FEATURE-TOYOTA CELICA TA23-THE CELESTIAL BEING

 

Not everyday you come face to face with legends, and we were extremely lucky to be able to feature a pristine 1975 TA23 Celica that belonged to one of my many friends who had a united passion for restoring and maintaining Japanese Legends. Read more

NEWS SCOOP – SUPER GT ROUND 3 TROPHY UNVEIL

Super GT, the most anticipated event of the year; especially for avid JDM fans and motor heads all over the world is drawing close and the trophy for this prestigious race was unveiled at an exceptionally stunning event last week of which was graced with esteemed members of owner’s clubs, car brand executives and many other local celebrities such as the beautiful Hannah Tan who was the MC of the day, and GT Queens Lu Shan of Malaysia and Toshimi of Japan. Read more

FEATURE-MUGEN RR-THE ULTIMATE POWER OF DREAMS

On an exceptionally hot day in sunny Malaysia we were lucky enough to come face to face with a legend, The Mugen RR. A technically advanced mechanical marvel based on the FD2R Type R Civic of which is an already amazing car in its own respect, the latest civic type R is similar to that of a katana, precise and very competitive and the RR is like that same katana, only sharpened  and even more competitive. Read more

FEATURE-”ABT”SOLUTELY STUNNING-THE ABT RACING HERITAGE AND THEIR LATEST VENTURE

And i shall leave you with this final image of Abt’s GTR R8, tastefully reupholstered in Alcantara  leather and Carbon Fiber, a testament to Abt’s impeccable skill and craftmanship

That’s all for this installment from me! Hope you’ve enjoyed it!

Photos – Eugene Chan.

FEATURE- HELLO KITAE, A DRIFTER’S PASSION

The AE86, or the Hachi Roku, which literally means 86 in Japanese, is worshipped by many in the motorsports world, and made famous by the anime that took the world by storm, Initial D. The aura and the driving physics of this car is definitely not one of luxury or class, but more along the lines of raw unprecedented fun, and the car’s handling capabilities are quite forgiving which entitles many novice drifters to learn and experience drifting and extremely fun driving all in one readily available package, one of which many modern cars are unable to achieve. The AE86 is truly a legendary piece of engineering, that gives one an adrenaline rush regardless of whether you are behind the wheel or just watching it in action from the sidelines.

The Hachi in question here is known as “Pinky”, and it’s definitely not your normal AE86, judging by the eccentric colour chosen, one can already begin to understand how different this Hachi is. The owner of this Hachi goes by the name of Anep Dorifuto, a local drifter in Kuala Lumpur, who’s just beginning to learn the ropes. His drifting exploits began in 2009, and he bought his very own Hachi in 2010. After beginning to perfect the art of going sideways he has won several events. Events that Anep participated in have all been on the local scale, namely the Cyberjaya Drift challenge and the KBS drift challenge to name a few. In one of the races he earned 6th place in the expert category and 3rd in the novice category.

When one talks about Hachi’s, one usually revels about the 4AGE engine, and the brilliant toyota handling, but there are other cars out there that have parts that fair a little better than the Hachi’s, which leads to another unusual piece of information. A normally aspirated SR20 lifted from an S13. Other parts have also been exchanged and include the front axle and front suspension, all also from the S13. All this is made possible with the help of Under3 Garage, who takes care of all the mechanical details. With these modifications, Anep has successfully negated all of the issues had with the original parts, and now with a car that has more power and more precise handling, this hachi is now a weapon to Anep, ready to tear up the track.

To many this is just another Hachi with an unusual colour scheme, but this is no doubt a tribute to Anep’s passion and hunger for speed. Fueling his burning desire to have created this precision drifting machine, which now has the characteristics of a poison dart frog. Blazing about with it’s brightly coloured skin to show that its a highly potent and worthy adversary regardless of its size. Drifting is a sport which requires immense precision and control on the driver’s part, and as for the car, it has to stand out and appeal to the crowd and judges. It’s safe to say that Anep has managed to achieve that combination with flying colours.

If you are from Malaysia, Catch this car in action in SpeedCity Serdang ( near Astro building ). This car is one of the main attractions, which you could hop on and feel that intense adrenaline rush.

 

Check out Retro Garage for more awesome pictures and also don’t forget to drop on our 7tune Facebook Page. Have a nice day.

http://www.facebook.com/7Tune

7TUNE. The Ultimate JDM Experience Since 2005

Words – Eugene Chan
Photos – Praveent Chelvam

FEATURE – WHAT ARE KEI CARS?

So you might have seen the Suzuki Cappuccino and thought, “What are Kei cars and why do they look so girly?” Well, we’re going to take a closer look at Kei cars, the most misunderstood vehicle outside of Japan. Read more

KEI CARS – A SHOT OF SUZUKI CAPPUCCINO ANYONE?

No it’s not a flat white, but it’s a frothingly great car to drive.

The F6A engine was a piece of automotive technical brilliance, not to mention the astounding suspension setup in such a small package. I’ve been a fan of these ever since i got to drive one, it’s something very special indeed. Read more

What is Drift Matsuri?

Drift Matsuri is an event held thrice a year in Japan. Literally translated it means “drift festival”. For 36 straight hours; that’s right, non-stop drifting and social events. It’s commonly held on the Ebisu Circuit (split into many courses) which is in the Fukushima Prefecture in Japan over a weekend.

There can be close to 400 over cars at the event and is one of the few events that recognise the large number of foreign drifters living in Japan. It even has a special G1 GP competition for the foreigners!

It’s a rare event to see so many pro drifters (in their own practise cars) and amateurs rubbing shoulders together in the same place. And everyone is there for the same purpose, to perfect the art of drifting, to have fun and to share the love of drifting.

For a visitor to Japan and a JDM car nut, you have to visit this festival once in your lifetime. It usually happens in Spring (May), Summer (Aug) and Autumn (Nov). If you don’t have a car, then don’t worry! Because you can always rent a drift car from Powervehicles.com, who sometimes have ex-GP cars for sale on their website.

If you’re looking for a serious motorsport event with score cards and the like, then this event is NOT for you. The Drift Matsuri was started to appreciate the art of drifting, the inherent beauty of a car going sideways, accompanied by the raucous sound of popping exhausts and the intoxicating smell of burnt rubber. It’s about the spectacle of the event, it’s about the entertainment that it provides. Drift Matsuri isn’t about trophies (although they are given out) or who has the best car. It is ONLY about drifting. You can turn up in a old AE86 with rust everywhere and still enjoy the event. There are minimal egos and instead great appreciation and camaraderie.

If you haven’t been before, please go and check it out.

You can view more pictures of this event through the years at Speedhunters.com, Driftlife & Nori Yaro.

Thanks to Dino Dalle Carbonare for the pictures and to Speedhunters.com for their continued quality posts and Powervehicles.com for their rental facilities

Gran Turismo 5 (GT5) Launch in Sydney.

It was all smiles and excitement as people filtered into the midnight launch event organised by Harvey Norman and Sony. A Sony enforced ban on the sale of the game till midnight of the 25th November ensured a large crowd at the event. Gran Turismo 5 is easily this year’s most coveted and anticipated racing game. With constant delays that have pushed back the release date of the game till now. The game shows off Sony’s Playstation 3′s graphic capabilities and gives the game a hyper realistic feel. It’s definitely no Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, but something a little more serious, but no less fun.

Before even stepping into the store there were a few nice cars downstairs, including this R35 GT-R. I have a feeling that a lot of the customers would have rather have had the chance to win this than the scale model.

There were 4 of these set ups, i would have happily taken home one. It’s definitely THE way to enjoy the game. A Playstation 3 controller just won’t cut it.

Mr Kazunori Yamauchi has outdone himself this time, the cars are so beautifully rendered with excruciatingly fine details present on all cars.

The crowd eager to try their hand at winning the prize.

But in the end this was what it was about. A copy of the game to bring home and enjoy for hours on end.

Interview with Justin Fox, Founder of JDMST

Justin Fox, a name relatively well known amongst the Sydney import tuner/JDM scene, yet strangely mysterious hidden behind the walls of JDMST. He is an enigmatic and yet charming individual and is the founder of JDMstyletuning.com, a forum for JDM enthusiasts that now has a large following worldwide. The forum established in 2005, prides itself on quality tuning and quality JDM parts. Anyone can join and contribute. The regular End of Month Meets (EOMM) are a great way to socialise with other members of the forum and check out their rides. This busy man also founded Sex in Art, VWGolf.net.au (together with Christina Lock) and Bikes Move Us. We managed to catch up with him recently and asked him a few questions.

Benson Lau: What do you work as now?

Justin Fox: I’m still doing graphic and web design for select clients but I spend most of my time running my own sites: Australian INfront, JDMST, VWGolf.net.au, Bikes Move Us, Sex in Art, my blog and now Modern Pet Shop. (Edit: Since this interview was conducted a new project, www.ordinaryextraordinary.com.au)

BL: When did you first get into cars and why did you get into cars?

JF: My Dad was super into cars, so too my cousin from Indonesia who came out to Australia to study in the mid 80′s. My Dad changed cars a lot in his time and every year, without fail, he’d take me to the Motor Show. My cousin, who lived with me at the time, was car obsessed in high school. He often drew cars with huge wheels, Indo style!

BL: What do you remember about your Dad’s passion of cars? What from that got you more keenly interested into cars?

JF: Lots of little things. He had a lot of car magazines which I always looked through. He was always changing cars every couple of years. I got to start them up before school as a little kid. He drove fast and cornered hard. I remembered often sitting in the car, eyes shut with a pen to a pad of paper, at the end of a drive I’d have a pretty dynamic artwork from all the times the pen left the pad when Dad was cornering hard!

He always liked to have the very latest models. He imported his own Honda Accord (flip light version) and got it landed months before Honda Australia started selling them. He also owned a white 4WS Honda Prelude way before anyone else owned one (before it became Wheels Car of the Year). I remember that he had the wheels powder coated white on that car. One afternoon I put a ding in his door when my skateboard went flying into it, he was pretty angry, that made me realise how much he loved his cars (that cars weren’t just cars to him!). Lots of little things.

BL: What was your first car?

JF: I’d ridden motorbikes for a couple of years and my parents offered to buy the car for me so long as I sold my bike. To be honest I’d had enough of bikes at the time. I never quite got confident on them and came close to falling off more than a few times. I remember not knowing what to look for in a car, but I wanted anything but a Honda as my Dad used to always complain about how he wanted more power from his Honda’s. I ended up buying a 2nd hand automatic Toyota Celica (T180).

BL: Why and what did you first modify? What got you started in the tuning scene?

JF: I often visited Hong Kong in those years as my family had business over there. I used to linger in the autmotive section of the Sogo department store. On one trip I ended up buying a gunmetal grey toyota badge for my bonnet, a clamp-on exhaust tip and also some Tom’s Racing Stickers, which I stuck on the doors. Later on I got a loud stero system, painted the rear tail lights and indicators black and bought a 2nd hand set of VW Golf VR6 BBS wheels, which happened to bolt straight on. The guys at Pedders (a chain of car suspension workshops in Australia)  cut my springs to lower the car and I got the guys at Midas mufflers (a chain of  general car servicing workshops in Australia) to make me a custom exhaust!

BL: Why did your parents want you to sell the bike?

JF: Yeah I regret wanting a bike so bad. I fought with my Dad a lot about the bike and put him and my Mum through a lot of worry. He refused to let me ride one but he taught me from an early age that if it’s food I want he’ll treat me to anything but if I wanted toys I had to go out and make my own money, so I did (Woolworths night packing FTW!). I got my riding license, sold my tricked out mountain bike for $3000 and bought myself my 1st bike despite my parents not wanting me to.

BL: What did you enjoy about the Celica?

JF: It was my first car so I very much enjoyed the freedom of driving more than the car itself. I didn’t have to wear a helmet, or protective clothing, or worry about bad weather. I could blast my heavy metal through the stereo and I could take friends places. I drove it every day, it was more about function than passion (but I secretly did really wish I had a GT4, or at least a hood scoop to make my car look like one!).

BL: What happened to the Celica?

JF: I ran it into the ground. Due to a slow leak from a small hole in the radiator I blew the head and after that it went through the Sydney hail storm which absolutely demolished it. That year of the hail storm I had stopped paying full comprehensive insurance on it too, really bad luck. A few months later I couldn’t stand the mouldy smell inside the car (every time it rained there were puddles of water under the carpet), the electrics were dying too so I traded it in for a new Alfa 147 for $4000 (which I thought was a deal considering the car was so dead).

BL: And how did you move from purely modifying to tuning your car?

JF: When I owned the Alfa, Alfa Romeo Australia invited me out to a track day at Eastern Creek. One of the instructors said I had some potential and I did well out there, that one comment and time behind the wheel on a race track got me pretty excited. A few weeks later I was in the city when a guy in a suit approached me (whilst I was in the car). He liked what I had done to the Alfa and invited me out to a Burrows Drive Day at Eastern Creek. I mustered the courage to attended and I was hooked. I did a lot of track days in the Alfa, when the Alfa wasn’t enough (to overtake the fast guys in their Ferrari’s and Porsche’s) I sold the Alfa and bought the GT-R.

BL: What made you start JDMstyletuning.com?

JF: In 1999 I founded a successfull online design community (Australian INfront) and I was itching to use the skills I had developed in creating that community on my new passion (cars).
I realised from joining various forums that the Nissan guys hated the Honda guys. Subaru, Mitsubishi, Toyota…I saw a lot of tension out there. Being an outsider at the time I thought it was ridiculous as all these guys hated each other but they were all into the same thing. Japanese cars and modifying them. My mission was to unite them all. To get all these guys to see the bigger picture which suggests that we are a group of like minded individuals who share a passion for Japanese cars be it Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki or Toyota.
Friends at the time were important too.

I was hanging out with Zi (JDMyard, a tuner workshop in Sydney) a lot and I’m sure we talked about JDMST. Amir Parsinejad (RaceBorn) was around, so too Howard Lim, Christina Lock, Andrew Price, Garth Ivers, Alan Li, Lilian Truong and Nico Tjen. I roped all these guys in. It was February 2005, Speed magazine was still around and was an inspiration to me at the time. I approached photographers Easton Chang and Dean Summers to help me with contributing photos for the JDMST front page (I actually used one of Mark Pakula’s photos in the mock-up, long story short but he found it and some people at Auto Salon magazine, a now defunct Australian tuning and modifying magazine, were quite mad with me!). We had our first meet at Krispy Kreme’s Mascot, it was a killer turnout, there was a buzz in the air and for me, that night really solidified JDMST and it’s potential.

BL: Do you feel like the mission has been accomplished with the uniting of the JDM scene? Or is it still some ways off?

JF: I think so. JDMST goes through ups and downs but it’s largely organic and so far in regards to statistics (currently over 8000 unique visitors daily), it’s gone from strength to strength.

BL: What do you think is the JDM tuner’s mindset?

JF: It depends on the tuner, and the project. There’s so many scenes within the scene and so many ways to tune the same car. Personally I’ve always done the same thing with every single car I’ve owned. Instead of focusing on power I like to lighten the car to make it feel better in corners. I spend the most time sorting out the handling and I try my best to use Japanese parts because I love them. When I bought the Golf I had intentions to bag it. I thought of rocking up to meets and letting the car drop until the skirts touch the ground, sure it would look crazy but in the end it just isn’t me. I’m still upset I didn’t do it as now I find myself doing the same thing I do to all my cars on the Golf. Ripping weight out, semi-slicks and track work. It’s been fun, but it’s all getting a little safe and maybe a little boring.

BL: What do you think is the direction of the tuning scene in Australia?

JF: I think JDM Style and Tuning in Australia peaked a few years ago and right now it’s transforming almost into 2 different levels/classes. At some stage a lot of people lost the ability to spend more than they earned on quality JDM parts (in my opinion, trial and error and going for broke was what it was all about!). A lot of opportunistic brands came from nowhere, selling much more affordable performance and styling gear. People started buying this gear and giving it rave reviews (viral) which in turn inspired more people into seeing value in buying cheaper gear (in some cases replica/counterfeit products).

I can’t speak for the entire tuning scene, but in regards to JDMST; I don’t believe that we have our own unique style (nor are we desperately trying to find one). There’s always going to be JDMST members who hate on people for being too literally inspired by overseas movements but hey, trends are addictive (and for those who get caught up in it, fun). Personally I’ve always looked to Japan and the States and admired what they’re doing over there with both Japanese cars and Euro cars, both from a stylisting point as well as performance. For the moment I’m happy for our scene to continue to be inspired by what we’re seeing overseas.

BL: Do you see parallels between how the Japanese automobile manufacturers broke into the US car market and how the Taiwanese and Chinese brands are breaking into the aftermarket tuning scene? Or is it a completely different scenario?

JF: I’ve never thought of it that way but I think it’s pretty evident that the financial crisis has affected our hobby. People are placing much more value in cheaper goods despite knowing they’re not as good as more expensive quality goods. Where people perceive value, that’s what’s changing everything.

BL: What have you owned?

JF: Toyota T180 Celica, Alfa Romeo 147, Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R, Toyota AE86 Levin GTV, Honda EG Civic VTi, Honda EG Civic Si, Honda Integra DC5R, Honda Integra DC25R, Kia Spectra (! BL: verified), BMW 318i, Toyota MR2 Spyder, Mitsubish Evo 6.5 TME, Mazda MX5 NA Clubman, Honda S2000, Honda Jazz manual, Honda Jazz auto, Honda Jazz K20A, Honda ED Civic, Nissan Skyline V35 350GT, VW Golf MKV GTI.

BL: Out of all the cars you have owned, which let you down the most, taking into account reliability, driving feel and expectations?

JF: Somewhere in the middle I felt the need to stop the addiction. I was spending more money than I was earning and I just had to get out of the hobby. I bought a Kia Mentor for a daily. It was cheap, looked cheap and felt cheap (the car was designed so bad I couldn’t see out of the boot!). I now knew why people with Hyundai Excels drove so aggressively. When you own a car as shit as this you can’t help but drive the wheels off it. A week in the car was ticking loudly, it sounded like it was going to blow up any minute, also, I somehow found my way to a Kia forum, saw that there was a guy modifying his Kia and I even asked him about a few mods he did. I had an epiphany, thinking about modifying a ticking time bomb was not on and I sold the car the week after.

BL: What car do you miss the most?

JF: Hard one to answer. I miss the MX-5 a lot. I learned more about driving in that car than any other. I miss the EVO TME a lot too, dead stock, such an amazing car that I sold way too early. I miss the S2000 a lot, it’s perhaps the only car I’ve ever bothered to put a kit on. I miss the AE86 as it was a special edition and I regret not having the balls to put the $5k into it to make it amazing. The ED Civic was a lot of fun too and it’s another one of the cars I can still clearly see in my mind’s eye, with the new owner driving off up the my hill.

BL: What cars are you looking forward to driving/owning in the future?

JF: From people who have driven it I’ve heard the new GT-R is amazing. I’d love to own one but even selling all 3 cars (GT-R, GTI and Christina’s R32) won’t buy me one. I’m itching to try one though, it’ll be the fastest car I’ve ever driven, no doubt.

BL: Any advice for people just getting started into tuning?

JF: Finding a good mechanic is a great start. Once you find one you like and trust you’ll also pick up a crew of like minded tuners as well as knowledge. I met heaps of friends through hanging out at IS Motor Racing (a tuning workshop in Sydney) and Indy has always looked after me.

What is JDM?

Been thinking about this recently and i still need more thoughts on it. What is JDM?

If you look at the Japanese scene you see a vast interpretation of ideas and concepts. But overseas you see something different. Is it purely the superficial representations in the form of wakaba leaf and Gramlights wheels? Or is it something deeper and altogether more zen?

There are 2 sides to this story. So will cover them soon. Have exams at the moment so i ask you to bear with me.

Internet Points – Who are you tuning for?

The internet. 1.73 billion people use it. 90 trillion emails are sent in a year, averaging to about 247 billion emails a day. 234 million websites as of 2009. There are 126 million blogs. 27.3 million tweets on Twitter a day. 1 billion video views on Youtube a day. Stars are made within minutes, stars are forgotten within seconds. Personalities are presented. Characters are created. Fame is found.

It’s why sites like Myspace, Facebook, Youtube and Tumblr have taken off. We all want our opinions heard. We all seek some sort of recognition. We all crave an audience.

Inevitably this attitude follows on into car culture. To some extent we want people to respect us, as Jay-Z says in numerous songs. This respect on the internet is found in the gaining of internet points, which is the earning of respect and kudos by people online. The temptation to build a car that scores internet points is strong. It’s ever present. For some the chasing of dyno figures, the ultimate stance, the craziest bodykit or the most customised car is purely to score internet points. The recognition by others of achieving the tuning holy grail.

But are those the aims that you really want? If yes, then you’ve built a car for your own enjoyment and you are a happy person. You strove to achieve something in your vision and you love every step of the way.

But if no, then you’ve built a car that you will eventually loathe and feel disconnected from. You loathe driving it and are only kept alive because of the thought that it would earn you “the first” or “the fastest” moniker. You have built a car for other people’s enjoyment and act as a caretaker to it instead of the owner of it. Your identity is not reflected in the car you built. You never desired huge horsepower, yet the car in front of you has a massive T88. You never seeked after that wild GT wing, yet it sits on the car in vain glory for all to see. You love high revving NA engines, yet you built a twin turbo-charged drag monster.

I implore you, go out and build a car that YOU will enjoy. Do not be a slave to the internet. Do not seek internet points. Figure out what you want first before seeking advice. That’s not to say that you should ignore advice, but rather when listening to advice from others; you should always keep your own wants in your head.

After all, at the end of the day you are spending your own money and time. You alone are responsible for the car. You alone will drive the car. And you alone will enjoy the car.

Fakes – It's serious business (Part 1)

This week, the post isn’t going to be light hearted as usual. I just wanted to bring to light the serious situation of counterfeiting.

Before you run off and start watching TV and playing games on Facebook, i just want you to think about something. I want you to think about what counterfeiting is. No, i’m not just talking about knock off handbags or watches. But counterfeiting in every aspect of our lives, from the tablets we prescribe, to the tuning parts we buy.

First off let me bring attention to a few things that have been happening in China. In China there have been many incidents of counterfeits being found in the most unlikely of places. Even eggs and milk were counterfeited, which are daily necessities and as such have a very low profit margin. But somehow someone wanted to make a few extra bucks to even be bothered to counterfeit it. I am honestly worried every time i go to Shanghai, i am never sure if the electronics i buy are the genuine deal, they even have fake warranty certificates.

But more scarily i’ve noticed that counterfeits are being sold on Ebay. You go to see the item to pick it up and you notice a few things wrong with the item. I’ve even heard of cases where the counterfeit item was bought from a reputable outlet (the owner had no idea).

Fakes are no longer easy to spot, they have the right name, the right look and even the packaging is very similar. In a lot of cases it’s even made to high standards, with one small difference. The money won’t be going to your favourite manufacturer for more research and development. Instead it will be going to more factories to make more counterfeits. And eventually they will stop production, when the owner has made enough and the heat is too much. But your favourite manufacturer will shut down and your favourite brand will cease to exist.

I often wonder how so many Trust intercooler kits are still on Ebay, but could they be counterfeits?

The IKEA Phenomenon – Allen Key Tuning Packages

As tuning moves to be more mainstream i often wonder how it will affect the tuning world. In a way we are already experiencing the prepackage phenomenon at our local tuner shop with bolt ons, but its not IKEA style yet (although there is an Ikea car concept called the Leko, unsure if its a joke). There isn’t the provision of allen keys with every purchase. There isn’t a flat pack carton containing a plethora of parts from Koyo radiator, Garrett 3076R, BC Racing ER coilovers, Greddy Trust Spec R intercooler, Kakimoto R exhaust and AM Performance dump pipe. And i got a bit sidetracked there…

Places like MRT Performance in Sydney’s Inner West are already offering kits for Subaru and Mitsubishi vehicles. The popular XA, XB and XC kits are predesigned tuning packages that are meant to increase performance, without the fuss of tuning (which to me is part of the enjoyment of tuning). But as with Ikea products you do sometimes find things don’t quite fit properly; or the table may be wobbly and so on. The exhaust on these kits do sound a bit tinny, which ruins the aural sensation of driving a tuned up car. While it’s sad to be heading away from crafting the perfect combination of parts for your needs, the packaging of upgrades is the inevitable shift as tuning gets more mainstream.

The days of extremely well engineered quality parts are fast disappearing, with the flood of moderately well made Taiwanese and Chinese tuning parts. While some may think this would lead to the end of tuning, i think this will lead to levels of tuning. There will be the tuners that demand the best and go for “designer” parts. There will be people who find the off-the-shelf items from Ikea adequate and enough for their needs. Then there will be the people who only seek out the old parts, because “parts aren’t built like they used to be”.

Personally i dread the day when tuning parts are no longer crafted, but on the other hand… someone pass me the Allen keys and Ikea catalogue please?

Don't you just love it

Don’t you just love it when the guy in the beat up corolla with drum brakes in the rear decides to treat the road like a race circuit? They roll in and out of traffic (because you have never seen a car this unstable before!). They stop at the traffic light lopsided (because their shocks and springs aren’t working in unison anymore). They squeal as they come to a stop (because there are no longer brake pads left, just metal on metal). They lose traction off the line (not because of power, but because there is no tread left in tyres on the slightly moist day). They have phat tyres (because the tyres only have 20psi in them).

But the most disturbing thing is their attitude. They think they are ‘beating’ everyone, they think they are ‘great’ drivers, they think people are going to move out of the way of them etc. And this is the most dangerous attitude to have on public roads, because the guy in the car changing lanes in immediately in front of you doesn’t care and doesn’t notice you. So be warned Mr and Mrs F1 wannabes, the road doesn’t distinguish.

On a separate note, i really love this blog (where i got the picture from) called Singapore Traffic Watch. It names and shames bad drivers, beautiful!

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