Yikes! You've had a bad couple days Spy. Maybe you should take some time off.

Who knew the backroads of Colombia were so well suited for drag racing? Certainly not I. To clarify Spy's yammering, my white FWD is the White Devil. And it officially revealed it's horns this evening. Still largely untuned, with the stock clutch hanging on by a thread (not even really hanging on, more like attempting to), I killed the Bird.
We meet in Peru, where we discuss the events about to unfold. Still new to the big turbo, I decide that even a bit of knock is too much, so I splash in some 110 leaded, as well as a few pounds of ice in the sump for good measure. Boost at 19psi. We head out, and I'm doing my best to tune it on the move, giving random 2nd and 3rd gear pulls to see where I'm at. Rich as hell, no knock, we're good to go. I had wanted to set my base timing back to stock, since it is currently retarded 5 degrees, and is killing my top end. Alas, no time, the camera-man had to get home, so I run it as is.
First, we go from a roll. The TA is a bad machine, but FWD DSMs are reknowned for being highway bruisers, and with a 20g, that rep is well deserved. Start in third, from 50ish. I let off when the tach said 6900 in FIFTH GEAR, I'm not certain if the clutch was on the boil or I was going 150mph, but either way, I've never pulled that hard for that long. Spy had dropped back _ahem_ a few cars in the meantime. But how well does it do against a Drag-tired RWD from a dig....?
We go from a stop. The Bad Bird heats the meats, and we go on 3. Well, he goes on 3, I spin on 3 through 6. I think I've had it, but decide to stay in it to see where the chips fall. They fall in my favor, as when I do finally hook up midway through 3rd, I'm on my way by, never looking back. He wants it again.
This time was a bit different. I have no idea how a 20g powered FWD ever hooks out of the hole, but for some reason it did. On the launch, the TA jumps again, but this time only by about 1/2 a car. Second gear was a cross between a dream and a nightmare. On one hand, the feeling of hooking in 2nd is great, but scary in that I felt like the car was about to explode. It has NEVER pulled like that in a low gear. By the time Second was gone, so was the Bird, and once again I drove on in victory.
I have no idea what kind of times I'm running, but based on what I know of the TA, I'd guess somewhere in the mid-high12s. Need a clutch badly, we'll take care of that this week. A couple hundred more pounds out of the interior and full timing advance will only make it better. If only it stays together that long.
Good runs, Spyguy. Time to hit the bottle!

As always D, excellent write-up. I was amazed at how much it took to beat that Bird, and am also amazed at how much more I can get out of it, with a decent clutch. That car is going to be a monster on the bottle!

spy, i need that movie... james..nice to see you happy finally. don't get content.

yea guys, excellent writeup, its always a joy to read! I can't wait to see the video...it sounds amazing. Do you think I could get a ride in the car if I come down south?

J- Real story: Spy and I ran. Three times. Once from a roll, twice from a stop. He got the jump on me all three times, once by three cars, once by one, and once it was very close, but he was still ahead. All three times I won, and it was not close at any time. When Spy hits the stuff, I'm toast, but for now, that's the deal.

Nomie- Yep.

Xian- I'm not content, just cautious at this point. The car is running very well, there is much more I can get out of it. I just want to keep it together for Slo-Pny day, so I can break it there.

I think the KOU clan has done an excellent job of pulling together to make James' FWD a Monster. I can't explain how suprised I am at the White ones ability get traction.

I'm sure you all will work the rest of the bugs out and bring the top end power back into it's own like it should be on a FWD. Still those were some of the better races I've witnessed between two totally different cars. Congratulations guys!

Nice to see a good running FWD/big turbo package.

great vid,nice runs

I had to load the current divx version. Well worth the wait on the downloads though! I think we have an official DSMcentral videographer here. Nice turnaround time too.

that shot of the mirror was great. cool as hell watching j pull on the TA

nice vid

I like the way it spit at the TA when it was finished ... heh

^^^ LOL.

spy, your editing skills look fine man.

What the hell was that...was he dumping ice out of the intercooler??

.. sparks from the exhaust??? Better chuck some turbine blades ... ???

I thought about the turbo, but the fact that it didn't happen on boost and the fact that it also came out the WG dump (impossible for a turbine blade) led me away from that.

ok..... can't this damn video to work, can someone please email it to me: bvollmer80@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance

James, your car make me so hawney. Best of luck to you at the track this year.

gsx racer,


go to dvix.com... (might have mispellled that one) search around for downloads... i believe if you refresh me about what you see, i can walk you through it.. catch me on aim...

want to say it's the second or third tab to the right.... and then download the freebie...


till then, make spy stop recording in divx.

Downloading Divx is easy. Go to divx.com. enter your email address, and your good to go. Great editing job by the way and I'm digging the music.

Yeah the music was cool....

Did somebody go watch Star Wars this week?!!?

ok, so my friend hooked me up with some divx drivers.....

cool vodeo....

good job J...

did you ever find out what was coming from your car???


BTW.... spy, I want to see if the GSX has anything on the firechicken (with out the juice of coarse)

we'll have to arrange that while I am on leave

pm me with your phone number in case I can not find it when I get home