The Lost Birds Road to Tsukuba

2010-09-06T12:45:00.001-07:00

2010-04-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since I last posted. The paint job on the car is finished after 2.5 months and 150 plus hours. The Lost Birds Time Attack Machine is born.

Accomplished by Allison LaValley who hails from Portland Oregon. More on this effort later!

2009-12-29T23:33:00.000-08:00

quick Video for all my followers, haha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vTqFhR5mBQ

First Stage Weight Reduction

2009-12-26T07:35:00.000-08:00

Gave the car some Lipo today. Removed the trunk carpet, spare tire, tools, metal bracket that hold the tools, a factory installed air purifier(What the hell?), floor mats, and the spark plug cover for a grand total of 72.2 lbs or 32.8kg. When given the equation 3370lbs/300HP we conclude that 11.2lbs is equivalent to 1HP of acceleration, thus 6.44HP of acceleration has been gained without even spending a dime. Sounds like a good day.

Got the car

2009-12-19T05:21:00.000-08:00

Here it is. 1995 BCNR33. It showed up looking much prettier than I thought it would. The car came from south of Tokyo, where the weather is a bit milder and amazingly it has racked up only 77,000 KM over 15 years. that is roughly 3,300 MILES per year. Bits that were included in the sale: 17" Work Emotions w/Potenza RE11s, Boost Controller, Coilover suspension, ARC intake, quick release hub and small diameter wheel, twin plate clutch, and a Nismo 400R body kit minus the front bumper. It cost a little more than 1,000,000 Y but I feel with the extra parts it was worth it. The wheels are the first things to be sold as soon as I get the chance. End Chapter 1 of this ordeal.

FInally Getting The Ball Rolling.

2009-12-04T01:58:00.001-08:00

Well, it has been a little while since I last put some info on here. I was without a computer for much of the time while transitioning to Japan. A few things have changed here a there,(the main thing being a swith from R34 GTR to an R33 GTR) but the overall goal is still the same. I reserved a car through a place called Big "D" here in Misawa with 1,000,000 Yen (12,000 USD) and I should be picking it up within the next week. I've done some parts searching since getting here at places like UPGarage and Super Autobacs, but nothing amazing has popped out at me. First up on the chopping block is making the car a light as I can. I've been desperately searching for some dry carbon doors to no avail. All in due time. Stay tuned.

-CK

The CAR

2009-06-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

So what type of car will I be purchasing to stake my claim? It's not well known in the States, but in every other country where the EPA doesn't ruin all our fun, the Nissan R34 Skyline is all you could ever hope for. In stock form they are almost paltry, and certainly dated... but all of that is okay once it stops being so shy and opens up to you. Some of the fastest road cars in the world have been built by various tuners from R34s. Names like Mine's, M SPEED, HKS, and countless others are obvious top contenders. Since it would be silly to fight against them, I've rather decided to join them and get one myself. From there, we'll see how much it takes to get where I want.

One more thing...

2009-06-17T07:22:00.001-07:00

By the wayyyy, I' d like to point out that I'm no stranger to shameless plugs, and anybody willing to toss me a dime is more than welcome to. I estimate the cost of my car with all preparations quickly climbing to a number with which I'm not really comfortable. You can paypal .05 cents to istdercollen@gmail.com if you like. Speaking of which. I would definitely like to take this time to thank the countless people at work who have donated change to me so far. You all know who you are! Tomorrow, I'll get into the type of car I'll be purchasing once I arrive in Japan. See ya.

First Post

2009-06-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

So... Hello to all of you out there who stumbled upon this. What is it? It's basically going to be a chronicling of all the steps I take as I tackle my ultimate dream of being a race car driver. Sounds out there, I know. However, I'm on the right... track. I'm currently living in Hawai'i, which makes it difficult to do much real racing since the race track closed in June of 2006. I did actively participate in the Hawai'i Region Autocross and managed to win the season in the stock class. This will all change though as I'm on my way to the racing Mecca of Japan, where there is a world famous racetrack around every corner. Something like that anyway. I'll be starting from zero.. no car, no sponsors, nothing. I'll state it outright that I want to break 57 seconds at Tsukuba. Anyone that knows about the Revspeed Time Attacks knows this is ridiculous to say, but I gotta aim for the stars. Wish me luck. Here's what I have so far --- :-)