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2 Day Swap
April 30, 2013 by Christian · Filed Under: Events, Misc, The Shop Projects
So if you have been following on Facebook and Instagram, you know that we were working on Roni’s S2000 this past weekend. For you who don’t follow us, click that like and follow button! So here is the low down… Remember that wrecked S2000 that we stripped and chopped up, our friend Roni ended up buying the motor, transmission, and a few other things. Roni wanted a lower mileage motor and a new turbo setup. We will cover the turbo setup in the next post, but for now here is what happened from Saturday to Sunday.

We started late Saturday afternoon, the goal of the day was to drop the motor and prep the new one to be lifted in on Sunday. We did the usually… Drain fluids, disconnect AC, cooling hoses and wire harness, and take out the old Greddy turbo kit.

The new heart for Roni’s S2K.

Roni’s old turbo… goodbye friend…

Here is the old turbo kit.

So once everything was disconnected we decided to take a break. Dinner was on Roni, we ordered 2 King Kong sized pizzas (about 26 inches) and some wings. Just a big old family dinner!

Some motor prep… that includes an upgraded clutch!

Last minute checks before we drop it.

The time had come, the engine hoist was connected to the motor and the subframe was unbolted and we began lowering the motor.

More engine prep, just making sure everything that needs to be on the new motor is on.

So, we decided to actually bolt up the motor Saturday night and be done with most of the difficult parts of the swap.

Instead of helping Lam we just laughed and took pictures of him.

With the motor in, we decided to call it a night… a late night, we ended up finishing around midnight.

So with Day 1 finished we sat around The Shop for a little bit before we headed home. Sunday was the day to button everything up, run all the lines, and connect all the wires. As a thank you Roni threw a BBQ at The Shop. Beer, Steak, Oysters, we had it all. As you can imagine nothing much really got done during the day, we ended working on the car later in the afternoon… AGAIN!

BBQ ain’t a BBQ with out beer.

12lbs of Tri Tip.

Some super bomb ribs!

With any of our BBQ’s, there is always some clowning around.

Our BBQ’s also mean family time!

As the BBQ slowed down, work on the car began again… our resident S2000 expert, Joey, came to lend a hand.

While work on the car continued so did the BBQ.

Almost time to start it up… Fluids going in!

Shifter going in and ECU

Buttoning everything up and about to start.

and she’s done! for now.

We ended up finishing it up around 0230. We ran into some problems with the immobilizer, but that is nothing some research online couldn’t fix. Big thank you to everyone that got a little dirty with this swap and even bigger thank you to those who stayed into the early morning hours. The new turbo setup should be in within the week, we’ll have a post about it when it happens… also when it gets tuned.

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Making Power in your Turbo Car
March 20, 2013 by Christian · Filed Under: Featured News, Misc
In this post we are going to talk about your turbo car and how to properly make power. But first, how does a turbo car work?

A turbo is fitted to the engine and the turbine inside of the turbo is turned by escaping exhaust gases. As the turbine spins it sucks in air and passes through an intercooler to cool down the incoming air. From there it enters then engine and becomes exhaust gas. Now as the engine speed increases so does the turbo, this creates higher boost and MORE POWER!

Power is limited to the size of the turbo and the components supporting the turbo. Turbo cars are pretty mod friendly, you can make a decent amount of power with little upgrades. First thing people usually install are intakes.

These intakes are less restrictive. They allow better and smoother flow of air into the turbo charger and they sound way cooler! Many intakes reuse the stock ducting from the front air damn to the intake. Cold air intakes usually relocate the filter to somewhere else (usually the fender well) to draw in cooler air.

Now, you want even more power! Let us throw in a catback exhaust.

A catback exhaust replaces the piping, resonators and muffler behind the catalytic convert (i.e. catback). There are many catbacks out there in the market, the one pictured is on a GTR. The style and brand is up to you, what you want is something big and free flowing. Most turbo cars with aftermarket exhaust run a 3in exhaust diameter versus lets say 2.5in diameter exhaust in a newer WRX. This allows exhaust gases to exit faster.

Alright we are getting somewhere, next up you want to optimize the extra air coming in and gases coming out.

Lets get into tuning! Pictured above is a popular way to tune your car. Cobb Tuning makes a device which reflashes your engines computer with a preset tune for certain modifications (an intake and catback is considered to be a stage 1 tune or reflash). This can be done in minutes and changed on the fly. If you want to get more into it you can bring your car to a tuner that knows your vehicle and have a custom tune done. Cobb isn’t the only company to make a reflash tool, but for simplicity sake we will leave it here.

So, we are making power and you are craving a bit more. We can improve exhaust flow even more by installing a downpipe.

Above is a comparison of a stock downpipe and aftermarket one. By installing a downpipe you are creating a full 3in turbo back exhaust. There are many downpipes out there and with many variations. You have downpipes with high flow cats (check your local and state laws regarding legalities) , some are divorced at the wastegate and some are open. Now we can’t say which is best for you, but we ask that you do your research to see what you want.

alright, home stretch… the last thing to do is to reflash your computer again to stage 2. This will optimize your tune to compensate for the extra flow of exhaust from the downpipe. We are now making heaps of power from our once stock car. It is amazing what untapped potential stock turbo cars have. These are only the basics, we can get even more into it, but maybe we will save that for next time. Remember to do your research regarding modifications and check with your local forums.

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S2000 Tail Light Conversion
March 5, 2013 by Christian · Filed Under: Misc, The Shop Projects
This past week our friend Jeff asked us to convert his Ap1 tail lights to Ap2 tail lights. We thought it was a great idea to let you know what is involved just in case you guys wanted to do the same to your S2000. Now we know that there are DIY’s and guides online that show you how to do it, but we wanted to express how difficult it really is. The process involves you cutting and grinding into the metal of the car and then wiring the new tail lights. It takes about 2 hours per side to do and needs you to fab up a bracket for the housings (they also sell a bracket and wiring kit for the conversion). Also be sure to paint the parts that you cut so that it doesn’t rust.

This gives you an idea of how much you are going to have to cut away.. it’s a lot !

On the top are the AP1 tail lights and the bottom is the AP2

We used a combination of a hole saw and cut off wheel

and the finished product…

Here is a comparison of the two… tell us which ones you like.

If you have anything that you want to see here on the blog let us know. Next week we will be doing a how to on how to make more HORSEPOWER!!!!

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Off Roading in Hollister Hills
February 14, 2013 by Christian · Filed Under: Featured News, Misc
This past weekend we, at The Shop, took a weekend trip down to Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area. After closing up shop Saturday, we drove down to Hollister to stay the night and rest up. Mid morning we headed to Hollister Hills. For those that haven’t heard of this place, it is an off road park divided into 2 sections. 1 section for ATV’s and motocross and another for 4×4 vehicles. The 4×4 park had water holes to run through and rocks to crawl, but none of our vehicles were equipped to do that. After the Raptor and Montero were done playing in the water we hit the trails. We spent the day on the intermediate trails where the Montero and the Raptor it was a walk in the park, but for my little Frontier proved to be a little difficult. As the sun started to set we made it to the top of one of the trails where we took a break and took in the scenery. We headed back down the mountain to set up camp and do a little BBQ’ing. I think believe that our next trip out with the Raptor is going to Death Valley… Stay Tuned!

Setting up the Go Pros (videos coming soon)

Video is up on The Shop FB page

Video is up on The Shop FB page

Climbing the Stairs

A walk in the park

The Frontier getting stuck for the 3rd time

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Customer Car Feature – Jimmy Uy’s Honda Civic EG6
December 17, 2012 by Brian Lee · Filed Under: Featured News, Misc
I figured since we, here at The Shop San Bruno, are so determined and focused on customer service, what better way to pay tribute to our customers than to throw in a feature or two of you guys out there that entrust your automotive needs to us. Jimmy Uy is one of those deserving people. A loyal returning customer, a great friend of The Shop, and an overall good guy. Jimmy Uy brings his car to The Shop for all of his maintenance needs, including oil changes, wheels and tires, annual servicing, aftermarket installations, and just about everything automotive.

I still remember the first time I ever met Jimmy. He rolled up in a slammed white EG6 honda civic sporting a set of rare 15″ Chevlons (purchased through our good friends at Memoryfab) that were cambered out to negative a bajillion degrees, a front lip battered by the road, and the meanest look on his face. This was not a guy I had intended to mess with, as he looked like he had just returned from an anger management meeting. However, once we began talking about cars and other bs, he turned out to be a really good guy. This individual became an asset to me, personally, and helped me get to where I am today in the automotive scene. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the fitment game, as well as an avid connoisseur in various other hobbies. He’s actually a great inspiration to many enthusiasts out there, including myself, so let’s jump right into it:

Jimmy’s 1995 Honda Civic DX

A series of unfortunate events saw the last of the slammed white EG that I had been accustomed to seeing on our various outings, as the car was a victim of an accident that involved a gas station and a hummer (need I say more?). However, Jimmy came back fighting with what you see here, a fine example of a tastefully modified Honda Civic. With a new paint job, wire-tucked engine bay, a set of 16″ refinished Chevlons, and a multitude of other additions, his civic became a prime example of the “hellaflush” movement. Internet-fame ensued once the car had debuted at the annual Japan Town JDM Theory Car Show with Memoryfab. In fact, some of you may remember this Apex Blue Pearl Honda Civic on the pages of Import Tuner’s Septemeber 2011 issue.

According to the article, his list of modifications include:

Engine

’95 B18C1; Skunk2 Pro intake manifold; Avid motor mounts; Fujita cold-air intake; Vortech fuel rail; Mugen 4-to-1 header; MagnaFlow high-flow catalyst; Greddy SP1 cat-back exhaust; NGK plugs, wires; Interstate battery; Mishimoto radiator; Rywire engine harness; custom polishing; Bolt Boys V2 hardware

Drivetrain

’95 S80 transmission, factory LSD, 4.7:1 final drive; Avid mount; Exedy Stage 1 clutch

Suspension

Stance GR+ coilovers, 12 kg/mm front springs, 10kg/mm rear springs; KSport camber-adjustable front control arms, rear camber links; Acura Integra GS-R 21mm front sway bar; Carbing three-point front shock tower bar; Miracle X-brace, option bars; Function/Form rear lower control arms; Auto Power four-point rollbar; Prothane bushings; ASR subframe brace; custom raised front shock towers, shaved bay

Wheels/Tires

Chevlon Racing Super Mesh wheels (16×9 +13mm offset front, 16×10 +13mm offset rear); Falken Ziex 912 tires (205/40-16 front, 215/40-16 rear); Muteki Racing lug nuts

Brakes

Acura Integra GS-R front and rear calipers and rotors; Hawk HP front and rear pads; ATE Super Gold brake fluid

Exterior

Seibon carbon-fiber front lip spoiler; APR carbon-fiber side mirrors; Franklin Auto carbon-fiber roof; Spoon duckbill rear spoiler; Honda Apex Blue Pearl paint; custom fender flaring/pulling; JDM headlights, taillights, thin side moldings; Vision Lighting HIDs

Interior

Memoryfab color-matched carbon composite R98 seats, low rails; ATC International Rallye Deep steering wheel; NRG quick-release hub; Seiwa shift knob; Civic Si gauge cluster, EX power door panels; custom relocated battery; Sony Pioneer speakers

Now for sale for $7,000 as-is (excluding shift knob).

However, as of late, Jimmy has turned his passion towards photography and the car was dialed down a bit and some parts were sold to fund his newfound hobby. The car now sits as a perfect daily-driven street car with just enough modifications to stand out from the rest. In fact, the car is actually for sale right now. It still retains a lot of the parts as featured when it was gracing the pages of Import Tuner, but with a few omissions to make the car more street-able. If anyone is interested, please email Jimmy directly at jmyuyeh2@gmail.com . We wish Jimmy the best of luck with his future endeavors and welcome the rest of you to submit your cars for a feature in our Customer Car Feature posts by commenting below.

Links:
Jimmy’s Facebook Page

Jimmy’s Photography Page

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Last Minute Gifts for the Automotive Enthusiast
December 11, 2012 by Brian Lee · Filed Under: Misc

So Christmas is only 2 weeks away and I don’t know about you guys, but I tend to procrastinate when it comes to picking up gifts for friends and family. Those of you who encounter the same dilemma, we here at The Shop San Bruno have conjured up a list of items that make for great last minute gifts and stocking stuffers for gearheads and motorists alike. The Shop San Bruno regularly stocks many of these items, but for some of the more application-specific products, please call to inquire price and availability.

So I decided to break this list down by price, starting with gifts under $10. Great items at an affordable price that is sure to make any gearhead happy. These little gifts also work very well as a stocking-stuffer or a white elephant/secret Santa gift.

Great Gifts Under $10

Air Spencer Automotive Air Fresheners

Full Cartridges $10

Refills $7

Great Gifts Under $20

Broadway Convex Mirrors

LED Light Bulbs

A Subscription to his/her favorite Magazine

Great Gifts Under $50

Muteki Tuner Lug Nuts

Blox Shift Knob

Great Gifts Under $100

K&N High Performance Air Filter (Inquire for pricing depending on vehicle)

HID Headlights (Inquire for pricing depending on vehicle)

Automotive Car Care Kits

But for those of you that can’t seem to decide on what to buy for the enthusiast of your choice, don’t fret! The Shop San Bruno also offers gift certificates for Oil Changes and Alignments, please inquire today for options by either calling us at (650) 624-7467 or emailing us at sales@theshopsanbruno.com

What other great automotive gifts are out there for those of us that bleed and sweat oil? Comment below with your suggestions.

The Shop San Bruno, your #1 shop to go to for all things automotive. Call to inquire or schedule an appointment today for tires, oil changes, maintenance, and aftermarket performance.

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Tips for Surviving the Winter Season
November 30, 2012 by Brian Lee · Filed Under: Featured News, Misc
So now that everyone has had their fair share of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie, the Winter season is upon us. Every year I see tons of accidents on the road that probably could have been easily avoided if drivers would have paid more attention or had their vehicles ready for the treacherous driving that is a regular accompaniment with the wet season. So here I am to give you guys 7 quick tips to surviving the dreary Winter season.

1. Check your windshield wipers.

You would kind of assume this one is genuinely common

sense, right? Far too many times do I see drivers on the road swerving around because their windshield wipers are shot. If they are streaking, then they need to be replaced. Obviously if your windshield wipers aren’t working too well, you aren’t going to be able to see in the rain. The Shop San Bruno can accommodate you as we stock new windshield wipers regularly and can install them for you too. Please call for pricing as different windshield wipers vary.

2. Check on your tires and alignment.

This one is also a common procedure that not enough people do regularly. Check your tires! You should regularly (atleast once a month) check your tire pressures to ensure that they are inflated properly and are at proper operating pressure. By checking them often, you will also be able to tell when/if you have a leak due to a puncture or incorrectly installed tire. You should also check how much tread life you have left. If your tires are worn down, you will have extremely diminished wet driving traction. This can spell disaster when put in a situation such as a torrential downpour or excessive high wind.

Upon inspecting your tires, maybe you should have the alignment inspected and/or serviced if deemed necessary. A misaligned vehicle is more likely to wear down tires or potentially lose control in wet driving situations. Here at The Shop, we regularly stock a variety of tires for just about any make and model vehicle, and we also perform alignments. Call to make an appointment today.

3. Inspect your brakes.

The last thing you want is to be traveling at speed and not

having any way to slow yourself down. Not only can you injure yourself, but it is an easy way to injure others. Have your brakes inspected to assure that you can safely drive in the rain and have the capability of slowing down. Bring your car in for a visual inspection and we can help service your braking needs. This includes pad and rotor replacement, all the way to complete fluid flushes.

4. Make sure that all of your lights are working.

We all know how difficult it can be driving at night; factor in the addition of rain, and driving becomes 10 times more difficult. You really need to make sure that all of your lights are in good working order before even leaving the driveway in a storm. Not only is it a law to have your headlights on when it is raining outside, but it is a precautionary factor that helps other motorists gauge what is around them. We stock bulbs for those of you with finicky lights that need replacing. We also perform HID installations for cars that want to convert their headlights over from halogen.

5. Know how to install chains for driving in the snow.

I know that many of us love going up to Tahoe for the Winter season to either snowboard, play in the snow, or, let’s face it, gamble while everyone else is doing the prior. You need to know how to install tire chains on your car because it is often a requirement for driving in the snow. I still remember my first time installing chains on my buddies Honda Accord (while the lazy a**holes slept in the back seat for the whole process) and how much of a learning experience it was for my next time up. It’s fairly straight-forward, but can easily be screwed up if you don’t know what you are doing. Be sure to bring a flashlight with you, a pair of thick gloves, and having a friend to help align the vehicle is always a plus. Also, if you are planning on heading up North this Winter season, buy the chains prior to your trip. You will save a lot of money buying them elsewhere, rather than spending $50 for a set when there’s no turning back and you absolutely need them.

6. Learn that AWD and 4WD won’t save you!

Yes, we all know that a 4WD truck or AWD Subaru make for great vehicles for snowy weather, but that doesn’t make you invincible to mother nature. It will help you get out of a jam and yes, you do not require installation of chains in the snow, but it is just as dangerous as any other vehicle in the snow. If you screw up, having a 4 wheel drivetrain won’t save you. Be careful out there.

7. Lastly, be cautious and slow down!

I see so many accidents happen in the rain and it’s often due to people that don’t seem to register the fact that the roads are wet! I’m sure many of you guys can agree with me that there are plenty of asshats on the road that weave in and out of traffic, speed, and tailgate others in the worst of driving conditions. When the road is wet, the vehicle takes longer to respond to the inputs of the driver. That is common sense when the roadways are slippery and visibility is diminished. So please, be safe everyone and drive cautiously and within your comfort level.

So there you have it, 7 quick tips to surviving this Winter season. Stay tuned for Christmas specials and promotions, happy motoring from everyone here at The Shop San Bruno.

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Project Raptor – Part 1 A Couple of Updates on What’s In Store
November 21, 2012 by Brian Lee · Filed Under: Misc, Project Raptor, The Shop Projects
So if any of you are following the blog or know Matt on more of a personal level, you would know that he just recently picked up a monster of an automobile, the 2013 Ford Raptor Super Crew. As promise, I will be constantly updating the blog with news and information regarding the build and giving some insight into what The Shop San Bruno has planned for its new project. Although the Raptor is quite a beast straight from the factory, Matthel has a couple of things in store in terms of upgrading the cars performance, aesthetics, and overall capability.

Matt plans to use the Raptor for some off-road excursions on The Shops annual camping trips and although the Raptor is an extremely capable machine, a couple of upgrades and modifications will add some extra aid in departments that Matt found lacking. First off, this is only a minor update and more of a teaser of what’s to come. Of course, in typical enthusiast fashion, parts were already ordered and delivered before the Raptor even made it’s appearance in the hands of The Shop San Bruno. Here is a quick compilation of the goodies that The Shops Project Raptor has coming up.

First off, a 40″ LED Light Bar by Rigid Performance. This extremely bright flood light, installed earlier this week, was a quick and simple install. The Ford Raptor already comes with auxiliary switches in the cabin that makes for a very clean install. The switches are positioned perfectly and integrates into the existing center console in a seamless, but functional manner. The wiring was fairly straight forward and since the light bar was developed and engineered specifically for the 2013 Raptor, the wiring was cut and spliced at an adequate length and made it’s way into the cabin without any fuss. A couple of stainless steel mounts integrating into the front clip and a couple of quick adjustments assured that the light bar would fit snugly in place. The lights make a world of difference as far as luminosity and is perfect for any off-roading situations that one would encounter when in need of light.

Here is a picture of the light bar installed and on.

A fresh set of custom ADV.1 wheels will be finding their home on the Raptor, and I cannot wait to see how it will look. Matt plans on keeping the factory 18″ wheels and tires for his trips that will take him off the asphalt and into the rocky beaten path. However, this is a monster set of 20″ wheels that will set off the look of the truck, as well as give it some added aggressive styling.

Along with the usual bolt-on’s to increase power and efficiency, a complete intake-header-exhaust setup are scheduled to help the truck breathe a little bit better.

As more parts arrive, I’ll keep you all updated on the further improvements and modifications being made to turn this Raptor into a real hell-raiser.

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Out with the old, in with the new.
November 15, 2012 by Brian Lee · Filed Under: Featured News, Misc

Another update regarding The Shop San Bruno, most mechanics know that their personal tool box is a necessity and a big one at that. It houses almost anything and everything (that will fit) that a mechanic utilizes every day in their varying tasks and duties. Now a lot of us know that having a clean and organized box is an absolute MUST in this industry of automotive repair. It reflects not only on your accuracy and specificity, but on your work ethic as well. No one knows this better than Matt, the owner, here at The Shop San Bruno. Ever since I’ve first starting having work done here, I’ve always noticed at how clean, organized, and efficient his tool box always was. Anytime I asked to borrow a tool, he would always oblige with a stern warning of, “you better put it back exactly how you found it though.” So on that note, it would only be fitting to have this post dedicated to the new toolbox that Matt just acquired.

Our resident boss-man took delivery of a new SnapOn tool box last month. Of course, it had to be in a white finish with polished trim. The box should make a nice cozy home for the tools and materials the shop needs to cater to its customers. Efficiency is the name of the game and with this new addition to the shop, we should be able to service automobiles in a more proficient manner. The additional space with the new toolbox allows for more storage of tools, including the arsenal of various sockets, wrenches, and air tools required for the services performed here at The Shop. The top portion also has a fancy LED lighting system that turns on when it is opened. Plus, it has chrome wheels, you know?… to match his cars. Here is a fine example of a picture that shows just how large this new box is. Yes, that is Ralph Largo. No, seriously, we didn’t ask him to pose like that.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that his old box needed replacing, as it was in perfect shape before Matt took delivery of the new SnapOn box. His old Matco box served him well in the past 4 years of being in use, and the condition really is a testament to how well these boxes are built. It struck me that mechanics that treat their tools well, in turn, share the same careful and decisive precision when dealing with their work. Hell, the old Matco toolbox (which is for sale here, by the way) still has the factory protective plastic on the stainless steel top!

Nonetheless, the new SnapOn box really is an asset to The Shop and it will most likely take Matt some time to transfer all of the equipment that he has into the new one. One thing can definitely be said though: a clean and organized toolbox reflects on the work that a mechanic performs, and I’m sure Matt wouldn’t have his box anything less than spotless.

And if you were to ask Matt if the upgrade was worth it?

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F*CK YEAH!

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Happy Birthday Matt!
November 14, 2012 by Brian Lee · Filed Under: Misc
Hey everyone! Today is the boss mans birthday, so if you’re stopping by The Shop San Bruno today for an oil change, some new tires, or any regular automotive maintenance and repair, be sure to take a moment to wish Matt a Happy Birthday.

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