Choosing the correct turbo can determine the horsepower output of an engine, and more importantly, the driveability of the car. Too big a turbo and no power will be made at low engine speeds. Too small a turbo and peak power will be sacrificed. When it came to turbo sizing, William called on the services of Fastrax Turbo Technologies to size the correct unit for his hybrid powerplant. Fastrax selected a T4/T3 hybrid turbocharger utilizing a T04E 57-trim compressor wheel for compression duties. Boost pressure has been regulated to 1.0 bar via a Blitz Type C-42 wastegate and Blitz SBC i-D sequential boost controller. Ensuring the engine doesn't go nuclear from extreme charge air temperatures, a Blitz front-mount intercooler is on call. Prior to reaching the Type-R throttle body and intake, a Blitz Super Sound blow-off valve releases boost pressure between shifts for faster turbo spool up. On the exhaust side, spent gases from the turbine blades are expelled through a three-inch downpipe. From the downpipe, exhaust is hurried along a custom three-inch stainless-steel exhaust system outfitted with a Blitz Nur-spec canister.
Like many of William's toys, the Integra runs an A'PEXi Power FC fuel computer for engine management. The Power FC unit is responsible for controlling the Type-R/B20's four 700cc injectors to perfect harmony. Ignition calculations are also handled by the A'PEXi computer, as Ultra sparkplug wires transfer the amped charge from an HKS Twin Power and factory coil combo to Blitz Iridium-spec 77 spark plugs. Although the engine is still being broken in, William thinks the Frankenstein hybrid and turbo combination is good for 300-horsepower at the wheels.
In order to handle the extra power, William also made sure the transmission was up to the task. The Type-R transmission was modified with a KAAZ limited-slip differential for better power distribution. An Advanced Clutch Technologies six-puck clutch transfers the power from the flywheel to the drive wheels.
As much as the performance aspect of the vehicle has been addressed, William states the car is purely a street car. And from the look and sound from the driver's seat, we surely agree. The original complete interior has been swapped out in favor of, what else? A factory four-door Type-R black tweed with factory Type-R Recaro seats. Door panels are also of the Type-R badging as well as the steering wheel, center console, instrument cluster and brake handle. Tunes were also addressed in William's ride and the head unit is a Clarion Max 2256 double-din tuner, which features a cassette and single-disc CD player. Canton 5-inch speakers are on call up front while the rear decklid houses two 6 in coaxial speakers. In the trunk, four 8in Rockford Fosgate Punch-series subwoofers are housed in a custom enclosure. A single Aura Audio amplifier powers the entire system. The interior is also accented by a gaggle of Blitz components that include Full Auto Turbo Timer, SBC i-D boost controller, Power Meter and 60mm boost gauge.
William told us that it took him six months to build this commuter and he says it's a work in progress. As the article goes to press we just heard that William has picked up a 1998 Lexus GS300. Who knows, maybe you might be reading about a twin-turbo GS300 in a future issue of Turbo. Based on William's reputation, don't be surprised when you do.