 When it comes to love, there are two schools of thought. Some people believe in love at first sight, while others contend that true love develops over time. Though nothing can compare to that immediate sense of attraction felt when you first gaze upon your object of affection, others take pride in the warm fuzzy feelings that are nurtured over time. Upon first glance of the Scion xB, David Ernst initially thought “it was the ugliest thing (he) had ever seen.” Now, well over two years from its release, the Tracy, CA resident can’t imagine life without his beloved Hot Box.Ernst is no stranger to car building, as he is quick to list 10 vehicles that he’s built over the past few years. However, with cars like vintage Volkswagen Beetles, Chevrolet Panel Wagon, Chevrolet LUV and Ford Courier making up the bulk of his list, one wonders how ‘Evil Dave’ selected such an odd vehicle to add to his stable. “I chose the xB because it was so different from anything else. I like to build cars that stand out from the rest,” he says. His initial feelings about the xB melted away once ideas starting brewing about how different he could make the Japanese econobox.Rather than opt for the Japanese-inspired style that many of his fellow Scion owners favoured, Ernst wanted to go as far from JDM as possible. His philosophy makes perfect sense though, as he picked up the xB to stray from the crowd, not follow it. For example, instead of searching far and wide for a JDM body kit like everybody else, Ernst kept the factory front and rear bumpers and added polished diamond-plate splitters. Wanting to keep the silver theme continuous throughout the vehicle, he turned to the guys at bBist.com for their silver carbon fibre vented hood and matching rear spoiler. A bBist.com front grill takes the place of the Scion one, while the headlights are now dual projector units.
Scion Pro LED taillights offer improved visibility and style over the factory pieces, and Vinyl Options supplied the two-tone graphics package that accents the vehicle. Clear side markers and silver carbon fibre side mirror covers from bBist.com were also added, while Ernst called upon the lighting experts at Varad to help illuminate the xB. There’s no such thing as low light conditions when Evil Dave’s xB is involved, as in addition to Varad’s full under-body lighting system, the Scion was treated to two sets of Varad suspension lighting kits that were installed in the wheel wells.
Tein dampers prop open the lightweight hood to unveil the 1.5L four-banger that has been upgraded with a number of goodies. Obviously, the 108hp motor isn’t built for speed, but that didn’t deter Ernst from teaming up with Weapon-R to add a Secret Weapon intake to help it breathe a little deeper. The exhale process is much improved thanks to the Monster Motorworks header that leads to a custom dual exhaust.
Perrin lightweight pulleys and a GReddy grounding kit help extract every last ounce of power out of the 1NZFE engine, while a NOS wet nitrous kit from Holley Performance was plumbed in to provide some horsepower on demand. Nitro Racing Iridium plugs and Nology wires ensure that the spark fires clean and true, while the A’PEXi S-AFC II unit customizes the ECU’s air and fuel maps. Fueling never becomes an issue with the Perrin fuel rail keeping the Toyota powerplant satiated.
Of course, Ernst wasn’t about to leave the engine bay undressed, adding a Killer Glass illuminated upper radiator hose, Perrin silicone hoses and vacuum lines. A Weapon-R engine damper was bolted in to help minimize engine vibration, while Varad lighting continues the blue light theme into the engine bay.
The xB’s stance is achieved by a unique TRD damper / Road Magnet spring combination. The coils lower the car two inches in front and 1.5 inches in the rear, as they’ve been specially engineered to accommodate for the heavier load in the rear. A Hotchkis brace was installed in the engine bay to solidify things up front, while Progress sway bars keep things taut down below.
Footwear comes in the form of Hyper Silver FF7 wheels from Motegi Racing. Measuring 19 x 8 inches at all four corners, Ernst had the seven-spoke rollers lined in 225 / 35-sized Fuzion ZRi rubber to provide a tight grip on the asphalt.
The car wouldn’t be complete without adding the ‘Evil’ touch to the interior. The stock seats have been tossed aside and replaced with blue / black seats from Weapon R paired with matching blue Weapon R harnesses. The factory dash was pulled, along with all of the interior trim, and shot with DuPont’s red / blue colour-shifting paint. Diamond plate is in abundance, adding bling to the floor mats and console door. The shift knob is now a custom Dragon Claw piece, while a customized ‘Evil Dave’ speedometer face keeps him posted on his vehicle speed, fuel level and RPM. A trio of Glow Shift gauges sits in a pod mounted on the A-pillar, displaying oil pressure, oil temperature and water temperature. The xB’s headliner, dash and doors were given the full Varad treatment, as blue LEDs illuminate Ernst’s mobile office.
Teaming up with Atomic Loudspeakers in Oxnard, CA, Ernst began planning for his xB’s sound system. At the heart of the setup beats a pair of Atomic amplifiers: the Trinity 802 and Class D AT 800.1. The latter is responsible for powering the two Atomic MA12D 12-inch subwoofers mounted just below the amp rack, while the former handles the Atomic MA6.5CX 6.5-inch (front) and MA5.2CX 5.25-inch (rear) component sets that work with Atomic’s QT4.0 tweeters to produce the mids and highs.
Power is supplied by an assortment of Tsunami products, including 2-awg power wire, fuse holder and capacitors. A pair of Optima batteries (Blue Top and Yellow Top) ensures that the system is at a loss for power. The entire presentation is lit with blue LEDs courtesy of Varad.
This xB is one of the Scion community’s brightest stars and has earned awards from events like Hot Import Daze, Hot Import Nights and JDM Theory. Now an active member of the Scion movement, Ernst is the head the fastest growing chapter of Scikotics – the fastest growing Scion club in the US. Thanks go out to all of his supporters, including Atomic Loudspeakers, bBist.com, ScionPro.com, Killer Glass, Varad Lighting, Motegi, Weapon R, Monster Motor Works, Vinyl Options, 886 Motorworkz, JDM Theory, Perrin Performance and Fuzion Tires. The car is a testament to Ernst’s dedication to being unique and we can’t wait to see what else he has up his sleeve. |
