Teh Car Blogz

I’ve come to realize one thing that bonds “car guys” together, even if they don’t know it. No matter who you are, what you’re into, where you’re from or how old you are, you have that “dream project” floating around your head. You might ponder on while sitting in a soul-crushing sales data meeting. You might imagine it as you fall asleep to bring ease to your mind. Hell, you might even be picking the right A/R ratio for that huge turbo while your girlfriend goes on about shoes. Whatever it is, you know you have one.

A lot of people have pretty standard car dreams - “Oh, I’d love a Corvette. Red. Yeah, a convertible… uhh, black top. Lowered a bit, black mesh cross-spoke 19’s with a chrome lip. Uhh, and a supercharger.” Others might yearn for a gleaming, like-new classic. Who doesn’t want a lipstick red Porsche 356 Speedster with 4 miles on it, stored in a bubble since new?

For the true car nerds like me, though, things aren’t that simple. I see cars not so much as objects or devices, but as a canvas. Sure, some cars are appliances just like a refrigerator - Camry, take a bow. And they have their place. But a true gearhead sees a car as a starting point- what’s the potential? And of course, bonus points for uniqueness. These are just a few of the projects I’ve had floating around my head.

1) Hot-rod Volvo V70 Cross Country
this one has been floating around and solidifying in my head for a little while. I thought it would be a great basis to make a really classy, unique, well built and powerful “do anything” car. I mean think about it- the V70XC is pretty great. Four wheel drive, 5 seats and a wagon bay for stuff, tons of cargo capacity, a bit of ground clearance for minor off-roading, comfortable interior, lots of character. What it’s missing is some power! The first generation came only with a 2.4L low-pressure turbo straight five with 190 horsepower. Hardly sufficient.

Being a bit of a nerd, i would cover every aspect. The car would be lowered somewhere between and inch and an inch and a half, giving it better roadholding but still riding higher than a normal V70. Stiffer Bilstein shocks, IPD springs and sway bars, stock 16″ wheels with 215/55/16 G-Force T/A KDW’s for grip. Porsche Cayenne front brake conversion, S60R front rotors and calipers in the rear for the whoa.

As for the go, big plans. MKI V70R engine (2.3L DOHC 20v I5, td04-18g, lower compression ratio than the 2.4L and 2.5L five-bangers.) S60R manifold, TD05 turbo, 3″ downpipe to high flow cat, running back to a 3″ IPD stainless dual exhaust with single mufflers on each side. Stock internals but water/meth injection, larger intercooler, samco hoses to avoid boost leaks, TiaL blow-off valve, IPD trans cooler, RICA ECU reflash, and of course IPD poly motor mounts. With the larger S60R turbo and better-flowing manifold with the free-flowing exhaust, bigger injectors, advanced timing with the water meth, software, and much more boost than stock, this sucker would book. It would be like the Volvo equivalent of a Subaru Forester STI. Imagine the bricks people would shit when you passed their ass at 120 in a Cross Country. Priceless.

2) Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Wagon

Don’t need to do a whole lot here… You already start with the bigger EJ25 turbo flat four. STi short block (lower compression, oil squirters, etc) with IHI VF39 twin-scroll ball-bearing turbo (stock STI is a VF34) or a Garrett GT30R, larger APS top-mount intercooler (for sleeper status), ported heads, bigger Denso 550cc injectors, Walbro 255lph, Cobb Open ECU tuning, APS 3″ downpipe to dual 2.75″ stainless exhaust. Lowered on 18″ grey OZ Superleggaras with Leda coils and SPT rear swaybar. Add a few goodies on - Kart Boy shift kit, APS Stage 2 clutch, Aquamist injection, STI brake conversion, and you have one seriously quick, seriously innocuous-looking Hot Rod. And you can fit your labradors in the back! And it’ll sound seriously fantastic.

3) Audi allroad Quattro 2.7T

The allroad has all-time sleeper status for having both the 2.7T biturbo V6 and an available six-speed, stuffed in the body of a jacked-up A6 Avant with rubber cladding and adjustable air suspension. No one would ever suspect it. For real.

start with the cosworth-designed RS4 block, forged internals, redone valvetrain with 9.0:1 compression pistons and a block spacer plate to allow for more boost, twin Garrett GT30’s, Forge DV’s, Samco hoses, Southbend Stage III clutch and lightened flywheel, etc etc. 600whp would not be unimaginable with this configuration. Leave it on stock wheels and watch it burn all four tires on launch! Why the hell not?

Hmm, looking back, this first set seems to be pretty heavy on the highly-modified turbocharged, all-wheel drive wagons. Perhaps because they’re awesome. Anyways, the next list will be: “cars that i would just say fuck it, i’ma stick a small block Chevy motor in there.” Stay tuned!

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 at 10:56 pm and is filed under Car Theory, Dream Cars, hot rods. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.