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Monthly Archives: February 2016

  1. 2016 Camaro SS Video Review Series, Part 7: Rear Suspension

    2016 Camaro SS Video Review Series, Part 7: Rear Suspension

    Check out the seventh segment of the Mishimoto 2016 Camaro SS video review series! In this video we provide a neat look at some of the unique features on the rear suspension of the '16.

    Our next video will include details about the braking system of our SS.

    Thanks for watching!

    -John

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  2. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 5: Second Prototype Fabrication

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 5: Second Prototype Fabrication

    Our quest for the perfect intercooler core continues! So far we've perfected the fitment and size of our intercooler core. Our final task is to adjust internal fin composition to create a perfect blend of pressure retention and temperature benefits.

    Prototype Ford Fiesta ST Intercooler Fabrication

    Timing is a bit of a concern for us at this time. This project has been lengthy, but it will be worth the effort and time when we know our best efforts have been captured in our final product.

    Our final version of this intercooler will likely feature a tube-and-fin core. The benefits of weight and airflow are too important to ignore, not to mention the temperature drops we are seeing with a strategically designed internal core.

    For our team, the creation of a bar-and-plate cooler is a much quicker process. We've found that pressure drop between the two core types is similar if fin style, density, or both are the same. So for this test, we are using two bar-and-plate

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  3. Eliminating the Eyesore. Mishimoto 2016 Camaro Expansion Tank R&D, Part 1: Stock Tank and Initial Design

    Eliminating the Eyesore. Mishimoto 2016 Camaro Expansion Tank R&D, Part 1: Stock Tank and Initial Design

    While we were deep in development of various new components for the 2016 Camaro, we received numerous requests for a replacement for the coolant expansion tank. While an upgrade here won't net any horsepower gains or drop fluid temperatures, a replacement tank can certainly improve the appearance of your engine bay.

    Since we are experts in producing innovative aluminum replacement expansion tanks, we decided to tackle the Camaro unit as one of our new projects.

    Stock 2016 Camaro Expansion Tank

    The stock 2016 Camaro expansion tank is quite a unique piece. GM has combined the expansion tank and overflow tank into one unit. If you've ever peeked under the hood of a Cadillac ATS, this unit should look familiar.

    Before designing our own aluminum counterpart, we needed to inspect the stock 2016 Camaro parts and evaluate each of the features.

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  4. Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 3: Functional Prototype and Test Rig

    Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 3: Functional Prototype and Test Rig

    In our last update, we left you with some mock-up prototype pieces that we used to create and refine our Fiesta ST rear strut brace design. Since then, we've worked up a couple of functional prototypes to test our ideas for stiffening the rear of this hot hatch.

    Initial Prototypes

    We constructed two prototypes of this trunk brace. The first prototype is finished in a black powder coat, and we'll use this unit to evaluate for aesthetics and fitment. The unfinished ("raw") prototype is going to be used for testing purposes, meaning it will be modified.

    First, check out our powder-coated unit bolted into place.

    Mishimoto Fiesta ST performance parts
    Mishimoto Fiesta ST performance parts

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  5. Final Product Design - E46 Intake Development, Part 3

    Final Product Design - E46 Intake Development, Part 3

    In our last update, we left you with some dyno results showing the potential this kit has for increased performance. Now that the development process is nearing completion, we have a finished and fully functional prototype to test fit onto a BMW 330i. This kit is a direct fit for the E46 330i and it includes a very straightforward component list and simple installation instructions. Let's jump into what our final kit looks like.

    Final E46 intake prototype
    Final E46 intake prototype

    As seen above, the multi-ply silicone intake hose features a CNC-machined connector for exact fitment onto our filter. The heat shield is made of black powder-coated steel to help keep the filter shielded from the engine bay heat. The weather stripping along the

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  6. Let Your Ponies Be Heard - Exhaust Component R&D, Part 2: The H-Pipe

    Let Your Ponies Be Heard - Exhaust Component R&D, Part 2: The H-Pipe

    After coming up with a game plan we were ready to tackle the first portion of the Mustang GT exhaust, the resonator. We began this exhaust project a bit differently than projects in the past, we began with the waterjet.

    How, you might ask, are we going to produce a prototype made of piping on the waterjet? We're not! To save time and improve accuracy, we will use a jig to create the first prototype H-pipe and X-pipes. Our hopes are that they will provide more precise prototypes that need less revision, therefore saving time. We will also use the same jig for production, so that each resonator delete produced will have the same great fitment as the prototype that we create.

    With that said, we fired up the waterjet and began cutting our jig.

    Cutting our Mustang H-pipe jig on the</body> " width="900" height="603">
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  7. Final Product Design - WRX Race Intake, Part 3

    Final Product Design - WRX Race Intake, Part 3

    Our last update on this intake included dyno testing that yielded some interesting numbers. Now that we're moving closer to the release, let's take a look at the finished product!

    Let's start with the intake pipes.

    IMG_2850
    New 2015 WRX parts

    These intake pipes will be finished in either wrinkle black, wrinkle red or polished, as shown above. The decision is up to you! These production samples came out nicely and look really great in person. Remember we are using full three inch piping with no step downs, which will require a tune on any WRX that has this race intake installed.

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  8. Smooth Airflow For The 8th-Gen. Mishimoto Civic Si Induction Hose R&D

    Smooth Airflow For The 8th-Gen. Mishimoto Civic Si Induction Hose R&D

    We've got another awesome project in the works for the 8th-generation Honda Civic Si! Our recently released performance intake system received great feedback from customers, but it also identified an additional need for intake system components. We decided to develop a Civic Si induction hose made from silicone to replace the stock rubber unit.

    Stock Civic Si Induction Hose

    Before jumping into the design of our prototype hose, check out a few shots of the stock unit.

    Stock Honda Civic parts
    Stock Honda Civic parts

    Stock Honda Civic</body> " width="640" height="426">
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  9. 2016 Camaro SS Video Review Series, Part 6: Front Suspension

    2016 Camaro SS Video Review Series, Part 6: Front Suspension

    Check out the sixth segment of the Mishimoto 2016 Camaro SS video review series! In this video we provide a neat look at some of the unique features on the front suspension of the '16.

    Our next video will include details about the rear suspension of our SS.

    Thanks for watching!

    -John

    Continue Reading »
  10. A Front-Mount for the 2015 STi, Part 4: Final Prototype Fitting

    A Front-Mount for the 2015 STi, Part 4: Final Prototype Fitting

    Putting together our final prototype was a bit easier for this project compared to other front-mount intercooler (FMIC) kits our team has developed. As mentioned in previous segments, we used the crash beam and intercooler from our 2015 WRX kit. Now we've worked up some functional prototype piping for a final test fit.

    First, let's take a quick look at each portion of the kit.

    Intercooler and Crash Beam

    The intercooler core is the key component in any intercooler kit. This core has provided significant air temperature drops during our testing on the WRX, and we expect the same results with the STi.

    Mishimoto STi intercooler and crash beam
    Mishimoto STi intercooler and crash beam

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