I am finding free time to be a rarity these days as work demands increase. That being said I had planned to publish an update on newly named Project CELICA as replacement parts begin to trickle in. I may rename the car at some point but as of now, Project CELICA. I can’t wait until I can at least wash it and detail it as the previous owner’s dog hair is layered throughout.. Read More
Project car alert! New Celica GT-S
One week ago, after much research and deliberation, I made a decision to buy a “project car” and here it is: 2003 Toyota Celica GT-S. I’m going to go into rather obnoxious detail into this experience both for fun and for introspective purposes. This seed was implanted by my Dad. I don’t even know if he anticipated that his offhand remark of looking at project cars would initiate such a snowball effect like.. Read More
Honda Meet – 2021 Winter Track Attack
On 1/31/2021, I attended my second event at the FIRM Starke racetrack referred to as “Winter Track Attack 2021” hosted by Honda Meet. Last time I sat shotgun as a couple of colleagues of mine made their rounds on the ~1.5 mile track. This time I was able to confirm track access and in turn proceeded to burn through my brake pads and tires with a huge grin on my face. My friend/coworker.. Read More
Nissan GT-R – Godzilla Starting It All
The Nissan GT-R is a worldwide icon as it pertains not only to Japanese sportscars, but sportscars in general. The Nissan GT-R evolved from the Nissan Skyline GT-R which was produced and sold exclusively in Japan since 1969. My experience with the model began with the R32 and R33 Skyline GT-R as it was an optional vehicle in Gran Turismo (1998) for the original Playstation video game console. The cars were all-wheel drive.. Read More
Individual Throttle Bodies And What They Do
So I’m going to do something a little different today. I’m going way outside of my comfort zone and treating this blog like a high school report. I am going to write about something that I am substantially unfamiliar with but find interest in: individual throttle bodies on a standard combustion engine. I preface this–I am by no means an expert when it comes to the innerworkings of exactly how the combustion engine.. Read More
Bienvenido A Miami…
I came across this Tchami video recently and it reminded me of the beauty of Miami, inspiring this blog post. This set occurred on December 18, 2020 at One Thousand Museum, a high-rise residential condo on the coast overlooking downtown Miami and Miami Beach. They provide excellent drone footage of the vistas as well as a beautiful Atlantic sunrise. One of the perks of (US) Atlantic coasts are the beautiful sunrises we have!.. Read More
Underground Hip Hop – A 90s Subculture
Back in the late 90s when I was in high school, I recall one of my classmates introduced me to a website called “undergroundhiphop.com” (or UGHH) with some interesting musicians. He was particularly taken with horrorcore artists Necro and Cage. Personally, I came to enjoy more artists from the Rawkus Records roster. “Underground hip-hop” is a type of umbrella term that encompasses hip-hop music that has not quite found the mainstream media and.. Read More
Toyota Cressida – See, before there was Lexus…
My Dad always mentioned how he drove his 1982 Toyota Cressida to the junkyard when he deemed it was “time.” It makes me sad sometimes as if he had waited, I would have had an opportunity of keeping it as a project car with significant sentiment attached to it. That being said, it was in some “fender benders” and the engine was nearing 15-20 years in age, so I can’t blame him. I.. Read More
Lancer Evolution – Mitsubishi’s Rise and Fall in the Sportscar Market
As I have alluded to in other blog posts, I have had a growing interest in sportscars since my youth. My first real “dream car” was the 5th generation Honda Prelude. I was primarily interested in the aesthetics of this car more than its performance, but at the time, it was definitely no slouch with its 200 HP 2.2L I4 motor. My research also finds that its H22A4 motor leverages Honda VTEC (variable.. Read More
NYC – Empire State of Mind
I’ve always been enamored with city life. Between Los Angeles and New York City, it’s New York all the way. This is possibly because I was born and raised in Florida–I guess I’m desensitized to the sun and the beach, some snow and dry air would be a welcome change. That being said, I would definitely need time to adjust to the cooler weather. It wasn’t until I had moved out on my.. Read More