Gearbox Magazine 1.09

1.09

Ev dREAM MAchinE GET CHARGED UP ABOUT YOUR FUTURE WHEELS

CANADIAN RALLY ACTION REARVIEW

PAcific foREST RAlly REcAP CLINICAL OBSESION: BEST IN SHOW TURBO 350Z

BRiAn M cAnn c

WORKING 5 JOBS, IT BETTER BE PAID FOR R34

PluS

cRAiG SAndERSon

WRC BAD BOYZ OF AUSTRALIA BOXY ROXY CRESSIDA AND MORE!

SPEciAl fEATuRE

SiERRA cARnAGE EdiTion!

20 PAGES OF OFF-ROAD ADVENTURE

STARTER GBXM 1.09 | 4 years of gearbox magazine!

“Don’t meet your heroes.” So the saying goes. Ten, twelve years ago, I found myself staying up WAY too late on work nights watching WRC coverage on the now finally dead and gone Speedvision. As I basked in the vicarious bacchanal of bluish-white light casting shadows around my otherwise unlit apartment living room, my ears filled with the sound of anti-lag, flying gravel, and exotic accents, I found my dream.

I had no DVR, no TiVo, and replaced my dead VCR with a DVD player. If I wanted to watch rally, I stayed up late to do so. Soon I had a laundry list of heroes. Mäkinen. McRae. Solberg. Sainz. Even the generally pissed-off Grönholm. Today, I still admire them. I’d still love to meet them. But they aren’t my heroes anymore.

My stumbling into regional rally here in the American Southwest has shown me how a shared love of all things automotive has the power to connect us as gearheads. Gracious though the rally gods might be, I highly doubt they’d remeber me if we met a second time, let alone trust me with team business. My regional rally buddies, GEARBOX MAGAZINE IS: on the other hand, do just that.

PARTNERS Maybe that’s why I’m not sad to see my never-completed, would-be rally car sold and hauled away on a flatbed.

All I need to be an important part of motorsport is a genuine desire to be an important part of motorsport. I’ve + [US] BRIAN DRIGGS not missed the Prescott Rally here in Arizona since the frist time I volunteered as service crew. Nine consecu- + [NL] DENNIS DEJONG tive years. The sense of belonging in my California Rally Series family keeps me coming back for more, and it + [US] DEANNA ISAACS keeps getting better. The same is true of being a gearhead in general. + [GB] ALEX WALLER Which brings me to Gearbox Magazine’s 4th anniversary. Today, I have a todo list for my Pajero a mile (and a half) long, but I keep pushing it back because I know I can always find a 4-wheeled toy to play with if Rocinante can’t hold out for another 1,000 miles. Giving you, my gearhead friend, a better sense of how much you and your automotive adventures matter is more important to me than a lift kit, a window crank that doesn’t fall off everytime I close the door, or even a prompt oil change.

CONTRIBUTORS + [US] ADAM CAMPBELL + [HK] PAUL TURNER + YOU? JOIN US. (CLICK ME)

This magazine will be a household name in the industry one day and it will be entirely because of people like you who save up your time and money to make that incremental progress on whatever automotive dreams you have. When the rally gods (or any other big names) finally smile upon us and grant us those interviews, know that it’s because they want to be part of YOUR story.

They say “Don’t meet your heroes,” but I beg to differ. I meet my heroes almost daily. People like you who never give up and generously share these stories with us. My world is better for it. If the last four years are any indication, the NEXT four years are going to be mind-bending. Let’s find - and achieve - our dreams together.

Until next month...

Keep going fast with class & press on regardless,

bd we don’t do advertising|we prefer partners

Our goal is to help automotive enthusiasts build high performance machines & lives. If you’re a first class business which believes, like we do, that success comes from helping others achieve success for themselves, and are willing to work with us to empower our mutual customers, we’d like to tell you about how our Official Partners program can help your brand prove value, build trust, and grow. Nobody likes advertising & commercials. Let’s make a difference. Contact us today.

Gearbox Magazine. Of gearheads. By gearheads. For gearheads. united.

conTEnTS | what’s inside

ThE EffinG covER | eLeCTriC Dream maCHine

As a gearhead, you have friends who think what you do is stupid. Why would anyone mess with a perfectly good vehicle? We all know they just don’t understand, but is that what you think about EVs? Think again. Nabil Hanke, an EV conversion professional, enlightens us with some exciting insights into the world of high performance EV conversions.

10 PAcific foREST RAlly REcAP | Deanna isaaCs

the blast of engine noise coming from the starting line as motors echo off the surrounding hills and valley, see the flash of color as cars burst forth from the forest and whizz past them at what seems like a million miles an hour, and smell the fresh autumn air perfumed with the scent of gasoline. They waited for Pacific Forest Rally.

16 SPEciAl fEATuRE! | sierra Carnage 2013!

The Sierra Nevada Challenge has been a Montero club tradition for over 12 years. It’s sometimes affectionately referred to as the Sierra Nevada “Carnage.” Taking place on various trails in the Sierra Nevada mountain range; 8-10 days of non-stop wheeling has its way of exposing your vehicle’s weak points to say the least.

36 clinicAl oBSESSion | brian mCCann

If you ever find yourself staring at the forum index or a blank Google search wishing there was something interesting to check out, if you ever hear that inner voice say something like, “I’ve seen it all,” snap yourself out of it and remember that one of the coolest things about being a gearhead is there really is no way you could ever see it all.

42 PAid foR R34 | Craig sanDerson

Craig Sanderson of Nottingham is not your usual R34 GTS-T owner. He currently works five jobs to keep it on the road and he also rides a Honda CBR 600. Good going for a 22 year old!

| aUTomoTiVe eVenTs & enTerTainmenT for oCTober!

48 Good nEwS! AlEX wAllER JoinS TEAM GBXM! | He DriVes a DaCia sanDero, Too! 50 wRc BAd Boyz | PeTer DUnn & Co. geT inTo TroUbLe aT WrC aUsTraLia 53 why RAlly MATTERS| Kris marCiniaK on being freaKisHLy exCePTionaL 55 BoXy RoXy cRESSidA | JorDan robinson LoVes His mr2, bUT His neW ProJeCT...

PluS | THe arCHiVes, WHaT We’Ve LearneD, & more!

ABouT GBXM|UniTeD Stories of real people doing things with vehicles they actually own matter more than thinly veiled, marketing propaganga spun as helping sheep select their next consumer-grade appliance.

We believe our shared passion for all things automotive unites us on a global scale, and that the things we have in common as gearheads empower us to get the most from our differences.

wE only MATTER BEcAuSE you MATTER. hiGh PERfoRMAncE MAchinES & livES! GBXM | 1

ElEcTRic dREAM As a gearhead, you have friends who think what you do is stupid. Why would anyone mess with a perfectly good vehicle? Is that what you think about EVs? Think again. Nabil Hanke tells us, “The media and automakers want to spin a yarn that there is yet much more technology needed before EVs are viable. That’s simply not true. The drive components are incredibly simple - too simple to be believed.

WORDS DAVE HYMERS (INTRO, BRIAN DRIGGS) | IMAGES NABIL HANKE, ELECTRIC DREAM MACHINE

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MAchinE

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[bd] Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or can’t - you’re right.” The father of modern motoring hit the nail on the head with that one, but we can take it a step further. If you think the world is getting better or going to hell in a handbasket - you’re right, too.

Dave Hymers is our resident EV expert. He’s as passionate about renewable energy and clean motoring as you might be about forced induction or top fuel drag racing. He works in the solar industry in Tucson, collects rainwater for his home garden, and has an electric Toyota Hilux - which he built himself - in his garage.

He’s also very much concerned with how the global demand for oil harms the world - mostly the people of the world - but also the world itself. Like anyone passionate about something, he’s constantly reading and researching and, like the bumper sticker says, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”

It had been a while since we’d had an EV in the magazine, and I’d noticed Dave seeming particularly down about things. I reminded him that there is still more good in the world - more to be hopeful for - than there is bad, that we’ll never completely get rid of the baddies, and asked if he could help me with a solid EV owner interview that would enlighten and empower our readers.

Within ONE HOUR, Dave had tapped our buddy Tim Catellier (March 2010 - http://bit.ly/gbxm_evz3), who reached out to Nabil Hanke, owner of EDM-EV.com - Electric Dream Machine EV - and got us the scoop.

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Just goes to show, if you think the world is going to hell, your energy is best spent on doing something you know is good in the world.

I gave Dave some question ideas, he came out of semi-retirement to get us this incredible conversation with a real EV gearhead. What you’re about to read might surprise you. You have more in common with EV owners than you might think!

Thanks, Dave! [dh] Gearheads of all stripes read Gearbox Magazine. We’re working on connecting people to new automotive paradigms and areas of interest. In your view why is it important for non-ev enthusiasts to read this story?

It is my hope that through reading this article, a new perspective is given. The history of electric drive is curious in many respects - in short the reason for the poor acceptance has been that battery technology for over a century has been inadequate. But current technology exists and is available the the commoner to make electric cars possible.

The media and automakers want to spin a yarn that there is yet much more technology needed before EVs are viable. That’s simply not true.

The drive components are incredibly simple - too simple to be believed.

I hope to stress that there is no need to wait for yet more technology. [dh] What are a few key points you would highlight to get people

interested in electric driving?

Where to begin and where to end? We’ve all heard the talking points about emissions, economics, and politics, but if you care about driving, none of that matters. It’s about the experience of feeling the road through the car, dancing through curves. And in that effort, the cliche rumble of the engine and roar of the exhaust simply get in the way. With electric, you feel the subtle texture of the road and hear the breeze in trees. It’s an experience everyone should have. If you don’t believe me, try it and prove me otherwise. [dh] Why do you think it is important that garage conversions, and by extension local conversion shops take off?

For decades the auto industry has lost touch with the essence of cars.

The uptake of electric drive is the greatest opportunity for a renaissance in what makes cars great, but the established industry is in no position to lead the charge. Cars are a funny thing - they are extensions of our identity. As much respect as I have for the Leaf, for example, it isn’t me. If I am really a Mustang fan - and an EV fan - an electric econobox doesn’t fit. But an electric Mustang with enough power to leave any bow tie in the dust would. [dh] How do you see the market for EVs changing and what trends are you watching?

The market is coming around. Blind skepticism is quickly waning. In its place is genuine curiosity and most importantly, a patience to understand what owning an EV is like. The trend I am most attentive to is the growing number of people who have experienced an electric car first-hand.

“As much respect as I have for the Leaf, for example, it isn’t me. If I am really a Mustang fan - and an EV fan - an electric econobox doesn’t fit. But an electric Mustang with enough power to leave any bow tie in the dust would.” [dh] Do you see any possibility that you may branch out into custom manufacture of an EDM “ground up” build, do you see any weight saving materials, or other innovations on the horizon that might benefit such an effort?

Certainly there are tremendous benefits in designing a car from scratch. And we have many discussions about that. I would love to reduce to a two speed gearbox for example. And of course use an all aluminum space frame with corrosion resistant body panels. And the obligatory battery under the car for improved handling. It is a very fun exercise to dream up all the innovative things we could do. We’d love to partner with someone to make that happen. [dh] We see that you’re engaged in converting a Bradley GT2 kit car, which in the future we would like to hear a lot more about, how is it coming along?

We have completed it as a functional vehicle. Most of our time was spent in restoration. The car was delivered to us before we even agreed to buy it; we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

The Bradley GT2 was a kit designed to go onto VWs. The original builder did everything wrong and didn’t finish anything he started - a classic example of project car. As such we are progressively

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rebuilding everything - even engineering manufacturer design flaws.

But here’s the crazy bit - the actual process of converting to electric took less than three weeks, evenings and weekends. We still have some missing elements like heat that don’t seem so important in sultry July. But that’ll be relatively simple.

My greatest inspiration is Jack Rickard of EVTV because he is on a mission to do so. The documentary ‘Who Killed the Electric Car’ got me started and I stumbled across EVTV one night on YouTube. He sincerely believes in individual initiative and supports anyone’s entrepreneurial ventures.

[dh] Can you describe at what point you felt your interest in EVs met with the possibility of building a business?

For inspiration from afar and by example only I look to Steve Jobs.

When I saw how simple an EV was - and how terrified anyone was of doing one themselves. Lately I’ve seen a new direction that we are headed. There are many people who would rather do it themselves with a little help, so we are developing a suite of parts and accessories to simplify the process for the average weekend warrior. [dh] What are the top 3 reasons your customers give for wanting an EV conversion?

The big one they may not want to admit to at this point is prestige. They revel in knowing they are ahead of the curve. The big one they wear on their sleeve is ecological responsibility. It is a great feeling to no longer be burning unrecoverable resources just to commute to work. The real motivator, though, is breaking free from the system; No longer watching your paycheck disappear one gallon at a time, no longer being a pawn in an inescapable game where someone else wins at your expense. A lot of people phrase it that they just like the idea of being “different.” [dh] The DIY aspect of conversions speaks to gearheads who turn their own wrenches in pursuit of performance. How does the current market play into that mentality and how do you recommend gearheads move more to position themselves to be in the forefront of that new frontier?

The market of conversion components has been redirecting itself to more performance conscious people. We measure and discuss our drivelines in kilowatts, rather than horsepower. The gearheads are already in a great position because after the clutch, everything still applies - gear ratios, brakes upgraded, suspension tweaks, weight distribution. It’s all relevant and more easily designed around with electrics. EV lingo can be a little daunting at first, kilowatts instead of horsepower, amp-hours or watt-hours instead of gallons. It’s only complicated if you try to make it complicated. [dh] Who are some of the people that inspire you in the EV world today, from giants to minnows?

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[dh] What are some of the most innovative and interesting conversions you’ve seen, how have they influenced your work?

There are two that come to mind. First is the BMW M3 that EV West (evwest.com) converted specifically for the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb race.

In their rookie year as a team and at the event, they posted a faster time than the fastest street rods. Considering they were competing with drivers who had been racing the course for decades, that’s quite remarkable.

The other is the X-Prize Team Illuminati’s car named “Seven.” Their challenge was to build a 4-door sedan that would exceed 100MPG equivalent. They are now approaching 200MPGe. Both of these cars were designed and built for a specific racing purpose and successfully challenged expectations in doing so.

What is most remarkable is how much of these cars are built with common components. As well, they developed on their own some interesting parts that didn’t exist otherwise. The BMW features a thoroughly simplified transmission and the most powerful motor controller available, while Seven is equipped with parts that originally required military checks before they could order them. Yet they prove that success is not reserved for large corporations with expensive development departments. Both exceeded such competitors in their respective competitions. [dh] What is the best evidence you can see that people are embracing electric vehicles day to day?

Embracing is a bit strong of a word. In general, most people are growing to accept EVs as a real thing, but with remnant skepticism. Their questions have changed and improved in recent months. I regard that as evidence they are doing their homework and teaching themselves, but have found conflicting answers. On the other hand, there are the few who know about the benefits and very much wish there were cool EVs and are delighted to find that options are becoming available. [dh] How did you come to restore the Porsche conversion, do you

think service and maintenance could be a big driver for your business?

The Porsche we did last year is an interesting story. It was a 944 turbo with turbo problems in the middle of Iowa; there are no Porsche experts in Iowa. So instead he scoured and finally found a shop down in Florida to convert the car. They used all the right components for the time, which included lead acid batteries.

Therein lies the tale. Lead batteries have never been able to endure the torture of powering electric cars for more than a couple years. He approached us about upgrading the batteries. In the time since his conversion, only a couple years, THE MOMENT happened. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries of suitable size became available. Instead of lasting a couple years, these will last a couple decades.

So we jumped on it and began to find a whole series of little and big issues with the rest of the conversion.

It was a sad case of poor workmanship, and dare I say negligence. It mushroomed into a complete reconversion. The only thing we didn’t pull out and re-install was the motor adapter plate. And where before it was not possible to service anything without significant disassembly, we reconfigured everything with the third party mechanic in mind.

When you open the hood, you can literally see every part of the system. You can access to them all, without needing to uncover or remove other parts to gain access.

We really need average shops to be comfortable with doing brake work, alignments, air conditioning, suspension work, etc. to these conversions. These are still cars after all, and will require basic upkeep.

For that we refer to specialty shops we’ve found good rapport with. For the foreseeable future, a converted car will become a new member of our family that we’ll be around for when it needs some attention, even if we aren’t the ones doing that work. [dh] Anyone watching the EV market grow is very interested in seeing a transition moment or winning formula, where do you think EVs need to be in terms of range, performance, and price before EV growth outpaces conventional vehicles?

That’s a good question, but its not so simple. People have tried to pin the tail on the donkey and say that $5/gal would be the tipping point, but Europe has seen that for many years and has yet to revolt and go all electric. The available technology is capable right now to build a viable car. And it’s kinda automatic that a conversion will have better performance than its prior gas engine. The change will happen only after enough friends of friends have driven or own an electric (hybrid not included).

What is lacking isn’t infrastructure, as some would scapegoat it. It’s confidence. Look at the classic technology adoption curve - it shows that there is a small minority who tinker and innovate, then early adopters, then early majority - the part you’re asking about. In that scenario, what leads to the next stage is not more technology, but more experience. More experience in our case is butts in seats. After enough butts have been in enough seats, general confidence grows and broader acceptance grows, leading to more EVs on the road.

So what will the automotive world look like when electric cars outsell gas cars? Average range will probably be around 150 miles, possibly

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less because people will finally realize that they don’t need that much range and would rather have leather interiors. The electrics will outperform gas cars in nearly every measurable way: acceleration, handling, passenger space, storage space, depreciation, styling, and operating cost.

The Tesla Model S is the archetype of EVs, look at it and it’s price peers, then imagine that down the price spectrum. Then imagine gas prices continuing to go up. You’ll be on the lot of the dealership calculating out how long it’ll be before the gas pump will eat up the purchase price difference of the electric and gas cars. And whether it’s worth the smaller cargo capacity, lower safety ratings, and blander styling offered by the gas guzzler. [dh] How close are we to that point and what will accelerate it?

We are several years away from EVs outselling gas cars. There is a lot of momentum in the existing industry. Given that cars aren’t often cast off on a whim, but held onto until their value has been sapped out, I’d say we are at least two or three vehicle life cycles away from a change in the tide. Again, it comes down to more butts in seats experiencing what it’s like to drive electric. It’s very different and very cool and very difficult to convey in words alone. [dh] There are no shortage of frights emerging from the middle east recently, how do you think perception of future energy markets might influence the growth of EV usage?

It’s not so much the source of fuel that is concerning. It’s the forecasted demand. Already China has grown its new car sales beyond the US. More frightening is that pace of growth is not slowing. With more

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cars is more fuel demand. Consider also that India also is growing its appetite for cars. Fuel will be sourced from more and more places, and still be unable to meet demand.

Electricity production and pricing is a steady rock in the face of oil.

Production costs of alternative electricity are coming down while oil costs are going up. The US vehicle fleet has already reduced the number of miles driven per year, but our love affair for cars is far from over. Electric drive is a real no-brainer. [dh] Could you describe some of the events you have attended to promote EVs and the interactions you’ve had, do you have any examples of how you’ve changed someone’s perceptions of EVs? We’ve participated in alternative energy expos, EV conversion conventions, car shows, and parades. The strange as it may sound, ‘green’ folks just don’t ‘get it’ when it comes to EVs. Car shows have fared better. Everyone has heard of cutting edge electric race cars - mostly drag racers. And they are fascinated by how simple the conversion is, and have some context of actually understanding it. I get stopped all the time now while I’m out and about because people recognize the Electric GT. It’s in those parking lot conversations that people are most open.

What really changes perception is, you guessed it, butts in seats. They are amazed by the smoothness of the acceleration. It’s a blast surprising them with instant acceleration that isn’t first announced by the exhaust. I really need to get a dash cam to capture their expressions.

Only after they experience it, and see that it’s no slouch on the highway either, do they believe the hype. Their grins the first time pushing in the accelerator pedal is priceless. And driving electric every day doesn’t

diminish that feeling. It’s like I’m 16 again every time I drive. [dh] In your experience how concerned are conversion clients or owners with carbon emissions, does this drive an interest in local electricity generation mix or possibly their own investment in renewable energy?

Iowa has pretty clean air. The discomfort of smog doesn’t sit heavy, but there is a sense of environmental responsibility even with us city folk. We do take pride in having some of the largest wind farms in the country. And EV owners stand even taller knowing that more of the electricity charging their cars at night is coming from those wind turbines than the coal plants. Personal solar is not as popular here as in other places in the country, where incentives and higher energy costs have led market adoption.

Seven, or the M3 by EV West the is Mike Pethel’s mind blowing BMW 3.0 CS. Oh, and of course the BMW M3 mule that Mate Rimac used to develop his Rimac Motors Concept One electric super car. And I haven’t seen much of the latest Bigfoot monster truck, but what’s comical is that the drive motors are quieter than it’s power steering.

I’d like to thank you again for giving me the opportunity to share some of my perspective on the nascent electric industry. I hope I wasn’t too heady, but to me, the implications are so profound that most haven’t begun to try to comprehend where this will all lead.

I’d love the opportunity to get more technical if the readership demands it. [dh] I think we’d all like that, Nabil. We’ll keep in touch!

I’d say we also look at ourselves as global citizens and rebuke the implications of oil consumption has. Going electric is the escape from personally supporting that whole infrastructure. The next step is going ‘off grid’, which many plan to do. Driving on your own energy is a cool feeling. [dh] When we look beyond the headlines and the usual talking points, what is it about EV conversions that makes them so worthwhile, given that some are not interested in emissions or oil usage?

Like I said before, conversions offer that opportunity to reclaim the essence of motoring. New cars are so full of luxury and noise dampening that you become numbed to the experience. Some people identify with the freedom of doing something completely different from the norm. Some really like the idea of not being jerked around by the oil companies.

One friend remarked on how much his car used to stink up the garage and how that stink is completely gone now after the conversion.

Many like to tinker and the variety of motor choice in a conversion is almost limitless when you do it yourself. Something more primal is the deep feeling of accomplishment that you did it, you did what some say couldn’t or shouldn’t be done, you made your car electric and that whatever other motivators you had were met by your own blood sweat and tears. [dh] Can you talk about any examples of impressive performance EVs you’ve seen? After all, aren’t they what dispel myths the best?

I’d have to say there is yet another car other than Team Illuminatati’s

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Pacific Forest Rally Post-Race REport

10 |Here, GBXMdriver Dave Clark nails the last hairpin on the Comstock stage of Pacific Forest Rally.

Early in the morning, fans started trekking through the forests outside Merritt, BC . Some carried chairs, other held cameras close. All wanting to hear the blast of engine noise coming from the starting line as motors echo off the surrounding hills and valley, see the flash of color as cars burst forth from the forest and whizz past them at what seems like a million miles an hour, and smell the fresh autumn air perfumed with the scent of gasoline.

BY DEANNA ISAACS | IMAGES BY ROBERT & DEANNA ISAACS They waited for Pacific Forest Rally.

On the first weekend of October 2013, a gathering of enthusiasts, volunteers, and spectators converged on the country music capital of Canada for the most recent of Canadian rally Championships (CRC) explorations into the evergreens. This is Pacific Forest rally (Pfr).

The hills surrounding merritt, bC, were echoing with the sounds of Subaru, Mitsubishi, and even a Saab for this year’s PFR competition. The stages wound through headlight-lit tunnels of tree-lined darkness to cow-dotted clearings and blue skies.

The roads were rough on the cars, as the scrapes of undercarriages heard at downward hairpins were a testament to, but that is to be expected of gravel and dirt forest roads driven at high speeds.

Some competitors were brought down by taking out saplings the hard way, while others made it across the finish line and into the winners circle.

Ranking on top was the Rockstar Energy drink Mitsubishi driven by Antoine L’Estage and codriven by Craig Parry. They came into the day with a 44 second lead, but even the big names aren’t immune to the punishment of Pfr’s roads.

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(Left) Rally Championship winner Antoine L’Estage and codriver Craig Parry push their 2011 Mistubishi Evo X over the edge of this hairpin. (Right) L’Estage and Parry pause for a photo opportunity prior to starting the final, night stage of the rally at Helmer Lake.

“The second time [through Helmer Lake], we thought everything was ok and the win was in the bag, but it’s never over ‘til it’s over and we had a puncture in the last one with 10k to go. We decided not to change it and the tire just delaminated itself,” said L’Estage. “A bit of drama at the end, but we’re winning the rallies so that’s what matters.”

He thanks his team, including codriver Parry, for having a successful rally, a flawless car, and equipment that enabled him to do his job and capture first place. L’Estage and top competitor Patrick Richard (driving the number 2 Subaru) will be working their way toward CRC’s next event at Rocky Mountain Rally, but L’Estage will also be touring will be working the Rally America series as well.

--Not everyone is in rally for the professional tours, though. For those like David Clark, doctor of dental surgery and driver of a 1989 Merkur XR4TI, screaming down these mountain roads is what life is about, but he still . It is not the glitz or glam of sponsorship deals or the big lights of being top dog; to him it’s the driving, the people, the experience that motivates him to continue competing in rally.

“I’m a diehard rear wheel drive guy, I love tail-out, slidey action…,” said Dr. Clark. “My first rally in 2010, the Doo Wop rally,… was undoubtable the best rally experience I’ve ever had, probably will ever have in my life. I’ve been chasing that high ever since.”

Before the Doo Wop, Clark purchased a cheap rally car that he then made minimal improvements to, didn’t run pace notes during the rally,

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“It’s not over, ‘til it’s over... We had a puncture in the last one with 10K to go. A bit of Drama at the end, but we’re winning rallies - so that’s what matters.”

-Antoine L’Estage and blew away his expectations of rally could be. Compare that with several years, and a different rally car and the outcome can be unexpected.

“I really enjoyed it, I was really surprised by how much fun I had – it was a good rally. The transits are long, getting from the town out to the various stages,… but worth it once you get to the stages; they’re phenomenal. Just great roads. So, I’m thinkin’ I’ll be back next year.”

Having survived the two days and nights of well-rutted, rock-covered roads Dr. Clark hopes to head off to Rocky Mountain Rally, held on Nov. 1 and 2 near Invermere, BC, and Big White Winter Rally, held on Dec. 7 and 8 about an hour east of Kelowna, BC. Others were not as fortunate as Clark on the roads outside of Merritt.

On the first evening, alone, four cars were retired and, over the course of the next day, four more were to follow in their treads. Luckily none of the drivers and co-drivers were injured during the weekend; the cars were another matter.

“There is Derik Nelson and his M3, and he is fast in that thing,” Said Clark. “If he hadn’t have gone off [the first night], there is no question that he would have beaten me by a wide margin. But that’s part of rally you got to stay on the road. To finish first, first you must finish.”

Many limped off the course, but that is all part of the package and

something spectators are used to seeing. (Though it wasn’t just the rally cars that succumbed to the elements – even fearless Gearbox reporters succumb to flat tires, but with a patch we survived the trip home. The media Miata will return for another rally report.)

“I went to plan ‘F’, for fail,” Said Clees. “[A last-minute engine swap] put us in production class which was kind of cool, ‘cause there’s really no competition and we actually got to take home first in production.”

At the Helmer stage of PFR, Clees decided to throw in the towel due to having some temperature gauge issues, though. He has learned a lot about preparation from his experience at Nameless Rally and, after refining them in the weeks leading up to PFR and the rally itself, is looking forward to next year’s rallies. Until then, the Dodge needs work.

The Canadian Rally Championship is going to Invermere next for the Rocky Mountain Rally and then to the Rally of Tall Pines on Nov. 29 and 30 in Bancroft, Ontario, with regional events including Big White Rally, about an hour outside of Kelowna, BC.

Back in the onlooker area, license plates from across Canada, and even a few from Washington, filled the parking lot as the spectators lined the roads – taking mount in sanction areas, on top of tunnels, and anywhere else they could squeeze in. Their faces filled with smiles, chatting with fellow spectators, waiting for the two minutes of echoes at some point during which they’d see a streak of color burst forth from the forest.

While this year’s rally is completed, there are still many left to run and yet another year to prepare for. Whether a professional driver or an amateur enthusiast, Pacific Forest Rally holds a special place in the motor-minded brains of those who follow the motorsport of rally in the Pacific Northwest, across Canada and the US.

“...That’s part of rally, you’ve got to stay on the road. To finish first, first you must finish.”

- Dr. David Clark --The spectator area is a great place to start a driving career, too. Adam Clees, driver of car 16 and owner of the Dodge Colt, came up through the ranks from stages not to dissimilar from PFR’s. Having made a lot of friends in the Canadian rallycross and rally community, it was quite an experience for him to compete in front of his friends for the first time.

“The roads are super cool,” Said Clees. “Almost all my friends I’ve made in rally have been to Canada, so we get to show ourselves of a bit in front of people we know.”

His Dodge was what he considered to be fairly ready about a month before PFR, but a month before the rally a series of fixes that began when his flywheel came off at 7000 RPMS during a shakedown at an autocross. What started in the transmission spread to the crank and wreaked havoc throughout the engine.

“After three total weeks of beating my head against the wall trying to figure out how to get everything done in time. [I] had all the parts in the mail and everything was coming together.”

Then the bearings he had ordered, come to find out, were mis-manufactured.

Reach reporter Deanna Isaacs at deanna.isaacs@gearboxmagazine. com and follow her on Twitter @Deanna_Isaacs . Reach photographer Robert Isaacs at isaacsmediagroup@gmail.com.

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(Top Left) This 2006 Toyota Yaris is driven by Laurence Van Louie and Kevin Aartsen.

(Mid Right) Gravel Machinegun is driven by Brenten Kelly and Billy Irvine.

(Top Right) Patrick Richard and Rob Fagg wow the crowd at the Comstock Hairpin.

(Bottom Left) Mike Koloff and Spenser Armstrong drive this ‘99 Impreza.

(Mid Left) This piggy goes sits in the judges’ corner, but it looks like the piggy plays sometimes, too.

(Bottom Right) Lucky number 13, and skull-powered to boot, is a 2004 Subaru WRX driven by Roger Seiber and Garrett Mealing.

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(Top) This spectator gets a shot of car 4, a 2008 Subaru STi driven by Patrick Richard with codriver Rob Fagg.

(Left) The winners circle of Pacific Forest Rally, Antoine L’Estage and Craig Parry, Patrick Richard and Rob Fagg, and Taylor Nelson and Remington Edwards.

(Top) This Mistubishi is driven by Wim Van Der Poel, with codriver Bryan Lord.

(Right) Once again in the winner’s circle is Taylor Nelson and Remington Edwards with their number 4 STi, to the left is Josh Shewchuk and Keith Morison and their number 6 ‘06 STi, and then the in fifth place is number 8 Mitsubishi Evo 8 driven Wim Van Der Poel and Bryan Lord.

(Top) This ’96 Golf, driven by Matt Bobyn with Codriver Dan Bobyn, heads around the hairpin at Comstock.

(Right) Matt Bobyn and Dan Bobyn are joined by Dave Clark and codriver Sean Medcroft, and an ‘86 Civic, number 19, driven by Peter Nazarewycz and Darcy Peters.

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SIERRA

CARNAGE SPECIAL FEATURE! SPECIAL FEATURE! SPECIAL FEATURE! SPECIAL FEATURE!

WORDS ADAM CAMPBELL (INTRO BRIAN DRIGGS) | IMAGES ADAM CAMPBELL

[bd] We’re going to do something a little different for this one. Adam and the AZ Crawlers spent the better part of a year (or more) planning this epic, four-wheeling adventure. We here at GBXM love a good road trip, and the fact this road trip often left the roads behind makes it even sweeter.

We’ve put this one together as a series of individual trip reports, so we can share more of the pictures from this incredible automotive adventure. Are you ready for some Sierra Carnage?

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[ac] The Sierra Nevada Challenge has been a Montero club tradition for over 12 years. It’s sometimes affectionately referred to as the Sierra Nevada “Carnage.” Taking place on various trails in the Sierra Nevada mountain range; 8-10 days of non-stop wheeling has its way of exposing your vehicle’s weak points to say the least. This year was my first involvement and the first year that the AZ locals headed the trip. We were overloaded and undergeared (stock axles and gear ratios), but determined to conquer the Challenge. Time to push some old machines to their limits…

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DAY 1: THE RUBICON

After a long drive from Phoenix, we had arrived in the Sierras near Loon Lake, at the staging area for the Rubicon trail. We aired down our tires and gave the trucks one last once-over before entering the trail. The ‘Con starts out with some mild challenges (Gatekeeper); the type that, if you have to think about how to approach them, you’re probably in over your head.

We came upon a huge granite slab some other 4x4 groups were resting or staging on. They gave us some interesting looks as we passed through. We saw a few vehicles while leaving this section, but from there on out it got pretty peaceful and we had the rest of the trail to ourselves for the most part. Meandering through the boulders, trees and various small lakes was a much needed vacation from the low desert from which we came. The average daytime temps were in the mid 70’s Farenheit (mid-20°C) versus our at-home temperature of over 100 degrees (nearly 40°C). It felt almost unnatural having so much moisture in the air without the sauna effect we get in the Sonoran desert this time of year.

Making our way to Buck Island (our camping goal for the day) we ran into a few friendly locals, the first being Merlin, a Rubicon Trail Foundation volunteer. He gave us a little history on the Rubicon and supplied us with an oil spill kit in case we leaked any fluids on the trail. We learned the reason why we there were so few on the trail. As it turns out, we had just missed a 200 vehicle event Memorial Day weekend, so starting out during the week wasn’t such a bad idea. Merlin went

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back to trail maintenance and we pressed on. The next local we met was legit to say the least.

At the top of the Little Sluice (famous Rubicon obstacle), we came across two nicely built first gen Toyota 4-Runners. We heard one of them coming from a ways away due to a broken front ring and pinion.

The first driver stopped. His truck had a serious amount of body damage (he was also the one with the broken R&P), and we asked him how close we were to Buck Island. He told us we had about a mile or two to get there.

We then had a short conversation that ended up being the theme for the rest of the Sierra Challenge, we never got a name from the dude so we’ll call him Leroy.

Leroy: “Are you guys just going to Buck Island and back or all the way to Tahoe?”

Us: “All the way through to Tahoe” Leroy: “LEGIT! Where are you guys from?”

Us: “We’re here from Phoenix” Leroy: “LEGIT!” After that, Leroy showed us a his front passenger tire was separating and proceeded to drive down into the Little Sluice exclaiming, “I’m gonna do the Little Sluice in 2 wheel drive!” We watched him start his descent and let his friend get past us before we started making our

way down toward Buck Island. We never saw them again so we can just assume they got through safely.

Wheeling down to buck Island, we really put the new armor to the test with lots of tight squeezes and steep drop offs. We could see the lake out in the distance, so we picked up the pace to try to make camp before sunset. There was one more technical obstacle to traverse that required some off camber three-wheel driving and clever spotting. From there, we rolled into camp just before sunset at Buck Island and ate our first real meal of the day.

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DAY 2: THE LONG ‘CON

After a hearty breakfast, we inspected the rigs and packed up camp.

Getting an earlier start on the trail versus the previous day meant we had more time to take in the scenery and actually eat lunch. Day 2’s theme was dust. The trail from here on out was coated in a layer of powder. It was like driving through talc and it makes the rocks a little slick for lateral traction.

We four-wheeled over the lake dam and made our way to the Big Sluice (another Rubicon obstacle), stopping at various vistas along the way.

Looking out over the high Sierras, you feel like you can see for an unlimited distance even with the smoke from the Yosemite fire in the distance.

Heading down the Big Sluice, we navigated between a large boulder and a tree. The tree is scarred where other vehicles have tipped into it. The Big Sluice isn’t so bad heading down since gravity is helping you down, but you can tell it would be a fight to the top heading the opposite direction. Kevin had done the trail in reverse and recalled breaking a CV axle in an inconvenient spot that he pointed out on our descent.

From the Big Sluice we made our way to Rubicon Springs. It was like a little abandoned town, with empty tents and a small cabin. It was kind of eerie because you could see that a large group recently occupied it and we hadn’t seen anyone all day. We stopped at a small lake just past the abandoned camp. There we ate lunch and went for a swim before getting back on the trail. All of the lakes and streams we came

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across along the Rubicon trail were crystal clear and really inviting despite being way colder than the ambient air temperatures.

Back on the trail, we crossed Rubicon Bridge and headed toward Cadillac Hill, yet another famous Rubicon challenge. We stormed the hill like savages, determined to conquer it before sunset. We broke some rules by high siding - climbing onto the outside of the vehicle to add weight to the high side in an effort to keep it from tipping over (DANGEROUS) - over some of the more off camber climbs.

We reached the top just before sunset, leaving us time to finish the Rubicon in daylight. The rest of the trail was extremely dusty and only moderately difficult, so we picked up some speed and made our way into the forest to camp at Miller Lake.

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DAY 3: ON THE ROAD AGAIN

With the Rubicon completed, we stopped in Lake Tahoe and restocked on fuel and snacks. We contacted the guys we were meeting up with to inform them that we were finished with the ‘Con and about to make our way to the Dusy Ershim trailhead. Carlos was a day behind, so this gave us an extra day to fill. We decided to drive through Yosemite because their website claimed tourists were still welcome and that the roads were open.

On our way, we saw signs confirming the road being open leading to Yosemite. After a half day of driving, despite the website and signs leading to the park we hit a closed road due to fire. After burning the day through the scenic non-Yosemite areas, we made one last ditch attempt to make it into the park from one of the southern roads.

We arrived 2 miles outside of Yosemite around 11PM only to find camping was clearly not allowed. There were NO CAMPING signs everywhere. Apparently, in California, camping means something different than in Arizona, where our maps and GPS showed camping was a hotel. I suggested we set up camp right there in the parking lot, but we cut our losses and left Yosemite. We set up camp on some random back road overlooking a suburban neighborhood - camping, California style.

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DAY 4: PAVEMENT ENDS

After breaking down camp, we set out toward the Shaver Lake area to meet up with the guys running the Dusy Ershim trail with us. We stopped to make some minor repairs about half way. John’s Gen 1 Montero was having issues shifting and we were hearing a metallic grinding noise from our rear axle.

Upon investigation, we found that the extreme load was flexing the rear axle enough to make the rotors contact the dust shields. We bent the dust shields out and called it good. The shifting issue on John’s truck was resolved by removing the shifter and cleaning out the dust from the locking pin.

Having eaten a few meals and melted three days worth of ice, we noticed a little bit more clearance between our trucks bumpstops and axles. With the repairs made, we headed south toward Shaver Lake.

Once we arrived at Shaver Lake, we set out down Dinky Creek Road to a camp on the east side of Courtright Reservoir (Voyager Rock). On the way, we passed through some giant Sequoia trees that made the already large Redwoods look small.

Once we arrived at camp, we settled in and welcomed the other half of our group coming to wheel the Dusy. Carlos, in his ’95 Montero, and Richard, with his ’88 Suzuki Sidekick, came from the Bay Area of California, ready for three days of serious four-wheeling. We were all about to learn why they call this trail the Dusy.

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DAY 5: THE DUSY ERSHIM

The Dusy is every bit as challenging as the Rubicon, but it adds 10 miles (16 kilometers) in length and 3,000ft (900M+) in elevation, making it that much more difficult than the Rubicon. (I’ll get hate mail for that statement.)

The beginning of the trail heads up what is called Chicken Rock, It’s an easy obstacle with plenty of traction when dry, but it is pretty steep. We made our way over the top and headed down the trail, crawling over boulders and winding through tight turns lined with large trees where a full size rig would add to the challenge.

Almost all of the trees and boulders along the trail have some kind of scar from vehicular contact letting you know what you’re in for. As we made our way up the trail, the Dusy was leaving its mark on our vehicles from pushing us into the trees and massaging the steel on the bottom sides with boulders.

The main event for the day was Thompson Hill, and being around 9,500ft (about 2,900M) elevation, the power loss proved more of a challenge than the actual obstacle. The steep grade, boulders, elevation and being overloaded without proper gearing put us at a disadvantage. We needed the winch to assist our ascent. Even the smaller boulders put us into a stall.

The other vehicles in our group had been regeared and made the summit without winch assistance. While we were winching into the night,

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the drivers of the two smaller rigs used this time to stack rocks and make their climb a slight bit easier. It was getting late and everyone just wanted to get into camp and rest. Hours of climbing and winching later, we had completed Thompson Hill and rolled into camp around 10PM.

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DAY 6: THE MADNESS

I woke up still exhausted from the Thompson Hill hiking, winch line rigging, and re-rigging. Carlos had removed his draglink, which he had bent during yesterday’s climb. We gave him our spare and I straightened the bent draglink. Once everything was repaired we set out on the Dusy again. From here to Ershim Lake and then to Lakecamp Lake is a blur for me.

I had gotten the madness - Hypoxia, similar to Space Madness in Ren & Stimpy - from the high altitude. I had an earache and I couldn’t say anything that made sense to anyone. I took very few pictures this day, and most of the ones I did take sucked, but it was an interesting experience and I’m sure my friends found it entertaining. Toward the end of the day, I started to become acclimated to the +10,000ft elevation, but the earache lingered on while the madness seemed to fade.

This day mostly consisted of fueling issues for the Sidekick and collateral damage caused from towing it through the rocks with a much bigger rig that had 3X the weight of the little Suzuki. As rough as it was to watch the mini 4x4 take a beating at the end of a tow rope, the damage was minimal; bent draglink, some body damage and Richard’s bloody meaty looking left arm.

We made camp at Lakecamp Lake, which is a confusing name (especially when you’re recovering from the madness), I decided to take some night photos because the sky up there was so black and the reflection on the lake made for some neat pictures. While waiting for

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one of my 60 second exposures to take, I heard something rustling in the grass next to me.

I finished my photos and made my way back toward camp. While I was walking back, I could hear whatever was next to me down by the shore walking next to me through the bushes and tall grass. As I approached the clearing, I was looking to my right, curious to see what was walking with me - a DEER! I don’t think she was expecting a human by the look on her face. At that point, I scared her off into the darkness, sat down at camp, and ate dinner to curb the madness for the day’s madness.

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DAY 7: OBSTACLES

I straightened the Sidekicks draglink and we sort of fixed the fueling issue. The carb only choked out a handful of times during the day, but it cost us a few hours. I think the little Suzuki was just tired of being drug through the rocks like a ragdoll and Richard was probably tired of being bashed around inside of his truck.

Our goal for the day was to camp near White Bark. The drive there was full of good obstacles and incredible, scenic vistas. Today’s madness was minimal, almost funny, even from my perspective. This day would provide enough cool four-wheeling action and high Sierra scenery to make up for my lack of attention on Dday 2.

The first big obstacle was Divorce Rock, which is a giant slab of granite that puts you off camber to the left and then dumps you off the side to your right without much warning. (Aawesome.) From there it’s the typical Dusy rock/tree navigation and leaning on your roof gutters until the 90-degree turn toward the end of the trail.

That turn puts you in a pinch between two large boulders and off camber to the right heading downhill. This made for some cool metal/ rock contact. Shortly after that, we came to a nice vista at sunset. The smoke from Yosemite made the sun red in the distance. We didn’t know how close we were to the end of the trail, but figured it was a good spot and we could finish whatever was left of the trail in the morning.

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DAY 8: AROUND THE CORNER

After breakfast, we packed up camp and set out for more wheeling only to find out we were just around the corner from the end of the end. At the road where the trail ended, we aired up our tires and made sure we were all still road worthy. We shook hands with the guys from California and made our way back to Shaver Lake.

Once at the lake, Kevin made some minor repairs and adjustments before we got back on the highway, while the rest of us made like transients and rinsed off in the lake. The locals and tourists watched from a distance, quietly talking amongst themselves (probably about how loud and obnoxious people from Arizona are).

A decision was made to drive past Bakersfield to a camping area marked on the map. This would prove to be another “picture of tent with arrow pointing to a trailer park means camping” adventure. Eventually we found camp a few miles away in the form of a designated camping lot with running water and real bathrooms. Hardly camping but it was near midnight and we made it work.

“We we packed up camp and set out for more wheeling , only to find out we were just around the corner from the end of the end.”

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DAY 9: NEW CHALLENGES

Heading through the desert back toward Arizona, we learned a couple new things. John’s gas tank shrank to where ”¼” now means empty.

Somehow Kevin’s truck was burning coolant and the desert is hot.

Shortly after learning about the gas tank the hard way, we noticed a rough idle and a loss of coolant in the radiator overflow. The truck wasn’t overheating, and there were no signs of coolant contaminating the oil, or vice versa. From there, we decided against air conditioning so as not to push our luck.

Every hundred miles or so, we stopped and topped off with water, leaving in a poof of sweet white smoke. This strategy proved effective and we made it back to our homes without incident

LEGIT! Time to rebuild and prepare for the next Challenge in 2015.

Want to experience the Sierra Nevada Challenge and quench your thirst for adventure?

Now is the time to prepare. Don’t wait until 6 weeks before and decide “Well, I can put something together in time” (like some of us did this year).

E-mail me: adam.campbell@gearboxmagazine.com. I can point you in the right direction and send you updates and links to future planning strings online.

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(Left to Right): PA_JERO, Lord Trunks, Cap510, Bullworker, Rascott, TOASTY (aka: the author), ClayTK

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CLINICAL OBSESSION If you ever find yourself staring at the forum index or a blank Google search wishing there was something interesting to check out, if you ever hear that inner voice say something like, “I’ve seen it all,” snap yourself out of it and remember that one of the coolest things about being a gearhead is there really is no way you could ever see it all.

WORDS BRIAN DRIGGS | IMAGES BECCA FURNISH (BP PHOTOGRAPHY) & ZACHARY NAZECK (FRESH GROCERY GETTERS)

IMAGE: ZACHARY NAZECK (FRESH GROCERY GETTERS)

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IIf you and I have ever discussed car shows - the formal kind, where people buy tickets and there a prizes - you’ve probably heard me say something to effect of how I feel car shows are generally a place where people show off how much money they can spend on vehicles they never actually use. I know I’ve commented how it probably won’t be long before major car shows entries will be judged by who has the most cash in a neon-lit plexiglass box on an arena floor surrounded by exotic, scantily clad women.

Over the last four years, I’ve learned a lot - about global gearhead culture and, indeed, what it means to truly be a gearhead.

Each of us has a perspective. The various motoring sub-cultures allow us to distance each other, but our shared automotive interests are what ultimately stands firm as the foundation upon which a truly international brotherhood is built. We can let our differences keep us apart, or we can open our minds to different perspectives and really experience automotive nirvana.

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IMAGE: BECCA FURNISH

Perhaps the greatest perk to running this little magazine is meeting gearheads who view their projects differently than I do. My efforts to put my own opinions of what “playing with cars” looks like aside and simply share the diversity of car culture with you has allowed me access to communities I probably would have never sought out otherwise. It’s really cool.

Which I why I’m so excited to share this conversation with you today.

Brian McCann is co-founder of AZ Exiled (azexiled.com). Originally from Fairbanks, Alaska, he’s spent the last 13-plus years here in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona. And he’s spent the majority of that time working in the mortgage and banking industry, currently working as an underwriter for Wells Fargo.

Brian attributes his ability to spend so much time playing with cars to his not yet being married or having any kids. To him, it’s just like being 6 years old, but with full-sized toys. He can’t imagine that status will last a whole lot longer, but for now, he considers this is “unfair advantage.” [bd] Tell us a little bit about your vehicles. [bm] Currently, I have a fairly notorious built block, single turbo, widebody [Nissan] 350Z putting down 650WHP and torque on Q16; about 530WHP on pump gas. It’s been in several shows, goes to a ton of local meets, and has won some awesome awards.

To keep it all running, I’m glad to have people like Ed Stikeleather at EAC (http://www.extremeautoconcepts.com) to help me through the hiccups of owning and maintaining a high horsepower, force-inducted car. (Thanks dude!) We (EAC) are also currently in the process of a full on VIP build on my Chrysler 300 using Accuair, Garson, Junction Produce and UAS products. (Both cars receive vendor support from VIS Racing, with thanks to Fred in Marketing.)

IMAGE: ZACHARY NAZECK

to begin that way, but it always ends up that way in the end.

I told myself after the unfortunate issues I had with my first turbo 350Z build, I would buy a simple daily and leave it alone. I owed myself some calm, automotive relief. That went out the window in less than a year. Now my daily is undergoing a full the VIP/Bippu-style build as we speak, and we’re back to cutting out huge sunroof holes, re-working the full interior, installing lighting, tweaking the body, you name it.

Sometimes I wonder if all of us car guys are sick. Not in a joke/meme kind of way. As in truly, clinically obsessed, but every week I tend to see someone far far younger than I (maybe even a grade schooler) staring open-mouthed at my car. This kid has no idea what he’s looking at, but he knows he likes it. I think that’s the special, innate thing afflicting all of us. If that’s part of the psychosis, so be it, count me in. I’ll let these cars keep taking my money. [laughs] [bd] What makes your built block notorious? What awards has the Z won? [bm] I guess my Z is a bit notorious due to my activity on the national and local forums in the past few years. There’s always going to be haters. That never bothered me really since, well, since I’m a grown, adult man, but it’s REALLY cool when the opposite occurs and people actually support your ride. That’s been the case lately. I feel pretty fortunate to have people around me who kind of offer what I can only call “positive affirmation after lots of blood sweat and tears.”

I started out with a 1st place win for Best Import at Pizza and Pistons II, a 1st place Hottest Import at Desert Street Scene’s Metro Meltdown show, and, finally, a “Cleanest Car” win and 2nd place in the Nissan

I like over the top cars. I just always have. I was a big follower of Nakaisan’s RWB line up of cars starting well over 5-6 years ago. I’m glad to see the public has taken a liking to them as well, and the trickle down of real race car driving and drifting into the functional, drift box kind of look and mentality. I dig it. Its cutting, welding, doing free mods, functional things. It’s real hot-rodding, a la 2014.

As for my own cars, I tell myself to start classy - subtle - but it always winds up with a freakshow of a car. I have too poor of mechanical luck already to actually race anything I build, so I build these things to go low ‘n’ slow and not really as functional as others tend to like. I never mean

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IMAGE: ZACHARY NAZECK

IMAGE: ZACHARY NAZECK

category at Hot Import Nights here in September. [bd] Clinically obsessed. I totally get that. You say, “Man, I’m tired of burning the candle at both ends. I want something simpler, less involved.” Next thing you know, you’ve sold your turbocharged, 90s sports car for a carburetted, 80s truck. Of course, you stick with what you know, so now you have an 89 Mitsubishi truck with more vacuum hoses and solenoids than your 4G63 ever did! Wait. That’s me.

Why do you think we can’t leave “well enough” alone? Is there such a thing as “well enough?” How would you define it? [bm] Yeah, that’s my major problem; maybe more than most people.

It’s NEVER enough. I always change my mind. I always rebuild. It drives my friends and family crazy watching it from the side lines. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s not about looking cool, or the thrill of driving a fast car. I guess if you were to think of a painter painting a picture - the end result is come to through careful consideration and skillful execution - but the joy for the painter mainly comes from the act of painting.

I won’t call myself an artist in that whole sense as I’m using parts someone else already made, but I AM trying to venture into the truly custom body work arena very soon. Expect some big changes on the car; most have already begun since these pictures were taken. [bd] I like to think I’m decently versed in gearhead jargon. I mean, I know the difference between a donk and a bubble, but I have to admit this is the first time I’ve heard of “bippu.” I’m somewhat familiar with VIP, but could you give our audience a better idea what this scene is all about?

IMAGE: BECCA FURNISH

[bm] There’s a lot of history behind this and just as much conjecture.

I’m certainly not the reference for all things VIP as I’m learning about it now too, and I’ll add the disclaimer here that I’m not Japanese, nor am I from there, but what I’ve come to know was that VIP and Bippu are one in the same. “BIP-puh” is the Japanese pronunciation of VIP as a word versus letters.

Some say VIP cars came from the Yakuza gangs, but I read at one time it was really just a JDM car team that ran cars like the now familiar VIP style. One of them turned out to eventually be the owner of Junction Produce and so on and so forth. Things grow and now we have a full automotive facet called VIP. The short of the long here is that Bippu are tuned luxury cars, originally the more expensive, JDM RWD sedans.

The focus is on absolute top notch quality, execution and cleanliness.

The stuff you can get away with on drift cars is about the opposite of the VIP cars, so no zip ties or cracked side skirts.

Extremely low cars, wide wheels fit tightly with negative camber, luxury materials used inside, etcetera. Even though some people are still purists to the look of the first handful of cars like this, the scene really has a much wider following now, lots of different marques being VIP’d out.

The Taiwan scene is nuts. Some of the stuff I’ve seen coming out of there is unreal craftsmanship-wise, but a bit too much for me. I like the classy JP or K-Break look, and I gotta be honest... I dig the blingy Luxury style of Garson. [bd] Solid. I learned something new. Bippu. Did some Google image surfing on Garson (yikes!) and K-Break. Interesting. Back to the mechanicals, tell me a little bit about this “poor mechanical luck” you mention with the turbo Z. Considering the extent of modification to your current vehicles, how can you be lucky in one regard, but not the other? [bm] My tale is the same of many others with high boost, high HP, boosted VQ engines: an initial build time far beyond what was expected, lots of peripheral problems to sort out, and very little actual time on the street versus being in the shop for one thing or another. It’s just the nature of the beast really. The tolerances Japanese cars operate under as so tight in the first place. And then we want to triple the HP? Talk about overwhelming systems in a car.

IMAGE: ZACHARY NAZECK

You just get to go down the line replacing all the things you swore “should be fine as is,” Current demands, heat issues, etc.. Maybe not so much of an issue if we were all modding brand new cars, but when your block is new and your alternator and even power steering pump are 10 years old, you can have issues you would have never thought

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IMAGE: ZACHARY NAZECK

about before. This is why its sage advice to tell people interested in built-block forced induction cars to make sure they have a reliable daily driver car. Period. End of story. You want to think you’re craftier, more prudent - that maybe you’re luckier than everyone else - but with FI cars, noone’s special. Things break. When they do, it sucks. Be prepared. [bd] Looking back, it seems like you’ve had some weakest-link issues building for power. Now your builds are more comprehensive and meticulous. Do you ever think you might have learned enough from the show scene that you could probably get away with doing more “physically demanding” activities with your Z without disaster? [bm] In all honesty, no, I really dont. I think once you’ve built things past a certain point, you are always going to be chasing the 8 ball. That’s part of what building these cars is about. You either learn to love fixing them or you had better build a strong relationship with a shop and shop friends. I will say that what I learn about function over form on these cars comes not from the shows and meets, per say, as it does from walking past the drift box cars and from watching them really race and move.

Shows cars are fragile by nature. Drift cars are metal shoeboxes on expensive suspension parts with powerhouse engines. And they are driven very hard. If you want to know what stands up to abuse and what does not, look at your local neighborhood gatherings of multicolored, stanced 240’s. They really can be the tail that wags the dog when it comes to what you wind up building if you don’t want to chance repairs on a car you’re in which you’re still worried about the seats

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getting dirty. [bd] To that end, do you have any regrets? What have you learned from them? And where do you see yourself in another five years, automotively speaking? [bm] Regrets? Sure. I wish I had a cheaper hobby like collecting baseball cards! [laughs] In all seriousness, I do have some very painful regrets with this car, some a bit closer to home than I’ll mention nationally here, but I can summarize by saying I regret the money I had to spend on things I chalked up to growing pains later on; parts I would ultimately sell or trade. One of the good parts of the Z scene is that there is a buyer for literally ANY part you change your mind on. Aside from the time and the headache of changing a car around, the loss on parts is actually minimal. Wait. Did I just say that?

The amount of people I had met through buying and selling parts over local craigslist is actually what started the AZ Exiled website and Facebook group. What it’s grown into now has become part of a huge, emerging local network of crews and events driven solely by Facebook and social media. It’s nuts what we’ve all done in the last 12 months together.

The usual, repeat appearance, 10-car parking lot meets have skyrocketed to 200-car meets, to 350, to over 1000 at a time. It’s cool to see how much thirst there really is for the shade-tree enthusiast. If the industry continues to market to them, it’s going to keep exploding. [bd] Finally, where can our readers find you online to learn more?

IMAGE: ZACHARY NAZECK

[bm] Find us online at azexiled.com, or on our Facebook group page at www.facebook.com/groups/azexiled. I really do want to make sure I voice my thanks and appreciation for my partners at AZEXILED, as well as those who continue to support my cars and their evolutions.

Without them, I’m just a guy with a shiny pile of useless metal in his garage.

sidewalk do a double-take to get a good, long look at your ride, it’s addictive. When the guys in the truck next to you at the light give you a thumbs up, you know it feels good. And the world is full of people into things you’d never in a million years do with your own car, but it’s a mad, mad, mad world and the things we have in common are what empowers us to get the most from our differences.

Big thanks again to Ed Stikeleather at Extreme Auto Concepts (www. extremeautoconcepts.com) as well as Fred at VIS (VISracing.com) for keeping me going at this point. Thanks guys!

Maybe being a gearhead is a legitimate, clinical obsession, but if so, I don’t want to be cured.

[bd] Awesome. Thanks, Brian. Make sure you drop us a line when the Z is “finished” again so we can show everyone here how it evolved this time.

COMMON GROUND If you ever find yourself staring at the forum index or a blank Google search wishing there was something interesting to check out, if you ever hear that inner voice say something like, “I’ve seen it all,” snap yourself out of it and remember that one of the coolest things about being a gearhead is there really is no way you could ever see it all.

I’m still not a huge fan of done-up show cars which will seldom, if ever, see track time, but as someone who’s thrown piles of hard-earned cash into engines which seemed to only result in a string of weak links repeatedly mocking and beating me down, I can totally empathize with Brian, here.

It doesn’t matter what you’re into. When you catch a stranger on the

IMAGE: BECCA FURNISH

GBXM | 41

PAID FOR R34

Craig Sanderson of Nottingham is not your usual R34 GT-T owner. He currently works five jobs to keep it on the road and he also rides a Honda CBR 600RR. Good going for a 22 year old!

WORDS ALEX WALLER | IMAGES VARIOUS “I don’t know how I manage it!” says Craig. “I don’t work them all on the same day, but they’re all part-time, so it’s the equivalent of full time work and full time education.”

Did I mention Craig is also in his last year of a Sociology degree?

And he teaches as a 3rd Dan belt in Shatokan Karate once a week. Unbeleievably, he still finds time for its practical application as well, in the form of weapon-based mixed martial arts

42 | GBXM

combat training. You can’t help but admire him really!

Prior to owning the Skyline, Craig had a string of Civics with increasing engine sizes as the insurance came down. His previous car was a Spaceship-shape, FN2 Civic Type R, complete with the Mugen spoiler: “It was a real Marmite car that. You either loved how over the top it looked or you didn’t.”

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At the time Craig was working four jobs, which has since increased. He is modest about this feat, “I don’t work harder than anyone else with a full time job.” He currently holds a position at a clothes shop, an Audi dealership, an industrial unit, doctor’s surgery and as a caretaker for a car park.

He had his 1998 Skyline GT-T imported through Torque GT, and knew exactly what he was after. “It had to be a manual, A-condition and in standard tune.” After 8 weeks waiting, they found a Grade 4.5 (0.5 below highest grade) with 87,000 somethings on the clock. “I drove my Type R down there on my private numberplate, then because I had sorted the paper work right I was legally able to drive the Skyline back on the same plate. I couldn’t resist drifting it at roundabouts on that first journey back!”

Torque GT took care of ensuring it was road legal on British roads. Although the Japanese Shaken is very stringent, it was serviced and undersealed properly on these shores then it needed a few adjustments to suit British MOT regulations. A complusory rear fog lamp was fitted in place of one reversing light and the speedometer was converted from km/h to mph. The whole importing procedure was handled smoothly by the company and Craig was left very impressed.

He has kept all the Japanese stickers it came with that made it legal to drive on its native roads. In the top nearside corner of the windscreen, there is its inspection schedule; on the opposite end of the glasshouse is the police parking permit. “Every car in Japan has to be registered with the local police station for one of these. I did some research and traced my car back to Fukuoka, so I know where my car lived before it came here.” It’s a smart authentic touch, but if he could find a replica he would want to refresh it.

The Grade 10 auction sticker that still sits in front of the rear view mirror does not lie. Craig has always been OCD clean with his cars and bikes, and the Skyline is no exception. Inside and out are kept immaculate at all times. That also includes the inside the the exhaust tip and the inside of the rims, because otherwise his head would implode or something.

Although he ordered a standard car, his import came equipped with Cusco springs. “I’ll replace them at some point, don’t like the way the back sits higher than the front.” All other mods have since been added by him. He is finding that because the GT-T was sold alongside the GTR, there are many areas where minor improvements can be made, and that’s exactly what he is planning for it: they all add up...

It went through a total of three sets of wheels and a trial and error of colours, until Craig was finally happy the gorgeous set of Ultralites Atec II it wears now, wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber and finished flawlessly in Nissan’s own Bayside Blue. “I really could stare at them all day.” Polishing them up like that I think you’d have to!

He has added a D1 Spec catch tank, which in itself is a quality part and a thing of beauty: it comes complete with a guage bar down the side to see the level. On some cars, random pipes sticking out a scratched beer can would look great as an oil catch tank. But on a car as nicely finished as this, it really is the sort of touch you would expect from a Japanese tuning company. The cavernous HKS exhaust and mushroom filter combo complete the mechanical package, leading to an easy 300bhp that is pleasant to listen to - unless you’re old

44 | GBXM

“I’m waiting for a big gay wing by C-West, even though strictly speaking it’s USDM. I found an export advert for a Skyline with a wing that I really liked.” Through exchanging photos of the ad with a chain of contacts, the exact item was traced – and conveniently, no drilling is required.

The Nismo front bumper was always going to need a front mount intercooler to fill it, and for Craig only a Blitz part will do. “The limiting factor on my car at the moment is the ceramic turbo. You can’t push them for more than 0.85 bar (12.3 psi) because the blades shatter.” Craig is still running the standard boost, which considering the performance on offer is a meagre 0.6 bar (8.7 psi).

Still, that’s quite enough for fuel bills at the moment! Remember, international readers, we still pay roughly £1.40 per litre in the UK, which is circa $2.50 US - per litre. Times 3.79 (liters in a gallon) , that’s $9.45/ gallon.

The only mechanical problem has been a deteriorated pipe bursting, but nothing else has ever broken on it. Craig’s car is proof that Japanese second-hand cars really can offer bullet-proof reliability, but a word of advice – don’t settle for less than a genuine Nissan alternator belt because the aftermarket ones will squeal. Surprisingly, it came with a battery out of a Nissan Micra from the factory, which was quickly replaced with a larger one.

The deep Recaros out of an Evo VIII were added later and look as though they are standard, and apart from the wheels they are Craig’s favourite addition. “Really comfy and they don’t hurt your back. It helps to have a narrow arse to sit snug in them though!”

It’s all the little details Craig is constantly putting into his car that make it stand out. The door cards are going to be retrimmed blue to match the wheels, and are to be reduced in size by about an inch because they touch the seats. The back seats have recently been removed, not so much to save weight but to be replaced in the near future by an insulated panel with some sort of graphic design - and why not, since the front seats don’t tilt anymore?

The way the overall OEM+ effect is achieved through devotion to detail and choice aftermarket parts allows Craig to savour all the glory of an authentic Skyline GT-T, whilst simultaneously making it his own unique and very shiny car. “Driving it every day, even in snow when you might be terrified of crashing it, this car always puts a smile on my face.”

Working many jobs and owning such a special car has had a couple of drawbacks for young Craig: “I was devastated when I was asked if I was a drug dealer more than once. It was a completely legitimate outright purchase, without any debt attatched to it.”

They’re only jealous, mate!

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THE INDEPENDENT MOTOR RACING EVENT RESOURCE.

HERE’S YOUR LOOK AHEAD AT AUTOMOTIVE & MOTORSPORT EVENTS COMING UP IN THE WEEKS BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT ISSUE OF GEARBOX MAGAZINE. WE SOURCE OUR EVENTS CALENDAR EXCLUSIVELY VIA PADDOCKSCENE.COM. IT’S FREE TO JOIN, AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND. PaddockScene is barely a month out of private beta, and already there’s almost too much stuff to choose from for our monthly event calendar!

From a good old fashioned state fair auto show deep in the heart of Texas, USA, to WRC action in Spain, to Australian Supercars, to Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi - and all the grassroots motorsport, cruises, and car shows in between - PaddockScene is steadily becoming THE source for automotive & motorsport events.

We hope this information inspires you to hit the road in search of something new and exciting to do where you’ll meet up with your fellow gearheads for good times. If nothing else, we hope it helps you set your DVR so you don’t miss that big race!

When you’re finished reading Gearbox Magazine, head on over to PaddockScene.com and find something to do!

BE A GEARHEAD. PLAY WITH CARS.

46 | GBXM

GBXM | 47

GOOD NEWS! ALEX JOINS GBXM!

IMAGES: JACOB SZOLIN-JONES

I live in Nottingham, UK. I met Brian over a thread on Reddit, where he was asking what issues are facing young car drivers. I am 22 and on my fifth car, all of which have had tiny engines by American standards.

I had my fun with them regardless because there’s petrol in my veins, and when I needed a new car on finance for practical reasons, the GOOD NEWS is there’s a pretty solid gearhead case for it.

I bought a brand new Dacia Sandero, in the lowest trim that also comes with an all-new turbocharged engine. It is from Romania’s Renault-owned car company Dacia, which has been popular on the continent for years but has only just set up shop here in Britain.

In some ways the Sandero is a reincarnated Citroen 2CV: four wheels, brakes, steering, an engine, gearbox, and seats. The twist is that apart from the wheels, all of those things now have electronics in them, and modern tolerances mean it is properly put together. The suspension too is intended for unforgiving road surfaces, so it can be driven on its door handles, while roadhumps and pot holes of all sizes are no obstacle. It’s functional, no-frills motoring done very well, and only if you’re being picky will you notice where the cheapness is. They deserve to sell very well.

The door edges are cold but water-tight. The heating will cook your phone on the bottom centre console, however the stereo has a bluetooth handsfree for it. There is no boot handle, no cover for the vanity mirror, no seat or wheel height adjustment and manual rear windows.

No pollen filter, and no recirculate setting. But I did 300 miles on half a tank of petrol, and that is more important than all of those things.

That said, I am not exactly a fan of new cars in general.

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A couple of years ago I ran an old skool Mini (sometimes billowing smoke down the motorway), and it was pure character. It had a booming exhaust, a snarling SU carburettor and a whining gear soundtrack at all times: the engine on a Mini was designed to fit back to front, so there is a straight cut idler gear. Loud, low and with those diminutive lines, it was effortlessly cool, even with the hazard tape I applied after I binned it. It seemed to always smell of petrol inside, which always made smoking in London traffic a bit sketchy. Yes, old cars are better than new cars in subtle but profound ways.

I don’t think a modern MINI could ever look as good as an original – except maybe the occupants after an accident. I don’t mind the fruits of NCAP testing so much for what they do, but they are still design criteria that only have usefulness for a potential event. Crumple zones constrain the ever-present aesthetics of some of the latest cars, especially the ones with transverse engines, so they tend to end up with slightly bulbous noses. The Sandero is a case in point, although like the Duster, it is hidden slightly with smart chunkiness.

An old Mini can fold in on itself like lethal origami, but the steering is telepathically direct, so you have half a chance of avoiding an accident in the first place. After fitting a solid front subframe mount, I could feel presence of grip through my fingertips as well as through my buttocks.

These days I have only my buttocks because the steering on the Dacia is slightly numb, over assisted and non-linear. Just the other day I read Infiniti have recently launched a car without direct mechanical steering, though there is still a clutched fail-safe. The future is now.

Pretty soon the clutch pedal will be eliminated from all new road

cars, followed not too long after by the drivers themselves. Probably the best use for driverless cars that I can see is being taken home from the pub after having a skinful. What will be less good is the death of everyday driving, which I suspect we will all bitterly resist.

But for now, the Dacia Sandero is a great benchmark for the current Zeitgeist of car technology. Compared to 10 years ago, many formerly optional features are now required by EU regulations. On what is still a budget car, there is still EBD, TCS and ESP. None of them can be turned off.

What can be switched is the engine map thanks to an ‘Eco’ button, turned on for slightly more economy or off for slightly more torque. I’m not sure if it’s purely the novelty of technology that appeals, maybe I just find it satisfying to push a button that changes the engine behaviour slightly.

Despite the modern perks, it is still a traditional three-pedal manual and provides simple, genuinely likeable motoring for up to five full-size occupants. At low revs the Sandero sounds a bit like a spaceship with a 900cc three pot turbo, but it does 0-60 in about 11 seconds. Compared to a BMW M3 that’s 7 or 8 seconds longer I can hold the throttle flat on a public road. Not as impressive, but surely the most fun to drive as a daily out of the two.

This is because daily driving is poorly suited for exploring a car’s capabilities, and the fastest cars are not road legal anyway. A couple of years down the line I want to have built something fast, fun and interesting that’s light enough for the Sandero to tow to track days.

I wonder how fast a Mini on slicks would be...

In the meantime (between my day job in the construction industry), I hope to bring GBXM some events coverage, technical articles, road trips, interesting people, cars, and any other valuable stories for gearheads everywhere. Somewhere in the latest issue I start with my workaholic friend Craig Sanderson, whose Skyline is looked after with all the feverent dedication you rarely see outside a Japanese tuning house.

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WRC BAD BOYZ

I know a lot of Mitsubishi owners down under. While most have - or, more accurately, this year, had - Galant VR4s, Peter Dunn has recently added a Subaru Impreza to his stable of race cars. I say “stable,” because he has no fewer than THREE race cars.

A Lead IT Support Officer for a major government infrastructure project with Transport for NSW (New South Wales, for our readers unfamiliar with Ozzie states), Peter lives in Sydney, and you can likely find him either working on a car or riding a Ducati.

Recently, he decided to run WRC Australia in his Group N, 2004 Impreza WRX STi Spec C. It’s easy to think the grass is greener on the other side, but I assure you, in following along with Peter’s pre-race shenanigans, getting to the starting line was harder than you think!

BEFORE THE BIG RACE Peter and I began our conversation as he was furiously prepping car and team for entry in WRC Australia... [bd] Pretty sure I started following you because, like Drew McPhee, you had a Galant VR4 rally car. Still have it? [pd] Of course I do! It’s next in line for a rebuild to full Group A specification, including the Unobtainium Group A “Green” hubs and rear Proflex shock absorbers to match the front Proflex. Not sure on a dogbox yet. I just sent the gearbox to Metal Heaven. 3 years of solid abuse sort of does that! [bd] I’ve since seen a lot of talk on your Facebook feed about Subarus and, if I’m not mistaken, an RX7. What’s your rally weapon of choice these days? Why and how has it come to this? [pd] Well, I still have the CHU (Mazda RX2), the Galant VR4 RS Evolution (aka: “Ironside”) [note: That’s right. The Galant VR4 was the ORIGINAL Evo.], and the 2004 WRX STi 2004 Spec C group N car.

The RX7 is now with my father as an ongoing project as a fast road/ trackday car using a lot of disused RX2 parts!

The VR4 Runs in the State Khanacross series and is the main workhorse of the fleet. With its Ex-works Group A turbo and Group A Motor, it packs a pretty big right hook; enough to beat the Khanacross specials on the tight tracks like AWABA, Ansel Park, and Vineyard. Around Hampton, the VR4 holds the outright RallySprint course Lap record.

(YouTube: http://bit.ly/gvr4evo_incar )

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QUESTIONS & INTRO: BRIAN DRIGGS IMAGES: DANIEL DEAR & BEN SEMPLE

Strangely enough, I really don’t have any drive [laughs] to rally the VR4!

That’s where the STi comes in. I’m not saying it’s slow by any means. Its first event out, it got 9th outright with only low beams for headlights!

The STi was previously owned by my brother and was sold to me for a good price as he was sick of its small, niggling issues from previous owners. The car has a good history results-wise. It’s the Ex-Sean Herbert STi, and I also won the last 2 Oran Park Khanacrosses in the car before I owned it.

Between Marcus and myself, the car has been pretty much rebuilt cage brought up to 2013 FIA specification, full 2004 Spec C running gear, and pretty much everything else in between changed! We had a reasonable result at Rally of Canberra running second hand tyres and pretty much everything in the car was incorrectly setup. Besides a clutch niggle, it didn’t even raise a sweat!

Remind me not to do the wiring loom again!

I have had the Chu (RX2) for 18 years, so it’s more of a pet than a car really. It does the occasional Khanacross and gets me called up to the Stewards at track days for excessive sideways driving. [laughs] Apparently, taking turn 1 at Eastern Creek sideways on purpose is frowned upon!

If the funds look okay, I will hopefully do Targa Tasmania in it next year, but that depends how much Rally New Zealand will cost me! [bd] From Facebook, I get the feeling it’s a constant struggle just to get to the starting line. What was the most recent issue? Something to do with cams? With all the headaches and seemingly endless frustration, why do you press on (and with so many cars, no less)? [pd] Latest was Andrew (Navigator) didn’t have enough National events to get the International licence. Two car club presidents and four steward endorsements - plus a whole pile of results later… International Rally Licence.

Car goes to the dyno today to refit the ECU with knock control and antilag for the new 2.5 inch exhaust and PBMS intake restrictor, and I’m installing the anti-shatter 3M window film tomorrow.

Why do I press on? Because racecar! [bd] Is it harder, as a clubman level competitor, to get into the WRC

image: Ben Semple event down under? How is the process different from, say, a regional event or hill climb? [pd] Not really that much harder, but EVERYTHING has to be correct - seats, car spec, homologation papers. Remember that TINY pinhole on the cage foot welding that no one cares about? THE FIA SCRUTENEERS CARES ABOUT IT! Lockwires everywhere!

AFTER THE RALLY [bd] So, Peter! Whaaaaat’s happening? How’d you make off, then? [pd] Back on planet Earth, or as we say, the BAD BOYZ of the WRC! To the stewards TWICE! [bd] Yeah. I saw your updates about the €750 fine. For refueling, right? What happened? [pd] OOOPS! I had misread the fuel supply regulations. [See, Christine?

You’re not the only one who skims the supps once in a while! /inside joke] You are supposed to ONLY refuel at designated fuel zones, and from the co-organisers’ fuel supplier UNLESS specified.

Being new to this I thought it was just like any other rally, so what we did was refuel on the way back to service at the specified petrol station - which actually saved me from exclusion as it was illegal fueling and NOT illegal fueling at an unspecified stop!

Also, as the fuel stop was on the other side of the road, I broke Sporting Code 59 - I deviated from the specified route. Apparently, if you get lost in a WRC event you can be excluded! Anyway, I thought I was doing the

right thing, And I copped it on the chin. [bd] What was the other trip to the stewards all about? [pd] AH! There was a kerfuffle at the start. As I was one of the first cars out for the super special stage, we were directed out the wrong way and missed the tyre check. (Yeah, we are the bad boys of the WRC.) [bd] Did I see you placed 23rd overall (OA)? How many cars? Beat anyone famous? (We’ll count a DNF!) How does this result make you feel about the struggles getting to the start? [pd] We were coming 22 OA at parc ferme on Saturday night, then 4 cars dropped out behind us! Due to our issues, the WRC2 mini eventually got us in the end (which was a shame).

Our paltry 150KW (201HP) compared to the cars running the FIA fuel (approximately 180KW+, or 241HP+) in group N trim meant we needed more corner speed. Also, the cars on the FIA fuel can run WAY more ignition advance down low - like 15-20 degrees! - so they were coming on-boost at 2000RPM, where we didn’t fully spool until more like 3000RPM. Hey, my car is worth $30 000. Theirs are worth $80,000+! Simple fix for speed? Get a set of Proflex or Reigers and gain 1-2 seconds a kilometer! (We are running DMS.) It was worth all the effort! [bd] Overall, how was the event? High points? Low points? How did that car perform along the way?

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image: Daniel Deer [pd] Best run was Valla 2 and the first super special stage, when we placed 17th overall. Low point was the o2 sensor wiring coming adrift and shorting out the main relay, taking us out of leg one after three stages. (Anyone who bags out the Rally 2 rules can go away.) The rewire took 4 hours after we got the car back with lots of melted bits, and the car was spot on after! Car was great until we broke the exhaust bolts on the second-to-last stage.

The comedy situation goes to the guy at the creek crossing in the water doing whale impressions.And notable mention to the people doing the human pyramid and my mate (i found out later) standing naked on the fencepost.

image: Daniel Deer

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rally fans are more insane than the drivers! [bd] Wow. Sounds like a killer time, mate. Everyone here at Gearbox Magazine will be rooting for the BAD BOYZ of the WRC at Rally NZ, and we definitely want to hear about Targa Tasmania when the time comes, okay? Thanks for sharing.

If you’re into rally, Subaru, old Mitsubishi, or general automotive shenanigans, Peter’s Facebook feed (http://bit.ly/peterdunnfb) is always a good time. He’s almost always in the shed building some mental race car. If you decide to friend him, tell him Gearbox Magazine sent you!

why RAlly MATTERS

& how To BE fREAKiShly EXcEPTionAl AT iT

QUESTIONS, INTRO & IMAGES BRIAN DRIGGS I’ve been volunteering as service crew for Kris and Christine Marciniak for over 9 years, now. in a way, you might say they were the ones who really got me into rally and showed me the light. We might be drawn in by the specatacle of the WRC, but it’s very much the sense of family - of belonging - you get from being part of the regional competition which keeps you involved.

I know Kris better than any other rallyist in the world. For every 1,000 words we’ve run of his in this magazine over the years, you can bet 100,000 have been exchanged in person or over the phone (much to both our wives chagrin, I’m sure). This better-than-average understanding of Kris’s story lead me to randomly throw a couple dusies his way recently. if you want to rally, you might want to read this. Twice.

sibly can is so intriguing to me - and so freeing. I love the camaraderie.

I think because it’s a team sport, timed against the clock, we are more forgiving to our rivals.

A rock or a tricky instruction can catch all of us out and I believe we want to see our competition finish. We watch out for and help each other. no other motorsport has more moments where points, standings, and ultra competitive stage times take a back seat to getting out the tow strap and tugging our fellow competitors off a berm and all the way to the service park if need be. rallying is my passion. it is what i focus on. it’s what i’m trying to master.

WHY RALLY MATTERS

BEING FREAKISHLY EXCEPTIONAL

[bd] You’ve followed the rally dream - discovered the sport, got involved, built that first car, built the second car, even organized your own event. You practice amateur radio (HAM) as a hobby on the side because it plays an important role in rally operations and safety. Beyond that, you and Christine have been deeply involved with the California Rally Series (CRS), volunteering on the Board of Governors in various capacities. Why has this sport come to represent such a large piece of who you are and what you do?

[bd] Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, suggests it takes 10,000 hours of practicing something to become freakishly exceptional at it. Humility aside, how many hours do you think you’ve got into rally in general? How would you define “freakishly exceptional” when it comes to rally? What do you think that looks like, and what might be the milestones among the way?

[km] The sport of Rally exemplifies and rewards teams skilled in multiple disciplines and there is often just as much weight put on months of planning as those quick side of the road, complete change of plans, decisions.

I love that rallies have been won and lost based on the driver and codrivers ability to get the vehicle moving again. I love that rally challenges me on like thirty levels at the same time. i love that hundreds of people need to interpret the same instructions in order to get a stage setup. I love that on a rally weekend I will be using my skills as a communicator, mechanic, hacker, engineer, and driver at the best of my ability. I love that I get to do this sport with my wife. Her diverse skill set equally compliments my own, and i appreciate how rare that is.

I love the adventure as a competitor, and as an organizer I love to surprise people. The concept that you’re going to race on a road you’ve never seen, or maybe only seen a handful of times, as fast as you pos-

Basically, you know there’s a lot you don’t know, which is socratic genius when it comes to rally. You have become the trusted expert, but I know you don’t presume to be Dog’s gift to the sort. If 10,000 hours is what it takes, and you’re closer than most to that figure (if not over), how accurate is the perspective of being the next Sebastien Loeb or Kenny Block as a realization of that level of achievement, and is that really what the sport needs to be viable long term? Surely it can’t just be about free rides in factory cars on the WRC circuit for 7-figure salaries... or can it? [km] i have a lot more time into car prep. an easy 3,000 hours spent doing nothing but working on rally cars. From oil changes to detailed fabrication. Passing tech at my first event was a big milestone, breezing through tech with my second car felt even better. I want to think I’m better at driving then car prep, but I enjoy them both.

Let see: an average 10 rallycross events a year for the last 10 years for maybe 8 min of actual driving time per event puts me at about 14 hours of actual rallycross racing time. 20 rallies over the same time

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span with an average of 120 miles of stages puts me around 54 hours total in the car 100% focused.

This completely and totally pales in comparison to a pro, or even semipro rally driver. They might have 3 days of testing every 2 weeks along with 14+ events a year. My math puts that around 80 hours of in the car racing time, in one year alone. That’s how you get “freakishly exceptional.”

To compare the poor college kid going to his first rally and a WRC superstar is really apples and oranges here in the US. We have lots of regional events, but there is no strong national championship anymore.

There is no clear path for success to become a national professional rally driver besides personal wealth.

No team is paying professional drivers to be in a car 3 days a week practicing, and we certainly don’t have the budgets to scout for talent. Whereas many countries in Europe have lots of local, regional, national, and international programs, the sport feeds on the passion of the WRC, and millions have grown up watching it as a sport second only to football. This doesn’t happen overnight.

the top ten at a regional event, maybe, just maybe, you’ll have a shot at moving up. If you’re not winning classes and events after spending a serious concerted effort, then you’ll have some great stories to tell your kids about that time you spent a year rallying in Europe.

Rally is quite viable if we look to make strong regional championships that foster new interest in the sport and continue to grow participation over the next 5 years here. Then our tiny niche sport will survive and thrive in this country.

I’d like to see more spectator opportunities, and less hype and false promises. If we continue to sap the life out of our organizers, volunteers, and competitors - rushing off to expand into the next big national thing while we forget what makes rally great - we’re not going to grow.

The reality is: A national level rally program with manufacturers, sponsors, TV, and professional driver interest should start with a strong regional program, and not by plowing over our perfectly good regional events to placate the 12 people that can afford the spotlight.

THINK ABOUT IT

My take as a reasonably successful US regional rally driver: Are you young and talented? Have a dream to be a professional rally driver that you absolutely can’t shake? Go to Europe. Take a summer off and invest what you would be spending on a semester of school or a college study abroad program, and put it into a rally rental package in lets say: Ireland, GB, or Finland. Live, eat and breathe rally for 4+ months.

Kris and Christine Marciniak recently took home the 2013 NASA Rally Sport 2WD National Championship title after their 4th overall finish at the Prescott Rally the first weekend of October. I was there crewing for them as always (part of why this issue was late) and wanted to share this quick conversation with you.

Give yourself a few events and then see where you rank. If you’re in

Press on regardless.

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BOXY ROXY CRESSIDA QUESTIONS: DENNIS DEJONG | IMAGES: JORDAN ROBINSON

[bd] Dennis is back! Okay. He’s really working hard to get back in the GBXM saddle. You might say he works as many jobs as Craig Sanderson (see page 42, this issue), only they’re all nearly full-time! Despite renovating a house as old as the United States, working full-time at an Opel dealership, AND joining the Dutch National Guard, Dennis has burned a little more midnight oil this month.

pendent), you have to go with a mix-n-match approach with parts from other cars, as well as custom-fabbed stuff. The only bolt-in axle for LSD and disc brakes is from a MkI Celica-Supra, which is next to impossible to find.

What follows is his conversation with Jordan Robinson, a recent Information Systems graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University currently working in the parts department of the local Toyota dealership. Isn’t it cool how we’re all interviewing people on the far side of the planet?

[jr] The engine is the original 5M-GE 2.8L straight six. The only performance mod on the motor so far is a solid 3” intake pipe from RabidChimp with a K&N cone. Other than that, it’s been all just about doing long-overdue maintenance to get it running smooth and leak-free. (Or at least less-leaky!)

[dd] What do you drive and what makes it so special?

[dd] What have you already done to the Cressida?

[jr] My first car - and closest to my heart - is my 1988 Toyota MR2 Supercharged, which I daily drive and weekend autocross. My latest project is a 1986 Toyota Cressida Wagon.

[jr] I pulled the engine (a first for me) and replaced every seal and gasket in the motor, as well as replacing the lifters and giving it an all around refresh. While the motor was out, I sourced a W58 5-speed transmission from a 1986.5 Supra and all the parts I would need to row my own gears, including a custom driveshaft from a local fab company. I also replaced every brake system component, every rear end oil seal, and rebuilt the front hubs. I also had to put in a cheap mechanical water temp gauge since my stock gauge doesn’t work.

[dd] How did you come to own it, and why did you decide to buy this particular Cressida? [jr] I’ve always loved Cressidas, especially the X7 generation. After finishing a fix-n-flip project 1990 Cressida earlier this summer, I saw the wagon on Craigslist and had to have it. I drove up to northern Virginia with my buddy’s trailer and scooped it up for $600 in a barely-running state. [dd] Cressidas are becoming quite a rare car these days. How does that affect the availability of parts and such? [jr] Rock Auto is my best friend. As far as performance parts go, there are a few people that make parts for MA60 Celica-Supras, and the engine stuff is mostly the same. As for suspension, there are some decent options for MX73s, which shares front suspension, but for the rear end (the wagon is a solid rear axle, whereas the sedan is inde-

[dd] What is powering the Cressida? Some specs?

[dd] What are your future plans for this machine? [jr] I have a set of P-Type Celica-Supra wheels I’m refurbishing, so those will go on eventually. The car WILL be lowered as soon as I can save up for the parts I need. For the front I’m going to shorten the front struts to fit MR2 shock inserts, weld on Techno Toy Tuning (T3) coilovers with camber plates and roll center adjusters. For the rear, I plan on running Camaro shocks for their shorter stroke, cutting the springs (for now), and a custom T3 adjustable panhard rod.

I may end up rattle-canning the car, since the current paint is just in horrid condition, and I’ve also got grand plans for a custom exhaust

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56 | GBXM

running off of a RabidChimp header to open up that 5M growl. I seriously think that, with the right exhaust, the 5M-GE is one of the best sounding engines Toyota has ever made. It may not be a powerhouse, but man it can sound nice. [dd] Share one of your favorite moments you’ve had with this car? [jr] I really wanted to get it finished to bring to a local Monday night meet-up, so I had to do a ton of work really quickly to get it drivable for the first time. I just BARELY made it in time, and everything worked nearly-perfectly first time! I couldn’t believe it. [dd] Are you a gearhead? What does that mean to you? [jr] Absolutely. I live and breathe cars every day. I love reading about, driving, working on, talking about, pretty much anything to do with cars - especially old, obscure, Japanese stuff. [dd] Can people get in touch with you or follow you via digital media? If so, Forums/username? [jr] Sure thing. You can check out my local group’s website that my friends and I run at www.FreeCandyCarClub.com I’m also on a bunch of forums, like Japanese Nostalgic Car, Cressida Forums, MR2OC, and CelicaSupra, under the handle MR2_FTW. [dd] Thanks for telling us about your Cressida, Jordan! Keep in touch. We’d love to see this project take shape over time. [bd] And thanks for sharing Jordan’s story with us, Dennis!

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Here’s some of our favorite stories from September.

OUR FIRST STORY! MITSUBISHI’S DNA MICHAEL TAYLOR TALKS PRESCOTT

2009: Mitsubishi’s DNA (our FIRST story & inspiration for how we want to roll) http://bit.ly/gbxmdna

2010: Michael Taylor, USRC President http://bit.ly/gbxmmtay

BATTERY OPERATED BUG (BOB)

THOR’s PORSCHE BOXSTER EV

2010: Battery Operated Bug (BOB) http://bit.ly/gbxmbob

2010: Thor’s EV Porsche Boxster http://bit.ly/gbxmthor

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Here’s some of our favorite stories from September.

BACK ROUND TO THE ALL-AROUNDER

MODIFY YOUR LIFE PART 1

2011: Back Round to the All-Arounder http://bit.ly/gbxmallround2

2011: Modify Your Life Part 1 http://bit.ly/gbxmmod1

TOP 10 MOVIES FOR GEARHEADS

TIMO’S 300ZX

2011: Top 10 Movies for Gearheads http://bit.ly/gbxmmovies

2011: Timo’s 300ZX http://bit.ly/gbxmtimo

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Here’s some of our favorite stories from September.

Rally on a shoestring budget

2 FREE MODS ANYONE CAN USE

2012: Gage Gregory Talks Rally on a Shoestring Budget http://bit.ly/gbxmgage

2012: 2 Free Mods Anyone Can Use http://bit.ly/gbxmfreemods

Rt4d: Still dreaming

PIMP MY RIDE OLD SCHOOL STYLE

2012: Rally Team 4 Dreams: Still Dreaming http://bit.ly/gbxmrt4d2

2012: Pimp My Ride Old School, Automotive Holy Week http://bit.ly/gbxmpimp

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LESSONS LEARNED high performance machines & lives

Here’s a quick overview of what we’ve learned in this issue: 1. people build their own evs for a variety of reasons, but chief among them are a desire to be break free of the system, to be ahead of the curve, & to be ecologically responsible. go for a ride in a converted ev.

2. cheers ain’t got nothin’ on regional rally, where everybody knows your name (and they’re always glad you came). our new partner deanna got to talk to some of the biggest names at pfr because that’s one way rally rolls.

3. we really need to be going on more epic road trips. multiple day, automotive adventures with our friends, where skills are tested and the true freedom of the automobile becomes clear.

4. you can learn a lot from gearheads who do things differently than you. for example, just because someone doesn’t race his 650whp sports car doesn’t mean you two are nothing alike. far from it.

5. nothing is impossible if you’re willing to work hard to achieve it. how many jobs would you work to own your dream car?

6. you can be disqualified for getting gas in wrc. and you can be fined.

7. rally matters (and you can be freakishly exceptional at it).

8. your crazy idea is someone’s “why didn’t I think of that?”

9. not only can you get all the latest automotive news on reddit (where the big news sites get it), you can also find a business partner! thE BIG TAKEAWAY THIS MONTH: “it does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.” confucius wasn’t bs-ing. gearbox magazine is officially four years old. every month is better than the last and it’s all because of you! the best is yet to come.

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GEARHEADS UNITED MAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED YOUR OWN

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