I'm back

"Nick- Professional Car Destroyer" (93aerojunk)
04/25/2018 at 06:57 • Filed to: None

Who knows if anyone here remembers me, but I was active maybe 3 or 4 years ago. I had the Cobalt Turbo, made somewhere around 500ish whp.

Well if you don’t remember that’s fine. But now I own something even stranger. A 1995 Saturn SL2. What began life as a normal cheap economy car sold somewhere in northern Maine was turned into something amazing 13 years or so after it was built.

The second owner, an engineer from a pretty well known company, bought the car at some point, and in 2008 he somehow came up with the idea of dropping the powertrain from a 1997 Volkswagen Jetta(or Passat, whichever got the AHU) TDI. I have no idea what fueled his idea of this, but I can’t complain since I absolutely love the car.

So here is what I know about the car, the engine is mostly stock, has a cone filter on it as well as a custom made downpipe, the injector pump timing was advanced I believe, and the computer has a Rocketchip stage 2, and god damn does this car move surprisingly quick. It weighs in at 2480lb with 10 gallons of fuel and 1 full grown American, so with its 290ish ft lbs and 180ish HP (if anyone knows the exact specs for this set up that would be greatly appreciated) it definitely is not a slouch. Eventually I’ll be getting a larger turbo as I’m at the peak for this stock one at 18psi, any higher than that it just can’t flow the air and turns into a hair dryer and eventually will just kill itself, and paired with a larger turbo I would do new injectors, and go for a stage 3 tune.

The fab work that was done on this car is amazing, it has a custom made subframe to support the Volkswagen Engine and Transmission, custom made axles using the Volkswagen inners with Saturn outers so it uses the Saturn suspension and hubs. The gauge cluster works as intended, everything inside the car works flawlessly (Except AC, it doesn’t have that)

So if you have made it this far I’m sure you’re wondering, “Just how did you manage to acquire this fine automobile?” Well, I was scrolling through Facebook, may have been intoxicated, when I saw someone post that they got this in on trade at a dealership and that he had no idea what he wanted to do with it. So I checked where he was from and noticed he lived basically down the road. We negotiated a price and I got the car the next day. It needed some work though, which explains the $250 price I paid for the car. I had it towed over to my house and quickly tore the old turbo out, which had blown a seal on the exhaust side and basically tore itself to shreds since it isn’t a ball bearing turbo and relies on oil to be the bearing, the compressor side was all chewed up and the center nut was resting inside the fins of the turbo. After I got the turbo done I found the root cause of the oil pressure loss that I assume nuked this turbo in the first place. Once I fired the car up the timing cover started pissing oil like crazy, shut the car down immediately and inspected the area. Turned out a bad seal for the shaft that runs the oil pump had sprung a leak. Ordered all the specialty tools I needed and the next weekend I swapped the seal over.

The car has intermittently been my daily, and have had zero issues at all, all I do is fuel it up, check the oil, replace the oil when it comes time, and the car just runs. Hoping I get some decent life out of a car that really shouldn’t exist in the first place.

DISCUSSION (16)

pip bip - choose Corrour > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer
04/25/2018 at 07:55

the main question is why go to all that effort initially?

have you tracked down the previous owner to ask the question?

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > pip bip - choose Corrour
04/25/2018 at 07:59

I have, he basically wanted to build it as a prototype to prove it is doable and collaborate with a local shop to make kits. I’m not exactly sure why it didn’t happen or follow through.

Also I should mention he intended this to be a hyper mile car, it gets around 72mpg

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer
04/25/2018 at 08:08

Welcome back! Pretty crazy story! Such an interesting car, haha! :D

E90M3 > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer
04/25/2018 at 08:13

I feel like I remember you.

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > E90M3
04/25/2018 at 08:14

If you have had this user name for a while I remember you.

Mercedes Streeter > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer
04/25/2018 at 08:39

Welcome back!!!!! I think I remember someone that had a crazy fast Cobalt. :)

If you were last here two years ago, I was still called “Miss Mercedes” with something relating to smart cars on the end. I gained three more smart cars since then.

If you were last here 4 years ago, I called myself “Neon - Smart Aficionado”.

This post sort of explains it ( https://oppositelock.kinja.com/oppo-i-have-a-big-secret-to-tell-you-1656676049 )

TL;DR - I’m a transsexual nowadays. <3

With that out of the way, omg I LOVE your car!!!! I’ve always had a soft spot for Saturns. I learned to drive manual in a gold SC! But a diesel Saturn? Oh gosh, my heartrate is racing. If you ever sell it, I’d totally take it from you. lol

Welcome back! :)

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer
04/25/2018 at 08:41

This is an insane car! This is my other favorite Saturn now. This is the other Saturn I like,

ArmadaExpress drives a turbo outback > E90M3
04/25/2018 at 08:49

What’s the name of the guy that already has a Diesel SL2, or is that just on the facebook group?

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
04/25/2018 at 08:50

That one is definitely cooler than mine is haha

I want to drop a V8 into my Fiero. Or do an Ecotec built like my Cobalt except maybe more power

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > Mercedes Streeter
04/25/2018 at 08:51

The Neon name is vaguely familiar.

Definitely a neat car though, I don’t plan on selling it anytime soon haha

I too am a car hoarder though, currently have 7 at one house, looking to relocate 5 of those to my new place and put the other 2 into storage with the other 15.

Spoon II > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer
04/25/2018 at 10:39

That’s awesome! I bet the fuel economy is surprisingly good too (If I remember correctly, the SL2 has a great drag coefficient). Might’ve been what inspired the engineer to do the swap in the first place.

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > Spoon II
04/25/2018 at 11:21

It is capable of 72mpg highway

It had some Aero mods as well, the smooth hubcaps removable exterior mirrors as well as moving the headlights to be flush with the hood and a blocked grille

I’ve been able to get 60 out of it just thrashing on the car and bombing up the highway no issue

E90M3 > ArmadaExpress drives a turbo outback
04/25/2018 at 12:28

Not sure.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer
04/25/2018 at 12:35

DO IT!!!!!! Family friend has a V8 Fiero. I wants it.

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
04/25/2018 at 12:38

I’ve heard they’re a riot, I just gotta get motivated and do it

Spoon II > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer
04/25/2018 at 17:35

That’s amazing! I’ve been tempted to try something similar with my Probe (also pretty aerodynamic)