This is how I spend my summer.
Go here...
And eat Tuna all day everyday.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Summer Time
So I have about 1 1/2 months left of summer break, and all I have been doing lately is just reading, working out, eating well, barely working and watching The Office, which I watch so much, practically everyday, but it doesnt get old. The only exciting that has happened is the Hella Flush meet, maybe thats why I keep bringing that topic up, the only fun thing in the past month 1 /12, haha. We'll see.
This is how I spend my summer.
Go here...
And eat Tuna all day everyday.
This is how I spend my summer.
Go here...
And eat Tuna all day everyday.
Hella Flush pt.2 Hopefully this gets on dvd. Haha!
Video from the Hella Flush event. Can you find James??? Watch carefully, more than one shot. I hope this gets on some kind of dvd, haha.
http://www.vimeo.com/1436609?pg=embed&sec=1436609&hd=1
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Red-Rocket- The Machine That Defined Me.
It was just like yesterday when I bought her, my dream car that I wanted for 3 years before I purchased it. Straight from Stevens Creek Honda, yes...right out of a dealership, pretty crazy huh? She sat in the lot so calm and relaxed, with the reflection of the sun complimenting her color, giving her that glow. After starring at it for 2 hours, it was finally mine, a 1989 Nissan 240sx (Nissan RPS13 180sx Hatchback)or some know it as...The Red-Rocket.
Then I felt that she wanted to tell me something, expressing herself with words that I could understand best....an exhaust. I started off buying a titanium look-a-like muffler on ebay for $25, and I had my friend Jeff weld me a custom piping, at that time he left it a 2 1/2 inch piping just so I would not lose any back-pressure, so it sounded decent. After a few months, the muffler was wearing out in the insides since it was cheap, so it was time for a new one, but this time it was no joke. I ordered me an awfully beautiful GP Sports Exas Spec D exhaust. I can even remember the day Jeff, Richard and I picked it up. And man does she sound MEAN! Even today, she roars like a lion. That had to be the best upgrade on my car, she could finally express everything to everyone, and trust me, everyone could hear her.
Before the GP Sport exhaust, a new clutch had to be installed, so I decided to get something affordable, nothing too agressive, yet good qualtiy, so what else could be better than Exedy from Daikin Clutch. The installation process was probably the most complicating thing I have ever done on a car. Richard, Jeff, and I worked at Jeff's house with the professional help of his father...Jeff, hahaha. It took us two long days to finish the installation, all of us were just covered with oil, dirt, oil residue and probably a bunch of other stuff. But it was fun at the same time, and I think we all learned a lot out of it. Finally after being finished, running with fresh Valvoline gear fluid, shifting felt so perfect, quick and responsive.
My main focus on building the Red-Rocket was just the same as my favorite driver, Manabu Orido. He built his Ridox JZA80 Supra to be JGTC ( Japanese Grand Touring Championship) everyday, a circuit performing car driven as a daily driver. I wanted my car to be something like....D1/ Wangan everyday, hahaha. Simple drift/wangan concept, blasting though highways, ever since 7th grade, I wanted to blast through the highways going fast enough to feel the car ripping through the winds. Out of all of those cars, they had something important, coilovers.I've been wanting coilovers since the day I got my car, but money was not so easy to maintain, but easier than these days. I finally got some used D2 coilovers, other than the fact that I was scammed since the rear shocks on the suspension were blown and both front and rear dampening could not be adjusted, they were still very stiff. Even though I still had a lot of body roll, the front camber set-up helped me turn slighty easier. I know if I had proper coilovers, like Megan Racing, HKS, or Teins, the car would have handled almost perfectly.
*Before the coilovers:
Finally the day came, the day I regret so much every second I think, watch, or see drifting and Nissans. I crashed my car, to keep the story short, Richard and I drove up Hicks road, a pretty nice hill with tons of turns. It was early morning, the roads were damp with some mud. No drifting was involved, just doing what she was meant to do, tackle corners. I understeered, thats all I could say. I understeered. We both noticed the mistake and both saw what was coming to us. I hit a wall of fat, dry mud, and the crash did not feel that hard, but as I drove away from the wall I took a look, the hardest look I could make. It was over. Instead of the sharp fearlesss look she always displayed, she had the look of sadness, and like always, I could feel her. Because of the crash, I lost some faith, I felt that it was all over, nothing was left to do. Both the Red-Rocket and I were both done.
After recieving my 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX Tr, which I could not be more in love with, I started to miss what I have been attached to for so long, a machine that did what I wanted and felt what I felt, something that the White Stallion/ Ridox Impreza could not really come close too. The more I miss it, the more I want to bring it back to life. The Red-Rocket was what opened my mind to what tuning cars are about, creating style and brining out vision. This not only represented my interest and passion to cars, but symbolized who I am. Nissans and Sivlias, those are some of the cars that dominate the tracks, mountains, hills and just basicaly...racing, and I could not be more lucky and more honored to own a piece of beauty that many well known tuners build and unleash. Its more than just a car, more than just a machine, its a symbol of lifestyle, and honestly I must say that I could not find anything else that could fit me more well. Perfect in every way.
She was perfect, just how I wanted her to be, ready to be built into a machine that expressed my lifestyle. Just sitting in it, I could feel her, and she could feel me, driving in ways that satisfied us both.
Since I wanted to build her to handle well, tackle corners as if they were on rails, I started with a simple suspension set-up. I put a Tokico Blue shocks with Tanabe GF210 spring combination, and I must say it was the perfect set-up for a daily driver or a cruise through the curvy roads. Plus it was the perfect ride height, it sat on the roads perfectly, ready to be driven. After driving it for over a month, I thought it needed something else, something that gave it "the look," so I gave it a zenki front lip. So I found one at the junkyard, haha. And with that, she not only sat perfectly, but she had the look of "I am ready to charge through the winds," and boy did she look mean, fearless yet calm and tammed.
Then I felt that she wanted to tell me something, expressing herself with words that I could understand best....an exhaust. I started off buying a titanium look-a-like muffler on ebay for $25, and I had my friend Jeff weld me a custom piping, at that time he left it a 2 1/2 inch piping just so I would not lose any back-pressure, so it sounded decent. After a few months, the muffler was wearing out in the insides since it was cheap, so it was time for a new one, but this time it was no joke. I ordered me an awfully beautiful GP Sports Exas Spec D exhaust. I can even remember the day Jeff, Richard and I picked it up. And man does she sound MEAN! Even today, she roars like a lion. That had to be the best upgrade on my car, she could finally express everything to everyone, and trust me, everyone could hear her.
Before the GP Sport exhaust, a new clutch had to be installed, so I decided to get something affordable, nothing too agressive, yet good qualtiy, so what else could be better than Exedy from Daikin Clutch. The installation process was probably the most complicating thing I have ever done on a car. Richard, Jeff, and I worked at Jeff's house with the professional help of his father...Jeff, hahaha. It took us two long days to finish the installation, all of us were just covered with oil, dirt, oil residue and probably a bunch of other stuff. But it was fun at the same time, and I think we all learned a lot out of it. Finally after being finished, running with fresh Valvoline gear fluid, shifting felt so perfect, quick and responsive.
My main focus on building the Red-Rocket was just the same as my favorite driver, Manabu Orido. He built his Ridox JZA80 Supra to be JGTC ( Japanese Grand Touring Championship) everyday, a circuit performing car driven as a daily driver. I wanted my car to be something like....D1/ Wangan everyday, hahaha. Simple drift/wangan concept, blasting though highways, ever since 7th grade, I wanted to blast through the highways going fast enough to feel the car ripping through the winds. Out of all of those cars, they had something important, coilovers.I've been wanting coilovers since the day I got my car, but money was not so easy to maintain, but easier than these days. I finally got some used D2 coilovers, other than the fact that I was scammed since the rear shocks on the suspension were blown and both front and rear dampening could not be adjusted, they were still very stiff. Even though I still had a lot of body roll, the front camber set-up helped me turn slighty easier. I know if I had proper coilovers, like Megan Racing, HKS, or Teins, the car would have handled almost perfectly.
*Before the coilovers:
Finally the day came, the day I regret so much every second I think, watch, or see drifting and Nissans. I crashed my car, to keep the story short, Richard and I drove up Hicks road, a pretty nice hill with tons of turns. It was early morning, the roads were damp with some mud. No drifting was involved, just doing what she was meant to do, tackle corners. I understeered, thats all I could say. I understeered. We both noticed the mistake and both saw what was coming to us. I hit a wall of fat, dry mud, and the crash did not feel that hard, but as I drove away from the wall I took a look, the hardest look I could make. It was over. Instead of the sharp fearlesss look she always displayed, she had the look of sadness, and like always, I could feel her. Because of the crash, I lost some faith, I felt that it was all over, nothing was left to do. Both the Red-Rocket and I were both done.
After recieving my 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX Tr, which I could not be more in love with, I started to miss what I have been attached to for so long, a machine that did what I wanted and felt what I felt, something that the White Stallion/ Ridox Impreza could not really come close too. The more I miss it, the more I want to bring it back to life. The Red-Rocket was what opened my mind to what tuning cars are about, creating style and brining out vision. This not only represented my interest and passion to cars, but symbolized who I am. Nissans and Sivlias, those are some of the cars that dominate the tracks, mountains, hills and just basicaly...racing, and I could not be more lucky and more honored to own a piece of beauty that many well known tuners build and unleash. Its more than just a car, more than just a machine, its a symbol of lifestyle, and honestly I must say that I could not find anything else that could fit me more well. Perfect in every way.
Hellaflush 7/26
Last Saturday I attended the HellaFlush event in Burlingame with Richard and Chris. It was definitely an event that I admired, not to big not to long and got to see a few of my friends that I havent seen in awhile. But definitely there were a lot of top notch rides. The best part of it was, won me the raffle drawings....twice! Got me a STRI boost gauge and a 1 year free subscription to Dsport, so yes...I am juiced. October will be the next as they announced, and by that time the weather will be much better.
Raffle win!
Finally got myself a good quality picture of my car. Thanks Josh.
Raffle win!
Finally got myself a good quality picture of my car. Thanks Josh.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Cant Forget the Beginning.
Yes yes, as much as I love the Dark Knight, we cant forget who the best was...Michael Keaton as Batman, yes, it seems odd that he does action but he portrayed a well Bruce Wayne and a good Batman, pulled of a good dark presence. Jack Nicholson was by far the best Joker, hand down. Heath Ledger studied Nicholson's character before they filmed and what better way than learning from the best. Danny DeVito played on awesome Penguin, had that killer instinct and just knew how to put human and penguin together haha. And finally, Michelle Pfeiffer, was just the perfect Catwoman, exotic and crazy! In the end, Tim Burton's style of directing was perfect for filming a dark story with dark characters as the Batman series. And even though Val Kilmer and George Clooney were just not that great of Batmans, Jim Carrey as The Riddler, Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face and Uma Therman as Poison Ivy were perfect as well.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Dark Knight! Best Flick So Far.
Today my Mom, Jeff, Richard and I went to watch what everyone has been waiting for all these months, Batman: Dark Knight, and I must say, it is the best movie of the year so far. I think everyone mainly went to see it because of the late Heath Ledger, he played an awesome Joker, not as good as Jack Nicholson but second best. This movie was pretty much about Joker, every time he came on, people just got juiced, his psychotic and loony character was very impressive and exciting. Great story and worth the 2 1/2 hours. In the end I give it a 10/10.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)