Monthly Archives: August 2010

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

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!

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

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!

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.

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.