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"BOB'S" Project Boost

188K views 3K replies 115 participants last post by  Draw through this! 
#1 ·
:hrmm: When I built my present car I built it for a daily driver. I figured it would see the race track from time to time.

This was 8-10 years ago. I had a body painted and I installed a 4 inch narrowed beam, CB disk brakes on the front, drum rear, all drilled for Porsche 5 lug. I installed steel braided brake hoses, electric fuel pump, rhino case trans with 4.12 r&p with stock ratios and super diff with SAW axles. Polished and painted 16/7 and 16/8 fuchs. My power plant was a 1.8 ltr 8 valve engine with dual 45's mild head port and mild cam. I fell short on the radiator install placing it in the car above the trans and I made a makeshift firewall. This was not very efficient and I had to use duct's through lexan 1/4 windows to get some force fed air to the radiator. This worked okay for the time being. I drove that car every where. It was about 50 miles round trip to work for about a year. I made it to the track 3 times that year and went through about 3 trannies as well, and no I did not break them at the track.

Anyways sometime into my second year of driving the car I was able to purchase another vehicle. I was now working at a VW high performance shop. This allowed my mine to expand. With the access to a mill and lath I was in heaven. However the only thing I ever made for my car on the mill was an aluminum throttle cable bracket.

By the end of the second year of driving I was on about the 3rd trans again. At this point in time I decided with the encouragement of my employer to raise and narrow torsion as the transmission was already out of the car. I went in 3 and up 3 inches. This made the car sit nice and look tough. The main reason was to be able to get the car lower and have level camber and help the car on the track. I was able to trade my SAW's for the short ones I needed and I only had to purchase spring plates. The car was a roller again but I did not put the engine back in because I now needed a cage to strengthen up the frame horns.

The shop I was working for was not doing so well and I was flat rate so money was an issue as it usually is with our hobby. I was able to get my foot in the door at a VW dealership. I quit my job at the high performance shop and towed my car home. I had no garage so the car and engine sat outside partially covered. There the car sat for about 5 years.

So now I was making some money again but my new hobby was weight lifting. Then along came my beautiful daughter, I bought a nice truck and finally a house with a garage. Whoo hoo. So now my car was safe in the garage. But the house needed work. There went another year past as I worked on the house buying decorative items and what not. The car just sat waiting ever so patiently.

I was determined to get the car back on the road I purchased a cage from a local race shop. With a 110 wire feed welder, a bench grinder to fish mouth the ends and a sawzal to trip as needed. I went to town. The cage turned out well considering all things. I do know how to weld and I have metal experience. So now the cage is done but funds ran out once again. I was not going to slap it back together as it was. It needed to be presentable.

In 2008 I now had my boss and coworkers hounding me to get bring the car down to the shop and finish it. I felt I did not have the money to spend on it as I spread myself very thin with the new house, truck, furniture, all of which were financed.

However in 2008 my shop was to put on its annual car show in spring time. I did not want to miss this one again as this was going to be the best one yet. I had 3 month's till the show. Nothing like a deadline to make things happen. In this time I purchased a new fuel cell, radiator and fan. Mounted those under the hood. Plumbed the cooling lines through the tunnel since my shifter was not on top of it and I installed a hydraulic clutch to eliminate breaking clutch cables, as I broke a few of those as well. I'm sure the stage 3 pressure plate was not helping. I found out earlier this year.

So now onto trimming some more of the rear of the body. A lot more. At this point I Did the best I could to strengthen up the rear of the car as it it was now flimsy. And for those who are asking themselves why I cut so much out its because the wheels are now up and in 3 inches as well as the torsion. So after making a new support structure I was able to fab up a some decent aluminum panels to make a firewall. It turned out very clean considering all factors. However since time was nil I never painted the cage or the rear body infrastructure. The pan also needed a coat of paint as I had performed a 1/2 pan replacement on the battery pan area.

At last I remounted the gauges made seat brackets, and restraint brackets and installed the engine. I saved the engine for last as I new I could get this baby make noise once again, I had to buy some carbs because I sold mine awhile back. I settled for 40's since a friend had them and they were new. Made all the necessary wiring connections, fuel lines and different exhaust as my header was rusted away from the exhaust wrap I put on it years back.

Its runs!!!!! It smokes a little because it was wooped from beating on it for 2 years and then sat for 5 outside but it runs. I made it to the car show with not a single hiccup as I made sure throughout those last 3 months to not forget anything.

So I ended up meeting Dlx-fe and Kaferknight at a local car club meet and they mentioned the race track. I said I'm there dude's. I raced the piss out of this thing all year and..... who knows where this is going.... a few more trannies. However this time when I broke something I did my best to upgrade. I now have hardened close 1st /2nd and close 3rd/4th. After those upgrades now I was hurting my ring and pinions with 5000 rpm launches. O yea and the stage 3 pressure plate. I finally replaced the stage 3 with a stage 1 and six puck disk. I now also have a 3.88 race prepped by yours truly. The new slick's were not helping the R&P's either.

The season is now over and its time to make it faster for next year. I am going to turbo charge it and with that comes regearing the trans. I also need to take the car apart to paint and possibly clean up some of the sheet metal. I would like to get some wheel tubs that I wanted to do last year but ran out of time. Big wig had some nice ones I saw recently thanks to this site. O yea one more thing. Since I ran 14.2's when I built the car and 14.2's this year I have some making up to do..

I am looking for 11's. and about 260-300 hp. I will run it on a dyno to see what kind of hp I will be making at what ever amount of boost we get it set at. I am in the process of rebuilding a 2004 1.8T engine. I have my TO4B turbo with a V intake an P exhaust wheels. I am in the process of replacing the exhaust housing with a .58. I will be making this engine draw through and with the help of my extremely talented friend we will be making custom intake and exhaust manifolds. It will be drawing off a 650 demon carb. Why... because I WANT TO. No EFI just yet.

At this point in time the car is disabled and I will post some pics along the way for anyone who cares to look. I left my camera at work so no detailed shot's as of yet but I will post a couple of how the car was. BTW it is a race car now but I have to drive my car on the street. It will remain on the street as long as its feasible. Its a full metal car weighing in at about 2150 with driver.

:read: :read: :read:

All items above are to the best of my recollection. I am sorry It took so long to read but then again I did not ask you to read it. Please forgive any misspelling, punctuation, and just plain TMI. I wanted to get the just of it out there and I think I did. I know I left out some details but I don't really care right now... I am tired as hell my eyes hurt and I wont be graded on this thread...
 
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#4 ·
Re: Project Boost

MagOO said:
Brian, looking forward to seeing the progress as you go along..Think you can match Doug's time?
In the beginning I set a deadline of April 1... Then I decided to try to not miss any NASA races races so I planned on the end of February. Now that the first NASA race Was moved to a sooner date I let the notion of a 2 month rebuild go out the window.

So in other words NO I don't think I can match his build time. Money will be limiting my progress. If money was no object and I had or could just go purchase the items I need then It is possible that I could finish in 6-8 weeks.
 
#13 ·
Re: Project Boost

Okay so I pulled the engine today and made sure the flywheel fits the new crankshaft and it did. I will be dropping off the internals on Monday to be balanced. I have Mondays off so I plan on removing the aluminum fire wall and getting some prep work done. Also I will be cutting out the support bar behind the seat where the shoulder restraints bolt to. I will be welding in one that I had bent to give myself a touch more room. The seat was resting on the bar.
 
#15 ·
Re: Project Boost


Here is what makes it all happen...

Need to do some finish work and paint.. wheel tubs would be a bonus.


Need to remove the dynamat.. I don't know what I was thinking..O yea...My ears were ringing.

The bar on the left is the one I will be replacing. The pan needs some Por-15. Cage needs paint.

Here is the torsion raise and narrow job..with the coolant pipes out of harms way..
 
#19 ·
Re: Project Boost

Brian Sanders said:
That would be nice but not in the budget. Not that I even have a budget. Possibly down the road, but one thing, I cant believe you did not suggest I go with a Mendy... WTF.. Austin are you tired or something... LOL

I can't believe he didn't suggest a bigger turbo & 9 stages of nitrous ............ :what:


Very nice story BOB. I can't wait to see the progress.
 
#26 ·
Re: Project Boost

BOB, great story. Your starting to sound like Greg and his story telling. :w00t:

I have always liked your car, from way back in the OSAC days and it even looks so much better now, with the tranny raise. I cant wait to see how it looks and runs when you get the newest modifications completed.

Let me know if there is any thing I can help you with.

Rich
 
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