Clean

Corrazy Corrado

2010-07-03T15:39:00.000-04:00

Featured this week is a nifty little VW Corrado I spotted on the Grassroots Motorsports forums. This model is owned by Jay Roberts of Atlanta. Jay wanted a Corrado ever since he first spotted one in a dealership in 92. However, like so many others, he couldn't afford the high price tag, and settled on a Golf. Years later, Jay, now older and wiser, owns two of them. Jay jumped on the opportunity to grab this week's feature car from Charleston, which he then proceeded to drive back to his place in the rain, with bald tires and malfunctioning ABS. And sometimes we wonder why it's difficult to explain our hobby to outsiders.

Jay's mods are simple and functional. Dare I say Clean? Bilstein Coilovers, Momo steering wheel, pulleys, a K&N filter, and an aftermarket exhaust that came with the car and hasn't yet been identified. "It sounds like a Borla" says Jay. The trusty VR6 provides reliable transportation to his job as a TV broadcast facility tech, and performs occasional autocross duty. Chalk up one more car I wish I owned. Maybe someday.

We've all heard the name VR6 thrown around before, the VW R32 had one, so did a GTI, but what is it? It's an engine best described as a really narrow-angle V6. So narrow, in fact, that it only has one cylinder head. At the time, this engine was revolutionary, sporting excellent balance and 6 cylinders in a very small package.Unfortunately, while the engine is still in production, the car it first sat in is not. While the Corrado VR6 was by all accounts excellent, it simply cost too much for most people who'd want to buy it. And there's your fun fact of the week.

Clean Lives Up To It's Name

2010-06-20T17:57:00.006-04:00

With the engine bay of my little Civic covered in oil and in bad need of a scrub, the detailing tools available at my house just weren't cutting it. It was time to bring in reinforcements. And that meant a trip to the DIY car wash.

I decided to make the longer trip over to College Park with my friend Jason and his 2010 GTI. And wow. That place is quite an experience.

College Park is a relatively small city, mostly known for playing host to the University of MD. Judging by the car wash, it's also a car town. I was not prepared for the sheer number of cars and people. All of them were there just to clean their cars. And we're not just talking about a quick spray in the cleaning bay and a once-over with the vacuum. No, they had the same idea I did. There was a whole line of cars being given a thorough interior and exterior detail with various cleaning, polishing, and shining formulas. The pics may give you a general idea of the number and variety of cars on display.

There were family minivans, luxury sedans, muscle cars, compacts, Modified and stock. We were all there for the same reason. It was hot out and we thought "Why not take the car out for a cleaning?"

Well, why not? My car looks better than ever. 3 hours, one wash, spray wax, engine degrease, vacuum and wheel polish later, I'm finally done. The engine bay looks much better now (Maybe I can finally find that oil leak) and the rest of my car looks phenomenal. Not sure what to do with your afternoon? Experience the warm fuzzy feeling of kinship with your fellow car owners at your local car wash.

Introducing Project Clean

2010-06-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

Fact is, I'm not posting a real feature this week. I'd been chasing leads on a couple of them, but nothing turned up. I'm still working. Hopefully by next week I'll have turned this around...

In the meantime, I figured why not post a short feature on my car instead? So I took her out this morning for a quick wash and wax, and shot some pics in the driveway, and typed up a quick feature on myself. Here we go!

Rabi Dixon comes out of Arbutus MD, and he loves Hondas. While he's enthusiastic about all kinds of cars, he's definitely a loyal Honda user. He has to be. With a commute of over an hour every day to his job as a preschool/afterschool teacher, plus a lot of martial arts training in the evenings. he needs a car he can rely on. After his beloved 91 hatch bit the dust about a year ago, Rabi figured he'd move up a couple years, and ended up paying $1800 for this 95 Civic coupe.

Mods right now are simple: AEM short ram, DC Sports header, and Magnaflow catalyst and exhaust. That's it. Rabi's currently saving up for tires to replace his worn-out old ones, and a set of wheels to go with it.

Rabi's year with his new car hasn't really been all fun and games. Here's his story of what it's been like to fix his exhaust system.

"That exhaust system took almost a year to put together. I figured I'd share the fun story.I took the car in for inspection and was told that it was leaking, so I replaced it with the Magnaflow catback. Then the flange on the already gutted (when I bought it) cat snapped off due to rust. When I crawled under to check it out, I discovered that the cat had been welded to the exhaust manifold, so I was going to have to replace the manifold as well. I tacked on a little metal tube to hold it together in the meantime. The thing rattled like hell. By the time I had the money for the header, it was wintertime, and I couldn't get a chance to put the parts on in between blizzards. I finally caved and scraped some money together to pay a shop to install the header and cat. Glad I did because it would have ended up being extremely difficult without a lift. They also couldn't get a gasket to fix. Come to find out that they didn't protect the newly re-wired o2 sensor. The wire rubbed out on a motor mount, shorted out the ecu and left me stranded on the left shoulder of the freeway. I had to get it towed. Luckily that part didn't end up working out too badly. The original shop ended up reimbursing me in labor for the money I spent getting the problem fixed. After all this, I ordered a donut gasket that I didn't have at the time of the install. Well guess what? It was the wrong one. I had to order another one. Once I finally got one that fit, the stupid spring-loaded bolts that attach the cat to the manifold would no longer fit because of the longer distance between the manifold and the cat. I had to use the spring on one bolt hole and a big washer on the other. I'm still working on finding smaller springs. But overall, it's finally done. It does sound pretty good. And response is noticeably improved. It also cruises a lot more comfortably at higher speeds than before. What a pain in the ass though."

As you may have guessed, Rabi may love driving, drawing, and learning about cars, but he's not a huge fan of working on them.

...And that's the end of that little bit of self-congratulation. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

As a final note, I called my car "Project Clean" for a reason. I'll be posting updates of what's happening to my car every once in a while. The goal is to have a well-rounded, reliable highway cruiser, and I'm choosing my mods to reflect that.

See you next week!

You Have a JDM What?

2010-06-07T10:25:00.000-04:00

This week's feature hails from Woodland Hills, CA. The car may be American, but the look definitely screams Japan. And it works. It really does.

Maybe it's just the fact that I love 80s sports cars with a shutouku theme, maybe it's the fact that the C4 Corvette is one of my favorite cars, (It's probably both) but when I ran across this car I knew I had to feature it. Travis, the owner, actually owns a small stable of interesting projects, including a very clean DSM, A Japanese gangster-themed Mercedes 190E, And a Nissan 300ZX.

The car you are reading about now is his 1990 Z51 Corvette. Instead of going the traditional American iron route with his mods, Travis decided to draw inspiration from Japanese highway racers. Before you write off this idea as completely random, you should know that there are imported, modified American cars cruising Japan's highways at night. And having spent time in Japan definitely skewed Travis' tastes in this direction.

This car is a work in progress, but with the body in fantastic shape, the modifications really stand out. First of all, the body's been lowered over the ARE mesh wheels, which feature stretched tires and 1.5" spacers in the rear. I rarely see a Corvette look this classy and aggressive at the same time. The stance really brings out this car's aggressive side.

Power mods are few as well. There's the K&N Filtercharger under the hood, but (if you haven't already noticed from the pictures) what you should really be interested in is the genuine HKS exhaust system underneath. That's right, a Corvette with HKS exhaust. I wish I could hear it in person, because Travis claims it sounds incredible.

This is not the last you'll hear about this particular project. As I said before, there's still work to be done, and Travis has some choice parts sitting in his garage waiting for installation. Travis actually sent me a pic of the twin turbo kit he's assembling. I know I want to see this thing when it's all ready, so expect another feature on this car whether you want one or not.

That's it for this week, ladies and germs. Expect another fun-filled feature next weekend. Until then, keep it Clean.

Wangan Style

2010-06-06T20:34:00.000-04:00

So... This week's sketch looks a little different. This week's feature inspired me to try something new. Well, kind of new anyway. I have more experience using a plain old #2 pencil than I do with anything else.

A little explanation: The Japan-tuning themed C4 Corvette that I'll be writing about for this week's feature inspired me to do a comic-book themed sketch this week. What I was particularly shooting for was the art style of one of my favorite comics of all time- The Japanese manga Initial D.

Please please please post your feedback. Do you guys like the action-sketch look? Or the inked-up paint look that I've been posting so far? I'll be experimenting with this art style for the next few weeks, so I hope y'all don't hate it too much.

Anyways, tune in tomorrow for Travis' Wangan-Style 1990 Corvette. You won't regret it.

Until next time, keep it Clean.

Bitten by the Bug

2010-05-31T11:09:00.000-04:00

Over the past couple years, subcompacts have been making a comeback. These tiny cars with tiny engines are popping up all over. And I love it. There's something about a zippy little hatchback that makes me drool, and this week's feature is an excellent example.

This week's feature comes from Nashville, although the car and its owner will soon be moving to my local area of operations, in the beautiful State of Maryland. Randy, the owner, is a studio recording engineer who originally purchased the car for the most practical of reasons. His old Isuzu Trooper wasn't exactly an economical ride when gas was hovering around $4 a gallon.

Randy credits yarisworld.com for inspiring him to move his "Tuna Can" up from beater status. Once he decided to go ahead with the work, he turned to Garm Beale, the owner of Micro Image to provide him with the parts to make his Yaris shine.

Tuna Can's interior has been spruced up to more properly accommodate Randy's tastes. For a man who loves music, A quality sound system is mandatory. A Dynamat insulation, a JVC head, Memphis Car Audio speakers and amp, along with an Infinity subwoofer, ensure that Randy doesn't have to do without great sound no matter where he goes. LED lights coming from the ceiling, console, ignition, and floor illuminate the cabin to provide the right mood for driving. For a touch of sport, an NRG e-brake lever, sport pedal covers, Redline shift and e-brake boots, and a TRD shift knob connected to an SST short shifter complete the look.

On the outside, the first thing Toyota aficionados will notice is the JDM Toyota Vitz badge and foglights prominently displayed up front. (For those not in the know, the Vitz is the Japan-market Yaris). In the rear, a pair of TYC taillights accent shaved badges and stubby antenna for a smooth body. Under the hood, Tuna Can sports a couple choice TRD bits, namely a fusebox cover and oil cap, complementing the ground kit, Tanabe strut brace, NST underdrive pulleys, AFE Pro-Dry intake, and DC Sports header.

If you were to drop down and take a look underneath the car, you'd find there's still more to be seen. Tanabe springs and TRD shocks keep Tuna Can's body only barely above the Hankook-wrapped 17" MSR rims. Stuffed inside those rims, a full disc brake conversion is completed with R1 Concepts rotors up front, Carbotech pads all around and Agency-Power stainless brake lines tying the whole setup together. Peer under the rear if you want a look at the Tanabe Medallion Touring exhaust system and the TRD rear sway bar.

At this point, I usually try to wrap up the article with a summary on why the car I'm featuring appeals to me. This time, I'm going to let Randy speak for himself.

"I found other Yaris owners that shared what upgrades they had done to their rides. It started with wheels, lowering springs, TRD shocks. Soon I was skipping meals so I could afford led lights for my instrument cluster. When my wife started to feel the differences in the handling and acceleration from the mods I was doing, I knew I was hooked ! Modding my Yaris gives me a sense of individuality. Knowing that nobody else has a Yaris set up like mine makes me feel good when I drive it and I enjoy driving my "Tuna Can" !"

Randy goes on to say...

"What I like most about my Yaris is it’s look and handling. It’s never gonna’ be fast, but it’s quick and rides curves like a glove. I love hearing comments like, “Randy, I’ve seen other Yaris’s but none look as cool as yours.” And since I’ve taken off the badges that tell you what model it is, I get, “What kind of car is that? It’s got a European plate, Did ya’ have it shipped over here?” "

Sounds like a classic case of "bitten by the bug" to me.

Until next week, keep it Clean.

It's Good to be back

2010-05-31T10:33:00.000-04:00

Features are officially back! Check out Randy's Yaris later today. Stay Tuned!

Free Stuff Alert

2010-05-25T20:15:00.000-04:00

My cards have come in. And while this shitty photo doesn't do them justice, I'm excited enough to post it anyway. In person, they look awesome. I'm very happy with the print quality.

Want some?

I'll send you one of each. They're great for arranging or just looking at.

All you have to do is give me an address to send them to.

You can post it here, or email rabidclean@gmail.com

I also got a couple sheets of stickers with the same design to give away. I have yet to determine how I'll distribute those. Stay tuned for that.

How to get your sketch...

2010-05-23T19:02:00.000-04:00

So the Clean Membership Campaign sweepstakes is officially over. With... Disappointing results. I gained a total of about 12-13 members over the past week.

At this point, I'll still be awarding a consolation prize. I can't justify the expense of super-fancy paper right now, but I want to do right by my readers. I will mail out one sketch on 96lb 5.5"x7" sketch paper. This sketch can be of your car, or of any other car you'd like to have a custom picture of.

However, I still need to pick a winner! If you have referred people to the Facebook page over the past week, please post their names on the page. I will award the prize to whoever has managed to refer the most new members.

Everything I do on this site is basically an experiment. I try different things and evaluate the results. I gained some valuable information from this contest, which right now is the main goal of everything I do related to my little venture. This won't be the last promotion you'll see from me, and the next one will definitely be a bit more interesting.

Ahoy, Maties! Thar Be Fun and Promotions on the Horizon!

2010-05-16T18:00:00.000-04:00

Want a Sketch of your Car?

I'll be mailing out a one-off sketch to the winner of this week's competition. How do you enter? It's simple.

Get 10 people to join the Clean Facebook and follow me on Twitter. Once you've done this, post up on the Facebook page, listing the names of people you've gotten to join.

That's it, basically. I'll put all eligible entries in a hat next Sunday and pull out the winner at random. Pictures will be posted so you all can see.

The winner will receive a sketch of their car in the mail.

Don't have a car? Don't want yours sketched? No problem. I can draw any car you want. The sketch will be drawn on archival paper, which means that provided you keep it clean and dry, the paper won't deteriorate. Mat it and frame it or whatever you want. If this contest goes well, expect more in the future.

Why am I doing this? I need more members! It's as simple as that. I'm trying to increase my readership, and I can't afford tons of expensive advertising and stuff like that right now, so I'm keeping things small.

In other news, I just spent the last several hours uploading and designing the official Clean business cards. These cards are going to feature the drawings from Clean Series 1. The fronts of the cards are going to look just like the images you see above you.

I'm going to be mailing these cards out in sets of three (one of each image). Want some? All you have to do is ask. And give me an address to send them to. They should be available in a few weeks (I hope).

Finally, features should be back next week. I'm currently corresponding with the owners of a few unique and interesting daily drivers. I apologize that it's taken so long to bring them back, but with a full time job and other commitments, I can only do so much.

That's it for now ladies and gentlemen. As usual, feel free to let me know about any feature-worthy cars you see, including your own. I love getting feedback from everyone, so don't be shy.

See you next week!

Third in a Series

2010-05-09T21:58:00.000-04:00

Here it is, the last of three images.

These images will soon be available on prints, t-shirts and other merchandise. They are the first of many different art releases I have planned for the future.

When I started this blog, I had one specific goal: To make a living drawing, writing, and talking about cars. This is just the first step of many towards that goal. I'll still be writing, still drawing, and still talking to all kinds of car owners from all over the world. It's been a fun and educational experience so far, and I see no reason that won't continue.

I picked these specific cars for a reason. All three were immediate successes upon their release, and remained successful through many years and generations. All three are also still available. I hope, of course, to make the same thing happen to this little venture.

Expect merchandise to be available by the end of the month.

And if you know someone (Including yourself) who deserves a feature on their car, shoot an email to rabidclean@gmail.com or post here, or on the Facebook.

Have an awesome week, and by the way, welcome to all the new fans. I appreciate all the support.

Second in a Series.

2010-05-08T22:08:00.001-04:00

So here it is. Part 2. Son of part 1.

As I mentioned last post, these images are part of a promotion I'm setting up, among other things. The main uses will be revealed tomorrow, but, like any promotion, there will be free stuff, so look forward to that!

At this point, I really want to know what everyone thinks of the art and the blog in general. Personally, I love interviewing people and writing about their cars. I love probing everyone's mind with new questions every day. I love shooting cars and tweeting commentary at car shows. And, of course, I love drawing. This blog of mine has been a great way to combine a lot of my interests into one ongoing project, and I hope you all are enjoying the results.

Third image will be up tomorrow, along with the final bit of information as to what I intend to do with these. Stay tuned!

First in a Series

2010-05-07T20:44:00.000-04:00

The image you are viewing is the first of three images that I'll be posting this weekend. There'll be one more tomorrow and a third on Sunday.

These images will comprise the face of my first promotion campaign. I'll be doing some pretty cool stuff with them. Stuff I don't want to reveal just yet.

As always, feel free to post any thoughts, advice, criticism, praise, etc right here, or to the Facebook.

Have an awesome weekend everybody!

CPTuning Meet & Canned Food Drive

2010-05-02T22:11:00.000-04:00

It's getting close to summertime, and car season has officially begun. And with car season comes car meets. One of these is the annual charity meet at University of Maryland. A fun little event, with canned food items standing in for the admission cost.

The event was fun, despite the oppressive heat. I heard accounts that it was bigger last year, but the lots seemed pretty full to me. However, most people, including myself, had left after a couple hours, so I guess there's something to that.

There was a nice mix of brands and countries represented, along with a good blend of style, from ratty daily drivers to ultra-clean show cars. Definitely a lot of eye candy on display for enthusiasts like myself.

Meets like this are always a good way to get a genuine feel for what's happening in the local car scene and what people like to do to their cars. Here's a few impressions I got:

Drifting seems to have made its final evolutionary step. Now, much like drag racing, the die-hard enthusiasts remain, but it has lost it's status as the hot trend everyone wants to follow. I think this is a good thing, honestly, as the sport will begin to become more open to newcomers now that all the haters have found something else to get on their high horse about.

I definitely saw my share of crazy wheel fitments out there, some better executed than others. I honestly like a flush setup once in a while, although I'd never do it to my own car. However, as usual, some people take it a bit too far. If your tires are scraped up from your fenders, you're not a badass, you're an idiot.

One thing I definitely don't get is this new trend with engine bays being painted a different color than the rest of the car. To me, no matter how good your paint job was, it still looks like someone did a shitty respray on your car and neglected to paint the engine bay. I just don't like it, but if it's your thing, enjoy.

Wire tucks: Always amazing. I love them.

That's it for today: Remember, there's a bunch of pics on the Facebook page, so head over there if you haven't already. See you next week!

What A Weekend...

2010-04-25T20:08:00.000-04:00

No announcements, teasers, or sketches today... Just a story. The story of my weekend.

I had taken Friday off of work because my good friend Trevor was coming over to visit. (Yes, the same Trevor who owns the RSX I posted two weeks ago, and that's him, not me, in the pictures) We hadn't spent any real time together since last summer, so I was pretty excited. We had a pretty good plan.

He and I were first going to drop my car off at an exhaust shop to get my new header installed. We were then going to hang out before picking my car back up, giving it a wash, and shooting some photos. Sounds like a good way to spend a Friday, right?

Well it didn't exactly work out that way.

We drove over to pick the car up around 5:30 pm. It was supposed to be done at 2:30. That didn't happen. No big deal. We no longer had time for a full wash/wax/detail, but we figured we'd just run it through the car wash and have plenty of time to spare for a good photo shoot. We were on our way to the car wash when my check engine light came on. This is when my weekend officially went to hell.

The CEL had been turning itself on randomly for about a week now. Usually within five minutes of driving. I had been "dealing" with this problem using a proven method: ignoring it. I'd turn the car off, then turn it back on, and the light would stay off for the remainder of my drive. This time, however, my car wouldn't turn back on.

After looking at the wires, we determine that we can't fix it on the side of the road, so we decide to use Trevor's AAA membership to tow the car to a safer location. Only one problem: Trevor was following me in a rental car, so his membership apparently would only apply to his car, not mine. So, obviously, we had to ditch the rental car.

We got in his rental and drove it off the highway and into a residential area, parked it, and walked the mile back to my car, where we subsequently called AAA and told them that the car had died while he was riding with me. After waiting a little under an hour, we got a tow to a closed service station, where my father met us and we checked over the car and determined I had no current coming out of the coil. Uh oh.

It was now after 9 pm, so we called it a night, got a ride back to the rental, and crashed at another friend's house (His name's Jason, expect a feature on his car in the weeks ahead).

Next morning, I bid Trevor goodbye and get a ride back to my car. I checked all the fuses under the dash. Nothing wrong. The internet tells me it could be any number of things. I tried to jump the diagnostic connector to get the CEL to show me the trouble code it was throwing. All that did was make the airbag light flash. I tried to get the local auto parts store to lend me an OBD I diagnostic reader so I could read the code that way. They don't have one. After several hours of this, I call it a day and go back to another friend's house to crash for another night.

Next morning. Day three. (That's today). I get another ride back to the car. I get my Dad to bring his voltmeter out (I should really buy my own). Right before he arrived, I decide to check the fuses under the hood. Something I should have done at the beginning.

You may be able to guess what the problem was...

The ECU fuse had blown. One walk into the neighboring convenience store later, my car's running again.

Except now, none of my instruments are working. No fuel gauge, no speedometer, no tachometer, no odometer, no CEL, nothing.

I drove to the store to buy a pack of 15 amp fuses in case the ECU blows again. Once there, I downloaded a fuse diagram for the fuses under my dashboard, and checked them. Nothing seems to be wrong there.

I drove back to my friend's house, post on the internet asking for help, and then decided to check the fuses under the dash one more time.

Again, you might guess what happened.

Turns out the back-up light fuse was missing. I had somehow misplaced it when checking the fuses earlier. And I in my infinite wisdom completely neglected to notice this fact. Everything works now.

Moral of the story: I spent an entire 3-day weekend trying to fix a problem that was caused by one 50-cent fuse. Always check the basics when working on cars...

Of course now I have to figure out what blew that fuse...

Shift

2010-04-18T18:01:00.000-04:00

First off, I'd like to start this by thanking everyone who's been reading this blog, whether you've been around since the first post, or you've just recently jumped onto the Facebook page. To say that the responses I've gotten from this project are encouraging would be an understatement. I'd especially like to thank anyone who's taken the time to spread the word around. Without you all, there really wouldn't be much point in carrying this on.

Clean may have started back in February as a blog, but the original concept, was, and still is, much larger. This little blog will soon become the center of something pretty cool. No, nothing's going to directly change, there will still be weekly features and the question of the day, but believe me, there's going to be a lot more as well. If you can't tell, I'm rather excited by the possibilities.

Unfortunately, the weekly features will be going on hiatus for a few weeks. I have a lot of things to set up, and I won't have time to track down cars to feature. Of course, if anyone has a car they'd like to see featured, email me. I'd be happy to set it up. Features are not, I repeat, NOT going away. They're just going to be taking a short break.

Last, but not least, for the latest word on the forthcoming announcements, add my twitter. I'd appreciate it. That's all for this week. Stay tuned for more of what's coming...

When Something's Suspicious, We Call It...

2010-04-12T20:57:00.000-04:00

...SKETCH!

I'm so clever

Bulking Up The Ranks

2010-04-12T20:06:00.000-04:00

So I know I specified in an earlier post that one of my requirements for a feature was that the car has to be restored or at least mildly altered. This car is stock. That's right. Stock. I don't care, and here's why. First of all, I love the RSX-S. Second of all, the passion this new owner shows for his car is something we can all relate to. When your girlfriend refers to your car as "The other woman," that means you're one of us car geeks now.

Trevor Johnson lives in Beloit, Wisconsin and works as an admissions counselor at Beloit College. When his Ford Ranger started to go downhill, Trevor seized the excuse to buy something new. He'd been lusting after just about anything equipped with a manual tranny for quite a while, and as luck would have it, he came across this pristine RSX Type S at a dealership about an hour away. He drove up, checked it out, and proudly drove away. Nothing's been the same for him since.

The man who was never all that interested in cars is now joining forums, reading, and generally annoying his friends with useless knowledge about his car. Welcome to the club, Trevor. Be aware that once you join, it's pretty hard to leave.

Trevor is also a semi-professional photographer. If you like his pics, he's got a full album here with full-resolution downloads available. Enjoy!

Consolation Prize!

2010-04-04T22:25:00.000-04:00

Here's a crappy sketch I drew a couple months ago. Although I took this weekend off from the blog in order to attempt to do my taxes, I felt bad not putting anything up. It's a JDM Integra Type R with a full Mugen aero kit that I did with a Sharpie. I rather like it, although it could definitely be better. You all have my word that there'll be a full feature next weekend.

Sketch O'the Week!

2010-03-28T19:36:00.000-04:00

I'm really running out of clever titles for these.

The Other B13

2010-03-28T17:51:00.000-04:00

Our feature for this weekend is this 1992 Nissan NX2000 owned by Larry from Florida. I should mention that I happened to spot my first NX2000 right at the same time I got interested in cars, and I was fascinated. Maybe I'm a little biased, but these cars will always hold a special place in my heart for that reason. The Nissan NX1600 and NX2000 were both small egg-shaped hatchbacks built on the same chassis as the Nissan Sentra, and were only sold in North America from 1991-1993. The NX2000, with its SR20DE powerplant, is definitely the one to look out for.

"Rotten Egg" as Larry has affectionately dubbed his little B13, has a range of simple, effective modifications across the board. The result is something I'd definitely like to test-drive one day. Let's have a look, shall we?

To improve speed, things start off with a liberal dose of power-in-a-bottle is always on tap courtesy of a ZEX nitrous kit. In order stay healthy, the JDM-swapped SR20DE breathes in deeply through a Jim Wolf Technologies "Pop Charger" intake and out through an SSAutochrome header and VRS-built exhaust system. Meanwhile, a B&M short shifter rows the gears spinning in the LSD-equipped transmission lifted from B15 chassis Sentra. To round things off, Prothane mounts, and Energy Suspension shift bushings hold everything in place to ensure that all the torque stays where it belongs.

As an occasional autocrosser, Larry can't just boost the straightline speed and then call it a day. The stock NX2000 may have been given high praise for its handling capabilities, but that fact won't be cause for comfort when your car hits more cones than it misses. R1 Concept Rotors and Axis brake pads bring the Kumho ASX tires down to a manageable speed as Larry negotiates corners. Flexibility is another issue to be addressed. It may be a good thing in most cases, but in cars, rigidity is a coveted attribute. Larry's installed a complete Energy Suspension Hyperflex bushing kit along with a pair of strut bars (The front from Cusco, the rear custom made) to ensure that he gets as much of this coveted attribute as possible. On the transition side of things, KYB AGX dampers and Hyperco springs keep roll to a minimum.

As a final note, after posting Hector's lovely B13 Sentra last week, Larry sent me an email. Turns out, Larry did the excellent tint on Hector's car. I approached both owners individually, by the way. Neither one referred me to the other. So there it is, two SR20-powered B13 chassis Nissans in a row, and they happen to know each other. How's that for a coincidence? Of course, Larry's done the tint on his own car as well. If you like what you see, and live anywhere in the southeast, hit up ocalatint.com. Larry travels long-distance to tint his customer's cars right in their driveways, and he's got a reputation for quality work. Expect to hear more about Larry and his "Have Tint, Will Travel" business in the future, as we'll be cross-promoting ourselves very soon.

One lovely sketch.

2010-03-21T18:57:00.001-04:00

I'm pleased with this one.

B13 Sentra-l

2010-03-21T18:01:00.000-04:00

Our feature this week comes from sunny Florida, and coincidentally, the car itself is called the Nissan Sunny in foreign markets. Here in the US we call it the Sentra, and this example happens to be a very nice example of the top-level SE-R, which means it came from the dealer with the peppy SR20DE engine, a very nice suspension, and a limited-slip differential.

Hector, the owner, purchased this 1993 SE-R in 1997, and has kept it looking good ever since. The already well-prepared car has also received a few key upgrades: a Hot Shot header and HKS exhaust keep the SR20 breathing freely, while an Eibach spring/KYB damper combo help keep the SE-R's tires pointed in the right direction. Finally, a Jim Wolf Technologies transmission has assumed the responsibility of transferring the added power to the ground.

It's rare to see a performance variant like this in such good shape, especially considering he's only the second owner. I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to learn more about it. Keep it running and keep it clean, Hector!

Edit:

Made a mistake in thinking Hector was the first owner of the car. It's been fixed.

Another Late Night For Me!

2010-03-14T23:13:00.001-04:00

Here it is: The much-awaited sketch. Remember, if you want to see a sketch of your car, just send it to me for a feature.

Go For Gold

2010-03-14T21:42:00.001-04:00

The Mazda MX-3 is one of those interesting cars loved by those who've tried one and completely ignored by everyone else. Plagued by either poor marketing or simply bad timing, it barely registers in the awareness of most enthusiasts, and is almost completely unknown to the layman.

While enjoyable when equipped with the base 1.6 liter 4-cylinder engine, the MX-3 was also available with a distinctive V6. At 1.8 liters, it remains the smallest production V6 engine on record, which leads us to this example.

Goldmember, which is the name Andy gave to this pristine MX-3, easily stands out with its distinctive gold paint job, (extremely) rare Mazdaspeed body kit, and, of course the aforementioned V6, but there's definitely more to this story. When planted in his Recaro seat, Andy's hands control his 'member (couldn't resist) via a Momo steering wheel, while his feet move the matching Momo pedals and his eyes keep track of the Autometer gauges. The best bit, however, is under the hood. Nestled in the engine bay, controlled by Autometer hardware, is a full turbo system. That's right, Andy's baby is boosted. This combo has proven quite effective. Andy and Goldmember have an 11-second time slip to prove it.

This is not the first time Goldmember has been featured online, and hopefully it won't be the last. This is a car that deserves the recognition the MX-3 deserved all along.

Update:

Andy has written to let me know that I had some info on his car wrong. Let's set it right.

While the car did originally come with the 1.8 V6, he has since swapped it with the 2.5 from a Mazda 626.

Also, I thought it was weird that he had Autometer engine management, as I didn't know that Autometer did that. Turns out I was right. Goldmember actually runs MegaSquirt, something Andy has a bit of experience in, as he has built MegaSquirt setups for some other people's rides.

That will be all.

Sketchy sketch sketch.

2010-03-07T20:50:00.000-05:00

Here it is!

One More Reason To Move To Canada

2010-03-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

Most of you are probably familiar with the Hyundai Accent; it's a small utilitarian compact car. Every time I see one, I can't help but think of the potential such a lightweight car would have if properly modified. Well, apparently I'm not the only one who's thought along these lines, because a couple years ago, Hyundai of Canada announced a very limited release of a car they called the Accent SR. Nothing crazy here, just simple effective touches such as a tightened suspension, 4-wheel ABS, and a tweaked engine. Too bad it won't ever be sold in the US.

I'd never heard of the SR until I came across this example. It's owned by Michael, a Law student and amateur photographer living in Toronto. This 2007 Accent SR is his pride and joy. "Ever since I saw the car at CIAS, I had to have one" he says. Michael also operates http://www.TorontoHyundaiClub.com as a hobby, so it's definitely no secret which badge he pledges loyalty to.

Michael's SR is tastefully modified. An AEM intake, Megan 4-1 header, and Vibrant exhaust handling the airflow, monitored by an upgraded ECU. Eibach springs and DC sports strut bars help the Falken tires work to their maximum potential. A subtle body kit rounds out the mods for an all-around great-looking great-handling daily driver. Did I mention that the performance mods came from Hyundai of Canada and don't void the warranty? :]

Here's to you, Michael. I hope your car is on the road for years to come, and with Hyundai's warranty coverage, it most likely will be.

My 95 Drives Daily on I-95

2010-02-28T22:26:00.000-05:00

So I was out for most of this weekend, and, though I tried, I couldn't successfully track down a feature for today. I apologize. However, I've got a very nice lead for next weekend, and you can expect not one, but two delicious features.

This is just a ""quick" sketch of my 1995 Civic EX. It's my beater, and since last summer it has reliably carried me the 70+ miles to work and back on a daily basis. It has also safely transported me throughout the three blizzards that hit my region this winter. I'm growing more and more fond of this car.

The only mods on the car are the AEM short ram intake that came with it, and a Magnaflow catback exhaust system. I have a Magnaflow catalytic convertor and a DC sports header waiting for warmer months in my room.

Honestly, this drawing doesn't really do it justice. By that I mean in real life it doesn't really look this good. The hood's a bit dented, the door handles don't match, etc. However, I'm quite pleased with it, and hopefully come warmer months, it'll turn into a car that truly deserves a feature on this blog that I call Clean.

Sketch-tastic.

2010-02-21T22:38:00.000-05:00

Here's my sketch of the week. Enjoy!

I'd like to take a second to encourage anyone reading this to send me pics of their car. Asian, Euro, Domestic, I don't discriminate.

Since I'm already on this topic, I figure I should clarify what I'm trying to feature. Here's the four simple rules I run through my head when evaluating a potential feature:

1. Daily drivers only.

Garage-kept weekend toys are ok, of course, but it's got to be registered and street-driven. No trailer queens, be they for race or show.

2. Budget builds.

A potential feature can feature some high-dollar parts, but if it's built inside-to-outside with top dollar equipment, I'll pass. Not that I don't drool over such cars, but it's not my focus. There's plenty of publications out there, both online and off, who'd be happy to feature such a car.

3. Catching the Eye

There should be something notable about the car. I just featured a (relatively) stock 95 BMW in great condition. I won't feature an o5 BMW in the same condition. Why? There's nothing special about a clean, stock 05. Now if that 05 had some tasteful mods... That's another story altogether.

4. Is it Clean?

I know I'm going to be running the word "Clean" into the ground with this blog, but to me there's no better description of a nice car. I've seen a lot of cars with ratty engine bays, mismatched wheels, ill-fitting parts, or outrageous body modifications. I thought a lot of these cars were cool as hell. However, it's not the focus of this particular publication. Just like if I was writing a Honda mag, I wouldn't feature a Ford in it, no matter how awesome I thought it was.

I hope that clear up some of the questions I've received on what I'm doing with this blog. Hopefully in the future I can expand the influence, but for now it's about posting, sketching and writing about the clean street cars that come my way. I'll be posting once or twice a week, usually on the weekends, so catch ya next time!

Add the Facebook page to get the Clean Question of the Day. :]

Beem Me Up!

2010-02-21T22:19:00.000-05:00

Finally, I've managed to feature a car both not Japanese and less than 20 years old. Who'd have thought that could happen, eh?

I've actually met Sam, the owner of this car, in person, and he's a pretty cool dude. I also met his very well-maintained 3rd-gen Honda Accord, which seriously looks no more than 5 years old. What I didn't know is that Sam also owns this very nice, equally well-maintained 1995 BMW 525i. When he sent me pics, I decided to pay my respects to it with this feature.

As a 19-year-old mechanical engineering student at Penn State, Sam doesn't have much money to spend on this gift from his dad, but he's definitely done the right things. He's completely replaced all the rubber hoses and fuel lines, redone the brakes, front suspension, and cooling system, and, perhaps most noticeably, converted the stock automatic transmission to a manual from an M3. I'm sure this car will be on the road for years to come.

Shag-tastic sketch.

2010-02-15T23:05:00.000-05:00

No Clean feature would be complete without a sketch; Enjoy!

Shag-tastic!

2010-02-15T22:53:00.000-05:00

Why is William's car shag-tastic? Check out the dashboard.

26-year-old William lives in Malaysia, and gets around using the 1977 Toyota Corolla I'm featuring here. No, it's not exactly strong in the modifications department, which is understandable. William got this car from his dad, and he wants to keep it mostly original. Although the Toyota stickers, minilite style wheels and shag dashboard don't exactly jive with my own sensibilities, it's still a great feeling to know that this little car is still being used in the exact manner it was intended.

That's it for this week everyone, I'll be back to work tomorrow, and from this point on, updates will be weekend only. So far I've been very happy with the debut of this blog. I've learned a hell of a lot, and that's the most anyone can ask for. I can only hope it continues to grow from here. Thanks to everyone who's been giving it a shot so far; and remember: Tell your friends!

Pico Sketch

2010-02-14T13:25:00.000-05:00

And here's the sketch of Pico's Accord. As usual, I'm always looking for feedback or ideas on any aspect of the site, the Facebook, the twitter, or whatever comes into your head.

Accord-ing to Pico

2010-02-14T11:12:00.000-05:00

Hailing from Vallejo California, Roger Pico, better known to his friends on 3geez.com simply as Pico, picked up this clean 89 Accord in 2005, to use as a beater. Pico quickly fell in love with the little sedan, and it's hard to blame him. As the former owner of an 88 hatchback myself, I can attest that it's hard not to be seduced by the charms of these simple but brilliant cars. Pico, however, is not your average car-loving baby boomer, and his build is living proof of that. While the mod list is far too lengthy to recount here, I'll do my best to give you all a basic idea.

To begin with, An Optima Red Top battery sits in the trunk to provide the starting power. Once the rebuilt and bored engine is spinning, it sucks air from an AEM cold air intake originally intended for a 6th gen Accord. Once the fresh air is mixed with gas sprayed from Bosch fuel injectors, and a Delta 272 cam controls the spark coming from the MSD coil and wires. Once burnt, the spent gases exit the engine through one of the last remaining DC Sports headers made for the A-series engine. A Magnaflow cat handles the important job of cleaning those gases and 2.25" pipe connected to a Magnaflow muffler ensure that Pico's car sounds as clean as it looks.

Pico's automatic transmission was sucking some fun out of the ride, so he swapped it in for a manual. An excellent decision in my opinion, as the manual tranny that came with these cars is one of the best I've ever used. Pico rows through the gears using a Skunk2 shift knob, which sits on top of a custom short shifter made by fellow 3geez member 89turbo'ed. To keep everything in place, Energy Suspension poly shift bushings have been installed.

Pico is currently preparing a full disc brake conversion, but for now, the Kumho Ecsta ASTs are slowed by Suzuka SS brake lines compressing the Trustar ceramic pads against Brembo front rotors. Meanwhile, the custom sway bars fabricated by 3geez member Justin work with the the DC sports strut bar, Goldline springs, and KYB dampers to ensure that those brakes can be used sparingly.

Inside, a Honda Prelude steering wheel and seats complement the black interior pieced together from various other 3rd gen Accords. A high-end Accord SE-i donated its cupholders and center armrest, and a JDM maplight illuminates the cabin.

On the outside, Hella foglights and headlights ensure that Pico can see the road in front of him, while JDM corner lamps paired with LED sidemarkers (wired by 3geez member Bitesize) make Pico's Accord equally visible to others. An 89 Integra lip adds a nice bit of aggression to the front end, and OEM window and sunroof visors complete the look of this car.

If you want to see the complete mod list, just click here. I'm sure you'll be impressed And if you're familiar with how hard it is to find out-of-production OEM accessories and aftermarket parts, well, then you just might be as impressed as I was. This car is another prime example of a Clean car done right on a tight budget.

As always, if you'd like your own car featured, just send me an e-mail or hit me up on Facebook. I'm always looking out for new feature cars. Until next time, drive safe, and remember to keep it Clean.

One Clean DB2

2010-02-11T21:53:00.000-05:00

So I apologize for not having a complete feature up. I had a few leads that I was following, but ultimately I haven't gotten good enough info to write anything good. When I started this blog I didn't anticipate it being this difficult to find cars to feature, but hey, you live and learn. I'm getting better at this already, and rest assured that I will have two complete features posted this weekend. I want to make up for not having one up today.

On to the car! The pics I've posted are a couple years old. The car is mine, or it was...

A while ago, I decided I absolutely had to have a 2nd gen Integra GSR. I took my time looking for a prime example, and eventually, I found it. Ever heard the legend about finding a pristine example of a rare model kept by some old lady in her garage? Well that's exactly what I came across. Well, sort of. The old lady wasn't all that old, and she knew her car had a higher street value than Kelley Blue Book would suggest, but you get the picture. I found a good deal on an incredible car.

For a while I was on top of the world. I loved the look of my car, loved the color, loved revving the B17A1 under the hood all the way up to its 8000 rpm redline... I just plain loved every bit of that car. Plans for a minor drop and intake/exhaust were carefully considered. I wasn't sure if I wanted to change it even that much. Those of you who understand just how rare a pristine DB2 is can probably relate to my situation. There's just something that feels wrong about messing with a classic.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, in my case, that end was rather abrupt. Not more than two month after assuming ownership, I crashed it. I was driving tired, and spaced out at exactly the time when the road I was on narrowed from two lanes to one. I hit the curb on one side, slid to the other side and hit that two, and completely ruined my front suspension. If this had happened to me now, I would have been able to get it repaired, but back then, I just didn't have the money to rebuild after my insurance company totaled it.

I'm not looking for sympathy by posting this, and it's not like I still lie awake thinking about it. I'm just telling a story well known to all of us who love our cars. The story of the one that got away.

S2000!

2010-02-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture I drew last week. I figured I'd post it up since I'm snowed in here anyway. Let me know what you think. I'm always trying to get better.

Extra! Extra!

2010-02-09T15:27:00.001-05:00

Here's Hazwan's car in all its glory. Enjoy...

Some Love for the Old School

2010-02-08T23:22:00.000-05:00

This 1981 Accord is as clean as they come. And in this case, it comes all the way from Malaysia. Twenty-three year old Hazwan got this Accord from his older brother a while back, and the work he's done to it is extremely impressive. Even more so when you take into account that aftermarket parts for an '81 Accord are few and far between.

Let's start with the exterior: The Smash Orange Pearl paint is the same available on the JDM Honda That's. Haven't heard of the That's? Neither had I until now. To contrast with the brighter paint, the side markers have been smoked, and the badges and antenna have been shaved for an extra clean look. The front bumper is a fabricated replica of the USDM version, with a JDM front lip added on for a good measure. For the finishing touch, a set of power folding mirrors lifted from a B13 chassis Nissan Sentra were laboriously wired in. Hazwan's had to lower his car the old-fashioned way, cutting the springs to the desired height. It's not the route any of us would choose, but some of us don't have a choice, and the lowered stance really completes the look of this car. I'd have done the same thing in his position. A set of hard-to-source 14" Enkeis matched to 185/60R14 tires fill the wheel wells nicely. Last but not least, a painstakingly polished engine bay, complete with wire tuck, makes sure this car looks good from at all times.

The work Hazwan's done to his interior is equally impressive. For a touch of class, the entire interior has been painted and/or reupholstered in black. The shift knob, JDM Prelude front seats and EF Civic steering wheel add some sportiness to the cabin, along with blue LEDs. LEDs aren't necessarily my cup of tea, but this is not my car, and considering everything else this man has done, he can be forgiven for that. Then there's the parts you can't see. To ensure that this classic can still be a comfortable daily driver, Hazwan installed power windows and locks, finishing his electronic update with a remote starter and 2-way alarm.

Hazwan's Accord doesn't have much in the way of power, and maybe that's for the best. That old engine probably can't take much abuse. Nevertheless, the attention to detail in every aspect of his car is extremely impressive. How many whiners have we all seen on the forums, complaining that they don't have the money for a body kit or a suspension? This guy has truly done more with less, he's done all the work himself, and what's truly remarkable is just how it all manages to come together.

To me, the real definition of a clean car is one that looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor, no matter how many or few modifications it may have. This car definitely fits the description. I honestly haven't tired of looking at it. Until next time, keep it clean.

I'm looking out for more cars to feature. I'll be posting one up every week. If you drive a clean-ass car, or you know someone else who deserves some credit for theirs, send me some pics. I'd love to see it.

Cleanliness is Next To...

2010-01-30T14:34:00.000-05:00

Clean is a fairly universal word, as words go; People have used it to describe the state of their room, their house, or their kitchen sink. It's also been used to describe music lyrics, or the state of one's mental health or lifestyle. However, I'm not concerning myself with any of these definitions.

For the purposes of this blog, Clean is a term applied to cars. Enthusiasts among us often use this word to describe anything from a rust-free, dent-free used car, a tastefully modded import, or a completed build which doesn't have anything noticeably out of place or untouched.

While I'll be covering all types of clean-ass cars in this blog, I'm mostly concerning myself with the tasteful ones. Those of us who like to really think out our mods and try to do more with less could use a little more credit, in my opinion, and I'll be featuring at least one car a week that fits my own criteria. Yeah, taste is subjective, but this is my blog, and I get to decide who gets featured.

Feel free to e-mail me. My address is posted right here on the blog. I'll try to answer every e-mail. And of course, spread the word. Keep it clean.