Project Rotary Race Mule Introduction

As for the exhaust, a slew of Vibrant Performance parts were used. My fabricator, Joe from RPM Motorsports started by welding a male V-band flange to the rear turbo housing and the female flange to what would be the start of the downpipe. Being that the housing was cast and very thick, Joe pre-heated the metal with a torch, making tig-welding the flange easier.

From there, the downpipe started to take shape easily. A 45 degree pipe was cut to shape and tacked onto the rear turbo housing connection.

Another 45 Degree pipe was then tacked on to the first bend making an “S” shaped section. The rear of the DP was finished off with a flex section and another V-band flange. To complete our down-pipe, a bung for our wideband was added.

The rest of the exhaust system came together rather easily. I wanted as much ground clearance as possible and challenged Joe to see if he would be able to tuck the 4-inch diameter system up as much as he could. The car had two transmission tunnel braces that we decided to delete to make more room.

We had to get creative with the wastegate (WG) dump tubes. Due to the car being RHD, the steering rack was in the way and space constraints around the front WG made routing it back to the downpipe impossible. In the end, we decided to make the front WG dump tube exit the hood. We decided to go for the gusto and dumped the rear WG out the hood as well.

With all the intake and exhaust system completed, we were finally ready to start the car for the first time. Feelings of excitement and anxiety blended together as we made final checks before we turned the key for the first time. Being cautious, I even had the fire extinguisher ready. With a twist of the key, she roared to life with no hesitation, filling the shop with her smoky pre-mixed breath.

With a successful first start and some idle adjustment, we were able to get the car to the dyno and see how much our hard work had paid off. Unfortunately, due to a combination of electrical and hardware issues, the car was not able to make the power that it could have. We were limited to 17psi by WG spring and were able to make 381rwhp at 250ft-lbs torque at the rear wheels. Not the numbers we were hoping for, but not bad either. Once the issues are sorted out more power will be had!

Since then, we have carried out several safety and performance modification that include a full roll cage, Accusump Oiling system, and AEM Auxiliary injection system just to name a few. Stories on that will follow shortly! We hope to have the car properly sorted and set up for the 2015 race season and you’ll have a front row seat to see how it all comes together!