when the guys at Dufay the coffin was the import tax, which meant Ltd decided to import these in 1964, but the car eventually had a price tag of £800. it was an important moment – Japan had Considering you could get a Ford Anglia the Compagno to our shores, and for that made it into the mainstream British market! for around 500-quid at the time, it was it will go down in automotive history as Still, even though the Compagno was something of a sales disaster. one of the greatest - and possibly worst - successful in Japan between 1963 and But when it comes to firsts, nothing beat Japanese cars ever to hit the UK.
August 2018 021 ALL SHOW OR ALL GO? SHOW REPORT At most shows you’ll find a mixture of performance track- inspired metal, heavily-styled cars, and those that lean firmly on the side of the stance scene. At AutoCon, you’ll find all of these… but usually on the same car! Big power weapons sitting on air ride are nothing unusual here, and neither are wildly- styled, slammed (albeit static-dropped) rally saloons. The theme here seems to be going fast… but looking mighty sharp while you’re at it. It may be just a product of the environment of course, a simple reflection of what’s going on in the US scene due to the availability (and relatively low cost) of high-end parts. Or it could be the more lenient, modifying-friendly regulations and roads they tend to enjoy. But one thing is clear, these cars have to have absolutely everything chucked at them to even think about playing the game. AutoCon clearly brings out many of the best ‘all-show-all-go’ motors that the whole world has to offer! AutoCon L.A. And now for something completely different… or is it? Words: Midge Photos: Viktor Benyi
firmly believe that the UK has the best it or not, many of the guys abroad look at AutoCon is different, it’s grown since the car shows on the planet. Now, I think our events with much the same romanticism. first event in 2010 and is now a huge deal, that’s mostly because no one does the They want to visit Donington almost as much It’s one that’s actually worth seeing. club scene as well as we do, and that we as we’d like to go to Tokyo. I usually smile and What’s more, AutoCon follows a tour- are the kings of proper home-built daily nod when they say that… and tell there’s a style format, and traditionally having no drivers. There’s also far less corporate Hooters just up the road in Nottingham. clear home is something that’s difficult to Istuff when it comes to drifting and track days. Anyway, what’s really important is the cars. sustain. But they’ve managed it and the Our cars stem directly from what’s happening The shows away from our little island also punters roll up in their thousands. I like to on the UK streets, just the way they should. reflect the streets, but many of their ideas get think of it as a modern version of Buffalo It’s a funny thing though, it’s still easy to lost in translation, especially the ones that Bill’s traveling show… I mean that too, get all misty eyed about the appeal of any don’t work to well on British roads. To me this everything on display is pretty bloody wild! event that’s held abroad. Probably because only makes these events all the more exciting, Of course, there’s two distinct ways of we don’t get to experience them all that often. and that’s the reason I’ve always wanted to thinking. Some will say, “so what? They’re There’s something that feels particularly check out AutoCon. all miles away!” Others quite like the fact exciting about shows in the USA, Japan If you follow the US show calendar, you’ll that they’re highly unlikely to bump into or Australia. The reality is though, they’re notice that there’s a simply stupid amount of these cars in their loco Tesco carpark. exactly the same as ours. If you disregard the events. Just about every weekend they launch What’s most important to us though, is weather, essentially a venue in California is ‘the next big thing’. But inevitably, most that the cars that turned up for their L.A. the same as a venue in Birmingham. Believe of them fail, plenty of them come and go. instalment offer bags of inspiration…
WORLD-WIDE DIVERSITY European offerings that seem to be as loved in Japan nowadays I don’t have to tell you that the import scene is massive in the USA, as they are in the US and the rest of the world. Although these cars and AutoCon is very much a show for cars that, at some point, have don’t usually tickle our fancy, what’s interesting is that all of these found themselves in a container being shipped across the seas. You so-called ‘Euro’ creations have a distinct Japanese style about them. may see a couple of home-grown muscle cars of course, but there’s With the likes of Rauh Welt, Rocket Bunny and Liberty Walk ruling certainly not many pig-iron V8-equipped barges brave enough to join the world-wide body enhancement market at the moment, we’re this particular line up. not surprised either. In a way it’s quite nice to see a huge slice of Still, when I say ‘imports’, obviously there’s a different definition Japanese car culture rubbing off on the wider world of modifying… of the word across the pond. At AutoCon you’ll see plenty of the just as long as they know their place!
022 www.banzaimagazine.com OLD SKOOL COOL It’s true to say that America has perhaps the biggest classic car following on the planet, they pretty much invented old skool modifying with a long illustrious history of tweaking their own ‘Made in the USA’ brands. When it comes to retro Japanese metal though, the market has blown right open over the past couple of decades. In fact, many observers have started to question if the popularity of early Nissans, Datsuns and Mazdas in the US has finally caught up with the love of home-grown Chevys and Fords. The prices are certainly on the rise too. Who would have thought it? Not Mr Trump we suspect.
NEXT TIME... To be fair you’ll have a job getting to the next instalment of this traveling roadshow, because AutoCon lands in New York just 2 days after this magazine hits the shelves. Then again, NYC is only 6-hours from the UK (if you go via Heathrow), so if you’re looking to use up your air miles this month, it could be an option. I’ve no doubt that many of you are nutty enough to do it too, and good on you! Failing that, AutoCon have various other events throughout the year, including a huge collaboration with the guys Formula D. Keep an eye on www.autoconevents.com if you fancy popping across the pond.
August 2018 023
HONDA CIVIC TYPE R (FK2) Resonated 3” Cat Back Exhaust Power + 6.2 bhp
Torque + 26.7 lb-ft
Weight + 2.78 kg
Sound + 5.1 dB
LIVE. BREATHE. PERFORM.
WWW.COBRASPORT.COM TOYOTA MR-S
The only way is up Justin Gaujenieks had such an awful Time Attack campaign, that he didn’t want to touch his carbon widebody MR-S for 10 months afterwards. Now though, he’s got a plan and some serious motivation to be the best… Words and Photos: Chris Nicolls
026 www.banzaimagazine.com wo, three weeks of just horrible, horrible experiences,” is how Justin Gaujenieks describes his 2016 World Time Attack Challenge campaign. First, “This freshly-built turbocharged 2ZZ motor, filled with expensive forged parts, let go at a testing day a few weeks before the event and had to be rebuilt in double-quick time. Next, his cat got sick. Then, at the event itself, he blew a clutch on the Friday and had to spend half the night fixing it just so he could get out on Saturday. On Saturday, he had an “epic misfire” and couldn’t run properly. Finally, his cat succumbed to its health issues while he was away competing. Unsurprisingly, thanks to these events and the many other unfortunate global happenings of the year, he says that “we wrote off the whole of 2016 as just shit”. However, after his self- imposed wrenching sabbatical, which gave him time to recover and build enthusiasm, Justin’s started work on the next phase of the car’s development - one which should truly maximise the potential of this unusual chassis choice and ensure that, while his budget means he’s never likely to stand on the Sydney Motorsports Park podium, he’ll at least have pushed himself and his machine to the limit. Of course, before we get to what Justin and his team (which mainly consists of him, his partner Lucy and his mates) have planned for their 2018 tilt, we need to look at why he ended up building the only MR-S ever to compete at WTAC in the first place. A track junky from years back, Justin originally had a CR-X circuit toy, but he kept breaking that, and eventually, his mechanic suggested he get this 2000 MR-S. “He said ‘why don’t you buy this? This is much better, because it’s a Toyota, and Toyotas run forever’. His second selling point to me was that every panel on this car was easily replaceable, and therefore, imagine the awesome car you could build”. Little did the mechanic know how apt that second point would prove to be. Rather amusingly, even though it was originally meant to be Justin’s weekend toy and his partner Lucy’s daily, Justin soon got hooked on the driving experience, and turned it into his back-up track car (Lucy ended up buying a DC2R daily instead). When he finally got sick of the CR-X, it then became his actual track car, but as usual, the tuning bug bit and things got progressively more extreme. To the point where, in only his second year of ownership, he’d already swapped in his first (stock) 2ZZ for more power. Sadly, after that, Justin then made what he considers to be the fatal mistake of opening the motor up to put faster bits inside. “I have this theory that if you don’t open it, it should last forever. Lucy’s car is completely untouched, and that’s on close to 450,000Kms. All we do is keep replacing ancillaries on it.” However, in a bid to extract more NA power from the 2ZZ, Justin did indeed open it up, adding new cams, springs and valves… and promptly blew it up at an endurance event soon after. Having started down this path though, Justin wasn’t about to throw in the towel that easily, and bought another engine to replace it. However, this is when his mechanic said “why don’t you actually do it properly,
August 2018 027 TOYOTA MR-S
“The one thing you don’t want on an MR is the wrong brake Bias… You’ll die, it’s as simple as that.”
as in just go all-out?” Unsure at first, Justin looked into what body kits he could buy to enhance the stock car’s non-existent aero before committing, which is when his friend Ronnie Fok came into the picture. Ronnie was just starting his own carbon parts business, Carbon Plus, and offered to make Justin a custom widebody kit to help really take the build to the next level, and complement any planned mechanical mods. Of course, custom carbon takes time, so with the MR-S off the road (it was still street-driven at this point), Justin needed a toy, and ended up buying a 1988, 3.2-litre 911 SC, which the previous owner had converted to near-full 993 specs. Luckily, he bought it just before Porsche prices went crazy, and while he was
028 www.banzaimagazine.com never really a fan; “I had to drag it kicking and This means building a full two-litre stroker screaming into doing what I wanted it to do, engine in his own garage, switching to a and it was going to be an outlay of another Haltech Elite 1000 ECU, installing a GaugeArt 10-20-grand to fix the suspension and cluster, creating a completely new and pared handling.” Still, he did at least manage to sell back loom, complete with breakaway engine it for a considerable profit after just one year, connector for ‘one-click’ disconnection, using the funds to pay for the kit, his current pulling the A/C, heater core and ABS pump, tow car and a tuned NA8 MX-5 that’s now his tuning his new, custom Aussie-made B road plaything. Shockworks coilovers, and fitting a new 3C With the kit in his hands, Justin then had to Carbon dash, skirts, diffuser, rear wing and rush to put the whole thing together to display roof (the heavy hardtop being the only stock on the Carbon Plus stand at the 2014 World panel on the car). Justin’s also toying with the Time Attack Challenge. The time constraints idea of a big brake kit, even though he admits meant the mechanical package stayed almost the current stock calipers, remarkably, still do identical to its previous, non-widebody form, the job nicely. but it proved a hit and served as a base “To be honest, I still haven’t found the limit for him to work off for a proper 2015 entry. to them; it’s more a case of just wanting more Given Justin was up against some very pedal feel. I’ll be able to wipe off speed, but serious competition in Open Class, he knew then they’ll lock up on me, so that’s the only the (still NA) engine wouldn’t cut it, so put thing I’d want to change. I haven’t upgraded together his first turbocharged 2ZZ, boasting them yet because the biasing valve is inside a Turbonetics 60-series blower, air-to-air the ABS unit, and if I changed to a bigger intercooler, custom exhaust, dump pipe, and calliper, it’ll mean my biasing will be off and countless other supporting mods. Internals I can’t just add another biasing adaptor to remained stock, as per his superstition about it, as it’ll bugger things up. I did find some unopened engines, so only 14psi got stuffed six-pot front and four-pot rear Project Mus into the intake manifold for around 300whp, to put in, but there’s no point fitting them but it was enough to give him a taste of what until I can get around to redoing all the lines WTAC competition at that level could be like. and putting a completely new bias adjuster Planning ahead for a much more serious in there, because otherwise, it’s game over. go, Justin decided to get a full, 400whp The one thing you don’t want on an MR is the race engine built, complete with water-to-air intercooler this time, due to cooling woes with the previous set-up, but sadly, his superstition proved correct yet again, and as we mentioned, the motor died on a test day not long before the event. Given he’d blown his stock gearbox at the Vic Time Attack state event in April that year as well, leading to him replacing third and fourth with Holinger versions, this was hardly the preparation he needed, and after all the other troubles during WTAC itself, you can see why he took some time off from the car. However, you can’t keep a good man down, and Justin is, without a doubt, one of the good guys of the motorsport world, so, by the time you read this, he should be done with the mods needed for his 2018 attempt.
August 2018 029 TOYOTA MR-S
TECHSPEC Engine: Lotus Exige 2ZZ-GE with Turbonetics 60 Series turbo (0.65AR housing and F1-57 turbine), OBX exhaust manifold, custom three-inch exhaust with two-inch dump pipe, Godspeed 44mm wastegate, HKS SSQV blow-off valve, water-to-air intercooler, MWR stage 3 cams, MWR valve springs and retainers, MWR valves, Cosworth head gasket, MWR oil pump, Moroso baffled sump, Maxspeeding rods, Mahle pistons, ACL rod bearings, ARP 2000 head, main and rod bolts, AEM fuel pressure regulator and fuel rail with return, 320 litre-per-hour fuel pump, wrong brake bias,” he laughs. “You’ll die, it’s staying hung up for all to see. 1000cc injectors, oil cooler kit, poly engine as simple as that.” Hopefully, all these upgrades, which will be mounts, Koyo radiator, electronic boost Rather unexpectedly, considering the done mostly in Justin’s garage with his controller and A’PEXi Power FC, Lotus Exige carbon upgrades elsewhere, Justin is planning partner and a few mates, will result in a much C64 gearbox with stock LSD, Holinger third and fourth gear sets, Competition Clutch twin- to keep the corrugated plastic door cards more rapid version of this unique machine. He plate clutch he purchased as an emergency measure admits that, with current WTAC regs allowing from a local hardware store during WTAC billet blocks and 1000hp motors for even Chassis: 9x18 and 10x10-inch Koya 2016, when told bare door frames wouldn’t Open Class builds, he’s not in with a shot at Racing SF01 wheels with 225/40 and 265/35 pass scrutineering. “If you don’t have plastic the podium, but for him, it doesn’t matter. Yokohama Advan A050 tyres, G4 Coilovers Bunnings door cards, then you’re just taking “We’d definitely be happy with a podium, but I with Neotech springs, Whiteline sway bars, life a bit too seriously,” he laughs. Given the don’t think it’s even in the realms of front lower frame brace and strut tower bar; team’s name is Close Enough Racing, that’s possibility. My main goal is just to see how Top Speed rear adjustable camber, caster and fair enough. Justin will also be keeping the good me and my mates can make a car. It’s toe arms Cusco breast plate, Dixcel pads and slotted rotors, braided brake lines lion soft toy hanging next to the passenger purely just benchmarking against myself, and side A-pillar bar, too. A present from his dearly the main reason I like going to WTAC is Exterior: Custom Carbon Plus carbon departed grandmother, Justin believes that because of the atmosphere; it’s frigging sick!” widebody kit, dual-element carbon wing, 3C it’s helped him avoid crashes, so it’s definitely Amen to that brother, amen to that. Lab carbon splitter, carbon diffuser, carbon canards, Lotus Elise S1-style carbon bonnet, APR carbon mirrors, custom radiator duct
Interior: AGI six-point cage, Sparco Prodrive seat, Sparco L360 wheel, NRG quick release hub adapter, RPM six-point harness, custom carbon switch panel, A’PEXi Power FC Commander, AEM wideband failsafe and boost gauge, VDO oil pressure, oil temperature and water temperature gauges, custom Bunnings corrugated plastic door cards, lion soft toy mascot
Thanks: “Thanks to Ronnie at Carbon Plus (www.carbonplusoz.com), Ben at 3C Lab (3c-lab.com.au), Ray at Raceline Motorsport (www.facebook.com/racelinesuspension), Ivan at Amsoil (X3E Motorsports - x3emotorsports. com), Alan at Promax Auto (www.facebook. com/promaxautomelb), my partner Lucy, and all my mates who have helped work on the car over the years.“
030 www.banzaimagazine.com WhateverWhatever youryour application Whatever your application Whateverwewe havehave your you application coveredcovered wewe havehave you coveredcovered
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JAPSPEED SHOTGUN EXHAUSTS, £300 As we lay firmly the hardcore side most of the time, we’ve always been big fans of Japspeed’s world-famous Shotgun exhaust systems. The only pipes on the planet that require a firearms licence (probably) and some big, brass trouser potatoes to even think about running ‘em! Anyway, the good news is that the guys are now expanding the range to include the suitably lairy Nissan S15 and both Classic and New-Age Scoobys. If you’re all about your motor meaning business, then look no further for some proper free-flow mentalism. www.japspeed.co.uk
CHIPEX CAR CARE PRODUCTS, FROM £13 Not content with being the world’s biggest name in touch-up kits, Chipex have just launched their own range of care-care products and, it has to be said, these are some of the cleverest we’ve ever seen. Developed by their very own team of GTECHNIQ white-coated chemistry aficionados, the three new products may well be, and I I1 SMART quote, “designed to give absolutely no compromise on technical performance, FABRIC, £12 quality, or cost.” But we still can’t get over Here’s another bloody clever just how advanced they seem to be. product. Gtechniq are most What with the fact that they’ve got famous for their ceramic an interior cleaner that actively repels coatings and high-end paint dust and prevents re-soiling, a shampoo protection, but this I1 Smart with an almost ludicrous dilation ratio of Fabric stuff takes all their 1:400, and a 1-litre bottle of green goop knowledge in developing that makes up to 80-litres of ultra-high protective barriers and applies it performance, water-repelling screen wash, to the inside of your car. there must have been more than a little bit Designed to waterproof soft of R&D involved here. Amazing. fabrics like carpets and cloth www.chipex.co.uk seats, this product uses nano technology to coat each fibre individually to leave the texture unaffected but, most importantly, still allow the fabric to breathe. CALIBER DVR 225 DUAL It also forms a protective layer that’s impenetrable to any water DASH CAM, £145 or oil-based liquid – you’ll find it Apart from proving your lap heroics to just beads-off like rain water on all your mates (and everyone else on freshly-waxed paint! The perfect Facebook) we always find that solution for us mucky pups. having a dashcam can be www.gtechniq.com pretty damn useful in the event of an accident too. Especially with all the lying buggers on the roads. KODE WHEEL SPACERS, This new unit from Caliber is clearly one of the FROM £35 best. It not only includes Whether you’re widening the track for all the features you’d better handling, trying to stop high offset expect but there’s also wheels from fouling components, or simply a few bits you wouldn’t, filling those arches like some sort of stance- including a second rear- loving demon, hub centric wheel spacers are an important view camera that can also be tool in the modifying arsenal nowadays. used as a reversing cam. All this, Well, unlike many, Kode don’t just concentrate on and the fact it could save you a fair few German metal and their spacers come in all popular quid on dodgy whiplash claims in the Japanese PCDs and a load of widths from 15 to 30mm. future, definitely makes it a bargain! These could be just the thing to get you out of trouble. www.celsusice.co.uk www.kodeshop.co.uk
032 www.banzaimagazine.com HAWK 2.5 TON ALUMINIUM TROLLEY TOP BARGAIN JACK, £150 There isn’t a petrolhead on the planet that doesn’t need a decent trolley jack in their life, right? Well, Hawk tools have just launched HOOPS... a whole range of top-quality (but seriously well-priced) items, including this lightweight aluminium job that’s just the thing for chucking in your boot for the odd track day and the like. Like many of their other offerings too, this sturdy ‘Professional Series’ jack also features proper dual pistons for quick and easy lifting. In fact, for that reason alone, we can’t help thinking it’s an absolute bargain. Get one in your garage before they sell out! www.hawktools.co.uk
›› CALIBRE NEO, FROM £330 (SET) These entry-level NEO rims from Calibre Wheels may be pretty much at rock bottom on the money side, the quality is right up there with the other more- expensive rims in their range. The way they’ve kept the costs down on these is by cross-drilling each wheel to both 4x100 and 4x108 PCDs, and only manufacturing them in 6.5x15 and 7.5x17-inch sizes. This means that they’ll fit more cars on the market at the same time - the EK Civic and Mazda2 for example… although we suspect they’re looking more to the Ford boys for the 4x108 option. Still, as affordable wheels go, these have to be some of the best offerings this BRAUM ELITE-X SEATS, year. No doubt we’ll be seeing plenty of these used as dedicated track wheels too. FROM £1039 (PAIR) www.wheelwright.co.uk These awesome Elite-X seats are manufactured in the USA and that means that, traditionally at least, they’ve always been a right bugger to get hold of here in the UK. Still, thanks to the guys at Torqen, that’s no longer a problem. What makes these rather posh is the sheer number of stitching patterns and colours available. They may look more like super-expensive custom seats, but all these designs can be purchased straight off-the-shelf, saving time, hassle and plenty of cash. www.torqen.uk
BLAZE CUT FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, FROM £175 This trick bottle-less fire extinguisher system may have originally been ›› AUTOSTAR VADER, £499 (SET) designed for old skool VWs (and other rusty tat that tends to catch We’ll skip the gags about Autostar missing fire on the regular), but we can certainly see one or two a trick by not making these ‘Vaders’ in Japanese track cars taking advantage of its genius. black and just say that they have to have Developed by the guys at Blaze Cut, the idea the coolest name in the whole galaxy! is that you simply cable-tie this one under your There’s not many 8x17-inchers that come bonnet. Should the worst ever happen, the tube in at under £500 a set either, especially is will melt automatically, releasing a special ones that are fully TuV approved and clean extinguishing agent to put out the fire. It factory-tested to VIA standards. will not only save your pride and joy from the They’re available in 4 and 5x100PCDs, scrappy in the sky, but it could save your life so there’s going to be plenty of cars too. You can’t really put a price on that, eh? crying out for a set of these! www.vwheritage.com www.autostarwheels.com
August 2018 033 Friday 31st August - JAE 2018 Sunday 2nd September Japanese Auto Extravaganza The UK’s favourite Japanese Car Festival East of England Showground, Peterborough, PE2 6XE
Save £12 WINNER: Japanese Auto When you buy 4 or more Extravaganza tickets on our website* Best Show of 2017 Use discount code Voted by Banzai2018
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Made by Eibach HONDA S2000
TheToo Honda S2000 is a pretty extraordinary Much car in A in’t Enough standard form… but who wants to drive a standard car? Words: Dan Bevis Photos: Viktor Benyi
ove is a smoke, raised with last one got totalled when someone T-boned the fume of sighs.’ A line from me,” he recalls with a grimace. One way Romeo and Juliet, in which to rationalise this turn of events is that Shakespeare isn’t trying everything happens for a reason, however, to be lewd – at least, not and that prior build was but a stepping-stone overtly, although he’s always on the route to this absolutely gleaming ‘Lup to something, isn’t he? – but instead is lipstick-red creation. encapsulating the nature of love manifested Whichever way you look at it, the S2000 by that most deeply personal and intimate is a magnificent base for a project. You’ll of sounds: when you emit a sigh of passion, never find someone who’s owned or driven there really is no more honest or truthful one who’ll give it a half-hearted shrug and expression of your pleasure. say ‘Yeah, it’s OK I suppose’. To drive one is In the case of the low-down heartbreaker to fall in love. The best thing about the S2K of an S2000 you’re looking at here, that is that it was just so hilariously unnecessary. couldn’t be more true. But the smoke here They could have put any existing Honda isn’t merely the manifold sighs emitted engine into a roadster and it would have by its owner and creator, Manny Lizama, been good, but they decided to make one impassioned as he is by the myriad custom that revved to 9,200rpm, just for the hell of it. alterations he’s made. No, we can throw in And then they fitted a sci-fi digital dash, just the crackling hydrocarbons of high-octane to make you feel like you’re playing a video fuel and the whiff of scorched and atomising game while you’re driving it. There was no rubber into this heady soup of fumes – the need to do all that, and it was amazing that love of this man and his car builds upon Honda did. Shakespearean intimacy and takes us to a The F20C is, quite simply, a bonkers little whole other place. motor. Its 237bhp arrives at 8,300rpm and “I’ve been in the car scene for a little over it’ll keep on howling up to that hysterical a decade now,” Manny tells us. “I’ve been top-end, making full use of all kinds of ultra- through many vehicles, but out of all of them, futuristic race car tech. The car also had a the S2000 would always catch my attention. Torsen LSD, a front-mid-engined layout, and I love how most people are surprised to learn perfect 50:50 weight distribution. There were that it’s a Honda and not a crazy supercar.” all kinds of hidden secrets too, which fed This isn’t a story about the resolution of the nerdy inclinations of enthusiasts; carbon unrequited love, though – at least, not quite. fibre syncros in the gearbox are just one of Manny had owned another S2000 before many details to make them salivate. And this one, but it didn’t end all that well. “The what’s most pleasing of all is that to people Too Much A in’t Enough
August 2018 037 HONDA S2000
who aren’t really into cars, the S2000 is just another convertible. They don’t give it a second glance. They have no idea that it’s basically a race car! Now, the more we talk to Manny, the more we realise that this project is one of surprises, of tales of the unexpected. That relatively unmodified body hides a wealth of radical changes. But the first alteration to note isn’t something that he did, but rather was carried out by Honda themselves. You see, in USDM spec, the S2000 didn’t have an F20C motor from 2004 onward; it had an F22C. What this essentially means is that the motor was stroked out to 2,157cc; power remained the same but torque increased. Sure, the longer stroke meant that the redline had to be reduced from 9,200 to 8,200rpm, but the powerband characteristics were more robust from 1,000rpm all the way to the top end. An almighty car on paper, then – but as we so often find with our feature cars, too much ain’t enough. Manny just had to make his mark. “I bought the S2000 in October 2014, and when I first got it the car was totally stock,” he says. “Literally not one single modification done to it – it was owned by a 65 year-old lady, just looking to thin out her collection of cars.” The archetypal blank canvas, and Manny wasted no time in tearing into the pampered and unsuspecting roadster to determine where best he could make his unique impressions upon its character. The OEM hardtop was a no-brainer starting point, simply for the fact that it’s cool to transform a rag-top into a hard-shelled coupé if the fancy takes you, and then he set about the more serious matter of perfecting the rims/stance combo. Purists may gasp at the audacity of putting an S2000 on air-ride, given the sweet and BOOSTING THE F20C/ playful nature of the stock chassis, but do this, it’s not just a case of swapping in a F22C this is no dumb just-for-looks setup: Air new dash, you’ve got to get down and dirty Lift Performance gear is comprehensively with linkages and columns and pedals and tested for motorsport applications as well all sorts, but the kudos points among the Given its highly-strung nature, as panscraping lows and hard-parking on aficionados make it all more than worthwhile. a lot of people will tell you that the street, so Manny’s decision to run Air Why not just import a JDM S2000 that’s turbocharging or supercharging Lift bags with 3P management provided a already got the steering wheel on the ‘correct’ the F20C/F22C is a mad idea. best-of-both-worlds scenario. And while even side, you may ask? Well, don’t forget that Given that these two variants standard cars look better when dumped into we’re talking about America. Until a car hits run a compression ratio of 11.0:1 the weeds, it’s far better to fill those arches 25 years old, that kind of thing is hideously and 11.1:1 respectively, it’s not an out a bit and complete the Hot Wheels-esque complicated. It’s for this reason that driving altogether logical move to drag illusion, so our man chose a truly glorious a right-hand-drive Japanese car in the USA this down to the 8: or 9:1-ish that a set of wheels with the aim of achieving this. carries a huge amount of respect. Everyone force-induced setup would prefer. The revered VS-XX from WORK Wheels is the knows you’ve had to put the work in, and But it’s important to remember weapon of choice here, rocking staggered get it inspected and blue-tagged by the that compression isn’t the only widths as well as staggered lip depths, and authorities to prove it’s legit. thing to consider when you’re their racy multispoke aesthetic speaks of “It was a pretty difficult task,” Manny thinking about an engine’s power generations of race-honed prowess, much deadpans, “but I was able to pull through! and reliability – the efficiency of like the Honda itself. A thoroughly appropriate And about a year after that is when the engine the head and the materials of the choice, we reckon. build started.” internals are key, and these are “About a year later, I did the right-hand-drive This is where things start to get really juicy. areas in which the S2000 excels… conversion,” he shrugs, with such ineffable While that metallic-edged sabre-blade of and if anything, the addition of nonchalance that we have to do an auditory horsepower would be more than enough for a forced induction complements double-take to check we heard him right. lot of people, Manny had other ideas. And his the S2K’s power curve. The nature Yes, that is in fact what happened – tracing biggest idea involved forced induction. This of VTEC is that all of the urgency the S2000’s spirit right back to its roots (for, really isn’t an easy thing to do with an F20/22 occurs at the top end, and this is of course, JDM originals will be right-hand- – its highly-stressed nature in factory form mirrored in a turbo’s need to spool drive), Manny set about swapping the cabin necessitates a pretty high compression ratio, before delivering its peak punch – into its own mirror image. Why? Authenticity, while turbocharged engines like to have much obviously the size of the turbo and that’s why. It’s a huge amount of work to lower compression – but, as the right-hand- the individual setup will determine at what moment the boost arrives, but the point is that a turbocharged F20C/F22C is an exercise in accentuating the way it already behaves. Manny’s boosted F22C delivers a reliable 450whp, proving that the correct setup with quality parts can create something usable and fast that won’t have you tearing your hair out!
To those who aren’t into cars, the S2000 is just another convertible… they have no idea it’s basically a race car!
August 2018 039 HONDA S2000
TECHSPEC Engine: F22C 2.2-litre four-cylinder VTEC, Precision 6062 Gen 2 turbo - .63 AR v-band in/out, Sheepey Built turbo manifold, Sheepey Built downpipe, Sheepey Built front-mount intercooler, Sheepey Built piping, Turbosmart wastegate, Turbosmart blow-off valve, PTP turbo blanket, Supertech valve springs and retainers, ARP head studs, Cometic head drive swap demonstrated, this guy isn’t overly car taught me, it was to be patient - to wait gasket, AEM fuel rail, AEM 320lph fuel pump, AEM fuel pressure regulator, Injector Dynamics fazed by things being a bit tricky. So the and make sure everything was dialled in to a 1,000cc injectors, stock bottom end, stock engine was torn down, and rebuilt in muscular Tee. Three-and-a-half years later she’s finally transmission, Stage 2 competition clutch style: the centrepiece of the makeover is a running perfect.” Precision 6062 Gen 2 turbo, complemented This, inevitably, is the inexorable avalanche Chassis: 9x18-inch +33 (front) and 10x18- by a host of treats from Sheepey Built – of passion. When you feel this level of love for inch +36 (rear) WORK VS-XX 3-piece split- pipework, turbo manifold, downpipe, and a car, there are no lengths to which you rims, 225/40 (f) and 245/40 (r) Hankook that imposing front-mount intercooler. The wouldn’t go to pander to its whims and make Ventus tyres, Wilwood 6-pot BBK, Air Lift head’s now clamped to a Cometic gasket with it happy. Manny’s infatuation with the S2000 Performance struts with 3P Management, ARP studs, while containing Supertech valve is total, so it’s only natural that he’d lavish Viair compressor springs and retainers, and the fuelling’s been such extreme levels of care upon it, way necessarily beefed up with an AEM fuel rail, above and beyond the usual day-to-day Interior: Right-hand-drive conversion – blue- tagged in California, Grip Royal steering wheel 320lph pump and pressure regulator, along maintenance. You wouldn’t be surprised to with NRG quick-release boss, Pioneer audio with Injector Dynamics 1,000cc injectors. learn that this is a mollycoddled show queen The upshot of it all is a genuine 450hp at the then, kept in a hermetically-sealed garage and Exterior: Custom burgundy paint, OEM wheels, and it’s all the more impressive to never allowed out in the rain? “Hell no, I daily hardtop learn that the Honda’s still running its stock drive my car,” he beams. “I love to show off bottom end and transmission, which really what I built! Most people can’t believe that I Thanks: “Big thanks to everyone who has serves to reinforce just how strong these do, but it’s true - that’s what a car is made helped! RicheWerks, Sheepey Built, Churches machines are. for… to drive.” You’re preaching to the choir Tuning, Snoop, HMO, Royal Stance, HP “Talk about patience!” Manny exclaims, in there, Manny. This fume of sighs has raised Quality Body Shop, King’s Towing, and to mock-exasperation. “If there’s one thing this an almighty cloud. anyone else who helped!”
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PioneerGB PioneerUK CHECK OUT THE FULL RANGE AT WWW.PIONEER-CAR.CO.UK TECH TALK THE KNOWLEDGE CLUTCHES Don’t let yours be the weakest link… and say goodbye. Words: Midge
clutch has one job in your car - to transfer the power from the engine to the gearbox, via the flywheel. Now, obviously, you’ll be wanting as many of those lovely horses as possible to beA transferred across, hopefully without eating your clutch or flywheel along the way. Perhaps what’s most important is the last bit, there’s no point in having any clutch if it explodes every 5-minutes… although there’s equally no hero points achieved for having a highly-tuned engine where all the power goes to waste in a huge cloud of smoke and slippage either. The truth is that, when there’s any sort of engine tuning or fruity driving thrown into the mix, then the extra torque or extreme conditions your clutch has to endure can make it struggle to cope. Still, that’s where uprated performance clutches come in, these are designed specifically to ease the burden and keep you on track. Here’s what you need to know…
THE SCIENCE A conventional clutch setup has three main is connected to the gearbox by the friction surfaces together. This parts – the clutch plate (otherwise known as a shaft that slots through the physical connection is what allows the the disc), the release bearing and the cover. splines in the middle. engine and gearbox shaft to turn as one. These work in conjunction with the flywheel to The other part, the clutch cover, mounts When you press the clutch pedal the make your car move. over the disc and is bolted to the flywheel. finger springs are released from the clutch The plate is the part that includes a The cover has a collection of finger springs plate by pushing on the bearing, allowing specially-engineered friction surface, in that and its job is to hold the plate securely the plate to disengage from the flywheel way it’s not unlike a big brake pad, this against the flywheel, essentially clamping while you change gear.
042 www.banzaimagazine.com COMMON CLUTCH PROBLEMS
When your clutch slips it means that the plate isn’t being held tightly against the flywheel, even if the clutch pedal hasn’t been depressed. At best the lack of solid connection will result in a reduced amount of power transfer to the gearbox and, at worst, a total lack of drive. There are a few common reasons this can happen…
Overheating Generally speaking a standard clutch is designed to be strong enough to cope with A worn clutch a little beyond normal driving, but even an aftermarket clutch that’s built for plenty of The most common cause of clutch slip, abuse can only take so much. not to mention failures in general, is the On the track, drift arena or drag strip where there’s plenty of hard launches and simplest – they just wear out. As I said, clutch kicking involved, it’s obvious that the friction surfaces can get extremely hot as a clutch plate is just like a big brake they’re trying to hold together. pad and, over time, the friction material With enough abuse, these surfaces can overheat and that will stop the plate will wear and become less effective at gripping the flywheel effectively. gripping the surface of the flywheel. Apart from the awful smell that comes with a clutch burning out, you’ll find that it In other words, it’s a consumable part gets increasingly difficult to select a gear and eventually you’ll have no drive at all. and it’s rare for even the most looked- Letting the clutch cool down can, in rare cases, solve the problem, but all too after clutch to last the lifetime of the often it’ll be too late. car. It’s inevitable that a clutch will wear out, but just how quickly your car eats one depends on many things including the spec of the clutch, the power you’re Driving Habits putting through it, and the way you drive. We all pick up bad habits over years of driving and many of these can have a The other common problem is simple detrimental effect on your clutch. mechanical failure. This can cover Holding your car on a slope without using the handbrake, slipping the clutch to anything from finger spring failure to oil pull away, driving with your foot on the clutch (even just a little) or sitting at the lights finding its way onto the friction surfaces. with the pedal down are all easy ways or wearing out your clutch prematurely. To be honest, These will all cause varying degrees of they’re all things that most us do regularly too! clutch slippage.
Too much power Okay, so there may not be such a thing as too much power in our world, but it’s worth remembering that, if your clutch can’t transfer all this extra power to the gearbox, Tyre Grip you’re defeating the The weakest link in the whole drivetrain object of tuning the can often be the clutch, and having super- engine in the first sticky track tyres can have a similar effect place! Slippage can as having too much power from the engine. be caused when If you accelerate hard on normal tyres, there’s simply too sometimes the wheels will break traction much power for the and spin on the spot. With hugely increased clutch plate to hold grip the tyres will not spin, and this torque on to the flywheel. transfer will be looking for the weakest link Then again, that’s in the setup. Again, in many cases this can the whole point of stop a standard clutch plate from gripping choosing an uprated the flywheel effectively. version, right?
August 2018 043 TECH TALK THE KNOWLEDGE UPRATED CLUTCHES
In many cases, especially it seems with tight budget. Standard items have to be a stronger due to the way they’re designed. Japanese cars, standard clutches can actually compromise between cost, longevity and ease Manufacturers take into account three basic cope with more abuse than you might think. of use, they’re also engineered to be quiet, parameters when they build an uprated unit. That said, they’re not designed for the more smooth and durable during normal driving. These are friction material, the number of hardcore driving style or big power increases It’s when you get to hard driving and power friction plates, and the design of the cover, because, like every other component on increases that an uprated clutch is needed. often incorporating stronger springs/fingers for a standard car, they’re always built to a Basically, speaking performance items are increased clamping force. CLUTCH PLATE FRICTION MATERIALS
Organic Cerametallic Standard clutches and a few fast-road clutches are said to be Cerametallic ‘organic’ and this refers to the binding agent that holds the clutches are similar friction material together, and sometimes the actual friction to organic items in material used. It’s probably something of an outmoded that they’re fairly term and comes from the days when asbestos was used - user-friendly, but before they found out it was carcinogenic and banned it. the ceramic and Nowadays organic friction material is generally a mix metal minerals of cellulose-reinforced phenolic resin, mineral wool, that make up their fiberglass and various heat resistant plastics. The cellulose friction compound will provide the initial bite while the other materials give gives significantly increased burst strength. better grip on the They may offer relatively low friction, but the whole point of flywheel, and can an organic clutch is that it’s easy to live with and hard-wearing usually handle for normal driving. These have good feel and excellent bite initially, more abuse. but they’re relatively easy to overheat under high torque loads.
Kevlar Carbon/Ceramic The name refers to the plate friction material Most believe carbon and which uses a proportion of chopped ceramic clutches to be the Kevlar fibres for increased burst strength ideal solution for race use and far greater temperature resistance. and there’s no denying both Confusingly enough, many organic have become increasingly performance-orientated clutches contain popular of the past decade or a small amount of Kevlar (or even ceramic/ so. Neither are exactly cheap, metal/carbon elements) but a so-called but they do have excellent grip and Kevlar item will have much more because it wear characteristics, are extremely will be built from more abuse and designed to be hard to overheat, and many can be more difficult to overheat. Although that doesn’t mean smoother to use than you might think. They do have it’s impossible, in a racing environment, with enough boot-action, Kevlar clutches a harsher engagement compared to an organic or are also susceptible to overheating under extreme use. Once overheated, they Kevlar item of course, but not so harsh that they can’t won’t return to their original state either, so you’ll be needing a new one. be used on the street… although admittedly many Like many other performance clutches Kevlar kits will include an uprated tend to perform better when you’ve got a bit of heat cover with very high clamping pressure. Here though, it’s because (compared to in them for maximum grip. These are fast becoming organic material) they tend to have relatively low frictional properties. Even so, a favourite on any seriously tuned car, both for fast these are still a popular upgrade. road and track applications.
Semi-Metallic/Metallic Hybrid Clutches You’re getting into some serious motorsport kit here, semi-metallic and metallic (sometimes Some clutch plates are simply a called ‘sintered’) clutch plates are usually for the mega-power applications, and built to withstand mixture of different types. Some are the most extreme temperatures. organic clutches but with the addition The friction material usually contains powdered copper, iron or bronze and sometimes a of carbon, Kevlar or metal and there’s combination of all three, it’s this that makes them amazingly grippy. also Kevlar-carbon clutches and The downside is that any metallic clutch won’t be easy to live carbon-metallic items. with because of the harsh engagement and sudden biting Basically, these are designed to point. In the same way as racing brake pads, some will take advantage of any number of also slip until they’re fully up to temperature. These tend material characteristics, although to kill flywheels rather rapidly too and all this means it’s worth remembering that what they’re rarely used on cars destined for the road. In they gain in some areas may be lost fact, it’s true to say that nowadays with multi-plate in another. Unfortunately, there’s no clutch technology, they’re rarely used at all except overall perfect solution, it all depends in extreme competition cars like those found in on the car, how you intend to drive, endurance racing. They’re simply too extreme. and how usable you’d like it to be.
044 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Multi-plate clutches Designed to handle serious power with surprisingly good drivability (compared to the equivalent race-derived, single plate items), multi-plate clutches commonly Paddle clutches have up to 4 plates stacked together with Paddle clutches, the ones the Americans intermediate plates mounted in-between. call ‘pucks’, have a segmented plate By using multiple plates these spread the rather than a more-common circular load and increase heat dissipation so you many teams will go for the smallest possible disc. Each arm, usually there’s between get more grip for the overall diameter. In diameter and the most plates as a matter of 3 and 8, will have its own pad of suitably other words, these can be engineered to be course. Nowadays multi-plate clutches are hardcore friction material. much smaller than a single plate item that used at all the highest levels. These can also The idea is that the gaps in friction needs to take the same load or abuse. be handy when serious drivetrain torque is material contact make dissipating heat In motorsport a smaller clutch with the needed in vehicles like bulldozers or tanks… easier. Not having a full circular plate of same overall friction force is useful for and not just the Japanese ones either! seriously uprated friction material also cutting down on rotating mass. In fact, makes them more useable, just about. Don’t be fooled in to thinking the design makes them easy to use though, many of these are what many call an on- Unsprung Clutches off item. Sudden bite and super-harsh You’ll notice that the vast majority of engagement are par for the course with clutches have springs incorporated into paddle clutches, and this increases with the friction plates, these are there to less sections on the plate. They won’t cushion the blow when they engage, and be too forgiving in traffic and, for this one of the devices used to make them reason, these are normally reserved for smother to operate on the road when motorsport applications or the tuner cars you’re constantly changing gear. They’re that simply can’t do without them. there to make the cluch setup easier to live with, it’s a simple as that. In the case of unsprung clutches, these don’t have the shock-damping provided by springs, and that can make them a nightmare to use on the road.They can also put excess strain on the gearbox. On a race car though, smooth operation isn’t so much of a worry and these are designed to give the most positive action possible, along with less weight and less component parts that may be susceptible to mechanical failure.
TOP CONTACTS • Competition Clutch – www.competitionclutch.com • Xtreme clutch – www.xtremeclutch.co.uk • EXEDY – www.exedy.co.uk • Helix – www.helix-autosport.com
August 2018 045
In association with Rare Rims TECH TALK WHEEL FITMENT www.rarerims.co.uk THE SWAP SHOP PCD GUIDE It’s the age old question - will those EG Civic wheels fit my Mazda MX-5? Whether it’s new aftermarket hoops, that elusive eBay bargain, or a simple OEM swap you’re looking for, here’s the essential info for (most of) our core cars…
PCD CENTRE BORE PCD CENTRE BORE HONDA 300ZX Z31/Z32 (1989-1992) 5x114.3 66.1 Accord (2003-) 5x114.3 64.1 350Z (2002-2009) 5x114.3 66.1 CRX (1984-2000) 4x100 56.1 370Z (2009-) 5x114.3 66.1 Civic (1983-2000) 4x100 56.1 GT-R (2008-) 5x114.3 66.1 Civic (2006-) 5x114.3 64.1 Juke (2010-) 5x114.3 66.1 Civic Type R (2001-2012) 5x114.3 64.1 Micra (1993-2003) 4x100 59.1 Civic Type R (2012-) 5x120 64.1 Micra (2010-) 4x100 60.1 Integra Type R (JDM)/Civic MB6 4x114.3 64.1 Skyline R32 (GTS) 4x114.3 66.1 Integra Type R (1998) 5x114.3 64.1 Skyline R32, R33, R34 (1989-2002) 5x114.3 66.1 S2000 5x114.3 70.3/64.1 Sunny (1991-1995) 4x100 59.1 INFINITI SUBARU G35 (2003-2007) 5x114.3 66.1 Impreza 5x100 56.1 LEXUS Impreza STI, WRX (1993-04) 5x100 56.1 GS 300/430 5x114.3 60.1 Impreza STI (2005-) 5x114.3 56.1 IS 200 5x114.3 60.1 BRZ 5x100 56.1 LS 400/430 5x114.3 60.1 SUZUKI LS460/600 5x120 60.1 Swift (2005-) 4x100 54.1 MAZDA Swift Sport 5x114.3 60.1 RX-7 (FD) 5x114.3 67.1 Wagon R 4x100 54.1 RX-8 5x114.3 67.1 TOYOTA MX-5 (1990-2005) 4x100 54.1 Celica (1989-) 5x100 56.1 MX-5 (2005-) 5x114.3 67.1 Corolla (1987-2007) 4x100 54.1 MITSUBISHI Corolla (2007-) 5x114.3 60.1 Lancer Evo I, 2, 3 4x114.3 67.1 MR2 (2001-) 4x100 54.1 Lancer Evo, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 5x114.3 67.1 MR2 (-2001) 5x114.3 60.1 Colt (1992-2004) 4x100 56.1 Yaris (all) 4x100 54.1 FTO 5x114 67.1 GT86 5x100 56.1 NISSAN Supra (all) 5x114.3 60.1 200SX S12, S13 4x114.3 66.1 Soarer (1986-2005) 5x114.3 60.1 200SX S14, S15 (Turbo) 5x114.3 66.1 Starlet (NP, EP) 4x100 54.1
August 2018 047 WHERE WILL YOUR KENWOOD TAKE YOU? #loveyourjourney
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£2 booking fee applies. Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult. Warning motorsport can be dangerous. All attractions subject to change. Advance ticket sales close Midnight Saturday 6th October 2018 TECH TALK TUNING QUICK-FIRE TUNING: Nissan 350Z/350Z Roadster
TUNING The big ol’ VQ35 lump may not be as popular for tuning here in the UK as it is across the pond, but that’s probably something to do with our ‘trousers-down’ petrol prices, or the fact that early cars INTERIOR already had a whopping 270bhp as It’s a two-seater and that can mean only one thing – no standard, and the later face lift offerings having to match or retrim a little-used rear bench! (from 2006 onwards) receiving a tasty hike With that in mind there’s loads of seats out there that will to 300 horses. do the job nicely, depending on the level of motorsport Still, even though it’s a naturally cred or luxury you’re after. Finding specific-fit rails isn’t aspirated engine, it’s a bloody big one a problem these days either! Seats, gear knob, decent by UK standards. And the relatively large headunit, sorted. capacity makes it ripe for a spot of easy bolt-on tuning. In fact, significant gains can be bagged with simple mods like high-flow cats, a decent exhaust, air filter and software flash. In that way the 350Z is a true, hairy-chested Japanese muscle car… oh and it sounds amazing at full chat too! If you want almost incomprehensible though, and you’ve got a few quid burning a hole in your back pocket, Torqen can sort you out with a Vortech supercharger kit for around 400bhp, or even a full-on AAM twin turbo conversion with the potential for over 1000. Yep, that’s what known in engineering circles as ‘a lot’.
DRIVETRAIN The stock 6-speed ‘box is said to be as strong as an angry Ox, but if you’re upping the ante with loads more power, it’s advisable to swap out the clutch for an uprated item. There’s loads of every type available depending on your application, and we’d consider fitting a rev-happy lightweight flywheel while you’re at it. Again, it’d be rude not to, there’s certainly plenty to choose from. If you’re going drifting, or taking your lap-times mega seriously, the stock differential is good but may not be what you want. With that in mind there’s an uprated version for every taste from the likes of Cusco, OS Giken, Tomei and Kaaz. Words: Midge Words:
054 www.banzaimagazine.com In association with Torqen Nissan 350Z/350Z Roadster This month it’s the muscle cars of a new generation…
EXTERIOR The 350 is one of those rare cars that looks so good as standard, it only takes a CHASSIS few small body tweaks to Ever since the 350Z hit the streets in 2002 tip it right over the edge… (and the Roadster in 2004), performance hopefully without making nuts have said the suspension is a little it appear to be some sort MORE CHASSIS soft. This makes sense too, it was always of extra from The Fast and We’ve seen these on everything from more of a cruiser than a lightweight sports Furious franchise. That said, wide-motorsport style 18s to bling- car… in standard form anyway. there are some totally insane bling 22-inchers over the years, so Luckily everyone and their pet poodle kits that look amazing too – most of this is down to personal driving makes coilovers for the big, bad Zed so we’re liking the new Rocket preference, not to mention taste in wheel sloppy suspension is easy to remedy. Bunny V2 for starters. and tyre combos. We always think a There’s also a couple of air-ride kits Unless you’re thinking of set of staggered 19-inch rims offers a out there, including one from Air Lift going racing, we’d prefer a good compromise between looks and Performance that may be more handling- subtle wrap to a full on eye- performance tyre fitment, especially if focused than you might imagine. popping graphic extravaganza you go for a sought-after brand, or a As for other chassis mods? Like with but, for the most part, mild or lightweight forged/flow-formed set. coilovers, the world is quite literally your wild, you’d have to work really When it comes to brakes, UK models oyster. Everything from bushes and hard to get it wrong. came with the famous Brembo calipers adjustable arms, to chassis braces and and many of the imports you’ll come uprated ARBs are widely available. across now will have them retro-fitted by eager owners (although the Japanese Sat- Nav probably still won’t work, naturally). If you have the multi-pots already then a direct-fit disc upgrade is always a good idea. If there’s a distinct lack of Brembos under those arches though, or you’re after the ultimate in performance braking, you may be looking more for a BBK. StopTech, AP Racing, Wilwood and Torqen all have a fine selection.
CONTACT For all these top products and much more, check out…
•TORQEN www.torqen.uk
August 2018 055
In association ADVERTORIAL with Meguiar’s GRIME TO SHINE We pop up to Meguiar’s HQ to see them try to save this rather neglected Mitsubishi Evo…
Words and photos: Mark Riccioni
ever let it be said that we don’t enjoy a detailing challenge here at Meguiar’s UK. Faded paintwork is nothing new for our infamous detailing bay, but we have to admit it’s been a while Nsince we welcomed a car in quite the condition of Danny Coe’s Mitsubishi Evo 8. Now, this isn’t us naming and shaming Danny for looking after his car badly; quite the opposite in fact. You see, Danny’s not long owned this particular Mitsubishi super-saloon. The problem is, prior to his recent ownership, it stood abandoned for over five years on a farm, exposed to the elements, with not so much as a cover in sight. The truth is that Danny has actually saved this future performance classic from the scrapheap. Although abandoned for many years, mechanically the car wasn’t in a bad state and, perhaps more importantly, hadn’t been partially stripped or missing any crucial parts required to get it running. As you can see though, the bodywork was in dire need of an overhaul. It’s pretty much been destroyed! In fact, the body condition was so bad, many would see it as way too far gone and simply start saving for a respray. But we had other ideas. We were so convinced we could bring this car back to life (using nothing but our off-the-shelf consumer products), that we quickly decided to make this one the ultimate ‘before and after’ test for Japfest, by bringing half of the car back to life. After which we promised Danny that we’d carry out the same process on the other half, naturally. With a plenty of work ahead and a date agreed, all that was left was to get the sorry- looking Evo up to our detailing bay and see what can be achieved…
August 2018 057 ADVERTORIAL STEP 1 – MEGUIAR’S WASH PLUS+
Wash Plus+ is one of our newest products on the market and it’s quickly becoming one of our favourites! Unlike traditional shampoos, Wash Plus+ actually features polishing beads in the compound, meaning it has a deeper scrub than normal. Consider it a big restart button, perfect for cars which haven’t had any prior wax or correction applied to them.
You don’t have to put Wash Plus+ in a bucket of water to apply; it’s actually Start by wetting the car first to act as a applied directly onto a microfibre lubricant before switching to Wash Plus+. washmitt before being rinsed in a bucket It’s important to do a single panel at a time, filled with clear water. rinsing after before moving on to the next.
With all the panels complete it’s vitally important to get the car dry before moving on to the next step. Our weapon of choice is the new Meguiar’s Supreme Drying Towel, which is more than capable of drying a whole car. STEP 2 – CONTAMINANT REMOVAL WITH CLAY
The biggest ‘sticking’ point for Danny’s Evo 8 was the sheer volume of contaminants embedded in the paintwork, particularly tree sap and bird poo, as you’d expect from being laid up for so long in the countryside.
TOP TIP: Kneed the clay bar into a size that fits in your palm (roughly a 5cm disc) before working in a crosshatch motion over each panel. Clay filled with contaminants? Meguiar’s Quik Clay removes all these contaminants easily. Simply spray our detailing spray Kneed it and carry on! on the surface (to act as a lubricant) before running the clay bar over the panel with fingertip pressure only. Once complete, dry the surface with a clean microfibre towel.
058 www.banzaimagazine.com In association with Meguiar’s STEP 3 – PAINT REJUVENATION AND SWIRL REMOVAL WITH ULTIMATE COMPOUND AND MT320
Now comes the REALLY fun part – cranking out the MT320 Dual Action Polisher! Given the level of work required on Danny’s Evo, we opted for a 5-inch foam cutting pad over a microfibre pad. The foam is harder pad and as such gives For the best results, we recommend priming more cutting power, the pad with Ultimate Compound using a but obviously this isn’t soft foam applicator pad. This keeps the pad necessary on paintwork cool and lubricated without overloading the that’s already glossy. pad with product which can fly off during application and cause a bit of a mess.
Got a smaller area which requires detailing? You’ve got two options here. The first is to switch to a 3in pad on the MT320 but remember to use a lower speed than the 5in pad due to the reduced surface area (meaning it cuts faster with more heat). The next option is to simply use a Meguiar’s even coat applicator pad loaded with Ultimate Compound and apply by hand.
Our rule of thumb is that softer paints need to be hit with a harder pad. Why’s that? Well, marring (streaky white marks) can be left behind due to the soft paint and soft pad moving around together. Contrary to popular belief, soft paint needs a harder pad, and Japanese cars are renowned for having soft paint! So, if you find yourself chasing those white marks around when detailing, switch to a harder cutting pad. STEP 4 – PROTECTION WITH MEGUIAR’S ULTIMATE WAX
Waxing is an absolutely Meguiar’s Ultimate Wax is a fully crucial stage of detailing. synthetic wax, which means it’s longer- With the paintwork lasting and achieves a glossier look looking swirl-free and due to a high content of polishing oils. glossy, it’s super-easy Because you’re not ‘working’ this product to get excited and call like Ultimate Compound, there’s no need it a day… but that’s the to prime the pad before application. This worst thing you can means it takes less time to apply and you do right now! Yes, your can do a much larger panel (say a full paint looks glorious… bonnet) in one pass. but it currently has no protection. So all that hard work will be wasted the moment you take it out for a drive… The more wax you apply the harder it’s going to go be to get off, so only do a single pass that you can barely TOP TIP: Run your finger on the panel, if the wax comes see on the surface. Give the wax 5-10 off easily it’s ready to be removed. If it doesn’t come off minutes to cure before removing the easily, leave it a little longer. excess with a clean microfibre cloth.
August 2018 059 ADVERTORIAL STEP 5 – INTERIOR TRIM, WHEELS AND FINE DETAILS
The devil really is in the details with car care, and while the bodywork is the most dramatic ‘transformation’ on a car like Danny’s Evo, it’s the fine details which make it all the more impressive. We’re talking about the wheels, tyres, interior trim and plastics – bits often overlooked after spending so much time on the paintwork. Application on ALL of these products is really simple, so instead we’ll run through the products used and what they’re best for. GLASS COMPOUND & GLASS SEALANT – One of our latest products, Glass Compound & Glass Sealant is just like putting compound and wax on your bodywork… but for glass instead! The compound NXT METAL POLISH – ideal for badges buffs and cleans ENDURANCE TYRE GEL – does exactly what it and exhausts, it’s best to use a clean the windscreen says on the tin, use a foam applicator pad to microfibre cloth to apply the product and followed by the dress the tyres being careful not to overload another to remove the excess. sealant which not the rubber with too much product. Ideally only protects, but don’t drive the car for a short while after so repels water too. as not to flick any over your bodywork.
It’s worth noting CONTACT that Danny’s Evo •MEGUIAR’S is an extreme case rarely seen www.meguiars.co.uk in any detailing bay, but all of the above ULTIMATE BLACK – Excellent for restoring black results have plastics such as the wingmirror surrounds been achieved simply use a foam applicator pad to apply, using nothing there’s no need to remove after. but consumer products and the techniques we regularly cover on the Meguiar’s blog. There’s no camera trickery or professional- only products out shot; just the right gear with correct ULTIMATE INTERIOR DETAILER – Perfect for application. That’s interior trim and materials, Ultimate all you ever need! Interior Detailer works similarly to our exterior detailers - spray on and wipe off.
DEEP CRYSTAL PAINT CLEANER – window trims looking faded? This is the perfect product for transforming coated plastics from washed- out and faded to a deep black colour. This one is packed with chemical cleaners to removing rash and revive plastics.
060 www.banzaimagazine.com The Tuners Choice
Mongoose Exhausts Systems are one of system are designed, developed using our Every Mongoose Exhaust component, be it the most highly regarded stainless steel extensive in house facilities in Congleton a down pipe, a back box, or a full exhaust exhaust manufacturers in the UK offering an including our 4wd rolling road. system is designed on the car it is meant to expanding range of exceptionally high quality fit – that way we can guarantee a perfect fit performance enhancing sports exhaust All Mongoose Exhausts are made in the UK every time. systems for many marques of cars. from T304 aerospace grade stainless steel, bent using the finest mandrel bending With over 30 years extensive experience of machines and welded by experienced and .com tuning cars, our Mongoose brand of exhausts enthusiastic staff to exacting standards. UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL
Make/Model Price Make/Model Price Make/Model Price HONDA
Honda Accord Type-R CH1 1998-2003, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4/5/6 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Full System with Cat Replacement £884.99 Full System without Cat Replacement £715.13 Full System with Cat Replacement £1,013.11
Honda Accord Type-R CH1 1998-2003, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4/5/6 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Full System without Cat Replacement £804.53 Full System without Downpipe £607.86 Cat Back £825.81
Honda Accord Type-R CH1 1998-2003, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4/5/6 SUBARU Full System without Downpipe £759.84 Cat Back £536.35 Subaru Impreza Turbo 2001-2007 Honda Accord Type-R CH1 1998-2003, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7/8/9 Full System with Cat Replacement £849.23 Cat back £652.57 Full System with Cat Replacement £759.84 Subaru Impreza Turbo 2001-2007 Honda Civic Sport EP2 2001-2005, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7/8/9 1st Cat Back £581.05 Cat Back £527.42 Full System without Cat Replacement £697.26 TOYOTA Honda Civic Type R FK2 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7/8/9 on Cat back (RHD only) £1,120.50 Full System without Downpipe £572.11 Toyota MR2 Mk2 1991on (3SGE engined cars only) MITSUBISHI Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7/8/9 Cat Back and Cat Replacement £625.74 Cat Back £491.66 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4/5/6 Toyota MR2 Mk2 1991on, Full System with Cat Replacement £777.72 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Cat Back £527.42 Full System with Sports Cat £1,319.59
Unit 6, Newman Close, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 4TR Prices INCLUDE VAT unless otherwise stated. E. & O. E. www.mongooseexhausts.com 3RD - 5TH AUGUST 2018 SANTA POD RACEWAY
THE LARGEST, LOUDEST, HOTTEST & FASTEST CAR FESTIVAL IN EUROPE
3 music arenas including music from Lethal Bizzle, General Levy, Donaeo’o, MTV night with Philip George, Med School presents London Elektricity and others!* Run What Ya Brung • FWD Drag Series • Fireforce Jet Car • Autoglym Show & Shine • Stunt Shows • Mr & Miss USC • EMMA sound off competition • Handling Track • Formula G Burnout & Flame out competition • USC Strongman competition • Fueltopia Barrel Sprint • Drift Rides • Car Club Camping • Car Football • Fun Fair • Trade Village
For tickets & info call 01234 782828 www.ULTIMATESTREETCAR.com *As part of your sporting event entrance only **Booking fees apply & advance ticket prices available until Friday 27th July 2018 – standard price thereafter. ***Saturday and Sunday “day tickets” are valid from 8am till racing finishes and DO NOT include evening entertainment or camping. Day tickets will be sold on the gate until 4pm. Kids under 13 go free (3 per paying adult). See website for full terms & conditions. Camping included for ‘multi day’ ticket holders, free parking with all tickets. No pets, glass bottles or unlicensed vehicles on site. Santa Pod Raceway, Airfield Road, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants, NN29 7XA. Jct 14 & 15 M1.
Santa Pod USC 2018 Advert (190x130mm).indd 1 22/05/2018 10:28 BANZAI BUILDS ››› BUILDS Projects, buying guides and all the dirty stuff…
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071 064 064 Home Built Heroes: 554bhp Scooby 079 Dave Holman, the owner of this awesome drive-built Subaru, says he’s not a mechanic but just a sparky car nut. But, having put together a stroker with all the trimmings, he could have fooled us! 068 Staff Projects: Project Free Fiddy The best thing about this particular project is that we’re building it for you. We’d better get it all nicely serviced first though. 071 Staff Projects: Martin’s Honda Jazz Martin’s been spending more of his not-so hard earned cash on parts this month. That and grinding away like a mad man. 073 Staff Projects: Sam’s EP3 Type R More gearbox antics for Sam… well, for his mate anyway. 074 Your Builds 074 Our favourite part of the month is always checking out your motors! 079 Mega Mazda Buying Guide For this drop-top special we look at every generation of MX-5. 088 Classified Ads You might find a new project, you might not. The fun’s in the search! 073
August 2018 063 HOME BUILT HERO Even some of the finest European sports cars weren’t enough to distract Dave Holman from his true love – modified Subaru Imprezas. Now the proud owner of this home-built show-and-go BACK Blobeye weapon, it’s fair to say he’s made a triumphant return to the scene he loves… WITH A Words: Sam Preston Photos: Chris Presley burble
064 www.banzaimagazine.com ccording to the particularly overused cliché, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. And while it’s often best to take sayings like this with a generous dollop of salt, this one certainly seemsA to apply curiously well to electrician Dave here when it comes to his impressive car history. Commencing his four-wheeled antics the way many of us did – with the obligatory Ford Fiesta with a huge sound system and some cheap alloy wheels, followed by a Peugeot 306 GTI rep (sound familiar to any of you?) It wasn’t until he hit the ripe age of 21 that he stepped into a car that he really built up a genuine fondness for. “It was an ’03 Impreza WRX,” he recalls with a glint in his eye. “Tuned to 360bhp and with plenty of shiny bits fitted to it!” Four years of boxer-engined bliss were to ensue as Dave discovered just how fun Subaru’s iconic sports saloon could be on both the road and the track, before things came to an abrupt end as his attention was piqued by something a little more Germanic… was unsurprisingly a fairly mental machine, “I sold it to purchase a Porsche 911,” he but let down in Dave’s eyes by its infamous DRIVING reveals – a move that he thought would only unreliability and outright lairy-ness. Despite ME WILD increase the driving thrills on offer. “It was being two of the most respected cars in the stunning and fun to drive, but I soon realised performance world, his latest acquisitions The 2.0-litre EJ20 flat-four motor found that I missed modifying cars.” With another were making him feel like there was in Dave’s Impreza has received far zero seemingly being added to the end of something missing in his life. more attention that most owners would any performance Porker parts on sale, Dave With thoughts of burbling exhausts ever dream of, involving an engine-out was soon distracted by other shiny European and oriental styling increasingly filling his rebuild that saw both the block and metal, soon resulting in a TVR Tuscan S filling subconscious, it was only when someone heads being overhauled to handle the driveway instead. made him an offer he couldn’t refuse on plenty of extra power. Heated up to just shy of 600bhp, the TVR the TVR that Dave was once again free Now stroked to 2.1-litres, the block to resume with what was clearly his true features the likes of forged Mahle love – the wild world of modified Subarus. pistons and Manley con rods, as well as “I found this particular UK-spec car soon a hardened crank, ACL race bearings after and snapped it up. It was great to be and a Cosworth head gasket to ensure back in the Jap modding game!” it’s ready for anything. The heads Running around 400bhp with some fairly themselves have been ported to cater basic engine mods, Dave had some very for extra RPMs without a fuss. ambitious plans for this stunning Blobeye Boost comes from a quick-spooling from the moment it was home. Turbo Dynamics MX321V turbocharger, with RCM unequal-length manifolds and a Venturi up-pipe dealing with waste gases in the most efficient manner possible. The manual ‘box receives a twin- plate clutch, with the transmission further strengthened by tougher LSDs being fitted (both front and rear) to ensure the Scooby is still able to handle in the effortless manner that the model has become most famous for.
August 2018 065 HOME BUILT HERO
“Like with my old Scooby, I knew exactly so I’m very proud of how well it came began to get twitchy; I finally decided to get it how I wanted this one to go, so made it my together!” With the new engine painstakingly built up and running again in time for Japfest mission to get it there.” With only his driveway rebuilt and sitting in the bay after just three at Silverstone, which was just 10 days away!” at his disposal, it wouldn’t be easy, but he’d weekends’ worth of work, he was thrilled with With the following week or so filled with waited so long to be back in the hot seat, he the results after mapping – 454bhp and 410lb plenty of blood, sweat and tears, the car was was adamant he’d make it work. ft of torque. eventually brought back to life. “I was grinning Following new turbo and exhaust manifolds With things getting more serious between like a kid when it was back on the road and I being installed, the car was ramped up to Dave and his four-wheeled love interest, hit boost again for the first time!” around 440bhp within the first few months, a barn was soon rented out to allow for Now rocking an eye-watering 504.8bhp with chassis and braking modifications added somewhere a little more pleasant for his on super-unleaded, and 554bhp when the to match this performance hike. But, after a handiwork to be performed. The following map is switched to run with methanol, it’s fair couple of years of hooning about, Dave began winter saw the front end of the beast to say the engine rebuild has been nothing to crave something a little more… overhauled in the form of a huge new Airtec but a huge success. But it’s not just under “This is when I decided the 2.1-litre stroker intercooler, uprated Roger Clark Motorsport the bonnet where his magic touch has been conversion was necessary,” he says, soon manifolds and a refurb to the Turbo Dynamics applied. The raft of chassis upgrades shows buying a spare block, a full stroker kit and turbo. There was also a round of freshening he’s pretty clued up when it comes to making various other premium ancillaries to go with it. up the bodywork. this 4WD monster handle incredibly well, too. “I’m just a sparky petrolhead, not a mechanic, “As the show and track season got closer I Dave’s also got no less than three sets
066 www.banzaimagazine.com TECHSPEC ENGINE: 2.1-litre fully forged and stroked EJ207 four-cylinder boxer engine, Hardened 79mm crankshaft, ACL race bearings, Mahle 2618 forged pistons, Manley forged con rods, Cosworth head gasket, big port heads, Airtec RS500-style front-mount intercooler with custom 3in pipework and front frame, ported throttle body with coolant bypass, ported inlet, Turbo Dynamics MX321V billet turbocharger, Roger Clark Motorsport GT-spec 2 unequal- length tubular manifolds, Venturi up-pipe, RCM induction trumpet with K&N air filter, custom slip-jointed 3in exhaust system, Roger Clark Motorsport baffled sump, Bachler Racing billet header tank, billet radiator cap and WRC-style oil filler cap, Bachler Racing billet dipstick, billet parallel fuel rails with ID1000 injectors and Racinglines fuel line setup, fuel pressure regulator, RCM 340lph fuel pump, relocated alternator, relocated power steering reservoir, custom radiator, 3-port baffled oil catch can directly piped to crank breathers, full aircon delete, silicone hoses throughout, Alcatek ECU with 6-map live switching, six-speed manual gearbox with Perrin short shifter, Exedy Hyper twin-plate clutch, Extreme lightweight flywheel, Perrin shifter bushes, plated rear LSD, front LSD
CHASSIS: 9.5x18in WORK Emotion Kiwami forged alloy wheels, 225/40x18 Nankang NS-2R tyres, STI McGaurd lug nuts, TEIN Street Flex coilovers with adjustable pillowball top mounts, Whiteline front anti-roll bar, front droplinks with polybushes, and rear adjustable anti-roll bar with solid droplinks, polybushes and stout mounts, front and rear upper strut braces, Group N engine, gearbox and differential mounts, STI Brembo calipers, Performance Friction two-piece discs with PFZ-rated pads (front), Performance Friction discs with Carbotech pads (rear), full ABS delete with Tilton bias valve, braided brake lines, AP Racing DOT5 fluid
EXTERIOR: Custom headlights with black- out mod, HID projectors and custom intake duct, PIAA blue fog lights, STI fog light covers, WRC-style roof scoop, Zunsport lower mesh grille, carbon fibre front splitter, carbon fibre front canards, carbon fibre rear lower diffuser, carbon fibre side skirt extensions, STI high- level rear spoiler with Perrin Wing Stiffies
INTERIOR: Flocked dashboard, centre console and pillars, rear seats removed and replaced with carbon fibre parcel shelf, carbon fibre firewall and rear bench delete, Corbeau fixed-back bucket seats with BuddyClub low rails, Takata four-point harnesses, Sparco dished suede steering wheel with NRG Gen II short-hub and quick release boss, Safety Devices six-point roll cage in Frozen White, STI billet gear knob, custom launch control and anti-lag switches, carbon fibre-dipped vents and centre display, roof liner delete, of alloy wheels shod with different tyres for colour-coded to the wheels to tie everything fully stripped boot area, Spec C door cards, different applications, his favourite being his together. Then there’s the fact that practically various gauges (oil pressure, oil temperature, WORK Emotions seen here on his dry road every surface inside has been flocked to boost, fuel pressure, EGT, ACT), Pioneer setup. “I have a love for white wheels which give off a serious motorsport vibe. Dave’s double-DIN touch screen head unit started with my first Impreza. I think they look even made his own switches to control stuff incredible!” Setting off those stunning JDM like anti-lag and launch control that are now THANKS: “Matthias Bachler aka BACHLER wheels, the rest of the exterior boasts other available through the car’s trick new ECU! RACING for the awesome products supplied touches that not only look awesome but Now left with a car that has pretty much to me so far, members of Subaru Owners of Northamptonshire (SOON) for all the advice provide plenty of functionality along the way. everything, how does Dave enjoy his and support – our club is an awesome It all revolves around subtle carbon fibre body impressive creation? “I take it on track days friendly group of people, all of which have also extensions underneath the STI’s standard and fast road blasts all the time – it feels became my close friends, Tone Caravelli aka curves, along with a WRC-style roof scoop absolutely amazing to drive,” he proudly 1327 FABS for his mad welding skills – I can and the custom air intake blended into the states. Despite the hard life it gets out and weld but it ain’t pretty so this man is my go-to driver’s headlight. about, his attention-to-detail means it can hero for any custom fab work or welding, and It’s a similar story inside, too, with enough also embarrass plenty on the show circuit too. my wife and kids for putting up with all the late quality performance parts added to make “It’s definitely hard trying to nail a track car nights spent in a barn building this beast… even a professional rally driver red in the that is show-worthy too, but I think I’ve just and for my absence on show weekends – I have so much love for them!” face. That six-point roll cage, for example, is about done it!” Yes Dave, we agree!
August 2018 067 STAFF BUILDS
This one could be yours! 2006 NISSAN 350Z 3.5 V6
THE STORY SO FAR Full steam valet, top-notch brakes, service and loads of other stuff (nearly). Project Free The only magazine project that could be on your drive Fiddy in a few months time… he countdown to TRAX The American firm has gained quite the Silverstone (where we’ll be reputation on the road and in all sorts of giving or 350Z away to one lucky motorsports for their premium performance bugger), has well and truly started. offerings, and they’re a brand I’ve used on And, although there’s still plenty of numerous cars over the years, including modifying to do between now and plenty of my own projects. In fact, that’s then,T there is one other essential we thought pretty obvious from the amount of flags, we’d better get sorted sooner rather than hats and aprons I have knocking about my later, and that’s a damn good service. workshop – like all Americans these guys just Now, even though the big Nissan came love to chuck in a spot of merchandise! with a full history, we’ve still got a few shows When it comes to giving the best advice around the UK to attend before the new too, the team at Oldhall Performance certainly owner takes the keys. That and we’re just know their stuff, so much so that they soon not the sort of team who say “there you go sold me on changing the gearbox and diff oils mate… oh yeah, it needs and oil change.” while I was at it, just in case they hadn’t been So, while I had the car on the ramp for last done for a while. They also supply magnetic month’s brake-fitting escapade, I thought sump plugs from Gold Plug USA so, as this I’d get on to Oldhall Performance, suppliers one is all on the publisher’s tab, I ordered one of Redline Oil here in the UK, and put in an of those too. I’m nice like that. order for some rather special fully synthetic Anyway, I don’t have to tell you how engine oil. important it is to keep up your service
068 www.banzaimagazine.com schedules, especially on highly stressed cars, or ones like this with bloody-great expensive engines. Prevention, as they say, is always far better than cure! Now, admittedly it’s hardly the most exciting of tasks, but changing the oil and filter is something that can be done at home with not much more than a trolley jack, a torque wrench and a couple of stands. It’s an easy job that can save you a few quid on garage bills along the way. Gearbox and diff oil needs changing far less regularly (if at all) and usually takes a couple of special tools, like drain plug keys and a big turkey baster (syringe is the word you’re looking for there mate – Sam). It can also be a little trickier, so many choose to leave it to the pros, or at least someone with a ramp. To be fair, I don’t blame them either - old transmission oil is horrible, stinky stuff! Still, once I got my delivery (and another hat), it only took an hour or so to replace all those essential fluids with Redline’s finest protection. That left me time to think about getting on with some more modifying… which is handy because we've just had a lorry-load of new parts turn up! I guess I better pull my finger out to get this car sorted in time for Japfest Donington. Wish me luck!
This Month... • Redline 5W30 Fully Synthetic Engine Oil (x5) £89.70 • MT85 Gearbox Oil (x4) £80.80 • 75W90 Diff Oil (x2) £42.84 • Gold Plug Magnetic Sump Plug £17.99 • Oil filter £5.37 Total: £236.70
THANKS: Oldhall Performance – www.oldhall performance.com Redline Oil – www.redlineoil.com Goldplug – www.goldplug.com 2Forge – www.2forgewheels.com
August 2018 069
STAFF BUILDS
Martin Ad Sales HONDA JAZZ K20
THE STORY SO FAR Engine out, bay stripped, rad test fitted, loads of stuff… but it's still in bits!
fter 160,000-miles and what seemed like a 6-month fight with the seized bolts, the subframe Martin's (which I suspect has never been removed) was finally off. On first inspection it wasn’t in too bad a You've been condition…A until I removed the engine mount. framed! I found that, water has been collecting behind Honda Jazz the mount for some time, and slowly rusting away the frame in the process. A quick trip friends over at Apex Performance this month. my local Halfords was first on the agenda I’ve been looking forward to seeing my new (luckily, my mate Kenny works there and lets purchases from Hardrace and BC Racing, me know what they have in stock), so I could and I’ll give you full rundown on those in the get myself yet another wire wheel. This takes next issue. This time around though I have the count to 7 so far on this car, I’m definitely the anti-roll bar bushes, Hardrace rear engine going for some sort of record! mount and lower arms I need ready to finish I started the process of rubbing the off the subframe rejuvenation. subframe down and praying it was just So, with help from my son, who’s only 2 surface rust. For once, it was good news too. but already better with a spanner than Midge The car gods are obviously smiling down on is (I can’t argue with that – Midge), we fitted this Jazz build (I wouldn’t count on it sunshine the anti-roll bar with the fresh new bushes – Midge). After 20-minites or so of the most and the Hardrace engine mount. This mount hardcore grinding I've ever encountered, the in particular looks like a bulky, strong piece of surface was ready for a thorough application kit that will be perfect for all the extra grunt! of good ol' Hammerite. As for the lower arms, I just can’t stress Feeling a bit lazy (and skint), I got the enough how nice these are and the fact ‘direct to metal’ spray because that’s bound they’re all nicely bushed already made me to save time and cash on the prep and way too excited. I slid those into place primer. So I simply, hung the subframe up and nipped the bolts for now, although I’m and got going blasting away like a demon. thinking it’s a shame to just leave those dirty While I was there, I also chucked some on old ones on, so I’ll be making an order at my the anti-roll bar for good measure. local Honda dealer in about 10 minutes time, A day later, I could inspect my work, and I they’re definitely letting the side down! have to say everything was looking extremely Anyway, with the subframe now fully shiny. That's job-jobbed, as our pint-sized refreshed I can get that fitted… although Editor would say. there’s plenty more to get on with first. No Anyway, I’ve also had a delivery from my rest for the wicked!
This Month...
Wire wheels and brushes £7.40 Lower arms £183.24 ARB bushes £17.55 Total £208.19
THANKS Hardrace – www.hardrace.co.uk
August 2018 071 Evans Power Cool 180° keeps our engines cool, reduces pressure on MAXIMISE the cooling system and helps deliver greater power.
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P030.prices-18.indd 1 02/05/2018 09:37 STAFF BUILDS
Sam Contributor EP3 CIVIC TYPE R Sam's EP3 Sammy’s fiddly gearbox overhaul continues as the job is wrapped up and ready to be installed into the car…
THE STORY SO FAR Eibach Pro-Street-S coilovers, Rigid Collar subframe supports, Powerflex polybushes throughout, Toyo R888 tyres, K&N Typhoon induction kit, Cobra Sport cat-back exhaust system, Dixcel fast- road discs/pad upgrade
Pulling out the old speedo gear with a bearing puller can be quite a tedious job
New bearings sitting pretty
n case you missed last month’s instalment, We pick up the story as Kris has stripped the the gearbox internals back in place, before my EP3 Civic Type R is currently mid-way ‘box down and installed the new LSD. You’ll re-attaching the casing to leave us with through a total gearbox overhaul. But you’ll be see in the pictures that the next job was to pull one shiny, rebuilt gearbox! Well… I say 'us'. pleased to hear the end is finally in sight now! out the old speedo gear using a bearing puller, Anyway, Kris told me that getting the casing Put simply, the job involved me purchasing before pressing in the new diff bearings (being on properly can be a fiddly business, often a spare gearbox, as well as a Fidanza ‘Qwik careful only to press against the bearings’ inner upsetting what’s inside and locking up the IRev’ performance clutch/flywheel package and faces throughout). ‘box, meaning it’s a process that requires a a MFactory helical LSD, which my poor friend New speedo gear and diff bearings secured fair bit of trial and error to get sorted. Kris has kindly offered to put together for me in in place, it was ‘simply’ a case of installing I'm now shaking with anticipation to get his spare time. the new diff assembly, then putting all of this much more capable unit chucked onto my car, and to see how it transforms the One complete driving experience (especially as my current gearbox unit all clutch biting point is now higher than the put back together Empire State Building). I’m hoping the diff will really make a difference when driving hard, while the clutch/flywheel package will offer up tonnes more confidence to back it up. Hopefully it won’t be too long until I can find out for myself! This Month... MFactory Helical LSD £658.29 KOYO diff bearings £44.63 Total: £702.92
THANKS My friend Kris for putting in the blood, sweat and tears! Rival Motorsport – www.rivalmotorsport.co.uk Fidanza – www.fidanza.com
August 2018 073 YOUR BUILDS
ASTON NAGATA’S Toyota Supra GED WAITE’S R34 SKYLINE GTI
BANZAI SAYS: “I joined the immaculate set of BBS alloys. BANZAI SAYS: Have you ever rims that now house a Brembo MkIV Supra Owners’ Club “I love the car so much met anyone who doesn’t love big brake kit. There’s also a back in 2007 after deciding I that in 2013 I actually bought the R34 Skyline? Ged here is Blitz exhaust for extra howl could finally afford to purchase another Supra Twin Turbo to one young man who was keen from that boosted 320bhp one,” our proud owner Aston have as my daily” he says. “The to get involved in the world of RB25 motor, as well as a here explains. Following much friends I’ve met as a result of Skylines as soon as physically Recaro bucket seat and OMP research and deciding that, if buying this car have changed possible, eventually snapping steering wheel inside. he was going to do this, he’d my life for the better.” It’s up this stunning GTT-badged If things keep going at this do it properly with a fabled always nice to see someone variant of Godzilla three years rate, Ged’s going to have a real 2JZ-powered manual TT with so much love for their car, ago when he was just 21 years monster on his hands before RZ-spec’d car, his dreams were that’s for sure! of age. long… in fact, he already has! eventually realised when he “It needed a fair bit of TLC shipped over this fresh black TOYOTA SUPRA and I’ve been gradually buying R34 SKYLINE GTT beauty courtesy of the guys at various bits for it,” he explains. JM Imports. MAIN MODS: With work commencing in the MAIN MODS: Re-spray in Becoming nothing short of SupraRacingDevelopments form of a full re-spray in Aston Aston Martin Meteorite Silver, an obsession ever since, Aston front-mount intercooler, HKS Martin’s delicious Meteorite Japan Racing alloys, Westlake admits he’s always on the hunt SuperFlow air intake, HKS Silver hue, and then topped off semi-slick tyres, carbon fibre for premium rare parts that will exhaust system, full engine with a huge list of carbon fibre Recaro bucket seat, carbon subtly enhance this stunning dress-up kit, BC Racing goodies including the doors and fibre centre dash, full carbon car. So far, countless HKS coilovers, TRD/Do Luck strut those widened front wings, he fibre doors and front wide braces, BBS alloys, TRD wings, carbon fibre rear goodies have been added, certainly hasn’t held back! steering wheel, MVP front lip, spoiler, YellowSpeed coilovers, as well as some BC Racing TRD spoilers To add some stance into Blitz Nür-spec exhaust system, coilovers and an absolutely the mix, some YellowSpeed OMP steering wheel, Brembo coilovers were added, as well big brake upgrade as those bronze Japan Racing
CORNISH JDM What beats stunning coastline backdrops and some of the best JDM cars around? Well, that’s what Cornish JDM – CLUBSpotlight one of the largest Japanese car clubs in the county – is lucky enough be dealing with on a weekly basis! “We get a massive attendance to our meets and events,” club organiser Matthew Hickenbottom tells us. “We aim to make everyone feel welcome, whether they own their first Jap car or their hundredth!” Often attending shows and putting on local meets, as well as boasting a thriving Facebook forum, it’s well worth getting involved if you’re down that way. CONTACT: Search for ‘Cornish JDM’ on Facebook
074 www.banzaimagazine.com JASON BENTLEY’S HONDA CR-X FACEBOOK BANZAI SAYS: Ever carefully-selected mods BUILDS... heard of a CR-X Limited that have been added. Edition II before? We “I wanted to keep won’t judge you if you an OEM+ vibe where haven’t – Jason’s coupé possible,” Jason reveals, here is thought to be one with subtle touches such of just two currently in as Skunk2 suspension the country! and period-looking was over there. I spent Signifying that it’s Japan Racing alloys only a fortune but if you’re rocking a grunty, old- adding to the overall there yourself, you kind school D15B engine awesomeness on tap. of have to!” He grins. complete with twin “It also has a number Keep up the good ▲ Charlie Duthie cams, this retro beauty of engine parts directly work, Jason, these is clearly in safe hands from the legendary stunners certainly won’t based on its immaculate FEEL’S shop in Tokyo be getting any more condition and the that I collected when I common over here!
HONDA CR-X
MAIN MODS: JDM D15B engine with twin carbs, Skunk2 lowering springs and shocks, Japan Racing alloys, Skunk2 radiator, various JDM FEEL’S engine upgrades ▲ Ian Roberts
GARY HAY’S NISSAN FAIRLADY Z TYPE 380RS
3.8-litre version of that normally-aspirated VQ V6 motor that kicks out around 350bhp, as well as plenty of other ▲ Laura Eastwood extra-special goodies like Yamaha/Autech dampers and a NISMO S-Tune exhaust system. Unsurprisingly, Gary’s been fairly reluctant to modify such a rarity. BANZAI SAYS: Just One of 300 in the Not that he needs to – another 350Z, we hear world and possibly the the car came complete something you’d win you say? In actual fact, only example that’s with a wild NISMO fairly far into a Gran ▲ Marc Lim Gary’s slice of JDM made it to Europe, this body kit straight from Turismo game in real royalty here couldn’t Fairlady Z 380RS is a the factory! life. Keep an eye out for be any further away NISMO/Autech-built It’s nice to see a this one at upcoming from it! brute, complete with a car that looks like shows and meets…
NISSAN FAIRLADY Z TYPE 380RS
MAIN MODS: One of 300 in the world, Autech seam-welded Z33 chassis, NISMO S-Tune exhaust, suspension and V3 aero, Yamaha/Autech dampers ▲ Steve Bibby
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Our guide to finding and refining the world’s favourite roadster… Words: Daniel Bevis
MAZDA MX-5NA/B, NC, ND Buying Guide
(the original pop-up light car, built from 1989- 97) and the NB (its blobbier successor with the fixed headlights, sold from 1998-2005) together, as they’re effectively the same car underneath; then the radically different and muscularly-arched NC, and finally the shiny new ND. As you’d imagine with one of the best-selling cars ever, there are myriad spec t hardly needs to be pointed out here that Mazda shifted bucketloads of them. The and detail options to befuddle your brains, the first-generation Mazda MX-5 was one designers took the spirit of the Triumph Spitfire and you can add in the fact that JDM Eunos of the finest drivers’ cars ever built. That’s and wrapped it all up in a package shamelessly models further mix up the options… but like saying that Kanye likes publicity, it’s cribbed from the Lotus Elan, and stuffed it fundamentally, this is a simple rear-drive drop- just obvious. The model was a game- full of bulletproof modern mechanicals. They top with a playful motor and a brilliant gearbox. changer when it was launched back in 1989; even tuned the exhaust to sound like a classic What’s more, the MX-5 modifying community Iits combination of eager performance and British roadster’s. Arguably it’s this mixture of is one of the biggest out there and has all the everyday usability, along with its cuteness and British heritage and Japanese engineering that might of the MX-5 Owners Club (www.mx5oc. clear aesthetic debt to the European roadsters made them most popular. co.uk) backing it up, so finding all the help you of yore, proved to be a winning formula – The models we’re looking at here are the NA ever need is but a mouse click away!
080 MX-5 NA/B 082 MX-5 NC 084 MX-5 ND 1989-97 (NA)/1998-2005 (NB) (2005-15) (2015-present)
August 2018 079 ULTIMATE BUYING GUIDE MX-5 NA/NB
Models Early NAs came with the B6ZE(RS) engine, a 1,598cc screamer with electronic fuel injection, lightweight crankshaft, and an aluminium sump with cooling fins – the motor produced 115bhp stock. (If you’ve got a UK car with ‘DETUNED’ stamped on the V5, though, you’re actually looking at closer to 88bhp.) Later 1.8 cars enjoyed the BP-ZE engine – this had a forged crank, piston oil squirters, and Variable Inertia Charging System (VICS), which featured a solenoid that activated at high revs to magically increase horsepower; peak power with this motor was 131bhp. JDM and USDM cars had the option of an LSD, and there were many, many special editions with varying levels of trim and equipment – we’ve counted 77 special editions, but there may be more! Some highlights include the V-Spec – a JDM model in British Racing Green with tan leather and a Nardi wheel – and the Merlot, a UK 1.6 in wine red, as well as the iconic BBR Turbo which had 152bhp. History Elan, it’s now genuinely possible to buy what There’s also the RS-Limited which had When the NA launched in 1989, it changed is effectively budget Lotus handling, that will Bilstein suspension, the Monza which the face of the global roadster market forever. always be faultlessly reliable, for far less than incongruously had wood trim, and the Sold as the MX-5 in Europe, Eunos Roadster the cost of a rusty Fiesta. Look as hard as you California which was very, very yellow. or Mazda Roadster in Japan, and Miata in the like, you won’t find a downside. This car is an Special editions of the NB were similarly US, it immediately became a global sensation. everyman legend. numerous: the Jasper Conran edition had It came with a perky little twin-cam motor – The facelifted NB MX-5 launched in 1998, bright red leather, the GT-R wore Viper a choice of 115bhp 1.6 or 131bhp 1.8, the with fixed headlights and more power. While stripes, and the Icon sported tan leather difference largely conceived for Japanese tax the RX-7-inspired body update looked fresh, and an LSD. Engine-wise, the NB kept reasons – and probably the best gearbox ever much of the architecture under the skin the BP engine but raised the compression made. You sit low and snug, and steer it with was carried over from the old NA; they’re ratio with domed pistons, resulting in your hips like a Caterham. Best of all, with sufficiently similar for them to be included as 140bhp. 6-speed gearboxes appeared, that body design so blatantly stolen from the one model here. and the 2001 facelift brought revised seats and dash, additional chassis bracing, and variable valve timing on the intake cam with a new peak figure of 146bhp.
The numbers: • NA 1.6 – 115bhp • NA 1.6 (detuned – UK) – 88bhp • NA 1.8 – 131bhp • NB 1.6 – 108bhp • NB 1.8 – 140bhp • NB 1.8 (facelift) – 146bhp • BBR Turbo – 152bhp
TOP 5 BASIC MODS...
››› EXHAUST ››› INDUCTION You’ll want the Yep, the most basic note to go with the first-time mod of all handling and a free- always goes down flowing exhaust for well on the Mk1/2 the MX-5 is always a engines. All the big top mod. Japspeed companies make their do and awesome own options, but how little system (and a about this awesome tubular manifold) for Pipercross Viper for not a lot of cash. starters? Lovely! www.japspeed.co.uk www.pipercross.net
080 www.banzaimagazine.com In association with www.adrianflux.co.uk Production run: 1989-97 (NA); 1998-2005 (NB) Price now: from £1,000 Buyer Beware! The mechanicals on the NA and NB are impressively bulletproof. The one thing you really need to be looking out for with these cars is rust in the rear arches and sills, as this is very common. Catch it early and it’s not too hard to fix, but repairs can get more involved if it’s been left to rot for a while. Chassis rails in the NB are also prone to rust, as they’re made from steel layers welded together, and condensation collects between the layers. Blue smoke means either valve stem seals or piston rings, while white smoke means water in the cylinders, either from condensation from a car that’s not been used in a while, or a blown head gasket. Cam covers may leak oil, handbrakes are notorious for binding, and the plastic rear windows can perish. It’s relatively cheap and easy to get a replacement roof with a proper glass window though.
TOP QUOTES FROM ADRIAN FLUX... 1991 Mazda MX-5 1.6, Value £1200
Young & Spritely Getting On Pushing 40 Age: 21 Age: 32 Age:39 License: Clean License: 1x SP30 (3 points) License: Clean Occupation: Factory Worker Occupation: Teacher Occupation: Accountant Quote: £750 Quote: £100 Quote: £100 *Quotes subject to ADFTXS (Accidental Damage, Fire and Theft Excess).
››› COILOVERS. ››› FORCED ››› STYLING The handling INDUCTION From smooth and already has a This engine was subtle, to rather reputation for being designed from the off outlandish with more on the good side to be turbocharged aero enhancements of legendary, but (think BBR) and there’s than the main hanger that doesn’t mean it approximately a at Top Gun, anything can’t be improved – million conversions out goes with the Mazda. Gaz coilovers are a there… so how about a A huge rear wing from superb option at a mighty Jackson Racing GarageStar could get decent price. supercharger instead? you in the mood… www.gazshocks.com www.jacksonracing.com www.garagestar.com
August 2018 081 ULTIMATE BUYING GUIDE MX-5 NC History Through all generations of MX-5 development, Mazda followed the concept of ‘jinba ittai’, a term that loosely translates as ‘rider and horse as one’. Like the NA and NB, the new-for 2005 NC had to follow five specific criteria: to be as compact and light as possible, to comfortably accommodate two people with no wasted space, to have a front-mid engine layout and RWD for a 50:50 weight distribution, to have wishbone or multi-link suspension at each corner, and to have an engine frame that provided a solid connection to the diff for sharp throttle response. The NC’s body offered a radical new look, with bulging arches and an up-and-at-’em stance. And whereas the NA/NB had a canvas roof as standard with the option of a removable hardtop, the NC could later be had with either canvas or a proper integrated folding hardtop – which added 36kg to the weight, but impressively didn’t intrude upon boot space.
Models Mazda model range, and power increased to The NC was a clean-sheet design, sharing a tasty 167bhp. nothing with its NB predecessor. Suspension A further facelift, the NC3, came in 2013, was revised from a 4-wheel double wishbone again redesigning the grille and headlights setup to the RX-8’s front wishbone/ while also bringing in the Active Bonnet rear multilink arrangement, and the engine system for pedestrian safety. was the new MZR 16-valve four-pot (sourced Notable special editions included the Icon from Ford) – 1.8-litres for 126bhp, 2.0-litres with its unique leather interior, the lavishly- for 160bhp. Transmission options were equipped Niseko, the Mz Tune with its a 5-speed manual (on the 1.8), 6-speed aggressive bodykit and 170bhp, the rakish manual, or 6-speed auto, and an LSD 25th Anniversary, the colourful Sport Black, was optional on 6-speed manual models. and the lunatic Jota GT – which had 203bhp Mazda released the folding hardtop variant and a massive centre-exit exhaust. in mid-2006, naming it ‘Roadster Coupé’ – commonly referred to as the RC. The numbers: A facelift arrived in 2008, known as the • 1.8 – 126bhp NC2; the rev limit was raised slightly, and • 2.0 – 160bhp the front roll centre was lowered to improve • 2.0 (NC2 facelift) – 167bhp turn-in. A larger grille and restyled headlights • Mz Tune – 170bhp brought the design in line with the rest of the • Jota GT – 203bhp
TOP 5 BASIC MODS...
››› STYLING ››› INTERIOR Let’s face it, the Mk3 looks The seats are pretty pretty swish right out of the cool, but they’re not box. Most opt to keep them what you’d call the subtle, and a few body epitome of luxury. The bits from MX5 Parts could guys at Torqen UK can come in handy for this. sort you out with some Then again you just build proper posh perches yourself a replica of the that will transform your MX-5 Superlight… pass the interior. It’s a drop-top, angle grinder! so everyone will see ‘em! www.mx5parts.co.uk www.torqen.uk
082 www.banzaimagazine.com In association with www.adrianflux.co.uk Production run: 2005-15 Price now: from £2,500
TOP QUOTES FROM ADRIAN FLUX... 2008 Mazda MX-5 1.8, Value £4000
Young & Spritely Getting On Pushing 40 Age: 21 Age: 32 Age:39 License: Clean License: 1x SP30 (3 points) License: Clean Occupation: Factory Worker Occupation: Teacher Occupation: Accountant Quote: £1450 Quote: £250 Quote: £200 *Quotes subject to ADFTXS (Accidental Damage, Fire and Theft Excess).
Buyer Beware! gearboxes can be tough to shift from 1st Like the older MX-5 engines, the NC’s to 2nd when cold, but this is a quirk which motors are similarly bombproof. They don’t almost always resolves itself once it’s warmed have cambelts to worry about either – although up. Damp carpets are usually due to blocked in rare cases the cam chain tensioners have drainholes, which can easily be blasted clean been known to fail, so listen out for that rattle. with the airline at your local garage. Mazda are weirdly picky about coolant, Electric window switches can fail (and are insisting that the NC be refreshed with their a pain in the backside to replace!) And the own unique blend of coolant every two years. seatbelt inertia reels tend to slacken, meaning Debate rages over how important this is, but it’s easy to slam the seatbelt in the door if it it’s worth combing through the history to see hasn’t retracted, leaving obvious scratches. whether this has been adhered to. Manual The paint is thin too, so expect stone chips.
››› BIG POWER ››› SUSPENSION ››› BUSHES It’s pricey at £4,395, The dampers wear Some of the earlier but BBR’s turbo kit for out surprisingly cars, especially the NC will give you an quickly, and the those that have extra 104bhp and 85lb/ stock ride height been driven hard, ft – it includes a Garrett is comically high can be needing GT turbo, manifold, anyway, so you want new bushes now. Starchip, intercooler, to get it on some Uprated ones from bigger injectors, and quality suspension. Polybush are said everything else you need Luckily Koni do just to be the best. to get boosting. the thing. Just so you know. www.bbrgti.com www.koniuk.co.uk www.polybush.co.uk
August 2018 083 ULTIMATE BUYING GUIDE MX-5 ND
History Somebody at Mazda experienced an epiphany: ‘The original MX-5 was one of the most popular cars of all time,’ the thought process went, ‘so why don’t we make the new one more like that one?’ And so they did. The ND is every bit as astounding as the original NA; it weighs about the same, the 1.5-litre engine produces a similar peak power figure, and it’s basically just a lovely drivetrain with a couple of seats bolted to it. History repeats itself in fine style. The fun part is that Mazda are also offering a 2.0-litre variant. While the 1.5 is about as close as it’s possible to get to buying a new old MX-5 (if that makes sense) in terms of feel and spirit, the 2.0 is an absolute animal. It’s quite a fun test to drive the lesser-engined car first, then follow the same route in its bigger brother and play spot-the-difference: you find that you’re going around 15-20mph faster at any given time and, while the 1.5 encourages you to keep the throttle pinned at all times, you’ll note that you’re actually having to rein the 2.0 in a bit. So… do you prefer poise and tactility or hardcore visceral lunacy? We know what we’d choose.
Models roof panel. The ND is four inches shorter and 100kg Unsurprisingly, there are oodles of ND lighter than the NC it replaced – as modern special editions, some highlights including cars go, this is properly tiny. The 1.5-litre the Sport Recaro, which has 165bhp and SkyActiv-G engine offers 129bhp, with the (obviously) Recaro seats, the Icon with its 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G serving up 158bhp – Porsche GT3-style graphics, and the Z-Sport and in such a light car, it feels like quite which has BBS wheels and Bose audio. a lot more! A manually-operated fabric roof is standard, and in 2016 the MX-5 RF The numbers: was launched; RF stands for ‘Retractable • 1.5 – 129bhp Fastback’, and this model has rigid rear • 2.0 – 158bhp buttresses and a targa-style folding central • Sport Recaro – 165bhp
TOP 5 BASIC MODS...
››› EXHAUST ››› WHEELS Cobra Sport have While we actually a fantastic range of like the standard stainless exhausts rims, keeping them for the ND – stock- just wouldn’t be position twins, modifying, right? aggressive quads, That said we’d try and and even super- stay as lightweight cool centre exit with some rotary- systems! The formed beauties from choice is yours. the guys 2Forge. www.cobrasport.com www.2forgewheels.com
084 www.banzaimagazine.com In association with www.adrianflux.co.uk Production run: 2015-present Price now: from £16,000
TOP QUOTES FROM ADRIAN FLUX... 2016 Mazda MX-5 1.5, Value £16000
Young & Spritely Getting On Pushing 40 Age: 21 Age: 32 Age:39 License: Clean License: 1x SP30 (3 points) License: Clean Occupation: Factory Worker Occupation: Teacher Occupation: Accountant Quote: £1650 Quote: £350 Quote: £275
*Quotes subject to ADFTXS (Accidental Damage, Fire and Theft Excess).
Buyer Beware! Being such a new model, there’s not a huge amount to concern yourself with here. The soft-top doesn’t have a lot of clearance when it folds so it’s not uncommon for them to rub against interior trim and create wear marks (or, in extreme cases, holes). A few early 2.0-litre models suffered gearbox issues (mostly in the US, it’s super-rare in the UK), but this will almost certainly have been remedied by the dealer – quiz the owner and check the history. Some owners have reported rattles from rear calipers or door catches, and loose seatbelt guides, but the cars are new enough that a dealer should remedy these faults. Bear in mind that the LED headlamp bulbs aren’t cheap to replace and, as with all MX-5s, the paint is thin so there may be stone chips.
››› SPRINGS ››› CAGE IT As you’d expect You may choose to keep the handling is good, your new car how Mazda but Eibach can make intended, but nothing it better still with a screams ‘this roadster simple spring swap. means business’ like some These will do nothing ››› ARBS motorsport graphics and an but enhance the SuperPro’s 24 and 16mm front and rear bars extremely complicate roll handing while keeping make a surprising difference to the ND’s cage. Safety Devices can that comfortable new- playful handling. They even come with proper build you one of the best car feel. polyurethane bushes to mount them up. Nice! monkey bars in the business. www.eibach.com www.superproeurope.com www.safetydevices.com
August 2018 085 rb163.pdf 1 09/11/2016 11:41
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2005, 99,000 miles, £2,450. Black leather heated seats, s/history, one owner, p/s, e/w, 2002, 74,000 miles, £1,450. Finished in black. c/l, long MoT and drives well. Please call 07836 This car includes FSH, 1600 model engine, 548731, Essex. service book and manual. The belt and all oils 2839 have been changed, immaculate paintwork, 16” 2001, 101,000 miles, £795. Automatic 1.3 F alloys fi tted and in excellent condition. Please NISSAN spped. MoT May 2019. Central locking, electric call 07758 876673, Lancs. windows. Mirrors, air con. Alloy wheels, full 1790 factory, body kit economical lovely condition. MICRA CONVERTIBLE Always garaged. Please call 07543 460394, MX5 MK1 LTD. ED Essex. 2647 MAZDA MX5
2006, 98,000 miles, £1,495. Recent service, full service history. MoT March 2019. 1.6 sport, manual. Power roof, windows and mirrors. Air conditioning, CD, airbags and alloy wheels. Immaculate condition, always garaged. Please call 07543 460394. 2281 TOYOTA 1997, 73,000 miles, £5,995. Manual, 1600 engine size, 1 owner from new, Comes with full service history and 12 months MOT full leather, MR2 new hood and UK supplied car. Please call 01179 567144, (T). 2846
2011, 23,000 Miles, £10,999. Finished in jet MX5 MK2 black also with blue leather seats, manual, 1999, £1,695. Gold, no rust. MOT, new cambelt, power steering, alloy wheels, remote central clutch and exhaust in the last 2 years. Please locking, this convertible also has a hard top plus call 07799 188268, Hayling Island. many more features. Please call 02380 766870, 2673 Hampshire.(T) MX5 MKI 1.8IS MX5 2000, 80,000 miles, £3,000. Engine has been reconditioned, new 17” alloy wheels and tyres. New coilovers, exhaust, brakes, clutch plate and water pump. Lovely condition. Please call 01753 889787, Bucks. 2515 PARTS WANTED HONDA ACCORD REAR BUMPER BLADE
2004, 83,000 Miles, £2,499. 1800cc Petrol convertible. Electric windows. Power steering. Hard roof and black soft top. Heated leather 1996, 73,000 miles, £4,095 Ono. A highly Wanted. Chrome must be in very good to seats. New battery May 2017. New alternator original MX5, wants for nothing just get in and excellent condition but no dints. Rubber not January 2018. Service history. MOT May 2018. enjoy. Recent new exhaust. No welding required. important. Good and fair price paid. Please call Very good condition. Please call 07951 120399 . MoT till Oct 18. Please call 01322 270354, Kent. 01430 861636, Yorkshire. 2537 2729
August 2018 089 ED’S WILDCARD Divide and Conquer What do you get ake a long, hard look at the Datsun is littered with key cars from all over the world, when you lop the 260Z you see here, then listen really, cars which, for whatever reason, are indelibly roof of a classic really closely. Do you hear that? linked to a certain style; ‘Cal Look’ Beetles, That’s the sound of classic car ‘South London look Fords,’ and of course Pro Japanese sports car, purists gnashing their teeth, banging Street muscle cars. The reasons for the looks then replace its OE their fists in impotent rage, and which define them might well be radically engine for something generallyT spitting feathers at the sheer audacity different, but the end result is the same; all too of whoever built this car. Before we get to what often those who dare to break from the norm, to for more potent and makes this car so damn divisive (hint – it has plough their own furrow, get nowt but stick, and far more modern? everything to do with the expanse of air above we think that’s wrong. It stifles creativity, breeds Fireworks, that’s what! the driver’s head) it’s worth taking a step back to homogeneity and fosters stagnation. ponder just why certain cars are held to such a All of which brings us back to the 260Z you high regard, and why said cars all too often have see before you and its characteristic feature – the Words: Jarkle ‘set’ selection of modifications applied to them. distinct lack of roof. Owned and built by one Photos: Ben Hosking It’s not just Japanese cars, automotive history Fane Harman over the course of 20-odd years,
The Editor’s Wild Card gives our Midge the chance to feature a car from the wider world Wild of Japanese car culture that, traditionally, you CARD may not have seen in the pages of Banzai. FEATURE This month we have a motor that only the readers of the more ‘classic’ orientated car mags would have ever come across, but it really is one that needs to be imortalised in these pages. It’s actually quite a famous car in that world, but the fact is that you NEED to see this chopped 260Z too, simply because of the sheer balls required to build it… well, along with a 570bhp VG30 lump from a 300ZX and a big fat angle grinder. And as for the purists? Well, haters are always gonna hate, right? Let them whine away in their own little world of misery, because we just can’t help but smile every time we see it!
090 www.banzaimagazine.com Divide and Conquer the effort involved in the creation of this car is something it’s safe to say he well and truly jumped in and made it work,” Fane chuckles. clear to see, but of course it wasn’t anything embraced. First up, that roof. There have We’re well aware that the above makes the like this when Fane got his hands on it – not been a number of drop-top converted Zs over whole ‘roof deletion process’ seem the work even close. the years but this is one of the most extreme, of five minutes, but that’s because that’s how “I actually found the car lying semi- a full ‘suck your teeth, hold your breath and Fane described it! He did the maths, carefully abandoned and smashed up on someone’s dive in with a grinder’ job, and it’s all the analysed where to cut and where to brace, lawn way up in the beaches in Northern better for it. No, it isn’t going to please those then jumped in with gusto. Sydney back in 1996,” recalls Fane. “At first card carrying Datsun Owners’ Club members The bare shell (sans roof) was taken to glance I thought it was a Corvette, and was out there, and no, it isn’t what Datsun itself Tilleys Panel Shop where the vast majority of excited enough to drive back there and offer envisioned for their sports offering, but hey, the panels were replaced or repaired, rot was him $200 cash right away.” there’s a lot to be said for Fane’s unbridled chopped and any signs of future weakness The car needed a huge amount of work enthusiasm and ability to get the job done. were taken care of. Fane also opted to add to get anywhere near road legal, though the “I wanted to own a drop-top, I love this car in some of the Datsun’s more subtle details, upside was that it pretty much gave Fane and thought that there’s no way it wouldn’t namely the Mazda RX-3 tail lights, HJ Holden carte blanche to do pretty much as felt, look just as good without a roof, so I just GTS flutes and the front ‘bucket’ headlights,
August 2018 091 ED’S WILDCARD
He’s spent a staggering $65,000 on his pride and joy!
the latter skillfully combined with the front The Datsun might have cost Fane a mere “I wanted it to be quick enough to give me wings to create a one-piece front end. You’ll $200 back in 1996 but he’s since spent a bit a proper scare but civilized enough to drive also find a custom boot lid, a carbon fibre more – rather a lot more. Very much a labour in modern traffic on a regular basis, and the bonnet and boot, relocated fuel filler and of love that’s taken him all this time, Fane twin-turbo engine from the Nissan 300ZX spare wheel well, and of course that striking reckons he’s spent a staggering $65,000 on jumped out right away. Not only is it a six blue hue, Mercedes Lazurite Blue no less. his pride and joy, money that’s enabled him cylinder it’s an engine from another Z-car, you Now we can see what Fane means, the to build his dream ‘Datto,’ and one which could say that it fits in more ways than one.” shape of the 260Z really does lend itself to now has the bite to match its bark. Z-cars Finding the engine itself wasn’t so much of the cabriolet bodystyle and there’s no denying have long been defined by their barking an issue, particularly when you realise that the that what he has created is both unique and straight six motors so when the time came to swap itself was carried out some years ago, striking, but it hasn’t pleased everyone – not upgrade the engine for something a little more back when tired and battered 300ZXs were quite. The divisive nature of the car is just and potent, Fane knew that he wanted to keep common, and also because Fane had a friend parcel of a vehicle of this nature of course, the six-banger theme going. A look beneath at Envy Imports. Not only did said friend help and Fane isn’t in any way bothered; it is, in his that iconic, almost comically long bonnet Fane with the physical import process, he own words, ‘the best car on the planet,’ and reveals the direction he’s opted to take, with a allowed him to drive any number of different one with his own stamp very much on it. VG30DET now handling propulsion duties. models to see which he liked, and it was the
092 www.banzaimagazine.com August 2018 093 ED’S WILDCARD
TECHSPEC Engine: 3.2L VG30DET 1993cc V6 turbo with blueprinted block, Scat con-rods, twin-turbo DET which really stood apart from mirror polishes. Fane might have been wrong balanced and blueprinted OE crank, forged the other contenders. in thinking his Datsun was a Corvette when 87.5mm oversized JE pistons, mains stud kit, In its original home this engine made he first set eyes on it all those years ago, but ported and polished alloy heads, custom head a none-too shabby 300bhp, and it goes it’s safe to say that the changes he’s made to stud kit, decked and ground block, OE valves without saying that Fane didn’t pass up its appearance have only served to make the refaced, uprated oil cooler, 280ZX three core the opportunity to make use of some key resemblance more apparent. radiator, custom inlet manifold and plenum, aftermarket tuning parts before he slung the So, to recap, what we have here is a mid 90mm throttle body, ball bearing GT T04Z V6 into the nose of his Datsun. The list now ‘70s Datsun with its roof lopped off, the turbo with enlarged exhaust housing and runs to oversized forged pistons from JE, engine from a car 20-odd years its junior and 66mm impeller wheels, Tial 44mm external wastegate, K&N filter, custom leads, Autronic ported and polished heads, a custom inlet enough power to make anything but a handful CDI unit and SM2 engine management, manifold and plenum, and a GT T04Z turbo, of rarified supercars blush. It’s amazing what custom wiring harness, Bosch 044 fuel pump, complete with enlarged exhaust housing and 21 years of hard graft and $65,000 can stainless steel fuel lines, Sard FPR, Viper 66mm impeller wheels, plus a supporting accomplish. And the retro Japanese car 880cc injectors in custom fuel rail, mild steel cast of fueling, cooling and induction tweaks. purists? Stuff ‘em, this thing is easily one of exhaust manifolds, 6-1.5in headers, stainless The result of all this chopping, changing and the most outlandish Datsuns to have graced steel 4-3in exhaust system, 3in pipework, parts-swapping is a mammoth 571.3bhp, any magazine, and it’s all the better for the custom FMIC, Nissan 300ZX five-speed 879nm of torque and a best quarter-mile time divisive changes Fane, and his angle grinder, gearbox, custom 5.5kg flywheel, Quarter Master 7.25in twin-plate brass button clutch, of 12.2 seconds at 123.5mph. Not bad for have made. R200 diff with two-way KAAZ centre (3.9), a four decade old Datsun which was found uprated diff and gearbox mounts, Nissan languishing in a sand dune! Pulsar speed sensor The engine is mated to a rare five-speed manual and sends its power through a custom Chassis: 8x17-inch Simmons FR17 polished flywheel, uprated clutch and an R200 diff with wheels, 235 profile tyres, King lowering two-way KAAZ centre drive, not forgetting springs, KYB dampers, custom internal the solid mounts to hold the driveline in chassis and ARBs, extensive cross-bracing, place. Factor in the many, many chassis and 280mm slotted and vented discs, Mazda suspension alterations Fane has seen fit to RX-7 four-pot calipers, EBC Green Stuff pads, brake booster, 280ZX master cylinder (front), add along the way (including lowering springs, slotted discs, Ford EA Falcon calipers, Bendix more capable dampers and a raft of braces pads (rear) and ARBs), and it suddenly becomes easy to see why this utterly insane looking Z-Car can Interior: Subaru WRX front seats, VDO corner like there’s no tomorrow. gauges and shift light, racing four-point Last but most certainly not least, there’s the harnesses, custom centre console way this thing looks – impressively mad. Okay, so lopping the roof of a car is always going Exterior: Custom speedster conversion, to have fairly drastic ramifications from an Mazda RX-3 rear lights, HJ Holden GTS flutes aesthetic point of view, but Fane has well and with ‘bucket’ headlights, custom one-piece truly turned things up to eleven, first with the front end and boot lid, carbon fibre bonnet and boot, fuel filler relocated, Mercedes Mercedes paint, but also the ‘70s style sign Lazurite Blue paintwork writing and the wheels, 8x17-inch Simmons FR17 that have been given the mother of all
094 www.banzaimagazine.com NIPPONSHINE_q 28/04/2016 16:03 Page 1
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Would BANZA-I lie to you? SAY WHAAAAAT? Learn stuff, thrill your friends and be a know-all in the Midge: “He’s far too good looking pub… but don’t get caught out by the ones we made up! that kid, he’s making me look bad. I’ll stand next to Martin.” Mazda has had three logo changes since 1991, with the current logo being used Martin: “I thought you quit?” since 1997. Remember the Midge: “I did, then I remembered I 1991-2 ‘Cylon’ emblem which was supposed to work with you.” represent the sun and a flame… but looks like a Renault badge in a circle? Apparently that’s the reason they smoothed-out the next version, the one referred to as the ‘eternal flame’. The first rotary powered production Mazda was the 1967 Cosmo.
In the early Mazda experimented with using different marques for its cars, a bit like Nissan with Infiniti and Toyota with Lexus. These were confined to Japan (with a little venture into Australia) and included their luxury Efini brand, the fun-to-drive Eunos cars, and entry-level offerings from AutoZam. Bizarrely
Sam: “You look like Brian Johnson The legendary 4-rotor 787B Remains in that hat… only much older.” the only non-piston engine car to win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. British driver Shell: “How was your meeting?” Johnny Herbert (later famous for F1) took one of the three cars to compete in 1991 Midge: “It was good, we watched to victory. The others finished 6th and 8th. Westworld.” Shell: “I thought it was something important.” In 1996 Henry Wallace was Midge: “It was.” appointed President and became the first foreign-born head of any Japanese car firm. Sam: “Mate, your spelling is about as good as my maths.”
Mazda employs around Martin: “Shall we do that track day 1990s brand extension, AutoZam, was most associated with keicars. Many of these, then boss?” including the famous, mid-engined AZ-1, people world-wide. Midge: “What, so I can fix your were actually re-badged Suzuki motors. Civic when it goes wrong? No.”
The RX-7 still has the distinction of Sam: “Let’s all go to TAS in winning more IMSA races than any January.” other single model. Midge: “Do you understand the concept of budgets?
Mazda was founded in the Midge: “No I haven’t a clue how it city of Hiroshima, and their head office sustained heavy works or why. I’m not gonna ask.” damage during the 1945 Martin: “What you gonna do then?” atomic bombing. Nowadays Midge: Mazda still maintains their “I dunno, maybe go online corporate headquarters and cry, it is the 21st Century.” (and a museum) in the city.
August 2018 097 COMING SOON
EDITORIAL Editor: Jamie ‘Midge’ Burr Art Editor: Michelle Mitchell
Contributors: Sam Preston, Adam Rous, Ade Brannan, Ron V Photography, Ben Hosking, Steve Hall, IN THE NEXT ISSUE... Adam Walker, Chris Presley, Jonathan Fletcher ADVERTISEMENT SALES Martin Jenkinson (01732445325) [email protected] To Infiniti and beyond… MANAGEMENT Managing Director: Phil Weeden Chief Executive: Steve Wright Chairman: Steve Annetts Finance Director: Joyce Parker-Sarioglu Publishing Operations Manager: Charlotte Whittaker Print Production Manager: Nicola Pollard Print Production Controller: Georgina Harris Retail Distribution Manager: Eleanor Brown Audience Development Manager: Andy Cotton Brand Marketing Managers: Debra Hagger and Nikolas Lovely Events Manager: Kat Chappell PRODUCTION Talk Media, 01732 445325 SUBSCRIPTIONS 13 issues of Banzai are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £64.35 Europe annual subscription price: £77 USA annual subscription price: £77 Rest of World annual subscription price: £84 CONTACT US UK subscription and back issue orderline: SEPTEMBER 01959 543747 Overseas subscription orderline: ISSUE 204 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 ON SALE Customer service email address: [email protected] Customer service and subscription postal address: 3RD AUGUST Banzai Customer Service Team, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent. TN16 3AG. UK WEBSITE Find current subscription offers at shop.kelsey.co.uk/ban Buy back issues at shop.kelsey.co.uk/banback …with some proper home-blown heroes! Already a subscriber? Manage your subscription online at: hop.kelsey.co.uk/myaccount CLASSIFIEDS Tel: 0906 802 0279 (premium rate line, operated by Kelsey Publishing Ltd. TOP MOTORS Calls cost 65p per minute from a BT landline; other networks and mobiles may vary. Lines open Monday- Friday, 10am-4pm) • Blown 2.0 LS Civic Email: [email protected] Kelsey Classifieds, c/o Talk Media Sales, Kelsey Media, • RB28 240Z PO Box 13, Cudham, Westerham, Kent TN16 3WT DISTRIBUTION • Suzuki Swift Turbo Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT. www.seymour.co.uk • Supercharged G35 Tel: 020 7429 4000 PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd Printers Kelsey Media 2018 © • 1380hp Supra TT all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers.
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