A New Direction

01 Apr A New Direction

We figured that we’d start out fresh this month with a big announcement that we’ve been working on for quite some time.

Starting today, Fluid MotorUnion will be undergoing a bit of a change in direction. We’ve decided that it’d be wise to move back towards our roots, back to the scene that got many of us started in the car game — the import scene. You might be saying, “But you guys are already working on imports.” That’s true, but we’ve decided to abandon the European part of the import car scene. That’s right, you guessed it, we’re going straight JDM from here on out. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we’re releasing a project car that we’ve been working on for the better part of a year that will coincide with our new direction and vision. It’s time to take a look at our newest FMU creation — Preparation H, our customer’s 2008 Honda Civic Si sedan.

At first glance, you might not see much done to it, but the devil’s in the details. We’ve taken the most hip modifications of the moment and added our own little touches to them. Underneath the hood, you’ll see the stock K20Z3 with only minimal modifications — an upgraded battery Interstate will keep that sick OEM sound system cranking out J-Pop, while the Injen cold air intake will add such a throaty noise that you’d think you were driving a Subaru WRX STi. That’s all we’ve done in terms of power modifications because, come on, do you REALLY need more than 201 bhp to push around a car that weighs as little as 2,900 lbs? No, no you don’t.

The customer does plenty of road racing, and for that reason he requested that we supply him with the softest tire tread compound that you can run in the summer. After measuring the softness of various tire compounds, we settled on a set of Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 studless ice and snow tires. This tread will be so soft in August that it’ll practically melt the car to the ground! Now THAT is some serious traction for all those 7k clutch drops.

Seeing as how road racing involves dropping weight as well, we went for a slightly subtle weight reduction tactic that many overlook. In short, we curb rashed the living hell out of every single wheel on the car, shaving precious ounces off this vehicle’s curb weight. Reduced wheel weight also translates to less unsprung mass, meaning the car will feel lighter and tighter as it blazes past all the heavy RWD European cars on the track.

He also mentioned that he liked bears, so we found the scariest-looking bear sticker we could and slapped it in the rear quarter window. The sticker doesn’t add any power (the jury’s still out on that science!), but it definitely makes the driver look like he means business.

Up front, we added some OG flavor in the way of a genuine Honda “Stupid Hurts” sticker, which the customer said would be more cost-efficient than removing the paint bubble that lies directly underneath said sticker. And we agree!

To hide all this obvious badassness, we removed the car’s Si badge with an old butter knife. All those slashes and scratches in the clearcoat will definitely make this car look like it’s seen some serious shit, adding to the grittiness we’ve already laid down previously in this blog post. Unassuming racers will think that they have it in the bag, going up against a stock Honda Civic, when SURPRISE — all 2,900 pounds of this car are hurtled forward, banging off the 8.2k RPM rev limiter because it accelerates so fast that the driver won’t even realize that he has to shift.

We also added to the aesthetic by leaving the car idling outside for hours on end, leaving a beautiful exhaust-gas-burn patina all over the trunk and rear wing. Don’t think that dish soap or even the most powerful cleaning agents will remove this — hell no, it’s burnt straight into the paint! Go big or go home, guys.

We know we’re a couple years late to the trend, but we decided to start rusting out the customer’s fender. We’re also accomplishing this on the hood by driving extremely close to other vehicles on the highway (a tradition that hearkens back to the early days of Osaka’s Kanjou racers) and letting rocks chip away the paint slowly. Not only does it look great, but it’s going to drop a ton of weight from the car, too! Double whammy!

To finish off both aesthetics and performance, we’ve taken an off-the-shelf Magnaflow exhaust and attached it to this car, and then we never cleaned it once. Not only does the rusty look of this exhaust connect well with the rest of the vehicle’s aesthetics, but it also provides for a throaty, deep tone that many will confuse with a Mercedes-Benz 6.5L twin turbo V12 motor. Plus, you can stick your whole fist inside the tip! Normally you’d have to pay serious money for a privilege like that.

All in all, we hope you’ll embrace and welcome our transition into our new place in the vehicular aftermarket. Get ready for our next post on this car, which will chronicle the fabrication of a giant rear wing meant to resemble a snapback with the sticker still on the brim. Have a great day!