Authors Posts by Kyle@STILLEN

Kyle@STILLEN

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http://www.stillen.com

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Well, it’s that time of year again.  Every year around this time we prepare for Steve Millen to send the race car to some far off country or island where we will race for 5 days straight and cover nearly 2,000 miles.  In 2009 the team took on the challenges of Targa Newfoundland for the first time and brought home a first place finish in the modern division, first place finish for the manufacturers, and put down some new stage records on the public streets of Gander and others.  It was an amazing journey that saw the unveiling of the STILLEN GT-R in Targa rally competition.

If you’ve been following the STILLEN GT-R race-car you’ve seen that upon completion of the Targa Newfoundland rally the car was immediately driven by Steve and his wife Jodi back across the border to Maine, where it was picked up by Fedex vehicle transport and shipped to Texas for the National Z convention.  From there it was sent straight to Nissan headquarters in Tennessee where it sat on display in the lobby and Steve even drove it through the assembly plants in Smyrna!  After a few weeks of traveling around the country the car came back to Costa Mesa where the guys at STILLEN had just enough time to wash it, put it back on a transporter and send it to SEMA show where it was put on display in the BASF booth.  Since then the car has been on display at the Toronto auto show, numerous local car shows, the cover of DSPORT Magazine and the team even had time to test some new parts up at Spring Mountain and the Highway 341 Challenge.

2010 sees the return of Steve Millen to the Targa New Zealand rally.  In years past Steve has driven numerous different cars at the Targa rally including 6 cylinder Ford Falcon’s (basically a Taurus), a wild turbo inline-6 all wheel drive Focus that would have been an awesome car had it been able to complete all of the stages before retiring mid-week with mechanical troubles, and all the way to the Ford GT supercar that we campaigned for two years in 2006 and 2008.  The GT was a blast but it was no match for the all wheel drive Subaru’s, Evo’s, and GT-R’s.  So, Steve fixed that… Now we’re bringing an all wheel drive GT-R of our own.

At the end of June Steve and the crew competed in the Spectre 341 Hillclimb Challenge and just two days after competing loaded the car in a container and sent it on its way to New Zealand.  The car needed to leave a little earlier than normal this year because it was going to be the feature vehicle of the largest automotive show in New Zealand.  With a great showing at Speed Show and a few magazine’s writing stories about the car Steve came home and began the work out routine to keep himself in shape for competition.  He also began working closely with his new navigator and letting him know what he was looking for and what he wanted to hear.  This year Steve is throwing Philip Adamson in the passenger seat of the GT-R for the navigator duties.  Philip has co-driven in Targa events before and has some experience in what the driver needs to hear.  Good luck Philip!

I (Kyle Millen) will be leaving next Wednesday with Mark Ungles and Joe Nagy.  Mark has been a part of the Targa rally team since 2006 and Joe came on board in 2009 for Targa Newfoundland.  You might remember Mark and Joe were the Mcgyver mechanics in Newfoundland when they were able to hold a CV boot together with RTV silicone before a replacement could be sourced!!!  I will be heading down again to follow along the rally and send back nightly updates on our progress.  Check back in a few days as I plan on writing a couple of updates on the car and work we’ve done before competition begins.  We can’t wait to get started and hope you enjoy the action!

Follow all of the coverage of the 2010 Dunlop Targa New Zealand Rally

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It’s bound to happen, you pull into that parking stall in a hurry, clipping the parking block and hearing that dreaded grinding noise.. Or seeing that impossibly sharp driveway, gripping the wheel tighter as you slowly creep over it, hoping the front won’t get damaged too much as you hear the scraping happening and you’ve already committed..

STILLEN has developed a protective skid plate made from urethane to combat this exact problem.  This piece is designed to conform to the bottom side of the front fascia, and protect against scraping and bumps.  It’s designed to be sacrificial, and made from durable urethane that can stand the abuse, leaving your factory bumper free from mishaps.

This item is very easily installed, and can be done quickly at a shop, as well as in your driveway with minimal effort.  Everything needed to install is included in the kit, and provides full coverage across the bottom of the front fascia.  These are available and shipping now, pricing and ordering information available on the STILLEN website.

More information from the STILLEN Product Page:

STILLEN has developed a urethane Skid Plate which protects the OEM fascia and paint from scrapes and light bumps.  This piece is specifically molded to the GT-R’s front bumper, and installs with 3M automotive acrylic foam tape and self-tapping screws to the underside. Durable urethane construction ensures no cracking, and doesn’t require painting, although can be color matched if desired.

As with all STILLEN urethane body components, these are proudly designed and made in the USA at our Costa Mesa, California facility.

 

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DSPORT Magazine and IDRC are throwing an event at the Auto Club Speedway on September 4th.  It’s combining both the IDRC International Finals and the SHAKOTAN Auto Showcase to the same venue, and should be packed with things to see.

Drag Racing, Drifting, and a car show featuring all types of show cars.  Event hours are from 7am-5pm.

SHAKOTAN Auto Showcase Categories

  • Hellaflush
  • VIP
  • Drift
  • Classic
  • Time Attack
  • Ruckus
  • DSPORT Editor’s Choice Award
    * Special Edition MEISTER Watch to Each 1st Place Winner

For the Car Show registration – Fatlace.com – SHAKOTAN

IDRC International Finals

  • Pro Am All Motor
  • Pro Am FWD
  • Quick Class
  • All Motor
  • True Street
  • Bracket Class
  • Fun Run / Shake Down
    * Benjamin’s Club – $100 cash bonus to quickest in each manufacturer

For the Drag Race registration and DRIFT Challenge – ImportDrag.com

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Nick is an avid Nissan enthusiast and he and I have been sharing emails back and forth for about a year now as we helped him take his standard Altima Sedan from stock to one-of-a-kind.  Nick has done a lot of work to this car and his passion shines through in every way!  We are extremely proud to say that a lot of the parts Nick has on his ride are STILLEN original parts or one of the many great vendors we carry.

This Altima has been transformed from front to back and top to bottom!  Proving that even the smallest, subtle changes can make big impacts!  Here is the long list of modifications performed to the Altima.

Engine / Handling / Performance

Exterior

  • BlueBatmobile – GT-R Headlight overlays, Eyelids**, GT-R Taillight Overlays
  • AIT Carbon Fiber Roof Spoiler
  • Nismo Trunk Spoiler
  • STILLEN Front Fascia
  • STILLEN Side Skirts
  • Painted Roof Black
  • Nismo A34 Rims with Yokohama S.Drive tires (245/40/19)
  • Upper & Lower Billet Grille**
  • Ebay Sport Mesh Grille**
    ** – not currently on the car

Future Plans

  • STILLEN Big Brake Kit
  • STILLEN Rear Sport Rotors
  • Carbon Creations GT Concept Carbon Fiber Hood
  • Aftermarket rear bumper, if a company makes one that I like, which is unlikely.. lol.. STILLEN?
  • Set of wheels/tires for the track, undecided on both

As it stands now this car is “finished”.  Future plans are in every modders mind but so are new cars.  Nick says he has his eyes on a new 370Z, preferably a Nismo.  However, he is also a fan of the STILLEN front fascia for the Z so who knows!  If you see this Altima rolling around Nick’s home state of New York be sure to give him a wave.  If Nick’s not in the car anymore then watch out for what’s sure to be a beautiful Z soon to come!

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STILLEN has partnered with DSPORT Magazine and their 2011 New Car Buyer’s Guide Issue (on newsstands now) to bring you a special contest, where 3 winners will take a share of $2,000 in STILLEN Bucks redeemable for anything we sell here at STILLEN.

Grand Prize x 1
$1,000 in STILLEN Bucks

2nd Place Prize x 2
$500 in STILLEN Bucks



Simply fill out your information and answer a couple of questions here at their website, and you’ll be entered to win! Imagine the possibilities of what you could get with a $500 or even $1,000 shopping spree!

STILLEN Ad in the October 2010 issue of DSPORT

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NZ Autocar magazine is the premier automotive magazine covering all things cool in the automotive world of New Zealand, and this month the STILLEN GT-R graces the cover and a full 8-page feature with performance testing.

With the STILLEN GT-R down in New Zealand for both the Speedshow (NZ’s largest auto show) where it was on display with the matching orange STILLEN Ford GT, and the upcoming Targa New Zealand Rally,  it was the perfect opportunity for Steve Millen to meet with Kyle Cassidy, Editor of NZ Autocar, and get his take after experiencing the STILLEN-built R35 GT-R.

To quote Kyle Cassidy from the September 2010 issue of NZ Autocar:

“For crushing performance, we thought we couldn’t do much better than the Nissan   GT-R – but we were wrong. Strapped into a modified STILLEN version, we recorded our fastest four-wheeled 80-120km/h time ever.”

“…it’s ludicrously loud, and the ride is uncompromising, but the leap in performance of the STILLEN car over the alerady quick stock offering is staggering.”

-Click Here To Download PDF Version of the Article-

Images are smaller for web view – To read the full story click here!

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The STILLEN / Vortech V-3 series supercharger is unique in that it uses a self-lubricating oil.  This means there is no need for running additional oil lines, or tapping the oil pan.  All of those inconveniences (and future leaks) from previous versions are a thing of the past.

The V-3 utliizes a very simple stainless braided hose that is designed to hang down near the shassis of the car.  Oil changes are made easy by simply removing the drain bolt, and refilling to the specified level.  Please follow these guidelines in servicing your supercharger unit. DO NOT OVERFILL!

STILLEN / Vortech V-3 Supercharger Mainteance Schedule & Procedure

  • Check the supercharger fluid level using the dipstick at every 2,500 mile intervals.

  • Initial supercharger fluid change must be performed 2,500 miles after installation, and must then be changed at least every 7,500 miles from there on.
    • Drain the fluid; re-fill the unit with only 4 oz. of the Vortech supplied lubricating fluid.
    • Confirm proper oil level using the dipstick. DO NOT OVERFILL!!

  • Fluid level checking procedure:
    1. Ensure that the .06″ copper sealing washer is located on the dipstick base
    2. Thread the clean dipstick into the unit until it seats.
    3. Once the dipstick has seated, remove the dipstick from the unit. Fluid should register in the crosshatched area at the bottom of the dipstick.
    4. DO NOT OVERFILL! Drain excess fluid from the unit if it above the maximum level on the dipstick.

WARNING: Use of any other fluid other than the Vortech supplied special lubricating fluid will void the warranty and may cause component failure.

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We recently worked with Truckin’ Magazine on some high speed brake testing, putting the AP Racing BBK designed by STILLEN to the ultimate test at El Toro Marine Base.

Truckin’ editor Dan Ward pushed their 2004 GMC Sierra “Project Novakane” to the limit with repeated 80-0 mph stops beginning with the factory setup, swapped brake systems, and repeated the aggressive testing on the truck after outfitting the AP Racing setup onto the truck.

Below is an excert from the article with performance data from their extensive testing:

Truckin’ Magazine – October 2010 Issue

“Rather than test the truck from 60 mph, we hit the ‘whoa’ pedal at 80 mph, after all, do you really drive 60 mph on the freeway? Factory braking performance was dreadful, as a combination of grooved rotors and newish pads made for chassis vibrations when stopping and a weak pedal. After bolting on the 20-inch wheels and tires to the Sierra, the sticky Nitto tires actually improved the stopping distances, which confused us at first, but then we released the overall weight of the new wheels and tires wasn’t much heavier than our OE combo.

GM touted the redesigned ’99+ fullsize trucks as having the best brakes in their long history of building trucks. That’s nice marketing hype, but GPS data acquisition doesn’t lie and the new AP Racing brakes are the double-D cups to the OE’s training bra. We weren’t surprised to have better overall stopping power, after all, that’s what we expected from a company with a rich racing heritage, but what did surprise us was the pedal feel. Without being touchy, the brake pedal is now very linear with minimal inputs doing an impressive job of bringing the 4,300-pound truck to a standstill. As expected, the aggressive brake pads are heavy on the dust, which provides us another excuse to wash the wheels/tires more often. This upgrade was expensive, but unlike in many cases, you actually get what you pay for from Stillen.

With the AP kit bolted on, we made several 80-0 mph test runs and came away with an average of 226 ft, more than 144 ft than better than stock. That’s equivalent to stopping in only 5.56 school buses or basically stopping before going through an entire intersection and saving the lives of more than 350 kids in those buses.

Also, the green AP heat paint that was applied to the stock rotors burned white, meaning they exceeded 430 degrees Celcius during hard braking, but the new AP rotors didn’t burn through the green paint. This translates into the drilled holes and vents doing their job by keeping the rotor surface cooler, longer. If safety and performance are high on your list, bringing your truck to an immediate halt doesn’t get much better than with AP Racing’s bolt-on big brakes.”

You can read the full article here, and below are some images from the story:
Truckin’ Magazine Project Novakane Part III: AP Racing

 

Parts discontinued, article kept for informational purposes.

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Founded in 1986, STILLEN is recognized as one of the premier tuners in the world. With Engineers and a full R&D department on location, STILLEN has long been engineering big brake kits with Brembo and AP Racing, developing superchargers with Magnuson, Edelbrock, Whipple, Vortech, and under the leadership of championship race car driver Steve Millen, trusted by thousands of enthusiasts, manufacturing STILLEN branded products and upgrades, as well as wholesale distribution and retail partners.
Contact us: info@stillen.com
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