Like most nostalgia drag events in the USA, the annual March Meet at Famoso Raceway is dominated by American cars with American engines. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find a few people racing cars of the imported variety…

This year there was a large contingent of street legal, air-cooled Volkswagens that were taking part in the action; some with naturally aspirated engine setups sitting under their deck-lids and others with turbochargers. As you can see in the lead photo, Jeff Newcomb’s 1955 Beetle falls into the second category.

But even before you get to the engine, there’s something downright cool about this Hot Rod Eliminator class competitor. It starts with the ground-hugging stance and a subtle gray body that’s devoid of any decals or graphics.

And while the lightweight drag wheels are there for function more than anything else, they look quite good tucked beneath the fenders, fitted with full slicks in the rear. Also note the trick Wilwood wide-five hubs.

But it’s really the fully built flat-four engine that raises the eyebrows when you see this car. However, you almost forget about the motor itself when you see the wild forced induction setup.

There’s a massive Garrett turbocharger with a Turbosmart Ultra-Gate38 external wastegate feeding a big DaVinci carb, and the whole setup is so large that it actually sits completely outside of the original engine bay. For as subtle as the Bug is, a sleeper it is not.

The cockpit is pure function, with a full roll-cage along with a pair of Kirkey racing buckets and a detachable steering wheel. And like most Volkswagen drag cars, it gets down the strip with a manual gearbox.

Unfortunately, I missed seeing the Bug run down the Famoso quarter mile, but it was running a 12.40 dial-in. After checking out Jeff’s car in the pits I feel a very strong urge to get out to one of the West Coast all-VW drag events very soon. What say you?

Mike Garrett

More Volkswagen related stories on Speedhunters

These days, if you are going to build a car from the 1960s or ’70s you’re likely to choose one of three directions for your project. First off there’s the restoration route, where you do your best to return everything back to how it was when the car came out of the showroom. It’s surely the most traditional way to revive an old car.

Then there’s the resto-mod option. You repair and restore the problem areas on the car, and then add in some aftermarket bits for extra performance and style. It’s a method that seems to get more popular each year.

And the third way? Well, that’s when you decide to get a little bit crazy. Rather than embracing the old school way, you take the shell of your vintage car and transform it into something much different and much more powerful than anyone could have dreamed when it was originally built.

Toni Laari’s Datsun 260Z out of Finland is a car that falls into the that third category. It’s got the unmistakable look of an early ’70s Z, and the kind of streetable power that no one could have imagined back in 1974.

When Toni originally acquired the Datsun it wasn’t as if he was searching high and low for an old Z to build into his dream car. He simply found the car for sale nearby his house and thought it had a good look to it. Not only that, but he liked the fact that it was rear-wheel drive and had plenty of room in the engine bay to accommodate whatever wild power plant he might decide to go with.

Also of interest is that Toni’s Z is not the more popular two-seat body style, but the less commonly seen 2+2 shape. While some think 2+2 Zs are a bit awkward looking, I think Toni’s car shows they can look just as good as their two-seat counterpart. It also gives the whole thing an added layer of uniqueness.

Even before he acquired the 260Z, Toni knew he wanted to build a street car with tons of power for the track, great handling and a very cool style. With the Datsun in his possession, he rolled the car into his garage and began on making his vision a reality.

Neo-Classic: A Turbo-Swapped ’71 Celica

We love classic cars. We love their engines, their styling, their smell – and their character. Whether you currently own a vintage car, are planning to buy one, or have just dreamed about it, I think we can all agree that the cars of yesterday offer something that you just can’t find in today’s high tech machines.

In the world of our car hobby, there are few things more rewarding then finding an old beat-up vehicle and breathing new life into it. It’s the kind of thing lots of car enthusiasts live for. Whether it’s some simple refreshing to get an old car back on the road, or tearing one down for a complete rebuild, a classic car represents a wealth of opportunities depending on your budget, spare time, and mechanical ability.

But as with any car project, there are some questions that need to be answered before the wrenches start turning. What do you want from your classic car? A factory restoration is the most traditional choice. It will probably be most beneficial to the car’s value, and there’s always something to be said for a period correct throwback to the way motoring was done in the past.

But if you go this route, there are going to be some drawbacks. Even with a full restoration, your old car will still drive like, well, an old car. Acceleration, braking, handling, fuel economy and reliability may seem very lacking, especially to someone who is used to driving newer, more technologically-advanced automobiles.

So in that case, you might instead to choose to completely modify your vintage car. Whether you’re driving on the street or race track, you can go for a modern engine swap, upgrade the suspension and install bigger brakes with large wheels and tires and so forth. If you do things right, you’ll have a classic car that drives like something a lot newer.

But then again, is the car really a classic at that point? It might look like one, but some might say that if you wanted the performance and reliability of a new car, you should have just gone and bought one. I love a thoroughly modernized classic, but I do agree that having all the high tech bits takes some of the adventure out of things.

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The challenge then, is to try and find the middle ground. A classic car that can be improved in the right areas without taking away all the stuff that made us fall in love with it in the first place. The 1971 Toyota Celica you see here is a perfect example of this.

The car is owned by Southern California’s Jorge Aguilera, and when I saw it at Toyotafest in Long Beach this year I fell in love with it. It was the complete package, and after a few seconds of surveying its eye-catching green bodywork and mechanical bits I knew we had a feature car on our hands. A call was made to Larry Chen and now we have the images you see here.

Jorge is part of a tight-knit group of SoCal Toyota enthusiasts, and he’s owned the Celica for seven years now. When he first brought the old Toyota home, his wife wasn’t too pleased (I think we’re all familiar with that), but in the time since, he’s created what is surely one of most impressive first generation Celicas this side of Tokyo.

The Celica was a big deal when it went on sale in the United States during 1971. It offered the scaled-down looks of a Camaro or Mustang, sports car moves and the fuel economy and reliability that Japanese imports were quickly becoming known for. It also turns out that these early model Celicas would be the best looking of the bunch – before ‘the man’ intervened with his 5mph crash laws and the gigantic bumpers that came with them.

In addition to having those great first year lines, Jorge also outfitted the body of his Celica with a few period correct modifications that make a big difference to the look. There’s a subtle front chin spoiler and a set of Japanese market fender mirrors…

… along with set of over fenders that give the svelte Celica just the right amount of 1970s toughness. Combine that with the paintwork done by Jorge’s close friend Sid and you’ve pretty much got the perfect exterior.

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But it’s not just the exterior that makes this car so good. In North America, the early Celicas were only offered with single overhead cam engines that, while decent for their time, paled in comparison to the more exotic DOHC engines available in Japan.

This wouldn’t be the last time American market cars got the short end of the stick when it came to engine choices, but no problem though because like many old school Toyota enthusiasts, Jorge swapped in a twin cam 18R-G motor that made the Daruma Celica such a hit in Japan.

But he didn’t stop there. For some extra power, he outfitted the 18-RG with a T3/T4 turbocharger with a custom piping and intercooler set-up. While this doesn’t make the Celica a wheel stander or tire destroyer, it’s still a huge improvement over what the car made from the factory.

But more importantly, I just think there’s something cool about popping the hood and seeing that old school twin cam engine with a snail attached to it. There are any number of modern Japanese powerplants Jorge could have gone with while looking for more power and reliability – but I very much like this combination. It looks like something you might have seen at at a tuning house back in the early ’80s.

The engine is mated to a five-speed transmission and to handle the additional power that the car is putting down, the rear differential has been upgraded to one from a ’79 Supra.

Inside the car, you’ll find the same great balance of classic style and functional upgrades – and that’s a good thing because first generation Celicas had interiors that looked just as cool as their bodies.

For the most part everything looks pretty original here, but Jorge has made a few changes…

… like installing a pair of bucket seats from an ’85 Supra that have been convincingly reupholstered to match the rest of the cockpit.

There are other little things like carbon fiber trim and extra gauges to keep an eye on the turbocharged engine…

… but by and large, that great nostalgic feel of a 1970s Japanese car has been kept intact.

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Finally, we have the wheel and tire set-up. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a cool vintage car that’s been visually ruined by having a set of modern oversized wheels with low profile tires. It’s a look that can work sometimes, but it takes some effort.

Thankfully Jorge doesn’t have that problem, because he went with a very period-correct wheel choice. Those are RS Watanabes measuring 13″x8.5 in the front and 13″x9.5 in the rear.

Combine the timeless Watanabes and those flares with meaty 13″ tires and you’ve got a look that could’ve come straight from the grid at Fuji Speedway in the early ’70s.

As for future plans, Jorge is planning to go through the Celica’s suspension and also to eventually build a new motor for it.

Whatever he plans to do though, you can rest assured that the car will not stray from its perfect blend of old and new.

This Celica is not an exact recreation of something that rolled off the assembly line in 1971, nor is it a modern performance car wrapped in a vintage body. It’s somewhere right in the middle, and that’s what makes it so special.

Mike Garrett
Instagram: speedhunters_mike
mike@speedhunters.com

Photos by Larry Chen
Instagram: larry_chen_foto
larry@speedhunters.com

Jorge Aguilera’s 1971 Toyota Celica

Engine
18R-G DOHC swap, T3/T4 turbocharger with custom piping and front mount intercooler, Greddy BOV, 2.5″ exhaust

Driveline
Five-speed manual gearbox, ’79 Supra rear differential

Wheels/Tyres
RS Watanabe 13″x8.5 (front) 13″x9.5 (rear), 215/50/30 Sumitomo tires (front) , 235/45/13 Kumho tires (rear)

Exterior
Front chin spoiler, bolt-on over fenders, JDM fender mirrors, bodywork by Sid

Interior
Original ’71 Celica with ’85 Supra bucket seats, aftermarket steering wheel, Alpine audio equipment

THE 1000HP 4-ROTOR, TURBO, NITROUS, LEXUS GS300

If there’s a fine line between genius and insanity, when it comes to building cars, New Zealander Carl Thompson walks that line. Need proof? Then look at his latest creation, because this built-to-drift Lexus GS300, is both brilliant and at the same time borderline crazy.

If you’re social media savvy then there’s a pretty good chance you’ve already seen – and heard – the car in question; albeit via a short, off-the-cuff YouTube clip walk-around shot by Speedhunters’ own Mad Mike Whiddett. Within the space of just one week it had generated over quarter of a million views. If you haven’t done so already, turn up your speakers and watch it, then you might understand why.

I first laid my eyes on the car back in 2011 when it was nothing more than a bare, rolling shell having its roll cage sorted at M3 Racing after some serious chassis modification courtesy of M3 and Rolling Addiction. I chanced upon it again last year when it was in the throes of having its engine fired up at CBR. Now, three years on since Carl and his father Jamie set out to build what is quite possibly the craziest Lexus drift machine the world has ever seen, we meet again – this time on its own turf.

The Thompson compound is a very cool place, and while the guys did some last minute detailing I took a walk around what is essentially Jamie’s private auto museum. I’ll show you a little more later in the post…

Amidst a large collection of old school classics, I found the car that started it all off for Carl. He got the Corolla when he was just 13, and within five years it had gone from stock 4K-powered to pushing close to 450hp to the rear wheels through a built 1.6L, turbocharged 4A-GZE. And that was without factoring a large shot of nitrous oxide at the ready should the need for even more power arise. Which, for Carl, it did.

In many ways this rabid (and rapid!) little Toyota was the catalyst for the Lexus build. Having owned three GS300 (aka JDM-spec Toyota Aristo) road cars previously, Carl had his mind made up on exactly where he wanted the drift project to start. Engineering the car with a similar power-to-weight ratio and the same questionable demeanor as the Corolla is where he wanted end up.

To that end the Lexus was essentially built as a “scaled up” version of the Corolla, but with pure race car functionality and absolute high-end build quality in mind.

On the flip side, Carl had clear intentions about what the car should look like too; and in this respect wheel type, ride height and fitment all shared the number one spot on his priority list. Of course, there are two ways you can go about achieving perfect stance: the right way, and the wrong way. This one’s had custom chassis work including a 7″ body drop and tubbing for the cause, so I don’t think I need to spell out which route was taken.

Meticulous attention to detail is common theme throughout the car, and absolutely no corners were cut, or compromises made, during the intensive build period.

When I was talking to Mike about the car a few months ago, he suggested that it might just be the best drift build he had ever seen. I don’t think he’s wrong either, because the more you look, and the deeper you delve into the car, the better it gets. Take the 18×12.5″ Work Meister wheels, custom full floating Endevor Engineering hubs and dual Wilwood 4-pot calipers (one pair exclusively for the e-brake) on the rear end for example.

And that said, there was absolutely no questioning the fact that it needed a limited edition Speedhunters #MAXIMUMATTACK sticker stuck on it!

The one detail that did change during the build is actually its defining factor. Initially a Toyota 2J-GZE was destined to give the big car the big power it needed – four digit horsepower output the required goal. Although started that engine build was never completed, at by which time Carl had his sights set on a less conventional approach.

And the flame-throwing and subsequent metal-warping result of that idea is nothing short of spectacular.

At the heart of the GS300 is one of the angriest rotary engine packages you’re likely to find outside a methanol-guzzling drag motor. It’s the handiwork of Curran Brothers Racing – or more specifically the man behind the Auckland-based operation – Brent Curran. In it’s simplest form you’re looking at four-rotor peripheral-ported motor built from a quartet of CBR race-prepped 13B rotors and housings, wrapped around a Precision Engineering (NZ) four-rotor crankshaft. Even without pushing the ignition switch it’s a work of automotive art. When it fires into life it’s nothing short of mind-numbing.

A four-rotor engine on its own is cool enough, but for the task at hand the motor required a little extra motivation. That’s come about through a custom BorgWarner turbocharger of substantial size, and a greater system that features dual 600x300x75mm intercoolers with custom aluminum pipework and a TiAL 60mm V60 wastegate employed to control boost pressure. With 1.5kg/cm (22psi) dialed up, 900hp at the rear wheels – an easy thou’ at the crank – is the result.

To meet the engine’s high RPM demands there’s an equally serious ancillary system. For spark, eight MSD coils are employed…

…Powered up through of pair of MoTeC Capacity Discharge Ignition System (CDI) modules. This photo also shows one of four D2 Racing air jacks on board.

A custom-built 80L fuel cell in the trunk supplies a strict diet of E85 to the engine through large braided lines via a mechanical pump, an Aeromotive adjustable fuel pressure regulator, and eight 1600cc/min fuel injectors. The cell shares space in the truck with an oil tank – one part of the Peterson dry sump system – along with shroud (complete with electric fan) that draws heat through…

…A rear-mounted Griffin oil cooler. Ducting from both rear side glass-coated Lexan polycarbonate windows to channel cool air towards the core is still to be fitted. It’s mounted here mainly through a lack of available space at the front end of the car, but also because of the safety factor in case of a frontal impact.

Meanwhile, a MicroTech engine management system tuned by CBR looks after fuel control.

As it stands the engine is making good numbers but the turbo has proven to be the limiting factor, especially in regard to whereabouts in the rev range maximum boost is produced.

Installed but not yet employed is a big ol’ shot of nitrous, which like in the Corolla will be used mainly to bolster performance through the low and mid-RPM rev range.

And when that happens, an extra 200hp will be available, and right where the engine needs it.

Before that happens though, there’s a larger BorgWarner turbo to be fitted, and more boost – 2.0kg/cm (30psi) – to flow from it. For the time being, however, Carl can only imagine what kind of hell will break loose when the package is full sorted and the nitrous switch is tripped. When that happens I’ve been promised a ride, but I’m not entirely convinced that accepting it would be a good idea…

Another important aspect of the car, but one you can’t see, is the rear-end set up. Some serious work has gone on in this region including the fitting of a Strange Engineering 9″ differential (currently running 3.75:1 gears) in a Moroso Competition Racing housing. Local company Endevour Engineering supplied a pair of race-ready axles and the aforementioned full floating hubs. Suspension-wise Koni custom-valved dampers and platform-adjustable King Springs coils hold up all four corners. Revised arms allow for alignment adjustment and roll center adjusters are also used. And just in case you’re wondering – no, the current ride height, which was wound low for the car’s official unveiling at the 2013 4&Rotary Nationals in Auckland this weekend, is not the height it’s driven at. Low – yes, but not this low.

In the cockpit you’ll find pair of Sparco Evo Plus seats and Sparco harnesses. From this angle you can also see some of the custom steel work inside the car; the revised tunnel – part of an entirely replaced custom floorpan – and the enlarged rear wheel tubs, which happily accommodate 285-section wide tires, at a very low ride height.

The suspension set up also features adjustable blade sway bars front and rear by M3 Racing, which can be tightened up or softened off depending on requirements and track conditions. The gear lever drives a Roltek 4-speed straight-cut dog box via a Direct Clutches twin-plate clutch, although using the clutch to make shifts is not required once the car is moving.

Remote reservoirs allow fluid levels to be monitored from within the cabin, while an array of Auto Meter Pro-Comp gauges keep an eye on the engine’s operating condition.

The battery is one of many components specifically positioned in the car to improve weight distribution. Furthermore, the GS300 has been subject to a session of corner weighting.

Along with the performance focus, the car has plenty of personality too. Mr. Mad Mike Whiddett can be credited with all the vinyl and pin-striping work.

The body on the other hand is mostly factory-spec fare. Carl’s not big on body kits, instead relying on subtle enhancements – in this case cut and boxed front steel fenders to allow the 18×10.5″ wheels to fit – to pull the look together.

To line-up with the fenders, the front bumper was cut though the middle and widened to suit.

At the rear the fenders have been massaged outwards, but they’ll soon be sliced up to make way for removable fiberglass over fenders that will run to the taillights.

Having such a competitive package at his disposal, the only thing left for Carl now is to gather as much seat time as possible. At its first private track shakedown a month back it showed stacks of promise straight off the trailer, and according to Carl, felt exactly as he hoped it would –  just on a slightly larger scale than he’s become accustomed to with the Corolla.

Crazy or brilliant? In my mind this might just be the perfect combination of both…

Before I wrap up this post, I thought I’d include a few more photos from inside one of the coolest garages I’ve had the pleasure of spending a day in.

The iron clad shed doubles as an office for Jamie, but at the same time houses a collection of old oil tins and cans.

The collection is predominantly Ford-based, but there’s still room for Carl’s Toyotas, of course.

Gas bowsers and model cars are well represented in the collection, and perfectly displayed to boot.

If you saw my post on the 2013 NZ Festival of Motor Racing you might have seen the actual Cologne Capri this model was scaled from.

Big thanks to Carl and Jamie for letting Speedhunters drop by!

Brad.

SPEC

Engine: Curran Brother Racing (CBR) custom-built 26B four-rotor Mazda rotary; Precision Engineering four-rotor eccentric shaft; 8x MSD coils; 8x 1600cc fuel injectors (E85); CBR-spec BorgWarner turbocharger; TiAL 60mm external wastegate; TiAL 50mm blow-off valve; 2x 600x300x75mm front-mount intercoolers; custom aluminum intercooler pipes; 5″ exhaust from turbo, 2x 3.5″ side-exit pipes;  2x MoTec CDI modules; custom engine mount plate; Peterson dry sump pump; Peterson dry sump tank; Griffin rear-mounted oil cooler; Griffin aluminum race radiator; 90mm throttle body; Aeromotive adjustable fuel pressure regulator, Aeromotive mechanical fuel pump; custom 80L fuel cell; custom fuel surge tank; custom header tank, catch can and power steering reservoir;  XRP steel braided lines & fittings, Nitrous Oxide Systems 200hp kit; custom wiring

Engine Management: MicroTech, tuned by CBR

Driveline: Roltek 4-speed straight-cut dog box; Direct Clutches twin-plate clutch; custom 2-piece driveshaft; Strange Engineering differential; 3.75:1 gears; Moroso Competition Racing 9″ diff housing; Endevour Engineering full floating rear hubs; Endevour Engineering custom-built axles;

Suspension: Front/Rear – custom-built Koni adjustable dampers; King coil-over springs; M3 Racing adjustable blade sway bars front/rear; modified arms, custom castor arms, performance bushes; adjustable roll center

Brakes: Front – Wilwood 365mm rotors, Wilwood 6-pot callipers; Rear – Wilwood 330mm rotors; twin Wilwood 4-pod calipers; Wilwood adjustable bias; hydraulic e-brake

Wheels/Tires: Front – 18×10.5″ -14 Work Meister alloys; 245/45R18 Nitto NT05 tires; Rear – 18×12.5″ -14 Work Meister alloys; 285/35R18 tires

Body: Factory Aristo; widened front bumper; cut/widened front fenders, Lexan glass-laminate door and rear windows

Interior: Custom-chassis rail modifications & 7″ body drop; front & rear wheel tubs; MSNZ-spec roll-cage; Sparco Evo 2 seats; Sparco harness belts, custom dash panel; Auto Meter gauges; Sparco suede steering wheel; D2 Racing air jacks; Sparco plumbed-in fire suppressant system; custom floorpan

Thanks: Colin @ Rolling Addiction, Kerry @ M3 Racing, Brent @ Curran Brothers Racing, Karl @ Elite Automotive, Mike @ CRE8GRFX

from SPEEDHUNTERS