Cars of Bendix - April 2017

Chilly weather, but chilled vibes were had at the April EOMM 2017. There was an awesome mix of different car cultures this month, from lowriders to modern muscle cars, drift spec Nissans to clean restored vintage Toyotas, all the way to track ready MX5s and Euro hot hatches. We were determined to showcase a slice of them all this month, so get ready for not five, not eight, but TEN Cars of Bendix for April!

One of the highlights of the month was spotting this classic Chevrolet Impala, equipped with airbags, all shined up and pumping classic rap music. It felt it just arrived from Compton, with old school beats from Dr. Dre and Warren G blasting from the stereo. The owner Luke bought this interesting vehicle as a toy, and other than upgrading the sound system and having period correct wheels, he’s left the car as is. We could see why; no need to mess with perfection!

The Renault Clio RS is a heavily underrated car. Featuring an atmo 2L engine that punches out 197hp, Ismail’s little French hot hatch features all the best bits from its facelift model, the RS 200. Recaro bucket seats and a functional rear diffuser makes it look the part, while the lowered stance and aftermarket rims further sharpen its cornering ability. Peek between the spokes and you’ll spot the factory Brembo brakes; massive for a car of its size.

The first thing you notice about Brandon’s Mazda Eunos Roadster (a.k.a. MX-5) is the fantastic LED headlights conversion. Plucked straight from the Jeep Wrangler’s aftermarket catalogue, it plopped straight into the Roadster’s flip up recesses. The Lamborghini grey paint gives it a stealthy look, making the 15x8 wide 949 Racing 6ULs pop. Inside you’ll find a retro Revlimiter.net instrument cluster, and Mazdaspeed Type F bucket seats. Mazdaspeed 4-2-1 headers and a 2.5in full catback exhaust provides the soundtrack for top down driving.

Dave’s Celica rocks the 70s old school muscle car look incredibly well. With the funky Cosmo purple paint, the subtle black graphics, and matt black wide flares, the RA23 Celica was visually stunning. Sitting on Insanely deep dished Longchamps XR4s, it looks ready to cruise the Wangan in search of highway battles. The Celica has the firepower to back it up too, its feisty four pot 18R engine swapped out for a twin turbo 1G-GTE 2L straight six from a Supra GA70. Despite the intensive work, Dave says the car has never been off the road for longer than two months, as he simply loves driving it too much.

Steven’s VIP styled Lexus CT200h shocked us to the core when we saw it, lying flat on the ground with Rotiform CCVs at each corner. The flawless OEM paint has been buffed to a shine, looking like liquid candy red under the lights. Subtle details like snakeskin vinyl wrap on the outside pillar trims and interior bits adds more character to the build. Allowing the CT200h to travel sensibly is Airlift’s air suspension, so it can be raised or dropped at a touch of a button. Finally the cherry on top is the hydrodipped engine cover panels in tasteful woodgrain.

Not only did it looked clean (114,000kms, original paint), Justin’s VH Commodore featured a Nissan surprise under the bonnet. A gleaming, rebuilt RB25DET resides between the strut tops, breathing heavily through a GTX3076 turbocharger. The only clue it had something special was that a rather incongruous intercooler was hanging out the front of the VH. Making about 250kWs on the dyno before the clutch started slipping, Justin was confident that it will make 350rwkW once the tune is finished. He’s also building an RB30 engine block on the side, because you can’t have too much horsepower in a Commodore.

The Civic FD was the chassis that Honda engineers finally got it right. Back in the 1980s and 90s, the Civic and Integra were brilliant to drive despite their econobox beginnings, thanks to the F1-inspired double wishbone suspension design. After moving to the more economical MacPhearson struts, the new Civics lost that edge, until the FD generation came along. The sharp handling was back, and the increased chassis stiffness meant that it could absorb harsh potholes and ruts without jarring the occupants. Jamie’s Civic pays homage to the FD2R, the Japan-only Civic Type R that is considered to be one of the best front wheel drive cars that no one could buy.

Corey’s S14 looked exactly like what we imagined a Top Secret Silvia to look like; champagne gold, Vertex body kit, dumped on wide Work Meister S1s with massive eight piston front brake calipers hiding behind the wheels. Under the bonnet, the SR20DET didn’t disappoint either. After a catastrophic oil pump failure, it’s been repaired with a billet crankshaft, forged rods and pistons, it makes 310rwkW on pump fuel, thanks to a GT3076R turbocharger. The SR20DET gearbox has insides rebuilt with billet gears to hold the power. A pair of Bride recliners hold the driver and passenger comfortably and securely, with a rocking sound system for great daily duties. Yes, Corey drives this beast to and from work!

Never had such a square shape ooze sex appeal. This white E30 sports some ridiculous fitting wheels, courtesy of Watercooled Industries, and zero wheel gap thanks to Air Lift suspension. It’s not just the wheels though, the chunky MTech body kit adds Teutonic muscles to the boxy shape. HELLA high beam covers gives the front end a certain aggression, and suggestions to a potent inline six engine under the bonnet.

An insanely clean example of the last Mazda RX-7. Impossibly lowered on Work Meister SP3s in Super Black Coat (SBC), its smooth, ageless curves have been accentuated with a subtle rear duckbill, OEM rear pods, front lip, side-skirts and extensions, Ganador mirrors and a rear diffuser. Details such as reflector and rear wiper delete, adds to the velvety bodywork. It’s the little details that most people miss, yet when added up becomes more than a sum of its parts.

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