I want to run them in Readers' Rides. Yes, I have a few screws loose and have an unhealthy obsession with JDM-style vans and station wagons. Seriously, once I have more than Monopoly money in my wallet, the first thing I'm going to go out and buy is a sports wagon. Since we don't get cars like the Autech Stagea here, I'll have to "settle" for something like a Subaru Legacy GT. If I get a few more dollars by selling my kidney or something, perhaps I'll even be able to afford a new Honda Stream.
If you ever get the chance to roll down the streets of Japan, you'll notice that there are more styled wagons/vans than there are fixed-up Skylines or Civics. And you may be surprised to read this, but at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Salon, styled wagons and VIP minivans dominated the show. Given our market's dislike of mom-wagons, it does kind of make sense that no one here covered them. But since our market is getting older and will soon need to haul a few kids around, could this combination of practicality and JDM style become the next hot, new trend? I sure hope so, but then again, I'm just crazy like that.
Justin Kaehler thrasher@superstreetonline.com
FORMULA D SHOOTS ITS WAD
To celebrate the end of the 2007, the drivers and staff of Formula Drift all got together for a good old-fashioned round of paintball. Ahh... there's nothing quite like shooting your buddy in the balls to relieve the stress that only a full season of competition can bring.
Tetsu's Tales
KA24DE: it is very famous motor but it is not popular. I think most of the 240SX owners want to drop KA24DE motor and swap JDM SR20DET motor or many 240SX owners swapped SR20DET motor already so there are many KA24DE motor at the junk yard now. Is KA24DE bad motor? I think many people say that KA24DE is truck motor. Let me tell you the stories about KA24DE motor. In `97, Nissan built the prototype car for developing new Z car after Z32 in '96 (new Z means 350Z). This prototype car was customized from US spec 240SX and this car had KA24DE motor, but it was not stock KA24DE motor. Nissan's engineer tuned KA24DE which was making 180ps and it was normal aspirated motor. The estimation of the prototype car was very good but some American people who drove the prototype car said Z's motor should be six-cylinder and is the reason why Nissan developed VQ35 motor for 350Z after that. Some of Nissan's important people, some American people and Mr. K (Mr. Katayama who is the father of Z car) drove the prototype car and they liked it very much. Nissan 350Z would have customized KA24 motor if American people didn't think that Z's motor should be six-cylinder. I think this story means 240SX with customized KA24DE motor is nice sport car. Do you remember Yashio Factory pink 240SX on the past issue of Super Street magazine? Yashio's 240SX had SR20DET motor but Okamura-san said "KA24DE has much torque. I would tune KA24 motor but I had no time to make any parts to make KA motor work with sequential transmission." You don't like KA24DE yet? I think KA24DE is high potential motor. If you had the time, reconsider before you drop your KA24DE motor if you liked much torque. Stock KA24DE motor's torque (21.2kgm/3600rpm) is better than stock SR20DE (not DET!) motor's torque (19.6kgm/4800rpm).