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Having driven and enjoyed various Jaguars over the past twelve months, it occurred to us that you never see tuned examples. Because of their supercharged V8s, lithe chassis and obvious appeal, it seemed like a wasted opportunity, so we chose to take a crack at it ourselves. How difficult could it be?

And obtained a 2012 model a few weeks before Jaguar’s own XFR-S was announced in the LA Auto Show, we reasoned how the XFR was the most suitable basis for the project. With only 100 cars coming to the US, as well as the price tag probably be high, we’re hoping it can pique curiosity about sporting Jags, even though that dropped a fly in the ointment. Any existing owner of the XF or XFR will still be in a position to apply our parts to theirSo, undeterred, our first task was to scour the internet and research available performance options. Cue tumbleweed, crickets and embarrassing silence.

Aside from several small companies offering a number of parts, there seemed to be very little available. So, we decided the best course of action would be to gather an elite team of specialists and create a custom package.

The plan was hatched during the building of our Porsche 911 rally car for the eBay charity auction (EC 12/12). That car was built by GSR Autosport in Lake Forest, CA, and as road and racecar builders, these folks were confident the Jaguar could possibly be improved so agreed to be involved. However, it would take more than mechanical parts to cause a splash, so we also persuaded Vorsteiner to get onboard with cosmetic enhancements.

Vorsteiner

Renowned for its exquisite carbon fiber aero wheel and pieces range for high-end European cars, Vorsteiner has a great reputation for design and execution. Unlike many styling companies, they exercise restraint and create what the car needs rather than what looks outrageous. So, vorsteiner styling parts are usually on the subtle end of your spectrum and definitely in keeping with your vehicle we wanted to build.

The process started in Vorsteiner’s in-house design studio, even though we’ll look at the design aspect in greater detail in a later issue. Manned by car company stylists and clay model makers, the design process is identical to how a carmaker would approach the task.

The design team is led by Vorsteiner owner Peter Nam, who consults with a designer to create the primary illustrations seen here. These renderings end up being the basis for the stylists to utilize modeling clay to the car to create the desired shapes. The well-lit vehicle and studio lifts mean the lines could be assessed from every angle, and changes made as necessary. The experienced team also considers how the part will be manufactured, whether it would need to be made in multiple pieces, or whether the angles are extremely tight for molding. Additionally, they analyze fixing points to consider the way the finished part will eventually be fitted to thethe XFR, using its deep front spoiler and sculpted side skirts didn’t need many enhancements. So, the additions were limited to a carbon fiber JSR-V front lip, rear diffuser and trunk spoiler. When put together with a set of Vorsteiner wheels and GSR’s lowered ride height, we felt the car should consider looking sufficiently sporty without appearing overly modified.

Vorsteiner’s designers and modellers were faithful to the rendering in all but the rear spoiler. During the clay stage everybody felt the style was too similar to the stock XFR spoiler, so the stylist devised an even more ambitious design that remained within the original brief.

The trunk spoiler should fit all the XF range, from the 3. Supercharged to the 5. Supercharged and XFR. We’ve yet to make sure that that, despite the fact that we also suspect the front lip and rear diffuser will fit each of the models.

Undoubtedly, the one-piece Vorsteiner VS-190 wheels will fit any XF and for this application they’re sized 21×9 front and 21×10.5 rear, giving us a plus size over the 20×8.5/9.5 stock wheels.

With plenty of finishes to choose from, we selected Gunmetal Glossy powdercoat to provide them a durable but restrained coating, and then fitted 255/295 and 30/25 Nitto Invo tires respectively, giving us a slightly wider rear than stock.

The Vorsteiner styling will be covered in greater detail in a future issue, while we mentioned.

2012 jaguar XFR vorsteiner VS 190 wheel 08

2012 jaguar XFR vorsteiner JSR V front spoiler 07

2012 jaguar XFR powdercoated grey exhaust tips 05

GSR Autosport

More knowledgeable about BMW and Porsche platforms, GSR is expert at chassis set-up and welcomed the XFR challenge. Their recent win from the Formula Drift series with an E46 M3 against better-funded teams highlighted their overall abilities, and then we had complete faith inside them.

Working closely with Bilstein on its road- and racecars, GSR delved into the Jaguar’s stock Adaptive Dynamics system and found it absolutely was based on Bilstein components. After road and track tests, they liked how the adaptive system worked, so decided to ensure that is stays and incorporate a coilover system that would allow them to use stiffer springs for further control, while providing ride height adjustment as well.

The organization sourced a set of collars and perches that will permit the latest springs to get mounted to the factory dampers. Then all they had to complete was determine rates for your Eibach springs.

After more testing, they finally settled on the combination we have here, which will be put to the test next month when we road test the car against its stiffest competitor.

GSR also fabricated an axle-back exhaust system for the car from stainless steel. Again, they experimented with several muffler designs before settling on a combination that gave the best level of noise under acceleration, but didn’t drone when cruising. This is an almost impossible balance to locate, and one that will take months of development. Fortunately, GSR managed to obtain the right mix of pipes and mufflers in your tight schedule to create a very pleasing sound.

Keeping the quantity of refinement we wanted meant spending more time to fine-tune it, though with its blown 5. V8 up front, GSR found it was relatively easy to uncork the engine to make it howl. The result should please most tastes and may be heard on our video that may be available next monthAs an extra flourish, the tailpipes were finished in a grey thermal powdercoat, built to withstand high temps and match the wheels and exterior trim on the car.

Finally, GSR sourced a lesser supercharger pulley from Mina Gallery. This has the result of increasing boost pressure to produce more power. With the engine adjusting its fuel mixture to match the environment volume, the engine responded well to this relatively simple modification.

Although not seen in our photos, there’s also a prototype cold-air intake system that replaces the factory airboxes. Initial testing found that open filter elements absorbed a lot of heat through the engine bay after prolonged driving, despite the presence of factory intake scoops. They decide to create heatshields that should isolate the problem but, for now, the car is running on K&N filter elements inside the factory airboxes, consequently.

We hope to get dyno numbers next month along with our seat of the pants appraisal of all the modifications.

Again, the exhaust, pulley and suspension mods will fit the normal 5. XF Supercharged, and the coilovers appropriate for the XF 3. also.

2012 jaguar XFR vorsteiner JSR V front spoiler 09

2012 jaguar XFR vorsteiner trunk spoiler 10

2012 jaguar XFR vorsteiner rear diffuser 06

Daley Visual

Finally, we enlisted Joshua Daley from Daley Visual in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. He specializes in vinyl car and graphics wrapping. We’ve worked with him in the past with his fantastic knowledge of the correct techniques and materials makes him the ideal in the business in order to transform your street or track truck, motorcycle and car etc.

With this application, we wanted to take away the acres of chrome about the XFR to update it.

Jaguar does offer the XFR Black Package that includes gloss black grille, intake and window surrounds as well as dark grey wheels. But since our car didn’t have that expensive option, Daley Visual was really a great solution.

We selected a grey vinyl which had been close to the hue of the wheels and asked him to pay the window trim, grille surround, air intake frames, side trim and the decorative strip between the tail lights. He even covered the R logo about the badges to accomplish the job.

Using only a knife, heat gun and measuring tape, Josh set to work. Surface preparation is very important, but discovering how much the film can stretch, along with the angles it can take were step to a perfect job. All the chrome had gone, replaced with the greater elegant grey trim, when he was finished.

We would have liked to wrap the whole car inside a different color – matte grey was top of the list, but time was against us, although Josh works at high-speed, though the grey vinyl was a huge improvement.

Some individuals really love their cars and take a great pride within them. They use them as an extension of their personalities and customize them in the great variety of methods, improving both the appearance and satisfaction as much as they possibly can. There is a down side to this however. It may increase the value of your car plus it may build a head turner or increase its performance but it is going to almost certainly increase the cost of your car or truck insurance.

But what’s the reason behind this?

According to research by insurance carriers they are also more likely to become involved in accidents leading to a claim around the car insurance company, although well, not only are these modified cars more prone to be targeted by thieves and vandals.

Car insurance companies see things very clearly and it’s actually a good simple equation – the higher the likelihood of a vehicle being involved in an accident so therefore them having to make a pay-out, the greater the premiums will be.

Drivers who modify their cars for improved performance and look are more likely to engage in accidents, instead of only are these cars more attractive on the drivers however are also a far more attractive proposition for thieves.

We’re not talking about significant modifications with regards to raising the price of car insurance. It can often be something extremely small, in fact any way in which the motor has evolved from when it first drove out of the factory or drove from the forecourt of Gardena Nissan whenever it was still brand fire new.

A number of the changes which do have a poor impact on insurance prices include:

• Alloy wheels – something as simple as changing from factory wheels to alloy wheels may make your insurance higher priced.

Should you change the navigation system in your car this could be counted as a modification which increases automobile insurance payments, • Navigation system -.

• Entertainment system – fitting an expensive entertainment system to your car can increase its attractiveness no end… and hence make it very likely to be stolen or damaged by thieves trying to get with the equipment.

It’s not all the bad news though – some modifications can actually help to lower the cost of your car or truck insurance. Take a look with your insurance carrier but some will give you reduced premiums if you suit your car with:

• Tracking systems – this can make your car a less attractive target to thieves as well as help you to trace should it be ever stolen.

• Immobilizers – it’s all about reducing the likelihood of your car being stolen.

If you make any modifications to your car in any way then you must inform your insurance company to see what impact it will have (if any) on the buying price of your premiums. In the event of a crash, damage or even your car being stolen you will simply get a proportion of the claim money you had been expecting , in the event you don’t do this you may find that. . . or you may not even be qualified to claim anything at all.

At Downtown Nissan they’ve got a great choice of vehicles that happen to be perfectly fine just as they are . . . the way they were when they rolled out of the manufacturer’s factory. And prior to you making any modifications at all it is recommended to check on the way it may impact the price you have to pay, before you buy a brand new car it is wise to check out the insurance fees however.

Last month we introduced our latest project: Before Jaguar announced its very own XFR-S with the LA Auto Show, the Jaguar XFR; a build we commenced only weeks.

Undeterred, our plan was to create a super sedan we’d call the XFR that can take on the ideal in the segment, and give existing XF owners some aftermarket options for their highly capable cars. With only 100 examples of the XFR-S arriving at the US, the majority of Jag owners will never see one of these simple rare and elusive cats, yet our tuning parts will be applicable to every XF model, in a single form or other.

When embarking on the project with GSR Vorsteiner and Autosport, it was always our goal to one day compare it to the mighty BMW M5. The German four-door helped define what a sports sedan should be and still sets the benchmark.

Starting this comparison test, we wanted our plucky Brit to do well but knew it was an overwhelming challenge, so we’re still slightly shell-shocked by the result that saw the Jag not only hold its own but come out at the top in certain key areas.

Sharing driving duties would be Michael Essa from GSR Autosport. Professional drift racer and co-owner of GSR Autosport, he was as curious as us to discover whether the Jag had what it took to depose the king, as an accomplished track driver. Would it stand an opportunitybecame a rolling laboratory for both GSR and Vorsteiner. Michael’s company would create a coilover suspension system to the car, based upon the Jaguar’s standard adaptive Bilstein damping system and adding Eibach springs on adjustable perches. They also fitted a smaller supercharger pulley to enhance the boost pressure, and looked at the exhaust system and intake to aid breathing.

While we ran out from time to fully develop the prototype intake, the XFR sported GSR’s custom stainless steel axle-back exhaust system, that might let this Jaguar roar and growl.

For Vorsteiner’s part, they designed and created a carbon fiber front lip, rear spoiler and diffuser. We may also improveBrowse the video at europeancarweb.com

The final alteration came thanks to Daley Visual, which wrapped the acres of chrome in grey vinyl to increase emphasize the sporting credentials our Jag now possessed.

Wearing its battle armor, the first meeting of these deadly foes saw a decisive victory to the XFR. It was the Battle of Britain all over again, with all the Germans underestimating the will to win.

When the two cars met at 5am in a deserted gas station, the luminescent lighting would shine brightest about the Jaguar. Since the notorious Bangle-designed BMWs hit the streets, the company’s design language has been challenging to many eyes. A few of the convex curves and sharp lines are still an acquired taste, although admittedly, the latest generations will be more handsome.

The F10 model may also be probably the most conservative M5s. There are few additional bulges or extra spoilers across a stock 5 Series, relying instead on badges and jewelry to tell apart it from lesser models.

Conversely, the Jaguar XF is one of the most elegant sedans on the market. Its athletic proportions and sleek lines giving the company a design direction that moves forward, instead of continually looking back.

The R model is again only subtly different from regular XFs, however those changes are more dramatic and leave little doubt concerning this car’s intentions. Along with our embellishments laid on theWith its carbon spoilers, lower suspension, wider stance and wrapped brightwork, the Italian Racing Red Jaguar was instantly appealing, receiving all the comments from fellow motorists while they wiped the sleep off their eyes, appearing to wonder why these sedans were lurking beneath the lights at such an ungodly hour.

The Vorsteiner formula had again worked its magic. With the help of just the right quantity of muscle in exactly the right places, our Jaguar became available punching similar to a pro.

If we’d also dressed the BMW M5 in Vorsteiner’s latest carbon fiber pieces and plus-sized wheels, the points scoring might have been slightly different, but it would remain a victory to the Jag, to become fair. Stock or modified, it’s a much more attractive car.

2012 jaguar XFR vorsteiner JSR V carbon fiber front lip 02

2012 jaguar XFR vorsteiner carbon rear diffuser 04

2012 jaguar XFR vorsteiner carbo JSR V trunk spoiler 06

Punch

While we always expected the XFR to win the visual contest, we knew it would be a different story on the streets. With its torquey, 560hp V8 biturbo motor, adjustable multi and suspension-stage traction control among its many weapons, the M5 is virtually over-equipped. Add the optional six-speed manual transmission fitted to our test car, and we couldn’t picture the Jaguar enjoyed a hope in hell.

From this point we expected to be explaining just how the Jaguar put up a good fight but was simply overwhelmed. But hang on a minute… the result wasn’t clear-cut. This fight would go down to the wire.

What surprised us most when swapping between the cars was the Jag’s composure. It was able to shine a totallyI will honestly say I was initially confused with the M5’s behavior. At first I assumed something was wrong using the car. But as we became more conscious of each car’s strengths, it was actually apparent the pupil was teaching the master.

During our morning canyon driving exercise – a challenging environment for such large, heavy and powerful machines – the XFR would leap out of each corner. It’s Eaton supercharger giving instant torque and allowing it to gain a few yards on the M5. This had the effect of making the M5 feel as if it had turbo lag, taking longer for your twin-turbos to spool up. It was something neither Michael nor I had previously experienced in the wheel in the F10 M5, but there it was.., because i mentioned.

Conversely, as the Jag’s 5.0L V8 began to run out of puff at higher revs, the topTapered off at the top-end, though this trait was highlighted in our dyno tests, in which the smaller supercharger pulley fitted by GSR gave the 510hp 5.0L V8 Jaguar engine an extra 20hp at the wheels throughout the rev range. Ideally, it needs software tuning or bigger injectors to get more power at high revs, but for our purposes it was sufficiently strong.

Both cars had enormously powerful brakes, allowing them to scrub speed for the tight turns effortlessly. Again, the Jag pedal felt a little bit more reassuring but neither car was compromised in this area. However, the Jag’s slightly slower steering meant its corner turn-in was effortless, creating a graceful arc. Whereas, the previously stunning M5 did actually want to turn-at the begining of and needed mid-corner correction. Its quicker steering caused it to be fussy from theits very own. On these roads, the XFR was easier to drive quickly, and much more relaxing to do so, even though driven on a racetrack, the M5’s power advantage and superior traction control system would undoubtedly allow it to pull ahead.

We were even surprised by the Jaguar’s six-speed automatic transmission. Our 2012 car pre-dates the latest eight-speed ZF automatic, which is the best in the market and commonly used. As a result, we assumed it would struggle inside our test although the paddles responded to aggressive downshifts, or selected the following cog with haste. And while it wasn’t as quick several dual-clutch set-ups, it didn’t detract from the experience either, suiting the XFR’s more relaxed demeanor.

So, the modifications we’d installed were definitely playing their part. The lower center of gravity and stiffer spring rates from GSR had reduced body roll, giving the vehicle more poise. The extra boost pressure in the smaller supercharger pulley have also been allowing it to have aWe’ve left the very best until the end, however: The GSR steel exhaust. Driven gently, or when cruising on the freeway, you had no indication in the joy that will be unleashed at wide-open throttle. Again, its stock exhaust unfairly handicapped the M5 but we advise you to look at our online video to hear the glorious engine note from the XFR . It made your spine tingle, especially bouncing from the canyon walls in the crisp morning air. You’d hear the V8 several corners before it emerged, and also the sound would reverberate round the rock face, leaving our entire crew grinning.

Our two tuning partners came up trumps, building a package for your XFR that’s put it comparable to one of the best super sedans in the business on extremely demanding roads. And as we examined last month, many of these parts will fit other XF models from the range.

On our drive home, the two M5 and XFR returned to their default mode as highly capable high-speed transport, with little to choose subjectively between them. So if you’re looking for a new or used sports sedan and want something different from the mainstream, we’ve hopefully given you some more reasons to placed the Jaguar XFR on your list alongside its German counterparts.

If any of you follow electronic dance music, you’re definitely going to know Mr. Steve Aoki. He’s one of the top DJs in the world having headlined festivals and has a residency at Vegas’ nightclub, Hakassan. He also posseses an enthusiasm for cars and collaborated with Nitto Tire on a party last year. Now, Aoki could add Scion on the list using this FR-S. Built by MV Designz, it’s got everything a DJ would need, including top audio components as well as a mixer from Pioneer. Not just audio, it’s also got a nightclub inside with LED, strobe lights along with a fog machine. Unce, unce!

In case you are in college or have a loved one who does, you know that there is lots more that goes into to school than merely books and pencils. Now college students need all sorts of things to help them out on campus so that they can get through every day. Here are three great things for every college student in your life.

1. A Tablet

A tablet, such as an iPad, went from a luxury to a necessity on campus. With the volume of eBooks or other materials that a college student has to deal with, a tablet is most likely the best and latest strategy to carry almost all their learning materials. Not only will possessing a tablet assist with school itself, but it is going to be among the finest ways to take care of friends from home by having the ease of having Facebook on a student’s fingertips.

2. A Vehicle

In case a student should get backwards and forwards into a job as well as get to campus if a student lives within a regular apartment, a car is one of the best ways that a college student can get around town which is especially helpful. With the Nissan Versa Note from Temecula Nissan, a college student can get anywhere they must go and still have a car that may be small enough to deal with crowded on-campus parking. You don’t need to worry about high monthly installments because of its reasonable price tag either, with the Versa Note. Find out more about the Nissan Versa Note by going to Metro Nissan Redlands.

3. A Bicycle

Think about acquiring a good bicycle for being on campus if your car is way too pricy. Most colleges offer bicycle parking at every building, making it one of the best ways to get around. Not only that, with a bicycle, you don’t have to bother about payments for gas or oil changes like you would with a car. A bicycle is a must-have for all those living on any campus.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be as driven as I am today had it not been for this car. It provides single-handedly kick-started my career and taught me to buckle down, open my own shop, and concentrate on where I want to be 10 years from now. That statement makes two questions come to mind. One, how many of you are able to say that is how building a car has affected you? As well as two, how many of you can have said it using that many unintentional automotive-related puns? Anyway, that is certainly how Buckey Laing of Las Vegas feels about his car, its build, and his awesome goal of becoming a recognized drifter on the professional circuit.

Buckey has been a drift enthusiast for several years. But one day stumbled across a few old-school V-OPT and other miscellaneous drifting videos from Japan, as a kid he got in to BMXing. I instantly got hooked on the style of this and made the switch from BMX and haven’t looked back, he says. Throughout the years he has looked to and drawn inspiration from other drifters and enthusiasts. “”Haraguchi and JTP, Daigo Saito, Koguchi, Naoki Nakamura/Team Burst, Yokoi/Mind Control, Buckey says, mainly just positive people doing what they love and building inspirational builds. I constantly adapt different styling cues into my own build based on these folksDuring 2010 Buckey was getting ready for your Vegas Pro-Am Series; he had an NA RX-7 that he was racing back then. Although he loved it, keeping that car running was a struggle. With the series coming closer, I decided to bite the bullet and part-out that car to only replace it with another being a solid entry-level starter car. My goal and motivation behind this car was to make a competitive drift car that would excel from the Pro-Am ranks and then compete at a professional level in Formula Drift, he says. The car was in his possession, but less than a month remained, as soon as all was done and said. When I got it, there were only a few weeks before the Pro-Am Series was to begin, Buckey says. That had been the car’s maiden voyage, and time was clearly not on his side. A few weeks were all they had to make the automobile a competitive drift car that wasn’t just able to contend, but additionally do so safely and legal for the series. Gathering good people, they visited work fabricating the rollcage and custom steering knuckles, not to mention installing all of the parts he had at that time. The various sleepless nights paid off. Buckey was not only able to compete, he managed to get all the way to the finals and secured another Place finish on his first outing with the car.

Many would be elated at that outcome, and Buckey was, but he was already looking forward. After putting it through its paces over the first event from the series, noticing the car’s weak links with parts that failed and realizing which parts needed to be upgraded due to age/strain, it evolved pretty rapidly, he says. Buckey started with the most pressing issue, the powerplant. The hard-fought battles had taken a toll, and the motor had blown. He took the FC 13B turbo motor and went to work. A Rotary Aviation full rebuild kit was utilized that included cryo-treated 2mm apex seals, solid corner seals, race spring kit, and water seals. A custom twin-scroll turbo manifold was created for any GT45R turbo with a 4-inch downpipe and exhaust setup. He had Forrest Wang of Get Nuts Laboratory stitch-weld the engine bay while the motor was out and create the V-mounted radiator and intercooler setup, and also the rear chromoly/bash bar. Buckey’s own Gloss-Factory took proper care of the front bash bar and adjustable rear toe control arms. The built turbo and motor setup make the power, the chassis and its host of custom, proven and shelf suspension modifications provide you with the control, and Falken rubber burns and smokes as Buckey quickly scans the blogosphere and practices his craft.

1987 mazda RX 7 turbo II painless wiring control panel 02

1987 mazda RX 7 turbo II bubble shift knob 04

1987 mazda RX 7 turbo II tomei fuel pressure gauge 03

Although Buckey continues to be building this car for approximately four years, many of the most memorable elements of its progressions happened within the first year he had it. He tells it best: Probably the most notable story behind this car was during Round 2 of the 2010 Vegas Pro-Am Series. The event was a two-day gig. The first day was simply practice, and the second day was comprised of two practice sessions, qualifying, and finally the most notable 16 battles.

The last run right before going back into the pits for the driver’s meeting/break, I ended up blowing the clutch up. We had around 45 minutes to get the hot car apart, source another clutch, install it, and hope everything worked with out any runs before qualifying to test it out–all this while I had a mandatory 20-minute driver’s meeting to attend. My pops went to a friend’s house to get a clutch while we all ripped into it. I can’t even remember how many people were throwing tools to us under the car and assisting. I left with the transmission out and the clutch occurring to attend the driver’s meeting. By the time I came back, my friends were lowering the car and telling me it was actually good to go. With only two runs to get in the show, instead of even knowing how it would work, I was able to qualify second and continue to win the event. It was actually an awesome experience to win it. I need to thank everyone who worked hard to assist. Randomly enough it was my dad’s birthday, so it was only rad!

Buckey clearly has a great population group in his corner, as well as a great attitude and perspective. Combine that with determination, hard work, as well as your own shop at your disposal, and you’ve got a killer combo that makes nothing but the sky the limit with this drifter and enthusiast. We hope to see you rivaling the pros in theLas Vegas, Nevada

Occupation.

Shop Owner, Gloss-Factory

Hobbies.

, wrenching on cars, and driftingBMX and karting

Build time.

4 years

Feedback.

driftfcbuckey@gmail.com

Motivation.

To be a competitive drift car, to excel through the Pro-Am ranks, and compete in a professional level in Formula Drift

1987 mazda RX 7 turbo II bosch 044 external fuel pumps 10

1987 mazda RX 7 turbo II alternator 09

1987 mazda RX 7 turbo II greddy trust thorrtle body elbow 08

’87 Mazda RX-7 Turbo-II

Engine: 13B-REW; large street port; Goopy bolt kit; Rotary Aviation 2mm Super Seal rebuild kit with cryo-treated apex seals, race springs, and solid corner seals; FC3C convertible subframe with custom solid mounts to evolve the FD RX-7 13B-REW to the Formula Drift rule book; GT45R turbo; Godspeed intercooler; custom T4 twin-scroll manifold; 4-inch custom downpipe and V-band exhaust; Get Nuts Laboratory intercooler V and piping-mount intercooler and radiator setup; Tial 44mm MV-R wastegate; Touge Factory pulley kit; stock ported throttle body; port-matched lower intake; Greddy/Trust throttle-body elbow; Haltech IAT sensor, coolant temp sensor, 3-bar map sensor; Mazdatrix block-off plate; 10-gallon fuel cell; 1-gallon surge tank; Walbro 255-lph fuel pump feeding surge tank from fuel cell; Bosch 044 external fuel pumps feeding motor from surge tank; Tomei Type-S fuel pressure regulator; Turblown Engineering top feed fuel rails; OEM FC primary injectors; Five-O Motorsports 2,300cc secondary injectors; Setrab oil cooler; Koyo 53mm radiator; Derale oil cooler fan and radiator fan with custom Gloss-Factory shroud; NGK spark plugs; MSD spark plug wires; LS1/LS2 ignition coils; Optima Redtop one thousandfront and rear pads; Mazdatrix stainless braided lines

Exterior: Sherwin-Williams custom Firemist Metallic paint by Gloss-Factory; BN Sports Type-I body kit; Mazda RX-7 sport model wing, S5 RX-7 taillights, S4 TurboII mirrors; Shine Auto Project roof spoiler; Gloss-Factory 85mm vent-less front fenders; Hotline Performance 50mm fenders flexed to 85mm; 9K Racing Uras-style hood vent; BCE Designs graphics

Interior: Haltech Racepak IQ3 digital dash; Bride Japan EXASIII driver seat; custom seat rails; Nardi Deep Corn 350mm steering wheel; Boss hub; bubble shift knob; stitch welded

Electronics: A’pexi AVC-R EBC solenoid controlled via Haltech Platinum Sport 2000 ECU with flying lead wire harness by Gloss-Factory

Gratitude: Nick at Falken Tire; Navith at Varrstoen Wheels; Laura and Dominic at Rotary Aviation;Matt and Eric, and Justin at SR Motorcars; Dave at ASD Motorsports; Dan at Parts Shop Max; Elliot at Turblown Engineering & Turbo Source; Kyle Mohan at Mazdatrix; Don at Grid-1 Motorsports; Chris at Euro Asian Motorworks; Steve at Rotary Lab; Forrest at Get Nuts Labs; Justin Pawlak at Hotline Performance; Anthony and Charles at Import Tuner for this opportunity; and, last but not least, my dad for always visiting tow it when it would break!

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Safari Rally Z Restoration Details:

Nissan Restoration Club is a group of specialist volunteers from Nissan’s Technical Center

Eighth car restored by club since 2006

Car won 1971 East African Safari Rally

Proved Z platform’s merits in motorsport besides road racing

This month the Nissan Restoration Club (NRC) – a group of volunteers from the company’s Japanese R&D facility endeavoring to get Nissan’s historic race cars rolling again – wrapped up its latest project, reanimating a renowned Safari Rally Z. The special variant of the Fairlady Z (referred to as Datsun 240Z in the Usa) won two overall East African Safari Rally titles, in 1971 and again in ’73, and more critically made a term for the circuit-working fastback coupe as a fishtailing dirt fighter.

The team decided to resuscitate the winning racer of the ’71 event, driven then by Edgar Hermann and Hans Schuller, which contains since been sitting on display in Nissan’s Heritage Collection at the Zama Operations Center in Kanagawa. In the past the club has brought to life the legendary 1964 Skyline race car, the Fuji and Sakura Datsun 210s that won Australia’s 1958 Mobilgas Trial and the 1947 Tama electric vehicle.

We recently had the pleasure of exchanging emails with NRC member Yukitaka Arakawa, who clued us in the club and what it takes to bring backWhen and why was the club started?

Yukitaka Arakawa: The Nissan Great Car Restoration Club was started in 2006 as a performance improvement activity, mainly to examine the highest technology Nissan had to offer at that time. The purpose of Restoration Club activities is two-fold.

Firstly, the club returns Nissan’s heritage vehicles to running condition when the vehicle was active. For the Safari Rally Z we wanted to take it straight back to its finished condition following the 1971 East African Safari Rally; for the car just like the 240RS Group B rally racer [from the mid-1980s], simply because it was just a demonstration car and had no actual rally participation history, we took the car to the condition it was actually shipped in from the factory in Oppama.

Sometimes the cars within the Zama Heritage Garage are not in original condition; the Safari Rally Z, by way of example, was displayed with a single carburetor and rubber upper radiator hose, while in racing spec actually used Weber triple carbs and a steel upper hose. We bring cars returning to their original used condition.

Secondly, we study senior engineer’s intentions, technical ideas and Mono-zukuri (manufacturing) from theWhat was the first car restored? What has been the most lengthy restoration and why?

YA: Our first vehicle was the 240RS Group B rally car. It also depends on the vehicle’s condition, though generally, body sheeting and paint take too much time. For the Fuji and Sakura 210s, which we restored in the year 2011, reproducing the images of cherry blossoms and Mt. Fuji about the hood and trunk of these cars was one of the more difficult operations. We traced original pictures onto paper, and then copied them to the bodies, an artisan performing everything by hand.

The Tama EV restored in 2010 also took a long time for body sheeting due to its wooden frame with steel panel structure. Gathering original vehicle condition information and parts also adds to the time it takes to restore a car.

IT: What percentage of the 60 current members are Nissan employees?

YA: All of our members are Nissan employees or with sister companies. We work mainly on Saturdays.

Nissan restoration club safari rally z members tinkering under hood.JPG

Nissan restoration club safari rally z l24 inline 6.JPG

Nissan restoration club safari rally z members examine undercarriage.JPG

IT: How does Nissan corporate support the club?

YA: Nissan permits use of its facilities and workshops at the Nissan Technical Center in Kanagawa, the company’s R&D base. It houses specialists in braking, engines, chassis, styling, body and electrical and power trains, along with the club’s home workshop.

IT: Sounds like there is lots of planning involved in restoration of the cars. Can you take us through how much of challenging they have been? For instance, do you have to fabricate new parts? How is each car re-engineered?

YA: Each specialized division makes related parts. For example, engine parts are created or ordered through the engine development division. Bodies are restored within the pre-production division.

IT: The time/man hours has it been taking to complete them?

YA: Generally, it will require 2,400 hours, but it also depends on vehicle condition. The Tama EV took the greatest amount of time.

Nissan restoration club safari rally z members prepare to shakedown.JPG

Nissan restoration club safari rally z members redo livery.JPG

Nissan restoration club safari rally z headlights.JPG

IT: After completion, the frequency of which do restorations become regular drivers or see the track?

YA: We confirm restored vehicles running condition almost every other year at the Oppama proving grounds. Our members are each division’s test driver.

IT: Which restoration continues to be the most fun to drive?

YA: Each member likes different restorations for various reasons. I enjoy the Group B 240RS and Sunny 1400 Excellent (from the 1970s, restored in 2008). Generally, we love motorsports vehicles best.

IT: What do you plan to do with it when it’s complete?

YA: We ran the vehicle at the 2013 Nismo Festival at Fuji Speedway. We hope beside run the vehicle at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K. if it’s possible.

*Photography by Nissan Restoration Club

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