Setting the tone-

So it was early Febuary 2014. I had just come off a about a year long overhaul on the NSX where I'd rebuilt or modified just about every bit of it in search of faster times at the track. Things were going well with it and I was setting PB's at just about every event

NSX, first drive after more than a year down

After a few days of solid running I'd started to realize that the NSX was now really fast, much faster still than I was actually even driving it, and as I continue the fine tuning and adjustments it would only be faster.

1:58 at Button willow with 260hp

Anyone that frequents the tracks often knows that sometimes you just go off. Could be you, could be something out of your control, whatever. It just happens.  I had learned some time back that being a car guy, owning your dream car, and loving track driving aren't always- if ever- in jive with each other. "Do i cage it?" "can I even fit in it with a cage?" "am I prepared to stuff this thing into a wall?"   All these things had been sort of swirling around in my head for some time, but now and they just started to feel all the more urgent.

After a bit of thought I settled on the idea that I needed something. Something that could be used more frequently for less $$$ in maintenance and less heartache thinking about the 'what ifs'. After all the aluminum prince$$ can stand to do about 20 less track days a year.

NSX circa 2011 at streets

Early March 2014 I picked up a friend of mine Amir to go have a look at an ae86 he'd just bought.  On the 45min ride out to his new car I pitched him my idea of getting another car to beat on, hes always been in a similar boat as myself with his Porsche and had gone down the same path- i figured he could lend some sound advise.

   Whatever my new car would be it had a few criteria it had to meet, Cheapish, FR drive, reliable at the track, after market support and most of all fun. Quick lap-times were not a requisite of said car, just no Miatas.

After some talk it seemed that I was destined to get another s2000 or s14 but as we narrowed the list over and over arguing the merits of each it sort of became apparent that i really didn't want either. I wanted something with a bit of class, something that was an underdog but would be wicked fun every time I got into it. Turns out I'd been over looking a car Id had and sold myself not all that long ago and the same car we were on the way to see; an ae86.

When we finally got to the shop and I saw Amirs super straight and clean purple coupe shell it all sort of fell into place.

As I said I had an ae86 coupe myself already.  Id bought it in the beginning 2012. It was always a bucket list car of mine and its time had come. Mine came to me as most of them do, had a USDM smallport redtop motor, wiring was pretty ratty and had been in some sort of a front end collision at some point. All in all it was pretty decent for the asking price. I found it on club4ag at 3pm and by 6pm i was driving it home. It was a GTS had some JDM bumpers and newish paint but there was definitely work to be done.

 first ae86 2012 after some light work

canyon sessions

drifting at the balcony

 I rebuilt just about everything with NOS OEM parts, pulled out the crap I didn't need and replaced the stuff to make it cool. I had been dumping money into the motor to fix stuff only for a new batch of problem to surface. It was really a nightmare, I was doing it all backwards, I shoulda pulled the motor out and just swapped it once and for all and been done with it but I always felt like I was one trip to the parts counter away from having a solid reliable 86 like Id imagined.  i'd even had the frame rewelded where the previous crash damage was because it starting to pull the fender apron away from the frame rail during some canyon driving. Seriously. It was a no expense spared heartbreaker.

body pulling apart :[

Despite all this I would have a couple days where I 'got it' things would be working and I would understand why these cars had such a cult following.... Then on cue right after the highest high, BAM..  id have to deal with a week of riding my motorcycle to work in the rain because something decided to spazz out per usual.

pretty standard situation

 I was frustrated and I was annoyed with everything so when I had a minor drifting shunt at Horse Theif Mile I used it as an excuse to sell the car.  To be honest I didn't really look back I was just glad that i'd got out with my sanity.




Now here I am, standing in a garage in Hawaiian Gardens and i'd just talked myself back into ae86 ownership... I felt that there was unfinished business and after the ae86 they ticked all the boxes and they have style. Sold.

There was some stuff that I refused to deal with again, i'd learned my lessons. My plan was that I was going to find something that was already clean. Ideally something that had a majority of the heavy lifting already done motor swaps, sus, whatever . I just wanted something that I could buy, maybe do a few simple things here and there but otherwise just flush some fluids changes some wheels and tires and thrash it every chance i got. simple.

My search had begun.