PS117 Updates

It has been awhile since I've given a proper update on why things have slowed down a bit.  The most simple answer is; life got busy.  Family, work, cars, relationships, everything got hectic and I'm trying my best to hold everything together.

The IS finally has it's first serious break since getting built.  The head-gasket popped between cylinders 3 & 4.  Still ran fine, just down two cylinders.  So, it's been sitting in my garage as my friends and I have slowly torn into it on our free time.  We have almost everything off the head, sans the timing belt.  My friend Brando will come down to mock up a new intake manifold for it before we go any further with it.  The rebuild is shaping up to be quite good.  Complete head work, new springs and retainers, new valves, new cams, bigger injectors, new intake manifold, and if all goes well, a new turbo.  Should be quite the car come 2011.

I'm back on the Civic again too.  After sitting for months, deciding if I should sell or not, I changed directions AGAIN.  This time though,  I will stick to my guns.  I knew this project was going to take awhile anyways.  I've wanted to get back into drag racing, and while my IS300 is a great candidate, I've wanted to build a drag Honda for some time now.  Since my coupe is a stripped shell, I figure, what better place to start.  I finished prepping the bay for paint and did some work to the front-end to get it ready for a good-sized FMIC and some big tires.  I will be joining the ever increasing group of Civics running an Exospeed Racing front end for the car.  Check them out here:  Exospeed Racing.  Going to be a blast when it's done.

I also sold my truck, so with two cars just sitting in the garage all torn apart, I needed some form of transportation to get around.  Another project I have been wanting to build is something in the VIP area.  I also looked into getting back into VWs, but I guess I still have to wait on that.  Some searching turned up a great candidate in Chicago and I had the car delivered to MN.  It's a 2000 Lexus LS400.  Yes, another Lexus in the stable.  This car is very clean, sporting just 77,800 on the odometer when I took delivery.  Paint, body, and interior are all immaculate.  I've already "borrowed" the Enkeis off my IS300 to bolt on for the time being, and am getting my suspension sorted thanks to GPR Auto.  Keep your eyes peeled for updates.

Otherwise, life has been life, filled with ups and downs.  Right now, it seems more downs than ups, but I just keep trudging along.  I'm still working hard to keep a relationship afloat and have some great friends to thank for being there when I needed the moral support to keep my head straight.  Working on some cool projects with my media-marketing company, so that helps take my mind off of things. 

On the furry side of things, I am finally having a suit made, which I am excited about.  First though, I needed a good reference sheet.  I got a hold of Aetherfax again, who drew the commission I had done for Dracul and I, to pretty much bring my character to life.  What he has shown me so far is great.  I can't wait for the final piece.  When it's all done, I will have a stand-alone feature showing the step-by-step process of my reference sheet.  Thanks again Aeth !

Kaien's FBM Built IS300 on the Dyno

Well, not the first appearance of my Lexus IS300, but it's first stand-alone feature...well sort of.  I brought the car down to Full Blown Motorsports the other day to finish up tuning it on E85.  I finally made the switch this year, and after a few minor issues needing to be worked out, the car got strapped down to see what we could make.

Big thanks goes out to LJ and the whole crew at Full Blown Motorsports.  They have helped me so much over the years and without them, the car would not be were it is today.  Also, many thanks to Zohair and the guys over at Boost Logic in Austin, TX, for the awesome turbo.  Finally, a big shout to Guillermo over at GPR Auto for being a big inspiration and help in changing the car for 2010.  The support means a lot!

Full Blown Motorsports

Boost Logic

GPR Auto

RKC MN Monday Night Meet 6-7-2010

Another decent turnout this past Monday.  Good weather, some nice cars, and good food afterwords at Bdubbs.  Some good variety showing up in Fridley.

NC Trip: Rally Cars and Street Cars

There are first times for everything and yesterday was my first time up close and personal with a full blown rally car.  One of Foxglove's good friends races local rallies and has a pretty awesome car to do it in.  Being a Toyota nut, I was very pleased to see that the car of choice is a st165 All-Trac Celica.  Completely decked out for rallying, I couldn't even tell you everything that I saw.  Besides the spec-suspension and the intricate roll-cage, the rest was beyond me.  I was very impressed to say the least.  Unfortunately, the head is being worked on so I was unable to get a ride this time around, so you all will have to deal without seeing a video of me screaming my lungs out.  I was promised next visit though.

Of course there were a few other cars there.  His other toy was a rather mild looking 5th gen F-body, that is until you looked inside.  Completely stripped to the metal (that includes no glass either), this car is all business with a single OMP seat, 10-point cage, oh and the big bottle mounted in the hatch compartment.  Running a stock bottom-end with a nice sized cam and some heads, this nitrous-fed Camaro can certainly get down (a little demonstration proved that).  Surprisingly though, the car is used for road-racing.  I heard some great stories from the owner about some track experiences.

The other car was of course Foxglove's SBM IS300.  At the beginning stages, but I'm sure that he will turn it into something special (with a little help from this husky!).  You know, it's nice to be able to ride in something so mild compared to mine.  I forget how nice these cars are.  Foxglove has a great example and I can't wait to see how it changes over the coming months.  Hopefully soon our two IS300s will finally meet in the metal.

Southern Hospitality: North Carolina Trip

So, I am writing this from my friend's house in Cary, NC.  Why am I in Cary, NC?  Why not?  Since I am finally done with school, I want to do some traveling.  I was having a conversation with my friend Foxglove where he stated he would be home alone for a week and I playfully replied, "I should come and keep you company."  Well, here I am!  Kind of a spur of the moment decision (finding last minute flights was fun!), but I was planning (and still am) to come and visit in June.

A little back-story then on how Foxglove and I first met.  You know, you meet some of your best friends in the strangest of ways, but this one is quite the interesting (at least to me) story.  You see, I never expected to meet many furs being active on car forums.  It just goes to show that everyone has their interests.

I post over on a large IS community board and posted up some new pictures of my car.  I have Fur Affinity tagged on my hood, and while no one took notice, one person did.  I received a message from Foxglove asking about that tag, and I was really quite surprised.  well, after a few messages, we're talking online, and before we knew it, I'm on a plane heading for North Carolina.  Yeah, not as fancy as you would think, but hey, I thought it was pretty darn cool!

I arrived yesterday and he picked me up from the airport.  I had never been to the Carolinas, or this part of the country before, so I was looking a bit curious.  First impressions?  I like it!  Reminds me a lot of Minnesota, but a lot warmer, haha.  Really, the scenery is not so different.  One thing he heard me comment on a lot was the style of the houses.  They are very...southern!  Sorry for the lack of a better description.  I like seeing how housing design changes in different parts of the country, but something about these houses, I just really like.  He showed me around Cary, taking me to some cool car dealerships.  Also checked out downtown Raleigh which was really cool.  Minneapolis and St. Paul are very old, so it was quite exhilarating to see a "new" downtown.  I will bring the camera and tripod next time out!

Today, when he gets home from work, we are planning to visit a good friend of his with some cool toys, including a st165 rally car.  Apparently, I will be given a ride against my will, haha.  I love rallying, but you could not get me into one of those cars to go ripping down a tree-lined trail.  Expect pictures and most likely a video of this husky screaming for dear life.  Oh, and we're going to go to dinner at a place called Bojangles!  Seriously, BOJANGLES!  Yes, I like the name.

No pictures to add right now, I didn't bring the camera with last night.  It's going to be a fun trip and the second round in June will be equally as good.  I like it here, and with a good friend like Foxglove to hang out with, I don't need much to come and visit...although he pesters about me bringing my IS300.  I should though.  Two friends, two of the same car, and a passion for two unique lifestyles.

The picture that sparked a friendship

RKC MN Tuesday Night Meet 5-18-2010

Following a successful Monday meet up in Fridley, the Tuesday meet had an equally impressive turnout.  While not near the numbers of Monday's meet, nor the variety, it was still nice to see roughly 60-70 cars show up to hang out and have a good time.  The lighting issues were solved by some spotlights generously donated by RMS Lighting.

Some cool cars showed up including LJ, the owner of Full Blown Motorsports, and his 750rwhp, stock-block S2000.  There was a good mix of old and new, import and domestic, with more than a few Euros showing up from Eurowerks to come see what the events were all about.  There were also a few nice bikes out with some of the choppers that frequent McKracken's deciding to check out the meet as well and bring their bikes back to the event parking area. 

All-in-all two great back-to-back meets.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous yet again making things that much more enjoyable.  Of course, NOS Energy was out handing out free drinks, lanyards, and stickers.  They are doing a great job at the events, helping support the local community.  Inside, more food specials were to be had.  We had a few sizable groups go inside to get their grub on.  My recommendation; take advantage of their wing specials:  25 wings for $7.99 or 50 wings for $14.99.

So, what to do if you missed out?  Wait till next week unfortunately.  Hop on RKC MN's forum and join up to keep up-to-date on the events.  Also, keep posted here on Project Spartan 117 and check the upcoming events section.  There are links to the meets there as well.  There are big things going on including RKC MN's 1st car show coming up on June 5th.  It should be a blast.  Stay tuned.

More pictures here:  Photos by Kaien

University Ave: 5/15-16

This weekend saw quite the turnout at the local cruising strip, University Ave, in St. Paul.  After a string of rainy days, nothing brings out the Minnesota automotive culture like a gorgeous weekend.  Blue skies and 70-degree weather meant everyone would be out in full force.  Minnesota has one of the most eclectic mixes of enthusiasts who all share a common interest in cruising and hanging out.

The first stop, and highlight for me anyways, is the Euro lot over at Kim Huoy Cher (oddly enough), a rather good Chinese restaurant off of University Ave, a block west of Snellling.  You won't find better cars elsewhere.  Practically its own car show every weekend, the Euro lot always has some top-class metal parked in it.  If you are a fan of the slammed stance, this is the lot for you.

More Pictures Here:  Photos by Kaien

Boost for Boobs: Dyno for a Cause

Cars and boobs. It's a known fact that most car guys like a good rack, so what better way to get a lot of attention than having a dyno day to benefit breast cancer research? MAPerformance in Plymouth, MN certainly had the idea, hosting their "Boost for Boobs," dyno event. With proceeds going to a local breast cancer research group, the rollers were spinning all day, and the grills were staying hot with burgers and hot dogs.

Of course, the dyno wasn't the only attraction. I have said it before, but any type of event generally turns into a car show around here and this event was no different, with the car park filling up fast. I was lucky to grab a spot next to my friend Montana's (aka Straitup D) 240sx. He was sitting fresh on a new set of Primax wheels. Hey, knock-offs or not, they were looking good on the car.

A few other notable mentions were my buddy Dana's FBM turbo'd S2000, buddy Dave's newly acquired 1JZ-swapped, GT40 powered, SC300, and a random R32 GT-R Skyline even showed up. Pretty rare to see in MN. Every brand was well represented though, even a few Mustangs showing up to throw down against the 4 and 6-cyl cars on the dyno. Now, I don't know if this held throughout the day, but the big number when I was there was put down by a rather tattered, and worn looking, 4-door Integra. The white sleeper screamed out an impressive 597whp and 490ft/lbs of torque. I had to do a double-take when I saw it.

All-in-all, a good day, a great event, and for a great cause. It is good to see the car community throwing benefits like this as it only helps the image. Hopefully this event will become a yearly thing and spawn similar events around the area.

MAPerformance Website

More pics here:  Photos by Kaien

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

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:

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.