With so much power, a Clutchnet six-puck solid disc mates to a lightened EIP flywheel to ensure power gets to the ground. The transmission itself was also upgraded. "The stock gearbox is only capable of 330 lb/ft so there are some forged steel plate bearing covers inside to tighten it up. I also installed forged gears because they're cheap for the T5," he mentioned.
One of the keys to Richard's success was his ability to make the parts he needed; he owns a full range of fabrication equipment, including a Bridgeport three-axis mill. "I didn't have the ability to do balancing, though," Richard admitted. He contacted A1 Driveshaft and ordered a 3" chromoly driveshaft to mate the T5 to the Mitsubishi rear end.
At this point, his ambitious project was rounding third and heading for home plate, but fatigue set in. "I got burned out when I had to install some of the more complicated components. The pedal assemblies for the brake booster, clutch, slave and master cylinder had to be hand assembled and installed with pivot points. I just worked on the weekends rather than every day."
Once the car was road-worthy, Richard called on old friend Bill Schimmel to dyno tune the DTA Pro 8 stand-alone. "I felt comfortable tuning the car but wanted somebody around who'd worked with the engine management," Richard said. "Bill tuned the DTA and the car made 471hp and 443 lb/ft at the real wheels on 21psi, but now we're running around 27psi!"
With all this power and hard work (Richard estimates 500 hours of labor), it wouldn't count for much if the car didn't perform. "Most VWs understeer because they're nose-heavy, but this thing is nothing like that; you turn the wheel and it goes round a corner. It's effortless," he enthused. "It settles in really nice and gives good feedback about how much traction the front wheels have, and it hasn't failed me. I've pushed it to the point where I was starting to show white knuckles."
Having over 500hp in a car can bite you if you're not ready, but hunting Corvettes has allowed Richard to practice handling the power. "When it comes on boost, especially if you're playing with somebody in a roll-on, the car can get dangerous. But, I've got to the point where I know what the car is doing, how to feather it and how to keep it straight," Richard said.
When he's driving, a host of Auto Meter gauges keep Richard informed about engine conditions, while a chromoly six-point rollcage strengthens the chassis and increases safety. Other changes were limited to Schroth harnesses and a Momo wheel and knob.
A multi-stage boost and rev-limiter are controlled through the turn signal and high-beam stalks. When used with the line-locks on the e-brake, Richard can coax impressive burnouts from the Aqua blue Coupe.
Now the car's finished, he plans to take it to Waterfest and H2O International, then hit the track once brake upgrades are complete. "I wanted something that would blow peoples' minds. I'd thought about cutting up the car and wondered whether I should have started with a piece of crap, but now that it's done it was worth every second, every penny and every headache," he enthused. "It's 100 times more fun to drive!"