For anyone who is interested, there\'s a full 5 page feature in the June 2006 edition of Max Power....
Now, don\'t go slagging off the magazine, guys - I\'ve had a few copies (On the mailing list now :Giggle ) and I actually find it quite a funny read!!
A few months back, they did a hillarious feature on 2 guys who dressed as crash test dummies and went to car dealers asking for test drives, with questions like, "Does it have good crash safety features"? :evillaugh :cool
The feature\'s good - and actually has a lot of factual stuff in it... \'bout the way I drive, mostly :Tongue1
Read it if ya dare!!
Miguel
I\'ll buy it if your rex is in there :) I hate the magazine tho, sorry but I really do.
Well i\'ll be picking up a copy, but mainly for the pics and write up about your FD! I suppose MAX has its moments but in general the mag is obsessed with pleasing the big-kit saxo chav brigade, and i find the attitude a bit OTT. And without appearing too much of a prude, the language and fascination with scantily clad chavettes - sorry, ladies - is just inappropriate for a car magazine. But then i suppose there\'s an awful lot of people who buy into that culture and i bet the mag makes a fortune!
Sounds interesting that they have written about your driving though, most mags feature a car and rather than try to describe the sensation you feel when driving it, and WHY it\'s sensational they seem content just to run through the modified parts in parrot fashion.
I don\'t know if you have access to a magazine called \'evo\' in Japan Miguel, but THAT is the sort of publication i\'d like to see a car like your\'s featured in. They deal almost exclusively in new performance cars, but once in a while feature a car that\'s been modified, or a little \'out there\'. Well, i can hope. :)
Cheers,
Adrian
Max Power\'s not that bad... Makes good toilet reading :Hammer
Whilst he was out here in April, filming with their crew, Tom Ford (5th gear presenter & 2nd in command at Top gear Magazine) had a ride in both the AE86 (Sideways :driving ) and the FD.
Said the AE86 would be Jenson Button\'s kinda car as it\'s wild and race car like...
He particularly warmed to the FD though - as a street racer and has threatened next time he\'s out in Japan, to do a feature on it in Top Gear Mag...
It\'s not Evo Magazine (I know it\'s damn good, I used to subscribe for years..!) but maybe a little better than MP, maybe :p
Just bought another icon... An E30 M3, something I\'ve always hankered after and finally found a perfect one. Now I have a parking space problem, lol.. ;)
can you post any pics up here so us tighter people dont have to buy the mag?
Particular the ones off the boobies on your car,no faces please as they use some real slags in that mag...... :evillaugh :Giggle :cool
Quote from: oldoneParticular the ones off the boobies on your car,no faces please as they use some real slags in that mag...... :evillaugh :Giggle :cool
Lol, that was my missus you\'re talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rollin :rollin
Here are a few pics, but the write up\'s quite funny - Worth a glance through in Smith\'s although they probably wrap it up so innocent younglings won\'t be corrupted.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S9753.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S9774.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S9794.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S9668.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S9956.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S9921.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S0026.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S9850.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S9897.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/VU1S6023-optim.jpg)
Some of these aren\'t used in MP.
Miguel.
Looking good there mate!! I particularly like pics with people in (silly as it sounds) as it seems to give the car more perspective. Looks so curvacious (is that even a word?? :) )!
Not too keen on the first engine bay pic tho...somehow made me feel a bit dizzy...must be the angle or something...
Fantastic looking car though Miguel, i really like it in the form you have it in now. Funny that despite all the aftermarket front bumpers available one of the very best remains the JDM one, albeit with subtle mods. Diffuser and rear wing work great too, are they RE-Amemiya and Auto Exe items respectively? The mazdaspeed seats are fantastic too...good to see a pair, the last few cars i\'ve seen them in have had only the one!
Interesting to see you\'ve kept with pop up lights too, must be relatively easy for you to source some sleek ones if you wanted...is it just you prefer the look of pop ups? Do think the (Knight Sports?) quad lamp conversion is cool though. I\'ll bet it really confuses cars if you approach from behind with those and the driving lights on!!! :)
Looking forward to seeing the car really put through its paces in the upcoming DVD mate. :god
Thanks! :wave
Auto Exe Wing and RE-A diffuser. No FRP except the wing - can\'t stand stone chips!! :Grrr
I usually just use the driving lights, which are ample (HID) - the headlights come on for quick driving (HID too). Looks like something fast and low with either on... at night in a rear view mirror. Prefer pop up headlights, as they\'re now a thing of the past with no manufacturer legally able to put them on a production car. That\'s why they\'ve dissapeared from "modern" sports cars.
I don\'t have the Mazdaspeed seats fitted any more. Sold them to a customer who really wanted them for his rex, so they\'re to be in a car in UK ;)
Now have Bride Lowmax Gias III in red... to break up the black a bit!
Miguel.
Wow they both looks stunning.see even less s15s than 7s!
Hmmm a more permanent solution than Armorfend and the like...i did wonder how the car is always so immaculate in spite of your ahem spirited driving! Forgive my ignorance, but what materials are used in the making of your bumpers Miguel?
I didn\'t know that pop up lights were no longer allowed on production cars, very interesting. Suppose it\'s a nod to the car\'s heritage, every other area looks so modern the shape still looks contemporary now...the pop ups serve as a reminder this car really was available almost 15 years ago!! Pretty weird when you think of the RX-7 in that light. I wonder if the new F430 will still look modern and desirable in 15 years?
Unfortunately it looks like car designs are only going to go one way - bigger and heavier - which is why i think it\'s great you guys all do so well in preserving such a classic, proper sports car.
Speaking of which, congratulations on your new toy! The best of the bunch i think, new BMWs included. Is it the 2.3 or the 2.5? Another great example of purposeful and effective car design. Brilliantly lightweight, it didn\'t need 500bhp to give the driver excitement as the great chassis and balance of the car made the 200-240bhp intoxicating and exploitable. I imagine they are even more rare over in your corner of the world too?
Such a shame cars like that are becoming more and more obsolete. Even BMW have jumped on the Mercedes band wagon of strapping engines capable of towing my house to cars that resemble my garage. Seems like no-one cares anymore unless it has a ridiculous amount of power.
Proof of that was the flop of the e46 CSL, a magical car, the best by a mile since the e30 M3...yet no-one bought into it as it didn\'t offer a significant power increase over the out-going model. Nevermind the fact it handled like a different car (losing roughly 200kg, bespoke suspension and a lower centre of gravity help!) sounded like a different car and, regardless of what some press reports said, accelerated like a different car.
Yet when the M6 came along, lo and behold it\'s amazing. Even though i doubt they\'d be a lot in it in real life, B road driving, and it certainly won\'t stop or handle like the CSL (and therefore commit the driver to such an extent). But line it up on a straight, give it full throttle and it\'s a rocket. Is this really what people want from sports cars? It weighs nearly 2 tonnes!!!!
Ah!!! So sorry for the completely off topic rant...really must stop that. I\'m off for a nice relaxing cuppa. :)
Quote from: NeweraLol, that was my missus you\'re talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rollin :rollin
Your missus posed for MP?! :3Confused
Great pics btw. S15 shot is a beauty!
Miguel,
I\'ll gladly keep the FD for a while when I get there...
You know someone has to drive it... :)
You know BMW = Big Moist Womb. Comfortable but gets you turned on.
Love the old M3. Very sexy.
Is it going to be hard core like the 86 or FD Street style or somwhat a navi equipped ballistic cruiser for the missus?
I used to have a FEED front bumper, but it got stone chipped to hell!
So I use an original 1999 Polyeurethane bumper with an RE-Amemiya splitter.
At normal road speeds FRP\'s fine... For high speeds, original bumpers are much more resilient to stone chips, as stuff bounces off, whilst the plastic absorbs the impact. FRP\'s hard so stones will take off a chip of paint each time they hit at high speed.
Also if chasing cars closely say on a track, their tyres tend to throw up a lot of dirt, especially if they\'re S tyres... so another reason not to have FRP in my case.
Nah, of course my wife didn\'t pose for MP.... Just kidding!!!!
As for the M3, I think I might keep it near standard. It\'s fun to drive and quick enough, yet relaxing for long trips, can take luggage and the dog\'s happy in the back... A bit like the old Pajero, but every time I get to a decent road in that I have to slow down for corners. They\'re not easily found here - but being a 20 year old car was fairly well priced and besides, it\'s not going to depreciate, which is always good. Here\'s a few piccies of it....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/IMG_8433.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/IMG_8434.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/IMG_8436.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Miguel-Newera/IMG_8442.jpg)
Looking great as ever Miguel.
2 questions;
1) What diffuser do you have?
2) Did you get your Knight Sports turbo issues resolved?
Hi Chris,
Diffuser\'s from RE-Amemiya (We can supply one for your\'s too)!
It\'s not the turbo, but the side seals on the engine which are worn, causing blow by when the engine\'s used hard on the track... It doesn\'t do it on the road at all, so it\'s not in need of sorting yet... I tend to use the AE86 on the track, since it\'s more focussed and challenging - less forgiving than the rex... :spank
Today a friend told me he personally knows Tanaka one of the mechanics who built the Le Mans rotary engine and apparently now works as a Ferrari technician, but still has a main passion for rotaries. If I can wangle it, I think I may have to meet this guy and persuade him to refresh and port my 13b... as apparently he\'ll do it very reasonably priced...
It would be a crime not to!!!
Tuning never stops.... :evillaugh
Miguel
They\'re some great pics, the Rex is looking phenominal as always.
What type of front strut brace do you have Miguel? It looks titanium from the pics, who makes it?
Well,
The M3 looks great. Silver is good colour for a luxury/sports car I think.
I dont think you need to do anything except change that red gear boot.
( I bet you probably have one on order already )
My friend just bought a "brand new" BMW 3 series with Mkit but its no M3
It cost him $90KAUD for a 2.0litre.. its madness
Now they depreciate like crazy...
Has some cool bits like built in Nav and Bluetooth that hooks into the stereo but the nav system was a $5K upgrade!
Somehow buying used definately has its advantages.
FD rebuild! Now theres something you dont hear every day... ;)
Do it! You know its going to become more of an animal.
Amazing car(s) you have tere Miguel. Must be such hard work stopping yourself going over board with getting stuff for your car seeing as it\'s all off the shelf... kinda :)
Adam
Strut Brace is by AB Road - It\'s Titanium.
Reextreme - never thought I\'d hear you be complimentary of anything other than a rotary, lol.... !
Ada7 - It used to be worse, I used to fall in love with a car each week!!!
But not any more...Luckily I only have 3 parking spaces to use and have to to buy cars and parts over long periods of time, otherwise I\'d have a collection and be bankrupt (But happy!) by now! :InLove :rollin
Quote from: NeweraStrut Brace is by AB Road - It\'s Titanium.
Reextreme - never thought I\'d hear you be complimentary of anything other than a rotary, lol.... !
Ada7 - It used to be worse, I used to fall in love with a car each week!!!
But not any more...Luckily I only have 3 parking spaces to use and have to to buy cars and parts over long periods of time, otherwise I\'d have a collection and be bankrupt (But happy!) by now! :InLove :rollin
Well if you ever get bored of yours then feel free to send it my way. :p (i\'m sure you get comments like that all the time :rollin)
Might have to give you a buzz once i get sorted so you can find me my next dream machine :)
Adam
Have you ever added up what the FD has cost you over the time you\'ve had it? and then what that would cost us back here? Or is it to frightening to think about? :rollin
Adam
Quote from: Ada7Have you ever added up what the FD has cost you over the time you\'ve had it? and then what that would cost us back here? Or is it to frightening to think about? :rollin
Adam
:eek :eek :eek No, but over 5 years it probably amounts to enough to have bought a decent Porsche.. (But still a long way from the cost of a GT-3 RS)
I console myself in the thought I couldn\'t ever save that to buy a car much even if I tried... I have weak knees and a big heart for some mechanical things.
I can
never sell it :p
Migs,
You know there are a few quirky cars I have soft spots for.
My Mx5 was a great little car, i\'d have another but only if it had a screaming b16A.
And I always had a soft spot for these.
As seen in the original Mad max. v8 351 My brother had one standard and they are a bestly vehicle. as for owning one... maybe not.
(http://image.space.rakuten.co.jp/lg01/51/0000027251/61/img9397091240cukw.jpeg)
nice article. http://www.falcongt.com.au/XBGT2-Wheels-Test.html
Cars looking good Miguel,
Its nice to see you have kept the original shape of the FD rather than putting on a bodykit to change it. The FD looks awesome with 99 spec stuff anyway.
Shame the pics werent taken with your new seats in.
Looks very good and extremely shiny !!!
What suspension are you running on the car and are they 17s or 18s ? The wheels fit the arches well and the car doesnt look speedbump low.
Bet keeping those wheels clean is a full time task !!!
Gareth
I can vouch for how good Mig\'s FD looks, sounds and goes.
Migs, Kat and I had a great time, the FD was great, as was teh SP-2. Hope to get out again sometime.
Rich
gmogle:
Suspension\'s custom built Bilstein coilovers and springs, dyno\'d and set to use in combination with advanced recoil anti roll bars and S-Tyres.
Wheels are 17" - Tyres are less expensive and more readily available that way.
Ride height\'s just right for not grounding out as it goes up / down the ramp on our drive, or on Supermarket car parks, rough roads, etc.
Mazdaspeed MS-01\'s are super light - but get dirtly like any. Being of a simple design they are simple enough to wash with enough space to get inside the spokes to wash there too, although I need to roll the car a few metres to get access to the areas obscured by the callipers.
Miguel