Where do I begin?

[Phoenix7]

does being old at heart count?

I'm sure you're talking about the NA tranny/rear end not holdig up to the increased power. The Europeans and Japanese got Turbo Verts but they had the beefier turbo drivetrain as well.

Your best bet is to find a crashed turbo (same year range as yours for plug-and-play) and do a complete swap. You can rock a 250hp stock-ish setup and have a blast without breaking the bank.

Or you can just take it easy for a while and do reliability/handling mods to the non-turbo: radiator, intake, exhaust, suspension, wheels....just leave the power for last. Whatever route you take, you'll be happy with the 7...Just remember to maintain it like a 3rd child/2nd wife.