Got some info from Fernando and a whole story about his car came to be where it is today! A big thanks to Fernando for keeping it real in this tight knit community of Micro car modders! I looks forward to seeing Fernandos Fit and where it will be at in the future! On to the reading folks!

First off I’m a San Juan, Puerto Rico native whose life has brought many changes including now working out in Granite City, Il. One thing remains constant during my life span is my formal love for cars, it’s pretty safe to assume my car obsession started from a young age from LEGOs to 1/10 Scale electric R/C car racing back in Puerto Rico. I have been in love with anything with an internal combustion engine since the beginning. In my university days to get my BS in Mechanical Engineering I rebuilt the suspension for the 2008 Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico SAE Mini Baja Car. But my 4 wheel obsession really started with lowed trucks back in the mid 90’s but then modified to mini trucks. As one day would have it, I saw a feature on an early model black Toyota Tacoma modified by Axis that had an intercooled turbo swap done and I was hooked. At the time I thought this was the coolest thing on 4 wheels.

My bug for modifying cars really changed its quality when I got the chance to work and learn from the masters at HKS in Los Angeles for an internship. In California I got an automatic  91’ Honda Accord DX and that pretty much sealed the deal with my Honda obsession. I loved my Accord but I knew when I got a full time job that is was time to get something newer, more reliable, and had a good following in the aftermarket world so I could start racing. Basically I wanted a starting point to learn to drive AND take me to work, I wanted a “then new” 2007 White GD3 (’02-’08 Honda Fit/Jazz) base model with manual transmission.

As soon as my car got transferred to the good old US of A from Puerto Rico it was getting modified brakes, suspension, and a new rim/tires set-up. My plan was to use this car to learn how to drive to then eventually trade up to something faster (Subaru STI.. long time fan), but along the years of owning my Fit I have fallen in love with it! The fact that modified Fits are a lot less common than other Hondas like EG, EF, EK or DC’s really makes it really hard to part ways with it, plus it is a lot of fun to drive a slow car fast!

I have been auto crossing non-stop for 3 years in various SCCA regions and also took it to track day events at New Jersey Motorsports Park. I took part in a range of autocross schools in Philadelphia, Houston, and recently the Evolution Performance Driving School in St.Louis. This season I placed 2^nd in Class Championship Points in the St.Louis Region SCCA. I plan to continue to race the Fit and tweak it to be even more competitive in the ST class. With some new rule changes hopefully happening in ST Class for the 2012 Season and the removal of the almost spec car to have (89-91 Civic Si) into another class, I hope to be in even better shape for next year maybe even go to nationals! 2012 might see the Fit wearing a new brake set-up, engine mounts, new clutch, more suspension tweaks, and adding more lightness J

My Fit has been my daily driver since day one and has been set-up to follow ST Class rules in SCCA, so most of the attention goes towards what gives me faster times with a few thing added for looks.

Go Fast Parts:

PRM Racing Prototype GD3 Intake

T1R (Ceramic coated) Response header

Skunk 2 50mm Cat back exhaust

Skunk 2 Limited Edition Oil Cap

AMSOIL 100% Synthetic Oils

Password JDM CF engine cover

Brakes:

Power Slot Cryo-treated Slotted Rotors

Hawk HP+ Pads

T1R braided lines

Motul RBF600 fluid

Rims + Tires:

Miteki open end lug nuts

(Daily) Enkei RPF1 15×7

205/50 Toyo R1R

(Auto X) 949Racing 6UL 15×7.5

225/45 Hankook RS3

Suspension:

Cusco front and rear Strut Bars

T1R Lower Arm Bar

Skunk 2 Pro C Coilover (6k front, 6k Rear)

Progress Rear Sway bar

Eibach Camber Bolts

Racing Alignment + Corner Balanced (w/ help from Dad’s Auto Repair)

Exterior:

J’s Racing front grill

OEM Sport Front lip and side skirts

Siebon Carbon Fiber spoiler

3M carbon fiber wrapped roof

Spoon Sports antenna

Interior:

Skunk 2 short shifter

Skunk 2  10^th Anniversary shifter

JDM Passenger side sun visor (Gf approved mirror)

Sparco 4 point harness

In the end I want to give big thanks to my very patience girlfriend Susan Giger, my family for all the moral support, Skunk 2 for the hook-ups, Bruce @ Dad’s Auto Repair, Terry and Bob @ Dent Devils, all the great car friends I meet through SCCA and my traveling, finally a shout out to FitFreak.Net and all the great members, and my healthy credit card.

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What are those partnerships?

Let’s start with Chrysler–they recently filed for Chapter 11 and partnered with successful European car company Fiat.  Now, with this filing of Chapter 11, the chief at Fiat has stated he is ready to pull Chrysler, once one of the Big 3, out of the bottom and back up to the top.

Meanwhile in Detroit, GM has partnered with another one of the European auto heavyweights Alfa Romeo. This marks the return of Alfa Romeo to the United States and yet some more possibilities for more microcars to drive!

What will they bring?

Before they left the United States market in 1995, Alfa Romeo had a reputation for having well-designed automobiles; however, the quality was lacking.  Fourteen years later, Alfa is ready to make its mark back in the US market and we at MicroCar Magazine are most excited about how the quality of an Alfa has improved over the years. The Mi To has been a well-received microcar in Europe and judging by the design, it will fit in very well here in the States.  What we are not sure about is how much power will be equipped in the Mi To and what the price point will be.

photo take by Fiat

Also making a return since it left in 1917 is Fiat, which comes to the United States to bring more micro goodness.  The 500 was first introduced in 2008 with a grand 500th hour reveal at the London Eye and it may not be the only possible microcar to be brought into the States.  Enter the FORD Ka, built through a partnership with Fiat and Ford in Europe.  This car could propose a challenge for SMART.  The Ka has about the same wheelbase as the SMART, but unlike the SMART, don’t look for the Ka to be easy to modify.

How powerful and how much?

No real information is available at this time, but as we receive news from around the world, we will update you. What can be said or at least questioned is whether these two European titans can unseat other microcar companies like Toyota or Honda.

For today’s spotlight I will be reviewing Tanabe’s DF210 series springs, providing the lowest drop without taking the plunge into coils or bags.  The drop rate is, according to Tanabe, 1.9 Front and 2.2 Rear, respectively.  Where as most springs will follow the height ratio of the manufacturer, the DF’s will bring the body completely level, rather than slightly (ever so slightly) raked up in the rear as the OEM set up is.  For this reason, there is a noticeable gap in the front fenders between the wheels (as seen with OEM steelies+dunlops), where the rear is actually flush with the quarter panel line.   Overall, this would be my overall gripe with the product.  Everything else is flawless.

Handling/Daily Driving

The biggest concern people have with a lowered car is not necessarily handling, but how will it FEEL when driving through town?  Before I address how it feels, I’d like to give you my insight on what “harsher” ride quality means.  In my opinion, a harsher ride can vary from strong jolts whenever riding over a pothole (eek!), and can include the extra body movement you feel as you go over a small hump in the road.  In my 1100 mile experience, the only thing you’ll notice is that extra body travel as you ride over a small hump.  The ride isn’t uncomfortable or disheveling in any way, and to be quite honest, is still just as soft and cushy as the OEM springs.  (Let me say now, that I’m riding on the OEM Shock/Strut set up, so ride quality and handling improvements are solely based off the springs alone).

Handling, as with any worthwhile suspension upgrade, brought an immediately noticeable improvement in cornering.  Hard cornering, when paired with some sticky tires, should be no problem for this set up.  Seeing as how I’m riding on all seasons, my handling through hard corners isn’t quite up to par, but I can assure that the crispness is there, and VERY enjoyable.  Pair it with a nice, thick, rear sway, and I think all xD owners will have a thrilling little ride on their hands!

Kit Includes
-Tanabe DF210 Springs
-Tanabe Stickers (YEA!!)

Tools/Install

Tools required are as follows:

-Torque Wrench (yes it’s first. Anyone planning on doing DIY work for their cars should have a good Torque Wrench!)
-Sockets: 10, 14, 17, 22 mm
-A 17mm offset wrench (had to run out to the store to buy this one)
-6mm allen wrench
-Last but not least, a Spring Compressor for the front springs

Overall Install

The install wasn’t horrible, and it definitely wasn’t my first time working on suspension.  However, having said that, I did struggle with the front struts because of Toyota’s genius Wiper Guard design.  Instead of following logic, I opted to not remove this piece, and struggled for a good hour, harshly stripping the top nut for my front driver side strut.  So let this be a warning to you: DO NOT SKIP THIS PROCESS.  Remove the Wiper Guard, and all will be happy.

Final Review

I truly enjoy my xD with the DF’s installed, and would recommend them to anyone looking to drop their car.  Dont be scared by the 2″  drop, it’s really not bad at all.  Theres still a 7″ clearance.  If you live in a pothole ridden area of town, or commute to a pothole ridden area, fear not!  My locale has by far some of the worst roads I’ve ever driven on, and my little xD survives just fine, drop and all.  So don’t be afraid!  Get as low as y ou can, and enjoy every inch of it!

-Corey