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Author: Olly

FC THROWBACK: WAR PIG – TUNED VW RABBIT

Welcome to this week’s FC Throwback, where we take a look back at some of our favourite previous feature cars. This week it’s James Taylor’s 1983 VW Rabbit from 2013… This stanced-out, bomber-style, rat-rod Rabbit has plenty of military bits inside and out… and so does the owner.

When James White blew the motor in his turbo’d 2006 Jetta, he did what any self-respecting tuner would do. He bought an ’83 Rabbit beater to run around in while he rebuilt his main car.

What he didn’t plan on doing was acquiring such an affinity for the little pocket rocket. “Something about the Rabbit just made me fall in love,“ said James. “At first, I just started doing small mods like putting a 1.6L cam in the 1.8 head.” He also added an adjustable cam gear, headers and exhaust and deleted everything that wasn’t necessary for it to run, freeing up horsepower.

James continues: “Then one day I decided to turbo. So my attention shifted away from the Mk5 Jetta as I proceeded to source parts for the turbo build.” Sometimes a mistress is just more intriguing than the wife.

Looking to make his mistress a little more, er, muscular, James started scouring junk yards in search of parts. His first turbo came from a Saab, a 9000 T3. After that blew up he moved to a T3 unit with ported and belled compressor housing. And to keep it in sleeper mode, the turbo is hidden behind the firewall. Of course the machine gun-end blow-off valve suggests something sinister lurks under the hood.

James estimates power to be a little over 200hp with 13lbs of boost. Since the gutted Rabbit weighs only 1,860lbs it has the uncanny ability to put a few big block Corvettes on their asses. And all this power is made with the stock 1.8L bottom end! Non-military issue equipment includes the V-Maxx coilovers and 14×6 Scirroco teardrop rims among other upgrades.

James White and his friends have come through with a menacing military rat that deserves accolades from soldiers and citizens alike. The fact he pulled it all off on a budget and with shrapnel in his leg – sustained in Iraq during his eight years service – makes both he and the car deserving of a full, 21 gun salute.

TECH SPEC 1983 VW RABBIT (MK1 GOLF)

Styling
Custom rattle-can paint job, Cabriolet tail light swap, single rounds conversion with H4s, badgeless grille, GTI front lip, anodized gold JDM tow hooks, military jaw decale.

Chassis
V-Maxx coilovers, prothane poly inserts for motor mounts, control arms, 9.4in rotor brake disc up front, Mk3 8.9in Wolfsburg, 6x14in 16v Scirocco teardrops painted in textured black, Toyo Proxes 195/45x14s tyres front with 205/50x14s at the rear.

Interior
Custom 6-point cage, MK2 GTI Recarro seats, 4-point harnesses, all VDO individual gauges, AEM UEGO wideband, Wolfsburg steering wheel, 5-pane wink mirror, custom M249 machine gun barrel shifter.

Tuning
Stock 1.8L JH bottom end, P&Pd ABA head, Techtonics 268 cam, Autotech adjustable cam gear, custom turbo manifold, custom short runner intake manifold, EMUSA .50 Trim T3 Turbo with ported and belled compressor housing @ 13psi, Forge boost controller (mounted in cabin), Godspeed 38mm external wastegate (hood dump), Ford Probe side mount intercooler, Digifant 1 ECU, 26lb injectors, BBM FPR Adapter, BBM fuel rail, silicone intake systems slim line 12-inch fan, ACCEL plug wires, MSD Blaster 2 coil, NGK plugs, custom 2.5in straight piped turbo back exhaust, Clutch Masters FX400 sprung 6 puck clutch, Sachs pressure plate.

Words & photos Isaac Mion

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August 20, 2020
F56 MINI FAST MODS

It’s hard to believe the F56 MINI has been with us for seven years, what’s less surprising is how well they react to modifications. Here’s our F56 MINI fast mods guide.

It’s funny how we still refer to the BMW MINI as the ‘new’ MINI considering it turns 20 next year. Of course, BMW have given us many incarnations since those early MINI Ones and Coopers but the current model, the F56 is amongst the best and has become a firm favourite with us modifiers. There’s literally hundreds of BMW MINI specialists out there, so who should you choose? Well, you pick the one with the best reputation, heritage and the most respected name in BMW tuning, I am of course, referring to German giants, AC Schnitzer.

Based in Aachen (the AC in AC Schnitzer) Germany, AC Schnitzer have been tuning BMWs and MINIs for over 30 years. Over 1700 products are distributed to 30 countries and through approximately 60 dealers in the UK and Ireland, around half of which are BMW / MINI main dealers. A similar situation exists in Germany, where 40 BMW dealers are authorised to sell and fit AC Schnitzer products.

Click to enlarge

AC Schnitzer are a premium brand, manufacturing for current models only in the following product areas; performance upgrades, suspension, aerodynamic parts in PU and carbon fibre, sports exhausts and downpipes, alloy wheels (cast, flow-formed and forged) and interior accessories.

All AC Schnitzer parts are designed to meet or exceed OEM quality with industry-leading warranty support and are therefore described as “beyond the standard”! And here’s just a small sample of what they have to offer for the F56 MINI…

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August 20, 2020
1929 Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport featured on Jay Leno’s Garage

Jay Leno is a big fan of Bugattis. On a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, he featured one of the many cars from the French firm in his collection, a 1929 Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport.

Today, it’s hard to imagine Bugatti producing an entry-level model, but that’s what the Type 40 was, according to Leno. That didn’t mean Bugatti skimped on engineering, though. The 70-horsepower 1.5-liter inline-4 engine has an overhead cam design, three valves per cylinder (two intake, one exhaust), and twin Solex carburetors. It’s based on the engine from the Bugatti Type 37, while the chassis is derived from Type 38 underpinnings, Leno noted.

That parts-bin rummaging helped keep costs down, according to Leno. He said the only part specific to the Type 40 is the radiator. The car also has only one door, which likely saved Bugatti a bit of money. The smooth wheel covers were fashionable at the time, but may not have been installed at the factory, Leno said.

1929 Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport on Jay Leno’s Garage

Leno got this car from enthusiast Robert C. Dunlap, one of the founders of the American Bugatti Club. The Type 40 still wears its club medallion with the number “3,” signifying that it was the third car registered with the club, which continues to keep a register of all Bugattis known to exist in North America to this day.

When the club was founded in 1960, used Bugattis were still relatively affordable, as interest was largely restricted to a handful of collectors. Those collectors could be fanatical. Fritz Schlumpf bought 30 Bugattis at once for a planned museum. That plan fell through, but part of the collection formed the basis for a second museum started with French government backing, and many are on public display today.

The days of buying so many Bugattis at once are likely over. A trio of classic Bugattis—including a 1937 Type 57S Atalante, a 1934 Type 59 Sports, and a 1928 Type 35C Grand Prix—are headed to auction in September. The Type 59 Sports alone is expected to fetch more than $13 million.

As is his usual practice, Jay finishes the episode with a drive on Los Angeles streets. He keeps the top up and says he never took it down because it fits so well. Jay says the car is lively and it feels more powerful than it is, though the straight-cut gears make for grinding gear changes. Check out the video above for more on this unique piece of French motoring history.

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August 19, 2020