Feature: The Cutloose Cars - Juiceboxforyou

Gaz reached out to me after he took a photo of a Juicebox sticker he stuck on his S15. I’m flattered that many people reach out to us to show where they have placed their purchases and Gaz’s car was just one of those situations where you had to take a second look. His car was absolutely stunning. I was flattered that he wanted to throw our stickers on his build, and I was shocked that I hadn’t seen this car before.

Although the UK is not too far from us, literally a couple of hours on a ferry, sometimes builds go entirely unnoticed for either side of the Irish channel.

After a bit of back and forth chatting with Gaz and his mate Grant, they wanted to make the trip to our annual BBQ. Both of them had equally impressive cars, a low down style with beautiful wheels and a flashy livery that worked.

They go by the name Cut Loose, and their look is a throwback to the ever so lovable early to mid millennium Japanese drift culture when cars had flashy liveries, and teams all had their cars in the same colour schemes.

This type of stuff is a dying breed out there, but in recent times drift enthusiasts from the western world have started to adopt the look.

Both of these lads had a good grasp of a style from our favourite era in Japanese drifting. I’m still unsure how the guys made it to the BBQ without damaging their aero, I know that had to take it off going onto the ferry, that’s dedication right there, but they both drove an insane amount of miles just to come to eat some burgers with us.

Their cars look like something out of a Drift Tengoku magazine, and I was thoroughly delighted that they trekked over for our event.

They had arranged to meet up with the Reckless tribe guys from Scotland, all of them were mates online, but they had never actually met in real life. There’s something badass about friends that build their cars up in the same colour schemes, it hasn’t caught on in Ireland too much yet, but in the UK there are a few people who have nailed it.

When both cars rolled in together for the first time, everyone stopped, both vehicles are within an inch of absolute destruction, big wheels, loads of stickers, totally over the top and tacky in all the right ways. Grants 33 reminded me just how good these things could look with the right treatment; I had almost forgotten the potential and instantly wanted an R33. These cars were subject to all sorts of bad mods back in the day is the most popular imported skyline in the UK back in the golden days.

And yet here’s one that just incredible. There just something about this look that gets us all excited, especially in a country where this shouldn’t be possible. I still don’t know how these guys made it without making total shit of their cars. Having a car this low to the ground with mega wheel setups and silly flashy paint jobs is usually something reserved for Japan and a few spots in the US.

I applaud them for building cool cars, driving the shit out of them and just having fun together as car enthusiasts; let’s start with Gaz’s S15.

The Silvia started life as a Spec S, which is the non-turbo model. He converted it to turbo using a blacktop engine from an S14. Red is a great colour on these cars.

Gaz chucked some of his favourite companies up the side of the car. It’s funny to note the Silvia has a Final Konnexion kit, but there’s a Vertext Ridge sticker. Who cares it still looks great.

Its a simple enough colour scheme but it looks like a car that should be skidding around Nikko. The lads love that era of style and decided to have a go at it. As Gaz said “we wanted to plaster the cars with all our Japanese sponsors who have no idea these lads even exist” but how many of us do that. We love the brands; we want to emulate that style, so we put these brands on our cars.

A lot of Japanese people do this too, the number of cool cars we have see in Japan that have beautiful graphics and usually if its a streetcar the owner has no affiliation with the companies. Gaz borrowed the wheels at the time and got them to the perfect fitment tucked nicely under the arch. Cars this low shouldn’t work over this side of the world, especially if they are static.

I give these heroes nothing but credit for road tripping across the UK onto a ferry, into our misery of a business park and home again. Inside Gaz sits on a Recaro SR3 from a DC2 Integra and a Nardi for steering.

I love the Bronze tint; the cops would love that here, again its tacky in the right kind of way, and surprisingly enough there’s a nice bit of visibility inside.

Running out of space on the rear!

I love the mismatched wheels, flat spoke CRK-ai’s in 19×9.5 on the front in bronze and Work stitch evolution’s on the rear in 11J with a zero offset. Gaz used some spacers to make sure he had the perfect fitment.

One of my favourite parts of his car was the satin gold brushed wrap, with a scene from Japan on the bonnet. It just looked cool certainly something you’d come across on a Japanese car, and I take my hat off to him for trying something unique. It worked.

Grants car is something else; As I mentioned previously, I completely forgot how good the 33 chassis looks in a drift outfit. The 33, in general, is massively underrated and got a bit of a bad wrap years ago as these were the most import of the series and were subject to the worst modifications.

Grant hit the reset button and went for the BN kit. These cars are enormous, often nicknamed the boat in recent years, but the BN kit enhances their size. The cut loose graphics look great with the BN aero and Grant nailed the ride height and wheel fitment, a crucial part of pulling off this flashy look. The combination of red black and gold works a treat. He’s fitted a 326 power wing to the rear, and it suits this chunky machine.

Just like Gaz, the rear window is running out of space for stickers

These Carbon Ganadors with red handles are a nice touch.

I love the car from this angle, after seeing this thing in real life, I started looking to see if there was any cheap R33’s for sale online. Sadly they are all dead.

When the recession of 2008 kicked in, I think the R33 got hit the hardest of any import car, seen as the ugly duckling and a highly disposable vehicle; I bet 90% of the ones imported into Ireland were thrashed on track or scrapped.

I’ve never actually seen a BN kitted example in real life; I’ve only ever seen the same images of the Silver BN demo car in old magazines. I always wondered what it would look like in real life and I’m sold! The blocky BN kit suits the chunky shape of the 33. From the front, its like a beefier Zenki S14.

The lesser-known MAE crown Jewels are 18×10 up front and 18×11 at the rear and look so good. Big wheels for a big car.

    

Under the hood is an RB25 with an R34 Neo turbo, Splitfire coil pack and Fujitsubo downpipe. He’s fitted a custom tucked exhaust, a front mount intercooler and a Blitz Filter.

The cars don’t just have the looks; Grant drifts this 33 whenever possible. Its fully poly bushed, has adjustable arms, cut knuckles, a relocated rack and HSD coilovers.

Inside, Grant has fitted a Grip Royal wheel, a seven-point Cusco roll cage, Recaro bucket seat and a Takata harness. He’s kept the full interior too. It’s rare to see any drift car these days with a full interior.

I love all the little touches, Japan loves the tack, and the lads enjoy it too. The car is filled with stickers, funky little bits and bobs which add to the overall character.

I had to shoot these cars when they road tripped over last year. The lads nailed a style that’s often messed up. Their cars are great; they love doing skids, they drove to Ireland looking like this and most of all they are gentlemen!

I hope you enjoyed these photos. I’ve left the spec lists below for anyone interested.

Thanks again to Grant and Gaz for making it over. Till next time!

S15 Spec:

Engine

Stock sr20det from an s14a

Upgraded Black radiator and Intercooler

Honda wrinkle black cam cover

Split fire coil packs

Blitz suction kit

Nismo Front Brace

Spec R boot brace bar

Relocated batteries to the boot

Custom midnight performance exhaust 3″ into shotty (shezy special)

Interior

Recaro SR3 driver’s seat

Spec blue seats an door cards (rare as donkey dust)

Cusco roll cage

Full interior

Apexi gauges

Exterior

Final Konnexion body kit

Dmax front and rear fender

326 power boot and roof spoilers

Dmax bonnet custom wrap brushed bronze

Work CR Kiwami 18″ 9.5j et12

Work stitch evolution 3 piece splits 18″ 11J ETt0

Chassis

Unhelper CS2 coilovers custom springs

Modded cut front knuckles

KrANkEd front tension rods

15mm extend lower arms

Relocated front subframe

Kaas diff 1.5 way

Gk-tech axel spacers

Adjustable rear arms for the camber delete

Super tack LED under car glow with flashy sidelight that always outa sink

R33 Spec:

Engine

Rb25det

R34 neo turbo

Splitfire coil packs

Fujitsubo downpipe

custom tucked exhaust

Intercooler

Blitz air cleaner

HKS filter

Greddy profec b controller

Aluminium rad with twin spal fans

Chassis

Cut knuckles

Extended lower arms

Relocated rack

Fully poly bushed throughout

HSD coilovers with custom springs

All Adjustable arms with rosery joints

Welded diff

Exterior

Bn sports kit

Wider rear over fenders

326 wing

Carbon Aero mirrors

Carbon vented unknown bonnet

MAE crown jewels 18×10 front 18×11 rear

Advan AD08r upfront

Interior

Grip royal wheel

Apexi gauges

Recaro seat with bride rail

Cusco 7 point cage

Full interior

Garage moon power mats

Takata harness