The wildest buggy that you'll ever see, two very different Datsuns, an MX5 Miata and probably the world's most modified Audi S4.
Ballistic Buggy
If you think that an Impreza WRX is a weapon on dirt tracks, take a look at this - it's The Edge Product's Ballistic buggy. And Ballistic's a very apt name for it. Built for Class 1 off-road racing in Western Australia, Tony Sanger (The Edge Products owner) has designed the Ballistic on his in-house 3D Solidworks CAD station. After the initial ideas were tossed around 2½ years ago, the final beast incorporates such techno-wonders as progressive rate bell crank suspension with double A-arms on all corners, a full spaceframe chassis, fore/aft steering layout and two seating positions, 19-inch twin tyre wheels, collapsible nose cone and a removable tail section. All up, it weighs a mere 900kg (dry). Oh, and did we mention that it comes powered by an Autronic-managed Impreza WRX motor linked to a 4-speed automatic transaxle!
Now that's a m-e-a-n power-to-weight ratio!
Accordingly, this Class 1 buggy is super fast. Tony tells us stories of dirt drifting its 108-inch wheelbase at 140 km/h. Yeah! And, on the subject of speed, one-sixty kays can often be seen just before grabbing third gear, while "a maximum of 220 km/h will not be out of the question"... Accelerating up to those kinds of speeds is very brisk given the traction and vehicle mass.
But Tony reckons the Ballistic's biggest competitive advantage lies in its awesome handling. This sucker soaks up big bumps with ease thanks to its 600 and 500mm front and rear suspension travel. The chassis is said to "remain dead still as you watch the suspension and wheels leaping up and down like a demented spider." Furthermore, Tony says, "The cornering and nimbleness are showing that it could even give some sportscars a run for their money!" Indeed, those twin tyre'd rims give a lot of bite under off-road conditions.
At present, the crew at The Edge Products is still giving the Ballistic its shakedown testing. They're keen to get a few hundred kilometres under its belt and then burst onto the Class 1 scene to whip everyone's butt! So keep up to date on its progress at http://www.git.com.au/~theedge/ Note that The Edge Products sells buggy parts and complete assembly kits on-line (but not the Ballistic as yet!).
Datsun Discoveries
Datsun and Nissan products are firm favourites in today's hot-up scene. With the older models boasting rear-wheel-drive, excellent durability, parts interchangeability and the potential to swallow an imported Japanese hi-po engine, it's no surprise. Here are just a couple of examples from the Aussie Datnet site:
Peter Nguyen's 1971 1600 has - as you can see - been converted to late-model SR20DET power. In addition to this, it also runs a T25G turbo, EMS programmable management, 3-inch mandrel exhaust (with a cat, resonator and straight-through muffler), Plazmaman air-to-air intercooler plus a TurboSmart boost controller and Type 2 blow-off valve. Working our way back you'll find a 5-speed gearbox and a R180 3.9:1 LSD rear. Tough stuff.
And there more evidence of the Datsun/Nissan parts swapping advantage when it comes to the suspension and brakes. Up front are 200B struts with 200SX calipers and ventilated discs, while the rear sees R31 Skyline discs and calipers. There's also a 180B booster and 240Z master cylinder at the head. Koni adjustable shocks, heavy duty lowered springs and a K-Mac camber/castor kit are the only non Datsun/Nissan suspension components.
And what's it go like? Well, it's run a 13.6 at 102 mph and been dyno'd at 153kW (on 12 psi).
Running a few more mph and using a very 'different' engine configuration is Matt Forbes' Datto 120Y sedan. The might Y. Up front of this Datsun, however, is nothing less humungous than a 400ci Chev V8! It's fully prep'd for drag racing with a nitrided steel crank, H-beam rods, 13.0:1 JE pistons, a Crane cam, Racer Pro heads, MSD billet dizzy, Dart Wilson manifold, Barry Grant Gold Claw carby and more.
Power of this beast? Try 580-plus horsepower!
All of this grunt is channelled through a 5000 rpm Dominator converter into a modified Powerglide trans. Out back is an unbreakable Ford 9-incher running a full spool 4.33:1 centre and 33 spline axles. The three quarter chassis is built for hard launching. It comprises a coil-over ladder bar rear (with Goodyear Eagle slicks) and a strut type front-end. It weighs nearly a tonne.
It's best time to date is a monster 9.3 at 145 mph. See this and all of the other Datsun/Nissan good oil at www.datnet.org
Miata Mayhem
Sean Fletcher's 1996 M-Edition Miata is a perfect example of what Statesiders are doing with their Mazdas. First off, Sean's US-market M-Edition is a bit of a ripper straight off the showroom floor. It's already got the big 133hp 1.8 litre BP engine with stainless headers and a sports exhaust, a Torsen diff, 15-inch alloys and, of course, all the character you could ever need. Anyhow here's what Sean has done to his smooth streeter...
Mechanically, there's only been a little tinkering to pull more power from the 1.8 litre four. Aftermarket plug leads replace the aging OE items, Bosch platinum +4 spark plugs have been inserted and the ignition timing has been advanced a smidgin. A more noticeable gain has come from the fitment of a heat shielded K&N conical air filter - which is said to improve things dramatically once above 5000 rpm WOT. Oh, and it gives a tough induction growl too! A rattle from the stockie cat converter has recently given Sean an excuse to slip in an aftermarket high-flow replacement. The vital fluids have all been changed too - there's Mobil 1 in the engine and Redline Synthetic in the gearbox and diff. It's all on the recommendation of other Miata owners.
When Sean picked the car up in '98, it came "with some quite used and lousy Sumitomos". These have since been replaced by Pirelli P6000s, which Sean picked up for a song through the www.tirerack.com Anther improvement to the Miata's handling came thanks to a polished adjustable strut tower brace.
And now for those irresistible Miata aesthetics. Sean removed the ugly factory tie-down hooks from the Miata'a mouth, and who could go past that roadster-style rollover bar? This is a polished stainless steel K.G. Works bar, which went onto the back of the car with no cutting or drilling at all. The same goes for the 55-watt projector halogens that light up the road ahead.
Inside there's - again - just enough gear to enhance without going crazy. Sean's gone for a spun finish on his vent trims, handbrake lever and Magnum Voodoo shifter (which also acts as a short shifter). While the handbrake lever was being fitted, a black leather boot was also slipped on as well. Another tidy installation is the 8-inch amplified subwoofer, which snuggles down in the boot well.
It's all tidy, smooth and useable - US style. See Sean's car at http://www.theswamp.com/miata/
S-car Stormer
Hap Maguire is an Audi S4 owner from Evergreen, Colorado. His big 1993 saloon is now "very heavily modified" after being purchased new and immediately set upon. A Superchip came first, together with a pneumatic boost controller and A-pillar mounted HKS pressure gauge. It was another four years before Hap tackled the car again - this time it was the suspension. Handling was improved out of sight with Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers.
Also in mid '97, he replaced the stock injectors with Lucas 310cc (at 3.0 Bar) items to get rid of a misfire problem. Then, one year later, the turbocharger died. TEC (Turbocharger Engineering Colorado) came to the rescue, building Hap a hybrid turbo with Porsche/Audi turbine casting. This Garrett hybrid worked like a jewel. Mid-range and top-end were phenomenal.
Next off, an insurance pay out after an ugly car wash incident (which we won't go into!) saw the S4 well endowed with Get Well gifts. A "very nice insurance settlement" paid for a Stromung 3-inch turbo-back stainless steel exhaust, rare RS2 exhaust manifold, aluminium Sport bypass valve, Sport Intercooler, HKS EVC IV boost controller and Samco silicon boost hoses. Revsport of Colorado did these mods, and also talked to Hap about custom radiators and large front mount intercoolers. Hmm...
Not long after, Hap returned to Revsport "for another round". Before more power was found, however, it was insisted that the brakes of this 1730kg beast got beefed up. This called for Coleman 2-piece 323mm rotors with aluminium hats and Porsche 993 twin-turbo Big Red calipers. Next came the bit Hap really wanted - a RS2 exhaust cam, Bilstein lifters, RS2 MAF, custom ECU, rising rate adjustable fuel pressure regulator and a bigger Garrett TA34/T04E 54 trim turbo (with a new intake pipe).
With a new intercooler then ready to go on, Dave of Revsport performed a leak-down test - and things didn't look too good. An essential rebuild followed with Goetze rings and Pauter forged rods. With the cylinder head off, it was also time to give it a porting, extrude hone, heavy-duty valve springs and new guides. ARP head studs went in to prevent the previous head distortion. The intake manifold was also port matched and extrude honed. At this point Hap bumped up the injector capacity to 370cc @ 3.0 bar Lucas units.
Oh, yes, and then it was time for the waiting custom intercooler. This 24x10x4 inch Garrett core necessitated fabricating a shorter (but deeper) engine radiator. There simply wasn't enough room otherwise. Note that an oil cooler is also located where the factory intercooler once was. Following 12 months of driving with an 8 psi boost limit and 5000 rpm redline, the car went back to Revsport for a check-up and the fitment of a TurboXS RBV-H34 racing blow-off valve. Things looked sweet.
Everything's now on track for a planned all wheel dyno run - which Hap says should see around 420 horses (perhaps with ECU adjustment)! No wonder he says this thing goes pretty darn well!
On the outside, all that gives this Super S4's game away is the subtle lowered suspension and the aftermarket wheels - which are 17 x 8 TSW Trophies with 245/40 Kumho Ecsta 712s. Yep, life's pretty good for Hap.
See his car and the rest of Colorado's S-cars at
www.s-cars.com
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