Squad Goals

Choose your weapon.

JDMphasis... Innovation over Imitation

Brotherhood.

Garage Mak fire!

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Garage Mak R35

How about a few shots of the Garage Mak R35?

And here is one with the beautifully aggressive Garage Mak Z33…

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Still. Want. Amuse S2000.

I have always had a thing for the S2000. Years later, I would still love to own one and outfit it with Amuse's aggressive aero…

Those tips!

I love this shot of these two Amuse projects...

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Squad Goals.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Hooray! MCR Replica Hood! Finally!

Arguably the most popular hood design for the Z33 platform perfected by Matchless Crowd Racing (MCR) has been ripped off by a company in Thailand. Corner-cutters rejoice. 

"Ballers won't be happy" is a statement I noticed in a forum post announcing this discovery. I would suggest that denouncing this product has very little to do with being a "baller." There is a difference between taking a certain pride in your project by supporting authenticity, originality, and innovation and then just cutting corners and faking the funk.

Tell me how great the fitment is. Tell me how the MCR product is not available in carbon fiber making this acceptable. Tell me that replica companies are good because they bring more options to the market for Z enthusiasts. Tell me how the wait times for the real thing are too tedious to bear. Tell me that people who dislike knock-off and replica parts are just haters who like spending money unnecessarily. I. Do. Not. Care. It is irrelevant. The design is stolen. The work and effort that has gone into the original has been undermined. Intellectual property theft is a real thing. The ultimate goal for these parasitic companies is not to be the savior to the aftermarket tuning community. It is to put money into their pockets. Easy money. Money made from a product they have not researched, created, or designed. Refuse to buy fake parts. Be the Funk. Don't Fake It.

Oh, and it appears as though there may be fake Garage Mak aero, as well… Delightful.

Take Pride in Your Ride.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Life Goals

Dream Big.

The perfect little Nissan stable.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

I cannot wait to see fake widebody Z33s all over the place...

/SARCASM.

Please do not support these parasites attempting to cash in on a proven Japanese design. If you are debating the purchase of a fake Rocket Bunny kit for your Z33, I urge you to resist that urge and save your money for a bit longer. It is worth it in the end, I promise. Take pride in your ride. Buy Real.

And… The LEGIT version.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Rant.

I apologize that I do not have a better title for this post.

Replica parts ruin a car for me. Yes, ruin it. Despite what many say, I am allowed to have that opinion. Then I know there are people who actually do not run replica parts on their own vehicles, but say that they can still respect a build that has been constructed using replica parts. I am not one of those people. Please do not announce how proud of your project vehicle you are and then cut corners. It is contradictory and hypocritical.

I saw a Z33 on the road today with aero components that seem to be becoming more and more popular and I have no idea why. I suppose it is what sparked this post. I actually remember making a blog post about a Z donning this aero back in 2012. Amuse Vestito Z34 replica parts for the Z33. Why is this desirable? Am I the only one who thinks this looks cheap? Not just "looks" cheap. It IS cheap. It is a known Z34 aero component that has been ripped off by fly-by-night aero companies looking to make a buck and butchered onto a different platform. And people actually WANT this look? Why? What is the appeal to sporting a part that you know was originally made for another vehicle and then copied by a parasitic replica company so it could be used on a different vehicle just to make that company even more money? Even if it looked good, why?

Here is another shot of this comical example of irony… Eat, Sleep, not JDM. At all.

Fake wheels, fake aero… [Face Palm]

There are a number of hack replica companies that have stolen this design…

I guess I just do not understand it...


Then there is the REAL deal.

Amuse Vestito Z34

Is this cool, too? Ugh.

Be the Funk. Don't Fake it.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Amusing Photography...

My affinity for the parts of the Japanese Domestic Market is not based on a personal assessment of performance superiority. It is about design, quality, and attention to detail. Likely my biggest obsession of the industry, Power House Amuse is quite possibly the superlative of JDM parts. Hardly boring or run-of-the-mill, the products that come out of their facility in Chiba are not simply functional components to be admired momentarily pre-installation only to be forsaken shortly after brusque acknowledgment of any performance benefit or gain. Every Amuse part contains an all-too-real element of genuine automotive artistry.

It's all about the details…

If I decide to put a front plate on the Z33, I NEED one of these!

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: Aero is Stateside!

I received this e-mail from Bulletproof earlier today…

Getting there! I am doing my best to remain patient. Stay tuned...

JDMphasis... Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: This Color!

As I have blogged in the past, once my aero arrives from Japan (It will be 6 months in less than two weeks!), the plan is to wrap the car in a matte blue finish. I really like the factory Daytona Blue of Nissan, so I do not want to stray too far from that, but I do want to do a matte finish. Plus, keeping the color a similar blue to factory will not make the door jambs, sills, and engine bay look too awkward or 'unfinished.'

I have been searching the web for good examples of the blue that I want and have found the following pictures. Some of these pictures are not the best quality and, in others, the lighting seems a bit off, but I think this shade and finish is the basic idea of what I would like to do. I am looking forward to this part of the project.

Sharp S2K with some Voltex aero and TE37SL rollers...

 This appears to be a bit too teal for my taste, but I am not sure if that is just the light...

A closer look at a matte blue finish on an Audi… I really like this.

I love this beast!

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

I'm truly not trying to be a hater here, but… WHY?!?

I love the Nismo Z33. It is a beautiful, coveted sports car. On top of that, though it is not a wildly valuable antique collector's item, it is still relatively rare and, well, just... special. It is nice to be able to say you own a Nismo Edition Z33. For those who appreciate Nissan heritage and the Z-car lure, it is certainly worthy of a framed Nismo 350Z serial number certificate.

I am sure this Nismo Z owner is a great guy, but if one values his Z enough to frame the Nismo certificate, why put fake wheels on it? Why?

I know all the arguments and justifications for buying fake parts - I have heard them all, but this kills this car for me. This is a beautiful Z and it is sitting on a set of fake wheels. Clearly, the Work Meister is a wheel that appeals to the owner of this Z, so why not pinch pennies for just a while longer and buy the real thing? Of course we cannot tell people how, or on what, to spend their money, but we can most certainly encourage enthusiasts to resist the urge to cut corners by supporting replica and knock-off companies. We can encourage the support of authenticity. Take pride in your ride. Buy REAL.

Be the funk. Don't fake it. 

 JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Anddd… Here we have our latest leeching bottom feeder.

It was only a matter of time, right?

I recently came across a link to yet another [ironically] not-so-creatively-named website vending replica aero components. This time the Rocket Bunny Z33 aero of Kei Miura has been ripped off. This company slings their fake goods via a website so cleverly named 'carbon fiber hoods [DOT] com.' Just throw a set of spaced-out XXR or Rota wheels on your Z with this kit and, no doubt, social media will be abuzz in no time… [Shakes head disapprovingly.]

If you are passionate about your project, do not cut corners. If you are passionate about your project, support the true innovators of the industry; not their underminers. If you are passionate about your project, save your money for a bit longer and buy authentic.

Take pride in your ride. Buy REAL.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation