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!!!!!!
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!
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Photo credit unknown
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
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photo credit: unknown
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
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Photo Credit: Unknown
Seat Time
If you ever thought about going to the circuit you’ve come across the uninviting costs of doing so and like any competitive activity practice or in this case seat time it is what separates “the men from the boys” or is it? There has been a growing discussion among the Honda-Tech community regarding video games such as Gran Turismo 5 and Forza 4 and the idea that consciously playing them has benefited individuals when tracking in reality as the game physics are relative to that of the real World. Clearly not the only persons to think so as the television show, GT Academy was produced, note the word produced. In any case, the cost of becoming a respected driver ,if you do happen to believe the idea of simulators, has drastically been reduced and the Winter… well E and I are going to Miami for a few months :shrugs: Can anyone comment on Palm Beach International Raceway?
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some more Integra influences
photo credit: unknown
Exercise Knowledge
“We seem to collect information because we have the ability to do so, but we are so busy collecting it that we haven’t devised a means of using it. The true measure of any society is not what it knows but what it does with what it knows.” -Warren Bennis
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In an attempt to display my know how and being that I’ve always had an interest in DC2s, my younger brother and I have to decided to pick up an Integra. BAWSEEESSs
photograph by Nelsmar
Yo BRO!
Ugh after hours of traveling, Spilner and I have returned from the BudLight Port Paradise Cruise. Three words can define the adventure; Beer, Bros and… this requires very little thought, HOs, young and old. “Like” our Facebook page to see the few shots we managed to get.
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P.S. I am getting everyones’ submissions for posts. They will be shared! 
Photo Credit Dexter Sanchez
Happy Halloween!
Show Time!
Tomorrow marks the day my legitimate interview process begins and I’ll be honest, for the first time in a while I’m actually nervous. Typically I’m very good with keeping a level head and staying calm but being that this isn’t your typical interview with a local retail outlet there’s a lot at stake. Meeting at 4 and 5 star restaurants in Manhattan for “interviews” and sitting at a table with senior executives isn’t something I’m familiar with but I suppose it’s something I could get used to. What I accomplish tomorrow could shape my career path for the next 30 years so it’s pretty important that I’m impressive. In search of some pre-sleep motivation I turned to the one place that gets my juices flowing, Luxary4play. It didn’t take me long to find ADV1′s latest murci creation and it’s exactly what I needed to see. Time to make these dreams come true!
Photo’s by: ADV1
-Matt Henderson
First Class Fitment…
It’s a fact. Some car shows are just better than others. Case in point: Canibeat’s First Class Fitment. Over 150 cars were in attendance. Some of the best the East Coast had to offer. VIP, Euro, JDM with every sort of fitment you could imagine. Static and air. There was plenty of scraping going on. The show was held at Princeton Airport in Montgomery Township, New Jersey. In addition to the beautiful blue sky, the airplane hangars and runway were a perfect backdrop for the event. It definitely strayed from the typical parking lot events we are used to attending. Car after car lined the driveway into the main event. A hangar stacked with some of the best vehicles in the show with Liberty VIP’s crew surrounding the area just outside. The competition was fierce but my buddy Vince ended up going home with the “Best Fitment” award for his 300ZX on VIP Modular wheels. Congrats! Here are a few shots from the day.
|brian|
Flickr set HERE.
IDGAFOS…
Having attended Wek’Fest San Francisco a handful of months ago reality struck and the idea of ever getting featured in a magazine given the caliber of cars in attendance and the slow extinction of print was killed. And it didn’t really matter but the thought of magazines truly disappearing considering the quality of information the medium communicates is tragic to say the least. Yes there is heaps of information on the internet in the form of “DIYs,” reviews and such but few times are they as informative, suggesting tips and insight, as let’s say, HondaTuning. Many times I’ve encountered incongruences with user write ups on forums and I’m sure you have as well but the point is magazines of which we/I discovered JDM tuning and all things related are vanishing. Do yourself and the industry a favor and subscribe to whatever tuning magazine you read while sipping your large latte at Barnes and Noble with your girlfriend as it is about 25% the cost of the yearly subscription. It’s not about the money though, it’s about the reach and without that we are doomed to read poorly written posts, such as my own (you know this is a joke my posts are award winning), about how someone’s family member or friend inspired them to begin modifying cars so he/she stanced the shit out of there Suby. Derp
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photo by Sean Bradford Photography
Follow Your Heart
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” - Steve Jobs
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Vyets S2000 from Felix A. Lim and Simon Nguyen
H20i featuring Scraped.Crusaders.
Although the weekend was filled with rain, thousands still traveled down(and up) to Ocean City, Maryland for one of the biggest VW shows on the East Coast. I met a lot of new people and had the chance to see some old friends. I got the opportunity to meet some of the guys from Scraped.Crusaders. Having been a fan of Gill’s Legacy for some time now, it was exciting to finally see it in person. If you haven’t already, you will definitely be seeing Matt’s, who goes by DeathLens on Flickr, photos floating around the net. He put together an impromptu shoot on our last night down there to really give the event a nice closing. Here is the result…
brian | arthus
Check out DeathLens’ Flickr HERE.
http://scrapedcrusaders.com/
Dynamic STI
Having already shared BBS LMs on about every make and model, it is of no surprise that this black 04-05 STi looks so appealing. WINNING
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photo credit: unknown
H20i…
I am a man of impeccable timing. Just one week prior to departing for Ocean City my center differential decides to let go. No in it’s defense it has been warning me for the past year with it’s constant whine, so suffice it to say it’s been a long time coming. But why now?! The optimistic me says, “At least it didn’t happen 300 miles from home.” But broke, pessimistic me says, “Just my f@#kin’ luck.” My mood isn’t too soured though because, after all, I am heading down to Maryland tomorrow for the festivities. The drive down. The meets and get togethers. The parties. Even the drive home. It’s a weekend I look forward to each year. You get to see friends from all over. That is, if my car comes together tonight. It’s currently up on jack stands in the garage, nothing too unfamiliar. Parts are expected to arrive today so I am staying positive. It will all work out. So here are a few shots I took last year while I was down there. I am looking forward to capturing a lot more. Myself and Amodeo will have plenty to report on once we return.
brian | arthus
Little Devil…
When it comes down to it, the world of modifying cars is somewhat of a boys club. We spend our hard-earned dollars on those parts that will give us that edge over the next guy. Coilovers, wheels, exhaust. You know the deal. Every once in a while you come across a female that shares that mentality. It’s especially exciting when you have the pleasure of meeting a lady that has a great project to show for it.
Meet Ashley Rowland and her 2005 Mini Cooper S. The Mini was picked up earlier this year with the intention of building something new. Having previously owned a Mk4 GTI on coils and RS’s, she wanted to get out of the VW world. It all started with a 15% reduction pulley for the supercharger to add the little extra on the daily drive. The next step was a natural one. Suspension and some new shoes.
Replacing the stock springs and struts would be a set of BC Racing coilovers. After the initial install and some tweaking she realized that the stock front coilover springs were a bit too tall for her intentions. A new shorter set was ordered and installed as soon as they arrived. Now that the ride height had been sorted, a set of wheels was in order.
Using some Adaptec Speedware, Ashley fitted some 16×8.5 C4 Corvette Salad Shooters with a 205/40 Falken 512 tire for a nice stretch. The simple fact that Minis can pull off 16’s is something that I envy. The Vette wheels make for a great example. The static ride height speaks for itself and the fitment is on point.
This is only the beginning for this car. I look forward to seeing what is next to come. Ashley has already attacked the interior with some suede on the headliner and pillars. I’m sure she already has a new set of wheels in mind. Look out for this thing down at H20i. It’s a whole other experience in person.
Check out the full set HERE.
-Brian Arthus
New roller’s!!
Once again I switched up my wheel setup… I found myself not being able to hold onto a set of wheels for longer than a month to a month and a half… Sure I sold my Work XD-9′s and picked up a set of replica’s (Varrstoen’s), but truthfully…. I was totally over the look of my car with the Work’s on it, so I bought an affordable, more aggressive wheel.. Spilner has not stopped breaking my balls about it, hopefully he stops soon, but knowing him… he probably wont.
The rest of the photo’s can be found here!!!!
-Chris Amodei-
Just The Tip- Botti’s STI
This weekend I had the pleasure of shooting a friend of mine’s STI that’s been up and down for as long as I’ve known of the car. Like any photographer taking enough shots to satisfy an appetite always seems to be a good idea, that is until you need to edit them after the fact… Full post tomorrow
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Lunch Break.
Being that I got screwed by my school into a 5pm class when I was originally supposed to finish my day at 12, I now find myself sitting around trying to concoct ways to pass time. Studying seems to be my main solution but being that the semester has only just begun the work load is still relatively minute so here I am, surfing the internet on a quest to find something new and interesting to share with you guys and gals. Finding something new and interesting, however, is sort of beginning to become a difficult task… kinda like Long Island girls. For some while now my senses have started to notice people modifying their cars in an effort to be “cool” and to fit in with everyone else as opposed to doing it for themselves. Jumping on bandwagons and riding the stance train has become the standard for much of the community and in my particular area it’s becoming evident that some people just don’t have heart. The spirit of competition is something that’s necessary in any environment, don’t get me wrong, but taking the easy/cheap way out and running off at the mouth the minute some minor progress is made shouldn’t be taking place. In society as a whole there are originators and imitators and respect should be acknowledged in accordance with that. Logan is one of originators and while I’ve posted pictures of his car before, here are some that haven’t made it on here prior to this post. He’s pretty lucky that to this day he’s got something unique and even if the main reason is the fact that his budget is pretty astronomical it doesn’t change little things like his JDM roof vent and being one of the only people I have ever seen to remove the black vinyl around the door frames. I remember when I first got my setup and was the only person with it. womp.
Photo’s by Logan himself
-spilner
Value Wheels
The image below displays a wheel that divides the house into two parties, one of which appreciates the appearance and price of the XXR wheel and the other, a party who will attempt to list every dissatisfaction with life (and death) that could possibly be related to the mag. In my opinion, as if counts anything anywhere but here, XXR has managed to release a wheel that not only works with the most budget minded tuner but is also relatively unique in comparison to their previous offerings and the products of other economy wheel companies. Win, Lose, or Draw? Win
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photocredit: unknown
Slow and Slutty…
The Chevrolet Cobalt SS was one of GM’s entries in the world of sport compacts. With it’s Eaton supercharged 2.0L Ecotec 4 cylinder it certainly had the numbers to compete. The suspension was tuned on the famed Nürburgring in Germany. So it was safe to say it had it’s roots planted firmly in the motorsports world. Enter Mike Cosentino, a Long Island native that decided to make his Cobalt SS a little different.
Mike had a vision in mind that strayed far from the path of the average Cobalt owner. He fancied the fitment game and wanted in. There would be obstacles but nothing a creative mind and garage full of tools couldn’t tackle.
Using a set of ep3 Civic coilovers that were given to him by a friend he retrofitted the fronts and the project was underway. The Cobalt uses a solid beam for the rear suspension setup. Mike fabricated his own shims and dialed in his camber and toe by himself to get that rear fitment. He also shaped the rear fenders by himself in the driveway. Combine those two DIY mods with the addition of a mini-tub, he was able to fit the 18×9.5 -8(after adapter) Rota P45R in the rear.
Getting the front on the ground wasn’t exactly a picnic either. While the retrofitted coils allowed him to drop the front relatively easily the suspension was not happy. After going through a few axles Mike realized something had to be done to relieve the driveline of its geometrical woes. A custom lower motor mount and well as a rotated transmission mount were fabricated to solve this problem. This made for a much smoother and not so costly driving experience.
At the end of the day Mike is just another car guy doing his own thing. His build may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it is his pride and joy. Blood, sweat and tears have been poured into it via countless hours in the garage. I applaud his DIY approach and this car definitely falls under the moniker of Built not Bought.
View the full set HERE.
-Brian
Shaggin’ Wagon
This thing is awesome. Few things stand in your way between yourself and your dream girl if you’re driving this. One of such items would be your physique, your wallet… yeah the wallet thing concludes that list.
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masterpiece belongs to TTyphoon
DooDoo Brown…
Mike Wasserman’s Porsche Macadamia Metallic bugeye has been one of my personal favorites for quite some time now. I was able to grab a few shots of it at this past weekend’s Island Import Day. I look forward to getting a real shoot in of it sooner than later. Take a gander at these for now.
-Brian
Success: Rotiform’d 996 Porsche
By now you’ve seen a considerable amount of “dream” cars shared by none other than Spilner but what would ultimately capture my interests is how these obviously wealthy individuals accumulated the amount of disposable income to own these cars. To me success isn’t defined by a financial amount, it is measured by how far an individual has come, in other words their achievements/merits, which is why this ’02 C4s graces ILE below. On the lot, the 911 isn’t the premier selection but with some very special modifications to a few select areas the 996 would compete for your attention beside any Porsche offering. Characterize yourself not by comparing yourself to others but by how you measure up against your own expectations. “Do not expect the worst, hope for the best.” “Shoot for the stars, land on the moon.”
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Holla Dolla.
Ignore the title. It was the first thing that popped into my head. I can’t really say why. It’s not that I don’t want to, I really just don’t know. The work day is nearing it’s end and I am feeling anxious.
I met up with Mr. Amodei yesterday to get some more shots of the Saab. After a little episode at the camera shop we were on our way to the top of a local university’s parking garage. The fact that they were now charging for entrance to said parking garage seemed to irk Chris quite a bit. I manned up and payed the 2 bucks. 
Once we were up there Chris got to his thing. Then there was me with nothing else to do, so I started snapping some shots on my own of the freshly painted S2000. Whenever I leave the house I always seem to forget something. Whether it’s my sunglasses or that bagged lunch I actually prepare the night before to take to work. This time I forgot my tripod. Basically that’s my excuse for only getting a few shots. It was getting dark and I don’t have the steadiest hands. Anyway here are a couple I snapped. Check the rest in a set on my Flickr.
-Brian
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