Monthly Archives: March 2012

Pick a ride: Choppers, American Muscle, Euro Exotics and JDM goodness.

Spotted this clean S15.

TSI R34 GT-R painted in Matte Black with arguably some of the hottest JDM wheels ever made.

Chevy project took me by surprise.

Drift toys out the back.

TSI’s new service centre.

Inside. Some of the stealthy custom fab work they’re doing is great.

TSI’s local haunt. Check the Rolls Royce of coffee machines. Awesome huh?

2 people in this tiny cafe made everything. The Moroccan Lamb was awesome, the prawns were too and the Pizza and dessert that came after was fantastic.

Cool Dads = Cool Kids. Both kids said “GTR!” more times than I’ve heard “GTR” all last year. This toy Hako, complete with OG I Love Skyline decals is made by Hot Wheels! I’ve already bought a few on eBay this morning :)

Top Secret Imports (TSI) are sponsors of the JDMST forums, and when they heard about our difficulties with having our JDMST End Of Month Meets (EOMM’s) shut down by the authorities they thought they’d go all out in trying to help us out with finding a suitable venue.

The great news is that they’ve managed to secure Eastern Creek as a venue for future JDMST EOMM’s. It’s massive news, one that I’m crazy excited about as Eastern Creek’s carpark is MASSIVE and to be able to hold an EOMM without being kicked out is a highly significant triumph, especially great for those who drive from great distances to turn up to a meet only to have to turn around and go home (sometimes before they even get to park!).

So last night I hung out with the boys from Top Secret Imports in Blacktown, mainly to get to know them. I got a tour of their impressive showroom and their new service centre but most valuable was getting to meet their families at a great sit down dinner at their local, it was truly a privilege, especially in this email and sms day and age.

My new car :) Can’t wait to drive the little thing… isn’t she gorgeous?!?! :)

My trusty (dead stock) DC2R.

The best time I could manage. I really wanted a 1.16. I was confident I could do it, glad I did it (last session too).

Yonas let me drive his supercharged EG Civic. I think I lost 5kg in sweat driving it, what a beast!!!!!

Mark Pakula let me drive his NA (again) and yes, fell in love with it (again). Found it harder to drive than last time, got caught up in some traffic too just when I thought I was on a flyer. I’m so rusty though (need more balls!).

Howie brought his 911 along, he was going hard all day too. Still the best car I’ve ever driven to date. Love it, lots.

Rad dudes. Ex-Autosalon staff Herman and Mark :)

Check the fucking hammock! So pimp right?! My Zen Garage work buddy John Lor lost his license a month ago, being driven to the track, driving on the circuit all day long, then being driven home = winning at life!

Awesome day at the track again today. Zi from JDMyard organised another private track day, where we basically own the track, to ourselves, for the entire day. 20 cars, so much track time it’s ridiculous.

The VWGolf.netg.au crew made up some numbers and tracked in style with an audio/speaker set-up at the pits, and a BBQ lunch. The west side boys (John lol) brought a cars made out of 5 cars, and a hammock too (which I admit was pretty damn pimp!).

I got to fang Yonas’ JDMyard Civic and damn fucking shit it was hard to drive. I even came off on the last lap… what a beast! Crazy responsive, no power steering made you fight with the wheel all the time, get the line right and it powers out in a nice slide, get it wrong and understeer fucks you up hard. It’s so fast it hits the rev limiter before you’re ready (it whips into high rpm’s!) and getting all that shifting and braking done from 5th to 3rd is so hard… what a challenging car to drive.

I also got to drive Mark Pakula’s NA MX5. I’ve been in love with this car for ages and I’m still in love with it (last time Mark let me drive it I refused to pitt!). I’m just so rusty with a rear wheel drive car though, and Mark’s new 6-Speed gearbox had me mis-shifting a few times too. I thought I absolutely nailed some corners, only to stuff up in other corners on the same lap, or come across some traffic so I failed to stitch together a clean lap unfortunately.

And finally my own car, my stock DC2R with a massive 170,000kms (still going so hard!). I aimed to get a 1.16. I started with 1.22’s. Staying in 3rd gear in turn 2, the hairpin and the last corner just didn’t work, tyres were too shit. I ended up having to shift into 2nd for all these corners and I finally got my 1.16 on my last session. Wasn’t easy… been way too spoilt with modified cars with semi-slicks for way too long!!!

Anyways I’m home now and still soooo fucking pumped! SO PUMPED! Damn I needed that, so pumped!!!!!!!