Seikenfreak's Garage Journal

[Seikenfreak]

So, I would've thought I made a thread here many many years ago, but apparently not? I've been a GTPlanet member for about two decades now so better late than never. I think the best way for me to structure this would be with separate posts for each car, in chronological order, and then have links to the individual posts in the first one.

Contents

The Cars
#1 - 1988 Mitsubishi Starion
#2 - 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS
#3 - 1995 Mazda Miata 1.8
#4 - 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
#5 - 2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1
#6 - 1990 Nissan Skyline GT-R
#7 - 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

The Trucks
#1 - 1994 Toyota Pickup XtraCab DLX
#2 - 2001 Toyota Tacoma TRD SR5

The Motorcycles
#1 - 1997 Honda CR125 (Not worth making a post on)
#2 - 1978 Honda CB750K
#3 - 2003 Yamaha WR250F

___________________________________________________________________________________________

My First Car!

1988 Mitsubishi Starion

Powered by a 2.6L SOHC 4cyl Turbo in the US; Mitsubishi's G54B. Kind of a truck motor But I didn't know any better at the time. 5-Speed, RWD. I think it was rated somewhere around 160-70hp and 210-220 tq? It had all the cool 80s techno vibes and gadgets as well. Digital auto climate control. A casette deck with all the cool equalizer sliders. Those automatic door track seatbelts.

In summary: At the time, I was working at a small local auto shop during the summer and then afternoons during my junior year of high school. One day, one of the regular customers drops off her low mileage, mint, black on black Chrysler Conquest TSI. Like most people here, I was an avid Gran Turismo fan. I thought I had seen everything and then here comes this car. Never heard of it or seen it before. (Yes, I think the rally version was in one of the games but that's a different thing) It has an intercooler? Ooooo that must mean its got a turbo.. And it's a manual.. I go home and do some research and learn what I can. A short time later, being young and dumb, I decide its a great idea to buy a 15 year old Mitsubishi off of eBay for a first car.

The digital gavel drops and $2000 dollars later, this is what I ended up with. To no one's surprise but me, the seller is already having problems just trying to drive it to my house. After the seller breaks down, gets it back to their place, and then "fixes" it over a week or two, I eventually receive it. Then, in the next day or two, I can't help myself but want to try and drive it around to block. Mind you, I still only had my driver's permit and was due to go for my license test on my 17th birthday a couple months away. The old, pesky, and ever present god, Murphy, ruiner of all days, looms large in my life. One might say my belief lends him strength. I nervously take the car out for a run down my street. I precariously roll into boost going down the main entry road.. Suddenly, the engine falters, making some sort've noise and stops. It will not start again. I am now broken down in a car, without a license, at the other end of the neighborhood.. perhaps even without my Mom knowing. This would set the tone for this car, and many of my other cars, going forward..

Lets try to pare down the rest of my time with this old Diamond Star Motor. I would eventually learn the car bent an exhaust valve. It sat in the back of the shop I worked at for a few months. Learning many new things, we got it running again but it never felt like it ran particularly good. I didn't have enough experience to understand exactly why. Only a few months after buying it, I ended up getting my second car, with the expectation of selling the Starion. Though, over the next couple years, I continued down the young-car-enthusiasts' rite of passage by buying various modifications for it, essentially throwing money into a fire pit. At one point, rebuilding the whole motor in the garage of my friends house (bless his parents for letting a kid disable a car in their driveway ) with a hotter cam and maybe some bottom end goodies, etc etc. Somehow in my mind, I hoped refreshing all this stuff would make it run better. I don't think it did.

I sold the car sometime in 2006 I believe. I put very few miles on the car, as I was always afraid I was going to break down somewhere, and as mentioned before it never quite ran right. It was kinda jerky, seemingly wanting to stall, etc. So it mostly sat outside the house at the curb. The Starion/Conquest is still a fairly rare car and I'm lucky enough to have seen a few around over the years. Would love to see one added to Gran Turismo.

 

[Seikenfreak]

Next to arrive..

1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

The car had a naturally aspirated variation of the EJ25 in it producing somewhere around 160hp? 5-speed manual, AWD.

In summary: Of course I was already aware of the GC (and GF ) STIs thanks to Gran Turismo and Best Motoring. I was also watching the latest Initial D episodes as they came out. Somewhere around this time I think, Bunta's car was revealed and it was so damn hot. That somehow lead me to finding out that, in the States, the "best" GC version we got was available in that signature color combo. Off to eBay! It's September 2004 and there just happened to be one in a neighboring state for sale at a dealer. Omg, I wanted it.. And was able to win the auction!

If I recall, it had about 110,000 miles on it and was in good shape. There weren't any dramatic issues during my time with it. I loved it. Many fond memories in this car. It served as my reliable daily for a couple years. While writing this, I'm amazed to learn it was only two years. It feels like I lived a lifetime with this car.. Anyway, the only issue I remember was getting the head gaskets replaced at a local Subaru dealership as the car would overheat a little but only if I was really getting on it, so it was actually fine for a long time. Unlike the Starion, my modifications were a bit more reserved here. I installed some JDM tail lights at some point, replaced the front bumper with a '99 spec along with some Hella 500 fog lights, a B&M short shifter, some '00 spec wheels in white for winter tires, and I replaced the headunit and speakers. Right near the end of my time with it, I think I put some sway bars on it and maybe some KYB AGXs?

The Impreza was awesome. It was fun on-road, and it felt unstoppable off-road and in the snow. In November 2005 I took it to the Pine Barrens Express Rally, which was I think an annual event at the time. Unfortunately, I only made it about half way through as I hit some really hard sudden dip (that seemed like it would've ripped the bumper off) which then caused the car to go into limp mode. I believe its an issue with these cars and if the MAF gets jostled hard enough or something. Let the car sit/cool down and it was fine. I didn't know that at the time so I decided to call it quits rather than get stranded in the middle of nowhere in the dark.

I would part ways with it in September 2006, when I think I started getting bad juju from the motor, or it really could've just been in my head. Maybe some noises, I dunno. I traded it in to a Honda dealership towards a newer Impreza.. I would later find out, via stumbling across a member's journal on a forum just like this, that the car was sold and shipped to someone in Northern California. They'd go onto to swap a WRX 2.0 into it (I think?) and stick all sorts of JDM parts on the car. I can't remember the details.

I would love to have another GC or even a GF wagon some day. Even as just a normal daily it would be awesome and comfortable.

 

[Seikenfreak]

1995 Mazda Miata

In summary: I honestly can't remember what made me want a Miata. With a lot of my cars, there is usually some event or moment that plants the seed in my mind. My imagination takes over and I get super excited about something and obsess. I have zero recollection of what that was in this scenario so.. I don't know what to write here In January 2005 I got a Montego Blue one w/ 123,000 miles, off eBay of course, and drove an hour or two away to get it. It was also an incredibly fun car. Experiencing the convertible life for the first time.

This was the first and only car I took to AutoX events. I remember a sudden, huge downpour of rain at one event while I was working the course; meanwhile the car was over in the paddock with the top down. I ran back to find the seats with pools of water in them. This is also the only car I've got a speeding ticket in. It was my sister's wedding day, and my ex-gf and I bailed during the reception because neither of us wanted to be there and it was an absolutely gorgeous day out. We ran home, humped one out, and then went out for a drive with the top down. Got pulled over doing 55 in a 35 I think; total BS spot. Empty side road you can easily do 55 comfortably on but they used it to set up speed traps.

As for modifications, having learned some (but not enough) lessons from the Starion, and keeping the Impreza simple, over time I bought some KYB AGXs (maybe springs?), maybe some sway bars/endlinks, an eBay header, some crappy eBay strut bars, Apex'i intake, Racing Beat cat-back exhaust, a Hard Dog roll bar, some used factory BBS wheels (the smaller ones), powder coated the valve cover an ugly red (), and some kinda steering wheel (still learning lessons!) There might be more that I can't remember, but I don't have nearly as much detailed information or pics of my old cars from back then.

Another moment I remember fondly was, for whatever reason, I decided it would be cool to make a section of straight pipe to replace the muffler, maybe just for "track use" or something, even though I hadn't gone to a track yet. Maybe I wanted to do it at an AutoX event 🤦‍♂️ We decided to fit the pipe at a friends house late one night. It was LOUD.. but couldn't help taking it for a rip around the block. It sounded AWESOME above 4-5k RPM. If you've ever played GT Legends and driven the Lotus Elan, that is exactly what it sounded like. Just so cool. Of course, it sounded horrendous below that RPM so it was somewhat insufferable and I put the Racing Beat back on a day or two later.

Other than that though, not much to say. It was always reliable (this was the first car I did a timing belt/water pump on by myself I think) and good, simple fun. There is a reason why they are a go-to choice and make great entry level sports cars. Try one if you haven't already. As time went on, the car was getting less use, due to another car I had at the same time, plus the parking situation was an annoying pain in the butt at that house, so if I ever wanted to take the car out of the garage, I had to play musical cars and hope there was enough parking around. Weirdly enough, the engine on this car may or may not have started making a different noise that had me nervous (again, could've all been in my head) so I started contemplating what to do with it. On one hand, it would cost a bunch of money to do ITBs and stuff (which is what I wanted to do) or.. I sell it and put that money towards the other car I was actively driving.. My 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. I begrudgingly sold the Miata sometime in 2007.

 

[Seikenfreak]

2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

In summary: I can't quite recall how I ever thought I'd get one of these. A real STI. Might've just been looking them up for whatever reason, but in August 2006, I found a used one at a nearby Honda dealership and started to obsess. This was the first car I had payments on. It had 36,000 miles and was listed for about $26k. I traded the 2.5RS in for about $6-7k I think and eventually sold the Starion as well to put towards this. I would end up owning this car for about 9 years.. and dumping WAY too much money into it. Still young and dumb. There is a lot to talk about and pictures of this car but I'll trim it down.

The engine would break on two separate occasions with this car: When I sold the Miata in 2007, that money was put towards a Perrin GT30R turbo kit. Some friends of mine helped with installation and I was forced to take the car to a tuner in a nearby state, because the Subaru specialist shop I had been dealing with had just moved and their dyno was not set up yet and didn't know when it would. The butthole tuner at this other shop I took it to (that they recommended), IMO, tuned it too aggressively, trying to target 400 wheel horsepower (which it did), instead of just making it safe. He also ended up breaking my seat (he was a very large man) and then denied it was his fault. A few months later, during a particularly cold (15 degrees F?) late night drive from a friends house, and me being a little too generous with the throttle in those conditions, plus probably this guys tune, caused the engine to detonate I assume and crack the ring lands. The car would end up sitting at that Subaru specialist's shop for about 6 months while they fixed it.. and also did a bunch of mods I wanted like a built bottom end.. and Cosworth heads.. and fuel system ahem Anywaaaay..

The car was good for awhile after that I think. I took it to Atco Dragway once. I took it to a local road rally. I can't recall why, but I think it ended up back at the shop for some reason, and it was upgraded to a GT35R turbo, stand alone Hydra engine management, maybe some more fuel, and methanol injection. In hindsight.. why? Why would anyone need this much power? All I can do is chalk it up to being young and learning. So I think the car put down 520whp/535wtq at this point. All was good and fine until..

Finally! After procrastinating forever and never actually getting my butt on a race track (like SO many people) June 30th 2011, I participate in a track event at New Jersey Motorsports Park's Thunderbolt course. It was so much fun, and my instructor said I did great and was thoroughly impressed for it being my first time. All thanks to 10+ years of games and racing sims on PC. Unfortunately, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There were four 20min sessions that hot, summer day. And that age old thought of.. Should I just do one more? Or go home on a high note? Eh, I think I'll do one more.. In the last 5 mins of the last session, the engine died. Initially the instructor and I thought it was part of my exhaust dragging, but no, it was very bad rod knock. You can view the event this video here, part 3 of the 4th session:



Classic, amateur mistake: I dumped all this money on power and suspension mods, but not better support mods like an oil cooler, auxiliary gauges to monitor temperatures, baffled oil pans etc. The engine had cooked itself the death. A friend of mine, thank you so much Dave, was able to leave work, go grab a trailer with his truck and then drive an hour and a half down to pick me up. Not wanting to deal with a shop holding my car hostage for so many months, I took it home and pulled the engine myself. I was older, more experienced, had the space, and confident enough at this point to just pull the engine myself, which is exactly what I did.

I took the engine back to the shop and had them rebuild it. The Cosworth heads/cams were still good if I recall. At this point in time, I happened to work with someone who also had a job working for Manley, so he was incredibly nice and got me an extremely deep discount on some replacement forged pistons, rods, and new for this go around.. a beautiful billet crankshaft which offered better oiling than the factory crank, among other benefits. Once I got the engine back, I installed a KillerB baffled and higher capacity oil pan + windage tray. A large Setrab oil cooler. A Kaminari fiberglass reverse cowl hood for better hot air extraction from behind the radiator. And a set of Defi gauges for monitoring oil temps, pressure, and water temps. Pretty sure I already had an upgraded radiator installed prior to this. I didn't get the car back up and running until July of 2012; a year after it had died at the track. But it was all ready to go back to the track now..



And yet, for whatever reason, I never did with this car. I don't recall what was going on at the time but I didn't or wasn't able to get back out on track. The car was in the best shape of its life but perhaps all these major issues had taken off some of the shine for me. Much like the Miata, it was somewhat languishing in the garage, a pain in the butt to take out for a drive due to the parking situation. I wouldn't drive it much during the winter months. It wasn't until a late night retro gaming session, playing Shutokou Battle 2 for Super Famicom, driving around the course in a little pixelated R32 GTR that a seed was planted..

A time the young 12 year old me thought would never come: The R32 GTR was now legal for importation. But.. that seems crazy. How on Earth would I figure out how to get a car from Japan? Is it a good idea? And that's all it took to get the mental ball rolling. The allure of the GD STI had waned on me. I saw a bigger prize. Something that got me excited. Before I could do anything though, I'd have to go through the nightmare of selling a highly modified Impreza STI. In March/April 2015, after 9 years, it was sold.

Full Modification List:

Spoiler: Full Modification List

Engine
Hydra 2.6 EMS
Manley Billet Crankshaft
Manley H-Beam Rods
Manley 8.5:1 Pistons
Cosworth Cylinder Heads
Cosworth 278/274 Cams
ARP Head Studs
Killer B Motorsports Oil Pan + Pickup + Baffle
Garrett GT3582R .82 A/R
Tomei Expreme Unequal Length Header
Modified Perrin Downpipe
Modified Perrin Up-Pipe
Tial 44mm External Wastegate
COBB Tuning 3" Cat-Back
Aquamist HFS-5 Meth Injection (Not connected)
Perrin Front Mount Intercooler
Perrin Blow-Thru Boost Tube
Perrin Intake
Aftermarket Fuel Rails
Bosch 1000cc Injectors
2x Walbro 255lph Fuel Pump
TGV Deletes
Cusco Motor & Trans Mounts
Greddy Type-RS BOV
A/C Removed

Cooling
PWR Radiator
Killer B Motorsports Radiator Shroud
Samco Upper Radiator Hose
Mocal External Oil Cooler

Suspension
KW V3 Coilovers
GTWorx Front Camber Plates
JDM STi Titanium Strut Bar
Perrin PSRS Mounts
Whiteline 24mm Front + Rear Adj. Sway Bars
Whiteline Aluminum Rear Sway Bar Mounts
Kartboy Front + Rear Endlinks
Whiteline Steering Rack Bushings

Drivetrain
Clutch Masters FX300 Clutch
Agency Power SS Braided Clutch Line

Brakes
DBA 4000 Series Front + Rear Slotted Rotors
Hawk HP+ Brake Pads
StopTech Stainless Brake Lines
Motul 600 Brake Fluid

Wheels/Tires
Enkei RPF1 17x9.5 ET +38
Dunlop Direzza DZ101 255/40/17
ARP Extended Wheel Studs

Interior
GReddy Profec B Spec II
Apex'i Auto Timer w/ HKS Harness
Defi Red Racer Boost + Water Temp + Oil Temp + Oil Press Gauges
Autometer 2 Pod Cluster Bezel
ATI 3 Gauge Pod
Battery Relocation Kit
Factory Short Shifter

Exterior
Kaminari Reverse Cowl Hood
WRX Trunk + Spoiler
Cleared Headlights

 

[Seikenfreak]

..but before we get there!

2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Offered as the second highest trim level (below the famous "Terminator" Cobra) for 2003-2004, the Mach 1 came with Ford's naturally aspirated 4.6L DOHC 4 valve "Modular" V8, the larger front brakes from the Cobra, and some unique cosmetic bits (graphics package, unique wheels, functional shaker hood scoop, interior trim etc.) The GTs were still the OHC V8 and the '03-'04 Cobra was DOHC + Supercharged. If I'm not mistaken, I believe these DOHC heads were taken from the Ford GT of the time. The NA DOHC engine output around 305hp/320tq and was offered with the standard 5-speed manual or an automatic. Hidden deep in the engine, it also received the Cobra's aluminum block and forged crankshaft. It did not have the forged pistons and connecting rods, the Tremec T-56 6-Speed or the independent rear suspension from the Cobra. They only ever made about 9500 of these Mach 1s. Fun fact: The 4.7L Twin Turbo V8 engine in the Koeniggsegg CCR was based on the Ford 4.6L Modular engine.

In summary: This was a car I always wanted from when I first saw this one specific marketing picture (seen top left). It's hard to remember but I think my reasoning behind getting this car when I did was that either something was not working right on the Impreza STI and the car had more serious work done now, so I felt I needed something more reliable for daily use. Naturally aspirated, none of this overly complex turbo nonsense with more points of failure. Plus, I had already had an NA/Turbo inline 4s, and NA/Turbo flat 4s. I wanted to try something different. I knew I didn't want the supercharged Cobra, not only because they were too expensive for me at the time, but because a supercharger just creates a heat soak situation and is not ideal for extended track use. It didn't come with the independent rear suspension, but that could be swapped in at a later date.. and also it actually isn't that good unless you upgrade the whole setup with stiffer bushings etc. I also knew I wanted the car in either Oxford White or Azure Blue..

So in April 2011.. Because I'm an impatient idiot, I bought a black one from a sketchy, small used-car-lot-on-a-corner a couple hours away. I had a friend who was a Ford technician go with me to check the car out. It had 46k miles and seemed to be in good shape, other than the obnoxiously loud exhaust system someone had installed. Everything else was original. It's practically a brand new car! What could go wrong? Murphy's Law strikes again! I had been driving the car for about a week I think when I decided to do an oil change on it. Before anyone jumps to any conclusions: Yes, I know how to do oil changes and had been doing them for years on all my cars. Yes, I put the appropriate or better oil in it. So I take it for a post-oil change cruise as you do, decide to wind out the engine to it's nearly 7,000 RPM redline (yes, it was plenty warmed up) and then let off.. And start to hear a very subtle knocking noise. My heart sank and I knew immediately what it probably was and confirmed so later when I tried pulling some ignition coils. One week after ownership on a car with 46k miles.. Rod knock. And of course!.. I opted not to get the third-party warranty from the used car dealer because that stuff is always a scam, right?

Yet again, to try and trim this down, the car would end up at a shop in south jersey, based on a friends (the one that worked for Manley; they were a client of his) recommendation, that specialized in building performance engines for cars and boats. That same friend also comes in clutch yet again and provides me with upgraded forged rods, pistons, upgraded valve springs, ARP head studs, and SLP long tube headers at a very steep discount alongside a high volume oil pump, and 4.10 rear gears. I also installed Canton's road race oil pan with 11qt capacity, trap doors, and a windage tray. I wanted to make sure the car was good and reliable for any future track duty. The car sat there for months, delay after delay after delay, when I would finally receive it back a day before my birthday in August 2011. With an invoice that was three times the initial estimate they gave me (mostly just labor because I sourced most of my own parts), and the general budget I gave them. Almost as much as the cost of the entire car 🤦‍♂️ Good news is the engine certainly delivered: Eventually putting down about 340whp and wtq. If you factor in a 15% drivetrain loss, thats around 390hp.. Which is about what the supercharged Cobra was (under)rated for from the factory.



From there, the car generally worked great. In January 2012 I hit my first deer, which would give me a reason to swap the bumper out for the better looking, IMO, '99 Cobra bumper + fogs. I installed a set of STACK oil pressure, oil temp, and water temps gauges with adjustable warnings. A 16 row Setrab oil cooler, an aluminum radiator, and some H&R lowering springs. I finally got back on track with this car and took it to a bunch of HPDE events at NJMP and never had any issues. I sourced some used, genuine (and kinda busted) Cobra R wheels and stuck a square setup of Toyo R888 tires on them, which completely transformed the handling of the car and felt much more fun to drive on track. I bought a seat bracket and managed to stick a leftover Bride replica seat I had in the car, which made a huge difference for track duty over the more couch-like factory pleather seats.

In Fall 2015, I had one of the secondary timing chains fail while driving normally on a highway, which could've potentially caused valvetrain damage. So I pulled the engine with the help of someone I worked with and, using a shop lift, we dropped the entire engine/subframe out from the bottom. I had the head checked out and replaced all the timing assembly and pulleys myself. As you can see, as time went on, I basically trusted myself to do work more than anyone else at some shop. I don't recall ever having issues with any repairs I've ever done and how long the job took to get done was entirely on my shoulders.

In spring 2016, I installed a used (that I decided to send out and get rebuilt/updated) Tremec T-56 6-speed, a lightweight aluminum flywheel, and an aluminum driveshaft. The sound of a V8 was intoxicating and the linear power curve showed me the way forward. Also, around 300-400hp (depending on the weight of the car) felt like this ideal level of performance that was fun on both the street and track. At this point I had the car for about 7 years and I was stuck between wanting to do an IRS swap, which would cost a bunch of money and work to do it right, plus not sure if I could do alone in my driveway/garage etc, vs not dumping more money into it and maybe moving on to something else. Another dream item I fantasized about getting was with this very rare (and expensive) Ford Racing intake manifold that had variable runner length for low and high RPM and a set a cams. I think it was used on certain Daytona Prototype race cars that used the Ford 4.6 engine. There is also this other later version I think that had these individual trumpets in an air chamber.



In September 2018, I listed and sold the car. The new owner just randomly texted me out of blue on Jan 1st 2023 to tell me the car was still doing great and he loves it. It was overall a great car, aside from the major initial hurdle. I got to try a V8 for the first time and it showed me that, yes, turbos are cool, but not in all situations, particularly road racing. Gran Turismo 2 had the '99 SVT Cobra, which is somewhat close to the Mach 1 except it did have the rear IRS, and later games would have the 2000 Cobra R which was also it's own unique thing. It would be amazing if they'd put more of these 90s/00s Mustangs in a newer game.

Full Modification List

Spoiler: Full Modification List

Engine:
ARP Head Studs
Manley "Platinum Series" Flat Top Pistons
Manley H-Beam Rods
Manley Nextek Valve Springs
MMR/IWIS Secondary Chains
Melling High Volume Oil Pump
Canton Racing "Road Race" Oil Pan + Windage Tray
MMR Remote Oil Filter Relocation + Remote Mount
Earl's Remote Oil Thermostat
Mocal/Setrab Oil 16 Row 235mm Cooler
LCM Head Cooling Mod
SVE Aluminum Radiator
JLT Intake
SCT/Bama SF3/X3 Tuner
Ford Racing Coil Covers

Exhaust:
SLP Long Tube Headers
BBK H-Pipe
SLP Loudmouth 2 Cat-Back

Drivetrain:
Tremec Cobra T-56 6 Speed - Stage 1 Rebuild by Tick Performance - January 2017
26 Spline Input Shaft
SPEC Billet Aluminum Flywheel
Exedy Mach 400 Stage 1 Clutch Kit
Ford Racing Aluminum Driveshaft
Ford Racing 4.10 Rear Gear
Steeda Tri-Ax Short Shifter

Suspension:
H&R Super Sport Springs
Maximum Motorsports Camber/Caster Plates
Maximum Motorsports Full Length Weld-In Subframe Connectors

Brakes:
Stoptech/Centric Rotors
Hawk HP+ Brake Pads
Goodridge & J&M Stainless Steel Lines Front & Back
2" Brake Ducts

Interior:
SVE FR500 Style Steering Wheel
STACK Pro-Control Water Temp, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp Gauges

Wheels/Tires:
American Muscle SC Replica Wheels 17x9, 17x10 I believe
Sumitomo HTR-Z Tires 275 Front / 315 Rear
Genuine Cobra R Wheels (Okay shape, one needed minor welding on lip when I bought it)
Toyo Proxes R888 275/35/18s on the Cobra R Wheels (Handful of track events. Still tread left. Stored indoors)

Exterior:
'99 Cobra Front Bumper

 

[Seikenfreak]

1990 Nissan Skyline GT-R

It's a 4WD 240SX 🤷‍♂️ Like many other people, I always loved how this car looked and wanted one. Gran Turismo offered a lot of surface level information about them like various models and what not. They were always good to use in the Shutokou Battle or Kaido Battle games. But seeing what they'd do with the car in Best Motoring, in the real world, was probably the biggest factor for me? The awesome Group A cars. Seeing it run against FD RX7s, NSXs, Supras, Ferrari, etc. As young kids and fans of GT, I remember my friend and I learning about the 25 year importation law here in the States, and how bullcrap it was. It seemed like that was millennia away so you kinda give up on it as a realistic possibility. Until that one late night that I mentioned above..

In summary: I've written and talked about getting this car so many times now, it's kinda bleh. I sold the STI and, after tons of research and talking to some people online, I found a car and went for it. It was being sold through a company in the UK but the car was still in Japan and would ship directly to the US. I paid for it in April/May of 2015 and the car wouldn't arrive in the port of Newark, NJ, and then my house, until August that same year. After that it took me until November 2015 to get all the title work finalized and the car legal to drive. There were plenty of ups and downs during the arduous process, mostly due to human error on documents. It seems like a fairly straight forward process, but in reality there is a lot of potential for screw ups I think, not even on your part as the buyer.

Before I even got the car, while waiting all those months, I ordered all sorts of maintenance parts and fluids, some used BBS wheels, and some basic Tein coilovers. I also built a little 1/24 scale Tamiya model of the car. The GT-R I bought had about 62,000 miles on it according to the odometer. During the couple months I had it in my garage, but was unable to drive it, I performed a bunch of the general maintenance like replacing all the fluids, going over all the brakes, changing filters, cleaning everything etc and installed the Teins, BBS LMs, and Nismo strut bars. I discovered the car had an old Nismo catback exhaust and the previous owner had installed some big stereo system and then it was all ripped out.

Everyone always asks about driving on the right hand side and, honestly, at least for me, it wasn't a big deal. It took me about a week before the weirdness of it wore off. It's not hard to shift with your left hand since the gears are in the same location. At the time, I remember being extremely impressed at how well it handled for an old ass car. It felt like my STI when it was stock and that car was 15 years newer. It was also just about the same age as my first car, the '88 Starion, and yet they were leagues apart. A lot of the novelty has worn off so I'm sorry if I lacking in bombastic thoughts and impressions. It was very cool and I couldn't believe I had one. Sometimes I would just go stare at it in the garage for a bit.

I took the car to two track days, August 2016 and the other in May 2018. The first time in particular, I was fairly gentle with it, not wanting to kill the thing. I don't believe I had any of the supporting mods yet. See? I was learning 💪🧠 In August 2017 was when I finally decided to do the timing belt/water pump, along with a list of other preventative maintenance and some mods. I took the entire left side (intake side) of the engine apart and replaced every hose I could. I cleaned every nut and bolt, replaced all the gaskets, sent the fuel injectors out the be checked and cleaned, and relocated the oil filter (the factory location is absolutely stupid) and tied that in with my own custom Setrab oil cooler and duct setup in the bumper/fender. I wired in a Defi Advance ZD multi-gauge display, custom fitting it in factory ash tray location. I replaced the factory water pump with a Nissan N1 pump. This list goes on and on. Bringing to bear all the skills I had learned thus far to do quality of a job as I could. And I saved every original part I could in case someone wanted to return the vehicle to original at a later date. It took me about a month or two to get it done.



The GT-R is also the first and only car I've owned that I had professionally detailed. A local business by the name of A Buff & Beyond (brilliant name) performed a paint restoration service on the whole exterior. The car looked incredible. I pretty much had no issues with the car. My goal with it was primarily one of restoration. The car was already fast enough in stock form. I replaced all sorts of odds and ends, from door strikers to interior panels to under hood information stickers. The old school Nismo exhaust eventually failed, as it was rusting from the inside out apparently, and one day when the car back fired as it did sometimes, it blew a giant hole out of the muffler box. I was able to source a similar but newer, stainless steel Nismo catback along with an old Nismo downpipe.

In 2022 I moved from NJ to TN and have spent a lot of time driving on all the beautiful mountain roads. More maintenance and upgrades took place when I discovered one of the front CV boots had torn and flung grease all over. Also one of (or both really) the front tension rod bushings were leaking. I replaced all of the front boots, replaced some ball joints, installed some Whiteline sway bars/endlinks, SPL adjustable tension rods (because the Whiteline bushings were on backorder until who knows when), Whiteline upper control arm bushings, SuperTech power steering rack bushings etc. Even had the car corner balanced. All was fine and dandy after that, but I was still pushing the car harder, consistently, than I ever had.

Like most things in my life, my enthusiasm for the car had lessened. It was a known quantity for me. I've owned the car for nearly 9 years now. Driving it out here, in this environment and the way I was, was very risky. Plus, if you wanna be a dork about it and think about Initial D, the car didn't necessarily suite the specific type of driving I was doing now. It was "heavy" (not compared to newer stuff) and complex. It had turbos and all the pros and cons with it. And just like every other car, I started to wonder what was next for the car. If I wanted to keep it and continue to use it out here, it would need substantial upgrades. And even then, the car had appreciated in value a good amount since I bought it so I felt like I was asking for trouble risking this investment. There are also still so many other cars that I would love and own and experience. The GT-R was just one of many you'd see in Gran Turismo, Best Motoring, or beyond. As the thought lingered for months, I became more comfortable with the idea. Just like I was excited to move from the STI to an R32 GT-R, now my mind was running with all the possibilities of what I could get next. So I decided to start prepping everything to sell the car..

And here we are. Sadly, because I swear cars have a soul or a sense of things, the DAY that I had made arrangements with a photographer friend to go out and get sale listing pictures, I was on my out and was only a couple miles from home, disaster struck. While calmly driving down a back road, with no theatrics, at low RPMs, and as I rolled into boost going up a slight hill.. I hear a small but brief tink noise. The car seemed to lack power. It took me a minute to figure it out but the car was no longer building boost. It was running smoothly, no smoke, no fire, no bad noises etc. So it could be one of two things: I popped a charge pipe hose, which seemed very unlikely as it's never happened before and I had hit maybe 5 psi just started to spool up. The other possibility, and the one I kinda had a feeling it was in the back of head: A turbo had failed. The ceramic wheels were light for better spool up characteristics but were also very fragile. They were still the originals as far as I knew. Jump forward a week and I was able to confirm the issue by dropping the downpipe and borescoping the turbos: One of the exhaust wheels was just gone. That little tink noise was likely the piece just shooting out of my exhaust.

The GT-R has been sitting on jackstands for months now, happening at the worst possible time. I've been endlessly busy working on the house and still have so much to do. I can't necessarily afford to spend large amount of money right now getting parts to fix it. But I do still want to sell it and I will once it's back up and running and I'm comfortable that everything is working correctly and can pass it on to the next owner. As for whats next? Still don't know exactly so many good options.



Full Modification List:

Spoiler: Full Modification List

Nismo Downpipe (20020-RN580-F)
Nismo Cat-back (20100-RNR25)
Nismo 260 km/h Speedometer
Nismo Solid Shifter (32839-RN595)
Nismo Stainless Clutch Line (46211-RS580)
Nismo Front + Rear Strut Bars
Nismo Stainless Brake Lines (Not Installed)
R35 GTR Ignition Coils (Hitachi IGC0079)
Platinum Racing Products R35 Coil Bracket/Harness
Koyo Radiator (HH020214)
Nissan N1 Water Pump (21010-24U27)
Greddy Thermostatic Oil Filter Relocation (12401114)
Setrab/Mocal 16 Row Oil Cooler w/ Custom Duct
Tein StreetFlex Coilovers (GSN14-51SS3)
Whiteline Front + Rear Adjustable Sway Bars
Whitelink Endlinks
Whiteline UCA Bushings w/ Camber Adjustment (KCA336)
SPL Front Tension Rods
SuperPro Steering Rack Bushings
Defi Advance ZD Multi-Gauge Display
Innovate LC-2 Wideband Controller
Nistune Type 2 Board (Original Map) [Removable]
Custom Auxilary Fuse Panel
Hawk HP+ Brake Pads
Motul RBF600 Brake Fluid
Redline Synthetic Driveline Fluids
BBS LM 17x9 +20 Wheels
Falken Azenis 615 K+ (255/40R17)
Pioneer Front + Rear Speakers
LED Gauge Cluster + HVAC Bulbs

 

[Seikenfreak]

2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

In summary: The Mach 1 was sold in September 2018 and I had been using my 1994 Toyota Pickup DLX for daily duties. The truck was in great shape when I got it, but once exposed to the NJ elements, it gradually disintegrated over the years. I had been thinking about getting a newer Tacoma TRD for quite awhile but they were around 40-45k. For some reason, my mind went from practical truck to.. an impractical Dodge Challenger 392 Scat Pack Widebody because it was around that same price. Like the Mach 1 was to the Cobra, the 392 Scat Pack was to the Hellcat. Pretty much all the goodies and good looks minus the supercharger. I love the way these look. But they're also big and heavy. I went to a dealer, sat in one, and I felt like a small child inside it. A sporty car is far more exciting and enticing than a truck, yet I was still unsure. Out of curiosity, I looked up prices for GT350s. This was a car I wanted the moment they came out and all the rave reviews hit. Never did I expect to actually get one. To my surprise, the prices had started to fall a bit.. Around 45-50k.

Now, my mind started to run rampant and justify this crazy idea. After doing a bunch of research, I narrowed down exactly what I wanted: A late-2017 production model. In 2017 they updated the infotainment, the "Track Pack" trim had become standard, and midway through that model year they changed the oil filter from a canister type (the tradtional type you twist on) to a paper insert style (where it has a plastic housing and you only replace the paper filter element) because people had been having issues at the track with the canister type coming loose. Having dealt with modifying various cars now for track duty, I really wanted something I didn't need to mess with. It was all there from the get go and, for the most part, the car was built for track use and could handling it without overheating or the engine blowing up etc. And it would have a warranty on it. Hopefully be reliable and comfortable. Another factor was the value retention: Having dumped a lot of money into other cars, and you never get it back, combined with the experience of buying the Skyline and it slowly appreciating in value, I became more conscious of money. I felt like the GT350 was a relatively safe buy. Cars of this breed were being produced less and less by various manufacturers. I knew this car was extremely special and everything was going electric quickly. This might be the last and greatest naturally aspirated engines Ford, or any company, would ever build. It all made sense in my mind.

So do I really need a truck? Naaaah.. Equipped with the newfound GT350 knowledge, I went searching. I was fairly certain I wanted a white one which, at the time, was the closest to the classic GT350 color. Later on, I would end up leaning more towards the Ruby Red Metallic w/ no stripe package. Jumping ahead a little, I ended up finding one at a Ford dealership in Savanna, GA with only 1,500 miles (might as well be new.) and about $10-15k less than new. After some haggling, I secured the car! I was going to have the car shipped up to me. The car would arrive on June 16th 2019. My god it was sexy. I've forgotten to mention up til now that I don't think I've really test driven any cars prior to buying them. This GT350 was no exception so it was really cool being able to experience this for the first time. The engine was heaven. The brakes, the handling, the seats. All of it was amazing.

A few months later, I would sell the '94 Toyota Pickup to a coworker. The GT350 was my daily most of the time. I didn't feel the need to modify anything, except the wheels. Which I still want to change but everything is so expensive because of the size In August 2019, I'd take it to its first track day at NJMP. Smooth with no issues. The next month, in September 2019, a coworker invited me to a track event at Pocono Raceway (North Course). This was my first time driving on a different track than NJMP and it was about 2 or so hours away from my house. I'm always nervous about something bad happening. Yet again though, the car handled it perfectly and it was actually the best track day I'd been to yet as it was essentially open track getting in as many laps as you want. I skipped this event in 2020 but returned again in 2021.



The next big adventure, for me and the car, was a trip to the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee. Around 2020-2021 was a pretty rough time for me. Things were changing and I had to figure out a new living situation. NJ was already expensive to live in and was only getting worse. On top of that, I hated it there. But I hadn't ever been outside the tri-state area before. I wasn't sure where to go or what to do. One day in 2021, while reading an article in Road & Track about the Top 10 things car enthusiasts must do or see, the Tail of the Dragon is obviously mentioned. I had heard of it a long time ago from a friend who would go down for Mini's at the Gap or something. Of course I see and hear about it over the years and always wanted to go. It sounds silly I guess but for me it was a big deal. I'd never been outside the tri-state area, I'd never traveled, especially alone, never was away from home, I get anxiety thinking about it, I never take "vacations" or time off work etc. With everything going on in my life, I said F it, I'm going to do this. I needed to be more independent, step out of my comfort zone, and challenge myself. I took a week off work, added Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Virginia International Raceway to the route on the way down, booked a place to stay in NC, and an AirBnB for a few days by the Tail of the Dragon. In June 2021 I packed a bag and finally set off in the GT350.

The weather was absolutely flawless the entire week. I went over the Chesapeake Bay bridge and I got to at least see the entry gate for VIR (and stop for a picture) and confirmed it is real and I want to actually go race there at some point Once I reached the Appalachian mountains that straddles the TN/NC border and checked out the views and roads, it was like I had died and gone to heaven. I did pretty much nothing but drive around the area and hang out for 3-4 days? The cars, the motorcycles, the people, the gorgeous scenery. All of it was absolutely nothing like crappy, boring, flat, expensive, traffic jammed, cramped New Jersey. And most importantly, not only did I survive the trip, but I had an incredible time. The moment I will never forget was spiritedly driving down the Cherohala Skyway, being completely in the zone for like 30 mins, when I sort've took a step back and thought.. Is this real? Am I driving on these roads like this, with these views and lush greenery, I haven't seen another car or motorcycle in like 30 mins? No traffic. It was just me and the road. As much as I want; no timed sessions that are 20 mins or less but actually feel like 5 mins. No one else holding up the road going super slow or tail gating me. If I ever did see a car, it was often a Lambo, Miata, MR2, 911 GT3, M3, Mclaren, a rowdy sport bike etc etc. Name any enthusiast vehicle, cheap or expensive. Most people I know would say I am very negative/cynical and that nothing seems to make me happy. But in this moment, it nearly brought me to tears, and I'm feeling it even as I write this. And after that, I just kept asking myself why would I stay in NJ, where everything is making me miserable and unhappy? Yes, my family is there but I don't want to let that determine the course of my entire life. I was already 34 and might as well be old and dead. Yes, the few friends I had were there but.. We hardly hang out anyway. Most people at my age are in relationships, getting married, having kids, working and house chores etc. This seemed like a way to shake things up in my life.



6 months later, I found a place with actual garage space for me to work on and store stuff and within 20-30 mins of the Tail of the Dragon alongside all these other less widely known but equally incredible roads. I packed, moved, and unpacked everything myself, making 3 trips back and forth from NJ to TN within a week (roughly 58 hours and 3500 miles of driving) but I did it. It's been just over a year now and here I am writing this post. I have made so many friends up on the mountain that it's honestly hard to remember everyone's names at times. I'm still settling in, but overall it's been great. And the GT350 is still here, still mostly stock, and continues to be an outstanding driver's car. About 23,000 miles on it at time of writing and just the usual basic maintenance. Only goals for it for now are to get some wheels. Everything has been solid as-is. In the future I'd love to try it out on the various race tracks in the southeast.

The GT350R is in Gran Turismo 7 which is nice but honestly, it doesn't capture the exquisit handling or the symphonic engine/exhaust sound. It is just a video game after all.

 

[wfooshee]

Nothing to do with your cars, but I do the same thing with my Miata as the one pictured: I put the top up when parked without actually fastening the windshield clamps to shade the interior.

 

[Seikenfreak]

1994 Toyota Pickup Xtracab DLX
3.0L V6 4WD Automatic

In summary: Way back in the day, circa Spring 2010 a friend and I started talking about wanting to get dirt bikes. First, we'd need a way to get them around, so I ended up finding this '94 Toyota Pickup with 163,000 miles at a dealer in Kentucky. I was aware of the whole Hilux phenomenon thing and loved the way this generation looked. This one appeared to be in excellent shape (I was also told it belonged to the son of the guy who owned the dealership), but with some ugly wheels. Eventually it arrives and it is indeed pretty awesome. I buy an old dirt bike, a '97 Honda CR125, off a fairly shady individual in my town. I can never really get it to run right. My friend and I took it out once or twice to try and learn how to ride. My friend never buys his own bike. And that was the end of that short lived plan 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

I would end up daily driving this machine until September 2019, which seems way longer than I remember. It was automatic which was a nice change. Generally comfortable. I'd do various maintenance on it over the years. A couple simple mods and accessories here and there, but that was about it which is another reason it was nice. To just use something and not feel like I needed to put a bunch of work in to get it where I liked it. I'd take it for some off-roading occasionally. It was handy having a truck to pick up bigger/heavier things like an engine. I loved it. As time went on, and our crappy northern climate and salted roads took their toll, the truck was developing more and more rust. It was also pretty slow and I avoided highways as much as I could. I wasn't doing the dirt bike thing obviously and didn't imagine it happening any time soon so I decided to pass it on before it completely fell apart in my hands. Surprisingly, this thing got just as much or more attention as my other cars over the years. The Toyota had a global reputation so I frequently had random people from outside the US asking if I would sell it. A coworker of mine at the time kept saying he wanted it and he bought it no questions asked 🤷‍♂️ He drove it for a year or two beyond that as it gradually fell into worse repair and if I recall, he eventually sold it to someone who was going to ship it to South America.

Overall it was awesome and I'd love to have another one. During the time I owned it, I always fantasized about having the time and money to restore it. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like that was going to happen so I let it go.

 

[Seikenfreak]

2001 Toyota Tacoma TRD SR5
3.4L V6 4WD 5-Speed

In summary: In September 2019 I sold the '94 Toyota Pickup because it didn't feel like I needed a truck. I made it until September 2020 before getting another one The series of events here is, in Spring 2020, kind of out of nowhere, a coworker and I sort've banded together and decided to finally get our motorcycle licenses. I got the '78 CB750K, worked on it, we successfully passed the class, got our licenses and I was riding! A couple months later, I start getting the dirt bike idea back in my head. Of course, now I didn't have a way to get one around. I'd need to be able to haul one before I bought something so I searched for another truck, this time a Tacoma. The Toyota truck tax is real lol They're all expensive, even in rough shape. I found this 2001 Tacoma TRD 5-Speed w/ 280,000 miles (!) on Craigslist an hour or so away. I opted to get a TRD 5-Speed specifically as I figure, if there is a version that would hold the most value into the future, it'd be the one that off-road enthusiasts want. As ever with me, I go and look at the vehicle, even though in my mind I'm like already commited to buying it because I want this trim. I look it over, see some questionable stuff and also don't see the bigger problem. I decide that, from the stuff I can see, it doesn't look like too much work and so I decide to grab it. Oh, and I did actually test drive this one!

Long story short, I discover the roof is leaking from where the windshield is. Turns out there was a fair bit of rust and junk hidden in there and it was leaking into the headliner and interior. Seller failed to mention anything about that! Having never done it before myself, not having the funds to pay someone to do it, but always willing to learn.. I remove the windshield and begin repairing all the rust damage. After that I need to get a new windshield in, but the shop I spoke to refused to do it because of previous rust damage. They don't want to be liable or some BS. Fine, F you then, sell me just the glass and I'll do the damn thing myself. Success! Beyond that it has just been maintaining and replacing various parts.

I've already replaced the front brakes, steering rack, head/corner light assemblies, and replaced + repainted the whole front bumper/grill etc. I've also accumulated a fairly large stockpile of new parts for it that I just haven't had the time to replace. New control arms, ball joints, bearings, radiator, a custom skid plate, belts, gaskets, another intake manifold, all new A/C components etc etc. As is though, the truck keeps chugging along. I don't necessarily give it the constant love it deserves but it always starts up and gets me where I'm going. I'm starting to think maybe I should try and get this stuff done sooner than later. It would be really nice to have A/C again. On another level, because I feel like so much could use a refresh on the engine, wouldn't it be nice to just buy a spare engine and really get in there and build a fresh, good motor with all new gaskets etc on the side while the truck is still usable and then simply yank the old one out when ready and swap'em. I guess another more recent major factor is that my plans might be shifting in the near future and I may decide to get a "cheaper" car than the Skyline along with a trailer. And if I'm going to tow vehicles around, I'd need a more suitable truck.. Hmmm.. We'll see!