So, you’re asking about the time I went all out and tried to build the “biggest turbo car”? Man, let me tell you, that wasn’t some weekend project I just casually strolled into. It was more like a slow descent into madness, fueled by too much coffee and probably not enough common sense.
The Spark of a Really Big Idea
It all started, as these things often do, with a bit of bench racing. You know, guys talkin’ big in the garage. Someone threw out a comment about how modern turbo setups are impressive but wondered what a truly obnoxious turbo would look like on something unexpected. My brain, for some reason, latched onto that. Obnoxious. I liked the sound of that.
First, I had to figure out what “biggest” even meant. Biggest physical size? Most boost? Most likely to scare small children? I kinda aimed for all three, to be honest.
Hunting for the Heart of the Beast
The first step was sourcing the turbo itself. I didn’t just go to a local parts store, no sir. I was trawling online auction sites, industrial surplus yards, you name it. I needed something that looked like it could swallow a pigeon whole. After weeks of searching, I found it – a massive unit, probably off some giant piece of earth-moving equipment or a ship. It was so big, it arrived on a pallet. A pallet! For a turbocharger.
Then, what car do you even put this thing on? I needed something with a big engine bay and a chassis that wouldn’t just twist into a pretzel. I settled on an old, beat-up American muscle car. Lots of room under the hood, or so I thought. And a V8 that, with enough work, might just survive.
- Sourced the turbo – felt like I was buying a small engine.
- Found a suitable victim… I mean, car.