Fast Car (March 2020)

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solution? A Powerflex bush upgrade of course!








defining car culture 051

Words: Midge
DIY DAY JOBS & WEEKEND WONDERS THE GEAR

PERFORMANCE AIR Fitting Time:
Less than 30 mins.
Costs:
FILTERS It’s step one in the journey From £40 (panel filter)
From £80 (induction kits)
to tuning glory…
There’s basically two types of filter: ones
designed to fit your car. And ones that aren’t.
I’m not talking about the difference between
a panel filter and an induction kit here – the
good news is that generally both of these
will be engineered for direct fitment. What I
mean is the stacks of universal cone filters
on sale. To be fair, plenty of these items are
decent enough, but they don’t always work
on all modern cars, because there’s often
considerations other than the actual filter;
things like engine breathers and extra sensors.
The first tip then, is to stump up for
a direct-fit item from a leading brand like
K&N (available form your local Euro Car Parts,
naturally). It’s simply the best way to get
a filter (or an intake kit for that matter) that
will bolt on first time.
Then you just need to decide on whether
you’ll be fitting a panel or an induction kit, buy
This month it’s an all-time great in the can also be washed and reused over the one, and you’re good to go.
tuning world and very often the first mod lifetime of the car, so eventually, they pay for
you’ll do on your car yourself. In fact there’s no themselves. Kinda. Specialist Tools:
point in paying someone to do this job for you. Basically though, it’s all about increased Nope. No specialist tools needed for this one.
It’s that simple. airflow this one, so whether you’re choosing Just a screwdriver and a socket set. If you’re
Performance filters are designed to get a cheeky upgrade for a little more power over feeling really flash you can buy a hose clip driver.
more air in your engine, meaning more fuel standard, or something a bit more substantial But that’s about it.
can be dumped in and more horsepowers as a precursor to a whole load of future tuning, www.eurocarparts.co.uk
can be produced. Unlike standard items, they here’s what you need to know…

DO IT!


1 PREPARE YOURSELF
Right, disconnect the battery. Yes OK, I know
you’re probably not going to do this, but my
point is that you’ll be poking around in your
bay with a screwdriver, and often pulling off
electrical plugs. We don’t want any silly emails
saying, ‘Yeah, but you never said to unhook
the battery first’. It’s unlikely you’ll get a jolt of
course. But it can happen.
Second, make sure you take the keys out of
the ignition for the duration of the job. You’d
be surprised at how many people leave the
engine off but the power on, and then wonder
why you’re stuck with some sort of warning
light as soon as you unplug a component like
the Air Flow Meter.
Lastly, do the job somewhere clean and dry.
Filters are there to protect your engine from
sucking in dust and dirt. If you happen to be in
the middle of a sandstorm, you might want to
leave the filter on for a bit.






052 www.fastcar.co.uk

2 PANEL FILTERS upgrade to make the most of the extra flow. All


Performance panel filters are so easy to fit, it’s filters work like this (at least on modern fuel-


probably a little patronising to tell you how to injected cars) and it’s the reason why massively


unbolt an airbox lid. These simply replace the increasing the airflow with a huge cone filter
stock paper filter (which can be a cone shape won’t always provide the optimum gain without

or more often a flat panel), so instead of talking supporting software. Conversely, you can get to

about the physicality of plonking in the new one, the stage where a panel filter in the standard


we’ll look at how they work, and why (contra airbox can’t flow enough air to make use of
to popular belief) they can often be more the software. Like so often in tuning, it’s all a
beneficial than a full-on induction kit. balancing act.

All performance filters flow more air than


the stock item. They also direct this air past the
AFM (Air Flow Meter, sometimes referred to as
the MAF, MAS, AFS or all sorts of other weird
acronyms). Which is basically a sensor used to
tell the ECU how much is going in. The ECU then
matches this increased flow with more fuel and

you get more power. Magic!
Except of course, there are limits. The ECU can
only push the timing and fuelling parameters so
far, and after that you’ll be needing a software
3 HEAT PROTECTION
The real problem though comes with heat and a more open setup like you’d find with a large



more specifically a filter sucking in loads of cone filter. In this way it’s not only a question

hot air. Hot air is less dense than cold air so of the tuning level you’re after, but of real-world
it contains less oxygen to burn for any given application, too.

volume. Even if you have more air flowing, a
relative lack of oxygen in a load of hot air verses
less volume but denser cold air, will often sap
car performance.
In many situations – you may have an
extremely tight engine bay, or spend a lot of

time sitting in traffic – it can be more viable

to install a performance panel filter protected
from heat by the standard airbox, rather than
4 INDUCTION KITS
Induction kits are designed to replace the whole pipework all the way to the throttle body (or nowadays will have a separate cam breather,

airbox. Just like performance panel filters, you turbo), or simpler items that simply fit to the or extra sensors fitted to the original airbox, so


can achieve good gains up to a point on most AFM housing. The clue is usually in the word ‘kit’. these will need to be taken care of. An induction
cars, but others will need a software flash In many cases it’s all the other stuff that comes kit designed for your car specifically will provide


to make the most of the extra flow. In some with the filter that proves invaluable. Many cars a solution (a separate connector, breather filter



cases (New Age Scoobys spring to mind here), or extra mounting hardware), where a universal

an induction kit can actually lose you power, cone won’t. Usually you’ll find a whole load of

because the ECU will think something is wrong brackets and fittings designed to bolt them in,
and will back off to safeguard the engine. and if heat shielding or ducting is needed on

For this you will definitely need to factor in a that particular car, these will be included too.
software tweak. Most of all though, it pays to go

for a trusted brand of filter, so you know the kit
has been developed properly.
The cone filter found in most kits will provide

a far larger surface area over a flat panel filter


for the maximum airflow. This may become

important for any future tuning. Think about
what’s next after the filter: will a panel be

enough or are you planning on going further?
Anyway, induction kits come in all shapes
and sizes. They can be full-on intakes with new
defining car culture 053

5 FITTING There are only two real tips here: look at the
Sometimes, to battle heat in a tight engine bay, instructions first, and remember that hose clips
an intake will be developed to relocate the filter don’t need to be tighter than a… well, you know
away for the heat source or to an area (say, what I mean. Just nip them up. You don’t need to
behind a bumper vent) where it’s likely to pick go mad and risk cracking any plastic housings. If
up more could air. Most often though, you’ll find the hoses included are tight to slip on, use a tiny
your kit will have been developed to sit exactly smear of washing up liquid to help.
where the old airbox came out.
In the vast majority of cases, an induction kit
will use the original AFM housing for ease of
fitment, too. The new filter will fit on the airbox
end and, the other will fit to either the original ever hold them by the plug end and be careful
intake pipe, or a new one from the kit. The only not to touch the sensor element if it’s exposed.
exception is where some flagship kits have their Apart from that (and making sure you look
own CNC machined housing for you AFM. for any extra breather pipes connected to the
The trick here is to be extremely careful when airbox) the principle is pretty simple. Remove
unplugging and removing the sensor from the the whole airbox, bolt on your new kit, and that’s
housing. These are extremely delicate, so only about it.




6 PERFORMANCE AIRBOXES AND ENCLOSED RAM FILTERS
Although many induction kits will come with One of the best modern solutions is the
heat shielding when needed, the last, and some performance airbox kit. K&N spent years
say best, solution is an airbox kit. developing their vehicle-specific 57S kits,
Basically speaking, some cars produce and and the idea is that they use the bottom part
retain more heat under the bonnet than others. of the standard airbox, but with a new lid that
This is perhaps most prevalent when it comes incorporates a high flow, high surface area cone
to hot hatches. They tend to have big engines, filter. These are engineered for a whole lot more
or baking hot turbochargers crammed into a airflow, but with the protection of the airbox.
tiny area and not too much room to relocate a Oh, and they’re bloody easy to fit. If you need
filter out of the bay. Often the airbox is located any more endorsement, this is the one fitted on
right next to the hottest components out of my own Corsa VXR. Practice what you preach
necessity – there’s simply nowhere else to put and all that.
it. So, unless there’s enough other tuning going
on to make mega airflow a priority over heat
protection, this is where it wouldn’t be ideal to
run an open cone filter. All you’ll do is suck in all
the hot air.
Over the years, manufacturers have
developed filters to give plenty of extra flow,
but to protect from heat by enclosing the filter.
A ram filter setup for example will fit just like
an open cone, but have ducting designed to be
mounted somewhere in the bumper to pick
up the air from outside the bay. These can be
direct-fit or universal items.








054 www.fastcar.co.uk

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Car:







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Owner:






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Photography: Larry Chen Car: Toyota Corolla AE86 Owner: Richard Gutierrez

Chris McIntosh








Owner:



Golf R32 Photography: Original Persona Car:



























































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HOT RIDE

GOLD







AGAINST







THE SOUL






Having seen his friends triumph at
SEMA, Richard Gutierrez wanted in on
the action. The resulting BEAMS-engine
AE86 is a solid-gold winner – although
his deeply personal project was never
just about scooping trophies. No, this
flawless show-stopper’s soul yearns
for the track…

Words Daniel Bevis Photography Larry Chen

The old saying goes that you should dress for the
job you want, rather than the one you have. This is a
notion that’s really captured people’s imagination over
the generations: Roxette were telling us to get dressed
for success back in 1988, S Club 7 ensured their place in
posterity by suggesting we reach for the stars, it’s a relatable
and practical solution to the inevitable conceptual ennui we
ind ourselves trudging through in the day-to-day. Better
things are on the horizon, you’ve just got to reach for them.
Take the gold paintwork on this particularly spangly
AE86 Toyota Corolla. Gold is the colour of winners, it’s the
top of the podium, it’s something Spandau Ballet believed
made you indestructible… and so it’s come to pass here,
like a pantone reinterpretation of the concept of nominative
determinism. Pigmental determinism, perhaps? Whatever,
it worked – this gleaming golden hachi-roku made its debut
at SEMA 2019 and immediately scooped a top-40 place
in the Battle of the Builders, a top-10 in the Battle of the
Builders Sport Compact class, a place in the Toyo Tires
Treadpass tent, and 2nd place in the JE Pistons Masters
of Motors category. Given the quality and breadth of what
turns up at SEMA, it really is a phenomenal result for a car
built not by a big-budget custom shop, but a plumber who
just happens to like making cool cars in his spare time.
That’s right – it’s not just the magical qualities of gold
which have serendipitously led to these stellar successes,
but the grit and determination of Richard Gutierrez (aka
Riko), who’s basically spent his life wanting to build a car of
this quality and, now that he has, he’s really got a taste for it.








062 www.fastcar.co.uk

TOYOTA AE86





























































































defining car culture 063

HOT RIDE
HO T R ID E
Xxxx x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x xx x x x x
xx xxxxx


GOING FOR GOLD

“I’ve been building cars since 2005 – they relect my life and
my passion,” he explains. “My irst build was a Laguna Blue
Honda S2000 with the full Mugen treatment; when things
got rough with the recession I sold my cars and drove an
EG Civic hatchback for three years, but then things turned
around and I was able to have a Nismo 370Z, a 700bhp
Nissan GT-R with an Amuse kit, a TechArt Porsche 997
Turbo… and today all the cars I’ve got are matching in
my own custom shade of gold paint: my RWB Yoshiwara
Porsche 993, my 1985 Corolla AE86 GTS, my Rocket Bunny
240SX with LS1 swap, and now this N3 AE86 SEMA build.”
The regular visits to SEMA speak for themselves – Riko
is a man with an eye for quality; he may be proliic in his
work, but every micron of each project is superbly planned
out and sublimely inished, as you can see from the photos WHAT THE HELL IS A BEAMS ENGINE?
laid out here before you. This AE86 also represents an
interesting twist, as his previous SEMA visits had been Toyota’s S-Series engine is a family of four-cylinder motors used between 1980-2007, and the BEAMS
on RWB Porsche duty rather than actually in the show – name is something that’s become hot property in modding circles of late. Essentially, it’s one of the best
doing rallies, hanging out with hotel valets… but in 2018 production engines ever crafted, in terms of quality and durability. Designed in conjunction with Yamaha and
something changed. “I saw how successful two of my manufactured by Toyota, the name stands for ‘Breakthrough Engine with Advanced Mechanism System’.
friends were displaying their own builds at SEMA, and how Designed from the off to be very light, it features as standard a forged crank, aluminium alloy pistons,
much exposure it got them,” he recalls. “Khyzyl Saleem titanium valves and, in the case of the 5th-gen ‘black-top’ engine you see here, a semi-drive-by-wire
(@thekyza) with his E30 and Scott Girondo (@dunk186) throttle. It is, in short, bloody clever. The black-top was the final and ultimate version of the BEAMS
with his Honda K-swapped Porsche 911 – I wanted some series, and was only officially used in the JDM Altezza RS200 – so, as you can imagine, these are pretty
of that shine. But what to bring? I knew budget would be sought-after engines nowadays.
important, and also the time frame. And at the time I had a
1984 AE86 SR5 shell sitting in my backyard…” an 87bhp single-cam motor rather than the fabled 4A-GE)
Decision made, then. The base-model Corolla would be was originally bought as a parts car for Riko’s Corolla GTS,
reinvented as a show-stopper, using Riko’s unique style to on the grounds that it was cheaper to buy a whole car than
prove to the world that there’s life in the hachi-roku yet. The scratch around for the individual bits. It had been sitting
quality, the fabrication, the creativity, and overall the vision – out in a forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains for the better
this would be an AE86 like no other. part of a decade, and frankly it was a mess; the steering
The SR5 (which is a lowly US-market spec; it came with wheel rubber had been totally eaten away by rats, the stock
interior had been removed and then thrown back in like a
dumpster. When Riko bought it, principally for its straight
body, he parked it in his yard and essentially ignored it for
four years, until this whole project kicked off in February
2019. Amazingly the only part that was rusty was the rear
hatch, which shows what a canny purchase it was in the irst
place, but of course Riko wanted to do this properly. So
there was more than a little remedial work to do.
“The shell was media-blasted, perfected, and treated to
a full rotisserie paint job,” he explains. “I like old cars, but I
don’t like the old wiring, or dealing with hunting for classic
parts. I ind it more reliable to redo everything – still keeping
the soul of the car, but bringing it up to date. And yes, this
did cost a lot to build, but any race car project at this level
will run that bill and much higher; I wanted to show that
there is a level of quality that can be seen in professional
race cars and to do the same with this one – to show
people that you can apply those same principles to these
old Japanese street cars. And I hope it will inspire others to
push for higher quality with their builds.”
Riko was fully hands-on with this project, as with all of his
previous ones; running his own always-on-call commercial
water heater company leaves little spare time, but his role








064 www.fastcar.co.uk

TOYOTA AE86





“ The base-model Corolla would be


reinvented as a show-stopper
”

















































































defining car culture 065

HOT RIDE






















factory-stock part underneath is the front lower subframe,
everything else has been upgraded for track-biased thrills.
The wheels are a story in themselves, as Riko worked closely
with JC Pepino at WORK Wheels to build up a set of Equip
40 Smoky Black Edition four-spokes – only twenty-ive sets
had ever been made, all of which were sold, but Riko was
able to convince WORK to produce just one more set using
the last drip of paint they had left, set number 26-of-25.
The brakes that sit behind them are proper because-
race-car stuff too, the Brembo ‘Baby Daddy’ BBK at the
in the process is more managemental: “I have the idea front precision-engineered to it behind smaller wheels,
and vision, I choose the parts, I pick the paint, I schedule, I and the rear being Ford-itment because, naturally, Riko’s
budget, I manage emotions,” he says. “I am the contractor decided to run a Ford 8.8 LSD rear axle. But of course. Peek
and I sub out the work. I’m extremely involved with the build through those lightweight polycarbonate windows and
process – it’s like having a child and raising them the way you’ll see that it’s all built for the track in there; it may be
you want to; ignore them and you will have lots of trouble so clean you could genuinely eat your dinner off it without
ahead!” So the build took place at the hands of Marcus getting any nasty infections (but seriously, don’t – Riko
Fry Racing in Redwood City, California, with the paintwork puts a lot of effort into keeping it this clean), but there’s no
carried out by Juan Ayala at 24/7 Auto Body. Grant denying how function is on a level pegging with form. The
Hendricks at Battle Garage Racing Service was on hand to AiM Strada digi-dash, that incredible rollcage, the Bride
supply all the parts on Riko’s detailed wishlist, and with all of Zeta 3 seats (mounted lower in custom loor cut-outs for
these experts working in harmony, the build came together optimal driver position), the low-down Radium fuel cell…
impressively quickly. “The main hurdle was waiting for the
Custom Garage Speed N3 bodykit to arrive from Japan, we
had to wait three months,” says Riko. “It was hard to recover
from that lost time, and the car ended up coming out of
the bodyshop two weeks before SEMA! We took a freshly
painted body, assembled it and had it running by 5am on
the Sunday before the show… I’ve learned that every step
matters, even if it’s in the beginning of the game with four
quarters left to play! You have to manage every piece as if
there’s no overtime.”

GET TUCKED

The level of customisation throughout the build really is
astonishing. That slick shaved and wire-tucked bay houses a
Gen-5 BEAMS engine, the ITBs packing massive trumpets
as a siren song to every Toyota fan out there, and despite
being unashamedly a full-on show car, it’s been built from
irst principles to fulil that race-car brief Riko was so insistent
upon. The suspension has been totally reworked, the rear
end wearing a ‘true’ coilover setup (whereby the OEM
spring-on-axle arrangement is wholly replaced by proper
coilovers), and the entire Techno Toy Tuning catalogue has
been pillaged to make everything possible under there fully
adjustable and dialled in for pure function. Indeed, the only






066 www.fastcar.co.uk

TOYOTA AE86

























































OWNER
PROFILE:


Name: Richard Gutierrez (aka Riko)
Age: 41
Occupation: Plumber
First car: 1986 Toyota pickup
Favourite car: Race cars!
Favourite modification on your car: My paint
shows who I am. Oh, and the loud exhaust!
Favourite show or event: Monterey Car Week
– or a Boba meet near you
Track day or show and shine?: Real race cars
can do both… and I just wanna chill at my age 
Lessons learned from this project: Money is
vital, but time is everything
What’s next: My SEMA 2020 build: 632 cubic
inches of Americana! I’m building what’s in my
head – 41 years of car passion







defining car culture 067

HOT RIDE
the car’s irst job was to win trophies and hearts, but make TECH SPEC: TOYOTA AE86
no mistake, this dude’s off to the track. That’s what this was
really built for. Styling:
“It’s so personal for me,” Riko smiles. “I love watching Custom Riko gold paint – by 24/7 Auto Body, Redwood, California;
my door roll up and seeing a race car in my stable! I keep Custom Garage Speed N3 bodykit (imported from Japan), TRD
building these racers, and one day I’ll have time to track rear spoiler, JDM Levin front end conversion, JDM headlights with
them; the day job leaves me little time to get away on fogs, AE86 Sprinter taillights, Craft Square carbon fibre mirrors,
weekends, but it is a dream one day to take them all to the polycarbonate windows by Marcus Fry Racing
track and show the years of building had real purpose. It’s
something you can’t just buy, these cars took years and I Tuning:
3S-GE Gen-5 BEAMS 2.0-litre four-cyl, shaved and wire-tucked bay,
wasn’t sure if people would get the message or even know Battle Garage Toyota 20v ITBs with SQ Engineering adapter plate
what I was doing, but thankfully I was wrong. People knew I and 100mm trumpets, SQ Engineering slimline rear housing, SQ
was nuts to go this far with this little old car, but they seem Engineering slimline alternator kit, SQ Engineering exhaust flange,
to truly appreciate why I did it. It was awesome, I want to SQ Engineering throttle pull-down linkage, Link ECU and harness,
build again for 2020.” Xcessive Manufacturing engine mounts and frame spacers, Marcus
…and that’s exactly what Riko will do. The build for the Fry Racing custom chassis harness, Marcus Fry Racing custom
next SEMA show is already well underway. Although we cooling setup with Spal fans, Marcus Fry Racing custom Radium
suspect that this time, despite the punishing build schedule, fuel cell, Toyota J160 6-speed gearbox with SQ Engineering shifter
he’ll be inding some time to take this world-class Corolla relocation kit and custom MFR mounts, Southbay Driveline custom
out onto the track and use it for what it was built for. That propshaft, Ford 8.8 rear axle with LSD
gleaming golden hue has a lot to live up to. ■
Power: 220bhp

Chassis:
9.5x15in -35 (front) and 10.5x15in -47 Work Equip 40 Smoky Black
Edition wheels, 225/45 (f) and 235/50 (r) Toyo R888R tyres, Annex
Suspension coilovers (‘true’ setup replacing OEM spring-on-axle),
Techno Toy Tuning (T3) equal-length four-link kit with box kit, T3
panhard rod, T3 GTX2 front lower control arms, T3 knuckles, T3
outer tie rods, T3 rear ARB control brackets and drop-mounts,
Cusco anti-roll bars, T3 Wilwood ‘Baby Daddy’ front BBK, Wilwood
Ford 8.8 rear BBK, Tilton brake pedals and reservoir, custom brake
lines by Marcus Fry Racing

Interior:
AiM Strada Link Edition digital dash, Bride Zeta 3 XL seats, Takata
harnesses, illest / The Hundreds special edition steering wheel with
Renown USA, Techno Toy Tuning racing floor plates, metal rear
panels, weld-in rollcage, cut floor to lower driver’s seating position,
control panel box and wiring by Marcus Fry Racing
Thanks:
“I want to thank my wife and parents for the support they give me.
To get me to this point in my life where I can do things like this, it’s
a dream. Special thank you to Mark Arsenal at illest, and Stan Chen
at Toyo Tires for making SEMA possible for me. Thanks to my build
team: Marcus Fry, Juan Ayala, Jean Christophe Pepino and Grant
Hendricks. To all the photographers – without you we can’t get our
message out to the world… thank you to Larry Chen and his team.”





























068 www.fastcar.co.uk

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There’s no school
like the old skool


Every tuning shop and parts manufacturer girls – and with that the naughty crotch-
had an A90 on display, showing off the shot-hunters that make up a good half of TAS
first simple bolt-on upgrades to bump show-goers.
performance, along with a true excess Spending two whole days there I came
of styling goods. From the impeccably away with the impression every area of
constructed carbon goodies of the Gazoo the aftermarket culture in Japan seems to
Racing line up, as fitted to their blue demo be not only alive and well, but still evolving,
car, all the way to the massive widebody people always chasing that perfect look that
conversion Varis created, which was running allows them to stand out from the crowd.
on a set of 13J-wide Super GT wheels, shod And because of this the industry supports
in 335-section Toyos and custom-drilled to with countless new products every year.
fit the five-lug hub of the Supra. So much for The influx of German cars seems pretty
steering then! unstoppable at this point, with most models
HKS too went the wide route with their on the market being turbo and with not much
Supra, introducing a widebody conversion that to compete against them from the Japanese
pumps the guards 90mm at each corner and manufacturers, they are really getting a foot
already on sale for those lucky few who’ve in. Which isn’t a bad thing, as the Japanese
already picked a car up. have this special ability to extract the best
The show overall seemed to be fuelled performance and looks from any car, no matter
Supposedly this is the year of the rat.
by a new-found energy. There was more of where it’s originally from. Here are a few cars
But if the Tokyo Auto Salon is anything everything – booths, cars, parts and of course, that stood out the most at this year’s show…
to go by, you’d be 100-percent sure 2020
was the year of the Supra! Or was it?
Words and Pictures Dino Dalle Carbonare









070 www.fastcar.co.uk

TOKYO AUTO SALON 2020


GR Yaris
Akio Toyoda is quickly becoming the hero of
Japanese enthusiasts. First, he makes the
GT86 happen, then chases it up with a rebirth
of the Supra and at this year’s TAS he unveils
an homologation special of the Yaris. The car
may still be small, but it packs an almighty
punch, thanks to a 268bhp turbocharged
three-cylinder – the world’s most powerful
three-cylinder in production – sending drive
to all four wheels via a six-speed manual. This
is from the company that up until a decade
ago only knew how to produce hybrid
appliances like the Prius. Toyota is currently
the big daddy in Japan, making other
manufacturers look like they are lagging
light-years behind.



































































defining car culture 071

OUT THERE



Powervehicles FDJ Lexus RC
Andrew Gray from Power vehicles has
upped the game for his 2020 Formula D
Japan season with a wild 2JZ-powered
Lexus RC. The car has been more than
a year in the making and sitting centre
stage at the RAYS booth. With four
championships under his belt he’s obviously
making sure 2020 is another winner for
him as this car oozes seriousness no
matter where you look. The 2J runs a Tomei
3.6L stroker kit and the new GCG G42
Compact snail is bound to produce some
serious figures. The car is due to get set up
and shaken down in the coming weeks.




























































Nothing to see here. Just a modified Ferrari F50







072 www.fastcar.co.uk

TOKYO AUTO SALON 2020





































































Garage Active
R32 Skyline GT-R widebody
Our mates at Garage Active are far
from done with their recipe of taking
GT-Rs, sculpting carbon-fibre widebody
conversions and dropping fully tuned
engines into them. For 2020 they have
taken a little more old-school approach by
fitting a naturally aspirated RB30, stroking
it to 3.1 litres and letting it sing through
some custom intake funnels. The result?
We’ll bring you a full feature on
this carbon-clad R32 very soon 340bhp and 9,000rpm redline.






defining car culture 073

OUT THERE


































This PS13 was at SEMA last month! Maybe
we should invite him to Japfest Silverstone?




















Full feature coming soon!






Liberty Walk ER34 Skyline GT-R
Kato-san’s hobby at Liberty Walk is breaking
the internet. While he showed up with
countless high-end widebody demo cars
like his usual Ferraris and Lamborghinis, the
car that stole the show – and was possibly
the most liked car of TAS, EVER! – was
this red Skyline R34. Based on a GT-T, he
proceeded to pay homage to the Tomica
DR30 Group 4 Silhouette Formula race car
from the early eighties. The wild exterior is
truly enhanced when you crank the engine
into life though. And no it’s not an RB25DET,
but a fully tuned L28 stroked to 3.1 litres.
One word really: mental!








074 www.fastcar.co.uk

TOKYO AUTO SALON 2020






























































Modulo EK Civic and S2000
Envision this. Manufacturers officially offering
restomodded cars based on their greatest
and most respected cars from recent
decades. That’s exactly what the Access,
aka Modulo, Civic 2020 and S2000 20th
anniversary were all about. These cars are
purely a stylistic exercise, but they were the
talk of the show, grabbing more attention
than any A90 Supra on display. Think of
Nissan re-offering finely tuned and polished
up, modernised versions of the Skyline GT-R
or Z or Mazda doing the same with the FD
RX-7. We reckon they are on to a winner with
this line of thought, so let’s hope they keep
perusing it rather than letting the idea die.








defining car culture 075

HOT RIDE






























































































076 www.fastcar.co.uk

MERCEDES-AMG GT




























































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Sleek as a big cat and dark as midnight, this Mercedes-AMG
is a scary-looking thing. But with its cheeky pink accents,
does it actually hide a playful side?
Words: Joe Partridge Photography: Matt Clifford

Defining car culture 077

HOT RIDE






















































“ The car It’s easy to get caught up in the serpentineIt’s easy to get caught up in the serpentine THE REAL DEAL
THE REAL DEAL
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-
078 www.fastcar.co.uk

MERCEDES-AMG GT
























































engineering prowess. This isn’t Auto Express. No, as
e n g i n e e r i n g p r o w e s s . T h i s i s n ’ t A u t o E x p r e s s . N o , a s
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The GT C is, of course, by no means a compromise. It t
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Defining car culture 079

COVER CAR
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BMW quickly received a full body makeover, so the e t to be done. The deadline was so tight, and two days s
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wings of a GT C are 2cm smaller than a GT R – and size e
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the whole car changed, as I love the aggressiveness s w i n g s o f a G T C a r e 2 c m s m a l l e r t h a n a G T R – a n d s i z
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of a GT R,” reasons Andrew, and you can’t fault the
n
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of a GT R,” r easons Andr ew , and you can’ t faul t t he matters! So then I had to fork out more money to get

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logic. So now the car wears the full body addenda from m t the front wings. It actually would have been cheaper at t
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t the bigger-brother GT R: the front bumper, sideskirts, this point to buy a GT R.” ”
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front wings, diffuser and rear spoiler, and it’s taken the e

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ART WORK
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But this is only the first chapter of the tale. For the e
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next, we need to refocus our attentions on Colourkraft t
b
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,
n e x t , w e n e e d t o r e f o c u s o u r a t t e n t i o n s o n C o l o u r k r a f That may well be the case, but the point is that anyone e
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with the means to do so can walk into a dealership, slap

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d
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–
– the Wellingborough-based body supremos. This w i t h t h e m e a n s t o d o s o c a n w a l k i n t o a d e a l e r s h i p , s l a p
.
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i
is a massive name on the UK modding scene today, a a fat wad of notes on the counter and walk out with the e
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r renowned for their high-quality work as well as being keys to a GT R. What’s being created here is art, a one-e is art, a one-
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’
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s being cr
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a a safe pair of hands. The everyday business lies in off custom, something that absolutely nobody else has.

s
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v
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t traditional bodywork, paintwork and insurance repair
s
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a
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j jobs, but founder David Loraine and his team have e
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always striven for a level of absolute perfection and
s

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f fastidiousness which has allowed them to branch out
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’
U K r e c e n t l y y o u ’ l l a l m o s t c e r t a i n l y h a v e s e e n s o m e t h i n g
UK recently you’ll almost certainly have seen something

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green Lamborghini Aventador to Europe’s first Liberty
g r e e n L a m b o r g h i n i A v e n t a d o r t o E u r o p e ’ s fi r s t L i b e r t y
W a l k T o y o t a G T 8 6 . B a s i c a l l y , i f y o u w a n t t o d r o p j a w s o n
Walk Toyota GT86. Basically, if you want to drop jaws on
th e s h o w g r o u n d , th e y ’ r e g o o d g u y s t o c a ll
the showground, they’re good guys to call..
t
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“I got Colourkraft to do all the work on this car, as I’d d
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used them before. They rebuilt the M4 after some wally y
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crashed into the back of it while on my way to Keep It t
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”
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Clean in Scotland,” says Andrew. “When I got this car r
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I swore I wouldn’t modify it, but about five days in I I
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s saw a GT R front end and I knew what I had to do! So I
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080 www.fastcar.co.uk

MERCEDES-AMG GT











































OR
TUNE
S OF F
WHEELS OF FORTUNE
WHEEL
moder
t
t
in
t
c
n
a
)
ing
k
is
on
he
ies
ninet
y
ed
,
par
a
,
o
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s
F
ar
ies
(
om
our
c
old
ha
un
al
f
w
ar
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e
par
a
T
xpec
t
The fun part of working on modern cars (compared to, say, your old Fiesta in the nineties) is that there are always unexpected ed
he
y
une
s
of
w
her
t
t
or
t
when
ur
t
“
om
T
out
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er
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fi

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eer
t
he
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cus
ied
r
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ou
onic
r
o
e
–
as
ing
ait
s
Andr
w
ise
e
pr
disc
sur
o
electronics waiting to surprise you – as Andrew discovered when he tried to fit his custom LED steering wheel. “Turns out you ou
lec
w
t
e
ar
br
s
s
ak
ing
he
t
t
c
eer
12am
shouldn
t
“
A
t
he
put
I
shouldn’t spin a steering wheel squib around when the airbag is out, as it basically breaks the car,” he says. “At 12am I put the
.
he
spin
a
,
”
’t
s
y
s
a
basic
it
ar
uib
l
sq
ba
as
,
out
is
when
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ound
air
all
whee
he
y
t
he
hor
op
whee
k
ing
en
w
il
t
s
w
y
steering wheel back together and the horn wouldn’t stop, even with the ignition off – I nearly had to rip the horn out! Luckily I I
s
out
’t
L
!
,
uc
ouldn
v
eer
e
t
n
t
her
and
t
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–
y
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t
hor
t
r
it
n
ip
h
l
gnit
had
t
i
he
bac
he
managed to get it apart again and stop the embarrassment.”  
mana ged t o get it apar t a g ain and s t op t he embar r as sment . ”  
OWNER PROFILE
Name: Andrew Britton
Age: 31
Occupation: Electrical engineer
First car: Five-door Ford Fiesta,
with one door a diff erent colour
Favourite car:
Aston Martin DB5
Favourite modification on

your car: Pink rollcage
Favourite show or event:
FittedUK
Track day or show and shine:
Show and shine. I’m an awful
slow driver 
Lessons learned from this
project: Don’t touch a steering
wheel squib
Mercedes tan leather and custom What’s next: Try to not waste
LED steering wheel
money on cars
Defining car culture 081

So yes, it costs a fortune to achieve these results. But you do get
S o y e s , i t c o s t s a f o r t u n e t o a c h i e v e t h e s e r e s u l t s . B u t y o u d o g e t TECH SPEC: MERCEDES-AMG GT
what you pay for
what you pay for. .
l
s
i
e

a
i
W
d
While the car was at Colourkraft, they also fitted an air-ride setup, , STYLING
e
t
e
i
,
a
f
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r
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t
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w
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t
w h i c h t h a n k f u l l y p r o v e d t o b e n o t t o o m u c h o f a b a l l - a c h e d e s p i t GT R front bumper, front wings, diff user, sideskirts and
which thankfully proved to be not too much of a ball-ache despite e
a
T


o
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t
h
u
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i
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p
k
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.


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h
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o
b
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e
g

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e
the bespoke nature of it. The big coupe’s now running custom rear spoiler
t
p
s
c
o
’
u
n
e
w
m
b


A i r R E X s t r u t s w i t h A c c u A i r e - L e v e l m a n a g e m e n t , s i t t i n g p r e t t y
AirREX struts with AccuAir e-Level management, sitting pretty
o v e r a s e t o f s t a g g e r e d w h e e l s – a n d w h e n w e s a y ‘ s t a g g e r e d ’ , TUNING
over a set of staggered wheels – and when we say ‘staggered’,
we’r e tal king d iameter . The GT C came fr om t he factory wit h 19- M178 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8; 7-speed AMG SpeedShift DCT
we’re talking diameter. The GT C came from the factory with 19-
A
e
s
t
d
f
n

w
r
a

e
i
inch wheels at the front and 20 inches at the rear, and Andrew’s s
e
e
t
r
d
h




n
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a

i
c
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h


h
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continued this theme with his one-off Rotiform OZT rims, measuring g CHASSIS
c
e
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my car!
Check out the pink hardware
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defining car culture 085

FC TECH: HP TUNERS











































REMAPPING




REVOLUTIONISED






HP Tuners, dominating ECU tuning Stateside The mission statement for the company
since 2003, have become a really big when it began was simple: offer the most
deal across the pond. Anyone who has visited complete, cost-effective tuning and data
SEMA or the Autosport Show for the last acquisition remedy for dealerships, enthusiasts
couple of years will be fully aware of the ECU and professional workshops. Thanks to the
tweaking specialists. ability to connect, read, edit, write and then
From the relatively humble beginnings of a drive, it’s no coincidence HP Tuners have
group of binary and hexadecimal savvy chaps democratised, if not revolutionised, remapping.
clubbing together to remap their own vehicles, Why is that, we hear you ask? Well, thanks
HP Tuners has grown exponentially to become to a series of products that allow you to tweak
one of the USA’s largest tuning and diagnostic and alter your very own map, the latest MPVI2
solutions for a vast range of vehicles equipped dongle and VCM Editor software suite allow
with OBD-2 ports. anyone to code and write their own tune,
Since 2003 HP has offered an almost endless whether that’s intended for economy purposes,
array of digital adjustments, seamless live-data or to eke every last drop of horsepower from a
logging, diagnostic and tuning capabilities, highly modii ed vehicle. It gives you, the owner,
thanks to a range of clever software and the chance to alter every conceivable element
hardware solutions. And now they’re set to bring of boost pressure, fuelling and ignition tables to
all those years of expertise and experience to get the most from any setup. No longer do you
the UK to ensure a competitive advantage that have to be constrained by the factory settings
sees them forge ahead of the competition with (which in many cases can hold back a vehicle
a unique approach to offering ECU remapping slightly, due to emissions, warranty, economy
to the masses. and high mileage considerations).








086 www.fastcar.co.uk

FC TECH: HP TUNERS


So, how does it work then?
Quite simply, you purchase the MPVI2 chipping in (see what we did there?) for a
dongle for £270 +VAT, tweak your map to dongle and then paying out to remap each
the desired settings and tolerances using car from as little as £50 each. How budget
the free to download VCM Editor (see conscious is that?
www.hptuners.com), then upload your tune Even if you have to shell out for a pre-
to the vehicle via the OBD port using the approved map from one of the growing list
dongle. It’s really that easy. of HP Tuners dealers, it’s still the cheapest
Although for those who see it as a double- way to gain performance while opening up
edged sword due to the complexities of the possibility to grow and learn all about
mapping knowledge and understanding engine management. That’s why HP has
how an engine will react to certain changes, changed the game with this unique setup.
how an engine will react to certain changes, changed the game with this unique setup.
If you don’t fancy tackling the mapping
HP Tuners dealers around Europe will be If you don’t fancy tackling the mapping
HP Tuners dealers around Europe will be
able to offer off-the-shelf, upload and go or upload yourself, just head on down to a
able to offer off-the-shelf, upload and go or upload yourself, just head on down to a
coding solutions to suit whatever stage dealer and they’ll tackle it for you.
coding solutions to suit whatever stage dealer and they’ll tackle it for you.
of economy or performance tuning you’re
of economy or performance tuning you’re
looking for.
looking for.
Basically, once you have a license for a
Basically, once you have a license for a
certain ECU/ECM that credit is linked to the
certain ECU/ECM that credit is linked to the
ECU forever, so you can indei nitely rei ne
ECU forever, so you can indei nitely rei ne
and upload your MAP. If for any reason you
and upload your MAP. If for any reason you
have to replace the ECU at a later date,
have to replace the ECU at a later date,
the license goes with the old computer, so
the license goes with the old computer, so
you’ll need to re-fl ash any other ECU with
you’ll need to re-fl ash any other ECU with Is that all?
new credit(s). No, it’s not. HP Tuners also offer a range
new credit(s).
In no uncertain terms, it’s genius. Once
In no uncertain terms, it’s genius. Once
you’ve paid out for MPVI2 dongle, you can
you’ve paid out for MPVI2 dongle, you can of supporting data logging and acquisition
tools, including both the TrackAddict app
upload each tune using HP credits, with
upload each tune using HP credits, with for your smartphone and RaceRender
each credit costing £50 (some ECUs require
each credit costing £50 (some ECUs require
multiple credits in order to fl ash them). So,
multiple credits in order to fl ash them). So, software for video output data logging and
imagine if you will, a group of owner’s club overlays via a PC or Mac.
imagine if you will, a group of owner’s club
TrackAddict is a free smartphone app
mates with similar cars and upgrades all
mates with similar cars and upgrades all
that’s compatible with both Android and
































defining car culture 087

FC TECH: HP TUNERS
move and the GPS data can be interpreted made it so accessible to the masses. With a
for speed, location and so on. So, whether range of exchange ECUs and a wide variety
you’re a mountain biker, a track day of OBD and vehicle-speciic data cables
connoisseur or you like the four hoofs of a also on offer, HP is on a ceaseless pursuit
different kind of horsepower, RaceRender for ECU excellence.
can help to bring your performance alive. As they’re basically dominating the
monster horsepower V8 market across
the Atlantic, there’s no reason that same
brand of cutting-edge tech and vast
wealth of tuning knowledge won’t transfer
seamlessly to our little island nation and
the four-pot turbos that now engulf all of
the Euro-tuning landscape.

Check out: www.hptuners.com

Apple systems that turns any dog and bone What’s the application
into a powerful motorsports telemetry and list like?
video system.
You can see your lap times instantly, Growing. Rapidly. Given the Stateside
capture video and telemetry data, analyse roots of the company, many of the vehicles
laps and impress your inline audience with currently catered for are understandably
video and data overlays. It even works with honking great big V8s, but that’s changing
OBD-2 interfaces so you can see additional all of the time. Not least because the
data such as engine RPM, throttle position European arm of HP is set to develop its
and temperatures. It can be switched own code and solutions for Europe-centric
between ive pre-determined modes for vehicles, which in turn will feed the US
drag racing, circuit laps, lap segments, 4x4 operation with valuable data and additional
trail and just a raw data feed. As you record applications. Currently there are vehicle
the lap or run with your phone the data is speciic solutions for everything from Audi
then overlaid on top of the visuals from through to Volkswagen via Chevrolet, Ford,
the drive. Best of all, it’s free and you get Hyundai, Ininity, Jaguar, Subaru and many,
almost all of the functionality even with the many others. Check the website for speciic
complementary download version. You’d vehicle applications, but as mentioned the
be mad not to have it on your blower really. European list is set to mushroom over the
RaceRender on the other hand is a much coming months.
more involved software package, intended If it’s possible to make remapping any
for either PC or Mac users. Create amazing easier, we’re yet to see a company that’s
videos with high-tech data overlays using
GPS and OBD-2 signals. By combining the
output from your camera (GoPro, 360FLY,
Sony ActionCam, Garmin VIRB and many
others) you can visualise the data from a
range of GPS devices, dataloggers and
other third-party apps. It’s also possible to
use it for pretty much any sport where you


































088 www.fastcar.co.uk

Scan, Read, Edit, Write, Drive.




Your vehicle isn’t complete without HP Tuners;
speak to your tuner about the latest must-have

t
t
tuning ool coming o Europe now. hptuners.com

WE WANT








YOUR RIDE!






























































Mantas Sliogeris and his Gymkhana GRiD conquering MX-5
will be in issue 420 of Fast Car. On sale 27/03/2020


Nope. We’re not going to offer you half the trade price for your car, like those websites. Instead we want to give you the chance
to be featured in the best modiied car mag on the planet! So, if you own a cool-as-a-cucumber car you think is worthy of
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FAST PROJECTS





































FAST PROJECTS

TOM’S 1967 VOLVO AMAZON COUPE P094
To go forward, first you have to go back! The strip down has begun…
Start NEVER FINISHED
START
MAIN MODS: GIVE ‘EM A CHANCE…

DALE’S JAGUAR S-TYPE R P095
Dale has started de-Jagging the Jag! Why? #BecauseRaceCar
START NEVER FINISHED
MAIN MODS: GIVE ‘EM A CHANCE…


MIDGE’S AUDI TT P096
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Superman (definitely not)? No, it’s Midge’s Audi TT. Yes, really!
START NEVER FINISHED
MAIN MODS: 3M WRAP• VOSSEN WHEELS • AIR LIFT SUSPENSION • TUNED ENGINE • ICE INSTALL
MAIN MODS: AIR RIDE SUSPENSION • COBRA SEATS RETRIM • DETROIT STEEL WHEELS
GLENDA’S AUDI RS4 P098
What don’t you need after Christmas? Your insurance renewal! Luckily Glenda knew just who to call.
Start NEVER FINISHED
START
MAIN MODS: MILLTEK EXHAUST • KW COILOVERS • KENWOOD HEADUNIT • ROTIFORMS • TOYOS


MISSING IN ACTION

SLIM JULES’ BMW E91 MIA
The big man promises they’ll be an update next month. Only time will tell if he’s telling the truth…
START NEVER FINISHED
8.5X19-INCH BBS CH WHEELS • AVON ZZ5 TYRES • ALPINE INE-W970BT DOUBLE DIN HEADUNIT
MAIN MODS: BC COILOVERS • 3SDM 0.04 WHEELS• HYDRO-DIPPED INTERIOR • TINTS•CARBON M SPORT WHEEL






defining car culture 093

FAST PROJECTS

Where did I drop
that lottery ticket?


















T o m D a l e
Tom Dale




After last year’s epic battle, the
UK’s most famous detailing
duo are back for round two…
No sitting down on the job
So last season Tom’s R5 GTT build just pipped
Dale’s awesome W114 build. In our eyes they
were both winners, but this hasn’t stopped Dale
wanting his revenge. So they’re both back with
their new projects, and of course, we’re here to
document the builds. Again, the deadline for the

finished projects is Players Classic at Goodwood
on 20 June 2020. This might seem like an age

away, but when you find out what they’ve got
planned, there’s really not much time at all.
Let the battle commence… A well-earned cuppa


TOM’S 1967 VOLVO AMAZON COUPE




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Name: Tom Clarke h has been totally gutted inside, with just the
driver’s seat remaining. When we got to GM
Job Role: Senior Marketer, Meguiar’s UK driver’s seat remaining. When we got to GM
we took all the glass out so that doesn’t get
we took all the glass out so that doesn’t get
marked up during fabrication, and it saves a
So after last month’s epic journey from Sweden marked up during fabrication, and it saves a
back to Blighty, I’ve made the much shorter job for when the car goes to paint anyway.
trip in the Amazon across to Milton Keynes and Where’s the interior now? Well that has
into GM Bodycraft’s workshop. These guys are somehow found its way to Cobra. But more
amongst the best fabricators I know, which is about that next month…
bloody handy considering there’s a fair bit to Having a good screw
do on the Volvo…
Gary, GM Bodycraft’s head honcho, will
be prepping the bay for the new engine and
gearbox. I’m going to make you wait a little
bit longer before I reveal what power-plant will
be squeezed into the bay. But I can promise
you it’ll be packing a lot more power than the
original! He’ll also be doing all the work to
allow for a new axle. Gary has his work cut out. CONTACTS
As you can see from the pictures, the Amazon
www.meguiars.co.uk
094 www.fastcar.co.uk

FAST PROJECTS




















Bit of tug o’ war













Dude, where’s my car?










SEE THE VIDEOS HERE!
Asleep on the job
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/MEGUIARSUK


ALE
D
DALE’S JAGUAR S-TYPE R
’S

Name: The car is now located at Swallows
Name: Dale Masterman
Job Role:
Job Role: Full-time Swirl Slayer & Events Jaguar. These are the guys who helped
Coordinating Marketing Executive, me remove the entire interior and they are
Coordinating Marketing Executive,
Meguiar’s UK famous in Jaguar circles for building some
Meguiar’s UK
of the best racing Jags in the UK!
So, what’s the only logical thing to do to So with the interior removed, we test
a fully loaded, top of the range Jag? Strip fi tted the Cobras to make sure they’re a
everything luxury out of it of course! nice fi t. Of course, Swallow’s involvement
As I mentioned last month, this car has with this project doesn’t end there. They’re
taken inspiration from the Mark 2 racing going to be the ones who’ll help me to
Jaguars of the ’60s and those cars didn’t develop this car from luxury cruiser to an
have electric leather seats or plush carpets, aggressive track weapon.
so neither will mine.
Before we stripped the car, I headed CONTACTS
to Cobra to pick out and design a couple
of customised racing seats that will
be adorned with the Meguiar’s Racing
logo and be covered in Jaguar’s www.meguiars.co.uk
racing colours. The seats are in @swallowsracing
@cobraseats








defining car culture 095

FAST PROJECTS








































A couple of Duracells should do it, right?
MIDGE’S AUDI TT 225



Guess who’s back, back again, Shady’s back, tell a friend…





Yeah, yeah, I know it’s been a while. battery (that I stupidly left connected) was Still, I will admit that none of this is the
And I’ve read all the piss-taking comments knackered. So, my irst job was to get my main reason I laid out 200-odd big ones.
in the opening projects page about my mitts on a new one, and I’m rather excited To be totally honest, I’m just an incurable
cars being AWOL (cheers for that Jules). about what I ended up choosing. gadget freak.
But yes, it’s true that I haven’t had a lot Nope, this isn’t just a battery. Shit, it Due to the fact this particular item is
of time over the last few months (you isn’t even a Marks & Sparks battery. This compatible with the NorthStar ACE app,
mean the past year – Jules) to spend on my friends, is an absolute whopper of a I simply couldn’t help myself. And yes,
my little VAG turbos. deep-cycle NorthStar battery. you did read that correctly; this battery
The TT especially has been taking up If there’s any fellow audio nuts out actually Bluetooths to my phone to let me
my mum’s drive for what seems like an there, they’ll already know why I’m almost know if it’s running low, or if there’s any
age now. In fact, an email from Adrian aroused about what seems like such a other problems.
Flux Insurance to say my renewal was due, trivial item. The US brand is one of the In theory, even with my atrocious
actually reminded me I own one. So, as biggest names in the business and you’ll memory, I should never get caught out
they did me their usual cracking deal for see these used on plenty of the top builds with a lat again.
the next 12 months, I thought it was high all over the world. The best bit of course, is that now the
time I pulled it out, stuck some tax on it, So, what with the guys at the Battery car actually works. I’ve spent a couple of
bought the old girl a bunch of lowers (my Megastore being their UK importer, I days blasting it around this week and I’ve
mother, not the car), and actually started thought, “Only the best for my baby” and even started to remember why I built the
using the bugger. ordered the biggest one that would it, thing in the irst place.
Of course, it goes without saying that an AGM unit that cranks over 770amps. It may even get promoted to daily
this wasn’t all plain sailing. It never is For people who are far less geeky than I duties when the weather clears up. Maybe
when you neglected your motor for far am, that’s what electrical engineers refer 2020 is the year that I inally get this car
longer than you should. Inevitably the to as a bastard load of grunt! inished? You never know...








096 www.fastcar.co.uk

And the star of the story is...


Getting fully wired


















One sexy muver





















Midge doing geeky stuff

THIS MONTH
Adrian Flux insurance .................................... £450
NorthStar Elite battery ................................... £250
Total .....................................................................£700
CONTACTS

Adrian Flux Insurance
www.adrianfl ux.co.uk
Battery Megastore
Midge remembers he’s got an Audi
www.batterymegastore.co.uk







defining car culture 097

FAST PROJECTS






















Who ya gonna call?
Adrian Flux of course!












Want an insurer who knows their RS
from their elbow? Chat to Flux then!



GLENDA’S AUDI RS4 AVANT



Oh no, it’s insurance time. Luckily for me, Adrian Flux
have it covered…


Like most people, I’m really not a big lover of that it’s not quite so straightforward when Adrian Flux are cheaper to speak to over the
the winter months. It’s cold, the evenings are you have a modified car. So I decided to hit phone compared to online comparison sites.

dark and as I sit here writing this in January, the phone... Why is that? Well, because they have access
show season seems a long, long way away. Wow! I’ve spoken to some clueless call to lots of specialist insurance schemes that
Add to that a month of listening to people centres in my time, but I was pretty amazed aren’t available online. Plus, if you are a car
talking diet and exercise and all that ‘New at the lack of knowledge of some insurers. club member, you can get up to 15-percent
Year, new me’ crap. But worst of all? The It seemed as soon as I mentioned my plans discount as well (depending on the club).
car insurance on my RS4 expires. Just what I for the RS4, let alone the current mods, the So there you go. If you want specialist car
need after a very expensive festive season. premiums rocketed and it’s not like my car insurance, stay clear of online comparison
More often than not I put off the joy of features anything that out of the norm. sites and go direct to a specialist. And, with
organising my renewal to the last minute. Anyway, after a few wasted hours 40-plus years in the game, they don’t come
Which is stupid, just as January’s pay day I called Adrian Flux and spoke to the much more specialist than Adrian Flux.
seems a lifetime away. But for 2020 I thought lovely Jess Smart and like every year the THIS MONTH
I’d get on the case nice and early to ensure renewal couldn’t have been easier. I got a
I got a good deal. After all, money saved on good quote, she double checked all my Adrian Flux insurance premium with protected
insurance is more money for mods, right? modifications had been declared and, unlike no claims ............................................................ £998

I’ve been insured with Adrian Flux for most insurance companies, she actually knew
a very long time now, but I didn’t want to what I was talking about when it came to a Total: .................................................................... £998
assume that meant I couldn’t get a better modified car.

deal elsewhere. So I thought I would Plus there was the assurance that all my CONTACTS
have a shop around on some of the price future mods were easy to cover, and many Adrian Flux
comparison sites, so I could get multiple wouldn’t even effect my policy price. Happy www.adrianfl ux.co.uk
quotes in one go. However, I had forgotten days! And, a good tip I got from Jess is that 0800 369 8590








098 www.fastcar.co.uk