Progress (or lack thereof)

I've been accumulating a LOT of parts for the Ruckus lately. I've yet to install most of them, via a combination of my own laziness and a complete lack of time. Extension, alarm, bars, headlight, stem, fender, gas tank cover, Navi, and tons of other stuff.

I did get my pipe installed though, but I've yet to re-jet so I top out around 35mph. Acceleration seems fine, so I should only have to re-jet for top end.

I unwisely took it out last night to give it a run and take some pictures. It was FREEZING, ice on the roads, NO headlight, but still fun. My pictures suck, however. Usually my night photography is better than this.

I used a D40 with 18-55mm kit lens on a tripod, 10 sec timer (so hands free), and it's still fuzzy. Am I not pulling in enough light, and if not, what can I do about it? Leave a comment and help my pathetic ass with my photography.


I'm still waiting on my Canibeat stickers! Hint Hint!







My wife did this retouch on Flickr that I really like:

Webmining: US-JDM Steez 2

The Japanese obsession with tuning vehicles to look like they'd been modified in the US is apparently not limited to cars.

I stumbled across these shots of a JDM Zoomer that had been completely redone to look like a USDM Ruckus. It has "Ruckus" badges, a "Yoshimura USA" stamped TRC pipe, Bowls and Fatlace stickers (3 of them), and Password JDM parts (I see a bolt kit and radiator screen at the very least).

He's even re-located the horn back out onto the light grille, the exact opposite of what we do.

I guess the TRC is built in Japan, stamped with a "USA" logo for US distribution, and then the guy went to the trouble of having it brought back to Japan to complete the USDM look? Bonkers.

Webmining: US-JDM Steez 1

I try to show some different stuff on here (i.e. Dodge Vans) rather than the same S-chassis, Corollas, and RX7's that are all over the place (not that I don't like them).

Everyone has heard of the "Spo Com" (i.e. Sport Compact) phenomenon, wherein Japanese tuners were putting lambo doors and LED washer nozzles on their cars in an attempt to copy the "F&F" look of half a decade ago.

Everyone wants what they don't have, and so the "USDM" or "US JDM" obsession in Japan has only grown in popularity since. I'm fascinated by this, as it's fun to see how quickly they pick up on US trends over there. I have tons of pictures of this stuff, but for this first look at it, I thought I'd stick to how the Japanese are copying "2009" trends from the US.

Roof Racks, BBS RS, rusted hoods, Fatlace stickers, etc. There are even LHD conversions and USDM (mostly California) license plates. I will be posting more of this in the future.

Sorry for the small pics.

Webmining: Mikami Auto GC10

I love this car and I have more pictures of it, but this will have to do for now.

L20 with triple solexes, kakimoto pipe, S13 Apex'i N1 dampers in the front, HID conversion, Hayashi Streets, good stuff. Far from wild by tuned GC10 standards in Japan, but I'd like it in my garage. Video is terrible quality and short, but at least you hear some music.

Webmining - Nissan ElGrand

Thanks to Google Translator and my limited Katakana literacy, I seem to run across a lot of interesting content just digging through the internet. Until I get bored with it, I'm going to start making a post or two per week with whatever I find.

These shots are from Minkara Carview. All shots on there are limited to 800 x 600, so not wallpaper quality. I will post all content as I find it, so any photo edits (i.e. face/license plate masking) was a part of the original shot.

This is a Nissan ElGrand. Unlike the usual oni-camber/hipari tire look you see in Vanning, this guy seems to have gone for a very track-inspired setup. While I'm sure he has no intention of seriously tracking this behemoth, he definitely gets points for thinking different. I love the brakes and the photography is very good.

Parts!

ATR x Standard Functions extension for the Ruckus. Picked up from a local member who came to our summer ride. Brand new. Install is supposed to be a pain.

Other things on the way.

Am I allowed to like this?

TommyKaira tuned Insight and Prius.

I hate to say it, but I dig, 'specially the Insight. It's supposedly a wretched car to drive, however. I'm glad they kept the old-school TK steez alive with the stripe livery.

I still can't get excited about Hybrids when a 15 year old EG VX will get about the same mileage. Full electrics are rad.

Idiocy

So I had some dumb parts lying around and thought it would be fun to put them on and take some pictures.

I threw a bunch of random stickers on the spare battery box and bolted up this wacky little exhaust. It's actually a Briggs & Stratton lawnmower muffler...I think. It's hella loud, and makes wicked pops at idle.

Obviously I didn't re-jet for this silly exercise, and so the bike will only go like 25mph with the exhaust on it. Sounds nasty though.

It was like 20 degrees out, so I didn't bust out the tripod and all that. I was going to pull both fenders and finally chop the reflector, but I didn't have time.


Actual parts for real build are arriving. Pictures soon.

And another one

I've wanted one of these for YEARS, ever since they came out back in 1998 in Japan and I read about it in EGM.

For whatever reason, they've recently become available in mass quantities on eBay, someone must've found a stash of them somewhere.

It's basically a Game Boy Pocket with a backlight. I always thought normal B&W Game Boy games looked jacked up on the Color or GBA, so this is really the only way to play them in low-light and have them look like they should.

Shiny

I took this awhile ago at the National Waterfront. It's "The Awakening", by J. Seward Johnson Jr. I just thought it was a cool shot.

All over

It's definitely starting to feel like winter in DC. Most of the leaves are gone, dark at 4:30, etc. I always say I'm going to take car pics somewhere with the leaves in color, but I never get around to it. Next year, hopefully.

This is FIESTAAAAAAAA

I really like tiny little cars, and so I'm happy to see the Fiesta, the Mitsubishi Colt, and other similar vehicles making it to the US market.

This is a Ford demo car from the LA Auto Show (pictures from Autoblog). It has 1pc Work Meisters! The stripe is awful and it needs slightly more aggressive fitment, but it gives an idea of what tuned Fiestas will look like.

Play with the configurator HERE