“Cars are my passion. They’ve always been a kind of hobby of mine since I was young,” says Calvin Larsen, the proud owner of a 2005 Subaru STI in the body of a 2000 Impreza 2.5RS, and the winner of Techron’s Pride and Joy video contest.
With the desire to share real stories from fans of what makes their vehicles their “Pride and Joy,” Chevron Techron®, recently decided to turn their long-running social post series into a contest, allowing fans the opportunity to submit a story about their favorite vehicle for the chance to star in the next Techron video and vote for their favorite stories from other fan submissions.
Calvin Larsen, a recent software engineering graduate and automotive enthusiast, submitted an inspiring Pride and Joy narrative as a beginner to the DIY automotive world, showing Techron fans that you don’t need to be an expert to tackle an engine swap. All you need is time, patience, and the desire to take on new challenges. And of course, a little help from your engineer and car-aficionado dad doesn’t hurt either.
Gallery: One Summer, Two Cars And A Lot of YouTube Tutorials: Calvin’s Pride and Joy Engine Swap
Calvin’s passion for cars was fueled from a young age as he watched his father fix up his 1955 Chevy pickup in their family garage. As he got closer to getting his own license, he knew he wanted something fun to drive, yet reasonably priced, and due to his father’s recommendation, four doors and automatic. After obtaining his license and an automatic 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS, he was ready for an improvement. He sold his car a year later for another Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS, but this time, it was a bit different. “Now that I had the manual, there was only one thing left, a turbo,” he said. In doing some research, he found that engine swaps were super common for these Subarus, and actually fairly easy.
So for the next two years, Calvin watched YouTube videos of car rebuilds, engine swaps, and researched everything he could about his future project. After working two jobs in those two years to save up, and looking at tons of potential donor cars, Calvin and his dad found the perfect fit.
Over the course of a hot Arizona summer, Calvin and his father went to work to make his dream car a reality. Together they stripped the wire harnesses from both cars, used his dad’s garage lift to remove the engine, transmission, axles, hubs, driveshaft, differential… everything from both cars.
“It was a huge job, but I am very proud of my dad and myself for being able to do it, and do it correctly,” he reflects. This was Calvin’s first time doing something this mechanical; he learned his vehicle inside and out from taking it apart and putting it back together, and got it to run at the end of it all. “Turning it on and having it work right away was just crazy and overwhelming and relieving,” he notes.
“This car is important to me for many reasons,” said Larsen. “One main one is that it was a test and challenge for myself to be able to tear apart the car, but also put it back together. Another reason is that I got to do it all with my dad. He has been a big inspiration in my life, especially in the world of cars. I will always cherish this summer with him, and I am glad we were able to have this experience together before I move away after graduating from college.”
While the Subaru will stay behind, it’s only the beginning for Calvin, who through a lot of hands-on work, trial and error, and of course, YouTube tutorials, has a lot more automotive projects on his radar.
In fact, it was thanks to all the car building how-to’s on YouTube that Calvin discovered Techron and learned about all the great benefits the product had to offer. “Techron has become part of my regular maintenance routine, not only for my high-performance car, but for my everyday driver.” Calvin loves how easy to use Techron fuel additive products are, since all he has to do is put it in his gas tank for performance and fuel economy benefits. “All my cars are older, so I use Techron High Mileage [Fuel System Cleaner] to keep them running longer,” he adds, “once it was in the car, it definitely ran a lot smoother, and it was a lot more fun to drive.”
So whether you’re an expert in car modifications or just starting out on your first project like Calvin, visit www.techronclean.com to learn more on which products are right for your vehicle. And don’t forget to check out @chevrontechron to see the latest Pride & Joy stories!