V.P. MARKETING/CUSTOMER RELATIONS..........TRISH BIRO trish@rpm-mag.com E-MAGAZINE ASSOCIATE EDITOR.................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpm-mag.com EVENT MEDIA DIRECTOR...........................RAYMOND KNIGHT events@rpm-mag.com EVENT SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR.....SHERRIE WEBER sherrie@rpm-mag.com SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR...........................TOBY BROOKS toby.brooks@rpm-mag.com Photographic Contributions: TONY WEBER, TIM LEWIS, PETE “BOOMER” ORES, MARK goDragRacing.org, TARA BOWKER, GEORGE PICH, TOBY BROOKS, MATT WOODS, TABITHA SIZEMORE, LOUIS FRONKIER, and WILL McDOUGLE. Editorial Contributions: TIM LEWIS, CHUCK SCOTT, MARK goDragRacing.org, RAYMOND KNIGHT, TOBY BROOKS, BRIAN WOOD, TABITHA SIZEMORE, JAMES WILLIAMS, TIM BIRO, STAN SMITH, JT, and GEORGE PICH. Technical Writing Contribution: CHUCK SCOTT, SHANE TECKLENBURG, TOBY BROOKS, and TIM BIRO.
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EDITOR IN CHIEF.........................................................CHRIS BIRO editor@rpm-mag.com
RPM Magazine is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK of Revolution Publishing & Media Inc. RPM Magazine is a worldwide motorsports publication distributed in 34 countries and can be found on popular newsstands in the USA, Canada and select newsstands in the UK. If you cannot find a copy near you please call 519-752-3705 or email circulation@rpm-mag.com To subscribe to RPM go to www.rpm-mag.com or email Trish Biro at trish@rpmmag.com, or call 519-752-3705. 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 top-shelf 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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AT THE HIT
by
Toby Brooks
Were the good old days...
REALLY THAT GOOD?
H
onestly, I have lost count. As best I can remember, I attended every Street Machine Nationals from 1986 through 1996, and have been back for the rebirth of the show from 2013-present—meaning this year marked my 15th trip to “the Big Show.” Now granted, there are some true veterans of the event who attended what I call “the early years” from 1977-1982 before it ended up in Du Quoin. And there were two years I missed (1997-1998) in there, too. But the bottom line is, I have a pretty fair recollection of how things used to be, and I’ve seen how they’ve transformed in the new era of the event. My bottom line assessment is this: it isn’t the show it once was. But the good news is that it doesn’t need to be. Part of the appeal back in the day was seeing the newest, latest, greatest builds. In that regard, this year’s show fell a bit flat. Headliner, cutting-edge, brand-spanking-new builds were few and far between. But there were plenty of familiar rides. And plenty of familiar faces. You see, in the pre-internet stone age of the ’80s and ’90s, it wasn’t possible like it is today to basically follow along on social media to see a car being built in real time. With the exception of a rare teaser build photo in a monthly mag, you simply didn’t see cars under construction unless you happened to be (or know) the person building it. So yeah, in that regard, the show has lost a little luster. However, in my opinion, it has more than made up for it in others. Gone are the days of youth unrestrained taking a small
town hostage for three days with wild partying, copious drinking, and risky automotive behavior. In its place, a family friendly atmosphere has taken root. A true sense of community has developed. And a chance to see old friends on an annual basis has been established. It may be tempting to reflect back on Nats-gone-by and lament the passage of an event so wild and untamed that it got thrown out of four different cities or towns. But was it really that great? Was it really sustainable? It’s like thinking back to a high school or college relationship with a party guy or gal. It may have been cool for some laughs and a good time for a while, but it wasn’t something you’d want to commit to forever. In a way, the old Nats weren’t what I’d consider “marriage material.” The new Nats are. The addition of Saturday night drags, city-embraced cruising, and stuff for the kids have truly made it a one-stop gearhead destination. There really is something for everyone now. And if you haven’t experienced the event, you need to. As fun as they’ve been, they have been missing one thing: YOU. So to answer my own question, were the good old days really that good? At the time, they sure as heck were! However, would most of us want them repeated today? I for one wouldn’t. Instead, I am thankful for what we have and thrilled to see things like this issue of RPM, especially dedicated to the 2017 Nats, as proof that not only are they back.... they’re better than ever!
COMING NEXT MONTH:
Deliverance.........................................................................
The guys at Braddy Custom Paint and 2BoyzBlasting have been patiently waiting the arrival of our project car for over a month now. Will we FINALLY get it on down the road or will we get mired in details again?
4
THIS AND MORE IN THE NEXT RPM! august2017 | RPM Magazine
ADVERTISER INDEX ACC Performance................... 80 Accufab Inc............................ 23 Aeromotive......................... 106 AFCO..................................... 21 Alan Johnson Performance (AJPE)................................. 11 Alston Race Cars.................... 96 Applied Racing Components (ARC).................................. 34 ATI Performance Products..... 22 Auburn Gear.......................... 42 Autoglym............................ 102 AVAK/Ridgegate Tools........... 39 Baer Brakes......................10, 33 Bear’s Performance............... 98 Be Cool.................................. 87 BES Racing Engines............... 25 Bill Mitchell Products.......28, 36 Blower Shop............................ 5 Borla................................... 112 BTE Racing............................ 48 C&C MotorSports................. 106 Calvert Racing Suspensions... 86 Canton Racing Products...... 108 CFE Racing Products.............. 92 Chassis Engineering.........24, 33 CN Blocks.............................. 88 CNC Motorsports................. 105 Coan Engineering.................. 62 Competition Products........... 45 Crane Cams........................... 91 Crower.................................. 35 CVR Products......................... 78 DART..................................... 18 Design Engineering............. 109 Diamond Pistons................... 15 DIY Auto Tune/MS3-Pro EFI... 43 Drive Train Specialists (DTS)... 29 DRIVEN Racing Oil................. 16 Dynocologists.......................... 9 Dynomite Dynamometer...... 29 Dynotech Engineering......... 110 Ed Quay Race Cars................. 14 Edelbrock.............................. 46 Energy Suspension................ 19 FastLane Metalworx.............. 76 G Force Racing Transmissions.44 Granatelli Motorsports.......... 43 GZ Motorsports..................... 44 Harland Sharp......................... 9 Harwood............................... 93 HoleShot Wheels................... 84 Holley...............................76, 95 Howard’s Cams...................... 89 Hughes Performance............... 7 Induction Solutions............... 97 Indy Cylinder Head................ 66 Innovate Motorsports............ 67 JE Pistons.........................51, 94 Jesel...................................... 30 JW Perform. Transmissions.... 20 Kinsler Fuel Injection............. 77 LenTech Automatics.............. 85 Lokar Perf. Products............ 104
LUCAS Oil Products.................. 2 Lucas Racing TV..................... 24 MagnaFuel............................ 60 Magnuson Superchargers...... 47 MAHLE Clevite Inc................. 83 Manton Pushrods.................. 92 Meziere Precision Mfg........... 24 Mickey Thompson Tires....7, 103 Miska Trailers........................ 90 MSD Ignition......................... 14 Neal Chance Converters....40, 65 New Century Performance.... 27 Nitrous Pro Flow.................... 34 Nitrous Supply...................... 64 Ontario Grudge Wars............. 39 Ontario Street Outlaws.......... 20 Parts Pro Perf Centers.......... 116 Performance Improvements.. 10 Perf. Plus Connection.......11, 58 Philadelphia Racing Products (PRP).................................. 63 Powermaster Performance.... 58 Precision Turbo...................... 53 ProCharger.......................... 113 Proform Parts...................... 101 Proformance Racing Trans..... 25 Pro Systems Carburetors... 31,80 PTC........................................ 82 Quick Fuel Technology........... 36 Quik-Latch Products............ 110 Racecraft............................... 37 Racepak................................ 38 Racequip............................... 81 RAM Clutches........................ 17 Renegade Racing Fuels......... 50 Rhodes Race Cars.................. 13 Ross Racing Pistons..........5, 103 Royal Purple/Karbelt............... 8 RPM Magazine Subscribe!.114 S&W Race Cars.................... 107 Scorpion Racing Prods........... 12 Shafiroff Racing Engines..12, 27 Sharp Trailers........................ 82 Smith Racecraft..................... 41 Steve Morris Racing Engines. 61 Strange Engineering............. 32 Summit Racing Equip.......8, 115 Taylor Cable Products............ 88 TCI Automotive...................... 98 Teen Titans............................ 99 Ti64....................................... 94 Tom’s Upholstery................... 30 Trick Flow.............................. 49 TRZ Motorsports.................... 28 Tuned By Shane T.................. 18 VP Racing Fuels..............52, 111 Weinle Motorsports.............. 84 World Products..................... 85
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5
august2017
Be sure to check out our Performance Directory on page 68!
THE
Often Imitated, Never Duplicated—For 18 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!
EXCLUSIVES
THE SO Much Horsepower Packed Into One Place... That Place IS RPM Magazine!
RIDES Wish You Were Here.................................... 78 The 34th Annual Du Quoin Street Machine Nationals
Dual Threat.................................................. 54
harken back to the golden age of street machining
Just your typical 2,000-horsepower street/strip ‘69 Camaro
Silv-ation ..........................................................................8 Jay Jachimiak insists that his incredible 1970 Chevelle SS saved his life
Bringin’ThisHome the Hardware........24 decade-long blown Hemi build is an overnight sensation! THE
PROJECTS & TECH Shop Talk: The Child Who Lives In Us All..................36
Claustrophobia..................................................... 40 If you don’t like tight spaces, this killer Pro Street Opel isn’t for you
Some do drugs, others pop bottles, we solve our problems with wide open throttles!
Little Things Mean a Lot........................................104 With plans for the big debut shot to pieces, we regroup and focus in on the last few remaining fabrication chores
READ COMPLETE ISSUES OF RPM MAG ONLINE AT WWW.RPM-MAG.COM 6
august2017 | RPM Magazine
www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
7
Toby Brooks story and photos by
On the opposite end of that spectrum is South Bend, Indiana resident Jay Jachimiak. A retired truck driver, the ever-smiling Jachimiak was critically injured in a horrific accident in 1990 at the age of just 27, rendering him a T7 paraplegic and confining him to a wheelchair for the rest of
his life. As if that weren’t enough, he’s suffered through a host of medical setbacks, including 8 surgeries, a pulmonary embolism, bone cancer, and was literally dead for several minutes due to complications from surgery. However, despite such heavy obstacles, the likable Hoosier remained
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www.karbelt.com
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or many of us, it is far too easy to take the simple things in life for granted. What’s worse, we tend to bellyache and complain about trivial concerns that, in the grand scheme of things, aren’t worthy of such attention.
august2017 | RPM Magazine
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>>Jay Jachimiak insists his incredible 1970 Chevelle SS saved his life
www.rpm-mag.com | august2017
9
SILV-ATION FACTORY OR NAH? The craftsmanship and attention to detail on the build is incredible. The factory chrome bumpers retain that classic musclecar styling, but the AN fittings peeking from the fabbed fuel cell sump are a clue that the Chevy is packing some serious power under the hood.
steadfast and focused on one thing: building his dream car. No stranger to the high performance and custom car scene, Jachimiak has previously worked as an honorary crew member on Bruce Litton’s top fuel dragster team and also handled clutch duties on an A/Fuel team. “Usually in big-time drag racing, if you win, then you have the crew chief to thank…and if you lose, you have the clutch guy to blame,” Jachimiak said, flashing his infectious grin. He’s
10
also wrenched on an A/ Fuel nitro dragster and in the sportsman ranks, as well. Along the way, he’s owned a pair of ’66 Chevelles, another pair of ’67s, and a ’69. He acquired his current ride as a solid builder in 1991 for $2800. “It was in good shape, and I initially restored it and repainted it Jade Stone Green in the late ’90s,” he recalled. In 2007, he was ready to take the plunge on a no-holds-barred resto-mod project, with visions of a
august2017 | RPM Magazine
www.rpm-mag.com | august2017
11
SILV-ATION
LABOR OF LOVE Jachimiak says there were plenty of days during his 3 1/2 years confined to a hospital bed that he spent dreaming and detailing every last aspect of the finished product you see here. nitrous-assisted big block and 10.5 tires dancing in his head. Unfortunately, with the car in pieces, disaster struck again. “Right in the middle of re-doing the car, I had surgery on my right femur,” Jachimiak shared somberly. That surgery spiraled into a nightmare of massive chronic infection, searing
12
august2017 | RPM Magazine
and unending pain, and multiple brushes with death. For a horrifying 3 ½ years, Jachimiak laid helplessly in a hospital bed and did the only thing he could think of to take his mind of his lot in life: he planned every detail of his build that he intended to complete just as soon as he could get discharged. “Literally the
only thing that kept me alive was building my car over and over in my head,” he shared. The end result is as flawless an example of a modern street machine as you will find anywhere. Fit and finish is superb. Attention to detail is unrivaled. And perhaps the best part is that Jachimiak handled
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27-0200 ...3/8 OD .049 Wall ......$3.78 27-0211 ...1 1/4 OD .049 Wall ...$5.48 27-0201 ...1/2 OD .035 Wall ......$3.98 27-0212 ...1 1/4 OD .065 Wall ...$5.68 27-0202 ...1/2 OD .049 Wall ......$4.26 27-0213 ...1 1/4 OD .095 Wall ...$7.05 27-0203 ...5/8 OD .049 Wall ......$4.46 27-0214 ...1 1/4 OD .120 Wall ...$7.48 27-0204 ...3/4 OD .049 Wall ......$4.66 27-0215 ...1 3/8 OD .095 Wall ...$7.58 27-0205 ...3/4 OD .058 Wall ......$4.74 27-0216 ...1 1/2 OD .065 Wall ...$6.36 27-0206 ...1 OD .058 Wall..........$4.86 27-0217 ...1 1/2 OD .095 Wall ...$8.25 27-0207 ...1 OD .065 Wall..........$5.25 27-0218 ...1 1/2 OD .120 Wall ...$8.76 27-0208 ...1 OD .083 Wall..........$5.88 27-0219 ...1 1/2 OD .188 Wall .$11.35 27-0209 ...1 OD .188 Wall..........$8.36 27-0220 ...1 5/8 OD .083 Wall ...$7.85 27-0210 ...1 1/8 OD .058 Wall ...$5.18 27-0221 ...1 3/4 OD .083 Wall ...$7.92 DOM TUBING Pricing is per foot 27-0100 ...1 1/2 OD .120 Wall ...$6.72 27-0102 ...1 3/4 OD .120 Wal ....$6.98 27-0101 ...1 5/8 OD .120 Wall ...$6.87 ERW TUBING Mild Steel Tubing. Pricing is per foot 27-0001 ...1 5/8 OD .134 Wall ...$3.40 27-0002 ...11 3/4 OD .134 Wall ...$3.45 $3.45
WATER TANKS 5 Gallon Tanks 21-0105 ..... 1” NPT Fittings ..................................................$199.95 $199.95 21-0106 ..... 1” NPT Fittings – Rule 2000 Pump ....................$324.95 21-0107 ..... 1” ¼ NPT Fittings ..............................................$199.95 21-0108 ..... 1 1/4” NPT Fittings – Rule 3700 Pump ..............$399.95 10 Gallon Water/Fuel Combo Tanks 21-0109 ..... 1” NPT Fittings .................................................$399.95 21-011010 . 1” NPT Fittings – Rule 2000 Pump ....................$524.95 21-0111 ..... NPT Fittings.......................................................$399.95 21-0112 ..... 1 1/4” NPT Fittings – Rule 3700 Pump ..............$599.95 7 1/2 Gallon Tanks 21-0113 ..... 1” NPT Fittings ..................................................$224.95 21-0114 ..... 1” NPT Fittings – Rule 2000 Pump ....................$349.95 21-0115 ..... 1” ¼ NPT Fittings ..............................................$224.95 21-0116 ..... 1 1/4” NPT Fittings – Rule 3700 Pump ..............$424.95
www.rpm-mag.com | august2017
All sheet, plate, and tubing costs do not include any applicable shipping charges. Please contact one of our sales representatives for a shipping quote. Due to flucuations in material costs, pricing may vary without notice. ALL PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE
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as much of the build as possible with his own two hands. First on the list was some serious muscle under the hood. Jachimiak opted for a 582 ci big block pieced together by Ultra Tech Racing Engines (UTRE). The 4.600 bore/4.375 stroke rat started with a Dart Big M block equipped with a K1 4340 steel crank and K1 4340 steel H-beam rods. Diamond 10.5:1 slugs fill the bores while an aggressive Crane Cams bumpstick (.714/.254 intake, .714/.262
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august2017 | RPM Magazine
exhaust) directs the valvetrain. Manton custom chromoly pushrods articulate with Crower solid roller lifters, while a pair of heavily massaged Pro TopLine 320cc aluminum heads have been equipped with Crane roller rockers. Up top, the engine sports a Dart 4500 aluminum intake with a Mark Whitener 1050 Dominator carb. A MagnaFuel electric pump keeps the thirsty Chevy satiated, while a Melling high-volume oil pump lives inside a Moroso 6-quart pan to
keep things slippery. An MSD ignition consisting of a Digital 6 box and a Pro Billet distributor handles the sparking duties, while a pair of Powershield-coated Lemons 2 1/8-inch headers route the spent gases rearward via 3 ½-inch tubes equipped with Flowmaster 30 Series racing mufflers. The combo was good for an impressive 800 hp at 6,250 rpm and 760 ft./ lbs of torque at 4,800. Backing the Ultra Tech engine is a Coan Racing Transmissions TH 400 automatic
SILV-ATION FLAWLESS FINISH...FINALLY The gorgeous paint job on the car was completed when a tree fell on Jachimiak’s shop, damaging the building and the driver’s side front fender. It was back to the body shop for several months before it re-emerged as good as new. The metallic rally stripes really pop in the Du Quoin sun.
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august2017 | RPM Magazine
SILV-ATION SQUEAKY CLEAN The well-detailed 582 ci Ultra Tech mill cranks out 800+ horses without boost or juice and is managed via hand controls.
trans. A Coan 10-inch 4,200 stall converter aids street drivability and a JW Performance flexplate enhances safety. A Strange 3 ½-inch chromoly driveshaft spins the power back to the Strange-equipped
12-bolt posi differential. DTS equipped the Chevy housing with Strange 35-spline axles and Richmond 3.73 gears suspended via TRZ stock-mount tubular upper control arms and QA1
lower arms. Strange Engineering double-adjustable shocks smooth out the bumps. Meanwhile, up front, the car has been equipped with QA1 drop coils and QA1 double-adjustable shocks for a subtle rake. Rolling stock consists
of a pair of Weld Magnum Drag 15x3.5-inch front wheels shod with ProTrac 225/60-15 tires and matching 15x8 Welds with 15x11.5 Hoosier Quicktime Pros out back. With the drivetrain and suspension out of the way, Jachimiak turned his attention to paint and body on the classic Chevelle.
Jack Stone handled paint and prep duties, spraying the laser-straight GM steel a gorgeous Mercedes Brilliant Silver hue with custom-mixed black metallic rally stripes. The lone body mod is a Harwood 4-inch fiberglass cowl induction hood that has been fully finished so flawlessly top and bottom that you’d
www.rpm-mag.com | august2017
17
ER W O KP C O L BIG B
• High Nickel 220 BHN Cast Iron • Standard 9.800” or 10.200” deck heights • Siamese bore sizes from 4.250” up to 4.625” • Priority main oiling system with external 1/2” NPT oil feed • Billet Steel or Ductile main caps
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• High flowing Cast Aluminum ports • Raised plenum with single plane design • Machined for 9.800” and 10.200” deck height with 4150 or 4500 carb flange • Street / strip performance from 3,000–7,500 RPM
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august2017 | RPM Magazine
swear it was steel. Shortly after Jachimiak got the car back from paint, his run of bad luck continued. A storm blew a tree onto his shop, landing right on one of the car’s front fenders. Always the optimist, Jay says he was just thankful that it didn’t land on the roof. After several months of waiting, the damage was repaired and Jachimiak continued
the build. Inside, the car features a well-executed factory-style interior with a few notable exceptions. First, it has been equipped custom hand controls,
allowing Jachimiak to cruise his ride solo if desired. The stock GM seats, door panels and headliner have all been recovered or replaced in factory-style black materials, and a full
SILV-ATION
HANDS-ON CRUISIN’ The factory-style black vinyl SS bucket seat interior has been treated to an aftermarket shifter and gauges as well as custom hand controls to actuate the throttle and brake pedals.
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JAY JACHIMIAK’S 1970 CHEVELLE SS STREET MACHINE Chassis Type & Mods: Stock GM. Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: QA1 coilovers with QA1 double-adjustable shocks. Factory GM disc brakes. REAR: Stock mount TRZ tubular upper control arms with QA1 lower control arms. BMR springs with Strange double-adjustable shocks. Stock GM drum brakes. Body & Paint: Sikkens Mercedes Brilliant Silver basecoat/clearcoat prepped and sprayed by Jack Stone. Custom-mixed black metallic GM rally stripes. Harwood 4-inch fiberglass cowl induction hood. Engine & Rotating Assembly: Ultra Tech Racing Engines 582 ci big block Chevy (4.600 bore/4.375 stroke). Dart Big M block with K1 4340 steel crank, K1 4340 steel H-beam rods, and Diamond 10.5:1 pistons. Crane Cams roller cam (.714/.254 intake, .714/.262 exhaust) with Crane solid roller lifters. Manton chromoly pushrods with Pro Topline 320cc aluminum cylinder heads. Crane roller rocker arms. Induction & Fuel Delivery: Dart 4500 aluminum intake manifold with Mark Whitener custom 1050 Dominator carb. MagnaFuel electric fuel pump. Electronics & Ignition: MSD Digital 6 box with MSD Pro Billet distributor and MSD plug wires. Exhaust: MLemons 2 1/8-inch Powershield-coated headers with 3 1/2-inch exhaust and Flowmaster 30 Series race mufflers. Transmission: Coan Racing Transmissions TH400 automatic trans. Coan 10inch 4,200 rpm stall converter with JW Performance flexplate. Differential: GM 12-bolt posi assembled by DTS. Strange 35-spline race axles with Richmond 3.73 gears.. Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x3.5 Weld Magnum Drag wheels with 225/60-15 ProTrac tires. REAR: 15x8 Weld Magnum Drag wheels with 15x11.5-inch Hoosier Quick Time Pro tires. Performance: 800 hp 6,250 RPM and 760 ft./lbs. at 4,800 RPM.
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SILV-ATION
compliment of AutoMeter gauges relays the car’s vital signs. A custom CO2-actuated Cheetah shifter handles the gear changes, and the entire interior was installed by Jachimiak and friend Jim Orzlack. Jachimiak is quick to thank the many friends who had a hand in the car’s transformation, including Greg Wegenke who helped with fabrication duties, Jack Stone who handled paint duties, Jeff Freymuth who handled wiring, Norm Beerhorst who handed engine chores, and Arte McElwee III,
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SILV-ATION
Mike Weller, and Carlos Gutierrez who provided other support. Lastly, Jachimiak is thankful to his parents who provided support and assistance along the way. The ever-positive Indiana native has come full circle, taking in his first show in 1992 when he attended the Street Machine Nationals in his hometown South Bend. More recently, he showed the car to the delight of friends and impressed onlookers at the 2017 Street Machine Nationals in DuQuoin. When asked what he’d do differently if given the chance, Jachimiak is short and to the point. “Not one thing. This build has been on my mind for 40 years.”
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august2017 | RPM Magazine
story and photos by
Toby Brooks
B
ack in the 1990s, Ace Hardware ran a campaign where they bragged about being the place with the “helpful hardware man.” Dave Sneade and his wife Lynne know a little something about that, being as the Huntington, Maryland couple own and operate Ace stores in both Owings and Lusby, Maryland. However, in 2006 Dave opted to occupy his spare time and spare change dealing not in hardware but in hardcore— hardcore, old-school power, that is—when he kicked off a decade-long pro street Dodge Charger build. “I started looking for a project in 2006, and eventually ended up acquiring this car out of Michigan
after selling my 1968 Road Runner to my friend Henry Ruiz,” Sneade recounted. After hauling the clean Mopar 600 miles east, the build was on. “The car already had a 528 Hemi crate motor with less than 400 miles on it, so the plan was to put a cross ram 2/4 intake on it, keep the 727 reverse valve body trans, and backhalf it for the pro street look and be done,” he said. Famous last words, Dave. Instead, before the 10-hour drive home was even complete, Sneade had
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august 2017 | RPM Magazine
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www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
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BRINGIN’ HOME... already altered course with plans of a blown Hemi with a killer stance, new paint, and a street-rod-nice leather interior. While the car is gorgeous from any angle, there’s no denying the overthe-top appeal of the blown Elephant lurking under (and poking through) the hood. The all-aluminum 528 Hemi was built by South State Speed Shop and features a 4340 forged steel crank, 4340 H-beam rods, and Ross 8.25:1 blower slugs. A Crane roller cam was selected to work well with the supercharged application, and a pair of South State-prepped Hemi
heads were fitted with stainless valves and roller rockers. A Milodon wet-sump high volume pump operates within a high-capacity 7-quart pan to keep things lubed properly, while an MSD ignition provides plenty of sparking energy. Topping the spacious mill is a fully polished Blower Shop 8/71 billet huffer that has been crowned with a pair of AED 1050 Pro Series blower carbs. A polished BDS scoop keeps out the bugs and debris for the car’s frequent cruise laps around town and other shows. Exhaust duties are handled by a pair of TTI headers with Spin-
JAW DROPPER The incredible Charger had participants and spectators alike talking all weekend at the Nats. The blown Hemi sounded as good as it looked!
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august 2017 | RPM Magazine
www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
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...THE HARDWARE
STEAMROLLIN’ The classic Mopar features a fully detailed undercarriage. The huge Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pros are mounted to MT HR-1 wheels and tuck nicely thanks to a narrowed Dana 60 and a mild steel 2x3 backhalf.
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Tech oval exhaust tubing and matching SpinTech mufflers to maximize ground clearance. A Mezeire electric water pump has been partnered with a big Griffin aluminum radiator to keep the engine cool, while a Vintage Air AC unit was installed to keep pilot and passenger comfy. Sneade ditched the Torque Flite trans in favor of a more modern automatic overdrive unit, opting for a fully-built and beefed-up GM 4L80E Gearstar unit. A Wilcap aluminum bellhousing adapter was used to mate the Mopar mill to the bowtie
tranny, and a Yank 11-inch stall converter was selected to aid drivability and minimize power loss. Next up, Sneade turned his attention to the stance and suspension components employed on the mile-long Charger, opting for a mild rake and mighty pro street meat out back. In order to accommodate those visions, Sneade employed friend Ricky Lajoice to backhalf the car with a 2x3-inch mild steel frame and a 12-point chromoly cage. A Chassis Engineering 4-link with double adjustable shocks
www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
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BRINGIN’ HOME...
YEAH, IT’S GOT A HEMI The 528 ci Elephant motor was in the car when Sneade got it, but he added the gorgeous billet Blower Shop huffer later. The mill will produce nearly 900 horses all day long on pump gas. keeps the steamrollers hooked in rear, while a set of Magnum Force tubular control arms and lowering coil overs improves handling while getting the nose down up front. Suspended from that 4-link is a narrowed Chassis Engineering Dana 60 rear
THE
ORIGINAL
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august 2017 | RPM Magazine
housing that has been stuffed with 35-spline Strange axles and a 4.10 Strange gearset. Wilwood disc binders were installed on all four corners to slow the polished Mickey Thompson HR-1 wheels and Sportsman Pro tires. Fronts consist of 15x3.5s with
26x8-15 tires and rears are big 18x15s with 33x22-18s. Although the Crystal Red Metallic paint on the car is flawless and every panel is laser-straight, it didn’t happen without much aggravation and heartache. The car had been modified with
www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
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...THE HARDWARE
LEATHERED UP The original spartan interior (top right) was replaced with plush leather with plenty of billet accents. The car took best interior at the Nats in the Pro Street division. shaved door handles and a custom fabricated dash by a previous owner. “We opted to return the car back to factory door handles and put the dash back to a stock configuration,” Sneade recalled. The lone body mod is a 5-inch GlassTek cowl hood, while ev-
erything else is Dodge steel. “I had to take the car to three different paint shops before I was satisfied,” he lamented. Despite the struggles, the juice was worth the squeeze, as the Charger’s mile-long flanks are straight and true and the fine metallic paint
absolutely dazzles the eye in the sun. The final aspect of the build to be completed was the luxurious leather interior. A pair of fourthgen Camaro seats were installed and several hides of rich leather and embossed gator skin were employed to create a
unique and fully finished cockpit. A polished Budnik SplitGrip wheel matches the MT wheels nicely, while a B&M pistol-grip shifter has been cleanly integrated into the custom-fabbed trans tunnel. The fully painted cage has been adorned
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with polished stainless wear caps, and the dashboard full of AutoMeter instrumentation and Vintage Air controls have all been equipped with cool blue LED backlighting. The theme continues into the trunk, where a removable beauty panel conceals a spacious cargo
DAVE & LYNN SNEADE’S PRO STREET 1968 DODGE CHARGER Chassis Type & Mods: Mild steel 2x3 backhalf with Chassis Engineering 12-point chromoly cage. Suspension: FRONT: Magnum Force tubular front suspension with coilover shocks. Wilwood 4-piston disc brakes. REAR: Custom chromoly 4-link with AFCO double-adjustable shocks. Wilwood disc brakes. ABS Power Brake master cylinder. Body & Paint: 5-inch GlassTek fiberglass cowl induction hood. Custom Crystal Red Metallic basecoat/clearcoat that required three different paint shops to get just right. “Grrrr,” said Dave regarding his paint experience. Engine: 528 ci Chrysler Hemi crate engine from South State Speed Shop. 4340 forged steel crankshaft with 4340 H-beam connecting rods and Ross 8.25:1 blower pistons. Crane roller camshaft (.584/.310 intake, .565/.314 exhaust) with Crane roller lifters. South State Speed Shop-prepped cylinder heads with stainless valves and roller rockers. Milodon 7-quart oil pan with Milodon oil pump. Mezeire electric water pump. Induction & Power Adder: Blower Shop aluminum intake manifold. Blower Shop billet 8/71 supercharger pushing 9 pounds of boost. Dual AED 1050 Dominator-style boost referenced carburetors with BDS polished Dominator scoop. Fuel Delivery: MagnaFuel ProStar 500 electric fuel pump. Electronics & Ignition: MSD electronic ignition with Pro Billet distributor. Exhaust: TTI headers with SpinTech oval exhaust and SpinTech mufflers. Transmission: Gearstar GM 4L80E automatic transmission with overdrive. Wilcap Hemi-to-GM bellhousing adapter. Yank 11-inch stall converter. Differential: Chassis Engineering narrowed Dana 60 housing with Strange 35-spline axles and Strange 4.10 gears. Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x3.5 Mickey Thompson HR-1 wheels with Mickey Thompson 26x8-15 Sportsman Pro tires. REAR: 18x15 Mickey Thompson HR-1 wheels with Mickey Thompson 33x22-18 Sportsman Pro tires. Performance: 870 hp @ 5,900 RPM and 872 ft./lbs. @ 4,100 RPM.
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www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
33
FEATURE CAR
HAPPY CAMPER Whether it is behind the wheel or posing proudly beside his killer Mopar, Dave Sneade is all smiles!
area for hauling a cooler or other cruise night essentials. “One of the most memorable experiences in the car was the maiden test drive,” Sneade recalled. “After seven long years, I thought the car was ready so with plenty of excitement, I asked my
34
wife to come along for the first ride. We made it about 10 feet and the car shut down,” he said with a laugh. As it turns out, the thirsty Hemi had drained nearly all of the 5 gallons Sneade had poured in during initial firing, tuning,
august 2017 | RPM Magazine
etc. With the gauges not yet hooked up, it took a bit of troubleshooting to discover the empty cell. “Still excited and not wanting to lose the moment, I added the 2-3 gallons of gas I had sitting around for the lawn mower and tried again. We made
the short 2-mile ride no problem,” he concluded with a grin. Since completion, Sneade has taken the car to a number of large events and has been enjoying the fruits of his labor. The Charger snagged not just
a highly-coveted Legends’ Choice award, but also Best Interior in the Pro Street division at the 2017 Street Machine Nationals. Now that’s some hardware this Ace handy man didn’t have before!
www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
35
SHOP TALK
THE CHILD WHO JT
story and photos by
T
hose of us fortunate enough to have had a happy childhood can remember how stress-free life was and the simple things that occupied our minds. We looked
LIVES IN US ALL
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forward to coming home from school and playing outside. Once homework and chores were complete, a typical day consisted of riding my dirt bike or go-kart with my buddies and not coming home
until after dark. Some days we spent fixing or rebuilding them just so we could ride and repeat this process over again. If your homemade machine didn’t break, it didn’t mean you were a great mechanic, it
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august 2017 | RPM Magazine
meant you didn’t ride it hard enough! This simple hobby kept me motivated while sitting in class all day at school and I can recall dreaming about the new trails we found and figuring out how to cross
a large creek bed. The school day couldn’t come to an end fast enough as I planned each afternoon’s off-road adventure. As I got older, football season took me away from my
1
2 1: The other day I stumbled across an amazing car show that had a few insane ProStreet machines. I felt like a child again as I drooled over each car. At one point I was in a trance as I followed the scent of race gas over to planet “Big Tire.” 2: Adult life is by no means easy. Being a parent, going to work or running a business, keeping the bills paid, and making sure the house is in order, all make for a stressful life. Our cars give us an escape from this and take us back to our care-free childhood days.
after-school motorhead madness. It also had a way of taking me away from school and reality. I enjoyed football and was rewarded for my enthusiasm and willingness to practice harder than my friends, who dreaded being there. It was a very simple way of life. If you outworked the guy next to you, you were rewarded. This became a habit for me, and the accolades I received from the coaches during practice turned into accolades from
cheering fans on game day. Football was easy: run fast, hit hard, don’t give up, and kick @$$, which all resonated loudly with my personality. This escape from reality didn’t last very long, though. Before I knew it, the season was over, and I was in search of the next challenge. Of course there was wrestling and martial arts in my life, but each had too many rules and limits on how hard you could push your body, or
more importantly, someone else’s. Football did not! Once I got my driver’s license, the off-road adventures slowed down and getting my car ready for the dragstrip consumed any “non-girlfriend” time I had after school. It’s funny, the simple football principle that generated so much success for me— outworking the guy next to you—also paid off on the dragstrip. I didn’t have any money, but I worked my tail off in tune-up shops
and gas stations just to fund my new sport. Having the fastest car in high school back in the ’80s was not about money. There were no fast “new cars” that someone’s parents could buy them. You needed knowledge and an obsession for speed. Thanks to the genius mechanical skills my father had, fueling my obsession for more power was easy. He passed on more knowledge to me than I realized at the time. Today, there are times I
3 3: Football was simple and easy. Outwork the guy next to you and you will find success. This same principle carried over to the dragstrip for me when I was a teenager. There were nights when I fell asleep working under my car.
www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
37
SHOP TALK
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august 2017 | RPM Magazine
encounter a challenge in the shop and remember my Pop showing me how to do it when I was a kid. By now you are probably asking yourself, “Where is he going with this story?” Well these days, adult life is by no means easy. Being a parent, going to work or running a business, keeping the bills paid, and making sure the house is in order all make for a stressful life. There are no days off from this responsibility, but there are ways to alleviate the stress! The fact that you are reading this article means this is one of the ways you choose to escape from the stresses of life. I love writing this column and providing you with a way to escape while I ramble on for a few pages. It’s a mission I hold very dear to my heart. Our cars—especially our extreme horsepower cars—make us feel like a child again. During a long day at work, you can find me dreaming about tearing up a good set of tires at the track. My mind often wanders into gearhead mode, and I am fixing things in my head without even being near my car. This past weekend, I stumbled across a car show while taking my
5: This shirt says it all. We all have some kind of un-healthy habit or addiction. Fast cars can take you away from all of them. There is simply no time to do anything else... daughter and her friends to a movie. I said to myself, “what a great way to spend an hour and a half while they are at the movies.” After a few minutes of walking around, it was clear it was predominantly a Corvette show. I enjoyed strolling down each row and appreciated the time and effort that went into making each Corvette show-ready. As I turned the corner into the next row, I was happy to see some old muscle cars. There was a plethora of cool cars in this section. Camaros, Novas, Chevelles, ’Cudas, Dusters, Road Runners, Darts, Javelins, and Mustangs. It was like being a kid on Christmas morning. (I was feeling like a child again!) Then out of nowhere, like the hammer of Thor falling from heaven, I heard it: the insanely loud, large cammed, big block Nova with two huge four barrels sticking out of the hood. It passed right in front of me and headed to the far side of the parking lot. I followed the scent of the race gas like I was in a trance, and it led me to an oasis of Pro-Street behemoths. I hit the mother load and found the planet I must have been born on. I introduced myself to every one of my new
brethren and drooled over their cars. I never knew this many ProStreet cars lived in my area. They simply NEVER come out to play. My mind raced trying to figure a way to get back home, find someone to drive the SUV back to the movies and pick up the seven girls so I could fire up my own beast and introduce her to her new friends. This perfect plan was quickly squashed as I remembered I’d promised my little princess I would take everyone out to dinner and ice cream after the movie. With operation playdate on hold, I made the best of the situation and gave every car a thorough examination. It’s funny, the youngest owner of these cars was in his late 40s, and the average age was between 55 and 65. The one thing that all of these gentlemen had in common besides big tires and horsepower, was that they all acted like kids again while telling me about their machines. It warmed my heart to see the pride and excitement that came over their faces while sharing their stories. One older man in particular finally had the car of his dreams with his ’68 Camaro. This car was absolutely stunning. I will
刀椀瘀攀琀 ⬀ 刀椀瘀攀琀 一甀琀 ⬀ 刀椀瘀攀琀 匀琀甀搀
6: Stress and worry are two totally different things. Sure, I worry about my car and how she will perform, scratching it while wrenching, or wrecking it while racing. In my opinion, stress comes from not being in control or having the ability to fix a situation. This is clearly not the case with my car. While I may worry about hurting her, I thoroughly enjoy fixing her. In the process of doing both, the stresses of life melt away.
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5 most certainly be sharing it with all of you in an upcoming feature car story. His name was Jim, and he went on to tell me how his car makes him feel young again. He is very much like me in that all he has to do is open up his garage and look at it to get that “feeling.” He, too, has a wife that “puts up” with this ridiculous extreme hobby, and she, too, takes pride sitting in her lawn chair as crowds of people walk by and gaze in awe at their baby. There is a child inside all of us that wants to come out. Not only does it want to come out, it NEEDS to come out! Our cars and the passion we have for motorsports gives us that portal to a carefree childhood day. I saw a t-shirt the other day that appropriately sums up the theme of this story. I actually stopped the guy that was wearing it, and asked if I could take a picture of his shirt. It said, “some do drugs, others pop bottles, we solve our problems with wide open throttles!” There are plenty of alternative escapes from life and reality, but in my opinion there is none better than doing a long, smoky burn out, and hearing the thumpity
thump of a massive cam. I hope this story encourages everyone to take a moment to embrace their garage or shop, and find their inner child. If this moment just so happens to last a bit longer and takes you to the local ice cream shop, car show, or drag strip, know that I am with you, and that there are a lot of us that must have come from that same planet. Until next month, keep wrenching!
䴀甀氀琀椀ⴀ䘀甀渀挀琀椀漀渀愀氀 唀渀氀椀洀椀琀攀搀 倀漀猀猀椀戀椀氀椀琀椀攀猀 䄀嘀䄀䬀 䴀愀砀䐀甀琀礀 䘀氀攀砀 吀漀漀氀 䬀椀琀 ∠ ㌀ⴀ椀渀ⴀ㨀 刀椀瘀攀琀Ⰰ 刀椀瘀攀琀 一甀琀 ⬀ 刀椀瘀攀琀 匀琀甀搀 ∠ 䘀氀攀砀椀戀氀攀 栀愀渀搀氀攀猀 昀漀爀 攀愀猀礀 猀琀漀爀愀最攀 眀椀琀栀漀甀琀 氀漀漀猀椀渀最 愀渀礀 氀攀瘀攀爀愀最攀⸀ ∠ 唀渀椀焀甀攀 儀甀椀挀欀匀眀椀琀挀栀 昀攀愀琀甀爀攀 昀漀爀 爀愀瀀椀搀 昀甀渀挀琀椀漀渀愀氀 挀栀愀渀最攀 ∠ 䠀攀愀瘀礀 搀甀琀礀 猀甀瀀瀀漀爀琀椀渀最 猀琀愀椀渀氀攀猀猀 昀愀猀 昀愀猀琀攀渀攀爀猀 愀渀搀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀愀氀 昀愀猀琀攀渀攀爀猀
刀椀瘀攀琀 ⼀㐀ᴠ ⠀㘀⸀㐀洀洀⤀ 刀椀瘀攀琀 一甀琀 ⼀㈀ᴠ ⼀ 䴀㈀
7 7: I spent the past year working extremely hard on my Pro Street Camaro. Countless hours of research, fab work, and wrenching. Many all-nighters were spent in the solitude of my shop. Hearing that big block roar inside of the frame rails for the first time and having the first person say, “you built that?” was an incredible feeling. Haters are always going to say something about your success and victories in life. No one could ever discount or take away your hard work and the pride you earned from it.
刀椀瘀攀琀 匀琀甀搀 㔀⼀㘀ᴠ ⼀ 䴀㠀
刀椀瘀攀琀⼀刀椀瘀攀琀 一甀琀 䐀爀椀氀氀 䄀搀愀瀀琀攀爀猀
䔀û漀爀琀氀攀猀猀 愀渀搀 䔀ϻ挀椀攀渀琀 䜀攀琀 琀栀攀 樀漀戀 搀漀渀攀 昀愀猀琀 䄀嘀䄀䬀 刀嘀䐀 愀渀搀 刀一䐀 䐀爀椀氀氀 䄀搀愀瀀琀攀爀猀 ∠ 䰀攀瘀攀爀愀最攀 琀栀攀 瀀漀眀攀爀 漀昀 瀀漀眀攀爀 琀漀漀氀 昀漀爀 攀û漀爀琀氀攀猀猀 爀椀瘀攀琀椀渀最 ∠ 唀瀀 琀漀 ㈀砀 愀猀 昀愀猀琀 愀猀 洀愀渀甀愀氀 琀漀漀氀猀 ∠ 匀洀愀氀氀 瀀爀漀漀氀攀 昀漀爀 攀砀琀爀攀洀攀 瀀漀爀琀愀戀椀氀椀琀礀 ∠ 唀猀攀 礀漀甀爀 搀爀椀氀氀 昀漀爀 搀爀椀氀氀椀渀最 愀渀搀 爀椀瘀攀琀椀渀最⸀ 一漀琀 漀渀攀 漀爀 琀栀攀 漀琀栀攀爀⸀ 䴀漀搀攀氀猀
刀嘀䐀ⴀ 㨀 唀瀀 琀漀 ⼀㐀ᴠ 爀椀瘀攀琀猀 刀一䐀ⴀ ⴀ嬀匀⼀䴀崀㨀 唀瀀 琀漀 ㌀⼀㠀ᴠ 漀爀 䴀 爀椀瘀攀琀 渀甀琀猀
刀一䐀ⴀ
刀嘀䐀ⴀ
圀圀圀⸀刀䤀䐀䜀䔀䜀䄀吀䔀吀伀伀䰀匀⸀䌀伀䴀
刀䤀䐀䜀䔀䜀䄀吀䔀 吀伀伀䰀匀 ☀ 吀䔀䌀䠀
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to go ever-faster in the sportsman scene and decided to try his hand at a street/strip build that could be enjoyed at local cruises or at the race track. And after deciding on one of the smallest production vehicles to roll off the assembly line
story and photos by
all three approaches to their near extremes, many of the rest of us have to pick and choose our strategies. Take Martinsville, Indiana’s Jay Teitz, for instance. The long-time drag racer had grown tired of beating and banging every weekend trying
Toby Brooks
I
t’s been said that while drag racing isn’t easy, it is simple. Want to go faster? You basically have three options: 1) more power, 2) more traction, or 3) less weight. And while the modern-day pro mods have taken
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CLAUSTROPHOBIA
during the muscle car era, he opted to stuff the biggest tire he could under it, thereby going all in on the “more traction” and “less weight” approach to going fast. “I have been looking for an Opel 1900 since 1979, but I was very particular,” Tietz said. “It
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had to have a nice body, no rust, and no history of collision. It took me 35 years, but I finally found one,” he said with a grin. The car of Tietz’s dreams was originally from California and had been held by the same owner for more than two decades before moving to Georgia. “The
august2017 | RPM Magazine
original owner had taken it apart after he moved, but didn’t have time to put it back together,” he said. Tietz discovered the car on the web and promptly drove to Georgia to see it. A deal was made, and for the princely sum of $3000, he hauled the bare shell home.
TIGHT FITTIN’ Whether it is the Holley Dominator under the hood or the huge Quick Time Pros out back, space is at a premium everywhere in this cool little Buick.
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CLAUSTROPHOBIA
CLEAN-N-SIMPLE The naturally-aspirated 410 ci small block makes 750 horsepower, which is enough to make this 1,950-pound lightweight more than a handful.
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“The car had no motor, no trans, no interior, and no glass,� Tietz recalled. Within two weeks, he had started to prep the car for a new 25.1-cert chassis (read: the Sawzall was applied to the floor). Another two months later, the
lightweight Buick was delivered to Greg Risk Racecraft for fab work. Risk had done fabrication work for Tietz in the past, and he was ready to tear in to the full chromoly tube chassis build right away. Close inspection reveals
that the new chassis and associated tinwork were created with incredible craftsmanship. Each joint is clean with gorgeous TIG welds and the bead rolled sheetmetal work covers the interior and undercarriage perfectly.
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CLAUSTROPHOBIA
A GREAT COMBO 1,081 HP & 841 ft-lbs. Torque
Matt Woodard built a powerhouse big-block Chevy for Super Comp class racing with an Edelbrock Super Victor II intake #2897 and Victor 24° cylinder heads. These components were prepped by Shaut Racing Heads and the block features a 4.625" bore and 4.50" stroke for 605 cubic inches. Testing was performed at Edelbrock’s R&D dyno facility in Torrance, California. “Making 1,080+ horsepower with conventional aluminum cylinder heads is really amazing.” — Matt Woodard
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august2017 | RPM Magazine
ALL PARTS FOR USE ON RACING VEHICLES ONLY.
JAY TIETZ’S PRO STREET1969 BUICK OPEL GT 1900 Chassis: Greg Risk Racecraft 25.1 cert full chromoly tube chassis. Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Strange double-adjustable struts with Strange 10-inch disc brakes. REAR: Custom Greg Risk 4-link with AFCO double adjustable shocks and Strange dual-caliper rear disc brakes. Body & Paint: Factory original body prepped by Mike Burns and painted by Matt Goforth. PPG Isuzu Red basecoat/clearcoat paint. Custom Street Rodders, Inc. fiberglass lift-off hood with functional fiberglass aero scoop. Greg Risk Racecraft fabricated aluminum rear wing. Engine: 410 ci 23-degree small block Chevy balanced, blueprinted, and built by Jay Tietz. Callies forged stroker crank with Oliver 3.800-inch steel billet connecting rods and JE 14.2:1 pistons. Cam Dynamics solid roller cam (715/321 intake, 630/331 exhaust) with COMP Cams roller lifters and Manley chromoly pushrods. Brodix Aluminum track cylinder heads ported by Ron’s Porting. Jesel shaft-mount rockers. Moroso electric water pump with Griffin aluminum radiator. Hamburger 7-quart pan with Melling high-volume oil pump. Induction & Fuel Delivery: Edelbrock 4500 aluminum intake manifold with Holley 1050 Dominator carb. Holley electric fuel pump. Exhaust: Owner-built 2 1/8-inch stainless headers with 4-inch exhaust and Vibrant mufflers. Electronics: MSD 7AL box with MSD Pro Billet distributor and MSD plug wires. Transmission: Lenco ST 1200 5-speed manual transmission assembled by owner. Hayes Soft Lock 10.5-inch clutch with Hayes pressure plate. Mark Williams 3.5-inch aluminum driveshaft with Spicer u-joints. Differential: Indy Gear narrowed Ford 9-inch rearend with Strange 40-spline axles and Richmond 5.00 gears. Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x3.5 Weld Racing Aluma Star 2.0 wheels with 26x4.5-15-inch Moroso front runner tires. REAR: 15x15 Weld Racing Aluma Star 2.0 wheels with 33x18.5-15 Hoosier Quick Time Pro tires. Performance: 750 hp 7,600 RPM. “I had this same engine and transmission in a Beretta that weighed 2,250 pounds and ran 8.60s @ 157 mph. Now I have that same combo in this car, and it weighs 1,950 pounds, so it is probably in the low 8/high 7-second range.”
Up front, Risk installed a pair of Strange double-adjustable struts, while the custom-fabricated 4-link relies on a pair of AFCO double-adjustable coil-overs out back. The funny car-style cage adds a necessary level of protection in the interior, while the tight confines of the underhood area was clearly well thought out, being equipped with mounting provisions for all the necessary components. With the chassis work well in hand, Tietz turned his attention to the drivetrain
of his little Buick. Using the engine and transmission pilfered from his former sportsman Beretta drag car, Tietz freshened things up for his new build. First, the iron 400 ci Chevy block was punched out to 410 cubes and a Callies stroker crank, Oliver 3.800 billet rods, and JE 14.2:1 compression pistons were lovingly placed into position. Your meager pump gas is useless. A lopey Cam Dynamics solid roller cam was selected to direct the valvetrain, partnering with
COMP roller lifters and Manley chromoly pushrods. A Cloyes double roller timing chain, Melling high-volume oil pump, and ARP fasteners round out the mill’s insides, while it wears a Hamburger 7-quart pan and Moroso fabricated valve covers on the exterior. Induction for the spacious mouse is au-naturel, with an aluminum Edelbrock 4500 intake partnered with a sinister-looking black Holley Dominator 1050 cfm carb. After all, when your ride weighs in at a svelte 1,950 pounds,
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CLAUSTROPHOBIA
ON THE INSIDE The craftsmanship on the cage and tinwork is second to none. Greg Risk Racecraft handled the heavy lifting on the fab work, while Tietz and his OCD managed final assembly. If you look closely throughout the interior, you can see that every fastener has been oriented the same direction, every wire expertly hidden, and every surface has been flawlessly finished.
turbos, blowers, or nitrous would probably just be overkill. A Holley electric fuel pump keeps the high-octane race fuel flowing, while a full MSD ignition consisting of a Pro Billet distributor and a 7AL box ensures it burns adequately. One peek in the car’s cozy confines
inside is all you need to know that backing the 750-horse powerplant is a Lenco manual transmission. Specifically, the ST1200 5-speed was assembled by Tietz. A Hayes Soft Lock 10.5-inch clutch and Hayes pressure plate help deliver the ponies rearward, while a Mark Williams
800-626-1828 www.bteracing.com Bill Taylor Enterprises 2 Memphis Avenue • Mt. Pleasant, MS 38649 Some Parts Not Legal for Sale or Use on Pollution-Controlled Vehicles
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Top Sportsman / Top Dragster FEATURES: New BTE Magnum SFI Approved Case, Ringless Vasco Turbo Spline Input Shaft, Mega Racing Band, Two Ring Servo, Performance Servo Spring, Coated Deep Aluminum Pan, BTE Straight Cut Gear set (Available in 1.80, 1.98, and 1.69 ratios), Roller Tail housing/Rear Cover, New BTE High Volume Pump, Roller Governor Support, 10 clutch drum, BTE Top Sportsman High Pressure Transbrake Valve body, Dyno-tested.
$359599 Bracket Powerglide FEATURES: 1.76 Gear set with 4340 forged output shaft and housing, Steel Clutch Hub w/ 5 clutch pack, Rebuilt Pump, Two ring servo, BTE Bracket Transbrake Valve body, Kevlar lined Band, Dyno-tested.
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august2017 | RPM Magazine
Win Big.
Trick Flow’s PowerPort ® 365 aluminum cylinder heads were designed and built for you to win races. These extreme performance race heads for big block Chevy engines flow a massive 424 cfm @ .900" lift. The high-strength castings can withstand enormous amounts of compression and RPM. Rectangular-shaped 365cc CNC Competition Ported runners, 119cc heart-shaped chambers, CNC bowl blended valve seat transitions, 24° intake valve angles with 4° side cants, and the highest quality valvetrain components help make PowerPort 365 heads the best choice for your car. Use PowerPort 365 heads on your engine and turn your goal of winning into reality! Dyno Results PowerPort 365
Test Engine: 13.86:1 compression 572 c.i.d. with Trick Flow PowerPort® 365 cylinder heads (TFS-4141T804-C02), solid roller camshaft (285°/298° duration @ .050"; .900"/.828" lift; 114° lobe separation), 1.8/1.7 ratio shaft mount roller rocker arms, Trick Flow R-Series intake manifold (TFS-41400111), Holley Gen 3 Ultra Dominator 1,425 cfm carburetor, Trick Flow by Stainless Works headers (TFS-DBBC238250), 3½" dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers, Q16 racing fuel.
1708RPCT
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Some parts are not legal for sale or use on any pollution-controlled motor vehicles.
CLAUSTROPHOBIA
3.5-inch aluminum driveshaft sends it back to the Ford 9-inch differential. Assembled by Indy Gear, the narrowed housing was stuffed with Strange 40-spline axles and Richmond 5.00 gears. Stopping duties on a car this light could probably be handled Flintstone-style with a new pair of shoes, but Tietz opted instead for a full Strange disc brake setup. Up front, a pair of 2-piston calipers and 10-inch rotors were installed, while a dual caliper/4-piston setup was mounted to each corner out back. A Strange master cylinder was hidden away and the entire system was plumbed via handformed Russell stainless hardlines. The next step in the build was to smooth out the 40-year old body and prep it for a glass-like, mile-deep coat
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The latest technology for your Big Block Chevy 3D milling
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Introducing Lightweight Big Block Chevy FSR Pistons with 3D Milling! This new design was custom-engineered with 3D machining and drastically reduces piston assembly weight with shortened wrist pins (-26 grams) and a low-friction ring set (-25 grams). The end result provides additional material in critical piston areas, ultimately increasing strength and durability! • The only off-the-shelf 3D machined BBC piston available! • 60 popular BBC high compression combinations available off-the-shelf • Compatible with popular open chamber heads • 2618 alloy high strength forging (FEA designed) • Lateral gas ports improve ring seal • Superior JE Pro Seal Ring Package utilizes a .043” steel top ring, .043” Napier hooked 2nd ring, and 3.0mm low tension oil ring. • 100% engineered, forged, and manufactured in the USA
Wrist Pins • High quality 2.500'' pin further reduces reciprocating weight • Carbon steel wire locks included
7 1 4 - 8 9 8 - 9 7 6 3 • i n f o @ j e p i s t o n s . c o m • w w w. j e p i s t o n s . c o m
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HOOSIER DADDY? Jay Tietz with his ’69 Opel GT 1900
of PPG Isuzu Red basecoat/clearcoat paint. Indianapolis-based KDC Body Shop’s Mike Burns handled prep and Matt Goforth handled the spray gun. The car features a cool aircraft door to access the nose-mounted
fuel cell, with a Dzus-fastened panel on the deck lid to access the battery. The car was fit with a number of Street Rodders, Inc. fiberglass pieces, including an aero scoop-equipped lift-off hood that
manages to clear the valve covers of the small block by a whopping ¼-inch. We told you it was a tight fit. Lastly, the interior of the Opel is clean and crisp, befitting a brutally fast, no-nonsense street/strip ride of this caliber. Painted and recessed beadrolled tinwork
abounds, and the tunnel mounted Lenco sticks look decidedly classic pro stock. A pair of Kirkey fabbed aluminum racing seats have been upholstered in black vinyl and draped with RJS 5-way harnesses. A dash full of Auto Meter carbon fiber gauges resides behind a quick
release Grant GT steering wheel. In just 18 short months, Tietz was able to pull together the street car of his dreams that he’d been wanting to build since 1979, handling final assembly, electrical wiring, and plumbing in his own shop. “I finished the car on a Thursday
and took the car to its first show two days later” he recalled. The Buick took best of show from nearly 300 other participants. While he hasn’t had a chance to make any passes in it just yet, with 750 naturally-aspirated horses in a less-than-oneton wrapper, he’s confident it will
eventually blast deep into the 8s. The car was a hit at the 2017 Street Machine Nationals, where it was surrounded by a steady crowd all weekend. And while it was certainly not lacking for jaw-dropped admirers, it was still short on one thing: extra space.
READY FOR THE
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(210) 635-7744 I vphq@vpracingfuels.com
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story and photos by
Toby B rooks
I
t’s been said that it is easy to build a car that’s good at one thing, but when you try to build one that’s good for everything, lots of times it’s good for nothing. For example, old-school mechanical injection has been a mainstay in competitive drag racing for decades, but it can be a real pain on the street for all but the most knowledgeable tuners. Likewise, the
creature comforts afforded from a finished interior with stereo and air conditioning are great for cruise nights, but the added weight compromises performance at the track. However, modern technology has made the possibility of a true street/strip performer more possible than ever. And for Benton, Illinois native Keith Abbott, the pursuit has almost become an addiction.
DUAL THREAT “I wanted to build a car with more power than any car I’ve ever had before,” said Abbott. The longtime hot rodder spent his formative years taking mental notes and turning wrenches alongside his dad, who was in the auto repair business. “I have been building and putting together motors since the age of 12. My dad would bring cars in and I would get to help him a lot,” he added. Over time, that cultivated love for all things performance led Abbott into the business, as well, as he now owns and operates a towing company of his own. But for his latest creation, he didn’t want anything that had to be towed anywhere. He wanted a driver. “I found the car about three years ago outside of Bristol, Tennessee,” Abbott said. The car was a solid starting point, but Abbott quickly tore into it to make it uniquely his own. “I re-did the entire drivetrain, added some creature comforts, and updated the tires and wheels. The goal was and is to drive
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it from my house, down the interstate to the track (the eighth-mile I-57 Dragstrip), run 4s, and drive home,” he said with a grin. That’s no small goal, so it required no small power plant to begin. For that, Abbott turned to CBM Motorsports for a bulletproof balanced and blueprinted 440-ci twin turbo LS. First, the gang at CBM started with an aluminum GM block poked and stroked to 4.065 and 4.100 inches, respectively. A Callies Magnum crankshaft spins Callies Ultra I-Beam connecting rods with Manley Platinum boost-friendly 9.0:1 pistons. A custom-grind CBM roller cam (.622/.228 intake, .644/.240 exhaust) was partnered with Johnson short-travel tie bar roller lifters. ARP studs and fasteners were used throughout, including to hold down the aluminum CNC ported LS7 cylinder heads. Cometic gaskets keep things sealed properly, while a Peterson 10-quart dry-sump oiling system circulates the lubricants
august 2017 | RPM Magazine
SHHHHHHHHH! KEEP IT DOWN OUT THERE! We asked (and received!) permission to shoot Keith Abbott’s gorgeous 1969 Camaro SS on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, but that still didn’t stop a particularly opinionated groundskeeper from trying to run us off after the distinctive twin-turbo side-piped LS motor roared to life. We used to think if you’ve seen one red ’69 Camaro, you’ve seen them all, but Abbott proved us wrong, as his ride boasts insane amounts of power with all the creature comforts you’ve come to expect from a modern muscle car. Well...except for quiet exhaust, that is.
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DUAL THREAT
OLD MEETS NEW The Camaro looks incredible with its flawless paint, classic black vinyl top, and sidepipe exhaust, but the black powder coated Billet Specialties wheels add a high-tech, sinister flair that leads you to the likely truth that it is ready, willing, and able to destroy you should you decide you want to tangle. readily and reduces power loss due to windage. Induction consists of a pair of Garrett GT4094 turbos stuffing up to 50 pounds of atmosphere down the throat of an aluminum Holley LS EFI intake. An octet of Holley 220-pound injectors spray copious amounts of fuel and are commanded by a Holley Dominator EFI controller. LS7 coilnear-plug ignition sparks the fire, and an Aeromotive Eliminator dual in-take fuel pump system ensures there’s always plenty of fuel to burn. Exhaust consists of a pair of custom turbo headers welded up by friend Don Storey.
“I came up with the design I wanted, and Don handled the rest,” Abbott said. With the twin Garretts tucked up behind the headlights, an air-to-air intercooler was mounted ahead of the radiator on the cool side. The install has been so well executed that we drove by the car twice without realizing it was even turbocharged. A pair of black ceramic coated functional sidepipes were crafted from 4-inch DOM tubing. The result is a unique alternative to now commonplace fender-dump exhaust and gives the car a true classic street machine vibe.
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DUAL THREAT
The combo was good for over 2,000 horses on the dyno. But as it turns out, making power isn’t the hard part. Putting that power down is. “We’ve been through a few transmissions, and we finally decided to go with a pro-mod-level automatic in the hopes that it will hold up,” Abbott said. An M&M Turbo400 GM automatic
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transmission has been bolted in ahead of a Gear Vendors electronic overdrive intended to help the Camaro ease down the interstate at a leisurely 1,700-1,800 rpm but withstand all the punishment the twin turbo LS can muster when the fun pedal is smashed. A PTC stall converter and TCI SFI-rated flexplate help keep things safe,
august 2017 | RPM Magazine
TIGHT SQUEEZE In the first heyday of the Street Machine Nationals, the thought of making four-digit horsepower was a pipe dream, but modern technology has made it possible— and it all fits under a cowl hood! The twin Garrett turbos are tucked away just behind the headlights and nearly disappear among the maze of cleanly-fabbed Don Storey plumbing work. However, as you look closer, you notice the air-to-air intercooler, the CBM blow-off valves, and the dry sump oiling system and you quickly realize this is no simple, run-of-the-mill LS swap.
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STREET/STRIP TERROR
KEITH ABBOTT’S 1969 CAMARO SS 10.5 TWIN TURBO STREET/STRIP
Abbott’s goal has always been to drive the car to his local eighth-mile track, run 4s, and drive home. Although he hasn’t done it yet, it is only a matter of time.
Chassis Type & Mods: Chromoly backhalf with 10-point cage. Suspension & Brakes: FRONT: Santhuff springs with AFCO doubleadjustable shocks and Aerospace Components 4-piston disc brakes. REAR: Custom chromoly 4-link with AFCO double-adjustable shocks. Aerospace Components disc brakes. Body & Paint: PPG Guards Red basecoat/clearcoat with gloss black GM rally stripes. Harwood 4-inch fiberglass cowl induction hood. Custom black vinyl top. Engine: CBM Motorsports custom-built 440 ci LS. Callies Magnum 4.100-inch crankshaft, Callies 6.125-inch Ultra I-beam connecting rods, and Manley Platinum 9:1 pistons. CBM model 630h roller cam (.622/.228 intake, .644/.240 exhaust) with Johnson short travel tie bar lifters and Manley 4130 chromoly pushrods. CNC ported LS7 6-bolt aluminum cylinder heads. GM 1.8 rocker arms. Peterson 10-quart dry sump oiling system. Induction & Power Adders: Holley EFI aluminum intake manifold with Holley 220# injectors. Custom dual CBM/Garrett GT4094 turbos. Fuel Delivery: Aeromotive Eliminator dual in-tank electric fuel pumps. Electronics & Ignition: Holley EFI Dominator system with LS-7 coilnear-plug. Exhaust: Custom LS turbo headers with functional black ceramic coated 4-inch side pipe exhaust by Tim Ramsey. Transmission & Driveline: M&M Turbo400 trans with Gear Vendors electronic overdrive. PTC stall converter with TCI LS flexplate. PST chromoly driveshaft with billet yokes. Differential: Moser fabricated 9-inch rearend with 40-spline Moser axles and 3.50 Moser gears. Tires & Wheels: FRONT: 15x3.5 Billet Specialties Street Lite wheels with Mickey Thompson 26x7.5-15 tires. REAR: 15x10 Billet Specialties Street Lite wheels with Mickey Thompson 295/65-15 ET Street tires. Wheels custom powder coated by Joshua Gulledge at 2BoyzBlasting in Johnston City, IL. Performance: 2,000+ hp on 91-octane pump gas.
Billet
and the PST chromoly driveshaft with billet yokes reliably sends the ponies aft in the chassis. Four-digit horsepower has a way of spotlighting the weak point of a driveline, so Abbott knew the differential needed to be bulletproof, too. A Moser fabricated
DUAL THREAT
9-inch rearend has been equipped with 40-spline Moser axles and Moser 3.50 gears. The rear has been mounted via a custom 4-link that rides on AFCO double-adjustable shocks. And no wheelie bars. “So far we are still working the bugs out, and the car either
blows the tires off at the hit or sits on the back bumper,” Abbott said. Chassis modifications consist of a chromoly backhalf in the rear with Santhuff springs and AFCO double-adjustable shocks in front for suspension duties with a custom 12-point chromoly cage with
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DUAL THREAT
swing-out sidebars to stiffen things up and add protection. Paint and body on the classic Chevy is clean, simple, and unfussy with a flawless PPG Guards Red basecoat/clearcoat that has been adorned with a pair
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of iconic GM rally stripes. A 4-inch Harwood fiberglass cowl hood is the lone exception to an otherwise all steel body. The red paint contrasts nicely with the cool black vinyl top and the black powder coated
wheels. Speaking of wheels, Abbott selected a set of Billet Specialties Street Lite hoops that have been shod with Mickey Thompson tires. The 15x3.5s up front and 15x10s in back were treated
august 2017 | RPM Magazine
SITTIN’ PRETTY The classic Bowtie sits perfectly over a custom 4-linked Moser fabricated housing on AFCO double-adjustable shocks. Up front, Santhuff springs have been partnered with another pair of AFCOs to get the ride height just perfect.
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COOL CRUISER Whether Abbott is ready to blast down the track or idle around town, this Camaro is ready. In addition to the neatly appointed factory-style interior, Abbott added a 10 point cage for safety and a Kenwood sound system and Vintage Air heat and AC unit for comfort. The AC compressor was wrapped with heat shield to protect it from the nearby turbo header.
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DUAL THREAT to a cool gloss black and machined finish by Josh Gulledge of 2BoyzBlasting in nearby Johnston City, Illinois before the 26x7.5/15 fronts and 295/65-15 ET Street rears were mounted up. The interior of the car is as clean and wellkept as the exterior and chassis. The black vinyl factory-style seats, door panels, and headliner have been augmented with a dash full of AutoMeter gauges and a Grant GT steering wheel adds style. A Cheetah
SCS shifter commands the gears and a pair of 3-inch 5-way harnesses add another measure of safety. The car features a full Kenwood sound system and even has full heat and air conditioning, making cruise nights as comfortable as they are fun. We spotted Abbott’s ride at the 2017 Street Machine Nationals, where he brought the car up for the day on Saturday before heading to the track on Saturday night. And while it may seem difficontinued on page 76
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august 2017 | RPM Magazine
While there were several cars we could have chosen, the insane power and the practical drivability of the Camaro made it our logical pick for the inaugural RPM Editor’s Choice award. TOP: Abbott receives the super cool custom Fastlane Metalworx award from RPM’s Toby Brooks. RIGHT: Abbot (right) poses with friends Don Storey and Marcia Kelley.
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cult to stand out from the crowd of 3,000+ other street machines in a red 1969 Camaro, Abbott’s classic muscle car missile stood out from the rest with its unique combination of classic street machine melded together with cutting-edge
hardcore horsepower, snagging our inaugural Editor’s Choice award sponsored by Fastlane MetalWorx in the process. So the next time someone tries to tell you that you can’t have your cake and eat it, too with a true street/strip build, just
point them in the direction of Keith Abbott. He’s the guy sitting in the red Camaro in the staging lanes with the stereo and AC cranked. He might give you a ride home in it after he blasts another 4-second pass.
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www.rpm-mag.com | august2017
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DOUBLE FEATURE
WISH YOU
story and photos by
Toby Brooks
I
t’s like a family reunion, except you have something in common with pretty much every person on the premises. That’s right, campers, the Street Machine
Nationals were back for their 34th installment in their familiar spot at the end of June in picturesque Du Quoin, Illinois. The expansive Du Quoin State Fairgrounds (DSF) again played host to
the three-day event and the city of Du Quoin embraced the show in a way the return-version had not enjoyed since the previous 13-year run from 1986-1998 was unceremoniously shown the door.
In a well-used and clichéd sense, it was just like old times. Only different. On the familiar side, the Southern Illinois weather was as unpredictable as ever, with the remnants of Trop-
of the day Friday. After steady rain early in the AM, it rained off and on just enough to keep all participants in attendance busy drying off their rides. However, by
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ical Storm Cindy briefly dampening what would have otherwise been one of the most perfect weekends in Nats history, with scattered showers and an overcast sky consuming much
august 2017 | RPM Magazine
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WERE
1 & 2: We started off the weekend bright and early, making an appearance on WSIL News 3 This Morning with host Callie Carroll at 6 am to help promote the show.
3
1 Saturday, the wet stuff was gone and with mid 80-degree temps, gentle breezes, and gorgeous blue skies, it was picture perfect. Adding to the beauty was the grounds themselves. If you’ve never been, the facility is expansive, with over 1,500 acres of rolling hills, gorgeous lakes, and miles of paved cruising. The familiar DSF grandstand and the iconic brick architecture of the facility serves as a perfect backdrop for photos
3: Pinstriper extraordinaire Von Hot Rod came in from Huntington Beach, California and made an appearance on News 3, too. He pinstriped several items live on TV.
2 of the 3,000+ pro street, street machine, modern muscle, hot rod, street rod, sport truck, 4x4, and rat rod rides in attendance. In short, there was a little something for everyone to enjoy. The new show’s personality continues to evolve, with the wild displays of public nudity, rampant public intoxication, and general sense of rowdiness of those legendary events of the past long gone. And while folks were generally well behaved again
4: We hustled straight to the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds after the news cast only to be greeted by a steady soaking shower much of the morning. The remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy gave the Nats a soggy start, but by midday it was gorgeous.
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SM NATS 5
5 & 6: Pro Street Alley was hopping all weekend. While there were plenty of familiar rides on hand, this low-slung Monte Carlo SS was one of several making their first appearance at the event.
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this year, burnouts were far more prevalent in 2017 with many less concerned with the lighter police presence. In stark contrast to the show’s return in 2013 when city leaders passed a temporary ordinance prohibiting cruising at all, the town eagerly embraced the show and
its participants this year. Several restaurants and hotels enjoyed spontaneous car shows in their parking lots on both Friday and Saturday night, with the Pizza Hut and Fairgrounds Inn being particularly popular spots. Lawn chairs abounded throughout town on the main drag
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The Nats Through Your Lenses
Once the skies cleared up, the evidence of Tropical Storm Cindy’s work made for some cool photos around the grounds. -Kayleigh Skaggs photo
Pro Street Alley was a sight to behold from the RPM Mag booth. -Jerry Gary, Jr. photo
Just days after the show, we asked YOU to send us your pics of the show via social media and you delivered! Any pic you see displayed in front of the filmstrip graphic was sent in by an RPM reader. Thanks for participating!
7: Carl Peters’ impressive his-n-hers pair of flamed and tubbed rides looked awesome. Carl drives the red Blazer while wife Kelly drives the green ’30 Ford.
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and entire families could be seen enjoying the action. In short, it was a welcome change to see the town embrace the show again and acknowledge the boost it brings to the region both in dollars and in good clean fun. The show was dotted with a few high profile new builds that we’ll bring to you starting this month. Keith Abbott’s incredible 1969 Camaro took our first-ever Editor’s Choice award and can be seen in this month’s center feature.
SM NATS
What do you get when you combine a bunch of street machining buddies and a box of beanie caps? An impromptu bunch of hood rats! -Beth Bramley photo
Colin Davis left his pro street Javelin at home and instead brought his ProCharged purple small tire AMX. -Russ Gray photo
The Nats isn’t just a pro street show, as this clean protouring ‘66 Nova can attest. -Chris Earl Hahn
photo
9
8: This ProCharged Dodge Stealth sounded incredible as it whistled its way around the cruise route.
8
9: The Illinois State Police were on hand ensuring everyone had good, safe fun.
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www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
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SM NATS
hn photo
-Chris Earl Ha ley photo
-Beth Bram
-Jeff McGee photo
Another fan favorite was Jay Tietz’s ultra-clean Opel pro streeter, which is also featured in this issue. The highly-coveted Legends’ Choice pro street awards went to Jeff McCormick’s 1986 Corvette, Dave Sneade’s 1968 Charger (also featured in this issue) and Rob Delp’s 1970 GTO. Delp also walked away with First Place in the Pro Street division, followed by Stan Hutchinson and his low-slung 1970 Chevelle in second and Randy Watson in his blown and injected 1966 Nova in third. Plenty of fan favorites were there, too. Pro street legends Matt & Debbie Hays’ pink Thunderbird, Mark & Diana Grimes’ blown & injected pro street Malibu, and Bret Voelkel’s air ride equipped 1970 Mustang were on hand all weekend. Past RPM Mag feature cars like Keith O’Fal-
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to
-Jerry Gary, Jr. pho -Jerry Gary,
Jr. photo
-Kayleigh Skagg
s photo
12
11
10, 11, & 12: Photos really can’t tell the whole tale of how expansive the facility is. WIth over 1,500 acres on site, you could hang near the epicenter of the show at the main stage, chill on Pro Street Alley, or head out to the slower pace of the rolling hills and lakes toward the back of the grounds.
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SM NATS
-Jerry Gary, Jr. photo
-Kayleigh Skaggs photo
lon’s cover car Corvette, Terry Podschweidt’s pro street Mustang, Rich and Kyle and Amanda Avery’s twin turbo 10.5 Nova were seen cruising the grounds. Tony Mifflin’s Camaro, Rich Bryant’s twin turbo Chevelle, Adam & Andrea Britz’s Falcon, and Jerry Gary’s cool little Vega were in the house, as well. Sister publication TUBBED feature cars were well represented, too, with good friend George Norovich’s super cool ’57 Chevy Wagon and ’55 Chevy 210 surrounded by admirers all weekend as were Rod Bollini’s Dakota and Tony Netzel’s Plymouth. RPM took a more prominent role this year, with Pro Street Era
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-Russ Gray photo
13
-Keith O’Fallon
photo
-Keith O’Fallon photo
-Russ Gray photo
photo -Russ Gray
-Russ Gray photo
13: Rick Dobbertin (left) and Matt Hay (right) stand next to Matt’s 1988 Thunderbird. -Jerry Gary photo
14: James Riley brought out his sweet blown Hemi Challenger -Russ Gray
photo
14
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ith -Ke n allo O ’F
oto
-Jerry Gary, Jr. ph
to pho
-Matt Turner photo
-Russ Gray photo
15
16 15, 16, & 17: A new addition to the show this year was the SEMA-sponsored “Young Guns” Challenge. Builders under the age of 27 displayed their rides in the Young Guns Corral (16), competing for an award as well as an all-expensespaid trip to this year’s SEMA show. Winner Austin Haynes brought his Chevy pickup from nearby Johnston City, Illinois and will advance to the next round in St. Paul in July for a chance to go to Vegas in a few months.
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founders and RPM ambassadors of goodwill Jerry and Shari Gary manning the RPM booth Friday and Saturday. Their Nats veteran Chevy Vega made the trek again one last time, with Jerry hinting at an oldschool Mustang build for next year. Speaking of next year, some notable absentees made the painful decision to scratch the 2017 show with hopes of debuting in 2018. RPM’s own Project aPocalypSe Horse just couldn’t get pulled together in time, leaving us to answer the painful, “so where’s the car??” question all weekend. Another high-profile build is pro street legend Wally Elder’s Hemi-powered blown and injected Dodge Daytona. Elder brought his dad’s cool 1936 Ford that was fea-
-Russ Gray photo
17
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SM NATS tured in Hot Rod magazine several decades ago with promises to have the Daytona out for next year. Other legends Matt & Debbie Hay, Rocky Robertson, and Mark Grimes all hinted at the possibility of something new for 2018. Meanwhile, fellow pro street legend Rick Dobbertin brought out his cool mid-engine
18 LS-equipped Chevy S-10 and snagged a best engineered award. But again at the risk of leading the readership to believe it was nothing but a big tire gathering, it certainly wasn’t. The number and quality of 10.5 cars was up again this year, and we shot more than one that you’ll be seeing in the coming months. -Jerry Gary, Jr. photo
18: SM Nats resident rock star Rocky Robertson was on hand along with gal pal Laurie Umfleet to check out the rides and catch up with old friends. As a Legend of Pro Street, Robertson helped select the three Legends’ Choice award winners that were awarded to Jeff McCormick, Rob Delp, and Dave Sneade. -Jerry Gary, Jr. photo
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World’s Fastest Door Slammers Rely On Crane cams
Wooo Nation's Keith Berry drove his Z06 Corvette to victory at the 2016 “Lights Out 7” event at South Georgia Motorsport Park. His 4.500 inch bore-space, Small Block Chevy engine was built by Pro Line Racing LLC, using a Crane Cams custom-made, tool steel WoooDoo WoooDooo™ Cam.
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www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
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SM NATS
GRAND CHAMPIONS STREET MACHINE
• Louis Jackson, St. Charles, MO. 1955 Chevy
TRUCK
• Quint Walbert, Danville, IN. 1985 S10
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STREET MACHINE WINNERS
• Chris Ferryman, Indiapolis, IN. 1941 Willys
BEST PAINT & GRAPHICS
• Randy Howard, Philpot, KY. 1966 Nova
BEST ENGINE COMPARTMENT
• Marvin Frick, Bonnie, IL. 1969 Camaro
PRO STREET WINNERS
-Kayleigh Skaggs
photo
BEST OVERALL
• First Place: Rob Delp, East Alton, IL. 1970 GTO • Second Place: Stan Hutchinson, St. Louis, MO. 1970 Chevelle • Third Place: Randy Watson, Omaha, NE. 1966 Nova
BEST ENGINEERED
• First Place: Rick Dobbertin, Pennellville, NY. 1994 S10 • Second Place: Michael Taylor, Clarksville, TN. 1976 Monza • Third Place: Jeff McCormick, Beaver Creek, OH. 1986 Corvette
BEST PAINT & GRAPHICS
• Rick Wozniak, Hickory Hills, IL. 1969 Camaro
BEST INTERIOR
• Dave Sneade, Huntington, MO. 1968 Charger
BEST INTERIOR
BEST SUPERCHARGED
• Marvin Frick, Bonnie,, IL. 1955 Chevy
• James Riley, Jacksonville, MO. 1973 Dodge
BEST GM
BEST TURBOCHARGED
• Brandon Wargo, Flanagan, IL. 1977 Trans-Am
• Tony Netzel, Duluth, MN. 1961 Plymouth
BEST FORD
BEST UNDER CONSTRUCTION
• Rick Ryan, Ullin, IL. 1952 Ford
• Keith O’Fallon, St. Charles, MO. 1966 Corvette
BEST MOPAR
LEGENDS’ CHOICE
• George Fage, St. John, IN. 1958 Plymouth
BEST OF THE REST
• Colin Davis, Collinsville, MO. 1968 AMX
• Jeff McCormick, Beaver Creek, OH. 1986 Corvette • Rob Delp, East Alton, IL. 1970 GTO • Dave Sneade, Huntington, MD. 1968 Charger
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-Russ Gray photo
august 2017 | RPM Magazine
-Russ G
oto
BEST PAINT & GRAPHICS
• Kelly Peters, Freeman Spur, IL. 1930 Ford
BEST ENGINE COMPARTMENT
• Paul Clines, Leslie, MO. 1967 Chevy
BEST INTERIOR
• Jeff Moon, DeSoto, IL. 1933 Ford
BEST GM
• Leroy Ingersoll, Narrin, IL. 1941 Cadillac
BEST FORD
• Dave Lewis, St. Peters, MO. 1932 Ford
BEST OF THE REST
• Ken Jurowski, St. Louis, MO. 1938 Dodge
TRUCK WINNERS
to
ph -Keith O’Fallon
STREET ROD WINNERS
ray ph
-Jerry Gary, Jr. pho
oto
BEST PAINT & GRAPHICS
• Dennis Campbell, Ono, IL. 1948 Chevy
BEST ENGINE COMPARTMENT
• Paul Clines, Leslie, MO. 1967 Chevy
BEST INTERIOR
• Gary Duensing, Chester, IL. 1946 Chevy
BEST GM
• Dave Duvall, New Haven, MO. 1969 Chevy
BEST FORD
• Tyson Klavbur, Mt. Vernon, IL. 1968 Ford
BEST MOPAR
• Rod Bollini, Brighton, IL. 1991 Dodge
BEST OF THE REST
• Doug Martin, Ballwin, MO. 2016 Jeep. -Russ Gray photo
8 & 9: Ok, what do you do as an encore after raising a Roush Mustang 15 feet in the air in 2015? Simple, go big or go home! Once again, PowerFest sponsor Ken’s Towing flexed their towing and recovery prowess as they raised this massive cement mixer truck to the delight of all. -Brian Milne photos
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SM NATS 19
-Jerry Gary,
Rain on Friday aside, the show was again improved in many respects. Audio throughout the fairgrounds was much improved, helping spectators and participants alike know what was going on across the event space. Marvel characters Spiderman and
Thor were on hand to pose for pics with the kids and renowned pinstripe artist Von Hot Rod was available to lay some custom licks on shoes, Frisbees, phone cases, or pretty much anything else you could think of…all for free. The demolition derby returned on
Jr. photo
20
19: Another new feature for this year was Marvel Comics superheroes Spiderman and Thor roaming the grounds to pose for pics and show the kids a good time. Here, Spiderman nearly gets RPM’s Jerry Gary with his web, but Jerry deftly avoided the tangle and proceeded to knock Spidey off the cart and give him an atomic wedgie. We didn’t get pics of that, though. 20: Von Hot Rod was busy all weekend pinstriping nearly anything fans could bring by. Phone cases seemed to be most popular, but he also stylized shoes, Frisbees...you name it! JE_BBC_RPM_2015_Layout 1 8/11/15 2:29 PM Page 1
-Keith O’Fallon photo
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aggs photo -Kayleigh Sk
-Keith O
’Fallo n
photo
21
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SM NATS
-Russ Gray photo
-Russ G
ray p
hoto
22
21 & 22: Pro Street Legend Rick Dobbertin was on hand with his cool mid-engine LS-equipped S-10 pickup. If Dobbertin’s name sounds familiar, it is probably because you built the Revell model kit of his incredible twin turbocharged, twin supercharged, and nitroused 1986 Pontiac J-2000 when you were a kid. Rick is an incredible craftsman and this truck took home a Best Engineered award.
Saturday night for a second year and the stands were packed. And for our more hardcore readers who are thinking RPM has gone soft with all this fairgrounds cruising talk, never fear. Just 15 miles east of the grounds, I-57 Drag Strip again hosted a companion event for those who wanted to do
more than just look fast, packing more than 1,000 fans into their recently renovated facility. The event featured some of the baddest doorslammer drag cars in the Midwest and talk has already started about an even bigger grudgestyle event with big payouts next year to run in conjunction with the 2018 Nats.
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www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
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To Run Like A Pro... Use The Best -Jerry Gary,
Jr. photo
23
$% ' ' '( #$, ) ) . ' + )' # ( )*% ! + '( , ## # + #) # $) % ' $'" # # *' ! )- $# ) )' / ' $, ' ! ' #(" (( $#( ' * !) $"%! ) !- # , , ) # " ) ' !( # $#) # $+ ' - '( $ . ' , ## # (* (( # #$, $, $ %' ( !- " ) ) % ! ) ( $ ) / $, ' ! ' #(" (( $#( . !($ $ '( $" %! ) ! # $ %' " *" )$'&* $#+ ') '( ! )$ # ! $'( %$, ' %%! ) $#( ) ( ()' # ) $#+ ') '( # *()$" * !) $' !$ $' " !! !$ # # ( , ) "*!) %! () ( $ %$, ' '(
23 & 24: This year’s show also saw the return of cruising to the evening hours in town. In impromptu mini-car show broke out at the local Pizza Hut when 30+ cool rides all descended upon the establishment to catch some supper.
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SM NATS
-Keith O’Fa llo
n photo -Kayleigh Skaggs photo
-Jeff McGee
photo
24
Although final numbers were not available at press time, both participant and spectator counts for the 2017 show were up over 2016 numbers when 2,800 cars and 30,000+ came through the gates. Likely hampered somewhat by the soggy start, it was an excellent showing for an event that is slowly gaining momentum toward those historic shows of the ’80s and ’90s when as many as 5,000 cars and 100,000+ participants would
www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
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SM NATS
-Chris Earl Hahn
. photo
-Russ Gray. photo
oto
el ph -Tony Netz
25
26
27
be involved in a single weekend. Show promotion company Bonnier Corp/Family Events has not yet released the date for next year’s event, but has already publically stated that they are committed to renewing the contract
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for the Nats for another 3-year term, as 2017 was the final year of the previous 3-year deal. “We are looking forward to finalizing the details for 2018 and beyond after we arrive in town for this year’s show and have a chance to meet with Du Quoin
25, 26, & 27: We were literally right in the middle of photographing Troy LaCrone’s wicked fast 1968 Camaro when that massive cloud you see in the upper left rapidly swept in and poured on the fairgrounds for about 15 minutes straight on Friday afternoon, then promptly the skies were clear again. It wasn’t ideal for folks who had been shining their rides all day, but it made for a killer photo shoot!
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SM NATS
-Chris Earl Hahn photo -Russ Gray photo
28
State Fair representatives,” Bonnier’s Matthew Louck said before the event. In short, the only thing we didn’t like about this year’s installment of the Street Machine Nationals was the fact that we had to rush out Saturday night and miss the day’s activities on Sunday so that we could be back in
the office Monday morning. However, despite the 16hour drive one-way, it was well worth it just to see old friends, cool cars, and enjoy great times. It really is like no other event on the planet. Start making plans now to attend next year. We hope to see in 2018 at the Nats!
28: This super-cool Beretta was a blast from the past! Origianlly debuted in 1989, the Scott Sullivan-painted Chevy was built by Tom Davis and had been stuffed away in storage for over two decades. In addition to killer paint, the car sports a Roots-blown all-aluminum Rodeck small block Chevy. Sadly, Davis passed away last year and friend of the family Shawn Kinsey purchased the car from the family. After blowing the cobwebs out, he brought it to the show where it was quite a hit!
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www.rpm-mag.com | august 2017
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RPM PROJECT CAR 1
1: STILL no paint. STILL no powder coat. We are seriously beginning to wonder if this car will ever see the color it has so desperately needed for SO long. No one is more disappointed than we are, but there was just no way to make it happen.
LITTLE THINGS
PART 38
MEAN A LOT
>>With plans for the big debut shot to pieces, we regroup and focus in on the last few remaining fabrication chores
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story by
T
he more things change, the more they stay the same. I personally have used this space in previous months to tell you “the car is headed to powder coat next
august2017 | RPM Magazine
month” for well over a year. Yet here we are in installment 38. Still no powder coat. I won’t even humor myself with such a threat this time. But let’s just say our fingers are crossed. Heck, even toes and what little
remaining hair is, too (I’ve pulled most of it out over the four tough years of this build!). We were in striking range of making the Nats when the front suspension threw us for a loop. Fix it and ensure
Toby Brooks
the car was right? Of course. But in the process, we knew we’d miss the deadline of the debut. That was better than the alternative to cobble it together knowing it was wrong all for the sake of a self-imposed
2: We spent the weekend before the Street Machine Nationals at Yates Performance Chassis working on the car. This pic shows Jeffrey Cox (left) and Steve Yates (right) as we prepare to get after it and try to finish up the chassis in time to get it to 2Boyz Blasting for powder coat.
2
3: Here’s where we spent most of the next 27 straight hours of our lives. The firewall area where the body mounts to the chassis needed to be finished with tinwork and the cowl that Yates had built needed filler panels on the edges to tie it in with the firewall.
3
4 deadline. So after considering our options briefly, we opted for the correct (and slower) approach. The Nats were out. With the pressure of the deadline off, we took a moment to gather ourselves and reassess the whole situation. Many times, in the throes of a “thrash,” it is easy to lose sight of the things that you wished you had time to do differently or that you’d do over given the chance. It didn’t take us long to find just such things on the Horse.
First, Steve Yates and friends Keith O’Fallon and Kurt Pfitzner had crafted an incredible double-articulated flip-off nose from a stretched Ford steel and factory urethane bumper. That was the cool part. The downside was that some aspects of the car— namely the firewall— that would have been easier to overlook before with a bolton, fixed-mount nose would now be front and center with the Quik Latch removable unit. To solve that problem,
4: We fabricated a matching pair of recessed bead rolled weld-on outer fillers and a pair of C-shaped, dimple-died and bead rolled bolt-on panels (held in place with Cleco pins) to trim the area out. It took some time, but the end result was clean and functional.
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RPM PROJECT CAR 6: Next up, Yates turned his attention to the underhood area.
5
7: These cool radiator supports were crafted from chromoly by Keith O’Fallon. They bolt on to tabs on the upper strut bar on the chassis onto bolt bosses that had already been installed when the radiator was built by Saldana Racing Products.
6 7
5: With the front side of the outer edges of the firewall completed, we turned our attention to the back and top. the bead roll recessed panel you see just forward of the door edge filled the void nicely, then another piece tying it into the upper cowl was created and tacked into place. This will all be bodyworked and painted by Braddy’s Custom. If we can ever get it to them, that is.
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we needed some intricate tinwork. Since we were planning to be in town a few days before the show anyhow, we opted to head on up to Yates Performance ourselves and lend a hand. We arrived at 5:30 Saturday night, trailer in tow (borrowed from local buddy George Norovich) with plans of finishing up what we could and getting the chassis to 2Boyz Blasting for powder coat. The plan was to get as many little jobs done as we could, get the car on down the road to be powder coated, and maybe at least roll out the finished chassis at the show. As things tend to on this project, they didn’t quite go according to plan.
After 27 straight hours of work (you read that right), it still wasn’t ready to go. Dejectedly, we pulled out of Yates Performance at 8:30 Sunday night with an empty trailer in desperate need of a shower and a hot cooked meal. Steve and I worked through the night and made good progress, but it just wasn’t enough. We managed to get the firewall looking good front and back. The work was tedious and the progress was slow, but with Steve manning the TIG, installing new Quik Latches, and generally orchestrating the plan, me working as much sheet metal as I could, and friend Jeffrey Cox lending a helping hand along the way, we
8
9
8 & 9: Yates had already templated these intricate pieces of tinwork before we arrived, so we started fabricating them based on those patterns using our Eastwood motorized beadroller and NexGen Offroad dimple die set. The finished product will consist of another pair of panels just like these on the driver’s side along with a piece in the center tying everything together. These again will be bodyworked and painted and they serve to stiffen the front end while hiding the massive Ford factory HID headlight housings.
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RPM PROJECT CAR
11
10
got as much done as we could and called it a day. The car sat dejectedly in Steve’s shop for the duration of the show and the predictable steady stream of “Hey! Where’s the car?” started first thing after the show began and continued all weekend. It wasn’t that folks didn’t deserve an answer. It was just hard to swallow that we’d come so far and endured so many setbacks only to fall short and admit it wasn’t ready in the 11th hour.
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Since the show, Yates has been back at it, methodically checking off the list of things that need to be done before the car can be moved down the road. Most recently, that has meant mounts for the myriad of electronics that will be located under the dash, fortifying the steering column, planning and re-routing the brake lines, and mounting the billet floating floorboards. In addition, he has mounted up the ProMeth pumpless
august2017 | RPM Magazine
10: As is typical in this build, we have 10 pounds of stuff to cram into a five-pound bag. Case in point, clockwise from upper left we have the FAST XIM module for the coil-near-plug setup, the Racepak V500SD data acquisition system, Racepak SmartWire system, ZadaTech digital gauges unit, MSD Power Grid, and FAST XFI 2.0 controller. All of this stuff is getting a shock absorbent mount crafted from ABS and mounted to the chassis.
11: The steering column previously had a single triangulation bar because we had to remove the second to make way for the new fiberglass dash. Yates solved that problem, crafting two additional mounts from 1-inch chromoly and welding them in place.
12 13
methane tank, Ride Tech on-board compressor, and Lokar remote battery disconnect switch in the trunk and fabricated a radiator overflow tank from scratch using stainless tubing and a Philadelphia Racing Products billet screw-on cap. This will be center-mounted just behind the radiator and will ensure that we are able to fill the cooling system without pesky trapped air compromising efficiency. We’ve said it before, but this time we REALLY mean it. The
15 13: Yates then mocked up the Vintage Air Gen IV Magnum unit on the firewall. The fiberglass dash gave us lots more room, but it is still critical to ensure good fit.
12: Believe it or not, one of the first parts we got for the car was a Hurst billet pistol grip QuarterStick and a Hurst line lock WAY back in December 2013. After sitting on the shelf for over three years, that line lock FINALLY made its way out of the packaging and onto the car this month! Using the pedestal we had created to mount the Lokar billet throttle pedal, Yates attached the Hurst unit to the back side, allowing easy access but also hiding it somewhat from view. It seems like the parts we need right away are never in our possession, while other parts like these seem to wait around on us for a while. That’s another way planning a build like this can be such a challenge.
14: Sam Lance at Southwestern Machine Products in Odessa Texas cut these super trick 5/8-inch thick billet floating floorpans for us a while back. It was time to finally install them.
14 15: With the tinwork on the bottom of the car as a big belly pan, the topside bars are exposed, making it a pain to put your feet where they need to go for driving. To solve that, these billet plates will serve as “floating” floorpans, complete with CNC-machined aPocalypSe Horse logos.
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www.rpm-mag.com | august2017
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RPM PROJECT CAR 16
18
17
16, 17, & 18: That big hunk of billet is cool looking, but also heavy. Yates decided to map out the perimeter and leave it full thickness, but back mill out a 3/8-inch recess. Using his trusty Bridgeport and a steady hand, he quickly milled out the unneeded material and reduced the weight of the floorpans by half.
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19 20
19: During our first stab at tinwork, we had made the mistake of using 10-32 screws to hold the floorpans in place. However, we later discovered that the SFI 25.3 spec requires at least the driver’s side floorpan to be made of steel and to be welded in place. As a result, we had some screw holes on the bottom side that needed to be welded up. Steve plugged in his Miller TIG unit and made quick work of the problem.
list of fabrication chores keeps getting shorter and shorter. We still need to mount the parachute and fire bottle lever/actuator mounts, finish the driver’s side underhood tinwork, and weld in the floor pans per SFI spec, but otherwise there is just a lot of finish welding that needs to take place before we call the chassis done and move on at long last to the
20: Moving to the trunk area, Yates welded in the tabs for this Lokar remote battery disconnect switch. Not only can the battery be killed from the rear bumper per NHRA tech requirements, a Morse cable routed up to the shifter also allows the driver to be able to throw the switch from the cockpit.
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RPM PROJECT CAR 21
22 21, 22, & 23: Yates then whipped up an overflow catch can from stainless tubing. Using a Philadelphia Racing Products billet screw cap, the reservoir will also serve as a convenient spot to fill the cooling system.
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23
24
25
24 & 25: On the driver’s side in the trunk, Yates added a mount for the ProMeth pumpless water/ meth injection tank. We will be showing you more on this system’s install in the future, but this sealed aluminum tank is pressurized to around 175-200 psi by the on-board air compressor and tank for the air ride, then solenoids similar to a nitrous system actuate the spray when needed.
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RPM PROJECT CAR 26
26: We previously had provisions for dual batteries. However, the ProMeth tank necessitated a change in arrangement, so Yates made a billet plate to mount the Ride Tech on-board compressor to the previous battery mount on the driver’s side. This compressor will power not only the air ride system, but also the water/ meth and could also be used for chute launchers or other such systems.
SOURCES
Yates Performance Chassis
twice as long, cost twice as much, and THEN maybe we’ll get it done. Either way, you have to admit...it’s been a pretty entertaining journey so far. Stay tuned as we do our level best to try to usher in the Second Coming of Pro Street!
e rear suspension is all Calvert Racing and even includes their etary 9-way adjustable CR series rear shocks (not shown).
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2Boyz Blasting next stage of the build. Once again we find ourselves another month older, a little bit closer, and guardedly optimistic that next month at this time we will have some exciting progress to show you. But if this project has taught us anything, it is that it will take at least
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2" Suspension Leveling Kits
Southern Truck Font: RoughKnight Lift your Life Font: Alone on Earth Period Font: Arial
• Easy bolt-on installation for increased ground clearance. • Levels the front with the rear of the vehicle
Ask a sales rep. for details
LS Series Conversion Mounts
Designed to mount an LS Series Engine where an early 3 Bolt motor was previously installed. A must have for any LS engine swap. Available in Red or Black polyurethane.
Matte Aluminum
Bed Covers
The premium retractable covers are constructed from industrial strength aluminum slats that provide unsurpassed strength and ruggedness.
Ask about one for your truck
BORN FROM JOE GIBBS RACING
®
Hot Rod Series Engine Oils
HR Conventional 10W-30 Great for small block street cruisers and "crate" motors. 10W Multi-grade formula provides excellent start-up protection. PN 02007 HR Conventional 15W-50 Perfect for big block muscle cars and blown street rods. Perfect for engines with original seals. Good for loose bearing clearances. PN 02107
Syclone S-Blade Reversible Electric Fan A powerful electric motor helps this fan move an impressive 2,500 cfm of airflow. Can be used as an auxiliary or primary cooling. • Height 15 3/4" • Width 16 5/8" • Depth 4.0" • Air Flow 2,500 CFM PN 398
Spiro-Pro Universal Spark Plug Wire Sets A two-layer 100% silicone inner core & outer jacket keeps the wires flexible for the life of your vehicle maintaining its vibrant color with heat protection to 600º F. Featuring 350 ohms per foot resistance which provides more fire power to the spark plugs than OEM resistor core wires. Available with 90º, 135º or 180º boot angles in Red, Blue or Black.
Purchase any new Edelbrock water pump, receive a
FREE Fender Cover and a $25.00 rebate check! Visit
edelbrock.com/promo for complete details
'15-'17 Mustang GT Cold Air Intake & Power Pack Kit • Includes GT350 cold air intake with 87 mm throttle body and exclusive intake adapter • 21 hp and 24 lbs/ft peak gains over stock • 40 lbs/ft gain at 1500 RPM • Industry exclusive open air filter with CARB EO • Ford Performance ProCal tool, included with all calibrations, requires laptop and internet access for calibration install PN M-9603-M8A * Note - computer not included
Performance
Piston Rings
Ask a sales rep. for details
With the most comprehensive line of piston rings, compression rings, and oil rings in the world, we have a piston ring for practically any application— racing, automotive, heavy-duty transportation, agriculture, industrial, small engine, and more.
GM LS Series Retrofit Trunnion
Kits PN 13702-KIT • Designed to convert stock LS Series rocker arms into captured roller trunnions for high-rpm race applications • NASCAR spec LS engine proven • Increases stability & stiffness
High-Performance AGM Batteri es The ultimate starting battery delivers the strongest 5-second burst of ignition power for reliable startups every time. The REDTOP® will outperform and outlast traditional batteries in demanding cranking/starting applications. The YELLOWTOP® battery is one of the few true dual-purpose automotive batteries available. With premium cranking power and impressive cycling capability, this heavy-duty battery is also perfect for modern accessoryloaded vehicles.
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july 2017 | RPM Magazine
116