Rezz

Just like in the other thread mate I couldn't find much about Project M. It could be just a local garage going by that name. I guess the only thing you can be dead sure of is that 'Project M' had something to do with your ECU. Just to point out to anyone else who might be wondering about little stickers plastered on their imports, unless the name is commonly known and has at least a minor prescence on the internet, then it's probably either a small local garage or a garage that has since gone out of business. Having said that though I've had people see my pics of the time I went to C-West Service Factory and they though it was MUCH smaller than they thought being a very well known Japanese company... well you can imagine how big a 'small' garage would be then...

^^^ Mate it sounds like you can definately call shenanigans on this one and maybe get some legal advice then email ACA and get some air time on this. It's about time the wayward cops were held accountable.

Yes, they're very similar in layout, not sure if the main frame of the chassis is shared though. They both run fairly stock late model NA SR20s too if I recall correctly.

In all honesty, I seriously doubt they'd go to the trouble of digging up whatever records they had - if any - and wasting time doing so (just so someone on the other side of the world could mod their car) for no monetary gain. I know that sounds a little harsh, but look at it from their point of veiw. On the other hand, if you had your car there in Japan, and were willing to pay them to tune your car again (and maybe source a part or two) I'm sure they'd be happy to oblige. That said, of course you can try, but then you'd need someone who could understand... Japan.. ese... aaah

Hi Christian Yes mate, I'm heading back at the end of the year. This time I've got a proper plan, as opposed to being over there and just wandering around aimlessly. I'm planning on starting my own business there too. NO MORE TEACHING! Topaz: Not sure what you mean by 'dolphin face' mate... can you elaborate? Yes, thats a Tommy ZZ in the window, alongside an ASL Garaiya.

Sorry mate, usually I can find something about these relatively unknown smaller workshops, but unfortunately 'M-Tech' just happens to be a model car maker aswell... so most of the serch engines throw up links to toy cars. Sounds a little like a local Hyogo workshop called 'Think Tank'. They are pretty well known around where I used to live, but anywhere else and it's like 'who???' Think Tank does total car tuning, aswell as making their own tuned ROMs etc. It's just a small shed out on the outskirts of town, so I would guess M-Tech might be something similar. I wouldn't rule out M-Tech not being in business anymore either...(?)

Thats right. It doesn't matter how big it is, they can get it to you if you want them to.

Some more street level shots: A typical suburban street in Ashiya. That orange apartment building is a 'Lion's Mansion', you can see them practically everywhere around Osaka/Kobe (don't know about Tokyo etc) and a particularly popular with the gaijin menace. Did I say menace? Sorry I meant *scurge*... If you're wondering why that Stagea is parked the way it is, that house is about 70 years old and didn't have a parking space built in, so the city council allowed 1(!) car to park on the corner like that. Aparently that house burnt and was damaged pretty badly in the Hanshin earthquake back in '95. An Umeda street scene. This was taken from the 4th floor school I used to teach at. Another Umeda street scene. The Hilton Hotel in Umeda. SuperAutobacs 43 Doui. I spent alot of money on incidental car stuff here. Still got my point card too. The other side of SuperAutobacs 43, where the C@rs showoff showroom is, they sell Tommy Kaira, ASL and Monocraft modified cars amongst others. Speaking of Monocraft, here's their 'MM 1' Mazda Roadster. Heres the website: http://www.ab-carsshow.com/monocraft_mm1/kit.html

Thank you my good man, I see you pay attention to detail... I've got some shots of inside the glovebox if you're interested? Wink: In the mornings (and especially when it rains) it's just crawling stop/start/stop for 15 - 20km in every direction. The best times to drive are at lunchtime or midnight. I'm not suprised 'Wangan' teams go crazy at night on the expressways doing speed runs between toll gates spending $150 in tolls in a night.

Some pretty boring driving shots. All the raised expressways pretty much look like this, with the odd ferris wheel or skyscraper to break the continuous sea of apartment buildings and smog. Here, theres an expressway deck below me, then a street, so we're already 8 stories up... then this overpass comes out of nowhere. I must say I was very impressed the first time I saw all these expressways rising above the buildings in Osaka/Kobe. Crossing the Yodo river. See the bridge in the background? Just beyond that is where I was sitting at the end of year fireworks display on the previous page... This is Nishinomiya, taken about 5 minutes before the pic above. My DJ mate Nao lives in one of those blue apartment blocks. A bit blurry, but I think you can get more of a feeling of actually being there with a bit of blur and natural light, don't you think? This is 'Ni-go-sen' (Route 2) between Kobe and Osaka, around the Nishinomiya area.

Terry's Gloria Gran Turismo not being thrashed... A Japanese wrecking yard 'somewhere in Amagasaki'. Some people might remember an HPI article about this place about 5 - 6 years ago. It's not such a big place area-wise, but the place was stacked to the brim with wrecked cars. Shit cars start their slow painful death here, in the clutches of the evil 'GRAPPLOR'... ... Grapplor then flips the victim over and does some precision work to get the enigine out of the bay... ... then once the engine, exhaust, suspension subframes etc are thrown on the pile behind, Grapplor then deposits the limp and lifeless carcass into.... ... 'Hell-ga', the car-eating, metal-cube-shitting compactor. hehehe Here a pile of Hell-ga's shit she prepared earlier... Time for a synchronized drink after all that crushing. If you happen to be in Amagasaki, go to this place! Buggered if I can remember where it is exactly, but with 300 yen pints of lemon chu-hi you can't go wrong. I had about 5 of them and a whole stack of different yakitori and Terry picked up the tab... you're a legend mate

Next series of shots show the extent of the ultra urbanisation of the Kobe area, with a population of *only* 1.5 million people. The mountains and the sea - which characterize Kobe - are a kind of natural boundary... the only thing that stops the endless concrete and steel from devouring the entire region. If you think this is bad, Osaka is much MUCH worse, and then theres Tokyo/Yokohama... Pics were taken at the top of Rokko Mountain. If you're wondering why every so often they have groups of highrise apartments then lots of low rise, well where all the high rise buildings are grouped thats where a train station is... it's very convenient to live near a train station, then you can get practically anywhere without a car. I lived near a train station but had a car anyway... just like about 6 million other people in my neighbourhood.

Laurence: That night me, Terry and you met up at Nanko was 4th August last year. Showing good offset there mate, but the ride height... she's gotta come down Laurence is in mid-drift here (if you look closely at the front wheels turned op-lock), I only had my little camera that night, so the flash was practically useless. This probably a better shot, but still bad. Laurence did impressively well for his second time out in a new car in front of some tough onlookers (the local Japanese). Terry Vahoumis doing what he does best... blowing smoke up ya G'day Terry! Some random R32 drifter that I didn't see have a run that night.