RPM Magazine October 2020

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october 2020 | RPM Magazine

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.............................................................. CHRIS BIRO editor@rpmmag.com V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS.................. TRISH BIRO trish@rpmmag.com EVENT MEDIA.................................................. events@rpmmag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR........... SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpmmag.com ART DIRECTOR............................................................

JIM McHARG

Photographic Contributions: TIM LEWIS, MARK goDragRacing. org, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, MATT WOODS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, MATT TROMBLEY, LOUIS FRONKIER, BART CEPEK, PATRICK “RED” WILLIAMS, BLAKE FARNAN, JERRY GARRISON, NEIL ZIMBALDI, STEVEN TAYLOR, and EDDIE MALONEY. Editorial Contributions: TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, TOBY BROOKS, JAMES WILLIAMS, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, GEORGE PICH, JAY MISENER, and EDDIE MALONEY. Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TOBY BROOKS, and TIM BIRO.

ADVERTISING SALES For advertising information contact

TRISH BIRO...........................519.752.3705....... trish@rpmmag.com

Special Events Manager: Chris Biro events@rpmmag.com Special Events Sales: Trish Biro: 519-752-3705 trish@rpmmag.com Subscriptions/Address Changes: Circulation circulation@rpmmag.com

MEET THE RPM TEAM

PRODUCTION STAFF

RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed online.

To subscribe to RPM go to www.rpmmag.com or email Trish Biro at trish@rpmmag.com, or call 519752-3705.

The focus of RPM is to bring a diverse mix of high performance street and race automobiles to life within its pages including race cars, musclecars, hot rods and street legal machines with an emphasis on the “EXTREME,” including fast doorslammer and outlaw forms of drag racing. Not familiar with these types of cars? They are considered to be the topshelf of the industry and are on the edge with regard to design, performance, and power!

RPM Magazine does not sell its mailing list or share any of the confidential information regarding its subscribers.

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If you have a story that may fit within the focus and scope of RPM Magazine’s coverage, please email our Editor In Chief at editor@rpmmag.com.

Submission of an article does not guarantee that it will be published.

Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. (RPM) / RPM Magazine IS NOT responsible for errors or omissions in ANY advertisement or article.

Advertisements may be rearranged or altered at the sole discretion of RPM to allow the ad to fit in the space purchased by the advertiser.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY ADVERTISING WHICH WE CONSIDER TO CONTAIN MISLEADING, OFFENSIVE OR FALSE INFORMATION. REPRODUCTION OF ANY INFORMATION HEREIN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT.

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editor’s

RANT

Relive The Rant

by

Chris Biro

This month, to avoid giving you know what any more attention, one of the staff here (AKA Trish) suggested we rerun some past Rants that really seem to hit home...so here goes.

Sadly, these days you’ve just...

GOT TO KEEP YOUR GUARD UP

Yes, we’re in a global market, but it doesn’t take a slippery slimeball from halfway around the world to rip you off. We’ve seen a lot here at RPM and our best advice is to choose the people and companies you are dealing with carefully, and do as much due diligence as possible. None of us want to be that person with their guard constantly up, but it doesn’t hurt to practice some good old fashioned caution before we enter into any kind of deal.

When we started RPM 21 years ago, most of the time, people bought and sold their used parts fairly locally or within a driving distance, albeit sometimes several hours’ drive. You would have the opportunity to talk with someone on the phone and then meet face to face and get a pretty decent feel for them along with what they were selling you. Then, with the explosion of classified ads online, our selection grew and grew—but so did our chances of getting ripped off. Before long, we could purchase or sell something half a world away, but that made us somewhat vulnerable, and the scammers amped up their efforts.

Don’t get me wrong, shysters were around back when we drove to pick up our parts, too. Sometimes you made the right the call on a person and sometimes you didn’t. And if they ripped you off, you called or showed up at their door the next day and tried to set things right. If that didn’t work, you were forced to call the police or take the matter to court. The point is, there was some type of accountability. Nowadays, it is pretty tough to get that “read” on people when you don’t even know who they really are, or for that matter where they are! You can be ripped off from next door or across an ocean and not even know it happened.

Several years back, when RPM had classifieds in the mag, we got a call from someone who shipped an engine and was paid with a phony bank draft.

The scammer was so slick that he had the engine picked up by what appeared to be a legit courier driver who gave the seller what appeared to be a legit certified bank draft. By the time the seller made it to the bank and discovered the payment note was a fake, the scammer was long gone, with the engine.

And it doesn’t stop there. The scams have made their way into our personal lives, too, and they can be pretty large. We had a tradesman doing work for us not too long ago, and as we got chatting, he explained how he lost over $90,000 to a woman he met online and developed a relationship with. This guy was not stupid, not easily duped, and definitely not desperate for companionship. He was just a nice guy who thought he stumbled across his soul mate. He explained how everything was going along well and they got to know one another over quite a long period of time. There was mutual trust growing, so he didn’t bat an eye when she asked on occasion for some money here and there. Well before he knew what happened, she drained him dry.

There used to almost always be some known course of action, whether it be legal or otherwise,

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that you could take if you were ripped off, but now, with scammers hiding behind computers with an intricate web of anti-tracking techniques in place, phone numbers obtained with false information, fake names and addresses, etc., there is little chance of even locating the perpetrator, let alone bringing them to justice. Like we said, it is just best to always use caution and not rush into anything.

What about services? We’ve all heard nightmares of people getting ripped off by a shop, and quite frankly, we’ve had our share of less than favorable results with certain shops, as well. Again though, a little caution goes a long way, but it doesn’t totally protect you from being ripped off.

A few key steps can help lessen the risk, though.

Step 1, if you’re contracting work to be done, is to get references first and be sure to call them all.

Once again, be sure to call them all! Next, once a deal is struck it is imperative to get everything detailed and in writing, signed and dated by all parties. If you add or take away something make sure there is a dated email, text, or note confirming that both parties agree. This is just good business, and good protection for BOTH parties. Web searching companies and individuals names as much as possible helps, but at the same time don’t let the review of one bad customer turn you away. Remember: there are always two sides to every story. Look for a pattern of bad reviews and then go back to step 1.

There is, however, a saving grace with this new world of buying and selling, and it’s called feedback...it is instant and worldwide. You can hurt a person or company pretty badly just by using the various web forums, scammer report websites and social media to tell your story. The thing is, make sure that you have truly been done a wrong, have the evidence to back it up, and have exhausted all other avenues before creating a harmful web campaign against somebody or their business as it can ruin an entire livelihood, on either side of the deal.

That’s right: they could come back after you if your story is loose and lacks the proper evidence.

Truth be told, I’m writing this because I’m still a bit raw from getting pinched myself. With my past tour of duty in the insurance investigation field, I thought I had a solid method of separating the good from bad when it comes to character and integrity. Recently though, a few slipped through my radar and thought they could stroke me for some extra money. I generally display a kind and trusting nature (most of the time) but never, ever, mistake my kindness for weakness. In the end I did get them, but not until after they got me and I spent time and money to set things right.

Remember, if you have been legitimately scammed and you have evidence to back it, you can never get in trouble for telling as many people as possible the truth! Word of mouth is the best advertising right...and it works both ways, wink wink!

So go out and build your car, buy and sell lots of parts new and used, deal with great shops to help make your dream reality and meet lots of people doing it. Chances are 99% of them will be good, honest folks doing the same thing as you, but for that 1% that are not, please, keep your guard up!

october 2020 | RPM Magazine

ADVERTISER INDEX AED Competition ................ 77

Magnaflow......................... 96

AFR:

MagnaFuel ......................... 16

Air Flow Research .......5,56,57

Manton Pushrods .............100

AJE Racing......................... 77

Mark Williams .................... 89

American Racing Headers .. 56

Metal Products ................... 63

Aurora Bearing ................... 77

Meziere Enterprises ............ 32

AVAK/Ridgegate Tools ........ 50

Misener Motorsports ........103

Baer Brakes ...................31,66

Moser Engineering ........... 62

BES Racing Engines ............ 66

Neal Chance Converters ..... 98

Billet Specialties................. 66

Northern Radiator .............. 60

Bill Mitchell Products ....12,73

Parts Pro/Total Truck Centers ...

BoulandMotorsUSA.com .... 96

.............................. 59,89,110

C & S Specialties ................. 69

PBM Products.................... 13

Calvert Racing Suspensions 45

Piston Racing Engines ........ 89

Callies Performance Prod ... 20

Profiler ............................... 63

Canton Racing Products ..... 26

PRW-USA ........................... 96

CFE Racing Products .......... 62

Race Part Solutions .......30,73

Chassis Engineering ........... 53

Racequip ............................ 63

Clearshot Customs............103

Rage Wraps ....................... 63

Delta Performance

RAM Clutches ..................... 78

Auto Grp. ............................ 20

RCD .................................... 88

Design Engineering ............ 39

RM Racing Lubricants ....21,71

Dynotech Engineering........ 11

Ross Racing Pistons .........7,47

ECAM ...............................102

RPM Magazine ................... 23

Energy Suspension/NPW .... 52

RPM Magazine Subscribe! .. 35

Erson Cams.......................101

SG Metal Works .................. 70

GoDragRacing.org ............102

SM Racecars ....................... 97

Goodson Tools .................... 56

Steve Morris Engines ............ 2

Granatelli Motorsports ....... 61

Summit Midwest Drags ...... 51

GRP Connecting Rods ......... 67

Summit Racing Equip.

Harland Sharp .................... 38

.............................. 35,51,109

Hitman Hotrods.................. 57

Taylor Cable Products .......100

Hughes Performance............ 7 Ian Hill Racing ................... 47 Icon Forged Pistons ............ 88 Induction Solutions ............ 18 Jesel ................................... 48 Joe Van O............................ 57 JW Racing Transmissions ...... 5 Karbelt ............................... 77 Kinsler Fuel Injection.....13,63 LenTech Automatics ......38,70 Liberty’s Gears .................. 70 Lokar Performance ............ 66 Lutz Race Cars ................. 102

T & D Machine .................... 71 The Supercharger Store ...... 71 Ti64 .................................... 99 Tom’s Upholstery ................ 48 Total Seal Rings .................. 10 Trailer Alarms.com ............. 88 Trick Flow ......................15,97 Tuned By Shane T ............... 65 Ultimate Headers ............... 77 VFN Fiberglass Inc. ............. 62 Weinle Motorsports ........... 17 World Products................... 67

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October

2020

Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 21 STRAIGHT YEARS RPM Magazine has been the ORIGINAL Voice Of Wild Street Machines and Extreme Drag Cars WORLDWIDE! Don’t Settle For Less! We DELIVER Insane Fast Cars and Bring You NO POLITICS... JUST ACTION! Your ONLY “Real Time” “Real World” Car Mag...PERIOD!

Fast Back.............................................................

54 Steve Willingham’s all Ford ’67 Mustang puts the Fast in Fastback!

Open Road Ragtop..................................................... 8

Blue Madness 2.0 Lives! .......................... 42 It’s done and it IS Epic! Introducing Troy LaCrone’s Blue Madness 2.0.

Cool Coyote .................................................................. 28

You Get More Bees With Honey ......... 74 Ryan Honey’s big tire Chevelle is ready for grudge race action!

This rare Chevy II droptop is a killer street machine that can hurt feelings at the track, too!

Tim Flanders’ Stang is about as Ford as you can get, now!

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PART TWO

Don’t settle! Build your project for you.

Shannon Poole will be back racing his 1964 Corvette!

Project Pace Car Race Car: Part 5: Camshaft and Heads

READ COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG ONLINE AT WWW.RPMMAG.COM 6

october 2020 | RPM Magazine

+

CUSTOM IN STOCK PISTONS

TRUSTED BY THE FASTEST RACERS, ELITE ENGINE BUILDERS AND HIGHEST HORSEPOWER MACHINES ON THE PLANET, FOR OVER 40 YEARS!

WWW.ROSSPISTONS.COM | 310.536.0100 SALES@ROSSPISTONS.COM ONLINE

FACEBOOK.COM/ROSSPISTONS @ROSSPISTONS

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This rare Chevy II droptop is a killer street m 88

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machine that can hurt feelings at the track, too! www.rpmmag.com

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A

ny Chevy II is rare, but a ’63 convertible is definitely unique.

Original is not what New York’s Paul Simpson was after, though, not even close. Simpson wants to drive the car, but also have the available power to do pretty much whatever he wants when it comes to a callout.

“The fact is, I built this car with the hydraulic roller cam, 3.50 rear gears and to run on pump gas for a reason,” says Simpson, “because I love to drive it!

A few days a week it’s on the streets, then it’s completely capable of driving to the track and running 7-second/180mph ¼-mile hits.”

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Eye-burning custom bright red paint work was completed by Modena Collision.

The black convertible roof contrasts with the bright red paint, and the entire car pops from the graffiti backdrop during our photoshoot. www.rpmmag.com

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After losing a 1964 Nova in a garage fire, Simpson located this ’63 rolling chassis in Maryland and immediately snapped it up. While most would be happy to re restore the 1963 Nova with a 500-horse or so engine to drive, Simpson went in another direction, more to the tune of 1,800 horsepower.

After all, it would only be fitting since he is the owner of House Of Power, where he completed all the fabrication work on the car.

Two years after starting work on the Nova it was jaw dropping gorgeous outside with a 427 LS and twin 72mm turbos under the hood. Doing all the fabrication work himself, Simpson admits there are some challenges with the platform. “Making everything fit in one of the smallest engine bays I’ve worked with, all while trying to keep everything as aesthetically pleasing to the eye and as symmetrical as possible, was the hardest part of the build,” he admitted.

Simpson’s goal when fabricating the turbo system piping was to keep it pleasing to the eye and as symmetrical as possible…nailed it!

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The Nova was dropped down which resulted in almost no rake to its stance.

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Inside, an owner built 25.5 Cert cage surrounds the driver and passenger.

A Holley EFI dash is the only info source required.

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The car was back-halved and tubbed by Simpson.

A Dart block 421 LS was shoehorned between the factory confines of the Nova, if that’s not enough, then Simpson added twins.

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The Mickey T radials are tucked way up in the wheelwells of the Nova.

A fabricated 9-inch is hung by a 4-link and coilover shocks.

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New trim was in order throughout and the investment paid off with a nice clean finished product.

When I was tall enough to reach the pedals, I was grabbing gears on our deadend street Paul grew up with hot rods in his driveway and his father would always have at least one Chevelle or Nova when he was growing up. “When I was tall enough to reach the pedals, I was grabbing gears on our deadend street,” he said with a smile. Simpson started turning wrenches around the same time and never stopped. While he’s an Iron Worker by day, he runs his shop helping buddies build and tune their cars as well as building his own during off hours.

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The Nova was first back-halved with a Chris Alston eliminator kit along with the fabrication of the 25.5 (7.50 ET certified) chromoly roll cage. Moving rearward, a four-link rear suspension with 7� inch stroke custom valved coilover shocks hangs a fabricated 9� Ford diff with 40 spline gun drilled axles, Strange center section and 3.55 gears. A complete bolt-on front clip

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with struts and spindle mounts was used up front.

Appearance wise, sunglasses are recommended when the paint hits you on a sunny day! All body and the bright red paint was completed at Modena Collision In Modena New York and a black convertible roof and most of the original trim pieces were replaced to bring the car back to better than new condition.

Thompson Motorsports in Texas built a Dart block based 427ci LS (in the neighborhood of 1800hp) with a billet crank and rods and Frankenstein cylinder heads. A G1Pro custom air to water sheet-metal intake

Simpson admitted he had to work in the tightest engine bay confines he ever encountered when building the ’63, and when you look at the headers and hot side of the turbo you can feel his pain.

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Paul Simpson’s 1963 Chevy II Convertible Street/Strip Chassis Type & Mods:

Chris Alston Eliminator to back-half. Also has Chris Alston bolt-on front clip with spindle mount struts and custom brakes. 25.5 Chromoly roll cage with NHRA 7.50 CERT.

Nelson Racing twin mirror image 72 mm turbo’s with owner fabricated custom turbo system piping.

Electronics: Holley EFI.

Suspension:

Transmission & Converter:

Body & Paint:

Rear Differential:

Four-link rear suspension with a 7-inch stroke custom valve shocks. Veri shock canister spindle mount struts up front.

Paint and body was done at Modena Collision in Modena, New York.

Engine:

Thompson Motorsports in Texas provided a Dart based 427ci LS with billet crank and rods and Frankenstein cylinder heads. G1Pro custom air to water sheet-metal intake manifold. The engine is rated for 1800hp.

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Power Adder & Induction:

october 2020 | RPM Magazine

Transmission is a custom built Powerglide with an aftermarket case and gear set built by Raymond Doughty.

Fabricated 9-inch rearend with 40 spline gun drilled axles, Strange HD aluminum center section and Pro 3.55 gears.

Years Racing: 17 Division/Class Run: Street car/no prep

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The team showing off the car, and their colors. From left to right: TJ Dirago from Modena Collision, Paul Simpson and Paul’s girlfriend Stacey O’Keefe “who puts up with the thousands of hours that I put into the cars”.

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Simpson does a no prep hit at a local event. The car can run mid 7-second quarter mile ETs.

manifold was used along with a pair of mirror image 72mm turbos. A custom Powerglide transmission built by Raymond Doughty with an aftermarket case and gear set transfers the boosted power rearward. Tuning wise, Paul handles it all himself with ease through a complete Holley system.

The Chevy II sees track time in any type of street car or no-prep class it will fit into, but for Simpson it’s also about the streets. “The car is street driven a lot,” Simpson reiterated. “It’s extremely fun to drive and very well-mannered on pump E85.

There’s nothing like cruising around Saturday night ’til 2AM, you know, 5 to 10 guys side by side at every light or any straight stretch of road.”

RPM

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A fairly unassuming almo exactly what Tim Flande his boosted Coyot

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he first line of this story will shock many readers, but here it is, brace yourselves; “The car had a 454ci LS engine that I ran naturally aspirated before my 2019 rebuild, when I put in a boosted Ford Coyote engine,” said Tim Flanders. Whoa whoa whoa, what did this guy just say? He swapped OUT his LS for a Ford motor?

“Purists rejoice, raise your arms to the sky and give thanks for making guys like Tim Flanders come

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ost stock 1986 GT Mustang is ers wants you to think about te powered Fox Body.

There’s just something about the look of four-eye Mustang. 1986 was the last year for them.

Oh oh, a parachute, that could mean one of two things, it’s for show or go. We choose the latter.

Chris and Trish Biro

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to their senses,” said the anonymous hardcore Ford guy who lives in his mom’s basement.

“He must be on some type of thought altering spell, or drugs, or something!” exclaimed the unnamed world domination Chevy guy.

All kidding aside, how often to do you see someone swap to an LS, and then return to a Ford mill, especially in a Fox Body Stang?

Not very! Well Tim Flanders is that guy and his slick, ultra-clean badass turbo Coyote Mustang will have a bunch of those LS swap

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october 2020 | RPM Magazine

The GT looks new inside, even the factory steering wheel remains intact. Race buckets have been covered with a gray tweed to match the factory vibe.

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Such a clean install of the boosted Coyote engine combo looks like it belongs there from the factory.

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A ported Boss 302 intake was used along with factory unported cylinder heads.

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Complete details available in the Customer Service section of SummitRacing.com, talk via Live Chat, or Call.

1-800-230-3030 www.rpmmag.com

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MAF Racing handled the custom 12-point cage work along with pretty much everything else except the paint.

Stangs peeing themselves when he rips off 8.80 ETs, and then drives home, with his trailer in tow, of course!

Flanders, from Battle Creek Michigan, tell us that he has owned the car for 20 years and had a ton of fun with it from stock to where it is now. “Over the past 20 years the Mustang has had 6 different engine combos,” he said, “But this one is the most fun yet!”

A first look at the car and the one thing that will alert you to the power within is…nope, nothing, it’s an ’86 GT with little cowl hood, some wider tires out back and skinnies up front, and maybe 36

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a little bigger tailpipes, with mud flaps. Three out of four of these (save the mud flaps) would be the first things that any one of us would do to a ’79-93 Mustang the first year we owned it. Hmmm, what’s this package out back? A parachute! What about those bars inside the hatch? Wait a minute, something’s going on here.

Flanders not only enjoys the shock and awe of selling a good ole “sleeper” tale on the streets with the unassuming look of his Mustang, but he’s also taken a liking to tour style events where the car is driven long distances and then raced at various tracks along

the route while he sits in air conditioned comfort, of course.

The car is an original bodied 1986 GT that, as we mentioned, has been in Flanders’ possession for over 20 years. The very mild 2” Fibertrends fiberglass hood gives the GT a bit more breathing room under the hood, not to mention a very slight indication that it is not entirely stock. The unique and eye catching Avalanche Grey RM BASF skin, that had the RPM office staff asking if it was offwhite or light blue, was applied by Southern Michigan Auto Body.

Structurally speaking, the car can handle some power, but at

All turbo piping was handled by MAF Racing. The satin black gives the piping a less prominent look under the hood but there’s no mistaking the large aluminum turbo housing (right)

A MAF 3” aluminum exhaust with a pair of their 3” mufflers gives the Coyote a distinct tone. www.rpmmag.com

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the same time Flanders was sure to keep it a real stock chassis GT. MAF Racing expertly handled the custom 12-point cage along with parachute mount and trailer hitch, among other things, but more on that later.

Up front the Mustang rides on a Team Z K-member, narrowed control arms and Strange double adjustable struts, while a Team Z housing 9� with Strange 40 spline gun drilled axles and Pro 3.50 gears is hung by factory-location Team Z springs with double adjustable shocks out back.

The Coyote under the Fox’s hood started with a Gen 1 Ford Racing Sportsman block. A factory crank spins Manley H beam rods pinned to Diamond 11.5:1 pistons. Cylinder heads are factory unported heads with Ferrea Valves and PAC springs. Stock Mustang cams were also used and a factory Boss 302 intake was ported and mated to a 90mm Accufab throttle body.

MAF Racing stepped in once again to create the custom turbo kit for the Forced Inductions billet S480 turbo and there is no intercooler, but Flanders added a water/meth injection system.

A Capizzi TH400 transmission with JW bellhousing, Ultimate Converter Concepts 9.5inch converter, Meziere billet heat exchanger pan and GV overdrive unit transfers the boosted Coyote power rearward through a CCI Driveline 4-inch aluminum driveshaft.

Electronics consist of a Holley EFI Dominator system, Smart Coils, FIC 1650 injectors, Firecore50 wires and a 7-inch Holley dash. And

Factory hood graphics and body side molding, not to mention mud flaps reinforce the very tame appearance for the Mustang. www.rpmmag.com

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Tim Flanders 1986 Ford Mustang GT – Street/Strip Chassis Type & Mods:

Exhaust:

Wheels/Tires:

Electronics:

Factory 1986 body. MAF Racing custom 12-point cage. MAF Racing parachute mount and trailer hitch.

Bogart Welded RT wheels 15-4 15-8 MAF Racing custom carbon inlay, also have CCW 18” street wheels for driving to track. Mickey Thompson front, 26-6 275 Pro rear.

Suspension:

Front - Team Z K member, narrowed arms, coilovers 12-175, Strange DA struts, MAF Racing K member spacers. Rear Team Z rear housing with control arms factory location Team Z springs, Strange DA shocks.

Low-dollar shock sensors.

Body & Paint:

H.O. Fibertrends 2” hood, Paint by Southern MI Auto Body Climax MI Thanks to Greg, Terry, Marvin, Nick.

Avalanche Grey RM BASF

Engine:

Coyote Gen 1 Ford Racing Sportsman block, factory Crank, Manley H beam rods, Diamond 11.5 pistons.

Stock Mustang cams and un-ported factory heads with Ferrea valves and PAC springs. Cobra Jet oil pump, ARP fasteners, Moroso oil accumulator and oil pan (Driven FR50 oil), ATI balancer and Mechman alternator. MAF Racing custom radiator and cooling system.

Induction:

Ported Boss 302 intake, 90mm Accufab TB, MAF Racing custom intake tube.

Power Adder:

Forced Inductions billet S480 1.32, Water Meth, no intercooler. MAF Racing Custom Turbo Kit. 1 3/4 stainless headers 2.5 stainless crossover, Street Car Fabrication turbo flange. 4” MAF Racing stainless down pipe with custom oval fender exit, Tial dual 38mm wastegates, Tial BOV.

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3” MAF Racing dual aluminum exhaust and tailpipes, 3” MAF Racing aluminum mufflers.

Holley EFI Dominator, Smart Coils, FIC 1650 injectors, Firecore50 wires, 7” Holley Dash,

Transmission & Converter:

Capizzi Th400 2.48 with JW bellhousing, Ultimate Converter Concepts 9.5” converter, Meziere Billet heat exchanger pan and Gear Vendors overdrive. CCI Driveline 4” aluminum driveshaft with Metco motorsports driveshaft loop.

Rear Differential:

Team Z housing, Strange 9” 40 spline gun drilled. Pro HD 3.50 gear.

Miscellaneous:

Vintage Air HVAC with custom MAF Racing ducts and lines. Kirkey seats. Delta PAG dual 12” fans and controller, Fore Triple 03-04 Cobra fuel pumps, Fragola PTFE fuel lines, Wilwood vented front, solid rear brakes. Trucklite LED headlamps.

Other Important Information about the Vehicle: Everything done in house at MAF Racing other than paint. Driven to and from track with trailer in tow.

Thanks to my tolerant wife Kristin for the time this car consumes.

Best ET & MPH:

8.829 153.38 1.262 60’ 5.64 124.07 1/8th

How Many Years Racing: 19 years

Ace RPM photog Matt Trombley captured the Mustang in a perfect setting. Check out the partial reflection of the car in the still puddle.

those “almost” stock looking dual exhaust tailpipes we mentioned, they are 3” fabricated aluminum and are also a creation of MAF Racing along with their aluminum mufflers.

When all is said and done Tim Flanders has car that he can drive on the street and drag on the strip reliably to the tune of 8.829 at 153.38 MPH in the quarter-mile with a 1.262 second 60-foot time, and 5.64 at 124.07 in the 1/8th.

And that my friends definitely makes this one Cool Coyote!

RPM

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PART 5

BLUE MADNESS 2.0 LIVES!

By Troy LaCrone

We catch up once again with Troy LaCrone on rebuilding his 7-second Blue Madness Camaro after a crash last year left it completely destroyed. Last month, Troy informed us that they were thrashing like madmen (and women) to get the car done, but at the same time they wanted to be sure that it was done right, so they would have to skip a month in RPM in order to allow this happen. Troy promised it would be epic, and it is, so without further ado we present to you “Blue Madness 2.0”.

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The completed Blue Madness Camaro has a mean stance for a street car that must still traverse speed bumps and pot holes in the roads across America. The rear end was narrowed 4.5” inches more than before which helped tuck the 33.5X17 tires in further as well as lower the rear of the car.

A Lifetime of Family Race Stories: What leads a team of people to thrash for six months to return a car to its’ former glory? What drives each of them to make it even better than before? What justifies the time and financial investments to create a masterpiece of a Pro Street car given these time constraints?

I can tell you the answer to those questions without hesitation. It’s a passion and love for cars. Blue Madness is part of my family.

Speaking of family, this emotional come-back story really began with my Dad, Mike LaCrone. I can remember riding dirt bikes when I was very young with my

Dad. Usually the drive to and from our ride would be filled with Dad telling street racing stories.

He was awesome at telling them and I was a good listener. Back in his street racing days of the 1960s and 70s things were different, but in some regards the same, too. I will cherish every story and most all of them I somehow memorized because I could repeat them to this day. My first car Dad and I bought together was when I was just 14 years old. I kicked in some cash I had from mowing lawns and Dad covered the rest. It was a blue 1969 Camaro Z-28 (clone).

It had a rod knocking and we paid $700 for it. We built a basic 355 small block with a Competition

I picked the car up from Monehan’s Autobody for a crazy week at my shop. We painted the entire under-carriage, the inner body, cage, front frame, suspension, etc., all in one long week and I worked 45 hours for my career as well. I could not have got it all done, but Logan Dierker, Austin Fransico, and Dylan Whited each helped. In this pic, it was about 5:30am and my wife came out to ask if I was going to make it to bed from the night before, I ended up sleeping 45 minutes, from 6am to 6:45am before going to work. That’s one of countless examples of what it took to get this car done.

Having the lift in my shop is a game changer. We use it constantly and I do not know how I lived without one.

An example of the level of detail on the Camaro. This is just ahead of the rear wheels where Beilman made the car strong and safe.

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The front Subframe is a Smith Racecraft bolt-on unit that has been modified by Beilman Fabrication. The front left was badly damaged from the wreck requiring replacement of several bars.

It is as good as new now.

Pictured is the painted cage and the carbon fiber wheel tubs and accent pieces. The interior is all business, but looks impressive due to the attention to detail throughout.

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Undercarriage after the motor was installed. It is as clean and well organized as the top side.

Beilman built Fab 9” rearend, 40 spline with Strange HD 3rd member.

Cams High Energy 268 cam, Edelbrock intake, Holley 650 double pumper, and Heddman headers. It was mated to a 350 turbo trans that sent power to an open 10 bolt rear end. Was it fast? Heck no, but it was paradise for a 14-year-old gearhead in the making and many people were slower. By the time I was a sophomore in high school I had a second gen Camaro that I street raced every weekend. We sprayed nitrous almost non-stop through it with no clue what we were doing. Timing retard – did not even know the concept. At

The chassis paint crew, pictured left to right, Troy, Austin, and Logan.

Kinetic Engineering Penske shocks

by Chris Bell. that age, myself and my buddy Tom Monehan were already pushing things past the point our Dad’s had done. His Dad Gary would say, “you drive it like a race car, you work on it like a race car.” We could break the engine street racing Friday night, rebuild the entire thing and be back racing the next night. We were full of ambition, we just lacked money.

After high school I enlisted in the United States Army. For 5 years I told my racing stories to anyone who would listen all over the world.

When I became a civilian again, I

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Blue Madness not blue for the last time as it leaves my shop enroute back to Monehan Autobody for final blocking and paint.

The trunk features a custom large fuel cell, an XS 16 volt battery, trailer hitch wiring, and some cage bars.

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Firewall ARC switch panel that enables the car to be started from under the hood.

Final Paint. Tom’s downdraft booth produces extremely clean finishes and he is a master with a paint gun. The car looked impeccable even before it was buffed. All gaps are perfect and all panels are perfectly straight. There is not a straighter car that’s ever been built. The front clip and doors come off in minutes with Dzus fasteners.

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The interior is starting to take shape in this photo. I had Beilman add a lot of carbon fiber because he prefers the look of it and it is also light weight. Also pictured, Racepack IQ3 Street dash with GPS and nitrous controller.

(Note that the passenger seat is not in when this pic was taken) purchased a stock 1990 Mustang GT that I turned into a low 10 second streetcar. I have had well over 50 hot rods since.

Many turbo and twin turbo builds and a bunch of nitrous stuff. Prior to Blue Madness, I built a 1971 Camaro (same exact color scheme as Blue Madness)

that reminded me of my high school car. I raced it a lot and owned it for around 5 years. For me, that is a long time because I get bored. It ran 9.19 @ 146mph and gained some national attention. The car also went 1.208 60’ on 10.5” tires and Lakewood slapper bars, foot braking! continued on page 52

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We installed the 632 engine that makes right at 1,300hp NA and around 2,000 when it is ingesting nitrous via the two Induction Solutions stages of giggle juice. Jim Gray fixed the engine after the wreck and made sure it was 100%. The Nowak / Straub built all-aluminum 580 is currently at Nowak’s dyno room and on a moment’s notice is ready for action.

BACKGROUNDER Blue Madness from the Beginning: I paid $15,000 for the car back in 2013. It had a new GM 572 crate motor, 400 trans, and 9” rear end. The owner / builder was losing a battle with cancer and made some large credit card purchases to be able to drive the car before he met his maker.

He achieved that, before he passed, he sold it to a buddy. The car mostly sat in a barn until I purchased it.

Later the car in part helped me beat

a serious medical condition. The Camaro, me, and Tom Monehan completed a Top 3 finish at Drag Week in 2017 when I was really too sick to even be driving at all. In 2018, we finished 2nd place and ran 7’s every day. The car has cruised at DuQuoin, IL Street Machine Nationals for hours and hours, then, driven to the Benton, IL I-57 track that is about 30 miles from there only to rip off 4 -

Blue Madness about a month after I purchased it in 2013. I tried to make the red work, but the body work, bubbles, etc were so bad that Tom and I decided to fix the body and paint the car blue.

second passes and then drive back to the Nationals for more cruising and ice cream. We were pitted next to some great guys with a fast LS Camaro. They said, “hey dude, where is your trailer?” We said, “no trailer, we drove it here”. They said, “holy crap!

Is it fast?” We replied, “we just called out the fastest car here for $500, so I sure hope so.” Imagine their surprise when we drove around him at about 300’ to take the win!

This is my 2nd Gen I built around 2004. It ran 9.19 @146 with a 434 small block. We cruised it everywhere, this pic is from The Street Machine Nationals in Springfield, MO. Blue Madness is painted the same colors.

I recently replaced the Fox Body I built after becoming a civilian again. This car is mint, ultra low miles and makes over 600hp compliments of boost. It is an all around fun car that’s getting hard to find.

My shop is a dream come true. I grew up wrenching on cars in our driveway or the street. We had no shop. I wanted one for a lifetime, now I have a 52x80 space that has heat, air, full bathroom, etc., where I can enjoy working on cars. www.rpmmag.com

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The Team:

We have a top-notch team of like-minded people. The decision to fix the car was not just one for me to make. It started with Marc Beilman of Beilman Fabrication asking; Do you want to fix the car? Monehan’s Autobody – do you want to do the paint and body work? Chris Nowack, do you want to wire it and help assemble? Jim Gray of Bullet Racing Engines, can you get all the sand out of my engine and get it back to new?

Chris Straub of Straub Technologies – do you want to help source parts I need? THEY ALL SAID HECK YES! Furthermore, not one person signed up begrudgingly, they each signed up with excitement and commitment to make it happen. I have a job on the team, and

I do my best at it. But the reality is the group behind the car is by far the best thing we have to offer.

What you see in the pictures is about as nice as you can make a Pro Street hot rod, it is far too nice to be a race car. It belongs in a museum somewhere. The build quality and level of detail is at the highest level. My team came together to make a dream come true for a broke racer. I made an expensive mistake and my team stepped up to fix it. This is a product of their great passion. Also, companies like Be Cool, Classic Industries, XS Batteries, Larry Hodge Wheels all stepped up to help make this rebuild happen. This entire story and series can be dedicated to my Dad, my very understanding wife, and my team that made this happen.

The roll cage that protects me no matter the situation I find myself in.

Perfect door to quarter gap created by Monehan Autobody.

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We’ll need a parachute to slow the car down at 180-200mph, and wheelie bars to help the car not take flight again.

GM factory door handles with custom built mechanisms to open the lightweight Glasstek doors.

The 7SEC-68 license plate tells the whole story.

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Early Shakedown: Blue Madness 2.0 Blue Madness 2.0: First Street Drive

It was my first car to be featured in a magazine.

Well, Blue Madness (the original version) was my replacement for this second gen and took me back to old school, carbureted, loud, rowdy, ground shaking, and

cool. Indeed, the car has added to a long collection of racing stories. Memories that will never be forgotten and 2.0 will continue that journey and write a new chapter that is sure to be remarkable.

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We wasted no time shaking the car down and started street testing and cruising it and then went to the track to start testing. My first pass was an 8.18 lifting at the 1/8th mile mark followed by two 7-second passes on a small a-to-b tune-up.

When all is said and done this is the final product of our 6 months of intense labor. www.rpmmag.com

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Story by George Pich Photos by David Gates

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Sometimes you see a car that has that combination of all things good, and it leaves a lasting impression.

For us power junkies here at RPM, it’s not usually because it’s a mega-award winning show car that rarely (if ever) sees driving duty. Instead, we like ‘em to look good, have the power to match those good looks, and most importantly, have some level of “cred” (be it street or strip) to back it all up. Well, Steve Willingham’s ’67 Mustang has all of the above, and then some!

First, let’s talk about the car.

Sure, it’s an iconic first generation Mustang, but it’s more than that, it’s a Fastback Mustang! No

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The deep black paint on this wicked ’67 Fastback Mustang fades into the surroundings as night falls during our photo shoot.

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[Top] This car runs fast on a small radial tire. Actually, the Mustang is campaigned in a number of radial tire classes, plus any other type of class it will fit in at Willingham’s local track, MIR. 58 58

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[Above] The chute and wing are necessary for the dragstrip and the plate makes the car legal for street driving, which Steve does often.

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disrespect whatsoever to other brand accomplishments, but it’s a fact that the success of the Mustang led to the development of the Camaro, Challenger, Firebird, and even the AMC AMX and Javelin.

“Fastback” just sounds, well, fast. It’s hard to say with 100% certainty who it was that actually came up with that single word that changed the way we looked at cars forever, but I am sure they had no idea of the scope of the movement they started. In 1965 it was labeled a Fastback 2+2 but would soon become simply “Fastback”. Not only did the term sound fast, but the car itself was given a sweeping rear body design and rear window that looked fast and wowed the automobile world, especially those interested in the emerging North American performance car market.

Willingham’s car may not get any “most original muscle car” awards, but it’s got a whole fistful of other ways to kick ass and take names. Like maybe the twin turbo 521 big block Ford mill between the rails…yeah, that would do it!

The Mustang is a factory body tub, floor and front framerail car, that just happens to run sixes in the ¼-mile!

A well fortified Ford 9” is suspended by a wishbone 4-link and adjustable coilover shocks.

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Side ground effects and side exit exhaust were added to the Mustang a year or so ago.

The big block and twin turbos makes for a tight fit when it comes to trying to find a place for the radiator and fans.

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Trick photo work of photographer David Gates gives a cool transparent effect.

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A trick custom one-off v-shaped radiator sits front and center under the hood.

Up front tubular control arms and coilover shocks control the ride for race and street.

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That there is what 512 inches of Ford big block power looks like. A 4.5� bore C&C Motorsports block houses a forged crank, aluminum rods and Diamond 10:1 pistons.

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Twin canons in the form of 88mm Gen 2 Precision Pro Mod turbochargers flank the big block Ford mill.

It’s easy to miss the twin turbos behind the grill at first glance. www.rpmmag.com

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Two 500lb injectors per cylinder inject a healthy amount of alcohol into the big block. Air travels via an Accufab throttle body and custom hat to join the party before the mixture reaches the massive cylinder heads that flow 530cfm.

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The cool factor of having original interior components in a six-second street car blows our minds.

And an original GT350 wood steering wheel is icing on the cake.

It was back in 2003 when this Fastback would find a home with Steve, first as a street driver and a bit later as a bracket car after it was back-halved

by Ken Kier Race Cars. Not too long after that, Willingham would put together a BBF nitrous combo to compete in the early days of Pump Gas Drags and Friday night Drags at MIR. Next up was a rear suspension re-do for drag radial classes and a trunk-mounted turbo setup which eventually led to the big block Ford alcohol twin turbo combination (mounted up front) now being used to run Limited and Outlaw Drag Radial along

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It’s a family effort on Steve’s Mustang, from left to right: Grandchildren Jordyn, Gage and Andrew, wife Teresa, and Steve.

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We’re sure Steve has proven this on more than one occasion. with Pro 275 and any other class the car can fit into. And since this isn’t a no-time or grudge car, we can safely (without having a contract put out on us) say that this Fastback is fast! How fast you ask?

How about 6.56 @ 218 mph in the ¼-mile fast. Now that’s fast!

The slick, miles deep Dupont 99K base coat clear coat black skin was applied by Tim Brooks at Surefit after he tackled the bodywork, of course. The car is an original survivor steel body and floor plans with factory firewall and stock front framerails. Various lightweight bolt-on and pin-on panels have been added in the interest of weight savings, in particular the

Aftermarket gauges and controls have been worked into the original dash face which is covered by an original pad. www.rpmmag.com

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Sunoco style scoop hood that intentionally hides the true potential of this horse.

Chassis wise, we’ve already covered that it’s stock firewall and front framerails, but it’s the SFI Spec 25.5 chromoly back-half/4-link by Drummond Race Cars that enables the Fastback to bang off 6-second ETs at the drop of a hat, or lights for that matter. A wish bone setup and Pro Mod anti roll bar with Menscer canister double adjustable coil over shocks suspend a braced Ford 9” with Mark Williams aluminum bolt through center section, 9.5” 3.90

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Pro gears and 40 splined Mark Williams axles and spool. Up front, tubular a-arms with double adjustable coil over shocks were used with rack and pinion steering.

Now for the fun stuff….

The 521-inch big block Ford (yes Steve bleeds Ford blue) is also a product of Drummond Race Cars and started with a 10.3-deck aluminum C&C Motorsports block with 4-1/2” bore. A 4.125” stroke Valasco crank with hemi style rod journals swings monster 6.90 aluminum MGP rods pinned to 4.5” Diamond

The sweeping “Fastback” was a Mustang design feature that started a revolution in the automotive industry that still exist to today.

STEVE WILLINGHAM TRACK BURNOUT AND PASS

The car has a large fuel cell installed that enables street cruising in the Mustang. Aside from that, there’s room for a battery and cooler tank.

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Steve Willingham 1967 Ford Mustang Street/Strip

Chassis Type & Mods:

Power Adder:

Suspension:

Electronics:

SFI Spec 25.5 chromoly, half tubbed, back-half, 4-link.

Stock firewall, stock front frame rails, steel floor pans.

Work completed by Drummond Race Cars.

Front A-Arm with stock frame rails and Mark Menscer double adjustable coilover shocks. Rear 4-link with a wish bone style, Pro Mod anti roll bar with Menscer canister double adjustable coilover shocks. Completed by Drummond Race Cars.

Body & Paint:

Paint is Dupont 99K base coat clear coat black. All body & paint is done by Tim Brooks at Surefit.

Engine:

521 cu BBF - 10.3 Deck aluminum C&C Motorsports block with 4-1/2” bore. 4-1/8” Stroke Valasco crank hemi style rod journals. Aluminum MGP rods 6.90 length, 4-1/2” Diamond pistons with 10.1 compression ratio. Ford Motorsports aluminum C heads that flow 530 cfm with Manley custom exhaust valves & Victory titanium intake valves. Bullet custom grind tool steel turbo cam. Jezel 937 roller lifters, Trend 9/16” double wall push rods and T&D aluminum, 1.80 ratio rocker arms. Built by Steve Drummond at Drummond Race Cars.

Induction and Fuel Delivery:

Accufab throttle body. Atomizer 500 lbs injectors for alcohol. Intake is Ford Motorsports cast iron.

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Twin 88 mm Gen2 Precision Pro Mod turbos that are good for 1650 hp each. No intercooler as it runs on alcohol.

Big Stuff 3, MSD Grid, MSD HVC-2 coil, MSD BBF distributor, MSD crank trigger. Boost controller is an AMS2000. Racepak for recording runs.

Transmission & Converter:

Proformance Turbo 400 2-speed with high gear leave starting line option. Also, their Billet dump valve system for easy spooling on the starting line was used.

Converter is a Pro Torque billet aluminum bolt-together Ev-1R.

Rear Differential:

Braced Ford 9” with Mark Williams aluminum bolt through center section with a 9-1/2” 3.90 Pro gear and 40 splined Mark Williams axles and spool.

Thanks To:

I need to thank my crew as I could not run my car without them - Andrew Willingham, Harry Welch, Dickie Smith, Tim Brooks, and my wife and grandkids, Teresa, Jordyn & Gage.

Vehicle Owner/Driver Info/History: Racing since 1983.

Best ET & MPH:

6.56 @ 218 mph in the 1/4 mile @ World Cup event.

10.1 compression pistons. Cylinder heads are heavily massaged Ford Motorsport aluminum C heads that flow 530 cfm with Manley custom exhaust valves & Victory titanium intake valves. A Bullet custom grind tool steel turbo cam activates Jesel 937 roller lifters and Trend 9/16” double wall push rods. The heads are topped off with T&D aluminum 1.80 ratio rocker arms.

Added power comes via twins. To be exact, twin Precision 88mm Gen2 turbochargers. Running alcohol, there’s no need for a cooler and the intake manifold is actually a cast Ford piece modified to accept two (500lb) injectors per cylinder. All that air is jammed through an Accufab

throttle body and a custom hat.

Backing the extreme torque produced by the boosted big block is an extreme duty trans from Proformance Transmissions. Steve chose one of their Turbo 400 2-speeds with high gear leave starting line option along with their billet dump valve system for easy spooling on the starting line.

Steve Willingham’s potent twin turbo big block Fastback street car easily buries the needle on the RPM MAG cool-o-meter, and we’ve already told you the good news – 6.56 at 218mph! So here’s the bad news; wait, there is no bad news, unless you’re in the other lane, of course.

RPM

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RYAN HONEY’S BIG TIRE CHEVELLE IS READY FOR GRUDGE RACE ACTION! Story by George Pich / Photos By Matt Trombley

W

hile so many people were wallowing in their self-pity, complaining that they had nothing to do during the shutdowns of the pandemic, Ryan Honey seized the opportunity to do, what else, work on his hot rod!

And that says a lot, considering the car was 95% freshly complete when the Covid restrictions took hold. “We made things stronger,” tells Honey. “We took the time to pull the motor and moved what we could onto a Dart block with a Crower crank, Callies Ultra rods and JE custom pistons.

It was seventeen years ago when Ryan’s dad, Lee John Honey, bought the 1972 Chevelle from his brother, Michael Honey. “It took my dad nearly a year to rebuild and when it came time to paint my pappy, Tommy Ziegenfus, came over to help buff it. My mom, Jody Honey, drove it around for many years before giving it to me.” Now that is a family car! www.rpmmag.com

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When the Chevy was given to Ryan he was sure to keep the family spirit alive and well, so when it came time to start his rebuild of the car he involved his dad and brother, Austin Honey. Unfortunately, he was roughly a quarter into the build when Austin passed away.

“I completely stopped working on it during that time,” Honey said somberly. “But when I began to think about the Chevelle again, I realized that I didn’t want it to just be a cool street car anymore. I wanted to race it.” Ryan actually wanted to throw his hat into the grudge/no-time world of heads-up drag racing. Nothing like jumping in with both feet Ryan!

This new mission put the fire back into the Honey family to get the car underway once again. “I began working on it nonstop. My dad and I did all the fabrication work ourselves which was the cage, the floors, tubbing it, and electrical.”

The body of the Chevelle is solid with mostly original panels, as we said, the car has been continued on page 80

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This 1972 Chevelle has history in the Honey family and it has been an emotional rollercoaster for them to build it.

Big tires, 15x18x33 to be exact, hook big power, which is necessary in the world of heads-up grudge and no-time drag racing. $BOBEB T 1FSGPSNBODF 4PVSDF

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And here is the big power part of the equation.

A wicked 410-inch small block Chevy twin turbo built by Andy Jensen fills the spacious engine bay of the Chevelle.

A ladder bar/coilover suspended Ford 9� is filled with Moser axles, center section, spool and 4.57 gears.

Cage and tub work was completed by the Honey family.

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This is a grudge car, so worrying about looking fancy is usually left out of the equation. The interior of the Chevelle is basic, with racing seats, an array of aftermarket gauges and boost controller.

Twin 76mm Turbonetic turbochargers should push the power of the small block into the 4-digit zone. www.rpmmag.com

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A blow-through carb setup was used to route the massive amounts of forced air through the Victor Jr. intake in the family for years, and it was about 16 years back when Ryan’s dad painted it black with white SS stripes. They worked together on chassis mods, including the 10-point cage, boxing, modifying and reinforcing the frame, adding rear wheel tubs and a ladder bar/ coilover rear suspension. Rear tires are massive steamroller grade 15x18x33’s mounted and screwed to Weld racing wheels.

Power comes from an Andy Jensen built Dart block based small block Chevy with those twin cannons we mentioned earlier.

Yes, that’s the same Andy Jensen, so it’s a good bet that this small block will make some serious power. A custom grind COMP cam was slid into place and Crower lifters were used.

Cylinder heads are AFR 225 series with Jesel rockers arms. A tried and true Victor Jr. intake is topped by a CSU Pro Series blow-through carb and blow-though hat with fuel coming via twin Aeromotive 1000 fuel pumps. The continued on page 85

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Massive wheel tubs were installed to accommodate those big Mickey T tires.

AFR 225 heads are equipped with Jesel roller rockers www.rpmmag.com

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A pair of “Austin Lee Honey” wristbands are draped over the Hurst Quarter Stick shifter in memory of Ryan’s brother who died during the build of the car.

You might notice some dust and even corrosion on some of the exposed aluminum and steel parts of the engine and underbody. Ryan’s brother passed away during the build and Ryan let the car sit for quite some time until he felt the urge to see the project through as a grudge race car.

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Being in the Honey family for so many years the Chevelle is a pretty solid and complete car with most of the original steel, bumpers and trim intact.

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Ryan Honey 1972 Chevelle Chassis Type & Mods:

Power Adder:

Suspension (Front and Rear):

Electronics:

Owner installed 10 point roll cage, tubbed (15x18x33 tires), and a ladder bar car.

Ladder bar with 3-way adjustable coilover shocks rear suspension. Aftermarket control arms and QA1 shocks up front.

Body & Paint:

Painted black with white SS stripes by owner’s father, Lee John Honey, 16 years ago.

Engine:

Andy Jensen prepared 410 small block. Dart block, custom ground COMP cam with Crower roller lifers. AFR 225 heads with Jesel rockers arms. Victor Jr. intake. ARP fasteners, Moroso oil pan, Fel Pro gaskets, COMP timing chain and cover, ATI Sfi approved damper.

Rotating Assembly:

Crower crank, Callies Ultra rods and JE-pistons.

Fuel Delivery: E-85 CSU Pro Series blow-through carb.

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Twin 76mm Turbonetic turbos, install and piping completed by Andy Jensen.

MSD Digital 7 box and boost leash controller.

Transmission & Converter:

Reid TH400 transmission with a reverse valve body. TCI with a 4500 stall.

Rear Differential:

9-inch Ford rearend with Moser axles and Moser center section, spool and 4.57 gear.

The car was painted by Ryan’s dad, Lee John Honey over 16 years ago. turbos were plumbed in by Jensen as well.

Backing the boosted small block is a built Reid cased TH400 transmission with reverse valve body and TCI 4500 stall converter. As for electronics, Ryan opted for the MSD Digital 7 box and Boost Leash controller.

The project encountered a setback just as it was completed when Ryan was in two accidents and in the second one he severely broke his hand. Needing surgery, Ryan was not able to race the car in 2019, so he looked towards the 2020 season….and we all know how that turned out.

Again, though, Ryan used these negatives as a positive and got back to work making the car better. For an inexperienced racer, a healthy small block with twin 76mm turbos will be a handful, so Ryan and his dad wanted to make sure everything was the best it could be. And that’s when the swap out to the Dart block was made.

As of this writing, the chassis was being certified and the car was scheduled for tuning on the chassis dyno next month, so it’s only a matter of time before Ryan climbs behind the wheel to make some noise.

The bull horn style exhaust is a pretty sure sign that this car has something special waiting under the hood.

One thing is for certain, though, this Chevelle has been in the Honey family for years and isn’t going anywhere in a hurry anytime soon, other than down the nearest dragstrip, that is.

RPM

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Don’t settle!

Build your project for you.

Story and Photos: JT

A lot has happened since I shared my tool addiction with all of you last month. The custom “mud truck” I am building for my brother has taken on a life of its own. Just like water finds its way into tiny cracks, the anal and obsessive overlord in me found its way into this build.

Allow me to set the record straight and give you a little back story. I am by nature a ridiculous detail freak, however, unfortunately, my speed is also painstakingly slow while trying not to miss any details. So when my brother first approached me with this project, it was originally plain and simple. He had no budget. He wanted high horsepower, and it needed to go through the deepest of mud holes.

I quickly did what I do, and made a list of parts and broke down the build into several mini projects that we would tackle one at a time. His first response was, “It is just a mud truck, it’s not one of your race cars!” I quickly forgave him because I know my little brother and he just didn’t know.

What didn’t he know you may be asking?

Right off the bat, as you probably know, no budget and high horsepow86 86

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1 It’s not just a race car! It’s my car! Why can’t every fastener match? Why can’t everything be clean and polished? Why can’t a red theme be carried through the entire engine bay? Stop the hating and recognize we are all different. My likes don’t have to be yours and vice versa. er do not go together. Neither does a custom suspension with 20” of lift with 50” tractor tires. Obviously my plan was to do all of the work myself saving him a fortune in labor, and any outsourcing I would need, I would

barter with friends who were specialists where I am not (machining, transmission, transfer case, and painting) My brother was fortunate enough to have his friend Steve help him with designing and fabricating

2 Even underneath where no-one will ever see, I did not stop with going overboard on details. Sure the water box and/or traction compound make a mess under there, but like I mentioned before, It makes me happy and I enjoy cleaning.

4

3 I strategically placed this bar here after doing all of the measuring, cutting, notching, and grinding to show him how easy it would be to simply weld in these bars. He agreed to let me put them on the B-Pillar posts. To win this battle I need to do all of the prep work without him watching.

My brother had some basic questions for me. Questions like, “how are you going to attach the dash to the cage?”

“How are you going to make it removable in case I need to get under there?” Answer - We made some tabs and welded them into place using a homemade “placement jig” I made to ensure they are all in the same spot on the tube. As far as making it easily removable, I drilled them out and put my rivnut gun to good use so no one ever needs to get a wrench underneath the dash to take the bolts out. www.rpmmag.com

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5 I know there are people who do this kind of stuff every day and are masters at bringing ideas to life with metal. I am not one of those people. I do, however, thoroughly enjoy the complete process of listening to the customer, seeing the design in my head, making templates, and creating something out of just an idea. This dash was certainly not needed for a mud truck but I had a blast making it a reality for my brother.

6 “ It’s just a mud truck, why do you need a dash?”

Well that’s what my brother wanted. Making the compound bends and matching the windshield radius to this piece of aluminum was not easy in my home shop. Seeing the smile on my brother’s face when it was done was worth every drop of sweat.

7 The dash turned out great. I

even convinced my brother into letting me get stainless steel, rounded head allen bolts to use as fasteners.

That piece of angled metal in the center of the dash is the tachometer / shift light mount which was once again measured for my brother’s comfort. He loved this idea until he saw that the tachometer was nearly $300. If he bails on the tach, it could be used as another towing anchor. I went a little overboard designing that.

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8 Even my own brother, the customer, was like, “why are you drilling the VIN tag out and going through the trouble of riveting it to the new dash?” Because I thought it was a cool little touch of detail.

9 Here is the gauge cluster in design mode. The cardboard template proved itself worthy while making the transition to the aluminum.

the chassis. I am praying that this divide and conquer plan speeds up the process and allows me to focus on the drivetrain, plumbing, wiring, interior design and safety, painting, and final assembly.

My brother had a lot of basic questions about my plan and the list of parts I made. Questions like: Why do we need a $400 fuel pump? Answer – Because the engine we are building requires it. Why do we need -10 and -12 AN lines? Answer – Because the fuel pump and the engine require it.

We are $1,000 into the fuel system I planned and that is not counting a

getting himself into. I also had to educate him that normal, poor people like us, attack one project at a time as our budget dictates. This is why builds take years to complete.

When I finished welding in the A, B, and C pillar posts and plates, I told him I wanted to triangulate each one of them. His response was, “What?

We don’t need that! None of my friends have that!” I calmly respondcustom fuel cell. (thankfully I have ed, “The cage is useless without it. It a brand new one that will work per- is needed for the integrity of the enfectly) After going over the complete tire cockpit. Safety first, and I only parts list with him, he had a much have one little brother.” He grumbled better understanding of what he was about how much extra work it would

Why do we need a $400 fuel pump?

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10 Listening to my brother on what he wants the gauge cluster to look like is one thing. Drawing it on paper and making a cardboard template is another thing. But seeing the actual piece of metal come to life is my reward every time.

This gauge cluster will hold 4 gauges, an 8 circuit switch panel, and misc. switches that are all measured for optimal visibility and comfort according to the way he sits in his seat. put on me and the extra steel and consumables it would take to finish.

Yes, he was adamant about this build not costing me anything. He wanted to pay for the welding wire, nozzles, tips, gas, and any other tools we may need. Thankful for his concern and generosity, when he went back home, I compromised and added a triangle bar to the B – Pillar posts that are closest to his head. I still may add more, but let’s see if I win this battle first.

My brother is a big boy and this fact was going to make certain decisions hyper critical. Decisions like finding the correct seat for him. The now famous, “it’s just a mud truck” was used a lot during decisions like this. As a matter of fact, while I made 90 90

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him sit in one of my flat dining room chairs and measured his butt width, knee to knee span, shoulder width, and overall seat to head height, he repeated that phrase over and over. It took hours of research finding a seat that would fit him, and that he could afford. The same amount of work and planning went into finding the correct steering wheel, gauge and switch panel placement, shifter pedestal and location. Every aspect of this project was designed to fit him and fit him comfortably. Maybe people he knows never worried about things like this, and made stock parts work for them, but I don’t work that way. Having your cake and being able to eat it as well, is important to me. Why not be as comfortable as possible while en-

joying your passion? Why not be as safe as possible while making a machine do things that will inevitably break them? I mean, do you settle for just any chair to put in your living room so you could watch TV? No! You find the one that you melt into.

Why should the decisions you make when building your dream ride be any different?

Friends, when I was building Big Red so many people came up to me and said, “it’s just a race car!” Is it me? Or is it a lazy world? I ask you all a question. Why can’t my race car be comfortable, and look like a show car at the same time? Why not paint and detail every part underneath my car that no-one will ever see? Why not take every possible step in reducing

11 My brother wanted to sit as high as possible in that cockpit so he has complete visibility of all things in front him. Numerous measurements were taken in order to achieve this simple wish. Once the seat was chosen, the seat mount had to be made to get him to his desired height. What does that have to do with the shifter pedestal? I needed to get that shifter up high enough so my brothers arm made a comfortable 90 degrees when holding it. And yes, it did not need to be made out of the 1 5/8” rollcage tubing with ¼ steel plates.

But it matches the overall theme of the build and it was material we had laying around. And……. one more anchor for towing is always a good thing.

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12 This amazing and beautiful machine was created by two brothers. They went completely over the top making everything imaginable as detailed as possible. It is truly a work of art and worthy of its own feature story. They too were victims of the “it’s just a pickup truck” numerous times during their build. Nothing stopped them from creating this masterpiece, though. temperatures in coolant, fuel, and oils? Why did every one of my fasteners have to be high quality, and all to match? My simple answer is because it is mine! We are all unique and all have different tastes. When it comes to building a vehicle this should not be put to the wayside.

In my opinion it should only get amplified and become an extension of who we are.

So, to my brother and everyone else who says, “it’s just a mud truck”, no it isn’t! In this example, first and most important, my brother is 50 years old and this has been a dream of his all of his life. If more time means more budget, then find another part of the project you can work on until that budget is available. My brother is super passionate about mud trucks and the culture behind it. He deserves a dream come true for once in his life. Don’t we all? And lastly, it is no secret that I have issues. I admit to them and write about them every month. I like things detailed. I like things pretty. I like things overbuilt. This 92 92

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is who I am and it makes me happy. My own best buddy Shawn commented after I shared a picture with him of the shifter pedestal. “Is that a shifter pedestal or a tow bar? Your brother could put a tow strap around that and pull people out of holes.” It was funny and I took it as a compliment. But the fact is, I used materials I had laying around and wanted it to match the overall motif of the build which is, big, tough, bad-ass, and beautiful.

What we do as gearheads with our machines is a form of art. What we do as builders is no different. Do us all a favor and quickly scold anyone that ever says, “it’s just a street car, an old hot rod, a race car, a drift car, a stock car, show car, or a mud truck.” Remind them it is not their car it is yours. Be yourself and be unique. Remember this, no one will ever be a better you than you!

Until next time, Keep Wrenching

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The Red Bull

YES, Shannon Poole will be back racing his 1964 Corvette!

Article and Photos: Shannon Poole

Last month, we covered the crash that destroyed the Red Bull Racing Corvette. We also discussed how so many people have helped with locating parts for the rebuild, however, because it was (and will be again) based on an original Corvette, many items are just hard to find. If you missed that article you can catch up at www. rpmmag.com and also be sure to click on the crash video link in this article.

After my wreck, as I lay in bed, all I could think about was if the racing game and the TV show “The Call 94 94

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Out” I am involved with, was worth it. I had a conversation with Owner and Producer of the show, Brian Bossone. Brian, who has become one of my best friends over the last few years and whose words mean a lot to me, encouraged me not to give up and that things would work out, but for some reason, at that time, so soon after the crash, it was just too soon to get motivated. The long nights in the shop by myself, the countless 100 dollar bills I had just lost, and the ones yet to be spent, the trailer and tow rig maintenance, hours and hours of car maintenance, the cars in my shop that I needed to be working on and the thousands of miles I’ve traveled and the many more yet to come, all kept running through my mind. I felt like I really dodged a big bullet and walked away with my life. So many things could have happened differently, and I could have easily been killed. Those thoughts can get really deep. It all just seemed to weigh so heavily on me, probably because I’ve

never really thought about it all, I just did it.

As the calls and texts came pouring in, my thoughts got deeper and deeper. My phone didn’t stop ringing for 3 days. People I’ve never talked to before dropped text messages or called just to check on me. People that know me called and texted as well, and it all made me realize how many friends I’ve made in the last 30 years of racing.

The phone call that put an end to all of negativity in my head was from my sponsor and friend, Tom Keen, owner of Keen Parts. He asked me what my plans were and what I was thinking. Obviously I wanted to quit racing and move on to something else, but he made me realize that he was there for me and was willing to help me bring the car back. He explained that the car did its job and protected me from dying; Tom is the type of person that tells you like it is and doesn’t sugar coat anything. I can’t remember his exact words because of

The old direct port nitrous system about to be replaced and flowed.

A damaged fuel line from the crash.

Steve Johnson personally flowed the Corvette nitrous system.

The finished product, fully repaired and ready to go. www.rpmmag.com

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Red Bull Restoration PART TWO

Here you can se some o

Everybody’s kind words, my friends stopping by and the outreach by people willing to help me, was overwhelming. the pain meds but he made it clear to get off my ass and get to work.

As the messages kept pouring in, I realized I had to get up and get started. Everybody’s kind words, my friends stopping by and the outreach by people willing to help me, was overwhelming. Patrick James from Pro Systems texted me about the carb that was tore up and offered to fix it. Steve Johnson from Induction Solutions called and offered to fix the direct port nitrous system. Greg Shampine from Ultra Carbon called to offer to replace my broken carbon seat. My buddy Hula from Quality fiberglass offered to and fixed the rear section

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This is the damaged carbon fiber seat that held together under and extreme multiple rollover wreck.

Red Bull Restoration PART TWO

ee how the seat stayed together well at of the critical mounting points.

The new plate from Ultra Carbon arrived and is waiting for a home in the rebuilt Corvette.

This is the carbon motor plate that was heavily damaged during the wreck but still held the motor in the car.

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Red Bull Restoration PART TWO

The Pro Systems carburetor after the crash, it was pretty tough and was sent in for a rebuild.

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Red Bull Restoration PART TWO

The result looks like a brand new carb, great work by Pro Systems!

of the body and Dan Morgan at Race Flow Development called and offered to fix the heads if need be.

As soon as I could walk, I was outside in the shop once again hatching a plan. Jay, aka the Chassis Doctor, contacted me and wanted to help with building the chassis for RED BULL, it seemed that all of the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, however, the virus hit shortly afterwards and things slowed to a crawl.

Parts were almost impossible to get and the damaged parts I had were mostly unfixable. I needed a windshield frame in order for the Chassis Doctor to get started. Tom searched and searched for one and months went by with no luck. The

good news is that just last week I received a text from Tom with a picture of a brand new windshield frame he found! I felt like I was lifted out of the hole I’ve been in for a while now. We are back in business! and the chassis should be ready in about 3 months!

One thing I’ve definitely learned from all of this is; a lot of people might not care one bit about what I’m doing or where I want to go, and that’s fine, but there are always people that do, and that’s what really matters. These days, racing isn’t about winning and losing for me, it’s about the relationships you build along the way!

Follow along in RPM magazine as we bring the The Red Bull back to life!

RPM

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ing. As the boat beings to accelerate, the skier comes up partly out of the water. As the boat comes up to speed, the skier comes fully out of the water.

The change in speed affects the relationship between the skier and the water. The same is true for engine luStory by Lake Speed Jr. brication.

Photos supplied by Total Seal Piston Rings When the boat is stopped, there is ribology, this strange word is rection with each stroke of the en- no oil film, which is boundary luthe study of friction, wear and gine, the piston rings accelerate and brication. Flat tappet camshafts and lubrication. You also might be decelerate 250 times each second at pushrod tips experience this form wondering what Tribology has to do 7,500 RPM. The constant changes in of lubrication. There is no oil film to with piston rings? Beside the fact that speed and load (due to the changes protect the parts, so the additives in piston rings operate on a thin film of in cylinder pressure with each of the oil, there’s quite a bit of tribology re- 4 engine cycles) create a unique and lated to piston rings. Let me explain. interesting phenomenon - a piston The highest source of friction in an ring experiences all three forms of engine comes from the contact be- lubrication during each engine cycle. tween the cylinder wall and the piston The three forms of lubrication are ring. Research from both Ford Motor Hydrodynamic, Mixed Film and Company and the US Department of Boundary. Let me explain each in Energy concluded that roughly 45% more detail. of all engine friction comes from the If you have ever been water skiing, piston ring to cylinder wall interface. you know that the skier is down in Because a piston has to change di- the water when the boat is not mov-

T

The piston ring experiences all three stages of lubrication during each engine cycle.

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the oil provide the protection.

When the boat is accelerating, that is like mixed film lubrication. Because the wheel on a roller follower can trap a small amount of oil between the wheel and the cam lobe, roller camshafts operate in the mixed film condition.

When the boat is at full speed, that is like the hydrodynamic state or fullfilm lubrication.

Engine bearings operate in hydrodynamic lubrication. The oil film separates the bearing from the journal of the crankshaft.

Again, you are probably wondering what this has to do with piston rings!

Well, as the piston rings cycle back and forth in the cylinder, each cycle takes the piston ring through all three stages of lubrication.

This cycling produces those high levels of friction that rob horsepower from your engine.

Fortunately, understanding how this occurs unlocks the secrets to reducing that friction, which, in-turn, unlocks hidden horsepower.

As a tribologist, we use a tool called the Stribeck curve to engineer low friction piston rings.

The Stribeck curve utilizes the formula Viscosity X Speed / Load to generate the lubricant film parameters. Thinking back to our water

skiing analogy, the viscosity was the water. The speed was the velocity of the boat, and the load was the weight of the skier.

Following the logic of the Stribeck curve, as the piston nears top dead center on the compression stroke, the piston rings experience the highest load (from increased cylinder pressure) and lowest speed (as the piston comes to a stop). As a result, this is a source of high friction and higher wear.

As the piston begins to move down and accelerate (like the skier coming up from the water), both friction and wear decrease as the lubrication regime transitions from boundary to mixed film and then to hydrodynamic.

Near mid-stroke the piston reaches maximum velocity (in some engines, this can be in excess of 100 feet per second). Due to those high speeds, friction begins to increase again as the lubrication parameter moves to

the far right end of the Stribeck curve.

Taking all of this into consideration, Total Seal develops piston rings designed to overcome these frictional challenges.

First, utilizing PVD applied thin film coatings on the face of the ring lowers friction in the boundary lubrication regime. The low friction coatings not only reduce friction, but they also reduce wear in boundary lubrication conditions.

Next, smoother surface finishes increase load carrying capacity, which speeds the transition from boundary to mixed and then to full film lubrication.

Finally, thinner ring profiles provide less hydrodynamic drag.

As you can see, tribology and piston rings go hand in hand, and ultimately, that means Tribology effects engine efficiency. So the next time you pick up a piston ring, take a moment to consider what a remarkable tribological device it is.

RPM

Thinner piston rings reduce friction, which increases horsepower.

Extensive dyno testing and used oil analysis confirm the reduction of wear and related cylinder wall friction when using thinner piston rings.

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PART 5 CAMSHAFT AND HEADS We talked about camshaft selection in a previous article and this month we’re going to cover the installation of our Comp Cams camshaft part # 35782-9 and valve train in the RPM Project Pace Car Race Car bullet. We also took readers through our Trick Flow Specialties (TFS)

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Twisted Wedge® Race 225 cylinder heads part # TFS5241T005-C01 and this issue we will be ready to install our Harland Sharp S4403 Rockers with locks and G44040 Stud Girdle. Follow along as we go through the steps to take a short block to a long block assembly in preparation to install it into our Pace Car chassis.

As a young motorhead, I remember buying my first set of roller rockers and installing them under a cheap set of valve covers.

We all thought that these beautiful parts should nev-

october 2020 | RPM Magazine

er be covered up - why doesn’t someone make a clear rocker cover? Actually, I believe someone did at some point. Although these parts are awesome to look at, they are a very important part of any high performance engine. Roller rockers reduce friction with the trunion now riding on roller bearings as well as the rocker end that contacts the valve tip. We all know the cam is the heart of the engine, but rockers take that cam lobe and transmit its profile to the valves, at an increased ratio, thus determining the

amount of air/fuel mixture that is allowed to enter the combustion chamber.

Changing the rocker arm ratios can actually change the lobe of the camshaft.

Why would we want to increase the rocker ratio? To increase the amount of fuel and air entering the engine and make more power.

Most American V8 OHV engines, sometimes called pushrod engines, have a rocker ratio between 1.5 to 1.8. This means that if the camshaft lobe measures .500” of lift and my rocker ratio is 1.5, my valve opens a distance of .750”

1 off its seat. The formula would read as .500” x 1.50 = .750”. Lobe lift multiplied by rocker arm ratio equals valve lift. If we want to increase valve lift with the same camshaft, we have the option to increase the rocker arm ratio. An example using the same lobe lift of .500”, multiplied by a 1.7 ratio rocker and we now move our valve lift to .850”.

Increasing the lift also has a direct effect on the distance the valve travels to the piston as your engine rotates through its operating cycle, which is referred to as piston to valve clearance. Keep in mind when increasing rocker ratio we also increase valve speed, which means you are accelerating the valve opening.

We all make choices in the parts we use and many times we make those choices based on our past success, or the success of others with a particular part.

The past 10 years or so we have seen a major influx of “copycat parts” from China, or even parts marketed by companies in America that are made in China.

Keep in mind that quality and durability are always the most important factors when choosing your performance or race parts, so be sure to do your due diligence and avoid the many fake reviews and videos that bombard us each and every day.

In the case of rocker arms, there are many great companies out there and for the Pace Car we chose Harland Sharp. The orig-

Always double check the part number and grind of your camshaft, never a problem with a Comp Cams camshaft inators of the roller tip rocker arm, invented in 1960 by tool and die maker Harland Sharp, this company remains a small family owned and operated business that hand inspects and packs each rocker arm – made and machined from high quality aluminum extrusions in the USA – before it leaves their shop. They offer a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects. This single invention, dedicated to strengthening your valvetrain and increasing performance, forever changed the racing world.

For the PCRC project we choose a 1.7 ratio Harland Sharp roller rocker part number S4403 designed for the Trick Flow Specialties Twisted Wedge Race cylinder heads.

2

3

4

Clean the cam and lubricate with a quality motor oil or assembly lube. Always take note of the cam manufacturers recommended lube and break in procedures

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With the rotating assembly covered we turned our attention back to the heart of the engine: the camshaft.

As you know, we selected an off the shelf solid roller design from Comp Cams, part number 35-782-9 with specs of .744” intake lift and .731” of exhaust lift. The 1.7 Harland Sharp rockers net us .799” intake and .781” exhaust lift.

There are a few things to think about when installing the camshaft. Generally, anyone could slide a cam in an engine, but to know exactly that the cam you purchased is what it should be, one should degree the camshaft. You can degree a camshaft with cylinder heads on or off, as our engine is in the assembly stage, I will do it with the heads off. You will need a camshaft degree kit for an OHV engine which should include a degree wheel, piston stop, magnetic base dial indicator and/or a lifter dial indicator, a stiff wire to use as a degree wheel indicator, and lastly, the cam card from your camshaft.

We will use the intake centerline method to degree our cam, which means we will verify our cam is installed at the listed intake centerline on the cam card.

Then we will further rotate the engine to check that all the lobe events measured on the degree wheel match the cam card.

Let’s install the camshaft. It is imperative that the cam is lubricated for 104 104

correct break-in. The lubricant used is dependent on the cam material. Most solid roller camshafts are made from billet steel, thus they require engine oil for break-in lubrication. I used a good quality oil or engine assembly lube. If you are installing a flat tappet cam, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s lube and break-in recommendations. I have seen way too many flat tappet cam lobes wiped off from incorrect lubrication, installation and start-up procedures.

Grab a cam installation tool or use a long screwdriver stuck in the bolt hole of the cam for leverage. Slide the cam in while being careful not to scuff any of the bearings.

Then install the cam retainer plate, apply some red loctite to the cam retainer bolts and torque to spec. The Ford cam retainer plate not only acts as a retainer plate but is a thrust surface as well. Be sure you have a hardened retainer plate to match the timing set you are installing. If the plate is too soft, the timing gear will wear into it and increase the camshaft end play which can create unwanted metal migration and create all sorts of problems in other parts of the engine. Now is a good time to check the camshaft end play. Install the camshaft timing gear (no chain) and torque the cam bolt with the washer installed. Place a dial indicator in the end of the cam bolt and move the cam

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5

9215 Don’t forget the thread locker on any hardware that does not have mechanical retention. A little dab on the cam retainer plate bolts will make sure they stay put.

6 Ready to install, we cleaned our Comp Cams Roller Timing Chain set #3135KT which features a billet cam gear, double roller chainfor strength and multi indexed crank gear to fine tune your engine’s power.

7

By gently prying the cam gear back and forward you can check the camshaft endplay.

8

Be sure to line up the timing marks correctly as per the engine manufacturer. Notice how straight and tight the Comp Cams chain fits, a true sign of a quality component.

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A little thread lock compound, and correct torque spec and the Comp Cams timing set is installed.

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Every Comp Cams Cam comes with a detailed cam card to check all the pertinent information related to your camshaft.

back and forward in its bearings, measure the end play. If this does not fall into spec, which is generally .004-.008�, machine the made on the degree wheel. face of the retainer plate to t ćJT JT USVF 5%$ PO ZPVS engine, and is a good referspecification. ence for your zero timing Cam Degree #1 mark. finding TDC t %P OPU UVSO UIF DSBOL With the timing chain and adjust your pointer to installed, double check TDC or Zero. that the timing marks on the cam and crank gear are Cam Degree #2 aligned correctly. Now in- Finding Intake stall the degree wheel onto Centerline the crank with the crank With the dial indicator bolt and tighten. Install installed, rotate the engine your dial indicator into in normal direction until the #1 cylinder intake lift- you see maximum lobe lift er hole. I have a pretty cool (the needle will change ditool for this. If you do not, rection at maximum lift). set up your indicator on Set the indicator to zero. the top of that lifter. t 3PUBUF UIF FOHJOF PQQPt 3PUBUF UIF FOHJOF UP BQsite normal rotation) until proximate #1 TDC. Install the dial reads .100�. your wire pointer to the t /FYU 3PUBUF UIF FOHJOF block and bend /adjust to (normal rotation) until the the TDC or Zero on the dial indicator reads .050� wheel. before the maximum lift. t 5VSO UIF FOHJOF PQQPTJUF t "U UIJT QPJOU SFDPSE PS engine rotation, approximark the degree wheel mately 15-20 degrees. t 3PUBUF UIF FOHJOF OPSt *OTUBMM ZPVS QJTUPO TUPQ mal direction) until the and adjust the piston stop dial goes past zero (maxuntil it contacts the piston. imum lift) to .050� on the t 5VSO UIF FOHJOF JO UIF closing side of the lobe. same direction (opposite t "U UIJT QPJOU SFDPSE PS rotation) until the piston mark the degree wheel contacts the stop. Mark the t "EE UIF UXP OVNCFST degree wheel with a pencil together and divide 2. This mark where the wheel is the recorded intake censtopped at the pointer. terline. (A + B) / 2 = C t 3PUBUF UIF FOHJOF JO UIF Verify that the number you other direction (normal have is the same on your engine rotation) until the cam card. The intake cenpiston hits the stop. Mark terline could be off and if the degree wheel where it it is, adjust by reinstalling stopped at the pointer. the crank timing gear to t 3FNPWF UIF QJTUPO TUPQ either an advance or retard t .PWF UIF DSBOLTIBę UP location to correct the lobe rotate the engine to the centerline. midpoint of the two marks Keep in mind that the www.rpmmag.com

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11 keyways are generally 2 degree increments.

Our cam was off half of a degree so we were satisfied.

Before you leave this procedure, you could verify the rest of the lobe to the cam card. Check lift at .050” and so on.

It’s time to install the cylinder heads

Again, have everything you need ready and in a clean well lit workspace.

Be sure that all your premeasuring and pre-assembly is completed such as pushrod length check, valve spring clearances and pressures and piston to valve clearance checks.

If so, you are clear to do a final clean of the block and head surfaces. Use some brake clean and a lint-free towel. Install new cylinder head dowel pins, generally there are 2 per bank. We are using multi-layer head gaskets to seal our Trick Flow heads to the block.

A copper spray is used to help seal the gaskets. Most times, you can install the head studs by hand in the block before sliding the heads on. On a small block Ford, it’s only 10 per bank.

Lubricate all the threads, washers and nuts with a good moly lube. If any studs enter a water jacket, be sure to use the appropriate sealer on those threads. Next, slide on the tacked up head gaskets, followed by easing the cylinder heads evenly down 106 106

The tools have all been installed to establish top dead center (TDC).

Notice the homemade piston stop, a very old degree wheel and part of a coat hanger I took from my wife many years ago. It’s not uncommon to find these things in an engine room at most any shop.

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Notice all the writing on the degree wheel from years of usage, i tried to get most of it off with a little brake cleaner. If you look closely you should be able to make out our camshafts numbers. We ended up being a half a degree out, not much we can do with that.

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Use a long bar for smooth rotation when degreeing the camshaft, it makes it easier when you are creeping up the lift dimensions.

Notice the dial indicator in the intake lifter bore, pretty cool tool.

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After the camshaft was installed and degreed, we finished off the oil pump and oil pan. Also installed the damper, front cover and water pump.

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Looks like Scotty is working up a sweat torquing the heads, our studs took 100 lbs with moly, lucky he is torquing a Ford and not a Chevy; only 20 nuts not 34.

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Getting up close and personal with our Harland Sharp S4403 Roller Rockers with locks.

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Look close and you will notice the intake rocker on the left has an offset pushrod pocket. This is to match the specific valve angle of our Trick Flow cylinder heads.

This TFS head-specific rocker is designed for a perfect fit, thus eliminating valve guide wear and friction which translates to maximum longevity and horsepower in our Pace Car Race Car small block Ford.

Head gaskets are coated with copper spray and placed on the short block ready for the installation of the Trick Flow heads.

the studs in the block. Next, install the lubed washers and nuts and torque the head studs in three stages following the manufacturer’s torque sequence.

The Comp Cams 96838B Sportsman Solid Roller Lifters are next, followed by the Comp Cams 8.800” pushrods.

Use a good amount of assembly lube/oil in these areas. If not already installed, lubricate the threads, screw in and torque the rocker studs. We used the larger 7/16” size for our heads. I lubricated the

A close up of the COMP 96838B Sportsman Solid Roller Lifters installed in the block. Always install the lifters with the guide bar towards the center of the engine.

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Harland Sharp rockers with oil before I slide them on the studs.

After all the roller rockers are on their studs, we can now think about setting valve lash.

Each set of Harland Sharp rockers feature a set of polylocks included. The polylocks we are installing are part of the Harland Sharp stud girdle kit. They are longer to facilitate the use of the aluminum girdle. Check the valve lash dimension which is on your cam card. This is the first time I will set the valvetrain.

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It is a good idea to check your valvetrain lash periodically with a solid roller cam. If you follow these easy steps to set the valvetrain, it should perform flawlessly for a long time.

I set one cylinder at a time to keep it simple. You set your lash with the 22 cam lobe on its base circle.

Rotate the engine until the exhaust rocker starts to move up off the base circle of the cam. Set the lash on the intake of that cylinder by placing a feeler gauge between the roller tip of the rocker and valve tip.

It’s a great feeling to finally see the Screw the polylock down until you Harland Sharp rockers sitting on the feel resistance on the feeler gauge.

Trick Flow heads. It’s been a number of Now back off the outside polylock months with so many unique challenges nut a quarter turn, then turn the allen caused by Covid, but we’re getting close head and nut together back the quarto completion. ter to tighten, effectively jamming the screw into the nut of the polylock.

Double check for the appropriate 23 friction on the feeler gauge.

Time to set the Exhaust of the same cylinder. Rotate the engine until you see the intake rocker start to move and travel through its total lift and close again. Just as it is closed, set the Exhaust rocker lash in the same manner as previously described.

Set the lash on the whole valvetrain cylinder by cylinder and then double check if you wish.

Now install the rocker girdle and 24 torque the hardware. The Harland Sharp rocker girdle adds rigidity to the valvetrain at rpm.

These parts make for a bulletproof valvetrain, giving us the chance to turn high RPM and make as much The Harland Sharp G44040 Stud Girdle installed . power as possible with our small block drag engine.

Here comes that feeling again – like I said, I really hate to cover all this Made In America bling up with Our small block a set of valve covers, but we have no choice. Join us next month as we finFord is almost ready ish things up engine wise and move to go to its new on to firing up our budget build small home in the Pace block Ford once it’s found a new Car Race Car! home in the Pace Car chassis.

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