ISOxSWD Japan Disaster Relief 7/9/11

A car show or drifting meet of any sort is a good excuse to pack a camera and hit the road. Drifting, a car show, and proceeds benefiting disaster relief for Japan?  Even better.  I found myself in Charlotte (again) last weekend for another drifting competition/car show - the season opener for ISO (Insane Stance & Offset) in collaboration with SWD (Street Wise Drift) at the ZMax Dragway adjacent to the Charlotte Motor Speedway.  As you'd expect from a show/competition with those two names attached to it, the show was amazing - and the drifting was as well.

This might be the first modified 1-series I've seen in person - proof that the odd-looking 1 Coupe can become a mean looking car with the right suspension and wheels.  The big front-mount intercooler doesn't hurt, either.

Your usual ISO fare...  dumped E34 5-series, Lexus LS400, Jetta GLI, all dressed and cleaned to the last detail.

This CB7 (1990-1993) Accord actually has extensive sharpie artwork going almost all the way around the body.  Very unique.

An absolutely gorgeous Full-Race header on a big-turbo Mitsubishi Evo.  So much for cobbled-together exhaust manifolds!  Some companies are turning an exhaust gas carrier into an art form these days.

The view from inside the bleachers wasn't too bad either.  But the sound of engines bouncing off their rev limiters called me over to the track eventually.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeZpKIwX4Qc

The sheer number of import cars rocking Chevy LS1 power in the drift scene is proof that real car guys don't give a crap about whether it's import or domestic, they will pretty much use what they want.  No one's ashamed of it either; check out the badge on the back of that car in the video (which also uses a Sikky Manufacturing swap kit)

"570SX" - rather than 240SX- denoting it's current displacement.  This car was absolutely doing the business, and sounding amazing at it.

An LS1 in a tiny Nissan will certainly transform tires into carcinogens with ease.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Oi9wKamkM

240's are the dominant chassis in drifting, but not everyone likes to use the same recipe.  This is an A60-chassis Celica Coupe (built from 1981-1985), which was the last generation of Celica that sent power to the rear wheels.  Of course, with a 22R-EC truck motor under the hood, there's hardly enough power to drift one.  Obviously, this one no longer has a 22R-EC.

The view from under the hood is certainly interesting.

Bam!  Lexus 1UZ-FE.  That's the 4.0L V8 from an early LS400/SC400, which originally made 250 horsepower.  Quite a bump from the 22R-EC, which made somewhere around 100 from it's 2.4L.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a39IsUjVDVI

You don't need a great honking V8 to get sideways, though.  This black RX-7 is still making do with it's 13b rotary engine, aided by the addition of a massive single turbocharger.

This same car was also at XDC Remix last weekend, and it was impressive there too.  It really seems like he has to use surgical precision to keep the car sideways - a big-turbo Rotary's powerband is less like a rheostat and more like a power switch, you're either bogging or going backwards.  His level of control is very impressive, as is the ungodly racket this engine makes at high RPM.

This, on the other hand - this car has no trouble staying totally sideways at any RPM.  I shot video of this insane G35 Coupe at XDC as well, but never got to see under the hood.  Turns out that blower is attached to a V8 - but not any V8, a Nissan 32v Titan V8 - the 5.6L variant of the smaller Infiniti VK45 V8.  The huge Stillen supercharger gives this car so much torque,  it seemed like the driver was steering more with the throttle than the front wheels.

Here it is exercising on the track - I imagine this team's tire bills are just enormous.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itDVlbXMZF8

Not all the 240SX's and 350Z's had V8 swaps, though.  This red S13 hatch was happily banging off the rev-limiter of the swapped SR20DET motor, and sounded and looked great doing it.

Even that little 2.0L will properly fumigate the concrete barriers as it flies past.  It's all about the driver.

Another V8-swapped oddity, this time a Toyota Tacoma.  Not only does it have a 4.0L 1UZ-FE under the hood, it also has a rear-mounted turbocharger for additional oomph.  It definetely looked like a handful- I wonder if this is still running a live rear axle, or if it's using a Supra IRS?  Apparently it was running a Mitsubishi 4G63(!) engine last year.  Love the Dukes of Hazzard paint job, too.

After getting a coughing fit from the rubber dust in my lungs, I decided to take another tour through the pits.  Always worth it.  How often do you see a good-condition Starion these days?

There's always work to be done in between sessions.

My what a big intercooler you have!

Maybe not the most comfortable shift and handbrake knob, but perhaps good for psyching out your opponents?

Another of my favorite cars on the track, this is a relatively rare Infiniti M30 Coupe.  There's always a black sheep to every brand, and the M30 is probably Infiniti's.  Based on the Japanese Nissan Leopard, the Infiniti M30 came only one way - loaded, with a 3.0L VG30E and an automatic.  A curb weight of 3,300lbs and a power output of 162bhp did not make it the stuff of legends - it has the same motor as non-turbo 1984-89 300ZX's in a heavier body.  This one was different, though.

Under the hood is a modified 300ZX Turbo motor (VG30ET), which has an aftermarket single turbocharger setup, as well as V-mount radiator and intercooler.  Unusual, but effective.

The car seemed to have some tuning problems (it was either running really rich, or burning a lot of oil) but it still managed to put on a show on the track, sounding evil while it was at it.

Tandem drifting is always exciting to watch.  I didn't see anyone run into anyone else, but there were a few that got awfully close.  This E36 3-series sedan was boosted, and making all the right noises.  Right up on that cone!

Back in the car show, more people had rolled in.  It's nice to see STI and EVO guys getting along!

Let's pause to appreciate the beauty of this Supra Turbo.  Yes, I'm sure you're tired of seeing Supras.  I'm not!

This meet was an opportunity for a lot of groups to meet, with members there from Carolina Hondas, Imports NC, ISO, SWD, Formula D, Club Lexus, Honda-Tech, G35 Driver, Fourtitude, VWVortex, Stance Nation, My350Z, and many others.  Here's Pete Estremera Jr, owner of Carolina Hondas and ImportsNC, getting people to sign cardboard - sort of like a visitors list.

ISOxSWD was a great combination - car show, drift competition, fund raising for a good cause.  I'll leave you with a parting shot before I close this article out.  The sound of a V8 in a 240SX, bouncing off the rev limiter coming into the last corner, tends to stick in your brain for a bit.  I can still hear this one echoing off the walls of the track.  Till next time!