I can taste it…”Sickbro” Evo Build
It’s been a good amount of time since I last posted. A lots been going on! Took a new daily grind job, just finished fighting cancer (not kidding), and most noteably to anyone reading this…made some serious changes to my evo build…lol
About a year ago I was out cruising around with Spilner, and French. Spilner and I decided to take out our cars and cruise out West on the Island to check out one of the bigger meets. Upon arriving it didn’t take long for us to realize we had two of the faster cars there, we got bored quickly and left. Spilner, French and I departed in a “spirited” manner. Upon reaching an empty, long, and flat straight away in Mexico (lol), Spilner and I decided to get one last lick in before the end of the night. I bring my car up to two step, go to slip my clutch in, and BOOOM! On a downward stroke the rod snapped in half in cylinder 4, and sent itself on a fun ride through my block. After the initial “ohh sh** I just blew up,” I was given a warm welcome by a large flame through the hood vent of my car. And that was that.
After putting out the remaining flames, We kept busy. Spilner decided to make a video show casing himself, asking me if blowing up counted as a win for him, and French standing in the street doing the “honk your horn” arm gesture to every passing car.
Fast forward to now…The car is under the knife in the very reliable and capable hands of Ed, Fabian, and Tony of Forced Fed Engineering in Deer Park, New York. The car will be getting additonal fuel, a 2.4 stroker, built head, shep trans, shep transfer case, and larger snail, just to name a few. The power goal is 550-600whp all while maintaining my current stance with an even more aggressive update (if Amodeo has his way…lol).
I ask you folks to stay tuned and to follow me in the build progress! I hope to have it completed by the first or second week of March. Wish me luck, and follow the build on our facebook and my instagram @awdken.
-SickBro aka Kenny Miller
Here’s a photo taken only hours before the motor went by Ivy League Easts own Chris Amodei:
Business!
Once upon a time I dreamed about landing a mediocre job, an average looking wife, a couple kids and a Honda Odyssey to daily drive… I lied! Living the typical life has never been my story and being that a few days ago I received my first job offer from a top Fortune 500 finance company in Manhattan, I can safely say it never will be. While nothing’s ever guaranteed, I’ve managed to consistently hit every target I’ve set for myself and by incrementally elevating those goals I continue to surprise myself with achievement. Looking deep into the future is what helps me understand what I need to accomplish and being that I can check a legitimate job working in the profession of my choice off the list the time has come to raise the bar. A black car and a black card before my 25th birthday is what I’ve chosen and in the words of my father, hope isn’t a plan. Later!
_Matt Henderson
and for good measure.. a Grigio Telesto 599 GTO. My favorite Ferrari and Colorway:
Green Tea Metallic NSX Concept
I couldn’t help myself. CRV Green Tea Metallic NSX concept lowered on SSR wheels.
FRENCH
Does Emma Watson like the new NSX?!
The Big Boys
The North east might not be very popular with the high horse power heavy hitters like Texas and Florida are, but i can tell you personally that we can sure hold our own. This past Sunday was an example, when i got a text from a good friend saying there’s a Porsche that wants to take his recently acquired crown back from him as the fastest street car around. So i grabbed the camera and headed out to watch the battles unfold.
The Defending champ…
Joe’s Boost Logic/Ivey tune Gtr
… and the contender
Eddie’s JBE built motor big turbo 997tt
who doesnt love the smell of racegas in the morning
some of the cars that came to watch and hang out.
Now your obviously asking, “well who won!”, although Joe and his Gtr did pull ahead at the end, it was the closest thing i have ever seen. That P-car is fast. But grudge matches aside, these two guys are true gentleman. Win or lose both love going fast and commend anyone who can even hang with them. In this group there is no cockyness or hating, just a bunch of cool guys hanging out and going fast.
-F.Millan
Tis’ The Season
With the weather reflecting the likes of Spring incredibly early this year, Amodei managed to photograph his new/temporary XXR wheel set up. The phrase ‘needs more low” does not apply.
FRENCH
Vacation
This past weekend I had the luxury of taking a short 3 day cruise to the Bahamas with the family.. After returning we met up with some family in Coral Springs, Florida.. I then get a message from Sheldon saying he lives 10 minutes away.. This lead to us meeting up and me snapping a few photos of his nicely put together AP1… Enjoy!
Full set can be found HERE!!!!
-Chris Amodei-
Full set can be found HERE!!!!!!
Winter!
While I don’t agree, I can sort of understand where the majority of our population is coming from when they say dumping thousands of dollars into a car is an awful investment. Sure you won’t see that money again but for us car enthusiasts every penny spent comes with an extremely high dividend in the personal enjoyment sector. However sometimes even we make mistakes by purchasing an unnecessary part or ordering the wrong thing completely. For myself, purchasing a set of dedicated winter wheels with blizzack’s(the best snow tires money can buy) was appearing to be one of those mistakes given our incredibly mild winter. Until Saturday that is.
All week I had been watching the weather hoping and praying for even a couple inches of powder. As Thursday dawned upon us my hopes had been confirmed. Tomorrow, Friday night, would be the day my dreams come true. In final preparation I removed my carbon fiber front lip and side skirts to ensure they wouldn’t get torn off in the event of a repeat of last years storm and raised the car about an inch. I was still low, but ready. Friday night came and went without even the slightest threat of snow. Had the forecasters screwed us once again with one of their all to common mistakes or were the densely packed clouds simply stuck in some sort of climate traffic jam? I eventually went to bed disappointed but when I woke up and saw 8 unread text messages from every close friend with an AWD car I knew something was up. I rolled over, pulled the blinds to uncover what was just outside, peered out my window and there it was, SNOW!
The fourth quarter earnings on my investment had finally come in and just like that I was a millionaire(In that personal enjoyment department I mentioned earlier 
). I hopped out of bed, took the quickest shower of my life and was out the door without so much as a jacket. My cousin, Ryan, jumped in with me and we were off to the Smith Haven mall to partake in some sideways shenanigans.
When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised. Entire sections of the enormous parking lot had yet to be touched and it was as smooth as glass. Being that I’m familiar with this parking lot I knew there were no curbs to worry about and lucky enough for me I wasn’t the only one who chose this destination. Within a matter of minutes more than 7 cars had shown up ranging from Evo’s to Audi’s and even Max showed up in his Legacy. It was time to party.
It quickly appeared that I didn’t raise the car enough so after 30 minutes or so it was time to take a break and clear some snow out from behind my front bumper. During that time security stopped taking photo’s and decided it was time to kick us out. Not wanting to call it a day we traveled to a state park that was about 20 minutes away. Obviously we steered away from the main roads and took the curvy route that was predicted to be void of traffic. It was.
After a couple hours I had managed to burn through 3/4 of a tank of precious e85 so it was time to head back. I left Max with a parting gift and decided to head home where hot chocolate and fresh, out of the oven brownies were waiting for me. All and all it ended up being one of the best weekends since the summer. It was everything I had been waiting for and on the list of fun ways to spend my afternoon this without a doubt falls in my top 3. While the thought of selling my precious Subaru to upgrade into a Porsche or a GT-R has crossed my mind a bunch of times, it’s safe to say this weekend has ensured at least a few more months before that thought reoccurs. It’s time for me to get back to work but I’ll leave you with a few parting shots, which were all taken by professional photographer Will Mayer for his company Primary Visions. Enjoy your week!
-Matt Henderson
FC’d Up
Occasionally, I come across a car that results in a frenzy! Searching Craigslist and scouring forums for model specifics and deals I lose myself for a bit discovering and satisfying my curiosity. As you can imagine I’m busy beasting on rx7club right now because of the FC below… DAMN YOU MAZDA!
FRENCH
Photo credit unknown
It’s a Horrible Life Hosted by DJ Mike Porno
Tis the season to be jolly! Spreading the joy our friend and talented DJ, Mike Porno is hosting a most “unpleasant” event at Bowl Long Island. Unfamiliar with his tastes? Check out his blog Orgasmomusicale.
FRENCH
Patrice’s STi
The year came and went before I had an opportunity to blink. With meets and track days usually scheduled back to back during the season, a promise to Patrice to shoot his STi for a feature sat low on the list of priorities. But having heard that he planned to unload the Work XD-9′s due to their increasing popularity locally I knew that time was of the essence and it quickly became a priority. His portfolio of past ownerships would reveal his allegiance to the Honda/Acura moniker but his take on Subaru’s flagship vehicle would silence most insulting remarks. And now to the feature presentation…
FRENCH
Specs Sheet:
2006 Subaru WRX STi
BC Coilovers
HTA68 Turbo
Perrin Stealth Front Mount
Work XD9s 18×10 +18
PNP Headers
740cc Injectors
Defi Gauges
TGV Deletes
Invidia Downpipe
GReddy TIC catback exhaust system
Sorry Mom!
My mom knows what’s up for the most part when it comes to my STi, which is why getting her to step inside proves to be Mission: Impossible. Well thankfully this afternoon I managed to lure her in with the promise of a short trip around the block to Autozone since she wanted to score some new rubber mats and I needed a fresh bottle of carwash soap and quick detail. The journey started off slow, like any drive typically would, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see her reaction to the violent punch my big turbo STi packs. Without further delay, here’s my moms reaction secretly caught on tape. Sorry Mom! I love you!
-Matt Henderson
Holiday Shopping
I had the opportunity to visit a local car dealership this afternoon that I’ve visited a few times. Car shopping, whether it’s for me or not, is always fun to me. Plus, this dealership is pretty unique. Autosport Designs in Huntington Station, NY, is home to Long Island’s (maybe NY’s as well?) only factory authorized Lotus sales and service center. It’s also home to a vast collection of vintage, exotic cars for sale. The facility is beautiful, the staff and owners are enthusiasts and gentlemen, and there’s enough eye candy in their facility to take up a solid day.
Although my attention was occupied by checking out a new Lotus that my friend is interested in, I couldn’t help but admire the auto-porn that was surrounding me. Let me show you what I’m talking about…
If this Exige was in inventory when I was shopping here for one back in the Spring, it would be in my driveway. Perfect. I’m almost tempted to unload the S2000 in favor of this car right now.
If you’re so inclined to visit:
Autosport Designs Inc.
203 West Hills Rd
Huntington Station, NY, 11746
Pictures taken from their website: http://www.autosportdesigns.com/
-e
Vasquez Evo X
Its not to often I come across an Evo X that I am pretty excited about. Being an Evo 9 owner, I have been brain washed by the raw, sinister lines of the older predecessors of the Evo X. One day, while coasting through the forums, I came across a picture of Ron Vasquez’ Silver Evo X. It was original and different and I knew I had to get in touch with him ASAP! After a few messages, a couple emails, and a facebook friend request later, I had my lastest contribution to ILE. Ron’s Evo X is equipped with some sweet goodies. A full Bride Interior, with a Nardi Steering Wheel and Works hardware make this Evo’s interior look Stunning. As for the outside, Ron equipped his beauty with some Seibon CF goodies along with a set of AIT Carbon Sideskirts, and JDP front lip. But, what caught my eye was OF COURSE the stance and wheels! The Evo sits on a set of KW Coilovers and CCW SP-16r Wheels. The wheels are powder coated Teal, and are 19×10.5 +15 all around. To keep the Evo stuck to the street Ron went with a set of Nitto rubber, 275/30/19 all around. In order to achieve this stance, the rear fenders were rolled and the car was aligned to -3 degrees of camber in the rear and -2 up front. Ron has been talking to Mr. Buschur, recently and hopes to do a complete motor build in the future. I would like to personally thank Ron for the approval to feature his beautiful machine, and I wish him nothing but the best of luck with his car in the future!
Ron would like to thank:
-His wife Romelys
-Friend Jimmy Evans
-Omar and Juan @ Invision Autohouse
-Dan @ CCW Wheels
Enjoy!
-SickBro (Ken Miller)
Hibernation
With Thanksgiving past us it’s only a matter of a time before the winter season begins and these few weeks will have people rushing to return their car back into winter mode. Whether it be swapping out their baller wheels or getting that last minute wash in there’s much to do and not much time to do it. Here enters Travis and Tyler, two good friends of mine, both with amazing cars. Both built from blood, sweat, and tears and it’s only right that they get notoriety for their hard work. The sheer level of dedication that was put into building these two cars is second to none. With a break in the weather, we’ve decided it was time to get some photos in before the season ended. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the “one”.
-Huy
Importance
It has been awhile since I’ve last posted and although it isn’t required to identify my absence it’s for good reasons. Besides pursuing E and my business venture I’ve been reflecting upon myself as to what is really important in the most general regard. After reading the recent posts, apparently sitting in the lap of luxury with a trophy wife, driving an unreasonably priced status symbol exotic, living in a house that I would have an awfully difficult time furnishing is the life that one should pursue. But me, having come from a rather modest background, this high maintenance lifestyle is one I’ve never actually sought… Okay, maybe that’s a stretch but now that I’m in my mid-twenties the ego match otherwise known as the proverbial “dick measuring contest” has lost it’s appeal and the only man I find myself challenging is none other than myself. I don’t think in my right mind, given my background and understanding of struggle, that even if I could so, I would reward myself with a car with a price tag over $150,000 :shrugs: I’ll take a gorgeous broad though 
Running a successful business that could afford me the luxury of health insurance for my future family and I and circuit racing on the weekends cycle the top of “le hierarchy of things that matter.” Anyways, who likes cars?! Fuck yeah, ME!
FRENCH
ASMs shop. photo credit Max Rev
On the daily.
So you made it.. You worked hard, hustled when you needed to, developed connections and now find yourself in the market for a daily driver with some class. The problem is you’re not over your childhood realm of modifying cars, because you’ll never be, because you’re a true enthusiast and you’ll never stray regardless of the awful investment it may be. Driving a “normal” car isn’t possible for you anymore and in fact it never was. As long as you can remember, even before you purchased your first car, you were playing video games, sitting on forums and creating the image of the future you intended for yourself. The difficulty in this however is being able to separate something that would be viewed as “unprofessional” and what you “want” to drive. This is typically the reason why people buy daily drivers. You designate different responsibilities for different vehicles so that you can have the loud, fast, harsh riding weekend warrior as well as a another vehicle that can be used every day in any situation without potentially embarrassing you in front of clients. But should your daily be a boring, stock car that blends with all the other personality-less automobiles that we see every day? I hardly think so. So what would be the perfect daily driver if I was to have my pick? I can’t say for sure but this BMW 7series, which was revamped by ADV1, is an incredible place to start.
Photo’s by: WILLIAM STERN PHOTOGRAHPY
_Matt Henderson
Escape!
During past and present conversations regarding my future home requirements two things have always stood out in my mind; A huge bathroom and a fully finished garage. While the housing market is still way ahead of my time, Luxary4Play and Exotic4Play have dedicated garage threads which I’ve spent quite a while scrolling through. The seemingly never ending pages of incredible automotive cocoons are inspiring to say the least and it’s interesting to see the different approaches people take while creating their home away from home(inside their home). Late this summer I took a week to overhaul the garage in my parents house, where I currently live and where my baby spends most of her time but more recently I’ve made huge strides in an effort to clean and organize everything and take my personal environment to an elevated level. I managed to rid the space of racks of unnecessary items like half full bottles of paint and empty speaker boxes, which opened up about 5 feet of room on either side of the cars, and with the acquisition of new tools including shiny new jacks and jackstands I finally have new means to work on my car in the comfort a heated garage. Which if you’ve had to work on your car in a breezy driveway during the winter like I have you can certainly understand the importance of a warm, enclosed climate. I’m proud of how it came out but becoming stagnant after a certain level of success will ultimately lead to failure so I’ll continue to revamp my personal work station and when I’m in the housing market I’ll be sure to do something custom. Here’s the perfect example of something I’m into although you can hold the og vettes and replace em with my STi and a twin turbo Ford GT.
_Matt Henderson
Gates 311 RS
A couple weeks back I stumbled across something pretty cool. AMS and their premiere Time Attack driver Ryan Gates, teamed up to build the ultimate turn key street/track car. This car will be able to be purchased right off the showroom floor of Mitsubishi and retain it’s full warranty! With AMS performance parts, JRZ suspension, Girodisc brakes, Rays wheels, and Nitto tires (just to name a few) this car is one heck of a turn key beauty! Enjoy a couple of pictures below, and if you interested in reading more, heres the link:
http://www.311rs.com/
-SickBro
Trends ?
My good friend French’s recent posts and ventures have me looking at, and wanting to build, an EK9 or something similar… once again. I found it funny that when I checked out speedhunters today for some articles on Hondas etc. that the spotlight car was a type R EK9. Random luck ? could be, but I’m not that lucky. The honda craze to me always seams to come in waves. Did someone or something spark interest again recently in all of us, or will the classic Hondas always be in our hearts as an easily buildable and tunable platform, and continue to resurface throughout our tuning community?
-DIRTY
Stolen
As much as I’d like to have a “daily” gum scraper like the EG bubble below or the Acura Integras I’ve been sharing, the idea of having it stolen at every moment is incredibly discouraging. SMH
FRENCH
photo credit: unknown
Laguna
In spirit of this warm, wonderful Sunday I felt a Laguna Seca shade of blue 997 would be appropriate. My routine for relaxing, fall Sunday afternoons has become almost instinctive. A copy of The Wall Street journal gets read, breakfast gets devoured, a shower gets taken and the car receives a bath. Today was no different except for the fact that I managed to stumble upon a car that’s certainly not your typical. ADV1 once again managed to get their hands on something special and with it they created the perfect example of what a Porsche should look like. While the paint is loud, it’s fun and different and the GT3 badge provides it with the ability to pull off a color that would otherwise be viewed as cheap or humorous. This is the kind of car that dreamers dream about and few actually create, which adds to the overall appeal. I’ve always been a fan of things that are one of a kind and stray from the norm and it would be a legitimate challenge to find a better P-car example of that. Enjoy your evening. It’s time for me to start studying. #OccupyPorsches Future 1%.
_Matt Henderson
Godzilla!
Today I met up with a local friend, Keith, with his GT-R. Other than the decent sized wing on the back of it, it looks somewhat stock, but this is one car you might not want to mess around with. This 600whp+ beast is one hell of a good time. The APR wing attached to the AMS dry carbon trunk lid really sets it off, in my opinion… and let me tell ya, the Meisterschaft exhaust and downpipes make this car sound AWESOME! The Tein coil overs gave it a nice drop as well… Enjoy!
-Chris Amodei-
Full set can be found here….
Full set can be found here….
Guide Post
“Success isn’t measured by the position you reach in life: it’s measured by the obstacles you overcome.”
-Booker T. Washington
I like to believe this Honda Civic initially developed to be an economical commuter car is a proper example of the quote above. Often a joke to the car enthusiast outside the Honda community it’s the underdog that was the foundation for an entire generation of tuners. True story, this Summer at a Watkins Glen circuit day with the PCA a gentleman driving a 996 GT3 Cup was more than enthusiastic about a turbo Civic at the clubs last outing. G’night
FRENCH
Photo Credit: Unknown
Darkness
So the fall is upon us and winter is right around the corner. I’m still unsure as to how I feel about these chilly temperatures but one thing is for certain, Candice is loving every minute of it. Typically, cooler temps are viewed as a bummer and an inconvenience but it brings with it air that’s more dense which is great for turbos and heat soak can now be taken out of the equation. Also, rear wheel drive cars will have a harder time hooking up which creates an advantage for all wheel drive vehicles, another added bonus! Today I attended the Elite Motorsports Dyno Day held at No Limit Motorsports and while I enjoyed staring at a bunch of beautiful cars, seeing the mediocre numbers put up by expensive German v8′s reminded me of the power my car packs. After a little while I tend to get used to the violent acceleration my STi puts out but I suppose it’s good for now. One thing that definitely impressed me however was a 135i which put down 436rwhp with full bolton’s, even though it was on race gas with a bunch extra psi thrown into it. Still pretty cool. The time has come for me to get downstairs and devour the incredible turkey dinner my mom made equipped with about 15 side dishes, but before I go I’ll leave you with an Evo X that simply does it for me. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’m thinking about taking a nice drive out east tomorrow!
_Matt Henderson
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