Drivers importing engines for illegal car modifications in Johor Bahru

He once paid S$30,000 to ship a Mitsubishi Evolution 5 engine from Japan. Adrian (not his real name) then proceeded to replace his engine with the imported part, increasing the performance of his car greatly.

Adrian said that it was money well spent because the new engine gave his Mitsubishi Lancer the extra boost when he is out racing in the streets of Singapore in the early morning hours.

He bought the engine, known as a half-cut, from a website and had it shipped from Japan to his trusted mechanic in Johor Bahru.

The 39 year-old then drove his car into Johor Bahru where it was stripped of its original engine before his mechanic installed the half-cut into his machine.

Revving up with half-cuts

Half-cuts are powerful engines that have been originally used in street racing cars overseas. These are sold off because the owners upgraded their engines.

“They may be second hand but they are good enough for Singapore drivers who race illegally.

“It gives me more power when I am participating in races in Singapore. I do that (race) on a regular basis. It is more for the thrill and not for the money,” said Adrian.

Buyers are able to buy these half-cuts engines that include parts like the gearbox, dashboard and the engine control unit (ECU) online easily.

He said that many workshops in Johor Bahru are doing the modifications for Singapore-registered cars. Some workshops there also import the engines from Japan and Australia for their customers.

“It is easy, you drive to Johor, leave your car there and drive out with a more powerful engine,” he said. According to Adrian, it will usually take a few days or a week for the transfer to take place.

Although the modifications are typically extensive, Adrian said the mechanics are so good that not many people are able to see the changes made to the cars.

Many Singaporean drivers are flocking to this workshop at Taman Sentosa in Johor Bahru to have their cars souped up for racing illegally in Singapore.

Across the causeway for an engine fix

Yahoo Singapore, acting on a tip off, recently visited a workshop in Johor Bahru that specialises in doing illegal modifications.

The workshop, or chop shop to street racers, is located at Taman Sentosa, about 20 minutes from the causeway.

A mechanic, who identified himself as Ong, said that there are still Singaporeans coming to his workshop to modify their cars despite the tougher Land Transportation Authority (LTA) regulations introduced recently.

Speaking in Malay, he said that it he is able to bring in half-cuts from Japan for his customers.

“A half-cut will cost you a few thousand dollars depending on the model that you are looking for. It will be from Japan and not from a local scrapyard,” he said.

As of 1 November, vehicle owners in Singapore who are caught with illegally modified engines or exhaust systems in their vehicles for a second or subsequent time will be subjected to more frequent mandatory vehicle inspections.

Failure to comply with the inspection regime can result in a fine of up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months on conviction for the first offence. The maximum penalty will be doubled on conviction for a second or subsequent offence.

“They (The customers) have ways to pass the inspection. I don’t know how but they do have ways,” Ong said.

There are also ways to modify the engine without using a half-cut engine, he added.

“You can do a port and polish where we will adjust your fuel intake or you can simply install a turbo kit. It is harder to be detected (by the authorities) and it will still boost your engine significantly.”

Joe (not his real name), a former street racer, said that there are workshops in Singapore that can install half-cut engines. Yet, he knew of such modified cars that were able to pass inspections.

“I’ve seen it done before in Singapore. The car was so powerful yet it passed all inspection easily. In fact it was sold off to a dealer later, with all the modifications intact!” said Joe, who had raced at Pasir Gudang, a legal racetrack located in Johor Bahru.

“A good mechanic should be able to change the chassis number of a car without much problem making it look like it never was tampered with,” he added.

Getting around LTA’s inspection

Another former street racer, who goes by the moniker Eddy, also said that there are workshops in Singapore that provide such a service.

According to Eddy, a workshop took his heavily modified car to the inspection center and returned it to him after an hour or so.

“My car passed the inspection. I only need to pay the workshop S$100 as coffee money for their help,” he added.

But Joe said the more savvy local racers will not take such a risk.

“They will send their cars to their mechanics (in Singapore) before an inspection by LTA. Their mechanics will ensure that illegal parts are taken out before the inspection.

“Once LTA pass their vehicles, they will re-install these parts,” he said.

Illegal racing scene in Singapore

Despite attempts by the authorities to clamp down illegal street races, Eddy said that such races are still taking place.

The boyish looking manager said that though it is not cheap to participate in a race, there are still people drawn to it simply because they want to “test” their cars.

A typical race will start at about 1 in the morning and it is usually organised by one of the many racing gangs in Singapore.

The races usually take place at Orchard Road - known affectionately as Orchard Gudang – Tuas, and Lim Chu Kang Road.

“You need to pay at least S$1,000 per person per race. Then there is the entry fee of $300 per entrant.

“There are at least 10 cars in each race and usually we will have at most three races per night. The winner will walk away with at least S$1,000,” he said.

Eddy said that organisers usually hold the races in the wee hours of Friday or Saturday mornings.

“The biggest race is usually held on election day. That is the day we know police are super busy and there are no (clampdown) operations,” he added with a grin.