Hangin’ out, talking shit & driving the best car ever made.. What could be better?

Probably the coolest yet most bizarre thing I’ve seen this year, this spin off of the ‘DRIFT’ series of DVD’s is the story of 3 girls dubbed the ‘86Angels’, one 86 and an all-girl drift battle to end all battles.

Titled DRIFT Special: Beauty Battle, you only know it’s going to be awesome. Here is a short highlight, but make sure to watch the entire story (with dubious subtitles) from the first video.

Today we have another Aussie feature car/interview for you. One of my favourite AE86’s, Robo’s simple yet effective Levin coupe is certainly tough as nails.

Background on yourself?
Well I was born in Brisbane in 1990, grew up around cars & motorbikes so I guess that was the start of it all! I have been into drifting/ import scene for a while now and i started going out to Queensland Raceway for photography back in late 2003 at the age of twelve or so!

History of your car?
From what I can tell my ‘86 was driven around daily in Tokyo, Japan (where it came from), it had an easy life, I was very happy to see it as clean as it was! Being a grade 3 auction car, it was better than expected to be honest. When I got it the modding began from day one, I remember running inside to grab the dildo shifter to put in. Then came suspension/ wheels and as they say the rest is history!

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You may remember a few months back we posted up that Hasselgren was building Taka Aono a turbo powered 16v 4A-GE for his Formula D AE86? Well it’s finally finished! Check out the the next two videos for the first runs on the dyno and it in full flight at practice at Formula D Seattle.

This time it’s the crew over @ 7TUNE with their version of the event. Lots of ’86s in action in the photos (it’s huge gallery and almost every picture has an AE86 in there somewhere).

Check it out here. I just can’t get enough…..

By none other than Antonio Alvendia, man that guy gets around!

Enjoy some highway anarchy today with this classic… I nearly fell off my chair laughing at this because I can clearly remember the QLD boys doing the exact same thing a few years back one night on the highway.  Doesn’t do anything except waste fuel and possibly foul plugs but DAMN that shit looks and sounds wicked!!

If you’re ontop of whats happenning in drifting worldwide, you would be aware of the current trend of putting the Honda S2000’s F20C engine into the AE86. One reason you could summise why the swap is so popular is to try and reduce the inherent lack of power output most professional AE86 drifters suffer from.  At least 5 major AE86 drifters from the USA have chosen the Honda route and successfully pulled it off with the European guys more recently jumping onto the bandwagon with conversions of their own.

Now here @ HR Blog we love all things AE86, however some of us are purists whilst others embrace the idea of the engine transplant. We want to know what you think about engine transplants (or any other complete component transplants for that matter) and what your dream AE86 configuration would entail. Original, Hi-tech or a straight out mongrel - get commenting and let us hear your ideas!

Antonio from Speedhunters really can’t resist his deeply-rooted ‘86 urges and continues to deliver the goods with another blog of awesome hachiroku’s from Ebisu Summer Drift Festival last weekend.  Check out these three tasty morsels of Toyota engineering complete with engine pics and the lot over at Speedhunters blog. Love your work Antonio!

The Ebisu Circuit Summer Drift Festival (aka Natsumatsuri) was held last week and the humble 86 was out in force. The event is non stop track action for 36hrs and is held on the many different track layouts found at Ebisu Circuit. Our friends over at Speedhunters have full coverage of the event here and we have posted up some pictures after the jump, enjoy.

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With the demographic of most 86 owners between 18-25 years old, most of  you wouldn’t have a clue who Wayne Bell is. Wayne Bell is a Aussie rally hero who use to punt around an AE86 in the mid 80’s in the Australian Rally Championship. He was able to steer his humble ‘86 to ‘top three’ finishes on the dirt roads around Australia against a lot of more powerful machinery. Here is a highlight package of Wayne doing his thing:

Source: Youtube, Motorsportmemories

JSP Fabrication have caught the F20C AE86 bug and have apparently made up the first and only bolt in engine conversion mount set for installing the Honda S2000 engine into the ‘86. The kit sits the engine and gearbox into the car with no need to cut the firewall or modify the hood to clear - a massive benefit for those without a welder!

The result is an F20C which sits very low in the engine bay lowering the overall centre of gravity of the car and keeping the very agile feel of the original AE86 configuration.  An added bonus is the factory 4A-GE and S2000 rubber engine mounts keeping the engine vibration to a bare minimum. They also offer a 4A-GE turbo manifold and various other model bits and pieces too.

Check ‘em out here.

Here are some of the photos that I took of some of HR forum members out drifting at an Initial Drift Practice day. There was three sprinters, redsprinter in his 4A-GTE powered Levin hatch, Steriodchickens in his CA18 powered Levin hatch and James Small in his NA 4A-GE 20 valve powered Levin hatch.

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On Sunday I was out taking photos at Oran Park, for an Initial Drift practice day. Brad aka Steroidchickens, was out there kicking ass in his CA18 powered Levin Hatch like he normally does. All was going well until the end of the day, where Brads car was part of an incident where an S15 Silvia ran into him. Although the damage was not that bad, and surprisingly Brad was not too worried about it, the moment of the point of impact actually made my heart cringe.

This brings me to the point of this blog entry. Have you ever thought about how you would react if your beloved Hachi was involved in an incident and heaven forbid written off? I felt sick inside just seeing another ‘86 getting hurt let alone my own pride and joy.

Personally, I probably would have went crazy. When a random guy reversed into my sprinter while it was parked on the side of the road, I went absolutely nut case at the guy..

So that brings me to the all important question: How do you think you would react if your hachi got damaged? Please use the comment function and let us know!

Some of the guys across the pond took it upon themselves to re-open the history book and re-live the fun they all use to have at the Takumi Project shop before it closed down. Check out some of the rigs that turned up at the reunion over at Club4A-G Forums, all looking amazing I might say!

Some days you stumble onto the most useful things and today was no different.  In the midst of scouring the web for various parts for Project HR, I came across a company called NAPREC. Short for Nagoya Precision, this small but busy workshop in Hachiouji has turned out various engine parts for the veritable 4A-GE since its establishment in 1997.

Whilst lacking the bling of other major brands like TODA or HKS, the NAPREC gear is no fuss, offering cheaper products whilst retaining top quality production. Especially interesting is their custom cast aluminium sump pan, it’s design and finish is just so alluring, even though it’s only a sump pan!

Check the rest out, it’s certainly worth it!

Every now and then I like to look at Yahoo Auctions Japan, just to see what cars are available currently in Japan. It’s interesting to see the different approach to styling the Japanese 86 owners take. Some times you get some amazing examples, other times you just see rubbish. I also enjoy looking at other Toyotas from the era such as TE71s and KP61s (truth be told, I would swap my Hachi for one in a heartbeat…) as I wish deep down Toyota had brought these cars to Australia way back in the day.

Anyway, I use to never look on yahoo auctions as I could never navigate my way around the site, due to poor layout and the language barrier. However, I found a website that makes my viewing of Yahoo Auctions so much easier and it also attempts to translate the Japanese into English too!!! Score!!

http://www.rinkya.com/

The whole point of this entry is to create a regular blog that will show you guys some of the hottest AE86s we dig up on Yahoo Auctions.

See a sweet example after the jump.

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When it comes to building awesome AE86’s for both the street and the track, there a few shops more skilled than Tec-Arts which is located just outside of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture.

Besides building numerous top level street cars, Tec-Arts AE86 racing experience also includes their famous N2 race car which has achieved great success at the N2 races held at Tsukuba Circuit. Tec-Arts also has an active D1GP project which has been in competition for a few years now. T

he driver of the Tec-Arts D1 Trueno is Kensaku Komoro and is currently competing in the D1GP. It helps set the standard for competition AE86 drift cars around the world and shows that the 25-year old chassis has plenty of life of left in it.

Check out the entire writeup @ SPEEDHUNTERS.

MSC is a grassroots drift series in Japan which features some of the hottest privateer driftcars around. This tasty morsel is from a drift team called ‘Shake of Worker’… Is this not the coolest team name you have ever heard? Classic!

With some of the worst subbing I’ve ever seen on a video, this clip is an excerpt from the Initial D Live Action Movie’s ‘Bonus Disc’ showing a very lucky yet shit-scared TV presenter getting a ride with Dorikin.  You don’t really need the translation to understand what happens. Reminds me of a scene with Takumi and Itsuki in the actual movie…

Check it out here.

Here at HR we try to recognise those people in our community that have made or tried to make a difference as much as possible. People how have been in the scene for a long time or have owned/built/raced 86’s over the years.

We are going to try and turn this into a more regular type of thing. So if you enjoy this interview and know someone else worth interviewing please give us a yell with their contact details and why their journey has inspired you and why you think it should be told!

On with the interview.

I first met Evan about 2-3 years ago through the HR forum at one of the HR annual 86 events, where i believe Evan was driving his coupe onto the track tarmac for the first time. I remember being hugely surprised watching Evan in his basically stock Levin coupe tearing it up with the likes of Beau’s N2 86 and other assorted highly tuned 86’s. I later learned that Evan came from a family of drivers and had raced in the Lotus cup, so it was no wonder that this Northern’er had some skills to pay the bills!

So I caught up with this scallywag to see what he had to say…

How old are you big fella?

23 going on 24 in September.

Location?

Newcastle NSW

What is your background?

Grew up in the hunter valley ‘wine country’ near Cessnock lol. Moved to Newcastle for high school and did a couple of years of university, but hated it! I was a very shy kid, who loved cars. I also loved to draw and design them. I was loving anything with wheels or a motor, but i am not sure why i didn’t take on motorbikes as strongly as cars. I guess with my big car influence being my dad and uncle who were driver trainers. They were not really into motorbikes, so i didn’t take that up strongly. I never really found an interest in the mechanical side of cars or bikes, only operating them.

What got you into 86s?

I had noticed some on early HPI videos with the Nikko circuit footage. I thought i had seen them at bathurst and wondered if i could get one for my first car, as the 8 seater van that i had was due to die. I loved the shape of them and couldn’t believe what these guys were doing in them. It had reminded me of what i used to do with my pedal car Merc that i had when i was a kid. I would take rubber off the wheels cause it was removable and slide about the place when i was 4 or 5. i didn’t know it was the sport of drifting till later on. After finding out more and more i was continuously discovering that these cars were popular. I also stumbled across the Initial D cartoon like most of us don’t admit to. So i had to find one of my own. Driving down a main street in Newcastle one day, i caught one out of the corner of my eye in a car yard. It had just been traded in and It was $2,500, bog standard in light blue and I bought it there and then. I thought it was in good condition, but little did i know of the reputation of the ae86 with rust. So i was happy to find out my car was rust free and had ALSO an uncracked dash haha. Loved the car. First night i had it, it was pissing down rain and i was sliding about everywhere trying to look cool. Took me time to research what was needed in these cars to improve them. I am still learning a lot to this day.

Why are you still so heavily involved in 86s?

I can’t seem to get away from them. I have been helping people with parts for all kinds of cars now. But i love the parts list for the ae86. I love they way they look modified, and i love the way that even the smallest thing can make a huge difference to the driving ability of the car. They seem to have taught me a lot about driving and I find that any car is easy to drive after bashing around in the AE86. I think i have will always have one or two in my garage. I think its also the fact that i have had some of the most amazing driving experiences in them as well and shared them with my friends. The AE86 community is awesome aswell.

What type of 86 do you own and give us a quick rundown of it and future plans?

I own a 1986 Levin coupe GT apex in panda black n white. I hope to have a full ‘carland’ style rebuild in the very near future. So, I am leaning towards a black top 20v after retiring the idea of an F20C motor. Wheels are the next buy on the list and Watanabes in a crazy size is coming up. It rust free which is great but it has hail damage and stupidity damage from me. It was parked at the top of my driveway. And i pulled the hand brake up and forgot to put it in gear. So i went inside, and i was down stairs with the missus getting kinda busy, if you know what i mean. Then mid swing i hear a crazy loud crashing sound up stairs like the house was falling down. So jumped up grabbed my pants and ran, dick swinging, to find that the car had parked itself in the garage next to dad’s RX8. But the stupid car forgot to put the garage door up. It was crazy that it missed the rx8 all together.

How do you feel that you are Matt Meads idol?

I am humbled to hear that. He’s a fantastic kisser, but he is  really touchy about some things and he is always up my arse about something. Both physically and emotionally.

Prefer discipline?

I am fond of spanking.

How many 86s have  you owned?

I have had 3 ae86’s now. Scrapped one of them for parts a couple of years ago. Smashed one into a wall at Oran Park doing 150km/h. I ended up being semi concussed, thinking i was at eastern creek and not knowing my girlfriends name. I suspected that the bolt on the pillowball caster arms broke. Now the current coupe. I never liked the coupe shape till i owned it. Now its my favourite. I plan on a few more too.

Why did you start your business Royal Garage?

Good question. I guess after being around people in the industry and getting alot of contacts through my motor sport stint, i was really keen to try something like selling performance parts to fellow enthusiasts. I liked the idea of having my own business so i could have time to work on my car and the money to go to the track but it hasn’t turned out that way. I love helping like minded people to modify their car too.  It comes back to my past passion in design. I wanted to be an automotive designer. I lost the drive to become one and i became really impatient with art and drawing. But i find that modifying my own and other peoples cars is a continuation of that passion, and it is a kind of personal expression of car design. I can show people what i like and dislike in a car. Letting people know that we have been there and done that with the ae86 and helping them out is great too. Except suppliers are shitting me to tears lately lol

Does your family and girlfriend share your passion for 86s or just put up with it?

Mum thinks its a bucket of shit, especially after i worked out i have spent 60K plus all up on ae86 stuff and don’t have much to show for it.

Dad loves them and he was always there to help me with it until becoming sick. My girlfriend had always liked cars but didn’t know anything about the ae86. But she loves them and wants a panda Trueno. Its pretty funny how much she has picked up on while listening to us boys ramble on. She is also the most calm passenger i have ever had which amazes me.

What’s your opinion on the 86 scene both here in Australia and Internationally?

I think its peak in popularity has been and gone, and we are left with the true AE86 fans, which is great in my book. I just hope the parts keep being made and the communities keep organising events.

Where do you see our culture say in 10years?

I see it being very underground as the cars get older and older, as well as becoming a lot more rare. I think some of the AE86’s that are in decent original condition in 10 years time being very expensive. Also track sitting will be few and far between due to the age of the car. I hope i am wrong.

How’d you break your wrist?

I was drunk and fell over while jumping over a huge pop plant. But i managed to dance around in the club after wards with ice around my wrist lol. I thought it was just sprained. Then after it healed i was driving the mirage cup cars around Oran Park and the extremely heavy steering jarred my thumb down and re-broke the same bone when there was a coming together with another guy, while i was diving under brakes. Horrible evil car they are!

Anything you would like to add?

I’d like to thank the HR academy for this award. Continue the 86 life!

Tags: 86, evan, interview, Race

Another month and another HR Victoria monthly meet, this time we went for a cruise on some twisty roads to Buxton for some over sized burgers.

Check out the full event write-up and pics after the jump!

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Every day i usually just do some random surfing of the internet and i happened to stumble upon an aspiring clothing designer, Jaidan Watson, who happens to have a luv for the humble Hachi Roku. Jaidan has used his design skill to come up with a collections of different car related t-shirts, but you can clearly tell he is an 86 fan!!!

Here is a link to Jaidans website where you can see the t-shirts for yourself:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/dori86/clothing?page=2

If this doesn’t scare you then you have large gooners! Poor 86!!

Thinking about doing a ground up rebuild on your humble little 86????

Dont know where to start???

Watch this youtube video to see how Tsuchiya’s personal Trueno was preped:

As the user has disabled embedding of the link please find the link here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHEdtAVlbBw