Monday, March 25, 2013

The Coop...

Met up with Ivan last week to shoot his (not so) Mini Cooper S. I first spotted his car on Instagram ("straight flexin") after posting my last shoot. It turned out Ryan from the last shoot knew him, so it was a done deal.

Ivan's Cooper S has simplicity written all over it and is put together tastefully. After seeing it in person, I knew it was going be a good day. The Fifteen52 Tarmac's caught my attention at first glance and was a perfect excuse to check them out in person (I want a set!). After taking a closer look at the Cooper and having it on my screen for days, I noticed the little things that added up to make it Ivan's own. Something as little as the Gobadge "S" curve in the front and the Spec D Tuning headlights helped set this car apart. What made it stand out for me was the upgraded M7 Vortex 2 Scoop in addition to the Fubrication GP rear wing.

"When I look at cars, I don't look at them as stock, I see them for their potential." - Ivan

IvanMiniCooper 1
IvanMiniCooper 5

Is the Cooper to the potential that he imagined? He'd probably tell you that it's getting there and this is just the beginning. For every car enthusiast out there, we all know there's always something new to do or something old to change. It's the never ending plan.

IvanMiniCooper 8
IvanMiniCooper 10

Car info:
2011 Mini Cooper S (R56)
Horizon Blue / Black Roof

Exterior:
M7 Vortex 2 hood scoop
Fubrication GP rear wing
OutMotoring wiper delete kit
Cooper Side Scuttles
Spec D Tuning Headlights (6k iJDM Toy Headlights and Fogs HiD)
iJDM Toy LED rear license plate bulbs
Gobadge front "S" Curve

Engine:
3" Mini Corsa Downpipe Back Exhaust
M7 Turbo Heat Shield
M7 Super AGS Intake

Suspesion/Wheels
Fifteen52 Tarmac RSL 17x8 ET 30 - Nitto Neo Gen 205/40/17
16mm Front Spacers
3 mm Rear Spacers
Motorsport Hardware 75 mm Stud Conversion Kit
M7 Coilovers - Full Height/Compression/Rebound Adjustment
H&R Rear Sway Bar 19mm Adjustable

IvanMiniCooper 15
IvanMiniCooper 16
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IvanMiniCooper 21

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Cars and Coffee...

Checked out Cars and Coffee today for the first time.

Enjoy...I did!

CLICK FOR GALLERY

Just a few:
IMG_4536
IMG_4462
IMG_4500
IMG_4561
IMG_4471
IMG_4486

Friday, March 15, 2013

Motorsport Hardware M3: The Blue Beast



After a few days of slight drizzle, the weather worked out perfectly as it usually does out in Southern California. You can always count on a day or two of bad weather, if you can even call it that. Downtown Long Beach was gearing up for the upcoming Toyota Grand Prix which gave us a good chance to find a location to shoot. After a rumble through the city and few turns, we found a great spot right off the main strip with barriers, tires, and a grandstand included.

It's been a while since the last shoot of anything, but when I heard Ryan Castro, owner of Motorsport Hardware, was down to shoot his 1995 E36 M3, it was the perfect excuse to dust off the gear.

RyanE36M3LS1 2

At first glance, you'd wonder if there is something more to the beefy fender flared exterior and meaty tires. Is it all for show? Maybe to look cool or look FAST? Then you take a glance inside and see a gutted interior. Built with a purpose? You'd clearly find out if you sat next to him at the light idling. If you're a neighbor? Guess what, a nice 6:30am wake up rumble on a Saturday morning. Either way, it's a dead giveaway that a beast lies beneath the hood waiting to go full throttle.

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The Specs:
1995 M3 LS1
Motorsport Hardware Avus Blue M3 coupe

Performance:
2002 5.7L LS1 aluminum block from 2002 Camaro SS
350whp/311ft/lbs torque
T56-6speed transmission with Z06 Clutch
4in intake
Custom headers
MSD high temp starter
2x3in exhaust merged to 1 4in
Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator
Vibrant race catalytic converters
Vibrant 4in inlet race muffler
Removed AC
Mishimoto Dual aluminum radiator
Derale Power steering cooler
Spal puller fan
3.91 LSD rebuilt to 40% lock up
Reinforced rear end

RyanE36M3LS1 18

Suspension/Stability:
Custom BC Racing coilover set up with custom spring rates
Turner front and rear sway bars
Reinforced sway bar mounts
UUC Aluminum rear camber arms
Mason Engineering front and rear strut bars

Wheels/Brakes/Misc:
C6 Z06 silver 6 piston calipers
355mm DBA Slotted rotors
Rear cross-drilled Zimmerman rotors
PFC-Z brake pads
Coated Stainless steel lines
BBS RE-GT4 18x9.5/10
Hankook 255/35R18 265/35R18
Motorsport Hardware Race wheel studs

RyanE36M3LS1 13

Interior:
EVO VIII Recaro seats
Momo Champion steering wheel
STRI 60mm Tach
STRI Water temp gauge
STRI oil pressure gauge
AEM UEGO wideband
Kirk 4pt roll bar
Wedge brackets
Corbeau 4pt harness
Stripped rear cabin
Custom suede headliner and pillars

RyanE36M3LS1 21
RyanE36M3LS1 24

Exterior:
Max Velocity GTR lip
Depo projectors
DDM 6K HID
Fog light delete
Hard Motorsport fender flares
Black grill
Custom 3.0 CSL BMW badges
Custom hood vents
OEM m3 wing
Smoked corners

RyanE36M3LS1 20
RyanE36M3LS1 12
RyanE36M3LS1 16

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