Way off topic but I want to share a little love for my favorite book of all time. Part 1 of the Atlas Shrugged movie premiering April 15th, 2011. Visit the Official Atlas Shrugged Movie Web Site!... Read more

The forums have come under several spam attacks recently so it's time to run a few updates on the site. These updates will focus on bringing phpBB up to date and switching over to a more sophisticated captcha. But if you happened to notice one of these attacks on the forums, I can assure you Driftopia has NOT partnered with an erectile dysfunction advertising campaign. In the meantime, I've switched to manually verifying new users before they can post to prevent new attacks from happening.... Read more

Introduction After installing the Speed Source shifter bushings it is time to tackle the other end of the shifter mechanism. Namely, the rubber bushings at the end of the shifter cables. By replacing the rubber cable ends with solid bushings, the shift mechanism is made that much more precise. Also, unlike the rubber bushings, these solid bushing will not wear out and deteriorate overtime. Tools needle nose pliers Procedure This is a very easy modification that will take around... Read more

Introduction What Speed Source offers with their solid aluminum shifter bushings is nothing short of amazing when you realize just how profoundly these bushings alter the feel of the Spyder. By replacing the factory rubber bushings with solid aluminum units, the Speed Source bushings banish the spongy, lacking feel of the factory shifter. The shifter now exhibits the urgent, mechanical feel it was meant for. Tools short or angled philips head screwdriver 12mm socket with... Read more

Introduction Let's start with semantics. With the mid-engined, transversely mounted Spyder, you basically have a fwd Corolla engine sitting behind the passenger compartment driving the rear wheels. This means the transmission and differential are part of the same unit and sit in the same housing together. So changing the transmission fluid in the Spyder is the same as changing the differential fluid. Interval and Oils The manual recommends changing the transmission fluid every (x) miles.... Read more

After another long hiatus (sorry guys) Driftopia is coming back online with regular updates. I'm going to begin an update of our hosting services in the morning so we can all enjoy the latest technology that web 3.0 has to offer (:rolleyes) But really just to fix a few bugs the site has been experiencing. In the meantime, here is a nice teaser pic of the new project car, a 2006 Lotus... Read more

Welcome to the chassis build of project 240sx. The following photos document the complete gutting and restoration of project 240sx to include roll cage installatio0n as well as painting of the inside, outside and underside of the chassis. Simply scroll down to view the images or jump straight to the Gallery. Prep The bare s13 chassis sitting on the garage floor. In order to separate the sheet metal, the spot welds must be drilled out. After drilling, the panels begin to... Read more

Related Links MR2 Spyder Power Steering Removal (Part 1: Try Before You Buy) MR2 Spyder Power Steering Removal (Part 2: The Vented Surge Box) MR2 Spyder Power Steering Removal (Part 3: Disabling the P/S Warning Light) MR2 Spyder Power Steering Removal (Part 4: Summary and Final Install) MR2 Spyder Power Steering Removal (Appendix: Alternate Install) Part 1: Summary Introduction This is the final iteration of the MR2 Spyder power steering removal series. In this part I want to... Read more

Related Links CA18DET Inline Oil Cooler (UK Factory Oil Cooler) This is a follow up post to the original (CA18DET Inline Oil Cooler (UK Factory Oil Cooler)) guide which describes how to install a US market (UK style) oil cooler onto the CA18DET. Filling in the Blanks As promised, I traveled back to the salvage yard to get the VIN number from the car and as luck would have it, it was gone. Fortunately, after a brief search, I spotted another Nissan Maxima of the same year that... Read more

The ScanGaugeII is a small automotive computer that interfaces with the OBDII port of the MR2 Spyder.  It contains a small LCD screen that can be used to display the motor's factory sensors in realtime.  Although the ScanGaugeII is a multipurpose device that can display a wide variety of values ranging from MPG to cost per mile most enthusiasts will use this gauge to measure up to four factory gauge parameters at one time.  In my case, i am using the ScanGaugeII to simultaneously measure... Read more