Tag: royalorigin

  • Tokyo Auto Salon 2017 | Event Coverage

    Tokyo Auto Salon 2017 | Event Coverage

    Tokyo Auto Salon 2016 was so awesome, Abbitt and I decided that we would come back again. After months of looking at tickets, the price finally dropped down to $465 round trip. We decided at the moment, 5 months before TAS that we were going.  That gave us time to convince a crew of nine people to go to Japan with us. Why did we commit so early for Tokyo Auto Salon? Because it is one of the best car shows in the entire world. When you go to SEMA, you probably go through a see of vendors to find a car that you will like. At TAS, 75% of the cars are cars that you will make your pants wet. That’s why Japan is an island, they build such cool cars that guys get so wet that they surround themselves with water. If they stopped building cool cars, they would be reconnected with China and Korea again. So make sure you bring extra pants to TAS!

    Check out the backpacks, they had extra pants ready.

    Entering TAS can be overwhelming, it’s just like using the train here during rush hour. Your butt is going to be touched.

    Sick S15 from UP Garage. I’m sad I didn’t go visit one on this trip.

    Someone forgot to tell Wanli that the Step Up trend died in 2010 when Channing Tantum decided not to do Step Up 3. Also check out that FRS, it looks like such minimal effort for a TAS car. This is the wanli booth I have criticism for at TAS. Say that fast.

    Caught this guy in the left corner salivating over this Lexus IS.

    Glad I was able to check out the T-Demand GS in person. So flawless.

    Crazy how most of the crowd was here for the models instead of the cars.

    How Ariel from the Littler Mermaid would’ve modified a car.

    Never thought of Nankang as a performance tire, I’ve always thought of Nankangs as cheap and easy to stretch. They need to sponsor the stance scene in America.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if the cars of the future looked like this van. Those headlights are so ridiculous.

    Glad to see BN Sports back on the map at TAS. In my opinion, they make the most stylish kits for drift cars. This FD is what I needed to see at TAS for my SC, such a big inspiration to work on my SC. This is what I miss about the car scene in the states. I haven’t seen a car that inspired me in a very long time. It’s been a influx of the Pandem kits and AIRLIFT combo on a majority of cars at meets and shows in the states.

    How to get the attention of 100 Japanese men, put a girl on a stripper pole. Ya’ll know you guys have Soap Land and Pink Salon right?

    Wish we went on a Friday because this was what my view consisted of 90% of the fucking time.

    Fuck The Police in a good way.

    You know when looking at this car it looks pretty basic, but Spectra Grafix picked a really good car to show off the quality of their products. Look at he curves, the basic bumper with no fog lights and wheels with no design, so you can just focus on the paint quality only.

    Big boss Nakkan putting on a HOODRATstuff sticker on the Old & New Porsche. Thanks Nakkan! It’s a big honor that you put our sticker on.

    Is it a chrome wrap? Nah son, it’s paint.

    Man this Crown from Aless would be perfect if it didn’t have the chicken wire bottom grill. Chickens aren’t suppose to be in coops, they’re meant to be free.

    Next level show queen trailer.

    More chicken grille. #chickenlivesmatter

    This widebody Miata NC tho. Man that rear does it for me, I wish the front fender went down more towards the bottom of the door.

    Spotted Sara being a star girl at the Old & New x Spetra paint booth.

    Aimgain bringing the heat with a whole range of cars kitted with AIMGAIN. This is the new Stance Nation x AIMGAIN collab FRS kit.

    My God this FD is absolutely amazing. It’s called the Humbul and fuck it made me humble about my car real quick.

    The new Pandem R32. It looks pretty cool, I’m waiting for the 10 other people who pre-ordered the kit and to see it in 10 different colors at the same meet to decide if I’m in love or not.

    God damn is all I have to say about the AIMGAIN NSX.

    Liberty Walk Lexus LS? Wow.

    Visited Ty from Hectopascal at the GMG booth and met Diana who ends up taking my phone to text random shit to Sara.

    It ended up being Sara and Diana’s lunch time, so we met up with Sara at the food court for some fast ramen and soft serve.

    We escorted Sara back at her booth and I thought it would be a good time to shoot her.

    A hoard of Japanese men ended up falling from the sky and got in the way of my shots.

    I didn’t really like how the wide angle made Sara look, so I decided to see what my portrait 55mm lens that I got from Russia could do. I love how these came out.

    Varis GTR on Advans. This is the kit I would get if I owned a GTR.

    Man FDs were catching my attention very easily at TAS. I think it’s a sign for me to go buy one.

    I can’t believe Vertex brought out their SC to TAS. This SC is fucking goals.

    *heavy breathing*

    Got to be on Joey‘s live stream and show everyone how awkward I am in front of the camera. 

    I hope the rivets on this kit are strong enough to hold her weight.

    This girl was trying to give away lanyards, but everyone was zooming so close to her tits that they couldn’t see what was in her hands.

    Awesome to still see an Aristo at TAS.

    Wish I owned this car when I was playing Pokemon GO. 

    TAS even had a concert hall where the pineapple pen guy performed.

    Recaro seats are so comfortable, they made this room into a movie theater with Recaro seats only.

    Abbitt checking his phone to see if Mace and Maui are working or not.

    Another year of amazement at Tokyo Auto Salon! I hope you enjoyed the photos and I recommend everyone to go sometime in your life. My tickets were only $465 round trip when I checked early in August. It will be a memorable experience for any car enthusiast. Check back to see all the tourists stuff that we did.

    -NGUASS

     

  • Greddy Garage Sale | Event Coverage

    Greddy Garage Sale | Event Coverage

    Garage sales are always fun to check out because you never know what kind of treasures you’re going to find for cheap. Greddy had a garage sale for the ages with turbos to Rocket Bunny body kits for sale on the low. This was every car tuners dream especially if you owned a FRS because Greddy had a truck full of spare FRS parts because of their two race cars. We were invited to check out a preview of what they were going to have for sale and put some things on hold if we wanted.

    While exploring all the cool car parts and accessories at the sale, it got us thinking—what’s the point of scoring all these treasures if your garage isn’t up to par? A solid, reliable garage door is a must-have for car enthusiasts, ensuring your prized possessions stay safe and sound.

    Speaking of garage doors, one issue that often sneaks up on homeowners is when the door starts opening on its own. It might seem like a small nuisance at first, but it could indicate bigger problems, like interference, faulty wiring, or worn-out components.

    If you’ve ever noticed this happening, it’s worth digging deeper. For more info here, check out this blog post that dives into the reasons behind a garage door behaving erratically and how to address it. After all, just like your car needs a fine-tuned engine to perform at its best, your garage door deserves the same level of care to ensure it operates smoothly and keeps everything inside secure.

    If your garage door has started acting up, especially if it’s opening on its own, the issue might be with the opener. The opener is the heart of the garage door system, and when it starts to malfunction, you’ll notice more than just a few odd openings. Worn-out parts, outdated technology, or simple interference can lead to misbehaving doors, and that’s where professional help comes in. Garage Door Repair Tempe offers specialized opener repair services that can quickly diagnose the problem, replace any faulty components, and get your door back to functioning like new.

    Ignoring issues with your opener can lead to further damage, potentially costing more in the long run. Whether the problem is a sensor issue, electrical interference, or a malfunctioning motor, it’s essential to address it as soon as possible. A reliable garage door opener isn’t just about convenience—it’s about ensuring the safety of your property and the protection of your vehicle. With the right repair service, your garage door will run smoothly, and you won’t have to worry about unexpected openings or other disruptions.

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    Jason excited for more turbo parts.

    Turbos to Rocket Bunny kits for an insane low price.

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    In the parking lot was this off road Prius. Crazyyy.

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    I wish this was my garage..

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    The Scion Racing FRS.

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    Greddy had this R32 at their booth this past SEMA. I’m digging all the details of this car.

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    Kevin trying to convince Jason to buy more stuff for the GTR.

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    Sad that this car is going to be crushed soon..

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    What we came to pick up was Jason’s Rocket Bunny kit for his S13.

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    After emptying our pockets, we went to Urban Seoul for lunch.

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    The next morning I went to the garage sale to pick up what I had on hold and the street was filled with car enthusiasts.

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    FRS with the new Rocket Bunny V3 kit.

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    Parked next to Mikey’s 370Z.

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    Enthusiasts going through the pile of parts hoping for something that fits their cars.

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    The only car on display that wasn’t a Greddy employee. Noel has that kind of power.

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    Kevin’s Pandem E36.

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    Sung Kang’s Fugu Z.

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    Shout out to Greddy for giving us first dibs on things. Can’t wait to show you what we have in stored..

  • Greddy Pandem E36 | Wekfest Prep

    Greddy Pandem E36 | Wekfest Prep

    Kevin recently collaborated with his parent company Greddy on his latest project BMW E36. The last build was the red Honda S2000 that we posted here often. The E36 will demonstrate the latest Greddy Performance products that are offered in the automotive market with the finalization of the build at SEMA 2016 in November.

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    DSC06015You can always spot these Rocket Bunny Lexus pair at the Greddy Headquarters in Irvine, California.

    DSC06023Formula Drift driver Ken Gushi’s Scion Racing Greddy Racing FRS.

    DSC06006New Toyota Racing livery, which was first demonstrated at NASCAR in Sonoma, Washington.

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    DSC06026The heart of Ken Gushi’s FRS is this Greddy powered 2JZ-GTE.

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    DSC05984The raw Rocket Bunny Pandem BMW E36 parts ready to be fitted on Kevin’s car.

    DSC05988Enkei 6666 wheels. The standard for Rocket Bunny Pandem built E36s.

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    DSC05997Kevin fine tuning the fitment of the kit to the car before cutting and paint.

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    DSC06062Spotted a beautiful R32. Pretty common place now in SoCal.

    DSC07692Another day at Greddy HQ, and this time spotted one of two LC500, which is coming from concept to reality.

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    DSC07689Looks good from the front, but the rear is quite questionable. Its here at Greddy HQ for some research and development since Greddy has a good relationship with Lexus.

    DSC07695Limited edition Takata x Rocket Bunny street reclinable seats  going into Kevin’s E36 build.

    DSC07701Livery and stickers provided by AWstickers.

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    DSC07722The awesome Greddy color way.

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    DSC07726The Sung Kang x Greddy Racing collaborated 1973 Nissan 240z also makes it home inside the Greddy HQ.

    DSC07732The results of building this in about a month or so, which is pretty incredible. Ready for its first show case at Wekfest San Jose.

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    DSC07743Truly love how the Rocket Bunny Pandem kit extenuates all the lines that were already standard to the E36 platform.

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    DSC07748Looks good at all angles.

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    DSC07768Vertex Racing steering wheel looks at home in there.

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    Good job to Kevin for working on this build in such a short amount of time. Many late nights went into this, and there are many more nights to come, especially with the next phase of the build being a 2JZ-GTE build. Also, congratulations for getting 2nd place best BMW at Wekfest San Jose 2016.

  • Throwback to Vinh’s S13 | Royal Origin Member

    Throwback to Vinh’s S13 | Royal Origin Member

     Thought I make a post of Vinh’s S13 from when I shot it for Stance Nation. These are some of the photos that didn’t make it into the article. Check it out! 194

    Wet.

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    I miss seeing this car.

    Vinh tore this car down to the very shell and made this beautiful creation.

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    Henry lives up to his name.

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    It was awesome seeing this car scrape the roads of Orange County.

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    Work Equip perfection.

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    The sun set too soon for this car..

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    Still missing you everyday. Check out this video I made of some old clips of Vinh’s S13.

    -NGUMINH

  • Zion | RO Offroad

    Zion | RO Offroad

    It hasn’t been long since some of us have fallen in love with off-roading, which really compliments our love of all things car, and exploring the world we live in. So, we decided to plan a Friday to Sunday camping and off-roading trip to Zion National Park in Utah.  With Zion National Park only 2-3 hours away from Las Vegas, Nevada, and 6-7 hours away from Southern California; it was far enough to change the scenery dramatically. The first day was just filled with getting there, and setting up camp so we could off-road till the sunsets.

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    The primary off-roading vehicle; Chivas with his Toyota 4Runner overland build.

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    The secondary off-roading vehicle; Derek with his Jeep Wrangler Sport.

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    There was a light rain fall earlier, but cleared up perfectly in time for first day.

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    It felt like the cartoon movie “Cars” out here. The beautiful iron-filled surroundings gave the awesome rich red color to this area.

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    Just taking a dip.

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    Chivas leading the way on the off-roading trails.

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    It was the most fun I have had in the longest time being in this car and ripping through the creeks and streams.

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    Derek, Angelo, and Nimo were about to do some shenanigans.

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    Ripping through the stream with Angelo as a hood ornament.

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    These cows eventually blocked our path at one point. Until Angelo told them to “mooooooo-ve.”

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    You can just imagine a bunch of dinosaurs running across this area like Jurassic Park.

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    This ain’t a study area no more.

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    YOTA BOYZ.

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    So photogenic out here.

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    Here is a video of Chivas ripping through this area and hitting the rev-limiter:

    That was pretty much day one of exploring and enjoying Zion National Park. Check to see what we did on our second day there.

    Shavi Wijegunaratne
    Instagram: shaviw
    shavi@royal-origin.com

  • Nemo’s Garage | Grand Opening

    Nemo’s Garage | Grand Opening

    It’s that time of the year in Southern California, where the blistering heat and car meets align. This weekend took us to the Nemo’s Garage grand opening in Ontario, California. And as you will see they are new, but veterans of experience and knowledge in the automotive realm; big with the Honda platforms.

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    Thanks.

     Shavi Wijegunaratne
    Instagram: shaviw
    shavi@royal-origin.com

  • Wekfest LB 2016 | Video Highlight

    Wekfest LB 2016 | Video Highlight

    Just another Wekfest at Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, however, this time around this is the last one at this location. Nonetheless, they put together Southern California’s finest automotive builds together once again. Here is a video highlight from some clips Nimo capture, and I decided to quick edit together. Enjoy.

    Shavi Wijegunaratne
    Instagram: shaviw
    shavi@royal-origin.com

  • GMG Racing Open House | Event Coverage

    GMG Racing Open House | Event Coverage

    GMG Racing open house is one of the best local events in Orange County, we get to see a crazy amount of super cars at this event and be in presence of cars that would probably cost two of your lifetimes to afford. The morning of the event I met up with Phat and Ashton for breakfast.

    DSC08423 One does not belong…DSC08428 The Porsche/Mazda bros. DSC08431 DSC08433 Ashton’s 911 is looking great going back to the grey paint and adding the PNA Design wing. DSC08435 DSC08436DSC08440

    We were waiting for the Phaze 2 caravan to come through and they brought the heat.

    DSC08453 The roll-in was way tight just like Darren’s Porsche. DSC08455 Clean styling with this Porsche on BBS RS.DSC08456 DSC08459 Brendan’s widebody Supra was out and about at the event.  DSC08461 These guys were talking about if this car was in the Fast and Furious or not.DSC08463 Roll out like a boss.DSC08465 DSC08466

    Mikey’s Amuse 370z on Volk TE-37 SL.

    DSC08467 Mikey’s shiny 997 on Rotiforms.DSC08468  DSC08471 DSC08473 Darren’s GT3 got some prime parking at the event. DSC08474 DSC08475   DSC08479DSC08482  DSC08487 DSC08488Mikey with the surprise back rub. DSC08490 DSC08493 DSC08494 DSC08495 Bugatti to greet you before entering the warehouse. DSC08497 The car even had it’s own security to make sure no one leans on it.DSC08500 GMG Racing Audi R8 for sale. It would be a nice addition to my garage, but maybe in another life time. DSC08502 The R8 is pretty clean for a race car. DSC08504 Super cars on super cars. DSC08507 DSC08511 Every automotive photographer’s dreams were in this building.DSC08514DSC08518 DSC08519 DSC08523 Those carbon fiber wheels tho. DSC08525 DSC08528 DSC08530 This F12 is so beautiful. DSC08531  DSC08542 DSC08545DSC08550DSC08553Medusa RWB.DSC08555 DSC08557 DSC08560 Bugatti roll out.DSC08563 DSC08567

    Ending it with me spotting Devyn’s Itasha style Civic.

    -NGUMINH

  • Jimmy’s Civic & Erik’s EP3 | Video

    Jimmy’s Civic & Erik’s EP3 | Video

    It has been a long while since I have actually did video, and doing this video was like learning it again. Here we have Jimmy’s Honda Civic and Erik’s Honda EP3, which have nearly identical visual appearances and performance modifications. Both these cars are static (on coilovers), boosted, and on Volk Racing TE37s.

    Take a look at this highlight of both fine tuned cars:

    Thanks.

    Shavi Wijegunaratne
    Instagram: shaviw
    shavi@royal-origin.com

  • The Leopard | Suspension

    The Leopard | Suspension

    Not too long  ago I was looking for a second car to be my fun daily driver since driving the MS3 around was getting a little annoying to take to certain places, and it was limiting the amount customization I could be doing to the car itself. So, my search took me to Craig’s List, where I was looking for anything within my budget of below $2000.00 USD. In the end, I got the most unlikely car I was looking for, a 1991 Infiniti M30 coupe for less than $900.00.

    The reason this car stood out to me was the body lines (basically the way it looked), the v6 motor, rear wheel drive, somewhat decent reliability, and the fact that it was compatible with many other Nissan parts from other models. Oh yeah and for the price (way below the budget) of the potential this car has was pretty worth it as well.

    This is kind of a rare car being that it was one of the first Infiniti cars in North America, and about only about 6,000 coupes and 6,000 convertibles were made through the production years; 1990-1992. It is basically just a rebadged Nissan Leopard in Japan though, and shares similarities with the Nissan Z-chassis, R-chassis, Y-chasiss, and S-chassis. Because of that, I entered a world of mixing and matching parts.

    046Finding information was a definite mission with the downfall of forums, and the rise of social media, especially Facebook groups are to blame for that. First up was a 5 lug conversion and S13 coilover conversion. This pretty much meant upgrading most of the front suspension, which is straight forward plug and play, while the rear suspension had more modifications.

    Front Suspension:
    -S13 Powered By Max Competition front coilovers 5″ 30k
    -S14 modified knuckles
    -S14 stock 5 lug hubs
    -S14 Duralast 5 lug brake rotors
    -M30 stock brake calipers
    -M30 Duralast brake pads
    -S14 stock lower control arms
    -GKTECH S14/S15 40mm roll center correction kit
    -S14 MOOG outer tie rod ends
    -Maxima MOOG inner tie rods
    -S14 ISIS Pro tension rods

    Rear Suspension:
    -S13 Powered By Max Competition rear coilovers 5″ 22k
    -Z31 5 lug rear stub axles
    -Z32 Duralast 5 lug brake rotors
    -Z32 stock brake calipers
    -Z32 Duralast brake pads

    DSC01434Some of the main front suspension components.

    DSC01414The beautiful Powered By Max Competition coilovers. These are meant for S13, but with the right pieces and tweaks they should mount to the M30.

    DSC01415The front will mount with all the arms and knuckles. The rear will only be able to mount with modifying the M30 rear towers to match the S13 mounting points for the S13 top hats.

    DSC01416The stiffness.

    DSC01458The front coilovers maxed out with all the collars still placed at the top. Really short.

    DSC01428Added some paint onto certain items for protection and style.

    DSC01431Common on Nissan/Infiniti models for there to be wiring harness above the wheel well. This wiring harness above the driver side wheel well was labeled, cut, tucked, soldered, sleeved, and reloomed away inside and around the driver side front shock towers.

    DSC01433There was about 200 wires that needed attention after being cut and tucked inside the engine bay.

    DSC01455The biggest cock block for wanting to be low and somewhat functional.

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    DSC01460Tucked inside the engine bay.

    DSC01459Also rerouted the hood latch cable inside the engine bay as well. Results are a worry free area to go low and run meatier tires.

    The front was straight to the point, but required additional modifications to fix the roll center and tracking.

    Because I was converting from 4 lug to 5 lug, this also meant that I needed wheels. After some research I found the appropriate wheel sizing I wanted to give the car. I went from the stock 4×114.3 wheels of 15×6.5 +20 to 5×114.3 15×10 +/-0. And of course did all that fender magic.

    These are Vision 521 Nitro 15×10 +/- 0 with 205/50/15 tires all around.

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    The rear required new mounting points for the S13 top hats, Z31 rear 5 lug stub hubs, custom Z31 to M30 axle flanges, Z32 Duralast rear brake rotors, Z32 stock brake calipers, and Z32 Duralast brake pads.

    Eventually, the whole rear end will be taken out to be replaced by S14 rear subframe and arms, but that isn’t until a later time.

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    Thanks. @shaviw