Tucker's car: 2002 Subaru WRX
Instagram: @tucker_maxam
Engine and Drive-train: VF48 Turbo, Deatschwerks 650cc injectors,Walbro 255 Fuel Pump, Perrin Turbo Inlet, APM 3 port boost controller, Cobb SF intake, STI Top Mount intercooler, STI Cat less up pipe, Cobb Catted Downpipe, Borla Hush Midpipe/ resonator, Custom axle back blast pipes made by Brox Fabrication and After hours Fabrication, Mishimoto Radiator, APM Protune @ 21lbs of boost, 2013 WRX 5 speed transmission, Competition Stage 2 clutch with lightweight flywheel, 2007 wrx front axles (male stub versus stock female axles).
Wheels/Tires/Suspension: Weds Maverick 709M 2 piece wheels 18" x 9.5" +32 with Nankang NS-20 tires 225/35R18, Airlift V2 Suspension, Front/Rear swaybars with Kartboy Endlinks.
Exterior: Seibon Carbon Fiber hood paint matched, JDM Grille, Depo JDM Headlamps, Hella horns with Perrin Bracket, Replica Syms Racing Front lip, Paint Matched side skirts, Rear Fog light.
Interior: STI Front and Rear Seats, STI Blue Carpet with STI floor mats, Still Hood shift knob, Pioneer AVH-x4700BS Head unit, Alpine Type R Speakers, JBL 12" Subwoofer, Alpine PDX Amplifier.
Tell us a little about yourself: I work in retail while I continue my studies for a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. Other than cars, my main interest would have to be photography, which has mostly been automotive related, but I do enjoy trying my hand at street photography as well. Other than that, my friends, school work, job, and car take up the rest of my time. Although I do enjoy computers as well, but have not been into them much lately.
How did you get into cars? Ever since I was a kid I always loved Hot Wheels and would always get scale model cars on birthdays. I was a huge Midnight Club fan and would stay up late at night playing that game with a best friend on the PS2. Always had car posters covering my walls and that love for cars just grew stronger as I got older. Growing up I was fortunate enough to have dirt bikes and 4-wheelers, and always loved riding and working on them.
What is your dream car? My dream car is always changing, but right now it would have to be a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Porsches have such a timeless look and the power they put down from the factory in the new GT3's is incredible. I find myself always watching canyon runs of those cars and never grow tired of the sound. They seem to handle like no other as well, and just seem like such a well round built car.
What are your future plans for the car, and what do you like to do with it? At the moment I am unsure of the future with this car. If I were to continue, I would start with more aero to make the car look less plain. Then I would move onto engine work to start bringing up the horsepower numbers. Bigger turbo and switching over to E85 and trying to make it faster. With that said I am unsure if my ownership of this car will continue. I am always on and off about getting rid of it lately, but I want to start a new build with a route more towards building power and getting sideways rather than making more of a show car.
Does you or your car go by any nicknames? No, I never really got into naming my cars, but when it breaks it does get some inappropriate ones.
What's your favorite thing about your car? At the moment it would have to be the suspension. It hasn't been on the car too long, but I always love seeing peoples faces when I air out and the rear wheel arches rest on the top of the wheel lips. I will never get tired of the sound as well with it being almost a straight pipe, but with just enough resonance to keep the raspy tones straight pipes usually get to a minimum.
What is something that you don't like about your car? The chassis. By that I mean that I got this car from a Chicago Suburb area and that it has seen winters. The entire car has seen body work and been repainted, but underneath rust still exists, and I wish more than anything that this car was a rust free chassis. If that were the case I wouldn't mind continuing this build.
What is your car like to drive? Depends on the day, but when its running right it has a very nice amount of power for fun in curvy back roads. It's not really fast being it's just on a VF48, but it is still fun. The Airlift suspension handles amazingly and is much better than the coil-overs I was on before.
What was your inspiration or objective with this build? From the beginning my expectations were low and I never thought I would have a car on multi-piece wheels and airlift. I never had one inspiration, but there are definitely some bugeye builds that I favored and pushed me to make this car more. Cars like Chan Le's bugeye that is just crazy from having 4 bride seats inside, running a fully built motor with a dogbox transmission and doing all that while being a stance car with a BCL Wing and crazy Japanese styling. Then there is Ryan Richey's bugeye which was something I wasn't too fond of at first but grew to love. He had custom radiused wheel arches to mimic VIP styling, Lamborghini style doors and just such a unique build like no other bugeye I have seen. There's plenty more, but those are just to name a few.
Why did you choose a Subaru? I have always loved that rumble sound they made as well as that big STi wing that would sit on the trunk and the scoop that was stuck on the hood. One of my best friends growing up got a 2.5RS when he got his license and that only made me want one more, and once I was on my last year of high school I was able to get my bugeye.
What was your first car? 2001 Nissan Sentra
What makes your car special to you? The journey it has been with the car. I have had this car for three and a half years and my friends always say they love seeing how I have continued my build with this car even with all the problems it's given me. I have seen friends go through cars like nothing, and get tired of them quick, but I always knew that I wanted to continue with this car and make it what it is today.
What is something about you (or your car) that no one else would know about? My anxiety is one thing that always gets to me, and this car is no help. I am always wondering what I should do, or wish I could've done something different. Sometimes I am content with the car, but other times I wish I had taken a different path with it.
Any memorable moments with you car that you would like to share? There's too many to mention, but one of my favorites would have to be the trips my friends and I have made to Michigan the past 3 years for Gridlife Midwest. Cruising up there with my best friends has been some of the most fun times, and I will continue going to Gridlife every year I can.
Any shout-outs to anyone who helped you along the way? The last shop that worked on my car was APM, and they were lots of help when I went to them for tuning after my engine blew up back in 2015. Lately Kathy from P&L has been lots of help with answering my questions with issues pertaining to my car and helping me find parts for when things break, as well as Marvin from Six Star. They were both great help for getting me parts to get the 2013 WRX trans in my car since 3rd gear shattered back in February of this year.
