Project H-Pattern has finally arrived home after a long stay at Precision Chassis! I am happy to have my car back and ready to start taking the next steps to try and get this car ready for World Cup. There is a lot to do yet, so I am nervous, but that is goal #1 -- have this car World Cup READY.

The car was actually finished about 10 days ago, but I had asked Doug @ Precision Chassis if he knew anyone that could help with getting the rear fenders widened to allow the car to fit the 10.5W tire. That was the major piece of body work that needed done, and I was having trouble finding anyone locally to me.

On my last car, the previous owner Darin had the fenders pulled out to gain tire clearance, which made a big difference with allowing a "big tire" to fit. So, on this car, I knew I wanted the same setup, but maybe even taken even a little bit further.

On the stock rear fender their is a 2" flat lip body line that runs around the fender. This has been removed and instead the curve of the body follows out to the tip of the fender arch. To someone who is not really familiar with these cars it would go unnoticed. That is what I wanted, subtle and clean. One of Doug's acquaintances did this body work... I only know him as "Brooke" but DAMN did he do a killer job on these rear fenders. And not only that, but he fixed up the nastiness on the drivers rear quarter as well.

Here is a before pic of the rear fenders/quarters. They were rough!!

So not only did Brooke widen the rear fender arches, but he also finished filling the gas lid, and fixing all the ugliness in these rear quarter panels. He did an amazing job! Here is the final product.

That is a 15x10.5W tire on there, as you can see... lots of clearance!

It is very subtle, yet probably adds almost 1/2" of tire clearance.

Passenger Side

So, along with the external body modifications to the rear fenders, the inner fenders were also adjusted accordingly. The sheetmetal work that Doug & his team did at Precision is just amazing. The welds on this car are "weldporn" quality EVERYWHERE, and the tube work and metal work is all just one large piece of art.

Here are the rear inner fender mods.

The attention to detail is unbelievable. Check out the rear bumper mounting/support structure.

So, what is next? Turbo setup and paint.

Stay tuned for more updates! 

It's not a suprise to me that people are really like this product. I have sold quite a few of these now, and people are starting to notice. I have been running the tilton hydraulic bearings for about 8 years now, and I love the quality of these units. They do make a bearing that is specific to their clutches, but they do not make a "universal" bearing for the Getrag V160/V161 transmission. That is where I come in, I machine one of the other universal bearing mounts down to fit the V160 perfectly. 

I can set this bearing up for almost any PUSH style clutch. All I need from you is the diameter of the hole in the center of your clutch/pressure plate finger area. That way I can provide you with the proper face bearing.

If you are running an OS GIKEN clutch with the alteration kit, prepare to be amazed. These bearings are a night and day difference from that kit, and provide a stock like pedal feel, whereas all of the alteration kits I have driven felt like an on-off switch with very little window of travel at the engagement point.

BUY IT HERE

Check out what my customers are saying:

And I just did a new video showing how to easily measure, and setup air gap with this bearing setup. I have already done a few other videos on this topic, but those were on T56Magnums, where the bellhousing is removable. This is showing how to do it with a bellhousing that is permanently attached to the transmission. 

Let me know if you have any questions. Here is the video of the OS Giken install plus air gap tech.

I decided to make a video on how to modify a set of MKIV Supra 2JZ-GTE valve covers for use with a catch can since I really didn't see any other videos out there on this topic.

The GTE valve covers have permanently attached baffles. The hardware used from the factory is rivets, so the baffles are much more difficult to remove than the 1JZ and 2JZ-GE valve covers which come with bolts from the factory... but this can easily be changed to a more serviceable setup by drilling out the rivets and drilling and tapping thread into the covers. This is the cleanest way to do it, and make the covers serviceable in the future as well.

In this video I show how to remove the baffles, weld on AN fittings, drill and tap the covers for bolts, and clean up after you get them back from powder-coating as these will have to be sandblasted also... so you need to make sure to remove all that sand and sand residue.

Now offering this as a product/service if you want to send in your covers:

Catch-Can Ready 2JZ-GTE Valve Covers

Hope you find this useful... and please don't forget to subscribe to my channel for more tech vids.

I put together a comprehensive youtube video outlining the differences between the three most desirable Ford 8.8" IRS differential cases along with the assembly and install process of one of my Subaru BRZ / Scion FRS / Lexus IS300 Ford 8.8 Conversion kits.

The three cases I cover in the video are the 2007-2010 Explorer aluminum case, the 1989-1997 Ford Thunderbird Iron case, and the 1999-2004 Mustang Cobra case which can also be found in the 1993-1997 Lincoln Mark 8 VIII. I keep quite a bit of cores on hand, as my 8.8 kits are starting to become quite popular. 

The install covers everything from setting up the load bolts, proper gear oil/fluid, installing the girdle/cage setup, bolting on the front mount, installing the Driveshaft Shop billet 8.8 stubs, and then the simple process of putting it all in the car once it is assembled.

These 8.8 kits are available for the BRZ - FRS, the Lexus IS300 - IS200 -Altezza, as well as the MKIV Toyota Supra / Lexus SC300. The install process is the same other than the Supra uses a more simple "straight bar" front mount assembly.

So without further talk, here is the youtube video. ALSO! Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. 

I will be doing more and more of these "tech" style videos in the future. Next on my "tech video" agenda is a comparison between LS/Fbody T56's, the TR6060, and the T56 Magnum. It will be a good one, so please subscribe for updates! I also will be posting video of the new car and racing videos this coming season. 

So, I have been super busy developing two new offerings in the Ford IRS 8.8" lineup. In addition to the MKIV Supra 8.8" kit I am now offering kits for the Lexus IS300 (altezza/is200) as well as the Toyota GT86 (Subaru BRZ / Scion FRS).

These kits require no welding, and bolt right in to replace the factory rear setup. The 8.8 swap kits include a front mount, rear cage/girdle, aluminum cover with integrated load bolts, DSS Level 5 axles, and billet 31 spline 8.8 stubs. These are available as complete kit with a completely rebuilt 8.8 rear end built by me, or you can build one yourself from a junkyard core. All of my built rears come with gear ratio of choice, along with a truetrac LSD, and are setup for high horsepower applications in mind.

One of the advantages to the Grannas Racing kit design is the fact that the rear cage allows you to easily setup the load bolts for the bearing main caps. One of the weak points in the 8.8 is that on hard acceleration/launch the bearing housing can egg-shape which will cause failure of the bearing. The load bolts support the rear caps and keep this from happening. Not only does that add reliability and strength, but the cage design actually acts as a girdle for the entire 8.8 case/pumpkin and adds quite a bit of strength over a standard 8.8 rear setup. The rear cage and front mount also come with a lifetime warranty! I am confident they will hold whatever you throw at them!

The Ford 8.8 is widely used and regarded as a great bang for your buck rear end. It has many many gear options available, which makes it not only very affordable, but also very flexible for racing use! 

These kits work with the smaller 8.8 IRS case, which can be found in the Terminator mustang cobras, the 93-97 Lincoln Mark VIII, and the 89-97 Ford Thunderbird (IRON CASE).  I chose this case because they are smaller and will fit in the tight subframe of the IS300/BRZ/FRS! These junkyard rear diffs can be found at your local junkyard for $100-250.

Here are some pictures of the IS300 Kit:

More pics of the IS300 kit are on the product page which show th

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Here are some pictures of the GT86 / BRZ / FRS kit:

More pictures and info are available on the GT86 Ford 8.8 swap kit product page.

The IS300 and the BRZ / FRS share the same OEM rear differential, so these kits are very similar. The only differences are the axle lengths, and the subframe on the GT86 does require some minor trimming for the rear cage mount to fit properly. This is a 5 minute modification and does not cause any negative effects to chassis/suspension rigidity.

How-To video of install coming soon! Any questions contact me here

Not to get all political on you guys, but when I keep hearing about recent gun control arguments here in the USA and I hear people say "no one needs a gun like that"... I keep thinking to myself, what if people started saying "no one needs a car that fast". That is a VERY scary thought. We all love our fast cars!

We car enthusiasts are the minority, and it might be hard to NOT think like a car guy... Most people don't think like us, they only buy a car to get them to and from work, or to haul around their kids. It's a tool for most people, where gear-heads cars are a way of life. We are always thinking how we can make them look better, or go faster. Our cars can become an extension of ourselves, almost a religion.

So, what if the minority of abusers could ruin in for the rest of us? A few criminals are causing the majority of law-abiding people owners to lose their guns, what if street racers or other street shenanigans like drifting could get our cars banned from the streets. Street racing is a problem, and does cause a small amount of deaths each year, but overall it is a very very tiny percentage. However, it is not all that far fetched to think that these deaths could lead to legislation.

The AR-15 that is all over the news causes a tiny percentage of overall gun deaths... So, if you take that same thinking and apply it to cars, it could be a big problem for us one day. In fact we have already seen the government try to take away our race cars. In 2016, the EPA trying to introduce legislation that would make it illegal for anyone to turn a road legal street car into a race vehicle. You can read about that here.

Let's just hope nothing like this ever happens, but it's something to keep in mind.

So, I often get asked "Can i use the stock 6speed diff with your GR700 6-speed swap kit"... and I politely say no, you can not. But why not? Well, the 3.13 or even the 3.25 JDM gear that you can run in the 6speed supra diff (220mm) is crazy tall or crazy long depending on how you like to say it.

If you were running at 2500RPM in 6th gear with the close ratio magnum and the 3.13 6speed diff, you'd be going 100 MPH!!! That's a little higher than most people want their "cruising gear"!!! And the wide ratio magnum is even worse! That is why I sell 99.9% of the close ratio transmissions, and always recommend the close ratio.

So, what is the best option as far as a rear diff and gear? There are a few options, and it really depends on what you are planning on doing with the car.

OPTION 1 - Toyota 200MM Differential
The 200mm differential can be found in the Non-turbo MKIV Supra, Lexus GS300, and MKIV Twinturbo automatic. There are 3 ratios commonly found. The Auto TT is 3.769, the NA auto is 4.28, and the NA manual is 4.08. The 200mm is actually stronger than a lot of people think. I have a customer in Texas making over 1000WHP and he has put over 10,000 miles on his car with a stock TT auto diff (stock LSD - 200mm 3.769 gear). However, he might be a little lucky, and he only roll races. So, I do highly recommend reinforcing it by putting in a good LSD, like a OS GIKEN or Kaaz. These will get rid of the one-wheel-peel if you have an open diff and help keep the differential alive at higher HP levels. You'll also need the NA or TT Auto axles. If you are looking to drag race, I would highly recommend a slipper valve to keep the 200mm from turning to dust on a clutch drop! And don't forget to pray for those stock NA axles. More info on all Toyota differentials

OPTION 2 - Ford 8.8" Swap
The 8.8 swap kit is another option. It's a domestic rear end, parts are cheap. The LSD's are 1/3 the price of the JDM diffs, the ring and pinions are $150-200. You can basically have a fully built 8.8 pumpkin for around $800-900 bucks depending on what parts you go with. Another bonus is with the 8.8" kit you'll be forced to get stronger axles, which is not really a bad thing. And if your racing the car... well, they are gonna be needed, especially in a 6speed car. The Ford 8.8 kit seems like the best bang for the buck for the street/strip, and weekend warrior cars and those that like to have not only reliable parts, but also low cost maintenance.

OPTION 3 - Ford 9" Swap
Mr. Indestructable... the Ford 9". Set it and forget it. No more worries at the track, these beefy rears will hold up to the worst of abuse. I run one of these in my 6speed drag car and making around 2000HP, trap 195mph, and the rear just plain takes the abuse. I personally favor the Driveshaft Shop 9" conversion because they are the OG's of that swap. Again, parts are relatively cheap, and also lots of aftermarket parts are available... like Pro Gears, and spools, and anything else a drag car would want to run. I get asked if these things change the driveability, and the answer is no, if you put a wavetrac diff and a common gear in it, it will act and sound the same as a stock diff.

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SO... with all that said, what is the best option?

Well... It really depends on what you are looking to do. If it's just gonna be a street car, go 200mm. Street/Strip and not making obnoxious power (less than 1000) I say go 8.8". If your making more than 1000HP and planning on running in the quarter a decent amount, just pony up and get the DSS 9" kit. It really is one of the best things I have ever done to my Supra.

So... with all that said, what is the best gear? 

Well... The ratio to make the car overall gearing pretty much identical to the v160 is around 4.10. So that would be the best OEM gear to keep your car similar to a factory 6speed Supra. Personally, I like more aggressive "shorter" gearing for street cars. I run a 8.8” with 4.30 gear in my 2J-FD and it is a killer street setup with 700whp.


I might be hurting my 8.8” kit sales by saying this about the 200mm but not really, as the 8.8 probably is a better deal because building entire diff with aftermarket gear is cheaper than even a 200mm pumpkin with OS giken or Kaaz. For the drag and weekend racers the 8.8” or DSS 9” is the way to go for sure. Parts are cheap if/when anything breaks!

Attached is comparison chart I did showing overall gearing vs V160 + 3.13

So, here you can see the 4.10 is the closest match to a V160 + 3.13 (factory USDM 6speed supra overall). I have been saying this for 2 years now, but sometimes you just have to reiterate it. 4.10 4.10 4.10 !!!!! 

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Got questions? I am here to help. Let me get your driveline sorted... I kind of specialize in it. Not only that, but I am direct with all the big names in the business, so not only am I going to give you the best tech advice, but I can help you with the best pricing as well. Let me know what your working on, and I can help with recommendations! My contact form is here, or 866-GO-MANUAL (866-466-2682)

Continuing my development for anything Supra driveline related, I bring you some new products for the V160 crowd. I know everyone thinks I have abandoned ship on the V160 guys but that is not the case. I still do work for customers who run the V160, and auto to V160 swaps. But this product was inspired through experience doing the T56 magnum swaps.

If you have a V160 car and a multiplate clutch like an OS Giken, and you hate how it engages, it might not be the clutches fault... but more the hydraulic release system and how it effects the clutches engagement. I have done many of these OS Giken clutches and they behave totally different when used with a hydraulic bearing versus using a push-pull kit (movement alteration) style setup.

From doing many of the GR700 T56 Magnum supra kits, and using this bearing on a ton of the swaps I found out how amazing this bearing really is. Unfortunately, this was only available for the T56 setups, and all my V160 customers still had no tilton based adjustable hydraulic release bearing option. So, from using these bearings on all my GR-series transmissions and loving how they work, I decided it was time to modify one to work on the V160 transmission.

The machine work and drilling modifications are relatively simple. Because it is not super involved, I am only charging $70 on top of the base price of the bearing. I do not like "Supra Tax" and I like to keep my pricing affordable. The standard bearing kit from Tilton is normally $450, and I am charging $520 for it with the V160 modifications.

These will be available a stand alone kit, as well as part of my OS Giken clutch kits.

I also recommend a clutch line kit, and the Tilton clutch master cylinder adapter kit, as these bearings do tend to like more fluid volume. The stock masters normally just can't push enough volume, especially 20 year old tired masters.

You can see this new bearing, and how to set it up for your V160 in the video below.

Did you know I am direct with Driveshaft Shop, OS Giken, Clutchmasters, Tilton, and many other vendors. I can get you the best pricing on anything driveline related, and back that up with the best customer support out there. I am not only the sales guy, but also the tech guy... So I not only know the best product for your application, but also can back it up with knowledge and service after the sale.