Beer Baron's Japan Photo Diary

[funkymonkey]

is that the JGTC xanavi bonnet off the 350z for $500? wtf! i want it... and i don't even have a Z or a desire to ever own one.

[Kaido_RR]

is that the JGTC xanavi bonnet off the 350z for $500? wtf! i want it... and i don't even have a Z or a desire to ever own one.

makes 2 of us

[phunky_monkey]

Nice keepsake with the TE37 Richard! I want that bonnet too...

[Beer Baron]

ok, a few more pics. I will do heaps and heaps more once I have some time. I have 500 from nismo festival alone.

Some pics of my new engine being built at Prime Garage. Awesome tuning shop and amazing work. Please bear in mind it's not finished yet. About 80% done. They will remove the squish pads on one side still, and open up the exhaust ports (you can see the scribe lines as to how far it will go).

intake side:

exhaust side

some of the bits.

where the magic happens. the zed in the foreground is what I was driving there.

A very special crank. 1 of only 5 ever made. Tets at prime used one in the engine he built for D1 driver yosinoka (AE86). It's 20 valve 4AG puts out 357ps at the wheels and it's NA!!!! The HKS crank (bottom of pic) looks like rubbish in comparison.

[West]

Even Jesus jelous!

[bryyy]

Dear god i love this thread!

[Gts-t]

Very nice photos BB, love the quality

your engine is looking hot too, drool

[Sheng]

wish i was chuck norris!

[Sheng]

and oh btw how much is labouring there?

[Beer Baron]

ok, small update. Yesterday was drifting at fuji speedway. and today was Tsukuba Rev Speed Super Lap Battle. M-speed GTR was fastest for the second year in a row with a 54 second lap!

Got some awesome pics. will begin the slow task of uploading shortly.

[Beer Baron]

speaking of which anyone know of a reliable hosting site that will let me batch upload. doing it one by one at imageshack is pissing me off.

[imprsv]

Oh man Prime Garage!

If not my fav garage from japan, they created the hottest sil80 ive ever laid eyes on and a few other little bits and peices. DROOOOL

http://www.imagebam.com/

http://www.image-upload.net/

Think either of those should be able to help you

[Beer Baron]

Tsukuba Hyper Rev Super Lap Battle.

The famed Tsukuba pit area:

The now famous Aussie GTR of Mark Berry and Russel Newman. They did an awesome job with Mark pulling out sub 1 minute laps which is no mean feat. He got a best of 59, with the notable handicap of not being able to get a hold of the favoured Super Soft or even Soft compound tyres. he was left to run on mediums which don't have near the outright pace.

Cusco Evo X was one of a number of Evo Xs out there. They look pretty cool actually.

Cusco also had a new WRX STI there too. Proving they are keeping at the fore front of development of parts for new models.

Tracy Sports. Silly name, serious car. I think they were going for loudest NSX in the world. This car practically made my ears bleed. Quite fast though.

What would a Super Lap be without the ex garage HRS Cyber Evo? of course being driven by eji "tarzan" yamada. legendary car breaker!

Trial EVO looked pretty good. not sure on times though, but I don't think it was near the heavy hitters.

The M-Speed 34 GTR looked and sounded insane on track. and of course it was fastest outright too. It could also pass as a show car. The attention to detail and level of presentation is second to none. Race cars don't have to look fast, they just have to go fast but the M-Speed GTR achieves both.

This is me about to be killed by the sumo power car. As I had a press pass I was able to get inside the fence. which meant there was nothing between me and the track accept for a 4 foot high barrier. I was standing on the outside at the final turn, the fastest turn on the track. The sumo car lost it bad and started oversteering straight for me! I just snapped 2 shots then ducked as a massive shower of stones and dirt headed my way. Lucky he was able to keep it off the wall. just.

Mark Berry flying the aussie flag high. He was supreme out of the final corner able to get on the power very early and just hang on through the corner apex. Many of the other cars were only able to flatten it well past the apex, and some even past the corner exit.

The M-Speed GTR. Just takes your breath away. amazing car.

MCR had their R35 there too. The mines car looked awesome being belted around Tsukuba too.

Mines car:

and on the freeway after our little run in. needless to say the Top Secret GTR I was in was faster, but the 35 was still hauling ass!

ok, I think that's it for tonight. pretty knackered. had 3 or 4 hours sleep per night these last few days. will do more tomorrow as tomorrow is rest day.

[Beer Baron]

thanks mate. yes I have known Tets at prime for a number of years. he is a great guy, and runs an awesome shop. his mechanic tono has a toyota 4 door of some kind (chaser, crest or something) with a full welded roll cage, SR20 conversion and lots of good gear. but looks very subtle. he just recently drove it in the Kyushu time attack at autopolis and came first in class! not bad. The fact that tets as built a 1.6litre 4 cylinder NA that makes 357ps atw is pretty damn amazing too. lucky for me he is building my new RB26 personally.

[Beer Baron]

still got hundreds of nismo festival pics, plus a couple hundred from today's time attack. had press passes at both so there are few really nice pics in the bunch. also have a few hundred from the drift event yesterday at fuji. but no time or energy

[Nightcrawler]

farking unbelievable post and pics mate. Keep them coming. It must have blown your mind. Have you been for a ride in a R35GTR yet? Can you bring one in your suitcase for me? I will happily cough up the $80k

[imprsv]

Wow,

Thanks once again for these pics its always fantastic to see someone elses perspective over the other side of the world.

Also

Prime make body kits yeh? or maybe it was just a kit that i hadnt seen, because im after there rear bar for a 180 cant find no where!

[Beer Baron]

no worries, happy to share the pics, and it's nice that people enjoy and appreciate them.

I will ask tets about kits but 90% sure they don't make em. probably just a mix and match of other kits.

[Beer Baron]

also, is it just me or are my pics getting better as the years go by? looking back some pics were pretty ordinary, but now I reckon some are not half bad.

[imprsv]

Most likely a mix and match of kits.

I believe i found it for sale not long ago some rediculous amount of power

CA18 stroked to 2.0ltr 550hp or something crazyyyyy