Hello again, VSers... it's been a while.
Work was extremely busy for the past few years, so I had to let the ol' C70 go a while back and picked up a rather sedate '98 S90 to fill the "daily driver" void. A couple years back, the transmission started acting up. Eventually, it wouldn't go into reverse at all. I knew I had a deployment coming up, so I had a choice to make:
1) Sell the car with a broken transmission for next to nothing
2) Find the time to replace the transmission with a JY pull for a few hundred bucks
3) Send the car to Ross Converse when I deployed and have him replace the whole drivetrain with something that had a bit more "pep."
Obviously I made the rational, fiscally responsible decision and chose #3 
Ross is in the process of putting a 2011 Camaro SS drivetrain with about 17k miles into my S90. It's an L99 (AFM/VVT version of the LS3) mated to the six-speed paddle shift automatic. I wanted the car to be fast, but still streetable and well-mannered. The true test of that is if I toss my wife the keys and she doesn't roll her eyes (she's not a fan of manual transmissions), so automatic it is. The drivetrain makes about 400 HP at the crank, and with some bolt-on mods that I've also got Ross installing for me (cam, intake manifold, headers, tune, etc) it should make more like 400 to the rear wheels, all motor.
Unfortunately, Ross is running a bit behind on the project (I'm due home from Afghanistan soon!) due to a heart attack. Fortunately, he's all back to rights now, but obviously that would set anyone back a few months! The good news is, he's back on track. The bad news is, I needed something to drive when I got home.
On CL (and SS & VS too, as it turns out) is a nice 850 R in the Boston area that now belongs to me! I figured that I am familiar enough with the drivetrain (having owned a C70) that if anything goes awry with it while I wait for the S90 to be done, I can handle repairs myself. She looks like she's in great condition, and I can't wait to meet her. One downside... the exhaust was rusted out and leaking a bit. Well, what should we do about that? Again... three options: 1) JB Weld, 2) no-name aftermarket replacement, or the obvious, cash-savvy choice I went with: full turbo-back aftermarket performance replacement!
Well, you can't do a performance exhaust without also upgrading the intake, and I might as well do the N/A cam & throttle body/intake mods too since they cost next to nothing... and we'll need to reflash the ECU to make the most of all these upgrades, of course. Right? It's only sensible.
So, stay tuned, true believers... it looks like I've got a great car that will soon be even better, and it'll be for sale in about six months so start saving your nickels and dimes!
Best wishes to you all,
-Jon
