We sat down with Ben from Unique Fabrication in Irvine, CA to gain some insight into what he does at Unique. Right of the bat, we knew this was going to be a good interview. It doesn’t take long to see that fabrication is not Ben’s job; it’s his passion.
http://vimeo.com/29517494
We appreciate Ben’s time and the guys at Unique Fabrication for allowing us to film and tour their place.
We took a trip to the iconic Moon Eyes headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, CA and witnessed the passion behind the fabrication that takes place in the shop. If you’ve ever been near a drag strip, then you’ve seen the Moon Eyes and can probably identify with us on how excited we were to get the opportunity to sit down talk with one of the guys who works there about his day-to-day and to gain a little more insight on the company. We sat down and had a talk with Tim about what he does and why he does it.
http://vimeo.com/29744862
We are extremely grateful to them for allowing us to film and ask questions and sharing a piece of their experience as a racing icon.
Next up in the “Drivers Spotlight” section is 2011 XDC East Coast Champion Chelsea Denofa. We sit down and have a quick Q&A session about this current drift season and whats in store for the future.
CS@Apex: How/and what age did you get into drifting?
Chelsea Denofa: I was 15 and bought a 91 240sx coupe. Started out street drifting like many others, only difference was I had to have someone licensed with me because I only had a learners permit. My first drift event was a D1 Licensing event at Homestead Miami Speedway in 2004.
CS@Apex: In the start of your career who did you most look up to? Any in particular you followed closely?
C.D. We were doing a lot of street drifting down in South Florida and watching drifting videos from overseas. So guys like Tanaguchi and Ueno were boss back then.
CS@Apex: How would you describe your current driving style ?
C.D. It really depends on the situation. Like many, in qualifying Ill make a solid first pass, then get gnarly on the second pass. I basically go flat into the first turn instead of adjusting speed, Ill just adjust my angle and entry point. So every time I hit the first turn its as early and baller as possible. In tandem I really have no regard for the competitor and I’s cars, shit is going to get rambo. Especially if you followed close on my lead run… You better be ready to go across the line on your roof. Be afraid… I plan on using my safety equipment.
CS@Apex: Tell us about your car. Your current model, engine setup, suspension etc..
C.D.- 98 BMW M3 Sedan – 500whp/500wtq on pump – 2497lbs – 64 Degrees of angle.
Drivetrain
Motor
-Technica Motorsports built S52
-JE Pistons
-Stock Rods and Bolts
-ARP 2000 Head Studs
-Cometic .70 Head Gasket
Turbo System
-Precision 6262 Ball Bearing Billet Wheel Turbo. T3 .86 a/r exhaust housing
-Precision 46mm compact wastegate
-SPA Turbo Manifold
-Technica Motorsports Factory ECU Tuning
-Technica Motorsports Blow-Through MAF
-Technica Motorsports Injectors
-Technica Motorsports Oil Feed adaptor
-Technica Motorsports
-S-Max Performance 22x12x3.5 mid mounted Intercooler
-Secret Services Auto custom 3 inch aluminum intercooler piping
-Secret Services Auto aluminum coolant expansion tank and coolant catch can
-NonStopTuning Alternator and Aux pulley system
-Toxic Fabrication oil catch can with -10an lines.
-Toxic Fabrication 4″ Vibrant Stainless oval exhaust
-Level7TUNE aluminum radiator
Chassis, Suspension, and Brakes
-Toxic Fabrication stitch welding and reinforcement.
-Toxic Fabrication roll cage
-BC Racing ER-Type Double Adjustable External Reservoir Coilover System
-UUC rear camber arms
-UUC rear trailing arm bushings
-VAC Engine Mounts
-Technica Motorsports chassis harness and fuse box
-Technica Motorsports rear subframe bushings
-Stock M3 brake calipers with brass guides and Technica Motorsports Stainless lines
-Level7TUNE Drift Spec Ebrake pads
-Brembo drilled and slotted rotors
-Secret Services Auto bash bar
Interior
-Sparco Circuit Pro Hans (Driver)
-Cobra Suzuka Pro Kevlar (Passenger)
-Safety Racing sfi belts. Purple and black
-Secret Services Auto ultra low seat brackets
-Level7TUNE Ebrake handle
-Circle track 14″ aluminum steering wheel
-Speedway quick release and splined steering shaft
-Autometer water temp, K’s 60mm boost, AEM UEGO wideband
-Technica Motorsports Modified dash
-Level7TUNE Battery Box
-Sony Xplode deck, speakers, amp and CV 12″ sub
Exterior
-GM Plum Crazy Purple on every inch inside and out. (Sponsored by Nevrslo)
-OEM M3 sideskirts as well as front and rear bumpers.
-China Special r-iced out taillights
-Level7TUNE big BRO flares front and rear
-Nevrslo carbon roundels
-Long acre power cut off switch
-Sideways Vinyl
-Level7TUNE lexan windows
Steering, Rollers, Tires
-Level7TUNE SMAK (super mad angle kit)
-Level7TUNE steering knuckles
-Level7TUNE front lower control arms
-Level7TUNE delrin front control arm bushings
-Level7TUNE tie rods
-BC Racing RA01 17×8.5 -7 18×9.5 -15
-Nexen N9000 235-40-17 front and 275-35-18 rear
CS@Apex: Are there any major changes in the plans for your car next season?
C.D- We will take another 40lbs out of it, add a few things to conform with FD’s tech, and change up the presentation a bit.
CS@Apex: Now that you have scored the East Coast Championship, are there any main goals for the last event ?
C.D.- I am super pumped up after the East Coast XDC win, as well as our 2nd place West Coast XDC finish. We just need to go to Texas and take another win! Easier said then done, There is some stiff competition, but my team and I are fully capable.
CS@Apex: Briefly describe your car set-up and how it benefits your driving style?
C.D.-My car is well suited for my driving style. Simply put, you drive the car by the rear wheels, point and shoot technique.
CS@Apex: Who are you current sponsors?
C.D.-Nexen Tires, NonStopTuning, Technica Motorsports, BC Racing, Nevrslo, Toxic Fabrication, Level7TUNE, Import Image Racing, Sideways Vinyl, The Right Step
CS@Apex: What sponsors are you trying to obtain? Any particular brands or products?
C.D.-We are working with a few new companies and continuing with many of our great sponsors for 2012′s Formula Drift season. We are excited to have the car in a booth for the SEMA show. So if anyone wants to join my attempt at “rookie of the year” in 2012 hit me up!
CS@Apex: During the past two years of XDC, which track is your favorite and why?
C.D. – One of my favorites is Summit Point. Even tho we had a car failure this year, It’s an awesome track because of its down hill entry to a slow left turn, then up shifting and power for another 1/2 of a mile on throttle transitioning to the finish. Firebird is cool too because the 1st half of the track is hammer time for me, we counted 11 seconds of full throttle there!
CS@Apex: Do you have any pre-race rituals to get your pumped for the big day?
C.D.- I hang out with the team and crew the night before and try to get as much sleep as possible. We will usually try to find a local place to get some breakfast, then bump some music to get the mood right.
CS@Apex: Describe your scariest moment as a professional drifter.
C.D. – I ain’t never scaaared! Honestly I am more scared driving to each event then actually driving them. People in this country cannot drive, DOT doesn’t like race car drivers, and rigs break… That is scary.
CS@Apex: Describe your most memorable all time moment in your drift career?
C.D. – On the real, every event is memorable. Driving all over the US on a weekly basis, competing in over 20 events a year, and getting to meet some bad ass people on the daily makes some awesome moments.
CS@Apex: With the progression of the drift scene in the past five years describe your favorite and least favorite trends.
C.D- LEAST! I seriously cannot believe people still drive hoop-dee s13′s. I am not hating, but seriously stop buying body kits and wheels and concentrate on what makes your car functional! Don’t blow money, PROGRESS!
MOST! There have been so many positives in drifting over the past 5 years. New cars, sponsors, rules, media attention, international involvement, and much more. The fact that there is still a spot for every driver level to drive at least every other weekend is the most important thing I see.
CS@Apex: After a full season of XDC this year, what are your plans for next season? Any new series you will be trying to compete in?
C.D. We will be campaigning a BMW in a full season of Formula Drift next year. Hoping to be in the race for the 2012 “rookie of the year”.
Quick Fire
Clutch kick or Ebrake?
Clutch kick then Ebrake
Knuckles or spacers?
Knuckles
Turbo or NA?
Turbo
East or West Coast?
Some of my homies died over this question… I with BIG, but I have some love for Dre and Pac.
JDM or EuroStyles?
JDM
Formula D or D1?
D1
Club loose or Lone Star Drift ?
Lone Star only because it has loose rules
Lead or Follow run?
FOLLOW
E36 or E92?
E90… Sedan love
Stay tuned with Apex as we cover Round 7 of the XDC series this September! Watch out for Chelsea Denofa as he battles it out for the 2011 XDC Champion title!!!!!
Special Thanks to all the sponsors that made this possible.
www.nonstoptuning.com
www.technicamotorsports.com
www.nexentireusa.com
www.toxicfab.com
www.nevrslo.com/
Level7Tune
Today we are going to be taking a minor break from the onslaught of Nisei Showoff 2011 Coverage so that I could present you with a very special look at a very special project. As you all know, I put together this whole “GENERATIONS” line-up for Nisei where I had planned to bring builds from the past, present, and future. The “future” portion of it proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated but one of the main projects that I wanted to be at the show was the S2000 you will see below. This S2000 is by no means finished. It is perhaps in it’s most “raw” state if anything and that’s exactly why I wanted the car there. I really wanted to display the custom metal work on this car and in my opinion, this S2K will probably never look better than it does now in it’s raw state. If you are a fan of metal work and fabrication, then you are in for a treat because this S2000 is a piece of automotive art. I wanted this S2000 to be at Nisei so bad, but we just couldn’t get it out there. Louie from L*Con, who has been the mad man behind the insane amounts of metal work on this S2000, had a prior engagement that he had to attend to and like I always say, your personal life will always be more important than any car shit. It would have been bad ass if we could get it out there because I think it would have shocked a lot of people. For one, nobody would expect to see an unfinished, straight raw metal S2000 chassis at a car show. We were going to throw some Eibach coilovers on it, a brand new set of Mugen MF10s, roll it out to the show, and rope the car off so that no one could put their hands on the raw metal. It would have been absolutely nuts and a great attention-grabber for anybody that was walking towards The Chronicles section. In any case, you get to see the car now and believe me, photographs don’t really do this thing justice…
To start off on a little back story on the car itself, Louie from L*CON was called by a customer on the east coast to build him an S2000 chassis. There weren’t any strict requirements behind what he wanted, he simply wanted an S2000 that would be “bad ass”. A street S2000 that could be tracked if it every needed to be and Louie was not only in charge of doing the cage for it, he also had to find the S2K chassis out here on the west coast. The goal of the owner was to build an S2000 that rivaled and would eventually best a very well-known S2000 in Japan, from a very well-known tuner shop. Louie basically had the freedom to do whatever he wanted to. Louie can basically do any sort of cage, from the simplest to the most intricate, the guy can do it all. But if you give the man the freedom to do whatever he wants, you better believe it’s going to be some shit you’ve never seen before. He originally was supposed to find just a bare shell to start on, but he had trouble finding one that had a clean title so he went with a rolling chassis that he found instead. The S2000 was then taken back to L*CON, completely stripped down to the shell itself, and then sent off to be chemically stripped (or acid-dipped, if you prefer to call it that). Once the stripped-chassis came back, Louie began seam-welding the whole car to strengthen the body before creating the cage for it. Again, he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted to with the cage. The only request he had from the owner was that he had to be able to get in and out of the car easy. Once the cage was done, Louie came up with the idea to remove the upper frame rails behind the front fenders, and remade them so that they were much stronger and a whole lot better looking. The front suspension pick-up points were also strengthened when he gusseted each end. The rear subframe was also reinforced and gusseted, making the entire S2000 body a rigid beast….
The craziest part about this whole build was that the owner never intended for all this work to be seen. Louie tig-welded everything, put hours and hours of labor into the car, and the only reason you see it now is because we convinced him that we should document his body of work, because this is truly something that hasn’t been seen before. Once all this metal work was completed, the whole car was set to be sent off to be powdercoated black and as I am writing this, the chassis is already gone, so I’m happy to have been able to document this build and show it to the world. The car was originally set to make it’s debut at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon event, but there’s so much left to be done that we all have our doubts about it being ready. There is just so much more in the works for this thing, and I hope to see it pop up again one day when it’s completed. The exterior aesthetics have yet to be determined, as well as suspension and wheels. The interior will be completely custom, but the cage is made in such a way where the A-pillar bars are tucked away enough so that the OEM dashboard can go back into place without issue. It’s a sick build. The owner has plans also to drop a supercharged GM LS3 motor into it to, so you already know it’s going to be a monster…
When it’s all said and done though, the majority of the work under the body panels will be overlooked. A casual passer-by will see the cage and the bars and think that it’s cool, but they won’t be able to appreciate the amount of metal work involved in this S2K like you will today. There’s so much work that Louie doesn’t even remember everything that he’s done. The night before I started to put this together, Louie sent me a text message with random things that he remembered suddenly, like how the factory hard-top is even gutted because he chopped out the inner structure of it. It’s just a crazy thing to see in person…and I hope you will get a sense of that by looking at the photos today. Everyone that we know that we have shown the car too has had nothing but great things to say about Louie’s work. It’s truly mind-blowing. If and when this S2000 resurfaces in the future, make sure you remember where you saw it first, only on The Chronicles…
Special thanks go out to Louie Contreras and L*CON for making this possible…
The view from outside L*CON Race Fabrications… Larger Version (1400×933)
Just imagine how much custom metal work the casual enthusiast will miss just because this S2000 will have it’s fenders reinstalled… Larger Version (1400×933)
Gusseted front suspension pick-up point…. Larger Version (1400×933)
Dimple-die plates inside the engine bay where the front shock tower is…. Larger Version (1400×933)
A better look at the opposite side… Larger Version (1400×933)
Firewall shot where you can see where it’s been seam-welded… Larger Version (1400×933)
Shot of the A-pillar behind the frame of the windshield… Larger Version (1400×933)
Upper windshield area where the cage has been integrated… Larger Version (1400×933)
Rear section where the soft top once was and where a bulk of the cage resides… Larger Version (1400×933)
Section behind the seats atop where the transmission/driveshaft tunnel is… Larger Version (1400×933)
Section under the dash where the pedals are…the cage is actually designed (not pictured here) to run through the firewall… Larger Version (1400×933)
Back half of the cage… Larger Version (1400×933)
Trunk section/rear shock tower… Larger Version (1400×933)
Another angle of the section behind the seats…. Larger Version (1400×933)
A view of the engine bay, where a supercharged GM LS3 will eventually call it’s “home”… Larger Version (1400×933)
A shot of the entire bare-metal, raw S2000 chassis…. Automotive art in its rawest form… Larger Version (1400×933)
Louie is a man of few words but his skill and imagination are always best expressed through his metal work…. The things that must run through this man’s mind every single day….
Thanks for looking, back with the rest of the Nisei Showoff 2011 Coverage in the coming days…
The car being worked on is a 2006 Scion tC. Why is it different? Because we decided to cut off the roof, redo the motor, and completely change the outside and inside look of the car. Toca Series has been hard at work getting this build ready for some big upcoming shows, while at the same time ensuring we don’t rush.
My name is John Toca, and this 2006 Scion tC is what used to be, my daily driver. With the inception of this build also came Toca Series Tuning Innovation. A company I started due to my passion and love for tuning, engineering, fabrication, and image. What originally started off as a daily driver with small mods, snowballed into a shop car with extreme modification, and so on….I’m sure everyone here is in the same boat. Here we are today bringing a dream into a reality. Let’s go over what this car about and what it has in store. This daily driver which will now be named “trailer queen” by some may in fact be a trailer queen; for now; but rest assured it is fully functional and includes a complete engine redesign. You can see from the pictures that taking off the top was no easy task, in fact you can’t simply cut a roof and expect your car to function and perform like normal. Bracing using DOM tubing has been placed under and inside the car to support the body, ensuring it is not only supported, but safe. DOM tubing is well known in the drift industry as it is what most drift cars use today as there roll cage. Although having the right parts to get the cage / support put together, knowing where to weld this tubing is of equal importance. Gabriel Escobedo of Hired Gun Paintwerk in St Charles, IL put this tubing in place and it came out looking fantastic. With more work to do I will cover other areas of fabrication in the coming months and update with new pictures as the build progresses.
McKinney Motorsports – The shop that gave Tanner Foust his debut into drifting with the Nissan 240sx at Formula D 2006. As soon as you enter the shop, you are presented with the gem they stow.
http://vimeo.com/27843310
Into the actual shop area is a plethora of iconic tuner vehicles anyone would love to get their hands on! Which one would you choose? I’ve got a sweet spot for the Datsun 240Z’s!
The shop is and has been through many project builds. McKinney Motorsports was actually one of the first to bring the RB motors to the states and doing so has evolved the industry.
What I mean by evolve is this….This is the madness of an RB motor fitted into a Nissan Maxima. Not only is it being done proper with an RB but the first Maxima to swap the drive train to All Wheel Drive!
As you can see, it’s taking quite some time into fabricating the right parts…
The boys here are involved in many more projects, but they also focus on Exhaust headers..
Engine mounts….
Even helping to develop a new set of coilovers.
It’s brilliant work around here….
This Father & Son team is so ideal and so fitted. One thing I specifically remembered about them is that they like to build clean cars. Cars built as if it came factory, what the company had actually intended, and execute everything with purpose. Doing so, they’ve defined their stand in this industry and I wish them much success!
I’ve always admired the capabilities of off road sports, but after visiting Camburg Racing, I’ve found a whole new respect. They’re a championship team for more reasons than one.
This is one of their many vehicles built from the ground up
And this is what lies underneath that metal. It’s like a puzzle…
Just look at this. All points into the center. The engineering and precision they put into these vehicles is like none other that I’ve seen.
Along with their technique of welding lines in ONE pass and not by machine. Their own staff gets the job done!
Today, Camburg leads the Off-road suspension market with their technology
I am very fond of Tundra’s and this build officially put it on my list of things to do.
This alone says the guys are extremelty taleneted. Camburg Racing has what you need for all Off-Road necessities. I look forward to more championship builds and success!
For the past couple of years I’ve gotten to know the ins and outs when it comes to a Honda drag setup. Now it’s time to broaden my horizon just a hair. Enter, Jose “Shorty” Mendoza, and his Mitsubishi Eclipse.
With the same configuration as a B series in regards to transmission, engine, intake and exhaust, things are starting out familiar. Shorty chose a Borg-Warner S372 to sit on an exhaust mani built by Tommy somethin or the other (don’t know his last name). This feeds a 24x12x4.5″ core with an inlet of 3″ and cold side of 3.5″. Now I just need some mounts to hang this intercooler, hmm.
With this done I can continue on to the charge piping, dumptubes and other various custom do-hickies.
Shorty is one of the family here at the shop and has helped on numerous occasions on race day getting the likes of Jake Blackman, TSR, Locash and Raul ready to run. Now it’s his chance to turn some heads and show what a DSM is all about.
Rewind a bit. The intercooler core needed a pair of tanks but no tag to weld on left me with a trick I learned from Forest Wang/Joey Lumpkin. Once the tanks were bent into shape and ready to be final welded, I laid a sticker down and proceeded to scotchbrite over the entire tank. Hard to explain easy to show.
“Wait…is that..?” is the kind of reaction it gets. It works for now but I do plan on having some weld on logos in the future.
Definately more to come soon so stay tuned….
M7760
Now comes standard with the new Billet Actuator and retains the response feel of the original stock turbo. It delivers increased power gains, even higher up in the power band range, without sacrificing torque.
M7960
Retains the low speed power range, with that extra punch at mid to high speed range. This is turbo has the balanced transient characteristics to produce peak power to suit those who want the best of both worlds.
M8265
This turbo has the potential to deliver 450PS with the stock layout; from 4000RPM up is where peak power comes in. This Turbo’s special characteristics will really show when added engine tuning and internal upgrades are done.
Features
– Flat Primary Exhaust Pressure
The initial spool characteristics is just right, with a seamless linear power curve that matches the engines RPM with the power output. This gives the best drivability results.
– Maintaining Output Even At Higher Tuned Levels
With the stock displacement, you can expect to see good power around the 5500rpm mark and higher. But with the increase in the engines displacement, even more potential gains are possible.
– Available in 3 Sizes
The M7760 retains the stock response feel, with added power gains. The M7960 delivers great upper mid range power, with even more power gains possible. When peak power is a priority over response, there is only one option. The M8265 will deliver unleash your engines full potential.
– 100% Bolt ON
The ARMS series turbo kits all come supplied with all the required gaskets and fitting accessories for a true bolt on application out of the box. So it can be installed immediately without the need to hunt for other parts.
So after making this beautiful tubular for the 2AZ engine, we’ve decided to continue to adapt to it. We put a Gt30R V-band housing turbo on the car.
We then had to hook up intercooler pipes and such to this beastly setup along with a 4″ intake for some fresh air supply. Not to mention some exhaust pipes too!
^^3″ v-band and nothing less!
More to come on the rest of the build soon!
