Tag: National Speed Wilmington

  • 2020 C8 Corvette – American Racing Headers

    2020 C8 Corvette – American Racing Headers

    Bob brought us his latest addition to his fleet, a 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette, to have us unleash some bald eagles from the 6.2L V8!

    Performed by us:
    • American Racing Headers 1.78″ primary ID long-tube headers

  • Golden Power: Victor White’s 815whp 2008 Subaru STI

    Golden Power: Victor White’s 815whp 2008 Subaru STI

     

    One of the best parts of being in the automotive community and building cars is seeing the different evolutions and phases of builds through the years. Victor White’s Subaru STI is a great example of this. 

     

    Victor came to us with his 2008 Subaru STI ready for the next phase of its life, going from a built motor to an insane IAG Tuff Stage 4 Short Block with Stage 5 heads with a big Precision 6870 Turbo.

     

     

    We were as excited as Victor was for this next phase of his GR STI, so we pulled it in and got to work! First things first, out went the old built motor, ready for it’s next life in a new chassis, and we started getting the bay ready for the new IAG Performance Short Block. Topping off the motor is a Process West intake manifold alongside the massive 6870 Turbo from Precision Turbo and 44m waste gates from TiAL. 

     

    As we assembled the block, we couldn’t help but admire how great it looked. There’s something about engine components that strike the eye just right.

     

     

     Even with as good as it looked, Victor wanted to take the aesthetics to the next level. To match his gold wheels and set off the engine bay, the IAG Fuel Rails and top feed TGV housings were anodized gold. 

     

     

    To fuel this golden powerplant, twin Walbro 450lph fuel pumps were installed and run with a COBB tuning flex fuel kit in order to make the most of the E85 compatibility and potential power gains. 


    With big power Subaru builds like this, the factory top mounted intercooler just doesn’t get the air needed to keep the engine cool and in proper boost, so we tapped the team at Extreme Turbo Systems for a front mount intercooler kit, powdercoated gold to match the rest of the accent pieces.

     

     

    Sometimes, custom builds require custom work, and that’s where our custom fabricating team comes in handy! Our Performance Technician, Alex, got to work fabricating everything needed to finish up the build, from a custom fabricated coolant reservoir to fuel lines and turbo piping. With Alex’s custom work and some fittings from Vibrant Performance, Fragola Performance, and Radium Engineering, the motor was ready to go!

     

    With the motor buttoned up, turbo piped up, and intercooler mounted in the front, it was time to move on to supporting the boosted bomb under the hood. 

     

     

    To help the transmission handle the boost in power, we installed chromoly billet transfer gears along with a triple disk competition clutch and flywheel from IAG Performance. DSS Axles were also installed to help put the power down to all four wheels. 

     

    Keeping the build functional and just as good as stopping as going, the brakes were swapped out for EBS Brakes GD Rotors and Yellow Stuff Pads. Running to each corner are stainless steel brake lines from StopTech. 

     

     

    With the build all set, the only thing left was to get tuning. We strapped the STI on the rollers and let it rip!

     

    After working the COBB Accessport and laying down an impressive 816whp and 669lb/ft of torque on E85, Victor’s STI was reborn into its new phase of life, as an absolute monster! 

     

     

    We love being able to help other enthusiasts make their performance dreams a reality, and Victor’s build was another great example of that! We can’t wait to see what else he has in store for his STI hatch.

     Parts List: 

    • IAG STAGE 4 TUFF EJ25 SUBARU CLOSED DECK SHORT BLOCK FOR WRX, STI, LEGACY GT, FORESTER XT
    • IAG Performance Competition Triple Disk Clutch and Flywheel
    • IAG Billet Transfer Gears
    • Precision Turbo 6870 Turbocharger
    • StopTech stainless steel brake lines
    • OEM subaru baskets and components
    • LFR7AIX Spark Plugs
    • ARP 2000 Series Head Studs
    • EBC Brakes GD Rotors and Yellow Stuff Pads
    • Twin Walbro 450lph fuel pump – E85 compatible
    • Gold Anodized IAG cnc top feed tgv housings
    • Gold Anodized  IAG Fuel Rails 
    • Gold Anodized Extreme Turbo Systems Front Mount Intercooler
    • TiAL 44mm Waste gate valves (black)
    • Cobb Flex Fuel kit,ethanol content sensor, fuel pressure sensor kit, 
    • ATI Performance Super Damper Crank Pulley
    • Fragola hoses & PTFE fittings
    • Vibrant Performance Aluminum Vbands and fittings.

    For a closer look at this build, take a look at the gallery below. 

    [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”492″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″]

     

  • Tough Tacoma: Scott Bryan’s Magnuson Supercharged Toyota Tacoma

    Tough Tacoma: Scott Bryan’s Magnuson Supercharged Toyota Tacoma

    When you think of common mods for Toyota Tacomas nowadays, you think suspension, bumpers, bed racks, etc.

    But Scott had a better idea…boost!

     

    Scott came to us with a simple goal, to pick up the pace in this 2019 Toyota Tacoma and get the V6 boosted with the help of a supercharger. Luckily, we knew how to make it happen. 

     

    With Scott’s Tacoma in the garage and our amazing team under the hood, we got to work on forcing some induction on the 3.5L. Magnuson’s TVS1900 System is a great option for boosting the third generation Tacoma, really due to the unit’s thermal efficiency, resulting in reliable and considerable gains on the rollers. 

     

    The parts of the kit itself were beautiful and of course the great quality that Magnuson always delivers. There are few things more appealing than freshly machined aluminum in our eyes. 

     

     

    After getting the motor buttoned up and filled with Mobil 1, our team at the Wilmington shop and calibrator Vlad got Scott’s Tacoma on the rollers and set for tuning.

     

    Achieving what he had sought out for, Scott’s Tacoma put down 310whp and 290lbft of torque, nearly 100hp and 50lbft in gains!

     

     

    With goals met and the Tacoma ready to go, we can’t wait to see what Scott does with it! Let us know if your Tacoma needs a similar boost.

     

    For a closer look at this build, take a look at the gallery below. 

     

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  • King Cobra: Anthony Veneziano’s Terminator-Swapped 1999 SVT Cobra

    King Cobra: Anthony Veneziano’s Terminator-Swapped 1999 SVT Cobra

     

    Certain icons stand out in history as pillars of automotive history. For Ford and Shelby, the Cobra is one of those very icons. From the original Shelby to the current GT500s, that snake has always represented one thing, unrelenting performance. 

     

     

    The key to unrelenting performance is, of course, making that performance reliable and steadfast. When building beyond the capabilities from the factory, this key becomes all the more important. 

     

    Anthony brought in his new-to-him supercharged 1999 SVT Cobra looking for a built bottom end to keep his Cobra’s performance unrelenting. On such a special build, featuring a full Terminator swap with rare parts, including some super rare euro tail lights, we knew that we would be able to make this Terminator-swapped Cobra a force to be reckoned with. 

    With the stock block not able to handle the current power efficiently and reliably, he worked with our performance consultants and build designers to figure out the best way to keep the power pumping and his motor running like a champ.

    The solution sounded simple, a new short block built to withstand the new power and more. However, the reality was much more interesting. 

     

     

    Instead of just any new short block, we sourced a MMR Romeo Short Block, cast iron but with forged I-Beam rods and Manley Forged Pistons. This new beefed up short block would be more than capable to handle the extra power and boost the twin screw blower would send through the 4.6L DOHC V8. Andrew got to work resealing the engine with Fel-Pro gaskets and ARP hardware to make sure that it was sealed and torqued properly. Process is a huge part of what makes a difference during a build and we’re always focused on doing things the right way. 

     

     

    Forged internals are a great way to make the most of any standard cast iron block. And by pairing forged internals with a short block designed specifically for forced induction, Anthony’s Cobra was stronger than ever and ready to be back in business!

    To give the Cobra some extra grunt, some PaceSetters full length headers, ceramic coated by our friends at Wild Things Powdercoating, and a custom-fabricated X-Pipe were added while the motor was out. With the engine setup ready to go, we got the car buttoned up and ready for the dyno! 

     

     

    After getting strapped in, dialed in, and a custom tune from our calibrator Vlad via SCT X4, Anthony’s Cobra put down an impressive 492whp and 450lbft of torque!

     

    We couldn’t let this one go without a full shoot out back at the shop in Wilmington. For a closer look at this build, take a look at the gallery below.

    Reach out to National Speed today to see what we can do for you!

     

    Parts List: 

    • MMR Romeo Short Block
    • Ford Racing Crankshaft
    • Forged MMR I-Beam Rods with ARP Hardware
    • Manley Forged Pistons & chromoly piston pins
    • PaceSetter Ceramic Coated Full Length Steel Headers
    • Custom Fabricated X-Pipe
    • ARP 2000 Hex Head Stud Kit