King 330xi
As a long-time reader, Michael King decided to go for broke by finally completing his dream car and start a tuning company at the same time. The car is a BMW 330xi - rare because not only were these 330i equipped with all-wheel drive, but this example is a manual with the optional Sport package.
Inevitably, the xi requires a more custom approach to tuning because few parts were made specifically for this limited model. However, he plans to install a VF supercharger, H&R coilovers, custom sway bars and 19" M3 rims. He's also fabricating a custom widebody as well as a custom suede interior with subtle stereo system.
"This car will encompass my vision of a near-perfect tuned car. Nimble with supreme handling, as well as the power to exhilarate and looks to entice, it should be a great package," Michael said.
Having owned European cars since he was 17, Michael's first project was a Saab 900 Turbo Coupe with racing seats, no back seats and a false floor with two subwoofers. After high school he went to Lincoln Tech where he learned how cars worked. From there, he set-up KingMotorCar Co in New Jersey and has been busy establishing it ever since.
To date, he has installed the charger and coilovers, and is working on the fenders to cover the M3 wheels. The overall theme will be OEM+. So from the outside it should look subtle, with the carbon CSL trunk being painted, only exposing a minimal amount of carbon on the lip. Inside, the seat bolsters will be covered in suede and an M3 illuminated shift knob added.
In addition to following his dreams, Michael has decided to continue developing the company while he goes back to school. "I have my Associates in automotive and I'm going back for my Bachelors in English and Film Production," he told us.
Balch Wagon
Four years ago, Jon Balch bought an R32 and loved every minute of it, until he had to swap it for a Jetta Wagon GLX when a family came along. After fitting R32 seats and a steering wheel, he started reading about R32 swaps. "I'm very adept at dismantling/assembling things in my head but had never done anything close to it. But that had never stopped me in the past, so I ordered my swap kit," Jon said.
A blown engine in his wife's Saturn gave him something to practice on before starting on the Jetta. "I pulled out the interior and cut out the floorpan before stripping the undercoat to find the matching seam on both cars. I then drilled out the welds so, when the new floorpan was in place, there were no holes from drilling. I had a friend come over to help me weld the frame rail section before fitting the new pan. It took about 20min with help from the same guy. There are a lot of key areas that line up exactly, so the job wasn't too difficult.
"Next, I fabricated a structural panel across the back of the frame rails on the R32 pan. Then I extended the rails back to the rear of the Jetta. I made a cubby area in the extra space and fitted the suspension and gas tank. After that, things went quickly. I flipped the car around and yanked out the engine, ripped out the harness and dropped the front clip. I spliced in the rear door wiring into the R32 harness and put it into the Jetta. I got the engine in, and then the front clip. Slapped in a seat and wheel, hooked up the cluster and took it to SCI Performance to get it running. I drove it home and threw the interior back in.
"To get to this point took about six months, with the last three spent every day after work and every weekend, much to my wife's dismay. It is now 10k miles later and it's running well. I added a car computer and will be getting into the bodywork this season," Jon said. Hopefully, we'll be able to bring you more updates over the coming months.