Shift

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...

...SKETCH!

I'm so clever

Bulking Up The Ranks

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.

PS

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!

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!

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

The Other B13

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.

I'm pleased with this one.