“I believe that depression is a serious issue and not many people really understand what it is. People need to be educated about depression so that they can see the signs in friends or family and take action. The majority of people suffering depression don’t seek treatment or speak about it, so by educating people we can assist those who are suffering from this illness.” – Adrian Lee

Shuichi Shigeno may not be a name that is instantly recognisable, but chances are you may have seen his creations in one form or another. Most famous is his Initial D manga series, which has taken the world by storm over the past 15 years. It has seen itself be turned into a popular anime series and even a blockbuster movie and has dramatically accelerated Toyota’s AE86 Sprinter into cult status, with the name Takumi taking on an entirely different meaning since.

The owner of this AE86 is Adrian Lee, who gets to live every Initial D fan’s dream on a daily basis. However, his interest in the AE86 was not actually sparked by Initial D; “I had a family friend who introduced me to the AE86. He would show me all of his Best Motoring and Option DVDs and it amazed me how it moved around the racetrack and was able to overtake cars which had much more power.” It was at this point that he began an obsession that has continued to this day.

Before purchasing this particular model, Adrian owned a bone stock ADM Levin hatch complete with 4AC single-cam, single carburettor engine. Ben Cheong, Adrian’s mechanic of BEL Garage, Touge Tune and now Ixa, had owned this Trueno for 7 years, gaining fame under the number plate ‘Takumi’, building it into what you see before you. Knowing the time and effort that Ben had put into it with his heart and soul, Adrian accepted what Ben entrusted him with. Since then, he has left the car in almost the same state as it was given to him. As Ben had already modified a healthy portion of it, he felt no need to change anything; “I actually had parts taken off the car as I was a poor university student,” as Adrian mesmerises the time he first took ownership of the car.

The most notable feature of the car is the eye-catching panda design from the original GT Apex model that is a must for any replica of the Fujiwara Sprinter. Taking further inspiration from the Project D era of Takumi’s AE86 is the Varis carbon fibre bonnet, which not only completes the look, but also provides a considerable weight reduction compared to the OEM item. But the finishing touch to a worthy Initial D replica comes down to the ‘Fujiwara Tofu Den’ or ‘Fujiwara Tofu Shop’ decal, which Ben had researched extensively by finding the exact font before having the decal cut to the exact size and even going as far as to measuring the placement of the logo to ensure accuracy quite literally down to the millimeter.

Filling the guards of Adrian’s Sprinter are genuine RS Watanabe wheels measuring 14×7 inches in the front and 14×7.5 inches in the rear. A staggered wheel setup, borrowed from circuit racers who have used this technique for countless years, lessens the oversteer characteristics often found in light, short-wheelbase rear-wheel drive cars. Complementing the wheel choice is the popular Mazda FC-3S RX-7 brake conversion often undertaken by Sprinter enthusiasts as it offers the braking needs for a tuned Sprinters and extending the braking capabilities from the uninspiring drum brakes in the rear of the ADM model.

Here would be where the engine specs would be, but Adrian was as tight-lipped as Bunta when we asked him about the engine department. We weren’t even allowed to look ourselves, for what lies in the engine bay remains a secret only known to the owner Adrian and his tuner Ben, though it seemed like a heavily-worked 4AGE of some sort judging by the sound from the GP Sports exhaust taking care of the engine gasses at the rear.

The interior plays host to some personal additions to the car, including the JDM AE86 tissue box holder which even has tissues straight from Japan. Avid Sprinter fans will notice the original and uncracked black dash, taken from the GT Apex model, as well as a host of Defi gauges lying in the air vents to provide information including water temperature, oil temperature and oil pressure to Adrian.

These spots have proven popular for placing gauges, however, Adrian has taken this a step further with custom moulds in which the gauges sit. These point the gauges towards the driver as this part of the dash actually points away from the driver’s face.

Initial D fanatics will also notice the tachometer, which reads to 11,000RPM just like Takumi’s car. But Adrian keeps his cool with the throttle to keep people on the street unaware of the potential of his Sprinter. To help keep the secrets of the car under wraps, hidden away from prying eyes is a Haltech G8 ECU residing in the glovebox, the brains of the mystery engine that lies within the engine bay.

A Sparco Rev bucket seat keeps Adrian from sliding around under lateral load as well as keeping the centre of gravity of the car as low as possible for superior handling. A TRD shift knob ensures a perfect throw for quick gear changes, while a TRD steering wheel with a Momo hub keeps everything under control in the steering department.

Owning such an AE86 has had it’s benefits. “As corny as it may sound, it is true that every time I jump in the car and go for a drive it always brings a smile to my face. There’s no fancy electronics assisting you with this and that, it’s raw, just you and the car.” When asked what is in store for the future of the Sprinter, Adrian replies; “I want to get the car engineered but I just need to install a few more things beforehand. I also want to start taking it to the track to learn how to drive it better.” Adrian also plans to keep this Sprinter for a long time, as he says it has become part of the family. We hope that Adrian’s love for the AE86 continues and grows with this car to become one just as Takumi has.

“I have the utmost respect for Cars For Hope because not many people take big action like you guys have. Most people shy away from the topic of depression and think there’s nothing they can do about it, but even doing something small is better than doing nothing at all…and seeing Cars For Hope doing this; it takes great courage and commitment to do so.” – Adrian Lee

We are proud to announce the launching of the official tumblr for Team Cars For Hope.

Our aim is to bring to you what we think is interesting; your daily dose of hope, cars, music and more. It’s a quiet place where you can relax, browse and be inspired.

Follow us, bookmark our page, tell your friends or do whatever you have to do.

We hope you like it.

-Team Cars For Hope
Inform. Incite. Inspire.

“If you are close to people who choose to cut or burn themselves, it can be really tough to cope with, and hard to understand.” READ MORE HERE.

Last Thursday on December 29 was JDM Style Tuning’s monthly EOMM meet. At a small carpark just off Foreshore Road in Mascot, it was the standard monthly meet with a few enthusiasts, their mates and their cars together to meet new people and enjoy Sydney’s car culture. As my first ever JDMST EOMM, I was so surprised to see how many people of many other different modifying styles in attendance. It was refreshing to see and meet people from across Sydney (and even interstate in some cases), congregate in one location to enjoy our scene.

We arrived to an already crowded carpark with a healthy dose of S15 Silvias in attendance…

…many with simple and clean street styling kept in mind. This is Van’s NA S15 sitting flush on some CE28Ns along with other subtle body additions.

Not only were there S15s, but Mitsubishi fans could celebrate over the amount of Evos represented at this month’s meet, including this ‘illest’ yellow Evo 9 showing the owner’s love of JDMST with some matching yellow stencilling on the tyres!

Beside the entrance were a few Bosozoku-flavoured cars, including the white Mk2 from All Japan Day back in November.

I’m not sure if ‘Baka’ (meaning ‘idiot’ in Japanese) is the right way to put it, because the simplicity of those SSR Mk1s on this Cedric has definitely worked in this case!

The stance movement has proven to be a great new addition to Sydney’s car scene, such as this EG Civic. It incorporated form and race together, with a stripped interior and roll cage hiding inside.

One of my favourites from the meet, a matte black S15 sat behind another Evo. It turned out to be a crowd favourite as well!

I was drawn to this AE90 Corolla with the drift trike on the roof. These things can usually be seen shredding around EOMMs, but I’m not sure if it could compete with the 20V laying in the front of the Corolla!

And an XK Falcon for all the classic muscle car fans out there.

Du’s green EK Civic incorporates subtle styling for that Cali feel.

Here’s a VL Turbo Calais often found roaming the streets of Sydney, with Simmons Wheels and a front-mount intercooler peeking through the front bar.

However, the meet did not go exactly to plan, as the Police arrived shortly into the night and everybody began to file out accordingly. Hopefully the next EOMM won’t have the intervention that this one did and we can start 2012 by seeing some new cars and new faces!

A message from Berty – Soon the clock will tick over and 2012 will have begun. A brand new year and at times I’m sure you will face up to a few battles. Because I am human and you are too. We all wake to the human condition of living with problems of pain.

I’ve felt so tired lately, I’ve felt perhaps one of the lowest of lows I’ve had in a very long time and sometimes I believe the lie that it would be better for everyone if I had just closed my eyes on the motorway and let go of the steering wheel, if I just stopped, if I just gave up. But every time I feel this way I remind myself that this tiredness will go away and when this isn’t enough I remember all the ones who will not be okay, if I was ever to quit. And even though I’ll know these moments will soon pass it doesn’t change the fact that I feel like utter crap in this moment. But it does remind me of why I started Cars For Hope and that’s to remind people who are struggling to never give up, to fight off that thought in your mind that says you can’t; because it’ll only get the best of you if you allow it. Don’t allow it. I don’t allow it.

- Albert (Berty) Nghiem

It was 8 years ago; I was 12 years old and amongst a small handful of car enthusiasts within the Australian subforum of the American forum ClubRSX. 4 years before I was even legal to acquire a Learners drivers licence I welcomed to the forum by a few of the most polite individuals I have ever met. Being the small fishes in the sea at ClubRSX we were fed up with our informative threads continuously being pruned and deleted so in 2005 ClubITR was created and we slowly migrated over. The club turned 5 this year and after many successful BBQ’s, meets and cruises the club still maintains its reputation as a group of mature car enthusiasts. Some members of the club have never owned a Honda Integra Type R, some have moved onto other Honda models and some have moved onto other makes and I think this doesn’t matter at all. I mean I have nothing against ITR’s (the Cars For Hope car is an ITR) but what matters is that they are still loyal to the club and still attending ClubITR events.

Earlier this year the ownership of ClubITR was passed on to long time member Felix Alim who has put in a tremendous effort to revamp the website, organise events and to continue to improve the club. For this year’s annual BBQ Felix was kind enough to hold this annual event in attempt to raise awareness and support for Cars For Hope and our depression initiative. It was the club’s largest turnout for a BBQ meet and a number of sponsors had jumped on board to show their support for the event. Prizes were kindly donated to a raffle that was drawn at the end of the day.

Yep that’s a Mitsubishi Evo at a ClubITR meet. This Evo is owned by the BYP guys who have built countless fast Honda’s and own many track records with their supercharged K24 EG but here they are rocking their daily Evo.

Brother’s Mark and Pat both rock tastefully modified DC2R’s.

ClubITR owner, Felix Alim’s JDM front DC2R is always a popular one at car meets. White regamasters, Buddyclub exhaust and a Cusco rollcage to name a few of many mods.

Another JDM front DC2R rolling on 16″ JDM rims.

One of the original members from ClubRSX, Adrian Mak has never owned an ITR but he currently owns this amazing S2000. The note it produces down the main straight of Wakefield Park with its 70mm titanium Amuse exhaust is something you ought to hear. It’s simply mind blowing and we’ll be doing a full feature of this car when he receives his new goodies.

The DC5 gang.

What looks to be a heavily modified DC5S. Sporting Volk CE28N’s, an ARC front splitter and a Mugen rear wing.

This red S2000 looked amazingly perfect decked on an aggressive set of BBS LMs.

Repping ClubITR.

A diverse range of cars. Accord Euro, 1979 Toyota Cressida, FN2R.

The show stopper.

Nico’s Targa Top Honda NSX.

That’s me giving a short speech on what Cars For Hope is all about.

So what’s the reason behind the Cars For Hope stickers?

Depression will affect nearly every person in their life, either directly or through a close friend or family member. By rocking one of our stickers and telling people why it is there, you can show that you care, that you want to make change, that you want everyone to know that they are not alone.

Cars For Hope’s funny man Fadi cracking his usual jokes.

Trevor Wu (pictured above) no longer owns his decked out K20A DC2R or any car for that matter but still put his hand up to help organise this event. He deserves a big shout out for all his efforts behind the scenes.

The crowd enjoying the raffle.

One lucky winner of a Honda Racing jacket.

Raffle prize winners!

ClubITR generously donated all profits from the day to Cars For Hope and we greatly appreciate it. The donation will go towards printing more stickers and depression fact sheets. Overall it was a great day, Team Cars For Hope enjoyed it very much and we look forward to next year.

You can find more photos here.

As some of you know our Website was taken down a few months ago for a short maintenance period. This maintenance period turned into extended downtime for the Website and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. The reason for the extended downtime was to allow time for the construction of the very Website you see before your eyes. It’s a brand new website, a new design, with some new additions and our old blog posts. We hope you like it.

The cars in attendance ranged from mild street and daily drivers…

…to fully kitted Bosozoku style show-stoppers including Fonzy’s TA22 Celica complete with 6-foot Boso pipes!

More Bosozoku love with this Toyota Corona Mk2.

An immaculate Datsun 120Y fitted fresh with SSR Mk3′s.

Joe, who competed down at Honda Nationals at Wakefield Park earlier in the year arrived at All Japan Day with his track-prepared DC2 as well as showing his support for Cars For Hope with a nice sticker on the rear quarter window.

This clean-looking 180SX looked like it had come straight from a street drift meet.

Skylines were also very well represented at the show. Hmmm a stock R32 GT-R that appears to have rolled right out of the factory floor, or a moderately modified R34 GT-R V-Spec 2 Nür (1 of only 750 in the world!)?

But arguably the car of the show was Babaloiuie’s true JDM KPGC10 Hakosuka Skyline. There are apparently only 8 of these in Australia!

The sound of the triple-carbs as it left the show cannot be explained in words. And he wasn’t even pushing it. Defintely classic Japanese beauty at it’s best.

A nicely kitted and dropped Corolla – clearly showing that simplicity is often a recipe for success.

From classic Nissans to classic Toyotas, here’s a mint condition S800, one car that I thought I would only see in Gran Turismo let alone in Sydney!

Kei cars came in form from across Sydney, including this Suzuki Cappuccino that represented the more diminutively-sized cars. LOL is definitely one way to put it, but what these cars lack in size they definitely make up in character and fun-factor!

There were also many rotaries at the show such as this bone-stock Mazda RX-3 that are often found hammering down the drag strip.

There was a whole row of them!

It’s so great to see and meet people who are so involved in the scene and enjoying their cars.

Hopefully next year will see an even greater number of entrants and more spectacular Japanese cars!

To see this thing crush the Commodore.

There was nice display of the Project D Drift School cars.

And one in the making?

Let’s have a peak into the Top Secret Imports showroom.

And a bigger peak…

The meet saw a wide range of cars, from JDM styled Honda’s..

to very high powered 4WD machines..

to exotics.

Even World Time Attack competitor Jason Naidoo rocked up in his Time Attack Evo, which looked a little strange in street spec without it’s huge rear wing.

The first Pro class session of the day kicked off and many were already pushing hard to lock in a good time, with the threat of bad weather conditions playing a huge role in the way the day was going to pan out for all of the teams. Maybe Mark Berry was pushing just a little bit hard for the beginning of the day, sliding off the track and in to the gravel at turn 12.

David Empringham hit the nail on the head with setup for Day 2, proving that he had what it took (and some) to vie for first position, even so early in the day with a 1:29.0240 as well as clocking almost 300km/h on the main straight!

Meanwhile in the pits, other distractions were drawing everyone’s attention away from the track…

…including James Anderson’s S15 from the Open class as well as these lovely ladies.

Sasaki-san’s engineer listened closely to his comments on the Panspeed RX-7s behaviour…

…while Suzuki-san helps clean up some of the rubber that stuck to the inside of his S15s guards, that just might make that little difference out on track. Throughout the day he could be seen helping his crew members in the garage. As a privateer with a smaller budget than the bigger teams, it was great to see him lending a hand wherever he could. It almost mirrored a grassroots track day!

Garth Walden in the Tilton Interiors Evo was pushing harder than ever after a long Day 1 representing the Australian time attack scene and was heading closer and closer to the top of the tree.

The first session of the Open class for the day saw the sun peek from behind the clouds and raised the hopes of those in the pits who were looking for the sunshine that had lit the track for the last two days.

All of the teams hastily made changes to their cars throughout the sessions to extract the most that they could.

The second Pro class session raised the bar even higher with warming track conditions aiding in the cars achieving slightly lower times. The clock was ticking and everybody seized the opportunity that the heavens had bestowed for a short while by making dramatic changes and hoping for the best. All I could hear as the cars were braking in to the corners was the splitters on the tarmac and all I could see were the sparks that immediately followed from the rear. You could just tell that it was on!

The lunchtime entertainment of the day included a healthy dose of the Pac Racing MX-6 doing the rounds through the pits and deafening anyone within a 50 metre radius.

The big news of the day and of the weekend was a bit of biffo between the two main contenders for the title: Sierra Sierra and Cyber Evo. The Cyber Evo team had supposedly made accusations that Sierra Sierra were using nitrous! They were genuinely scratching their heads at the seemingly unreal speeds that Empringham was achieving on the main straight. I don’t know anyone who was not surprised by such a bold accusation, but Sierra Sierra swept it aside by inviting their rivals to inspect their car. Nobody came…

Despite the controversy, Kinoshita was concentrating on the win in the Garage Revolution RX-7, managing a 1:30.5010 which left him in second spot for 2011.

It was a difficult day for Team Sierra Sierra…

Meanwhile, Team Cyber Evo got on with the job and smashed out an amazing 1:28.8510, almost a full 2 seconds faster than their 2010-winning time! Everyone around the track just knew how fast Tarzan was pushing as the track started to cool and just moments before the rain started to come down. Even I could tell that the Evo was at the brink of adhesion as the front splitter violently slapped the track through Turn 4!

Takizawa-san, owner of the Cyber Evo, couldn’t be happier, posing in front of his pride and joy for a few media shots.

“Under” Suzuki-san also showed disappointment with an overall time of 1:31.4560 for the weekend, though it was definitely a valiant effort for the Scorch Racing Team for their first time out to Eastern Creek.

Team Garage Revolution kept trying to punch out better times up until the last session of the day, but to no avail.

The podium marked the end of the day and the end to the World Time Attack Challenge for 2011.

After the controversy of the weekend, David Empringham accepted the 2nd place trophy. Hopefully 2012 will be a better outcome for Sierra Sierra.

But Kinoshita-san was very happy to collect third place and maybe even a girlfriend to take home to Japan with him!

It was all champers and cheers for the podium, hopefully putting the past behind them and gearing up for next year in 2012!

More 2011 World Time Attack Challenge articles:

2011 Official World Time Attack Launch

2011 World Time Attack Practice

2011 WTAC: Day 1 Wrap Up

Tarzan and Cyber Evo come from behind to take the crown