scathing

If its stock its hard to see. But if you've got an aftermarket powerband, like this one, you can see what it has been set to.

Hey Jess. Sent you an email telling you that my Superlap weekend freed up, so I'm pretty much free to assist on both days.

The V35 calipers are same as the Z33 calipers (both Brembo and non-Brembo), and the Z33 non-Brembo calipers are identical to certain 180SX calipers.

Actually, it would sound like nothing.

We can, but it will take time and perseverance through the negative bias the scene currently gets. Here's an interesting aside. Justin Fox (who is also a member here) runs the JDM Style Tuning forum, that have monthly get-togethers. At the last one, a couple of douchebags decided to light it up on the way out of the carpark (as well as your random cockheads over-revving their engines while at the venue). The cops were called, unfortunately. Here is Justin's breakdown on what happened. I think that more people in the scene need to exercise this kind of maturity in attitude. And there needs to be more done by everyone that's here for the cars to cut out these poseurs from the scene. I've personally got no objections to "naming and shaming" people who act like tools in public places, and telling them to f**k the hell off. If that means people running the event need to call the cops and tell them to bring down the brunt of the law on these people who are neither welcome nor representative of the majority of the group, then so be it. Terry - maybe you can engage Justin and see if he is willing to help?

.....but were offered as a factory option (along with a replacement rear swaybar). Bilstein PSS9s, I've heard, are reasonable street coilovers. The PITA rear damper adjustment aside, they're fine. If you plan on just setting them and forgetting them, then they'll serve your purpose. I'd generally avoid anything Japanese for your intended application - they tend to assume stiffness is directly proportional to awesomeness, whereas the Euros know that maintaining constant tyre contact over an uneven surface makes the car quicker and more confidence inspiring in the real world.

Have you considered posting it in a forum where the cars the forum focuses on actually have RB engines in them?

I can't believe it took this long for someone to mention that.

Most manufacturers get into racing so they can make more money on their road cars. I love how Honda's mentality is as arse-backwards as their drivetrains.

No offense, but you should have just played the "dumb girl" card and pretend that you have no idea what anything in the car does. Male cops are natural misogynists, but this time you can make it work for you.

Some people think that Hondas are, though. Honda's low end vehicles makes fun econoboxes - the problem is that the fanboys think that because they're faster than a Tiida or a Lancer VRX that they should be considered as sports cars. They're not. What if there isn't an appeal within the context we're talking about, and the fans are just mentally handicapped? Some people actually like the Tiburon as sports cars, despite them not being particularly fast or good to drive. And don't get me started on douches in S-Pack Falcodores who think they should be starting on the front row at Mt Panorama. Lets face it, a 6 cylinder Falcodore is a cheap KISS-engineered car for carrying a bunch of people long distances while towing a load. But its not a real sports car by any stretch of the imagination, and the street-racing bogans that do are a few drops short of a piss. I would personally love an EP3R as a daily. I am a big fan of the K20A, and the chassis is "fun enough" while allowing me to carry rear passengers or a whole bunch of gear with the rear seats folded down. But then if I was forced into the ranks of bum dragging hot hatchery, I'd much rather save a few grand extra and buy a Mk V Golf GTI instead. About 15kW at the flywheel, and if I remember correctly the chassis in the JDM cars received a bit more lightening and strengthening. Erm, when it comes to cars that would be the definition of "raw". How is that BS then? Hop out of a DC2R and into an FN2R or a DC5R and they are a lot more cosseted and remote. It doesn't mean that they're slower or worse, but they're just not as direct. My mate's old 1969 VW Beetle is even more raw than a DC2R, but that doesn't mean that it's a better car. It just doesn't feel the same. I only used "raw" as a positive when describing the DC2R in the context of the Type-R philosophy. The EK9R and DC2R were built on the principle of being stripped out lightweight specials, and a lot more communicative in all the control surfaces than their base-model brethren. A part of the "track day special" tag is how the car responds to driver input. And its that "rawness" that got a lot of people into the Type-R brand, which gave it the reputation it earned. The DC5R and FN2R lack that same feeling. It trades on the Type-R name, but it doesn't deliver a TYpe-R experience. They're faster versions than their base model brethren, but they don't give the same increase in sensations while they do it. I've driven a DC5S as well as a couple of DC5Rs, and behind the wheel there's not much in it unless you really press on. However, hopping out of a DC2 VTiR into a DC2 Type-R is a much more noticable change as soon as you start driving. How is one related to the other? Just because someone is entitled to their choice of car doesn't mean that they can't choose something shit. People choose shit cars all the time. Secondly, if someone doesn't like something then logically it would be "shit" to that person. Everyone is as entitled to come to a conclusion about a car just as much as they're entitled to their choice of car. If you meant "affordable", then say "affordable". Most of us aren't mind readers. For what its worth, you can build a Mazda MZR-powered widebody PRB for around $30K on the road. You can pick up used ones ones for the low to mid $20K, most of which rock 4AGEs but some have SR20DETs. That's DC2R/DC5R pricerange. Used Elises have dropped into the mid-$30K to $40Kish range, which puts it in FN2R territory. I wouldn't put any "go kart" in the same class as an "everyday car" either. But that's what you were (apparently) talking about, so that's what I responded to. And an Elise is quite dailyable for a 2 seater (like a S2K) - I've got quite a few mates that do. The only compromise is that you have to leave the roof on, since fitting it is a pain in the arse. The S2K will not put up that good a fight against cars with about 80% the power but only 60% of the weight (and, in the case of the PRB, they're less than half the weight and you can option them with the F20C). The Ariel Atom isn't a Honda. It uses a Honda powerplant, but that's pretty much irrelevant. An Elfin MS8 uses a LS1, but that doesn't mean a Commodore is fast. Most car enthusiasts always have a soft spot for their first cars, no matter how rubbish they are. The amount of people I know who fondly reminisce about their Geminis, Volvos, Camiras, etc is quite high since it was their first taste of "freedom" without all the responsibility that comes with adulthood. Most of those people aren't stupid enough to delude themselves into thinking that the cars weren't shitboxes, though. That lack of self-delusion is what separates the rest of the world from Honda fanboys.

...and? Being biased against a vehicle out of blind bigotry rather than technical merit is why Porsche fans dismiss the GT-R despite the R35 setting faster laptimes under independent testing than their tarted-up Beetle. While I agree with what you're saying, your justification for it does the cause few favours. As opposed to to the wankers that buy 2WD Skylines because of Gran Turismo and the fact that they look like the AWD ones people actually want? See above. The NSX has plenty of presence. And the GT-R doesn't have that much prestige either, especially when you ask Euro snobs or the average person on the street who just see a loud Datsun. And you're in a soft roader made by the company that gave the world the 180B. Glass houses, dude. So is a Lotus Elise/Exige/Evora. That Audi R8 TDI, had the prototypes not repeatedly caught fire, would have also been P plate legal. Non-turbo Skylines and Silvias are also still popular with P platers, to a point where the NA versions cost more than the FI ones due to demand.

You'd class Hondas as "the best registerable go karts" over Elises/Exiges, Caterhams, PRBs, Westfields and the like? Wow. When did I saw the EP3 was Aussie delivered? The sentences you quoted have me saying that a DC5R and the FN2R were Australian delivered. I could have sworn the EK9R and FD2R were both JDM only, with the EP3R and FN2R being British. I had a quick search on Google, and I haven't seen any info contrary to that. You beating someone in an EP3R doesn't mean very much. You could just be a more experienced, or better, driver. A couple of months ago in the hills I ran into an SAU meet-up while I was driving my Swift GTI. That I managed to catch up to and stay with GTS-ts and GT-Rs doesn't mean the car I was driving is an omg tyte car bro that shits all over everything ever made. I've got a mate who went from an NB MX-5 to a GC8 WRX and into an EP3R. He's looking at selling the thing. He says its a good car (like you he loves the economy, and for him he liked the storage capacity), but it's not that good as an actual sports car. It certainly fails to meet the hype. And, coming out of an NB, it's not like he's just never experienced a car with more chassis than torque. For him, like me, its mostly the steering that kills it. We both hate the feel of torque steer, and much prefer the fingertip control that comes from RWD. He said that the car itself isn't bad, but its just not particularly good. I personally would love an NSX-R. But I just can't see the attraction of the majority of the Type-R range. The DC2R is fun and a relatively good car compared to econobox hatchbacks, but it doesn't really meet the hype all the fanboys give it. The Aus-delivered DC5R (I've never read a review of the JDM DC5R), EP3R and FN2R are pretty underwhelming in the engine and chassis. They all lack the raw-edged feel of the DC2 and EK9 that gave the Type-R badge the reputation it had earned by then. The FD2R is meant to be an absolute weapon, and you can't argue with its speed, but its still the size and shape of a family sedan. It's like a HSV - quick, but nothing special.

Imagine if you came out of an Excel or an entry model econobox. Any of those Type-Rs would seem fantastic in comparison. It's like that McAngus burger. Compared to the other turds that McDonalds sells it tastes a million bucks, but if you look at it objectively its still a greasy mishmash of off-cut meat. I've driven the DC2R and DC5R pretty hard, and I came away underwhelmed. Mind you, I'd come out of S15s, Z33s, GTS-ts, GT-Rs, etc when I hopped into the cars and so I saw the Type-Rs from the other side of the automotive slope. That's not entirely fair. The DC5R is pretty weaksauce, and the Australian delivered one isn't the full fat version either. The EP3 (and FN2R Honda Australia is selling now) isn't much better - it's made by the Poms, not the Japanese. The Aussie delivered DC5R, EP3R and FN2R are about as close to real Type-Rs as this thing: If you want a proper Type-R, it means getting yourself into a DC2R, EK9R, JDM DC5R or FD2R. The DC2R is a pretty good car, I just don't think its particularly fantastic. It's quick but it's not amazingly quick. The chassis is nice but I didn't come out of it having my perceptions completely rearranged (unlike when I first drove a MX-5 or Elise). Part of that might be because of the hype around the car - it might be pretty good for its price but when everyone tells you its the best thing since sliced bread you expect more than you're actually getting.

I "fixed" mine by pushing one of the pipes with an extender bar, and using a mallet to encourage it to give the steering column more clearance. Had one for years. Quite liked it. At the time it was $600+ cheaper than a Fujitsubo Legalis-R (and there was no second hand market back in my day). It's basically OEM quiet up to 3000RPM, and then picks up an angry metallic note in the upper rev range. At the same time its not scarily loud, so a cop wouldn't look twice. Basically, that noise is how Nissan should have sold the car from the factory. The only problem with it is that it drones between 1900-2200RPM (which is 55-65km/hr in 6th gear, so not fantastic for around town). In absolute terms the drone isn't that bad (compared to JDM exhausts on Silvias, Skylines, Hondas, etc), but since the rest of the car is so refined it really sticks out. However, since the V35 is longer than the Z33 your pipes will also be longer. You may not get the drone, or get it in the same rev band, as a result. I haven't heard a HiTech on a V35 so I can't comment for sure. Also, fit and finish isn't always fantastic. Mine was fine, but a mate had one tip sticking out more than the other. The Legalis-R mirrors the HiTech's noise but with an even nicer note up top (I reckon). It also doesn't drone. If you can afford to get the Fuji over the HiTech I'd say it was worth it, but you wouldn't be too disappointed with the HiTech. Just drive the thing around town in 5th instead.

I've got a Tomei Technical Trax in the car, so I'm using Tomei fluids. I don't think my OEM VLSD ever had the fluid changed. If it did, I didn't really tell my mechanic anything specific, and he never specifically told me that he did it (and I don't know where all my old servicing reports have gone).

My plenum spacer made a noticable improvement in the last 500RPM of the rev range, and I picked up a few rwkW on the dyno. This is what other people who've done it have also said / demonstrated with graphs. The Popcharger probably kills power a bit (most modern cars don't like the turbulent air swirl that apparently pod filters like making) but it makes a glorious noise. As for the "dubious" partitions, I've used an IR thermometer to check the "engine" side of the heat shield and the metal ring on the filter itself after pitting in at Wakefield. There was a 20 degree difference between the two. The intake air sensor was reading itself was about 5 degrees above what my ambient temp was reading as I was travelling into the garage. The reading on the metal ring was higher, but then I'd pulled to a halt before I could get out and check the temps. I would have had a bit of heat soak when I measured the surface temps on the intake. I didn't have the ability to check the intake air temps vs ambient temps prior to the Popcharger install but if the values rose I honestly wouldn't be surprised. As for the Z-Tube, since my car comes with one stock I can't comment on its effectiveness. For a lot of people, though, its the noise more than anything else that would be the reason to upgrade. Mods for that also have a decade more collective experience, so you're just following the well worn path trailblazed by others. I got my Z back in 03, when they were first released, and the Z33 was the first VQ powered sports car Nissan released. The guys I talked to back then had to do mods by trial and error. These days there's reasonable knowledge on what to avoid, but in terms of the knowledge out there it'd still be like trying to tune an R32 back in 1995 (but without a motorsport program for a production model like the R32 GT-R had). And since most people in the US could afford to FI their cars, relatively little time and effort has gone into NA tuning on these cars. Not that there are a great deal of gains to be had - 300hp+ from a 3.5L NA engine with such a wide spread of torque is already pretty good. Exactly. Not only that, but the OEM setup for most of those cars was pretty shoddy. There's a lot of restrictions in what Nissan put in, and deleting them would give you a big gain. The V and Z's engine setup is pretty reasonably tuned already, so any gains are going to be fractionally less even before you consider that FI amplifies the absolute increase from a fixed percentage increase.

If its a place where you can show off your car to try and impress a bunch of clueless Year 12 graduates, maybe "line up" also means "circle jerk".

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^ It looks like your car is trying not to cry, but is tearing up at the bottom of the eyelid.

Nissan recommends 10W40 in the VQ35DE, I'm pretty sure. I use Motul 300V Chrono in mine and I like it, but it's not a cheap drop. I also use Motul RBF600 brake fluid, but I've heard there's better stuff out there.

They only come NA from the factory.

A few companies offer solutions to reflash the OEM VQ35DE ECU. Technosquare, Osiris and Cobb are the 3 biggies out of the US. However, I'm not sure how it goes with the VQ30DET.....

F: 18x9.5 +22 with a 255/35 R18 R: 18x10.5 +22 with a 285/35 R18 Note that my rear guards aren't rolled, and I didn't have camber arms in the front at the time. That setup doesn't rub, and I've had that car cornering flat out. You can run a slightly lower offset, but I doubt +15 will fit without stretching a tyre.

It's not 100% necessary, but it does make the installer's job easier. It is a bitch of a job to get to the extractors, especially if your installer has never done a FM platform car before. FYI if you do decide to get extractors, make sure you find out if they're for LHD or RHD cars. Since the US got the Z and V a lot of parts out there are for LHD vehicles, and so they touch the steering column on a RHD car. Don't assume that just because you're buying it locally that it'll be RHD. I got my set from a local retailer, and we had to bash one of the pipes a little to get it to stop touching. It only needs to be moved a little bit, but its still a PITA and not technically what you're paying for.