Installed: Micro Image Yaris Intake Manifold and 1ZZ-FE Throttle Body

The Yaris got a fun new part last week. I ended up picking up a Micro Image high-performance intake manifold as well as a larger throttle body off of a 1ZZ-FE engine (e.g a Corolla), which is not generally included with the manifold. This throttle body is significantly larger than the 1NZ-FE throttle body and allows for more airflow, which means more power and throttle response.

Installation is pretty darn easy; it helped to have a buddy who had done it before, too. Disconnect the battery, unbolt the stock plastic intake manifold, unclamp some hoses, swap over the black box with the chip from the stock throttle body (this will require drilling out the rivets, then re-riveting it onto the 1ZZ-FE manifold), and bolt it all back up. The most difficult part is the chip swap, but it's not too bad. Then again, my buddy did this part for me. It's good to have friends. 

I started up the engine and it did a bit of searching due to the computer recognizing the new parts. Even now, my setup now has a high idle (about 2,000 RPM) for about a minute, then it comes back down to about 700 RPM like normal. 

The gorgeous looking aluminum intake manifold features long runners, a large, square body, and is said to make 7 hp and 7 ft/lbs of torque on a dyno—I believe it. Above 3,300 RPM, the engine feels as if it has woken up. It's quite noticeable when going up hills or passing. It simply feels more alive, and doesn't feel as if it's running out of breath in the upper ends of the powerband. I didn't notice much difference in sound, but I wasn't expecting to. 

I did have to space out the radiator hose a bit, as it was rubbing on the leftmost intake runner; I believe the brand-new part has a spacer (I made my own). Also, the stock engine cover won't fit without a bit of minor trimming, but I'll eventually get around to it. Or I won't, and I'll leave it off; it looks kind of good without it. Other than that, this is a masterpiece in metal, and looks fantastic. 

I'd recommend this modification to those looking for something to bring the car's drivability up a notch, especially if you've already done the basic intake, header, and exhaust modifications.  

For Sale: 357 Horsepower Toyota Yaris

Garm of Micro Image is selling his Toyota Yaris liftback. This built three-door turbocharged subcompact supercar runs a 12-second quarter mile, makes 357 hp on pump gas, and is built with top-notch parts. There's all kinds of info on it on both the Micro Image site and YarisWorld.com. He's asking $9,500 and the car is located in Canoga Park, California. Frankly, I think that's a great price for this badass little Toyota. If I had the cash, this would be mine!

1969 Subaru 360 micro van for sale NOT for sale

UPDATE: I was just informed that this vehicle sold last week.Regardless, it's a cool piece of vintage Japanese vanning.

When it comes to vintage micro cars, the Subaru 360 and, in this case, the 360 van, is towards the top of the list. If you've always wanted one and have a bit of cash on hand, Garm from Micro Image will gladly sell you his. Yes, this Subaru 360 van could be yours.

Garm says this is a rare van with a two-stroke, two-cylinder, air-cooled engine. Only about 2,000 were sold in the USA. It has a four-speed manual transmission, and a top speed about 55 mph. It's got tiny 10" rims with drum brakes all around.

According to Garm, "It's pretty complete, weatherstripping is trashed and it needs a lot of love. I'm a little low on extra love right now. It Runs ok. Stops but pulls to the left, so the cylinders should be gone through and brake system cleaned up. Lines are new (I didn't do them) Has a sedan muffler on it. No choke, but I have that repro choke cable that recently became available and it comes with. Front end had some body work and has some bondo slathered across the lower front apron. All the glass is there."

The price? $2,400 USD.

For more photos and contact info, see the ad on Micro Image.

Our Yaris gets a wider stance

Before 10mm spacer

After 10mm spacer

Yesterday I installed my Penguin Garage 10mm rear hub spacers onto the Yaris. More than anything for me, this is an aesthetic thing. In stock form, the Yaris' front track is wider than the rear and it can look a bit odd. With the 10mm rear spacer ($79.95 from Micro Image), it evens things out.

On the left is the "before" photo, the right, the after. As you can see, the wheel pokes out a bit more from the fender. It's nothing radical, but the car's stance looks noticeably better ... even if my photos don't make it look that way.

Installation is straight forward, and a how-to can be found on Yarisworld.com. Just take the wheel off, then the rear drum off, unplug your ABS sensor, remove four 14mm bolts, smear the included anti-corrosion gel on the spacers, sandwich the new spacers between the axle and the drum, install new bolts, and you're done.

OK, so in theory it's that easy. However, my car has about five years of road grime and a bit of corrosion in the hub area. Therefore, the spacers didn't just slip onto the hubs. Instead, I  took a wire brush to clean off the rust, and then needed to essentially do the install twice on each side; once to set the spacer in place, and a second time to torque them down. It took longer than I expected, but still was easy. Owners of newer Yaris models likely won't have to worry as much.

Since the spacers are only 10mm and my wheels have a 40mm offset (and I'm running 195mm wide tires), there likely won't be any rubbing. The Penguin Garage spacers do come with some camber shims if you'd need them.

Gregory's Toyota Tercel track toy

Gregory Jones' Tercel track car isn't a high-horsepower beast. It isn't a rear-wheel-drive slide monster. It is a Toyota Tercel and it is awesome.

Gregory has put a bunch of work into this Tercel, and I'm sure it has surprised more than a few people on track day. I recently ran across photos of his car on the Micro Image forum site, and thought I'd share.

Sweet Subaru Sambar

The Micro Image Open House was October, 9. There are a bunch of cool photos in this thread. However, one of the coolest vehicles was this old Subaru Sambar. Man, I'd love to get one of these someday. So retro. There is, of course, the Sambar rusting in peace by my house, but as far as I know, the owner isn't interested in parting with it. Anyway, WRX swap anyone? (Sorry; had to be said.)

Header? Hell, I lover 'er! My latest Yaris modification

So as you probably guessed, I bought a header for the Yaris: The DC Sports 4-1 header to be exact. The installation was pretty straightforward—certainly one of the easier header installations I've performed, despite the location on the back side of the engine.

The DC Sports header is a very nice piece with outstanding build quality. The only snag I ran into was that the support (the tab at the lower right hand corner) didn't 100% line up with the Toyota support bracket. Solution? Dremel tool to the Toyota bracket, of course (removed about 1/8").

Performance results are noticeable, too. The car seems to rev more freely after 4,000 RPM. I'd expect a couple of horsepower out of this mod. Naturally, I bought my header via Micro Image.

A recommended product to all those that have a 1NZ-FE under the hood (aka Yaris, xB, xA, Echo).

Micro Image Toyota Yaris runs a 12.80 @ 107 mph

Here's a video of the Micro Image Toyota Yaris running a 12.80. Garm Beall, the owner of Micro Image, has put a ton of work into his Yaris, and this 12.80 run proves it! Love the flames shooting out the tailpipe, too. Wicked.

SOURCE
AutoGuide.com

Representing the "Sub Culture" (and you thought the Yaris was small)

Oh yes—the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe rockin' the Subcompact Culture and Micro Image decals. The Yaris below belongs to Micro Image forum user "thebarber;" the Cozy Coupe belongs to his daughter. Both vehicles are proudly representing the "Sub Culture!"


Want your own SubcompactCulture.com decal? Shoot me an e-mail with your mailing address, and your choice of white or silver decals.

What the hell? This is not the 2011 Mazda2.

The 2011 Mazda 2 looks a lot like a Miata, no? Oops.

As someone who's had a couple of editorial photo mishaps in my life, I know shit like this happens. FYI, this was most likely the editor's fault, and not the author's.

Found on Micro Image's forums.

Cool Web sites: New look at Micro Image

One of my favorite Web sites, Micro Image, has been redesigned with added functionality and a great new look.

If you're not familiar with Micro Image, it's a great site for all makes and models of small cars. Right now it's got a lot of Yaris owners, but there are more and more Honda Fit owners, Nissan Versa and Cube owners, and others showing up all the time. In addition to the forums, owner Garm Beall, also sells a variety of car parts through the Micro Image Shop. But wait, there's more! There's a highly trafficked chat box, an arcade, a featured rides section, and a blog.

Be sure to swing on by and introduce yourself—it's a great site with great people.

LINK
Micro Image

New suspension on my Yaris

Well, now; there's a lot of color going on underneath my Yaris, nowadays. I recently replaced my Megan Racing coilovers with Tokico HP shocks (aka "Blues") and Tein S-Tech springs. (FYI, I got them from Micro Image, which I highly recommend). So why the switch?

The Megan Racing coilover set is very stiff. In fact, it was too stiff after about a year-and-a-half's worth of street driving. Plus, I never adjusted the height, and very rarely adjusted the dampening. It kind of defeats the purpose of an adjustable coilover system, no? In addition, some of the paint had begun to flake off of the springs. Granted, some sanding and some paint would've remedied this, but it was time for a switch anyway.

The new setup rides a bit softer than the Megan coiloevers when they were on setting 8 of 32. The ride is less bouncy, too. And, on the street, the increased suspension travel allows the car to soak up the bumps better, offering a more controlled feel. The ride is still firm, but not as kidney-jarring as the Megans. It's definitely sporty, handles well, and a great street setup, especially with my TRD rear sway bar.

Cool Web site: Micro Image Forums - networking for small cars

Forum sponsor, Micro Image, has just launched its online forum! The Web site is not make/model specific, and all makes and models are welcome, although at the moment, they do offer a Yaris, Cube/Versa, Fit, and Scion (xA, xB, xD, and iQ) sections.

As you know, Micro Image also sells car parts, has an e-zine, and a club. Be sure to check out this site!

LINK
Micro Image Forums - networking for small cars

T.O.R.C. Toyotafest: May 9th

For anyone interested in Toyotas and located in Southern California, be sure to check out T.O.R.C. Toyotafest! Subcompact Culture sponsor and car club, Micro Image will be there, too so be sure to be on the lookout for a bunch of Toyota Yaris owners and their tricked-out cars (they might even get their own class if they can get a few more Yarii signed up).

T.O.R.C (Toyota Owner's and Restorer's Club) puts on the all-Toyota Toyotafest show, which features Toyotas from all model years (1957–2009). There are probably few places you'll be able to see so many old-school Toyota models in one place, too.

The event, held Saturday, May 9 will take place at Queen Mary Park in Long Beach, CA.

LINK
T.O.R.C. Toyotafest
Micro Image Car Club

Subcompact Showcase: The Micro Image Yaris

Garm Beall is the owner of Micro Image, an e-zine, international car club, and online parts store. Garm has one of the coolest and best-performing Yarii (plural for Yaris) in North America.

Beall started with a 2007 Toyota Yaris liftback, to which he added a host of upgrades to the engine, drivetrain, exterior, and interior making the diminutive car a supersonic subcompact.

ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN
Under the hood, the 1.5 liter 1NZ-FE has been treated to a slew of upgrades, the most noticeable being a turbo system. For starters, a Garrett GT2554R ball bearing turbo with a custom turbo exhaust manifold, piping, and an intercooler. Fuel is delivered courtesy of Scion tC fuel injectors. Other goodies include a TIAL blowoff valve and 38mm wastegate, a TurboToyotas vacuum block, and a custom-fabricated downpipe. Controlling the mix is AEM’s FIC engine management and a World Racing TBC-1 digital boost controller. The exhaust exits a custom 2.5” turbo-back mandrel-bent exhaust with a center exit, which looks super trick.

To help put the power to the pavement, the car features a Kaaz limited sip differential, an Exedy stage-one clutch, and a Fidanza lightweight aluminum flywheel. A host of parts from NST include a short shifter, stainless cable and cage bushings, and various lightweight pulleys round out the engine/drivetrain.

So what kind of numbers is Mr. Beall putting to the ground? How about 183 wheel horsepower and 171 ft./lbs. of torque at 8 psi of boost. That’s nearly double what most stock Yarii put to the ground.

SUSPENSION/WHEELS/TIRES
In the handling department, the car features Silk Road coilovers, a TRD rear swaybar, and lots of bracing for extra rigidity. Rolling stock consists of SSR Type F wheels (16 x 7, +42mm offset) wrapped in BF Goodrich T/A KDW tires (205/50/16). When it comes time to stop, this Yaris relies on R1 Concepts drilled/slotted rotors grabbed by CarboTech brake pads. Beall has also added a custom rear disc brake conversion.

EXTERIOR
Not only does this little Toyota go fast, it looks good doing it thanks Kaminari’s side skirts and rear lip. A host of Seibon carbon fiber parts, including a front lip, vented hood, and rear hatch look great and reduce weight.

The Yaris’ roof has been painted and Beall has customized the front grilles. Other bits of exterior goodness include LED rearview mirrors, JDM-replica taillights, smoked HID headlights, an NST prototype tow hook, and Netz/Vitz emblems.

INTERIOR AND AUDIO
Nothing was overlooked on this car including the interior and audio components, starting with supportive BRIDE Euro II racing seats with Takata harnesses hold front passengers in place.

Since the Yaris is a bit lacking in the gauge department (only a speedometer and fuel gauge come stock), Beall added an Autometer Phantom II tach and gauges, and a Scangauge II engine monitor. The interior is finished off with a custom carbon-fiber center console and trim, and a leather shift boot.

In the audio department, the Yaris was treated to a Kenwood 712 7” headunit, GPS with navigation, and hand-free phone. A JBL Grand Touring amp powers the 10” JBL subwoofer located in a custom enclosure. Rounding out the audio mods are JBL GTO-series speakers (the front slip into components) and HornTones-powered MP3 sound effects.

There’s no doubt that Garm Beall’s Yaris is one of the most extensively modified Yarii in the U.S. It’s got a great combination of power, looks, and sound that would make just about any subcompact owner envious. Be sure to check out his Web site in the links section or simply click on the banner ad at the top of the page.

LINKS
Micro Image
NST (Non Stop Tuning)
Kaminari
Seibon Carbon Fiber Parts
Yarisworld.com