Option — Shōwa Car Tuning & Buyers Guide (2000 Edition)

Reader's private car.

The cabin follows a hard-core approach, with no air conditioning or stereo equipment. It has a 35 cm Victor steering wheel and a Safety 21 five-point roll cage, with details chosen carefully throughout.

DHLINS

Sano is captivated by the shine when the engine bay is opened and by its unmistakable sound...

...as everyone else; that's his policy.

He doesn't want to do the same thing...

...he doesn't want to do the same things as everyone else—that is his policy.

Sano's FC3S

The carburetors give the engine bay an unusual glow. The Weber downdraft setup has 48 mm throats; the jets are Imaru F7, 220 main, and 190 air.

Carbureted specification

...hood...

Bumper...

‘Hard-core’ suits Sano's FC. He is a principled owner who bought it new eight years ago and has steadily made it his own. The centerpiece is the carburetor setup. He says he was captivated by the sound and unique atmosphere of a carbureted engine bay; seeing its gleam makes that easy to understand.

...and so on.

Because temperature, humidity, and air pressure change with the seasons, the carburetors need frequent adjustments...

The mirrors and other details are by RE Amemiya. The finish is understated and elegant, with the distinctive carburetor setup as a subtle point of pride.

A carbureted rotary! Seasonal changes make tuning a craft that keeps you on your toes!

That hands-on connection seems to be an irresistible moment.

Hayashi is upbeat about aiming for a 10-second pass. His attention to suspension setup gives off the unmistakable air of an FC specialist.

Mie-based Twin Cam built the engine. Hayashi handles most work himself, but leaves the side-port engine's internals to professionals. Boost comes on above 5,800 rpm—a deliberately aggressive setup.

The battery was moved into the cabin. Power steering and air conditioning were also removed to reduce weight and concentrate mass near the center of the car.

AG

BOSCH

The goal: a 10-second pass!

Hayashi's FC is 100 percent quarter-mile focused. The engine is side-ported and uses a 1781/33D turbo. Boost begins around 5,800 rpm, with a maximum of 1.2 kg/cm² at 6,500 rpm...

A nose-down stance and suspension tuning keep it competitive in the quarter-mile.

...currently.

Hayashi's personal drag-spec FC3S

After much trial and error to improve rear traction, the suspension combines Ohlins coilovers with Silk Road springs as an original setup. The spring rate is 3 kg/mm.

80>

The nose-down stance and alignment look every bit a quarter-mile build. Hayashi's FC targets a low 10-second pass and is meticulously aligned.

At boost it is estimated to make 500 PS. The focus is traction: along with the nose-down stance, the front upper arms are rotated 90 degrees to allow caster adjustment and improve straight-line stability. Accumulated setup data is another major asset; suspension adjustments alone have improved the time by two-tenths of a second...

...as the car demonstrates.

104

Photo: Naoyoshi Mizukawa / OPT. Report: Rater Yoshizawa / OPT.