Overdrive: True Grit - DTA 2008 Scion xB

What do you do when you have a 2008 second generation Scion xB, and want the car to make 400hp reliably on 91 octane pump gas, as is dispensed in California? If you’re Johan “Yo” Esbensen, co-owner of Rogue Status clothing company, you call up the team over at Papadakis Racing that you sponsor and ask him if he can drop a 2JZ-GTE motor from a Toyota Supra into the car. A phone call was made, famed drag racer and fabricator Stephan Papadakis agreed to take on the project, and the plan to have the first 2JZ-powered Scion XB was rolling. Toyota’s 2JZ-GTE motor only comes in rear wheel drive configuration, which meant some changes would need to be made to the XB chassis. The original 2AZ-FE motor was removed, along with many of the creature comforts enjoyed by most cars. Out came the A/C, cruise control, and all the wiring. Over the next several months, Papadakis worked to get the motor to fit into the engine bay, fabricating motor, transmission and rear end mounts, to make room for a rearward-powering driveshaft, while ensuring there was enough room for all running gear to fit properly. When the car emerged from the workshop, Papadakis had fabricated a custom turbo kit which utilized a Garrett GT35R Turbo, Greddy Turbo, an AEM engine management system powering 850cc fuel injectors, a Precision 46mm wastegate, and a Greddy RZ blowoff valve. Despite being completely custom and taking months to fabricate, the motor and turbo setup looks surprisingly OEM under the hood, a testament to the workmanship of Papadakis and his team. As the engine powers up to 8,000 RPMs, the horsepower is transferred through the ACT clutch and into the 6-speed JZ80 Supra transmission which narrowly clears the transmission tunnel. A custom driveshaft powers the Supra rear end differential and axles, which turn the custom black Advan RS 18x10 wheels and puts power through the Hankook RS3 265/35/18 tires to the ground. In front, a pair of Advan RS 18x9 wheels guide a set of Hankook RS2 245/35/18 tires on steering inputs. When it comes time to slow this crazy XB down, Wilwood calipers are paired with Supra rotors to provide the clamping force, while Tein Flex coilovers keep the car firm in the corners.

Inside the car, the stock Scion tC seats were replaced by Sparco Chrono seats, while the stock shift knob was replaced by a Rogue Status sadface shifter to compliment the Rogue Status “Gun Show” steering wheel cover. The dash has a few AEM gauges to monitor the engine, but the rest of the dash is largely unchanged, even down to the OEM Pioneer head unit. Yo wanted a comfortable ride for the cross-country car rallys he had planned for the car. Oh, did we leave that part out? After taking the car on the Gumball and Targa Trophy rallies in 2009, Yo was bitten with the bug. Since completion, the car was recently made over for the Bullrun rally (as you could likely guess from the Spin Imaging car wrap), and will likely attend future rallies as the bugs get worked out. To accommodate the long stretches of open road, the OEM tank was replaced by an oversized Fuel Safe tank which allows Yo to drive longer without having to stop for gas. Cross country car rallies are just as much rolling fashion shows as they are driving events, so the car was also designed to look good while moving. A 5Axis aero kit helps accentuate the stock body lines, while tinted head lights and tail lights give the car a stealthy look. Afterhours Automotive designed custom overfenders to fit the massive Advan rollers, while a Seibon hood helps manage the weight balance of the car while looking good. Originally, the car was painted a custom non-metallic Audi-inspired grey tone picked by Beyond Marketing’s Fred Chang, but the car still wore its colors from the Bullrun rally for our shoot. Overall, the car took eight long months to complete, but fortunately has shown the reliability you’d come to expect in a Toyota product since it was completed. Other than changing oil and topping off the fuel cell, Yo told us that the car has been as reliable as the day it rolled off the dealership lot. In building the car, Yo wants to thank those who contributed and supported the efforts, including Steve Hatanaka and Fred Chang from Beyond Marketing, Papadakis Racing, Paul Jho at Hankook Tires, AEM, Seibon, Snap-on tools, and Spin Imaging. Since Yo sees his name in a magazine often, he also wanted to shout out No Limits distribution, the extended family from Bullrun 2011, all of the Rogue Status customers and fans, and the Red Dragons! He also mumbled something about “Go Senators” as we finished the shoot, due to the fact that he’s a native of Ottawa, Ontario, but we won’t hold that against him.

www.dtaposse.com

Exterior // (designed by Fred Chang ) Wrap from Spin Imaging • Custom After Hours “over fenders” • 5 Axis Aero kit • Tinted front headlights • Tinted rear taillights • Seibon CF vented hood

Wheels & Tires // Wheel front:  Advan RS 18x9 +22 • Custom Black • rear: Advan RS 18x10 +25 • Custom Black • Tire front: Hankook RS3 245/40-18 • Tire rear: Hankook RS3 265/35-18 • Front Brakes: Willwood • Rear Brakes: Supra JZ80 • Rear end and axles Supra JZ80 • Tein Flex Suspension

Engine Modifications // RWD conversion by Papadakis Racing Project car division • Engine: Toyota 2JZ GTE VVTI turbocharged • Custom turbo system by Papadakis Racing • 6 speed Supra JZ80 transmission • Engine management system: AEM • Gauges: AEM • Clutch: ACT puck • Injectors: 850cc • Turbo: Garrett GT35R • Wastegate: Precision 46mm • Intercooler: Greddy • Wiring: Custom mil. Spec. • Power management: Motec PDM 30 • Blow off valve: Greddy RZ • Fuel pump: Supra Denso JZ80 • Fuel Tank: Fuel Safe • Fuel Regulator: AEM Universal • Exhaust: Custom 3” Interior // Steering Wheel cover and shift knob: Rogue Status • Seats: Sparco Chrono