Happy Discounted Candy Day Eve!
Being that, to be completely honest, I don’t have anything else to do and simply refuse to do actual work I’ve decided to draft up a random post consisting of cool cars that you might not have seen. Upon leaving the gym I managed to run into my cousin, Ryan, who spotted my car hanging out in the back of the parking lot and decided to pull in and say hey. We had a quick conversation before he ran off, passenger seat occupied and future plans to look forward to, but before he bounced I promised I’d post some cool shit. This is my attempt. Later!
Photo’s by: Ronaldo S.
_Matt Henderson
Will You Be Mine?!
While some of us argue why it’s better that they spend the evening alone, others like myself prepare to wine, dine and … enjoy the company of our complements. With that in mind I thought I’d update you on the status of my S2000 as it has been underneath the knife for a little bit now.
Sincerely,
FRENCH
I LIED!!
I’ll skip the song and dance that’s become almost standard with my posts, the one that talks about how hard I’ve been working or how successful I plan on being because, during a recent conversation with Mr. FRENCH himself, I vowed that my next post wouldn’t involve yet another modified super car and a write up regarding my future automotive plans. While I had every intention of scouring the internet for something different, in the 15 spare minutes I had set aside to introduce something new to you guys and gals, as fate would have it this Gallardo found me and I couldn’t simply let it slide. It’s just too perfect. Time’s up! Later.
_Matt Henderson
e’s project 240z: “Darla”
There was a time when the Internet was not a part of every day life. I’m talking before Facebook or even MySpace existed and your time spent online was deducted from the “Free” hours you acquired from an AOL installation disc.
I’ve always been a car nut, but my exposure at that point was limited as my immediate family didn’t share my fascination. Looking back, my obsession really took off with my introduction to the internet as we know it. Every chance I got, I was tying up my parents only phone line looking at web page after web page that had anything to do with cars. At that time it was mostly muscle cars, but browsing eBay one day I happened upon the Datsun 240z for the first time.
Fast forward to 2012…I’ve been on the hunt for a new project for a few months now. I decided I wanted something with a little personality, something a little retro, something that I’ve never had before. I looked around at some older BMW’s, Range Rovers, and Porsche’s but nothing quite fit the bill. I then remembered chatting with my boss’ neighbor about a year ago about his 240z he had sitting in his garage. So, I went to his house, knocked on his door, and asked if he was interested in selling it.
So here I am today, the proud owner a 1973 Datsun 240z. It was recently restored by the previous owner, who had it for quite some time. Mechanically the car is very sound. The body is straight and rot free, which is rare for these cars. The interior is all there, and everything seemingly works. Overall it’s in good shape, but needs just enough work to make it a project.
Enough with the back story, on to the first pictures. Meet Darla, the newest addition to the IvyLeagueEast stable.
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Claire Dietrich
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?!
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
Committed
Forever? Forever ever? Forever ever?
When Dirty and I conceptualized ILE it was never for the benefit of him or I directly but more the well-being of our community and as things progressed and relationships were built we’ve seen our mantra somewhat realized. Showcasing his commitment to what he and everyone at ILE has contributed, Dirty, like myself, now bares the mark. Who’s next?!
FRENCH
Maureen’s Kitchen Cruise
Mornings aren’t my friend. Never were, never will be but a text late last Friday night would have me up at the earliest sign of morning to appreciate the aggressive contour of a couple exotics and the exhaust notes of a handful of V10s.
FRENCH
Breakfast
Long Island’s recent heatwave has blessed us with temperatures in the mid 50′s, which is almost unheard of for the month of January, but nonetheless questions as to why or how aren’t being asking. Instead, I’ve focused my attention more on what I can do to take advantage of these wonderful spring temps and it began yesterday morning with a delightful breakfast cruise to Maureen’s Kitchen with a bunch of fellow Exotic4Play members. We met up off the Long Island Expressway and exotic after exotic came rolling in sporting either big v8′s or high revving v10′s. In a crowd of incredibly high caliber cars one would imagine stealing the lime light would be a difficult feat to accomplish but one car did just that, with ease. The car? Sergio’s Lamborghini Gallardo Supperlegera LP-570.
After a quick glance I’m sure you can understand why.. This isn’t your typical Lambo. The guys at Martino Auto Concepts got their hands on it and performed jaw dropping exterior modifications including that set of one off headlights you already noticed. They’re super aggressive and while I’m typically not a fan of angel eyes on anything but bmw’s, these couldn’t fit the car any better and as with everything Martino does the craftsmanship is truly second to none.
The list doesn’t stop there like you might assume. This car was also fitted with an exhaust system that is near deafening but the tone is incredible and you wouldn’t dare cover your ears to muffle the brilliant Lamborghini sound exploding from the rear end. The Larini exhaust system created a slightly different and distinct pitch compared to the other Gallardo that was present and imitates something like an f1 car. A Technocraft airbox completes the power modifications, but only for now
A rapid(to say the least) pace landed us in the parking lot of Maureen’s Kitchen in a flash. Reservations got us seated in a prompt manner and a delicious feast was consumed shortly after. I’ve been to Maureen’s quite a few times and while it’s almost always packed the food is well worth the wait. As with any table filled with enthusiasts, car talk flooded the airwaves and everything from exotic talk to detailing was brought up. Unfortunately, Sergio had to depart a little early to pick up the kids but his car left us all with a lasting impression. Thankfully Chris got a chance to shoot his car this morning so I’ll leave you with a few more shots. If you’re interested in finding out more about this car or just want to be a part of an exploding exotic community sign up on Exotic4Play. Also if you need any sort of custom or high end body work get in contact with Martino Auto Concepts. Have a wonderful week!
-Matt Henderson
Paid
After an extended weekend of debauchery and gambling in Atlantic City, NJ with French and Matt to ring in the New Year, I had the opportunity to indulge in another type of pay-off this afternoon. The fruits of my labor as entailed in this previous post did eventually lead to the purchase of this gorgeous 2010 Lotus Evora by my friend. I can not speak highly enough of this car. If you ever have the opportunity I highly suggest you get behind the wheel of one of these. It has the snappy, edge of your seat handling that has kept me (and many others) a fan of the Honda S2000 for many years, it has the looks and curb appeal of a pricey exotic, and it’s the kind of rawness and bang for the buck you get for a pre-owned Dodge Viper.
Happy New Year to you and yours.
~e
Round 2, Ashley’s Mini
Austin Powers: Your spy car’s a Mini?
Nigel Powers: It’s not the size mate, it’s how you use it.
Testifying to the “it’s not the size of the ship, it’s the motion of the ocean” phrase, Ashley has been sending waves throughout the internet with her Mini. Often times mistaken for her boyfriends car, don’t get it twisted, this gem is absolutely hers. Having already been featured by The Arthus, Here, the close knit community that is our own frequently sees reptition of cars of this caliber for obvious reasons.
Happy Holidays,
FRENCH
photos by the Amodeo formally known as Chris Amodei
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
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
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
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?
FRENCH
some more Integra influences
photo credit: unknown
Constant
In the whirlwind that is life, everything around us is constantly changing. Every day, every hour, every second social and mental variances are taking place but in order to function we, or myself at least, need at least one constant. It took me a while but thankfully I found this in the form of Candice, my Satin White Pearl STi. A long time ago, so long in fact that I didn’t even own this car yet, I had a conversation with a person that used to be my constant, a person that ended up being nothing but a constant patch of quicksand, about how my not yet purchased STi would be the main object in my life. Well time passed and truth be told that idea couldn’t have been any more accurate. Candice and I have had our up’s and down’s but she’s withstood every ounce of power and abuse via no-lift-shifts with a smile just long enough to flash those pearly whites before beating every competitor across the finish line. She’s high maintenance but knows how to get dirty in an instant and nothing has given me a greater satisfaction than turning her into the devil she is today. I spend a lot of time in the garage wrenching and working, most recently solving a nasty breakup problem under boost which began at the track and happened to be caused by oldish NGK plugs. While it took me a little while to devise a way to fit my rather large hands into the limited space between the block and the frame I eventually got all 4 out and back in. She fired right up and a quick test drive confirmed that my guess was correct and just like that Candice was happy again. It’s little things like these, having small issues and solving them that keeps me level. So this is a post dedicated to all those “Do-It-Yourselfers”. Don’t be afraid to get your hands cut up because at the end of the day you’ll be able to say you did it on your own.
Night ya’ll.
-Matt Henderson
In case of emergency, dial 911.
I’m not sure if I’ve caught the Rauh-Welt bug or what, but I’m developing a fond appreciation for air-cooled 911′s. I’ve been considering replacing my daily driver for some time now, and when it comes to daily drivers, practicality typically comes to mind. Early model 911′s aren’t exactly practical for an 80 minute round trip daily commute, but if I happened to come across a fine example of a 911, I think I’d be forced to make a questionable decision. Personality, nostalgia, style, this car just has all that I’m looking for.
-e
First Class Fitment: Part Two
Canibeat’s 2nd annual First Class Fitment was a fine event. Being my 2nd year attending, the quality of cars has surely skyrocketed. As usual the Liberty VIP crew came in full force, sweeping the trophy podium this time. With a majority of the awards going to them, they’re a force to be reckoned with on the east coast. Enough with the talk, this is part two of the coverage.
-Huy
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.
Kris (auto) Kross
As the world anticipates the release of the I-phone 4s and repeatedly reminds us of the death of Steve Jobs through the social medium, the usual suspects and I sought sanctuary in the form of an auto-x. With Nassau Coliseum having just repaved their lot, the “million plus” square feet gauntlet transformed into a some what decent venue and little consideration was required to determine whether or not we were attending.
FRENCH
Action!
Been a big week for me, which is why our homepage has been slow to change, but I’m back. Having received my resumes’ final approval from my schools’ industry relations manager, the time has come to begin meeting with Sr. Vice Presidents from major financial corporations like J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs. Being that companies like these are in the process of determining their May hires now, there is absolutely zero time to waste and any mistake could prove detrimental to the success of my career in finical risk management. I’ve been working non-stop and networking my rear end off for a while now and I find myself jogging along the runway of cheerleaders and exploding through my own team poster. It’s game time and my desktop image had to be changed. While the STi that previously maintained its’ position as the car I saw each time I turned my computer on was great, this 997 will provide the motivation necessary to keep me clawing my way through this challenging time. Keep it movin! Have a great weekend.
Photo’s by: Pete Showking
-spilner
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