Bad To The Bone

Without a doubt, the Legacy of American Muscle will never die. It's good to know that owners like Cody La Riviere here stay true to the Muscle Car oath: All motor, no additives. This amazing horsepower machine is a 2000 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, the last of the GM F-Body. A True Canadian car, the last generation Camaro was built in the GM assembly plant located in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec.

During this shoot, I got to know Cody a bit and discovered he's a down to earth fellow who appreciates what he has and takes nothing for granted. He has spent countless hours creating a masterpiece of a Z28 into his own. Without a doubt, blood, sweat and tears, maybe not so much tears, has been put into this car and it definitely shows.

The reason as to why Cody picked a Camaro Z28 as opposed to an import, was that the V8 " sounds pissed off ". There is a more personal side, with the muscle car scene dying a slow death around the turn of the century, He also wanted to " grab the last of the true F-body, the tail end of American Muscle Cars".

Here are some specs on the car:

Engine:
It boasts an all aluminum 346 Cubic Inch (cu) 5.7L LS1. This is not a stroker, it is a precisely built LS1. It has around 450+ Rear Wheel Horsepower (RWHP). For engine modifications, this LS1 has a K&N Cold Air Intake, a Edelbrock 90mm Victor Throttle Body, a F.A.S.T. 90mm intake manifold, F.A.S.T 36 lb/hr injectors Texas Speed and Performance Stage 1 LS6 heads, Thunder Racing "Trex" camshaft, ARP connecting rod bolts, ported oil pump, and lastly a Manley double roller timing chain.

Exhaust:
Which high performance car would be complete without an exhaust system? This Camaro has 1 3/4 " long Hooker tubes with 3" collectors ending before the rear axle.

Suspension:
Cody figures, if he wants to keep his car on the road, why not use it's weight to do so? He has installed a front sway bar, a G2 adjustable lower control arm front and back, custom made weld in subframe connectors, joined by a BMR brace/driveshaft safety loop, BMR transmission cross member/torque arm, BMR torque arm, Eibach lowering Springs that sit on custom valved Bilstein Shocks in the front, stiffer performance Eibach lowering springs and Koni Adjustable shocks in rear.

Shoes:
Just like humans, cars need proper footwear in order to move. What enables this Camaro to stick to the pavement are a set of Detroit Wheels C4 ZR1 replica 9.5"X17" in the front and 11"X17" in the back, shrouded around Toyo Proxes T1-S 275/40R17 are in the front and Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials 315/35R17 in the rear to put the power down.

I am fortunate enough to have had the chance to shoot this Camaro, and it was indeed a great pleasure. It is truly a great example of how the 20th century produced simplicity and fun in North American motoring. A big thank you to Cody for all the info and his time, and Leafy32 for giving me this opportunity. Keep shooting my friends. Ciao.

-MoroccanSpicePhotos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/moroccanspice/

DUBL-STUFD

I recently had the opportunity to shoot a E30 BMW 318is that's far from stock. Unfortunately the owner of the car wasn't the builder, but that doesn't take any of the enjoyment away when you've got a second E30 that you did build yourself. Joel Buchsdrucker is the proud owner of two E30s, and this one in particular is quite unique. I took the time to ask him some questions and learn why he appreciates this 318is so much.

I asked Joel why he purchased the car, and this is what he had to say. “ I've been wanting a swapped E30 for years. The used engine market in Edmonton is terrible and after of not finding anything for a long time I settled on a turbo build up for my daily driver E30. Shortly before I began gathering parts together for that, I heard about this car for sale 3 hours south and my heart jumped a little. I knew I had to have it.”

I asked what has been done to the car. “Well first and foremost the engine is an S38B36 3.6L I6 from a 1991 BMW M5. The differential and transmission is the 5 speed from the M5. The suspension consists of a 5-lug swap with E36 M3 front end and E36/8 M Coupe rear end all sitting on adjustable Ground Control springs and camber plates and Koni shocks. The front brakes are E36 M3 and rear brakes are from an E46 330i. Supersprint exhaust, JimC chip, Style 73 BMW wheels from a 330xi and complete Hartge late model body kit.”

I found out a bit about how rare the swap is. “The S38 is infamous for being expensive and high maintenance. Most E30 engine swaps today are M50/2 or S50/2 engines from the E36 which can be done fairly easily with little modification or fabrication. The S38, however, is physically larger and heavier and requires more ingenuity to swap. The car was built by a shop in Toronto 6 years ago and was the owners personal ride. Cooling is an issue, but it has been uniquely solved by moving the radiator 6 inches forward, preserving the mechanical fan and adding an electric fan. The overall result is a very clean, functional swap.”

To Finish this i wanted to know how the car made him feel, and this is what he had to say. “In one word; excited. The sound of the 3.6L I6 engine with the ITB's is beautiful, people have compared it to air-cooled 911's and old Ferrari's. It's pretty fast and it can get a little scary at times, but that's part of the fun, right?”

Some stats on the car from his own knowledge. “I honestly don't have any firm stats, but with the chip and factory ratings the engine should be good for about 325hp and 290lb/ft. Overall car weight should be around 2700lbs. Top speed is unknown but I predict it would be around 260-270kph, and 0-60 in 5 seconds.”

Josh, Signing Off!

Link to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshualegault/

BMW 318is SPECIFICATIONS (as per wikipedia including M5 swap)
Manufacturer BMW
Production 1982–1994
Body style 2-door coupe
Layout Front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine 3.6 L S38B36 I6
Transmission 5-speed manual
Wheelbase 2,570 mm (101.2 in)
Length 1988-89 Sedan, Wagon & Coupe: 4,450 mm (175.2 in)
1988-89 Convertible: 4,460 mm (175.6 in)
1990-91 Sedan, Wagon & Coupe: 4,326 mm (170.3 in)
1990-93 Convertible: 4,323 mm (170.2 in)
Width Sedan & Wagon: 1,646 mm (64.8 in)
Coupe: 1,661 mm (65.4 in)
Height Sedan & Wagon: 1,379 mm (54.3 in) Convertible: 1,369 mm (53.9 in)
Coupe: 1,400 mm (55.1 in)
Curb weight 1,070–1,368 kg (2,359–3,016 lb)

ST205 GT4: Whiteout!

The Four Headlights are a reminder of the headlight design on the original Celica

 There are some brands that have been synonymous with rally racing. While Subaru and Mitsubishi were arguably the most dominant Japanese brands in the past 20 years competing in rally, The Toyota Celica started competing in 1972, reaching legendary status by the time the sixth generation, ST205 Celica GT4 rolled out of the factory.

Toyota Racing Development

With a newly revised 3S-GTE delivering an astounding 251 Horsepower for 1994, The All Wheel Drive GT-4 was a rally fan's dream car. Simon Haddad of Fredericton, New Brunswick was one of those dreamers too, being indocrinated into rallying at a young age by his father. The Celica always stood out to him as something unique, and since the 6th Generation GT4 was not offered in Canada, he would own a car that was relatively exlusive. And one of the most badass rallying derived cars ever to rock the gravel.

The rear wing, Hood Scoops and OZ Racing wheels show that this isn't an ordinary Celica.

The White O.Z. racing wheels, multiscooped hood and GT4 Rally wing set the car apart, making sure you know that this isn't your average Celica. Simon has added a few of his own modifications including full three inch exhaust, custom intake and HKS boost controller.

Right Hand Drive: This GT4 wasn't offered in Canada.

The Interior is augmented with a Momo steering wheel, VDO and Apexi Gauges and an HKS turbo timer. He hopes that adding methanol injection and a tune will get him into the 350 wheel Horsepower range, but says that without changing the turbo it could be a long shot.

Simon says it all when he states the reason he chose the Celica GT-4 was because the Combination of Styling, power and fun in every weather condition were hard to beat in anything else. We think he probably couldn't have brought the car to a better place.

TOYOTA CELICA GT4 ST205 FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS (As per Wikipedia)

Production Oct 1993–Jun 1999
Assembly Tahara, Aichi, Japan
Body style 3-door liftback
Layout Front engine, 4WD
Platform T200
Engine 2.0 L turbo 3S-GTE I4
Transmission 5-speed manual
Wheelbase 2,535 mm (99.8 in)
Length 174.2 in (4425 mm)
Width 68.9 in (1750 mm)
Height 50.8 in (1290 mm)

Struck by lighting! Porsche GT3 RS!

Here's a car that doesn't need no introduction.

But just in case you don't know, this is the brand new Porsche 997.2 GT3 RS that I did a shoot of.

Even though I didn't drive it, I did ride shotty in it. The beauty of this GT3 RS is how alive it makes you feel, even just prowling around the city streets. This is a pin-sharp car, but there's comfort now, a new respect for your fillings and spine. Don't for a moment think the RS can't be driven every day, just takes more nerves and energy then your usual car.

There are lots of fast cars out there, lots of stripped-back racers. But what Porsche have managed to do is save weight, still keep a smattering of luxury and make people feel like driving gods. It might be an expensive way to feel like you're The Stig... but it's [flick hair] so worth it.

After the ride/photoshoot of this GT3 RS, it really made me think the regular GT3 looks tame compared to this.

Till next time,
Jeff :)

Skyline GTS-t: A long way from home

Not many times back in 1989 did we ever think of cars such as the then New R32 Skyline hitting our North American shores. Back then if you sought performance American muscle was still king with High volume sales going to the Camaro and Mustang variety for the best bang for your buck, sports car experience. Japan was beginning to reach common ground with 1990 around the corner and start really competing in the sports coupe market, with the likes of a redesigned, 300 horse, Twin Turbo 300ZX, Mitsubishi 3000GT and in 93 Toyota’s Supra Twin Turbo. All these cars using sophisticated, smaller displacement, 24 Valve 6 Cylinder powerplants augmented with Turbochargers instead of the Larger, Cast Iron, 16 Valve American pushrod v8’s that dated back into the 1960s.

The need for speed is the same all over the world.

 It wasn’t until 2004, whereas in Canada importation laws allow for a Vehicle fifteen years or older to be imported for use on our roads, where we saw the first R32 Nissan Skyline here in our country. The car had long since been a history maker in Japan, competing and dominating the Japanese Touring car championship with the Legendary GTR model, winning 29 of 29 starts in first year competition. Much to the chagrin of motoring enthusiasts here in North America, Nissan kept it’s Godzilla holed up on home soil.

Aftermath:  tire smoke in classic RB form.

What also made the Skyline such a commodity was the wide variety of models available in the lineup. No matter who you were, there was surely an R32 to fit your budget and personality. Andrew K just so happens to own a 1990 Skyline GTS-t Type M, sporting the 2.0 Litre, Single Ceramic turbocharged version of Nissan’s famed RB series engines (RB20DET) which produced 212 horsepower and 194 pounds feet of torque in factory form.

Handling feedback is fantastic thanks to an independent front and rear suspension, featuring a Four wheel steering system called HICAS (Coined by Nissan as High Capacity Actively Controlled Suspension) which reduces understeer by allowing the rear wheels to assist in steering capacity, and helps the driver maintain control under moderate to extreme cornering.

Striking in Stillness: The Advans Setting the car off.

   Imported and purchased in Alberta, sporting 3 inch Exhaust and 17 inch Super Advan racing wheels from Japan, Andrew has driven the car across our country to Ontario, with the only maintenance required being a new fuel pump. He has since upgraded the car adding a larger front mount intercooler setup, Manual Boost Controller, and supporting modifications for fuel.
 

The car now enjoys frequent beach cruises on the shores of Lake Huron, a far departure from the busy streets of Tokyo, is home that far away for this car now? I'll let the smile on the owner's face do the talking.

NISSAN SKYLINE GTS-t SPECIFICATIONS (as per Wikipedia)
Production 1989-1994
N1-228 Assembly Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan
Body style 2-door coupe
Layout Front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine : 2.0 L RB20DET I6
Transmission 5-speed manual
Wheelbase 2,615 mm (103.0 in)
Length 4,580 mm (180.3 in) (sedan)
Width 1,695 mm (66.7 in)
Height 1,340 mm (52.8 in) (sedan)
Curb weight 1,280 kg (2,821.9 lb) (type-m)

Wedge: The Legendary Triumph TR8

Photography by Sean Rainey of Leafy Photography: facebook.com/leafyphotography flickr.com/leafy32

  Long before the creation of the Miata, or the high reving S2000, if you wanted a roadster, you would look to The british Isles for a nimble, corner carving, removable roof experience. Triumph was just one of the few companies producing such vehicles, starting with the Triumph TR2 back in 1953. Fast forward 25 years, parent company British Leyland unveiled in 1978 what was to be the game changer in roadsters to date, The Triumph TR8.

Kevin Rainey's 1980 Triumph TR8 Convertible: One of about 750 examples left in the World. 

While the wedge shape was nothing new (the TR7 was released to the public in 1974 with a 92 horsepower 4 Cylinder), British Leyland stuffed their all-aluminum, 3.5 Litre Rover V8 under the hood, adding 52 more Horsepower to the 2200 lb car. Zero to Sixty times resided in the eight second range, competing with the last of the C3 Corvettes. The car sported luxuries that were uncommon for a british roadster, such as a Radio Cassette and Air Conditioning. The convertible top is operated manually, and because of the wide stance of the vehicle (66.2 inches wide, about 5 inches wider than the TR6 it replaced) there was plenty of head, arm and leg room, for both passenger and driver.

Modified: The original 3.5 Litre has been massaged to 5.0 litres, to the tune of around 300 Horsepower. Mustangs Beware.

"This was my dream car," Kevin Rainey mentions, who owned a TR7 coupe back in 1980. "I used to go to the dealership in downtown Toronto when these were new and imagine what it would be like to have my own." After Searching for a while, Kevin picked up his modified TR8 two years ago from Ontario, with the engine massaged to 5.0 litres, Kevin deduces a 300 crank HP estimate. Power is put down through a quick ratio 5 Speed, using a Ford 8.8 inch rear end and sporting 205/50/15 Falken Ziex 912s, The car now enjoys spirited cruises on welcoming Nova Scotian twisties.

Sunset: Overlooking the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia.

Production ended prematurely with the TR8, (1981) which was quite possibly the last authentic, mass production British roadster built, almost exclusively for the North American market. The car shared racing success, dominating in SCCA competition in 1979.

Some people call it the English Corvette. I think The "Wedge" is more unique.

TECHNICAL SPECS: TRIUMPH TR8 (as per Wikipedia)

Manufacturer     Triumph Motor Company
Parent company     British Leyland
Production     1978–1981
Assembly     Speke, Merseyside, England
Canley, West Midlands, England
Solihull, West Midlands, England
Class     Sports car
Body style(s)     2-door convertible
Layout     FR layout
Engine(s)     3528 cc V8
Transmission(s) 5-speed manual
Wheelbase     2,160 mm (85.0 in)
Length     4,067 mm (160.1 in)
Width     1,681 mm (66.2 in)
Height     1,267 mm (49.9 in)
Curb weight     1,203.9 kg (2,654 lb)


Want to see the full set of Pictures? Triumph TR8 Flickr Set

Photography by Sean Rainey www.facebook.com/leafyphotography www.flickr.com/leafy32