No comment. =)
A couple of weeks ago, we attempted to corner balance the Supra. I say attempt, because we had to raise the driver front corner quite a bit and the cross weights still weren't where I'd like them. I, along with others, believe the suspension may be binding and the control arm bolts will need to be loosened and tightened with the suspension under load.
As you can see, the car weighs roughly 3460 lbs with approximately three-quarters of a tank of gas. Not too bad for an automagic Supra in my opinion.
For those of you who were wondering, the HKS Performers weigh 11 lb 14.80 oz and 10 lb 9.80 oz, per front and rear coilover, respectively.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to take any pics during the process, so this one was taken with flash as we were breaking down the scales and leveling pads. With less than 50 miles on the suspension, a road test review will have to wait.
With the help of some friends this past weekend, I installed a set of HKS Hipermax Performer coilovers on the Supra. These are typical high-quality HKS goods with excellent fit and finish. Installation was fairly straightforward but think I've spoiled myself with a complete coilover system like this -they are direct swap out of the stock suspension, no need to compress springs and all that mess.
The spring rates are 12.0 kg/mm (672 lbs/in) and 7.0 kg/mm (392 lbs/in) front and rear, respectively. Out of the box, the front is lowered by 43 mm (1.7 in) while the rears come down 34 mm (1.3 in). I stopped by the Post Office to weigh the coilovers, but I don't have the info here in front of me.
Ride height adjustment, corner balance, alignment, and full review to come!!! More pictures of the Performers can be found in the gallery.
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The entire Wu-Tang Clan came through 9:30 Club for the O.D.B. Tribute Tour and showed D.C. mad love. It's kind of hard to describe Wu's significance to hip-hop. The are the hip-hop group -on some hip-hop Beatles type shxt. I don't remember the entire tracklist, but they hit us with the darts: Bring Da Ruckus, Clan In Da Front, Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F Wit, C.R.E.A.M., Can It Be All So Simple, Method Man, Protect Ya Neck, Bring The Pain, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Brooklyn Zoo, Ice Cream, Run, Liquid Swords, Triumph, For Heaven's Sake, It's Yourz, Reunited, etc.
One highlight was when Rae and Meth felt that the bass was so right at 9:30 that they made the DJ stop Bring The Pain and restart the track just to feel the bass pump all over again. Another was when RZA brought up the fact that our Vice President Dick Cheney shot a man -and got away with it- the crowd got a good laugh outta that.
I can't even begin imagine how tough it was to have nine egos and personalities clashing on top of recording, touring, and so on, but it's good to see the Wu have ironed out some of their differences to honor one of their lost brothers: Rusty. R.I.P. Dirty. Towards the end of the first show, Rae and others reminded the fans that the sequel to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx: OB4CL II was due out sometime this year. I consider OB4CL one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. All time. Undoubtedly I have high expectations, so if OB4CL II is only half as good as it's predecessor, say goodbye to the beef rapp and derrty South era because Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F*** Wit!!!
With the temps taking a dive from unseasonably warm 70's to the 40's and fallen leaves and other debris littering the roadways, it was about time to put the ol' [Sup]dawg down -for the winter. I'd like to perform some much-needed maintenance and, ideally, upgrades over this upcoming period of inactivity.
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I tried on a custom-fit "Superweave"* car cover for a stock Supra from California Car Cover Co. yesterday. My friend made the comment that you couldn't really tell what the hell was under the cover. It could be an El Camino with an airplane wing if the exhaust didn't give it away. I was really impressed with it overall. The Nextec material was very lightweight and thin while supposedly being very element and UV resistant. It seemed to fit well, with the only exceptions being the baggy mirror pockets and being a little tight up front for my Top Secret replica bumper.
*Note: It appears that Covercraft makes most of the custom-fit covers for California Car Cover Co., Big Sky, etc. and the covers made out with the Nextec material are marketed under "Weathershield" by Covercraft.
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As many car enthusiasts know, Speed Star Co. Ltd and Speed Star Sales Co. Ltd went bankrupt on January 27 of this year, leaving many prospective buyers out in the cold. It appears, however, that the reports of Tanabe Co., Ltd purchasing the business rights and assets of Speed Star Racing and Speed Star Wheel were true. I check for updates regarding the buyout almost religiously and to say that I was ecstatic when I saw the Speed Star Wheel link on the front page of the Tanabe Japan site today would be the understatement of the year!!!
I have a one-track-mind when it comes to certain things, and wheels for my Supra is one of those things. Just a few of the qualities the SSR Professor SP1s have that that make it the right wheel for me are:
I look forward to Tanabe setting up US distribution and hopefully I will have some new shoes for my 'dawg after nearly five years of ownership.
Somebody tried to take my car from me, shot me through the window and I rolled off, that was basically it," Cam'ron told News4. "It was a sloppy job on their part. They didn't get anything. I still have my car and my jewelry."
NBC4 and The Washington Post report that police are investing other motives in Cam's shooting.
Dipset! Dipset! Dipset!
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The much-anticipated Nissan GT-R Proto was unveiled at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show press preview on October 19. After four years of hype, the specifications for the next GT-R are still unclear. Speculation calls for a bi-turbo 3.5L V6 or a 4.5L V8, but all Nissan will say is that it will make north of 400 bhp.
More ranting about the powertrain and aesthetics of the GT-R Proto after the jump.
I, as a consumer, would be weary about a V-type engine with forced induction. One tends to need to buy two of everything, be it turbos, gates, ICs, BOVs, and the list goes on. I am certainly biased as and owner of a car with a turbocharged inline engine, but so are the Skyline faithful. The venerable RB26DETT will be hard to replace.
Aesthetics:
As far as styling goes, it hasn't really grown on me yet. The styling appears sterile, lacking soul, more akin to an electronic device rather an automobile. It seems contrived, as if the designers were torn between angular and curvilinear lines. The headlights are reminiscent of an angular Lamborghini Gallardo while the taillights look like they were taken from the front fascia of the rounded Bentley Continental GT. The sloping roofline is too busy. The strong front fenders, replete with carbon fiber vents, do not accentuate the presumed RWD nature of the car. Even the sail line along the rear wheelwell has been eliminated and combined with the shoulder line. Also, one would think that Nissan could come up with better wheels for their flagship concept. Instead, the rollers look like they were pulled off an Infiniti SUV.
As a self-proclaimed Carbon Fiber Junkie, I appreciate the exposed carbon, but question the location of exposure. The carbon highlights on the lower trim a la Ridox, the diffuser a la Top Secret, and spoiler a la Rod Millen are nice and all, but is it necessary to leave raw carbon on the front snout, brake ducts, and A-pillars? Eurethane front fascias are not that heavy to begin with, and I doubt the corporate bean counters would sign off on a CF bumper. I also doubt that any part of the greenhouse is composite. Highlights are nice, but where they don't really serve a purpose (read: save weight), is superfluous.
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Photos are courtesy of the very talented Dino Dalle Carbonare and Nissan. More images can be found in My Gallery, AutoWeek, and Nissan (01-31).
A friend was kind enough to let me try on his brand-spanking-new Noble Gold Volk Racing GT-7s. Noble Gold is an interesting color, and "gold" may be somewhat of a misnomer. It is closer to a champagne or even Toyota's own Quicksilver FX. As far as I know, these are one of the first sets of Noble Gold GT-7s fitted to a JZA80.
The wheel and tire specs are 18x9.0 +43 front and 18x10.0 +44 rear with 245/40ZR18s and 285/35ZR18s, respectively. Many people ask me why I don't go ahead and get a set of Volks. The picture below right is one of the reasons why. The widest 18-inch wheel Volk offers that fits a stock-bodied Supra is 10-inches. That is only a half-inch wider than the stockers and only reasonably allows a 10-to-20 mm wider tire.
With winter around the corner, I will be patient and wait for SSR -and 11-inch widths- to rise again with the help of Tanabe.
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Today is the iTunes world premier (Premier, DJ Premier) of RZA and MF DOOM's collaboration Biochemical Equation. The song is the first off of Think Differently Music: Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture, a project that pairs Wu members such as GZA, Masta Killa, and the aforementioned RZA with some indie faves such as Rass Kass, C-Rayz Walz, Del, Casual, J-Live, the list goes on . . .
The track has a bigger sound than a typical track, probably from RZA's score writing experience. I would trade the choruses for some more verses from the RZArecta or the Villain himself. Download and enjoy RZA and the unofficial tenth member of WTC.
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If any of y'all are feeling extra generous, go ahead and cop this fresh for me. It looks like Clientele teamed up with the Starksologist for this limited edition tee. The front features a fist punching through with "CLIENTELE" brass knuckles, the back has an arm with Ghost's avenging eagle Wonder Woman bracelet, and the sides has writing and signage presumably from GFK himself.
Well, it was only a matter of time before MF DOOM and DJ Danger Mouse's opus, The Mouse & The Mask, was leaked to the public. The duo, otherwise known as DANGER DOOM, has enlisted help from from Ghostface, Cee Lo, Talib Kweli, and characters from Cartoon Network. I'll have to reserve opinion for the album until I've had a chance to listen to it a few times, but let's just say it's FAR from disappointing.
Support the artists, cop it when it drops in October!!!
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To say I would have been miffed had I taken the time, money, and energy to attend the United States Grand Prix would be an understatement. Of the twenty cars that were on the formation lap, only six started, raced -and finished*. Why did seven teams not race? One word: Michelin.
Due to high vertical loads, particularly on the shoulder (red spot), on the left rear tyre on the Michelin-shod cars, the tread could potentially separate from the sidewall. Therefore, Michelin made an announcement that deemed the tyres they brought to Indy were unsafe.
The French tyremaker then had the gall to request that a chicane be placed in Turn 13 to slow the cars down to "safer" speeds. Tony George and the Indianapolis Speedway team were prepared to install said chicane or do whatever necessary to proceed with a race. Bridgestone's major team, Ferrari, objected to the chicane. The FIA objected to the chicane. And rightly so. Why should the teams that came properly prepared be penalized for Michelin's inferior tyres?
Blame seemed to be shuffled around but the teams running Michelins never once blamed themselves for the outcome of the race. Only two drivers tested at Indy. It was not Tony George's fault. It was not Bridgestone's fault. It was not Ferrari's fault. It was not Bernie Ecclestone's fault. It was not the FIA's fault. Michelin did not provide their teams with a competitive product and fans worldwide fell victim. This turn has been there since 1909 and this is the sixth time the USGP has been held at Indianapolis.
I can understand the position of the teams for wanting to protect the lives of their drivers, but this is entertainment, and they did not fulfill their obligation to the fans. There were some ideas thrown out that would have had the cars on Michelins simply run slower through turn 13, go through the pits each lap, change tyres more often, or install a chicane and dock all Michelin-shod cars championship points. But alas, only Ferrari, Jordan, and Minardi competed in the USGP. I am honestly suprised to see that the majority of fans stuck around for the "race" and the relative civility of the crowd.
As a result of the debacle, Toyota's first pole position was for naught and Schumacher went on to his first victory of 2005. He and Barrichello have moved into third and fourth in the drivers standings while Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes are tied at 63 points in the Constructors Championship, 13 behind Renault.
As of this writing, the FIA has summoned the seven Michelin teams to appear at a hearing of its World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday June 29 following their controversial withdrawal from the US Grand Prix. Stay tuned and visit formula1.com for the latest USGP developments.
*Not since the 1961 Hungarian GP has an entire F1 field started and finished a race. As an aside, I think the current FIA tire rule is ridiculous and should be revaluated for future seasons, especially in light of what has happened recently to Kimi and Ralf. There is real potential for bodily harm, not to mention the millions of dollars of race car lost because teams are reluctant to change tyres due to fear of moving to the back of the pack.
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