Vegas Automotive Magazine Issue 4: July/August 2018

Vehicle Features | Shop Features | Event Coverage | More!

Time Capsule 1991 Acura NSX

FEATURING THE BEST IN VEGAS INSIDE

JULY/AUGUST 2018 - ISSUE 4

Events LS FEST WEST MIDNIGHT MAYHEM

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Visit us online at www.vegasautomag.com Our Team

PUBLISHED BY BRAKR INDUSTRIES LLC EDITORS ALEXIS SOLORZANO ADRIAN MIRABAL MEDIA TEAM RICARDO AGUILAR CLINTON ROWLEY LAYOUT DESIGN ADRIAN MIRABAL ADVERTISING SALES@VEGASAUTOMAG.COM 775-455-0513 STAFF BRYAN GUERCIONI SHELBY SLAUGHTER COVER PHOTO BASIC SHOTS AKA HECTOR SANCHEZ CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS CROOKS LIFE AKA SHAYNA WRIGHT JIMMY CROOK BASIC SHOTS AKA HECTOR SANCHEZ

Advertising sales@vegasautomag.com Ideas editor@vegasautomag.com Rides rides@vegasautomag.com

@vegasautomag @brakrindustries

Vegas Automotive Magazine features information and content that is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. Brakr Industries LLC assumes no responsibility for the advertisements within this publication. Although a sincere effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information published, Brakr Industries LLC cannot be held responsible for any consequences which arise due to error.

Copyright © 2018 by Brakr Industries LLC All rights reserved.

Printed in the USA

FROM THE EDITOR

H

ey everyone! Well if you are here, that means you have either picked up a copy of issue #4 or you are on some sort of electronic device checking it out. Either way, we are happy to have you here! We encourage you to share our magazine with your friends and family. We can use all the support from the automotive community and more. Our magazine is a platform for all to use to share knowledge and insights from the automotive scene in Las Vegas. In this issue, we mix it up a bit and feature a few local shops on top of a couple more event recaps/ features and of course some sweet cars and trucks to check out. Join us while we check out WHEELhouse, Dis & Dat Auto and Latronica Design Build. We are still working on adding tech tips, new car reviews and much more. If you have an idea, please shoot it over to us so our team can take a look and throw it in the idea pile.

We are looking to provide content for everyone to enjoy.

On the cover of this issue you will see Jeff Nguyen’s 1991 Acura NSX. Jeff ’s car looks like it came right of a time capsule and captures the classic JDM vibes we were looking for this issue. If you look back at our covers you will see we like to keep our cover vehicles really diverse and it was time for something like this to get its turn. We couldn’t have been happier with the shots captured by Basic Shots, aka Hector Sanchez of Jeff ’s NSX. Inside you are going to see event features from Holley Performance's LS Fest West and also our very own local Midnight Mayhem drag racing event where we caught up with Team RS702 before they rolled out to the event. It is always a great time seeing our locals in action.

Hope you all enjoy, and as usual, please support our advertisers and sponsors because without them this magazine would not be possible.

Your Editor Alexis Solorzano

WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/BRAKRTV

Contents

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14

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24

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6 - EVENTS 11 - DIS N DAT AUTO FEATURE 20 - WHEELHOUSE FEATURE 22 - MIDNIGHT MAYHEM/TEAMRS702 27 - READERS' RIDES 28 - LS FEST WEST

JULY/AUGUST 2018 >>>>>>ISSUE #4

SUBMIT YOUR RIDE TO RIDES@@VEGASAUTOMAG.COM

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Event Schedule

May/June 2018

Always verify event details prior to attending, details can change.

Date

Event Name

Location

Type

Cost

July 08 @5pm

Evel Live with Travis Pastrana

Caesars Palace

Stunt Show

Free

July 13 @7pm

O'Reilly Auto Parts Midnight Mayhem

LVMS Drag Strip

Drag Racing

$

July 13 @6pm

Vegas Drift: Night Grassroots Event

LVMS North Drag Lot

Drift Event

$

July 14 @4pm-11pm

Slides Rides & Rock n Roll

Craig Ranch Regional Part

Car Show/Festival $

August 03

KC HiLites Midnight Special

Jean, Nevada

Off-Road Race

Free to attend

August 10 @7pm

O'Reilly Auto Parts Midnight Mayhem

LVMS Drag Strip

Drag Racing

$

August 18 @10am-6pm

South Point Car and Truck Show

South Point Casino

Car Show

Free to attend

August 18 @6pm

Vegas Drift: Night Grassroots Event

LVMS North Drag Lot

Drift Event

$

August 25 @5pm-10pm

Back To School Night by Whelen Engineering

The Bullring @ LVMS

Racing

$

August 25 @1pm-7pm

Tuned In Tokyo Show

Las Vegas Convention Center

Car Show

$

August 25

Riding 4 Autism

Info Pending, check Facebook

Car Show

Free to attend

September 8/9

Water Street Car Show

Henderson @ Water Street

Car Show

Free to attend

September 8 @4pm-10pm Elite Tuner Season Closer

Silverton Casino

Car Show

$

September 9 @10am-5pm LowRider Supershow

Las Vegas Convention Center

Car Show

$$$

September 13-16

LVMS

Nascar Race

$$$$

Nascar: South Point 400

Recurring Meets Las Vegas Car Meets (Free) Every Wednesday Locations vary Follow @Lasvegascarmeets Cars & Coffee Las Vegas (Free) Every Saturday Morning, 7am-10am Speed Vegas Race Track Follow @speedvegas Espresso and Exotics (Free) Second Sunday of every month 8am-11am Boca Park Espressosandexotics.com

Gears and Grinds (Free) First & third Sunday of the month 8am-11am Baguette Cafe Gearsandgrindsvegas.com

Off-Road Motorsports Night Second Thursday of the month 7pm-10pm PKWY Flamingo 9820 W. Flamingo Rd

Cars und Kaffee (Free) Last Sunday of every month 8am-11am Vesta Coffee Roaster Follow @Carsundkaffee

Vegas Meets Every Wednesday Locations vary Follow @vegasmeets

Village Square Car Show + Art Festival Third Thursday of the month 5:30pm-8:30pm 9400 W Sahara Ave

Car Show on Eastern Every Saturday morning 7am-10am 9500 S. Eastern Ave

First Friday @Findlays VW meet up Every First Friday of the month 6pm-9pm Findlay VW Henderson 983 Auto Show Dr

Send your event to events@vegasautomag.com to be included.

Sponsors>>>>>

@disndatauto 6

@nuworldgraphics

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This Hilux Gets Low Diego's 1980 Toyota Hilux Images by Jimmy Crook & Shayna Wright Words by Clinton Rowley

R

emember being a kid and gawking at cars every time you went out, until you found that one? That one ride that you promised yourself you would drive as soon as you got your license? For Diego, he did just that. After seeing photos of his dad’s old ’81 Toyota Pickup he knew he had to have one just like it.

His father was stationed in Italy in the Air Force when Diego was born and after about 2 years they moved to our little oasis in the desert. Diego currently works for the family business, a drug testing company his father recently purchased. Growing up they shared an interest in cars together. His dad bought a ’72 Chevelle that he did a complete frameoff restoration of. It was built in San Bernardino, which meant the two of them drove down frequently to wrench on it. That was the routine for the 3 year build until it was finished and trailered back into Vegas.

“Riding shotgun in that bad boy next to my dad was a cool feeling, I must admit,” says Diego. In high school he took Auto Shop all four years under the tutelage of Mr. Raha who Diego says taught him many things in and out of the shop class which added fuel to the fire that was Diego’s love 8 for vehicles.

When Diego was just 15 his dad bought the Toyota from an old friend to help Diego out. Because what 15 year old has enough money to buy a truck? Later on Diego bought it from his pops. The truck was in similar condition that it’s in now minus his own handy work. For the interior they threw in a new steering wheel, modified a Louisville Slugger for the shifter, and reupholstered the original bench seat with an old floral curtain set they had lying around. The grille and headlight bezels come from a ’71 Toyota Hilux and the front bumper is held together with bits of sheet metal. As an added touch he welded a wrench to the adjustment knob for the side view mirror. This truck is riddled with little touches from the screw driver antenna to the mule shoe mounted on the rear wooden bumper. But his favorite detail is the three black stripes on the passenger door. They are in dedication to his friend Palm who passed away tragically. Palm had three black stripes tattooed on his right arm, and Diego says the tribute will be there for the life of the truck.

>>>>>>>

The engine is the stock 20r bored over .050 for some more juice and a 32/36 weber carb swap, only putting out about 90hp this thing is no screamer but it is great for cruising low and slow with his lady. With 220,000 miles and ticking on the odometer who could complain? As for suspension he’s riding AirLift on all four corners rocking a bag over axle setup. During the bagging process the rear had to be redone 3 times. He found out why people say measure twice cut once.

His younger brother who also drives an 80’s Toyota Pick up, rattle canned the wheels Cranberry Red that where then wrapped in some crisp white wall tires.

Diego has been working on this truck adding unique modifications for the past 4 years that he has owned it. For future plans he is looking to swap in a 5 cylinder diesel Mercedes engine. Diego just recently found out he is going to be a father, at the gender reveal he put on tires that would give off pink smoke during a burnout. So when you inevitably see this eye catching pickup tell him congratulations!

The rear bumper is an old, warped and weathered 2x4 featuring his license plate and an old mule shoe gifted from his grandmother.

This 4cyl 20r engine is pumping out 90hp meanwhile rocking over 220,000 miles on the odometer.

@diego_ybarra_

Driver Specs:

Name: Diego Ybarra Occupation: Drug Testing Company Hometown: Las Vegas

Vehicle Modifications:

Engine: 4 Cyl 20r with 90hp, Carb replaced with 32/36 Weber, bored engine .50 over.

Suspension: Full AirLift suspension, front and rear, 12" C-Notch with bag-over-axle setup, 2 AirLift D2500 air bags for the rear with KYB Shocks. Universal 4 link kit. Front has universal "Air House 2" heavy duty bags Wheels/Tires: Stock 14"x6.5" Steelies from a 1964 Ford Galaxy, custom painted by his brother Cranberry Red. Coker Classic White Wall Tires, 26.60" in diameter with a sidewall of 7.60".

Body: One piece front clip, shaved 4x4 fenders, grille and headlight bezels from a 1971 Toyota Hilux. The front bumper is joined together bits and pieces of sheet metal tack welded together. Only 3 pieces are from an actual 1980 Toyota Pick up bumper. The roof has an added metal visor hanging over the front windshield and rear window.

Audio: Oldie style cassette player with 2 speakers behind the seat.

Interior: Steering l is a Down Spoke wood grain Nardi. The shifter is an actual 30" wooden Louisville slugger baseball bat. Original bench seat reupholstered with a floral pattern that came from an old curtain.

Misc: There are so many small details on this truck to fit the overall style that it is hard to catch it all.

There is an extra long flat head screw driver as an antenna. An old rusted vice bolted to the right rear corner of the bed.

Thanks

Little Brother Sergio aka SodaPop

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Let's Check Out

Images by Clinton Rowley Words by Adrian Mirabal

www.disndatauto.com

Address: 2635 Bledsoe Lane, Las Vegas,

NV 89156 (Nellis & Cheyenne)

Hours:

@disndatauto

Monday to Saturday 8am to 4pm (last entry at 3:30pm)

T

his is a business that you may not normally pay a ton of attention to yet you have probably been to a few in the past. Dis & Dat Auto Wrecking & U-Pull Auto Parts is a junk yard, scrap yard, parts yard, wrecking yard or whatever else you would like to call it. We are lucky to have connected with such an awesome, family owned, business and learn more about it.

Dis & Dat Auto Wrecking & U-Pull Parts was founded by Dat and Lien Nguyen and has been in business since 1999. 19 years in any business is already such a huge accomplishment but 19 years in this business is even more amazing in our eyes. What is often looked at like junk saves thousands of people a ton of money by making these parts accessible. Dat had a dream to be a small business owner and his family connection to the automotive industry inspired a vision of an auto wrecking yard. After coming across an opportunity to purchase land in the zoned area for this type of business he jumped on it. Starting that day on they have worked hard to build from the ground up to what they are today.

Their yard contains a wide selection of late model (1990’s and newer) domestic, Asian import, and European vehicles. They sell vehicles and vehicle parts from cars, trucks, vans and SUV’s. Some of their most popular items are engines, transmissions and batteries. They pull those parts and keep inventory on them the best they can. When you walk in you will be greeted by someone at the front desk and after signing in you can enter the yard for FREE. There is absolutely no entry fee at this yard so you can go check it out and see if they have what you are looking for without spending any money. In the future they plan to continue adding to their inventory and begin offering newer model vehicles to meet the needs of their clients.

Overall this is a great wrecking yard to check out. Stop in and see one of their Sales Managers, Jeff or Randy today and experience their friendly staff, a great selection and plenty of parts. To see what their customers are saying check out their reviews online.

Your Truck, His Plan Latronica Design Build Images & Words By Clinton Rowley

J

1975 GMC K5 Jimmy

im Latronica worked previously as a General Contractor. After being told what to build and how to do it for over 20 years he got fed up. Two years ago Jim opened up his own shop, Latronica Design Build. Since then Jim has been building things he knows will be tasteful, functional, and up to his standards. At Latronica Design Build you leave your plan for your K5 Blazer at the door.

As a kid Jim was always wrenching on anything he could get his hands on. Everything from bicycles and rc cars to Jeeps and buggies. He grew up tinkering on things his own way making it fit his mental image. So naturally following the guidelines of someone else’s design didn’t sit very well with him. Now when he builds your ’69-’75 K5/K10/K20s he designs it himself. Jim put it very plain and simple for us when he said “I decided when starting the business, I would only build my designs. I’m open to customer’s ideas and input but ultimately, I get to decide the overall design and details. If you don’t agree, there are lots of other shops that will build it your way.” That shows confidence in his builds which we could clearly see on the 1975 GMC Jimmy we shot in the shop. At the heart of the truck is a 383 Stroker with a screaming 420HP and all four disc brakes to stop this big girl. Sitting on a 4 inch Rancho lift and 35 inch tires this truck has the perfect stance. It’s not overly done nor does it look stock, it is completely tasteful. All the paint, trim, and chrome have been redone making it intensely pleasing to the eye. Inside the interior is brand new from the carpet and the upholstery to the vinyl on the dash and doors.

All of their designs are one off and will not look like another truck out there. You can trust they will build you a head turning ride. Currently they are working on a couple accessories for these trucks including a gauge cluster, door inserts, and grills that will be debuting here in a couple months.

They are located downtown in the Art District and that makes Latronica Designs central to everyone. So if you have a K/C Squarebody you are looking to restore there is no reason for you to not swing by and see what Jim has to offer.

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MODIFICATIONS Engine: 383 stroker, Eldelbrock carb and intake, headers, HEI, with 420/450HP Suspension: 4" Rancho Suspension Lift Wheels/Tires: 17x10 Chrome Fuel Maverick w/35x12.50x17 Toyo AT3's Body: New paint, trim and chrome.

Audio: Pioneer Bluetooth Controller, MB Quartz speakers, MB Quartz amp and low profile 10" 350w subwoofer.

Interior: Late model Silverado front seats. Seats, panels and dash upholstered in custom tri color high grade vinyl Misc: 4 wheel disc brakes, Vintage Air AC system, Custom steps

www.latronicadesignbuild.com Address: 50 W. Colorado Ave

Las Vegas, NV 89102

Hours: Monday - Friday 7am to 4pm

@latronicadesignbuild 13

The LS Machine Luke's 1989 Chevrolet S10 Blazer Images By Clinton Rowley Words By Adrian Mirabal

I

f you have read some of our previous issues, you may have seen we find a lot of our feature vehicles around town at local events/shows. Well this one jumped out to us at a local Battle Born Toyotas truck meet. From far away you could already tell this truck has received a lot of love.

Just based off the body style we knew it had to be close to 20 years old, so the fact that everything on it looked brand new was awesome! Not one section of this truck has been left untouched.

Luke Fields is the proud owner of this 1989 Chevrolet S10 Blazer rocking a 6.0 LS2. He was born and raised right here in Vegas. Luke is a proud father of 1 year old twin boys (@twinboysdaily) and is married to his beautiful wife, Isabella. During the day, he is a Heavy Line Mechanic and he is his own builder in his spare time. He grew up in the garage with his dad, Brian, and bought his first project, a 1970 Chevy Nova, at age 14. Since then he has owned an ’89 Toyota Supra MK3, a ’91 BMW E30, and a ’07 Ford F350 (Tow Pig). Luke has owned his ’89 S10 Blazer for about 1 year now. The truck has been in his family for quite some time. It was handed down from his Grandpa, to his Uncle and then ultimately to him. The truck is actually named Brad after his uncle who handed it down to him. The S10 Blazer is one of his wife’s favorite builds because it gets 25 miles to the gallon. I have to admit that is pretty awesome!

When Luke got his hands on this family truck it was ready for a makeover. He wasted no time and built the entire truck in just about 8 months.

With LS Fest West creeping up he knew he wanted to showcase the build there. One week away from LS Fest West, he was jacking up the truck to change the shocks in his garage and it slipped off the jack stands and put a hole in his oil pan. He had to pull the entire engine and transmission again just to change the pan. Even with that setback the truck was done and made it to LS Fest with only 300 miles on the build. This isn’t your basic LS swap project. This engine has just enough work to put out 415 WHP yet still remain reliable as a daily driver. The body has all the goodies lined up just right for the “Race Truck” look Luke was going for. The interior was completely redone by his best friend Rilee Hansen. The frame is C-notched and the suspension is dropped 7” in the front and 6” in the rear. That is just touching the surface. We think he killed it on achieving his “look”. We asked him what his favorite part on the truck is and he said “For sure the factory rear air diffuser/spoiler. I think that wing makes the whole truck. It serves a purpose and looks so good”. You can plan on seeing some more of this truck in the future on BrakrTV.

@1slow6oh

Driver specs Name: Luke A. Fields Occupation: Heavy Line Mechanic Hometown: Las Vegas

MODIFICATIONS Engine: 6.0L LS2 with 480 TQ, 415WHP. Ported and polished 243 heads, PAC 1218 valve springs, TSP 224R Cam 112 LSA, L3 intake, tuned by @doctorturbojoe Suspension: Dropped 7" in the front, 6" in the rear Wheels/Tires: XXR 521 10.5" rear, 8.5" front Body: 4” Goodmark cowl hood, shaved bumper, roll pan, ‘93 grill conversion, body work and paint all done by me in our driveway. Previous “Mini Truck” turned “Race Truck Audio: kenwood double DIN with Infinity speakers front and rear Interior: custom upholstery done by my best friend Rilee Hansen (@Hansens_Upholstery); seats, center console, carpet, headliner, and door panels redone by him. Ultra Gauge Blue cluster ran in dash on an iPad mini 2. I made the center console myself to relocate the radio and fit the shifter.

Misc: The frame has been C-notched, drilled and slotted rotors, trick flow main cap diff cover

Thanks

@doctorturbojoe @shane_does_stuff @hansens_upholstery

This 6.0L LS2 looks right at home in this engine bay.

A before shot of the truck.

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Time Capsule Jeff's 1991 Acura NSX Images by Hector Sanchez AKA Basic Shots Words by Adrian Mirabal

T

his is a car we have been saving the last few issues because we knew we had to make room for it to shine! The sleek look of this car, the history behind the NSX and the actual condition of this very one was a perfect fit for this issues cover feature. There are only a handful of NSX's here in Las Vegas and each one of them is unique but something about Jeff 's stood out.

Jeffrey Nguyen’s 1991 Acura NSX looks like he drove it right out of a time capsule. It is amazing how many modern day modifications he is able to pull off yet still have that nostalgic JDM vibe to his car. This is a true example of passion. With Acura bringing back the NSX all these years later the almost 3 decades old cars are even more iconic now.

Jeff was born and raised right here in Las Vegas, NV. He graduated from UNLV and currently operates his family’s business, Dis & Dat Auto Wrecking & U-Pull Auto Parts. He is currently engaged to Tahnee Le and they recently welcomed their son Jax to the world. Jeff says he has always been interested in cars, especially sport cars. When he was young he would either subscribe to automotive magazines or else you would catch him at the grocery store reading them. Jeff enjoyed cars so much that for a while he debated on going into automotive design. Although he didn’t go into that field Jeff says he is blessed that he gets to work with cars daily. The NSX has always been a dream car of his so after he graduated college he decided he was going to reward himself. One day about 12 years ago Jeff was browsing EBay an came across and NSX that had a “buy now” price way below market value. That definitely caught his eye and was too good to be true so of course he reached out to the seller. After a few emails and phone calls back and forth with the seller Jeff was on a plane heading to Long Beach, CA to pick up his new ride. Jeff says he had the biggest smile ever the entire drive from LA back home to Vegas. The car had 150,000 miles on it and was mostly stock aside from the 5-speed to 6-speed transmission conversion.

Jeff has spent the last 10 years making changes and continuing to build his car. His vision from the beginning was to modernize the car while keeping a clean and exotic look. One of the hardest parts of his build had been sourcing all the parts and importing them from Japan. We asked Jeff what his favorite part is on the car and he said “ I am addicted to carbon fiber and titanium. If they make it in carbon fiber or titanium, I’m getting it!” He did tell us that if he had to choose one part he would say the Individual Throttle Bodies have got to be his favorite modification. The response and power delivery after installing them has made Jeff a natural aspiration addict. With a long list of modifications this NSX is sitting right at 300 whp & 210ft/ lbs torque. Jeff told us one of the things he loves about the car in general is being able to meet and connect with other car enthusiasts of all kinds. He says everyone seems to have respect for the NSX regardless if they are into imports, domestics, euros, classics etc. Jeff plans to keep building his car and eventually start tracking the car. This is a car to watch out for. Jeff truly loves his car and he hopes to pass the car down to his son, Jax, one day so you know he will continue to care for it. This NSX is in good hands.

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Driver Specs:

Name: Jeffrey Nguyen Occupation: Auto Recycler & Wrecker Hometown: Las Vegas

@jvnsx

Engine: C30A1 (3.01 DOHC VTEC) HP: 300 to the wheels Torque: 210 ft/lb @6000rpm Engine Management: AEM Series 2 EMS Transmission: 6-Speed Conversion Clutch: CT Engineering Power-Grip Flywheel: CT Engineering Lightweight Headers: Pride Headers Exhaust: ARC Titanium Exhaust Custom Stainless Steel Straight Pipes Intake: Science of Speed Individual Throttle Body System Downforce Air Intake Scoop Prospeed Cold Air Intake – Polished Injector Dynamics 725cc Fuel Injectors Science of Speed Crankcase

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Breather Tank Coolant Tank: Science of Speed Expansion Tank Accessories: KC Machine CNC Aluminum Battery Tray Shorai Lithium Iron Battery – 5lbs Carbon Fiber Throttle Body Cover (sduffass) Carbon Fiber Radiator Panel (sduffass) Carbon Fiber NSX-R Mesh Engine Cover JEGS Fuel Pressure Gauge Cedar Ridge Pulley Shield – Lightweight Edition SOS Oil Pressure True Gauge Kit Valve Covers – Powdercoated Wrinkle Red Intake Manifold Cover – Powdercoated Wrinkle Red Various Carbon Fiber Wrapped Items Gold Foiled Heat Shields

Thanks:

Dis & Dat Auto Henry @ 3W Distributing Loren @ Rotora Brian @ BCE Designs Ray @ Evolution Auto Body Chris @ Science of Speed My parents Most of all my love and foundation ,Tahnee Le and our son Jax

Wheels/Tires/Brakes: Gram Light 57Xtreme – Matt Graphite Front: 18 x 8.5 +45 Rear: 19 x 10.5 +35 Bridgestone RE760 Front: 215/35zr18 Rear: 275/30zr19 Lug Nuts: Project Kics R40 Brakes: Rotora Front: 6-Piston Calipers – Red / Slotted Rotors / Anodized Hats – 355mm Rear: 4-Piston Calipers – Red / Slotted Rotors / Anodized Hats – 330mm Stainless Brake Lines Suspension: Coilovers: Tein Flex Front Lift Kit: UAD Variable Ride Height Cup Kit – Stealth Setup Front Strut: Route KS Rear Strut: Foundry3 Titanium Bar Front Lower Brace: GT Spec Aluminum Rear Lower Brace: GT Spec Aluminum Rear Tunnel Brace: Cedar Ridge Sway Bar: Comptech 0.875” Adjustable Steering: SOS Steering Rack Bushing Kit

Interior: Steering Wheel: Momo

Tuner 350mm w/ Titanium Bolts Hub: NRG v2.0 Short Hub with Quick Release Pedals: Autovation with Dead Pedal Seats: Recaro SR5 Rafale in Red/Red Tomcat (Limited Edition) Seat Brackets: Bride RO Type Harness Bar: Cedar Ridge Harness Bar Seat Harness: Takata Drift II – Black with Green Padding Shift Boot: NSX-R Carbon Fiber Shift Knob: Moddiction Anvil 2 – Titanium Shift Stalk: NSX-R Shorten Shaft with Cedar Ridge Short Shifter Kit Cluster: SOS Carbon Fiber Cluster Trim Gauges: AEM Air/Fuel Ratio (Bank 1 & 2)

Stereo: Kenwood DNX-7190HD Navigation: JDM Navigation Pod with Alpine Screen Carpet: NSX-R Red Mats: NSX-R Red Mirror: ZOOM Carbon Fiber Rear View Mirror Accessories: SOS Double Din Bracket Red Stitching on Dash and Door Panels Red Alcantara Door Panel Inserts Various 3M Carbon Fiber Vinyl Wrapped Autovation Aluminum Hell Guard – Galaxy Black Autovation Aluminum Door Sills – Galaxy Black

Body: 2002+ Front End Conversion OEM 2002 Honda NSX Headlamps – Custom Painted Matte Black Downforce 2002 Front Bumper Hood: Seibon Carbon Fiber NSX-R Front Lip: Downforce Carbon Fiber Sport Lip Side Skirt: Wings West Side Skirt Lip: Downforce Carbon Fiber Side Strakes Rear Valence: Downforce 2002 Rear Valence Diffuser: Mode4 Carbon Fiber

Rear Spoiler: Backyard Special Carbon Fiber Spoiler w/ Titanium Bolts Trunk: Downforce Carbon Fiber Trunk Lip Spoiler Engine Hatch Duct: Sorcery Carbon Fiber Hatch Duct Roof: Seibon Carbon Fiber Roof Vent: Downforce Carbon Fiber DF-R Side Vents Side Markers: NSXClear Light Smoked Side Markers Tail Lamp: Custom LED Stop and Turn Signal Conversion Antenna: Guppy Attack Short Antenna Accessories: SOS Radiator Shield, Full Clear Bra, Tinted Headlamps

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Let's Check Out Images by Clinton Rowley Words by Adrian Mirabal

Address: 3111 S. Valley View Blvd Ste P101

Las Vegas, NV 89102

Hours:

Monday-Friday 9am-5pm

follow @wheelhouse702

W

hen you are looking for a shop to trust with your vehicle we know all of the things that come to mind. You’re asking yourself if you can trust this place with your baby, your pride and joy. Well this is one shop we know the answer to that question first hand, YES! The pride that WHEELhouse takes in their shop drew us to work with them since the birth of Vegas Automotive Magazine and we knew we wanted to give a little inside look to what they have going on.

WHEELhouse is owned and operated by Josh Hoeppner and Mike Constantin for the last 3 years. Both Josh and Mike both worked for other shops in the past that they felt didn’t cared about their customers. This is what sparked their interest in creating WHEELhouse. When you visit their shop you will see that every interaction with their customers is positive. We asked Josh if they had a specialty and he said "With a combined 45 years in wheels & Tires, I would have to say that’s our specialty, but we do absolutely everything including lowering, air ride, hydraulics, performance, custom fabrication and much more." WHEELhouse wants to be a one stop shop for everything automotive. They pride themselves on being enthusiast owned and operated. When you walk into their shop you can be ready to chop it up and make a game plan for your project whether it is a simple wheel/tire setup or a one off suspension setup. A few brands you can find there are Fuel, Niche, Nitto, Toyo, Work Wheels, Rotiform, Radi8 and their very own Rockstar Tires. They buy in bulk and carry a variety of products but if you don’t see it, give them a call or swing by and see how quick they can get it for you.

Their plan is to be one of the premier shops in Las Vegas and put out some of the highest quality work. They truly care about you and your car.

Go by for yourself and you will see why you leave there with friends and wanting to keep coming back for more. Thanks for doing what you do WHEELhouse.

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Controlled Mayhem

Oreily Auto Parts Midnight Mayhem Images by Clinton Rowley and Ricardo Aguilar Words by Clinton Rowley

I

f you’re a local I am pretty sure you have heard of Midnight Mayhem.

If you haven’t ill give you a little run down. For the low cost of twenty dollars you can run your vehicle safely on an NHRA sanctioned track. Instead of flashing your hazards and honking three times on the 215, you can prove your skill and get your adrenaline pumping all the while not endangering the locals. Sounds great, right?

Hosted at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and sponsored by O’reilly Auto Parts, this quarter mile strip will let anyone run provided you meet the safety and tech rules. For them Midnight Mayhem is all about safety, which here at Vegas Auto Mag we condone. There are a few rules that everyone has to abide by, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a Honda with monster drag radials on front or in a Duramax diesel. The basics being no open toed shoes, No shorts, and your car has to be street legal and registered.

You can bring along one passenger as long as they pay to be in the car. If your ride is quicker than 13.99 seconds then you have to have a helmet and passengers are no longer permitted.

There is a showcase class for vehicles with the sole purpose of running the track. They of course have their own set of rules all stated on the LVMS website.

There is just something invigorating about pushing your ride to the limit, focusing on staying straight, and getting the shifts just right. This event is always packed, I recommend if you plan on racing arrive a little early because you will be waiting. As you inch closer and closer to the front of the line your heart steadily thumps faster and faster. Finally it's your turn to roll up to the tree and get in position, your hands get sweaty, your hearing seems to fade away as you watch the lights trickle down like a Christmas decoration. You load up on the gas and BOOM, its green. For the next handful of seconds it's just you and your car and then it's over. You suddenly understand that really corny line in The Fast and The Furious about living your life a quarter mile at a time until you see that you ran 15.00 and you know damn well your Grandma’s Cadillac El Dorado would walk you from a dig. None the less you get back in line like a child waiting to go down the slide and have a blast all over again.

During the night the Showcase class gets to run, these are the people that have been through every inch if their car to make is faster and lighter. It is a real treat to watch them run neck and neck the entire length of the track. The crowd goes wild every time some one wheelies and rightfully so, its pretty damn awesome.

>>>>>>>

@teamrs702official

New team banner being installed before heading out.

We see a ton of familiar faces at these events and we wanted to check out what some of the drivers and teams do to prepare for Midnight Mayhem. Before the races we met up with RS702 car club at one of their shops. Team RS702 was founded by Mike Malabanan to help promote his shop, RS702, in 2017.

Team RS702 is well known across Las Vegas because they designed it that way.

President Joy Malabanan believes in showing up to every meet, event, show, and car gathering not only bringing their rides but bringing a good attitude.

Professionalism, courtesy, consideration and respect are the staples that hold this team together. Members are chosen by their character not by what they drive, after all when you rock that banner you not only represent yourself but your entire team. The team isn’t specific to any one type of ride, both Mike and Joy have clean BMWs, there was a Camaro, a bike, and a car from nearly every import

company you can think of. Some rides were static and sticker bombed while others bagged and spotless. Team RS702 isn’t out to exclude anyone from their family, even us while getting photos and video for a couple hours. They just want to make a positive impact on the car community, and have a good time while doing it. When we showed up at their shop there was a ton of cars getting last minute touches done, fueling up with race fuel, getting a quick wipe down in, etc. At the track not everyone ran but the ones who did definitely got the good vibes being given off by their team members in the stands. Even though flying down the strip might not be their cup of tea, they sure as hell supported the ones who do like it. And that right there is what it is all about, supporting each other, showing love, and dope cars. Team RS702 understands that, without a doubt.

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Project wagon :

Break IT, Fix IT, Repeat

Jimmy's 1993 Subaru Impreza Wagon Images by Shayna Wright Words by Adrian Mirabal

P

roject Wagon. The name alone sets you up for what you are about to see and read about. If you are into modifying your vehicle then you understand that they are always projects (for the most part) that you are always adding new parts or replacing broken ones. Jimmy Crook is the owner of this 1993 Subaru Impreza Wagon and he knows about owning a never ending project all too well but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jimmy Crook is originally from Miami, Florida but has lived in Vegas for the last 5 years with his partner in crime Shayna and their two English Bulldogs. Jimmy runs a photography company called #CrooksLife that focuses on automotive shoots with a mix of models.

His day job is currently at Findlay Customs where he is the Marketing Coordinator.

We asked Jimmy what made him get into cars in the first place, he said “Around age 9/10 when my family would do our weekly Costco trip, I would always get a 1:18 die cast car there. That’s where it all began, then Need For Speed Underground came out and I was addicted.” Fast forward to now and we have the ultimate auto enthusiasts. Check out

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his Instagram and you will see him out at photo shoots, offroading, races and everything else! Jimmy moved to Vegas with $4,000 to find a place to live and a vehicle to get to work. After getting settled in he was left with $1,000 to hunt for a car. He immediately went to Craigslist and began his search for something “cool” but also reliable. He came across a 1 owner Wagon in Southern California and he knew he had to have it. Shayna and Jimmy drove 5 hours to pick up his wagon and oh was it worth it! The previous owner was an older lady who drove 50 miles each way to work M-F and never had a passenger in it. The car was literally in MINT condition! Jimmy says he bets she would cry if she saw it now!

This was the first vehicle he has ever purchased completely stock.

Jimmy says he was not sure what direction to take it at first. Should he slam it? Should he leave it stock? He came across an Instagram page @NVRHOME and @Ryotofangels and saw these guys lifting their Subaru’s and he was AMAZED! This style was just calling his name.

That was where the inspiration for #ProjectWagon started.

>>>>>>>

In the last 4 years he has made a ton of changes. The build goes on and there is no end. He eventually wants to build it for rally and start attending events all over. He is knocking out his checklist to get there. The lift was done in his garage with some help by @DustyRedNeck in just about 5 hours. Most of the work was done right at home in Jimmy’s garage. If he ever has work that is above his mechanical knowledge he has @turbodommm take care of it. We asked Jimmy what the biggest setback was during his build so far and he said “I smoked my clutch on a sand dune about 15 miles from camp while at King of the Hammers 2017 and it took us about 5 hours to maneuver through the trails being tugged by @Mtn_Roo members all the way back”. Setbacks or memories? They all sort of mix together with this ride. Jimmy says “Each dent has its own story and memory that I will never forget, from my roof rack falling off during a hill climb, my windshield shattering with @ProjectCrosstrek passenger in the whoops and so much more”. Overall, Project Wagon is a ride to check out. Jimmy tells us that he has adventured to places he had only dreamed of before. Looking back, he has helped 20+ people lift their Subarus and it has connected him with Mtn Roo. Mtn Roo is a brotherhood of Subaru’s all across the world who get together and go on trails, camping and much more. I can say first hand that Jimmy is an awesome dude, amazing photographer and he #SendsIt .

The original 1.8L engine pushes out 96 hp of pure joy and makes it anywhere Jimmy needs.

This one off suspension put together from Subaru Forester and Outback parts has just enough travel.

@PROJECTWAGON

Driver Specs:

Name: Jimmy Crook Occupation: Marketing Coordinator Hometown: Miami, FL >>Las Vegas

Vehicle Modifications:

Engine: 1.8 Manual, with 93hp Suspension: 2008 Forester suspension with 3/8 spacers all around (2" lift). 1999 Subaru Outback Trailing arm brackets with Sumo Parts 1" Trailing arm bracket spacers.

Wheels/Tires/Brakes: Basset Racing 15x7 4" backspacing/General Grabbers AT2's 225/70/15/ EBC Brakes Drilled and Slotted Rotors Misc: Industrial Grade Lighting- 20" Single row, 30" Single row amber ends, 12" double row back up light, LED Whip

Thanks

@ProjectBlobeye @ProjectCrosstrek @Industrial_Grade_Products @Flatlinemotorsports @Mtn_Roo

Readers' rides!

Use#702VAMFAM

TAG US TO BE FEATURED!

@vegasautomag

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Holley LS Fest West all things ls

Images by Clinton Rowley Words by Adrian Mirabal

H

olley Performance’s LS Fest West! This is an entire event celebrating one of the most known engines in the automotive world. The LS engine is known for being reliable, affordable and powerful! If you are reading our magazine we are pretty sure you have heard the phrase “LS Swap it” by now.

Holley Performance is one of the largest suppliers of any and all things that you can pair up with your LS engine. After realizing how much love there is for this engine they decided to create LS Fest. As soon as we heard LS Fest was coming back to Vegas for their 2nd year we immediately cleared the calendar to attend for all 3 days. The event includes LS powered vehicles of all types and events for them all to compete in. When we arrived at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway where the event was held we were already overwhelmed by the size of the event. We knew there was going to be drag racing, autocross racing, show n shine, drifting, offroading and a ton of burnouts. It is one thing to picture all of that going on simultaneously in your head but another thing to experience it. This event welcomes all things running LS engines from the factory or aftermarket swaps. There were fully built prerunners, Mazda trucks, Nissan drift cars and much more!

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The first step was to pick an event and go check it out! We walked down vendor row and checked out all the LS inspired products and brands that came out to show off their products and show everyone what they can do. LS Fest is a great way to showcase your stuff since you can run a vehicle equipped with your product right there in front of everyone. There was a ton of YouTube personalities attending including the crew from The Hoonigans Daily Transmission series as they brought their show live and on the road to LS Fest. They set up a temporary Donut Garage that looked similar to the style back at their headquarters in Long Beach, CA. They had bleachers set up and really got the crowed pumped by throwing out some free shirts, Koozies, stickers and bunch of other goodies. Cleetus McFarland was also out there running his stripped down2001 Corvette with a 427Ci Twin Turbo engine named Leroy the Savage down the drag strip, doing burnouts and showing us what it can do on the Hoonigans live stage.

>>>>>>>

It was also awesome to see some familiar faces while we were out there like Sorensen Motorsports which includes brother and sister duo Branden Sorensen and Amanda Sorensen. They were competing in the Drifting Event in their LS powered BMW drift ready cars. Branden took home 1st place taking home $1,500 in prize money and a new set of Fortune Auto Coilovers. It is always awesome to see teams putting Vegas on the map and taking home the W. We also ran into Chris Hart with Hart Driven Performance, another local racer. He was there running his ’07 Chevy Corvette Z06 with 552hp/518tq to the tires. Chris told us he bought the car at auction in April 2017 with the plans on racing LS Fest West that year. He enjoyed it so much here he is back again for 2018. We asked him what drew him to LS Fest and he said “I wanted to do it because it is 3 days of mixed racing from drag, Autocross, speed stop, and road course. It is like mixed martial arts of street racing and the biggest test to you and your car.” This event is so unique because it really challenges every aspect of the vehicle and tests the ability of the drivers. You have to be able to control your car to compete with the best in this. Chris made top 10 out of 100+ cars at every event. He took 3rd in drag racing, 5th in road course, 8th in speed speed and 13th in Autocross with enough combined points for a 4th place overall finish!

Congrats Chris!

At the end of the day there was just so much to cover. We can only fit so much here so be sure and check out our YouTube video and also visit our website for more photos. There was plenty of offroading from the Terra Crew and Shreddy Lyfe drivers among others, tons of burn outs and metal ramp jumping at the Hoonigans show, a Tire De Fryo contest where people got the chance to rip their rides around for one minute and create a ton of smoke and burn some rubber. We will definitely be out there next year and way more prepared to take in all the events and capture as much content as we possibly can for you all!

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