$10 US
issue 01//fall 2012
G35 twin turbo
1965 Nova LS SWAP
world record evo
//showtime
// forum focus:
// Tuning the “T�
// the jomar
// Dirty s30
// inside dsg
mendon madness
vw vortex
1923 Ford T Bucket
As you read through this magazine you will notice the use of QR codes. In an effort to present you, the reader, with as clean an experience as possible, we’ve moved the advertising into the cyber world. If you want to find out more information about a company, product, or service featured in the magazine all you have to do is scan the code and you’ll be taken to a mobile device-optimized web site. For certain features we have provided QR codes to link to additional online content too, such as video. Go ahead and try one. We promise that you’ll find that the process is painless and pretty cool!
FALL 2012 // inaugural issue
Over the last few years QR codes have been used improperly by companies and magazines alike. More often than not the code is sized improperly, making it difficult to scan. Even worse than that is the fact that they are often linked to web sites that are not configured properly for mobile devices. Although this has lead to frustration on the part of the consumer, we are hoping to change that. All of the QR codes used in this magazine have been tested on the 3 major Smartphone platforms beforehand and are guaranteed to work properly. There are a few simple rules to follow, however, if you want to get them to work the first time.
04 10 14 18 30 35 44 58
contents //twisties On-ramp Letter From the Editor
The breakdown lane Local High Performance Driving Experiences
Forum focus VW Vortex
restoration rescue Project Dirty S30 Gets Cleaned Up
1. Make sure that you’re in a well-lit area. 2. Open the app, which activates your phones camera function. 3. Point the camera at the code from a distance of roughly 6”. 4. Hold the camera as level as possible over the code. 5. Zoom in (if the app allows it) or slowly move the phone closer until the barcode fills the target area and the camera is able to focus. 6. Orientation is unimportant as the 3 corner squares will tell the software how to interpret the data. 7. An option to go to the web link should pop up once the reader has captured it. Some apps will automatically open the browser and take you directly to the site. We’ve found that the following free apps work well for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry:
iPhone Scan Quick Scan – QR Code Reader QR Reader for iPhone
Android Apps QR Droid QR Barcode Scanner QR Reader for Android
Top dead center The Jomar Flip Side A Different Perspective showtime Mendon Madness
reader’s ride 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler Dan Gurney Special
//construction zone
24 36 50 63 70
wild horses Father and Son Mustangs project Novacaine 1965 Chevy Nova SS Resto-Mod
Project: Lipstick 2008 Saturn Sky Compound Turbo Injection
Blackberry App World Barcode Scanner Barcode Assistant Scanlife Barcode Reader-Auto For all other manufacturers, navigate to any of the following URL’s on your Smartphone to find a suitable solution: get.neoreader.com get.beetagg.com www.i-nigma.mobi If you find that a QR code does not function properly, please notify us at webmaster@medianmag.com so that it can be immediately fixed.
2 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
nines are wild World Record Holding Evo IX
wonder twins 2006 Twin Turbo G35
//MPG
06
Tuning the “t” 1923 Ford T Bucket Gets Dialed In
06 24
Fall 2012 Volume 1, Issue 1 $10 us
30
issue 01//Fall 2012
G35 twin turbo
1965 nova LS SwaP
worLd record evo
// Showtime
// forum focuS:
// tuninG the “t”
// the jomar
// dirty S30
// inSide dSG
mendon madness
vw vortex
1923 Ford t Bucket
Publisher / Editor-at-large Joshua Guzzetti
Art director
Model Phyllis Marie
Sean Harvey
Web developer Alex Straffin
Contributing Photographers
36
Casey Boyle Christian Rowell Greg Caparell Jake Williams Joshua Elzey Joshua Hanley Justin McDade Samantha Harrington
Contributing Writers
50
Doran Dal Pra Paul Stevens David Morgan Rick Gifford
Subscription information subscription@medianmag.com
Advertising information advertising@medianmag.com
63
Editorial inquiries Contact Joshua Guzzetti at 774-721-6420 or editor@medianmag.com
MedianMag is published four times a year by Median Media, LLC 422 High Plain Street Walpole, MA 02081
74
©2012, All rights reserved. No portion of the publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 3
on-ramp Joshua Guzzetti Editor-in-Chief
We live in exciting times here people. Although
and rip it apart? If the brakes aren’t worn, why
there?). Our winter compound tires become
the country’s in a huge funk, that may take years
change the pads? The factory tires are brand
summer drag radials. Frost heaves help us adjust
to recover from, there are signs of hope. One of
new, so why would you replace them? A bigger
for bump steer and road salt forces us to
them is the automotive performance segment.
exhaust is better? I bet you’ve had to answer
upgrade exhaust components from mild steel
The experts can’t seem to agree on a reason for
the same questions to friends, family, and wife.
to stainless.
it being recession-proof, but I believe that it’s
I know I have.
directly related to one thing: passion. We may
I celebrate this uniqueness and hope to showcase
not all love our jobs or taxes but I think that we
However, there’s more to this story. We live
the very things that make the Northeast
can all agree on this. At one time or another, we
in the Northeast and don’t benefit from an
performance automotive scene one to consider.
have loved a car.
endless summer. Our road conditions are poor.
Our first issue contains a perfect example with
Even if the snow doesn’t fall as often as it used
Tyler Wolf’s world record Evo 9. Many people
As you read through the pages of this inaugural
to, the winter temps can put an end to most
didn’t think that his goals were realistic, or even
issue of MedianMag I think that you’ll agree
performance driving activities. As a result of this,
possible. With hard work, and local expertise,
with me. Whether it’s an import, domestic,
the country has turned to the warmer climates,
not only did he meet those goals, he surpassed
classic, vintage, euro, exotic or kit, all of the cars
like the West Coast or Southeast, for inspiration.
them. The stock turbo horsepower record fell
featured here are loved by their owner. These
It makes sense, to a certain extent. Consistently
and shortly thereafter a 10.08 second time slip
people have spent countless hours cleaning,
warm weather holds a lot of appeal. What’s
took the 1/4 mile stock turbo record. I can tell
fixing, restoring, and modifying their prized
so great about the Northeast though is that
you one thing for sure. Tyler loves his car.
possession. To an outsider it appears crazy. Why
we use these obstacles to build better cars. We
would anyone want to take a perfectly good car
tune for 20 degree weather (any E85 users out
4 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
two months to get something going but boy did we jump into it feet first! The event was held in October 2010, giving birth to NeXuS:New England. Our message was simple. We would try to put a spotlight on the New England car culture and everything that went with it. That first event was a hit with the people that showed up. The music was live and the cars were amazing. We also connected with a few people at that event that shared in our idea that the New England car culture was not being heard. It was amazing to find out that we were not alone in the thought that New England had a lot to offer. However, we quickly realized that putting on car shows was not going to do it.
Dave Morgan
That winter I went to my local access TV station and pitched the idea of a TV show that revolved around the car culture in New England. They loved the idea and gave us a crash course in
What would you say if someone said there was
shop in central Massachusetts. We were there
audio/visual production and even loaned us the
no car culture here in New England? “Why
to see an amazing restoration on a ‘57 Chevy
equipment to capture the stories. The whole
bother, the good weather is not long enough
that had a little pro touring modification done
2011 season was spent going to every event we
for anything to thrive? The roads are terrible.
to it. We loved the car and loved talking to
could possibly go to. From car shows to cruise
Who would have a nice car around there?”
the person who owned it. What bothered me
nights and everything in between, we recorded
Or the best one and the most direct that was
though was he said he built it to show and was
everything we were seeing. By the end, we had
told to me. “There is nothing original in New
not sticking around here with it. This time next
enough footage for a season’s worth of shows.
England that’s car related, but I like to go skiing
week it was going to be on a hauler out to the
We went to work editing and constructing a TV
in New Hampshire.”
Over the years I heard
west coast to get noticed. Noticed? Mind you,
show until disaster struck. The hard drive, that
these types of statements over and over again
this guy worked and lived here. When I heard
had all our video on it, crashed and we lost 90%
from national guys. The last one really ate at me
that, in my mind I heard what the guy said on
of our footage. We were finished, we thought,
for a while so a few years ago I decided to find
Power Tour again “There is nothing original in
and had no idea what to do. With the support
out what the state of our automotive culture is.
New England that’s car related.”
of the community, we persevered and recovered
If the national media just glances over us, why not do what they refuse to do?
what we could in order to reconstruct our 1st “How many times did this happen in the past?”
TV show. In late April, NeXuS:New England
I thought as I walked back to the car with
premiered on TV!
I was like most of you that are car nuts. Every
Scott. “Why is it always out there?” I asked
spring when the last snow melts and the trees
him. “Why is nobody really covering any of this
Scott and I are just finishing the 2012 season.
turn green I would uncover my pride and joy.
here?” On the ride home we talked about local
Now that the word is getting out on what
I would clean her up and get her ready for
media coverage versus what we have seen in
NeXuS:New England is, people are jumping at
the shows and events that would soon follow.
our travels. There were the newspapers and
the chance to be heard! We made it to many
Wax and detailer were something always in my
small write ups here and there. NESN had a half
of the shows this year and are looking forward
hands. This would repeat for every weekend
hour TV show but it had a relatively narrow
to reaching out further next year. Meeting so
and every month until it was time to put her
focus. That was it. We decided right then to do
many wonderful people and seeing the car
away for a long winter nap. I enjoyed doing this
something about it.
community, from a more visual standpoint, is
for over 15 years! I was having fun ‘till the day I
just amazing. We’ve gotten to meet world-class
was hit with that remark from someone on the
That same week, we started talking to the
customizers, see performance shops both big
Hot Rod Power Tour. Most would have shrugged
people at the cruise nights and car shows we
and small, talk to shade tree mechanics and
it off but it stuck with me for some reason. I did
were going to. Asking them what they liked
watch state-of-the-art vehicle tuners. We’ve
not like being an afterthought. I thought to
and what they were looking for, we were also
also seen paint and body work that would
myself, “We have great cars, right?”
searching for the best way to present our idea.
rival anything anyone has ever put on wheels.
On the internet, people were starting to buzz
The bottom line is that all of the local industry
About two years ago, I was doing the same
about what we were doing and giving us their
people we met showed passion, craftsmanship
thing I did every other season. This time it was
input. This took us to about late August but we
and pride in what they do.
different. Not only was I was going to car shows,
had a good idea on what to do by then.
but I had started to go to dyno days, custom
We are just a couple of guys with cameras that
shop open houses and other non-car show
We planned to hit the next season (2011) in full
want to tell the story! We love the motorsports
related events. Then the day came that I will
force but a few people said “Why not now?” Ok,
community here in New England and want to
remember for a long time. That morning, my
what would we do? The best way to get things
say thank you to everyone! This is your story
friend Scott Cassidy and I met up at a custom
going, we thought, was a car show. We had only
New England. We are here to show the world! Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 5
Tuning the “T” 1923 Ford t Bucket gets dialed in staff Joshua Guzzetti
As the automotive industry transitioned into the age of automated fuel injection, carburetors started to go the way of 8 tracks and black and white TV’s. Fuel efficiency standards, emissions, reliability and maintenance costs were all responsible for driving the change but there was one benefit that took a while to catch on with the average shade tree mechanic; electronic tuning and the use of wide band air/fuel metering. These days a screwdriver and pliers have been replaced by a laptop or hand held programmer for those in search of optimizing the power of their vehicle. Now, we’re not here to debate which setup is better, as there are arguments to be made for either side, but instead, we’d prefer to show those of you who run a carbureted setup how to benefit from some of these tools. More specifically, we’re going to show how a wide band air/
6 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
fuel sensor, chassis dyno and a little know-how
and asked the owner, Fred Simmons, Jr., if he
or the throttle body so I just replaced the whole
can help you to safely iron out some of the more
could help us out. After 2 aborted attempts
carburetor. This time I didn’t [screw] with it. I
common drivability issues.
(and an emergency appendectomy), Butch was
just left it the way it was. These are new [head-
finally able to get the vehicle up to the shop to
ers] but you can see that it runs rich because it
For this exercise we turned to Butch LaBarge,
meet with Fred and go over the problems he
blued out the pipes.”
owner of a fiberglass-bodied 1923 Ford T Bucket
was having. After explaining the issue he was
running a Chevy Small Block 350 with a Holley
having with the vehicle revving in neutral and
The background information given, Fred then
750 Carburetor. “The only major symptom is
stalling in drive, he gave a bit of background on
took a few minutes to inspect the engine. “The
that when its running and I have it in drive and
the vehicle and motor. “It’s a crate engine I got
high idle when he put it in neutral triggered
I’m stopped it will eventually stall,” he told me
back in ’89 from Tom’s Chevrolet in Norwood. It
me as a vacuum leak. All the little details espe-
one evening. “I’ll sit there for a while but even-
was set up for off-road use only. It’s a 350 and
cially with a carbureted car [are important],” he
tually it dies down and stalls. I just have to put it
is rated at 345hp,” he continued. “It’s a [new]
explained. “When there’s vacuum advance and
in neutral and it races to about 1000rpm but if I
750 Holley. The 750 I had before I tried adjust-
vacuum actuated secondaries all that stuff has
hit it hard it will drop down to about 500 which
ing the floats on it and it didn’t run the pipes
to be accurate.” He was right. “Just checking
is where it should be. I’ve tried bringing the
as rich. I tried to lean it out and it was fine. It
over the basics, I found that the vacuum line
throttle down to 500 but it would just stall. As
never stalled. The car would sit there in drive
going from the carb to the distributor was loose
far as getting’ on it, it’s not a problem. There’s
and it would rock but it would never stall. If you
and unclamped and was probably creating a
no hesitation. Nothing.”
tried getting’ on it, it would always hesitate and
vacuum leak.” Aside from that, everything else
sometimes stall out. Then I had a little bit of a
appeared to be in good working order so the
[fuel] leak but I wasn’t sure if it was the gasket
vehicle was driven inside and onto the roller.
So we put in a call to SMG Motoring in Hopedale
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 7
“It definitely has an off-idle stumble,” Fred
it was 14 degrees off of where it should have
Fred stated. “[Butch] pointed out the blued
mentioned when hopping out. “He may not
been.” So instead of 4 degrees of advance, the
headers and said that it was running rich but
have even felt it. Because the car is so light it
motor was showing 18 degrees of advance at
that’s actually a result of running lean. When I
will drive right through that stumble and not
idle! “A guy from a local machine shop came up
got it on the dyno and put it in gear you could
bog the car down.” After strapping the vehicle
and helped me put the engine back together
see it go off-the-chart lean.” To counteract this,
down and mounting a wide band sensor in the
six years ago and he timed it,” Butch explained.
Fred adjusted the idle air/fuel ratio to be a little
tail pipe, Fred explained the procedure to Butch.
“I just assumed he knew what he was doin’.”
richer so that it would actually drop to a perfect
“It’s a combination of making sure the tim-
Twenty minutes later Fred had the timing set
14.7:1 when the vehicle was put in gear.
ing’s adjusted right and air/fuel at idle is right.
properly and the vehicle idling nicely at 500 rpm
Depending on what it’s got for a cam 500 rpm
with a perfect 14.7:1 air fuel ratio. Final base
Next up was properly setting the accelerator
might even be too low to have it idle at.”
timing ended up being 6 degrees advanced.
pump. This assembly delivers an initial shot
“Getting the base timing correct is essential,”
of fuel in the right amount, and duration, to
The first step was to establish what the vehicle
he explained. “Timing, up top, is determined by
provide crisp throttle response right off idle.
had for base timing; which for a small block
base timing which affects your max power and
Hesitation, backfire and lean conditions can
Chevy should be anywhere from 4 to 6 degrees
idle is affected as well.”
be the result of an improperly adjusted accel-
advanced. Out came the timing light, but it
eration pump assembly. Fred noticed that the
took a minute for Fred to realize what he was
Because it doesn’t have a stall converter, the
adjustment screw had been tightened all the
seeing. “The person who set the base timing
Turbo 350 puts a wicked load on the engine
way down so he went ahead and re-set the
forgot to pull the vacuum advance first,” he
when you shift into Drive; causing a momentary
clearance between the accelerator pump dia-
sighed. “When I pulled the vacuum advance
lean condition. “It had a real lean condition,”
phragm arm and the operating lever screw
8 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
and spring assembly. The arm should be barely
recommend going to a 35-40 nozzle. Fred pulled
the mixture optimized at WOT. Changing the
touching the bottom of the operating lever
the nozzle that had come with the carb and
primary jets from 72 to 71 leaned out the air/
screw, and should have no slack, or be pushing
found that, out of the box, a 25 was installed.
fuel ratio from 12.1:1 to 12.5:1 at WOT which is
up on the lever arm. He slipped a 0.015 feeler
“Once I switched out the pump nozzle from a
ideal for an older SB Chevy. The power numbers
gauge between the pump arm and the adjust-
25 to a 31 the hiccup went away completely and
reflected that with a result of 239whp/280wtq
ment screw bottom to set the proper clearance
the air/fuel ratio stayed steady as it transitioned
at 4400 rpm and a nice broad torque curve from
before re-tightening the screw. The pump arm
from idle to part throttle.”
2700rpm to peak. For a vehicle that’s only driven
should be able to move down a bit when the
on the street, this is exactly where it’s going to
feeler gauge blade is inserted. This adjustment
With all the idle and part throttle issues resolved
spend most of its time. The fact that the vehicle
prevents the diaphragm from getting stretched
and base timing set properly, it was time to
weighs less than 1750 lbs also means that Butch
to its maximum limit at wide open throttle.
make a few pulls on the dyno and get a feel
better hold on!
“Once I tightened it up to get a little bit of play
for how the fuel metering was set up for wide
[the hesitation] almost went away. It was very
open throttle. The vehicle was brought up to
A few days later he popped in at the office to
slight at that point.”
running temps and a baseline pull made. Fred
give his final assessment. “I can’t believe what
aborted around 3700rpm as he watched the air/
a difference it is to drive the car now,” he said
An accelerator pump nozzle swap was next on
fuel ratio stay too fat at 12.1:1. Power numbers
while grinning ear to ear. “It drives smooth and
the list. Holley recommends using a 25-30 [thou-
were only 172whp and 250wtq at that point
doesn’t stall anymore. I don’t even have to put
sandths] diameter for heavier vehicles or ones
but the torque curve was flat and the motor
it in neutral at the lights.” And judging by the
with low numbered axle ratios. If the vehicle is
showed that it wanted to rev a bit higher. A jet
smell of burning rubber when he left, we’d say
lighter or has a higher numbered axle ratio they
change was obviously needed in order to get
it hooks up pretty good too.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 9
drive it like you stole it local high performance driving experiences Paul Stevens Joshua Guzzetti
Where can you have a ton of fun behind the
(Auto-X) session. Normally priced around $500
So what did I actually get? I got 30 seconds on how
wheel for $125 or less? MedianMag takes you
for what they advertise as a 60 minute session,
to operate the car’s “F1-style” paddle shifter and
on some low budget, local high performance
the Motorsports Lab has offered major discounts
15 seconds on how I was not to come anywhere
driving experiences near Boston.
through a well-known coupon site selling the
near redline. Drivers are required to sign a stack
experiences for only $99 each. That’s pretty short
of waivers and liability acknowledgements
If you have anything in common with the rest of
money for some seat time in a Ferrari. My first
for things like exceeding RPM levels, speeding
the folks who own high performance cars you
$99 drive was in Boston in a bright red Ferrari 360
tickets, wheel curbing, etc. My max was about
may have asked yourself “Where can I take my
Modena. When my day had arrived I was told to
5,500 RPM which was a solid 3000 below redline
car to drive it fast and hard but without the risk
meet at a coffee shop in downtown Boston and
(Yawn). I wanted to really experience this car
of breaking the law?” If you live in the Boston
from there I would get 60 minutes in the car; the
and get my money’s worth but I was starting to
area, there are only a few race tracks within a
first 15 minutes would cover the instructions and
realize that it may not happen quite the way I
few hours’ drive and it will cost you no less than
then I would have “approximately” 45 minutes
had anticipated. I puttered along making small
$500 to do it after you factor in the track day
of drive time. The car pulled up to the curb and
talk with my “professional driver” who turned
fee, helmet, gas, annual club membership fee
was covered in corporate logos, as I expected.
out to be one of the company executives. Great,
and whatever repairs your car may need as a
The Motorsport Lab charges advertising fees
now I have to be nice to the car with “Sammy
result of the tech inspection. There are, however,
to companies to put their logos on the car. In
the Suit” on board watching my every move. But
a couple of alternatives. I took a ride with both
theory, the car then becomes a rolling billboard;
I was hell bent on doing something worthwhile
The Motorsport Lab with their Ferrari Experiences
a fairly interesting concept. The idea is for you to
in this car even with the threat of a $1000
and ADSI’s High Performance Driving School.
share all your photos/video on social media sites
surcharge for going over the 5500 RPM limit.
expanding the reach of the advertising while The Motorsport Lab put out a couple of offers to
everyone in town sees the logos on the car as
As I entered Storrow Drive in second gear I
drive a Ferrari in Boston and at New Hampshire
you tear up the streets of Boston.
pounded the throttle and banged through a
Motor Speedway (NHMS) Park in an auto cross
10 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
few quick gears and didn’t let up until I hit triple
ADSI track footage from multiple camera angles
digits. That was a fun 10 seconds. This is one of
er…I mean the coffee shop. Once parked I was
be a mind blowing experience, based on my
those cars that rides pretty rough on regular
able to get a couple shots off with my camera
drive in Boston, so I set my expectation dial to
roads. You could have driven over a dime
and, low and behold, my entire session was far
“reasonable” and headed north. We got there
and known whether it was heads or tails. My
less than 45 minutes, hence the clever use of the
a little early and I was able to watch one of the
“instructor” winced and squirmed every time we
word “Approximately” In those 15 pages of rules
motorcycle clubs run laps on the course while
ran over a manhole cover or bridge seam which
and guidelines I had to sign off on. At the end
waiting for the event to begin.
was slightly annoying. I don’t want to “drive on
of the day I was pretty happy because I just got
egg shells” worrying about the car. I paid money
to ring out a Ferrari, bang through gears and hit
Eventually it was my turn, so I headed out to the
to drive it hard, not to fear the maintenance and
triple digit speeds even if it was only for a few
Auto-X course in one of the large parking lots of
repair costs. As I approached the bridge near
milliseconds. How these guys don’t get in hot
the race track. I’ve run a couple Auto-X courses
Harvard Square I downshifted from 5th to 2nd
water with the Mayor or Boston Police is beyond
before but when I laid eyes on THIS course I had
gear quickly and we crossed over the Charles
me.
a feeling that I may have set my expectations
and headed back on Memorial Drive. This didn’t
too high. I watched the other drivers navigate
seem like 60 minutes to me but, alas, my co-pilot
A few months ago I wound up getting another
the course and it just didn’t match up with how
told me where to turn so we could have another
coupon deal for The Motorsports Lab’s Ferrari
the experience was described. It looked slow and
go at it. This time around I pushed a little harder
Auto-X experience. My wife and I decided to
confusing.
and at one point I really nailed it in first gear
make a weekend of it and take our kids up to
and pushed that red needle to 7000 RPM. He
North Country for some R&R since this Auto-X
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with
didn’t say a word, but I thought he was going
was at NHMS Park. I had really wanted to come
Auto-X it is usually a fairly short course consisting
to cry after the suspension slammed extremely
up and get some track time with one of the local
of tight turns set up with a bunch of small orange
hard when we accelerated over some seams and
clubs in either the Audi or my 944 (-ed. note…I
traffic cones. You run a lap and try to get the
cracks in the road surface. After that second lap
see a future article here) at some point. I knew in
best time without hitting any cones. This sort of
of Beantown it was time to head back to HQ…
the back of my mind that this probably wouldn’t
format has become very popular in the last few
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 11
years among enthusiasts like me because it’s big
did most of the other participants based on our
fell in love right away. I arrived in what felt like
fun for short money and far more accessible to
experience. Did they really have to set cones
a restricted military area with high chain link
the masses than actually getting out on a real
up in a parking lot 2 hours outside of Boston?
security fencing, locked gates and warning signs
race track.
Using the track as bait is a little misleading in my
all over the place. Once inside the gate we drove
opinion. They could have done this same thing
onto an old, unused airstrip that has been leased
This event was structured very similarly to
in a supermarket parking lot. On the other hand,
out to ADSI for driving instruction. The company
the Boston drive. There were a couple of real
if you read the online reviews of the experience
does a wide variety of driving instruction at this
driving instructors this time who did a relatively
they are balanced between people who loved it
location but we were here to run the Auto-X
confusing job of explaining the course layout
and some who shared my sentiment. For some
course. I could tell right away that this was going
but they did a fantastic job of explaining what
it was fun and they got to drive a Ferrari but in
to be a good day.
this was supposed to be all about. It was about
the end, you get what you pay for and that’s all
car control, cornering, braking and the ability to
I really want people to know. My $99 was well
I did feel a bit out of place, I have to admit. I
react appropriately in high stress and difficult
spent in Boston but I don’t feel the same about
show up to a high performance driving school
driving scenarios. This was designed to help
the Auto-X event and some may disagree with
in a midsize sedan alongside no less than 3
us on the streets as well as allow us to drive a
me on that. What about the full price of $500?
heavily modified Subaru WRX’s, two Mitsubishi
Ferrari - foot to the floor. The driver took me
Not a chance. I wouldn’t spend that kind of
Evo’s, an unbelievably loud 4th Gen Camaro SS, a
for a lap of the course and immediately I was
money on this. I’m saving up for some real track
nearly brand new Nissan 370Z, an Acura TL type
concerned about the layout as it was incredibly
time instead.
R, a Mustang Cobra that in many ways was no
confusing. There seemed to be 10,000 cones laid
Mustang at all and a homemade death machine
out in a course that looked more like abstract art
What about driving YOUR car? Many enthusiasts
powered by a 600cc motorcycle engine (ed. note
than an Auto-X course. Even with the instructor
like me have a car that fits their passion, even if
– this was actually the Brown University Formula
driving we barely got over 35 mph! Once it was
it’s the car they use every day. Where can you
FSAE Team testing their racing prototype. Look
my turn in the driver’s seat I was expected to run
drive at speed and in an open format in your own
for a full article on the program in a future issue).
the course 3 times with homeboy in the seat next
car and not wind up being the “douchebag” for
Then there was my fat pig of an Audi. I had to
to me telling me where to go. Here’s what really
pushing the car beyond its mechanical limits in
bring my A6 because the clutch in my 28 year-old
happened. I made it through the first part of
a safe and controlled environment? Well you
Porsche 944 let go two weeks prior to this event.
the small course and realized that I had no idea
can join a club, pay the small fee, and fulfill
My car is heavy. It has a meaty 4.2L V8, an all-
which way to turn due to the amateur course
the mandatory “volunteer” requirements for
wheel drive system and a full 21 gallon fuel tank.
layout. Instead of showing me where to go, the
working the course by picking up cones in the
All that extra weight made for some interesting
instructor wound up laughing at me as I screwed
hot sun. Most importantly, you never ever push
cornering and braking. I figured since the car has
up. “No, no, it’s okay, you’re fine” he says
your car too hard or do anything that resembles
more than double the HP of my Porsche that it
giggling. And that is exactly how the remainder
a burnout or drift. Sounds…okay at best, no?
should at least be fast in the straights and able
of my 3 laps went. I want so badly to tell you it was
Here is where Advanced Driving & Security, Inc.
to post some decent lap times.
awesome, that I had a blast driving this Ferrari,
(ADSI) comes in.
and most importantly that it was all worth it.
We had a driver safety briefing before we
Unfortunately I can’t tell you any of those things.
I opted out of the morning cornering instruction
were allowed to run the course. Anthony Ricci,
I drove 2.5 hours up, had about 10 minutes of
portion for a few reasons; one being babysitter
owner and chief instructor, introduced his team
“instruction” and about 6 minutes in the car. As
restrictions, (ed. note – Don’t let him fool you.
of instructors, laid out the operating rules and
I was leaving the Motorsports Lab employees
He forgot his wallet and had to run home to get
reminded everyone of the safety guidelines. He
gave me a gratuity form that suggested I leave
it!) and the other being an additional $125 in
also offered one thing you never really get at a
an 18% tip based on the full purchase price of
fees. I opted for the half day Auto-X experience.
club event: The opportunity to drift or “hoon”
$549 for the instructor. Wait…what? An 18% tip
I’m not going to lie. I’m not going to sugar coat
your car. “You want to drift and do donuts? That’s
on $549 is almost $99. I gracefully opted out, as
it and I’m not in anyone’s pocket either, but I
fine by us, but just ask first, I’ll close the course
12 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
and let you have at it” Anthony explained. And
straight to the first big sweeping right hander.
I’ll gladly pay the premium over the local club
when it was his turn on the course in his Mustang
My tires roaring in the corners, I did my best to
prices. The Porsche Club, for example, charges
Cobra, he wasn’t shy about letting the rear end
keep the massive understeer at bay and keep
$35 for Auto-X sessions at Fort Devens Army
kick out on a few corners. I had each instructor
the speeds in and out of the corners as high as
Base but you don’t have nearly as many laps,
take me for a hot lap in their cars which just
possible. The first half of the course goes just like
you’re required to work on the course, and you
may have been better than driving my lard-ass
that; balls to the wall acceleration and braking,
certainly don’t get the same top speeds as you
Audi through the course. Anthony pulled off
hard corners and more flat out acceleration. If
would with ADSI. Most people pay more for
the day’s best time with my slim 210 pounds in
your car is fast enough you will hit triple digit
their cable bills and this is way more fun than
the passenger’s seat and I have never, ever seen
speeds in the straights. It’s the back side of the
watching Top Gear re-runs.
a Mustang corner like this one did. The racing
track with the switch back style corners that make
slicks helped quite a bit. I think my favorite hot
it the slower section of the track, and the most
The surface is rough, and uneven, there is grass
lap was with Dave Hershey. He’s a confident,
difficult. These corners are where time is lost
growing through the cracks in the asphalt. There
care-free guy who has a pink Mohawk and one
and my automatic transmission wasn’t helping,
I said it, okay? This is one of those issues that
of the coolest track toys, a right-hand drive 1st
even with the Tiptronic shifting mode it was still
requires a bit of compromise on the driver’s part.
gen Impreza coupled with 100% authentic JDM
a major slush box. I am such a big fan of this
According to Anthony and his team of instructors,
running gear that was pushing almost 340HP.
course; it has everything you need without the
it’s the one thing that can’t be changed at the
This car was insane to ride in and even better
threat of ending up ass first in a wall or upside
moment but it is a goal to have a better surface
to four wheel drift in. All I can say is “Thank you
down in a ditch. Plus, how cool is it to be able to
at some point in the future. It didn’t really bother
Hershey, thank you so very much for that!”
drift your car in a safe area and be cheered on
any of the participants, myself included, and
instead of banned from all future events?
everyone was still able to push their cars hard.
It’s a very simple format. You wait in the starting
The course will give your suspension a serious
line for the all clear signal; you mash your foot
At one point I had to ask why there weren’t
workout but I promise you’ll have a huge smile
to the floor and hang on. There is no cone duty,
more cars there on such a perfect day. Four hours
on your face. And you should keep in mind, as
there are no restrictions on how many times you
of lap time and we had only a half dozen cars,
is the case with any “drive your own” event,
can make laps, and it is no big deal if you run
really? The answer is never really obvious but the
there is an element of risk and personal liability
off course. You bring yourself, a safe car and you
summer tends to be one of the lower volume
for causing substantial wear and tear on your
drive. My first few laps weren’t bad, I was on par
times due to vacations, car shows, brutal heat
vehicle and the possibility of physical or property
with everyone else for lap times considering the
etc. ADSI usually limits the classes to no more
damage. On the positive side, Anthony informed
car I brought. The A6 was just so heavy in the
than 30 cars and when volume gets that high,
me that they have never had any bodily injuries,
turns and took so long to brake. It certainly was
the cars are split into 2 run groups. This allows
crashes, or rollovers occur to date. Of course flat
not designed to be quick and nimble.
more than enough laps for everyone and plenty
tires and broken cars happen at any track style
of cool down and smack talk in the paddock.
event, it’s just the nature of the beast.
when the adrenaline valve was open to “full”.
But let’s address the elephant in the room, shall
So for $99 I would recommend driving a Ferrari
I stomped on the throttle and tried to push
we? You won’t ever get complaints about not
in Boston but not the NHMS Auto-X event. If
the pedal through the firewall. Off the start,
having enough driving time, or a lack of speed
it’s high speed fun you want, with challenging
I accelerated hard to the first set of cones and
on course but you will hear people complain
corners and braking, then ADSI’s course is by far
into some “S” curves, and back on the gas hard
about the rough surface and the $125 price.
the best bang-for-your-buck driving event in the
“You are clear to go when you are ready.” That’s
area. The course is laid-back but in a safe and controlled environment with no super ego’s and no “mandatory volunteering”. For that kind of fun, I’ll pay the $125 all day long.
Watch Motorsports Lab’s Ferrari 360 take a cruise through Boston.
Like the first one? Now watch the 360 take a lap around NHMS.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 13
VDUB Vortex a look at three New England members rides Justin McDade Justin McDade
The members of VWVortex.com and Volkwagen in New England have been repping the scene real hard. The group has been growing for years and turned into what it is today with both the new and old generations of cars making appearances at the shows and meets. It’s a pretty tight group of friends and the running joke is that it always rains at every VW meet/show, and for the most part, that’s true! Many of the VWs like the clean OEM+ look and make subtle cosmetic and performance changes including wheels and air ride suspension to name a few.
14 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
‘03 volkswagen Golf GTI 20th Anniversary Edition owner Tim Ahearn (Tim0804) Hope Valley, RI
Engine • Unitronic Stage 2 • 3’’ 42 Draft designs downpipe • 2.5” 42 Draft designs catback • Pwrhaus side mount intercooler • Eurojet Discharge Pipe • Forge turbo inlet pipe • K&N short ram intake • Forge 007 diverter valve • Race N75 Valve • Upgraded dogbone mount • Hybrid steel oil pan
Suspension • Accuair E-level management • Airlift XL front struts • Airlift performance rear bags • Koni rear shocks • VIAIR 444c compressor • IDF drop plates
Exterior • E-code headlights • ECS stubby antenna • LED license plate bulbs • 6000k hid • Rear wiper delete
Wheels • BBS RS • 17x8 final et20 • 17x9 final et25 • 205/45/17 • Powder coated candy teal • 15mm Motorsport Tech adapters
Audio • Kenwood deck • 10” Rockford Fosgate t1 power series sub • Alpine MRP M500 amp
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 15
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
‘01 Volkswagen jetta 1.8t wolfsburg edition owner Clint Riley (criley76) Pawcatuck, CT
Engine • AWP 1.8t engine • Hyperboost Diverter Valve • AEM cold air intake • Turbo Back exhaust (3 inch down pipe to non resonated 2.5 inch magnaflow catback) • Stage 2 ecu tune with launch control by Gonzo Tuning
16 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Suspension • Airlift Slam Series front struts • Airlift classic rears • Koni rear shocks • v2 autopilot digital management kit • 444c on board compressor • 5 gallon skinny tank
Exterior • Galactic blue pearl • OEM GLI front lip/valence • OEM GLI rear lip/valence (fitted for dual tip exhaust) • GLI sideskirts • Clear bumper markers • “Candy Cane” rear taillights
Interior • Black interior swap
Wheels • 18 x 9.5 Miro 111 wheel ET 40 • 20mm spacers making final ET 20 • 215/40/18 Falken 912 tires
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
‘98 Volkswagen Mk3 Jetta GLX owner Brian Gillespie (BEE-JAY) Meriden, CT
Engine • Vortech V-9F Stage 3 Supercharger • C2 motor sports stage 1 software • All OEM internals with 319k
Transmission • TDI Fifth gear set • Stage 1 clutch setup
Suspension • Full custom air ride
Exterior • Shaved front bumper • Shaved trunk • Oem carrado wing • Hella dual rounds • Golf front end swap
Wheels • BBS RS 16” x 8”front 16” x 9”rear • Falken Ziex ZE-512 205/40/r16
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 17
REstoration rescue Project dirty s30 gets cleaned up Mike Ouellette Alex Straffin
Something happened on Thursday, April 15,
was amazed at how good the car looked. The
want to give up. It can be a part-related or
2010. It was a special day for Alex Straffin,
primer and base coat had gone on really well
money-related, and in this case it was the paint
devoted “Z” enthusiast. It had taken nearly a
and the color that he had picked for the car
job.
year for him to find it but there she stood in all
was a great call. Nissan Paint code KV3 “Grey
her turd-brown glory; a 1973 Datsun 240Z whose
Lustre” or as PPG calls it “Charcoal Metallic”. It
Welcome to the very first edition of “Restoration
better days seemed to be far behind. But Alex
looked beautiful and really made the lines of
Rescue.” In this segment we take a look at a
wasn’t deterred, in fact he was determined to
the car pop. I kept scrolling and that’s when it
project that started out with the greatest of
turn back the clock and bring the battered shell
started. “Either this clear is not the best; I suck
intentions but ended in disappointment. It’s very
of a sports car back to its former glory. That day,
at spraying clear coats, or both.” It proved to be
easy to look at a car and say, “I can do that.”
Project Dirty S30 was born.
quite the ominous post.
In some cases it may be a matter of not having
It was more than a year later that I stumbled on
Wednesday, June 8, 2011, “How to fix a shitty
have enough determination to try and do it
the blog, but I was instantly hooked. Alex was
clear coat - pt. 1.” Alex didn’t seem to be that
yourself. Or it may be that you’re a tinkerer that
good at documenting his progress and it was
upset and went on to detail how he was going to
has a garage and some tools but no experience
amazing to watch someone tackle a project of
fix the clear coat with a combination of 800 and
with the task you’ve chosen to tackle. Whatever
such magnitude. Now mind you, he was not a
1000 grit sandpaper and then have it fixed by a
the case may be, the results were not as expected
professional by any stretch of the imagination,
professional. Quite the trooper, Alex pressed on
and it’s time to call on the professionals.
but what he lacked in aptitude he made up for
with the build but every so often he would come
with attitude. So I followed along, adding his
back to the paint situation. Tuesday, June 28,
Facebook Page to my newsfeed and, admittedly,
2011, “Some people just can’t paint - So I moved
waiting for the next update to get posted. What
on.” Monday, October 24, 2011, “Time to fix the
I have 20 years experience in the auto body field
roadblock had he hit this time? What tool did
paint.” Then the updates started to get fewer
working with my father, an old school hard-ass
he have to try and find or make himself? It was
and farther in between.
who accepted nothing but perfection. At our
enough money to achieve your dream but you
entertaining to say the least.
Mike Ouellette, 35, Paint and Body Man
shop, we specialized in pre-70’s restorations but Monday, May 14, 2012, “Where the F*CK you
would handle more modern vehicles as well.
Then the trouble began. Tuesday, April 26,
been?” This was it. At some point in a project
Things were done the right way: block sanding,
2011, “Budget Garage Paint Job”. As I scrolled
of this size you may run into an issue that just
wet sanding, and we would replace metal, not
through the posts and looked at the pictures I
totally knocks you on your ass and makes you
fill it with mud. It’s due to my experience that
18 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 19
MedianMag came knocking on my door to see if I could help Alex dig himself out of the mess he was in and get the project back on track. When we first met Alex he was very happy to see us. In his garage was his pride and joy. The 240z was stripped down to a shell. Every nut and bolt had been removed and when I say everything I mean it. It didn’t even have a dashboard in it. I have to give Alex credit. Deciding to paint your car is not like trying to take your carburetor apart. It’s labor intensive and very expensive, even if you try to take the cheap route. Once you start, you’re committed. I’ll admit, even though the car was in a sad state, he didn’t do that bad of a job for someone who never picked up a spray gun before. He had almost all the pieces except one; real-world experience. He started by sanding the car down and priming it. Then he sanded again for the paint work, not realizing that the dents he thought he was sanding out would be magnified by the clear coat. But by far the biggest mistake Alex made was his preparation. Combine this with a dirty environment and you have a recipe for disaster. Ask any painter and he will tell you when it comes to the painting phase; your greatest enemy is dirt. I cannot stress this point enough. The second mistake Alex made was he simply sprayed too much clear on the car. I’m sure he thought he could fix his mistake but it just doesn’t work that way. Not only does this affect the way the clear lays down it also fills in gaps and can change the lines on the car. Most importantly, it cracks and breaks much easier. After going over the car and looking at the panels I gave him my opinion on the best course of action. In this case, he needed to sand the car down with 400 grit dry and then wet sand the car with 800 grit (this is for someone who is inexperienced and might have dug into the paint with the four hundred paper). One mistake a novice will make is changing the direction in which you sand. This can show up later down the road in regards to the metallic paint not laying down in a uniform fashion. When you paint a car there comes a point when you lay down the color and you stand back to see this beautiful satin finish and for the first time you can almost see the finished product. Your heart starts to pump and you imagine yourself driving down the road, racing through the turns. All the hard work is finally paying off. Then you spray the clear on and it magnifies every imperfection on the car and your day is done! This is exactly what happened to Alex.
20 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
We came back a month later to check on Alex’s progress. He had done a decent job of sanding the car down but it was clear he had a long way to go. I had told him that shiny equals “no stick,” meaning that if you have any shiny spots on the car the new paint and clear will not bond properly. In this case the material was so thick that when he sanded down the clear coat there were little dimples all over the car. Needless to say, Alex was crushed when I told him they had to go. I gave him some suggestions on how to proceed because I could see he was feeling defeated by my assessment. The key, I told him, was to focus on one panel at a time. It’s very easy to become overwhelmed with such a tedious project. After a good pep talk he was ready to get back at it. I also suggested that Alex spend some money with a body shop to fix the dents on the car as this is one thing that will absolutely make or break a paint job. Convinced he could fix the majority of the problems by sanding the clear more, he made it clear he was going to do the best he could to fix the dents himself. I told him that if it was my shop I would not paint the car because it’s my name on the car. Every time he goes to a show, people will ask who painted the car. That would then be followed by “Why didn’t they fix those dents?” This is an industry that lives and breathes by word of mouth. NO one, who cares about their reputation, is going to do work on a car that will be seen as a desirable vehicle by others without giving it 100%. People will never say it’s too bad the owner couldn’t afford to fix those dents. Instead, they say “Why didn’t the body shop fix that while they were there?” This is where Custom Collision in Lowell, MA steps into the picture. Dave Taylor, owner of Custom Collision, has been in the business for nearly 28 years. Starting with a four year education in Greater Lowell Technical High School’s auto body program, Dave jumped right into the career but it wasn’t until 2001 that he got the opportunity to open his own shop and start establishing his name. It was his wife Lisa, however, that answered the phone the day I called. Lisa is the Operations side of the business and handles most of the day to day stuff. We spoke for roughly 20 minutes as I explained the predicament that Alex was in and asked if Custom Collision would be willing to help us out. As it turns out, their motto is “Quality repair at a price that is fair,” and in this case they were more than fair. An agreement was struck and the date was set.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 21
Wednesday,
August
15,
2012,
“Never
We eventually made our way back outside
they’re doing.” Dents had to be worked out,
easy.”Judgment Day. The day that Alex had
and watched and listened as Dave made his
imperfections filled, panels sanded. When Dave
been dreading for so long had come. Pushing
assessment. He’s a man of few words but it
had given his initial assessment of the vehicle
hard through the previous weekend, he and
quickly became clear that some additional
he had noticed that the rear hatch panel was so
his buddy Mauricio had finished hammering
body work was going to be necessary before
weak that if you pushed on it with your finger
out a few more dents and wet sanding the car
the car was going to go to paint. As his hands
it would give nearly a half inch. “We’ll actually
down. The flat bed truck was called and Alex
ran down the body work, he was quick to point
heat the metal up at the top,” he said. “This will
nervously waited to get the vehicle loaded up
out numerous high spots and low spots in the
tighten up the panel so that it doesn’t move like
and transported to the body shop. He was about
body and explained that they had to be dealt
that.” That was done.
to do something that he had not done up until
with or it was going to show up in the final
this point. He was going to let someone else
paint job. Mike’s earlier warning was ringing
Saturday, September 22, 2012. I finally got the
work on the car and it was killing him. Would
in my ears. This was a man that was concerned
word from Alex. The paint and clear had been
they treat her as well as he had?
with his reputation and he wasn’t going to half-
shot and he was at the shop checking it out.
ass it just to get the job done. Stage two of the
“You are going to be impressed,” he texted. “So
I met Alex at the shop later that afternoon,
negotiations ensued, and when the dust settled
sexy.” A quick pic confirmed it for me. So this
along with Dave and Lisa, in order to assess
Alex and he agreed that the additional body
became another special day for Dirty S30. It was
the situation and get a feel for how the project
work would be done and paid for.
the day the project got back on track and a step
would be handled and the timeline involved. We
closer to completion. And now this dirty S30 is
got a quick tour of the facility, the semi-down
Over the next month Custom Collision worked
draft paint booth, as well as a few vehicles in
through the prep work. Nearly every single body
various states of repair. Not only did they do
panel needed to be worked over by Dave’s skilled
custom paint, but they’re also a full collision
hands. “I’d rather do the body work myself,”
center. Insurance claims are another specialty of
he admitted. “Even though the customer may
theirs. They can take care of everything for you,
have the best intentions, they can end up doing
right down to a Hertz rental car if needed.
more harm than good if they don’t know what
22 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
looking very clean.
Follow Alex’s progress with the final assembly. You can also check it out on Facebook at Facebook.com/DirtyS30.
INDUSTRY CHANGES How has the auto body industry changed in the last twenty years? For the most part it hasn’t. The insurance companies still under-pay for work that literally kills the men who perform these jobs every day. There has been lots of talk over the last decade about change. Mostly in regards to waterborne paints which will put less VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) in the air but the industry is still allowed to use the same clears. For the most part it’s a push by politicians to make it look like they are trying to help the environment, as well as the workers, but in the end they are ignoring the fact that they want the people who do this job every day to invest in new products and training. It’s not easy to just unlearn the way you have always done your job and be expected to use this new method. Waterborne paint is very difficult to use. It must be done in a controlled environment with very little forgiveness. This means that if you trim out your parts the night before and then come back the next day to finish the job, any change in the humidity or temperature will cause the color to come out completely different. The insurance industry also refuses to pay the hourly rate that these men deserve. Your local mechanic can ask for $75 plus dollars an hour but the body men are lucky if they can get the insurance companies to pay $38 dollars an hour. Unless you’re doing custom work for cash, you’re at the mercy of the insurance companies. They’ll try to pay shops as little as $12 dollars an hour with the promise that they’ll refer more business to them if they agree to these low wages. It truly is a flawed system.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 23
24 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
wild horses couldn’t drag them away STAFF Sam Harrington
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger pair of gearheads than the father and son team of Barry and Josh Wye. “We started taking Josh to car shows when he was only 4 years old,” Barry admits. “It was a way for the family to connect and have fun. We’d grab the cooler and chairs and make a picnic out of it.” Along with mom, Christina, the group even made it a habit to attend as many shows as they could every year. The World of Wheels was a favorite of theirs and stood in as Barry’s birthday celebration until the weather started to become an issue. The Worcester Nationals was quickly substituted, as the summer temps made it much more enjoyable. In 2000, Barry located and purchased the ’95 Mustang GT convertible you see here in brilliant Laser Red. It had 75,000 miles on it at the time but ran solid. Christina loved to put the top down and take it for cruises along the shore, but the boys saw the performance potential and planned on upgrading parts a little bit every year until they were satisfied with the results. ‘95 was the last year for the venerable Windsor 302ci V8 (5.0L) and, at the time, made a respectable 183 horses at the rear wheel and 243 ft lbs. This was a good starting point but there was certainly room for improvement and the aftermarket was available to help support their plans. The mods began in 2006 with a Centerforce dual friction clutch and B&M short throw shifter. Eventually a Ford Racing Performance Parts (FRPP) aluminum flywheel was added to the mix to help the motor rev quicker. The exhaust was swapped out for a Magnaflow cat back hooked up to a BBK offroad x-pipe and shorty headers. A BBK cold air intake was then bolted on to help improve the breathing. The family enjoyed the vehicle and continued upgrading until tragedy struck a year later when Cristina lost a courageous battle with breast cancer. She had been a big part of the team and had taken an active role in the choices they had made up until that point. Barry and Josh made the painful decision to cover the vehicle and store it in the garage for the time being. In 2008, Barry decided that it was time to buy something new. He quickly settled on a ’08 Roush 427R. Starting with a Vista Blue palette and hood stripe delete, he opted for pretty much the entire line of options, including a push button start. That year only 679 coupe versions were built and this one example is 1 of only 89 in that color with a 5 speed manual and white decals. Ford’s 4.6 liter V8 is the foundation for the 427R package but adding the Stage 3 option provided Barry with the rush
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 25
of an intercooled supercharger cranking out 435 horsepower and 400 lb/ft of torque in base trim. The additions of a Roush cold air intake and Roush Extreme off-road exhaust (muffler delete) bump the ponies to 460. The stout drivetrain combined with a Roush-tuned front strut and three link rear suspension give the car long legs at the high end and grunt out of the corners. Shortly after driving the new beast home, Barry made a few cosmetic changes. A Moroso aluminum fuse box cover (with suitable pinup girl) was added along with aluminum hood pistons and a complete chrome cap set for all the fluid reservoirs. Next on the list was some subtle color matching. The side mirror covers, battery cover, mater cylinder cover, intercooler cover, radiator cover, strut tower brace and gas cap were all sprayed in Vista Blue. The Front and Rear calipers also got the paint treatment as well as the addition of Roush lettering. In 2009, Barry got the opportunity to add real Roush lettering to the vehicle. At “The Show” at Imperial Cars in Mendon that year [see page 44, Mendon Madness], Jack Roush was the guest of honor. He circulated through the crowd, shaking hands, kissing babies, and signing autographs. Barry asked if he would autograph parts of his Mustang and Jack obliged, signing the trunkmounted tool box. “He was a great guy,” Barry remembers. “He took the time to speak to you and didn’t rush you at all.” Let’s fast forward to 2010. Josh and Barry struck a deal for Josh to purchase the ’95, in order to continue on the path that was originally intended for it. Papers were passed and Josh immediately secured the vanity plate THKMOM, honoring the memory of his mother. His plan was to get the car back on the road and have it ready for the Worcester Nationals in 2011. The show had a special place in their hearts but, unfortunately, they hadn’t been able to attend the last couple years. The new build began in earnest. A BBK strut tower brace and weld-in sub frame connectors were added, to help strengthen the chassis, as well as an Autopower 4 point roll bar. To put the power to the pavement, a staggered set of ’95 style Cobra R deep dish rims were bolted on with Nitto 265/35/18” NT555 tires up front and 285/35/18” in the rear. Interior upgrades included a set of racing seats with Corbeau 3” five point harnesses and a rear seat delete. The time had finally come for the power package to be selected. After careful consideration, Josh chose the Trick Flow Twisted Wedge top end kit. Comprised of a cam, intake, heads, roller rockers, push rods and all the various other
26 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
BOBBY’S RANCH The setting for the photo shoot may not be familiar to many of you but we’d like to set that straight. In the town of Westford, MA exists a little slice of the heaven called Bobby’s Ranch. Offering year-round trail rides every day, except Tuesday, Bobby and his crew will help guide you through some of the most picturesque scenery New England has to offer. The trails cover nearly 2,000 acres of scenic Conservation Land and can be accessed for only $30 during the week! The rides cover about 2.5 miles and take about an hour to complete. From beginner to expert, they have horses to match your ability to ensure that your ride is both comfortable and satisfying. Self-guided pony rides are even available for small children upon request. For more information, check them out on Facebook.com/bobbysranch or on the web at www.bobbysranch.com
bits needed to complete the swap; the combo is good for 350hp to the flywheel. A MSD ProBillet distributor, Blaster Coil, and a new set of wires were purchased to upgrade the ignition needs, followed by a 70mm throttle body and Pro-M MAF. It was then up to John Sansoucy at New England Dyno & Tuning to get everything dialed in and working in harmony. Timing was optimized, the air/fuel mixture dialed in, and with a few pulls on the dyno the numbers came in. 300whp and 305wtq; an increase of 117 hp and 62 ft lbs over stock! Although he didn’t get everything finished in time to make the 2011 show, Josh stuck with it. In July of 2012 he and Barry rolled in to the Worcester Summer Nationals, but not before making one last modification to the ’95. Across the top of the windshield the words “In Loving Memory” had been carefully applied.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 27
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
‘08 Roush 427R Mustang Engine • Rousch CAI • Rousch extreme off-road exhaust (muffler delete)
Drivetrain • B&M “Pro Ripper” short throw shifter
Suspension • Rousch chrome caps on strut towers
28 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Interior • Rousch boost gauge • Rousch tool-box (trunk-mounted) signed by Jack Rousch • Push button start • Moroso aluminum fuse box cover • Aluminum hood pistons • Chrome caps on all fluid reservoirs
Exterior • Accessories painted Vista Blue to match car color: • Side mirror covers • Battery cover • Master cylinder cover • Intercooler cover • Radiator cover with extensions • Rousch gas cap door • Rousch strut tower brace • Calipers front and rear with white Rousch lettering
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
‘97 Ford mustang gt convertible Engine • BBK Cold Air Intake • 70 mm throttle body • Trick Flow top end kit (heads, intake, cam, roller rockers, push rods) • Pro-M mass air meter
Drivetrain • B&M “Pro Ripper” short throw shifter • Centerforce dual friction clutch kit • FRPP aluminum flywheel
Suspension • BBK chrome strut tower brace • BBK weld-in subframe connectors • Autopower 4-pt roll bar
Exhaust • Magnaflow cat back (stainless steel) • BBK offroad x-pipe • BBK shorty headers
Exterior • Smoked headlight & taillight covers • Black deep dish ’95 style Cobra R rims (18”x9” front/18”x10” rear) • Nitto Extreme performance NT555 tires (265/35-18 front & 285/35 -18 rear) • Original Laser Red paint with custom vinyl lettering
Interior • Racing bucket seats • Corbeau 3” 5-pt harnesses • Custom rear seat delete • Alpine audio system
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 29
30 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
The Jomar An Unexpected (NEW) england treasure Doran Dal Pra Doran Dal Pra // Saidel Family Archive
It was nothing short of a shock to find out that New Hampshire was home to a car company. Peek through the windows at Merrimack Street Volvo in Manchester and there sit two gleaming, unassuming aluminum examples of motoring history. It was from inside this dealership that Ray Saidel created the Jomar, a car born from a passion for racing and whose story is one of deep family connections. Ray’s development of the Jomar also had a direct impact on the success of the storied English car manufacturer, TVR. The dealership, started in 1919 by Ray’s father, has sold everything from Oldsmobile to its current fleet of glistening Volvos. Presently, Ray’s two sons, Alex and Marc, run the dealership; now filled with dozens of grainy photos of their father behind the wheel of his creation. The cars bearing the Jomar logo -- a contraction of Joanna and Marc, the names of Ray’s first two children -- were produced from 1955 to 1958 and continue to be an important part of the Saidel family. Alex Saidel was gracious enough to spend time talking about his father, the unique Jomar story, and the influence these exciting cars had on his life. Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 31
How did your father begin building
Blackpool, England based TVR for his chassis.
here in Manchester). Then several fiberglass
Jomars?
At the time Ray came to them, TVR was only
roadsters—one shipped to us by TVR and one
making a handful of cars per year but their
or two that stayed in the UK. Next were the
“The Jomars were started after my father started
low cost package boasted fully independent
Notchback fiberglass versions (four or five total).
racing an Allard J2X Le Mans with an Oldsmobile
suspension and showed significant promise as
Three shipped to the USA and one stayed in
V-8. He was the C-Modified Champion in the
a racecar. “[Ray] settled on a chassis made by
the UK. Finally came the Fastback coupes that
New England Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
[TVR] also from the UK. It was the first chassis of
became the final production TVR.”
division in 1954. The Allard was a beast that
its type and had not been race proven.”
lacked good handling and dad figured he and
What role did racing play in the development
the crew could build a better racer.” In the
Ray brought the newly minted TVR chassis back
mid-1950’s, Ray began searching for chassis
home and built its custom svelte aluminum body
from which to build his vision. He settled on an
in New Hampshire. The first Jomar with TVR
“My father and his team raced over 50 races
English company called Dellow.
underpinnings—known as the Mk II—hit the
between 1957 and 1958. That is a ton of racing.
track in 1956.
Sometimes two or three different races in a
“The first two Jomars were built on Dellow
of the Jomars?
weekend. Early races found out the suspension
Mk-V chassis. Solid axles, and cable brakes were
“There were several different models built. The
flaws in the TVR design. Fixing the chassis
not state-of-the-art but the Jomars did well in
first were the aluminum full race versions which
problems created a racecar that competed with
their class.” From Dellow, Ray then switched to
utilized TVR chassis and Jomar bodies (all made
and beat many of the other factory prepared
32 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
cars like Lotus, Elva and Porsche. This was quite
As a customer, how could you have ordered
Ray campaigned his cars heavily with a great
an accomplishment and really drove the Jomar
a Jomar?
deal of success, but stopped racing when Alex
name into the limelight in the SCCA community
was born. Racing Jomars might have ceased for
as well as the local New England press circuit.
“You could have ordered a race car (alloy body)
several decades, but the passion for racing his
This, in addition to having the first Fastback
with a Coventry Climax engine in various stages
father’s nimble, homegrown cars never ceased
at the 1958 NY Auto Show, pumped up many
of tune. Several different MG gearbox options
in Alex. In 1991, he convinced his father to dust
dealers that signed up to sell Jomars.”
existed including a close ratio set of gears made
off his racing gear and get back behind the
by Bucklers.
wheel. Marc also raced Jomars alongside his
While Jomars had their roots in racing, several
brother and father.
road going versions were also created and sold
“The roadcars offered two different [4 cylinder]
out of the Merrimack Street dealership. The first
engines. The less expensive version was an
What were your experiences racing in a
Mk II Jomar design was called the Notchback
1172 flat head English Ford with a Shorrock
Jomar?
Coupe. Later models featured a more sculpted
Supercharger to boost horsepower. This was
and attractive roofline and rear section and
mated to a three-speed transmission. The second
“Resurrecting the Jomars and racing them from
were dubbed the Fastback Coupe. A total of 23
engine was the Coventry Climax 1100-cc, or later
1991 through 2007 was really an incredible
cars were produced until production stopped in
the 1220-cc versions. These were mated to MGA
experience. Lou Turner built these cars with my
1958 due to financial troubles at TVR.
gearboxes. Further options included Alfin brake
father and was instrumental in rebuilding these
drums, radio.”
machines. Travelling to Pocono or Limerock with Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 33
Lou and my father and listening to their stories
found one Coupe sitting under a porch for 30
That whole development process... moved TVR
of the races and good times that they had was
years, another outside on a trailer for 30-plus
from a group of four men making one car
so important to me. Working on them was even
years in Baltimore. A friend found one in Maine
every six months or so to a full production line
more fun.
in a terrible state of disrepair missing most of its
building hundreds per year.”
body. These are examples of people who knew “My best memory was when dad and I were
that the car was too special to just send to a
What is your fondest memory as a kid
given the pole positions at a vintage race in
scrap pile but didn’t have the time or energy to
being around these cars?
Limerock in 1992. It was really my first time on
rebuild it.”
the track with my father. While we were on the
Alex speaks with a contagious excitement when
grid waiting to start we were next to each other.
While some Jomars ended up under a porch or
talking about his father’s cars. As a kid, he
He called Lou over from the pit wall to tell him
rotting away, others have been meticulously
worked at the dealership and spent much of his
something. Lou then came to me and told me
restored and continue to be driven. “Several
life around these machines. “When I was 14, I
that dad wanted me to take the first corner
others have been lovingly cared for such as Ian
would clean up, empty the trash, sweep, clean
after the green flag was dropped... When the
Rainford’s Notchback Coupe, and Albert Ways’
the windows, etc. at the dealership. On break,
green flag dropped dad hesitated just a bit and I
Fastback Coupe. Tracy Miller’s New York Auto
I’d steal away in the subterranean cavernous
took the first turn and just hauled it. Dad passed
Show car, which had belonged to his father
basement where the Volvo customer cars were
me pretty soon after and I realized that even at
before him.”
parked. In the corner was a small room with
70 years of age, he still had it, and this after not being in a race car for 30 years.”
three of the Jomar race cars stuffed away. Tires What Ray Saidel did by building these cars was
flat, dusty some with boxes on them, I loved
far more than simply chase his racing dreams.
being in there. I often dreamt about trying to
What are a couple unique examples of
His work on those early TVR chassis ultimately
start one of them and racing them again.”
where Jomars have ended up or unique
helped develop TVR into the legendary company
people who bought them?
it became. “When my father ordered that first
It was a joy and a privilege to learn about
chassis, no one knew what TVR was... if it were
this unique part of automotive history. Many
“Everyone who owns a Jomar has to be a unique
not for my father ordering these chassis, racing
thanks to Alex Saidel, Marc Saidel and Kelly
person. They are truly in love with the story of
them and fixing their flaws... it’s possible that
Cunningham for the time and energy spent
this car and what it became, the TVR. I have
TVR would not have existed as we know it today.
assisting with this piece.
34 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
and rolled down the road? Must be the tune! Literally this is the type of crap you will hear coming out of the mouths of the ignorant. Speaking of the dyno and home built cars, when you think you have seen it all, check your head. I have had people’s damper fall off and roll across the shop, a fuel rail vibrate off the motor, wheel bearings let go, a driveshaft explode, axle boots cover the dyno with grease. I’ve had a turbo break off the engine (go china-bay!), a compressor cover split in two (again, eBay turbo), a rod kick out of the block, an alternator fall off the engine, a clutch come off the back
Anonymous
of the motor, valves snap the stem off in the keeper area, unbeadrolled charge pipes with worm clamps blow off no less than 2 dozen times during a tune. You get the point.
Lots of us have gone to a shop of one form or
minimum on less critical matters. Then 90% of
I’ve had folks show up with an empty fuel tank
another to have services performed but few
these folks will throw your shop and arse under
and about 2 quarts of oil in the motor. One
have been on the other side of the fence. So
the bus the first time someone busts their chops
time a fuel pressure gauge decided to pop the
what is it like to own/run a high performance
about one of the consolations that had to be
lens and transducer off and shower me in E85. I
shop? It’s a dichotomy (defined by Webster’s as
made to fit the budget. Some of them will do
could go on and on, with no end to the parade
a division into two mutually exclusive, opposed,
so on matters you had no hand in and folks buy
of common sense related shenanigans.
or contradictory groups). Yeah, that’s a good
into it solely on the fact that the car had been
word to describe it. There are times when you
to your shop. Believe it, it’s happened to me and
Buy a damn torque wrench! Show up to the
work with a good customer and put together
likely the shop you frequent as well.
dyno only after you have gone over the car
something really unique and special. There are
with a wrench and a careful eye. Fill it with
proud moments when the owner is speechless,
Be cautious about the cars you tune. If it
fuel, oil, and make sure it’s not pouring crude
on sight, and breathless the first time he hits the
looks hacked anywhere, it’s probably hacked
out the crankcase at a rate that would have
angry pedal.
everywhere. Two words I can’t stand hearing
Jed Clampett dancing a friggin’ jig around your
are “Fully built”. Fully built how? With stock
engine bay. Make sure the plugs are new and
Then there is the flipside where the owner knows
parts on a dirty garage floor by your cousin’s
the wires aren’t torched. No amount of EFI
just enough to get themselves into trouble by
friend from down the block with a shopping
calibration work will fix your twisted together
insisting on parts (usually from what they heard
bag full of Harbor Freight tools? Built by a
and taped wiring harness, vacuum leaks, or
about on a forum) that are in no way conducive
professional racing engine shop with the best
plain wrong/improperly installed parts for what
to their desired results. To make matters worse,
parts money can buy? Even the owners are
you’re trying to achieve. Your tuner isn’t a
they have already bought this mismatched brew
sometimes misinformed about what resides
Genie, a Witch Doctor, or Jesus himself and
and blown most of their budget on them. You
beneath the valve cover. I’ve had people swear
he or she ain’t packin’ a 6 shooter full of silver
had better hope you have a box of magic in
they had forged pistons and rods, only to find
bullets.
stock on the shelf if you take those nightmares
bone stock parts behind the oil pan. You don’t
in and be prepared to be slammed for it if you
want to discover that on a 30 psi pull or you’ll
If you’re thinking about building yourself a new
don’t.
be cleaning them OUT of the oil pan. I’ve pulled
ride, find a shop that specializes in your desired
apart some problem children after a few short
car or build one that a local shop has a good
In my experience, the worst case scenario is
pulls to find things like piston rings installed
track record with. If you’re doing a unique build,
when someone buys somebody else’s hacked up
with all the gaps in a row. I’ve seen the wrong
find a good shop that will be able to handle
nightmare with every nickel they have. Then they
bearings in the rods, with them offset a hundred
your needs and give them as many hours as they
find out the car has been through the butcher’s
thou in each direction (GSR ROD BEARINGS DO
require getting you what you want. They can
shop and, in turn, ask you to help them out with
NOT WORK WITH LS RODS PEOPLE!) Wildly
often help you out within 10-15% on parts (the
the budget they have left to work with. Beware!
varied torque on the head bolts, horrendous
margin most places make), but don’t haggle too
If you accept the challenge, you’re likely going
welds on the turbo drain in the pan with a mig
much on the labor. If you do, you’ll place the
to find your shop way upside down in hours,
wire tree on the inside. Engines with low hot oil
shop in the position of having to burn through
and trying to give them parts at cost just so you
pressure where the owner admits (rare) to never
the task to keep the lights on.
have the right ingredients to finish it. In this
checking bearing clearance what so ever. Once
scenario, you’ll have to make budget-related
you plug in to the OBD2 port or ROM emulator
At the end of it all, everyone wants to be on the
decisions on what they need to get the vehicle
your name is now attached to the car. Anything
side with the cool kids. Take my advice and don’t
going down the road, spending what they have
that happens from thereon will have your
end up on the flip side. It’s a very dark, lonely,
on the most important issues and doing the
name dragged into it. Oh your damper fell off
and potentially expensive place to be.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 35
36 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
project novacaine 1965 Chevy nova ss resto-mod STAFF greg caparell Phyllis Marie Tawni Friederichs
Project Novacaine, the 1965 Nova SS presented in these pages, is the brainchild of Mark Gibbons. The 45 year old Mendon, MA native was looking for classic vehicle that he could resto-mod and found this gem on eBay back in 2009. Listed for sale in Los Angeles, Mark figured that the car was a pretty good candidate and so, sight unseen, he went ahead and grabbed it. His only condition had been to make sure that the original trim was still with the vehicle as it’s pretty difficult to try and locate original trim these days.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 37
Once the vehicle had made its cross-country trip, Mark was able to give it a more thorough inspection. It quickly became obvious that there was great deal of work that was needed to get her back to original condition. The OEM Regal Red (GM Paint Code WA3309) paint job had seen a few re-sprays, both rear quarters needed to be replaced, as did the front fenders. Under the hood, there sat a tired 230ci straight 6 (good for a 12.5 second 0-60 and whopping 19.4 quarter mile) coupled to the original Powerglide (2 speed) tranny. The front and rear glass had to be replaced too. 2nd Generation Automotive Restorations in Walpole was given the nod to start the project. It was their responsibility to get the body work and paint into shape but Mark wanted to be the one to strip everything down. A corner of the shop was sectioned off and he got to work, taking great care to remove that precious trim and to completely strip the body down. Nu-Chrome in Seekonk (formerly of Fall River) was called on to refinish the anodized trim and 2nd Gen began the process of replacing all four quarters. The rest of the metal was in pretty good shape; even the floors and trunk were left alone. The side glass was also retained. Once the crew had the replacement panels on, the entire vehicle was block sanded and the minor imperfections filled and then it was time for paint. Mark chose to retain the factory look so a few coats of the Regal Red were laid down, the clear was shot and then it was time for the good stuff! Mark had been doing some research, mainly on stevesnovasite.com, and had assembled a list of Pro-Touring goodies that would allow the Nova to handle the twisties as well as the straights! First up was a front coilover setup from Church Brothers Racing which includes all tubular upper and lower control arms. The rear suspension would be comprised of a 3 leaf with doubleadjustable
Varishock
shocks.
Competition
Engineering sway bars were also chosen to help keep the body roll in check. Mark had planned on retaining the 230, and just having it overhauled, but after toying with the idea some more he changed gears. He would scrap that plan and go with something a bit more modern, and fuel injected. It was at this point that he turned to Fred Simmons, Jr. at SMG Motoring to build him a better bullet. An LQ4 6.0 Liter LS block was sourced and bored .030 over. A forged Eagle stroker crank and h-beams rods were stuffed into the short block, topped off with a set of Mahle flat-top forged slugs. This brought the displacement up to 408ci,
38 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
nearly double what the Nova came with from the factory! For added protection ARP fasteners were used on the mains, rods and heads. With a 500whp goal in mind, work began on the top end. Stock L92 heads were milled to give a 57cc chamber and 11:1 final compression. Livernois dual coil valve springs were used to keep the valve events in check as a COMP custom ground camshaft with .650 lift was selected. The rockers and valves were stock LS3 units all of which got covered up with a set of wrinkle black Holley valve covers. Fresh air is fed through a FAST 92MM throttle body into a stock LS3 intake manifold. Stainless Works 1 7/8” long tube headers and a 3” cat back exhaust were chosen to allow the stroker to breathe better. The stainless gas tank is from Rick’s Tanks in El Paso, TX and features a set of dual Walbro 255lph pumps set up return style. The 93 octane is fed through a set of FAST fuel rails to the 42lb injectors. All of this is controlled by a 98-02 Camaro ECM through a harness built by Chevythunder.com specifically for the application. To help put the power to the pavement, PerformaBuilt provided a custom 200-4R tranny. Matched up with a 3000rpm stall converter, they claim that the package is capable of handling up to 750hp. All of the torque feeds through a custom aluminum drive shaft to the factory 10 bolt 8.5 pumpkin that’s been upgraded with an Eaton 3.73 posi and TA Performance billet rear end girdle. Mark also chose to improve upon the interior. The front seats got yanked in favor of a pair of nicely bolstered ‘02 Trans Am 6-way adjustable buckets. The dash cluster was swapped for a Classic Instruments White Hot Series that features an electronic programmable speedo set up to read 140mph. A custom center console was then fabricated by ZZ’s Customs in Uxbridge MA and finished off with a set of dual Aeroforce Interceptor gauges to help monitor the EFI. The vehicle then made it over to Seamless Custom in Leicester, MA so that they could cover the whole interior in red leather. Custom suede inserts were added to help keep the occupants from sliding around under power. After 3 years and a bucket full of dollars spent, Mark was handed back the keys to this beauty. It might have felt like having his teeth pulled at times but, with a proper application of Novacaine, everything was all smiles in the end.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 39
15
22
29
14
21
28
30
23
16
9
2
1
8
T
M
7
S
31
24
17
10
3
W
25
18
11
4
TH
OCTOBER 2012
26
19
12
5
F
27
20
13
6
S
25
18
11
4
S
26
19
12
5
M
27
20
13
6
T
28
21
14
7
W
29
22
15
8
1
TH
NOVEMBER 2012
30
23
16
9
2
F
24
17
10
3
S
25
18
11
4
S
26
19
12
5
M
27
20
13
6
T
28
21
14
7
W
29
22
15
8
1
TH
DECEMBER 2012
30
23
16
9
2
F
24
17
10
3
S
42 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
‘65 Chevrolet nova SS Engine • 408ci Stroker LS based engine • LQ4 block bored .030 over • Eagle Forged Rotating Assembly • Eagle H-beam rods • Mahle Forged Pistons (flat top) • ARP Hardware on mains, rods and heads • Livernois Dual Coil valve springs • Custom ground camshaft from COMP .650 lift • Stock L92 heads milled to 57cc chamber (11:1 compression) • Stock LS3 intake manifold • Fast 92MM throttle body • 42lb injectors • Fast fuel rails • Stock LS3 valves • Holley LS3 valve covers • Return-style fuel system with dual Walbro 255 pumps in tank • Rick’s tanks stainless gas tank
engine management • 98-02 Camaro ECM and harness built by Chevythunder.com
Exhaust • Stainless Works - 1 7/8” long tube headers • Stainless Works - 3” cat back stainless exhaust
Suspension • (Front) Church Brothers Racing coilovers and tubular upper and lower control arms • (Rear) 3 leaf with double adjustable shocks by Varishock • Competition Engineering sway bars front and rear
Driveline • PerformaBuilt 200-4R with 3000rpm stall converter • Custom aluminum driveshaft • 10 bolt 8.5” rear end with Eaton 3.73 posi • TA Performance billet rear cover
INTerior • Front seats are 6-way powered 2002 Trans Am seats • Red Leather and Black Suede by Seamless Customs • Classic Instruments White Hot Series dash gauges • Center Console built by ZZ’s Customs • Dual Aeroforce Interceptor gauges mounted in the center Console
TECH TIP Even though manufacturers claim that you can just drop their parts in and go, be sure to always have your parts checked out by a qualified machinist. Mark found out that the brand new Eagle crank he purchased was not only .035” out of round but it also had an incorrectly installed reluctor wheel. These issues were fixed inexpensively before the motor went through final assembly.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 43
Like burnouts? Scan this to see more from the show!
44 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Mendon madness annual imperial car Show leaves it’s mark once again STAFF Christian Rowell
Imperial Cars, a dealership complex so large it spans 10 addresses and 52 acres, has been quietly putting on one of the best car shows over the last few years. You may have heard of them for a few reasons. These are the guys who tell you to come on over to the “the little town of Mendon” to buy your next car. Nope, don’t know it? You fast forward past that stuff on your DVR, right? Well, if you haven’t lived under a rock the last few years, perhaps you might remember when David Ortiz’s jersey was dug up from the foundation of the new Yankee Stadium? In case you forgot, it got auctioned off on eBay for $175K with the proceeds going to the Jimmy Fund. Who was the proud new owner? Kevin Meehan, owner of Imperial Cars. It now hangs in a display at the Chevy dealership along with several other sports memorabilia. That’s just the tip of the iceberg though. The Ford dealership has various Rock ‘n Roll memorabilia that would make Hard Rock jealous. The Chrysler dealership contains automotive nostalgia that includes rare porcelain and neon signs, toys, and promo items. Even with all that on tap to entice the timid masses, what Imperial is really becoming known for is simply called, “The Show.” A more appropriate name has never been applied to a car show that I can recall in recent years except for maybe “Cars and Copters.” It’s not just enough to have over 3,500 cars show up to display. Mr. Meehan wanted to go bigger. This year there was live music in the form of three cover bands as well as John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band. Mistress Carrie from WAAF was there to host and a couple DJ’s spun the latest pop music - not Deadmau5 or Skrillex but this is just the little town of Mendon we’re talking about. They even had stuff to keep the rug rats entertained like Carnival Rides, face painting, and caricatures. Over 42 vendors signed on to hawk their stuff and with 20 food vendors on tap, even the pickiest of eaters had options. The highlight of the evening wasn’t the fireworks display. Yup, it was cool and all but it couldn’t hold a candle to the fury about to be unleashed. The best part of the show, no doubt, is the smoke show. Unlike many other car shows and/or meets, Imperial encourages the time-honored tradition of the burnout when leaving! It’s tightly controlled, of course. The drivers are guided through a row of cement jersey barriers and then allowed to lay it down in front of the crowd. Stadium seating was set up so that a good portion of the crowd had a clean shot of the action but with over 35,000 people in attendance, you still had to fight to see everything. If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend, we would highly suggest you mark this one down on the calendar next year. Weather permitting; it should be a helluva good time. Just make sure to get there early to beat the traffic and as it gets dark, sneak on over to the burnout pit and stake yourself a claim to a good viewing position. You won’t be disappointed.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 45
46 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 47
48 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 49
50 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
PROJECT: LIPSTICK 2008 saturn sky compound turbo injection Rick Gifford Joshua Guzzetti
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 51
I’d like to introduce you to “Lipstick”, Antonio Grajo’s 2008 Saturn Sky Redline. It’s also the world’s first and only compound turbo LNF (GM 2.0 Ecotec DI). Antonio is on his 3rd aftermarket turbo kit. First up was a GT3076R, then a GT3582R (producing about 400whp on a dynojet on pump gas) and now this custom compound turbo system built by the author. The anvil beneath the maze of plumbing is a Darton MID sleeved 2.0 block, filled with Wiseco pistons, K1 Technologies rods, and the forged factory crankshaft. The Balance shafts were deleted and the factory oil pump was filled with Bates Engineering billet pump gears. ARP studs and Clevite bearings were used to make up the rest of the bottom end. The cylinder head was hand ported by Fred
with direct injection also make it tricky to port
and run by a Split-Second fuel controller. That
and not lose velocity.
extra fuel rail will be fed by a Walbro 400lph in a
Simmons at SMG Motoring in Hopedale, MA
separate fuel cell custom fabricated in the trunk
and then handed over to Mike Columbo at ABT
ZZP Stage 1 camshafts were installed on the top
to hold more grain alcohol then a moonshiner’s
Machining in Holliston, MA for flow testing and
of those goodies to complete the package. The
transport vehicle!
a three angle valve job. A Supertech valvetrain
factory cams utilize a separate lobe on the intake
was installed, comprised of .05mm oversized
side to activate the high pressure fuel pump. For
intake and exhaust valves as well as 78lb springs.
those that want to run E85, this needs to be
When it was all said and done, the heads
upgraded in order to be able to keep up with
The system was sized and designed to deliver
were able to move low 240’s. You may think
the increased fueling needs. The larger lobes
the widest power band possible while hitting
to yourself, wow that’s a pitiful number for a
on the ZZP S1 intake cam increase the fueling
the 700whp mark. With a cylinder head that’s
ported head, but you have to understand that
capacity by 15-20%. A custom intake manifold
on the weak side compared to say any Honda
the stock LNF head flows barely over 200cfm
was also fabricated for this build by Performance
port, a high pressure ratio was going to be
and they don’t give you much casting wall to
Autowerks, mated to a RMR secondary fuel rail,
required. Compound setups are multipliers, so
work with. Elements cast into the head to help
topped off with an additional set of injectors,
that’s easy for them to accomplish. When it
52 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Time to call Lifeline Performance
came up in conversation, about meeting the car’s goals, Antonio gave it the nod. The headers took a few tries to package; it was the proverbial 10 lbs of mierda in a 5 lb bag.
the proverbial 10 lbs of mierda in a 5 lb bag
With such a small engine bay it was easy to “paint yourself in a corner” and I did so a few times. Caution! Once you move one component, then you have to move another, and another and another and sooner or later you realize your re-engineering half the car so a hose can be farther away from a heat source. Bring a helmet ‘cause you’re going to want to bang your head on something. Especially the second or third time you do it. inlet of the GT28, and the bottom is plumbed The high pressure turbo is a Garrett GT2871R
to the discharge. For initial data, we will be
with a Tial 0.82 hot side on it. The low pressure
running a 2-1 pressure ratio spring in the 60mm
stage is a GT4294R with a 1.0 Tial hot side on
and vary total boost using the low pressure
it. Underneath the Swaintech White Lightning
(GT42) stage. So to reiterate, when plumbed
coating, strictly Burns Stainless 321 mandrel
in this way the high pressure turbo (GT28) will
bends were used in the construction of the
multiply whatever pressure it receives by a
hot-side plumbing, as well as their double-fit,
pressure ratio of 2. 14.7psi in (atmospheric sea
double-slip 4-1 collector. The quality of the
level pressure) and 14.7psi boost at the gauge
material and pre-fabbed header components is
on the intake manifold (29.4psi absolute) out.
impeccable and is worth the extra few bucks.
Feed it with 14.7psi (28.8 absolute) from the
To control the high pressure stage is a 60mm
GT42 and it will compress it down to 44.1 at the
Turbo smart wastegate, allowing a great deal
intake manifold. Remember it’s a multiplier of
of flow around the smaller turbine and into the
pressure ratio, and it should be getting obvious
GT42R when the low pressure stage is hummin’.
how big boost pressures can be made without
The gate is hooked up in absolute fashion,
killing the turbochargers with shaft speed and
meaning the top of the gate is plumbed to the
heat. It also makes it easier to stay in the happy Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 53
section of the compressor maps and, along
engine is on top and down each side is hot
used compounds for decades make 275+ psi in
with inter-stage cooling provided by the water
and cold side piping; with successively larger
some classes. They were also used in aircraft for
injection, a sizable boost in thermal efficiency
turbos (by a factor of 2 roughly) beneath it. To
high altitude compensation and, just in the past
can be had if you do your homework.
trace the exhaust path out the engine, it goes
few years, have they crept their way onto gas
into the high pressure turbine (GT28), exits and
engines in search of a wider power range from
There’s a Turbosmart Comp Gate 40 plumbed
rejoins the wastegate flow from the 60mm in
smaller and smaller engines.
just before the inlet of the GT42R that is joined
a collector before heading into the inlet of the
to the factory boost solenoid for initial baseline
low pressure turbine (GT42). At that point, the
tuning. A Turbosmart Eboost2 is waiting on the
Comp Gate 40 relieves turbine flow to control
pillar to be used in one of the two locations, low
the low side pressure ratio.
The goal for Antonio’s car was simple in idea and
pressure or high pressure side, pending on which
The Comp Gate 40 is the only wastegate in
painful in execution - build an absolute over the
provides us the response and control we need to
the system that vents to atmosphere, so no
top Kappa (GM’s platform name) that boggled
get the car around and down the track.
energy is wasted from the high pressure stage.
eyes when at car shows, and delivered the
To follow the intake path, one climbs up the
widest usable power band possible @700whp.
There are 4 EGT ports available, as well as “pre”
ladder. Air enters the GT42, is compressed and
Oh and he wants to keep his A/C!
and “post” turbine ports at each stage. We’ll be
then fed, along with a little deionized water,
collecting a great deal of data using the spare
to the GT28 where it is compressed further and
In the next issue we’ll go over the body, suspension
A/D’s on the HPTuner cable as well as on our 30”
then sent to an enormous front mount air to
and brake upgrades that were installed around
Dyno-mite Chassis dyno. In a future issue, we’ll
air intercooler. From the intercooler, it is then
this powertrain to round out the package,
go over the math of sizing the compounds, and
routed through the intake manifold to the
as well as some dyno data that should prove
then compare it to real world results. Pressures
engine. The compressor bypass valve is located
very enlightening to us data miners out there.
and temps at each stage of the turbines and
post-intercooler and will be routed away from
The goal is to manipulate primary/secondary
compressors will be compared and logged as
the engine compartment due to the small
pressure ratios, to deliver the most usable
well.
amount of water present. Clear as mud so far?
power, and keep the ratio of intake manifold
What exactly is a compound turbo system?
The compound system is as old as turbocharging
or better if possible. It will be no small task folks
In summary
pressure to turbine inlet pressure as close to 1:1 itself. They are very common on big over-the-
and hopefully should provide some interesting
For those that have never seen a compound, or
road diesels and have even found their way
reading for those contemplating cranking the
are unfamiliar with their operation the easiest
onto most diesel pickup truck offerings in the
power up to 11!
way to visualize it is in ladder fashion. The
past 5 or 6 years. The tractor-pulling guys have
54 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
‘08 Saturn sky redline COMPOUND TURBO SET-UP: • Garrett GT4294R (1.0 Tial turbine housing A/R) and Garrett Gt2871R (.63 Tial turbine housing A/R). Both turbos have v-band – and CRYO-TREATED!!! • BTF tubular manifold (321 stainless steel) • BTF 4” downpipe (321 stainless steel) • BTF recirculating dump tube (321 stainless steel) • BTF charge pipes • Turbosmart Power-Gate60 – controls GT2871R turbo • Turbosmart Comp-Gate40 – controls GT4294R turbo • Turbosmart Race Port BOV • Turbosmart Eboost2 60psi electronic boost controller • 321 Stainless Steel tubular manifold, downpipe(Swaintech coated and DEI titanium wrapped) • Performance Autowerks RACE Intercooler – 15” x 3” x 24” • AEM water-methanol kit • Custom radiator • Solo Performance custom 3” dual exhaust.
BATES ENGINEERING RACE BLOCK • Bates Sleeved block • Bored ,honed, Aligned hone • Decked • Bates Main Studs • Bates Balance shafts • Bates main bearings • Bates chain tensioner spring • Bates billet oil pump gear • LNF camshaft • K1 rods and Wiseco pistons installed
SMG HAND PORTED RACE HEAD • Supertech 35.5 mm oversized valves • Supertech 78 lb springs (cryo treated) • Supertech retainers/keepers • Bates Head Studs • Bates Rocker Arms (cryo treated) • Aggressive Headwork • Ported and Polished Throttle body and Manifold
FUEL Set-Up • WERKS custom race manifold w/ port injection • RMR secondary fuel rail • RC engineering 42lb injectors • Split Second extra injector controller • Deatsch Werks 300lph fuel pump • Walbro 400lph (for port fuel injection) • ZZP stage 1 cams w/ big fuel lobe
NITROFREEZE Transmission and Drivetrain • Spec Stage 3+ clutch w/ 11lb Flywheel(Cryo-Treated) • Polished hub and sliders, gear/synchro set (shot peened and cryo-treated) • Pinion, driveshaft, axles, and rear differential (cryo-treated) • Driveshaft Shop 600hp Axles • 18”x10” Forgestar Wheels w/ Nitto NTO5 295/35/18
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 55
‘glass slipper smyth performance’s vw mid-engine g3f kit Paul Stevens Joshua Guzzetti He’s at it again. The same man that started
systems to provide a high quality low hour kit
build process. One such car was a turbo charged
Factory Five Racing has been working hard on
build experience.
2.8L VR6 chassis that has had the sub frame and
a new kind of kit car and it’s all happening
powertrain installed. That is going to be one
right here in the good old Bay State. Have you
Recently, MedianMag was lucky enough to be
ever wanted to buy or build your own perfor-
invited for a private behind-the-scenes tour of
mance car but figured you would never have
Smyth Performance to get a closer look and
“You should start with a straight 4 door mk4
the cash to do it? Have you considered a low
have a bit of a Q&A session with the team. We
Jetta or Golf,” explained Mark. “These are
budget project car before but they always turn
arrived at the unsuspecting warehouse and
from 1999.5 to 2003. The suspension is basi-
out to be way more time and money than you
were promptly greeted by Mark and his engi-
cally 2 front suspensions from the VW and I am
thought? Maybe you’ve considered a kit car
neering wizards. Sitting in the work area was
providing four custom-valved coilover shock
but don’t think that they’re quite as reliable,
an almost complete prototype of the G3F TDI;
units in the kit. The rear is a bit higher than the
safe and solid as a production car?
heck of a fun car!
Perhaps
a mid-engine, rear wheel drive roadster that
front to keep a higher rear roll center and also
you’re a “hands on”, “build-it-yourself” kind
utilizes the factory drivetrain, wiring harness,
shields the oil pan from the dreaded crunch over
of person but feel that a ground-up restoration
airbag system, complete dash assembly and
bumps. The front is designed an inch lower than
might be too much time and money? What else
floor pan section of the 1999.5-2003 VW Jetta/
the stock Jetta for an aggressive stance that you
can you do besides dream? Well, you could go
Golf production car.
expect in a sports car. The top of the stock doors
get yourself a Smyth Kit, the ultimate blend
is cut off using a template and the same saw
of factory-proven technology and a really cool
Mark explained further, “the complete dash and
as the body trim out. I am providing a bolt-on
performance car.
wiring harness, including all of the climate con-
door top-cap that allows the use of the stock
trols and engine/brake management systems are
jetta/golf window lifts, wiring and speakers.
Mark Smith from Smyth Performance has taken
left as is. So is the front suspension and steering
These newly repositioned parts match up to a
the kit car concept one remarkable step for-
system. We keep the whole engine/transmission/
new longer windshield at a low and swept back
ward by using the vast majority of a production
suspension assembly from the Jetta and move
sports car angle. The seats and dash are lowered
car and blending it with a stunning supercar-
it to the rear of the car. A new supplied bolt-
so that the low seating position of a sports car
like body. Located in a quiet industrial park in
on front and rear steel tube support structure
matches the new low position of the windshield
Wareham, Massachusetts, Smyth Performance
is added to the cut Jetta floor and dash area.
and body. All the dash and climate controls still
is about to make your $10,000 supercar dream
The end result is a new powder coated steel
work as designed for a true 12 month a year
a reality. The kit car (referred to as the G3F)
sub frame in the rear that holds the engine and
driving experience; a first for a kit car.”
basically transforms a 2000-2003 VW Jetta/Golf
transmission in a mid-engine layout. A sporty
into a two-seater mid-engine sports car using all
lowered fiberglass body transforms the stock
Mark and his crew already have over two dozen
of the original powertrain. That means you can
econobox into a true driver’s sport car retaining
“beta” kits sold and many of them should be
have a 1.8L Turbo, a punchy VR6 or the most
all the luxuries and climate controls you need in
road worthy by the time you read this. Full pro-
interesting powertrain for this application, VW’s
a car that is more than just a fair weather rod
duction will begin to occur later this year and I
1.9L Turbo Diesel or TDI which is VW speak for
with wheels.”
am betting on seeing a few of these cars at the
“Turbo Direct Injection”. “The Smyth VW Jetta/
Bass Pro Shop’s cruise nights next summer.
Golf based mid-engine kit car fills the void in
Mark was kind enough to walk us through the
the car business between kits and production
whole process in his shop and we were able to
I’m also looking forward to giving the G3F TDI a
cars. Instead of thousands of hours to build a
see what it looks like to take a MK4 Jetta and
thrashing and see how it does in the corners!
custom car, the Smyth kit piggybacks on the VW
apply the Smyth kit. There were a number of
Jetta/Golf platform and all the engineering and
vehicles in the shop at various stages of the
56 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 57
58 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
reader’s ride 1969 mercury cyclone spoiler dan gurney special Christian Sherman Joshua Guzzetti // Christian Sherman
It was not my intention to buy, nor was I looking for another car, but by a strange chain of events I became the new owner of a 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler Dan Gurney Special. It all started innocently enough when I placed an ad on Craigslist to sell my 60 gallon air compressor. The buyer arrived to pick it up and spied my ‘68 Torino Formal Roof and ‘68 Fairlane 500 Fastback sitting outside the garage. He asked me if they had made a Mercury version of my fastback. I told him that they had and it would’ve been called a Cyclone. He then asked me if they made a Don Gurney car. I corrected him and said yes that they made a Dan Gurney car. In 1969 Mercury was busy building luxury cars and not very many high performance variants. For every ten Fairlane Fastbacks made there were two Cyclones. However, in 1969 NASCAR had really taken off and Mercury became involved. They made two signature series cars. The first was Cale Yarborough’s car, painted white with a red roofline and red interior. The second, Gurney’s car, was also painted white but had a blue roof line and blue interior. Dan was primarily a road racer and really worked the west coast. Allegedly, the Gurney car was only sold west of the Mississippi and the Yarborough car east of the Mississippi. He then proceeded to tell me that a friend of his had a Dan Gurney car in a garage here in Massachusetts. Although it wasn’t officially for sale, he felt that it might be if the potential buyer was someone that was into old Fords. Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 59
I was slightly interested, due to the fact that you don’t see a lot of them around. To find one on this side of the Mississippi divide was also somewhat rare. I asked him to call his friend and give him the heads up that I would be calling. Now as I stated before, I was not in the market for another project. If, however, this was the real deal and I could procure it then good for me. If not, I knew enough people that would be interested. After he left I jumped on the computer and searched for every bit of information that I could on the car. A few days later I decided to make the call and arrange a time to see the car. It turned out that he seller owns a body shop and so we agreed to meet there. Upon arriving and introducing myself, he informed me that the car was a few miles up the road and that I needed to jump in his car to go see it. Along the way, he proceeded to tell me the story of how he came upon the car. Fifteen years prior, a friend of his needed some money so he sold the car to him. He immediately moved it into his garage, and it sat there ever since. The drive was short but interesting. The route took us down a couple of main drags and then a few small side streets and eventually to a dirt road. At the end, we arrived in a clearing with the garage standing there before us. We got out and walked up to the door and, upon opening it; I was surprised to see what sat inside. There was a ‘57 Thunderbird (disassembled) a ‘68 El Dorado, a ‘67 Plymouth Belvedere GTX 440 and then the real prize. Sitting on all 4 flats, and covered in cobwebs, she sat with every piece of trim she left the factory with. I started checking her out. The spoiler was correct, scoop, hood pins, color, interior, sport mirrors, everything except the door tag. The rot was in the usual spots: lower fender, driver’s door and the front of the rear wheel well, the trunk corners at the tail pan and the whopper, the cowl. Bugs and mice were now the residents but I was about to change that. I copied the VIN down and said to him that I wanted to verify that the car was real. I raced back home and jumped online with Marti Auto Works and within a half hour everything I hoped for came true. It was the real deal. 63b
sweetheart, she said to go for it BUT one of the
I
body, mx paint, 4b trim, FMX tranny, 9” with
other cars would have to go. What an agonizing
commandeered the company ramp truck
325 gears, 351w, one of 352 “W” nose cars made
decision! Would it be the blue ‘68 Fairlane or
and, on the appointed day, we drove over to
sold out of Santa Cruz, CA. Calming myself, I
the orange ‘68 Torino? Although it was the
the meeting place. The seller arrived and we
decided to wait a few days before calling him
wife’s driver, we decided to let the Torino go. All
followed him up to the garage. Upon arrival,
back. I knew that I was the only guy looking at
the lights were green for the deal now and all I
we determined that a small tree would need to
it! Now for the hard part…THE BOSS! Being a
needed to do was pick her up.
be removed in order to get the car out. With a
60 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
called
up
my
brother-in-law
to
help,
washing was out of the question. Fifteen years of dirt was gently washed away only to leave some giant blobs of pine sap behind. The original owner had parked it under a pine tree for a few years, prior to selling it. I then dove into the interior, removing all the loose parts and trim. The carpet was removed as well, revealing several holes in the passenger floor. Other than that, there were no great discoveries unless you count the 37 cents and a hat with a hunting license still attached. While cleaning, some of the neighbors came over to check out the new ride as well as some of my envious car guy buddies. I was finally “that guy”. The proud owner of a Barn Stash! The next task was to see if it would run. The motor was a 351W but ended up being a disappointment. After pulling the starter, in order to replace it, I discovered that the block was a D1AE6015DA cast number (translation…1971). It turned freely, which was a plus, and after draining 10 gallons of gas, and a quick tune up, it fired up. Unfortunately it only ran for about a minute until the carb let go and flooded the motor. A quick rebuild of the Holley 4 barrel was in order which allowed me to eventually tow chain wrapped around the trunk the truck
the extra pieces were secured (extra hood) it
get the motor back on track. With the motor
made short work of it. The seller then fired up
was time to head home. The best part was that
work finished, my next thought was would it
the compressor and the tires miraculously took
it was only a half hour away!
drive? Power brakes and steering headed up
air. With the car hooked, it was pulled out of
the list of luxury items on the vehicle. I only say
its home under protest. The rear drums were
Once we got it back home, the cleaning began.
this because none of my other cars had either. I
locked up with rust but with a swift bang of a
Kid gloves had to be used due to the condition
jumped in and took it around the block. I have
hammer it freed up. Once it was loaded up and
of the car and its weather stripping. Pressure
never had the pleasure of driving a portable
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 61
sandblaster! There was more debris flying out than I could imagine coming at me from every direction. As I turned back into my driveway I realized that the car had a long way to go to be road worthy. Needless to say, parts for this car are few and far between. The only item really being produced is these days are the floors so rooting through a catalog like one would do to build a Mustang or Camaro was not an option. My previous experience building the Fairlane would quickly come into play. The first thing to source was the cowl. The one on the vehicle was so shot that it barely stayed in place. The call went out and one was quickly located in Fargo, ND. Shipping it was tough, but with a little work it arrived 3 weeks after being located. As it turns out, that was the only part that I could not reproduce myself. All the remaining body work, metal replacement and welding would be done in house. I was going to make my own floors but it was cheaper to buy them than to waste time on fabbing up a set. Weld, weld, weld, grind, grind, sand and yes more sanding. It’s a slow process but I only have me, myself, and I working on it. Even so, I thought that I had all the time in the world to get it done. Boy was I wrong. Word of my purchase had gotten down to Tennessee and an invitation to the Forge Musclecar Classic arrived via email. Then Jason Thompson, the owner of two Banjo Matthews Ford Talladega prototypes sent me a similar invitation. Needless to say I was floored. I had never been invited to such a prestigious show, let alone any show. I hated to decline such an offer but I had to. There simply wasn’t enough time for me to finish the vehicle beforehand. I explained the situation and they were very understanding. As luck would have it though, Jason informed me of a show coming up in the future (2014 to be precise) that would be worth attending. It’s the Talladega/Superbird 45th Anniversary Show at the Talladega speedway. I told him that my goal was to have the project finished, and all the bugs worked out, by then and that I hoped to see him there. As car guys, we always hear about that guy that finds that rare car and some of you may ask “why couldn’t that be me”? Well, I don’t have to ask that anymore.
62 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Nines are wild WOrld recorD holding evo ix STAFF Casey Boyle
Fantasy builds are the stuff of legend when it
turbo.” These are some lofty goals for sure, and
and not imports,” he laughed. “They’d tease me
comes to the internet. Jump on your car forum
the fact that he was working and going to school
about building a four cylinder. They’d say things
of choice right now and I guarantee you that
full-time wasn’t going to make it easy either.
like ‘It’s only got half a motor’ or they’d call it a
someone, somewhere is about to make some
In May of 2011 he found the car. It was a ‘06
‘tin can.’” Tyler had his own nickname for the
insane amount of horsepower with a ridiculous
RR IX RS (Rally Red Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Rally
project though – Anti-Lag. If he was going to hit
combination of parts. And if you don’t just skip
Sport), one of only 378 in the country. Although
9’s on a stock turbo, that was certainly going to
past the first 20 pages, you may find that the
there were 50,000 miles on the ticker, he was
be part of the equation.
owner either has deep pockets or is sponsored
confident that the car was clean and well taken
up the wazoo. This build, gentlemen, is not one
care of. It had been owned by his friend, and
By November, Tyler had gotten started on the
of them. Instead, what you’re going to find is
mentor, Kunal – known as KUNiiiZZZEEE on
teardown and decided that he would start his
that sometimes the stars align and an ordinary
evolutionm.net – and had never been tracked or
own epic build thread, simply called “Anti-Lag
guy (with big dreams) can actually make it
beaten on. After getting the details ironed out,
build Thread.” Over the next five months he
happen through hard work, perseverance, and
Tyler flew out to Chicago to take ownership and
would update regularly as the parts started to
a bit of good luck. I give you Tyler Wolf and his
then drove thirteen hours straight back home to
come in. Although there were a couple doubters,
world record holding Evo IX.
Newark, Delaware. He had to be at school the
for the most part the community at large was
next day to take his Finals! [ed. note - He passed
very supportive. That’s when Tyler’s second goal
them, just in case you were wondering.]
started to get closer to reality. He had wanted
After lurking on the Evo forums for a number of years, in early 2011 Tyler started to form a plan.
to break into the industry and always felt that
“The Evo is my dream car,” he confided. “It’s the
The fun began just a short time after that.
a build of this size would attract attention.
only car I ever wanted.” So he set out to find
Tyler came from a family of car guys and had
Because he had been doing all of the work
the perfect donor car and, with it, achieve a few
been working at his Uncle’s shop over in New
himself, others began to take notice and, one
goals. “I wanted to make it in the industry, first
Castle. He was given the middle garage bay and
by one, companies started to work with Tyler;
of all,” he admitted. “How better than building
allowed to work on the car there whenever he
providing him with discounted parts and advice
a World Record car! I always wanted a 9 second
had the time. He got his fair share of teasing
on what combination would work best to reach
car too, but I wanted to do it using the stock
though. “My family is more into muscle cars
the 9 second mark.
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 63
64 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
His big break came in February of 2012. By this
the vehicle weighed, dyno tuned and prepped
lower piping and a 3” upper charge pipe. Boost
time, he had established a relationship with
before they had to load up and get ready to
is regulated by a Tial-Q BOV and Hallman Pro
Dynotech Tuning [see shop profile, page 67] and
drive the fourteen hours it would take to reach
MBC.
wanted them to help him prep the stock motor
Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
and transmission. After loading everything up in
The other key to making the 9’s was going to be
his pickup truck, Tyler drove all the way up from
During the next few months, Tyler achieved
weight reduction. The Evo was put on a pretty
Delaware to deliver it in person. He wanted to
two more of his short-term goals. In May, he
radical diet, comprised of gutting the entire
meet Jamie and Adam, guys he had only spoken
graduated from the University of Delaware with
vehicle down to a shell. The dash and interior
to on the phone up until this point. A shop tour
a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. By June, he was
were yanked and every unnecessary bit was
was also high on the list of priorities. The group
given an internship at Dynotech! He had said
removed. Tyler even spent hours scraping the
instantly clicked and plans were drawn up to
that he wanted to break into the industry and
undercoating off of the underside and tire wells.
upgrade the stock block to a Buschur Racing 2.0
this was the first step. It would take until mid-
When it was all said and done, he had gotten the
long rod, aluminum rod, 10:1 compression block.
July before they could fire up the engine for the
car down to 2,241 pounds wet and only 2,426
The transmission would be sent out to ShepTrans
first time but by the end of the month they had
pounds with him in it! Nearly 100 hours were
for a Non ACD T-case With RS LSD as well as a
secured their first record. Running E98 and over
spent on cleaning up the wiring harness and
3rd and 4th gear swap for Evo 8 gears. The ratios
30 pounds of boost, they hit 451whp and 454wtq
tucking everything out of sight in the engine
are fairly close; the Evo 8 third gear has 2.56%
on the in-house Mustang Dyno! Horsepower
bay too. The final result is so clean that it’s the
more mph over the Evo 9 third gear. Some don’t
climbed to 467whp by the time they were ready
first thing that most people notice when he pops
consider 2.56% much difference but it really is
to go to the shootout, ensuring that the record
the hood!
and has become the preferred ratio for drag
would stand at least a little while longer.
racing. The fourth gear ratio changes from 1.096
In order to push the stock turbo to its limits,
in the Evo 9 to 1.031 in the Evo 8 adding 5.93%
Things were going pretty smoothly at that point
E98 was the only choice for fueling. There is no
more mph to that gear.
and with the help of ToxicFab, Bushur, and STM
methanol or nitrous used at all. “We wanted to
they had one of the most unique setups for an
keep it as simple as possible,” explained Jamie
Things started to come together quickly after
Evo that you’ll ever see. The foundation is a
Harvey, co-owner and EFI specialist at Dynotech.
that point so the 20th Annual Buschur Racing
ToxicFab forward facing exhaust manifold that
“And we achieved our goals with just the E98
DSM/EVO Shootout was chosen as the venue
utilizes an Inconel O2 dump housing and 3”
alone.” The fuel system wasn’t just cobbled
where they would try and hit the 9’s. They had
turndown. Heated and compressed air is forced
together either. Fed by dual Bosch Inline 044
until a few days before August 18th to get
through a ToxicFab custom 4.5” FMIC via 2.5”
Fuel Pumps from a 3 Gallon Stainless Steel Fuel
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 65
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
‘06 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Rally Sport Engine • Buschur Racing 2.0L Aluminum Long-Rod Short Block • Buschur Racing baffled OEM oil pan • Buschur Racing Ported 65mm TB • Buschur Racing Lithium Ion Mini-Battery (4.2lbs) • ToxicFab Forward Facing Exhaust Manifold • ToxicFab Inconel 02 Dump Housing for FF Manifold Kit • ToxicFab Custom 2.5” LICP for FF Manifold Kit • ToxicFab 3” Turndown Exhaust Pipe • ToxicFab 3” UICP • ToxicFab 4.5” FMIC • ToxicFab Coolant Overflow Can • ToxicFab Mini Battery Tray • ToxicFab Cam Sensor Heat Shield • STM Ported and Coated Intake Manifold • STM Oil Cooler Delete Kit • STM Small Radiator Kit • STM Oil Catch Can/Crankcase Breather • STM Press-fit AN valve cover breather adapters • STM dipstick with AN breather • STM balance shaft inspection hole AN breather adapter • Justin’s Powder Coating Wrinkle Black Valve Cover and UICP • Tial Q BOV • Hallman Pro MBC • GSC Power Division S3 Hydraulic Camshafts • Supertech Dual Valve Spring and Retainers • ARP L19 Head Studs • AEM Adjustable Cam Gear (Exhaust Cam Only) • S.S. Valve Cover Bolts • A/C Delete • AMS Power Steering Delete
66 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
ELECTRICAL The wire tuck of all wire tucks!
FUel • 2 Bosch Inline 044 Fuel Pumps • 3 Gallon Stainless Steel Fuel Cell • AMS Fuel Rail • FIC 2150cc injectors • FueLab Mini Fuel Pressure Regulator
Drivetrain • Curt Brown Racing Ceramic Wheel Bearings • ShepTrans Evo 8 3 & 4 gears • ShepTrans Built Non ACD T-case With RS LSD • Tilton Twin Carbon • AWD Motorsports Aluminum 2 Piece Driveshaft • Torque Solution Driveshaft Bushings • Torque Solution Base Shifter Bushings • Avid Motor Mounts • Buschur Racing Underhood Shifter Bushings • Buschur Racing Side Diff Support • Buschur Racing Mustache Bar • Buschur Racing Center Member • SS Clutch Lines
Suspension • AWD D2 Coilovers (AWD Motorsports Drag Spec)
Interior • Kirkey Economy Drag Racing Seat • Garcia Racing Funny Car Roll Cage • Sparco Quick Release Steering Wheel
Tires/brakes • M&T 26x8.5x15 Slicks • 20mm spacers • 15” Rota Slipstream Black • STM Front Drag Brake Kit (Scalloped Rotors) • STM Staging Brake Kit • STM Small Brakes in rear (Standard Rotor) • SS Brake lines Front and Rear • No ABS (RS)
aero • Buschur Racing Front & Rear Undertray • OEM Mitsubishi Vortex Generator • AngryAero Side Mirror block-off plates and Bumper Shutters
tuning • Stock ECU on Speed Density • Zeitronix 5bar MAP Sensor • Sparktech CDI PRO C.O.P. Kit • GM IAT Sensor • E98 Fuel
sponsors • DynoTech Tuning • Street Tuned Motorsports • ToxicFab • AngryAero • Garcia Racing • United Auto Sales • Curt Brown Racing
SHOP PROFILE
DYNOTECH About Opened in January 2011 in Seekonk, MA. Specializing in dyno tuning and performance upgrades for Mitsubishi EVO and DSM vehicles AWD/2WD Mustang Dynamometer MDAWD-500 on site. Dyno rentals available as well as in-house ECU Tuning Services.
The crew Brian Capuano Owner, Sales Manager, EFI Tuner, Service Technician, Welding , Fabrication
Services • Custom Fabrication • Welding • Hand Porting • Wiring • Auto Detailing • Suspension upgrades, adjustments and corner balancing
Scan this for more information on Dynotech!
Cody Travers Welder, Fabricator Adam Correia Sales
Jamie Harvey EFI Tuner , Electrical & Service Technician
Tyler Wolf Mechanic, Driver
Cell, fabricated in-house by Cody Travers, fuel
crew realized it was just too much to focus on at
is fed through an AMS Fuel Rail and FIC 2150cc
once and was killing his launches. They told him
injectors. Tuning was all done using the stock ECU
to ditch it and launch without it. On his 4th pass
but Tyler had plans to try an AEM standalone for
ever on the car, Tyler cut a 1.485 60’ and set a
comparison at some point in the future.
new stock turbo world record pass at 10.081 and 132mph but, unfortunately, the turbo was done.
The Event
Even with a blown turbo, Tyler tried the staging brake one more time and cut an even better 60’
The week leading up to the Shootout was
@ 1.41 but missed the 3-4 shift and any shot at
anything but drama-free. It had started on
breaking into the 9’s. After that, the turbo was
Monday night while Tyler was going through
so shot that it had no power off the 2-step and
some quarter mile simulation pulls on the
just bogged off the launch every time.
dyno. For some reason the clutch retainer clip popped off the throw out bearing. The next
But wait! That’s not the end of it. We plugged
morning they dropped the tranny, popped in
Tyler’s numbers into the DA calculator on
another clip, reinstalled the tranny, only to have
Dragtimes.com and found that when you
it happen again. Rather than try and figure
compensated for the altitude difference at Ohio
out the problem, the decision was made to get
versus Massachusetts on an “Extensively Modified
rid of the pull-style Exedy Twin Disc clutch and
Supercharged and Turbocharged Engine” the
replace it with a push-style Tilton Twin Carbon
car actually ran a 10.002 @ 134 mph! Knowing
with a hydraulic throw out bearing they pulled
that he could shave off seven hundredths using
from the shop’s drag Evo. It wasn’t exactly what
the staging brake alone means that the car was
they had wanted to use but it would allow
absolutely a 9 second car. The only thing left to
them to get down the track clean. Simulation
do is to get the time slip to prove it.
runs continued all the way up until early in the morning Thursday when they finally had to get
At the time of this writing, Tyler and Dynotech
everything loaded up and ready to for the long
have already made plans to take another shot at
drive ahead.
it at New England Dragway. A new stock turbo has been sourced but they had to add an 8.50
Everyone arrived at the event in one piece and
roll cage, scatter shield, driveshaft loop, and a
started to unload and make preparations for the
few other safety components in order to meet
Shootout. Tyler hadn’t raced in almost 3 years,
the requirements of the track. Follow along with
at this point, and never in anything this fast. To
them on Facebook as Tyler tries to complete the
make it more interesting, he’d never used slicks,
(new) record pass and hit the 9’s!
done a burnout on slicks, no-lift shifted or used a staging brake. No pressure… “I felt to achieve my goal was enormous, but once strapped in the car and a few warm up passes to get the jitters out of the way it was game time.” he said. After the first few passes using the staging brake the
Watch the World Record Pass on GoPro!
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 67
68 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Cars and Coffee What better way to spend your weekend morning Doran Dal Prali Scott Petrilli As a card carrying gearhead, my Nirvana is a car
all, however, was that everything went contrary
show. There is a palpable excitement that mate-
to Murphy’s Law. No one got hurt, the police
rializes when gearheads are in their element;
sirens remained silent and there were only a
amidst a high concentration of automobiles.
handful of unsanctioned burnouts. As the last
Earlier this year, I became consumed with the
car left, my only thought was, “This has to hap-
idea of holding a car show in Manchester, NH. I
pen again.”
felt there was a need for a car show that catered to a more performance-oriented niche, rather
Many thanks and much respect to everyone who
than to the already well-established muscle
helped make Queen City Cars & Coffee possible.
car and classic car scene. In an effort to further
It would not have happened without the assis-
differentiate this show, I decided on the early
tance of dedicated friends and family and the
morning “cars and coffee” format after seeing
support of groups like Yuppie Racing. Keep an
the success of others events hosted that way. As
eye on Facebook and the forums for the date of
a result, Queen City Cars & Coffee (QCCC) was
the next show. See you next season!
born. I was able to secure the picturesque Arms Parking Lot in downtown Manchester as the venue for the show after jumping through all the hoops and applying for the necessary permits (the lot is owned by the city). Situated next to the Amoskeag River, it is accessible from the highway and can easily accommodate even my wildest turnout projections. On a gorgeous August morning, my first ever car show kicked off. Watching the cars roll in and seeing the crowds of enthusiasts who turned out was sheer joy. About 60 cars made an appearance at the show; everything from a Ferrari 360, to a supercharged Acura NSX, to slammed Volkswagen Golfs. A contingent from Yuppie Racing made the trek to New Hampshire with several great cars including a Scion FR-S, an Audi R8 V10 and an Audi S4. I had the chance to meet many fantastic people reaffirming my love for car shows and New England’s unique strain of automotive DNA. Most satisfying of
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 69
wonder twins RUssel Phillips’ twin turbo g35 STAFF Josh Elzey
70 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
When Infiniti first introduced the fourth generation G35 to the public, it immediately became Russell Phillips’ dream car. While on a trip to Florida he saw it for the first time and confirmed that it was the car he wanted to own. From the beginning, he had sought out a car that had it all - looks, luxury, and speed - so it wasn’t long after discovering the G35 that he felt the need to have the steering wheel gripped within his hands. So, in 2005, he pulled the trigger and purchased a brand new fully-loaded G35 sports coupe. While his friends and family thought the fine-crafted automobile would sedate the 17 year old dreamer, it came as a shock to find out that it was really just the beginning. Immediately, Russell began to research his parts list and line up the very best items for the G35 coupe. It was important that no corner was cut in modifying this future tuner. Setting such a high bar led him to eventually seek out the expertise of Scott Beique, owner of Ballistic Motorsports in Bow, NH, to help put his plan into action. As the two of them sat down and laid out the build plan, Russell quickly realized that he had brought the project to the right shop. Scott was a great resource; his experience with the platform helping to provide some great ideas to help push the limits of the car’s transformation; and transform it they did. Over the span of three years they started to put the plan into action, starting with the install of a Carbonetics Triple Disk Cluch and Greddy Evo TT exhaust system. A Greddy Twin Turbo Kit was added in 2009 along with a Ballistic Motorsports custom intercooler but the boost was kept to a reasonable 4psi on the stock internals. In 2010 it was time to build up the motor. With the phrase “You gotta pay if you wanna play” in mind, the entire bottom end was upgrade with forged components. The top end was upgraded as well with a set of JWT stage 2 cams and Mrev2
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
‘06 Infiniti g35 Coupe Engine • Fully Rebuilt Short Block • Greddy Twin Turbo • Greddy E-Manage Ultimate • Deatschwerks 550cc Injectors • Wiseco Pistons .020 over • Eagle/SCAT H Beam Rods • ARP Rod Bolts • Moly coated Race Spec main & rod bearings • HKS blow Off Valve • Ballistic Motorsports’ Custom Intercooler • Fully Polished Intercooler Piping • Cosworth stopper ring head gaskets • CJ-Motorsports Stage 2 Fuel Return System • Aeromotive 340 Fuel Pump • HKS EVC-S Electronic Boost Controller • Ballistic Motorsports Custom Secondary Injection • L19 head studs • JWT cams S2 and springs/retainers • High output LED lights • Richie Highly Polished Front Strut Bar • Custom Polished Plenum • Mrev2 Intake Manifold • 5/16” Motordyne Iso Thermal Plenum Spacer • Samco Coolant Hoses • JDM Right Hand Drive Battery Cover • Nismo Racing Radiator JDM Cap • Nismo Gunmental Oil Cap • Rogue Engineering Short Throw Shift Kit • Carbonetic Triple Disk Clutch • Carbonetic Flywheel • Stainless Steel Cross Threaded Clutch Lines • Greddy EvoTT Exhaust
Suspension • Custom Work Vsxx Burning Black Rims with Polished Lip (Japan) • Red Work Short Lug Nuts • Falkon F451 Tires • Rolled Fenders • Hotchkis Front and Rear Sway Bars • Tein Coilovers • Spc Rear Cambers with Toe Kit • 350 Evo A-Arms
intake, just to name a few of the go-fast bits. When it was time to hit the rollers again, the boost was cranked up to 12psi and Russell was
Exterior • Top Secret Seibon Carbon Fiber Hood • Custom Painted Hood with Custom Paint Fade • Blue Bat 2mm Opaque Black Eye Lids • Custom Emblemless Grill • Authentic Kuruma Z Bumper • Custom 3M Clear Bra • Clear JDM Side Markers • Seibon Carbon Fiber 10mm Vented Fenders • Custom Painted Fender with Custom Paint Fade • Custom in Fender LED’s • Authentic Greddy Side Skirts • LED Street Glow Kit • 2005 Infiniti Rear Spoiler • Seibon Carbon Fiber Trunk • Blue Bat Smoked Rear Overlays • Nismo Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser
INTerior • Alpine IVA- W505 Head Unit • Alpine Imprint Audio Sound Processor • Alpine TR-7 Video Bypass • JDM Double Din Kit • Playstation 2 System • AEM AFR Gauge • AEM Boost Gauge • AEM Gauge • Greddy Turbo Timer • Custom in Dash Mounted Valentine 1 • 15% Tint • Custom Mounted Fender LED Toggle Switch • Custom Mounted LED Street Glow Toggle Switch • JL Audio 13.5” Thin Line Sub • JL Audio 300/2 Amplifier • JL Audio 500/1 Amplifier • LED Expandable Interior Kit • Custom Fiberglass Molded Sub Box
BRAKES • Infiniti Front Brake Calipers Custom Stenciled & Painted Red • Infiniti Rear Brake Calipers Custom Stenciled & Painted Red • 5mm Wheel Spacers • Hawk Performance Brake Pads
rewarded with an impressive 517whp and 474 wtq once the tune has been tweaked. Not bad for a daily driver!
paint fade applied that matches the Seibon
At the flick of a few switches, the entire vehicle
Top Secret carbon fiber vented hood and trunk.
can also be lit up with custom LED’s.
Visual appeal was just as important to Russell so,
Greddy side skirts and Nismo carbon fiber rear
after careful consideration, he special ordered a
diffuser finish off the major body mods.
custom set of JDM Work VSXX Rims from Japan.
Expect to see this car getting out on the race circuit at Limerock Speedway in Connecticut where
“All and all, I’d have to say the after market
The interior got an upgrade as well. A set of
Russell has had competitive driving training
wheels were the most tedious modification,”
AEM gauges were installed into a triple A pillar
under Skip Barber’s Performance Racing team
Russell admitted, “I wanted a more aggressive
gauge pod so that Russell could monitor boost,
these past few seasons. It’s a sure bet that once
stance than my fenders would allow so I had
oil pressure and the all-important a/f ratio. A
the rubber hits the track, there will be many
to modify them altogether.” To accomplish this,
high quality sound system was installed that
friends and family that want to come along for
Seibon wide-body (10mm) vented carbon fiber
includes Alpine and JL Audio components along
the ride and experience Russell’s vision.
fenders were installed up front with a custom
with a PS2 and custom fiberglass sub enclosure. Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 71
72 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 73
Cheap rent & Fast Cars A PEEk inside one of boston’s top performance shops STAFF Jake Williams
Dent Sport Garage has been building winning race cars for over eight years now. Led by owners Bill Washburn and Alex Grabau, DSG offers customers a unique blend of fabrication, EFI and suspension tuning and car craft that has led to tremendous success at various Hillclimb, Rally Cross, Auto-X, and Time Attack events. Specializing in Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and Honda platforms, this team of enthusiasts has got you covered, no matter what your goals are.
74 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 75
76 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 77
SHOP PROFILE
DSG - DENT SPORT GARAGE The crew Bill Washburn Co-owner, Fabricator, Engineer, Mechanic, Nissan Specialist. Alex Grabau Co-owner, Engineer, Mechanic, Mitsubishi Specialist. Nick Grabau Technician, Electrical Specialist, Mechanic, Technician, Honda Specialist. Scot Ehrlinger Technician, On-site Team Mechanic Matt Koestner Engine Tuner, EFI specialist, Engineer, Technician Ron Adams Web Developer, Subaru Enthusiast
78 • MedianMag • www.MedianMag.com
Services • Alignments/Corner Weighting • Installs/Performance Upgrades • Engine Building • Engine Swaps • Dyno Tuning/ECU Tuning • Transmission/Drivetrain • Motorsport Campaign/Race Service • Industrial Engineering • Fabrication/Cages/Exhausts • Large Builds/Complete Projects • Fluid Fittings
Fall/Winter 2012 • Inaugural Issue • 79
// Contributing shops ballistic motorsports
custom collision
dynotech
lifeline
dsg dent sport garage
new england dyno
smg motorsports
// contributing staff alex straffin
casey boyle
christian Rowell
Web developer
Photographer
Photographer
doran dal pra
greg caparell
jake williams
Writer
Photographer
Photographer
josh elzey
josh hanley
justin mcdade
Photographer
Photographer
Photographer
paul stevens
sam harrington
sean harvey
Writer
Photographer
Graphic Designer
Follow US!