The 2016 season has begun and all we can say is “what the deuce?!?” I don’t know whether to compare the XXX Root Beer Import Meet to the Louvre or some indecent place but the dopamine is flowing.
Normally, at PantyHeist, we’ve seen our fair share of cars and can keep our composure but the XXX Meet just shattered all that. So instead of trying to contain ourselves, we’re just going to let this article go wild.
The event pretty much started on the freeway where we encountered some incredible cars.
And we saw some familiar faces like this Datsun Z who regularly attends Portland's weekly RDM meet.
The weather didn't hold but that didn't stop some pretty crazy cars from coming out.
Along the way, we also saw this unique 240 sporting canards, a red front mount intercooler, and an RB20.
Pictures are worth a thousand words but there are no words in the English dictionary to describe this.
You are feasting your eyes on a modern day Picasso’s Guernica, aka, the Liberty Walk Ferrari 458 Italia. Not everyone can find the logic to buy a Ferrari and dump more money to Liberty Walk it. But hey, Picasso had his crazy ideas and look at where he is now. To those who creates such a masterpiece, we salute you.
In addition to the 458, we also saw genealogically, the mother of all Godzilla's, the Hakosuka Skyline. It looks like it's rolling on Watanabes, which definitely adds a nice touch.
XXX Root Beer is a family owned restaurant in Issaquah, Washington that host an incredible number of car shows including the annual Import Meet. A former chain, only two XXX Root Beer restaurant remains. The other, located in Indiana, shares the same history as this one, but is no longer affiliated to one another.
The 2016 season came out of nowhere and exploded out of the gates. Even days after the event, there are just no words to describe the shock and excitement of this magnitude. We're all excited to see the cars of 2016. 2016, let's go!
-Ray
Photos by: Jacob Pina
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Author’s note: The title of this article is the mathematical solution to make root beer alcoholic. You square the root beer by pouring it into a square cup. The square and the root cancels out leaving you beer. Ha!
]]>Each year, the International Auto Show makes its round to different cities to celebrate all things automotive. For the next two weeks, it will be in the heart of downtown San Francisco showcasing their 2016 top manufacturer cars and notable works from enthusiasts.
One exciting car to come out this year is the Lexus GS-F. It sports the same stacked exhaust tip as the IS-F and RC-F. The car pushes out 467 hp and 389 ft lb of torque from a 5.0L V8. Admittedly, this is substantially lower than the BMW M5, E63 AMG, and the CTS-V but nonetheless, it will be a refreshing sight on the road.
From looking at the GS-F, it looks like the Toyota research and development department is wavering a bit but the car below paints a different picture.
Introducing the Toyota Marai, a hydrogen powered car that emits water as waste. It is already on sale since October 21, 2015, the date at which Marty McFly arrived from Back to the Future. The car takes roughly five minutes to fill and the only hydrogen stations are located in California but this may be the next game changer like the Prius.
Below are some other cars you may see on the roads of the future.
The fourth generation Mazda Miata. The car above has a manual retractable roof, which I strangely prefer over electronic ones.
Jaguar F-Pace, their crossover.
And this new Prius sporting a redesigned taillight.
I know that the FR-S/BRZ has been out for a couple years now but I still immensly appreciate how they designed the oil filter to be easily accessible unlike every other car out there.
There are also cars that you probably won't see on the road like this Martini Porsche 918.
This car looks like it came straight out of Monopoly and onto the showroom.
This has probably been one of the cleanest R32's I've seen.
It's interesting how the standard RC has fins on the rear bumper making it look more aggressive and the RC-F doesn't.
There are many cars that are very impressive, but this one takes the cake, a RX-7 with a turbo'ed S2000 motor. I don't know its past but none of that matters except what's present here.
Although many International Auto Show flaunts the same 2016 models regardless of the cities that host the event, it is the enthusiasts that gives the region the style and story of the automotive culture. This is no exception here in SF. From the people of the Academy of Arts University to the Aston Martin Owner's Club to individual enthusiasts, they made this show a San Francisco Auto Show. Regardless of how many International Auto Shows you've attended, this one is a must visit.
Until next time, cheers.
-Ray
Photos by: Raymond Chiu
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Just like many of the Cars and Coffee we attended, our journey to the San Francisco chapter takes us out of the city and to the middle of the bay called Treasure Island. This is a city of hella's, lane splitting, and one of the most stringent automotive laws in the new colony. But somehow manages to throw a meet that took over multiple parking lots and onto the grass.
One tough restriction for Californians is that engines must be OEM. This stifled creativity but enthusiasts found other ways to improve lap times. Drastic weight reduction and roll cages are common here.
Some enthusiasts choose to differentiate themselves through rare and unique cars, like this Campagna T-Rex 14R.
It's pretty much a motorcycle. It has a swingarm and a shifter to control the sequential gearbox. This one also sports a Two-Brothers motorcycle exhaust.
We also spotted a seriously clean right hand drive Nissan Bluebird with what appears to be Watanabes.
San Francisco also has a lot of wealth, and this shows.
One even sports a Koenigsegg Agera R.
The picture below is probably one of the best displays of craftsmanship - a Mini Cooper with what appears to be a K20 engine.
S2000 with a monster ProCharger. Need I say more?
This car brought my inner child out - a Project D RX-7.
Even the paint job is so animated, it feels like a San Diego Comic Con.
All the while sporting MazdaSpeed MS-02's.
San Francisco, even though under one of the union's toughest car restrictions, it somehow manages to have one of the craziest Cars and Coffee's. I have yet been to a place where a Koenigsegg shared the same lot with a K20 Mini, which also shared the same lot with an Initial D replica. Cultures from Rat Rods, to track cars, to classics, to exotics, to lowriders, to show cars all converge onto a quaint town to exchange their passion of everything automotive. Events like this brings the old to the young, and the affluent to the commoners. Cheers to the bay area for this crazy cup of java.
-Ray
Photos by: Raymond Chiu
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Nissanfest 2015 also had some of the year’s most iconic Nissans show up like these two widebody GTRs.
One being equipped with a Rocket Bunny widebody kit
and the other with a Liberty Walk widebody.
These two works of art really created a thunderstorm amongst the crowds and never had less than 10 people around at a time.
A buddy of mine also asked what car I would take if I won the lotto
which immediately caused me to go into kid mode.
"I'd take them all," I said and laughed because we were both thinking the same thing.
Couldn't decide which Nissan won my heart this year just wanted one of each.
Thanks for the great show NWN, till next year ;)
- Yerem
Written by Yerem Saribekian
Photos by
Yerem Saribekian
Mark Vasilyuk of Marks Photos
a few non Nissans:
]]>
At first glance, the Nismo 350z seems to be a regular Z with aero packages. And this seems pretty true; both the base and the Nismo sport the same 6-cylinder VQ35HR engine pushing 306 hp and after stripping the Nismo down, the body is exactly the same. Or is it?
The Nismo Z was introduced to us in 2007 to 2008 and is priced at $38,695, roughly $2,000 more than the Grand Touring model (the next model down). The 2007 models included Base, Enthusiast, Touring, and Grand Touring. There were only 1,607 produced in the US, with Washington and Oregon owning 15 and 6 respectively.
Obvious upgrades include the aero package like the front fascia, chin spoiler, side skirts, and an extended rear fascia with underbody diffuser, and spoiler. But these upgrades were designed in the wind tunnel. The front fascia developed downforce whereas the base Z’s created a slight lift. At a 75 mph test, the Nismo Z produced 33 lbs of downforce, as opposed to the base Z of 17 lbs of lift.
The suspension and chassis were also firmed up. The chassis were pulled off the line and had Autech hand-welded the seams for better structural rigidity. Yamaha also built mass dampers between the left- and right-side frame members beneath the chassis to control the vibration caused by the stiffer body. Suspension tweaks include front shock tower bracing, radiator supports, bigger rear shock tower brace, higher spring rates, firmer dampers, and a bigger rear anti-roll bar. Wheels, it sports Rays aluminum wheels wrapped with Bridgestone Potenza RE050A 245/40/R18 up front and 265/35/R19 in the back. The brakes are the same from the Grand Touring, which are 4 piston Brembo’s front and 2 pistons back.
The exhaust was also upgraded but this featured Nismo Z upgraded his to Tomei Expreme Ti Exhaust and Y pipe.
Car and Driver did a drag test comparing it to the base Z. It was a tad slower with 13.8 seconds at 103 mph. This could be due to the increased downforce. Edmunds tested it on Tsukuba with a lap time of 1:05.9, which is 1.3 seconds faster than the Grand Touring.
Although this car is proven to be better than the other trims, Hugo Mayorga, the owner of this 2008 Nismo 350z said it was less practical to own. From a first-hand experience, it is somewhat scary to own a car this rare. The parts are hard to come by.
We couldn't agree more. It takes more than the average driver to own something like this.
Our verdict?
Although Nissan chose not to enhance the engine for their Nismo Z, they have not skimped on performance upgrades. Yes, this car is slower on the drag than its counterpart but the Nismo Z was not meant to be a drag car. The aero components sacrificed some speed to improve its competitiveness on the track.
If this was 2007 or 2008, the upgrades alone will probably be worth the 2k jump in price, especially if you don’t plan to do anything to the car. But many of these parts are upgradable. The main aspect you cannot upgrade is the Autech welds. Is that worth the 2k? This question is on you. But now that this car is a couple years old, the price gap have indeed widened. You’ll not only be paying for the welds, but also for the rarity. And this is truly a rare car.
Whatever your personal opinion is, you cannot deny the fact that everything Nismo has done was in the name of performance. This is not just a Z with an aero kit but this has been tested in the wind tunnels and on the tracks of Tsukuba. This car proves that the engine does not need to be touched to create a faster track car. Who knew a functional spoiler can change so much.
Cheers,
-Ray
Car model: Hugo Mayorga’s 2008 Nissan 350z Nismo
Photos by: Jacob Pina
Written by: Raymond Chiu
US Sales
Year | Red | White | Silver | Black | Total |
2007 | 166 | 285 | 139 | 79 | 669 |
2008 | 220 | 358 | 182 | 177 | 937 |
US Territories Sales (e.g. Guam)
Year | Red | White | Silver | Black | Total |
2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2008 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
Note: This article stated that there were 1,607 but the total of US sales added to 1,606. The last one was moved from Guam to the US.
References:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2007-nissan-nismo-z-short-take-road-test
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/05/new-york-auto-show-nismo-350z-shines-at-nissan-booth-video/
http://my350z.com/forum/nismo-350z/570057-too-many-nismos-in-one-place.html
http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/350z/2007/road-test.html
http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-2008-Nissan-350Z-Nismo-t32342
http://portland.craigslist.org/search/cto?query=350z
As a Portland-based company, we followed the journey of Oregonian enthusiasts making their way up to Issaquah, Washington for the XXX Import Meet.
3 am, alarm goes off. We did our bathroom duties and went to meet the 40-car caravan at Cascade Station, the edge of Oregon before crossing into Washington.
The Portland group has the most sophisticated caravan we’ve seen to date.
The lead cars kept an eye out for cops and everyone was connected through walkie talkie apps. We made sure people with car troubles got help.
8 am. We arrive to XXX Rootbeer Drive-In restaurant, where they hosted one of the largest meets in the northwest.
Cars gathered from all over the Pacific Rim to continue this 4,000+ attendee tradition.
Obviously, this diner isn’t able to house everyone and so it overflowed to the streets and neighboring businesses.
XXX Rootbeer and cars have a long history together. It is known to host many meets and today is no different.
Cars started gathering at this restaurant in the 1950's and 60's and hasn't slowed down since. What begun as a major chain across the US has dwindled to two XXX left. Luckily, the only west coast restaurant left is still around and is still a big fan of cars.
And what's great about hosting a meet so close to the Canadian border is incorporating all the international cars.
Some people bash on Honda's but many of them are done real well, like this ED3 Civic.
There were many more cars than there were cameras and we only showed a drip of what was at the meet. It was great to see familiar and different faces alike. The northwest has always been a car meet that welcomes you with open arms and this event is no different. Thank you for the root beers and your crazy traditions.
Until next time,
Kanpai,
-Ray
Photos by: Jacob Pina
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Two incredible feats happened Saturday February 21, 2015. Feat number one, David P. was the first to correctly identify the blurred car in the teaser picture posted on PantyHeist’s Facebook in the same hour that the picture went online.
Feat two, the affluence from all over America shipped their whip to Circuit of the Americas and raced balls out on Formula 1's newest track. This event, known as Bull Run, is a two-day charity to benefit Hotels for Hope and the Austin Firefighters Outreach Fund.
This event wasn’t only restricted to bulls either. There were spotting of prancing horses and a Godzilla. It is a great sight to see exotics being driven the way they were built.
While the race was going on, there was also a car show which featured some cars that were rarer than a slab of cow, like this Lamborghini LM002.
Check out the glass works on this Aventador.
And this was David's guess, the Gallardo.
Although the rich raced around Texas's prestigious track in their exotic cars, at the end of the day, the less fortunately truly benefited.
Hotels for Hope, an organization that aims to improve the lives of children worldwide, is the first charity Bull Run benefited. It's an organization that donates some of their proceeds from room bookings to less fortunate kids. Some of the programs they have already funded include the arts program, humanitarian aid, education, and health.
The Austin Firefighters Outreach Fund is a local charity that has a true no operational cost model. The proceeds will go towards Austin firefighters and other public safety employees and their families who have suffered a major injury or illness. Every single dollar earned will go straight to the ones in need.
Austin, Texas is a wonderful city with the friendliest car fans. It’s not ordinary to grab lunch with a total stranger you swapped your lens with and then start another conversation with another stranger sitting at the same table. But earlier, you struck a conversation with another stranger and apparently this stranger is friends with the stranger sitting at the same table. This may sound confusing but when you start talking to this many strangers and they talk to others too, there’s a small community of spectators that just developed. In any case, a stranger I called Scott, thank you for sharing your lens and good luck with your photography endeavors.
Cheers to that,
-Ray
Photos by: Raymond Chiu
Written by: Raymond Chiu
]]>Two years ago, Brett Williams was drifting a 240sx. Two laps into his first track outing, his car broke down. He swore he will never drift again. This is now 2015 and Brett is rocking a 350z with a bash bar, hydraulic ebrakes, and an exhaust coming out of the front of his hood.
Why did you choose the 350z?
Simply because the way the market was going for the 240's. Why buy something and spend that same amount of money on modification in order to build a drift car when you can buy one that's pretty much stock and performs better and more reliable than a sup'ed up 240. That's the basic reason why.
When he first saw it, Brett and his wife, Jessica, had some reserves. But after some contemplation, Brett texted an offer to the seller and was accepted.
The car was in rough condition. The driver side rear quarter panel was caved in. So naturally, the wide body kit was the first modification. Then the story took off.
Tell us about this car.
It's a 2003 350z. It should be a base model because the track edition has Brembo. I bought a turbo kit that was supposed to be ready to go bolt-on but of course I ended up replacing every part of it except for the Holset turbo. The turbo was mounted right next to the headlights so I needed to buy an aftermarket radiator, which then led to the front bash bar to house the radiator, front mount intercooler, and the oversized power steering cooler.
It was a track build, so naturally I didn't want to put in the extra effort into locating the turbo where it needed to be and then to build an exhaust system for it. So we put it where it was nice and clean and ran the exhaust straight out of the hood, which works out pretty well. It doesn't sound too bad and it doesn't get too much stuff into the car.
What are you future plans for this car?
This is my first drift car build. I had a long talk with SV Performance about my future in drifting. I was thinking I might actually switch up the platform to a G35 sedan and do more of a Chris Forsberg M car style. This will be a little bit less driven for competition and more for pure fun so I can stick four racing seats in that thing and a roll cage and give everybody joy every lap. I can give three people a ride-along instead of just one. So that's probably going to be my next move.
I grew up with muscle cars so naturally my father would be really excited if I put in an LS T56 combo into the G35 and I think I would also like this the best as well. I can be of similar horsepower but a little bit more reliable and a little more torque. There's something about a V8 that people hate but I like it.
Power:
417 whp, 383 ft-lbs of torque at the wheel
Holset single turbo
Custom hot pipes
Plenum spacer
GTR injectors
PMAS MAF
Osiris ECU tune
Custom radiator
XSPower FMIC with SV Performance intercooler piping
Turbosmart UltraGate at 7lbs of boost
Oil pan spacer
SV Performance catch can
SV Performance intake
Powersteering cooler
Aeromotive fuel pump
Stance:
Katana 18x9.5 - 7 wheels
25mm spacers
Raceland Coilovers
SPC front camber arms
SPC rear toe arms
SPC rear camber arms
SPC rear bucket delete arms
Eibach sway bars
CircuitSports inner tie rods
Stops:
Powered by MAX hydro brakes with reverse mount and SV hardlines
Wilwood proportioning valve
Body:
Front bash bar
VIS Do Luck replica wide body kit (fenders only)
Interior:
Sparco Evo 2 Plus seats with harnesses
Megan racing brackets
Greddy boost gauge
NRG steering wheel
I like to thank my wife and my family. Thank you to Jacob Pina. And to Oscar and Scott from SV performance for all the help given to me. Thanks to Chris and Lisa at PARC, Jenny at Jim Bacon's Tire Factory. No Technique guys Nick and Austin, Stephen from TeamPartyCat, the drifting community and fans.
Owner: Brett Williams
Photo by: Jacob Pina
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Teaser video
on our youtube channel
In the day, the area surrounding 2nd avenue is filled with forklifts and union workers loading and unloading freight into the rundown, yet OSHA-compliant warehouses.
But this is Sunday. And it’s 6 o’clock. The back-up beeps of trucks have long ceased and the air is filled with enthusiasm and exhausts.
This is Portland’s weekly Red Door Meet. And the streets are crammed with people checking out the artwork parked in front of warehouse docks, dumpsters, under bridges, and across many blocks.
It draws a huge crowd, and so it should. It’s not every day where a Toyota Soarer, R32 Skyline, a Gallardo, and a Baja Ranger shares the same meet.
The car is a huge draw but the lively atmosphere and the social aspect has taken up its own life.
And that’s what Red Door has become. It’s more than just cars. It’s a social gathering. People come here to check out other people’s passion and artwork and to chat and chill. There’s even a food truck. What’s more, there’s even a dyno.
There is a scene in the movie “Fast and Furious One” before Paul Walker drives his Eclipse so fast that his floor board fell, drivers all gather on a deserted street. People were chilling and checking out each other’s cars. This is the atmosphere of RDM.
The crew of PanthyHeist is all too familiar with the weekly event. But even when we frequent it so much, we’re still amazed by everything that is happening. This has become more than just a weekly car meet. This is a social gathering. This is where you come to hang out with your friends to chat with really cool strangers. This is where even unsuspecting passersby take notice and gawk around. And mostly, this is Portland’s nightlife.
Until next time,
Cheers.
Written by Raymond Chiu
Photos by Raymond Chiu and Jacob Pina
]]>In this article, we wander off the the drifting path to check out a different side of the automotive sphere.
NASA, the National Auto Sport Association comes to Portland for a two day run at PIR. This organization helps take everyday enthusiast to a new world, the world of racing.
In this world, drivers will encounter other drivers with varying skill level and cars ranging from a Civic to a Caterham 7.
Drivers move up to a more competitive division as they level up.
This organization is so dedicated to putting everyday enthusiasts onto the track that they even have their own pace car and emergency vehicle.
But enough with the organization, let’s check out what they brought to the track.
It’s great that an organization help enthusiasts take their passion to the track. As seen on the track many times over, they are welcoming to anyone who has speed running through their hearts.
Until next time,
Cheers.
Written by Raymond Chiu
Photos by Raymond Chiu and Jacob Pina
]]>Well, Brody has been drifting since 2008. He originally started at the grassroots level like most with a Nissan 240sx and an RB20DET engine. At his first competition, he qualified first out of 18 drivers. That is amazing because Brody’s first competition happened to be the first time he had ever drifted and the first time he has driven the car that was built for him. From then on, he was hooked.
The car you see now is Brody’s new chassis for 2014. Drifting has always been about style and Brody's new car is nothing short of it. Many hard to find pieces make this “Mona Lisa” stand out, such as the extremely rare Rocket Bunny Version 2 kit and the Road Runner style.
Wait a second? This intake looks like it's in the wrong place.
That’s because it is. The Nissan’s power plant is a big block Chevy LSX Engine. When I asked Brody "why V8?," I could tell he did his research. He simply answered, "why not, why re-invent the wheel." He was once told that you can either be a scientist or a driver and Brody chose a driver every time. The LSX motor has loads of response; it's nearly a 13:1 compression and 406 ci. To make this thing even more responsive, he added a lightweight McLeod twin disk clutch and Dog Box gearbox. This thing is a monster with 700 hp at the flywheel and only weighing 2500 lbs.
Brody would like to thank everyone who surrounds him and has always been very supportive.
Thank you very much to ...
Car builder and crew chief William Bowering of the Independent Speed Shop | Lucas Oil | Brown Bros. Ford | Morrisport Advanced Driving | ASD | Adidas | Nissanparts | Achilles Radial | Rayco Auto | GoPro | Bizzib Design | The Driveshaft Shop | SBC Graphics | AWS Graphics | Seibon Carbon
So what are Brody’s plans for the future? He certainly has his eyes set on running Formula Drift when all the stars align. Currently, it is difficult to get away from work for a week+ at a time which would be necessary to properly run an event in FD. Brody says, once he gets "life" dialed in, It will happen and hopefully when it does, it'll make a big splash.
Photos by Yev Vasilyuk
and Yerem Saribekian
Written by Yev Vasilyuk
Edited by Raymond Chiu
]]>There’s something to say about competition; it brings out the best in us. Drivers from all over the Northwest pits their skills amongst each other from California to Canada and over to Utah at PARC Fest, the two day annual event in Canby, Oregon.
This leaves us with no shortages of amazing shots.
Aside from the classic drift cars, many drivers opted for something more distinctive.
The creativity are endless, like this turbo Jaguar XJ6.
And some people even drift cars that I would personally baby.
Like this Cefiro. I have no idea how this person acquired it but mad props to him for actually throwing it
around out there.
And did I mention it was a smoke filled weekend?
It was incredible seeing creativity and talent come together. I can’t wait to see what the drivers have in stored for us next year.
Till then,
Cheers.
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Photos by: Raymond Chiu
]]>Name: Forrest Wang
Hometown: North Shore of Oahu, Hi
Hobbies: Drifting, my performance shop the Get Nuts Lab, spending time with my loved ones, being outdoors as much as possible
Car: I have a few cars so here’s a list of the main cars/trucks. The street car 240sx s14, the formula d 240sx s14, the 1jz s 13, the gs300, a GMC Top Kick, and a Chevy 3500
How did you get into drifting? My friend had a MKII Supra we would go dirt drifting and do crazy stuff in. I had older friends so before I got my license I was already starting to drive. I ended up with a 240sx kind of by accident for my first car and the passion grew from there.
Why did you choose to go with this car for your build? I had a pro am car that was not FD legal. The s14 chassis that I use for Formula D, had been sitting around the shop for a year or two and was already caged making it a good candidate.
What was the hardest part of the build? I would say having enough time to get everything done, we built it from the ground up at the Get Nuts Lab.
What are three words that could describe your cars and why? Clean, stylish, reliable. I say clean, because most of my fans always call my cars “clean” I guess the way that I modify them. Stylish, because I get a lot of compliments on the way I drive and how the cars look “stylish” Reliable because I like to do it right the first time and not have problems later. I have very seldom had any major fails when it comes to this.
Friends/ Sponsors/ Family you would like to thank? I would like to thank my crew at the Get Nuts Lab. Garret Nikolich has been my partner for years now, he is also the crew chief. Arianna Courte is my girlfriend/manager/marketing and sales/umbrella model. She pretty much takes care of everything in the office and admin duties. Mikey Stark is my crew member who does a little bit of everything from tires/wheels to maintenance. Rainier Ramolete is my spotter for this year also known as the “style king” for his black s13.
I have some great sponsors I would like to thank; STR Racing, Hankook, Insane Speed, Diamond Lighting, Stance, Turbo By Garrett , Illest, Fatlace, Wisefab, Rhino Products USA, Jdm Sport, Brain Crower and Chesebays.
I would like to thank my mom for supporting me with everything I have wanted to do.
What can we expect to see in the future from Forrest Wang? Well I won’t let the cat out of the bag yet, but there will be a new build for next year Formula D. 2JZ of course. You’ll just have to wait and see what happens!
The northwest is known for the wet and gloomy weather but when the sun does come out, the cars do too. Portland has two major weekly gathering, Cars and Coffee in Lake Oswego and the Red Door Meet east of the river.
Roof rack sported a shopping cart with a sign thanking the customer for returning it, cambers impossibly negative, and so much sticker bomb that it looks like an adhesive war zone.
This is a world of LS1 swapped RX-7’s, rear bumper diffusers, and fender mirrors.
Not to mention bold displays of intercoolers.
Out of all the cars there, I think this one stole the show.
The details of this car is just incredible.
This car also made it to my list of personal favorites.
A new venue held in the northwest by Importmeet.com and our friends at Evergreen Drift bringing both the stance crowd and the drifters to one place for an awesome day of car activities.
The day started with the Pro-am guys running the 5/8ths bank.
The battles continued as the stanced guys/ girls filled the track side parking.
As the day approached an end we got closer to team tandem battles and top 4 of pro-am round 2.
The track was packed with talented drivers creating a smoke storm
and some of the cleanest rides of the Northwest entered the show in hopes of taking home a trophy.
with a ton of people, drifting and a parking lot full of awesome cars
it was one of the sweetest events of the year so far and we hope its here to stay!
Photos By: Yerem Saribekian
Written By: Yerem Saribekian
Cheers
-Raymond
]]>In 2005/2006, "Vegas Drift" started hosting drift events at different tracks from the Southwestern region of the states. In 2009, Vegas drift hosted their first ProAm event at Formula Drift Las Vegas.
But in January 2014, there were 49 registered ProAm drivers and a ton of grass root guys that showed up for VegasDrift ProAm Round One.
Labeling some of these cars and drivers under the “Amateur category” wouldn't make sense.
From season veterans to first time drivers, the talent on track was tremendous.
Vegas Drift had one judged ProAm course and two grass root courses going hot at the same time.
Event judges consisted of local Formula D license holders like Forest Wang and Danny George.
Being surrounded by palm trees and the sound of roaring engines was enough to keep any car enthusiast entertained for hours.
Till next time Vegas.
P.S. we want to give a big shout out to Cameron Moore of C.Moore Racing for running the PantyHeist name on his 750 whp sc300
Photos by: Yerem Saribekian
Written by: Yerem Saribekian
It’s a new year and a new season of Pats Acres Racing Complex drift events. If you’re a drift nut like most of the PantyHeist staff and live in the Northwest, PARC events are a must see.
A lot of the time, you find the most bad ass cars just parked. This S14 was extremely clean and had panty dropper written all over it.
(Leave a comment on the bottom of the page if you think this car should be featured on this site.)
Like always, many drifters that you find at Pats Acres aren’t really from the Portland Area. Being an unfamiliar car and having a Evergreen Drift sticker on it, my bet is that this guy traveled from Northern Washington.
Who needs a front end on a drift car anyways? At PantyHeist, we like it “Raw.”
There were actually three different Mustangs on the track. This one is owned by a Seattle area drifter, Michael Burns, and is equipped with a turbocharged Cobra engine.
It wasn’t the first time Wing Huang was at Pats Acres. At other PARC events, his red E30 has left many skid marks on the track before. Wing too, is a Seattle-based drifter and rolled down to the event with Michael Burns and a couple of friends.
I love this car! The Fastback Mustang is one of the most desired American cars around; converting it into a Drift Cop just makes it that much better.
It’s amazing how an experience driver such as Austin Slagen and an underpowered car (KA24E) can keep up in tandems with cars running boost.
This is how the drifters signal the event staff that they want to “tandem.”
One of our friends “Tyler Pearce” was tearing the track up.
After catching his car on fire (you can still see the damage from the fire on his quarter panel) at a previous PIR’s Nasa drift event, it was good to see a good friend of mine, Theo Brosnan back on the track. Overall, I had a good time at Parc.
This particular s13 had what sounded like a massive V8.
Unfortunately, media track access was full but that didn’t stop the fun.
Photos by: Yev Vasilyuk of “Yev’s Photography”
Written by: Yev Vasilyuk
Edited by: Yerem Saribekian
If you've ever googled "stance" or "liked" a photo of a lowered car on any of your social media news feeds, then chances are you've heard of "Tandem of Die."
Over time, evolving into some of the most iconic pair of cars coming out of the states are Justin Shreeve's and Joe Ayala's S13's of Tandem of Die.
Here's some insight on their thoughts upon creating a couple of cars with much character.
Name: Justin Shreeve
Nickname: Shreeve, Shreeveco
Hometown: Medford, OR
Hobbies: Skateboarding, Drifting, Driving simulators
Name: Joe Ayala
Nickname: The Brown One
Hometown: Medford, OR
Hobbies: Drifting, Basektball, Rock Climbing, Videogames
How did Tandem of Die start and what does it stand for?
Justin: Is the secret out about this yet, Joe? Should we say?
Joe: I supposed we could say. It started with a typo when I messaged Shreeve about 3 years ago. I meant to write Tandem or Die and misspelled it. The joke kind of just stuck.
What were your cars built for?
Justin: I built my car as an affordable way to have fun on and off the track. It started with autocross and quickly evolved to drifting with the start of the Drift Evolution series in Medford, Oregon in the Summer of 2008.
Joe: At first I really wanted a super clean car that always looked good and that drove super well. After going through so many changes and hitting lots of stuff, I kind of forgot about the "look good" part. It may again. At least my car drives well.
What was it that got you got into this?
Justin: I started drifting because during autocross, my favorite moments were those when I would use too much throttle on corner exits. As soon as I found out it was a thing, I had to be a part of it. Little known fact - before I bought my (then bone stock) Nissan in 2007, during a solo test drive, I kicked the clutch in a nearby parking lot. It was my first experience with a small, RWD platform and I immediately fell in love. I went straight to the bank to get a whopping $1700 loan.
Joe: Back in 06, I had some friends who got into drifting, and that’s back when I was driving an RSX, after seeing how much fun they were having I decided to sell my car and get a RWD platform.
What was the hardest part of the builds?
Justin: The hardest of part of my build was the 1JZ swap. Up until then, I'd done all the work on the car, but when it came to cross breeding, wiring, and tuning, I handed it over to the experts at Portland Speed Industries. It was hard waiting for parts and traveling too much to have a heavy hand in the swap. I put a lot of trust in those guys and they came through. I can't thank them enough.
Joe: Maybe cutting the rear fenders to fit the overfenders. It’s just really hard to do that to a car when it looks good how it is.
Why did you choose to go with this platform for the builds?
Justin I originally wanted an S13, because my very good friend, Josh Pean, convinced me that they were cool and to find one in good condition was nearly impossible. When I saw that for sale sign, I went in for the kill. I was doing it for the thrill. I'm hoping you'll understand.
Joe: Well, before my S13, I tried to build an FC. It was the most difficult car I've ever owned. I heard great things about 240's and how easy they were to work on so after about a year of working on it and never driving it, I decided to sell it and get my hatch.
What are three words that could describe your cars and why?
Justin: Low, loud, and fun. There are many key elements to a rad car, but the most important to me are low and fun. Mine just happens to be loud as a result of making it more fun.
Joe: Thirsty Ratchet Hoe.
Who would you like to thank / mention in our article?
Justin: I am obviously very grateful to anyone who has chosen to sponsor the build, like Xcessive Manufacturing, Factory83, Portland Speed Industries, Bigger Hammer, NOS Energy, Mark Panic, Enjuku Racing, etc, but what it really comes down to is the hands-on help of family and friends. The feature in Import Tuner accidentally left out the immense thank you to my parents, siblings and close friends who come out to every event and bring food, help change tires, and even help swap a tie rod or seven. As cheesy as it sounds though, my biggest thanks goes to my girlfriend of six years, Katelyn Monaco. She puts up with all the spending and worst of all, the frustration and disappointment associated with doing things to cars that shouldn't be done. She's the best.
Joe: I'm very grateful to all of my sponsors through the years; Nitto Tire, Factory83, Abercrombie MotorSports, Bigger Hammer Auto Body & Paint, Enjuku Racing, Era1, Attack Works, and Portland Speed Industries. All my friends and family who've helped my throughout the years and to my wife, Brooke Ayala who's tolerated my love for drifting/car stuff
We at PantyHeist would like to personally thank Justin & Joe for helping us bring our viewers some insight on their cars and backgrounds.
Photos By: Yerem Saribekian
Written By: Yerem Saribekian
Throughout the shoot, JJ told us that he had bought the FRS as a reliable car but had ideas on building another car for track purposes.
As some time went by, he looked into different modifications that could be done to the FRS and ran into the world famous Rocket Bunny kit.
This is when JJ decided that he wanted his daily to stand out from the crowd.
Eventually his mind evolved into slowly building it for time attack but also keeping it reliable for the time being.
JJ plans on participating in more “show” related events until he is set on the rest of the build with motor and more suspension upgrades.
.
And the DJ converted the top floor from a car gathering to a night club.
It is a rare occasion that a fully restored first generation Mini goes to the same event as a cambered RSX but Stance Wars has done just that. They have broken down borders and brought the car community a little bit closer together.
Until next time,
Cheers.
-Raymond
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Photo by: Raymond Chiu
This is Raymond, figuratively signing out.
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Photo by:
Raymond Chiu
Yerem Saribekian
Days before the big race, the drivers of Rally America competing at Oregon Trail Rally came to visit weekday shoppers at Pioneer Square.
Indeed, there were a lot of shoppers.
And what better way to draw a crowd is to have Ken Block sign autographs on the roof of his Ford Fiesta.
Although Block formed the longest line and his Fiesta has enough characteristics to write a trilogy, there were many other cars that are attention thieves.
Like this Evo with an absurd amount of traits.
The wheel well protrudes out aggressively without any regards to the styling.
The roof scoop also makes a bold statement lurking out above the stereotypical flushed placement.
A rally event isn’t official without the signature excessive headlights.
And there were many.
Classics also participated like this Saab 96.
This has been an amazing experience by being surrounded with thick treaded tires, exaggerated handbrakes, and friendly people. Their shopping may have been extended, but it is a delay worth experiencing.
This is Raymond, figuratively signing out. Until next time, cheers.
-Raymond
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Photos by: Raymond Chiu
]]>Date: June 8th, 2013
As drifting grows on the west coast; myself and the other PantyHeist photographers are constantly keeping our ears open and eyes peeled for different events we can participate at.
When learned about Medford's "Bash to the Future" event being held by long time photographers Justin Shreeve and Joe Ayala from Tandem of Die we knew we had to show up to shoot this event.
Upon arriving to the track; some of the top dogs had already pulled their cars out of the trailers .
Hey look, our sticker on Dio's car.
There was a wide range of drivers attending from southern California to Arizona all the way up the boarder of Canada
The day was hot and the track got hotter but putting the camera down was not an option.
There was too much Epic Bashing going on with runs from some of the most talented that reside along the West Coast.
Just a couple of Hoonigan's going at it.
Want to give a personal shout out to Kyle Strker and the other drivers for the awesome ride alongs.
Even got a chance to peep at this s13 chassis. Which was a few cuts away from being a truck. Different; but awesome!
Written by: Yerem Saribekian
Photos by: Yerem Saribekian
Early Sunday morning, two types of car enthusiasts converge to the Evergreen Speedway venue - Nissan enthusiasts and the motoring home exposition visitors. Although it was a tough decision, I have chosen to turn left towards the Nissan Fest.
The Nissan community is very inclusive so a "Nissan World" will most likely include other manufacturers.
Although the bipolar weather has made me change camera settings excessively,
Yes, I know that I am presenting to you with lots of Skylines but their beauty just cannot be denied.Moreover, a four door version is a rare sighting in the US.
I don't know why but this is one of my all-time favorite shots - a pair of Z's.
I have most certainly made the proper decision to visit Nissan Fest.
Just like all of the car communities that I have visited thus far, everybody was really chill and enthusiastic to talk about their work.
The majority of these owners are young adults that made fiduciary sacrifices to uphold their passion. With all these hard work that goes into each machine, it's nice to have an event that everyone can take some time to stop and gander at all things automotive. So in terms of cars, it's polite to stare. But don't take it outside of the automotive scope though; I can't be responsible for a hand mark across one of my reader's face.
This is Raymond figuratively signing out.
Written by: Raymond Chiu
Photos by: Raymond Chiu
Date: April 20, 2013
The season kicks off for Formula Drift ProAm's series at Evergreen Speedway with rain, smoke, and the best drivers of the Northwest. These series are designed for amateurs to transition to professionals and eventually move into Formula Drift's Pro Championship. Thus, I present to you the first look at professional drivers in the making.
As things picked up the weather decided to give us some dry time.
(Cameron Moore)
The track was full of some new comers
(Scott Pham)
and season veterans.
(Ian Fournier)
(Jim Xiong)
(Matthew Dale Coffman)
(Kyle Pollard)
(Erich Hagen)
The grassroot drivers were getting silly on the 3/8ths bank.
(Rob Primo)
(Kory Keezer & Cameron Moore)
(Scott Pham)
More grassroots.
(Ket Voang)
(Matt Vankirk & Kory Keezer)
(Gleb Antonov)
(Ket Voang & Kyle Pollard)
Although Formula Drift calls this class amateurs, they have more than demonstrated the skills and techniques to give the seasoned professionals a run for their money.
Written by: Yerem Saribekian
Edited by: Raymond Chiu
Photos by: Yerem Saribekian
James has developed himself to become a local celebrity in the Northwest with his long smoke trails and the ability to tackle any corner with shenanigan ways. The S14.5 is an iconic image to all northwest drifters has left many marks including the Pats Acre go-kart track. So without further ado, we proudly present to you with James Wiklund and his RB25 machine.
Name: James Wiklund
Nickname: JamzVik
Hometown: Lodi, CA
Age: 26
I had the car built with the short
term mindset of keeping it on the street as well as to make it to local events to broaden my experience
but also the long term goal of building it for ProAm.
Anything else?
I would love to thank:
LevelRide Concepts
SVPerformance
Portland Speed Industries
Stance USA
Mishimoto
Kyle Pollard Racing
M&B Cylinder Heads
Baxter Auto Parts
Shop Seven S7
Strictly Clothing
Keep It Clean
And all my amazing friends for helping me out and getting me to where I am.
We had a chance to catch up with a long time friend Tyler from DOC Race and snapped a few pictures before the finishing touches were put on his s13. The full feature will be out soon but here's a bit of a tease.
Written by: Yerem Saribekian
Edited by: Raymond Chiu
Photos by:
Yerem Saribekian
Alex Serna