Honda NSX Track Car

It’s time to kick off 2016 with a new build! The Honda NSX is a bucket-list car for many people, whether you’re a Honda fanboy, a lover of 90’s JDM, or maybe you have a case of the feels from the original Need for Speed game. This one takes quite the transformation, starting off as a stock automatic it quickly gets torn down and receives a track-ready overhaul. Huge brakes, wide-body, carbon panels, flat floor, air jacks, intricate roll cage with floor bars, bespoke centre exit exhaust, and plenty more. Towards the end of the thread we learn that a HPD LeMans-style engine looks to be in the car’s future, with a couple of turbos to really get things moving, I can’t wait to see how that turns out!

Thanks to Maarten for submitting. Cover image by Jessy Penelon.

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Subaru Leone EJ22T AWD

Sure, you could buy yourself an STi Impreza, but where’s the fun in that? What about taking an all original, low-milage 1986 Subaru Leone, converted to AWD thanks to an XT6 (Vortex) donor, with an engine consisting of a built EJ22T bottom end and STi Version 8 Type RA heads? Yeah, I’d choose the Leone too. The initial build is done and dusted quite quickly, but the car continues to evolve throughout the thread. Unfortunately it meets a guard rail towards the end, but is thankfully repaired swiftly and with OEM parts back to better than new condition.

Thanks to Rodd and Tom for both submitting separately. Click here for more Subaru builds.

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Classic Japan 2013

Yesterday in Melbourne we were gifted with a gorgeous sunny day to mark the start of summer. It also happened to be the same day as Classic Japan, a casual car show catering for Japanese cars and motorbikes that are 25 years or older. No prizes, no trophies, no egos, just a congregation of the states oldschool JDM owners and fans. It had been a while since I had driven the datto after experiencing some periodic teething problems since completing my FMIC project, so I was ecstatic to be able to have it back in action just the day before the show and enjoy a full two days of trouble-free driving. I didn’t take my camera with me, but my good friend Tony from The Motor Report was snapping away and has given me his blessing to share his images here. Click the images for full-size hi-res shots.

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Forum spotlight: JDMST (pt1)

I’m a member of many different forums, but I’m not much of a poster. JDM Style Tuning was one of the first forums that I really got involved in, posting regularly and attending meets. While I don’t post there much these days, I still like to read the forum almost daily and make the odd post every now and then. There are a number of great builds on the forum, so I thought I’d do a little spotlight on some of my favourites in no particular order. Please note, this is not a “best of”, it’s just the ones that tickle my fancy. There’s a few builds to get through, so I’ll split them up over a few different posts over the next couple of months in between regular build features.

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KP60 Starlet

I think I’ve just stumbled across what is potentially the best idea ever in regards to car forums and build threads. Oldschool.co.nz is a New Zealand-based oldschool car forum, and while it’s full of awesome cars and a thriving motorised bicycle racing series, I’d have to say the defining feature for me is that their build threads are strictly author-only content, with a duplicate thread located in a different section for any discussion with other members. That means no more sifting through 10s or 100s of pages of chatter when all you want to see is pics and info about the build, genius!

The build in question is a KP60 Toyota Starlet, evolving over time in the garage with plenty of home made fabrication that has me both a little bit jealous and all warm and fuzzy at the same time. Thanks to Zac for submitting.

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Jun’s Datsun 510 Wagon

This next build has been a favourite of mine since I first laid eyes on it, I’ve read it countless times and it always makes me want to run out to the garage and start working on my own car. Jun is one of those people who gets it, his modification technique is very detailed yet not too mechanically intense, anyone with a vision and some elbow grease can emulate it, he even inspired me to ‘do work’ on my own engine bay instead of continually delaying it. This 510 wagon gets a serious dose of Japanese style, helped along by it’s owners visits to the motherland, bringing home swag on the return-flights home.

There’s no need to feel disappointed when you get to the end of this build, as you’ll see that Jun has recently picked up a Datsun 620 4WD, and he’s working his token magic on that ride, too.

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VIP Previa

Back from Japan and back to reality, and what better way to kick things off than with a very Japanese styled build (even though it resides in America). I’ve had my eye on this Previa build since I first saw it on Stanceworks, and I can definitely say it’s come together in the end to be a very special and unique car. It’s great to see people straying away from the norm and succeeding.

Final images by mikegilbertphotography.com

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Sillbeer S13 Silvia

One word that gets thrown around way too much these days on the internet when describing cars is “clean”. Someone bolts a set of rims on their car, lowers it, and apparently its “clean”. Well the following car is the true definition of clean, no fan-boy-isms here. Pick any surface on this car and chances are you could eat off it. Owned by Brendan and built with the assistance of C-Red over in Perth, Western Australia, this S13 has been rebuilt down to every last nut and bolt.

I like to think of this car as a special edition that Nissan Japan would have built if they had to re-release the S13 Silvia using carefully selected after market parts. Brendan’s blog dates back to August 2004, and the car has only recently been completed. If you want to see what 5 years of hard work gets you when you let loose on an S13, keep reading…

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KGC10 Hakosuka Skyline

If you’re a fan of old school JDM rides, then you probably love Hakosuka Nissan Skylines.
Kev from Sydney, a member of Japanese Nostalgic Car and JDM Style Tuning, has been slowly working on his freshly imported KGC10 for the past year.

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