Turbo Tom
People of Dallas beware. When Tom Thongprasert finishes his '04 VW GTI VR6 turbo, don't get in his way. Tom's quest is to build one of the fastest daily-driven VR6 24v in the nation. And although he's aiming for 500whp, he wants the ability to add even more power down the road if he decides to track it one day.
The motor is a collaboration between Schimmel Performance, C2 Motorsports and Dubsquared. Bill Schimmel began by assembling a bottom-end with 8.5:1 JE pistons bored to 82.5mm. The connecting rods were changed to SP Forged 4340s, and larger 3/8" ARP rod bolts secure them instead of the standard 5/16". According to Schimmel Performance, a built VR6 motor like this is good for up to 800whp!
For the head, Tom did some research and wanted to try something new with the assistance of Dubsquared and INA Engineering. "Mirroring the tuning progress in the Honda world, characterized by popular swaps such as the B16 head and GSR bottom-end, I wanted to experiment with an R32 cylinder head onto my 2.9 liter 24v bottom-end. The rationale behind this was to utilize a much more efficient head, capable of flowing more air while taking advantage of the thicker cylinder walls provided by the 2.9 bottom-end," he explained.
Tom had created a unique hybrid 24v motor, built to withstand the pressure of forced induction. So C2 Motorsports designed a custom stage 3 turbo kit using a Precision T61 dual ball-bearing turbo and a 3.5" downpipe
To put it in perspective, the turbo is slightly larger than a Garrett GT3582R and should give enough pressure to reach 500whp. The conversion also included a short-runner intake manifold, Precision intercooler and 630cc injectors.
"We're in the final stages of the build, awaiting a few more parts for final assembly," Tom concluded. We'll have dyno numbers once the car goes on the rollers and will keep you updated on the exterior and interior transformation in coming months.
Briere Corrado
It's been 11 months since we heard from Allen Briere and his widebody Corrado 1.8T AWD, but we're happy to report the project is finally done!
The final steps included a new 3" downpipe, wiring and stand-alone engine management. Allen also fitted custom-valved Koni shocks and a set of Toyo RA-1 tires on Diamond Racing wheels.
A true motorsport enthusiast, Allen headed for the track with the finished car, making a four-hour road trip to Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. For a video of his first track day, log onto youtube.com and search username "herbys53".
Over the winter, Allen plans to rebuild the motor and squeeze more power out of the 1.8T.
On top of rebuilding his track car, Allen picked up a second Corrado - a '90 G60 - which he plans to build strictly for the quarter-mile. "I'm not sure on the engine yet, but I've got most of the body modifications figured out and underway," he told us.
Allen has already lightened the body as much as he can by removing several panels and unwanted comforts. A harness bar was installed and the brakes were downsized with a Mk2 brake booster and master cylinder plus 9.4" rotors to save weight. Widened fiberglass fenders are being fabricated along with a fiberglass hatch, so we'll update you on that next month.
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