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contents january2011 cover shoot photo michael vincent styling beatrice p makeup liz castellanos hair yuki 48 40 30 74 80 68 36 features 30 jrx 20b t88 fc3s rx­7 code talk for import power the usuals 06 initial timing cover material 36 40 48 68 formula d diaries how to reboot an rsx forsberg gitten in their own words 08 12 14 22 26 86 88 90 under the hood inside the industry control alt delete ultimate time­attack r34 gt­r and an 850whp is 300 going postal #142 production/distribution/infiltration you shoot us we shoot back you found out first eric hsu fixes what you broke east vs far east four one one question it widgets turkish delight natalin avci tech 28 fact or fiction 74 80 power pages damn these are dope for your ride power gear audio gear for your eyes and ears do you have what it takes diy dent removal tools really work 2009 nissan 370z touring chemical intercooling for horsepower water/methanol injection longshots import tuner issn#1528-0845 vol 14 no 01 is published monthly by source interlink media llc 261 madison avenue 5th floor new york ny 10016 for subscriptions address changes and adjustments write to import tuner p.o box 420235 palm coast florida 32142-0235 subscriptions u.s and u.s possessions $29.97 for 12 issues 1 year canadian add $12.00 postage includes gst and all other countries add $24.00 payment in u.s funds only allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of first issue copyright © 2010 source interlink magazines llc all rights reserved this magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that the information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by source interlink media llc or the publisher as to legality completeness and accuracy periodicals postage paid at new york ny and at additional mailing offices canada publications mail agreement no 40612608 and gst no 129791596rt0001 return undeliverable canadian addresses to pitney bowes international mail services p.o box 25542 london on n6c 6b2 postmaster please send address changes to import tuner p.o box 420235 palm coast fl 32142-0235 4 impo rt t une r.c o m

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get more for your ride summit racing equipment has more of what you want you get guaranteed low prices on millions of in-stock parts from over 700 brand name manufacturers fast delivery and no-hassle special ordering plus expert advice from the industry s largest tech staff and the best customer service on the planet $15 rebate when you buy one seat procar sportsman racing seats electric gauges each n1 universal fit mufflers each tuner lug nut sets each keyword scat sportsman racing as low as 60 $156 keyword stack electric as low as $69 00 keyword a pexi n1 universal as low as 95 $246 keyword gorilla tuner as low as $2595 set summitracing.com · sales 1.800.230.3030 international 00.1.330.630.0230 · tech 1.330.630.0240 prices good through december 1 2010 we ll beat any price advertised in this magazine on items in stock at the time you place your order mail to p.o box 909 dept 1101tn akron oh 44309 · typographical errors and errors in description or photography are subject to correction ©2010 autosales inc.

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initialtiming january 2011 issue #142 features@importtuner.com for feature cars models@importtuner.com for aspiring models cover material without a doubt the biggest hurdle of putting together a magazine is the cover car it s not because every potential feature car owner asks for it or feels entitled to it but because it s a tremendous pain in the ass to find a car with cover qualities what pray-tell makes for a cover car well sit down and i ll tell you for starters a set of legit wheels with decent offset is a first for cover does this mean expensive not necessarily just so long as their designs are original and the construction isn t crap a performance-modified engine making good power inside a clean bay is a must as well the interior has to be tactfully done not to mention the exterior and that s just for consideration if a car meets those qualifications our edit staff will discuss the merits of the potential vehicle is it ground-breaking what does it do well is it really fast did it set any trends what has it won how many records did it break so what have the r34 from garage ito and the nyc is 300 accomplished you d be surprised sure both met all the criteria rims engine interior and exterior are all in check they re both two of the cleanest high-powered imports in existence but when it comes to results they haven t done much in fact the r34 hasn t done anything built as the timeattack machine to own all time-attack machines it was shot a while back as it sat where it had for years before complete for the most part but in limbo its owner waiting for the perfect opportunity to bring it out and trump the competition it was only when we were debating this month s cover car that scott brought up the pics dino our jdm freelancer shot dino responded to my email asking what he thought of the r34 with the car is pretty much the most incredible r34 project ever created in japan over the years it has become nothing short of a myth myth not since unicorns dragons or an anorexic lisa lampanelli have i heard that adjective used to describe anything and is why despite its short resume our edit staff agreed instantly that it was cover worthy sometimes the promise of what a car will do outweighs what if anything it s already done and then there s that is 300 one would hardly believe it puts out the power and performance it does under the guise of a luxury four-door family commuter but ask the owners of some of nyc s fastest street cars/bikes about it and you re sure to hear of its darker faster reputation one it s owner is perfectly happy with not catching on he built this car to enjoy it selecting this particular platform in large part hoping its performance might go unnoticed by public and legal eyes sorry james back to picking a cover car while it smarts the buttocks on the monthly finding hidden gems and exposing them to the world can be very rewarding if you re into colorful allegories the garage ito gt-r is the preparation h to our soul and bottom whatevs facebook.com/carterjung editor carter jung 6 im portt uner.c o m

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this is your locker build your automotive career with your own two hands stop dreaming start doing go to uti.edu or call 800-314-8364 s et hands on training s 4rain with certiled industry instructors s #hoose from campus locations nationwide s &inancial !id available to those who qualify s of graduates are placed in a career in their leld of study msc 800/835 source data on file uti inc 2009

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underthehood inside the industry you ve got to pay to play ecu tuning is an essential element for your car to make as much horsepower as possible while remaining reliable the cars of today feature more technology than we could ve imagined just 15 years ago from voice-activated navigation to variable valve timing they re more intricate and convenient than ever remember when base model cars like the honda civic vx or cx reflected their sticker price and came with only bare necessities not anymore you d be hard-pressed to find a dealer selling a new low-end car that includes manual windows or non-abs brakes as cars continue to be made smarter and more sophisticated with every passing year the tuning market is forced to play catch up and aftermarket fuel management systems have become a big part of that game over the years the technologies that manufactures have been integrating in newer vehicles have become an obstacle to the entry-level enthusiast who wants to gain additional horsepower but realizes that his car won t run properly without an aftermarket tune many enthusiasts lack ecu tuning skills to accomplish it themselves and ultimately end up paying big money for professional tuning cars definitely aren t what they used to be early model pre-obd and obd 1-equipped cars of the 80s and 90s were easily outfitted with a slew of aftermarket parts often including forced induction systems without a problem an in-line fuel pump and boost-dependant fuel pressure regulator were the key ingredients in doubling a vehicle s output try simulating the same bolt-on performance with current obd ii or can-bus platforms without proper tuning and we guarantee your car s factory ecu won t be happy with you so what s the cost nowadays for engine management units that enable you to modify virtually every aspect of your car s engine from running methanol injection systems to data logging companies like motec pectel hondata aem and cobb tuning have made great strides in providing consumers with engine management systems for today s newer cars like the nissan r35 gt-r that was considered un-tunable only a few years back engine management prices can range anywhere from $300 to $15,000 and mind you that doesn t include professional tuning no one said modifying your car was a cheap hobby and we all know by now that power never comes without cost but to overlook something as important as an engine management system is asking for some serious problems it all boils down to how serious are you about making horsepower senior editor scott tsuneishi scott@importtuner.com living riding shotgun with the editors 94 acura integra no sooner did i write the text for my entry in this column last month about replacing project miata s brakes that the dc2 threw a pad during some spirited driving to 7-11 for some late-night munchies i detour through a canyon road to get there ruining one of the front rotors in the process taking it as a sign to upgrade the brakes all around i swapped out the worn stock for a set of convo.e.m rotors from thebrakeman.com and a fresh set of high-performance pads the rotors slots continually scrub brake pads for better braking and their unorthodox shape sheds a bit of rotational mass at their circumference which reduces parasitic drivetrain power loss and supposedly creates turbulence in the air surrounding them for better cooling but do they deliver we ll soon find out tech editor luke munnell 03 subaru wrx when problems occur with my 03 subaru wrx happen in dramatic fashion the latest catastrophe occurred only 50 miles into my rebuilt motor s break-in period when the intake cam gear shattered on the freeway leaving me with a cylinder head full of bent valves if you re wondering yes those are phenolic plastic cam gears that subaru uses on their ej motors fml tech editor scott tsuneishi 8 impo rt t une r.c o m

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editorial editor technical editor senior editor managing editor online editor staff photographer contributors stephen rhim eric hsu rc faderoga colin ryan scott kanemura scott steinberg chris jue devin lefevere eric tong brendan moran andy hope jon domingo jeff creech tatsunori tsuchida matthieu lambert kenta ogawara tomoya watanabe eric kieu dino dalle carbonare randy ly josh mackey john pangilinan carter jung luke munnell scott tsuneishi drew farrington vanessa lam henry z dekuyper art direction and design art director gene coo archivist thomas voehringer the performance automotive group on the web www.europeancarweb.com www.importtuner.com www.hondatuningmagazine.com www.eurotuner.com www.superstreetonline.com www.modified.com subscriber services importtuner@emailcustomerservice.com call 800/876-9414 international 386/447-6385 or write to import tuner p.o box 420235 palm coast fl 32142-0235 please include your name address and phone number on any inquiries advertising group publisher maria jamison 949/705-3149 maria.jamison@sorc.com advertising operations coordinator melinda villegas 949/705-3357 melinda.villegas@sorc.com sr account manager glenda elam 626/695-5950 glenda.elam@sorc.com account managers greg yamamoto 310/531-9892 greg.yamamoto@sorc.com derrick yee 949/705-3182 derrick.yee@sorc.com willie yee 310/531-9182 willie.yee@sorc.com operations assistant jennifer gonzalez 949/705-3145 jennifer.gonzalez@sorc.com digital/marketing/events sr events manager elliott moran 310/531-9185 elliott.moran@sorc.com national sales offices new york office 212/915-4000 los angeles office 310/531-9900 detroit office 248/594-5999 chicago office 321/396-0600 texas office 214/904-9811 florida office 813/675-3500 performance automotive group svp group publisher doug evans vp group publisher howard c lim vp sales sales operations warren kosikov group editorial director jason mulroney group art director ti tong group operations director amy diamond senior operations director pauline atwood officers of source interlink companies inc chairman gregory mays chief executive officer michael sullivan president chief operating officer james r gillis president source interlink distribution alan tuchman chief financial officer marc fierman chief legal officer cynthia l beauchamp source interlink media llc president chris argentieri svp chief creative officer alan alpanian svp chief revenue marketing officer brad gerber svp business development jacqueline blum svp manufacturing production kevin mullan vp finance colleen artell digital chief technology officer digital media raghu bala svp digital marketing craig buccola svp digital product development todd busby svp digital product development binh tran vp digital product development dan hong consumer marketing source interlink media llc vp single copy sales marketing larry djerf consumer marketing enthusiast media subscription company inc vp consumer marketing tom slater vp retention operations fulfillment donald t robinson lll audit bureau of circulavtions printed in u.s.a copyright© 2010 by source interlink magazines llc all rights reserved advertising information please call import tuner magazine advertising department 949/705-3100 related publications classic trucks european car 4-wheel drive sport utility high performance pontiac gm high tech performance hot bike hot rod lowrider lowrider arte lowrider girls mini truckin muscle mustangs fast fords off-road popular hot rodding street rodder super chevy surfing truckin vette and other specialty magazines reprints contact wright s media 877.652.5295 281.419.5725 outside the u.s and canada to purchase quality custom reprints or e-prints of articles appearing in this publication to order back issues log onto www.simbackissues.com or write to sim back issues 2900 amber lane corona ca 92882 cost $7.00 each plus $3.00 shipping and handling per issue international order ­ add $10 per order and applicable sales tax in your area special and/or collector s issue pricing may vary check website for latest pricing please specify magazine and issue date if this is not specified your check/money order will be returned to you allow 3-4 weeks for delivery editorial contributions are welcomed but editors recommend that contributors query first contribution must be accompanied by return postage and we assume no responsibility for loss or damage thereto manuscripts must be typewritten on white paper and all photographs must be accompanied by captions photo model releases are required of all persons in photos import tuner reserves the right to use material at its discretion and we reserve the right to edit material to meet our requirements upon publication payment will be made at our current rate and said payment will cover the author s and contributor s rights of the contribution contributor s act of mailing contribution shall constitute and express warranty that the material is original and does not infringe on the rights of others mail contributions to import tuner 1733 alton parkway irvine ca 92606 this magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that the information is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by source interlink companies or the publisher as to the legality completeness and accuracy of said content occasionally our subscriber list is made available to reputable firms offering goods and services that we believe would be of interest to our readers if you prefer to be excluded please send your current address label and note requesting to be excluded from these promotions to source interlink media llc 831 s douglas st el segundo ca 90245 attn privacy coordinator any submissions or contributions from readers shall be subject to and governed by source interlink media s user content submission terms and conditions which are posted at http privacy.sourceinterlinkmedia.com/submissions.html.

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engineered and built in the u.s.a 4@4m

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goingpostal you hoot s you shoot us we shoot back u o s oo ack snpre sents to se nd pre sen ts to n o impo r t uner i mpo rt tun er mport n r 1733 al ton pa rkway 733 a t on parkw n a rk way r 1st flo or st oor irvi e i rvi ne ca 92606 vine 9 6 p po a l mort tu n e r co pos tal@im por ttu ner.co m un c u we re being called out left and right e be g al being out left d rig t ri thi month first o some discre th s month first on some discrephis on hntm re an y regarding fact or fiction then ncy nc egardi fact r fiction then d ct o h beca se we pare t don t kn w because we apparently don t know pa e t know th difference betwe n an s-chassis he d ff r nce b twee hfws-chas s -c ss ch and n s 3 an an s-30 and finally because some n in ll becau e om in l m peop pe ple still feel that tuning a car is a eople tlflt un ng car is n r ba idea so harsh we resort to pw ad dea s arsh e sh h es t pwn pw in a green automotive play on words ng ree a omot v e mo ay ay o o jus ju t to feel better u eel b tter tt nice article but to start i love this magazine i was reading the august 10 issue and came across the fact or fiction article where you reported that you can expect up to a 10.1-percent power/torque loss from having your a/c and stereo turned all the way up i have to strongly disagree why would a car with more power lose more from the same modification than one with less power shouldn t the same a/c system take away the same amount of power from every engine if you lost 11.5 hp in a 120hp 2.5i shouldn t you also lose 11.5 hp in your 450hp 370z example not the 50 you projected -brendan metz the fuel and ignition maps i would say that most of the gain here was from the added boost and tuning not the part being tested hardly a fair test the final test was the dc sports hard pipe kit which again you added and then tuned to get a 6.3hp gain i realize that tuning is a vital part of any build but the real issue is that you show giant 30.8hp gains right beside the picture of the product but the actual power gains were from adding boost and tuning i guess dc sports will be getting some `i thought your intake made 30 hp on an evo and i only got 4 hp phone calls from people who don t read the notes of your testing -paul durkin via importtuner.com thanks for reading brandon the first thing to remember about changing rotational mass is that resultant losses or gains occur as a percentage of the total amount produced just the same as how drivetrains absorb a percentage of total power output by an engine i.e about 18 percent for a fwd vehicle 22 percent for rwd due the added mass of a driveshaft etc shaving the same amount of weight off two different cars by say reducing the weights of their flywheels by the same amount will indeed improve power and torque by different amounts but the same percentage and so it goes with increasing parasitic loss with electric and a/c draw all things being equal we re sure this is a common concern among our readers paul so thanks for writing in the fact is that you answered the issue yourself tuning is a vital part of upgrading today s newer platforms so much so that we can t recommend upgrading many new vehicles without it tuning generally isn t needed with the addition of exhaust modification in turbo applications but as for the point of raising boost at the intake stage 26psi of boost was the comfortable setting our tuner recommended with the improvements in flow presented by the dc sports intake the alternative would ve been for us to post minimal gains at each step or possible losses common in newer applications without tuning and simply speculate how much power could be produced with tuning but we felt it best our readers know how to maximize their gains nice car but nice article but hello import tuner i read your magazine regularly as often as we can get it in the middle east at least and i just caught the article of the common snapper 240z october 10 awesome find i own one myself as well as a z32 and it s nice to see some old-school love every once in a while one point though the behind the build section states that the car has usdm 240sx fenders it definitely has usdm fenders but from a 240z not a 240sx but you knew that already i m sure keep up the good work -dc2 murphy via postal@importtuner.com we re looking to have our 92 nissan skyline gt-r put in your magazine with a full article with multiple pictures we are in the process of collecting sponsorship in order to go to world-class shows such as sema and nopi we have attached some pictures to get a better idea of what the car looks like this car was appraised at $160,000 and has numerous customizations and was rebuilt from the ground up thank you for your time and consideration -erin and trevor via postal@importtuner.com the engine mods appear to be sick but the rest just makes us sick we see where you re going with the whole godzilla thing we just wish you wouldn t go there why couldn t you have done this with a civic doh nice article but just got finished with your october issue love those supras i am a bit concerned about how the parts and dyno tests were done in power pages on the 10 evo first you bolt on the hks exhaust system and get a legit 20.8hp gain which is awesome next is the dc sports intake which appears to gain 30.8 hp but in fact you turned up the boost to 26 psi and altered 12 im por t t une r.c o m

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!reyoua&alken&anatic,ogonandupload yourfavorite&alkenmomentorpicturefora chancetowincoolprizesatwegetyougoingcom

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41 1 you found out first from flushing meadows ny on the outskirts of queens 2nr ace lensmen somya siva and brian chin bring you coverage of the inaugural r liberty vip car club meet black black is the first event organized by agim jones and liberty dedicated only to the east coast s true bippu-flavored vip rides strictly an invite-only event no lux/dub suvs and domestics made the list attendance was small and exclusive we expect subsequent events to dwarf this in the coming months our vote for tightest ride goes to ron benyamini and his black gs300 look for more in a future issue www.liberty-vip.com 14 imp o rt t une r.c o m

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tricks of the trade helping you wrench eastwood rigid plastic repair kit mr bakerz meet also from northeastern quarters come sivachin snaps of the impromptu mr bakerz meet for seemingly all tuned rides reportedly one of the biggest meets [they d been to all year by the canon shooters roughly 250 clean tuned hondas acuras mitsubishis mazdas nissans and more were in attendance as were sadly bike racks smashed fenders rusted hoods stuffed things dangling from tow hooks and sticker-laden front lips nyc we need y all to start some new trends shouts go to all who came out to enjoy the day with forum junkie mr bakerz nuttin but love so long as you didn t roast your tires often times broken parts or stress cracks on plastic components can render them useless forcing you to replace them costing valuable time and money such was the case with a set of damaged subaru wrx timing belt covers due to an exploding cam gear rather than discarding the pieces and spending $60.00 a pair we purchased a plastic repair kit through eastwood the plastex plastic repair kit makes strong permanent repairs to almost any hard plastic including abs poly-carbonate acrylic styrol pvc and frp polyester mix the black powder and solvent together before applying to repair cracks fill gaps weld panels or fix stripped threads within minutes the liquid solution cures into a hard plastic coating the kit includes a reusable molding bar so you can replicate and attach broken tabs patch holes even make small parts we should note although the plastic repair solution works on numerous types of plastic it won t adhere to polypropylene or polyethylene material the black kit we used works best for structural repairs and is the strongest of three kits available the white repair kit is the second strongest and clear is designed specifically for headlight lens repair eastwood www.eastwood.com 800.343.9353 11 01 2nr 1 5

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