Import Face Off- Chandler, Arizona, December 13th 2015

To be honest, I originally never planned on going to Import Face Off because a) I was still suffering from laziness of starting winter break and b) the $20 entry fee, which considering all the money I already spent previously in the week, was rather significant. But, I am so glad I did.

For example, I got to meet @f7lthy_samurai in person, the owner of a VF Supercharged E93 M3, a Nissan Nismo GT-R (the one posted here before), and the once Alpha 9 GT-R, now a Liberty Walk Alpha 9 GT-R, the first in Arizona. And boy, do I look forward to seeing more of it. The GT-R was always a big car; the large wing and widebody kit just perfectly suit the car, and the Alpha radiator sticking out the front reminds us that this car is equal amounts of go as it is show.  It just looks amazing.

But this being Arizona and Import Face Off, one Liberty Walk isn't enough. @haugenracing's Liberty Walk Lamborghini Murcielago was also present for the show, as well as his Rocket Bunny Nissan 350Z (which I did not get any satisfactory shots of due to people/angles/yellow car in blinding sunlight with shadows everywhere), and his drift Genesis. Both of these cars were at SEMA 2015, and they were both spectacular looking. I always like wide body kits on wide cars, and the Murcielago fits this bill perfectly. I especially love the wing on it, too; rather than being massive in all dimensions, its size complements the sleek profile of the car. Both cars are certainly sights to see.

Being such a large show with huge prizes, it was also neat to see so many car clubs in one location. For example, Stoopidlow had a huge turnout, with around a dozen cars or so showing up. I thought I had pictures of every member's car, but I guess in my excitement I overlooked quite a few of their cars. However, I have photographed them before, and these include @tovar's NSX featured in Super Street, @atovar93's S2000 CR, @amrod86's Scion FRS, and @kdot_rx7's RX-7. 

I also saw Team SWAT (So What Any Time) bring out a large number of their cars. Because of my family's history with Accords (two 5th gen sedans, a 6th gen V6 coupe, a 7th gen V6 coupe, and an 8th gen V6 sedan, the one that I drive), Accords will always have a special place in my heart. The Toyobaru siblings will also never get old; they look so good in so many ways. And, the Impreza is a classic, you just can't go wrong with one (as long as you don't, say, snow drift it into a pole).

In addition to cars like the Liberty Walks, there were real show stoppers everywhere. Brain McCann brought out his amazing 350Z out, trophies and all, for us to admire, and man, it is a beautifully done Z. In addition, there was an ER34 Nissan Skyline parked nearby, causing many to stop, stare, and wonder how it even got there in the first place (because, you know, 25 year import ban). 

Of course, there were so many cars present I couldn't possibly photograph them all and know the owners/teams they're associated with. But man, was there selection. For example, Bourbon Street Wraps brought out their Maserati Gran Turismo S for display, and a group that hangs out at the local Fit Mob meets was also present for the drift events. This amazing Mercedes SL65 AMG, which won the award for best European car, I think, was also present to add variety. @asiantoretto's amazing 240Z was also present, and aptly parked next to the Liberty Walk GT-R. 

There were so many prizes, I couldn't keep track of all the winners, otherwise I'd list them here. Furthermore, I didn't even mention the drag racing anywhere above, there was just so much to take in in the few hours I was present. I can't wait for the next Import Face Off, because I'll definitely be there for the whole day for it.

Austin's '76 Celica GT

With Japanese cars appearing and sometimes dominating the world stage for the past 30 years, it's always good to revisit roots and see the beginnings of it all. It's a good thing, too, that so much interest is being put into older JDM vehicles now because there are so many gems, including this, the first generation Toyota Celica. 

The Celica, derived from the Latin world coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial", is the successor to Toyota's first sports car, the Sports 800, which, at the time, competed with some of Japan's other first sports cars, including the Honda S500 and Datsun Fairlady . Thus, its place in the family tree is quite clear. This car was meant to take Toyota forward as their next sports car. 

This particular Celica, a 1976 GT model, is owned by Austin, a freshman electrical and software engineering student at ASU, who is also a part of our local ASU car club Street Refined. The condition this car is in is amazing, and its no wonder thanks to the attention and detail Austin has put into the car. He first found the car after 6 months of browsing Craigslist, attracted to its rarity, looks, and classic JDM nature.

The car was once lowered with underglow and a front splitter, however, it was raised back up and the underglow was removed. Meanwhile, the front splitter met an unfortunate end when it was ripped off by a water puddle.

The list of fixes and modifications is immense. The whole suspension system has been worked on, with struts replaced and adjustable A arms from Techno Toy Tuning installed on the front. The ignition system has also been reworked, with an MSD Streetfire ignition installed, an upgrade to a Thunder coil, and a conversion from points to electronic ignition thanks to a Pertronix kit. The fuel system was also worked on, with the in-tank fuel filter being replaced. The car now rides on sixteen inch wheels wrapped in Khumo ASXs, and the car has a 1974 "Smiley" bumper. For some extra engine audio, racing long/short headers are installed and hooked up to a 2.5 inch exhaust and a Dynomax muffler with an expansion chamber and no cat. The throaty sound is extremely gratifying to hear, with a deep sound that resembles a beefy 6 cylinder engine, and a pop that resembles backfire due to the extremely low pressure of such a large exhaust. The engine's audio wasn't the only audio enhancement, however. A completely new sound system was installed, featuring a 4x400W Fosgate amplifier hooked up to two 5 inch Infinity speakers by Harmon Kardon and another two 6x9 Infinity speakers. A 1000W Fosgate amplifier powers a 12 inch shallow mount Fosgate woofer. I got to hear the audio system in action with some very dynamic music from Clean Bandit, and the power of the system is clear. The basslines come out tight and strong, and the audio is superbly crisp. Austin plans on dropping in a Weber 32/36 carb in the future, as well as working on a rebuild 20r with a port polish and mid-level cam job.

The weather was perfect for taking pictures due to rainstorms earlier in the afternoon leaving clear and cloudy skies, perfect for the amazing Arizonan sunset. The light really helped highlight the lines, shapes, and proportions of this car.

This car has been on the track before, driven by a club member with two years of track experience. He complimented the handling and behavior of the car. Under acceleration, given the power and weight of the car, it pulls very nicely. The exhaust and headers make the exhaust sound heavenly. The appearance of the car is also excellent; both Austin and I noted that we really like how the design looks Japanese, yet it has US muscle car proportions and stance. In fact, I discovered that there was a liftback model of the Celica that very clearly resembled a period-spec Mustang from the rear. The first generation Celica surely a classic car near the base of Toyota's, and Japan's, sports car roots. It surely is a gem worth looking at and worthy of attention, a true, proper classic Japanese sports car.

Harrison's TT

In 1995, Audi unveiled a new concept, a slickly designed, small, two-door sports car called the TT. I remember how there was hype over this car as it was a small sport 2+2, and later roadster, a class that did not have too many entries in. People were polarized by the design; some loved it, others thought the front and rear looked the same (to the point that I remember in a car magazine, I think it was Car and Driver but I can't remember for certain, someone photoshopped a TT picture so the rear had headlights instead of taillights). However, the TT is definitely a fun, small car, as this 2002 TT's owner, Harrison, can attest to.

Harrison is a mechanical engineering major at ASU. He loves the AWD of Audi's quattro system, as well as the very respectable 225 hp the turbo 4 puts out. However, interestingly enough, the TT was not Harrison's original first choice, nor even close to what he was originally thinking of as a first car. He originally wanted something with power, so naturally he was looking towards American cars with V6 or V8 engines, but with the cost of fuel and insurance for them, he looked towards turbo 4 engines. He says he was sold on the TT on the test drive, which, although he was too young to drive at the time and his dad drove it, he knew he had to have it when his dad said it was too fast for him.

Harrison's main concern is to keep the car in the best shape possible, meaning he stays ahead on maintenance and fixing any issues the car may have, such as recently with his power steering pump and turn signal relay. The care and attention to the car shows since even though it's over a decade old it still feels and looks amazing. While there are no performance mods on this car, Harrison has it riding on Drag DR-33s for the red-and-black aesthetic, an aesthetic I love. He also had the original grey interior replaced with black, as well as painted the brake calipers red. 

Harrison says his goal for this car is to keep it running smoothly as a reliable daily driver in hopes of a project car in the future. While he'd love to have a GT-R, for the sake of variety he'd still love to own an American muscle car, like a Challenger, because as he says, "there is something undeniably sexy about having more horsepower than your tires can handle." However, before any of this occurs, he says "I should probably get a garage that I don't share with 300 of my closest friends...". 

But, regardless of what dream car is bought, there will always be the original, the first car. And for Harrison, it's this wonderfully taken care of Audi TT.

Tanner's FRS and Griffin's WRX

Arizona State University, with its over 83,000 students, makes for a great place to find cool people with awesome cars. Two weekends ago I got to have a photoshoot with two of these people, Tanner and Griffin.

I first met Tanner through the car club on campus, Street Refined. Tanner, a marketing major, drives this Scion FRS, sitting on Parts Shop Max coilovers and 18x9 Cosmis XT-005R wheels, wrapped in matte mint by Bourbon St. Wraps and sporting an Invidia exhaust. As you can see, it makes for an incredibly clean looking car. The Toyobaru twins were marketed as an enthusiasts car, an answer to the call for affordable, fun, RWD driver's cars echoing the Miata and AE86 Corolla. Thus, it was the perfect car for Tanner, who wanted a sporty, fun to drive enthusiast's car with tons of potential and can turn heads (in fact, as we were taking photos, passerbys would stop and look at the car; it seems no matter where we go at least two or three people stop to take a look at the car). In fact, when it comes to potential, Tanner has thought about boosting it, as well as add a Rocket Bunny kit someday. You can bet when that day comes there will be more photos. Until then, keep an eye out for this amazing looking FRS prowling the Tempe streets.

I also met Griffin, a business management major, through Street Refined. Griffin's ride of choice is this bug-eye Subaru Impreza WRX. As I've said before, Imprezas are a popular choice of car for those who want to have some fun, and for good reason, since there are so many Subaru owners and cars floating around. For Griffin, he chose this car as a daily that would be fun both out in the canyons and the track. With this in mind, Griffin's WRX has been modified for sportier purposes than just city street driving. It has an Injen Performance Intake, HKS catback exhaust, Cusco top mount intercooler, and an open source ECU tune, all of which sits on Megan Racing coilovers and 17x9 Konig integrams wrapped in Falken Ziex tires. That beautiful color comes from the 3M Matte Blue Metallic coating the bodywork. However, he has bigger plans in terms of performance, whih is an EJ25 STi JDM swap sometime in the future.

The two cars made for excellent subjects in the city night. We originally wanted to take most of our shots on the Mill Avenue Bridge over Tempe Town Lake, but a cop passing by changed those plans. But still, nothing an stand in the way of art.

After leaving the bridge, we headed for a parking garage to take some more shots to wrap up the night.

I have to say, these two wrapped cars, headlights glowing in the dark, were as striking in person as they were in real life. So, if you're ever around ASU, see if you can find these awesome vehicles.