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Editor's note: This is part of a series at KSL.com featuring some of Utah's coolest cars. If you own a customized vehicle — from sports cars to semi trucks — email fjolley@ksl.com with a photo of the vehicle and a brief description for consideration.SALT LAKE CITY — There are plenty of speed freaks who would look past a 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo —it’s front-wheel drive, it’s hard to get good aftermarket parts, so who would blame them?
Greg Hubbs would. He bought his W-body new from Barber Brothers and has done nothing but turn overlookers into onlookers ever since.
Hubbs started with the engine work at a shop in Las Vegas, but the engine blew up 1,500 miles later. So it was back to the drawing board with Paul’s Auto and 4x4 in Sandy. Hubbs gives the mechanics who worked on his car free rein, no expenses spared.
After 2 ½ years in the shop, he’s got a blueprinted engine with a Borg-Warner EFR-8374 turbocharger, claiming 499 horsepower to the wheels on 91 octane and 574 horsepower on 104 octane. He has a switch on the dash for changing engine timing for the different octanes. And when someone claims 499 horsepower, not 500, it’s a lot easier to trust them.
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When South Jordan resident Alex Whetman first purchased his 2000 Ford Focus Zx3, he had no idea what the car would eventually become.Hubbs has had the factory transmission built up to handle the extra pounding, and claims it can travel a quarter mile in 12 seconds. He said that during the build, one thing demanded another, and the car took on a life of its own.
His payoff is awards and respect. Hubbs said he was awarded Best of Class and Best Modified for the Monte Carlos at the 2014 GM Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, as well as numerous awards at the annual national Super Chevy Show, and small write-ups from Chevy High Performance and Super Chevy magazines.
He said he also gets accolades from other front-wheel-drive owners, and the import crowd respects the good-looking turbo.
Hubbs will admit it’s an odd platform, but with what he’s put into it, he’s upped the the challenge of customing-building off-the-beaten path, and proving the crowd-followers wrong.
Brian Champagne has reported on cars for more than nine years. He holds a master's degree in communications from the University of the Pacific and teaches at Utah State University. Contact him at iaabfl@yahoo.com.
