Thefollowing pictures illustrate shortfalls of photography that will pretty much ensure a Reader's Ride entry never sees the light of day.
The first import I bought was a 1995 Eclipse GS. I modified it with a Monza exhaust, Iceman intake, Magnecor wires, JET ECU upgrade and a strut tower brace. It became so boring I traded the car in on a '95 GSX with every option known." In a mere six months Eric had made the move to add boost and power to the equation. A K&N Filter charger, GReddy blow-off valve, Borla exhaust system, HKS turbo timer, NR white-faced gauges and a Hahn Racecraft intercooler pipe upgrade add style and performance to the Diamond Star.
The GSX flexes Niche Runner wheels of the 16-inch variety and Goodyear rubber. Eric credits Enhanced Performance in Goldsboro, N.C. for helping the car attain its current state of tune. Plans call for a GReddy ProFec boost controller, performance downpipe, 16G turbo upgrade and Eibach springs.
Jerry WangIrvine, California1997 Honda Civic DX
Jerry's Civic makes a big visual statement, thanks to its Mugen front lip spoiler, Wings West side skirts and rear bumper treatment and a Mugen rear spoiler. All moldings have been color matched and the lights have been tweaked. Neuspeed springs lower the car while Racing Gear RG-6 wheels and Nitto rubber keep it in touch with the road.
Inside, Sparco buckets, Razo pedals and shift knob and Auto Meter gauges accent the cabin. The engine has been power tuned with an APEXi Megaphone Dunk exhaust system, RS Akimoto intake and NGK plugs and wires.
Jerry has a long list of future plans, including a 1.8-liter engine swap, turbo system, nitrous and bigger wheels.
Butch tell s us he designed the front fascia on his Prelude himself. He sketched out the design and VIS Racing Sports made the kit for him in four months. The side skirts and rear spoiler are standard issue VIS offerings. Butch says he plans to design a new kit when he hits the 10s. The Prelude sports a 120-horse shot of nitrous from a NOS system that uses a high-flow NOS pump and adjustable regulator. Since the cylinder pressures in the engine have gone up due to the nitrous, Butch has addressed the ignition by installing a MSD 6-AL box, a MSD Blaster coil and Nology wires. The 2.2-liter also runs an Iceman intake, DC Sports header and GReddy exhaust system.
This boosted one-two punch is a real hard-hitting combination in Conway, S.C. Brad Chappell owns the Stealth R/T turbo and has added a K&N air filter and Flowmaster exhaust to the mix. At the strip the car runs 8.70 at 80 mph in the 1/8-mile and a 13.60 at 100 mph in the quarter. Brad plans to get a boost controller and nitrous for his 63,000-mile Dodge.
Lori commutes in the '85 T-Type. The Turbo Regal has a Flowmaster exhaust system, Kenne Bell Ram Air kit and a Kenne Bell computer chip. We have no performance numbers on the car and Brad wrote the letter... Hummm, makes us think the Buick is faster.