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Sean Crowley doesn’t give a ****.

Some guys claim to be easy going and that they don’t really care what happens to their project cars along the way, but we all know they’re pretty much full of it. But not Sean. He really doesn’t give a ****, and his legacy of broken parts and outrageous stories are proof enough.

Sean Crowley is a young guy without a care in the world – at least it seems that way. He works full time at Sears and part-time as an assistant producer for a radio program, he’s got a couple cool cars, and he enjoys driving the living piss out of them. Basically, he’s our kind of guy.

We drove to Pompano Beach, FL to visit Billet Design – the shop instrumental in getting Sean’s 2004 Subaru STi to the point where it is today. Sean’s car was there, all washed and ready for us to photograph – but there was no Sean to be found. We learned he figured we only needed his car and left the keys to his 500-hp STi for us to take and do whatever (told you he doesn’t give a ****). We got Sean on the phone and told him that after all the stories we’d heard about him, we’d decided he might actually be more interesting than his beast of a car, and that we’d appreciate it if he’d make some time to come on down to the shop for an interview. He said, “No problem.”

We were told Sean likes to make an entrance everywhere he goes. This is true. About an hour after hanging up, we heard the grumble of an LS1 small block headed our way. A couple seconds later, a bright red ’04 GTO comes drifting into the very crowded shop parking lot. Now, when we say drift, we’re talking the four-wheel kind, and as much as we wanted to believe that was all for our benefit, we learned this is just Sean’s way of taking just about any ninety-degree corner.

The GTO is Sean’s every day ‘beater.’ As his STi is in a constant state of flux these days, it makes sense for him to have something else to drive, and his proclivity for drifting means the new Goat is a damn good choice. But it sure must seem pretty tame compared to a 500-hp STi…

We’ve quoted the 500-hp figure twice now, but the truth is that Sean’s car has yet to be dynoed and that 500 number is something of an estimate. Marco Manzie, from Billet Design, wants to first spend some more time tuning the fuel and timing parameters and upping the boost before putting the car on a dyno, but after we list the components being used, we’re sure all will agree with us that a 500-hp potential is no idle boast.

South Florida has lots of modified Mitsubishi Evolutions running around. For whatever reasons, there don’t seem to be very many massaged STis present to balance out the equation. During one particular gathering at Billet’s shop one Saturday, Sean counted 30 Evos and only one STi. He knew then he needed to do something to make things right, so he bought the Aspen White 2004 STi you see here.

To many of South Florida’s resident car freaks, Billet Design is more than just a good shop – it’s a social scene as well. Enthusiasts of all types flock to the shop for reasons far beyond the cool tricks the guys there always have up their sleeves. Sure, at any given time you might find any assortment of big-hp Supras, Evos, RX-7s and more, but there’s a strong sense of community too, and that’s what seems to keep people coming back time and again. As within any kind of community, there exist all sorts of friendly rivalries and competition. Sean bought his STi to keep the Evo guys in check and to hopefully give them a good reason to look over their shoulders once in a while.

He bought the car with no intention of leaving it stock, so with the window sticker still on the car, Sean, Marco, and Sean’s friend, Erik got right to work. They started with the usual bolt-ons, such as an aftermarket intake, exhaust system, and front-mount intercooler. These items were okay as a start, but our boy here is not exactly the type to stay satisfied for very long. He was already looking to step up the engine mods when fate (we’ll call it that for now) struck. One evening, Sean was out goofing around with three of his friends when, after a very Sean-like launch from a dead stop, the STi began to spew black smoke from the engine bay. Thinking the car was on fire, all four occupants bailed out and waited for the flames to erupt. They never did, and Sean managed to turn the engine off and sort things out. The car still ran (barely) and Sean attempted to limp the car home. He didn’t get far… One of Pompano’s finest saw the huge cloud of smoke attached to the White Impreza and ordered the car off the road.

Once the car made its way back to Billet Design, a bit of forensic work determined that one of the piston ring-lands had cracked, causing oil to pour into one of the combustion chambers. Sean could never see any sense in spending a lot of money to rebuild a stock engine, so a new plan was put into action. An EJ22 Axis Racing Stage 3 bottom end was sourced and immediately bored to 2.35 liters. Inside the new block went forged pistons, rods and a crank. Axis Racing also provided a pair of their Stage 2 heads, each containing goodies like dual valve springs, titanium retainers and 5mm-larger valves. The heads were ported and polished as well.

Forcing air into the new engine is a Garrett T3/T4 turbo with a 60 trim and mounted on a tubular 4-into-2-into-1 manifold. A Tial wastegate regulates boost pressure, while a Blitz blow-off valve helps keep the big turbo spinning when the throttle closes. Drawing in the air is the job of a modified APS intake, and a black-anodized APS front-mount intercooler keeps it cool after it’s compressed by the turbo. A Billet Design custom fuel system adds fuel via custom rails holding Denso 850cc/min fuel injectors and supplied by -6AN lines, all monitored by an Aeromotive regulator. A TurboXS UTEC engine management system is used to keep everything running smoothly and to also provide Sean and Marco the ability to get every last pony out of the STi’s new hardware. Once combusted, leftover exhaust gases are routed to the back via a modified APS downpipe and exit through an APS 3.5” race system.

The transmission is mostly stock and is coupled to the engine via an Exedy Stage 2 clutch and Stage 3 pressure plate.

For now, Sean is mostly concerned with going fast in a straight line, so the STi’s already very capable chassis has only been upgraded with a set of Tanabe lowering springs, a set of 18x8 MB Motorsport Weapon wheels with Nitto 555 tires, and a rear upper strut bar. And though this car is capable of some very impressive speed, the stock Brembo brakes are more than up to the challenge of reining everything in when necessary, at least according to Sean. Still, we’ve seen the guy drive, and we’re thinking the smart move would be to find the biggest set of brakes he can find and mount them up. Maybe some twin 6-piston calipers while he’s at it…

The STi’s interior is pretty much stock, outside of a killer trio of Defi-Link boost, EGT, and fuel pressure gauges, all set sweetly in a Defi-Link carbon fiber pod. Almost more than any other mod on his Subaru, Sean thinks these gauges are his favorite.

So far, it’s taken about six months to get the STi where it is today. Sean admits he sometimes gets frustrated by delays in receiving parts and finding the time to install them, but he’s philosophical about it all and the constant trash-talking by the resident Evo owners is more than enough to keep him motivated and focused. The main source for his frustration is that the car is so much fun to drive and every day it sits in the shop is a day deprived.

We can attest to the fun part of driving this Subaru, or at least being driven in it. There’s a service road leading up to Billet’s shop and it is straight and probably about 1/6th of a mile long. Quite naturally, it’s covered in many layers of various types of rubber. Sean took us for a few passes up and down this little road, banging upshifts like there was some stupid Evo on his ass. Keep in mind the management isn’t fully tuned yet, and Marco has the car running super-rich so Sean doesn’t blow it all up in the mean time. But if Sean was holding back at all, we sure couldn’t tell - but like we’ve mentioned, this guy just doesn’t give a, well, you know… But nothing broke, no coolant puked on the ground, and no black smoke billowed from the engine bay – the car just ran and it was fast as hell. With a bit of tuning, some more boost and a tank full of race gas, this thing will be a monster. Do not try to pick on this car at a stoplight.

Like most guys of his generation, Sean’s attention span is somewhat limited and as soon as Marco is done fiddling with the management, this STi could well be for sale. You see, before the Subie, Sean had a Nissan 240 SX that he never got quite off the ground as a project, and that bit of incomplete history still bugs him. So if someone sees fit to offer him $35k for this STi, he intends to start looking for another 240 to mess around with. Or maybe not. Because as mentioned, Sean Crowley doesn’t really give a ****.

Subdriven would like to offer a special thanks to Jon Boast for setting us up with Sean and his STi.

Owner Information:

Name: Sean Crowley
Location: Parkland, FL
Email: amscene@aol.com
Occupation: Sears, assistant producer for radio program

Vehicle Information:

Year: 2004
Model: WRX STi
Mileage: 4,300
Color: Aspen White
Engine: EJ22
Engine Modifications: Axis Racing Stage 3 shortblock bored to 2.35 liters; forged pistons, rods and crank; Axis Racing Stage 2 heads with dual valve springs, Ti retainers, +.5mm valves, ported and polished; APS black anodized front mount intercooler; Garrett T3/T4 60 trim turbo; Tial wastegate; Blitz BOV; APS intake; Denso 850cc/min fuel injectors; Billet Design custom fuel system with -6AN stainless steel lines, custom fuel rail, and Aeromotive regualtor; TurboXS UTEC engine management system; HKS turbo timer/boost controller
Exhaust Modifications: Tubular manifold; APS modified downpipe; APS modified 3.5" "Race" cat-back
Transmission Modifications: Exedy Stage 2 clutch with Stage 3 pressure plate
Suspension Modifications: Tanabe springs; rear upper strut tie bar
Wheels/Tires: 18x8 MB Motorsport Weapon with Nitto 555 street
Brake Modifications: None
Exterior Modifications: None
Interior Modifications: Defi Link gauge pod containing Defi Link boost, EGT and fuel pressure gauges
I.C.E.: Stock
Thanks/Props: Marco Manzie from Billet Design (www.billetdesign.com); Jon Boast; Erik Vellian
For Sale: $35,000 - Contact Sean at amscene@aol.com