TougeFriends JP

2017 has been extremely busy so far between work and school. It hasn't left me very much time to get out to the track. Around spring, I started getting the remaining items for the vehicle and getting everything bolted up. The installation of the new brake setup started everything off. The setup includes DBA 4000 rotors, StopTech lines, and PMU pads. HC800s are used for the street, with Club Racers being intended for track duty. I also went ahead and installed the Swift springs and Whiteline LCAs I had gotten at the end of the previous year. After getting everything on, I needed to get the car aligned. As mentioned in a previous post, Subaru really does these cars a diservice by giving it an absolute trash alignment from the factory. I'm willing to bet that if Subaru would give the car an appropriate alignment and then was tested at the track along side other vehicles, it would post lap times roughly 2 seconds faster than what it's currently doing around the tracks ri...

This car came after my 98 240sx. I only had it for a year and unfortunately lost pretty much all of the photos I had of it during the time I owned it and had the parts on it. I bought it from a friend who had bought it from a guy who had just finished refurbishing it. The engine was completely rebuilt using all factory OEM components and ran like a champ. I actually managed to get over 400 miles on a tank of gas at one point when I had it. Never managed to get out to any events but I did have some fun with it on some lots and elsewhere and really loved it. The car made no power, but I really liked the S13 chassis more than the old S14 I had. The goal was to do a simple Type X build on 17/18 TE37s. The car would sport a red BRIDE interior and a simple SR20 with an S15 T28 turbo. I figured that would be plenty for what I had in mind, but I ended up selling the car about a year later to take a break from cars as I left for basic training and enlisted for Active Duty in the Army. I ...

The beginning of 2009 came along and I made a few more changes to the car. To start off, I ditched the steam roller 3 piece wheels in favor of some smaller, more functional wheels. I ditched the SSRs and grabbed some JIC Magic JForce 07s in 17x10 all around from Forrest. Since he was running the D1GP USA series and was sponsored by Nexen, I also got a set of Nexen tires from him, in addition to the tires that were already on the wheels, in addition to a few small misc. items I was after. The new wheels allowed me to lower the ride height and change the alignment up a bit. I went from running around -2.2 rear camber to about -1.5. Also went from -3 front to -4 front. The smaller 235/40 tires meant more clearance which meant no rub, and it also allowed the wheels to break traction easier. After all, the car was a pretty basic setup, using the standard KA24 with a GReddy TD06 kit. The block was stock though, so boost was kep at a lower level. I ran 6psi on the street for 91 octane, an...

This was the first car that I owned. It was purchased back in 2005 from a guy and already had a good number of items on it. I owned it up until late 2009 and made quite a few changes over that period of time. Engine/Drivetrain: -GReddy TD06 20G Turbo Kit -GReddy 24V FMIC -GReddy Fuel Rail w370cc Injectors -GReddy Airnix Intake -GReddy Oil Catch Can -GReddy Oil Filler Cap -GReddy Radiator Cap -GReddy E-Manage Piggyback ECU -Nismo Fuel Pressure Regulator -JIC Magic 3" Titanium Exhaust -Koyo Aluminum Radiator -Samco Radiator Hoses -HKS SSQV -Z32 TT MAF -ACT Stage 2 Clutch -Cusco RS 2 Way Differential Chassis/Suspension: -HKS Hipermax RS Coilovers -Cusco Front & Rear Sway Bars -Cusco Front & Rear Strut Bars -Cusco Tension Rods -Cusco RUCAs -Cusco Toe Links -Cusco Traction Links -Nismo Power Brace -TEIN Inner and Outer Tie Rods -Autopower 4pt Bolt In Roll Cage Exterior: -PPG Brilliant Black Crystal ...

Having been exposed to the Gran Turismo franchise at a young age, I can remember driving cars that we couldn't have here in the U.S. There was a high level of appeal, as those cars were typically some of the better performing cars in their class. Add the sense of "unobtainium" to it, and you're left with a sense of jealousy for those who live in countries that had access to such vehicles. Of couse everybody knew about the Nissan Skyline, S15 Silvia and such. For me though, I was really into the Mitsubishi Evo VI. The idea of having a 4 door vehicle that had the performance to hang with vehicles that cost 2-3x as much, while also being relatively inexpensive was extremely appealing to me. Unfortunately, we didn't get those cars here in the U.S. Then came 2004. The U.S. finally started seeing some highly sought after vehicles being sold in the market. We were finally given two giants that we wanted for years: The 2003 Mitsubishi Evo VIII and the 2004 Subaru WR...

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was no Youtube or social media. Gathering information or research on parts, troublshooting, or what events were taking place really could only be done through online forums or actual interaction with people, whether it be over the phone or in person. The resources just weren't really there to link people on an international level like they are today. That being said, when new trends or fads came along within the car industry, the first people to know where people who had actual connections within the industry. Fast forward to today, and you can pretty much gather information regarding any topic (not just automotive related) within a couple of minutes. Finding info on what parts work or don't work, what events are taking place near you, or gaining knowledge on how to tackle the next modification on your own vehicle couldn't be easier. The internet is probably the most powerful tool ever, and it's easily accessible by pretty...

I started the TougeFriends instagram a couple years back for the sole purpose of providing a change of pace from the typical automotive social media page. I was on 24hr staff duty on a Sunday (fml) and late in the evening, I was scrolling through instagram and noticed something interesting. Every car page was basically exactly the same. I went through well over 50 pages and it was just a bunch of pictures of the same 10-20 cars. Slammed, obscene amounts of camber, parked somewhere, with a "tag the owner/tag the photographer/buy my merchandise/link in bio" captions. I wondered: Why is everybody doing the same thing? Why aren't there really any pages that post more of the old school stuff? The stuff that got us into cars in the first place. There were pages out there where people frequently posted some of the old, nostalgic stuff, but I didn't really see anything that was dedicated. I knew I had access to stuff from various accounts over a 15 year period, so ...