If there's one thing to be said about Francis Duenas, it's that he's one determined motha. A diehard car tuner the minute he got his driver's license, Duenas only recently put the final finishing touches on this 2004 Subaru WRX, his fourth project car.
Duenas' first love also turned out to be his simplest one, a 1991 Acura Integra. The car featured a slim list of modifications, just a set of lowering springs and an exhaust. An exhaust that even Duenas admits had the capability to wake the dead. Not that it mattered after the police were done with him. Following a local street race, the Integra was towed and impounded, kept under law enforcement lock and key for almost thirty days.
Unable to come up with the money for the mounting storage fees, Duenas was forced to give the Acura up to the tow yard. After saving and scrounging for a little while, Duenas picked up his next project, a '98 Civic with an Integra Type R engine swap. A much more attractive project, the Civic already possessed greater power potential and more aftermarket support than the older Integra. Built as a complete JDM ride, including a set of 16-inch SSR Schumachers, Duenas' Civic would ultimately meet its end in a brutal car accident.
Not one to rest easily, Duenas was ready with his next car as soon as his insurance money came in. The 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX featured a factory turbocharger, four real doors and the traction of a rally-bred, all-wheel-drive system. Suitably excited by his new purchase, Duenas added on a C-West body kit, bigger turbo and Advan wheels. Unfortunately, like a man with "danger" as his middle name, Duenas was involved in a head-on accident that claimed the bugeye WRX.
Always the smooth talker, Duenas told us that despite having three strikes in his personal project car history, his determination to appear in the pages of 2NR kept his resolve strong to finally finish a car the way he wanted to.
Enter chapter four. Impressed with the WRX platform, Duenas purchased the cosmetically updated 2004 version, in Rally Blue. Having already tasted C-West on his older bug-eyed Subie, Duenas decided to go with Do-Luck on the front bumper and sideskirts. The rear is actually a JDM Subaru piece, with an APR Performance carbon-fiber diffuser added on. The final accents for the body include APR Performance carbon fiber side mirrors, carbon fiber license plate holder, Syms rear wing and Ignited high-intensity discharge lighting system. Considering his past luck with automobiles, Duenas wisely added on a Star Shield Armor front clear bra kit to protect his bumper from the scratches of rock chips and road debris.
The 2.0L engine found in early US market WRXs has great potential for power, and Duenas didn't stray far from the proven path for his upgrades. A GT Spec exhaust manifold feeds a larger VF22 turbocharger, which exits into a Tanabe Concept G Blue full turboback exhaust system. Air is sucked in via a Perrin Performance short ram intake and fills a Perrin front-mount intercooler, fit with a HKS blow-off valve. Extra fuel comes courtesy of 650cc/min Power Enterprise fuel injectors, fed by a Power Enterprise fuel pump and Perrin fuel rail kit. After the addition of Power Enterprise metal head gaskets, Duenas had his WRX tuned by GT Motorsports with a Cobb Tuning AccessPORT and Pro Tuner software.
Duenas retains the use of his stock radiator, although a GT Spec carbon cooling plate, ARC radiator cap and Zero/Sports thermostat seek to maximize the potential of the stock equipment. The Perrin intercooler also features its own Nitrous Express Ntercooler system, which sprays the core ice cold using blasts of nitrous oxide. Samco Sport silicone radiator and ancillary hoses were added to the engine bay for greater resistance to under-hood heat, as well as for show car looks.