I first discovered Mach V Motorsports when they were still active sponsors of the local SCCA…read moreRallyCross group several years ago. Sad to see them stop sponsoring, but from a business perspective it probably makes sense. RallyCross is a small sport with a tight-knit group of people and most competitors most likely learn about Mach V through word-of-mouth anyway.
My first real interaction with them came when my daily driver cooked its turbo and then its engine not long after that. Seeing every catastrophic failure as an opportunity for "improvement" I called up the shop to see what my options were. Zach (the former service writer) and Dan (the owner) helped me put together a list of "necessary" items, finding upgrades that work well together, helped me identify some commonly overlooked items that should be inspected or replaced while the engine was out, and pointing me to some options for the engine build (I ended up buying a brand new short block from another location, I don't believe Mach V does total engine builds, but I could be wrong).
After Mike and Deren (I'm sure with some help from Kevin) installed the new motor and the rest of the new parts, I had them professionally tune the car on their four-wheel dyno. All of their expertise and advice paid off, as in the end they helped me build a total sleeper Legacy GT that pulls 350 awhp, all for about the same price that the dealer would have charged me for a stock repair job. 16,000 miles later, the car drives better than it ever did, and despite having a demon under the hood, it is just as happy in stop-and-go as it ever was when it was stock.
The professionalism and quality of workmanship Mach V demonstrated on the Legacy convinced me to ask them to do my next crazy project: a total RS/STi swap. I'd been toying with the idea of having my RS converted for several years, and had been looking into the logistics of having East Coast Swappers do the work, since that is reportedly their area of expertise. Getting a car (or two) up to Connecticut and back would be a huge hassle, and sorting out any little gremlins that pop up after the fact would be nearly impossible, so I asked Mach V if they would be willing to do it.
To his everlasting credit, Dan tried to talk me out of it. He warned me about the parts and expenses creep that occur on huge projects like this, as well as the fact that they weren't one hundred percent sure all of the electronics could be merged successfully. He knew I wanted a car that would still be street legal, but he was reluctant to promise that I would have functioning airbags, power windows and locks, heat and rear defrosters, etc when things were all said and done. They had done two swaps in the past, but those were only for full-time race cars with most of those "luxury" items removed.
However, once I convinced him that I was serious, the shop immediately got to work and blew me away with their attention to detail. In addition to the big, obvious stuff (swapping everything under the hood, transmission, axles, exhuast, etc), they also fabb'd mounts and created brackets for the places that needed it (off the top of my head, the radiator, power steering, dash mounts, seat belt brackets all needed some form of adjustment to bolt in properly). They also succeeded in merging ALL the electronics that Dan was worried might be an issue.
Ultimately I would have been ok with it if the interior of the car was left in disarray or the engine compartment looked like Frankenstein's monster. The car is meant to be a full-time RallyCross car that can be driven to and from an event. But while I would have settled for less, Mike and Deren would not. Despite the fact that an RSTi is a car not meant to exist in this world, the car looks, feels, sounds, and most importantly, drives, like a rare limited edition direct from the factory.
Although every situation is likely to be different, in this case, the costs came out to be a few thousand less than the quote I had received from East Coast Swappers, and ECS apparently "keeps costs low" by taking and reselling all of the leftovers from the swap (in this case, that would be the RS drivetrain and the STI body). Throw in the fact that I'm happy with the work, didn't have to drive to Connecticut, and Mach V let me keep/resell all the leftover spares, and I have to say it was a "bargain" all around. (Note: "bargain" and "inexpensive" are two entirely different things. Dan was right to try to talk me out of it. This was crazy).
Odds and ends:
In addition to the "big" stuff, they do all of the preventive maintenance and repair work you would expect. Oil and filter changes, fluid flushes, alignment (performance and manufacturer recommended), etc. In my experience, their prices tend to be higher than Firestone but lower than dealership. However their diagnostics are exceptional.
Super personable, they remember their customers, and most importantly, they remember their customers cars.
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