So after experiencing an FRS first hand, I'll admit it is a great car. But it wasn't the extraordinary or revolutionary car I thought it would be. It had heart and it had soul, but it missed the spirit you'd get from a Type R everyday of the week. So what would be better than the current BRZ/FRS? Well the chances of Toyota dropping a hot version FRS are pretty slim, but the BRZ STI has been a rumor since before the base model was even released. Now I know what you guys want.........better suspension, brembo brakes, and a turbo. That would make everyone's day! The more I think of this "perfect" BRZ I'm just not seeing a turbo or brembos jumping aboard. In my personal opinion the WRX STI is still Subaru's flagship car, and giving the BRZ all its go fast bits, puts it a bit too close to its big brother, even though they are totally different cars. 
    If I had to build a BRZ STI it would be simple. More power, upgraded suspension, lighter weight, and more aero. I know this has been done by many lately, but on a much smaller level. Lately when you see an "R" model or performance version in general, they throw on some big wheels, summer tires, slightly better spring rates, bigger sways, LSD, and a handful of cosmetic changes. Now when you hear all this you think its the best thing since sliced bread. Sadly these modifications are often minor and not worth the extra cash on the sticker price. More "bling" than "zing"
    Lets talk about power. I know you power hungry guys aren't going to be happy without a turbo. So if a turbo is the only option for you, skip over this part. The FRS/BRZ makes 200hp out the box, roughly 160whp. If that number could be bumped to 200whp, that would be nearly perfect to power the light weight FRS. Upgrade to a lighter flywheel to increase throttle response and a higher final drive to get the car off the line faster. The transmission is great as it is. A short shifter would only be bonus points and the car is already equipped with a LSD.
    On to the suspension. Given that I have not had any extensive seat time in the BRZ/FRS I cant give too much of an opinion on how I would upgrade the suspension, but sways would surely need to be changed. Upgraded springs and dampers with a slightly lower stance would be ideal, a bit too much dive in stock form for me. The wheels and tires would be the largest improvement to the suspension. Wider wheels and sticky summer tires would make a huge improvement in keeping the light weight car planted. The brakes a quite sufficient on the stock BRZ/FRS, some simple ducting to keep them cool would be adequate. 
    Now the weight. There isn't much to a BRZ/FRS to begin with so taking away weight won't be easy, but there are a few things that could lose some weight. Lighter wheels, ditching the useless backseat, remove cruise control, roll up windows, carbon roof, and the lack of spare tire and tools would all be beneficial. Optional radio and A/C packages should also be available.
   As far as aero a more aggressive front and rear lip should do the trick. Nothing crazy like the typical STI wing, just simple clean and functional. Remember this is a $30k car, so you cant expect a company to spend millions on superior aero equipment. 
    This would be my ideal BRZ STI and in all reality it isnt much to ask for. The aftermarket is there to support near 200whp NA, suspension work they probably already have on the SPT self, and removing weight......well 2004 STI BBS bolt right up. It wouldn't take much to really make this car a reality. The 04 STI didn't even come with a radio. Miatas up until recently have always been optioned with or without power steering or A/C. The BRZ/FRS brings back a different car to the market. Hopefully something like this is put into production, or atleast on the drawing board. I've been waiting for a car to return with heart ,soul  instead of trying to force tons of power into something to satisfy the public. So thats my ideal BRZ STI, whats yours?
    

    Well first off, yes..I know I'm late haha. The new vette has been all over the web, all over facebook,  and in everyone's email. Its safe to say the 2014 vette is to 2013 as the 2013 FRS was to 2012. On that note...the stingray is back!!! I'm sure when you first saw the new vette you thought GTR. Then you asked yourself, where are the round tail lights? Then maybe you thought, what is going on with all these crazy lines? Well these were my thoughts exactly when pictures were finally released. Oddly enough the more I see this "all new" vette, it grows on me. The camaro like tail lights will take some getting used to and the GTR roof line is a bit strange, but the rest of the car is strictly corvette. I haven't quite fell in love with all the vents, but unlike most street cars, the vents are functional. 

    Interior has never been the Corvettes strong point. In fact its always been a very very weak point when compared to its competitors. The new interior looks much improved but unfortunately after reading some reviews its more or less a better typical vette interior. The interior may be typical but fortunately GM will be offering seat options with much more aggressive bolstering. NO MORE LAZY BOYS! I do like the new look and design of the interior. The shifter looks to be placed right, controls are directed towards the driver, and the cluster is quite appealing to the eye. The steering wheel doesn't shoot fire works but its ok. I would have preferred to see a more motorsports inspired wheel. 

    The 2014 vette sports an all new 6.2L LT1, boasting 450hp and 450ft lb. With the introduction of direct fuel injection and Active Fuel Management the new LT1 enables the 2014 vette to be the most fuel efficient Corvette ever at an estimated 26mpg hwy! Guess you won't need that civic for a daily anymore. GM has also incorporated VVT into the new LT1 for greater performance and greater fuel efficiency. The LT1 has a very advanced combustion system, 6 million hours worth of analysis to be exact. The new combustion system features a new cylinder head design, and all new sculpted pistons to achieve its 11.5:1 compression ratio. In short, this is one of the most advanced v8s ever. The new LT1 will be mated to either a 7 speed manual..........yes you read correct, 7, or a 6 speed auto that rev matches on up shifts as well as down shifts with paddle shifters.

    The suspension for the C7 hasn't changed much, but weight has been removed and strategically placed to achieve its 50/50 weight distribution. Leaf springs will move on to the C7 vette, but even more surprising is the narrower track of the C7. Front and rear wheels of the C7 are narrower than the outgoing C6. With better weight distribution and lower rotational mass this should actually improve steering response. 

    The all new C7 Corvette, which now carries the Stingray name, will surely stir up some pots with its styling, especially its rear tail lights. Either way it will be a hit. I mean come on, its still a "Covette" as southerners say. With that said, its more efficient, with better weight distribution, and faster, it will be a much better vette than the outgoing C6. I guess we will find out once some actual real world tests are performed. Until then.....C7 or Viper?

    Well its a new year and for most of ya its about time for new rubber, or way past time for new rubber. Well the line up hasn't changed too much for 2013. Hankook is still offering the RS-3 and the V12 Evo. Falken is still pushing the ancient 615k, and the Kumho XS still reigns king of Kumhos tire line up.  What has changed are the two champs of the ultra high performance street tire category, Bridgestone and Dunlop.

Bridgestone and Dunlop have been offering two of the best street tires money can buy. Both the RE-11 and Dunlop Star Spec offer exceptional dry traction, steering response and wet performance, all the while providing decent tire life. So can it get any better? I guess there is always room for improvement. Dunlop has offered little information about its Direzza 2 which is to replace the current Z1, but its had a little time on the streets across seas with positive reviews. Ill wait for a full test before I speak on the Z2, but given the achievements of the Z1 I'm sure it won't disappoint. 

    Fortunately Bridgestone has been a bit more open about its new RE-11 replacement, the RE-11A. The RE-11A retains the same tread design as the RE-11 with an updated compound. This is much like the difference between the Falken RT-615 and the RT-615k. This updated compound is supposed to improve dry performance while maintaining wet performance. Prima-Racing was fortunate enough to test the new RE-11A. One set  on an S2000 and the other on a Mitsubishi Evo 9. The RE-11A was reported to be very predictable with exceptional traction. Surprisingly there were gains of nearly 2 seconds picked up at the track. That figure alone is enough to show the RE-11A is a worth while upgrade. 

RE-11 sizes

195/50R15
205/50R15
205/55R16
225/50R16
215/45R17
225/45R17
235/45R17
245/40R17
255/40R17
245/40R18

    In 2013 keep an eye out for these new tires, they will surely aim to please. The Bridgestones will probably be  released sooner than the Dunlop given the amount of information available. Unfortunately they are both set for early 2013 with no specific release date. In the mean time do a little research and find the tire that best suits your budget!

     First off I just want to say thank you to all that have, do, and will support Highlite. 2012 was a great step in the right direction. Profit was greater, customer base widened, and we learned a whole lot. With that said 2012 was still a stepping stone. Since the beginning I have been working non stop to figure out the best direction to go, what to specialize in, and what specifically to offer to our customers. Fortunately I think we have just about figured that out. We did a lot of engine builds this year, and we want to further that for 2013. With a race car in right now, a wrx rebuild on the way, we're off to a good start. I know a lot of you had some interests in the T-shirts and they will be completely done within the next couple of months. I sat the shirt thing to the side for a while and focused on some other more important aspects. For what its worth I apologize to anyone who was looking for an update that I did not relate that to. But they are coming and the shirt thing, among a few other things are at the top of the list for 2013. 2013 has a lot to offer, you get back what you put in and we hope and pray we reach and surpass our goals. Once again thanks for all the support, we wouldn't be where we our without you!
    

    Well the leaves are changing colors and falling, the weather is starting to get a bit nippy, and the holidays are just about to ramp up! What does that mean........GAME TIME! 
    Now I don't consider myself a gamer by any means, nor do I play online. My stepson may change that soon though, as online game play has been brought up by him a few times now. Realistically I play car games and Call of Duty.  But since I keep up on my car games, any and all of automotive enthusiasts know the name Need for Speed. The NFS franchise has been around since I was kid, and ever since I've been gaming, there has been one iteration or another of NFS for me to get my hands on. For 2012 NFS has brought back the ever popular most wanted. Most wanted in my opinion is one of if not the best arcade style automotive games ever. Filled with street racing, running from the cops, and a fleet of some of the greatest cars in the world. What more could you want! Fortunately NFS has once again greatly improved game play. All the ramps and drifting of previous issues are still there but the realism is much more apparent. The cars show damage to a much greater extent than before. Simple things that you don't typically expect in a video game are now there. For example, sit and do a burnout and eventually your rear tires will blow out leaving you to continue driving on rims only, and yes it gets a bit tricky once the tires are gone. Fortunately there are many "life lines" as I call them, throughout the streets. Drive through and your car is restored back to new. The streets are plentiful with plenty of short cuts and jumps to give a bit more excitement. Like most NFS arcade style games you can venture off main roads, but it seems much more so in the latest version. Now we cant forget the upgrades.......most wanted 2012 has the notorious nitrous/boost feature along with engine, body, etc modifications available. If you have played most wanted before you will very much enjoy the latest version. Its everything most wanted has always been x2, better in every way. My only complaint with most wanted is the streets do get a bit crowded. Light poles, walls, trees, cars, etc can slow you down or bring you to a halt all together. In the end its one of the best automotive games of the year, be sure to get your hands on it on October 30th! 

    Forza Motorsports is arguably the best driving simulator ever. The name we have all grown to love when it comes to the ultimate racing simulator has ventured into a more arcade style game. Forza Horizon is a totally different from the Forza we all know and love. Horizon fortunately keeps the great car selection along with modifications upgrades, but Horizon is not a simulator. Horizon brings the fun arcade style gaming one can simply sit and enjoy. The game starts off with a quick race, and then your are briefed on the Horizon festival. The Horizon festival is pretty much a race on some secluded roads between a gang of street racers. Once you complete your first race you are the new kid on the block fighting for the title. Game play is very good, like all forza games the cars are easily controlled and act like real life cars, where as the competition like NFS the cars can get a bit unpredictable and difficult to control. Horizon doesn't have any "boost" buttons or drift tricks, its all about driver skill. Horizon will take some time to get used to, my first 30 minutes of game play were enjoyable yet boring if that makes any sense. After that I began to get much more into the game. Horizon will surely be loved by some and hated by others, but as a first attempt into the arcade world away from the normal frivolous simulators they did well. Hopefully a second version is in the works, I can only imagine how much more fun the game would be with police chases! Forza Horizon is currently in stores, pick up your copy today! This should hold you over for the next two months, as you wait for the new Call of Duty!

   This video is one of a few provided by the SRT team about the new SRT Viper. I've watched three other videos as well. One about the exterior lighting, Engine and drivetrain changes, and another about handling and "nannys". So far from what I've seen and read SRT has done an amazing job with the new Viper. Many forget that the last generation Viper ACR set a production car record time around the Nurburgring just a year ago. The ACR had no traction control, stability control, or a sequential gear box, compared to its exotic rivals. So how could the new car be any better? Well the SRT team has improved nearly everything about the Viper. The most noticeable changes are the new updated exterior with more aggressive engine venting and rear brake ducts, along with a much improved interior. Believe it or not some of the new interior materials are the same you would find in a Ferrari, and with the award winning interior in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, I'm sure the Viper will be pleasing. 
    Engine changes are not so drastic, they more or less made the Viper power plant more efficient. A redesigned intake manifold and intake came changes allowed SRT to squeeze a bit more power out of the car. The cooling system has also been improved with some slight changes to the block and head gaskets. The old steel clutch and flywheel setup has been dropped for an aluminum setup dropping 11lbs of weight off the back of the engine! The end result is an increase of 40hp. 
    SRT defends its "nannys" promising them not to be intrusive and very helpful. So much so that it is not needed to disable them for track use. Some suspension points have been moved to add greater stability to the viper, which was greatly needed, being it could be quite tail happy at times. 
    Overall the Viper sounds like an impressive package. Coming it at just under 100k for a base model makes it a bargain as well. GTS models will be in the 120k range. Only road tests will show the true character of the new Viper, but on paper its looking pretty good. I really hope its as great as it sounds, as it would be great for the US super car market. The Corvette has always done well but has always fell short in the interior department. Hopefully the new Viper can change that, all the while offering world class performance. 

    Well before I say anything let me just say the flame suit is on haha. The Scion TC has been a long hated, neglected, overlooked car in the tuner scene. When you see one on the road it's usually a teenage girl or a "I'm too cool for school guy". It seems that most of the people in the scene who own one have. IMO horrible taste, or follow all the trendy things that the rest of the crowd  follows. But every now and then there is one that pops and is simply done right, surprisingly it doesn't take much. I have gotten a lot of hate just for saying the TC isn't that bad lol. So my question is............Is it really that bad? Out of the box the first generation TC packed 161hp and 162lb ft from a big 2.4l 4cylinder, ran to 60 in 7.5 seconds and the quarter in 15.6. Thats really not that bad, especially back in 04. The current model produces a healthy all natural 180hp and and 173lb ft from a 2.5l and run to 60 in 6.5 seconds and the quarter in 15. Now these aren't amazing or "fast" numbers, but for the time they are all respectively decent numbers. 

So why is the TC so hated in the scene? Honestly I'm not sure, could be the owners, or it could be its unique design. I didn't like the TC much at first. Most of them were poorly modified, and at almost every meet they would roll in like a pack of roaches blasting their loud music and flashing neons. I finally got a chance to experience a TC while working at a dealership. It was completely stock which gave me a good chance to get a real feel for the car. To my surprise it was quite peppy for 160hp and had plenty of torque. The tranny was geared pretty close and normal shifting it was great. Speed shifting was a bit tricky, it seemed much to easy to miss shift while really rowing through the gears. The suspension was average as expected, with steering feel that was more or less.....numb. A good set of tires would have made a world of difference. The interior was your typical compact stuff, maybe slightly better other than the seats, which I didn't care much for. The styling was probably most noticeable. It didn't look like your typical coupe or sport compact. It had a somewhat flat nose, and the roof line wasn't the typical sweeping line you're used to. The styling was just much different than what you would usually see which caught my attention even more. The current body style follows those same lines with some nicely added tweaks. 

    The short answer to that is no! In the past week or so I have been moving everything from my shop to storage and my house. Why you ask? Well my space had become not as practical as I had once thought. The location was prime, but once I started looking around at other spaces not too far from where we were located I realized I wasnt getting my moneys worth. Less than 30 minutes away there were shops that would triple the size for only a few hundred bucks more. So I had to question was the direction I was going practical, good for business and most of all profitable. Unfortunately the nice quiet location I had once started at had become too small, lots of unused office space, little parking, and crowded from other business that had come into the same complex. Having other business around is a given, but when you're right on top of each other, with very little parking, it gets a bit aggravating. So the next thing you're wondering is why didnt I just move to another shop? Its August now and like any other month that will roll by fast and we will be back into the holiday season with colder weather to follow. For the automotive industry this is the generally the slower time of the year, which lasts to around spring time or tax season. So jumping into a more expensive shop during the slow part of the season would not be smart. A new much bigger shop is on the horizon, and Ill be looking to move again come spring time. So we are not closing, going out of business, etc. We are just making some smart business decisions. 

    With that said I will now be focusing on other things than simply working on cars. I will still do some work here and there though so don't be afraid to call if you need anything done, but my bread and butter will be focused else where. Many of you already know that we are rebuilding engines. I want to further expand on this and rebuild and sell engines. I have a sohc NA subaru engine, 1.6 miata engine, and a 1.8 miata block at the moment and that should give me a good start to get that going. If you have any old junk motors laying around let me know, I may be interested in taking them off your hands. Some of you know we can get the parts you need but we want to take that to another level with an online store. In the next few months we will be stocking OEM parts for mazda and subaru with an online store. Im working to have the best prices available so be sure to check us out first! If you find a better price, we will beat it! We can get aftermarket parts as well, but we are currently working to offer better deals before we openly offer them. We will also be working towards getting some more Eco Auto Clean waterless carwash which is quite helpful especially during the colder months, when the last thing you want to do is turn on the water hose. 

    So when I tell somone Im moving the shop home no Im not closing Highlite lol, just preparing for better. I really hope and pray that these changes will work out for the better and genuinely think they will. We will also be more involved on facebook and blogging, along with first products to come from HLM Apparel. Once again that you to all our followers and supporters, and we continue to strive to offer you better!
    

    Project miata came about after some failed attempts at trying something different. The civic I no longer wanted once it was running, and the 240, well I never even bothered touching it. My first 240 left a bad taste in my mouth, and after that it was over. As I was selling my 240 a 1991 Mazda Miata popped up for sale for $800. It had been hit in the rear and sat for about year. It needed a heart installed, but the seller was including one in the deal. Anyways, ended up getting the car for $650, and immediately had her towed to the shop.

      Being the car sat in the grass in direct sunlight for months possibly years the paint was pretty bad. Completely hazed over, the hood had been stripped with some crazy design on it.........I dunno, the rear window was falling in the top, and it had some hideous body side molding on it. Immediately I had my buddy Johnathan come over and throw some wax on the car to see if the red would brighten up a bit.  Amazingly it did clean up pretty good, much better than expected.
Unfortunately it still wasnt that great. Instead of old faded paint, it just looked like old bad paint. With the hood having no paint on it all, and the shoddy spray painted areas of red paint, it wasnt pretty. I also had a chance to address the accident in the rear. The trunk was completely ruined. After a few days of searching I found one in my parents garage behind some other junk, from one of my dads old miatas. Oddly enough the trunk just so happened to be red!

Now that I had a trunk it was time to straighten out some of the body. The rear quarter was slightly crumpled, and the sheet metal behind the license plate was pushed in. Fortunately a little wood and a big hammer can do wonders. I was a bit worried about the rear in when I bought the car, I dont like working with quarters or body work at all. So much so I initially considered doing a chassis swap. A few firm taps and everything nearly lined back up. Not perfect, but it was suitable for me. This is no no show car, just a daily I want to get on the track and get some seat time in. Thanks to Kevin over at Exomotive (Like them on FB) he provided with a new tail light assembly and that was it for the rear end. The bumper was cracked but it was no biggie, a few jdm drift stiches and it will be all set to roll. After the body was presentablel it was time to get her running. The engine that was provided with the car looked as if it had been dipped in oil. So I took a few bucks and bought some much needed seals to reseal the motor. I threw everything in the motor, cleaned it up and had it ready to go in. That night I had the motor bolted in and ready to run. Got it started and she was smoking like a chimney. Initially I had thought it was some excess in the motor and that it would all burn out. Sadly it never did. It smoked so bad it was even smoking at idle! It was such a late night I ended up sleeping at the shop. Some of you may remember the "brown" miata I did the 99 motor swap on. I still had his old 1.8 sitting in my shop. So the next morning I woke up and had the 1.8 conversion parts next dayed over so I could get my baby running.

Some of you may remember the "brown" miata I did the 99 motor swap on. I still had his old 1.8 sitting in my shop. So the next morning I woke up and had the 1.8 conversion parts from Flyin Miata next dayed over so I could get my baby running. Thanks to Chris and Stokes I had a nice little array of parts to go in right away. Fidanza 7lb flywheel, ACT HD clutch, megan racing header, and an Rspeed intake. I got everything in and the car fired on first start up! Ran great  nice and smooth and didnt over heat. I had to retrofit a NB radiator since the car didnt come with one...which is now leaking......fail. At this point I had no exhaust for the car. It was running open header. I need to get the emissions done on the car so I took the stock exhaust from my NB and rigged it up on the NA. It worked.

    Been a little while since we have made a new blog post and first and foremost I would like to say thanks to all of our customers and those who have always supported Highlite Motorsports. Some of you are even my debtors lol. Looking back I can definitely see we have been continuously progressing which is great. Starting out in a tiny one bay storage room in the middle of no where, to being where we are today is truly a blessing, and we hope to continue to stride on. On that note I would personally like to tell all of you Thanks! You made us who we are today and will mold us to be who we are in the future.

    Now the question is where do we want to go? We try to make changes to appeal to everyone in the scene as well as the normal regular joes out there, fortunately we have a mix of both types. Soon we will begin to keep parts, oils/fluids in stock. As of right now we can get whatever it is you like but its always nice to have a little something on the floor as well. Also as enthusiasts firsts we would like to start getting out to more meets, events, etc. We want to be more involved in the community not only as a vendor or a supplier of parts and service but also out to offer advice and lend a helping hand as needed. Amongst the list of things to come are shirts. Yes yes yes, we know there are a ton of shirt companies out there to choose from and we will do our best to offer a unique selection. Our shirts will be automotive based everything from drift culture to the offroad 4x4 lovers. New Highlite shirts will also be available, some with our old "eat...sleep......." theme and some new designs as well. We will have some shirts at the AMOC mazmart bbq and meet. If you would like a shirt feel free to contact us with a size and color preference and we will be sure to get one for you. All shirts will be $15 each. We also have small stickers on the way that are $5 each and we currently have our windshield banners in stock which we are selling for $20 each. We will keep everyone posted on when the small stickers and shirts arrive, we would like to hear of any preferences so changes or additions can be made accordingly.

    We have a few specials going at the moment for various makes and models. Our performance specials are currently $350 for all vehicles. We use ATE super blue brake fluid, redline water wetter coolant additive, redline trans and diff fluids, and K&N filters.

Note: Some vehicles such as Subarus use only factory fluids in the transmission and or differential. On select models factory fluids will be used.

Perfromance service includes:
    Oil
    transmission fluid
    diff fluid (if applicable)
    brake fluid
    coolant
    air filter
    tire rotation
    e-brake adjustment
    wiper blades
    lube/grease seals and hinges
    full vehicle inspection.

Miata/Protege timing belt specials
    Our miata timing belt specials offer a complete timing belt service. Timing belt, cam and crank seals, water pump, tensioner/pulleys, accessory belts, oil change, coolant, valve cover gasket and a full vehicle inspection. We specialize in Mazda and Subaru, let us keep your miata on the road, and at the track!

$325

Subaru timing belt specials
    Subaru timing belt specials include:
    timing belt
    water pump
    tensioner
    cam and crank seals
    Acc belts
    Coolant
    Oil change

$450