Project Honda City Turbo II – Introduction

A couple of friends of mine (the same guys I went to Winton with) have embarked on a joint project car. The car in question is an obscure little Honda, and it’s not a Civic. Nope, it’s even better, it’s a City Turbo II. If you’re unfamiliar with these awesome little cars, you can read up about them on the Wiki page here. All you really need to know is that it’s small, it’s turbo, and you can fit a Motocompo in the boot. The other night I popped around for a visit while Tony and Ryan were wrenching away and took some photos of the goings on. As usual, click for larger versions.

I’ve been toying with the idea of posting the progress of this build on Build-Threads.com in installments, much the same way I document my own project. What are your thoughts on this? Are you interested in another site-hosted build?

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Willys Pickup / ’08 Cherokee

I guess you could kind of call this a chassis-swap, even though the original chassis is retained, albeit highly modified. This Willys pickup is based on a combination of two cabs (’48 and ’58), being widened to fit over the subframes and floorpan of a 2008 Jeep Cherokee, complete with a 5.7l Hemi. I have to say, this is one of the most informative build threads I’ve read. Even by breezing through it like I usually have to (because I want to get it up ASAP on the site for you guys!) I’ve managed to learn more than a few tricks. The owner shows off a plethora of DIY garage skills, such as tweaking and straightening the frame using combinations of heat and pressure, panel beating, welding, metal folding/shaping, and more. He really goes out of his way to share his techniques with his fellow forum members via well-written and documented posts. The whole thing is closer to a hot rod build compared to what you’d usually expect from a Jeep. Don’t forget to catch the rust removal technique towards the end of the thread, definitely one I’ll be bookmarking for future reference.

Thanks to Jarrod for submitting. Click here for more Jeep builds.

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Winton Track Day – 3rd May 2014

A few weeks ago I made the 2 hour trek up north to Winton Raceway for my second ever track day in my Datsun 1600. I have to say it was a fantastic weekend, due not only to the great company of my friends Tony and Ryan, but also the smooth running of the day by EXE Crew and the like-minded enthusiasts that attend their events. Compared to Phillip Island (the only other track I’ve driven on), Winton is a bit slower paced and more technical, much better suited to a noob like myself. I didn’t set any blistering times, settling on a PB of 1.53, but since I started off the day around the 2min mark I am happy with my progress, and it gives me a benchmark to beat next time I’m out there. One thing my car desperately needs is some more supportive seats, as the marshmallows I currently sit on offer me no support what so ever, and I find myself holding on to the steering wheel around corners. Luckily I have a pair of fixed-back buckets waiting to go in, but that will have to wait until I complete a new project that you’ll be hearing about soon.

Head below to see some of my images from the day (click for larger versions), most of them are of our cars but I thought I’d share them with you guys anyway. Thanks to Ryan Lewis (ex Editor of Fast Fours Magazine who wrote the feature on my car) for taking the action shots of my car. Hopefully next time I can get my hands on a GoPro or similar.

***Just a word about Facebook. If you rely on the Facebook page for your Build Threads updates, you might not be seeing every post. It’s no secret that Facebook has tightened the amount of reach that pages can achieve without paying, and I’ve noticed the majority of my posts are only reaching about 10% of the audience. So please keep remembering to check the main site, put it in your bookmarks and RSS readers, or follow me on Twitter where every Facebook post is mirrored.

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BUILT from eBay [video build x4]

So, I’ve become a bit of a YouTube junky lately. My almost nightly ritual consists of plonking myself down on the couch with a hot coffee, firing up the iPad, plugging in my over-ear headphones, and catching up on all of my favourite subscriptions. Some of those include /DRIVE, HoonTV, Jay Leno’s Garage, Marchettino, Mighty Car Mods, Motor Trend (Roadkill and Dirt Every Day), and of course Petrolicious. For too long I imagined YouTube’s sole existence catered to wannabe celebrities uploading videos of themselves doing something stupid in the hope of going viral. Now I’m more than aware that it’s become quite the replacement for television, with professionally produced channels releasing regular content aimed at specific demographics, making their viewers crave new content just like you would for Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones.

It was during a browsing session that I stumbled across a 10-part series called “BUILT from eBay”, which chronicled the process of four different shops (aligned with 4 different magazines) building four different cars using parts bought only from eBay. While the concept is pretty transparent as being one big commercial, the content is quite entertaining. Hell, you get to see four completely different cars being built without having to read a single word, what’s there to complain about?

Click here for more video builds.

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BUILD UPDATE: Beck Kustoms Kuda

It’s been over 2 and a half years since I featured Aaron’s Beck Kustoms Cuda, and there’s been plenty of progress since then.
I’ve just gone through and updated the original post with a bunch of new images, so take some time out and catch up with Aaron’s amazing work, including a shake-down video.

CLICK HERE or on the image below to head to the original post.

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Porsche ’83 targa to 993 RSR coupe

When I was a kid, Porsches were only owned by doctors or business men, or plastered on bedroom walls of kids like me. Now it’s more than obvious that the once unreachable German exotics are firmly in the grasps of people like you and I who like to tear things apart and put them back together any which way we choose. I like that, very much.

This Porka started it’s life as a 1983 targa-top, which at some point had a hardtop roof grafted on to it. That’s how Petter from Sweden found it, in a sorry state but with the roof swap already done (even though he would tweak it later to make it perfect). A full rebuild then took place, set off by an RSR body kit and some big Fuch’s to seal the deal, along with the face-smacking bright green paint. I think what I love the most about this build is the crystal clear photos that Petter takes, it makes me feel like I’m right there with him along the way. Strangely, my favourite phase of the build is seeing the car in all different colours before it was painted, what the hell is wrong with me?!

Click here for more Porsche builds. Click here for more Scandinavian builds.

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’91 Subaru Legacy RS Type RA

While this build itself is very impressive and highly detailed, it’s the other automotive work that the owner partakes in that will really pique your interest. His car of choice is a 1991 Subaru Legacy RS, a love affair that started while serving an apprenticeship with Subaru, working on race and rally cars for Possum Bourne in New Zealand. This chassis started life as a Legacy Sport, but is now on it’s way to becoming an RS Type RA thanks to a ground-up rebuild and a selection of high-end additions. As for his other work? Well, let’s just say his duties include rebuilding Formula 1 cars, IndyCars, IMSA racers, and exotic road/race cars, so you know his personal car is going to be of a very high caliber. Make sure you head to the bottom of the post to see these bonus images.

Thanks to Robert for submitting. Click here for more Subaru builds.

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Triumph TR6…or Z06?

Firstly, I feel I need to apologise for the amount of LSx builds on the front page, as I generally like to aim for a bit of variety on the site. But hey, if people keep stuffing them into cars in interesting ways, I have to keep featuring them! This one is a bit more than just an engine swap, though, because the owner has transplanted a lot of the underpinnings of a Z06 Corvette into his unsuspecting Triumph TR6. The most significant part of this build is that we learn the owner and builder is actually wheelchair bound, yet this proves no boundary to him as his enthusiasm and dedication to his car shines through, making the most of his situation and enjoying his passion to the fullest. So next time you’re feeling lazy or making excuses about your own project, have a read of this thread. My hat is tipped to you, Sir.

Thanks to Peter for submitting.

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AWD Ford Fiesta Cosworth

It’s been a while since we’ve had one of these completely bonkers builds. You know the type; pedestrian fwd hatch, completely gutted, filled with a skeleton of tubing, a north/south facing engine conversion, race-quality suspension and a change of driveline orientation? Yeah, one of those! While I could make up some story about how this car changed my life and waffle on for 1000 words about it, you know I leave that fluffy stuff up to the other blogs, so here’s the stats: MK6 Fiesta, formerly turbo diesel, now Cosworth powered all wheel drive, JWRC wide body kit, WRC rear cradle, full cage and tube front and rear ends, and heaps more. I think the pictures will speak for themselves, enjoy!

Fun fact: This is the 5th time I’ve used the word ‘bonkers‘ to describe a car (yes, I checked). Click here for more Ford builds.

Thanks to Maarten for submitting. Continue reading “AWD Ford Fiesta Cosworth”