RKC MN Inaugural Tuesday Night South Meet 4-27-2010

This past Tuesday, RKC MN launched their new South of the River meets at McKracken's Bar & Grill in Burnsville.  Just last year, the thought of having two meets was in no ones' mind as everyone was trying to figure out how to get the current meet bigger and better.  Well, 2010 is the year of change it seems, and the launch of the new meet was quite a successful one.  I hadn't seen so many new faces or cars since I started these meets 3 years ago in MN.  With NOS Energy representing at every meet, and more and more sponsors jumping on board, things look to be big for the MN region in 2010.  The party continues inside at McKracken's with food and drink specials, pool, darts, and live music.  What else do you have going on on a Tuesday night?  Dallas, TX, what?  RKC MN is bringing the heat for 2010 so stay tuned.

For more info, check out:

RKC MN Forum
McKracken's Pub

More Pictures:  Photos by Kaien

Elite Autosport Annual BBQ

April 17th marked the day for Elite Autospot's annual BBQ and get together at their shop in Blaine, MN.  Elite Autosport has been in the modifying game for quite some time, actually closing its doors and re-opening them a few years back at a new location.  Elite specializes in aftermarket performance and fabrication on imports and domestics as well as general auto repair.  Their BBQ not only attracts new customers but allows customers to show of their rides as well, letting those potential new clients see their work up close and in person.

The atmosphere is very relaxed with a lot of nice cars showing up throughout the day.  Nothing beats a gorgeous, sunny, spring day in MN with some top class cars and great people to hang out with.  Of course, the free food and NOS Energy drinks were a much added bonus.  I have had the pleasure of knowing Andy and Jaimie at Elite for a couple of years, and they have done some great work on my own personal car and have taken great care of me.  Please check out their website for any info/questions/inquiries:

Elite Autosport

Some of the highlights were two IS-Fs that Elite is working on, both getting boosted.  Also, SupraShaun's 850hp, E85 powered, single'd Supra and his crazy B18 powered dune-buggy thing were cool.  Of course my good friends from RKC rolled in hard with 3 'Vettes, including SSGZ06's freshly built 442ci C5 Z06 (full feature coming soon) and 1badburb's 427ci C5 'vert (full feature coming soon), and a turbo Cobra.  Overall, there was a good mix of cars from all sorts of schools of style.

More pictures here:  Elite Autosports Annual BBQ Photos by Kaien

Home Grown Cobra

Everyone has their dream car, the car that they want oh so desperately.  More often than not, that dream car lies far from reach, but for some, their dream car is just outside of their realm of attainability.  For Minneapolis resident Josh Dietz, he fell into the latter group.  The car that he wanted most just after graduating college was an 03-04 Mustang Cobra.  At that time, Cobras were still fetching top dollar in the car market placing it just outside of his comfort zone in what he was willing to spend.  So, he settled for the next best thing, an 02 Mustang GT 5spd.

Looking back on it, he is rather happy with his purchase.  "If I bought the Cobra, I would still be making payments on it and it would be all stock," he told me as I snapped pictures of his immaculate representation of his "Cobra."  In all honesty, you cannot tell the difference.  When I first saw pictures of this car, I actually thought it was a Cobra.  Only until Josh emailed me did I find out it was a GT.  This is what intrigued me most and got me interested in featuring the car.  Much like myself, Josh started with the underdog and over the course of a year or so, turned it into his very own Cobra.

Of course, the exterior is the most striking part of the car in my opinion.  It is remarkably clean with a sleek and menacing look.  The all black usually works on cars like these and Josh pulled it off very well.  The Cobra body panels are all authentic Cobra items and not replicas so the fit and finish is on par with OEM specs.  What I also liked about this Cobra was the overall appearance package, Josh nailing everything down, including the stance.  I think that majority of domestic tuners focus mainly on the the engine and horsepower, but a clean looking ride is also important.  Josh's GT sits on H&R springs with Tokico shocks.  Further adjustability comes courtesy of Maximum Motorsports adjustable caster/camber plates, and further chassis bracing is had with Steeda sub-frame connectors, balljoints, Maximum Motorsports rear LCAs, and an Auto-Power 4pt roll-bar.  The rear-end houses a Moser 31-spline axles, a Torsen differential, 3.73 gears, and a T/A girdle.  The coup de grace on the exterior though has got to be the satin black CCW Classics.  Sized 18x10 up front and 18x11 in the rear housing some meaty 315s, these finish off this GT's absolutely menacing stance.  I only wished I brought an extra person so I could have snapped some rolling shots as it looked terrifying driving down the highway.

Factory Cobras came with a supercharged, 4v, 4.6L V8.  If Josh was to truly make his car his own home-grown Cobra, a little boost needed to be added to his 2v 4.6L V8.  This issue was addressed with a Kenne Bell 2.1 twin-screw spinning at a modest 9spi.  Coupled with an Accufab 75mm throttle-body, 90mm maf, SLP cat back exhaust, and a Thump racing tensioner, Josh estimates his GT is pumping out around 450hp.  Not too shabby, and more impressive on a stock motor.  This winter Josh plans on dropping the engine to build the internals for more boost, and clean up the engine bay with a partial wire tuck.  It really is nice to see someone focus just as much attention on the presentation as on making power.

The interior has also received some mild attention.  Corbeau bucket seats hold the driver and passenger in place with 4-point harnesses.  The aforementioned Auto Power roll-bar provides mounting points for the harnesses as well as a nice camera mount.  The steering wheel, shift boot, e-brake boot, and center console have received some custom upholstery work.

In the end Josh has pretty much created his dream car, save for a few adjustments.  Hey, a project is never really finished is it.  Still, what has resulted is quite the unique package of style and performance.  Josh has come under some criticism from his fellow Mustang/Cobra owners, but in the end, the car was built for him, not the others.  He is happy with it and took the underdog and bred it into a top dog champion.

More pictures here:  Photos by Kaien @ NLP

Friday Night Lights

So, a little impromptu photoshoot with a couple of 'Vettes tonight.  Met up at Porky's earlier to hang out and chill, then rolled out to a few of the spots to see what was going down.  Well, nothing was going down, but I kind of liked the location where we were and how we were all parked so I grabbed the camera and started snapping away.  Okay, two things though; the lighting was TERRIBLE.  Some of the worst lighting I have shot in.  Two, I forgot my tripod.  =(  It crossed my mind to bring it before leaving my house, but I didn't think I would be pulling the camera out tonight.  So, to compensate, I had to shoot on a high ISO, so the pics, honestly, are not that great. 

Next time I will be better prepared.  I also have been planning a photoshoot with some of the local 'Vettes since most are good friends of mine.  The two pictured here are quite the cars.  Anyways, enjoy:

SCI Annual Swap Meet: 4-10-2010

This past Saturday market SCI's annual swap meet hosted at their shop in Minneapolis.  It had been awhile since I had been back to their place, and I couldn't have picked a better day to go and visit.  The thing with this swap meet, coupled with Eurowerks and the local VW/Audi/Euro scene is it turns from a swap meet into a car show with the cars that show up.

The vendors had the main shop area and garage/driveway to showcase their items for sale.  Let me tell you, deals were to be had everywhere you turned.  I found myself eying a few sets of wheels despite having just sold my b5 Passat just a few months back and my Lexus certainly can't pull of 16s.  Common sense had to keep the pocket-book in check!  Not only were there some great parts for sale, there were some really nice cars people brought to try and sell.  The gem of the day had to have been the mk1 Scirocco with 14,xxx original miles.  Absolutely mint condition, looking as if it had just rolled off the showroom floor.

The other part, of course, are the cars that show up to socialize.  A lot of great cars showed up from nu-wave to old skool.  Some of the highlights for me were SCI's mk1 1.8t rabbit, the former SST 7-series BMW,  Jetta wagon with full R32 engine and drive-train swap, and the Further Performance rat-look Bug.  It was a great time, I had a blast and got to see some old faces.  I still love the local Euro scene as the people are great and the cars are top class.

More Pictures here:  Flickr
SCI Performance
Eurowerks

Black Dragon

There is something about the Nissan 350Z that makes it one of the cars of choice for today's tuners.  It's aggressive, yet has a touch of elegance and a refined look.  More importantly though, it looks good slammed to the ground with an aggressive set of wheels.  The Z33 is fortunate enough to have some cavernous arches that are begging for the proper set of wheels.  The problem is, it seems that every sort of combination has been tried out, so what to do?

Eric from BRG (BoneOut Racing Group) certainly found the answer.  The Work Equip is a classic wheel and looks good on just about everything.  Of course, Eric wasn't just going to throw a regular set of Equips on his car, oh no.  Not only did he have the centers finished in flat black but he had the lips done in copper.  This color combination certainly creates quite the visual effect and looks absolutely amazing.  The specs are 18x10 -3 up front and 18x12 -3 in the rear with 225/40s up front at 275/35s in the rear.

Of course these sick wheels wouldn't look good at stock ride height.  Eric sorted that quite easily, slamming the car all the way down on some BC Racing coilovers with some custom arch work by his buddy Royal T.  The stance is pretty much perfect.  Of course, a little go to mix with the show is never a bad thing, so Eric utilized a Power Lab single turbo kit using a GT35r to make cruising a little bit more fun.

All in all, this Z33 has one of the hardest looks out there and a stance to die for.  When I first saw the car, I couldn't stop looking at it.  Seeing this car rolling down the road with its low and wide stance, blacked out look, and intercooler poking out from the front bumper would cause anyone to move over.  Much like a dragon, this Z33 has an elegant and refined look, but whatever you do, do not make it show its fangs

.
Photos by Banzai Steve:  FLICKR
Fluid Motor Union

Pictures used with permission from owner

GPR Auto IS300

Change.  Change seems to be the the theme of the last few years, everybody seems to be stressing change.  Whether it's in politics, the economy, or something as simple as a new look, change is what's hot right now.  Change is always good though.  It pushes the boundaries, breaks the mold, gets people's attention, and sends a message.

Guillermo Escamilla, from Kosoku, based out of Southern California took a look at the current Lexus IS scene and decided to change it forever.  What happened next changed the IS game, and in the grand scheme of things, the car scene for good.  The reviews are mixed, but this is exactly what the scene needed.

Clearly, the look is a love it or hate affair, but wherever you fall, you cannot help but look and stare.  The slammed stance, the crazy, aggressive wheel setup, the insane amount of poke, the ridiculous stretch, and of course, the graphics.  What started simply as just adding a black vinyl wrap to the hood, which them became covered with stickers and graffiti, has now turned into a style all its own.  The giraffe print on the hood, bumper, fenders, quarter panels, and even the interior, is something that cannot be ignored.  One cannot help but stare.  Why the giraffe print?  Well, why not?  Outside of the box, different, going against the grain, however you want to call it, it certainly gets the job done.

The graphics weren't the main goal though, although it certainly is a highlight.  What steals the spotlight though is the wheel setup.  I remember when I started in the IS game back in 06 and remember seeing +20s on a IS300 and thinking, "wow, that's aggressive!"  Well, Guillermo certainly showed what can be done with fitment on the IS300.  His IS wears a set of Leon Hardiritt Ordens, sized 18x9 +7 and 18x10 -5.  Let me retype that; 18x9 +7 in the front and 18x10 -5 in the rear.  Just about on any car that is considered aggressive, but absolutely unheard of on an IS300.  With the car slammed to the floor, the setup is more than flush.  Forget hellaflush, this is hellaPOKE!  With 215s stretched on every corner, the presence this car gives is quite astonishing.  It makes some drool while others want to smash their keyboard in anger.  Like I said, it really is a love it or hate it look, and controversy definitely surrounds this car.

Whether you love the look, or absolutely detest it, there is no ignoring the fact that this car came and changed the game up.  The off-the-wall styling, insane wheel fitment, and the low n' slow style certainly make this car noticed wherever it goes, and it certainly goes far.  With over 160,000 miles on the odometer, this is no show queen.  Driven daily-dumped on the streets of SoCal, this car makes a statement wherever it goes.  Despite its fair share of haters, Guillermo silenced his critics and the Wek Fest event back in Feb where he took home 1st Place in the IS Series category, as well as a spread in S3 magazine.  This car came along and changed the scene with one of the most unique looks in a long time.

For more info check out GPR Auto's page on Facebook.

Photos courtesy of Daniel Kroothanooch and used with permission by the owner of the car.

RKC MN Monday Night Meet 4-5-10

Well, at the persistence of my loving mate, I am here to bring you some coverage of the Ricekiller.com Monday Meets here in MN.  Despite the name, I started these meets 3 years ago in MN and they have been going strong ever since.  Even though I'm no longer running the meets, they are in good hands and I still stop by and kick it with my friends.  Hey, it makes Mondays that much more enjoyable.  The meets have a very laid-back atmosphere where all makes and models are welcome and the owners can just sit back and talk about whatever.  I brought the Lexus out and a lot of people got a kick out of the hood and some new things were added to it at the meet.  After standing around for a bit, we migrated to Buffalo Wild Wings down the street for some good food and drinks.

More pictures can be found here:  Monday Meet Photos by Kaiyin

If you are local to the Twin Cities, feel free to check out the MN section of RKC.

Cars and Cafe MN 2010 Kickoff

Well, Saturday, April 3rd, kicked off the 2010 season for the Cars and Cafe meets here in Minnesota.  Held at the AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen, MN, the venue can accommodate a good number of vehicles and provide a rather nice backdrop.  The meet has grown from its humble beginnings to one of the largest regular gatherings in MN (if not the largest).  The events are held monthly on the first Saturday of every month.  An addition to this year is that there will be events following each meet (next month, there will be a cruise to Rockfalls Raceway in WI to participate in a Test-n-Tune event).

The meet brings out an eclectic mix of vehicles from exotics to classics, domestics to imports, cars, trucks, and motorcycles.  There is also a wide variety of styles represented.  Unfortunately, I slept in late and arrived to the meet later than I wanted, but there were still a good number of cars there.  Here are a few pictures that I took.  Unfortunately, my Adobe PS is not working at the moment so these are unedited:

This Miata had a great stance and is well tracked

a friend's 240 that he just picked up.  Isn't this hobby all about having fun?

monkey + ODB = ???

S2000 on chrome Regas...yes please!

this Bimmer was sitting right

the stance on this Impala is just perfect

Real Street Performance tuned R35 GT-R; 539awhp

some IS300 with a weird hood...just a shot of my car.  I got more compliments on the hood than I thought I would.

Stay tuned for next month's meet.

AZ Trip: Final Installment With Vegas Trip

Whew!  Long trip, a lot of driving, but well worth it.  I'm back home in MN and already miss my lovely boyfriend, but that is the nature of long-distance relationships.  Didn't have the internet for a few days so that is the reason for the lack of updates, but here is the final installment (I know the suspense has been killing you...okay maybe not, just a writer's aspirations...).

our room at the Sahara...excuse the messiness, haha.

view just outside of our window on the 21st floor.  Some very high-class apartments across the street.  Definitely did a lot of site-seeing and acting like tourists.  Did a lot of walking too, which we both like and it's good for me since I have been losing weight (shameless plug).  We visited the Luxor, Excaliber, the Bellagio, the Aria, the Encore, and the Wynn hotels.  Vegas has really changed since we had been there last.

The Riviera, right down the street from where we were staying.

I believe this is the Palazzo.  New hotel by the Encore and the Wynn.  Excuse the blurry pics.  I decided not to bring my tripod with as we walked the strip.

Entrance to the Encore.  All I can say about this place and the Wynn is WOW!  Stunning hotels, very high class.

Inside the Encore.  Like I said, amazing.  The garden/pool area was beautiful.  Too bad it was closed by the time we got there.  The walkway between the Encore and Wynn had a lot of high-end shops and a pretty swanky club that we didn't check out.  A lot of fakes wannabes lined up, mixed in with a few real big-spenders.  When we got the Wynn though, my heart skipped a beat.

Yep, there was a Ferrari store and museum.  The museum was closed, but the store was open so I had a giddy, car-guy moment while my boyfriend laughed.

They had an actual F1 engine on display.  This is an automotive masterpiece.  I could have admired this piece all night, but they were getting ready to close.

Also the front wing from the 01 car (I believe).  Sweet store, wish I brought more money!

After checking out the hotels, we found a Korean BBQ restaurant and got our grub on.  I love authentic places and love my oriental food.  My boyfriend didn't seem to mind one bit!

Great food, we both liked it!

Outside of Circus Circus.  Of course we hit up the arcade!

Funny billboard down the street from the hotel.  Looks like a dollar can go far!

Back in AZ, just before leaving.  =(  It was a great time.  The trip was worth it and of course it was nice to see my boyfriend.  Dracul on the left, me on the right.  A Firedragon and a Husky in love.  =)