The Mechanic: Fuel Culture's 2012 Hyundai Veloster

Vehicle Features Jacob Leveton | Photos by Jacob Leveton

Written by Jacob Leveton / Photography by Jacob Leveton
An effective street build, design with the aspiring mechanic in mind. The brand new 40mpg Hyundai Veloster was released to the public late last year and, while it is being marketed as an economical commuter car, it has tons of tuning potential. The team over at FuelCulture.com got together with Joey Redmond and Infinite Auto Design to produce this top notch Hyundai Veloster build which debuted in the Hyundai booth at SEMA last November. Over the last few years, Hyundai has been reinventing the brand, and this build further proves that it is establishing a ‘cool factor’.

Outside of the car, the exterior is headlined by the first imported lip kit from Sequence-X. Sequence is a popular aftermarket company in South Korea, but the kit had yet to see American shores until the team imported it last summer. Along with importing this lip kit, brand new Korean OE parts were ordered to really set the build apart. The stock headlights were replaced with Korean OE projector headlights which eliminate the ugly amber turn signals and integrate LED halos. LED taillights and LED turn signal mirrors also upgraded the overall look of the vehicle before the entire exterior was painted in a custom BASF Blueberry paint scheme.

Finishing off the exterior are prototype versions of Seibon Carbon’s OEM style hood and trunk, which are now available through retail. Under the corners, the suspension includes a custom KW Coilover setup that was built as a one off kit just for this Veloster. Stopping power is provided by a custom SSBC big brake kit slowing the Continental Extreme Contact Tires which wrap the Konig Deception Wheels, while Password:JDM lugnuts keep the wheels mounted to the car.

Inside the car, the interior received one of the biggest overhauls in the car. The factory a-pillars and headliner were an off white color when the car was new, but the team decided that black suede would look better and replaced it all. Cipher Auto seats replace the OE units, but not before they wrapped and reupholstered in Peanut Butter leather with a Cadillac CTS-V inspired stitch pattern. Since the car is heading out on a promotional tour with the Universal Technical Institute as a mechanic’s special edition, FuelCulture teamed up with Snap-On tools and placed a fully-stocked toolbox in the back seat behind the driver, which is easily accessible from the third door on the passenger side. Inside the trunk you can see some more essential items for an up and coming mechanic including Mechanix-Wear gloves, a Snap-On impact gun and drill (with a charging station integrated into the trunk), and plenty of Royal Purple fluids. Rounding out the trunk is a custom-built Kicker Audio subwoofer box which provides great sound while utilizing a minimal amount of space.

Under the hood, the engine was given an extensive wire tuck by the ChaseBays team, a task which proved to be quite a feat with the Veloster. The factory Hyundai engine bay comes equipped with two fuses boxes, an ECU, and a good 4 miles of wiring, which was all re-routed and stuffed under the interior dashboard. Several ChaseBays parts helped clean up the look including a Brake Booster Eliminator, ABS eliminator, and custom engine grounding kit. With the new room in the engine bay, a custom intake from AEM was selected to replace the OE air box, and it just so happens that an EP3 Civic Si intake will fit perfectly and looks as though it was designed for the car due to the similarity between the Veloster OE engine configuration and the Honda K-series configuration. More power is brought to bear thanks to the Nitrous Express setup which originates in the trunk from a 10lb. bottle and is plumbed into the intake. Cooling is handled by a Flex-A-Lite radiator and fan setup tucked under the plastic shroud and out of sight in the front bumper. Finally, the car was given Denso Spark Plugs and some Royal Purple fluids as the final touches to a perfect all around build.

Overall, this car is a simple yet effective street build, design with the aspiring mechanic in mind. Over the next two years, UTI will be taking this car on tour and using it as a recruiting tool for their marketing efforts, aiming to catch the attention of potential future students. Be sure to keep an eye out for this car at automotive events in your area at a UTI booth.

ESSENTIALS
Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI VELOSTER
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Owner: Fuel Culture

Website: www.FuelCulture.com

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS
AEM Cold Air Intake
Autometer Phantom Nitrous Pressure and Air/Fuel Ratio Gauges
Aeromotive Fuel Pressure Regulator
B&M Hi-Tek Oil Cooler Fan
Chasebays Brake Booster Eliminator
Chasebays ABS Delete and Brake Lines
Chasebays Engine Ground Kit
Denso Spark Plugs
Flex-A-Lite Radiator/Racing Thermostat
Nitrous Express Piranha and Purge Systems
Nitrous Express Automatic Bottle Heater
Optima Battery – 8022-091 75/25 Dual Terminal
Password:JDM Oil Cap
Royal Purple Fluids
SSBC Big Brake Kit
SPEC Clutch

EXTERIOR
D-BASF Custom Blueberry Paint Mix
Korean Domestic Market Projector Headlights
Korean Domestic Market LED Taillights
Korean Domestic Market LED Door Mirrors
Seibon Carbon Fiber Hood
Seibon Carbon Fiber Trunk
Sequence-X Lip Kit
V-LEDS HID Fog Light Kit
V-LEDS Complete LED Light Conversion

WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
Continental Extreme Contact DW Tires (265x35x18)
Konig Deception Wheels (18x8 +35)
SSBC Brake Kit

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION
KW Coilover Suspension

INTERIOR
Cipher Auto Peanut Butter Leather Seats
Infinite Auto Design Peanut Butter Leather Center Console and Rear Seats
Infinite Auto Design Custom Suede A-Pillars and Headliner
Snap-On Tool Storage Unit in Rear
Kicker 10-inch Solo Subwoofer
Kicker 400-watt Class D Amplifier
Kicker Audio Door Speakers
Kicker PES19C Substation Enclosure
Takata Harness

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