A thousand times grateful

One thousand subscribers. Wow. I remember what it was like when we hit the first one hundred subscribers, and it already felt like an impossibility. Machine Zealots was actually our second attempt at something better; our first online automotive experience was with project Spades V6, some of you may have remembered this, and that channel has only around 60 subscribers. We ran that channel for a year, and it never got the traction that Machine Zealots has.

We are not boasting in our accomplishments; we could not have gotten where we are if it wasn't for your support, and the grace of God. Thank you, each and every one of you for sticking around and watching us grow. Two thousand subscribers feels like an impossibility, but we'll continue to bring you great content and hopefully two thousand will be around the corner.

In other news, Apex Performance has delivered many aftermarket parts for the STI which will be revealed to you guys in a video. Thank you Apex Performance for your support!

Importfest 2013

Importfest 2013 Vancouver was a pretty small venue, but it was packed with a lot of people. Some of the cars shown were some of the cleanest modified cars I have yet to see. The most amazing part of the show, to us personally, were the turbo-charged Scion FR-S's; those cars really made me want to own a Scion FR-S or a Subaru BRZ.
The import models were very beautiful and friendly. It is quite obvious that the import models stole the whole show. Guys would be crowded around them, taking photos and videos; lining up for a chance to get a picture taken with one of them gorgeous girls.
Puyang and I stayed for only an hour or two, but since we got the tickets for free it wasn't a big deal. After editing the video, I showed the video to the import models, and they were very nice and shared the video on their Facebook and other fan pages. Here are some of the nice things they said:

They helped me advertise, so in return, I'll help them advertise. If you guys want to follow these import models, please find them on Facebook; they seem to be the most active there.

This video was shot, for the first time, exclusively on the Canon EOS 5D Mk. III. Every video before this one has been mainly shot with GoPro Cameras. Don't get me wrong, GoPro Cameras are great for what they are, but you can't beat a camera with a lens. Hope you guys enjoy the video, and hope you guys stick around for more Machine Zealots. ;)

Much needed Modifications

I have to say, the 2006 WRX STI is a very great car to boot. Having some experience taking this car to the autocross course really shows you the strengths and the weaknesses of the STI. The car comes with everything you need to go fast from factory: A set of super sticky summer tires, large Brembo brakes, 300 horsepower and 300 ft-lbs of torque, and a relatively light curb weight for an AWD car weighing at 3350 lbs. It's very fast, fun to drive, and it looks extremely handsome without having to look too flashy.

However, just like any car, it has its own fair share of downsides. One of the greatest weaknesses of this STI is that it is prone to understeering. However, once you are familiar with the car, and how to shift the weight of the car properly, understeer doesn't seem too big of a problem. Another weakness is that the peak boost takes slightly too long to reach (a.k.a. Turbo Lag). Again, all of these inherent car weaknesses can be overcome if the driver learns better car control.

The stock car has a lot of body roll, it was very apparent while I was driving, but since I was used to it, it didn't slow me down too much. However, many pictures that were taken of this STI reveals that it could use some suspension modifications. I suppose some sway bars, end links, and maybe a coilover setup wouldn't hurt huh? Don't worry, all these things will come in time.

As my aftermarket parts from Apex Performance are coming in the mail, I'm going to enjoy this car for what it is while I still have it. I love it!

The next big steps

If you follow Machine Zealots on Facebook, then you may have seen the news that the deal between Apex Performance has officially been closed for the season! That is exciting stuff! Both we, and Apex Performance, apologizes for the delay; both parties have been extremely busy.

We're expecting our car modding goodies to be in our P.O. Box in a week or two, and we'll reveal those goodies to you guys later. In the meantime, we have finished editing our autocross event episode! It will be the very last STI autocross at its current state. From here on out the STI will be, hopefully, a different beast altogether. The next autocross event of this year will be lead by Puyang and his 2012 VW Golf GTI; it will also be his first autocross. Puyang came along with me this time to feel what it's like for a car to go under extreme g-force. Hopefully this will give him an idea of what it will be like when he is driving.

Here are some image clips from the upcoming autocross episode:

Puyang sits in for the first couple of rounds.

Comparing sector times.

The Importfest episode will be coming next week; full of nice modified cars, import models, and fun! Stay tuned!

June 15 AutoX

On Saturday June 15, Puyang and I went to the Corvette Club autocross event. I really love hanging out with that whole gang, they are fun and very friendly. We made a racing video, just like in Season 2, and that will be aired in a couple of weeks. Since we brought the DSLR with us, we decided to take some pictures for the Corvette Club, and for you guys, to see. I've got more news for you guys about autocross for Machine Zealots, but I'll talk about that later.

Check out all the cars and the full photo album on the Machine Zealots' Facebook Page. In any case, enjoy some of the photos here: