Category: Performance

Spyder AWD Swap – Parts list/donor background

JakeLeave a comment
If you’ve been following us on instagram (VertTuner), you know I’ve spent the summer working on two projects. The first was replacing the headgasket on a 99 Subaru Outback Legacy. The aim of the first project is to make it a daily driver while I work on the second, more long term project, swapping the drivetrain in the Spyder to an all wheel drive. We’re sticking with automatic, but we’ll be adding a translab shift kit, a Kiggly 5 disc front clutch pack, and a forced four shift box. So we’ll have more traction, hold more power, shift harder, and...

Making space in the engine bay without crowding the trunk

JakeLeave a comment
One of the biggest eyesores in the engine bay is the battery. Not only is it unsightly in my Spyder, it also blocks access to the fuel filter and can create issues mounting larger throttle body elbows when increasing the size of your intercooler pipes. It’s a pain to remove the battery to change fuel filters or throttle body gaskets. Hard top owners can get around this by mounting their battery in the trunk, but soft top Eclipses have about a quarter of the trunk space. My emergency kit and tools already take up a big chunk of space (They...

Brace for corners!

JakeLeave a comment
One of most fun parts of driving a convertible is driving through the twisties on a sunny day.  Taking a tight corner is one the most exhilarating parts of driving any car. One of the biggest components of maintaining control in a hard corner is limiting what’s called body roll. Body roll is the flexing of the chassis that occurs during the shift in momentum as the car changes direction. It’s essentially a load transfer. As the load shifts toward the outside of the corner, traction is impacted as tire grip is reduced. Suspension kits, sway bars, and strut braces...